I lost count of the rabbit trails I took in this one about this morning

This morning, I woke up to Matt bringing me a breakfast burrito and coffee.

Yeah. Just let that soak in. He's awesome, isn't he?

Now I'll tell you that it isn't an isolated event. He does it pretty frequently, though not every day. I don't expect him to do it ever, though I do occasionally ask if he'll make me a coffee when I'm running short on time.

As I was eating, I heard the pitter patter of little feet making their way in my direction. When my bedroom door is open I can see into the laundry room. (Assuming that door is also open, which we have to avoid because Theta has decided that it's fun to play behind the washer/dryer but he hasn't figured out how to get himself out and that leads to major cat freak outs, usually right before bed or important events so it's best to shut the door, but I keep forgetting and yes, it's open right now, so I'm probably going to get home to a yowling cat and god knows what condition the back of my dryer will be in tonight. *taking a deep breath so I can continue*)

Where was I?

Oh yes, I was in bed watching Brandon go into the laundry room carrying a shirt and pants saying, "no dress." (Thank you, Max & Ruby. Your show is officially banned in my house. If you don't know what I'm talking about, don't worry. Just don't ever make children's shows that reflect anything other than the utopia of children doing what they're supposed to do because kids like to IMITATE ART. Imagine that.)

This post could have a lot of asides in it. My apologies if it seems too stream of consciousness for you. I'm on the bus writing on my phone as my thoughts dump out. True story. I'd even take a picture but that's against the bus rules.

So, Brandon dumped his clothes into the washing machine which has recently become his laundry hamper. It doesn't matter if his clothes are already clean, apparently. If he's not interested in wearing them, they go into the washer.

I laughed because it was funny and I'd been reading Jenny The Bloggess Lawson's book while eating and I was in such a happy, laughing mood. Because it's the funniest book I've ever read. Of course, I don't read a lot of funny books, but if you follow Jenny, you know it's gut-splitting funny. I'm nursing a sore stomach after the HR chapter which I read on the bus on the way home yesterday. I laughed out loud. On the bus. A lot. It is not a keep-your-cool kinda book at all. If this is important to you, make sure you never read it in public.

See? Lots of asides.

After dumping the clothes he didn't want to wear, Brandon came in my room at which point I stopped laughing because he was clearly distraught.

I picked him up and snuggled with him for a while. He was so quiet. Not wanting to talk or tell me what was wrong. It's okay. I get like that too.

Matt saved the day by walking into our room for the second time that day with breakfast in bed for Brandon this time.

I think Brandon's biggest issue was hunger because he dug right in. (We've been giving him probiotics for a few days to help his stomach recover from all the battering its had since December. Three stomach flus and a round of antibiotics for an ear infection. This morning was the first indication that they're working. Mostly, he just wants to eat nothing or cookies. Of course, that could be due to his age.)

I extracted myself from him to go shower once he seemed okay. I figured he just needed food and the day would turn around.

I was wrong. It happens occasionally.

Matt started sniffling, which actually makes me a little crazier every time I hear it. So, I've enlisted Brandon to help nag him.

Me: Brandon, tell daddy to blow his nose.

Brandon: DADDY, BLOW YOUR NOSE!

Matt: Brandon, tell mommy to hush.

Brandon: Mommy, hush.

That made me laugh. He so gets us.

Matt went to get Brandon more food because he asked for it. Brandon asked me to lay with him, so of course, I laid on top of him (not with all my weight - I'm not that crazy), until he clarified that he wanted me to lay on the pillow. So I told him he had to give me kisses and started making smoochy sounds, and he covered his mouth with a big grin and let me kiss his hand-covered mouth.

That made me laugh too. This kid was in a good mood. All was right in the world. Yesterday went so smoothly and we were going to carry that on today too. Woot!

I was wrong. (It's happening more frequently, I'm beginning to realize.)

Here's where I can wrap up the story pretty quickly. It was a fight to get him dressed. A fight to get him to the car. A fight to get him in to daycare. A fight to keep him from throwing his shoes. A fight to be able to leave. There was lots of screaming and yelling and crying, unfortunately all of it coming from the tiny person in our lives.

We tried to stay calm, understanding and give him time to adjust to going but there comes a point when you just have to get to work and no amount of reasoning will work anyway, unless you're willing and able to take the day off to stay home, which has its very big downside of putting the fight off until tomorrow. Potentially. You see, there are no guarantees that tomorrow will go better, even if the weather is better (and the forecast currently says it's going to be worse). I would like to blame the fog and lack of sun, but who knows? He possibly just woke up on the wrong side of the bed, as the saying goes.

Maybe tonight will be better. At least he'll be home, which is where he wants to be.

Oh, Canada! A newbie "guide" from a veteran immigrant (Part 1)

A wee disclaimer to start: This is all in good fun. I promise. (Well, most of it. If I decide to be serious, I think it will be obvious.) There will definitely be some poking fun at Canadianness. :) I will refer to Canadians throughout in a way that alternately amuses and annoys me in the media and other conversations when its done with regard to Americans. Yanno, as if “the Americans” all act, feel and think the same way? Also, I’ve converted my thinking, so temperature readings are all in Celcius, but I’ll be nice and translate…er, convert for you Fahrenheiters since I have a diverse audience.

*****

Later this year, I’ll be able to say I’ve been in Canada for 12 years. I think I can now safely write a guide for those entering Canada based on the things I’ve learned.

1) Canadians have an even bigger thing for gravy than southerners. It’s true! They even serve it in a cup and dip their bread in it. They love drowning everything from fries to sandwiches in it. I remember the first (and last) time I ordered a “hot sandwich”. I expected chicken between two pieces of bread of some kind, all of which would be warmer than body temperature. What I got was exactly that, but it was also drowned in gravy. (<——Click the link if you want to see examples.) I think I even ate one or two bites in my attempt to avoid being rude. I would suggest to the Canadians serving this that ” hot gravy sandwich” is a more accurately descriptive name.

I avoid poutine like the plague. Poutine - for those who are uninitiated - is fries drowned in gravy and topped with cheese or cheese curds. There are other variations, but this is the traditional way it’s served up. I like ketchup with my fries. Not gravy. Not vinegar.

2) Speaking of ketchup, Canadians also have a thing for ketchup chips. I suspect the gravy and vinegar thing started because they ran out of ketchup when someone got this crazy idea of putting it on chips. I can help with this! Stop production of the ketchup chips and save it for your fries. Poutine problem solved! It cracks me up that the girl in this video describes the ketchup chips as being “covered with red stuff”, because that’s honestly the most accurate description.

3) Canadians love to talk about weather. Some complain. Some observe. Some make jokes. Some complain about the complainers. It’s as much a national pasttime as hockey. The triggers are predictable for Ottawa - I cannot speak for other areas, though.

From January to December, it goes something like this: Major snowfalls/deep freezes, then the weather gets a bit milder, so we hover in the -5 (23F) to 5 (41F) zone which brings freezing rain and lots of falls and car accidents as we slip slide through our days.

As soon as we hit double digits (50F) on the plus side of zero (32F), you start to see the fewer boots, heavy coats, mittens, toques (winter hats - who knew that was a metric/imperial thing!? Also, it’s not pronounced tokes. It’s toohks.). The bonus is that people start to show up to work and other obligations on time now that they don’t have to spend 15 minutes bundling up.

It’s inevitable that some (women in particular) will get tired of waiting for it to be 20 (68F) and will don their cute sandals for work at about 15 (59F). Most of them also have space heaters under their desk so their toes don’t freeze off.

August July and August are HOTtawa months. Yes, even for the Florida girl.

The heat takes so long to come that you’d think it would give us an easier transition, but no. The first snow since I’ve been in Canada almost always happens on or around Halloween. When it happens, you can hear the collective groan that covers all the cheers from the two people who get excited about snow.

I still say it’s a miracle anyone settled here and stayed. Although perhaps they were trapped in by the snow all those hundreds of years ago.

4) Canadians really want Stanley to come home. Alas, for yet another year, he’s not going to make it.

5) Getting back to weather, Canadians have a fear of rain. I recently watched half a dozen people get off the bus, open their umbrellas, walk ten feet to get under cover and close them. As soon as it starts to fall in the least little amount, from drop to drizzle, they break out the umbrellas. Having lived through torrential downpours and hurricanes in Florida for 23 years of my life, I am thoroughly amused by the perceived need for umbrellas here. After all, one can practically dodge the drops and stay dry through 95% of the rain that falls here. I can only conclude that there’s an irrational fear of rain. 

6) Canadians say “eh” a lot. Usually it’s a statement/question kind of thing: You know Canadian bacon isn’t really bacon, eh? Sometimes it’s like the period at the end of a sentence: I could probably write a whole post on the use of eh, eh. 

7) Canadians take a lot of pride in who they are and what they do. Not having grown up in Canada, I can’t relate to a lot of the “inside jokes” that my friends and Matt’s family sometimes refer to. Particularly the ones in French. I often find myself smiling and nodding. For those who think that Canada is “just” an extension of the United States, you couldn’t be more wrong. Canada is unique. It has a culture that is charming and engaging. You won’t ever truly understand this unless you come and stay awhile. Canadians are kind, thoughtful and concerned people who want the world to be a better place for everyone. 

I was only going to write one post, but there is just too much to share. This needs to be a series of indeterminate length for now.

What do you think new residents of Canada need to know?

#7SuperShots: Photos that I love, that mean something to me

There’s a new meme making its way around the blogosphere that is all about photos and I got tagged by Lara and Nicki. It was started by Hostel Bookers and they’ve created something that people want to share. (It’s getting their name out there in a big way, too.) So, I am taking part in HostelBookers 7 Super Shots and at the end, I’m going to nominate five other bloggers to do the same! 

A photo that…takes my breath away

Though slightly blurry, I adore this picture. I don’t remember taking it or what was happening when I did. I only know that I accidentally caught a beautiful moment. 

A photo that…makes me laugh or smile

There’s something about pure, unfettered childhood joy that is infectious, isn’t there? Who can look at this and not smile?

A photo that…makes me dream

Without ever having met them, Brandon loves his Florida and Tennessee cousins. This was his first time “meeting” his Florida cousins and he carried the pictures around for weeks. I dream of the day he gets to meet them face-to-face. 

A photo that…makes me think

I took this one with my iPhone one day as we were walking on this path. When I posted it to Facebook, I got a few comments about the symbolism of the path Brandon is on. This picture makes me think about what he’s like now and who he’ll grow into as he gets older. Will he continue to explore every little thing on the path ahead of him? What branches will spring up on his path and where will they lead? This picture makes me think about all the possibilities ahead for all of us.

A photo that…makes my mouth water

Looks like a tasty treat to me! :) 

A photo that…tells a story

Brandon is so serious in this picture, but I’ll always remember what Matt was doing in the previous few shots. It made him laugh and it made me laugh too. As a group, those pictures tell the story of my husband’s quick sense of humor and complete lack of reverence for a great photo opportunity for his wife - all while holding a completely oblivious Brandon on his lap. That day was a good day.

A photo that…I am most proud of (aka my worthy of National Geographic shot)

This is the first photo I uploaded to Flickr (back in the days when I was actually using it) that got any attention. One of my friends pointed out the dew on the leaf and petals, which I hadn’t even noticed when I went out to take the picture. That was when I knew I wanted to start seeing things with a new, more detailed eye. I also figured out that I really enjoy shooting macro.

I started picking up my camera again this past weekend for the first time in quite a while and I remembered how much I enjoy trying to find great shots in everyday moments. I don’t have much time to spend on it, but I do want to make more of an effort to pick up my camera often enough that it doesn’t start collecting dust again.

Now, it’s your turn. What seven super shots will you share!? (I’m going to try to pick some bloggers who haven’t done this yet, but I’m not up-to-date on my blog reading this week!)

• Jennifer
• Amanda
• Melissa
• Becky
• Chantal

The rules were five, but jump right in! Consider yourself tagged, even if not by name and share your stories through pictures. If you do, be sure to share your post in the comments!

Swamped, but in a happy way

I just spent three hours writing a blog post that I’m not sure I’ll ever publish - at least not in its current state of rambliness. I really wanted to write something to update my friends and family on life at Chez Wilson - or rather what’s going on in the brain of Karen.

I have a lot I want to write about, but not much time these days as I’m working full-time at my full-time job and trying to be a present parent and building a business as well. It’s challenging to keep up but there isn’t a doubt in my mind that it’s all worth the effort. 

Just don’t expect my house to be clean if I invite you over. Something had to give.

On the other side of 3 is 4

It was 8:28am four years ago today that I saw my little boy for the first time. I didn’t get to hold him right away, but it wasn’t long before they sewed me up and brought him to me in the recovery room. It was such a surreal and amazing moment to hold him for the first time. This beautiful child I’d dreamed about for so long.

We’ve come a long way over the last four years. Even in the last six months, the changes in Brandon are overwhelming when I think about how he’s evolved. It’s a good kind of overwhelming. He makes me proud to be his mother.

You see, last August, we started the process of getting him assessed through First Words. I’ve been hesitant to mention it. We didn’t (and still don’t) know the extent of help Brandon needs. But he has grown by leaps and bounds over the past few months and I don’t have the same fears that kept me from being open about this period of our lives initially.

The changes I’ve seen in him make the celebration of Brandon’s birthday this year more poignant than the previous three years. 

He’s gone from wanting us to do everything for him to insisting on “helping” or doing things for himself. There are times it’s a fight to get him to let us do things that we know he can’t or shouldn’t do. (I draw the line at letting him cut his own bagels with the bread knife.)

This time last year, I was beating myself up for not having him potty trained. I didn’t know what to do to get him interested.But his interest grew in his own time. Today I can tell you that - except for naps at home on the weekend (because they’re longer than at daycare) - he’s in underwear full time and has been accident free for almost two weeks. This major achievement seems to have given him a newfound confidence in his abilities in many other areas as well. 

His vocabulary grows daily. There is no doubt in my mind that my child is very intelligent. Communication is the challenge. We’ll learn to do what is needed to help him. That’s a fact and a promise to him.

Some things haven’t changed.

Brandon continues to be an exceedingly stubborn child. As frustrating as this trait can be at times, I know that he will benefit from it later in life. Ideally, I’ll be able to train him to be selectively stubborn so that he doesn’t drive the people in his life crazy as an adult. Have I mentioned that he takes after his father in his stubbornness? With a dose of his mother tossed in. It’s a totally unfair genetic consequence we didn’t anticipate at all!

He is a truly affectionate child, freely bestowing hugs and kisses on us and always up for a cuddle.

His desire to have fun and be funny gives us constant amusement. He ASKS to be tickled! He likes to laugh that much.

The perfect pair for Brandon’s cake. :)He is a geek-in-training, with a keen interest in the iDevices that run rampant in our home. He’s also become a huge fan of Super Mario Galaxy 2, though I can’t convince him that the levels with Bowser are not actually fun. He thinks they are because HE’S not the one who has to try to win them. ;) One day, he’ll learn. For now, I’ve ordered him a cake that has Mario and Yoshi on it. I can’t wait to show it to him!

The past year has been so full that I decided he needs to be celebrated in a special way. So, he’s going to have his first-ever birthday party with friends this weekend. He’s very excited and when he sees the trampoline we’re going to set up this week, he’s going to be over the moon. (And that isn’t even a birthday present!)

We have another big year ahead of us with school starting in September and I’m looking forward to watching him grow, learn and discover all the new and interesting things he’ll get to explore. 

Happy Birthday to my sweet little man! May you always be enthusiastic in the things you love to do.