It Really Is All In The Timing

Anything to do with the mechanics of cars stresses me out beyond belief. I can put together IKEA furniture in my sleep (I’ve had so much practice), wield a screwdriver or hammer like it is nobody’s business, and am not the least bit intimidated walking into Home Depot. But besides driving them, which I love to do, cars are an unknown area that can really freak me out.

I think it all started when I was a teenager and my grandfather had given my mom his 1969 Plymouth Valiant. Lest anyone think I’m older than I am, the car was almost 20 years old by the time my mom got it, and I started driving it.

I’ll never forget it stalling at one of Calgary’s busiest intersections during one of the busiest times of day. I was by myself and figured I’d be stranded forever in that piece of shit vintage vehicle but I finally got it going again. However, that wouldn’t be the last time something like that would happen. I’d hold my breath every time I got into that car.

So my heart started to race when I was out shopping with The Wee Man today and saw that I had a flat tire.

“Don’t worry. Call CAA,” Hubby the Great reassured me when I called him in distress.

CAA showed up quickly, changed the flat, and had me on my way. I still had other errands to run but felt I needed to come home, shut the blinds, and crawl under the duvet after my “harrowing” experience.

By late this afternoon I’d mostly “recovered” from it all until Hubby the Great returned from work. He walked past the Jeep on the driveway and noticed that the replacement tire was now flat.

Aaaarrghhh!!!!!

We’ll now need CAA to tow our vehicle to the dealership to get this fixed.

Aaaarrghhh!!!!!

Oddly enough, the CAA membership renewal arrived in the mail yesterday.

Needless to say, I’ll be doing that immediately. I wonder if they have a lifetime membership.

I Heart The Internetz

What is it with me and hairdressers in this city? Finding (and more importantly keeping) a good stylist here has been nothing short of epic.

It certainly doesn’t help that it has been months since my last cut. But when you’re a stay-at-home-mom, you can always think of a million child and household-related things to spend that single income on. Unfortunately, that means personal maintenance and upkeep comes in somewhere after buying diapers and fixing the roof.

However, as infrequent as my trips are to the salon, it doesn’t mean I will settle for just anyone cutting my hair. I won’t bore anyone with the tales of woe involving my hair but when I can find someone to make it cooperate, and actually look decent, I want to hang on to them.

So needless to say, I was nothing short of mortified when I went to make an appointment with my works-wonders-stylist to find that she no longer works at the salon I was going to.

Knowing full well the salon would not give me her new contact information, I decided to use her unique first name and try to hunt her down on Google.

It was then that I discovered this blog. The author of the blog, Wendy, wrote a couple of posts about our mutual hairdresser so I decided to do what any woman in desperate need of a haircut would do: I emailed her asking for contact information for our stylist.

So a big “thank you” goes out to Wendy who got back to me very quickly with the all-important contact information. After my appointment next Saturday, I will look decidedly less yeti-like.

Happy Father’s Day To Hubby the Great

The Wee Man is gaga for his father. At the moment, it is all daddy ("dah-DEEE!"), all the time.

But who can blame him – Hubby the Great isn’t just a great husband he is an amazing father (sorry, "dah-DEEE!").

I am so lucky to have such a selfless and loving husband and The Wee Man couldn’t have a better role model, buddy, and chief storybook reader.

So while it is Father’s Day on Sunday, you should know that in our son’s eyes, everyday is Father’s Day. There is no better man, no better father. We love you so much.

How About This – Keep The Theme Song, Dump The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation

This is one post where I proudly wear my national colours (see, I even spell it with a “u”!) and talk about the most sacred of Canadian pastimes - hockey.

In particular, I’m talking about the iconic theme song that has been used for Hockey Night in Canada broadcasts since 1968 and how the boobs at CBC are thinking of discontinuing its use.

Canadians, whether they like hockey or not, know this tune and it is probably only second to our national anthem in terms of recognizability. In a country so vast, where our regions are so diverse that not much is common to all areas, it unites us as the hockey-crazed nation that we are.

When I was teaching in Japan, one of my students wanted a suggestion for a “Canadian” song to play on the piano for a group of fellow Canadians being hosted at the Rotary Club in Tokyo. I was set to launch into an explanation that we don’t really have any traditional Canadiana songs common to the whole country when it dawned on me that she should play the theme from Hockey Night in Canada. Every one in that delegation, whether they were from British Columbia, Yukon, or Nova Scotia, would know it.

Not surprisingly, since this story broke, there has been an uproar from the public at large. But, hey, CBC has plans to placate us. They have plans to hold A CONTEST to find a new theme song.

Well – YIPPEE – that makes it so much better. Thanks CBC!

I’ll get right to work composing a replacement for something that is irreplaceable.

Nicole, Carrie, Samantha, Charlotte, and Miranda

So I loved the Sex and the City movie. I loved spending 20 minutes picking out which shoes to wear with my outfit (I can’t even remember the last time THAT happened), I loved pre-show dinner and drinks with my girlfriends (ditto on not remembering the last time that happened – welcome to motherhood), and I loved the movie (with the exception of one - albeit major - plot line. Umm, Carrie, isn’t it clear that you really can’t trust Big? But will I go see a sequel? Hell ya!).

It was a little depressing too. The plot itself wasn’t sad but I was halfway through the film when I realized that when it ended I’d be going into SATC withdrawal again.

It is just a movie though, right? Yeah, but, it also is the ultimate in escapism and every once in a while a mommy needs a big dose of that.

The Answer Is Two

In case you were wondering, two is the number of sleeps left until I go see the Sex and the City movie.

Bring on the martinis, designer bag, and high heels (and I’m not even talking about the characters in the movie. Ditching the diaper bag for an evening merits a celebration).

Squeeeee!!!!

By the way, Hubby the Great and The Wee Man will be having boys time while Mommy is out enjoying herself with her girlfriends. Needless to say, I could never drag Hubby the Great to see this show – EVER!

Early Diagnosis Is The Key

Hubby the Great and I have a delightful but oh so strong-willed toddler on our hands. We realize that we need to be firm but fair with him and establish that he can’t always get his own way because we are just a few temper tantrums away from strong-willed turning into bratty.

When our resilience starts to falter, we remind ourselves that this won’t last forever. The “Terrible Twos” are fast approaching but once we get past that, things should start to get easier, right? We’ve been comforted in the thought that The Wee Man was really no more of a challenge than most other toddlers his age. Well, today may be the day to stop kidding ourselves.

We just got home from his 18-month check-up with his pediatrician. The Wee Man did his usual thing of not wanting to sit still and swatted away the doctor’s stethoscope when she went to listen to his breathing. I told her that he is very determined and wants to assert his independence ALL THE TIME.

When the check-up was over and I went to dress him, he threw himself back (a hallmark move) and wouldn’t let me put his clothes on. The howls of displeasure could be heard in the parking lot.

“He certainly has a big personality,” his doctor said.

You don’t say.

Then she said that she had a recommended reading list. I wish I could say with absolute certainty that she gives out this list to every parent of an 18-month old toddler but the time it took her to locate it in her office told me otherwise.

So, here, my friends are the names of the books she suggested (keeping in mind that no recommendations were sought. I’m not sayin’ they aren’t needed – they just weren’t sought…)

• No More Misbehavin’: 38 Difficult Behaviors and How to Stop Them
• Kids are Worth It!: Giving Your Child the Gift of Inner Discipline
• How to Behave So Your Children Will, Too!
• The Difficult Child
• Your Defiant Child: 8 Steps To Better Behavior

Alrighty then.

So the bottom line of today’s appointment was, The Wee Man is happy and healthy but can display jerk-like tendencies.