I wrote nearly a full entry about our family Christmas up at Whistler on

Monday, then while rushing for the ferry, I promptly forgot to put my laptop in the car. So I've been laptopless for nearly a week. I'm writing this from my phone so if there are any crazy auto corrects, please forgive.

We've been busy packing up the house and trying to organize things. You wouldn't know it if you walked in here though. The thing about moving to a much smaller place is that not all of our stuff is going to come with us. On top of that, Sacha is very aware of where every item's proper place is, so a lot of items that aren't coming are sitting where they have always sat.

I have come down with a bad cold. Yesterday, I thought it was just an allergy attack due to dust but today it is a full fledged cold. Tomorrow, we are all going to go into town and pick up the keys. Let Sacha, Alice, Andrew and Mum see the place. Then the kids will be dropped off with Mum so we can finish packing up and not worry about looking after them and keeping then entertained and out of boxes.

Birthday Boy

Wow, it's like I closed my browser and 2 days have passed. Sacha's birthday was good. I had to leave for work before he woke up and Andrew had asked him not to open presents until both Mum and Dad were home. And even though they were sitting right on the diningroom table, surely taunting him all day. Sacha waited patiently. He not only waited for me to get home from work, but then Andrew had an appointment, so he had to wait even longer until we were both home. Sacha was ecstatic with all his presents. He got a scooter from Baba, a pop gun and parachute men from Grandad, a very noisy electric guitar (thanks for that Devon), a sweat shirt with a dragon holding a sword on it from Alice and a toy whipper-snipper from us. I think the odd assortment of presents that have sent him over the moon happy kind of shows that he is an odd little duck.

The story behind the whipper snipper (or weed eater or what every you call these things), is that on our trip at one point the car started making an odd noise. So Mum dropped Sacha and I off in the Walmart in Emporia, Virginia and she went to talk to a mechanic. We wandered around the store for about 1/2 hour until he saw this toy. He HAD TO HAVE IT!! His life was incomplete with out it. But of course, we were still in the middle of a very long road trip with a car getting fuller and fuller with stuff and it is not a small little souvenir. We left in tears with out the whipper-snipper but Mum and I heard about it for at least 3 days. So 6 months later, for his birthday, he is now a very proud owner of his very own whipper snipper which luckily they also sold at Toys R Us.

We took him out to dinner to Whitespot and he got a pirate pak with mac-ee-ron-ee with grapes. He didn't eat too much of it though. Alice had mashed potatoes and she mashed them everywhere, including her hair. After dinner we stopped by Andrew's parents' house for a quick visit and play. Then we drove down to look at the lights competition on Triumph street and saw Santa walking down the side walk (the highlight).

Hail Mary Play

I realized that I post when things are at their worst and then of course don't update the hours and hours of talking things over, trying to work things out. But I figured that if I don't say something now, it is going to be very confusing when Andrew and I are spending so much time together after breaking up. Again.

I am pretty sure my friends are getting fed up with me but I have my reasons for doing anything to work things out. Not only because I think our kids deserve an intact family but that I don't think either one of us really wants to be split up. Andrew stuck by me and put up with my years of crippling anxiety and panic attacks with little complaint. Before we re-evaluate, I want to see if him getting a new job, working full time will relieve some of his unhappiness. I know I am so much happier now that I am working everyday.

I have always hated in romance novels when the two main characters want exactly the same thing, both are unhappy but they have been too proud or are playing stupid games with each other. So that is where we are right now. The family is in Vancouver today to spend Sacha's birthday together. We are all going to spend Christmas in Whistler and at this point we are moving into the same house in January.

I am fully aware that I might be completely taken advantage of and disrespected by doing this, as I have been in the past. But I am willing to take that risk, and am going in with my eyes open, hoping for change. Honestly, all the disrespecting has gone on behind my back and the day to day is pretty much fine.

I will post about Sacha's birthday either later tonight or tomorrow when I have pictures.

Party Boy

We had invited about 7 different kids to Sacha’s birthday party but due to travel plans and busy schedules just before Christmas only 3 were going to be able to make it.  This morning we got a call from Andrew’s family to say they were sick and couldn’t make the trip up to the coast.  So on the drive to the location, we were really hoping someone would show up to this party.  Sacha’s best little buddy from preschool was also sick but luckily he did have one friend that could make it.  I don’t think it even phased them in the slightest that it was just the two of them either.  We had a splatter paint party at 4Cats Art Studio in Sechelt and they had the best time.  They got to go into the Pollock room and go crazy with paints.  They used paint brushes, syringes and popped paint filled balloons over a 7x3’ canvas which Sacha will get to pick up in a week and hang on his wall as a souvenir.  The boys chased each other around with balloons as well and ate cake. Sacha got a microphone and stand for his birthday present which he LOVES.

I would totally do this party again and even sign him up for art classes there during the year.  It was so much fun.  Next year, I might try to have his party in early December rather than just before Christmas though.  Even with a decent amount of time to plan it, there is just too much going on so close to the holidays.

Sacha’s chocolate cake, because “vanilla is for girls”.

Pro Photos

I picked up the photos today after work.  I am so happy with how they turned out. 

Aquarium Party

About 2 weeks ago, I had bought tickets to the members only Christmas party at the aquarium.  It looked like it was going to be a lot of fun.  The event sold out and the tickets were non-transferable and Sacha really wanted to go (and we wanted to take him), so we didn’t cancel our plans to take kids to the party.  Andrew had offered to hang around or go get coffee while I took the kids, and I did debate it, but I knew it was going to be crowded and crazy and that is not a good environment to bring the two kids into and hope for a happy evening (for me).  So we ended up going together as a family.  The actual event was great.  There was lots to see and do and we all had lots of fun (except maybe Alice who only had a little bit of fun and then got bored in the stroller).

Aquarium Party VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

Sacha sat pretty well through the Bobs and Lolo concert.  He really wanted them to sing Jingle Bells.  They weren’t singing any other Christmas carols, just their regular songs, but Sacha was getting kind of peeved off.  He wanted Jingle Bells only!  We ended up moving along with 2 songs left for them to sing but Sacha sat entranced while Scuba Claus came in, jumped into the Georgia Straight Exhibit and searched for the missing bell of his sleigh.  (It was under the halibut the whole time).   They also had a really cute craft where you made a jellyfish ornament out of paper and a Christmas tree light up by electric eels.

After the party was very awkward and I ended up crying pretty much my whole drive home, followed by trying to have a phone conversation (or start an argument, either or) for an hour after that.  I hate to say that I am not looking forward to this weekend at all.  It should be a happy weekend, my family’s annual Christmas party and Sacha’s birthday party but it is not going to be anything but uncomfortable.  I think I will go up on Saturday morning as opposed to Friday night like normal. I am not even looking forward to my two weeks off over Christmas.  Work is a distraction that is keeping me sane right now.

This is the way my world ends…

not with a bang but a whimper.   I got a surprising amount of my list done, considering that a honesty bomb was dropped on me on Saturday night and my marriage has now officially ended.  The next few weeks are going to be especially hard with Sacha’s birthday party, Christmas and related activities, packing up the house, dividing assets and moving, listing the house and hoping for a sale.  Huge life adjustments for all of us.  Because I am too tired right now to think and make any kind of profound statements about my new situation, I am going to just update my to do list and post the few pics I did take this weekend.

1. Update blog
2. Bake Pretzel cookie treats for preschool party
3. Make Christmas present for family member
4. Help make Andrew’s christmas present for family member
5. Do laundry
6. Rake Leaves
7. Make Dough Ornaments for Sacha to decorate
8. Therapy Appointment
9. Take Sacha to pick out presents for 3 people
10. Drop off dough ornaments and pretzel treats at preschool
11. Attend preschool party
12. Pack up house
13. Vacuum stairs
14. Clean bathrooms
15. Take Recycling to depot
16. Groceries

Pretzel treats were really good.  Just melt a Hershey’s kiss on a mini pretzel and then smush an M&M on top.  So easy and very tasty.

I made two batches and the first one was perfect but the second batch I left in the oven for too long and the kiss went weirdly crumbly and not perfectly melty and smooth.  This did not affect the taste too badly.

I know my family member who’s name I picked does not read this blog so I feel confident in showing what I made for them.  Andrew actually did most of it anyway, but it was my idea and my present to give so I am claiming it.

  Andrew took the kids down to the beach on Friday afternoon and got 6 litres of sea water.  On Saturday afternoon we strained the water through two layers of cotton cloth (I didn’t have cheese cloth, but cotton has a finer weave anyway).  It took about 4 hours to boil down and evaporate to nothing and we were left with about 1/2 cup of sea salt.  We left it to dry even more over night.  I had two empty spice jars that I had been saving for an unknown project since the summer and those are both full of salt now and there was still some left in the pot after I took what I needed.

I tried a little bit of it and it is extremely salty.  Way saltier than table salt or even the big crystal sea salt.  I am really happy with how it turned out and also happy that I am done my Christmas present.

Finally, we had told Sacha that Santa was coming to his preschool today and even though Andrew and I didn’t get much more than 3 hours sleep on Saturday night, we went to the preschool party all together.

Sacha didn’t sit on Santa’s knee at all last year, we waved to him in the Sechelt parade.  His first meeting with Santa did not go so well and he was nervous again this year until he saw his buddies go first and then we put Alice on Santa’s lap.  Sacha finally joined in and asked Santa for a “wood chopper”.   He wants an axe to chop up firewood to make a fire.   Cute or creepy?  Not sure.  Andrew has been heating the house with wood fires, so I am assuming that’s what brought this wish on.  We told him already that Santa only brings toys.

Weekend To Do List

1. Update blog
2. Bake Pretzel cookie treats for preschool party
3. Make Christmas present for family memeber
4. Help make Andrew’s christmas present for family member
5. Do laundry
6. Rake Leaves
7. Make Dough Ornaments for Sacha to decorate
8. Therapy Appointment
9. Take Sacha to pick out presents for 3 people
10. Drop off dough ornaments and pretzel treats at preschool
11. Attend preschool party
12. Pack up house
13. Vacuum stairs
14. Clean bathrooms
15. Take Recycling to depot
16. Groceries

Wanted to start off my list with a tick.  We will see how much of this gets done.  I am hoping half by Sunday.

Delinquent

I always feel so guilty when I don’t update for a whole week.  I have just been so busy this week. 

On Wednesday, Siobhan, Thalia, Diana and I meet up and had dinner at the Afghan Horseman.  It was the first time that I had been seated in the room with the fancy cushions on the floor and low tables.  It was lots of fun.  And they always have delicious food.  Siobhan and I met up again on Thursday and went to see Breaking Dawn.  Siobhan and I have seen each one of the Twilight movies and we also took the trip down to Forks together.  We are not real “Twi-hards” though.  We know it is kitschy fun.  The movie was so entertaining, so over the top cheesy.  Definitely worth a viewing.

Andrew came in with the kids on Friday afternoon and we met up with some friends and their son on Saturday morning to go to kindergym.  Their son Eli was going to come to Sacha’s birthday party but they are going back to Toronto for Christmas and won’t be able to make it, so they bought a couple mini cupcakes and we all sang Happy Birthday to Sacha.  He is going to have about 5 parties this year I think.  Both Sacha and Alice loved kindergym. 

Saturday night was Caroline and David’s wedding.  Of course it was beautiful because they are a beautiful couple and have beautiful tastes.  The food was great too and I had lots of fun hanging out with everyone.  It was a little weird being there by myself, but invitations went out during Andrew’s and my time apart and Mum was away so it worked out that he looked after the kids for the night.

Last year, my aunt gave me a gift certificate for a sitting fee at a professional photographer studio.  I wasn’t too interested in having the infant pictures taken, because I wanted the kids to be together in pics and Alice was just too fragile last year.  So i booked our appointment for Sunday.  They are amazing!  Sacha was a trooper and Alice is a star.  We got 73 pics to chose from and we had to take out any we knew we didn’t like (funny faces, closed eyes, etc) and we whittled it down to 39.  To walk away with signing over the deed to our house, we vetted down to 20 pictures and got 3 blown up to 8x10.  I get a print of each and a CD of all the picture files that I can have reprinted anywhere.  Which is good, because I am thinking that I should have gotten one of the 8x10 pics blown up to at least 11x17.  They said I could pick everything up in a week, so I am hoping I can get them on Sunday night or Monday afternoon at least.