It's official...fall is here! Time to break out the sweaters, scarves and cute boots while finding a place for the capris, shorts and sandals. Say goodbye to sun dresses. Hello long pants.

  Soon folks will be taking drives in the country to see the changing leaves. Stopping and strolling through the woods as they comment on the beautiful colours. Enjoying the crisp, fresh air. Taking photos that will become Facebook posts and screen savers to remind us of the wonderful afternoon spent together as a family.

  Some of my friends and family will be spending their days making preserves, jams and jellies. The smell of  mustard pickles...my favourite...and relishes will be commonplace for many. Me? Well I'm hoping someone will take pity on us and send us a care package. Hint hint.

  Also it's the start of a new tv season. No more reruns or watching shows on Netflix that I really had little interest in. Bring on The Blacklist, Scandal and Downton Abbey. For some crazy reason I need to wait til January for Downton. Having James Spader and a roaring fire will help me get through it. No spoilers please.

  As the days grow shorter and the nights cooler my mind drifts to a warm winter vacation. Unless I win the lottery this year it's out of the question but one can dream. Don't pity me too much though we already have one booked before Christmas!! But if you need help planning yours let me know.

  Ang



  

  

  

  This election has gone on far too long. I have forgotten more than half of what the three main party leaders have said...except for Elizabeth May and she only speaks about the environment, when they allow her to speak. I cannot wait for October 19 to pass just so we can get rid of all the photos of Tom  when he was 30ish, Justin walking up an escalator and that weird smile/smirk thing PM Harper has going on. Enough already. Let's just vote.

  Thomas Mulcair seems like a nice guy. He's well spoken and seems to be relatively intelligent...I'm not sure if that is a prerequisite to be Prime Minister though. But I live in Ontario and we are all paying for the perceived sins of a previous NDP provincial government. Don't believe me? Look at your hydro bill.  While I'm not sure I will hold that against him I know for a fact many will. And you need Ontario to be PM.

  Justin Trudeau has the right name, for many people. He appeals to young people and comes across as a voice of change. It is hard though to take someone seriously who had a "celebrity" boxing match and relatively no experience doing.... well anything. He has become a much better speaker since the beginning and I do like some of his ideas but again some of his past comments scare the crap out of me concerning the superiority of Quebec. But I've seen him at six in the morning and he does have amazing hair!

  PM Harper has shown his controlling side for many years within his own party. He only takes four or five questions after every public speech and no follow ups. Also it's easy to see that each and every public appearance is filled with well vetted supporters. I do like some of the things he's brought into play like income splitting and the higher TFSA amounts....I know, I know, they only help the upper class but forgive me if just once John and I enjoy a tax break. What worries me most is that so many of his people have jumped ship...think Baird, Mackay and the late Jim Flaherty (who may have left for health reasons).

  No matter who you vote for on October 19th the main thing is to vote. Vote. Vote. Vote. Remember you cannot complain about who is leading the country if you did not vote. Rick Mercer said so.

  Ang

  Ask any parent with children, under the age of 12, what is the most important thing in their lives and I'm willing to bet just about anything they will unanimously say SLEEP. 

  It's the difference between a happy child and a screaming one. A pleasant mealtime and a total breakdown...either your child's or yours... I don't judge. Music lessons, soccer practise or homework usually go smoothly with a well rested child. Usually.

  The big question is how to make sure your child sleeps enough. We all know the "crying it out" for infants. We've probably all tried it. It's hit and miss because most parents cave before we ever find out if it does work. With the first child any way. 

  We try co-sleeping mostly because as parents we really need to get some rest too. At least this way we get a solid six hours even if they are spent hanging on to the side of the bed so we don't fall off.  Again no judging here, even though this is my absolute last resort.

 Noise machines, routines, set bedtimes....the list is unending. As parents we will try absolutely anything that will get them, and keep them, asleep.  And we will ask total strangers their secrets to sleeping angels....the only topic we will easily take parenting advice for.

  I have crawled out of rooms, laid under cribs holding my child's finger and sat on cold floors all in the name of sleep. My all-time low happened when the bug dreams were a nightly event and I would run around the room with a Kermit the Frog stuffy eating the bugs my son could see. 

  The answer to a child's sleep problems? Time. Plain and simple. Time. Almost every child will just one day start sleeping. Through the night. Every night. For no apparent reason. We just need to stay alive long enough to see it.

  Then they become teenagers and sleep all day...then we don't want them to.

  Ang

  Almost all of us have the same dream....owning our own home. We forgo vacations, new cars and a Michael Kors purse for it. In our minds we can picture what our dream home looks like and waste countless hours of our lives watching HGTV and going to open houses on the weekend. In fact we know that once we attain this goal we will be happier and more secure in our future. We are all deluded.

  The reality is we are constantly working on our houses. Every weekend and holiday instead of relaxing over a good book or drinking cheap wine we are slaving away fixing, installing or improving something. It never ends. Never. Ever. Ever.

  We've lived in this house for six years now. Not one day has gone by where we haven't talked about something that must be changed. We have prioritised the main jobs and estimated the time frame for completion. By my recollection we should  have completed everything......three years ago. Instead we have four bathrooms, an entire basement, the master bedroom, hallway and entryway still to be done. We are running a little behind schedule.

  I'm fond of saying that "When we have the time we don't have the money and when we have the money we don't have the time!" In our case this has always been the truth....even before kids. The other houses we have renovated were 100% completed on the day the For Sale sign went up! We've never actually had the chance to enjoy a fully finished house. Maybe one day.

  Probably not.

  Ang

    Today I've had a grand total of four and a half hours of sleep. There are no newborns in my house. No dog that must be walked. No child who needs to catch the school bus....it's Saturday after all. My hubby is home so there was someone to make sure the kids ate and were kept quiet. So why didn't I go back to bed? Was it guilt?

  Guilt over sleep isn't a problem for me.  I read an article a few years ago about the health benefits of a daily nap and became a born-again napper on the spot. My only complaint is the researchers said 20-30 minutes not the 90-120 minutes I prefer....please. As if that would be sufficient.

  In fact today was a most productive day. I tackled those cleaning/organizing jobs there never seems enough time to get to. You know that drawer that holds every thing and nothing? Well mine was a laundry basket! Everything is now recycled, shredded or disposed of. I feel a sense of accomplishment far and beyond what I actually should for such a small thing. But it's a great feeling so I'll enjoy it.

  The truth is I never went back to bed because when I was 20 something four hours was more than enough sleep. I could work a ten hour shift and then stay out til three in the morning and STILL be able to function...and function well...the next morning. We all tell stories about the good old days when we danced til dawn then showered and off to work we went. Albeit with the largest coffee known to man.

  Now as the evening rolls on I've realized a very valuable lesson....I'm not in my 20's any more. 

Ang

  Apparently font is very important to some of you. I'll leave out the expletives used to describe my previous entries font. There was even a suggestion I might be able to continue using the old font, my personal favourite, if it was in bold. That was quickly shot down.

  So this afternoon when I sat down I was stressing what to use. Was Ariel ok? Bold Ariel maybe? What about Trebuchet? Was that better? And in the big picture does it really matter?

  The truth is it doesn't matter. No matter what font I use I will try to put my thoughts into words that will give you a few minutes each day to see life through my eyes. Rose coloured glasses some days. Ranting and complaining others.

  That being said though....I do care about the opinions of the women who kicked my font to the curb. They are smart, funny and kind human beings who are supportive of me and others in general. They may be winos but we all have our burdens.

  Lets give a warm welcome to the new Verdana font. May it have a longer, healthier life than Courier. Which apparently can be connected to a Nickelback joke...who I am a huge fan of btw.....but since I didn't get the joke I'll leave it be.

Ang

  

  Life is stressful. Very stressful. Some days I swear I spend half my day biting my tongue and swearing under my breath. And soon I don't think I'll be able to drive any more. The risk of getting my ass kicked increases every day as does my ability to compose full, expletive laden sentences while driving at 60 kms per hour. I'm pretty sure I can't put that on a resume.

  They say yoga is good for stress. I know lots of people who want to do it. Maybe only a handful who actually do. But I know many, many people who drink to relieve stress....in yoga pants. Maybe that has the same benefit.

  Listening to music is supposed to be a good stress reliever. No one has ever clarified for me if Frank Sinatra has the same health benefits as Ozzy Osborne. I'm thinking probably not.

  Reading supposedly can help you decompress. You can loose yourself in the lives and adventures of fictional characters who always seem to come out ok in the end. I don't recommend a Stephen King novel if relaxation is your goal though.

  For me nothing works like laughter. The kind where your cheeks hurt, your belly is sore and you might have peed just a little. Snorting happens with this form of therapy. Which leads to laughing tears over the before mentioned snorting.  

  So the next time you are feeling stressed, turn on The Birdcage....with 3 of the funniest people on the planet, Robin Williams, Nathan Lane and Hank Azaria...and laugh your stress away. 

Ang

  

  

  

  So I dodged the proverbial bullet on Monday. Myself and approximately 125 other fine, upstanding citizens of our nations capital showed up for.....jury selection! 

  I know I know its part of living in this great country, it's an honor to help enforce the justice system blah blah blah. These comments are only made by people who are NOT up for jury duty!

  Now granted this case would have been interesting...a man was suing a couple for slander and they were counter suing for sexual assault and harassment...but it was scheduled to last four to six WEEKS!!! Weeks!!! There was a gasp from the panel when the judge said that let me tell you.

  It's a civil trial so they only need six jurors and the judge opted not to have any alternates so I thought my odds were fairly good. The first twenty numbers are called...no names are mentioned unless you are picked to serve.....17 men and 3 women. Twenty people. Of course they can get six out of twenty. Shows what all my years of watching Law & Order taught me.

  It becomes very clear very quickly that the lawyers don't want any men on this jury. The judge releases some people based on hardships...mostly financial because while your employer must give you time to serve on a jury they do not need to pay you....but the lawyers release every man left. And of the three women one was excused for health reasons.

  Two people. Out of twenty. I look around and I'm still doing ok in the odds department. There is easily 75 people left. More women than men now so that's promising. Another twenty numbers drawn. Mine is the third! My stomach clenches because there is no feasible way for me to do this short of my husband working from home for the next two months. But I take my place in line as my brain throws out one reason after another why I can't serve.

  The first woman is taken. The second has the mother-load of all excuses...she is getting married Saturday and her honeymoon is in Thailand! The judge wishes her the best and off she goes. 

  I step up into the witness box still with no idea what I'm going to say. The judge asks me is there any reason I can't serve. Before I even have a chance to think about it I calmly explain how my elderly aunt is having heart surgery the next day and while she is recovering I am her primary caregiver. The judge smiles sadly and wishes her the best of luck on her surgery and releases me. I step down and walk out of the room. A free woman.

  Now technically I didn't lie. My aunt had surgery yesterday and it went very well. She will be in the hospital til early next week and will, fingers crossed, make a speedy recovery. I will be helping take care of her but principle caregiver might be a stretch. I can live with stretching the truth if it means I'm not sitting in a jury box for six weeks. I guess that makes me a little guilty.

  Ang

  

  

  I consider myself to be a fairly sane, rational person.....for those of you who know me well just move on ;) so I'm having a hard time lately with all the social media coverage of banning the burqa/burka (depending who writes it it's correct either way).

  One person I know said it scares her. She doesn't know what the woman underneath is thinking. The ever popular "she has no choice but wear it". And my personal favorite.... "what is she hiding under there?".

  I listened to her and my mind was racing. How could an extremely well educated person, who is well traveled and very logical about her circumstances, be so against something that doesn't effect her at all? She has no Muslim or Islamic friends. No neighbors of that particular cultural background. Why the anger? Why the hate?  So I sat down and thought through her reasons and here was what i thought.

  Lots of things scare me. People who kill children scare me. People driving 80km in a school zone scare me. Education costs scare me. Labor scared me. The price of good vodka scares me. Clothes...not so much.

  When I want to figure out what someone is thinking I look at their eyes. The window to our souls as someone said. Not their cheeks or chin or ears. They tell me nothing.  If we are really concerned about what someone is thinking perhaps we should ban sunglasses.

  As for the third reason well some women choose to wear it and unfortunately some are forced. Welcome to a different culture. But like every culture it changes slowly and I'm sure one day choice will be the rule. Remember Christian women had to cover their heads in church not that many years ago. Give it time. Everything changes.

  But this morning as I was racing out the door to get my son to school, I realized what HAS to be the reason for the social media hate storm! My hair was in need of a wash and sticking out in a hundred different directions, I have two zits starting beside my lip and drool down my chin because of course we over slept and I didn't have time to wash my face. If I was a burqa wearing girl well......I would have walked out the door looking well put together and serene. Not the screaming maniac in a pj top with a bad baseball cap on that I was. Not to mention my morning coffee breath. I now understand what these women are hiding!

  I know this is trivializing an issue that many, many people find important. To me it's a non issue. Except when I'm running late and looking not-at-my-best....then it's jealousy pure and simple. :)

Ang

  

Life is Tough

  I'm curious......when did life become so serious? When did a joke about a beauty pageant contestant become a reason to flood social media with hate? When did we start taking an off-the-cuff comment that wasn't intentionally mean, nasty or even rude as a reason to vilify other women? And then why, when the apology came and seemed very sincere, wasn't it enough?

  Life is tough. Every day there are enough serious issues for us to deal with. Between homework, making dinner and getting to "everywhere our kids need to be" in the evening, we need something to make us laugh. If we can't get it from a tv show while we are cooking said dinner then where?

  Where you ask? Let me tell you. I've come up with a plan. It's simple and easy. And trust me it will put everything into perspective for you.

  Spend some time with friends whose children have disabilities. The more friends in that situation you can get together the better. Let me tell you why. Because the worst things that could possibly happen to them.....has already happened. They take joy and laughter out of almost any thing life throws their way. They tend not to sweat the small things and seem to know, how I'm not sure, that everything will work itself out. And of course it always does. Perspective.

  I'm lucky I've already got that. Ladies you know who you are. So the next time someone tells a joke, that isn't racist, homophobic or the like, take it for what it is...a joke. 

Ang

  

  

Braces :(

   You know how sometimes you think you are a responsible adult. Got the wills made up. Saving for my kids education. Saving enough for retirement so that dog food isn't on the menu in our old age. Got enough life and medical insurance. I'm doing ok. In fact better than ok. I'm the poster child for having your act together in planning for the future. Then you hear those four words that shake you to your financial soul....your child needs braces!!!

  As I stated earlier I have great insurance. There has never been anything done to my kids mouths that hasn't been covered 90%. So when I sit down in front of the receptionist I'm not overly concerned about the cost. I'm covered. I am however curious so I ask the average cost to which she frowns before replying $6,000. In my head I quickly do the math...10% is roughly six hundred dollars. What are people complaining about who have coverage? That's nothing. You can barely buy a Michael Kors purse for that. But wait she wasn't finished.

  It seems that most insurance companies, including ours, will pay out to a maximum of $2500! Seriously? Not even half? How can this possibly be true? Well it is true and while our dentist will arrange an installment plan to cover the rest, if our child is "average" we are on the hook for close to four thousand dollars!!

  Don't get me wrong no matter how much is our responsibility we will cover it. A healthy smile is worth it but it sure looks like the insurance company is making out quite nicely. 

  I guess the thoughts of a spring vacation are just that...thoughts.

Ang

The beginning

  Soooooooo.....my husband said a few weeks ago he thought I should write a blog and let everyone in on the fascinating things that happen to and around me. Translation...I'm tired of hearing about them tell someone else!

  Let's start with the basics. I'm a "semi-retired" mother of two boys, Alex and Riley, who you will hear way too much about as time goes on. I say "semi-retired" rather than "stay at home" because well people have a preconceived idea of what it means to be an at home parent. Good or bad, people judge...even when they say how lucky I am.

  My wonderful husband works in an office and is much, much nicer than me. He's done some amazing things in his life and does it without praise or reward. Who else pays to go to a third world country and dig ditches for water lines on their vacation? But that's enough bragging.

  Over the next little while I will tell you more about all of us....but I'm making a silent promise to my 12 year old not to say anything embarrassing about him. If I can help it. My main goal is to let you all in on my ideas and views of the world around us with a bit of laughter and even a few tears. I get angry about injustices and the ignorance of some people....myself included at times.

  Let's get this started. Oh and I just noticed I really seem to like ......! Who knew :)

Ang