Better Late Than Never.

While unpacking our suitcases......

Phillip:  Sometimes....because I'm O.C.D.....it just gives me more work to do.

Lindsay:  (bursts out!) REALLY?!  You're just having this epiphany NOW?!!! 

Prime and CURRENT Example:  He finds a business card during the unpacking process.  He goes to get his "business card folder" from its "spot".  Then he has to go through this folder to remove old, unwanted contact information.  Anything removed from the folder has to be ripped into tiny pieces.  Then thrown into the garbage.  Then he has to make sure that there are three specific groups of cards:  Canada, Kuwait, and International.  Then he decides he must rearrange the entire collection to leave no spaces between cards.

OH HUBS.  We'll be "unpacking" for days at this rate!  (Good thing I ADORE you!)

WE MADE IT!

Although neither of us slept a wink, we still managed to smile upon our 36 degrees Celsius arrival in Kuwait.  We are HOME!  Maybe not "home, home".....but still, HOME!  (Ya with me?)

It is so great to be back.  A couple of things worth mentioning:

1)  Patience is virtue.  We've been spoiled with REAL high speed internet for a couple of months now.  Our return has left me scratching my head and twiddling my thumbs between page loads.  Okay....so maybe I'm being dramatic...but it's not like LIGHTNING QUICK, I'll tell ya that much!

2)  Phil and I were both able to nap for four hours this morning (WOOT, WOOT!).  During my dreams, I was having non-stop visions of pigeons flying into the apartment via balcony door.  What's up with that?

3)  Our place seems MASSIVE due to the tiny wee space we rented during the summer months.  I mean....even our bed is MASSIVE.  We can sleep "together" without even touching.  It's HEAVEN!

4)  The filtered water is acting lazy....leaving little white chunks of SOMETHING with every turn of the tap.  We've let is run, rinsed out the filter, crossed our fingers.....NODDA.  Phil will be venturing out for a new filter soon!  (And groceries....INSHALLAH!)

5)   Many people have reported problems with their AC.  Phil tipped our superintendant EXTRA in June to ensure that he came in EVERY SINGLE DAY to check the state of ours.  So...I'm not sure if THAT is the reason for my state of near-hypothermia.....or if we just got "lucky" this year.  Regardless, I'm a popsicle.  You don't even want to know how much fleece I'm wearing this minute.  It's rather alarming considering the predicted high of 46 degrees this afternoon......

I'm thrilled that both the tv and interweb are up and running.  And that dust didn't take over the apartment (or dust of SERIOUS measure, at least!).  Shani is coming at around 2 o'clock to clean for us!  I can't wait to hug her and hear all about her summer in Sri Lanka!  We'll also be seeing the Huffho's later today.  And maybe even Sophia!

YIPPEE!!!!!  WELCOME HOME, US!!!!

Picking Names. Middle Ones.

During a serious discussion about baby names....

Lindsay:  I want the middle name of our baby to mean something.  So, if it's a girl, I'm thinking "Noelle".  It means "Christmas" in French!!!

Phil:  Absolutely not.  We're not giving our baby girl a French name. 

Lindsay:  But it's the middle name.  Which would never be used....except for by us!

Phil:  Lindsay...NO.

Lindsay:  (pause) What about Prancer?

Phil:  (no comment)

Lindsay:  FROSTY?! 

(long pause)

Lindsay:  (smiling) Hunnie....where's your holiday spirit?! 

4 MONTHS, 5 DAYS.

After expressing a random urge to "read the newspaper" in the past two days.....

Phil:  (laughing) Where is this coming from?  Why do you all of a sudden want to read the newspaper?  

Lindsay:  I'm not really sure...but in our last remaining days here, I'm upset that I didn't take advantage of current events...........in print sources!

Phil:  (shakes his head with a smile) Well the hotel should have some.

Lindsay:  (excitedly) Maybe there's one waiting outside of our door!!!  Ohhh....I will go check!  I feel like it's Christmas morning!!!

Phil:  Well...it's not really like Christmas morning....

Lindsay:  (opens up hotel room door)  THERE IS ONE!!!!  Ah - CHRISTMAS MORNING!!!

Haha.....I can't help it that I want my favourite holiday to be discussed as much as possible.  As for the newspaper, I haven't read it....yet.  But Phil has!  And I can tell that he is happier because of it :)  

P.S.  The hotel's shampoo smells like a Christmas candle!  You know those red, cinnamon-y and spice-y ones? 

A Nightmare, ON REPEAT!

Hoarders....Storage Wars....and now THIS?

While I respond to messages, plan for school, and exercise in the hotel room, Phil can be found glued to "Beyond Scared Straight" - a program about really naughty teenagers who visit jail in an attempt to redirect their future.  The worst part (besides the fear of one day being a parent to a troubled 13 year old), is that A&E seems to be hosting a "perma-marathon" of this show.  It's been on for every WAKING MOMENT of our stay at the Holiday Inn Express.  GAHHHH!  I can't seem to escape the haunting remarks that come from their "used to be sweet and innocent" mouths.  And the bleeping is as out of control as the kiddo's!!!!   

Thank goodness we don't get this station in Kuwait.......or else I'd be calling up our service provider and blocking it SO FAST! 

We'll be shuttling to JFK at 5 a.m. tomorrow morning.  Heaven help me if the airline's entertainment system includes B.S.S. 

A VERY HAPPY SUNDAY!!!

Today - while wearing my nonrestrictive, cozy & stretchy maternity track pants - the gentlemen working at airport security asked me with confidence, "have you picked out any names yet?"

AHHHHHHHH!!!!!!

Ladies and gentlemen, TODAY could very well be my graduation day.  From the grey zone.  The embarrassing zone.  The "she might just be chubby" zone.   

Hallelujah!!!  I think the "She IS Pregnant" era has arrived!!!!

P.S.  FOUR MONTHS until my birthday!  [Yes, I know Phil's is only about two weeks away, however he'd rather us not discuss it ;)  Direct quote from him, "You're NOT throwing me a birthday party."  As a rather straightforward character, I'm not sure I should push this one.....although I want to SO BADLY!!!]

Wardrobe UPDATE!

BIG NEWS!  Today I purchased maternity clothes for the first time ever!!!  Yes, this growing bump is so ready to be dressed up (thanks to the kind and helpful staff at Thyme Maternity)!  My shopping focus was "work-wear" - dress pants, skirts, blouses, etc. - as I hope to maintain a certain level of professionalism (and CUTENESS!) throughout my pregnancy.  Some of the items (e.g. tops) will have to wait a WEE BIT LONGER before they're charmingly wearable....but the skirts and pants are definitely ready for use!  Ahh - I can't wait to get myself into that one pair of stretchy sweats for tomorrow's flight.  I think my go-to Lulu's are on the OUTS.....

Back to the packing.....we got a late start because we've been out at "The Balmy Beach Club" with the neighbours.  Thank goodness "Titanic" is on tv....that should give us a good five billion hours of entertainment whilst we tend to this dreading task.  

NIGHT ALL!
xo

HOME SWEET HOME - HUNTING

Phil and I have gotten REALLY serious about this whole "being an adult" thing in the past two years.  We paid off our students loans.  Got a coffee maker (extra points for this move!).  Started our retirement fund.  Began going to bed at 8 p.m.  Now we're expecting a baby (HOORAY!) and.......................................HOME-HUNTING!!!!!!  Mmmm hmmmm.....we're BIG TIME GROWN-UP'S ;)

Anyways, it's about time we find a place of our own to enjoy during the summertime.  Phil's dream location would be somewhere in Thunder Bay...probably beside Uncle Byron on Lake Superior.  Mine would be somewhere urban I think.....where we can walk to everything that we need!  But, since I'm not willing to be in Thunder Bay all summer long (away from all of MY PEEPS!) and Phil's not willing to be in a city near every amenity you can think of....we had to come to a compromise.  His request is that we purchase somewhere on the lake....with trees and nature around.  As for me, I have two key requirements: to be close to Dad's house and to be able to secure an internet connection of considerable speed.  I think we found the perfect solution!  

While in Lakefield this week, we met with a realtor and went to see eight waterfront properties in the Kawartha Lakes area.  The area seemed to suit the both of us and of the eight places we saw, three had some Parkinson family potential!  In fact, the one evening Phil called to make an offer on one of the properties!!!  The whole process was rather scary, then exciting, then disappointing, and then frustrating.  Someone had called to put an offer on the same place that very morning!  Apparently they have first dibs, since their offer was accepted conditionally.  We're keeping our fingers crossed that MAYBE, JUST MAYBE it doesn't work out for the other buyers!  But if it does, I know there will be something EVEN BETTER waiting for us in the future :)   (<--- Phil's not so optimistic!)

Throughout the whole home-hunting process, we had two all-star inspectors with us (Dad and Julie!) who helped to tell us what to look for as they crawled under, over, and through anywhere and everywhere.  They were a HUGE help and we wouldn't have had a CLUE what we were doing if they weren't with us!  So - THANK YOU GUYS!!!  We really appreciate all your help!!!

Okee dokee, we're off to make some less serious purchases!  It's our final day in Canada and we're doing some last minute shopping, then packing it up! 

Enjoy your SATURDAY!!!  :)

For Emily, as PROMISED:

Introducing the "is she chubby or is she pregnant?" stage!  Some of you have been far too kind, insisting that I fit in with the latter of the two options.  Thanks for that!

Grow BABY grow!  We already love you SO MUCH!

Do Weird Things Come in TWO'S?

It's a question raised by the following two happenings: 

1)  At the start of the week I tripped TWICE within 30 seconds.  On a flat surface.  A smooth surface.  A "you are never, ever gonna trip on this" kinda surface.  Yet, I did.  And Phil was worried.  After a double-check for untied shoelaces (NEGATIVE!), he asked if I should sit down for a while and take a rest.  But that's what we'd been doing for the previous two hours at the movie theatre.  I was rested and GOOD TO GO! 

2)  Yesterday afternoon, a bug flew directly into my eyeball.  It caused me to pause, squint in horror, and recall why the woods and I don't always get along.  Dad helped me get it out.  Fast forward to FIVE MINUTES LATER.  Same thing happens.  A bug flies right into the SAME EYEBALL!  And it was a different bug.  Because the first one was a gonner.  This time Phil was the one who came to my rescue.  The bug was removed from my eye and I hopped into the car - fingers crossed that I'd be protected on the inside.  

Both events were strange and embarrassing.  Which is why I'm hoping the ODD-NESS stops here.  At least for the rest of the week.  I'm overtired and sappy as it is.  Any more weirdness could lead to a crazy-pregnant-lady breakdown in public.  And I'm afraid such a scene will attract those "stranger magnets" I discussed in the last post.