Fresh Start

I've posted a few times before about September and how I always feel like it's the beginning of the year for me, not January 1 and this year is no different. No one is starting a new job or daycare this year (or school...next year we have school to add to the excitement), but I think it's time for us to have a fresh start.

I woke up this morning and the air felt different - cooler, crisper and more fall-like. I know, I know, all you summer lovers will hate me for saying this, but I am very glad to see the autumn.

See, she likes summer too!

September and October have always been my favourite months, so it's not surprising that I'm welcoming them. I love the feeling in the air, the delicious, fresh-off-the-tree apples, the fall clothes that don't require as many layers (and sometimes don't need a jacket) as they do in winter.

We're looking forward to the last four months of this year. 2012 has been a challenging year pretty much from day one, so we're going to make the last four months count. The next four months are going to have so many smiles in them that the last eight months won't seem like they've been so challenging!

Happy September everyone.

When I grow up...

Ugh, these were taken when my phone decided to reset itself to the lowest quality, lowest resolution, smallest sized pictures it will take...

For the longest time J was going to be a tow truck driver when she grew up. And she'd be a mechanic too. Those two things seem to go together. Not like her 4 year old mommy's plans. I was going to be a dentist and a ballerina and a swimming instructor in my spare time. Because you know, none of those jobs is particularly time consuming. I believe I was also going to be a mommy.

Last week J had to accompany me to the dentist. I try to schedule my appointments so that I can go alone. Then I don't need to worry about what J is or isn't doing, but this appointment was rescheduled a few times, so I just brought her along.

Well, first she sobbed because we had to take her out of the dentist's chair because it wasn't her turn to get her teeth cleaned. The hygienist said she'd never seen that before...it's usually the other way around. The hygienist was great with J. She showed her how the suction worked in a cup of water and J assisted her while I had my teeth cleaned. I hope she's as excited to be there when it really is her turn!

And now? Well, she doesn't want to drive a two truck or be a mechanic. She wants to be a dentist!

First you pull up like this

Then you stick it in mommy's mouth

Watch out! I'll get you and make your teeth clean

Then you put it away again

And so a year passes

This time last year we were getting ready for J to start at her new daycare.

She was excited and little and seemed so grown up at the same time.

Friday was her last day at her daycare. Now that's she is three, she gets to moved up to 3-5 daycare from toddler daycare. There will be a little more structure in her routine, a little more consistency in her day, a little more time to be independent and a lot of growing up.

She was both excited and a bit anxious about her last day at her daycare. She loves her teachers and she has a few good buddies, but none of them are moving on with her. One of her best buds is already at the new daycare and has been eagerly awaiting J's arrival. The last few weeks have been tough for J because she was the oldest and the new group of kids is so much younger (the oldest in the new group turned two in July)...we've had a bit of regression, but it's all good. She is so excited about her new daycare and hanging out with her old buddy...

We loved her toddler daycare - her teachers were amazing and she has a few good little friends. I have met with the new daycare and I feel like it's a good fit (although we'll see how it is after Labour Day) for J...

New beginnings?

I did something I don't normally do. Something that I most definitely, certainly, for sure have not done since this blog started four and a half-ish years ago.

I changed the design. And the layout.

I'm not sure if I love it yet, but it was time for a change.

My life is changing right now and has been rapidly changing for the last three or so months (no, J is not going to be a big sister) and I decided it was time for a change here too.

What do you think of the layout? What do you think of the design?

We'll see how it goes...I'm expecting things will shift a bit in the next little while as I experiment a bit, but for now, I'm liking this. Definitely liking this!

It's A Beautiful Day In The Neighbourhood

Ain't it pretty today?!?!

Well, now that we've successfully managed to track down all the members of my immediate family and Alex's immediate family, I'm allowed to post the following pictures.

This is how Alex and I spent the morning...

Because this is what I'm wearing now....

Here's a close up, because I know SOMEONE will ask.

And, because you've been asking, here's what happened.

Yesterday I had to go up to my employer's k-town location. It was gross out. The snow was starting to melt. When I got the airport and put my bag through the x-ray machine, my phone rang. (The x-ray machine people at the airport LOVE me, because this happens all the time). It was my Dad, checking to see if I made it to the airport and if my flight was delayed. I made it. The flight was only delayed by about 15 minutes. Seems as soon as he hung up the phone with me, Alex called to ask my Mom and my Dad if it was okay to ask me to marry him.

I met my Mom at the airport after my meeting and we sat and had coffee for an entire hour and she didn't even blink. YAY MOM!

This morning I realized that I didn't have a bus pass for this month so while we were having breakfast I asked Alex for a bus ticket so I wouldn't be late for work. He insisted on getting it for me even though I insisted that I didn't need a bus ticket to eat my breakfast. Off he went and I just shook my head. SILLY SHANNON!

Alex came back with the bus ticket and then all of a sudden he got down on one knee, showed me the ring and said will you marry me...

I said YES...of course...

So my plan to not be late to work was foiled and now I've got no focus, but it's Friday and I'm taking next week off, so it's OKAY!

That's all...

another word about prizes

Shock...surprise...oh no...sounds like some of the prize winners missed the oh-so-colourful announcement of the prizes...

To recap:
"And prizes go to (in absolutely NO PARTICULAR ORDER):

fifers for ovaries and being the first to EMAIL her answers as well as the first to ask if she won a mere 30 seconds later!

punk for her super-duper, CAPITALIZED, exclamation-marked answers, and the especially creative "A FIVE-LEGGED WINGED BEASTY!!!" can't you just feel the excitement?!

heddy for the long, entertaining thought process answers and for almost, but not quite getting Maid of the Mist."

I hope all prizes will be delivered soon and then the lovely photo of punk can grace these pages (joined by photos of fifers and heddy with their awesome, very cool prizes)

Edna's coming back! Edna's coming back!

I met Edna in London five years ago. I was actually the one they sent to the airport to meet Edna when she arrived in London. After lunch with Megan and Sarah, I managed to convince them they had nothing better to do with their day off than come to Heathrow with me to meet the new girl.

We got to Heathrow and her plane was just arriving. A bazillion people got off the plane all at once. Then the people started to trickle off the plane. There were still tons of people hanging around at the arrivals gate, including a few media-type people with TV cameras.

Then the Mexican football team got off the plane, complete with an entourage. Hence the cameras.

But still no Edna.

We waited. And waited. And I was glad Megan and Sarah were with me, because I needed the company. I was just on the phone calling Pax Lodge to see if they'd heard from her or what the next step should be when this girl with a ton of luggage comes out of security...

It was Edna! A TON OF LUGGAGE!

The first thing she did was call her mom (what a good girl!) and then we took her home to Pax Lodge.

Edna was crazy...she made me laugh hysterically on more than one occasion. She met my parents when they came to visit and nearly knocked my Mom over giving her a hug. She was great. And then she went back to Mexico.

But...she came to visit last summer. We had a super time eating sushi, visiting the rainy Okanagan and hanging out. I figured it might be a while until I next saw her...but no. She's coming for a week in July! YAY!!!

see...I do know how not to complain!