My Loves:

1) Jon: My very significant, significant other:-) He makes me smile everyday, just by being here. He keeps me steady, slows me down when I’m in too much of a hurry and basically keeps me going! I wondered if I’d ever find someone right for me, but he’s definitely my ‘other half’ and I’d be lost without him.

2) Alison: My social butterfly daughter. She’s a lot like I was at her age; all about the friends and the fun. She is getting prettier everyday and I see as she grows that our relationship just going to get better. We’ve had a rough few years, but I love her through it all and always will.

3) Devon: My sweet boy. He’ll be my baby forever, even though he’s nearly 17:-) Creative, smart and funny. He makes me laugh and frustrates me all at the same time. He’s got a very special part of my heart forever too.

4) Mom: My kind, tiny, loving and wonderful mom. She taught me so much. She stands behind everything I do, even if she disagrees. I’d do anything for her and I know the feeling is mutual. She raised 5 children– an incredible accomplishment for any woman. She stuck with a sometimes very difficult marriage and kept our family together. My mom has a lot to do with the person I am today. BIG love for mom:-)

5) Dad: I miss my dad very much. He died 10 years ago, but I can still see and hear him clearly in my mind. He taught me a lot. He took care of me and loved my babies. He had a tough life and wasn’t always an easy person to be with, but I wish I could tell him again how much I loved him. He was proud of me and that meant a lot. I wish he’d lived long enough to know Jon. Dad would have loved him. He wanted so much for me to be happy and “taken care of” -You got your wish, dad!

6) The Sibs: I’m so lucky to have sibs that I love and can count on for anything. They are all great in their different ways. I know we will always be there for one another. I love them very much.

7) My BFF, Yvette: We’ve known each other longer than any other friend I have. We’ve been through marriages, getting jobs, losing jobs, going to school, moving away, moving back, working for peanuts, deaths, divorce, boyfriends, break-ups, babies, weight loss, weight gain, sadness, fears, joy, and everything in between. She’s been there for me when I thought I had nobody who understood. She’s my rock. She never judges me, just helps me see things more clearly. I don’t know what I’d do without her. She’s my bonus sister. She’ll always be family to me. Love her, no question.

Buster: our crazy little neurotic Malti-poo. I love you even though you’re a little nutty.
9) Molly: our silly, energetic bundle of fluffy Maltese/Yorkie cuteness.

…and the little things:

- my daffodils coming up in the garden
- morning coffee
- toast and peanut butter
- fireworks on a summer evening
- cuddling in the morning after working a night shift
- either of my kids being happy or excited about something
- ice cream
- new appliances
- the first snowfall of the season, especially snowing at night
- Christmas morning
- painting a room a new colour
- watching Jon fix things
- emails from Jon
- Devon emptying the dishwasher without being asked
- Alison calling to check in
- getting cards from Jon
- sunshine in the morning
- fresh, clean sheets
- having a fire on a cold night
- chips and salsa for dinner
- warm feet against my cold ones
- getting sale in my Etsy shop:-)
- Getting comments on my blog!

Post yours on your blog or in the comments. I’d love to read them!

1) When I was about 7 or 8, I got a Baby Tenderlove doll. The best part was that my mom sewed a doll wardrobe for her, (including matching pajamas for me and the doll) and made a box full of ‘baby care supplies’ for me to go with it. I still have that doll.

2) I think I was 9 when I got a ‘new’ bike for Christmas. I remember there weren’t many gifts for me under the tree and then Mom or Dad said “I think Santa left your gift next door” and my dad went out and came back with my bike and brought it right upstairs into the living room. I didn’t know it then, but it was a used bike that my dad spray painted himself and added new pedals and a new seat. I was so excited! It was orange with a sparkly yellow banana seat:-) Even though I had a cast on my wrist (fell out of my brother’s tree fort) I took it out to the street for a test run.

3) One year my sister was sick on Christmas Day. I think she either had a terrible migraine headache, or something like mono. I just remember her being in bed and missing Christmas morning completely. I felt so sorry for her but she was so sick I don’t think she cared much.

4) My sister and I used to share a room and at one point we shared a double bed. I remember waking up with her so early one Christmas morning because we were so excited. We knew we couldn’t get up yet, so we turned on the radio and listened to someone reading a Christmas story. I remember it was still very dark, so it was probably about 4:00 AM. I think we held out till 6 or 7:-)

5) Every year when I was still at home with my parents, we had Denver sandwiches for Christmas morning breakfast. Now, I make a breakfast casserole and baked french toast so that there’s no morning prep work, but Denvers (with ketchup!) always mean Christmas to me.

6) My dad used to get my mom a new Christmas ornament every year and he’d attach it to her gift, which was always beautifully wrapped in expensive paper (probably by a store clerk!) with a pretty card. I don’t know where he found those gorgeous ornaments, but they were usually very unique and probably handmade. He wasn’t the best at choosing gifts (a microwave oven one year–yikes Dad!) but those ornaments are treasures.

7) My mom’s Christmas baking: Butter tarts (my favourite), shortbread, Paul Bunyan sugar cookies, rice krispie squares, nanaimo bars, mince tarts…..mmmm…

We always found a mandarin orange in the toe of our Christmas stockings.

9) In 1989, Alison was born on December 23rd. We brought her home from the hospital on Christmas Day. It was the only year of my life that I didn’t have a Christmas tree and we didn’t even exchange gifts. We got the most precious gift in the world instead:-)
My ex-husband’s friends brought over all the food and made Christmas dinner for us. I just remember…all I wanted to do was sit and gaze at my baby. It was a wonderful Christmas.

10) My saddest Christmas was 1998. My dad was terminally ill. We all gathered at my parents’ place and tried to have a normal Christmas for the kids and for my dad. He wasn’t able to stay out of bed for long, but he watched us open presents for a little while. We helped him open gifts that we knew he would never use.

11) The first year Jon was here over Christmas, he gave me a digital camera. It was the best gift- a gift that preserves memories. 7 years later, I still love my camera and use it all the time.

12) I n 2004, we sold my townhouse in November and moved in to the apartment while we were looking for a house. It was the only time I have ever spent Christmas away from Alison. She was living with her father in California that year. I really missed her, but we had fun in the little apartment, with the Christmas tree squeezed into the living room and the 2 dogs causing havoc. Buster stole a chocolate orange off the coffee table when we weren’t looking and we caught him hiding in the bedroom eating it! Frantic searching on the internet followed to determine the amount of chocolate that could hurt and 10 pound dog. Luckily it didn’t seem to affect him at all.
Jon created a scavenger-type hunt with clues for Devon to follow to find his big gift. Each clue gave a letter and all the letters together spelled “dryer” which was where he found his Nintendo DS. It was so much fun watching him de-code the puzzle to find his present.

13) Last year, I wanted to send out pictures as a Christmas card. I found some really great ideas on the internet, and ended up coming up with this. The kids had fun with it, and everyone we sent the cards to had a laugh. Couldn’t think of a better idea this year though.

Merry Christmas Everyone, and be careful out on the roads. I think this Christmas is going to be remembered as the ‘Year of the Big Snow’

1) They think you are old, no matter how young you are.

2) They despise helping out around the house. It almost seems like you’re causing them physical pain when you try to ask them to do anything.

3) They like to eat crappy food and they criticize your cooking. They view vegetables as if they were raw sewage (ok, maybe that’s just my son. My daughter likes most veggies)

4) You cannot force them to do ANYTHING. Homework, studying, sleeping, eating well….yes, you can encourage but if they really don’t want to they will find a way around it and thwart all your efforts.

5) They don’t respect anyone else’s property. They figure if it’s in the house, it’s fair game to be taken out and left at friends’ houses– never to return.

6) They think laws that they don’t like are “dumb” They have no concept of the risks of things like driving without seatbelts or having 5 friends in the car with you when you’re a brand new driver.

7) They lie….alot.

They don’t crawl up your lap anymore and give you hugs ‘just because’ (not that you’d want them on your lap, but you know what I mean)

9) They stay in the shower too long and don’t hang up their towels. Let’s also throw in using too much shower gel and shampoo and never re-filling the dispensers. I don’t think they know how to put the toilet roll onto the dispenser, never mind taking the empty one off.

10) Because looking at them reminds you that your sweet, cuddly babies are gone forever:-(

2) Keep some Benadryl in a secret stash at home for emergencies.

3) Wax your legs, even though it’s the Fall and you aren’t showing your legs much- you never know who might see them:-(

…I took the first dose of some antibiotics tonight, and within a couple of minutes, my legs started to itch, then my stomach, then my arms. Hives started breaking out on my skin all over. I dug through the medication cupboard and box and of course- NO benadryl to be found. Grabbed the keys and told Jon I was having an allergic reaction and was going to the pharmacy for some benadryl.
Traffic jam on nearby road leading to the store because it’s rush hour. Itching is getting worse. Hives spreading. Heart pounding…..
Get to the pharmacy, run inside and grab benadryl package off the shelf. RUDELY butt in front of man talking to the pharmacist at the counter. Trying to be polite, try to ask for a glass of water as I am having an allergic reaction to a medication…but my voice is GONE. My throat is starting to close up. I can’t talk but my breathing is still ok.
The pharmacist calmly asks over her shoulder for a glass of water. Nobody responds- I don’t think they heard her. She goes back to helping the other customer.
Luckily, another pharmacist seems to notice I need help and comes over to to ring up my purchase. I croak out that I need a glass of water urgently to take the benadryl and that my throat is swelling. Somebody brings it quickly and another pharmacist is on the phone calling 911.
Within minutes, I am surrounded by paramedics and a stretcher and BP cuffs, etc. ALS (advanced life support team) has been called, but I tell them- no thanks, I don’t think I need to be intubated today!!! Breathing is okay, just throat feels very tight. One of the paramedics wants to see the hives, so he pulls up my pant leg. OMG– I haven’t waxed in AGES. They must think I’m a mountain woman…lol. Why am I worried about my hairy legs when my throat is closing? Because I am a woman, that’s why!

Off to the ER via ambulance. Called hubby: They are taking me to the ER, no-I’ll be okay, yes- I forgot my cell phone, again, Yep- I’ll call you when I need picking up.
Chat to cute paramedics about nursing and EMT-ing and stuff. One of them keeps asking to see the hives, cringe as I lift my pant leg each time. I think he just wants to see if my legs are as hairy as he thought the first time he looked…LOL.

Get to ER-get scolded by ER nurse about trying to drive to pharmacy alone- hang my head in shame… and wait about an hour for the ER doc. Falling asleep from drowsiness effect of Benadryl, but itching has stopped and throat is feeling better- whew. Called hubby to come pick me up. Nearly left before seeing doc, but he came in just in time. Now I’ll take some steroids for a few days to keep the reaction from coming back and see my own doc about a different antibiotic.

Thinking about a medic-alert bracelet now:-)
Scary stuff, but lessons learned.