Choosing Today
So today should have been a terrible day.
Well, it's true. Yesterday was one of those days that was nonstop starting at 7 am and ending... I don't even know when. Late. I don't think I sat down once until well after 8 pm - and my day included a bunch of errands and a 90 minute walking tour during a client meeting.
So BIG FREAKING SURPRISE, I woke up in a ridiculous amount of pain this morning. Geoff was long gone to work already and I lay in bed, assessing the situation and listening to Briony waking up, when I realized that I had a choice to make. And I made it. I got Briony out of her crib, went downstairs, and made an awesome pancake breakfast for us which we ate giggling in our pyjamas.
We were still in pyjamas (and had coloured about a hundred pictures) when Emily arrived two hours later, but we quickly made ourselves a little more presentable and the three of us set off for the playground via Starbucks. Briony had some lunch at home and then went down for a nap while Paul played Sushi Delivery Boy and joined Emily + I for lunch.
After they left, I managed to have a shower and get dinner into the slow cooker before Briony's nap ended. And then after dinner, we were colouring again when Christine, Amber, and Dolly showed up for girls night here. While we all caught up on each other's lives - and in between Briony treating us to various renditions of 'Twinkle Twinkle Little Star' - they even managed to help me get the kitchen cleaned up and a cake baked to take to the lake tomorrow.
I'm still tired. I'm still in lots and lots of pain. But I am so very glad that I made the choice that I did this morning. Today could have turned out very differently. I would have ended up tired and in pain anyway, but I would have missed all the good.
Labels: Amber, Arthritis/Fibromyalgia, Briony, Christine, Dolly, Emily, Mommy Stuff, My Friends, My Life
Dancing With Myself
So today got off to kind of a rough start. Apparently, my brain is taking an *extra* long weekend because I completely forgot that I'd promised to meet a client first thing this morning. Not the biggest deal ever - we easily rescheduled - but it's still embarrassing, and a brutal start to a Tuesday that feels suspiciously like a Monday.
My cure is the Glee soundtrack. Nothing makes a person happier faster than a Glee cover of 'Bust a Move' - and that's a scientific fact. There's a little bit of secret desk dancing going on here right now... And I'm seriously missing my old work buddies Christine + Dolly, because I know that if they were here and I pulled out my headphones, they'd be dancing along with me. This is not really that kind of office... :)
Labels: Back to Work, Christine, Cocoon, Dolly, Music, My Friends, The Cocoonettes
The Day of Tiny Miracles
Today was kind of extraordinary, in that super special ordinary way. You know what I'm talking about. It was one of those days where it felt like the whole universe was conspiring to just kind of lighten my load a little bit.
Geoff forfeited sleep after a night shift to let me sleep an extra two hours this morning.
My clients were surprisingly non-needy today.
I got THREE amazing leads for casual childcare this year, all in the last 24 hours.
I found the boots I'd been coveting last winter on sale for 60% off - IN MY SIZE.
The upcoming scary day in Geoff's schedule that I'd been panicking the most over in terms of not having any help with Briony (and me needing to work) got covered today.
Briony went to sleep easily tonight. THANK YOU, GOD.
Josy was here and cleaned my house today. I still have a hundred things I feel like I need to take care of, but just knowing that my floors are all clean and my bathtub has been scrubbed is kind of incredible.
I found some new glasses frames that I like, and I'm ordering them tomorrow. WOOHOO!
I got to sneak in an hour with friends who I love - not nearly long enough, but enough. I don't think they have any idea how much it helped me for them to just spend some time loving my daughter (and helping me load up my car after).
A client who's behind on payments finally touched base with me today and is taking care of things.
I had a TWO Pumpkin Spice Latte day today.
Oh, and Katie's back in Manitoba again! YAY!
It was a remarkable day, but I didn't know that it was going to be while I was living it. In fact, today also contained some terribly low points - including my attempt to give Briony a bath by myself for the first time in months. Let's just say that there are compelling physical reasons why I don't usually handle bath duty. And I'm not likely to try again for a very long time. I ended up crying on the bathroom floor.
As I write this, I'm fighting pain along with waves of nausea and a little bit of a fever. Healthwise, today was incredibly difficult. Making it until my appointment in October is going to be really, really hard. But it's these little moments and random pockets of joy that make me believe that we can do it.
Labels: Amber, Arthritis/Fibromyalgia, Briony, Christine, Dolly, Going Rogue, Katie, My Friends, Random Joy, The Boy
One Moment With Briony
You know you've been spending lots of time enjoying the warm weather and sunshine when...
This week, Briony started grabbing her jacket and bringing it to whichever adult is closest to her, saying 'OUTSIDE! OUTSIDE!'
On Monday, we walked to the park with my parents and they had their first Briony swing experience. She did not disappoint. From the first push, it was nonstop shrieks and giggles. We haven't done the swings since then, but we've been going for some pretty serious walks almost every day for the last week or so. I guess she likes it! Which is a good thing, because so does her mama.
I'm not sure how to break it to her that it's COLD out there today... Or maybe we'll just bundle up and make the most of it :)
-
I almost forgot that we had Girls Night here on Tuesday. Amber came over after work to help me with Briony (Geoff was working) and we had a great time having dinner, hanging out, and putting Briony to bed. We knew it was getting awfully close to bedtime when Briony started to show Amber how she's learned to turn our living room lamp on and off... And this was apparently *so* hilarious that Briony would literally fall over giggling. I still giggle when I think about it. Briony has the best giggle - she giggles like she means it :)
Christine and Dolly joined us later and it was just a good evening of nonstop talking and friends. Love it. Evenings like that are so very good for my heart.
Labels: Amber, Briony, Christine, Dolly, Family, One Moment With Briony
What A Way To End A Week
I'm drinking tea and invoicing, my responsible but seriously DULL afternoon activity every other Friday. Not my favourite thing to do because of all the math involved, but something I do anyway because emailing out invoices = getting paid soon. And it was a solid two-week period for my little freelance writing business. YAY.
Went to yoga this morning. A 09.30-10.30 yoga class is pretty much the perfect way to kick of a Friday as far as I'm concerned. Awesomeness. I don't know why I waited this long to start going again. I am really, really liking this new instructor. And I switched from my former yoga studio which means (a) it's significantly cheaper, and (b) I can walk to class. Cool.
Geoff, Briony, and I hit up a dollar store to finish off our
Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes today and followed it up with lunch at Nikos. How can I *not* be happy?
Well, I have one reason: I totally broke even on weight loss this week. Nothing lost. (But nothing gained, either). Ordinarily, it wouldn't bother me this much except that I checked on Wednesday and I was down three whole pounds. I blame last night's celebration of Christine's birthday - and Dolly's calorie-laden attempt at making some sort of whipped cream-inspired substance :)
I'm over it.
Still on the agenda for tonight:
- Ordering our next book club selection!
- Family pumpkin carving!
- Last night's episode of The Office!
- Bubble bath for Lindsay!
- More Christmas shopping brainstorming!
Oh, and finishing these darn invoices.
Labels: Amber, Book Club, Briony, Christine, Christmas, Dolly, Going Rogue, My Life, The Boy, Yoga
Happy Birthday, Amber!
Okay, so it's not *actually* Amber's birthday until Saturday. But we celebrated early at Girls Night last night :)
Labels: Amber, Briony, Christine, Dolly, Photos, The Cocoonettes
Gold Star for Lindsay
I just got my third individual assignment back for the course I'm taking... And it's the highest mark yet! The instructor had nothing but great things to say about my paper. Just one left before the end of the course, but I'm feeling *much* more confident than when I started.
It's important to note that I am literally giving myself a gold star for this one. My mom gave me two sheets of shiny little gold star stickers the last time I saw her. I love my mom.
It's also important to note that the whole 'gold star' thing totally made me think of Christine and Dolly... Back when the three of us worked together, we were feeling very unappreciated at work - and so Christine bought a huge pile of stickers, and we would present them to each other whenever we saw someone doing great work or needing some encouragement. No one gives me stickers at home... But now I have gold stars! And you can bet that I'll be using them, hehe :)
Amazing how humans thrive on that kind of affirmation. I've noticed that I do that for Briony. When she rolls over or tries something new, I'll clap and cheer for her, and her little face just lights up the entire room. She's *so* proud of herself. At four months old. No wonder we all have just a tiny little bit of a complex by the time we're adults.
Labels: Back to School, Briony, Christine, Cocoon, Dolly, Family, The Cocoonettes
Tea Party
Briony and I had our first tea party today - and invited all the Cocoon girls to join us. We had a *lovely* afternoon, and my baby girl charmed all our guests with her cuddliness and big gummy smiles :)
I'm not sure, but this *may* be the only picture of Dolly holding a baby. EVER. But she's been bonding with Briony since she was a fetus (hehe).
Briony was full of giggles and smiles for 'Auntie' Amber, who was more than willing to play with her.
I'm still kind of a little bit in shock that Christine held a baby - more than once! Briony's pretty hard to resist :)
This baby is all tea-partied out...
(Briony, not me - although I look pretty tired too :)
Labels: Amber, Briony, Christine, Cocoon, Dolly, Photos, The Cocoonettes
