SHOPPING TRIP!

Yesterday morning we headed out to explore "Phase 3" of the mall with Emily and Heather. We have been anticipating it's arrival for months and last week it finally opened its doors to shoppers and diners alike! You should see the place! It's like walking around outside...but inside. It's like being in Kuwait...but being in Europe. It's AMAZING and we've since termed the first two phases of the complex "PHASED OUT"!   Here's a glimpse into the new GEM of the town:

Nice, eh?!  If it didn't get so busy so quickly, we would have spent longer in this area.  Alas, we will wait until Christmas holidays when many people have traveled and Phil and I have nothing else to do with our time!

Red cups are IN!!!!  WOO HOOO!!!!!  Do you hear that?!  It's SLEIGH BELLS, I TELL YA!!!!!  SLEIGH BELLS!!!!!

After wandering around the new section, we journeyed back to the less crowded "phased out" for some serious shopping.  I needed some new maternity wear and so we picked up a few items that are sure to be crowd pleasers.  Example #1:  the bright purple tracksuit that I will sport as much as possible between now and delivery!  Also exciting, I got a new dress shirt designed by "Jessica Simpson Maternity" and we purchased some Christmas-y items from IKEA! 

Yesterday afternoon was also enjoyable as Phil and I watched some shows together and made homemade pizza for dinner!  I love cozy nights in with my hubby.  He's the best.

Wishing all of you back home a happy and relaxing weekend!

XOXO

P.S.  My new beverage of choice is a nonfat steamed milk with cinnamon sprinkled on top!  Lots of calcium for Baby P and a preggo-friendly way for me to participate in COFFEE OUTINGS!  WIN!

Round Two!

Parent-Teacher conferences continued yesterday and I had a whopping 32 parents!  I was, once again, conferencing non-stop until 1 p.m., at which point I had to excuse myself to go to the washroom and get a snack!  My bladder was burning and my hands were shaking in hunger.  WAIT - upgrade that last part to "SHAKE-SHAKE-SHAKING IN HUNGER".  I don't really remember what was said in the last few conversations I had because I was trying not to faint!  I grabbed a quick muffin and then continued to conference with the long line of parents remaining in the hall.  With only one hour left, I sucked it up and survived until 2 p.m.

Phil came to my room when it was over to see how my day was.  Surprise - I cried!  I was Ms. Emotional Pregnant Lady and I was feeling so bad that I didn't eat well during the day and that maybe I hurt the baby.  I was mad at myself for not being more firm with the parents.  Why didn't I lock my door for a decent 15-20 minute lunch break?  BAH.  This people-pleasing thing has to stop.  ASAP.  

Anyways, Phil picked up some groceries yesterday afternoon and I ate lots of healthy food in the evening hours to erase my guilt.  I hope Baby P forgives me for allowing starvation to happen!  I'm up early again this morning and we're listening to the new Taylor Swift album together.  Perhaps a trip to the mall will also butter her up.......

OH.  MY.  GOODNESS.  I LOVE THIS BABY.

SLEIGH BELLS RING!!!!!!!

Okay, okay. I lied. Sleigh bells are NOT ringing. But holiday cups are HERE at Caribou Coffee and that's basically the same thing ;)

How happy do you think I was to enjoy my first cup of HOLIDAY CHEER?  SO HAPPY!  My inner Tigger was out in full-force!!!!

P.S.  The following must be said:  the moment was a LITTLE BIT ruined when my darling friend had a SERIOUS mind-block about Christmas Day.  Mmmmm hmmm.  She actually paused and said, "wait a minute.....Christmas is on the 25th, right?"  How we remained friends after this comment is something I'm still pondering.  Inshallah my tea-drinking companions come with unwavering knowledge of my favourite holiday tomorrow morning!!!!! 

P.P.S.  Dear Starbucks, please have your red cups ready!!!!!!!

21:

The number of parents I had from 6-8 p.m. last night!  It was non-stop and hectic and by the end of the evening - 15 minutes AFTER the Principal had announced that the night was finished - I had to turn away 5 parents who had been waiting in line to see me!!!!  (I felt so bad!)

Today our classrooms are open from 9-2 and there is potential for 63 more to visit!  YEESH!  I hope I get a few chances to run to the washroom and eat some snacks!  Otherwise, I might have to pull the "pregnant lady" card! 

The great thing about today is that we don't have to be at school until 8:45!  Which is why I'm sitting comfortably on the couch at this hour rather than uncomfortably at my desk!  Phil seems to be having a good sleep-in but my alarm clock is LITERALLY INTERNAL these days and so I've (or should I say "we've") been up for a while now :)

It's also THURSDAY!  And we get to leave school at 2 p.m.!!!!  And I have a big "Bachelor Canada" date with Phillip later tonight!!!

HOORAY (and best wishes!) for a GREAT DAY!!!!!!!

IF YOU WERE HERE FOR (DECAF) TEA.

*  The election is FINALLY OVER.  I don't know about any of you, but I'm really excited for television coverage of a different sort.

*  My students are ADORABLE.  Even when they drive me nuts, I really do see something loveable in each of them.  I have one student who has started to do "belly touches" every day.  This includes one hand on the bump, an ear close-by, and a little whisper 'hello'.  It's so cute - she's hoping the baby recognizes her voice after she's born :)   

*  This week has been CRAZY!!!!  Phil and I have been out late every night this week and the trend continues this evening as we head back to school for parent-teacher conferences!  As such, the posts have been minimal and I apologize for that :)

*  BABY NEWS:  On Saturday morning we went to the clinic to repeat my glucose tolerance test.  Later in the afternoon, my doctor called to confirm gestational diabetes.  I only had a minor breakdown (right Phil?!) and my common sense kicked in a few hours later.  Here's the thing:  I realize some women may get G.D. while pregnant.......and I know that it's not my fault.....and I am well aware that I eat like a health hero and exercise religiously.....BUT STILL!!!!  All I could think about was my baby girl twirling around in a space full of sugar......and the interweb searches that got my imagination going in directions that were completely UNNECESSARY.  I just want to know that I have done everything I can to keep her healthy and safe.  And I don't like that this SUGA BIZNAZ is outta my control!  Nonetheless, we go to the hospital this Saturday afternoon to sort things out and (hopefully) make a plan for treatment. 

*  OTHER BABY NEWS:  I felt the Baby hiccuping for the first time on the weekend (or so I think)!  I had to Google the sensation to find out what in the world was going on because it almost felt like she was having convulsions!  Haha.  She's also proven to be a nap-hater (like me!) because any time I lay down for some shut-eye, she starts kicking like the next Karate Kid! 

*  The Bachelor Canada.  AY, AY, AY .  We haven't even watched the most recent episode but we hear it's hometown dates and the thought of it makes me laugh.  How is this man going to choose a wife after like........4 days???  The Canadian version is FLYING BY and I'm guessing it's because they lack the funds to keep the dates a comin'!  

*  After a long week of work, I am excited for this weekend.  I have a coffee (or steamed milk!) date with a friend tomorrow, a trip to the mall scheduled for Friday (woo hoo there's a new section!), and Phil and I are heading to watch some U14 soccer action early Saturday morning.  I'm also quite curious to see what the inside of this swanky hospital looks like.  From the outside, it appears to be a hotel.....

Wish us luck as we embark on our first round of parent-teacher conferences!!!

XOXO

MOVIE NIGHT!

Last night Phil and I snuggled up to watch this movie.  Some thoughts:

#1:  The title of this post is "Movie NIGHT".  I should inform you that our "night" of "movie-viewing" began at 4:30 p.m.  

#2:  The little girl in the film is the MOST ADORABLE THING EVER.  I want Santa to bottle up all of her sweetness and deliver it to boys and girls around the world on December 25th.  It would make life ten BILLION times greater!

#3:  Yes, I try to talk about Christmas AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.  And YES, I think you should too!

The X Factor....

....is really LACKING the X FACTOR. 

This week the live shows started and both nights I fell asleep after 20 minutes.  Yes, I was tired.  But also, the program just didn't capture my interest!  Here are some of my ISSUES with the show:

1)   The hosts.  Don't get me wrong, I love to "KEEP UP" just as much as I love Saved By The Bell.  But Mario Lopez and Khloe Khardashian just can't deliver "THE CHEESE" in the same way a certain Ryan Seacrest can.  They come off as annoyingly amateur and I have trouble watching it.

2)  Britney.  Someone else I LOVE.  But here's the thing:  you CANNOT say "I wasn't expecting that" along with "It was AMAZING!" after every single performance.

3)  Demi.  Since when is this a dance competition?  IT ISN'T!!!  Stop telling people they look "so stiff" and require more "dance practice".  And for crying out loud, we know you're TWENTY YEARS OLD!  Although you may be able to relate to the contestants on a personal level, you don't have the experience of L.A. or Simon.

4)  Electronic voices and poor sound quality.  I can hardly HEAR the actual artists singing due to all of the background sounds and computer-generated noises. 

5)  The audience.  They NEVER STOP yelling or cheering.  It's ANNOYING.  Let the people sing and speak, will ya! 

6)  Too much CHANGE.  Why do the contestants have to resemble something they're not?  Isn't it best to let them show their genuine flare and allow the viewers the chance to love or love not? 

All this being said, I will give the show a second chance next week.  I just read a story on People.com where Khloe discussed some areas of improvement for her own performance.  Reflection is a good thing.  Let's just hope the other key players engage in a similar activity!

SO MUCH TO PAY FORWARD!

I have been extremely lucky to have received many acts of kindness in the past few days.  Here are some of the thoughtful acts that come to mind:

*  Someone Special popped by last night with two pregnancy/baby DVD's for me!  He refused to let us pay - telling us it was a gift :) 

*  Someone Special sent me pictures of "around the world" themed posters from cafepress.  They would look SO GREAT in Baby P's nursery!

*  Someone Special was in New York all of last week and last night she brought over a pink "I (heart) NY" onesie for Baby P! 

*  Someone Special gave me their spot on the shuttle bus.  They INSISTED I have the seat.  This Someone Special was using a cane. 

*  Someone Special always opens and closes the car door for me when I get picked up for their house. 

I think I have a lot of giving back to attend to :)   What a wonderful situation to be in!

"Desin of the Picture"

This was the subject of an email I just received from a sender named "taxi".

Attached to the email was this collage:

It was from HAITHAM!!!!! 

Are you in love with him yet?!

SWEETEST.  PERSON.  EVER.

WELCOME..........

 Things to look forward to this month:

*  MOVEMBER!  (Wait a minute - is this REALLY something to look forward to?!)
*  Securing our driver's licenses.  (Wait ANOTHER minute - is THIS something to be happy about?!)
*  Middle School Sports Day!
*  Becoming EVEN MORE attached to this precious wee babe.
*  Meeting the obstetrician that will (inshallah) deliver Baby P and having a tour of the hospital!  
*  Circuit-building in class!  
*  Another long weekend :)
*  People who are MORE WILLING to embrace the upcoming holiday season.
*  Mad Musicals - a production put on by a local theater company!
*  The arrival of our first visitor - ALEX!!!!
*  Nicer temperatures in Kuwait (you know, like the temperatures that allow you to be outside without sweating to death!)
*  U14 soccer games!  Ohhhh how I love to spend a weekend morning cheering on some AWESOME kiddo's!!!!