This "HOME AWAY FROM HOME" has OFFICIALLY become one!

BIG NEWS, FOLKS!  Tim Horton's opened yesterday and we attended the opening!!!!  The lead-up was intense - strobe lights, loud music (there was a DJ!), and lots of expensive cameras.  Here is a short clip from the moment they opened.....

(Please note the hockey net that is pulled out near the end of the clip, which was shortly accompanied by some hockey sticks!)

Then the first Timmy's beverages were served to really important people behind the counter.  Listen to the song that was played for this extra special moment......(Emily and I couldn't stop laughing)

I'm so happy we braved the crowds, traffic, and broke our general "NO MALL-GOING EXCEPT FOR FRIDAY MORNINGS" rule to be apart of this grande event.  That being said, we weren't willing to wait in line for hours to have a cup of coffee on a Saturday evening.  And so, we returned this morning with some fellow Canadians (plus the one we adopted, Steve) to enjoy a little bit of Timmy's heaven in the Middle East.  The coffee was SUPER and my "date and nut muffin" was delicious!  You'll be surprised to learn that our Timmy's serves Mac & Cheese (can't wait to try it), although they have not started the breakfast menu as of yet.  You'll be not-so-surprised to learn that a really wonderful couple walked up to us and said "what part of Canada are you from?!" with the utmost excitement. 

Ah.  Just what the homesick doctor ordered.  TIM HORTONS!!!!!!!  I love you. 

And that's the HONEST-TO-GOODNESS truth.....

Kumari stopped by to play with Nory for an hour last night.  They haven't seen each other for two whole months and their reunion was the absolute sweetest. Nory remembered her wonderful nanny and the two of them giggled in her nursery and played with all of her new things.

Well, that happened until Nory got tired and started to fuss.  Then "psycho first-time mama" kicked into gear and I wanted to run into the room and snatch my baby.  After reading what follows you may or may not consider the "psycho" aspect to be an understatement....

Instead of snatching my baby like a crazy person, I awkwardly pretended that random things (like hair clips) needed to be put away in my room immediately.....like a crazy person.  Yep, I creepily did consecutive walk-bys to check-in on Kumari's soothing techniques - criticizing ever single move she made.  Horrible, right?  It gets worse.  When I couldn't take it anymore (because I really was trying to play it cool and tell myself that it would be alright), I closed the door to the kitchen, sat on the stool and started to cry.  In that moment, I had basically decided to quit my job, fire the nanny, and stay with Nory 24/7.  Then the door opened.  And it wasn't Phil.  And Nory can't walk or turn door handles yet.

Yep, it was HER.  Kumari.

Then I wanted to run into my own room and hide under a pillow.  I FELT AWFUL!!!!!  I tried to explain myself in the most ESL-friendly words possible.......which became difficult and misunderstood and so I gave The World's Best Nanny a big hug and smile to convey the "it's not you, it's me" idea.  I think she got it.  I think.  I hope....

Anyways, Kumari begins work with us tomorrow and - although I may have cried while cuddling Nory to bed - I have got to TOUGHEN UP!  I'm going back to work.  School starts Tuesday.  Nory and I will be apart for most of the day.  It's a daily fact brought to me by my good pal "Reality".  Blah.

We'll call tomorrow training day.  Wish me luck in this mama episode. 

GOODBYE CANADA!!!!!

Our Sheraton stay was superb.  Nory had a solid sleep in the crib they provided and our king-size bed did the trick, too!  All of us took advantage of the swimming pool (yes, ME TOO!) and we played toys and indulged in our favourite daytime television programs throughout the day (e.g. Property Brothers, Love It or List It, Property Virgins, The Talk, etc.).  It was exactly what the travel doctor ordered for the long journey ahead.  

We're checked in at the airport now.  Lucky for us, they opened the counter at 6:30 (for our 11 p.m. flight!) and we were bypassed through the security check due to the baby in tow.  HUZZAH!  Terminal three is BOPPIN', but we have a new rule that declares using our VISA card for immediate lounge access.  I really don't understand why others don't do the same.  For $35, you are placed in a clean and quiet place - with free wifi and unlimited food and beverages.  There are newspapers from every country you can think of, a tv with actual channels (you know, with shows you care about), magazines for all interests, and ya.....back to the unlimited beverages.  That stuff adds up where the "normal people" hang out.  Too bad it took us having a child to figure out we save more by acquiring lounge privileges.  That's my travel tip of the day.  LOUNGE IT UP! 

The pre-game has been kind.  Here's to hoping Nory's second overseas flight goes off without a hitch.  HA!  The realist in me (yep, you never thought I had one of those) tells me that there ought to be a couple of glitches en route.  Flexibility is key.  Please oh please send me the patience required to be bendable ;)

Okee dokee.  Time to take advantage of this place.  And get Nory to sleep a couple of hours before we board.

Wish us luck!
XOXO 

BLING, BLING!

You're looking at an almost-successful-necklace-robbery executed by a certain E.D. Parkinson Scissorhands. 

If it wasn't my responsibility to keep her nails trim (and if she wasn't so darn charming), I might even be a little upset about the plethora of chicken scratches that currently decorate my chest.  But the thing is that it IS my responsibility to cut those claws.  And she IS as sweet as pie.  And so......I'll take this assault as just another great memory for my "I AM A MOM!" book.  (Yeah, yeah - the nails are on tomorrow's agenda)!

TEN DAYS LATER......

When I haven't blogged in a long while, I always return to a major mental block that stops all words from reaching my fingertips.  Not really sure why - there's so much I could say and so much I want to share.  Alas, the words are STUCK.  There's cement in my noggin and it seems to be the uncrackable kind that won't even let the odd few letters slip out.

Let's just begin with what I know in this moment:

We've been saying goodbyes lately.  I hate them.  They never get easier and I dread every single one.  Today was my toughest.  It was sucky times ten.  Or a hundred.  I cried.  Lots.

We're now at the Sheraton hotel until our flight tomorrow evening.  I love the Sheraton.  The sweet sleeper bed is nothing short of a dream and the staff are always a true delight. 

Polka dots are DEFINITELY my new favourite print.

Phil and Nory had a nice swim this afternoon and now Nory has gone to bed and Phillip is downstairs with our good pal Dain.  I'm cozy in bed - watching E.T. (Entertainment Tonight, not that old movie) - and catching up on the interweb.  I love the interweb.  In fact, going back to Kuwait does have that silver lining of IN-HOUSE INTERWEB that I've missed so terribly this summer.  Information on demand!  It's a real treat.

Other things I'm looking forward to in Kuwait:  seeing our Kuwait family, reuniting with Shani and Kumari, getting back into the classroom (this is no joke), the warmest hug you could possibly receive (given to me by the blasting heat that characterizes the entire country), and checking out the Tim Horton's that was expected to open this month (conveniently located at the Aves, just around the bend from Build-A-Bear).  I'm eager to set up some playdates for Nory and I'm hoping to enroll her in the infant program at a nearby gym (as long as they switch the "Bugs" program to the weekend, we're set!).  I also can't wait to see how people react to Nory!  She's grown and changed so much since June!

Somebody else really enjoys the sweet sleeper bed....

That little Nory Darling.  She has really stolen our hearts.  At the start of the summer, I was secretly scared that we wouldn't survive without Kumari.  Now I'm secretly scared that I won't be able to return to work.  It's silly.  Kumari is great.  But Nory is different now and the two of them will have to figure out a new groove.  Inshallah, the transition is smooth and the reunion is a happy, happy one.

Alright - I will end this post now.  I suppose the cement has cracked a smidgen.  Ha!  I'll do my best to catch you up on summer stuff in the next couple of weeks!  I've missed y'all!

Hoping your MONDAY was a FUNDAY.
XOXO


P.S.  All tears aside, our Monday was okay.  It's impossible NOT to appreciate three of Nory's firsts:  first hotel, first real swimming pool, and first bikini!!!!

Just Like a Kid in a CANDY STORE!

(When you've gone too long without your own interweb connection and you randomly discover that your new house picks up a spontaneous public wifi signal and today's the first day you can actually browse the net without being concerned about online course work.....)

MY COURSE IS FINISHED!!!!!!!!!  I am officially a Kindergarten to Grade 12 certified teacher!  WOOT!!! 

The Sweetest DARTH VADER Around.

Everybody knows what a cold is.  Yep, it's one of the easiest things to diagnose, as we've all had one and we're quite familiar with the symptoms.

Or so I thought.

Throw an exhausted mama and papa and an up-every-thirty-minutes, coughing and unable to breath baby into the mix and things just don't seem so clear at 2 a.m.  It causes you to do things like run upstairs (in a major panic) to tell your own mom that you think your baby must be having an allergic reaction to the sunscreen she wore that day for the very first time.  Or an allergic reaction to the 5 hours of beach time that caused invisible pieces of sand and creepy insects to take up residence in her lungs.  You're crying, asking your husband if you should call 911 and trying everything in the book to make your baby relax, breath, and stop coughing to the point of vomiting (ya that happened, too).  Awesome.  I'm pretty sure that "LACK OF SLEEP" and "IMAGINATION" are BFF's.  Yes, little sleep does wonders for the imagination. (I was advised NOT to dial 911, ha!).

So after four more up and down hours with Nory, she "woke up" (if you can call it that) with some glossy eyes, a running nose, and a big struggle to get air in and out.  It's like a little Darth Vader hatched.  Not cute.

So, Nory has a cold.  Her very first one.  She may fool our daytime visitors into thinking she's A-OKAY, but come to our house for a no-sleep-over and you'll get the picture.  Phil and I are on little (this is an understatement) sleep.  We've been using nasal spray to help clear her passageways but she has quite the "prevent mom and dad from getting that thing close to either nostril" reflex.  If only our wee one had a "blow the nose" reflex.  Oh well.

In the middle of the night, when you go into her bedroom and find her whimpering, squirmy and trying like mad to breath, she almost makes you feel bad for that mean old D.V.  Ha!  Yes, little sleep does wonders for the imagination.

Please send Nory some GET WELL SOON vibes!  Plane travel is near ;) 

My anticipation for JANUARY 2014 can be summed up in two words.....

JUAN PABLO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

(I suppose I should also say "The Olympics".....)

Haha.  I'm going to see if Emily wants to make "I LOVE JUAN PABLO" t-shirts for our first official craft project of the 2013-2014 school year....

GEM?  

Flying Back TWO WEEKS TODAY.

Plus two hours, to be exact.  Yep, we'll be sky-high on our way back "home" to Kuwait.  WOWZERS.  Makes me wonder how you people with four weeks of holidays/year (or less!) manage.

I think we're ready.  I think.  We miss our routine.  Our apartment.  Our friends.  Dare I say...OUR STUDENTS?!  Ha.  Really.  We're a couple that appreciates structure and perhaps that's why we seem so stressed out in the summertime.  Inshallah, this homeowner thing works out in our favour and you'll find us with our heels up on the back deck next year.  Wait - who am I kidding?  Nory will be walking.  Running, maybe.  Which means we will be too.

Oh life!

We wake up bright and early tomorrow morning (a.k.a. the usual) to drive back to Lakefield.  Our SLEEP COUNTRY MATTRESS is supposed to be delivered and we're hoping to have the BEST SLEEP of the SUMMER (or ever) tomorrow night.  Eeeeeeee!!!!

Two more days of the online course.  One massive assignment left.  Let's DO THIS!

Chaos.

I haven't sat down to blog in a few days and I'm not sure why I decided that NOW - with 5 little kiddo's running around Nan's house and cupcakes in the oven - it would be a good idea.  Nonetheless, a glass of white was poured (mid-post), I've relocated to more "peaceful" rooms twice, and I'm determined to power out some words in the next couple of minutes.  (This says nothing about the reality of hitting the "publish" button at any time today).  Welcome to our summer.  CHAOS.

Somebody asked me yesterday whether we've had any time to just RELAX this summer.  My answer?  Hmmmm.....NO (with a smile).  I smiled not because it was an awesome reality, but because the non-stop-ness is a signature of any Parkinson summer in Canada.  We are constantly here, there and everywhere.....taking little time to just hang out and refresh for the next school year.  There are always plans to make and always plans to execute.  There are always the plans you look forward to and the plans you (I CONFESS!) try your hardest to weasel your way out of with zero luck.  Ahhh.  It really would be nice to just have an agenda of NOTHING, but at the same time, we understand that being away for ten months of the year is a legitimate reason for the chaos that characterizes our summer.  We want to see all of you.  We really, truly do!  But ten months worth of visits is almost too much to condense into two months of Canada.  Is it wrong that I love you all so much but have the biggest desire to kidnap my own family, grab a family-size jar of peanut butter, a couple of spoons....and hide in a three-person-only hole forever?  Because I do.

Right now we are at my Nan and Pop's house, visiting with my Mom, Tayls, and some really adorable (and busy!) little ones.  Seeing all of the kids together is lots of fun and we are looking forward to "Survivor: Wasaga Beach" tomorrow afternoon!  Fingers crossed that the weather holds out and the "producers" go easy on us ;)

As for TONIGHT - it is the BACHELORETTE FINALE!!!  Part one was last week and - MY OH MY - did your hearts break while watching it too?  I really think there is no worse feeling than having your heart flat-out smashed into pieces.  Ugh.  The thought of it is ache-inducing enough.  And I'm not just talking about a sad Miss Desiree.  Think about the two guys that remain!  I wonder what will come of this dating adventure.  Four hours from now, the story will start to unfold!  HOOR-AH! 

Alrighty, the more "peaceful" room has suddenly become the loudest room in the house.....SIP, SIP. 

Later gators!
XOXO