We're Back

We made it back, but before I can write anything remotely intelligent I must get some sleep. Things are good. Liam is on his third round of antibiotics in less than two months, though - he woke up with a 104.6 degree fever yesterday. That's the highest I've seen, folks, and I didn't like it. So needless to say, we skipped daycare and took him to the very expensive doctor. Ear infection again. Still. Again. Who knows? And he's teething. So he screams a lot. All the way home a lot.

This morning, though? We had breakfast at one of the resort restaurants and the Friendly Pirate was there, singing and entertaining boisterously and loudly and charmingly. He worked his way around to our table and started to sing:

The Friendly Pirate had a ship
Yo ho ho ho ho!
And on that ship, he had a...

Caleb was chosen to fill in the blank with a sea creature. He did parrot, then seahorse, then cat (which the Friendly Pirate deftly transformed to catfish), and then...and then got that familiar gleam in his eye. When it was time to fill in the blank again, Caleb loudly said: poop!

POOP.

He said poop.

I said "CALEB!" and reflexively covered my face.

Our dear Friendly Pirate actually looked blank for a moment. Only for a moment. Such the professional that he is, he quickly smiled and sang, "POOP DECK! And they swabbed the poop deck here and they swabbed the poop deck there..."

I like the Friendly Pirate.

There must have been at least twenty kids and their families in that place, but when we left, the Friendly Pirate bellowed, "BYE, CALEB!"

"How'd he know my name?" Caleb wondered.

I bet that dude will never, ever forget my eldest son's name!

Never fear, more to come! I missed a Ghost Story Tuesday! Oh! Bad me!

I have so much to tell you, and so many pictures to show you! I have to write Aidan's birthday post! And wait 'til you see the pictures I got of the haunted mill. And the deaf hoola-hoop player! Are you not excited?

Well, now I'm going to watch a movie.

Kisses!

Not surprisingly, Caleb enjoyed the fart display at the ECHO museum, which we visited on one of the rainy days. He is seen here utilizing his instincts and creating shockingly disturbing fart noises, attracting the attention of all present.

So Far...

Our vacation, so far.

A rather uneventful drive on Sunday. Liam was mostly pleasant, as long as we placated him with Ritz crackers at regular intervals.

Monday, it rained...but do you know what's good about rain? You must find something do do indoors. Therefore, shopping, friends...shopping is what's good about rain.

Caleb, on his way to daycamp.
Aidan, trying desperately not to be at daycamp.*
Aidan thought he should be able to go on the waterslides, despite the rain, "'cuz rain's just water anyways!"
We found some indoor entertainment for the boys...pizza and a video arcade made them forget about the rain.
This morning...no rain! A miracle! We went for a walk.
Being outside is nice.

*He had a great time. He did! We checked on him during the day. We're good parents! He jumped right in there this morning.

~~~

I've been trying to post this since yesterday morning...hopefully it'll work this time. BAH! Pouring again today. Is God trying to tell me something, here?

Aidan's birthday is tomorrow. We're thinking of staying another night, hoping for another sunny day. I want to take the kids to the pools! And the freaking waterslides! Ahem. Must go feed the baby.

If...

If I were more patient, I would paint. Wonderful landscapes with sea and sky and a smattering of flowers in the fields. I can see my paintings in my mind. They’re full of colour, of feeling, and of life.

If I were more patient, I would write a book. I have several written already, in my head. The characters are like real people, poised and ready to be revealed in a story, on paper. But oh, the time that would take. To somehow get it all from inside my head and onto paper.

Do you ever do this? Wish that you could be motivated (or simply have the time) to accomplish things you know are inside of you? I think I do it too much. So today, I shall focus on what I am doing.

I sing. All the time. You don’t have to listen if you don’t want to. But there it is. I sing in my office, in the car, while I’m watching TV. I even wake in the middle of the night, a song on my lips. It’s non-stop. And if you can’t hear me singing, you can rest assured there’s one playing in my head. Each note, every instrument is there, accompanying my thoughts.

I bake. I like to take the ingredients, measure them, put them all together, mix them, and put them in the oven. What comes out is my creation. And usually yummy. It’s immensely satisfying.

I set goals. Would you believe that one of my greatest fears is to find myself without goals? To achieve everything I aspire to would be frightening…what would I do then? I set goals every day, all day. Small ones and big ones. I like figuring out how I’ll accomplish something, and I love the feeling of getting there. It’s powerful, that feeling, and it spurs me on to do more.

We still haven’t figured out what we’re doing on our vacation. Your ideas are wonderful, one and all, but we haven’t quite solidified it yet. Jim and I keep hemming and hawing, going over and over the details and the options. I did a budget. I did three budgets! I figured it out. I set goals, and I worked out just how we could do it. It was so immensely satisfying that the need to actually go on the vacation was slightly diminished. Odd. Now that I know we could do it, it doesn’t seem so…necessary. But I am still considering. It would be so good for us, and the obvious option for everyone to have fun.

I like fun.

What kinds of things do you do well? What do you think you’d do well, but just don’t do?

~~~

*edited to add: We're going to Vermont. And guess what I say? WOOHOO!!!! I'll take pictures!

Thank You. And While You're In Advice-Giving Mode, Here's Another Question For You…

Thank you. You are wonderful friends, whether you’re my family, co-workers or friends in the computer. The advice, understanding, and comments I received after my last post were great.

Things are okay. Jim has resigned himself to having a baseball-free summer. He’s even admitted to being able to see it my way now. What a good man. And I’ve sworn that we’ll try again next year. In the meantime, we’re trucking right along.

Caleb is finished school on Thursday, and we are on vacation next week. The fact that there’s no daycare for Caleb on Friday means he’s coming in to work with me, which should be interesting. Happily, both of my neighbouring office-dwellers will be away that morning, so the disruptions should be at a minimum. If you don’t consider me, of course!

So, we’re thinking about our vacation next week, and basically we have two choices:

1) To sit around the house.

a. Pros:
i. It’s quite inexpensive!
ii. There’s no driving involved
iii. The money saved can go toward a down payment for a house (Um, did I mention we’re thinking about moving? Oh. Yeah, more about that later)
iv. It has the potential to be quite relaxing
v. Except for Caleb, daycare is available for the boys. Theoretically, we could go to the movies, shop, or stroll around the Byward market all day if we please. So, relative freedom.

b. Cons:
i. Booooringgggg!
ii. I know we’d end up painting the bathroom. Let’s face it, that sucks when you’re supposed to be on vacation.
iii. We’d end up spending money. I mean, there’s no way we wouldn’t go out and do stuff.
iv. Have I said “booooringgggg!” yet?

2) To go to Smuggler’s Notch in Vermont
a. Pros:
i. Non-stop fun
ii. They have daycare services with specialized, age-appropriate kid’s activities every day
iii. They even have an infant daycare center
iv. Meaning the children, they could be occupied and happy
v. And we could stroll along the beach.
vi. Or sit beside the pool
vii. Alone
viii. Without the kids
ix. And they would still be having fun
x. And we could take them out of daycare and go on the waterslides or whatever if we wanted
xi. But mostly, we could just relax
xii. Without the kids
xiii. Alone

b. Cons:
i. It’ll run us a few thousand dollars, including travel (we’d drive), food, and everything we could think of to include in the cost.
ii. The drive. The kids are pretty good in the car. We have a dvd player and lots of activities, but it’s still a long day’s drive, especially with a baby who would much rather be exploring than sitting in a car seat. That said, the drive is really not worrying me…we stop a lot and usually enjoy the trip.
iii. We want to buy a house. Money toward the house would be good.

Yes, I know the answer is obvious. Especially with the whole wanting to move business thrown in there. But we also must consider this: we need a vacation. NEED.

What do you think?

Overwhelmed

On Thursday, work was crazy. I ended up staying late; Jim was waiting for me downstairs in the lobby for twenty minutes. By the time I got down there, I was frazzled and apologetic and Jim was catatonic with boredom.

We got in the van and began the long crawl home in traffic. We talked about work, both his and mine. We talked about the kids. We talked about having to take time off during the week between when Caleb's school ends and his day camp begins. I complained about being sick. I was feeling anxious.

I started thinking about what we'd have for supper...about having to figure that out, then cook, then help with homework, try to spend some time with the boys, then bathe them and get them ready for bed. Then make lunches, do laundry, dishes...my anxiety ramped up a bit.

Then Jim mentioned that he'd have to leave for his baseball game pretty much as soon as we got home.

I was silent for a few moments. Everything sort of all came together and crashed within me. Besides all of that normal, every day stuff I just mentioned, I'm still breastfeeding Liam 5 times a day (at least twice during the night), which means I don't get much sleep. I'm sick all the time. Things are crazy. Down-time? What's that? I also feel like the "manager" of the family. Jim is great, yes. He contributes, no complaints! When I tell him to. I keep the schedule...I remember what has to be done, and I make sure it gets done. That's a lot of work right there.

I felt overwhelmed. I quietly suggested that extra-curricular activities, such as both Jim and Caleb's baseball, don't really fit into our lives right now.

Understandably, that comment was not met with joy.

We all have to make sacrifices, right? Yes, having time to yourself is important! I agree 100%. But when I have time to myself, I make sure it's after the kids go to bed...or for a couple of hours on the weekend.

So I cried a bit, and we argued a bit, and, in true male fashion, Jim went from shouting about how selfish I am to dialling his team captain to quit without warning. My head was spinning. I had just wanted to have a conversation is all. Somehow, I ended up selfish, feeling guilty, and even more overwhelmed.

Don't worry, we're okay. I'm still feeling confused and guilty. Jim's still upset about quitting baseball. I don't know what's right. I just know I'm tired.

I think the bottom line is that we need to simplify our lives. Pare down. Stop doing so very much, and just enjoy what we have. Sounds great, but it's so hard to do! I want to be able to take a breath once in a while. Is that too much to expect at this point in my life? Maybe.

What do you do to simplify? How do you make sure you get time as a family and time as a person? I think that if Jim and I could figure that out, baseball wouldn't be a problem...because things in general would be more calm.

Am I dreaming here, or is there really a way to do this? Advice, anyone?

Snippets

Out of Reach

You have been a part of my life
Always
There in some way
There in spirit, mostly
Your spirit is so huge

There, but not
As a child I watched and wondered
I ached for you
Tried so hard
Began to reach

Arms outstretched, always
Even now, though strength is failing
Waiting for my fingers to find purchase
To be reached for, and grasped in return
Waiting, always

We barely ever speak
It doesn’t matter
You still affect me
With your silence, neverending
Indifference?

Who are you?

Do you belong to me in some small way?

At all?

You could have so much more…

My arms hurt.


~~~~~~~~
Dear Friday,

I just want to tell you that I love you. Your every arrival is joyful. Your very existence, sublime.

Thank you for being you.

Love always and forever,
Tree

~~~
Jim read to the boys from “Suess-isms” last night.

Aidan: DAD! STOP!

Jim: What? Why?

Aidan: My head is hurting!

Jim: Are you ok?

Aidan: Yeah.

Jim reads a bit more.

Aidan: Aaaah! Stop! Those words are making me CRAZY!

~~~
Happy Friday, one and all. I love you. You’re pretty.

Ghost Story Tuesday

I couldn't get warm.

I was so very cold. My friend gave me her fleece jacket and I huddled at my desk, my teeth chattering. The bathroom mirror showed a pale face and purple lips. Fever, I thought. I took tylenol, then ibuprophen, then waited.

I couldn't get warm.

The young girl ghost in Liam's room kept popping up in my mind. But I was at work; I had so much to do. I couldn't think of her.

By the time Rachel called to see if I wanted to go get some lunch I was miserable. I went to her office and laid my head on her desk. "What is wrong with me?" I asked, exasperated. She looked slightly to my left.

"You have a very bright energy with you," she stated.

"The girl!" I said, probably too loudly.

Rachel and I talked about the young boy in Caleb and Aidan's room, and the girl. I told her that neither of them truly understood that they were dead, although I thought they had been gone more than 100 years. Both of them felt at fault for what happened. Rachel nodded.

"A fire?" she asked.

"Yes."

It had started in the boy's room. The girl was in the room with the baby. She was babysitting; she was not their sister.

"The boy thought it was his fault; the fire...but it wasn't."

I was so cold, my teeth chattered.

"A racoon," I said. "A racoon had come through the open window and knocked the lantern over. It wasn't his fault." I saw it clearly; the animal sauntering in through the window, its shoulder giving the lantern the slightest nudge...

An immense wave of relief washed over me.

I went on to say that the girl had tried to save him, but couldn't...and that the baby had died, too. She couldn't understand what had happened. She felt it was her fault.

"She couldn't have saved him," I said. "It wasn't her fault. Or his. It just...happened."

"They just need to understand that they have to move on," Rachel said.

"Yes."

I took off the fleece jacket.

I was warm.

I had planned on helping them pass on that night...but they were already gone. I try not to think too much about that fire, or the three lives that were lost. Too painful. I don't think about the two sets of parents involved.

I just think about the relief I felt from them that morning, as my friend Rachel and I told their story.

Anyway, my house is blissfully quiet now, and I seem to have come down with the flu. At least now, the fever is real.

Messy

Stay tuned for your regularly scheduled episode of Ghost Story Tuesday. But for now, let's look at this:

The cake.

The cake as presented to the birthday boy, who seems quite unsure as to what to do with it.

Mommy helps get the show on the road.

The young lad appears to be moderately pleased. But will he be motivated to dig in on his own?

Silly Mom! You needn't have worried about that! Now we're talkin'!

Ah, yes! The quintessential first-birthday-cake-messy-faced-birthday-child photo. Sweet success! My work here is done.

Happy Birthday, Baby

Liam was a surprise.

We were talking about a third baby, and feeling pretty sure that we wanted to have another, but had made up our minds to wait 6 months or so. One month, my cycle was off. The next month, I got pregnant. I knew it that very day. Well, a portion of me knew it, but the rest of me denied it.

Still, though that part of me knew it from the start, seeing that faint pink line on the home pregnancy test took my breath away.

Pregnant.

Pregnant with my third. And it would be another boy. Of course it would. But we were going to wait! But…such a blessing.

The denial lived on, and I think I took a total of 7 pregnancy tests over the first few weeks. Pretty bad, huh? And we didn’t tell our parents until I was about 14 weeks along. The shock of it sort of took over. It wasn’t until I saw him on an ultrasound at 20 weeks that I truly believed it.

The pregnancy was difficult, as I had known it would be. I went on bedrest at 17 weeks and stayed there until I was 34 weeks along. I had contractions right from the start, and threatened pre-term labour at 26 and 34 weeks (much better than the first two boys, believe it or not!). I had gestational diabetes and took insulin.

But I was positive. Right from the start, I made a point to enjoy the pregnancy; to enjoy being the baby’s mother even while he was inside me. And if everything went ok and I got a baby at the end of it, bonus! May seem like a macabre way of looking at things, but I think it saved me. With Aidan, I had been so severely depressed I needed to take Zoloft and go to therapy sessions. I had been so sure I would lose him…and I very nearly did. I couldn’t let that happen again.

I had to stay positive for the sake of the pregnancy, for me, and for my family.

I had known it would be a boy. I dreamt of a blonde, blue-eyed boy very early on. Seemed odd at the time, considering our colouring and the boys’ colouring, but when they handed that beautiful blonde, blue-eyed baby to me for the first time, I already knew him. I had seen him in my dream.

How can I describe how Liam has affected our lives? We simply wouldn’t be whole without him. He is an amazing little person – engaging, emotional, and loving. Such a big personality already. He does things on his own time. He’s not walking yet, though I know he could if he wanted to. Now, when we try to hold his hands and practice, he purposefully dangles from our fingers, refusing to comply. He babbles and gurgles joyfully, and seems to have his own words for certain things. He says “all done” when he’s done feeding. He loves bouncing on our laps or in our arms. He loves being chased. And he adores finding his way past the baby gate and making a break for it up the stairs. He’s giggling well before we grab him. Seems he loves being caught doing something he’s not supposed to be doing the most. He pulls the cds off the shelf and stares at us, waiting for our reaction. “What did you do?” from Jim or I is met with uncontrollable giggling and a renewed enthusiasm for tearing the entertainment center apart. If it were Caleb or Aidan, we’d be there beside them, picking up after them, but now, we just let him go, and pick up when he goes to bed.

Other things change with the third. We don’t freak out when he cries. In fact, more often than not, the monitor simply gets switched off when he wants to wake up at 5am. We’ve been giving him cows milk for months. And he’s been eating our food for just as long. He still breastfeeds 5 times a day. Just to put that in perspective, he’s in daycare from 7am to 4:30pm. So yeah, he wakes me at least twice a night to feed.

He’s happy. He’s beautiful. He’s the best surprise I’ve ever had the pleasure of receiving.

Today, on his first birthday, he is recovering from the chicken pox. But, he will eat chocolate cake tonight! And open presents!

Happy birthday, sweet, dear boy. I love you so much. You make me laugh every day. You bring me joy.

Oh, you bring me such joy.

What? You say you want to be subjected to OOPS I mean you want to read his birth story? Well, I just happened to have posted it here. Enjoy!

ps: Kelly, I forbid you to read the birth story.

pps: Jen, maybe your shouldn’t read it, either. Hee hee!

Friday Fun

Not to be outdone by his brothers, young Liam somehow morphed from a mild to moderate chicken pox sufferer while I was at work yesterday.

If you look veeeery carefullyat this picture from Tuesday, you'll see just a hint of a blossoming pock on his forehead, about an inch above his left eyebrow.

Before:

That very first mark did indeed blossom. Observe it in all of it's itchy glory, surrounded by it's minions:

Sigh.

I sincerely hope that I will be able to stop writing about this affliction very soon. And I hope that, with the eventual healing that will overtake our young ones, sleep will return to Liam and consequently to us. Because we are suffering over here. Oh, sweet sleep, I yearn for you so. The gracious gifts of you, dark holder of dreams, are oh, so missed...return, I beg of you! Come back to us!

Ahem.

Caleb is doing better today; no new marks, and that awful spot on his leg seems much better. In fact, since the ones on his eyeball seem to be healing very well, I think we'll cancel his doctor's appointment today.

Now, I have something wonderful to tell you: my girl Kelly and I are going forward with our business. We have, thanks to her amazing family, an office to work out of. Now to build a client base! We're going to put ads out and make ourselves some business cards. First, though, to name our business. Ideas, anyone?

I'm still reeling from this. It will start out very slowly; we'll do sessions on demand, and hopefully by the time Kel is done with maternity leave, we'll have grown to the point that I'll be able to at least go part-time at my current government job. I feel like I've been handed everything I've ever wanted...and don't quite know what to do with it!

We'll be doing Reiki, and my own version of energy work (which I have yet to solidify a name for), giving classes and workshops, and I'll do readings and medium work as demanded, though we most likely won't advertise that. So, if you're in the Ottawa area and want to check us out, let me know.

I know I sound very calm about all of this but, honestly, I'm freaking out in the most wonderful way inside! I'm just trying to stay grounded and realistic about all of this. I mean, it's not realistic to picture having our own clinic in a year, right? But that's what my manic brain jumps to. So, I'm trying very hard not to set myself up for disappointment, here. The downside of that is that I may not be thinking big enough. Thank God I'm not doing this myself. Thank God for you, Kelly! I love you, girl! This is going to be amazing, no matter what.

And now for news that is insurmountably bigger and more wonderful than even that. My dear Grammy Elaine's doctor has reported that her lymph nodes tested free of cancer. Since the surgery, I've been walking around in a bit of a focused daze, sending all the energy and positivity her way that I could muster. And, dear friends, when I asked for prayers and thoughts and energy, you came through. Thank you for your support. When I read the note from my Aunt last night about the cancer-free nodes, I quietly started crying. The gratitude is overwhelming! Yet again, this amazing soul has shown her strength.

With that happy news, I shall leave you to your Friday. Have a wonderful day!

And come get an energy session!

Woo!

Poor Caleb

*Some of the images I've included may disturb some readers. Hell, all of the images disturb me...so, proceed with caution!

Remember Aidan's chicken pox? Caleb's case is exponentially worse. Oh, I know! Let's compare!

Front:

Back:

We're calling the doctor tomorrow because of this:

Oh, and the ones on his left eyeball:

Liam, most likely because he's still breastfeeding, has less than ten pox. He is not, however, sleeping well. Not sleeping. Oooooh. And he's suffering with a fever, though Caleb's is higher (103.5 this morning).

Right now, all three boys are in bed and Jim and Jeff are playing baseball. I am tired after a day at work with the flu (Jim stayed home today), and all I want to do is watch some Lost episodes and lie on the couch. So guess what? That's what I'm going to do! Then, to bed early...'cause I just have this funny feeling that Liam will be up all night again tonight.

Fun times over here!

Siblings Can Be Competitive

Jeff: Wow, that was some good flute playin’, Treese.

Me: Aw! Thanks Jeff, that was really nice of you to say!

Jeff: I think you missed a note, though.

Me: Hm, you sort of just ruined the compliment there, Jeffo.

Jeff: (Laughing) No, really, it was great.

Me: Well, thanks.

Jeff starts to walk away.

Jeff: You play almost as good as I would if I played.

Ghost Story Tuesday

Just after 3am on Saturday, Liam woke up and wanted to be fed. Like every other night, Jim changed him and brought him to me in bed, and I sat up to feed him. Jim settled himself into bed and Liam and I sat quietly together. Just like any other night.

There was a crackling sound on the monitor. It does do that sometimes. A gurgle now. A gasp.

In response, my heart tried to beat out of my chest.

“Did you hear that?” I whispered to Jim in the darkness.

“Hmmmm?”

I waited. Crackle, crackle. Then, from Caleb and Aidan’s room this time, a cry. More gurgling. Another gasp.

“Jim! Go check the boys!”

“Huh?” He rolled over and got out of bed. Even half asleep, he responded to the urgency in my voice.

“Didn’t you hear that?”

“Hear what?” He stumbled out of the room and into Caleb and Aidan’s room, then, after a few moments of quiet, back to our room.

“They’re ok?”

“Mmm hmmm.”

I had known they would be. I tried to relax. Leaning back against the headboard, I reasoned that sometimes the monitor picked up on other signals. And sometimes the boys dreamed and talked in their sleep. Ah, such a good medium, aren’t I? I’ve told you before about my whole “no ghosts in my house” policy. When they do come, I tend to live in denial for a little while.

In any case, by the time I carried the sleepy Liam back to his room, I had convinced myself that all was well. I was secure in my comfortable cocoon of denial. Sometimes, it’s a nice place to be.

It did not last long. Coming out of Liam’s room, I saw, out of the corner of my eye, someone standing in Caleb and Aidan’s room. For the second time that night, my heart fought to escape my chest. I turned to face the room, and about eight feet away stood a young boy. Caleb’s age, but not Caleb. He wore short pants…they stopped just past the knee, and his hair was long-ish. Straight. He wore a white shirt and a vest. He was clear…but somehow…not. He didn’t look me in the eye; just stared at a spot near my feet. I remembered thinking that I would have to research the clothing, to date him.

All of that happened in what felt like minutes, but I’m sure that in reality it was only seconds. I had barely stopped walking when I turned and continued on to my room. Getting into bed, I connected to that boy, asked him why he was there. He didn’t answer, but showed me that there was another…a girl, in Liam’s room. She was older, maybe thirteen or fourteen. I asked her why she was there. She said she was minding the baby.

Minding the baby.

My baby?

She felt confused.

I saw her leaning over a baby...in a different time. A long time ago. I noted her clothing. I felt heat. Heard crackling. It was hard to breathe.

Asphyxiation, I thought. And in that vision, the girl turned and looked at me. She was confused.

“We have ghosts” I said to Jim.

“Oh yeah? Who?”

“Two children. One in each of the kids’ rooms.”

The next morning, Jim assaulted me with questions. Who were they? What did they want? Were they still here? Then, he told me he’d been up for a long time after our chat. Oops.

He wanted to know why I hadn’t found out more. “I was scared,” I said. It’s true. They scared the crap out of me.

Jim sensed the girl in Liam’s room the next night, and I saw her standing at the foot of the bed, on Jim’s side. Nothing last night. A nice break, though Jim is demanding that I figure this out so they can move on. Funny, I deal with other people’s ghosts just fine. But when they’re my ghosts, I wish I could pick up the phone and get someone else to deal with them. Ah, but that’s the way of life, I guess. It’s much easier to help others than help yourself. To give advice than to take it. Nonetheless, I have a job to do, and I shall do it. Later.

I have excuses! Caleb has the chicken pox now, and I still feel…gross. So, later. For now, that cocoon of denial is looking rather nice…

Blargh

I am sick. So today, I'm home.

And very soon, I am going to coccoon myself into my blankets and try to sleep until I have to run to the bathroom again.

But before then, I will tell you that there are two ghosts in my house. On Friday night, I saw a young boy standing in Caleb and Aidan's room. Oh, and it wasn't Caleb. Or Aidan. It freaked me out. I tried to connect and also sensed a girl in Liam's room. Since then, I've seen the girl once more, and Jim can sense her, too. I'm not sure what they want yet but I do know how they died, sort of. Anyway, I'll write about it tomorrow.

Until then, I offer you some flute tootling for your listening pleasure! Because I love you! Please do not make fun of me! Haha! Oh, and I am accompanied by my male strawberry finch, Wash, who has vast talents in the tootling area and enjoys singing whilst I play (or perhaps he thinks I'm trying to mate with Zoe, the female, and is telling me to go away...?). I keep trying to get him to harmonize or keep the beat or something but he's stubborn, and would much rather do his own thing. A nice addition to the song though, no?

Blythe Was The Time

Some Things

Today is my Grammy's operation; the one where she goes in with two breasts and cancer, and comes out with one breast and, God willing, no cancer. I'm praying it hasn't spread to the lymph nodes. If you pray, maybe you could add my Grammy Elaine to your prayers. And all of you...all of you who I know and love and all of you who I don't know, but love anyways...send her energy, ok? Aaaaaall the way to PEI. Send her peace and love.

Please.

So, speaking of love - guess what? Guess! Okay I'll tell you. See that new button over on the right? The "Perfect Post" button? The lovely and talented mama-tulip nominated one of my posts! Guess what else? I love her! Isn't that just so sweet and flattering? I actually blushed when I read her email. Incidentally, you should visit her blog. She's an amazing writer - profound, edgy and hilarious. I can't get enough of her. I want to make her tea and feed her bonbons.

Now I must ask you something. Is it hot where you are? Because here? It is hot. Well, today it's rather rainy but let me tell you, it's been very hot recently. Of late. Lately. Very hot. And sadly, the boys' daycare wasn't air-conditioned. Yesterday, when we arrived to claim our sweaty, listless children, the daycare provider laughed and said they'd be getting an air conditioner that night...because of Aidan! Apparently, my young lad lay down on the cool floor of the daycare, refusing to participate in any songs or games, and assumed a rather lethargic posture in silent rebellion against the heat. His sweaty hair was plastered to his head, and his normally smiley self was simply...not smiley.

This morning, an air conditioner whirred softly in the window of the daycare. And all were overcome with relief, and danced and celebrated in the old fashion. All rejoiced and gave thanks.

In short, WHOOPEE!