We're getting our new windows and doors installed this week. I'm thrilled, it will be nice to not freeze my butt off this winter. It will be nice, with Harley season approaching, that the street noise will be dulled a bit. And it will be nice that I'm going to see some massive savings on our utility bills.

What will not be nice is that I'm going to have the installers all through my house for three days. I don't do well with invasions like that. I was beyond stressed when we got the roof done a few years ago and they stayed outside. This will be a whole new ball game.

They'll be in the playroom which means a major cleaning when they go.
They'll be in the bedrooms, which means no sleep for Connor and ours and the girls rooms will be turned upside down so they can access the windows.
They'll be in my bathtub with their boots!

And to add in that little extra umph...it's going to rain. I know it will be worth it, I just have to survive the three days they'll be here.
Calgone...take me away!

It has been the week from hell and just to top it off I just spilled soup down the front of my favourite shirt. That's what I get for trying to drink the broth straight from the bowl. Classy.

Why has it been the week from hell you ask? Well, for starters next week will be a short week for me. We're having our new windows and doors installed so I've closed the daycare for Thursday and Friday. Three day work week. Woohoo! Won't be many of those with the window debt hanging over me. But because I'm looking forward to something next week it just made this week take longer.
I also had one of the daycare kids here for an extra few days this week. She's the same age as Conman and she's sweetie. The thing is, Connor doesn't so much think so. He's still very much in the world of the toddler. If it's mine, it's mine. If it's yours, it's mine. If I thought of it an hour ago, it's mine. You know the drill. So naturally, life with two 18 month olds has been nothing short of tiring and an ongoing battle to control the rage. My boy has rage. He clenches his fists and screams at the top of his lungs. And he goes purple. And the little daycare girl eggs him on. She'll clench her fists and scream, only halfheartedly and then laugh.

Then there's the backyard. My nemesis. We've been in this house 7 years and I'm still waiting for the backyard to be done. Last year I thought it would finally be done. I begged to sod the whole thing but Sean insisted we should seed and all would be fine. We tilled, we laid a bunch a seed and we kept the kids off it for months. The grass came in and all was right with the world.
And now, it's a dust bowl again. All the grass has died and much of it has seemingly vanished. The kids need showers right after coming in from the backyard.

So the battle continues. Hindsight is 20/20 and Sean now sees the error of his ways. We'll be sodding this year. Grrr.

I need some wine and a hot bath.

Pacifier 1, Mommy 0

Emily was 15 months old when we took her soother away. She had just moved into her toddler bed. We gave her a little piggy finger puppet that I had been given at the hospital when she was born to hold on to, she liked flicking the tail on it (Emily was a flicker) It worked like a charm. We chucked the soothers out and she never balked even the slightest.

Mary Jo just gave up her thumb. It was hard for her and she still breaks down occasionally and cries because she misses it. But I'm already seeing a difference in her overbite so as much as she's missing it, she's not sucking in secret.

I decided today would be the day to take Connor's soother away. He's 18 months this weekend. He's in his big boy bed now so this is the next step. Plus, I think the longer I wait the harder it will be for him.

Now it's probably just because I was tired today and feeling crappy because Sean had to work. I've been encouraging Connor to cuddle his lovey bear (one of those blankets with a stuffed animal head) He loves his lovey bear. So today, I stashed his soothers in his sock drawer (yep, mistake number 1. I'm not new at this, I know better - I should have thrown it out, that way I can't cave in and give it back) As soon as we went into his room he went straight for the dresser (we keep them on top of his dresser so he can't suck when he's not in bed) I showed him that they were all gone and tucked him into bed for his nap. It was a little earlier than usual (mistake number 2, he wasn't tired enough) and went out. 2 minutes later I can hear him as if he's standing next to me. When I went into his room he had the base of the monitor in his hands and he was yelling into it "Mamamamamama" So I tucked him into bed again, told him "night night" and went out. 2 minutes later I hear him playing with his toys (mistake number 3, I should have turned the shelf around so he couldn't get to the toys.) So again, tuck him into bed, clean up his toys and go out of the room. 2 minutes later I hear him giggling. Apparently lovey bear is one funny character when he's flung around the room.

Patience was not my virtue today. I just wanted him to sleep before Emily's friend came over so I caved. The "doodoo" came out of the drawer and the giggle from Connor was a mix of victory and pure joy to see his long lost friend.
And 2 minutes later he was fast asleep.

Tomorrow is a new day.

Channel 9 Park

Behind the CFTO studios there was a very large field. You could only access it through a catwalk on one of the side streets in my neighbourhood. At the entrance to the field was a climber made of old tires. There was also a big wooden climber on the top of a hill.

Now, what I remember about this park (we called it Channel 9 park...since CFTO was channel 9) and in particular the climber was the slide. It was a huge plastic tube and it was the longest slide I had ever seen. I'm sure it's all relative. I was, after all, only 10 and if I saw it now it may not seem as long but back then...there was nothing like it.
It was black, dark and when when you came out of the bottom of it your hair would stand on end from the static. The bravest kids would climb up the outside of the tube to the top and then slide down on the inside. We would get inside and yell at the top of our lungs to hear the echo.

There was also a tire swing on chains. We would stand on the swing and getting it spinning so hard that we thought for sure we'd never be able to hold on tight enough and we'd go flying off. And if you got sick...well then no one in the neighbourhood would let you live it down.

There was a chain ladder too and a rope swing, both of which I was never really good at. I hated the way they moved around when I climbed. There was also a beam that ran from the main frame of the climber across to the end that held the tire swing. Again, only the bravest kids would walk across that beam (now, as a parent, I shudder to think of the danger we were in pulling stunts like that!)

The park was secluded. There were never a huge amount of kids there which made it even better. We felt like it was a secret park and, in fact, there was many occasions that I'd want to ride my bike there but couldn't remember which street had the catwalk to get to it and would have to ask one of my brothers to show me the way.

I remember once, very early in the morning I'd had a friend sleep over and we decided to go to Channel 9 park when we woke up. We got there and climbed up the chain ladder to discover a teen aged boy sleeping on the platform. I remember he looked up at us, asked what time it was and then laid back down. (we took off, scared out of our minds)

One afternoon when I was about 11 or so I headed over to the park and I'll never forget the disappointment. Someone had set the climber on fire. The wooden structure was completely gone. The tube slide melted. Of course there were rumors about who did it didn't matter. The point was, channel 9 park was gone.

It's silly but it's one of the few places I always felt happy and free. It's one of the few places that has great memories and though we live no where near it now and though it probably wouldn't have met current safety standards, I would have loved to have brought my kids there to play.

I hope they will find a place that brings them the same kind of memories.