Before our move I had visions of inviting friends and their kids to our new house for playdates. What could be better? A big yard, playroom, and lots of space for mamas to sit down with a cup of tea and some knitting perhaps, and connect with each other.
But alas, while we are still not completely set up for company yet (the sofa has yet to arrive, and the living room is still pretty much a jumble) the more pressing issue is DS. Take my dear friend K, for example. Her middle child H. is only 2 days older than DS. They have literally known each other since birth. They've always gotten along fine, and DS had never gotten rough with him except in a few tussles of obvious origin. But about a week before our move we visited with K and DS started getting too rough with H. Before long, poor little H was screaming and running away from DS whenever DS looked sideways at him. DS of course, doesn't understand it at all, thinks it's a game. It broke my heart, and made me feel like our last "safe" group of kids had been written off the list. A few days after our move K came to visit and it was more of the same. DS ended up hurting H again, and almost pushed him down the stairs of the back porch. It's really heartbreaking for me, and no fun for the mamas whose children are getting hurt.
Obviously, I cannot leave DS unsupervised around kids, even in our own yard and home. And it's no fun having people over if you have to follow the kids around every single minute. Pretty much all my mama friends, save one, have young children who would be a target for DS.
And so I find myself in this nice home, with the perfect setup for playdates, and unable to host them. So while I'm generally happy and loving being in our home, I'm also missing my friends very much and not feeling as though I can have anybody over. So if you guys are reading this, you'll understand why I'm not rushing out with the invites!
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
Sunday, September 23, 2007
DIY Disappointment
I have been frantically painting the living/dining room. It's an L-shaped room and I wanted to finish one arm of the L so we could put the dining room together.
I'm not a patient person, and preparation is usually my downfall. This is why I failed at sewing. I couldn't take the time to measure properly, I just wanted to start sewing - no wonder nothing ever fit. Even with knitting I rarely do a test swatch, unless it's a huge project. So with this painting job, the first I have ever done btw, I knew it could be the difference between looking professional and stylish, or like a bunch of half-drunk college kids tried to spruce up their dorm.
I took the time to tape. I really did. I even took the faceplates off the outlets and light switches. Okay, it took a few painted electrical plugs before I decided to tape them over as well, but for the most part I did the job. I was so thrilled when I discovered that there were slight gaps between the crown molding and the wall; ditto for the baseboards. I thought I was so clever sliding the tape between the cracks and folding it outwards, essentially wrapping the edges. There was no way I couldn't get a clean line now, I thought, as the paint would be able to get just behind the edges.
With the worst part done, I happily painted away. I applied two coats of primer over the cornflower blue walls, then two coats of paint (Benjamin Moore "Straw"). I was very happy with the colour, a warm rich creamy yellow with just a hint of orange-ish glow. I stayed up late two nights in a row to finish the job, realizing that painting with little helpers around was going to take twice as long.
This morning was to be my reward: I was going to peel off the tape and behold the fruits of my labour. But when I got up, plugged the kettle in, and started peeling...I was horrified. The edges looked like crap. I mean really bad. And I'm not exactly sure why, though I have a few guesses.
Because I'd taken the time to tape so thoroughly, I painted my edges and corners with abandon. I think I basically applied way too much paint with the brush, creating a wallpaper-like "fabric" that too easily peeled away from the wall. Because this "fabric" covered half-wall and half-tape, when the tape was pulled off it pulled off some of the paint layer from the edge. Either that or the tape came off, leaving a "flap" of paint that hung out from the edge. Of course, this didn't occur uniformly. And since the original colour was bright blue, you could see it peeking through in spots. To top it off, I couldn't get the tape that was behind the edging out, and had to use an Exacto knife to pry it out.
I was crushed. I'm so tired, and there are so many things to do to turn this house into a home. I feel ripped off because I read the "how to" blurb at the Benjamin Moore website and all they say is to tape anything you don't want painted. They don't tell you that there is actually a wrong way to tape (or perhaps a wrong way to paint over taped edges).
DH tried to placate me by saying that we can just removed the baseboards and crown molding, finish the edges nicely, and then put the trim back (those need to be painted anyways). Perhaps this will work, though I'm dubious about how well I can match a new coat of paint to the thick and ragged edges that exist right now (and will I have to prime them too?). But it also means a lot more work, and the list is miles long already. I swear I'm going to have to hire a babysitter just to finish this job (and there are several more walls to go!). At least it will be cheaper than hiring professional painters (don't think I haven't been tempted, but this move has cost us a lot of money and we just can't keep spending).
If anyone has any painting tips I'd love to hear them.
I'm not a patient person, and preparation is usually my downfall. This is why I failed at sewing. I couldn't take the time to measure properly, I just wanted to start sewing - no wonder nothing ever fit. Even with knitting I rarely do a test swatch, unless it's a huge project. So with this painting job, the first I have ever done btw, I knew it could be the difference between looking professional and stylish, or like a bunch of half-drunk college kids tried to spruce up their dorm.
I took the time to tape. I really did. I even took the faceplates off the outlets and light switches. Okay, it took a few painted electrical plugs before I decided to tape them over as well, but for the most part I did the job. I was so thrilled when I discovered that there were slight gaps between the crown molding and the wall; ditto for the baseboards. I thought I was so clever sliding the tape between the cracks and folding it outwards, essentially wrapping the edges. There was no way I couldn't get a clean line now, I thought, as the paint would be able to get just behind the edges.
With the worst part done, I happily painted away. I applied two coats of primer over the cornflower blue walls, then two coats of paint (Benjamin Moore "Straw"). I was very happy with the colour, a warm rich creamy yellow with just a hint of orange-ish glow. I stayed up late two nights in a row to finish the job, realizing that painting with little helpers around was going to take twice as long.
This morning was to be my reward: I was going to peel off the tape and behold the fruits of my labour. But when I got up, plugged the kettle in, and started peeling...I was horrified. The edges looked like crap. I mean really bad. And I'm not exactly sure why, though I have a few guesses.
Because I'd taken the time to tape so thoroughly, I painted my edges and corners with abandon. I think I basically applied way too much paint with the brush, creating a wallpaper-like "fabric" that too easily peeled away from the wall. Because this "fabric" covered half-wall and half-tape, when the tape was pulled off it pulled off some of the paint layer from the edge. Either that or the tape came off, leaving a "flap" of paint that hung out from the edge. Of course, this didn't occur uniformly. And since the original colour was bright blue, you could see it peeking through in spots. To top it off, I couldn't get the tape that was behind the edging out, and had to use an Exacto knife to pry it out.
I was crushed. I'm so tired, and there are so many things to do to turn this house into a home. I feel ripped off because I read the "how to" blurb at the Benjamin Moore website and all they say is to tape anything you don't want painted. They don't tell you that there is actually a wrong way to tape (or perhaps a wrong way to paint over taped edges).
DH tried to placate me by saying that we can just removed the baseboards and crown molding, finish the edges nicely, and then put the trim back (those need to be painted anyways). Perhaps this will work, though I'm dubious about how well I can match a new coat of paint to the thick and ragged edges that exist right now (and will I have to prime them too?). But it also means a lot more work, and the list is miles long already. I swear I'm going to have to hire a babysitter just to finish this job (and there are several more walls to go!). At least it will be cheaper than hiring professional painters (don't think I haven't been tempted, but this move has cost us a lot of money and we just can't keep spending).
If anyone has any painting tips I'd love to hear them.
Friday, September 21, 2007
Update on DS
We went to see a pediatrician who specializes in evaluating behavioural issues. He was a referral from our family doctor, who I spoke to about DS's agression. At first I was apprehensive; sitting in his waiting room I saw formula swag everywhere, even the darned paper on the examining table was from Enfamil. Blech! But turns out the guy spent an unprecedented 45 min with us. When the kids started going loopy in the tiny examination room he sent them out to his assistant who kept them happily occupied while doc and I had a chat.
The results are in: DS does not have any disorders or diagnosable conditions. He is, according to the ped, simply a normal child who has a few "environmental factors" working against him: his immense size, the fact that communication is not his forte, and a very bright and verbal older sister! He said that over the next year DS will develop enough empathy (he's already showing a few signs of starting) and impulse control to manage the situations better. The doc emphasized that right now these situations are *teaching moments* and that we can either "make or break" him based on how we handle them. The approach he suggested is exactly what we do, removing DS from the immediate conflict situation and then talking with him about what has happened. He emphasized that punishment and scolding would be detrimental (preaching to the choir here). While our talks won't stop DS from doing it again (as he lacks the ability to control himself that way), with repetition it will get in his head. And when he *does* gain the ability to stop and reflect on his actions prior to committing them, the lessons will come to fruition. I was very relieved when he said that the book he recommends to all parents (I cringed waiting for it...) was Emotional Intelligence by Daniel Goleman, which I read and loved (I own his other book, Social Intelligence).
It was very reassuring to hear that there was nothing inherently wrong with DS. DH and I have already talked about getting him some more one-on-one time, and the ped suggested that some part-time preschool with a class of older kids would be beneficial as well. Right now I understandably avoid putting DS in situations where he might hurt another child, but then this removes the opportunity to help guide him through them. In a preschool setting he'd be confronted with such situations regularly and with caregivers who, knowing the issue, can help with the guiding process.
I've already had some success doing this on my own. The other day we visited a local playground and met up with many kids coming home from preschool. I stuck close by DS and instead of just steering him away from kids, I let them come close while I lightly embraced DS. When he went to hit or push I gave him words to use instead, which he did. He almost seemed happy to have an alternative, though perhaps I'm projecting that. It was my very dear friend, whose 18 year old son has Asperger Syndrome, who demonstrated the technique for me while we were visiting her last week and DS was getting rough with her little dog (she said the technique grew out of her work with her son, but did not in the least bit suggest DS is autistic; she has long said DS doesn't fit the profile). It gave me a great deal of confidence to be able to handle the situation at the playground, but of course it is entirely dependent on where we are and how well I'm able to stay close to him while still keeping DD within a safe distance.
I've inquired at two local PPP's but not confident that we'll find a space this late into the start of the year. If not, that's okay. I'm happy to continue as we are, but I think DS would enjoy a bit of time in a play-based, enriched environment. And the time alone with DD would be very useful for working on homeschooling projects that DS would interfere with.
Mostly I'm just relieved and feeling more confident that my son is O.K. and will grow out of this, with the continued support of gentle and respectful parenting.
The results are in: DS does not have any disorders or diagnosable conditions. He is, according to the ped, simply a normal child who has a few "environmental factors" working against him: his immense size, the fact that communication is not his forte, and a very bright and verbal older sister! He said that over the next year DS will develop enough empathy (he's already showing a few signs of starting) and impulse control to manage the situations better. The doc emphasized that right now these situations are *teaching moments* and that we can either "make or break" him based on how we handle them. The approach he suggested is exactly what we do, removing DS from the immediate conflict situation and then talking with him about what has happened. He emphasized that punishment and scolding would be detrimental (preaching to the choir here). While our talks won't stop DS from doing it again (as he lacks the ability to control himself that way), with repetition it will get in his head. And when he *does* gain the ability to stop and reflect on his actions prior to committing them, the lessons will come to fruition. I was very relieved when he said that the book he recommends to all parents (I cringed waiting for it...) was Emotional Intelligence by Daniel Goleman, which I read and loved (I own his other book, Social Intelligence).
It was very reassuring to hear that there was nothing inherently wrong with DS. DH and I have already talked about getting him some more one-on-one time, and the ped suggested that some part-time preschool with a class of older kids would be beneficial as well. Right now I understandably avoid putting DS in situations where he might hurt another child, but then this removes the opportunity to help guide him through them. In a preschool setting he'd be confronted with such situations regularly and with caregivers who, knowing the issue, can help with the guiding process.
I've already had some success doing this on my own. The other day we visited a local playground and met up with many kids coming home from preschool. I stuck close by DS and instead of just steering him away from kids, I let them come close while I lightly embraced DS. When he went to hit or push I gave him words to use instead, which he did. He almost seemed happy to have an alternative, though perhaps I'm projecting that. It was my very dear friend, whose 18 year old son has Asperger Syndrome, who demonstrated the technique for me while we were visiting her last week and DS was getting rough with her little dog (she said the technique grew out of her work with her son, but did not in the least bit suggest DS is autistic; she has long said DS doesn't fit the profile). It gave me a great deal of confidence to be able to handle the situation at the playground, but of course it is entirely dependent on where we are and how well I'm able to stay close to him while still keeping DD within a safe distance.
I've inquired at two local PPP's but not confident that we'll find a space this late into the start of the year. If not, that's okay. I'm happy to continue as we are, but I think DS would enjoy a bit of time in a play-based, enriched environment. And the time alone with DD would be very useful for working on homeschooling projects that DS would interfere with.
Mostly I'm just relieved and feeling more confident that my son is O.K. and will grow out of this, with the continued support of gentle and respectful parenting.
Monday, September 17, 2007
Newsflash: moving is stressful
I've heard it said that moving is one of life's most stressful experiences. I didn't really understand that, having moved many times in my life. Of course, that was before I had kids. Even so, I imagined that the stress of moving a family revolved around being in a new environment - new schools, new friends, etc. For us this wasn't an issue given that the kids aren't in school or daycare and I'm still a part of the various networks of friends and mothers that I've built up over the years.
What I didn't appreciate was how much I would be unavailable to my children, and how much that would affect them. DD in particular is still expressing some rather obnoxious behaviours but I think we're starting to get a handle on the attachment issues that lie at their core. I'm also actively figuring out ways to get some one-on-one time with DS during the week.
The move also took a huge toll on me and DH. We were scrapping alot, and the emotional exhaustion of that added to my burden. I find it interesting that I often don't realize I'm stressed until I suddenly break down over something that might seem relatively innocuous. I mean, you'd think one would anticipate that packing a whole home alone (while your husband is away on business) while caring for two young children, starting a new homeschooling program, and teaching a five-part university lecture series all in one month just might be alot to handle! And yet in my stoic way I just plod along...and truth be told there were daily infusions of happiness at being in our new home. But I noticed that I was hermiting myself. Sure, we didn't have phone or internet for almost a week, but I have not been in touch with many people - including some mama friends that I normally spend time with regularly. I kept thinking it was because I didn't have any time, but I noticed after a while that it became a downward spiral situation - the less time I was spending with my support network the harder I found it to reconnect. Sounds eerily like depression.
I decided after this past (particularly emotional) weekend that it was time to mentally finish up the move. Yes, there are many items that don't have a home yet. One big wall in the living room is primed and the whole living area is a mess because there are several other walls that need painting, too. But mentally I am done. Time to get back to living, I said to myself. This morning I had to cancel my lecture due to babysitter failure and suddenly a bright fall day loomed ahead of me. I decided to take the kids out on a day trip somewhere, and was fortunate to find that my friend and her 5 year old boy (a good playmate for both my kids as he's built like a brick wall and can handle anything DS throws at him) were free. So we headed off to a local bird sanctuary, conveniently located next to one of my favorite pumpkin farms.
Despite a traffic accident that closed down a major highway and prolonged our journey by over an hour, it was a lovely day. I got to chat with a friend for a long time and the kids were happy to have a friend involved in their day, too. It was gorgeous early fall weather, the air crisp and cool, the sun shining warmly, and signs of autumn everywhere. We enjoyed a lovely walk through the sanctuary, followed by a picnic lunch. On the way out we stopped at the farm, where I fell into a Martha Stewart trance and bought a handful of decorative little pumpkins and a shoe-box sized bale of hay with which to decorate my front stoop. On the way home were were able to pick DH up from work, and when we dropped off my friend she gave us two small bicycles that her son and niece had outgrown.
I'm already noticing a difference in the way I parent this evening. I'm more patient, able to withstand DD's more obnoxious tone of voice and demeanor, and enjoying my children again. I'm feeling more organized, and less stressed. I'm looking forward to continuing in this vein and reconnecting with my friends and communities.
What I didn't appreciate was how much I would be unavailable to my children, and how much that would affect them. DD in particular is still expressing some rather obnoxious behaviours but I think we're starting to get a handle on the attachment issues that lie at their core. I'm also actively figuring out ways to get some one-on-one time with DS during the week.
The move also took a huge toll on me and DH. We were scrapping alot, and the emotional exhaustion of that added to my burden. I find it interesting that I often don't realize I'm stressed until I suddenly break down over something that might seem relatively innocuous. I mean, you'd think one would anticipate that packing a whole home alone (while your husband is away on business) while caring for two young children, starting a new homeschooling program, and teaching a five-part university lecture series all in one month just might be alot to handle! And yet in my stoic way I just plod along...and truth be told there were daily infusions of happiness at being in our new home. But I noticed that I was hermiting myself. Sure, we didn't have phone or internet for almost a week, but I have not been in touch with many people - including some mama friends that I normally spend time with regularly. I kept thinking it was because I didn't have any time, but I noticed after a while that it became a downward spiral situation - the less time I was spending with my support network the harder I found it to reconnect. Sounds eerily like depression.
I decided after this past (particularly emotional) weekend that it was time to mentally finish up the move. Yes, there are many items that don't have a home yet. One big wall in the living room is primed and the whole living area is a mess because there are several other walls that need painting, too. But mentally I am done. Time to get back to living, I said to myself. This morning I had to cancel my lecture due to babysitter failure and suddenly a bright fall day loomed ahead of me. I decided to take the kids out on a day trip somewhere, and was fortunate to find that my friend and her 5 year old boy (a good playmate for both my kids as he's built like a brick wall and can handle anything DS throws at him) were free. So we headed off to a local bird sanctuary, conveniently located next to one of my favorite pumpkin farms.
Despite a traffic accident that closed down a major highway and prolonged our journey by over an hour, it was a lovely day. I got to chat with a friend for a long time and the kids were happy to have a friend involved in their day, too. It was gorgeous early fall weather, the air crisp and cool, the sun shining warmly, and signs of autumn everywhere. We enjoyed a lovely walk through the sanctuary, followed by a picnic lunch. On the way out we stopped at the farm, where I fell into a Martha Stewart trance and bought a handful of decorative little pumpkins and a shoe-box sized bale of hay with which to decorate my front stoop. On the way home were were able to pick DH up from work, and when we dropped off my friend she gave us two small bicycles that her son and niece had outgrown.
I'm already noticing a difference in the way I parent this evening. I'm more patient, able to withstand DD's more obnoxious tone of voice and demeanor, and enjoying my children again. I'm feeling more organized, and less stressed. I'm looking forward to continuing in this vein and reconnecting with my friends and communities.
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
A Moving Experience - the three part play
Act I: How not to run a telecom company. Cut us off the day *before* our move, promise me you'll get it reconnected within 2 hours. Four hours later promise me again. Four hours after that tell me you'll get it up tomorrow but then will have to delay the move by two days. Tell me two days later that your records show the move to be the next day and promise it will be up and running when I awake. Morning after that tell me it could actually be any time until midnight. Morning after *that* tell me a technician needs to come to my house and that won't happen until tomorrow. I make my 12th call in six days to customer service and find the only apparently useful person in the whole darned company...within one hour there's a technician at my house who fixes the problem.
Act II: Fun with Feces. The kids have handled the moving part very well. They love all the space - the rec room, the large deck, the huge yard. On our first night here DD told me she didn't want to live in our other place any more. But there has been stress and it has been of the "mommy is here but totally unavailable" variety. I was nonstop packing for five days while DH was in Italy on business. Then we move and he goes right back to work and I'm left trying to unpack, argue with the phone company, pick up the last few small items remaining at the old place, oh and did I mention I started teaching a lecture series today? DD was crying that I never played with her anymore, begging me to stop doing things, everything a mother needs to really wallow in maternal guilt. But that wasn't enough so she turned to some interesting tactics. During the packing week she used the toilet and decided that poop was sort of like playdoh....I walked into the bathroom in utter shock to discover her standing there, hands full of poop, and it smeared everywhere. Apparently the "attention" she got over this was better than nothing, so a few days later it happened again. She did another performance yesterday for DH's benefit. SO not fun...and yet what can I do? It's a classic example of attention-seeking. What's worse is that it isn't as though she can't put her feelings into words. She had, on several occasions over the past week, very eloquently described how much she missed me and wanted to play with me, etc....but nothing changed. So what's a five year old to do but play with poop and watch mama blow a gasket?
Act III: Loving the House. Tonight we ate dinner on the picnic table in the backyard. The kids have been out playing ball with DH most evenings before bed. They are getting more exercise in one day than they used to in 2 or 3 back at the apartment. And did I mention I have actual sunbeams that move across my floor the whole day long? I honestly don't think I could ever go back to living in an apartment again. I have been seduced by the demon of the Single Family Dwelling and hell is feeling mighty fine right now...
Act II: Fun with Feces. The kids have handled the moving part very well. They love all the space - the rec room, the large deck, the huge yard. On our first night here DD told me she didn't want to live in our other place any more. But there has been stress and it has been of the "mommy is here but totally unavailable" variety. I was nonstop packing for five days while DH was in Italy on business. Then we move and he goes right back to work and I'm left trying to unpack, argue with the phone company, pick up the last few small items remaining at the old place, oh and did I mention I started teaching a lecture series today? DD was crying that I never played with her anymore, begging me to stop doing things, everything a mother needs to really wallow in maternal guilt. But that wasn't enough so she turned to some interesting tactics. During the packing week she used the toilet and decided that poop was sort of like playdoh....I walked into the bathroom in utter shock to discover her standing there, hands full of poop, and it smeared everywhere. Apparently the "attention" she got over this was better than nothing, so a few days later it happened again. She did another performance yesterday for DH's benefit. SO not fun...and yet what can I do? It's a classic example of attention-seeking. What's worse is that it isn't as though she can't put her feelings into words. She had, on several occasions over the past week, very eloquently described how much she missed me and wanted to play with me, etc....but nothing changed. So what's a five year old to do but play with poop and watch mama blow a gasket?
Act III: Loving the House. Tonight we ate dinner on the picnic table in the backyard. The kids have been out playing ball with DH most evenings before bed. They are getting more exercise in one day than they used to in 2 or 3 back at the apartment. And did I mention I have actual sunbeams that move across my floor the whole day long? I honestly don't think I could ever go back to living in an apartment again. I have been seduced by the demon of the Single Family Dwelling and hell is feeling mighty fine right now...
Wednesday, September 05, 2007
the funkiest chicken house EVER...and in your backyard!
I was listening to our local public radio station today while packing and heard someone talking about raising chickens in his suburban backyard with something called an Eglu. Made by a company called Omlet, natch! Of course I had to Google it and discovered that it truly is the coolest henhouse I've ever seen. I'm just in the early stages of researching it - they are from the UK but also have a USA website so I'm hoping we can get them here in the Great White North (or the great WET north as it should be called).What's cool about this is that you can move it around (remember my post mentioning Joel Salatin's farm? read what he does with his chickens...looks like you can follow the same model with the Eglu). The chicken poop will naturally fertilize the soil (the stuff you clean from the inside can go straight into the compost). You can control what your hens are eating (garbage in, garbage out right?). And you can let them out now and then to be fully "free range" (now how fun would that be?). And what a great homelearning subject!
And I thought I'd need an acreage to have chickens...oh, and you can also use them for guinea pigs or rabbits (AnnaB!).
Monday, September 03, 2007
Life in the 'Hood
Today we spent a few hours at our new house. The kids played with my Mother's Helper while I puttered around. I swept the frontage of the property and the driveway, picked up a bunch of litter from the lawn (lots of cigarette butts and other bits of wayward trash), weeded the front garden, etc. There are a few weeds growing out of cracks in the concrete paths and borders - I don't want to use some nasty toxic weed spray so I'll have to search for an environmentally-friendly solution.
I was pleased to discover that I really enjoyed the work. I wonder if I'll still feel this way a year from now, but today I really loved it. It was so nice to be hanging out at home, not worrying about the kids screaming excitedly, and actually being outside at the same time (it was overcast today, but still pleasantly warm). Even after my helper left the kids still played around inside and out and I didn't have to keep an eye on them constantly.
Later the landlords appeared, ready to fix up more of the numerous little details left behind by the previous tenants. These landlords of ours are a dream: they want the place to be not just functional but *nice*. They're replacing and repairing all sorts of things that most landlords wouldn't want to pay for. They even offered to pay for the paint I bought, which I considered a decorative touch and not a necessity. They have a list a mile long of things they wish to do and I am just feeling very lucky to be their tenants. In return, I vow to take much better care of the place than the previous tenants appeared to.
There's no doubt that this is suburban living, but I have to confess that I'm really loving it so far. It helps that we live in a district that is green as can be, basically on the side of a mountain range (i.e. not flat and boring), and the neighbourhood is lovely. I left the kids with my helper to go grocery shopping. I discovered the nearest shopping centre and was very pleased. There's a good grocery store and even a little produce store that begs further investigation as it may have some more of the health food brands I like. The drug store, bank, even cold beer and wine store are all there (BC is liberal in so many ways but you still can't buy liquor anywhere but a liquor store). It doesn't have a big sprawling feeling like strip malls or mega malls, and it's surrounded by lush evergreen forest. Yes, I have to drive there but at least I can run all my usual errands (post office, groceries, drug store, etc) in this one place that is about 2 minutes from home.
Life is definitely going to be different here. But I'm really liking it so far and we haven't even moved in yet! I feel like I might be selling out to the suburban dream, the environmentally naughty single-family dwelling with big lawn and drive-everywhere neighbourhood. I'll explore this concept further in future posts. For now, consider me a fan of the Big Yard and being able to hang out with the kids outside yet still engage in some domestic bliss (I can't wait to start hanging laundry on my clothesline!).
I was pleased to discover that I really enjoyed the work. I wonder if I'll still feel this way a year from now, but today I really loved it. It was so nice to be hanging out at home, not worrying about the kids screaming excitedly, and actually being outside at the same time (it was overcast today, but still pleasantly warm). Even after my helper left the kids still played around inside and out and I didn't have to keep an eye on them constantly.
Later the landlords appeared, ready to fix up more of the numerous little details left behind by the previous tenants. These landlords of ours are a dream: they want the place to be not just functional but *nice*. They're replacing and repairing all sorts of things that most landlords wouldn't want to pay for. They even offered to pay for the paint I bought, which I considered a decorative touch and not a necessity. They have a list a mile long of things they wish to do and I am just feeling very lucky to be their tenants. In return, I vow to take much better care of the place than the previous tenants appeared to.
There's no doubt that this is suburban living, but I have to confess that I'm really loving it so far. It helps that we live in a district that is green as can be, basically on the side of a mountain range (i.e. not flat and boring), and the neighbourhood is lovely. I left the kids with my helper to go grocery shopping. I discovered the nearest shopping centre and was very pleased. There's a good grocery store and even a little produce store that begs further investigation as it may have some more of the health food brands I like. The drug store, bank, even cold beer and wine store are all there (BC is liberal in so many ways but you still can't buy liquor anywhere but a liquor store). It doesn't have a big sprawling feeling like strip malls or mega malls, and it's surrounded by lush evergreen forest. Yes, I have to drive there but at least I can run all my usual errands (post office, groceries, drug store, etc) in this one place that is about 2 minutes from home.
Life is definitely going to be different here. But I'm really liking it so far and we haven't even moved in yet! I feel like I might be selling out to the suburban dream, the environmentally naughty single-family dwelling with big lawn and drive-everywhere neighbourhood. I'll explore this concept further in future posts. For now, consider me a fan of the Big Yard and being able to hang out with the kids outside yet still engage in some domestic bliss (I can't wait to start hanging laundry on my clothesline!).
Sunday, September 02, 2007
So disgusting it's funny!
In two days my Moving Blocks arrive and I will start packing. I think it goes without saying that my motivation for keeping this place tidy has been reduced to almost nothing. Instead I've developed a sort of sick curiosity as I wander through my apartment, kind of like passing a car wreck - you wanna look, yet you are disgusted at your own interest in it. I look around my living room and see such a level of messiness that I am actually in awe of it. And I laugh, because really it is so liberating to just not care. We'll be out of here in a week, the place will be power-cleaned, and packing will necessarily clean up most of the stuff lying around here.
In this photo of the kitchen you'll note the pizza box on the stove - DH left for a 5 day business trip and I am so tired and headachy today that I almost feel hungover. Yet with no fond memories of heavy drinking involved to make it remotely worth the pain. I've blissfully turned a blind eye to the kids' behaviour today. Their moments of insanity have been ignored because they haven't left the apartment today and have alot of pentup energy. But I have to say that mostly they have been having some wonderful adventures - it's true that a messy kid is a happy kid! In one of the photos you can see the open kitchen cupboards: these were a castle, DS was a baby dragon, and the food scattered on the floor was brought in by Sir DD, who is playing the role of Knight of the Baby Dragon. How do you explain to a vibrant five year old young woman that girls weren't allowed to be knights in the days of yore?In the other photo you might notice some art supplies, pencil crayons and paint felts lying around. Earlier they were colouring and decided to paint each other. Nothing a long soak in a bubble bath can't fix. So we'll enjoy what's left of this Messy Day. Tomorrow my mother's helper comes over - we're heading off to the new house so they can play and visit the local playgrounds and I can start painting. I have no idea what I'm doing but hey, I spent 10 years watching home improvement shows - a little painters tape and some tarps...how hard can it be?
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