Vacation

We had such a great time on Vacation. We started off by having Lunch at Chuck E Cheese. Robbie has been begging to go there for a year and half, so he was thrilled. Karen seem to have fun playing the games too. The next day we went to the Children's musuem. The Musuem had a giant play grocery store and diner, this was heaven to my food obsessed son. We had a trip to Whole Foods, Robbie was thrilled to see a grocery store with so much vegetarian food! We also went to Joker's, which is like Chuck E. Cheese, but not as good. Robbie's favorite part was make his own Sundae at Friendly's, he said it was the best part of vacation. On our last day we enjoyed some shopping at Target, K-mart, and Wal-mart. I can't believe how cheap the kids clothes were. I internet researched everywhere we ate, to find vegetarian and child friendly restaurants. It worked well and the food was really good! The day after we got back I took Robbie to the Exhibition, where both kids (meaning Karen the big kid too, had fun on the rides). Here are some pictures from the week!

Hospital Last Night

I ended up being taken to the hospital by ambulance last night. I was watching Robbie on the kiddie rides. And my heart spiked to 179 and I could not make it to the car. I got Karen to take him on more rides while waiting for the ambulance, so he wouldn't see me. They wheeled me past the kiddie rides. I hope he was not traumatized. All I did was worry about kids. When they put me on the stretcher a bunch of kids were asking what was wrong. I told them I was a little tired and I had to go for check-up and to have fun. When Robbie saw me I told him I was going for a bed ride. The drs think my beta-blocker is not working properly. The ER is going to have me seen by a cardiologist within a week. I hope so. This is 3 spikes in less than a week. I feel like I am missing out. I want to have fun with my family, not lie home on a couch.
Will update soon with vacation pictures, when I am feeling better.

Back, but Busy

We got back late last night. Will update about vacation later. It was so busy. We are taking Robbie to the Atlantic National Exhibition today.

The Spoons, Flashback 1985!

I had my night out last night and saw the Spoons. I didn't think I was going to make it to the concert last night. AF arrived yesterday morning with a vengeance. I spent most of the day on the toilet. I have never had such bad cramps. I took some Imodium and Tylenol and got dressed. I went to my best friends house for help with hair make-up and jewelery. She has been helping me pull a look together since 1984. I could never do it without here. We listened to 80's music the whole way there. When we got there we paused to check over our hair and make-up. We walked into the tent to blaring music, Blue Peter was playing. Guess what we were about the only ones dressed up, and the ones that were dressed were not as elaborate at us. Oh, well, their loss. We got drinks and sat down. Then the weirdest thing happened I checked my heart rate and it was 177. YIKES. I got scared got up and started to leave the tent. As I was leaving it was down to 138. It went back to normal within 5 minutes out of the tent. I wonder if the loud music did it, it was 177 for less than a minute. It scared the crap out of me. I took my Ativan and my heart medicine (45 minutes early). We went in the back and watched Blue Peter, who I don't like that much anyway. My heart was normal for the rest of the night. We moved to the front for the Spoons. They were great. They were even better that 1985. And Sandy was hot. Afterward we met the band and had our pictures taken with them. I will have those pictures later, they are on my best friend's camera. Here are a few of us before we went out!

Things are looking up!

I got a second job! It is one I applied for months ago and have been patiently waiting to hear about. I interviewed on Monday and got the news yesterday. It is part-time and mostly work at home, with very flexible hours. Which means I will be able to keep my supply teaching job, which pays well when I work, but sometimes you work all week and sometimes you don't work for 3 weeks at a time. So, it is nice to have a job with some stability, while still keeping the other job. The 2 jobs allow, Karen to still work at night, and us to keep Robbie out of daycare. One more year and Robbie goes to school. So, I will be able to achieve my goal of keeping home until his school years!

The new job is interesting. It is website administrator for a new website being developed for local families. There will be list of community resources, things and places to go for families, classifieds and message boards. I will be in charge of posting the info, updating the info, developing new ideas, contests, moderating others content. Also I will be working with the public and the press for the site launch party and the site fair. I used to be a site administrator for an academic research website, when we lived in Montreal (www.iirc.mcgill.ca) and I also did educational research and teaching assistant work for the owners of the website. So, this new job will let me use these old skills which will have lied dormant for a few years. And as much as I enjoy the kids at school and the teachers I have missed the challenge of using my brain. Also, this job makes me go out and connect with other parents and families in the community. I look forward to getting to know more families in the city. The connections I make and the events I attend, for the most part be with Robbie. So, he will benefit too! I start in a week!

And today is Karen's last day of work before having a week of vacation. We are going to take a little mini vacation to Portland next week. Karen got a great deal employee deal on one of our hotel rooms, and I won us an $8.88 Super 8 Room. We will do some shopping for all of us. And a trip to Chuckie Cheese and the Children's Museum for Robbie. And when we get back the Atlantic National Exhibition is here! We will be taking Robbie, and we will stay until late at night, so Robbie can see the rides light up. Robbie is so excited he is counting down the days until all the activity starts.

And most importantly. My big night out is tomorrow! The Spoons here I come (don't worry if you are not Canadian and in you mid to late thirties, you have not heard of them) My best friend and I have our outfits planned out complete with mesh shirts, teased hair, and fingerless gloves. Robbie is already begging me not to go, Karen will have her hands full tomorrow.

Busy Days

We have been so busy the last few days. At the end of last week we took my best friend and her son on a picnic at Meehans Cove. Then Friday, I babysat her son, so she could have "date night". It was Robbie's first sleepover. Not much sleep happened! They went to bed at 12:45 and my friends son started waking up at 6am! Sunday, we went to the beach and the fireworks. Sunday, night ended with a bigger bang then the fireworks. Robbie got a stomach bug. So, I have been busy taking care of a sick boy since then. Here are a few pcitures of the picnic and sleepover.

Robbie's Evaluation

On Wednesday, we had Robbie's evaluation by the speech therapist. As he was answering questions correctly, Karen was elbowing me, smiling, a raising her hand in silent cheer. You would think she was taking the test. I couldn't believe he did things with the therapist, he would never do for us, like taking turns. He was really quite agreeable to the testing. The therapist said his language is perfect, so is his comprehension and understanding. We already knew that part. She said part of his problem is he is too verbal. He doesn't stop talking. She says their is no give and take in his conversation unless you interrupt and ask for a turn. She said he also likes to keep play in his interest area, and resists someone else changing it. She also said that he goes off on tangents (usually triggered by a certain word), that have nothing to do with the topic at hand. She tossed out the idea of Aspergers. I am not resistant to it, my best friend son has it and I have worked with kids with it. My son seems nothing like them. He has great eye contact, can hold a conversation that was initiated by someone else, can lie, and has a vivid imagination and enjoys pretend play. I can see things that are like the disorder like obsession with plastic food and shopping and playing only on his terms. I am keeping an open mind, just not latching onto to this. He will be having a full evaluation by a pediatric Development doctor. I will go with what she says. And he will be going to a social language learning group (led by the speech therapist), it once a week in the fall. He will learn how to let others kids take turns and get in their view point, changing activities and dealing with transitions. I do want him to get help with his social skills, I can see at playgroup he can't relate to most of his peers. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree. I was a socially awkward child, with poor motor skills,sensory issues and advanced intellect. He is a lot like me. They didn't address those problems in the seventies. I had hardly any friends, by grade 3 I was very bullied. I hated school and was miserable for years. I don't want that for him. So, if all this stuff helps, label or not, make school a happy wonderful place for him to go. Then it will all be worth it.

Bad Memories haunt me

Dw, got a letter from Revenue Canada, saying they were reviewing our medical expenses. Meaning our failed fertility expenses. Just when I had put that chapter of my life behind me. I spent the yesterday,morning writing a detailed account of every visit. Reminders of failure, reminders of hope, reminders of pain. We also spent the whole morning searching for receipts. I am very tax organized, but the move turned everything upside down. I found my Mother's receipts first, to bad it wasn't her review, it would have been easier for me to do. The year I had my son, I was not reviewed. Irony isn't it. I was able to account for every last penny, expenses, mileage and meals. Of course now their will be letters back and forth about it. Why can't this all go away? Must I spend the next few months reminded of it.

The government hasn't annoyed me this much in 2 years. 2 years ago, shortly after we left Quebec. The Quebec government wrote me a letter asking for all my family benefit payments back. Why? Because they claimed I didn't have custody of my son. During this conversation he is screaming in the background. I asked them whose noisy child was that screaming? Would they like to come have a look at him. And since both parents were married and together where was the alleged child? They had no answers. Of course, a few weeks and few calls from the federal government and Quebec believed I had him. They should have just asked the lady next door, who complained about noise, who lived there. I feel like I have made jobs for a lot government officials.

More Info for Tosha and Lisa

Tosha: yes, we are still trying to adopt. It is a slow process. The information session is in September, and then the classes are October-December. After that is home study. I wish it were sooner, we would really like a bigger family. Although, some day I have moments, where I mourn ttc, pregnancy, and having a baby. Not for Robbie, even if I had the catheter ablation and try to get pg right away and was lucky, he would be 5 or 6 before a baby came. It would be too much of a space to be playmates. It is me that misses it. I saw a baby the other day at the grocery store, a little 6 week old. I felt that, I am never going to do that again, pang. The baby was crying in its car seat. I knew that as soon as the mommy picked it up it would stop. And it did as soon as it was cuddled close. I would love to do that again. I will get past it, I just have those moments sometimes. I certainly won't miss the sleep deprivation.

Lisa: Yes, I am an only child too. I was adopted by my parents after 13 years of ttc and infertility (ironic isn't it). My parents wanted to adopt an older child when I was 7, but my Dad got sick and almost died (he pulled through). After, that my Mom was so scared of being a widow with minimal job skills, she was scared of adopting another. I never really noticed it as much as Robbie does. Although, I was over eager to make friends like him. But, I lived in a neighborhood full of kids. And those kids were usually at my house. We had an open door policy at my house. My Mom always had snacks ready for everyone; My Dad took as many kids as he could cram into a car to swimming, movies, skating and sliding; and as I got older they never said no to a sleepover. It is harder for Robbie everything in life is so scheduled. To see another child, play dates have to be scheduled. The days of the kids running out the door and playing with the neighbors is gone. For me being an only child is only hard, now that I am older, with one parent left who is ill, and no siblings to share this with.
Hopefully, next year this time, we will be a busy family of 4.

Sometimes it is hard being an Only

I took Robbie to the playground this morning. It was the first morning without Rain in a long time. He found 3 sisters aged 2, 4, & 6 to play with. He had so much fun with them Then they decided to go to see the farm animals. He wanted to go with them. I felt like I was crashing their party, but I said yes. Then they were going to the grocery store after, so we said goodbye and left them. They were his new friends and he wanted to go. It was so hard to say no and take him home. He wanted to play with them all day. I remember feeling like this when I was little. The little girls liked him, but were not upset when he left, as they had each other. Poor monkey, he is lonely. I am going to have to take him to places with kids this weekend and see if I can set up a playdate next week.

Annoyed!

We still have 4 kittens and the stray Mommy Cat living in our backyard. We took a kitten, and someone else took one. I have postered, placed ads on the internet and the paper. Handled all the emails and all the calls. The cats have to go to a shelter next week, if they don't have homes. Do, I like it? No. But, the kittens are starting to wander and will soon be hit by a car or eaten by a racoon. The mother will soon be pregnant if she is not already. If they populate more in our yard, we will get in trouble with the health board. So, why in spite of all this, is DW making me feel like the bad guy. She is sulking and saying I don't care and haven't done enough for them, that I am giving up. Who did all this, but me? She says if I send them at a shelter next week, make sure she is at work. I am really sick of being the only adult in my household, it is not fun.

Going out for coffee, the big day out!

I was so excited yesterday, I had 3 child free hours out with my best friend. I love my best friend, we have known each other since we were 14, we have seen each other through the good times and bad times, and always had a lot of fun together. Until 2 years ago, we lived most of our adult lives in different cities. Now, we do see each other a lot more often. But, now most of our time together is interrupted by "Mommy look at me", or breaking up disputes between the kids. Nice, to see our kids grow up together and they do love each other, but not carefree time. So, yesterday, we went out for coffee without the kids. I was so excited, I dressed up with the same excitement I used to put into a night on the town. We felt so giddy getting into the new car without toys, kids and significant others. We went to Star bucks and drank the most expensive coffees they have (the kind I would feel guilty about having, because the money could go to the kid, the house the car). We laughed, we gossiped, talked about old dreams and new dreams. Then we took a drive with the music blasting. Stopped at the house I grew up at, talked about the memories there. Those 3hours will keeping going during Karen's overtime next week. We have 2 more summer outings planned. We are going in 3 weeks to see the Spoons (If you aren't Canadian and weren't young in the 80's you don't know who they are), we saw them together in 1985. We are going to dress like we did in the 80's for that. Then we also plan a night out, when the kids are sleeping (Karen and bF's boyfriend will be with them). That night we plan on wearing out nighties and going to drive thru's eating bad food and driving around town. Kids are wonderful, but there is nothing like a couple of hours with an old friend.