Because ... I made something

So I finally finished my project.  The toddler tower that is.  Here are pics of Nathan abusing it.

He uses it as a jungle gym, a place to grab food off of the counter, and to watch mommy/daddy cooking.  This weekend he helped James make bagels.  It is great that he can stand on it, and we don't have to worry about him tipping it, or getting it dirty with whatever he is working with.

I love the color (I stained instead of painting it), and the design was really easy to follow.  Here is the link again to plans:
http://ana-white.com/2010/12/helping-tower.html

She does more than just baby/kid stuff, like beds, tables, chairs, etc.  I am currently thinking about going up to Alaska and paying homage to her.

So yah me.  Yah my little man.  And yah the lady in Alaska.

Because ... I have an odd sense of humor

So I was talking to another mom awhile ago, and she said how she would like to have a glass of wine when she was over 38 weeks into her pregnancy.  All the developmental stuff was done, and it wouldn't really cause any harm.

I thought this was a brilliant idea.  So I told the hubby that at 38 weeks we should go out and he could order me a Bellini (they frown on pregos ordering drinks). And I enjoy my blissful little drink. 

But chances are that after 9 months of not drinking, it would probably get me a little tipsy.  Then I thought "what if I go into labor that night".  Good luck explaining to the hospital that it was just one drink in my whole pregnancy, and that I am not some raging alcoholic.

I swear ... the things I think of.

Because ... I have been doing stuff

So I haven't posted in awhile.  No really good reason.  Kind of busy.  Kind of not.  But here is some of the stuff that has been happening:

1. The one year anniversary of my dad's passing came and went in December.  It was a hard day, but an even harder Christmas.  Even though last year was technically the first Christmas without him, I think the shock didn't really let it sink in.  This Christmas it did though.  Despite having a two year old running around, it seemed more subdued and quieter.  Things were just off.
My Dad was a hard man to like on the best of days.  And there are few found memories of him in the last 10 years.  More memories of me getting mad, or being disappointed with him.  I could go into all the reasons this happened, but why.  At the end of the day, it is hard for me to find good memories, and nothing is going to change that.


2.   Nathan turned 2.  And in the past week, he has been such a great little boy.  He is trying to talk, which has helped with the tantrums.  I like this a lot better.  I sure do love my little monster.

3. New Years came and went.  And the only resolution I made was to have this baby.  Seems like something I can't change the outcome on, but it seems like a good resolution to me.  I am looking at the year as either being pregnant or not.  I can't wait to see what/who has been doing somersaults in my tummy (totally new sensation ... Nathan was a kicker, not a turner).  And with that comes joy of a new baby, and the challenge of having two.

4. Putting in new baseboards in our living room.  When we had the hardwood put into the family room, they had undercut the baseboards, and they looked like shit.  So over the span of a week, I pulled the old ones off, painted them, cut them, put them on, and caulked them.  James was a great help with the cutting, and Brandi is a genius with the caulk ;)  I have to say they look pretty good, if I do say so myself.

So what is planned for the new year:

1. I have a couple of projects that I want to get done in the next little while.  I have a sewing project on the go, and I want to build this:

It is at this website.  It is a great website for really neat wood working projects, that this amazing lady goes through and tells you how to build them. I am working up the courage to try this, and to stand in the cold garage making all the cuts.

2. Having some time off work.  Not that maternity leave is a vacation. But work ... at the best of times ... is slow.  I hate having to kill the day away.  And being home with kids is definitely not like that.  Maybe killing the day until backup comes though.

3. Spending the whole summer season at the cabin.  Last year we got the cabin half way through the summer, so I am looking forward to being out there more.  Plus my brother is talking about building a new shed.  So that sounds like fun to me.

So that is about all that is going on in my little life, and my little head.  Sorry it started off so sad.  I guess I just had to get that off my chest first.  But here is hoping the rest of the year goes well, and that I can enjoy the new projects and days ahead.

Because ... watching tv on the computer kills time

So, if you don't already know, I have some time to kill everyday.  I can only surf the web for so long before I run out of things to read, so I have stumbled into the land of watching tv on the computer to kill time.

One of the challenges is that the main US channels will not allow you to watch in Canada.  But there are many Canadian TV stations that host these shows, and thus have them on their websites.  Here are some of the links that I use:

ctv.ca
globaltv.com
citytv.com
surfthechannel.com

The first three are pretty obvious, but they work.  And while CityTV and Global don't put the shows up very quickly, CTV does a really good job.

The last site, surfthechannel, is a website that allows you to find the show you want to watch and links to places where you can watch it.  The ones that you can only watch in US have little US flags beside them, so it makes it pretty easy.  Mostly it links to MegaVideo, which is a solid site.  The only down side is that after 90 minutes of watching, it makes you take a break of 70 minutes, unless you want to join their site and pay a subscription fee.

So now you know all my tricks.  If you have any, pass them on.

Because ... I am reverting back to a teenager

Why is it that when ever you have a bad haircut, you feel like that awkward teenager in jr high that didn't want to leave the house unless your hair was perfect.  I remember having crying fits about my hair not being perfect.  My poor parents.  I was never crazy enough to stay home, but I am sure that some days it was a close call as to which way it would go.

Today, I have already resorted to going home during coffee break this morning (I live 5 mins away), and trying to fix it.  I pulled out gel, the scissors, and the curing iron.  I don't know what makes me think I can cut my hair better than my hairdresser, but I try to "fix" problem areas none the less.

I am sure no one even notices that something is wrong, let alone that I got a haircut.  But yet I revert back to the 14 yr old trying to get the one peice of hair perfect before I left the house.

Is there anyone else out there that is just tempted to get a brush cut somedays?  (Boys don't count ... it is culturally acceptable for them)

Because ... I have nothing really to say

So I haven't blogged in close to a week now.  No real reason, just nothing much to say.

Just busy with work (audit is going right now), the house (finished the plumbing project with no leaks, and starting on organizing the garage/basement) and life in general (the baby ... enough said).

I am just plugging along, trying to enjoy whats left of the summer, and get ready for winter.  I guess in that regard, I feel a little like the ant from the fabble of the ant and the grasshopper.  You know the one ... where the ant works hard all summer and is good for the winter, but the grasshopper plays and is not ready for winter.

I've always been an ant.  I like to be prepared for anything.  Proof is in the pantry, and the bank account.  I like having essentials in the pantry for when I want to make something, and I need a little nestegg in the bank account in case anything needs to get fixed/bought. 

The ant's life isn't always as exciting as the grasshopper's, but it sure is nice to be ready for the uncertainness that life can sometimes bring.

Because ... I am not proud

So the truck is in the shop (nothing too exciting though .. just work that needed to be done related to buying it used).

So instead of renting a vehicle for James to use, I gave him our car to use, and I am driving my mom's old truck.

As you can see, it is gem of a vehicle.  It has 3 speed on the floor, an AM only radio, and no AC.  But it starts reliably, and can get me from home to work and back again.

And I am not too proud to drive it.  Some people are worried about their image.  And I admit that I get caught up in it too (I like the things I own to look nice and be in good repair).  And the comments from the people I work with it are interesting when I pull into work ... "I see you have upgraded" ... "Did you loose a bet" ... "Not a good sign when the accountant is having financial concerns"... etc

But despite its short comings, and the comments from others, I like driving it.  When I said that it is my mom's old truck, I should have said that it is my dad's old truck, but he passed last year, so it is now my mom's.  It is still filled with his stuff: glasses, wrenches, tools.  And it is still set to his radio station. 

While the truck didn't usually boad well for me as a kid (usually off to do some manual work with dad), it is nice now to have those memories, and spend a little time thinking of dad each day.