I’m still around, but things are on pause this month. All things. All things except parks, museums and splashing in puddles. Because you can’t pause the little dude – heck, why would you want to?

I’ll be back soon.

 

 

The first 20 months of Budsie’s little life were an absolute whirlwind for A. and I. It was a time marked by sleepless nights, frustration, joy, and an ever-present smell of diapers, baby soap, and boobmilk/formula. And while there were huge changes – crawling, standing, walking, and eating – Budsie still looked and acted like a baby and so nothing really seemed to change at all, in a way.

In the last month and a half, my baby has turned into a person. A talking, walking, opinionated, kind and helpful little person. A person who sleeps in his own big boy bed, who outgrew his sleep sac and now uses a pillow and blanket, who no longer wants pacifiers, who tells me stories and remembers the words to songs, who wants to toilet-train, and who knows all of his colours and letters. A little man who carries laundry for his Mum, who likes to organize the sticks in the park, who loves meeting his daddy at the door each night, and who insists that shoes are put in the right place.

WHAT?!?!

At the same time as these big changes have happened, Spring has arrived out of nowhere. Which brings me to the time travel aspect. Having a toddler is like going back in time. Budsie smells like the park and peanut butter toast, just as my little brother smelled when we were kids. When we play in the sand, I can remember having conversations with my siblings and cousins in the very same kinds of sandboxes. When I sit on the porch eating melon in the sun with my little man, I feel as if no time at all has passed between this day and the days when I sat on the porch in Prince George and organized the rinds into happy faces. The air, the food, everything reeks of nostalgia, of bike rides, picnic table snack-times, and the adventures of my childhood, and yet all of it is new for my Budsie.

So – freakin’ – strange. And a little sad – why does everything happen so fast?

Gah! So I’m back from NY. We had a grand time, loads to tell you. BUT! I’m right in the thick of a new renovation project and I have family arriving next week (LIVINGSTONES UNITE!). So you’ll have to wait until I get a spare moment tonight or tomorrow. Until then, this conversation will have to tide you over…

(Scene: A. is now married to another woman on Skyrim. I’m comfortable with this kind of open marriage, as it turns out, because I have no desire to hunt bears and dragons with A., so it’s nice that there is a fictional ladyfriend out there for him who does. That said, I’ve never seen her….)

Ezmy: *points to busty lady with disproportionately tiny waist on the screen* “Is that your wife?”

A.: “Nope.”

Ezmy: “Where’s your wifey?”

A.: “No idea. Back at my house I suppose, waiting for me.”

Ezmy: “What?! You don’t take her on adventures with you?

A.: “Well, I could take her with me, but then she might die.”

Ezmy: “Right, but wasn’t she a super cool fighter before you got married?”

A.: “Sure.”

Ezmy: “So basically, her fighting career is over now that you married her? I am shocked and appalled.”

A.: *sigh* “Look, she’s free to go places if she wants to. I just don’t invite her. I mean she could come, but it’s dangerous and she might die and where would that leave her? Dead that’s where.”

Ezmy: *ignoring A.* “…this day and age…blah blah blah…under-valued role of women…blah blah blah…”

A.: *sigh*

So Budsie and I have been spending our mornings doing major outings. Yesterday was Grand Central (a repeat, but I really wanted to check out the market), today was an off-the-beaten-path children’s bookstore, and tomorrow, I’m thinking Madison Square Park.

But because Budsie naps from 1ish to 3:30ish these days, there isn’t much time to do big outings in the afternoon before the dinner planning and mummy burning out fun times ensue. So I’ve decided that we will use this time to check out a new spiffy bakery/coffee shop each day. Will this be a fun and tasty project? I think so!

First on the list: a place called ‘Lucid Cafe’ which boasts some of the creamiest lattes in town. Organic and local and a mere five minute walk from the hotel. Off we go!

 

So I’m in New York this week. For no particular reason, except that A. had a big important work thing going on here, I have a super special friend who lives here who I never see, and we had aeroplan points that were simply sitting there. So 12 days of NY for me and the Budsie!

Thoughts so far? Mixed. And here’s why:

The pros of navigating NY with a toddler:

1) Everyone has been super duper friendly. And I mean really friendly. Random people holding doors open for me and the stroller munchkin, random people giving Budsie treats when he seems disgruntled, etc. I can’t say enough about the friendly.

2) There is just heaps of stuff to see. High points for the little dude: FAO Schwarz, bakeries, and pigeons. High points for Mummy: wine shops…EVERYWHERE! Bakeries. Saks Fifth Avenue (which I obviously couldn’t go in with Budsie, but which I will definitely be hitting up this weekend). And Rockefeller Center (I haven’t seen Tina Fey yet, but I feel certain that this will happen if I keep going there on a daily basis).

The cons of navigating NY with a toddler:

1) Very few places are stroller friendly. How people in wheelchairs manage here, I’ll never know. Tiny aisles, non-automatic doors, stairs EVERYWHERE. Most frustrating.

2) Also, WHERE ARE THE CHANGE TABLES!? Holy hellfire. Do the children of NY potty train at 4 days? Or are they all walking about in the dirtiest diapers in all the land? One horrific and desperate lunch hour saw me having to change Budsie on the floor of a bathroom in Times Square. I threw out that particular change pad – no amount of bleach was getting that off.

3) As I assumed, there are plenty of tasty eats, but they are pretty pricey. And it’s been tricky so far to find places to eat with Budsie, a fact that surprises me. Yelp! has been most helpful, but because a lot of places are so small here, finding a table somewhere, even at 5:30, can be tricky business. And going from restaurant to restaurant looking for a place that is both suitable and available is not exactly a toddler’s idea of a good time. Sigh.

So I’m having a good time, but it’s been challenging. More on my NY adventures tomorrow…

(Scene: Ezmy and Budsie are in the bathroom, doing the post-lunch clean-up)

Budsie: “PEE!” *points to tiny toilet*

Ezmy: “Do you have to go pee?”

Budsie: “PEE! PEE!”

(Note: For the past couple of weeks, ‘PEE! PEE!’ has meant “TAKE OFF MY DIAPER SO I CAN SIT ON THE POTTY AND READ BOOKS FOR FIFTEEN MINUTES AND THEN STAND UP AND PEE ON THE FLOOR AND THEN STAMP ABOUT LIKE A CRAZY PERSON IN MY OWN URINE!” Knowing that she should encourage these little moments of independence, Ezmy remains reluctant because of the inevitable bath/spray down of the floor that will follow. However, she is also not interested in a category 4 meltdown…so, off comes the diaper.)

Budsie: *sits on tiny toilet and predictably points to his book* “Book!”

Ezmy: *hands Budsie the book* “Alright, so do you want to read and go pee?”

Budsie: *nods head and points to a dog in the book* “Gog!”

Ezmy: “Yep, that’s a dog.”

Budsie: *points to a cat* “Meeeow!”

Ezmy: “Yep that’s a cat.”

Budsie: *points to a picture of superman underwear* “DADA!”

Ezmy: *chuckles* “Um…ok, well Daddy has a superman shirt, doesn’t he.”

Budsie: “PEE!” *stands up*

Ezmy: *prepares herself for the inevitable urine floor dance* “Do you have to pee? You might want to sit dow…WAIT!?” *notices inside of tiny toilet* “YOU PEED IN THE TOILET!?!? WELL DONE, BUDSIE!”

Budsie: *peers into the toilet* “Pee?”

Ezmy: “Yes! Oh well done, sir. Well done!”

Budsie: *inspects his feet and the floor* “Pee?”

Ezmy: *almost jumping with glee* “Nope, no pee on the floor today, buddy!”

Budsie: *looks confused and mildly disappointed* “Lalalala” *dances on spot* “Pee?” *points to floor* “lalalala”

 

So yeah. I’m super excited and my little dude is somewhat miffed at the loss of the urine floor dance this time around. Ah well. YAYA BUDSIE!

The oldest of three, I’ve always felt as though both of my siblings were in fact older than me. Both are significantly funnier and wiser than I am, and both seem to have an enviable knack for getting to where they want to be in a more useful, less destructive sort of way. I’d be super jealous of them if it wasn’t for the fact that I think they are so awesome.

I mention this because my little/older sister is taking up blogging again. Feeling a tad lost since the birth of her second child, A-lo (not her real name, don’t worry), Lady Heather is setting out to tackle some of the problems that she feels hold her back from really getting the most out of life. On her blog she will look at weight issues, getting oneself financially sorted out, and just generally halting the oh-so-tempting procrastination train that seems to run through her life. She thinks the blog will be boring. I doubt it; rather, I suspect it will be inspirational. Haven’t we all had phases in our life when things just weren’t falling into place? Nice to know others face the same troubles and that they are brave enough to do something about it.

So check out Lady Heather’s blog once in awhile. She’s the bestest sister a girl could ask for and deserves all the encouragement she can get.

 

As mentioned previously, A. and I have been re-watching the Lord of the Rings movies. These are some brilliant films, and I mean aside from the frequent shots of Viggo. Absolutely stunning scenery, stupendous battle scenes, and a moving story about good vs evil.

Great stuff.

But, while I’ve enjoyed this re-watch immensely, I’ve come to realize one horrible fact of life: I would make a terrible ring bearer. And here’s why:

1) I would never have made it out of the Shire. Seriously, I would have told Gandalf that he was probably the best dude for the job, being a wizard and all.

2) I’d have asked too many questions before accepting the task.  Even if I had left the Shire, by the time we got to the elves, I would have amassed a pretty extensive list of questions about this whole ring bearing business. As noted by A. last night, Frodo sort of jumped into the take-the-ring-back task, without getting some of the more pertinent details (things like how to get to the damn place for instance, or how frequently people were going to try to kill him on the way). Now, one could argue that some of the others (I’m looking at you, Gandalf) could have been a little more forthcoming with the terrible details, but really, Frodo should have asked some important questions. Things like ‘Is there a map other than the one inside Gandalf’s head?’ or ‘Have we packed enough food for BOTH ways?’ or ‘Why can’t we summon a winged creature to fly us part (or the whole) way?’

3) I would have gotten angrier, faster. “IF THIS TASK SO IMPORTANT, WHY ISN’T EVERYONE HELPING ME?? WHERE ARE THE FANCY SHIELDS, THE ELVEN MEDICINES? I’M SAVING THE BLOODY WORLD HERE, PEOPLE! GIVE ME YOUR BEST STUFF!” Rants such as these would have been shouted about with considerable regularity. I have no doubt that Aragorn would have killed me early in the journey.

4) I would have lost the ring. I totally would have. I can’t keep track of my keys, let alone jewelry. Do you have any idea how many single earrings I have? And I know what you’re thinking: “But this would have been important so you would have been extra careful.” Perhaps, but I’m not so sure I would have worn the thing. Given the whole horrid visions/temptation nonsense, I probably would have wanted to put the ring in a little safe in my bag or something. And then I’d have promptly lost said safe during one of the times when someone was trying to kill me.

5) I’m not one for heights. That snowy mountain walk would have been hard enough, but one look at the damn “stairs” up the cliffs to Mordor, and I would have said screw this beeswax and given the ring to Golem.

Ah well, thankfully it is highly unlikely that I will be asked to carry out such a task. Off I go now to make some puzzles with Budsie, a task I am much better suited to.

Happy Valentine’s Day! Faithful followers know that I always enjoy this day, in spite of the commercial broohaha. It’s nice to have a day that reminds us to say ‘I love you!’ We’re celebrating tonight with wine and dinner at home, which is essentially what we do every night but whatever. I think we might go crazy and wait to eat until after Budsie is in bed, thus allowing us to actually have a conversation, instead of forcing food down at breakneck speed.

As part of today’s festivities, I was forced to go out to the grocer’s and the liquor store. The grocery store trip was fine – Budsie made friends in the produce section and at the checkout counter, while I smiled at the 25 men surrounding a stack of withering rose bouquets (there was one kid there who was about 14…I hope she knows how lucky she is!).

But the liquor store…oh the liquor store. Budsie went in already pissed because I wouldn’t let him walk from the grocery store to the liquor store (I am, after all, a terrible mother for not allowing my child to walk for what would be 30 minutes in the freezing cold along a busy highway). I was hoping to do a quick in and out thing, but of course they had run out of the wine I needed for work, so I was forced to choose another. Decision-making = waiting = angry, angry toddler. After 5 minutes of listening to “A walk! A walk! A walk!” (I walk!) I gave in, took him out of the stroller and started to put his little knapsack leash on (a necessity in a liquor store with bottles at toddler grabbing level).

Oh but he wasn’t having any of that.

The screaming could be heard in Australia, I tell you (ok, maybe just the Australian wine section but whatever). He collapsed. He rolled around, banging fists on the floor. He went purple in the face. He yelled all sorts of what I take to be toddler swear words at me: “YAYAYA grrrrrrGRRARARARARA! NONONONONONONO! ggggggGGGAAAAAAH!!”

Fantastic stuff, really. So I did what any sensible person would do under the circumstances: I chuckled. ‘Cause it’s funny! And just a little tragic. Poor sod can’t communicate the way he would like to, can’t understand why I won’t let him walk alone when he knows that I know he’s able to, and frankly, would rather be at home with some Cheerios and Sesame Street. I get it.

But the liquor store people did not. One stock fellow frowned at me (clearly doesn’t have kids), a more than a few patrons glared. Pfft to them I say. I realize we’ve interrupted your 10am booze purchase, but it’s not my problem if you came in here with a headache. A friendlier stock person asked if I needed anything (might have kids), and a third laughed along with me as I was leaving (definitely has kids).

Five seconds after we left, Budsie saw a dog and all was forgotten. Ah toddlers.

Now where was I…oh right, the Lord of the Rings conversation!

(Scene: A. and Ezmy have recently acquired all three LOTRs movies on blu-ray. Woot! They are on the second half of ‘The Fellowship of the Ring’, when the fellowship is walking along the snowy awful cliffs of whatever. Saruman is trying to bury them in an avalanche…)

Ezmy: “I’m not sure if burying Frodo in a pile of snow on the side of a mountain is really the best idea if you’re trying to get the ring back.”

A.: “I know. And if you have that kind of specific location, I mean if you know he’s RIGHT THERE on the side of that particular mountain, can’t you just send somebody to take them?”

Ezmy: “Right, doesn’t he have minions for that type of thing?”

A.: “I mean, he’s making orcs in the ground. Surely a few of these guys could be made to go handle a mountain. Maybe one with wings or something. Geez.”

Ezmy: “I know! He’s playing around with orc genetics down there anyway.”

A.: (takes on voice of Saruman) “Make a winged orc? That would be an abomination!  Are you crazy?”

Ezmy: “hehe”

(Ok, admittedly, this back and forth is probably only funny to me and A. Too bad for you!)

This is Ezmy today:

This is Ezmy six years and two days ago:

Six YEARS (and two days…I totally forgot to post this on Saturday) ago. That’s when I started this blog. And do you know why? Because I was dating some d-bag and I needed an online escape. And look what it’s become! Ok, not much of anything except 2193 days of my life written down and whined/hoorahed about. But still….SIX YEARS (and two days).

By way of honouring this momentous occasion, I’ve re-done the meme from my very first post on February 11, 2006.

1.Honestly are you in love right now?

2006 Ezmy: Yes, with my new, black, ultra mod coffee mug from IKEA.

2012 Ezmy: Yes, with my fantabulous husband A. And my pumpkin coffee mug.

2. Honestly, what color is your underwear?

2006 Ezmy: Haha funny day to ask. Pink with polka dots. It’s laundry day.

2012 Ezmy: Purple lace. It is again laundry day (when is it not laundry day, really?) and these things are the worst.

3. Honestly, what are you doing right now?

2006 Ezmy: Contemplating another cup of tea which would be suicide at this hour.

2012 Ezmy: Thoroughly enjoying my second cup of coffee. Tea is for the weak!

4. Honestly, what did you do today?

2006 Ezmy: Pretended to teach, cleaned the house, worked on thesis, played with cat, talked to sister….procrastinated….

2012 Ezmy: 45 minutes of yoga, showered and threw on clothes, changed a diaper, made breakfast for myself and the kidlet, unloaded dishwasher and dishrack, cleaned kidlet, got kidlet ready to go outside, deposited a cheque at the bank, mailed two letters and a parcel, picked up household toiletry items for the next two weeks, folded diapers, switched over laundry, replaced vent in bedroom ceiling, changed a diaper, read stories to kidlet, made myself and the kidlet a snack, watched Sesame Street, talked to sister while making puzzles and building towers with kidlet, made lunch for myself and the kidlet, cleaned kidlet, folded another load of laundry, read stories, put toys away with kidlet, changed a diaper, put kidlet down for nap, swept floor, mopped up cat vomit, glanced at news headlines, answered emails, finally had two cups of coffee. It’s 1pm.

5. Honestly, do you think you are attractive?

2006 Ezmy: Well, I don’t need to walk around with a bag on my head. But I’m not going to enter a beauty contest anytime soon.

2012 Ezmy: Yes, yes I do.

6. Honestly, have you done something bad today?

2006 Ezmy: No I did that last night. Stupid seductive Guiness…

2012 Ezmy: Define ‘bad’.

7. Honestly, do you bite your nails?

2006 Ezmy: Ew.

2012 Ezmy: Ew. But my kid does – drives. me. batty.

8. Honestly, wouldn’t you rather be having sex right now?

2006 Ezmy: Of course.

2012 Ezmy: Well,… is sleep an option? :P

9. Honestly, do you like someone?

2006 Ezmy: Sure.

2012 Ezmy: What a ridiculous question. Of course I do. I like loads of people. Ok, maybe not loads but some at least.

10. Honestly, does anyone like you?

2006 Ezmy: I think so. Someone must. People like George Bush for gods sake.

2012 Ezmy: Yes.

11. Honestly, did you answer all these questions honestly?

2006 Ezmy: Would I lie to you?

2012 Ezmy: Does it really matter?