Vaughn Proof

I want to start this off by saying I love my son immensely and in no way should this blog be construed as me complaining.  However...

It is getting increasingly difficult to take Vaughn to other people's houses.  He is in to absolutely everything, loves to push buttons, shake lamps, stand on their couches and in general, make it so I can't relax even the slightest bit.

I didn't want to "baby proof" too much because a child is supposed to come into our lives, we are not supposed to go into theirs.  Flash forward a few months and there is absolutely nothing within his reach in our living room (where he is mostly contained).  There is a baby gate at the bottom of the stairs and a baby gate at the entrance to the kitchen.

I have tried the "let him look at it and eventually he'll ignore it" method.  Let me tell you something - the more you show my son, the more he is interested in it.  The more he knows you don't want him to have something, the more he wants to have it.  

We gave him his own remote control, but he knows it doesn't do anything.  We gave him own little "phone" but again, he's on to us.    For the most part, he's pretty good when we tell him to get away from something but the distraction we offer him is only good for a nanosecond and he's back to his impish ways.

Vaughn loves to get things off of shelves.  We have to be vigilent about what we leave on the table beside Tim's desk, on Tim's desk and on the kitchen table.  I can't believe how far his little go-go-gadget fingers can reach.  Don't even get me started about going to someone else's house.  It's embarrassing.

Yesterday, we went over to my friend Julie's place for what was supposed to be a play date.  Her daughter Joelle was happy to sit and play quietly.  Not my child.  He was all over the place, grabbing at everything and couldn't sit still for a minute.  He wants to see and experience the world all at once -  I just wish he didn't have to do it all in 45 minutes.

Now here's the thing - I'm not super hard on him for sharing water bottles or sippy cups.  Even though I give him his, he always wants to have the one that belongs to someone else.  I don't know how other parents feel about that, but I'm okay with it, as long as it's water.  I have been on sports teams galore and am used to sharing water bottles so I don't see it as a big deal.  However, other parents seem put off that my baby grabs their sippy cup.  I apologize in advance if that bothers you.

I also feel like sometimes I never feed my child - when someone else has food, he's all over them like a dirty shirt and grabbing at their plate.  Of course, I steer him away and try to distract him with his own cookies and snacks, but as per usual, he wants what the other one has.  I hope this goes away in time because I really am starting to lose my patience with him.

Funnily enough, I have no problem taking Vaughn to restaurants.  For the most part, he's really easy going and quite pleasant.  He has a "shelf-life" of approximately 1 hour after which he is frantically trying to launch himself out of the high chair and on to the floor.  Leisurely meals out are a thing of the past.

For the all the chasing, redirecting, calling, distracting, and my sighs of frustration, I'm still proud of my boy.  You want to know why?  He's got so much energy and a zest for life.  He is living every day to the fullest and wants to experience as much as he can.  He is happy - good gosh is he happy - everyone who meets him just adores him and I'm so glad for that.  He is game for just about anything, adapts easily to new situations and very rarely loses his mind when he doesn't get his way.  He's smart, he's active and he sleeps really hard.  What's not to love right?

And is it really such a big deal that the dog water dish got turned upside again?  Nah.  I have to remember that he is just a baby after all and one day (hopefully soon) it will sink in and I won't have to tell him again.  Until that day, my son is teaching me patience.  Lots and lots of patience.  Thanks Vaughn.

Stank On A Plane

One of the perks of my job is that I get to travel.  I don't travel much anymore, but I was recently asked to go see a few customers in Portland and was excited to get away for a few days by myself.  I decided to leave on the Sunday, mainly so I didn't waste most of my day Monday travelling.

The downside to travelling to Portland is that there are only 2 flights a day out of Calgary to Seattle via Horizon Airlines.  The first leaves at 6:30 in the morning and the other leaves much later in the day.  Alas, I had to be at the airport before 5 to ensure I got on my flight.

I did arrive at the airport around 4:45 AM and got myself in line to check in.  I waited, and waited, and waited, and waited.  Did I mention I waited?  For over 45 minutes, the same 2 families were standing at the counter while the ticket agents tried to help them.  It drives me nuts when people travel by air and don't have what they need and then back everyone else up while they get sorted out.

Needless to say, everyone in line is starting to panic a little, because the flight was supposed to close at 5:30 and we still had to get through Customs and then security.  By 5:45, I was at the ticket counter and less than a minute later, I was on my way to Customs.  That's how it's done people, have your confirmation and passport in hand and pre-pay your luggage fee.  Sigh.

Customs was a breeze - once again, I had everything prepared, signed and ready to go.  Stampy stamp, I'm on my way. 

Then I hit the security line.  Dead. Stop.

I could not have been more frustrated - every single person in every single line had something wrong with their bags.  I get that paying $20 for your bag might cause you to just do carry-on.  However, if you are carrying on, then follow the rules - put your liquids in small containers in a plastic bag OUTSIDE your bag.  Sounds simple right?  Well, it seems as though everyone thinks they don't have to follow these rules. 

Security was having to open and check each bag coming through, remove the offending items and then re-run them through the x-ray machine.  You can imagine my frustration watching this and knowing I'm already late for my flight.  However, I knew other people from my flight were behind and the gate agent came through and told us they were holding our flight for us.  Super.

All I had was my purse and my laptop.  I was wearing flip-flops and paid the $20 charge for my bag so there was nothing to getting me through.  I made my way to the gate and still had time for a coffee- they were delaying boarding because so many people were held up.

I know it was early, we were all tired and maybe didn't get to do our morning constitutionals like we do every day, but it was about half way through the flight when...

someone farted.

This was not your average fart people.  It wafted about the whole plane, filling our nostrils.  And there was nowhere for it to go, as we're on a plane and can't open the window to let fresh air in.  Gross, I know.  But if that wasn't enough...

they farted again.

Hey people, I'm not judging, I've farted many times in public and it ain't always pretty.  But I can say with absolute certainty I have NEVER farted on a plane.  Not to say I never would or will, but wow, after the first one, I think I would have gone to the bathroom on board and tried to pass the gas in private.

I survived.

I met up with my friends Jerry and Julia and we had a super fun day shopping around and catching up (I haven't seen either of them for over 5 years).  It was a little bit short but some time is better than no time.

I had my client meetings and got set for my flight home.  The flight from Portland to Seattle was quick and easy and thankfully, I had a seat to myself (when you have ample hips like myself, it's really nice on those little planes to not have to squish yourself in beside somebody).  I landed in Seattle and had about an hour to kill before my plane took off to Calgary.

Just before the plane started boarding, I asked the counter agent if I could have a seat to myself if the plane wasn't full.  Once again, they were able to accomodate me, but I would have to sit at the back of the plane.  Big deal, these days, they load from the front and the back so I didn't care where I sat. 

Big mistake.

There I was, happily settled in my seat, air blowing in my face.  Life was good.  Then a lady came to the row of seats ahead of me, and when she went to put her carryon bag up above the seat, this waft of body odour hit me like a ton of bricks.  What the h?  I was tired, on the last leg of my journey home and then this?  The worst thing was that she just couldn't seem to get her air vent or light quite right so she had to keep fiddling with it.  And you guessed it - every time she lifted her arm, stink-o-rama.

I will try to explain just how bad this smell was.  Imagine not showering or doing laundry and wearing the same clothes for about a month.  Put maybe some garlic with a dash or two of very aromatic spices and this is what I got every time I took a breath.  The people the row over and back from me were also effected by the smell, so I know it wasn't just me.

And the icing on this cake?  She brought fish and chips on board with her for dinner.  I kid you not.  It was literally a buffet of disgusting smells.  Why, when there is no where to go, no way out, was I caught behind this woman?

After the flight attendants did their first round of service, the one noticed that 4 of us were breathing in to our shirts trying to protect our poor olfactory receptors.  Moments later, we were presented with cinnamon teabags to hang off the table trays and give us a little bit of relief.  That did get us through the rest of the trip and we were all too happy to breathe in jet fuel on the tarmac just to get rid of the smell of what was on that plane.

Now, before you go all "don't be mean, Kerry" on me, all I am saying is that it is common courtesy to bathe when you are going to be in a confined area for a period of time.  If you can afford a plane ticket, you can afford a shower.  You don't even have to use deodorant or soap, water gets a lot of the stank off. Clean clothes also solve a lot of the problem.  

I'm just saying it was not pleasant and I'm so glad the flight was only just over an hour.   And that is my stank on a plane story.  What's the worst thing you've ever smelled?

Reunited and It Feels So...Good?

Next weekend is my high school reunion. 20 years have gone by since I've seen a good lot of people that are going to this thing. 20 years. All of the insecurities I had as a teenager are starting to rear their ugly heads again. Let me tell you a little bit about my high school days...

I grew up in a very small town in rural Saskatchewan - Shaunavon to be exact. Population - just over 1500 people. High school population - 142 students from Grade 8 to Grade 12. If you were even a little bit different, you REALLY stuck out. Of course, we had the usual cliques, but they only had 10 people each, so the cliques were cliquey.

I was quite involved in my school, athletically and otherwise. I played almost all the sports we had - I wasn't a superstar, but I was a hard trier. I was in the school plays, worked on the yearbook and tried my hand at peer counselling. We went skiing almost every weekend out at Fernie and in the summers I was a lifeguard and swimming instructor. I babysat all the time, worked a lot of different part time jobs and tried to stay busy. Not a lot of time for friends in there - I guess I valued earning money to buy clothes over developing friendships. Or did I work because I didn't really have a lot of friends? Hard to say.

As someone who never had a best friend growing up, I can say it was a little hard to live in Shaunavon. Sure, I had friends, everyone for the most part was pretty nice to me, but I didn't have that one person that I could say had my back or that I could turn to when times were tough. I think that's why to this day I have a hard time opening up to people.

What brought these feelings on is the slide show I agreed to do for the reunion. I'm getting pictures e-mailed to me from everyone so we can take a walk down memory lane and also get to know each other a little better at this stage in our lives. I realize now just how much I missed out on. Gosh did everyone have a fun time. I wish I could have been there to experience some of those moments.

Not that I totally regret my life - I have a tremendous work ethic now. Playing all the sports I did helps me work on teams. I like to think I've been a good coach, teacher and mentor and hopefully that will help to shape me into a successful mother.

I remember one particular incident that will probably stay with me for the rest of my life. There is one girl that I was pretty close with - Kim. We would walk to school together, play after school and hang out. For some reason, and I don't remember what it was, I didn't invite her to my birthday party one year. Her birthday was just shortly after mine and rightly so, I didn't get an invitation to her party. It was after school and I was waiting for my mom (who is a teacher at the school I went to) in her classroom. With tears pouring down my face, I watched almost everyone in my class walk across the school yard on their way to Kim's house to celebrate her birthday. Without me. My mom said something to me that day that didn't really resonate until later on in life. She said "I know it hurts now. But when you go away and grow up, you'll find friends that will be yours for the rest of your life".

You know what mom? You were right. The friends that I have now are incredible. I don't see them as much as I would like, but I know without a doubt that they are they for me, that they love me for who I am and want me to be happy.

And I have no reason to be insecure - I'm good at what I do, I wake up in a good mood (almost) every morning and I've aged well. Sure, I've put on a lot of weight, I started my family late and I don't own my home, but I'm alive and it's my life. I'm not proud of everything I've done, I've made a lot of mistakes along the way, but I'm in a good place now. Gosh, would life ever be boring if it were perfect. Wanna know something else? I'm looking forward to seeing everybody and catching up with them, insecurities aside. They're all hard-working people just like me. They've all had struggles, just like me. Nobody, not a one of them, is perfect.

See you in just over a week, SHS Class of 1990!

P.S. Thanks to facebook, I've been able to connect with a lot of my old classmates. While I don't exactly pick up the phone and call them, I do feel closer to them, have sent Christmas cards to one or two, and gotten some excellent advice on mothering from a few of the gals along the way. Lastly, I'd like to add that Kim is a lovely woman and I'm really glad to have found her again.

Who Are The People In Your Neighbourhood?

Anyone who knows me knows that I love love love to watch people.  I think most people are curious about the other beings we share this world with, but I go past just seeing people - I wonder what makes them tick, what their lives are like.  The longer I live in my place, the more I seem to notice my neighbours - especially now that it's summer and everyone is outside more.

There's a lady that lives at the end of my row of townhouses that gardens endlessly in the summer.  I've never really spoken with her, but she always seems to have visitors sitting with her in the front yard.  She literally spends her entire day outside as long as the weather is good.  What peace she must have in her life.

A few doors down, there is a really full house.  Our units are all 2 bedrooms, and there is a single mom with her three kids and she has a roommate with a dog.  That house must be crazy inside - which is why I think one of the little girls is always playing outside.  She is fearless -  running here there and everywhere- little Miss Independent.  Peace and quiet must be very rare in that place.

Come down a couple more doors and we have my cousin and his wife, our neighbours.  We don't really see much of them - I guess we're not high on their list of people to visit with.  I suppose that's alright - you don't really want family all up in your business all the time anyway, but it's nice to know they're there if I really need them, and I know they would be.

You know who I feel really sorry for is the kid that lives just outside our front door (well, in the unit directly in front of us).  He is homeschooled and I think quite lonely.  He is always by himself, and even if I see him with other kids, he's off to the side doing his own thing.  He doesn't seem to be very well socialized and some of his behaviours are odd.  He will sit outside our front door and bark, trying to get the dogs to react to him.  Poor kid.

We have the unofficial Neighbourhood Watch guy who goes around peering in the yards, making sure nothing untowards is happening.  I hope he just sticks to the yards and isn't a peeping Tom, that would be creepy. 

There's the old couple who look so sweet  - they are always sitting out on their front step in their lawn chairs watching the world go by.  The wife can't walk very far, so every time they go somewhere, the husband has to bring the car over and he escorts her.  There is so much love in that action, and I can only hope that if I am fortunate enough to live that long I feel that kind of love every day.

And then there's our neighbours we enjoy the most - Steve, Leah, Jarrett and Madison.  We are so lucky we met Leah - she has a dayhome.  She was gracious enough to watch Vaughn for me a few times before I went back to work.  When I was looking for somewhere full time for Vaughn, it was not going well at all.  I asked Leah if she would take Vaughn and at first, she was hesitant because he was so young and not walking.

Thankfully, she agreed to take him 3 days a week and we're so happy.  It's so great to walk out the front door, 2 doors down and drop Vaughn off.   When I pick him up at the end of the day, he's always in a great mood and some days it seems as though he doesn't want to leave.  I never worry about him and know that he is in great hands!  And the more I get to know her, the more I like her.

So those are the people in my neighbourhood... I wonder if they wonder about us like I wonder about them.

Life's A Beach

This past weekend was my company's Annual camping trip to Ol' Macdonald's Resort at Buffalo Lake. People from all of the offices in Alberta are invited to come along and hang out. We didn't go last year because Vaughn was too little but this year, I really wanted to go. We had the option of staying in a trailer, tent, cabin, motel room or day tripping it.

Since we don't have a trailer, Tim doesn't like tents and it's too far to go on a day trip with a toddler, it was cabin or motel. When we first booked, the motel rooms were all spoken for which left us with booking a cabin. The cabins are not what you think - they are basically places to sleep and nothing more - there are no showers, running water or linens provided. Okay, whatever, it's better than a tent so we'll make do. I booked us a two bedroom cabin so Vaughn could have his own room and I could have a place to go if Tim and I couldn't exist all night in a double bed together.

 

Two weeks ago, a motel room came up and it was about $15 more a night than the cabin, however, it had a full bathroom, hot water and a fridge/stove combo. Sold!

On Friday, we set out mid-afternoon and arrived at the lake about 5:30. We drove past the "motel" because we were looking for a large building. Turns out the motel was basically a double-wide Atco trailer split into 4 rooms. However, the rooms were clean, they had a shower and a terlet so I wasn't going to complain. Plus, the motel was right next to our group site, so we could leave Vaughn in the room to go to sleep and not worry about him - we were right there. Had we stayed in the cabin, we would not have been able to do that - one of us would have had to stay behind or we would have to put Vaughn to sleep in someone's trailer and then wake him up to transport him back.

The whole weekend, all of the cooking was done by Cole employees - Ken, Dave, and Terry did most of it and had lots of help from other people. The food was amazing and completely exceeded my expectations. On Saturday night, we had prime rib roast, baked potatoes, garlic bread, beans and 3 different kinds of salads. For breakfast we had eggs, blueberry pancakes, sausage, bacon, toast, potatoes. Hello deliciousness, no ash-covered hot dogs on this trip! We did have the obligatory campfire treat (s'mores) and then a little something extra called banana boats. If you haven't had one, you should - they're so yummy!

So Saturday afternoon, we headed down to the beach for a little while - it was super hot and Vaughn wasn't too sure about walking in the sand. He just stood there for about 3 minutes staring at us. Once we got settled with blanket and daddy was suntanning, I took him for a little walk on the beach and he really started to have fun squishing the dirt in his hands and splashing the lake water with his hands. We didn't stay long because it was pretty hot and we were so very tired and all needed naps.

Tim entered in the horseshoe tournament and he and his partner Pat were eliminated after 2 games. We entered the crib tournament later that night and ended up winning first place! Our last 2 games were total nail-biters and very close. What made it a pretty sweet win was that Tim hasn't really played a lot of crib but with some coaching on my part came through and we ended up champs for the night. I would, however, like to thank Pat's husband Ron for being so honest - we may not have won had he not brought up a few missed points here and there.

I so enjoyed getting to hang out with people I mostly only deal with by phone and e-mail. It's so nice to get to know people outside of work and find out what they're really like. I work with a really great group of people - people who like to have fun, are family-oriented and so helpful. I was a little tired Sunday morning and Cherryl from my office walked Vaughn for almost an hour to try and get him to go to sleep for me. I can't even begin to tell you how much I appreciated that. And then all the older kids were entertaining Vaughn - of course he just ate it up loved all the attention given to him. He is not shy AT all (wonder where he gets that from???).

Tim even had a great time - we're already planning for next year and how we can "glamp it up". With so much going on in our lives, I'm glad we could take a little time to chill out, relax and have fun. Thanks to my company for sponsoring our meals for the weekend, the tremendous people I work with and my family for making my life so enjoyable.

 

Dogfight

It's no secret I'm a big girl. I embrace my bigness and most times, it doesn't get in my way. I've surrounded myself with people who love me for who I am and that's how it should be. This weekend, something happened that was both horrible and wonderful all at the same time.

It was my friend Jen's stagette and we had a fun-filled and action-packed evening planned. We met up at Seven downtown, had some nibblies, a few drinks and then took a limo ride to Edworthy Park for photos. After that, we went to Aussie Rules for duelling piano fun. Jen had a long list of tasks that she had to perform, so we were on the lookout for anyone that might be able to help us complete them.

Rachelle and I went on the hunt for a man with a mustache, and boy did we find a good one - he was a biker dude with a big fumanchu and he was awesome. He was more than willing to come and get a kiss on the cheek from a beautiful girl. We were having so much fun, dancing, clapping, singing along and then a guy came and grabbed me and told me that his friends wanted to meet me. Before I knew it, I was at the end of the bar and I heard one of the guy's friends say to him "dude, you totally win". At which point, it became obvious to me that I was in a real life dogfight. If you haven't seen the movie, click here for a brief synopsis.

I just walked away back to our table in complete shame. I knew some people could be cruel, but really? That takes the cake for me. How dare they drag me away from my good time to humiliate me like that? It took everything I had in me to not run out of the room in tears. I wasn't going to let them get me. I know I'm pretty, I'm a good person and if people can't take the time to get to know me for me, then screw 'em.

Here's where the good steps in. Jen's bridesmaid Rachelle was sitting beside me when I got back to the table and told her what happened. She instantly stood up and asked where they were, saying that it wasn't right. I told her don't worry about it, but she wouldn't let it drop. This little tiny girl was so brave and went back to the group of guys, told them off and then made the guy who grabbed me come over and apologize. I told him that him and his friends were a**holes (which felt good I must say) and then he offered me a drink as a peace offering. Nope, not good enough. I told him that he should buy our whole table (14 of us) a drink. Gladiators all around, and since a few people had cut themselves off, I enjoyed a couple or three.

Is that punishment enough? Probably not, but I love the fact that he had to pony up and buy a whole lot of drinks for what he thought was a good joke. F you I say.

Then, we were getting ready to leave and I had requested Time Warp from the Rocky Horror Picture Show. Roxanne (another one of Jen's bridesmaids) knew one of the piano players from her childhood so she went up and called in a favour. Next thing I know, we're all up on the stage, I'm leading the Time Warp and we're back in Happy Land.

As we were waiting for the 2nd limo to come and take us downtown, the girls brought the "ring leader" of the dogfight out to apologize to me. I once again got to tell him that he and his minions were a**holes and it was pretty pathetic for a man of his age to go along with something like that. Things started to get a little heated and Roxanne pushed him back into the bar and we got on with our night.

Off to The Roadhouse where we had some fun with the backdoor bouncers, danced a little and finally blew the Hottie Whistle.

If I learned anything that night, I learned that there are still mean people out there. I've always been so trusting and friendly and I have never in my life been so hurt by a stranger. Who does that? But you know what else I learned? I learned that there are amazing people who will stand up for people they hardly know because it's what's right. So there, a**holes - you didn't get the best of me. My loving boyfriend, my baby and my family and friends get the best of me. You just got me for one weak moment. The joke is on you.

Do You Have A Receipt For That?

I've worked retail on an off for just about all of my adult life.  When I first started, it was full time and in management, but I've also had some part time jobs along the way.  Mostly, they were to get the staff discount to supplement my wardrobe, but I've also really loved helping people find things that make them happy.

Being a parent now, I've purchased a whole lot of baby things, and for the most part, everything has worked out just fine and no problems.  However, as of late, I've had a few times where things didn't work out and I've had nothing but problems trying to get them replaced.

The first one was with Toys R Us.  In the past year, I have spent a whole lotta money there.  In January, I purchased 2 baby gates that have retractable screens instead of doors.  They were up and worked great - for about a month or so.  Then we noticed that the locking mechanism on the one wasn't working very well and the other one was just plain busted.

In late March we took them down and tried to exchange them for new gates.  We did not have our receipt and therefore they would not do anything - they couldn't prove how long we had the gates in our possession.  I pointed over to my son and said - he's only 11 months old, how long do you think we've had them?  All we wanted was to exchange them for 2 new gates, but of a different brand, one that we deemed to be safer.

The clerk wouldn't do anything because we didn't have our receipts, but the manager was able to find my purchases on their computer because I had paid by debit.  After all that, she still would not exchange the gates because they were past the 45 day limit.  It was a safety issue, I was not trying to return the gates, I simply wanted to exchange them for a safer brand.  I know they can return the gates back to the manufacturer and get their money back or a credit, so what was their problem?

Then today, I tried to exchange a long sleeved baby bib that I bought at Bo Bebe that ripped in the wash.  I paid $15.99 for it, and once again, all I wanted was to exchange it for another one exactly the same that was sewn properly.  I didn't have my receipt and my transaction stopped there.  I knew exactly where they were in the store, how much I had paid for it and who the clerk was who helped me, and the gal that worked there told me point blank she wouldn't do anything, that those bibs are sold in a lot of places, how did she know that I bought mine there?

Well let me tell you lady, if I'm out to rip a store off, it's not going to be for a bib and not for $15.99.  I know it's a small business, I get that, but if you're not going to stand behind your product, why should I support you?  I know retailers have recourse with their vendors - and it's not like I wanted my money back - I just wanted a new one. 

And it all comes down to one little piece of paper - the receipt.  I guess I'm to keep every receipt for every little thing I buy JUST in case it falls apart on me, and maybe the store will take the product back, maybe not.  I get that return policies are there for a reason (I've had to enforce them, and trust me, it's not always fun), but when the product is defective, I've always taken the product back or exchanged it for something of equal or lesser value.  And guess what?  I've never gotten in trouble for it.  It's called customer service.

Stores like Walmart and Costco take anything back in any condition, because they know that they can just deduct the price off their next invoice from that vendor.  I hate that way of doing business - it just seems so bullyish.  But it also explains why people shop there - they know if they have a problem, they can just take it back no questions asked.

I try to support my local small business where I can - I've bought a lot of things for Vaughn and other babies at Bo Bebe because I thought they sold quality product and stood behind it.  (As a side note, I did purchase a car bottle warmer there that crapped out after a week and the employee at the Shawnessy store gave me a new one without needing a receipt)  I'm going to call the owner or a senior manager tomorrow and see what they have to say - it's not about the money anymore, it's about the principle. 

It's very competitive out there, and retailers are trying to find ways to get new customers and encourage loyalty.  Hey, guess what?  Fix a problem when something goes wrong and chances are you have a customer for life.  And they'll tell people about their wonderful experience which might bring more people through your door.

After all that, I don't have much more to say except - keep your receipts people.