Small Town Livin'

When we go to the grocery store, the cashier knows that Nory has new shoes on.  Or that she is wearing the same shoes she wore two days ago.

When we pop into one of our favourite shops and see something we like, the owner says she'll hold it for us and we can pay her later.  She also says she will drop it off at the house after work since she knows we don't have a car.  She also calls us if something new comes in that she thinks we might like.

When we go on our daily walks, we run into Rudy and Maggie and Taia and Sophie and all the other dogs we know by name and run into regularly.   

When we stroll by the marina, the kindest voice yells out "HI NORY!!!!!!!!!!!!" because she's so excited to see Nory during her work shifts. 

When we go to the Thursday Market, our friendly bread man makes comments like, "you missed two weeks!" or "are you starting to feel any warmer?"

When we go to pick up fruits and veggies, the owner smiles and says, "Salam Alaikum!" and other Arabic phrases that make us feel more at "home".   

All these wonderful incidences are reasons we LOVE, LOVE, LOVE our small town of Lakefield.  But the funny thing is, when Emily asked me if we enjoyed living in a small town, I told her that it was very much like Kuwait in some ways.  Running into the same people in your usual places.  Starting to feel like everyone knows everyone or at least knows someone who knows you.  And I suppose I should seek comfort in that as we begin to pack up our suitcases this week.....

Look what else she's learned to do!

Things that irritate me...

Introducing a very negative post that reflects how I'm feeling in this very moment rather than how our last few days have gone.  We've been having a WONDERFUL time with family and friends (which I will share pictures of soon), but the ultimate bummer is that the summer has flown by and we return to Kuwait in less than TWO WEEKS.  LESS THAN!  Ugh.  I'm struggling with the whole idea this year so perhaps a little rant will get things off my chest and allow the happy me to return :)

Here it goes.  My current list of things that REALLY, TRULY irritate the heck out of me:

1)  Saying goodbyes.  They never go well for me.  Even the ones that entail problem students that have been in my classroom for 186 days too many.  Even THOSE ONES (the ones you can't wait for) leave me feeling a little blue.

2)  Bad nailpolish remover.  I don't know how it sells, but I would much rather overpay for legitimate remover than turn my hands black and blue over the frustration of poor quality stuff.

3)  Birds.  You know about this one.  But I would like to specifically reference Canada Geese in this mention here.  They hiss.  And poo everywhere.  And hiss.  And.....I hate them.

4)  Dishes that come out of the dishwasher dirty.  AH!  Might as well have washed them myself.

5)  When your first sip of tea is already lukewarm.  Ew.  It means you're way too busy and have yet to make a single second for yourself.  Wait!  Even worse - when you've boiled the kettle five times and have still YET to even make a tea.  Moms out there (and likely teachers too!) know EXACTLY what I'm talking about here.

6)  Drivers that are blind to all pedestrians.  Pedestrians who are pushing strollers.  And have a baby bump.  And are following the rules by only walking across the street when the walking man says it's time.  RUDE!

7)  Insomnia when you're already exhausted.  What gives?!  It only makes sense that if you're extraordinarily tired, you will eventually just fall fast asleep.  Well, meet the exception to any logic out there:  ME!  Pregnant me believes that zero sleep is the best preparation for being a mother of two :)  I'm going with it.  I guess.  Because I am still SO, SO THRILLED that this little baby is inside of me!!!

Okay.  THERE!  Negativity BE GONE!!!!!  Time to tell you all about how wonderful it is to spend time in Canada :) XO

Raindrops keep falling on my head!

The other day we went to play outside JUST as it started to rain (and get cold!!!!). Well, Nory was determined that our activity was a DONE DEAL and so we made do with a fleece hoodie (since we don't have a Nory-size raincoat!) and the backyard is where we went.  She wasn't so sure of this whole water-coming-from-the-sky/mom's-making-me-wear-a-hood thing in the beginning, but the experience grew on her and we were all smiles in no time!  

I often wonder how we're going to transplant this newly found "NATURE GIRL" back into the desert.  She LOVES being outside.  I suppose it's time to invest in some house plants?  At least until the end of September.  At which point, they will likely die due to neglect and the temperatures in Kuwait will be cool enough to resume some outdoor activities........

That day we temporarily had our very own dog.....

We were sitting under a tree near the grocery store when a kind old lady pulled into the parking lot and approached us.  She said we looked like people she could trust and she asked if we could watch her dog (and her car, which was running!) for a few minutes so that she could run into the store and pick up a few things.  Well, how could we turn down the offer with a daughter like ours who says "WOOF WOOF" in her dreams?  We couldn't.  OF COURSE we said YES to this amazing dog-sitting opportunity!  And our twenty glorious minutes with Sparky began....

Phil found a harness in the front seat of the car and put it on "Sparky" so that we could take him out of the car to play.  Nory helped take Sparky for a walk which was the best thing ever for about five minutes (she's 17 months old, what do you expect?!).  After that, she was much more interested in the bikes going by, or the people loading up their cars with groceries, or the kids walking nearby.  Phil also believes she's much more into "REAL DOGS" (ah-hem, BIG DOGS!) and is blaming her limited interest on that.  This idea, by the way, completely contradicts my dream to have a small little white dog in our future.  It's possible that I WAS THE ONE most excited with this lucky, lucky scenario!

Big dogs, small dogs.  Whatever.  There's one thing that we can all agree on after enjoying our new house this summer:  SMALL towns are where it's at!

This here is a BIG DEAL, PEOPLE!

IF YOU WERE HERE FOR (DECAF) TEA.

*  YES!!!!!!!  On Monday I had my VERY FIRST DECAF TEA of pregnancy #2!!!!  It was all hot water with lemon before that, but I am pleased to add a little pizazz to my current selection of hot drinks.  Finding out Nesquick is 99% caffeine free was also quite thrilling.....

*  Emily visited us from Wawa this Sunday, Monday and Tuesday and Mama Cairo (Barb!) came to join the fun on Monday too!  It was so nice to show them our new house and to catch up.  I hadn't seen Emily for over a month (which is REALLY, REALLY LONG for us) and we hadn't seen Barb since last May when she came to Kuwait.  Thank you for coming to see us you two!  We're hoping that Barb returns to Kuwait this year......AS A WORKING TEACHER!  Fingers crossed!!!

*  We finally got to meet Baby Fionn at the lake yesterday!  He is as cute as a button and, if we're lucky, we will get to go on a boat ride with him this afternoon!  He gave Nory a funky little puppet named "Olivia", which Nory greeted with a big "Ohhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

*   We go back to Kuwait three weeks from today.  I had a little cry about it after our guests left yesterday.  Something about saying goodbye to them made me think about saying goodbyes in August and I got quite upset about it.  I suppose there's nothing more to do other than to enjoy the time we have remaining!  Sigh.

*  The house is looking more and more like a home.  Phil's parents bought us a pull-out couch for the front room (thank you Mom and Dad P!) and we've put up the artwork we purchased in Sri Lanka.  The family room has been rearranged to look much bigger which gives Nory more space to play (WIN!).  As for the outside, Phil has been hard at work in the gardens and they are looking much more groomed :)  I have been meaning to take pictures of these things but that's yet to happen.  Stay tuned!

*  I have 4000 pictures on my iPhone.  FOUR THOUSAND!  Perhaps I should transfer them onto my computer now.  If Phil finds out, he just might go into cardiac arrest.

*  There's a lady in Kuwait who is starting her own line of nail polish and Emily entered a contest to win the entire collection (to be released September 2014).  Well, wouldn't you know it, while we were sitting at Tim Horton's yesterday morning (which was packed with several groups of senior citizens), Emily started to scream and giggle, declaring that she had WON THE CONTEST!!!!!!  I'm pretty sure the other patrons thought she had won the lottery but, to her, she kinda did.  More nail polish to add to her......museum.....of nail polish.........WAY TO GO, GEM! xo  

*  This coming Sunday we are having a "Sibling Reunion" at the lake.  It has been YEARS (perhaps even over a decade) since all five of us have been together in one place and I'm just hoping and praying that all goes according to plan! 

*  Our current mobile number used to be the mobile number of a guy named "Joe" and Joe's friends keep calling and texting and it's driving me nuts!  That, and the random phone calls from 10:30 at night from Florida.  It's yet to be determined if the Florida people are also after Joe.  #firstworldproblems  #iwillstopcomplainingnow

*  Phil just came home with Season 2 of Scandal.  Eeeeee!!!!  We've been on the waiting list and it is OUR TURN ONCE AGAIN!  YIPPEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  (I guess I can't fall asleep on the couch anymore...)

Pregnancy TWO!

People have been asking how I've been feeling, but you know how it is.  I would much rather live in my bubble......where things are JUST SPLENDID and I get to chat with you about all things sparkly......

I am 14 weeks pregnant now (YAY!) and the symptoms of trimester one are finally starting to ease up.  I started feeling sick at about week 5 (in comparison to week 6 last time!) with some serious nighttime nausea.  I know it's opposite of what you hear, but the timing of it was actually a blessing!  It allowed me to power through the work day and teach my classes without a spontaneous exit to the washroom (BIG WIN)!  But then 5 o'clock would strike (dun, dun, dun), at which point things took a turn for the worst. Quick movements became not okay and my food choices were limited (what the heck was I going to be able to eat?).  There was dry-heaving and vomiting and laying on the bathroom floor.  There was a fear of bedtime and teeth-brushing and getting up to go to the loo. There was the fear of losing this sweet little baby we dreamed of and the suppression of extreme excitement and........these feelings are still kinda here by the way (a mother worries from DAY ONE!).  My intention was to wait as long as possible to announce this pregnancy, but at week 5 or 6 - when a colleague commented on a bump and asked Phil if I was pregnant - we knew it was going to be a tricky situation.  It seems my baby abode has been upgraded since round one - it's as though God did some renos, threw on an addition and BAM - the belly button was turning out by week 8. I've been asked, "IS IT TWINS?!".  I've been asked, "ARE YOU SURE YOU'RE ONLY _____ WEEKS?!"  Well, as far as we know, we're growing a singleton and the due date is January 16th :)

14 weeks.....in slippers.  Who said pregnancy was a warm thing?

Anyways, trimester two is here and I am starting to relax a little more.  Worry is slowly turning into excitement and real clothes are turning into maternity clothes.  Sciatic back pain has returned (oh my sweet friend from pregnancy #1) and so have the joys of exhaustion (but this time, with an active 17 month old).  It's shocking how quickly this pregnancy is going to be honest.  Perhaps it's because I was working up until 10 weeks.  Or that I have Nory to keep me busy.  Either way, we're on a high speed plane to January and we'll be a family of four in NO TIME AT ALL!   

Nothing beats FAMILY.

You're looking at the new and improved KUWAIT CREW (minus Coco The Great - although we wish she could be with us too)!!!! Barring any issues related to the confirmation of a work visa, Dana will be joining us in Kuwait for the upcoming school year and we couldn't be more thrilled!

I've told you before how gosh darn OPPOSITE Dana and I are, but there's something comforting about having people abroad with you who know EXACTLY what you're missing back home.  You know, someone who understands the great taste of bagged 2% milk, yet understands the hassles of replacing a bag that's gone empty (where are the scissors and is the new bag of milk REALLY at the bottom of the leftovers in the fridge?!).  Someone who sees all the little apartment dogs in the desert and knows that they are hardly considered dogs at all in some parts (or houses!) of the world.  Someone who is perfectly okay with a spoon and a jar of Kraft Peanut Butter as an appetizer, bedtime snack, or a meal.  Someone who can genuinely say they miss the snow-shoveling, snow-fort-building, snowman-making days of our childhood, yet genuinely DOES NOT MISS the FREAKING cold, freezing rain, and poor driving conditions.  Someone who knows that the Polar Express MUST BE READ - teacher style - every single Christmas Eve, NO MATTER WHAT (some might call this a legal requirement).  Someone who understands the value in a turkey on special occasions (and can actually make one!!!!).  Someone who believes that you should be able to walk out your front door and go for a walk, rather than drive 10 minutes to do the exact same thing....

It's going to be great.  And as we were walking together the other morning, getting icecream today, and having a pool party this afternoon, it became quite clear that little Miss Nory is going to love having her Aunt Dana with us too!!! 

Fingers crossed all of the important stuff gets taken care of....and the four (and a half) of us are off to Kuwait in August!!!!!!  WE LOVE YOU DOODLE!!!!!!!! xoxo

Leaving Nory OVERNIGHT. FOR THE FIRST TIME!

The good news is that it happened.  We did it!  She did it!  They (the grandparents!) did it!  We ALL DID IT!!!!!!!  (I don't think there was any doubt from the grandparent front.  I mean, they managed to raise five children and we're all alive and well today!).

So what was it then that made it seem like such an achievement to arrive on Sunday morning to a child (and parents/in-laws!) that still seemed to like us?  LOVE US, even?  Hmmmm....

Well, I think it all comes down to this: 

WE ARE CRAZY.  Crazy, crazy, paranoid first-timers in the big, scary world of parenting.  

1)  Most parents (I suspect) can't wait to get a second to themselves, but having been with Nory EVERY SECOND POSSIBLE while overseas - and not being used to the whole "family members want quality time with your child" thing - we've become quite familiar with being together often and we've come to love it.  The possibility of us crying on the front porch as Nana and Grandpa pulled away with our little one in tow....well.....that MIGHT have happened.  (Ah-hem, it 100% DID and the crying resumed INSIDE the house for at least 10 more minutes!)  

2)  Don't 17 month old's remember this stuff?  You leaving them?  Abandoning them for two whole nights?  Don't they grow up to hate you over circumstances such as these ones?  (Remember:  I began this whole thing with "we're CRAZY").    

3)  There's nothing we hate more than inconveniencing other people.  We don't want people to feel stressed out or upset or angry for any reason related to us.  What if Nory cries?  What if she gets sick?  What if she won't eat?  What if she's teething?  What if she throws a toy and hits someone in the face?  What if she smashes a piece of pottery on the ground?  There are just so many scenarios that would leave us feeling REALLY, REALLY BADLY and it's not in us to cope.

4)  We're skeptics.  I mean, who ACTUALLY doesn't mind if they are up all night?  Who ACTUALLY doesn't mind changing a dirty diaper?  Who ACTUALLY doesn't mind running around the yard from morning to night, chasing a little one nonstop?  I guess the answer is:  GRANDPARENTS.  And other people who love your daughter to pieces.  These people - who are completely smitten by the same little person who leaves you completely smitten too - are also crazy.  Because they say things like "it was an honour" when you retrieve your daughter from their house....

So anyways.  We're crazy.  You granddaughter-lovers are crazy. We're simply ALL CRAZY.  All CRAZY IN LOVE with this tiny girl who's made our family a louder, happier, and busier one!

Thank you to Nana and Grandpa for looking after Nory so we could attend Aimee and Patrick's wedding this weekend.  We really appreciate it!  And thank you to everyone who has EVER offered to babysit but has yet to do so because - as I've mentioned a billion times - we're CRAZY, CRAZY, PARANOID FIRST-TIMERS IN THE BIG, SCARY WORLD OF PARENTING.  Perhaps we'll start taking you up on those offers.............

Cheers to OUR VILLAGE!  (Because it really does take a village to raise a child!)