Lovely
Things that made today lovely...
Accompanying my mom + grandma for my grandma's scan (to check and make 100% sure that they killed all the cancer). Spending two and a half uninterrupted hours having coffee with my mom while we waited. And then hosting them at our place for lunch. They are two incredible, cancer-destroying women. I have formidable (and hopefully cancer-free) shoes to fill.
Welcoming the holiday season. Christmas came to Starbucks today, and I had my first Caramel Brule Latte of the season. My new barista friend was seriously thrown for a loop when I failed to order the usual on the first day after we established my usual. I suppose I'm allowed to be wild + crazy in one area of my life, right? :)
Spending the afternoon walking up and down Academy with Libby, shopping as we enjoyed some incredible sunshine and fine company. I even found a new blouse that is a great candidate for work AND a couple of nights out in NYC - and a polka-dot scarf that I'm a little bit in love with.
Opening
my 'thank you' package for the creativity class I attempted this fall. I haven't finished yet - I'm doing it at my own pace after all our recent drama + setbacks + general chaos - but these fab prints will find a very special place in our home. Most likely in my office. YAY.
For dinner tonight, we used a gift card to a local Italian restaurant that Aaron + Cait had delivered to us when Geoff had his accident. (Wow, that was an unnecessarily complicated sentence...) We all feasted on calamari + fried parmesan bread + cannelloni + some seriously garlicky linguine that involved asparagus, chicken, and red peppers. DELICIOSO.
Oh, and Briony is now addicted to calamari. 'MORE BABY SQUID. PLEEEEASE?'
Labels: A Beautiful Day In The Neighbourhood, Aaron, Briony, Caitlin, Family, Holiday Awesomeness, Libby, My Life, Starbucks, The C Word
Friday Smile(s)
So many of my recent blog posts have been darkish, but we really have made time for fun and created some wonderful memories out here this week. So for my Friday Smile, I wanted to collect and document just a few of them.
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On our Calgary to Vancouver flight last week, I ended up sitting in between my parents. I don’t know why, but it was hilarious to all of us - I felt like I was eight years old (but with a baby). A few days later, I found myself in the backseat of my parents’ rental car with Aaron + Cait and it was hilarious all over again.
Briony has been using ‘I love ___’ phrases for a while now, and she’s also been singing the ‘I love you’ line from Sharon, Lois + Bram’s song a lot lately. It was inevitable that the two would merge somehow... On this trip, we’ve been hearing her sing about loving just about everything under the sun, and it’s just as ridiculously cute today as the first time she did it. I can put up with just about any kind of tantrum if it’s followed up with an ‘I love Mama!’ song. SMART BABY.
On this trip, I was able to spend more time than usual with my sister-in-law Joanne. It’s such a strange thing to just be thrown into a family like I was. The first time I met Joanne, I was already wearing her baby brother’s engagement ring - and the next time we met was at our wedding. The time after that, I was five months pregnant. It was short, but we were able to run out for lunch on one day and we went shopping for part of an afternoon the next day. I don’t know why that made me as happy as it did, but it did and it was important to me. Geoff’s sisters don’t really feel like sisters to me, but I hope that I can somehow build friendships with each of them.
Briony’s been cooking up a storm... She plays obsessively with her little tea set at home, and she has a little kitchen with pots and pans here that she LOVES. At Ikea this week, I picked up some little pots and pans and cooking utensils as a surprise for when we get home - and some fabric fake food that she’s been playing with here already. She loves ‘cooking’ for us and serving us tea. ADORABLE. I only wish we had room for a little play kitchen in our house. Good thing she has a great imagination :)
Last Friday, Briony went with Marilyn to her exercise class in the seniors’ complex where they live. I didn’t go along, but I would have killed to be a fly on the wall... A fly with a video camera! The stories are hilarious, and the ladies who were there have been stopping us on our walks all week to rant and rave about my daughter. Apparently, they hardly got any exercising done because they were all so busy laughing at her.
On Monday, I was able to go see Jason + Amy for dinner, great talks, and the finale of The Bachelorette. We’re thinking of coming back this fall (not 100% sure yet) and they’ll be away then, so it was even more special to sneak in a bonus visit with them this time. I seriously hate that we don’t live in the same city.
Briony got a little haircut on this trip that no one is especially fond of (mostly her mom... hehe). I will admit that I’ve never liked a single haircut she’s had. I will also admit that this one - though flawed - has the potential to be super adorable when she has a headband on. But the problem with that plan is that BRIONY IS ONE. And seriously, YOU try keeping a headband on a one year old. Drama, drama, drama... SHUT UP. I totally have real problems too.
Last night, Rob + Vicky + Ava came out and it was so funny watching the girls together. Briony is so cautious around other kids, but eventually they were having lots of fun - even inventing a silly little game to play together and giggling like crazy over it. They’re expecting again in December, and it was fun to get to see Vicky, who’s starting to show a little bit and looking adorable. It was even more fun to unload some more of our baby stuff on them (hehe).
Um, have I mentioned how much Briony loves her cousins? SO CUTE. She was constantly looking for Hannah and David (‘DAY-bid’) while they were visiting, and she absolutely adores them. It’s kind of special that they’re older already and can recognize and give her the attention she’s wanting so badly from them. We missed seeing Sean, Ruth, and Libby on this trip, but it was awesome to get to spend some time with everyone else.
Have I mentioned that Aaron + Cait scheduled their move on Pride Parade day here in Vancouver? They totally did. And their new apartment is totally about half a block from the parade route. I could live to be 200 years old and still never forget how hilarious it was to be stuck at a red light with huge crowds of parade-goers parading (for lack of a better word) in front of the car where I sat with my dad, who was waiting as patiently as he could while men in tiny colourful briefs, topless women, and seven foot tall bearded transvestites in tiny glittery dresses meandered through the intersection. My dad was desperately trying to (a) bite his tongue, and (b) remain on schedule. I was desperately trying to (a) not pass out from laughing, and (b) remember that moment for the rest of my life.
Briony has been helping Marilyn water flowers (she received a little watering can as a gift from the neighbours here on our last visit). The only problem is that the one flower pot that’s the best height for her gets A LOT of water... I’m so scared that plant is going to die...
Labels: Aaron, Briony, Caitlin, Family, Friday Smile, Going Coastal, Jason and Amy, My Friends, Rob and Vicky
In A Nutshell
Briony’s napping and I just went to go have a shower. In the safe little hiding place of a shower stall with the water running, I had a really good cry.
We’ve been out in BC for six days now and we’re here for four more. I miss Geoff like crazy, but I know absolutely that we are supposed to be here right now. The tears I cried today were tears of joy and relief over the support that Briony + I have had this week. I’m not in as much pain as I had feared I might be, but it’s worse that I had hoped for - does that make sense? I’m still very much in the middle of a flare, but we have the most incredible families who love us, and they are doing everything they can to help me get better.
We’re staying with Geoff’s parents, and right now his sister and two of her kids are here too. Briony is absolutely in love with all of them, and there are always extra arms to lift her into her booster seat, to load her into her car seat, to set up her stroller, to put her down for her nap... Incredible.
Thursday was our big travel day. We flew out here with my parents, who showed up early to bring us to the airport so I had two extra sets of hands to help with last-minute packing and getting Briony fed and out the door. Our first flight was delayed and then we had a layover in Calgary over lunchtime/naptime, and I don’t know how I would have done any of it without my parents there to help. We landed in Vancouver and picked up their rental car, then they dropped us off in Abbotsford at Geoff’s parents’ place.
Friday was a quiet day, and my primary focus was getting Briony settled in here before things got really crazy. I just need to pause and say that we really have the most incredible kid... We ask SO much of her, and she’s just amazing in her ability to adapt and be happy no matter what. She’s been sleeping like a champ out here - both for naps and at night. She has never once fussed when someone puts her in her playpen, and she has never once woken up during the night. I’m crying as I write this because I think that God knows absolutely what we can handle (and what we can’t).
I was MIA on Saturday and Sunday, meeting up with my parents to help Aaron + Cait make their big move from White Rock into downtown Vancouver. We worked so hard and had so much fun... I was able to have breakfast with Briony both days (and even snuck in a quick trip to the farmers’ market with Briony + Marilyn on Saturday morning) but otherwise she was left in my mother-in-law’s very capable hands. It sounds like they had a weekend full of giggles and grand adventures, and I’m happy they were able to spend that special time together.
So many stories about the move. Most of them to do with the fact that Aaron + Cait's new apartment building is about half a block from the literal epicentre of the Pride Weekend festivities - including the giant parade that happened on Moving Day. There are way too many to share here right now, but let's just say that I will never look at day-glo artificial feathers the same way again... hehe. The apartment itself is cozy and super cute, with giant windows that overlook English Bay - one of those views that makes you want to pinch yourself when you realize that people actually get to wake up and see that every day, not just on vacation. I think they'll be very, very happy there. It's absolutely perfect for them.
Geoff’s sister Joanne - along with Hannah + David - showed up in Abbotsford on Sunday night and are staying until tomorrow. It’s been really nice to spend some proper time with them, and especially to watch Briony interacting with her cousins. She LOVES her cousins. And they are so wonderful and patient with her. She absolutely adores Hannah and hangs on every word she says, and Briony + David invented a new game yesterday that involves a lot of chasing and scaring and she squeals in delight every time.
Yesterday was my ‘evening off’ on this trip, and I left Briony with Marilyn + Joanne to go have dinner with my friends Jason + Amy. We talked, laughed, ate, and watched the finale of The Bachelorette. It was such a good time.
The rest of the trip is going to be much quieter - and deliberately so, because today was the day I picked to switch onto new arthritis meds. It’s hard to tell how it’s going to go... My hips, back, neck, and shoulders are really bothering me today. But it’s also raining today, so I have no idea if it’s the meds or the weather (or both). I don’t feel quite as nauseated so far, and I have only had a very slight headache today - much better than the last meds (on those, I started out nauseated but had been full-on throwing up a few times over the last two weeks, and the headache was constant). Time will tell, I suppose.
I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t working full-time to shove down the feelings of panic every time I think about flying home alone with Briony on Saturday. I just need to trust that - even in this situation - God knows what I can handle.
And that pretty much brings us to today. I’m almost caught up on work, and even managed to read a few chapters in a new book last night that I’m thinking about continuing (with a cup of tea) in a few minutes. Briony + I have a playdate planned with Vicky + Ava on Thursday, otherwise our week is wide open with lots of time for relaxing, getting better, and gearing up for Saturday.
Despite all the pain I’m feeling - and the gloomy rainclouds outside - I’m feeling surprisingly optimistic. I just feel very taken care of - physically, emotionally, spiritually. I never in a thousand years would have chosen to be in this place right now with my arthritis and a toddler, but I also have this overwhelming feeling that it’s going to be okay. It might not happen exactly the way I choose, but it’s going to be okay.
Labels: Aaron, Arthritis/Fibromyalgia, Briony, Caitlin, Family, Going Coastal, Jason and Amy, Travel
Spontaneousish
On Friday, after shockingly little discussion, I booked a flight to Vancouver for the end of this month. I realize that planning something three weeks in advance would be considered very good planning by some people. I am *so* not some people. My head is still spinning a little bit :)
The catalyst was the fact that my brother and sister-in-law are moving from White Rock to downtown Vancouver over August Long Weekend, and I really wanted to be able to help (as much as I am able to in my somewhat gimpy state). Geoff is working, but Geoff's mom graciously volunteered to host Briony + I (and even babysit so I can *actually* help vs being one of those awful people who shows up with a toddler and 'helps'). He's working all week, so there's no big rush for us to get back... And so we ended up booking flights to go out there with my parents on Thursday, July 29, and we'll be returning on our own on Saturday, August 7.
I'm slowly getting more and more excited... I'm obviously nervous about flying alone with Briony when I'm not 100% healthy, but she's a good little flyer - and we booked a direct flight during her happiest time of day, and at a time that will allow Geoff to pick us up at the airport.
Apparently, I already have plans to watch the finale of The Bachelorette with Jason + Amy (probably more Amy than Jason, hehe). It will be so nice to spend some *bonus* time with our west coast family + friends this summer. And it's a tiny little miracle for me to have Marilyn to help with Briony during the very worst week of Geoff's work rotation - especially while I'm in the throes of a flare up. I've been in tears a few times just thinking about how I was going to manage it. And now - just like that - I have an answer to a prayer I hadn't even thought to pray yet. YAY GOD.
Labels: Aaron, Arthritis/Fibromyalgia, Caitlin, Family, Going Coastal, Jason and Amy, Travel
Wednesday Smile
I love getting mail that isn't bills. One of the very best parts about working freelance in receiving physical cheques in the mail. Seriously. I'm all about the convenience of direct deposit, but there's something very cool about holding an actual cheque in your hand and receiving something tangible in exchange for your work.
But this post isn't about freelance or cheques or how things were so much better in the olden days.
Yesterday when we got home from the lake, there was a big package in our mailbox from Chapters that was addressed to Miss Briony Wright. I was kind of confused because we didn't order her anything. And it's nowhere near her birthday or Christmas.
I opened it up and saw a children's book about a bunny.
Still confused.
Then I picked up the packing slip and scanned it for a clue. This is what I discovered. And it made me smile for the rest of the evening.
It's nice to know that people read my blog (hehe). And it's even nicer to know that our family - spread out across the country - loves our baby girl as much as they do.
And Briony capital letters LOVES the book. She couldn't stop looking at it and kissing the pages :)
Labels: Aaron, Blogging, Briony, Caitlin, Family, Friday Smile
The One That Tastes A Little Bittersweet
“When you're safe at home, you wish you were having an adventure; when you're having an adventure, you wish you were safe at home.”
~ Thornton Wilder
Isn't that the annoying truth.
The last couple of days have been full of goodbyes. We said goodbye to Al + Joanne and their kids on Sunday and Rob + Vicky + Ava on Monday. We missed saying goodbye to Jason + Amy, which was doubly sad because they'll be out of the country when we plan to visit next... We said goodbye to Aaron + Cait after a movie-and-coffee date last night - made extra special by the fact that our movie was Prince of Persia, which Aaron has been involved with through work (and I finally understand what he's talking about now... YAY ME!). We said goodbye to Geoff's sister Carole and three of her kids tonight, but missed our nephew Justin and his girlfriend Vanessa which was also a little bit sad. We didn't spend as much time as usual with their family on this trip, but I have not yet perfected our self-cloning technology (maybe next time). Oh, and Briony said goodbye to the neighbours, of course. Throw in a few other required goodbyes and you've got yourself altogether too many sappy hugs for one girl for one week.
Tomorrow, we'll say our final goodbyes to Alan + Marilyn - and then we'll turn things around and finally get to say some hellos (which are less dramatic but always happier).
I think we're all packed other than the few things we'll need in the morning. I'm scared to say anything definitive yet, but I'll knock on wood while I type this: I think we've successfully managed to come home with the same number of pieces of luggage that we arrived with, and I only expanded one small suitcase. And that's with a moderate-to-fair amount of shopping and a few gifts coming home (all for Briony and my niece Chloe, of course). I know what you're thinking, and you'd be absolutely correct: I am the queen of packing, and this shall be the proof of my auspicious reign.
I'm logging off now until we're safe at home in Winnipeg. Can't wait to start catching up with all my Winnipeg peeps soon ;)
Labels: Aaron, Caitlin, Family, Going Coastal, Jason and Amy, My Friends, Rob and Vicky, Starbucks Quotes, Travel
The One With Aaron + Cait (and The Big Flare too)
I am currently working through all kinds of feelings of frustration and disappointment over the fact that I'm fighting through a pretty big flare right now. Fortunately, Geoff and Marilyn are both being fabulous about helping out with Briony and keeping her busy enough that I don't think she knows that I'm sick at all. I've been able to go back to bed the last two mornings, and that has been amazing. YAY for support people and teamwork. I just wish I could be busier and feel more like myself right now.
My slower pace didn't keep us from having a great day with Aaron + Caitlin yesterday. Aaron surprised us by letting us know he had Friday off work this week, and they came out to Abbotsford for the day to spend time with us. We went out for lunch and then played at and walked around Mill Lake, then they came back 'home' for tea while Briony napped. It was so much fun to see them - and so much fun to watch how Briony warmed up to them again so quickly, especially Auntie Cait. She *loves* Auntie Cait. I was sad to say goodbye at dinner time, but I also knew that I needed to guard my energy. We'll see them again.
After Briony was in bed, I spent the rest of the evening curled up in bed with a book. Not the worst thing in the world, but I had hoped it might 'cure' my flare. It didn't really work out like that, but it was a good book :)
I'm marginally better today than I was yesterday, and I would say the same thing about the previous day. My progress is just SLOW. Today, I'm exhausted and in pain, but it's not that pain and exhaustion that has me constantly fighting off tears like it was at times during the last two days. I'm hoping to get some client work done today - and then some homework tomorrow - and hopefully save a little bit of energy for fun.
Oh, and Briony's doing okay with the time change. She's actually staying up until her normal bedtime but still getting up earlier and having two naps again instead of her usual one. And she's HAPPY and going down for naps and bedtimes very easily. Not a bad start for two days in!
Labels: Aaron, Briony, Caitlin, Family, Going Coastal, Travel
Awesomer
So as fabulous as my day was today, my brother's tomorrow is about to be about a million times cooler as he boards a plane to LA for the premiere of his animation work... My kid brother's doing okay for his first eight months in Vancouver.
Check it out.Labels: Aaron, Family
The One Where Briony Sees All The Fish
I *should* say... all the 'FISH!' 'FISH!' 'FISH!'
Because that's the exclamation we heard about ten thousand times yesterday morning as she pointed to every single fish in every single tank and was equally excited about every single one of them. The Vancouver Aquarium rocked her little world.
Geoff + I and Aaron + Cait (my brother and sister-in-law who moved to Vancouver in August) were along for the ride yesterday, and even though we'd all been to the Aquarium before, I think I can speak for all of us when I say that what was previously kind of cool and interesting became absolutely magical through Briony's eyes.
I can't even describe it to you. I'm actually tearing up while I'm trying to write this because there aren't words to tell you how Briony's eyes lit up as she looked around, how she could not keep a huge grin off her face for a single second, how she pressed her little hands and face up against the glass, how she kept on turning back to look at us like 'WOW! You guys, this is SO COOL. Are you catching this?'
It was such a good day. It was one of those family memory days that I hoped for and dreamed of while I was pregnant and wondering what our life would be like with the little one growing inside of me - not the specifics of where we were or what we did, but the feeling I had while we were there doing it together.
And it was such an absolute pleasure to open up the world to her just a little bit and let her see something new. It's so important to Geoff + I to make sure that we teach her to be curious and explore the world outside of her own little bubble. These are baby steps... But she's still a baby :)
More photos
here.
Read Cait's version of Aquarium Day
here.
Labels: Aaron, Briony, Caitlin, Family, Travel
Snapshots: Horseshoe Bay
Detour to Horseshoe Bay to let Cait take some photos for her homework assignment. (I'm sure that hers are *much* better than ours!)
Labels: Aaron, Briony, Caitlin, Family, Photos, The Boy, Travel
The One Where I Catch You Up
I realize that my very first post from BC was a bit of a bitchfest. Rest assured that the rest of our trip has been GREAT. And I shall now catch you up, as concisely as I can.
Briony did great on the flight. Like GREAT. We had to wake her up at 05.00 to get to the airport and she was like 'cool, okay, what's up?' The airport was BUSY but we somehow managed to set a personal record - the time from when the cab picked us up at home to the time that we were checked in, through security, and chilling at our gate was a grand total of thirty minutes. That was not a typo. More importantly, we boarded the plane and Geoff and I were talking and laughing and playing with Briony like the happiest little family in the world. If you know us as a couple at all, you will appreciate that this is a full-on miracle. For two people who *love* to travel, Geoff and I DO NOT travel well together. The actual TRIP is always great. It's just the getting there and home again that always seems to turn into a nightmare. We're just two very different people who are used to traveling independently, and our travel styles don't really seem to mesh. Throw a baby into the mix, and it's rare that we're on speaking terms while sitting in our seats and waiting for the plane to start taxiing. It's always incredibly short-lived, but it's something that I absolutely hate. I don't want to declare that we've conquered it, but I'm hopeful for the future :)
Thursday was spent with Marilyn, catching up and letting her get reacquainted with Briony. We traveled from Vancouver to Abbotsford, picked up groceries so that Briony would have all her favourite foods to eat here, and went to bed early.
Friday was a work day for me, starting with a conference call at 09.30 and ending with a client deadline at 16.00. Geoff + Briony went for a walk and the day overall was pretty quiet. We visited with Geoff's sister Carole and her family in the evening.
On Saturday, we met up with our friends Jason + Amy for brunch (mmm... pancakes). As usual, it was so great to see them and catch up a little bit. Briony surprised us by falling instantly in love with Amy - within about thirty seconds of their arrival at the restaurant, she was reaching for her and I don't think she took her eyes off her the entire time. I wish we lived closer, but as we discussed over some ridiculously unhealthy comfort food, we probably see each other more than we see lots of our friends who live in the same city as us. They recently returned from a trip to Italy, Greece, and Egypt and are currently researching and planning a 150 day cruise around the world... There's a quote that I've read about how you need to work to be completely happy in your own life so that you can be truly happy for the people you love when good things happen to them - and I think it is so true. I'm completely happy for us, and I'm completely happy for them. And I want them to jump on a boat TOMORROW because I'm pretty sure that's the final item on their pre-baby bucket list ;)
Later that afternoon, Geoff's sister Joanne and three of her kids came and we spent time with them until they returned to Kamloops on Sunday. It was fun to have a full house, and extra-fun to watch Briony with all her cousins. They love her *so* much, and it didn't take her very long at all to be talking and giggling with them (and crawling all over them on the floor).
We had hoped to see Aaron + Cait on Sunday night, but Aaron was feeling under the weather so we had to cancel. I worked for a bit and watched some of the Golden Globes before heading to bed early yet again.
It's probably important to note that - at this point - Briony had been having some truly terrible nights. Since arriving in BC, we'd been dealing with lots and lots of nighttime teething drama (on top of the whole time change challenge). My heart was breaking for her, but at the same time, I was SO TIRED and just wanted her to sleep.
Monday was another work day for me. I headed for Starbucks and set up my 'office' for a couple of hours. I don't think I've mentioned it here yet, but I signed a new client the day before we left on this trip and I am *loving* this work. This might be bold, but it's probably my favourite copywriting that I've ever done - and we're talking about a decade of copywriting here. It also happens to be for a major company. MAJOR. But one that I can never disclose because I've signed NDAs that will probably affect my great-grandchildren. Sigh... Just trust me that I want to sing from the rooftops on a daily basis about the caliber of work this little freelance writer from Winnipeg has been able to land.
On Tuesday, we all packed up early and headed for the border. I hit up a few outlet stores for baby (ahem... TODDLER) clothes for Briony, assuming that she will eventually outgrow her current size. This girl has seriously been wearing the same size since summer. It's starting to really freak me out, but given how quickly she flew through every size before that, it's also a little bit nice to be able to actually have her WEAR all the stuff we've purchased for her. I found a few things for Briony's mommy too - nothing super fabulous or exciting, but I was happy. Our best find of the day was a bookstore that was two days away from closing their doors. I found four books that I'd really been wanting - three in hardcover - for $25. THANK YOU, RECESSION!
And you all know what happened yesterday :)
So there you have it. All caught up. I'll try to do a little better during the last half of our trip.
Labels: Aaron, Briony, Caitlin, Family, Going Rogue, Jason and Amy, Married Stuff, Mommy Stuff, The Boy, Travel
The One Where We Get Rick-Rolled
Today was one of those ‘are you kidding me?’ days. It started out with Briony being awake and SCREAMING at 01.30 this morning. For those of you words-not-numbers people, that’s ONE THIRTY. IN THE MORNING. It was so ridiculous that language fails me. From 01.30 until 02.00, Geoff + Briony + I sat on the couch in his parents’ living room looking at each other like ‘what the HELL is going on?’ Even Briony looked like she wasn't quite sure about what to do next.
My official mommy diagnosis was teething + hungry + my baby girl being taken over by SATAN. She got Orajel. She got Motrin. She got a bottle. She got prayer. And then she got another five hours of sleep. SO not enough for her mommy, but no one asked me. There was much weeping and gnashing of teeth.
We got up, had breakfast (which Briony threw onto the floor in FISTFULS like someone else’s child), and then someone needed to drop Marilyn off at her volunteer job. I think I was the fastest volunteer in the history of volunteerism. I was seriously on my feet and lunging for the keys before she had even finished asking, yelling over my shoulder that Geoff was in charge for the next fifteen minutes. And I don’t feel like a bad mommy AT ALL for saying that the ten minute drive + my five minute stop at Starbucks to pick up the largest coffee that money can buy was freaking glorious. (I realized after I got home that I was in sweats with no make-up and nasty hair. Kind of horrifying.)
I returned home to Geoff standing helplessly at the bottom of the stairs holding Briony and saying to me that she would not nap and she would not stop fussing while she was awake. I handed him a bottle and then jumped in the shower while Geoff tried to offer six ounces of formula to appease the demon that had taken over our previously lovely baby girl and simultaneously attempted to dress said demon child.
And then we set off in the general direction of Vancouver. It seems that God had finally heard our cries for help, because Briony nodded off almost as soon as we started to drive. HALLELUJAH.
We picked up Cait from Emily Carr and then headed over to the Gastown area where we met up with Aaron on his lunch break. We had a nice little walk and an awesome lunch before returning Aaron to work and Cait to school. It was *so* nice to see them, and to see where Aaron works. I don’t know why things like this matter so much to me, but they do.
(Oh, and it’s important to note that at the precise moment Cait climbed into the car, Briony turned normal again. Seriously. And she was her awesome self the rest of the day. WOMEN!)
So you might think that our luck had officially turned around. But, my dear Reader, you would be sadly mistaken. Because this is the point in our story where we made a critical mistake. We decided that we’d head out to Richmond for an hour. Geoff had somewhere he wanted to stop and I figured that Briony and I could take this opportunity to cruise through and pick up a few things on my list from Ikea.
We got through Ikea in record time and it was around 15.00. We decided that we’d better head for home instead of making Geoff’s stop (stupid, because we totally could have done Ikea another day – or stopped at the Coquitlam location instead – but whatever). This was all fine, except that – while we were in Richmond – there was a major accident on one of the major bridges out of Vancouver and they’d closed all but one lane to deal with the aftermath. If you’re familiar with the city at all, you know that this VERY BAD NEWS. Because Vancouver lacks adequate routes out of the city on a very good day.
It wasn’t our route out of the city. And it wasn’t even rush hour yet. But none of those simple, logical facts matter because the near-closure of this one bridge backed up every other route out of the city. Badly. The short version is that we were in gridlock for a long, long time. Capital letters GRIDLOCK. Gridlock like we were sitting at an intersection while it cycled through green-yellow-red green-yellow-red many, many times before we got to move a single inch. Forget about a car length. A car length would have been awesome. A car length would have been PROGRESS.
We made it home in around three hours, which is terrible. Briony was cool for most of it, but then I resorted to stuffing Cheerios into her mouth to keep her happy (read: quiet and not yelling to be released from her car seat in an essentially stationery vehicle). And when I ran out of Cheerios, it became Mum-Mums. Fortunately, I had a few crumbs left at the bottom of our second and final package when we pulled into Geoff's parents' driveway. I think I would have used our house key to carve small chunks of flesh off my arm and fed them to her if it would have meant a happy baby. Thankfully, it didn’t come to that. But don’t think I hadn’t considered it.
We got back just in time to drop Briony off with Marilyn, throw on a different shirt and some lip gloss, and head out to meet our dinner reservation with Geoff’s sister and her family (a belated Christmas gift from us). We got to the restaurant before they did and Geoff and I seriously collapsed on the couch in the lobby. I had just enough sense to realize that it would be entirely inappropriate to just curl up and sleep there, but it took all my willpower to stay upright and remember to blink. We sat there and just looked at each other, too exhausted and frustrated to talk or think or feel.
Just then, the song playing in the restaurant ended and a new one began. But not just any song. It was Rick Astley.
Geoff and I turned to each other and began laughing uncontrollably. He barely managed to blurt out: ‘It all makes sense! We were Rick-Rolled. THIS ENTIRE DAY was one gigantic Rick-Roll.’
And we laughed and laughed and laughed.
Labels: Aaron, Briony, Caitlin, Family, Mommy Stuff, My Life, The Boy, Travel
Bonus Christmas
I can't help but focus on all the good things in my life now at Christmas time. It feels like we've come a million miles from last Christmas - a holiday that was celebrated despite a six week old, a major and long-lasting arthritis/fibro flare, and a mom who was still facing two weeks of radiation treatments and another surgery for breast cancer.
I've shed a lot of tears this Christmas over last Christmas.
This year, I'm celebrating with a happy, healthy one year old who brings me so much joy that it overwhelms me sometimes. I can't imagine anything better in life than getting to be her mommy and being on the receiving end of her thousands of noisy kisses.
I'm celebrating with a husband who is able to take all my ups and downs in stride and loves me anyway. He does an incredible job of providing for our little family and taking care of his girls. And he is every bit the wonderful daddy to Briony that I knew he'd be when I met him.
I'm celebrating with my entire family at home for Christmas - including my brother Aaron and sister-in-law Cait who are visiting from Vancouver and my grandma who's home from her second unexpected hospital stay this month. Having everyone home for the holidays is a 'bonus blessing' that I don't take for granted.
Maybe most importantly, I'm celebrating with my parents. These two incredible people have endured some big challenges in the last two years - challenges that could easily have taken down a less stable marriage. I've had the amazing privilege of getting to watch them journey together through the valley and it's made me a better person, a better daughter, and a better wife and mother.
Every Christmas we get to spend with my mom now feels like the best gift we could have ever asked for. It's a Bonus Christmas. And we are so incredibly blessed to be celebrating it this weekend.
But those laws of the universe and equal and opposite reactions apply to the holidays more than any other time. The full measure of our happiness is equal to the depths of grief and sadness experienced by families who haven't been as lucky as mine. Christmas is a terrible, terrible time to be missing someone. So let's all do what we can for these friends today and be their little Christmas miracle. Let's pray for them. Let's pick up the phone. Let's send a quick note. Let's drop off some cookies. Let's just drench them in love - which is the point of this season after all.
Labels: Aaron, Briony, Caitlin, Christmas, Family, My Friends, The Boy, The C Word
The One With One Last Goodbye (And A HELLO!)
Speaking of processes we've almost perfected... It was Going Home Day today. We woke up, packed up, and headed out. Since Briony was born, we've started flying out of Vancouver instead of Abbotsford. It's a little bit more driving, but it means one flight instead of two (the flights between Winnipeg and Abbotsford always stop in Calgary) - and so, in the end, it's just easier.
Today, we left exactly on schedule so we had time to grab a quick lunch before Marilyn dropped us off at the airport. We're all kind of a well-oiled machine with our goodbyes at this point, which strikes me as a little bit sad. Still, for all our practice, it's sometimes hard not to feel like a terrible person when I carry Briony away and through the Departures door. I try to dwell on the fact that we are incredibly blessed to have family that loves us like crazy in two provinces, and we are incredibly blessed to be able to visit them as often as we do.
On the way up, Geoff pointed out that we were flying over White Rock. Sure enough, I could see the coastline and the shape of the pier, the hill where Aaron + Cait's condo building sits... Yep, waterworks all over again.
I'm really okay. It's just such a strange feeling to have my family leave. It's kind of MY job. I leave, and they are here when I go and when I return. It turns out that it's not nearly as much fun to be the one who DOESN'T leave. I don't like it.
We made it home without incident, despite the fact that Briony didn't nap again. She did great on the plane, and my parents were there to greet us (who are we kidding... they were there to greet Briony). She had immediate smiles for them, and reached out for them with all her typical giggling and babbling and silliness. I had to turn away for a second. It's just incredible to watch one grandma love her as we get onto an airplane, and then to watch another love her as we arrive at the other end. What a lucky little girl.
Labels: Aaron, Briony, Caitlin, Family, Our Other Home, Travel
The One Where We Say Goodbye To Aaron + Cait
Monday, September 14So 'goodbye' seemed to be the theme of our trip this time. I didn't realize just how bad it was until I realized that Briony was starting to wave on cue when we instructed her to 'say goodbye' to someone. If it wasn't so cute, I would have cried... Just kidding. Of course, I cried anyway :)
We bookended our trip by scheduling another IHOP brunch with Aaron + Cait, this time in Abbotsford because I was still pretty flared up. It was fun to spend some more time with them - and especially fun to watch Cait and Briony playing together - but there was a little tiny Eeyore-style storm cloud over top of us, knowing that this brunch would end with an indefinite goodbye. Briony did her best to keep us laughing with her new Cheerios Dance. She seriously danced every time she picked up a Cheerio, as it made its way into her mouth. Such a funny girl. We narrowly escaped an official Parking Lot Scene, only because I finally just spit out the g-word and walked away. I held it together until I saw their car drive away and I knew the coast was clear, and proceeded to burst into tears randomly about every half-hour for the rest of the day.
We said goodbye to Carole and the kids in the evening. It sounds sad, but we're kind of used to saying goodbye to them - we do it every couple of months. It doesn't make it easy. It just means that we're starting to perfect the whole process a little bit.
It all got me thinking... In the next four years, will we become accustomed to saying goodbye to Aaron + Cait the way we've become accustomed to saying goodbye to Geoff's family? Kind of a strange thought.
We got the bulk of our packing done, and then settled in for new episodes of The Daily Show and The Colbert Report (and Kanye on Leno, of course). I made it about two-thirds through my Jon Stewart fix before I crashed, but Geoff assures me it was all awesome :)
Labels: Aaron, Caitlin, Family, Our Other Home, Television, Travel
The One Where Briony Turns Into A Monster
Okay, so 'monster' might be kind of harsh. But our baby girl has 'blossomed' into quite the little handful while we've been away... She is crawling, diving, exploring, destroying, and just generally getting into mischief at every turn. I have ABSOLUTELY NO IDEA where my baby went.
Today, Geoff headed into Vancouver with Rob to check out a luxury supercar show while B and I hung out in Abbotsford. I'd hoped to do a little more with my day, but I've been flared up and icky for a few days now - okay, more like this entire trip - and I needed to take care of myself. It was another super hot day, and after we went for a walk outside with Marilyn, it was straight into another cool bath for Briony. She played for a loooong time and was lots happier when she emerged.
The rest of the day was essentially a reign of terror in the form of a tiny, giggly, noisy strawberry blonde. She emptied out all of Marilyn's bottom drawers - in the bedroom and the kitchen. She crawled laps around the living room and played noisily with everything she found. She explored underneath all the end tables and made about a thousand attempts to check out the fireplace and the plants. She thoughtfully 'unpacked' the suitcase on our bedroom floor. And she emptied out my laundry basket. Twice.
She's in bed now, and all the adults in the house are exhausted... :)
I've managed to scrape together a few scraps of energy and start our family's laundry in preparation for packing (I'm just nerdy enough that - whenever I can - I like to come home from a trip with suitcases full of *clean* clothes). I'm not sure why, but the preparation to come home feels a little bit different this time. I'm used to feeling almost kind of indifferent about it, happy to stay or happy to come home. For some reason, I feel a little bit sad today.
I thought for a while that maybe it was because we're leaving Aaron + Cait here, but I really don't think that's it exactly. I think it's a culmination of all the people we leave when we go home to Winnipeg - family and friends who it feels we are just constantly saying goodbye to.
I usually just pretend that it's just like people at home who we only see a couple of times a year, and that usually works... But not today. Today, I want to sign up for music classes with Vicky + Ava, and I want to have a standing monthly games night with Jason + Amy - and I want our 'west coast friends' to hang out at *our* house sometimes. I want to have brunch with Aaron + Cait again next weekend. I want to be around for some of those conversations when my nieces all try to figure out where to apply for school next year. I want to be at the airport when Hannah comes home. I want to go over to Joanne and Carole's houses and have tea with them and really get to know my 'new' sisters. And I don't want Marilyn to keep missing all the new things that Briony is learning every week. It seriously breaks my heart when Briony makes strange with her when our plane lands in Vancouver. Shall I continue? Because that's really just scratching the surface.
So yeah. That's where I'm at tonight. Sorting through laundry and sorting through emotions, and trying not to let either one of those things put a damper on our last 36 hours here.
Labels: Aaron, Briony, Caitlin, Family, Jason and Amy, My Friends, Our Other Home, Rob and Vicky, Travel
The One Where We Discover The Very Worst Place To Eat Raw Fish
Thursday, September 10.09Where to begin...
Today was Aaron + Cait Do Vancouver day. Geoff + Briony + I spent the day with them, touring around Vancouver and showing them a few of the sights in their new home city. It was a long day, and we barely scratched the surface. And it was *so* hard to decide where to take them that would be budget-conscious and cover a few of their own requests. But we had lots of fun - and made a couple of hilarious memories along the way.
First stop (after we picked them up from White Rock) was Steveston, where we ate breakfast on the boardwalk and took a few pictures while we walked through some of the park. Then it was on to UBC where Aaron + Cait needed to pick up some required software that Emily Carr doesn't sell. Holy crap is this the WRONG time of year to need to go to the UBC main bookstore... But it was an adventure. And Briony - being the only baby in sight - made friends as per usual.
From there, we went to Granville Island for lunch and Cait spent two hours in class (English class... I seriously wanted to just leave B with the boys and go with her) while Aaron + Geoff + Briony + I walked around and explored a few of the areas that Aaron + Cait hadn't found yet - like the hill by the water, the community centre, and the Kids Market.
And then it was on to downtown. We did a driving tour of a few highlights, then parked and walked along Robson Street with a detour on the way back to point out the big downtown mall, the Art Gallery, and a few other key places. We picked up sushi for dinner and then headed in the general direction of Stanley Park. We had planned to drive through the park and then stop to find somewhere to eat dinner. And we did. Kind of.
We stopped and found a place to sit and eat, but noticed a few tourists taking pictures of a raccoon on the other side of the fence. And then a few of his little raccoon friends came to see what all the fuss was about, and we took a few pictures of the four of them before settling in to eat our dinner. But then we started to notice that the raccoons were escaping the fenced-off area and surrounding us. One randomly popped up about two feet behind us and I screamed. These evil predators were multiplying. There were four... and then five... and then six... and then TEN. Within about two minutes, we were completely surrounded, and there were a dozen of them. To make it even worse, every few minutes two of them would brawl - complete with hissing and razor sharp CLAWS and TEETH. I feel it is important to note that - during this entire time - I was panicking. I was not graceful or dignified about it at all. I was freaking out and trying to get the rest of my group to join me in fleeing the scene so that I could save myself (and my baby, of course - I'm pretty sure I made more than a few dramatic exclamations to that effect). I am straight-up terrified of wild animals, and believe raccoons to be both vicious and filthy, and my dinner companions were alternately mocking me and commenting on how cute the raccoons were. Cait got up and scared them back a few times, but eventually they started to come over to my side - the SANE side. Finally, they agreed and we went a few hundred feet away, far away from the raccoons (and behind another fence). Within about thirty seconds of sitting down, it became apparent that we were being followed... I watched in horror as they began to climb the fence. We packed up our dinner yet again, and they followed us all the way back to our car. When we were backing up to leave, there was seriously a raccoon staring us down about three feet in front of our bumper and still approaching. TERRIFYING. And officially the stupidest place EVER to eat sushi.
We headed over to the beach (across the street from Tanis & Jer's beloved Sylvia Hotel) and found a bench near the water that was entirely raccoon-free and at last, I was able to enjoy my sushi. In the middle of a swarm of mosquitoes. The only ones in Vancouver, I'm pretty sure. Of course :)
Labels: Aaron, Caitlin, Family, Our Other Home, Photos, Travel
The One Where We Arrive 'Home' In BC
Tuesday, September 01.09
Caught an early flight to Winnipeg. Got smart and called ahead for a minivan instead of a traditional taxi (they're mostly hybrids now, and while I fully support that, it's pretty close to impossible with baby stuff and a time limit). Sat in the backseat with Briony who'd been woken up and shoved into some clothing about ten minutes earlier, and she smiled at me like 'I have no idea what's going on, but I think it's going to be fun!' Thought to myself for the millionth time that I really, truly love this kid.
Had an uneventful flight except for the fact that Briony did not sleep. Not one wink. And despite the fact that she was rubbing her eyes and getting fussy even prior to take-off. Sigh. She fussed a bit, screamed for a couple of seconds, but mostly just hung out with us.
Arrived in Vancouver, met up with Marilyn (Geoff's mom). Headed straight to White Rock. Met up with my parents and saw Aaron + Cait's new place. Ate at IHOP. It was delicious. Drove to the pier at the end of Aaron + Cait's street and walked along the water. Breathed in fresh cool saltwater air and felt like we were back on the coast.
Drove to Abbotsford. Crashed hard. Oh yeah, and Briony started crawling.
Labels: Aaron, Caitlin, Family, Our Other Home, Travel
So It's Friday
And I'm working on a Friday Smile... I'm just not really feeling it today.
I've been sick over the past couple of days - including a fibro flare, gallbladder issues, and bursitis in my shoulder - and it's just been tough (especially with my parents out of town and Geoff working). Plus pretty much anyone who I'd think of calling for help is sick or away. So it's kind of scary to know that your safety nets are gone... I've been fighting back panic and choosing to have good days, and so far it's been okay. Briony has napped ALL morning the past couple of days - something she hasn't done in months - and it's helped so much because I've been able to sneak in a nap too, which I usually never do.
So in the spirit of *choosing* to have a good day today, here's my list of happy things that have happened this week:
- Before I went on mat leave, I totally had a favourite client - and a favourite annual campaign that we worked on for them. I got a call this week to head up part of this year's campaign for them, starting immediately. I'm so excited :)
- Another potential client hired me for a 'test project' - so I guess my meeting with them last week went well!
- I have a baby who's getting awfully speedy in her exploration of the living room and her bedroom. It's still not technically crawling, but it's incredibly effective.
- I went to Gap to buy another pair of jeans while they were still $20 off (their new 1969 line is freaking amazing, by the way) and found out that I could also use our $10 off a $50 purchase coupon from Visa. They ended up being $39.50 jeans. I think I should win something (other than a pair of Gap jeans for $39.50).
- Briony started eating Cheerios this week (I got over my paralyzing fear of the sugar and sodium content... sigh), and it's *so* cute to watch her picking them up and then getting so excited while she eats them. I can't help but sit and laugh at her. It truly is the little things that make them happy.
- I got to see Aaron + Cait for 15 minutes before they left to move to Vancouver. Doesn't sound like much, but I wasn't expecting to see them at all, so it meant a lot to me. I'm so happy that we'll be able to see them in Vancouver next week and don't actually need to say goodbye until the middle of September.
- I cracked the cover on my September issue of Vogue this week. Happy sigh.
- Briony has developed an intense love of Elmo. I don't know why. She's seen Sesame Street maybe a couple of times ever, but there are pictures of Elmo on her diapers, and she is DELIGHTED by this. She doesn't care about the other characters on the diapers, only Elmo. Which almost makes me wonder if childrens' love of Elmo is more than just pure commercialism? Weird.
- Briony and I met up with my sister Jessie and Chloe to go shopping yesterday. It's so adorable how much those girls love each other :)
Now I need to spend the rest of today being uber-productive, because I was two major projects for clients with milestones today and deadlines coming up...
Labels: Aaron, Briony, Caitlin, Friday Smile, Going Rogue, Jessimica
August Randoms
After a bath...
My new short hair (and pretty much a 'how to' on how to take a horrible self-portrait without make-up on, hehe)...
Adventuring at Toys R Us...
Camping...
Conference between Chloe, Briony, and Uncle Aaron...
Labels: Aaron, Briony, Photos, The Boy
