Did you know that Swarovski made these?

Because they do.  I held one the other day.  In my very own hand.

FOREVER YOUNG.

Thursday afternoon I supervised my very first Treasure Hunt Club session.  It was incredible.  Fifteen 12 year old's, me, and a campus-wide game of hide-and-seek with treasure.  Awesome.  Super awesome.  Perhaps the most fun I've had outside of our living room in a while.

And then when it was finished, I went to pick up my big-person BFF from nail club.  (That's how we roll).

Hands in for the TREASURE HUNT CLUB!

Em and I were talking this weekend about how much we learn from and love the the pre-teen/new-teen age group.  For real.  They keep us up-to-date regarding the best apps, social media shopping, fashion trends, and music preferences.  The latter was made perfectly clear with my post about "OHH LAA LAA" the other day.  They just know WHAT'S UP and my inner twelve year old (which is likely to be a forever thing) gets a real kick out of them.  

Did you hear that Selena Gomez performed in Dubai on Friday night?!!!!

Haha.  Four sleeps until Thursday ;) 

I really had every intention of blogging....

...but then my husband decided to relax and so I'm going to do that with him.  Nory's asleep.  We're on the couch.  And the season premiere of Parenthood is about to begin.

This simple life.  Is a good one.

GOODNIGHT! xo

Text messages you don't want to receive from your husband while you are teaching?

THIS ONE! 

There were problems renewing Phil's residency and it turns out he had a "first offense" against him for taking too long to get Nory's birth certificate.  This is one of those stories that will be saved for the campfire next summer ;)  I can tell you that Phil believes he deserves pizza for dinner tonight and I think he's right.  Yesterday was a LONG ONE.

Keep your fingers crossed that the problem is resolved!  Another interesting tale to add to this interesting adventure of ours :)

Ooh La La!!!!!

Imagine hearing this song.  For the first time.  At 8:30 p.m. on a Thursday night.  On the highway.  At the loudest volume possible.  In a vibrating escalade.  With twin boys belting out the lyrics.

HILARIOUS.

Now I've shared it with Nory and Phil (and EMILY!) and we just can't get it out of our heads!!!

OOH LAAAA LAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!

THREE MONTHS.

The following conversation was a serious one.

While watching "Zou" this morning... 

Phil:  Zou's mom is really good-looking.

Lindsay:  I know, right? 

Phil:  And she dresses nice.

Lindsay:  And she has beautiful eyelashes!

Coaching, A Lifestyle.

My husband is THE BEST coach ever.  I'm sure of it.  Who else spends HOURS and HOURS making cuts for a U14 soccer team?! ONLY HIM, I'm sure. 

Where we live, soccer is THE SPORT of choice.  It's like hockey to Canadians - something you live, breath and dream.  Every game is treated like the Champions League finals (this includes P.E. scrimmages and recess intramurals) and the boys get extremely invested in the match whether they are a player or a fan.  It's also BIG TIME MAGIC, that black and white ball - a fixer of LIFE.   We're talking academic improvements and spontaneous recoveries from "serious" injuries.  Mmmm hmm.....many-a-broken legs, asthma attacks, and sprained ankles have been instantaneously cured through the arrival of a soccer ball ;)

Phil hasn't coached soccer since our first year here.  Instead, he's been focusing on Varsity and Junior Varsity basketball and has created a program that rivals that of the football program (and actually wins the interest of most students in high school).  The middle schoolers, however, still enjoy this favourite game of the nation and so making the U14 soccer team is a MAJOR DEAL.  When they found out that Phil would be coaching the team this year, they were eager to prove themselves in P.E. by showing persistence and hard work during the fitness blasts and activities.  It creates a minor (ha!) problem when you have an entire middle school trying out for a team with only 16 spots.....

Here he is after school today, making revisions to "THE list" (keep in mind that he has made a billion drafts of this list and that he started these drafts LAST YEAR when he found out he would be coaching the team): 
 

I suggested that he should keep everyone, but as you can tell he ignored my opinion and stuck with his gal that understood the tough decisions that laid ahead....(check out that "Daddy, I TOTALLY UNDERSTAND YOUR TROUBLES" face)!!!!!  Ahhh, these two were like two peas in a pod after school.

Back to Phil.  Being the best coach ever.  If only you were here to see how sick-to-his-stomach this entire process was.  Cutting it down to SIXTEEN boys.....when you have an endless squad of impressive kids - all giving their absolute best effort.  Gosh.  His mind was racing as he considered every angle possible - grades, behaviour, improvement, dedication, family relations, etc.  There were kids with low grades that he wanted to motivate.  There were kids with poor behaviour that he wanted to inspire.  There were kids who went to summer soccer camp and had improved significantly.  There were younger brothers that were more skilled than their older brothers, but was it really going to be okay to cut one and not the other?  How about the triplets?  You can't just keep one.  And then there are the kids that are just amazing kids - good students with kind hearts.  BAH.  Put in an impossible situation, there wasn't a single pro or con that Phil left out.  His decisions are always full of thought and his intentions are always beyond the sole purpose of "winning".  I love him.

Phil managed to whittle the list down to 20 boys before he left for hockey tonight.  I'm sure there will be some broken-hearted boys on campus tomorrow morning - including my own :(

These are the things that I love about Phil.  He has a passion for coaching that is greater than the greatest.  And it's not just his bias wife that notices.  It's those 300 faces that look like they've won the lottery every time they get to be with "Coach Phil". 

I love you, COACH!  You rock the sports world.

Love,
Mrs. COACH
XOXO

It's not so bad when your baby pulls an all-nighter....

(.....if you went to bed at 6:45 p.m. in the first place!)

Ha!  We're surviving here ;)  It's hump day, too!  YAHOO!!!!!!!

Always on the GO-GO-GO!!!

That's us!

 

Some people say I don't have hips.  But Nory is heavy now and my hip is the only way I can keep her with me!

Here's what we did today:

Woke up at 3:55.  Facetimed with Auntie Dana.  Did the dishes.  Woke Daddy up.  Went tutoring for three hours.  Came home.  Got Nory ready.  Headed to the school to watch two volleyball games.  Phil dropped us back at the flat and returned to school for basketball practice.  Nory and I did our PEACE thing and then started to prep meals for the week.  Phil got home.  Meal prepping went into overdrive.  Mini egg/turkey/spinach/mushroom muffins were made.  As were chocolate chip cookies.  As was pasta with two different kinds of homemade pasta sauce.  As was carrot puree and asparagus puree for Nory.  As was cooked squash and mashed sweet potatoes.  As was beef tacos.  As was chopped veggies-to-go......(you get the picture).  There was an ongoing dish train throughout.  Then it was bath time.  Then it was bed time.  Then it was help the new neighbours upstairs time.  Then it was "catch up on three months of Nory's baby book" time.  Then.....................we sat down and crashed.

Another week starts tomorrow!  I'm feeling better and ready to GO-GO-GO some more!

GOODNIGHT!  

HAPPY INTERNATIONAL DAY OF PEACE!!!

While Phil was at basketball this afternoon, I played a wonderful game with Nory called "make a peace sign with toys as fast as you can before Nory starts to take the toys away"! I felt like Art Attack guy, 2013 edition; It was tough work and there was no PVA glue in sight to help stabilize my design! Luckily, Nory's new-found mobility has made me a little more swift and we managed to get the job done ;)

So, here it is - our attempt at sending some peace around the world (or at least to the virtual world)!  We all need to love a little more.  Accept a little more.  Encourage a little more.  And judge less....much, much less.......

PEACE!

F / F YEAH PUMPKIN

This morning we went to the grocery store and I wasn't shy when it came to loading our cart with some more Libby's.  The cans of pumpkin in stock had reduced by more than half and I'm guessing they will vanish by next weekend as this week is "American Week" at the store.  I had to get my fix when it was available to me! 

Anyways, when we got home I was all gung-ho to make a pumpkin smoothie to kick off my pumpkin spree.  Although Phil was skeptical, he took over blender duty and threw in whatever I asked him to (sidenote:  I so love how he embraces my enthusiasm for silly things like pumpkin-eating sprees). 

Things we put in the delicious autumn beverage:  pumpkin (OBVS!), a banana, skim milk, ice chips, honey, and cinnamon.  Once blended, I topped it off with some whip cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon.  It made for a really pretty picture.
 

Until I went to take the photo, knocked the table with my leg, tipped over the glass and sent pumpkin smoothie flying everywhere. 

The important thing is that it tasted DELICIOUS.  And I have ten more cans that say it's going to happen again.  The drinking part, I mean.  Not the being-a-clutz thing. 

PUMPKIN.  F YEAH!

You don't even know how much fun we had with ribbons and strings today!

I think it was one of my finest mother moments yet - bringing out a shoebox of "things that go with blouses, dresses, and shirts" in an attempt to keep Girlie stimulated for more than ten minutes.  Well, folks, it worked!  And it worked BETTER THAN a charm!  This random mix of fabrics kept Nory occupied (and laughing hysterically) for a good chunk of the day.  The ribbons and strings were thrown, tasted, shaken, dragged, tangled, shared and AWESOME.  "SNAKEY-SNAKEY" was the best part - the game where we both held an end to a string and wiggled it back and forth along the ground.  Dolly was a real sport and hopped over it each time it came her way.  This created some top-notch hysteria in the Parkinson house that Phil managed to capture on video.  If my computer had the ability to accept new megabites of stuff, I'd share it with you.  Perhaps you could plan a visit here and witness the whole thing yourself instead?  Yes, I like that idea best.  Hmmm.....maybe that's the key to attracting guests to this attraction-less place:  withholding NORY MEDIA.  AHHHH!!!

Just kidding.  I'm not that mean.  But university IS expensive these days.  And making you pay for Nory pics could be an even FINER mommy moment than my last.  MWUA, HAA, HAAA!

Dear Ribbons and Strings, thanks for making our living room a giggly, happy mess this aft.  Although you're a nice addition to some of my work attire, I think you've earned a permanent place in the E.D. toybox.  CONGRATS!

A CUP of JO(Y).

At four in the morning, there's no better view than this one :)

Other Random Things:

1)  My birthday is three months away.  That means I am 27 years and 9 months old today. 

2)  Hearing Kumari call Nory "GIRLIE" is the cutest thing.  Being home sick the last two days, I've heard her implement a few of our regulars. 

3)  I'm downloading Survivor right now.  Phil usually watches it on Friday nights here, but I thought I would surprise him with an early viewing :)

4)  I made a comment to Phil the other day about how strange it is for many of the Disney Junior characters to speak with a British accent.  Well, last night we realized that we must be getting the UK feed, because back home, the characters sound completely American.  Haha.

5)  Doc McStuffins is my new favourite Disney Junior program (I now voluntarily watch this channel when Nory is sleeping).  Last night's episode got me hooked -  it was a Valentine's Day special and the cute little lamb was questioning her cuddliness.  Poor thing.  Don't worry - the ending was a happy one ;)    

F YEAH PUMPKIN!

Last weekend when we went grocery shopping, the store had a whole shelving unit of Libby's canned pumpkin.  This made me naturally ecstatic and I threw two cans into the cart without a moment of hesitation. 

PUMPKIN. 

I love it.  There is something so homey about ALL THINGS PUMPKIN.  It reminds me of warm sweaters, cute scarves, pretty leaves, BACK-TO-SCHOOL.....all things GOOD.  Heck, I even think of football on a Sunday afternoon (something I don't normally get a smile from).  It seems to be the symbol of the season and when you live in a season-less place, a simple can of pumpkin at the grocery store can skyrocket your mood and make your heart feel shiny and bright. 

I am home from school again today.  Big bummer.  I actually cried about it this morning.  I hate being sick and I HATE missing school.  Which is why I hosted my own personal pity party for the first few hours of my day.  Then I decided to become a grown-up, snap out of it, and think of something HAPPY. 

PUMPKIN.

Yes, I thought about pumpkin.  That glorious moment at the grocery store last weekend, when I saw can after can of autumn-y goodness and angels sang in the background.  AMAZING. 

I followed that up with a trip to Pinterest, where I entered that magical, 7-letter-word into the search bar.  I wish I could say "SHA-ZAMMM" in this next sentence, but that's for determining song titles/artists and that's not what this is about.  So, instead I will say......TA-DA!!!!!!!  The most incredible website was found. 

HERE it is. F YEAH PUMPKIN!  A curse-laden gateway to the most delicious pumpkin recipes you will ever find!  Mmmmm hmmmm.......pumpkin cookies, pumpkin oatmeal, pumpkin smoothies, pumpkin cakes, pumpkin and peanut butter spread (I encourage you to re-read this heavenly union), pumpkin squares, pumpkin loaves, etc., etc., etc.!!!

My life has been forever changed.

Because it has a collar.

While Phil was getting ready for Back to School Night (I ended up staying home)..... 

Lindsay:  PHIL!!!!!  You aren't allowed to dress up for the ladies!!!

Phil:  (shocked) THIS is NOT dressing up!

Lindsay:  For you it is!!!!!!

IF YOU WERE HERE FOR.......PANADOL COLD & FLU?

It's not as delicious as tea (way too sweet for my liking), but it has the same soothing and warm properties that make you feel instantly better (or at least SMILIER!).  I'm home from school today, hoping to make this cold disappear before parent night begins at 6 p.m.  I have my doubts in this very moment, but if we all keep our fingers crossed, I will be present for the top-notch fashion show that happens on campus tonight!  

In the meantime, let's get on with our warm beverage catch-up sesh.

*  Phil has been the after-school-club coordinator at our school for the past three years.  I have signed up to do a club in the past, but this year I decided against it.  The funny thing is, I somehow ended up as the "supervisor" of a "treasure hunt club" organized by a group of sixth graders.  It all started out innocently enough - with the girls in my classes asking which club I would be running.  When this question became a popular one, I told them that they were welcome to pursue the "make your own club" option and I would be willing to supervise.  Well, this "make your own club" idea hasn't gone in the past THREE YEARS (which is why I believed nothing would come of it).  HA!  All it took was the most popular little lady in middle school to round up the troops and VOILA: the "Treasure Hunt Club" was born.  The first session is tomorrow.  I will keep you posted on what the club entails exactly.  I told them that they were responsible for the planning behind it (which means we may be in for some spectacular treasure!). 

*  Is it just me, or has CRAZY CAT LADY NATION started to take over the world?  I mean, really.  I know more of these people than I have ever known before...

*  Today Phil had a certain VIP guest in his classroom!  A former NBA player, along with our Director, Principal, Deputy Principal, Athletic Director, the Public Relations Officer and Principals from other schools.  (So I suppose there was more than one VIP guest).  He says it went great and the students loved every minute of it.  Who doesn't love a good slam-dunk show?!  And how many people can say they've worked out with a PRO?! 

*  Life before my iPhone must have been trying.  I use my mobile for absolutely EVERYTHING!  My newest favourite app is called "flashcardlet" and it allows me to make flash cards for my students, which they can use on their own smartphones.  I think it's brilliant.  It's FREE, too!!!!

*  I love being the go-to person for Tim Horton's related questions.  A colleague messaged me last night asking if the Tim Horton's here sells coffee grounds.  Within seconds, I was able to respond with a "THEY SURE DO!!!!"

*  The basketball team has started to refer to me as "Mrs. Coach".  It's a term used in "Friday Night Lights" and I LOVE IT! 

*  You should see the brain breaks I have been using with my students this year.  They are HILARIOUS.  One of them is called "Bananas" and if I work up the nerve, I will post a super embarrassing video online to brighten your day.  Let's just say that by the end of this chant-and-repeat activity, all 23 of us are giggling uncontrollably.  The best part is that I rehearsed it at home with Phil and Nory before I debuted it in class!

*  I wish I was in my sister's art class.  She does the COOLEST things with her students and the final products are always outstanding.  People like her have a knack for bringing out creativity in others :)

* I have a lot of rules when it comes to what beverages are allowed in this house.  There is a firm rule against the purchase of any "punches", "drinks" or "nectars" (just ask Phil).  That being said, I always make a small exception for artificially flavoured strawberry milk.  I'm a sucker for it and I just can't help myself....

Okee dokee.  Time to rest.  My head feels like it is about to explode. 

Toodles!

SHE DID IT!!!!!!!!!!!

And I caught it on video :) 

I love routine and so does my body.

That's why I was awake at 3:30 this morning.  And then stayed awake for the remainder of the morning.  This impossible hour has become more or less the new wake-up time for Miss Nory (which means it has become more or less the new wake-up time for us!).  This impossible hour is also the reasoning behind my 7ish o'clock bedtime.  (Ha!  Lies.  You know I used to go to bed SUPER early even before our darling came along!)

It is a rare event that she goes back to sleep before we leave for school at 6.  (Remember I told you she can go a full three hours or so before requiring a powerful, kitty-cat-nap).  However, with the cold train making its way through this house, she managed to sleep between 5 and 5:30 and is back to playing happily by my toes.  Thank goodness, too.  Little Einsteins was about to begin and we always watch it together at 5:30 (it involves super fun singing and movements).

.........you DO realize I was going to watch the show either way, right?  Nory or not?  HA!

I LOVE ROUTINE.

Time to get ready for work ;)  

GIVE US COFFEE!!!!! (with vitamin C?)

First day of the work week.

Nory was up all night.  Phillip was up all night.  I was up all night. 

Phil is still recovering from a cold.  I got one yesterday.  Nory is likely next.  She's also teething. 

Did I mention that we have Back to School Night on Wednesday?  And that this is the first day of the week?  Or that I will be working all night long tonight, too?

Ha!  Should be a good one ;)

The X Factor is BACK!!!!!!!

And these two darlings have hooked me for the whole season!  

The BEST PERSON to have around :)

I wish there was one word that described the EXTRA-AWESOME, WARM-FUZZY, GIDDY-HAPPY, LIKE-NOTHING-ELSE, OVER-THE-TOP LOVE we have for this little lady.  I really don't know what we did before her (besides sleep more).  She's our Little Miss Can't Live Without Her. 

Weekends are TOPS!  Family time, ALL DAY LONG!!!

Let's talk about this sweet chicken some more....

Yesterday both of her bottom teeth officially said HELLO!  You should have seen how much fun it was for her to use those suckers for breaking up a Mum-Mum cracker.  It was like a whole new eating experience!  (I, of course, was panicked...terrified she would choke on the pieces she broke off into her mouth).  I wonder when those top ones will appear.  The doctor believes they are close to ready! 

She's getting quite good at getting around, especially if you consider the fact that she can't crawl in the forward direction.  She has a few key moves:  bum or tummy 360's, the backwards slide, and a momentum-driven, forward hop on all fours.  She's also starting to pull herself up on random objects - laundry baskets, her jumperoo, the couch, your legs, her crib, her pack 'n play.  Oh yes, she's eager to stand up and do everything on her own. 

One of her new favourite games has got to be dropping her toys on the floor and having you pick them up for her.  Once you retrieve them, they last a whole two seconds in her grasp before returning to their place on the ground.  And if you pause for longer than 2 seconds to pick them up, she looks at you like, "Umm.....can you get that for me, please?!"  It's infant manipulation and I'm perfectly okay with it.

Playing with her favourite tupperware ;)

During the weekday mornings (which have become REALLY EARLY mornings, like 4 o'clock mornings), we love to cuddle, play, and watch Disney Junior before Kumari arrives.  "Special Agent Oso" and "Little Einsteins" are a real hit around this place.  I not-so-secretly adore them more than she does.  The voices of the characters just KILL me and I'm not shy to say I'd love to do a voice-over at one point during my lifetime.  On the weekend mornings, we usually do some tidying up and then partake in a family outing.  Yesterday morning we went out for breakfast with friends.  Today we watched some volleyball at the school and picked up groceries for the week.

We have giggled so much in the last month.  A few times a day, Nory will participate in an all-out giggle fest with one of us.  It is SO MUCH FUN.  She is ticklish under her chin and arms, and she goes hysterical when you blow on her belly.  The "eating the toes" trick and "peek-a-boo" are some other go-to giggle-inducers.  Often times, she will hear a silly word and will be laughing hysterically as you repeat it.  Yesterday's word of the day was "BUDAPEST".  I am happy that Auntie Gem was here to experience the NORY HYSTERIA! 

Taking pictures has become quite the challenge at age 7 months.  The pictures I snap are almost-always blurry and if they aren't burry, Nory is often on the verge of a nap and seems totally fazed out!  Hence, the lack of many recent photographs.  Yesterday, Emily came over for a 7-month photoshoot and she experienced some of the same problems.  Nory is a mover and a shaker.  Sitting still is just not an option, unless she's pre-nap, like I said. 

She absolutely ADORES being in the water.  We have started to bath her everyday because she has a ball in the bathtub.  Phil got her some colourful, numbered cups that she plays with and she has become a pro at filling them up with water and drinking the water that pours out of them. 

In other TOY NEWS, empty water bottles are runner-up in the category of FAVE TOYS (with the bath cups taking first place).  She LOVES them - banging them, shaking them, chewing on them, licking the sides, squeezing the bottle........it's a whole new kind of entertainment that the true and expensive toys can't offer. 

Sporting her ONLY "Ralph Lauren" outfit - from her Auntie Gem (OBVS)!

It's so exciting to see her personality develop.  She hardly naps (Kumari seems SHOCKED by this reality), only needing 30-45 minutes (every 3+ hours!) before she is recharged and ready to go again.  Seems she's a bit like her parents - enjoying "life on the the go" rather than rest and relaxation.  She gets bored easily (like me!) and requires frequent stimulation to remain happy (like me!).  That being said, our baby is most often seen as an extremely happy one and she is adored by everyone we meet.  (You should have seen her steal the show at the volleyball games today!)

She's been having a tough time with the introduction of solids, but we're hoping her body gets used to REAL FOOD soon enough.  There are so many delicious foods waiting to be tried :)

Well, I think that about covers the latest.  We love you, Eleanor Douglas!  You make our home a happy, happy one. 

XOXO

CONFESSIONS.

1)  Nory is 7 months old today.  SEVEN.  Somebody press the pause button. 

2)  Have you ever heard of someone who filled up their computer hard drive COMPLETELY?  Like - with zero space to put ANYTHING ELSE on it?  Well - if you haven't before, you have NOW.  My entire computer is full.  With pictures.  And seasons of the Real Housewives.  And I'm not ashamed of either of those fillers.  The problem is, my iPhone has about 1100 pictures on it at the moment and I haven't had a spare second to revive my MacBook with an external.  SERIOUSLY - who knew hard drives ACTUALLY filled up?! 

3)  Today I wore a mullet dress to school.  As one of my former students said, it was "AMAZING!!!!!!"

4)  Most of the jewellery I own was introduced to me by students.  Cruciani bracelets from Italy are all the rage right now.  I see them decorating the wrists of my darling students and I WANT SOME!!!!!!  (Oh Phillip, I think we need to make our way to ITALIA!!!!) 

Today one of my student's said, "MISS! You're very much like a minion!"

I courtesy laughed and walked on because I had no idea what a minion was. Of course, Googling these so-called minions was the first thing I did when I got home from work (all I was thinking was:  compliment or insult?!).

If this article by Buzzfeed holds any legitimacy, I'm assuming this remark was actually a compliment?  Perhaps it's time I watch Despicable Me......

I used to think the "5 o'clock's" were too early.....

Then we moved to the desert and 5 a.m. became our usual wake-up time for school.  That made me think the "4 o'clock's" were bad news. 

Then we had Nory and this hour became a little less horrible and a little more understandable.  The odd day our darling woke up in the 4's, life was still manageable. 

Then there was this morning.  And I will tell you this with 100% confidence: the "3 o'clocks" are FOR REAL THE WORST!  Why, you ask?  Please consider all of the aforementioned wake-me-up's with the additon of a redirected/brand-spanking new (???) mosque speaker which blares the call to prayer into Nory's room at the wee hours of the morning.  

Ladies and Gents - this house has been awake since 3:30. 

You'd think that with that much time to get ready for work, you'd be SUPER PREPARED for another day at the "office".  It's all lies.  There seems to be something to that getting-enough-sleep thing. 

Things that happened today:

*  forgetting to brush my teeth.  BIG EW. 
*  putting on my night time moisturizer rather than my daytime one
*  turning off the lights upon entering the bathroom (rather than keeping them on!)
*  telling people that I had been up since 6:30 this morning with a look of exhaustion....then reacting to their "SO WHAT'S?!" with, "I MEAN 3:30 this morning!!!!!!!!"  (WHOOPS!)
*  starting conversations with colleagues and students and then losing my train of thought and walking away with a big WHAT-CAN-YOU-DO?! grin
*  pausing mid-lesson to............I forget....was I supposed to pause?....what are we doing today?

(Impressive I remember all of these slip-up's, ya?!)

Anyways, it wasn't pretty, folks. 

Tonight calls for a game plan.  We're waking Nory up mid-sleep to feed, then transferring her into the pack 'n play in the guest room.  Inshallah, this plan will facilitate some more Zzzzz's - or at least enough to get us to Thursday at 2:30 p.m.  Worst case scenario, we show up to school like absolute ZOMBIES, get fired for sleeping during class time, and are sent home to Canada to live in our cozy Lakefield abode.  Right?

She's sleeping now.  It's 6:55. 

GOOD NIGHT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

HAPPY GRANDPARENTS DAY!!!!!!!

If anyone deserves a special day, it is THESE PEOPLE.  These people who survived their own children - I'm talking practically-ruined hot tubs and spontaneous moves to Cairo - and somehow manage to be all lovey-dovey and WONDERFUL to the offspring of said own children.  It's magic.  And we all look up to YOU!

Happy, happy Grandparents Day to the amazing people who love our daughter to the moon and back!

XOXO

When I was little, my Dad gave me the nickname "HOLLYWOOD" with good reason.

With that in mind, do you think this darling girl is my daughter?