Happy New Year and First Day of School

Yes, yes, again I'm on about how the day after Labour Day feels more like the start of a new year than January 1 does. This year even more so, since we have gone back to school. Both Alex and I are attending the school of new parents. It's been fun. It's been scary. It happened a lot early than we expected. But it's been good. And while we've been Mommy and Daddy (ooh, that makes it seem so much more real) for a good two weeks, we're really settling in and learning the ropes this week. We've got to get ourselves figured out before the super helpful grandma returns to her life and we have to cook and clean and chauffeur ourselves around without any help.

So, happy back to school to all the back to schoolers...we're with you this year (and hoping that back to school 2013 doesn't sneak up on us too quickly!)

Changing focus

I'm not sure where this blog is going to go or what it will contain. Our cub has arrived and our lives are changing. I will try to update regularly, but the content might be a bit different. And it might not be regular, since my current regular is a lot less regular than the regular when I started blogging. And cub postings will be rare...but there is a cub blog.

Please email me if you want to know more about the cub...

Goodbye to a favourite friend

Every day there are a few websites I like to visit and since we no longer subscribe to the newspaper, For Better or For Worse is one of them. Saturday and Sunday were the last strips...the saga is over. For Better or For Worse will still exist, but in a different format. I'm going to miss the daily life of the Pattersons...I will keep reading, but it's just not going to be the same...

What is oozing out of our ground?

I think you learn about rainbows and how they're created in elementary school...so, either this lady's brain is oozing or she skipped elementary school (oh, and the apostrophized plurals, they drive me nuts! More nuts that the misspelled words constitutional and thirst) But check her out, she's special!

Sprinklers remind me of being a kid and running through the sprinkler in the back yard and drinking from the hose. Yes, random thought. Sorry. I've been up for hours...that mythical baby insomnia finally struck last night...

Is this goodbye?

Wow dear readers, I'm amazed to see you're still around to check this out...there's been a distinct lack of activity for a prolonged period of time! A long, long time ago I mentioned that I didn't think my blogging would last, but no, no I don't think this is goodbye...I think this is just crazy busy and I'll be back.

I have a few things I have been meaning to post for a while...like...well...hmm

• the long ago promised pictures of the pink palace. Which I managed to take before we started packing, but never actually posted
• pictures of the new place (Lyons' den? still thinking on that one)
• the "we wish Kelsey was here" picture from the bbq in the Ross backyard in July
• random, usual blogginess

So for now, I'm still around. There's still just two of us living in the new place...ahem...the Lyons' den. I'm still working. My belly is still growing.

Maybe when the mat leave starts in just over a week I'll get to that list...providing we're unpacked by then!!

Barely a glance...

A while ago I was complaining about people who were giving me dirty looks for drinking out of a take-out cup from the local-seattle-based-soccer-mom-mega-coffee-shop, even though it wasn't even coffee and if it was, how was it any of their business anyway! Today I stopped by the liquor store (which opens early...it was only 9:30) to pick up a gift for someone. The security guard gave me the once over when I walked in but I think that was due to the rather large, somewhat empty grocery bag on my shoulder that could easily hold a few bottles of wine and not anything else. I bought my bottle of wine, had it placed in a paper bag emblazoned with BCLIQUORSTORE, not once, but twice, so everyone could see and went home, with my very obvious, about eight months pregnant belly leading the way. No glares, no second glances...nothing...

So, remember this: wine in a paper bag is okay, but a take-out cup from the local-seattle-based-soccer-mom-mega-coffee-shop is not when you're pregnant.

The *ONLY* thing worse

...than a crowded bus on a hot day, is a crowded bus on a rainy, muggy day when the bus riders think rain=cold which means the windows should be shut.

The sun is going to come back, right?

Stay tuned for the next chapter in our lives...we'll be back in a few days and maybe there will be some sort of regular posting or something like that!

Frozen Coke

A convenience store that we parked in front of for a good 20 minutes on our detour today was selling frozen Coca-Cola...we weren't sure if the sign meant slurpie-type frozen Coke or actual frozen Coke!

How many does it take...

In this case, how many male relatives does it take to feed one baby a little snack?
Well, judging by the picture it takes three: Daddy, Grandpa and Uncle. If you look closely, that blur that Grandpa is holding is a second spoon!

Hero of Fools

My cousin Briana had her CD release party last night. We arrived at the Media Club in time to chat with her briefly before she went on. It was amazing! We had a great time and her singing is great! Hopefully we'll be hearing more of her soon!

Singing Briana

proud papa

paparazzo papa

the crowd

So much fun (oh and k-town crowd, there will be a party there eventually...I heard it from she who knows! apparently look for her the end of August!)