night time woes

Why is it that I have no great need to be cuddled when I am sick? When I'm not feeling well and have a restless night, i just want to burrow under the covers and be left more or less alone... and sleep - boy do i want sleep!
Not so much, Dan. Dan wants cuddles, and then he wants covers, and then he doesn't, and then he wants up, then he wants to lie down - on me, then he wants to be rocked, then left alone...
Needless to say, a mostly sleepless night for me while Dan moaned and groaned his way through three beds. Thank you Alan for the 4 a.m. rescue that got Dan back to sleep (in his crib!) and gave me a good three hours of sleep.
However, the fever has gone away and Dan was in great spirits this morning and that is where the kid has got it all over me. The next day following restless sickly sleep, I am a bear; so more power to Dan - the morning time darling.
V

just joking!

Joke on the back of Olivia's latest Chirp magazine:
Why did the clown wear red suspenders?
To keep his pants up.
What? That's not a joke, that's fact. Why the hell else would anyone, clown or not, wear suspenders? Maybe to match his shoes? Is that funnier?
What is a baker's favourite game?
Tic tac dough! Now THAT'S funny...
:)
V

Falling, yes i am falling...

I have had a couple of interesting mommy moments lately...
First, we took Dan to an audiologist (I think I have that correct) recently and found out that he still has fluid in his ears. We have been back and forth to the doctors for ear infections and fluid for about five months now. However, now we know that the fluid also caused some hearing loss (totally reparable). I just felt so terrible when the doctor asked me if i had seen any sign of Dan's hearing trouble. I hadn't. It was really hard to have the doctor say that normally moms are his best resource as they are typically much more sensitive to this type of thing. But I sincerely had not noticed it... I think we are loud in general, so that wouldn't help, but Dan has always been very responsive. Ack! I just can't believe that i missed this.
Of course, I have spent the last four days "testing" Dan and his hearing - and i have to say - I still don't see it!
Long story longer, Dan will have to get tubes in his ears - poor babee.
Second, we had our annual day of fun and movies to celebrate my Uncle Paul's b-day (it falls close to Christmas, so we celebrate it a couple of months later with some movies that he hasn't seen yet). This year - the Bourne trilogy.My mom and my aunt Donna took Olivia to the ROM to see the dinosaur exhibit. She liked it and she REALLY liked the mummys. On the story of Cleopatra - "Her brother was NOT very nice."
After the "girls" came home and we had dinner, we got Dan ready for bed and my mom took him back to her place to sleep - he was so tired, as he hadn't napped. Mom put him down in the futon - and the plan was that i would sleep there with him when i got there.
Olivia was allowed to stay up late and watch a Disney movie, while we finished the Bourne Ultimatum. We headed for Orono at about 11 p.m. When we got there, Oliv was fast asleep and Alan plunked her in bed. We heard Dan squirming and crying a bit, so i went to check on him and he was right at the edge of the futon, so i moved him over and put up a "blanket wall." A few minutes later, while watching some TV and catching up with my mom and Al, we heard a big Thump-thump and I started to get up, but Al said it wasn't one of the kids because there was no crying - then we saw the cat come prancing in and realized it must have been her.
Cut to an hour later and bed time. I go in the room and say, "Oh my god. He DID fall out of the bed." Yep - Dan was on the floor - sleeping contentedly with his bottom half under the futon and his head and arms sticking out. My mom looked in and that did it, we both had to run out of the room we were laughing so hard. I was crying and I thought I might pee my pants - it was a really good laugh. How mean is that? Not only am I laughing - but i have left him there. Nice mommying!!! But man, it's even funny now - to picture him there sleeping so peacefully with his head on his arms...
Take care,
V

Lovely Lily

Oh My Heart.

Look at my niece - Lily Michaela Jackson.

A new light getting ready to shine on the world. I cannot wait to meet you and hold you and imprint you on my heart.

Oh brother! How can Michael be having a child? He's this adorable little kid - our Spike, our Miguel, our Stinky Boy - in my head. Running around and singing and telling jokes, hiding, playing, my little brother. My protectee. A daddy? Gah! Oh, Michael, you are in for it. You are about to garner love in a way you didn't think was possible, Prepare to be her hero, her champion, her friend. Prepare to be loved with endless trust.

I wish you and Jill laughter and new music together with your Lily.

Love vic

We can get you in...

But getting out will be a problem.
Turns out, US Customs had no problem letting me go into the US on my expired passport (I swear I did not know it was expired until i got to the airport and tried to express check in), but Air Canada had a problem letting me leave our neghbors to the south...
Exiting laws do not allow you to leave the US on an expired passport, regardless of US Customs (acting as agents of the US government in Canada - aren't they?) letting you travel in to the States the day before.
And the weather completely conspired against me so that I could not get a flight out to Buffalo and then drive across the border. Alas, I had to spend the afternoon at the Canadian Consulate waiting for them to verify my status as a Canadian citizen and giving me a letter of travel before heading to an airport hotel for the night and the earliest flight i could find back into Toronto. I may never leave Canada again!
So, at some point this week I need to get a new passport photo printed, application filled out and handed in.

Olivia has a great new love - Sherlinder - her pink gem bear, courtesy of grandma and poppa and build a bear. The people behind that build a bear are pure evil genius... Right up there with American Girl.
Anyway, she was twirling with Sherlinder and dancing with her, putting on her dress and shoes, taking off her dress and shoes, putting on dress and shoes, taking off dress and shoes. Dan was a little green eyed, but Olivia generously gave him another (albeit smaller) bear to play with. I still predict a trip to build a bear for dan in the not-too-distant future...

Take care,
V