Comme ci comme ça

If we are friends on Facebook, then you already know a little about the whole Alice daycare debate.  We were torn between two options: one more convenient and but in a basement, one more... homey but farther away.  We got lots of interesting feedback and ultimately decided that for our little family, convenience is key.  She will have a spot at Liliane's very cheerful daycare next summer so she'll only be in the dungeon basement for just over a year.  AND she'll be with cute kids and an educator that we feel good about plus it's a block away from Parc Jarry.  And bonus: her parents won't have to tear their hair out everyday trying to get to her before FIVE O'CLOCK.  

The sunny daycare lady called today to officially offer me the spot (she chose us/Alice out of quite a few other candidates - YES! Not that it was a competition!  Yes it was!) and I had to tell her thanks but non merci. The 5 o'clock thing is a dealbreaker.  Voilà.  C'est fait.

So while all that has been going on, Alice has been unwell.  I'll spare you the details but we've had eruptions out of each end and lots of clingy sadness.

  This represents her mood about 75% of the time these days.  

Then one day, these popped out:

Two words people: STILL. BREASTFEEDING.

 Two top teeth AAANNNNDD.. two more top teeth are just about to poke through! I'm kind of relieved that there is an actual REASON for the world's easiest baby to suddenly get all tricky on me. 

As for the other resident princess, life is pretty good.  Apart from one bedtime meltdown, it's been very smooth sailing.  She continues to be an excellent big sister.  Case in point, conversation overheard after day 2 Alice being sick:

Liliane: (gesturing to the towel in my hand, earnest) 

Alice! You have to berf here!  Dans la serviette!  Dat's how we berf.  We don't want berf on the plancher.  Right, Maman?

RIGHT. (I don't know why she says BERF instead of BARF but it cracks me up.)

Otherwise, I'm on a serious nostalgia kick. I went into a bit of a frenzy tracking down my fellow Queen Elizabeth High School grads and recklessly sent OH PLEASE BE MY FRIEND requests out to anyone I ever talked to.  In my defense I was the (nerd alert!) Student Council President so turns out I legitimately knew a lot of people but STILL.  I can't get enough of checking up on my old classmates.  Who looks old? Who is successful? Who got fat?  Who has kids?  Why do I care?

Then I found out someone I knew actually passed away from cancer in 2004 (Julius Salaver if anyone is reading - he was on Student Council, too.)  He signed his name in my yearbook: Julius Salaver, A Legend in the Making.  12 years later, he was gone.  I'm having trouble processing that.

Speaking of nostalgia, I did something last week I swore I would never do.  I bought carnations.  

I remember my Mom having these on the dining room table for special occasions when I was growing up.  Usually red with baby's breath and a fern frond.  I saw them at the Marché last week and they were so pink and cheery (and cheap), I bought some.  They have been on my table for a week and they still look cute.  Sorry for being so biased against you, carnations.  I think the baby's breath and the ferns were making you look bad.  I will never buy you in red but otherwise welcome back!

Oh, and I cancelled my newspaper subscription.  Weekends and everything.  I know, you're thinking to yourself wwhhhaat?  they still make newspapers?  But for me it was a big decision.  I love reading the newspaper.  I LOVE it.  I remember my grandfather sitting in his big chair reading the evening edition on the Vancouver Sun (can you imagine!?  an evening edition!) and later, my grandfather Thomassen carefully flipping through the Vancouver Province.  In fact, when I visited him last spring, he pointed out an article in the Province about the movie I was out there promoting.  As far as I know, he still reads it everyday.  

The thing is, I just don't have time to read it.  No - I don't want to MAKE time to read it.  I have my Gazette iPhone app that gives me all the news and access to the writers that I like to keep up with and that does the job.   As much as I LOVE LOVE LOVE poring over the paper, coffee in hand, mind open to whatever insight was waiting for me, the reality is that it was more of a chore than a pleasure.   I can't handle reading about children in pain or peril (between what's happening in Syria and the Tori Stafford case in trial right now that knocks about half the news section out right there), the sports section doesn't appeal (GO HABS - oops), the business section just made me panic about not having enough money for retirement and I already have all the info in the entertainment section on Twitter.  

Plus it feels ecologically responsible.  But, oh.  I miss it.  Or I miss the life that went with it?  ANYWAY let's not delve into that right now.  

Speaking of not delving, notice how I'm not talking about the looming end of my maternity leave?  Now that the daycare situation is settled, all that's left to do is... go back to work.  Outside of my house. Wearing pants.  *stifles panic attack*  

Yeah, that's enough about that for today.  How are YOU?