The One Where I Don't Have an Ego

So I was in Vancouver last weekend, partly for work:

partly for family:

but mainly to GET AWAY. Ha ha, just kidding. Kinda.

It's crazy how much I appreciate air travel these days. What, NO ONE can reach me? Or ask me stuff? No one needs me to take them to the bathroom or get them a drink or anything? For five and a half solid hours? And I can watch TV or watch a movie or read my book or have a nap? Heaven. Spa-like.

ANYWAY, I'm back, it was great, it was exhausting, it was exhilarating. I saw my grandparents in their new digs, I saw my sisters and my nieces and nephews, I saw lots of friends and even more family. I got my dose and it was good.

I also had my check up with the doctor this week and GUESS WHAT?! Sugar levels are... NORMAL. What!? All that pre-emptive whining for nothing. Not that I'm busting out the Jolly Rancher and maple syrup sandwiches or anything, but I'm just so relieved that I don't have to deal with all that. Yet. I'll have another test in 4 weeks or so but until then - Mama needs a BLIZZARD.

Related: I actually had a Blizzard while I was away but I ordered the new mini size. How virtuous am I, right? A MINI Rolo blizzard. It practically doesn't count! Unfortunately I then went to the Marble Slab Creamery (sluurrp, yaaarrrggg, must. eat. ice. cream. yyaarrr, mmmmm) and restraint really didn't come up in the conversation. Weird.

Also related: I ate 3 White Spot burgers in my 5 day sojourn. I got off the plane, got to my Dad's, dropped my suitcase and immediately ordered take out. True Story. I saw this while I was going through the Triple-O drive through for fix #2:

No, I didn't try it. But can you imagine? The best of both worlds. Or something.

My Marble Slab poison: Birthday Cake ice cream with fresh strawberries and pieces of white cake. Excuse me while I wipe off the keyboard now.

Hoping my OB-GYN doesn't read my blog. Hi Dr. Johnson! I was really careful about eating sugar AFTER I finished this ice cream. Really!

Stopped in to see the girls at Beauty Nail and got a manicure because hey! It's good for the morale. Plus it means I have to stop eating for a few hours while I'm there.

This is me with my little sister Jaime (R) her friend Rachel and Tara Johns, writer/director of The Year Dolly Parton Was My Mom. We went to visit Jaime's writing class to talk about writing film scripts and making movies and... boobs. You have to see the movie. We had a great time, the students asked lots of great questions and Tara and I were both relieved that the high school days were safely behind us!

Speaking of sisters, I have to post this photo. In the spirit of Pioneer Woman's "keepin' it real!" you have to see what might be the DORKIEST photo of me yet. And it's almost worse because my sister Jennifer looks so completely adorable.

Even my captioning powers fail me.

She did point out that I tend to be the photogenic one so it's payback time. I bet she would revive her blog just for the pleasure of posting ALL the photos we took in this series. Oh ego, get over yourself. Just go look at our wedding pictures and remember the glory days.

Since we're on the subject, here is a self-portrait of Tara and I when we found out that the film was being extended for a second week at Tinseltown.

Oh well. We were excited.

Have a great weekend everybody!

Those Three Little Words

Let's. Make. Coffee.

Aaahhhhh.

Three and a half years we've been waiting for this moment. It just started last week, as part of a new morning routine. (Maybe we have the new Dora bed to thank?) Instead of watching cartoons when she wakes up, she prefers to sit on the counter while I get breakfast organized. She scoops the coffee into the bodum then stands by to stir it once the kettle whistles. Sometimes we listen to the music from Tangled (or as it's known around here, les cheveux longs), but mostly it's just quiet.



While we're waiting I usually unload the dishwasher and get lunches organized and we eat a banana or share a grapefruit. Then she eats her usual raisin bread (cold, not hot! No toast!) with du butter, Maman. A LOT of butter. What can I say, I guess she's not adopted after all, her freakish aversion to potatoes aside.

Then she gets to push down the plunger and joy abounds.

We've had a few nights of fully UNinterrupted sleep (of course now that I've actually typed those words I'm sure that's the end of that) and it's almost the best part of my day when she comes bursting into our room in the morning: "Maman! Je veux faire du café!"

Luckily she has no interest in DRINKING the coffee but she does love making it. And I love having her sleepy little self perched on the counter with me. She's great company.

In other news, we have watched the Tangled DVD approximately a bajillion times since Papa brought it home on Tuesday. It's a really adorable film with a great message (a smart and capable princess-type that doesn't need rescuing!) and although I can now watch the end without crying, I may have developed a crush on Flynn Ryder. A cartoon crush. Sad.

Speaking of sad, it looks like the ol' gestational diabetes is back. My doctor sent me for an early test and I got the news last week that my sugar levels are a little high. Do not pass GO, get to the hospital for the dreaded two hour exam! Crap. There goes another half day! I know it's really not a big deal as far as pregnancy complications go but I was still disappointed. It means extra time hanging out at the diabetes clinic and following a sugarless diet until delivery not to mention random feelings of dread that PREGNANCY - UR DOIN' IT WRONG. Great. Oh and the Dairy Queen right down the street is now open for the season. I might get them to put my picture by the cash "DO NOT SERVE THIS WOMAN, NO MATTER HOW SHE BEGS FOR A STRAWBERRY CHEESECAKE BLIZZARD."

Yes, B.C. readers, due to the frigid temperatures that we get around here almost 6 months out of the year, Dairy Queen closes down in the fall. Plus we don't have actual restaurants that sell burgers and stuff. They are all (I think anyway) outdoor walk-up/take-away counters.

Heading to Vancouver on Thursday, can't wait. Lower Mainland readers, we'll hang out at the movies next weekend, right? I'll be at the 7PM-ish screenings on Friday and Saturday of The Year Dolly Parton Was My Mom at Tinseltown along with the writer/director and B.C. homegirl Tara Johns, not to mention Julia Stone, the star herself. Thanks for your comments on my last post! We wavered somewhere between panic and despair for a while, but now we're at peace with embracing the chaos. It's all good.