Turns out you weren't lying ;)

While I was going through my camera roll the other day I noticed this picture of Nory and immediately paused my delete session to take a second look. 

Normally, I move all blurry pictures to the trash bin without thinking twice, but with this one......I just couldn't.  For the first time ever, I see that my daughter looks like me!!!!!!!!  I know, I know.  You've told me this before and I bet you're rolling your eyeballs with a big ole "DUH!!!!" as you read this.  But I'm with ya now, folks!  I AM WITH YA NOW!!!

Three cheers for genetics being a real thing! ;)

It's dusty. I'm crazy. The usual.

Last night a big sandstorm came through and the dust is still lingering around this morning.  I think it's the biggest one we've had since our first year in Kuwait and, even though Phil didn't get a "dust day" off work, it was super exciting nonetheless!  Storms seem to have that effect on people, don't they?  When you're safe inside with all family members and loved ones accounted for, it's nice to look out the window and watch mother nature do her thing.  No matter how dirty she makes things look.  Or how dusty she makes your house...

Okay, okay....you can thank our dirty windows for part of the effect.

In other interesting news, Phil and I have officially trusted Kumari to watch both girls at the same time.  Errr......I suppose I should leave Phil's name out of it because I AM THE ONE who halted the whole "doing stuff WITHOUT CHILDREN" aspect of our lives.  You guys know I'm INTENSE (or CRAZY?!) when it comes to leaving Nory and Jet.  Even if I'm only leaving them to have a shower............in my bedroom.....a few meters away from them.....for five minutes......I'm intense.  Because obviously in the shower I can "hear" both girls screaming for me at the same time.  And obviously if I WERE NOT in the shower, I would immediately know what they needed and make the crying go away within seconds.  Because obviously I'm the only person ALIVE who knows how to make a crying child stop.  (HA!  Okay, so now you know I'm crazy for real.)  Thankfully, I'm good and ready now (albeit still crazy) and have left BOTH GIRLS with Kumari a few times recently so that Phil and I can be adults and do things just us two.  It's been really, really nice and I can't wait to enjoy tomorrow's "date" which entails Phil coaching a basketball game and me cheering him on from the stands.  And sending him the odd wink across the court ;) 

I'm going to sign off now before I reveal even more of my mind mayhem.  All are welcome to come clean up the dust in our flat!  We've got two big couches and lots of floor space.  XOXO

On Going Back to Work.

When we had Nory, I only took off the 70 paid maternity days.  It was hard to leave her, but I was also excited to go back to work.  DIFFERENT STORY this time around, you guys.  THIS TIME AROUND, I'm taking some unpaid leave and I already feel sick to my stomach every time I think about returning to work.  Ugh.  I've been thinking about why this might be and here's what I've come up with:

1)  This time around, I KNOW how fast babies grow up and, in the blink of an eye, Jet is also going to be TWO YEARS OLD and I will ONCE AGAIN be thinking "how the heck did we get here?!"

2)  This time around, I feel confident as a mom.  I mean, I still have NO IDEA what I'm doing (who does?!) but I feel confident in having NO IDEA what I'm doing.  With Nory, it was almost as if going back to work meant going back to a place where I knew what I needed to do and how to be successful.

3)  This time around, I'm also at home with another little one.  It's not just leaving one baby, it's leaving two!

4)  This time around, Nory is a little person with opinions, suggestions, and some serious preferences.  I feel like we've bonded SO MUCH and it breaks my heart thinking about her asking for "Mommy" when I'm gone.

5)  This time around, I've got to do arts and crafts EVERY SINGLE DAY, by someone else's request!  This is probably the only point I needed to make in the first place.  

6)  This time around, I will be returning to a school that is 20-30 minutes away from home instead of two.

7)  This time around, Phil and I are struggling to find our groove with TWO kids and I fear that going back to work will add even more stress to the mix.

I'd be tired for you any day. XOXO

All that being said, you're probably wondering why the heck I am going back to work at all!  Well, the truth is that as much as I love being a mom, I also love being a teacher.  The truth is that I want our daughters to see that you don't have to choose between a career and a family.  The truth is that we have financial responsibilities and we have financial goals.  The truth is that we want our girls to see certain places and have certain experiences and these things cost money.  The truth is that sometimes.......the truth hurts!  Wan wan.        

Sigh.  I hope you're gonna stick around for when I rip off this bandaid.  It's gonna hurt, people, and I'll be asking for a whole lotta brave come April.   

She's already asking us for ANOTHER cat party.

With good reason, too!  Once again, Em pulled off a stellar event to celebrate Nory's second birthday.  Here are some pictures of the fabulous affair. 

Cat pictures (which may be there permanently...), along with some cat-themed "streamers"!  Em's cat Loomi legitimately helped with the streamers.  Thanks Looms!

The "photo booth"!  We had SO MANY COOL CATS attend the party!!! 

Cat ears instead of party hats.  OBVIOUSLY.

Party favours for the little ones!  Inside there was some homemade playdough and loose parts (googly eyes, pipe cleaners, etc.) so the kiddos could make their own kitties!

Are you thirsty?  MEOW!!!!  Cats were placed randomly throughout the house.  Funnily enough, many of them were given to Nory by......EMILY!!!!!! Haha.

I wonder who these gifts might be from.  I'll give you one guess, HA!

Party guests really did it up with cat-themed accessories and attire!  I've never seen so much leopard print in a single area EVER ;)

Her birthday cake!  It was DELICIOUS.  There were both chocolate and vanilla options, too!

A really, really cute family of cats.

A big, GIANT thank you to (who I can only describe as) our Fairy Godmother for all of the time and effort she put in to make this happen!  Part of me wants to advertise her as THE BEST EVENT PLANNER like crazy, but another part of me wants to downplay her skills so I can keep her as our personal party planner for life.  Sigh.  Don't act like you've never been selfish before ;)

We LOVE YOU, Auntie Gem!  When's the next party? 

Some FUN FACTS about Nory Douglas at AGE TWO!

1)  She continues to LOVE water or "wawa" as she affectionately calls it.  "Tubby time", splashing in puddles (or dirty courtyard water, meh!), stirring water in plastic cups, drinking water with a spoon, drinking water from a bottle, cleaning up with water, watching video clips with water......it's all REALLY GOOD STUFF!  I can't wait until we go home this summer where there are so many opportunities for (cleaner!) water-related adventures!  It's going to feel like CHRISTMAS! 

I can't forget about "washing her hands"!  It's a real wonder she's ever sick.  Wait a minute.  Back to the dirty puddles.

2)  Dancing is her thang.  The girl has some SWWWWEEEEEET moves and there's a dance party at least once a day in the Parkinson house. 

3)  She's on a "BA-BA-BA" kick.  That's code for SIMBA.....from the Lion King.....DUH!  A good snuggle with her stuffed ba-ba-ba, along with a viewing of "Circle of Life" on YouTube is a superb five minute activity.  She tells you the names of the animals she sees, makes some oh-so-serious animal sounds, points out Simba's Mommy and Daddy and then comments on how "CUTE!!!!!!!!!!!!" ba-ba-ba is.

4)  Phil is her FAVOURITE.  I can't tell you how many times I hear "Where'd Daddy go?!" or "Daddy coming?!" or "Daddy home?" throughout the day.  She is the biggest Daddy's girl around.  Or tied with me.  Shout-out to Grandpa in Canada! xo

Bumper cars at the mall!  SHE LOVES IT!!!!!!

5)  Cats.  We are all very well aware of this one.  She's OBSESSED.  And that, my friends, is the understatement of the year.  She wants CATS EVERYTHING.  All the time.  Hence the cat birthday party.  Hence the cat wardrobe.  Hence the insane amount of stuffed cats.  Hence the ongoing battle of "Phil has allergies" versus "But she really, really, REALLY would love to look after a REAL CAT".  Neither Phil nor I are cat people, so it could be many years before the girl is the proud owner of a cat.

Eating her sandwich with her cats....in her cat shirt....and her cat slippers.

6)  She has really started to get into arts and crafts after getting an art easel for Christmas.  Markers, crayons, chalk, stickers, paint.......she does it all!  Playdough is her latest creative love and you will be shocked to learn she played with a new cupcake playdough set for ALMOST TWO HOURS on the day of her party!  And did a similar thing the following day.  I kid you not, I drank an entire HOT COFFEE that morning!  BOO-YA!

Making cakes!  Notice the cat nightie.  I told you:  AN ENTIRE WARDROBE OF CAT ATTIRE!!!!!!

7)  We're working on colours and numbers these days.  Red is her fave at the moment and she makes us seem like the best parents ever when she chants off "2, 4, 6, 8" (Alas, it didn't come from us!  Let's give credit to K POP).  She also loves to point out when there are two of something.  Two cats!  Two eyes!  Two hands!  Two mommies!  Two ba-ba-ba's!!!! 

8)  Basketball is her JAM!  Don't believe me?  Check this out (thank you Gem for the video!):

9)  She ADORES Juliet.  First thing in the morning, she asks where her sister is and continues to check on her randomly throughout the day.  She gives her kisses, helps to burp her, and gets really upset when Juliet cries.  It's so sweet!  I can't wait until Juliet can actually "come play" as Nory asks her to :)

10)  Nory is the mash-up queen.  If you ever want to hear what "The Wheels on the Bus" mixed with "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star" mixed with "The Itsy Bitsy Spider" mixed with "Five Little Monkeys" sounds like, come on over! Haha.

11)  Other things she LOVES?  Her toy kitchen, balloons, running in the (fake!) grass at school, bubbles, collecting rocks, Minnie Mouse, her doctor kit.....

"I'm going to work!"  "Okay, Dr. Nory!" 

12)  She's a GO-ER.  She's passionate.  She's wild.  She's determined.  She's.............lucky those two little pigtails offset a lot of the damage.  I guess a few grey hairs never hurt anyone, right? 

We love you SO VERY MUCH, Eleanor!!!  This age is the funnest yet!  Temper tantrums and all! XOXO  

K POP Strikes Again. And Again! And Again!

Imagine my surprise when I go onto the blog yesterday morning and see a post NOT written by me!  GASP!  I was happy to learn it was just my husband and not a hacker ;)  I'm not really sure how to move forward following Phil's contribution, so I will just do what I do best:  BLAB and CARRY ON!

Let's talk about K POP (aka Kumari Poppins).

I think I've officially fallen in love with her.  The deal has been SEALED, my friends.  Here's my list of reasons why:

Reason why I love her #1:

Last weekend we left BOTH GIRLS with her for the very first time.  I was a nervous wreck.  Or worse than one of those.  The good news is that we stayed on site and were only an elevator ride away.  It was the perfect way to ease into this whole "leaving BOTH KIDS BEHIND" thing because I was able to check on them whenever I wanted.  And so I did.  Three times.  The first time, Nory was happily playing with a water cup and spoon, Jet was being swaddled and rocked by Kumari, and the entire house was tidied up (WHO IS THIS WOMAN?!).  The second time, Kumari was working with Nory on her colours (yes, LEARNING!) and Jet was sleeping.  The third time, Kumari was rocking both kids to sleep at the same time.  And it was working.  Beautifully.  She's SUPERWOMAN. 

Reason why I love her #2:

We had a three hour blackout the other evening.  At around 9:30 p.m., Kumari walked anxiously to the living room with a flashlight in hand to say, "Madam - I just see fish now and I think hungry!!!  Can I give food Madam?!"  Yes, the woman was worried about GOLDFISH, you guys!  I was way too busy trying to maximum my phone's battery life to even THINK about the darn fish!  Haha.

Reason why I love her #3:

On Wednesday night, she told us that she had to go to the convenience store for "five minutes".  What she really meant was that she had to RUN (yes, RUN!) a few blocks to a toy store to buy Nory the MOST THOUGHTFUL gift ever.  She ran in order to keep the present a surprise, as we were thinking she simply slipped out for a phone card!  And the gift was ADORABLE!  A singing and dancing doll because "Nory loves singing and dancing!!!!" 

I could go on and tell you more about how she prepared a surprise Sri Lankan snack for me the other day.  Or how her eyes filled with tears when I gave her a bag of old clothes.  Or how her eyes lit up when I complimented her on her new earrings.  Alas, a gal can only blab so much following a long day of birthday festivities!  I'm tired, Jet is officially asleep, and I need to get as many zzzz's as I can before she gets up again!

We love you K POP!  Will you be our Valentine? XO

2 Months, 2 Years, 5 Years, A Lifetime

     It's been quite a while since I last took the time to post my thoughts here on the blog.  You see, the reality of my life is that Lindsay takes care of most of these kinds of things (more on that later).  However, I woke up this morning and felt a wave of emotions all at once.  An awakening of sorts into how far I've come in many parts of my life, but also a reminder of just how far I still have to go.  A week ago today our beautiful daughter Juliet reached 2 months, and today Eleanor reaches 2 years.  Soon Lindsay and I will be celebrating 5 years of marriage, and this weekend we will be reminded of our commitment of love to each other when we celebrate Valentines Day.  Together Lindsay and I have built quite a life.  We have amazing jobs, own a beautiful home in Canada, drive a car in Kuwait that we bought brand new, travel at will, have just about everything we could want, and still find time to save. If this were a resume (and I was applying for a job) I'd like to think I'd be at or near the top of the list to be hired.  A loving father of 2, a devoted husband, a successful mentor of youth.
     I think these kinds of things are what most of us post on blogs, facebook, instagram, and in tweets.  In fact, it's either these kinds of "I'm doing great" posts, or the dreaded "Poor me" posts, and usually nothing in between.  This culture of "broadcasting" has dented our abilities to be open about our faults, and our weaknesses.  It has forced us to believe that sometimes we are more "successful" then we really are because of the persona we display to others.  It's easier to hide the fact that life isn't always as perfect as we have been trained to pretend it is.  "How are you doing?"  we are often asked... "Really good!  Thanks for asking!" is our automatic reply...
     I guess today I felt the need to come clean about a few things.  I am not a perfect father.  I am probably an even less perfect husband.  I'm not always a great mentor of the youth I am responsible for.  Despite what you may think by reading our blog, or even through knowing us, you might be surprised to know that even though the last 2 months of having Juliet, 2 years of having Eleanor, and 5 years of having each other has had the highest of highs, it has also sometimes handed us the lowest of lows.  I'm not writing this to receive pity, but instead write this as a reminder to myself that I need to be better.
     I'd like to confess that the person I love the most (Lindsay) is often the bearer of the worst version of myself.  I'm not quite sure why, and I don't know if it's "normal", but I do know that it's not fair to her.  Why is it that I routinely show patience and empathy toward my students, but am quick to judge and show frustration with her?  Why is it that I am able to comfort and support my daughters in times of need so easily, but I often struggle to offer the same comfort and support to her?  Have I gotten complacent?  Have I gotten comfortable?  Do I take her for granted?  Do I often forget about how much she does for me and adds to my life?  The answer to all of these questions is an absolute "yes"...
     I say things to her that I don't truly mean, I judge her, I take offense to her simply trying to "help".  I feel that I don't deserve her, I feel that she will forgive me even when I wouldn't forgive her.  I often have to tell her "I'm sorry", I often have to say "I didn't mean that", I often go to sleep without saying "I love you".
     I don't always make her a priority, I don't always take her out on dates anymore, I don't always make her feel like the most special woman in the world.  I don't always compliment her, I don't always thank her, I don't always tell her how much I respect her.
     We don't always hold hands, we don't always share the same point of view, we don't always think we're going to make it.  We've been the best of friends, and the worst of friends.  We've been infatuated in love, we've held resentment toward each other.  We've giggled and laughed together, we've yelled and screamed at each other.
     2 months, 2 years, 5 years, A lifetime...  I want to admit that despite the fact we are blessed to have a loving Nanny living with us full time, the last 2 months of having 2 kids has been draining on me.  I want to admit that despite the fact we have both worked hard as parents, the last 2 years have been hard on me.  I want to admit that despite the fact I love Lindsay more than anyone or anything in the entire world, the last 5 years have been difficult for me.  I want to admit that despite the fact that 2 months, 2 years, and 5 years have had their share of trials and tribulations, I want to publicly recommit myself to a lifetime of more of the same.
     We are going through one of the toughest patches of our marriage thus far, and most of it falls on me.  I can offer all of the excuses in the world, but I won't.  If in any way I have hurt Lindsay's feelings, if I have made her feel less of a wife, or less of a mom, or even less of a person at times through my words, I am truly sorry.  If in any way I have made her feel abandoned, alone, or unsure of herself, I am truly sorry.  If in any way I have made her doubt me, doubt my commitment to her, or doubt my commitment to our family, I am truly sorry.
     2 months, 2 years, 5 years, A lifetime...  I hope that by sharing one of our "lows" it will enhance your ability to be more open and honest about yours.  I hope that this post empowers you to admit to yourself what you can do better as a partner, as a parent, or even as a friend.  I hope that this post reminds you that even though everyone around you seems "perfect", I assure you that you are only getting a glimpse into their whole story.
     Earlier in this post I stated that "Lindsay takes care of most of these kinds of things".  The truth is that Lindsay takes care of just about everything that matters to me, for me.  She is the person who holds my hand when I am afraid, she is the person who makes my daughters smile when they are sad.  She is the person who reminds me that losing one battle, doesn't determine the outcome of the war.  I want to thank her for encouraging me, I want to thank her for keeping me in touch with all of you, I want to thank her for decorating Eleanor's room with balloons this morning on her 2nd birthday.
     The best 3 days of my life (in no particular order) are the day of our marriage (despite a little squabble that day), the birth of Eleanor (despite being scared beyond belief), and the birth of Juliet (despite being blindsided by the whole ordeal).  There is only one constant variable on those days, and there is only one constant variable I want with me for the upcoming unforgettable moments of my life.  Lindsay, that variable is you.
     To some of you, this post may be shocking.  To some of you, this post may be confusing.  To some of you, this post may be inspiring.  I didn't write it to enact any particular emotion in those that read it, but instead wrote it because after careful consideration, my biggest weakness as a father, husband, and even as a mentor has been my ability to ask others for help.  Lindsay and I are going to be fine.  But it is quite possible that we may need someone other than each other until we are through this stretch.  It is likely we will need someone other than each other at some point moving forward, and I want to be more transparent about that need.
     I normally propose to Lindsay every March 13th (the anniversary of when I initially proposed at the bottom of Mt. Kilimanjaro), and will continue that tradition this year.  But today I would like to outline new vows to the most important person in my life, my rock, my best friend, and my mentor.  Lindsay, I want you to know that I will work to ensure that moving forward you feel completely and utterly loved.  I want you to know that I will work to ensure that you feel like a competent mother and wife in every regard, one who will have my full support during each step along the way.  I want you to know that I will remind you more often about how much you mean to me, and how much you mean to our entire family.
     There is so much more I want to say, so many things I want to make better, so many things I want to repair.  There is so much to be done, so many things we will get through together, and so many things I will cherish.  You are my strength in times of weakness, you are my assurance in times of doubt, you are the answer to all of my questions.
   
2 Months, 2 Years, 5 Years, A Lifetime....

If you'll have me...

Love you Lindsay, Eleanor, and Juliet...

Your loving husband and father, Phil

Things that are really exciting:

Besides these fun performers....

1)  We are the proud owners of two goldfish.  Both of which are named "fishy".  They have become a bit of a traveling roadshow too, with Nory dictating which room she would like the fishbowl in at different parts of the day.  

2)  Nory turns TWO on Thursday!  I can't even believe it.  Her party is on Friday and it is CAT themed!  She's been talking about her "cat party" all week long.

3)  Jet is starting to understand that night means SLEEP and day means PLAY.  Hopefully I didn't jinx anything by saying that....

4)  Valentines Day is this weekend!  So many people dislike this day, but I'm a holiday gal through and through.  FEEL THE LOVE, PEOPLE!

5)  I was supposed to return to work this week.  INSTEAD, I'm thankful to have the option of unpaid leave and I still have two months left with the girls!!!!!!!!!!

6)  Right now, every 1 Kuwaiti Dinar is worth over 4 Canadian dollars!!!  Did we send money home today?  YESSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!

JUDGEMENT.

I've become pretty used to brushing off "WHAT THE HECK ARE YOU DOING LADY-WHO-THINKS-SHE-IS-A-MOM?!" judgement from strangers.  In my last post alone, I mentioned being questioned for bringing a "SMALL BABY" to the mall and for bringing the same "SMALL BABY" to a noisy basketball game.  I handled both considerably well (I think!) and it's all due to the two years of "practice" I've had with Nory.  Yes, PRACTICE.  As in, it happens so regularly that the number of incidences where you must respond to such remarks accumulates into nothing other than a very large, very epic curriculum.  Which makes the word "practice" seems appropriate.  And, therefore, I've been "practicing" for two years.  (We could actually include the pregnancy part, too, but I'm too tired to factor that in at this point).   

The truth is that the minute you become a mom (WOWEE!  CONGRATS!) you are also catapulted into this strange world where people of all sorts (even those who have never, ever been a parental figure) take a bizarre, personal interest in how YOU decide to raise YOUR child.  I capped the YOU and YOURS there, you guys!  Obviously, with intention.  People begin to judge you for everything.  And not just for the really big decisions, but also for the itty bitty ones that result in a spontaneous plan of attack.  Like when your child's nose is suddenly leaking boogies-for-days and you decide to use the bottom of their dress to wipe it off because a) you don't want them to eat the so-called boogies-for-days and b) you forgot a kleenex and c) they are already dirty from crawling around the dusty pavement and it's better they continue to muck up their own attire rather than muck up your own shirt which is still (relatively!) clean.  So ya, those itty bitty, last minute, what the heck am I going to do decisions?  Those seem to be worthy of judgement too.  P.S.  Just to recap here, the boogies-for-days were on MY CHILD'S dress, not yours.  We clear?! 

Anyways, the point of this post is that I really don't care about the judge-y strangers anymore.  I have surpassed that initial "oh my gosh a stranger just judged me and I'm the worst mom ever and will be raising my child indoors from this point forward" that happened two years ago.  I've learned to laugh it off as best I can and carry on.  But in this respect, there is one category of people that I simply can't and don't think I will ever shake off.  That is, the people who are close to us!  Family and friends.  When these people pass judgement on our parenting it plain old HURTS.  For days.  Because they, of all people, should know that every decision we make (no matter how big or how little) is made out of love.   

So.

With that being said.

If our child doesn't sleep the way you want them to, or eat THE WAY you want them to, or eat WHAT you want them to, or play the way you want them to, or know the stuff you want them to.......if WE don't react the way you want us to, PLEASE keep it to yourself.  Or at the very least, tell people that aren't going to tell us about it.  It's hard enough dealing with the judgement we already pass on ourselves.

I guess this is the part where I say thank you in advance?  Or where I bail for more coffee.  I guess I'll do both.  THANK YOU and COFFEE! xo

IF YOU WERE HERE FOR TEA.

*  Remember how I told you I had cabin fever?  And that I needed to get out?  WELL WE DID!  Last Thursday night we went to an outdoor festival with food, shopping, and entertainment.  Nory loved it and stole the spotlight by dancing up a storm with her Daddy.  It became one of those interesting moments where random people stood by and whipped out their mobiles to take pictures of our child.  And because Nory was so darn cute, I really couldn't blame them for becoming the paparazzi.

*  Friday was a BIG DEAL for the Parkinson family because it was the first day that we went out JUST US FOUR and also the first day that Jet went to a semi-crowded place (the Avenues!).  We started where we always do at Magic Planet (so Nory could hop on a few rides and run about) and then made our way to Tim Horton's for a coffee and a snack.  Of course we had to be criticized for bringing "such a tiny baby" out in public while we were there, but rather than saying what was REALLY on my mind, I maintained some self control and thanked them for their concern.  P.S.  She is almost 12 pounds and two months old.  P.P.S.  Thank goodness they spoke to the caffeinated version of me.

Nory pushing Jet through the mall.  BEST BIG SISTER EVAAA!!!!

*  Friday night I returned to the Avenues (GOLD STAR!) for a friend's birthday celebration.  We went for pedicures (the birthday girl READ MY MIND!) and then we ate dinner at the Cheesecake Factory.  And THEN we battled our way through an INSANE NUMBER OF PEOPLE to get a few errands done.  It was so much fun!  No really, it was!  Happy Birthday "Coco"!!!!!

*  Saturday morning Phil had practice and so I took Nory into school to play on the slides with a friend.  She also took it upon herself to sit, splash, and drink every puddle in sight, which might be why she has a runny nose this week.  (Or was it because she licked the elevator wall the other day?  I can't keep up.) 

Needless to say, I always bring along a change of clothes...

*  Sunday afternoon, Jet attended her VERY FIRST BASKETBALL GAME!!!!!!  She got all dressed up in team colours and showed her support by sleeping her way through EVERY. SINGLE. QUARTER.  Nory also wore some Falcon Blue and looked pretty in a new sparkly dress.  She was a little more busy than Jet was (HA!!!!) and I was super thankful we brought Kumari along so we could trade off and each catch a bit of the game :)  A big thank you to Roxanne who also helped manage the Parkinson Glam Squad!  I wouldn't have caught a minute of the game without these two! xo

Matching RULES.

*  The blog's been quiet this week for one MAJOR reason:  Jet has pulled THREE all-nighters in a row.  Saturday night - no sleep!  Sunday night - no sleep!  Monday night - no sleep!  AHHHH!  And you have to believe me when I tell you that Nory is the loudest sister around and we do not run a quiet household during the day.  The lights are on, music is playing, Nory is running and jumping and laughing and screaming.  You'd think that Jet would have her days and nights figured out already.  Alas, when it's quiet and dark in the wee hours of the night, Jet feels the need to perk up and party on.  Sigh.  The good news - the REALLY, REALLY GOOD NEWS - is that she slept from about 7:30 to 7:30 last night (waking only to eat quickly) and I'm hoping this AMAZING trend continues.  Oh please let it continue......

*  Parenthood is OVER, you guys.  I can't even believe it.  How can a program draw you in for years, make you part of the family, and then say FAREWELL in a mere 42 minutes?!  Luckily other shows have returned and Scandal freaked me the heck out so badly that I might forget about the Braverman's altogether.  #yaright #butscandalwasstillsuperscary

*  Nory and I haven't been outside to play in DAYS.  DAYS!  Normally she says "BIKE!" and "FRIENDS!" first thing in the morning, but we've been so wrapped up in endless hours of tubby time, along with endless hours of painting/drawing/stickering that the courtyard has temporarily lost its appeal.  Perhaps a certain birthday present will draw her back to the sunshine.......