I'll Second That....

PROLOGUE: Please read Jonathan's short blog before you dive into mine.

While it has been fun being a stay at home mom, lately it has seemed like the most stressful place to be in the whole world, only because Jonathan has been having a rough time at work. Now I know when I was working last year, when you are having a rough time at work nothing else seems to matter. Work is so much a part of who you are everyday. I feel horrible for Jonathan and what he is going through, knowing that Aidan and I are the cause of his discontent and stress. If it wasn't for us he wouldn't have to work. Not that he minds having a wife and child, but I feel as though we are sometimes wearing him down. Let's just say that there have been many times this year when I have just wanted him to quit. I don' t like the person he is when he comes home all stressed out. In short, I want my husband back and soon...before it is too late. Needless to say, I have been frantically searching the internet and my brain for ways to speed up the hiring process. I really love being a mom, but I really love teaching. It is hard to watch your husband go to a job he hates when you could be doing something you love. So, I second Jonathan's notion for prayer for a job for me. There must be something out there. God knows!!!

To end on a happier note, there has only been one submission of a conspiracy theory so far. (Beah's theory on her blog...see stained glass!) I am eagerly awaiting more submissions. (Attn. Jennifer and Jenny - I know you must both have some...So let's get to it!) We'll see if we get anymore and then I will chose a deadline for submission. Otherwise Beah will win by default....Not that hers isn't good. It's just supposed to be a contest, people! So get thinking and conspiring!!! :)

Have a good Monday. More tomorrow.

Love,
Manders

Just a Quickie

Well, I've been out of it for a while now. I was sick Friday and most of the weekend too, mostly due to stress and fatigue. I'm better now, but work threatens to swallow me again. My boss wants me to dive into the whole management and safety officier crap again. Wants me to be the best Warehouse Manager I can be! Of course, I don't want to be one at all if I can help it. It seems that every year I keep hoping that this'll be the last year, and Amanda will get a teaching job and I can take a few years off, be a Mr. Mom and take care of Aidan until he goes to school. In a couple weeks it'll be six years that I've been here. It seems like a long time to be working a job that you don't love. The reality is that I have to provide for my family, so hopefully I only have to suck it up for another seven months or so. If anyone has an empty line on their prayer list, you could pray that Amanda will get a teaching job this year. I'd sure appreciate that.

Hopefully funnier later,
JG

Home Sweet Home

Well, we're back and refreshed and renewed - at least I know I am. On Friday morning, we left at about 8:30 from our house. By the time we left Edmonton it was about 9 or so. The highway between Edmonton and Calgary was horrible up to Ponoka. After that it cleared off, there was no ice or anything. We arrived in Calgary at about 1:30 or so. We dropped Aidan off at my mom's school, where supposedly he spent the afternoon being fauned over by many women and children. We left Calgary and headed out on the TransCanada Highway to Lake Louise. The road was pretty good until Banff. Then the ice and slush and one lane each way began...I also thought that Lake Louise was alot closer to Banff than it actually was. Needless to say, we arrived in Lake Louise at 5pm or so and were GLAD to be done driving.

There was so much snow in Lake Louise. Of course you are on top of a mountain, so you would expect there to be lots of snow. And there was. Almost up to my mid thigh in some places. It was pretty cloudy all weekend, so we didn't really get to see the glacier behind the lake at all, and you couldn't see the tops of the mountains, but it was still beautiful.

We spent our Saturday hanging out around the hotel. We went for a walk (there was an ice sculpture competition 2 weeks ago - there was even one that was shaped like a castle, out on the lake...it was cool!), went swimming and to the hot tub, had a nap, just hung out...It was nice. I only thought about Aidan in those down times, and then only for a few seconds.

Jonathan's company had a supper on the Saturday night. So we all met in the lobby and walked a little ways to another smaller lodge and had supper there. The food was good - the pork tenderloin was to die for - the company....Well, let's just say we sat with a couple that we felt comfortable with. Many of them we don't, mainly because we don't have anything in common with them. But then the supper went on for hours. (2-3 to be exact!) It was way too long for Jonathan and I. We don't mind getting together with people, but there is a time limit. Needless to say, we were ready for the evening to be over before it ended.

On Sunday morning Jonathan had a meeting and the rest of us (aka the spouses) went for brunch. It was nice. I sat with the two women who have small kids just like us and they were both Christian and the same socio-economic background. So we had lots to talk about. Then we all went around the table and told how we each met our spouses. It was interesting to hear the stories.

Oh, I forgot to tell you all about the loud music on Saturday night. Here we are in an upscale, four star hotel, and all Jonathan and I can hear on Saturday night is loud music and a DJ. You might expect that from a cheaper hotel, but the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise??? Anyway, one of the owners of Jonathan's company was sleeping on the floor below us. He had been in Paris until Friday and had flown back and came straight out to Lake Louise with his wife. When he heard the music on Saturday night, he was not to pleased...He called the front desk about 3 times and finally asked for the General Manager. I can only imagine....

Sunday, we drove home, which took forever. Aidan was grumpy, too. It was nice to get home and sleep in our own bed. As my dad would say, it's always nice to leave but it is always nice to come home, too. I agree.

Aidan seems to have transitioned alright, although he is a little grumpy today. His other top tooth broke through, so I am sure that is causing some discomfort. He also has a really bad rash....My poor baby....

Well, I think that's it. Jonathan can fill in anything I left out. I hope you all have a great Tuesday.

Love,
Manders

Quirks and Contests and Replies Oh My!

Yea! A contest.....how exciting! I wonder what my prize will be. Oh wait. I can't be in the contest because I'm sleeping with the judge and she wouldn't be seen as impartial if I took part. Oh well, maybe there'll be another contest on someone else's blog! (hint, hint, nudge, nudge)
I've thought of another non-quirky quirk. My pockets! I have very specific places where certain things go. My wallet always goes into my back-right pants pocket. Main set of keys into the left jacket pocket. Spare car key into right jacket pocket. Money goes in front right pants pocket. (I don't keep money in my wallet - it gets too thick!) Glasses case goes inside the inside pocket of jacket. A place for everything and everything in its place!
In our quest for more guestbook contributions, I think it might be helpful if we responded to the few that we've already got!
Beah - yes Amanda got the new U2 cd from her sister for her birthday (Dec21). She loves it to death and I think its starting to grow on me too. Aidan enjoys it too, dancing in his 'bend at the knees/Charlie Brown' way.
Aimee - Thanks for your guestbook commitment! We will do our best to return the favour. Congratulations on winning the PlatBlonde lottery!

Well, I guess that'll be it until Monday. Pray that the weather lets up so we can get away. It would be a huge disappointment if the weekend got cancelled due to bad weather and roads.

JG

Quirks and Conspiracy Theories...A Contest!

Well, tomorrow is the big day - going to Lake Louise! (Hopefully we will be able to drive there!) It has been raining during the night and they closed down highway 2 between Edmonton and Calgary last night. It is opened now. It is supposed to snow/rain today and tonight, but it will be better tomorrow. Perhaps it is the end of the world as we know it - I mean, mud slides, wind warnings, blizzards, freezing rain, tsunamis....When will it end????

Yesterday I spent the whole afternoon trying to change the look of our blog. Finally, after hours of frustration, I just went back to something simple and less complicated. I am still not satisfied, but I may just play with the colors a bit. I felt like a horrible mother because I was totally focused on doing this and not on Aidan. (As focused as you can be when your 9 1/2 month old is always screaming at you and crawling around your feet.) So this morning I got up early (Jonathan took the bus) to write this blog. I feel less horrible if I do stuff for myself when my son is not up yet.

Last night while making supper, Aidan decided to place his tiny right hand on the door of the oven. I had a lasagna in there cooking. The door was really hot. Needless to say, his poor little hand looked like it had been dipped in dark pink paint. Of course then I ran it under cold water....Well, he screamed like I have never heard him scream. It was fine by last night (no worries grandparents, aunts) as he was crawling around, banging on the TV screen (his new pasttime), and generally getting into everything. Of course you just feel so bad when they hurt themselves, but there is not much you can do. They are so quick....It only takes a second.

Okay, Jonathan has been writing down quirks that he has, which don't seem to be that quirky. This made me try and think of quirks that I have. I can't think of very many. Perhaps one that both Jonathan and I have is that we always do everything the same. We are creatures of habit - I think that is why it is hard to think of anything quirky because we do everything the same everyday. I suppose one of mine is that when Jonathan leaves for work in the morning, I always move over to his side of the bed and sleep there. It makes me feel safe and it smells like him. It's comforting.

I also like to eat in order of least favorite thing to favorite thing on my plate, saving the best for last. I never mix foods on my fork. I only eat one thing at a time. (Eg: I always eat the meat of the chicken before the skin...I save the skin for last!!!)

I have already packed for Lake Louise because I like to be ready so I am not so panicked at the end. The truth is I still will be.

Oh yeah. I love conspiracy theories. My most notable one is that Coca Cola and Pepsi are actually owned by the same people...That's why they can both be as popular as they are. How else would they both survive in such a small market?

Hey, I just had a great thought. If you have any conspiracy theories of your own, write them down in our guestbook. I would love to hear them. Oooohhhh! Now I am so excited about this!!! I can't wait to read them. Perhaps Jonathan and I will choose the best one and reward that person with a little something.....What? Our first contest???? Cool!

Anyway, I hope you all have a great weekend. Jonathan and I will, I am sure. Even if we are just hanging out in the hot tub, or going for a walk around town....I can't wait to just be a couple for a while....

God bless.
Love,
Manders

This just in...

Ok, I thought of something else! After I write a blog, I'll go back and check the guestbook every 5-10 minutes just to see if anyone has commented. The same thing goes for putting something in someone else's guestbook. Quirky?....No. Pathetic?.....Maybe a little.

JG

He ain't heavy, he's my son

Well, another day and another blog. I seem to be on a blog kick right now, so we’ll see how long this continues before it runs out of steam.
Aidan’s doctor appointment went fine, we just have to use some cream. Was that non-specific enough? He’s in the 95th percentile for weight, topping the scales at 24lbs. I hope he ends up bigger and taller than me. It would suck for him to be shorter and skinnier. One of my new years resolutions (only half jokingly) is to put on some weight. Right now I’m 5’ 9” and weigh around 110-115 pounds. Which is kinda ridiculous I know. Everyone said that as soon as I got married that I would start putting on the pounds. Actually the opposite has happened. I weighed 120lbs six years ago. It’s totally unfair to my wife as well, seeing as she’s the one who has to go through the pregnancy thing and then watch as I eat chips, chocolate and other assorted junk and not gain a single pound. I’m also not exercising at all, as compared to three or four years ago. Kinda odd n’est pas?

I brought up the ‘idiosyncrasies’ thing again in Mel’s guestbook. I’ve been racking my brain trying to think of stuff for myself. I know that I’m a creature of many habits, but I’m not sure what my weird one’s are. I like to clear all the snow off my car before driving; the roof, the trunk, the hood etc. I’ve been told that I have a ‘falling asleep’ routine. On my stomach facing left, on my stomach facing right, back to the left, to the right and then if I’m asleep, I’ll end up on my back. Of course, if I think about what I’m doing, then I can never fall asleep. I also have a habit of finishing other people’s sentences. Its OK if they’re struggling for a word and I fill it in for them but sometimes they’ll just be talking and I’ll complete the phrase or thought for them. Umm…. what else? I like CD’s to be in alphabetical order by artist, but within a single artist’s CDs I prefer them to be in chronological order as I might be in the mood for old Sting (Dream of the Blue Turtles) rather then new Sting (Sacred Love). I think that’s enough for now, I’m sure that there are some that Amanda will think of for me as she reads this!

JG

Three days to go....

Well, three more days of work and then three days off. The weekend can't come quick enough.
I can't believe that we in Alberta have the best weather out of everyone in the blogging community. Out east they're making igloos and using hair dryers to melt the snow cause there's nowhere left to put it. Ontario is in a deep freeze, with the moisture off of Lake Ontario making people wish they were in the prairies where at least it's "a dry cold". And then there's the monsoon in southern BC where the most popular subject being 'googled' is: "How to build an ark in 10 easy steps".
Let's see, bus ride this morning..... I was unable to assertain the gender of the person who sat beside me. I think it was a skater-girrl, but there's a small chance that it could have been a skater-boi. The voice was pretty deep when he/she asked if I was getting off.
The lady I sat beside on my transfer bus was reading Danielle Steele. I was trying not to read over her shoulder, I thought it might be inappropriate.
Aidan has a doctors appointment today. I'd tell you what he's getting checked out, but there's a small chance that this blog might be around when he's older and has a girlfriend and he probably wouldn't want it to be public information. Feel free to let your imaginations run wild. Like Amanda mentioned, he's no longer interested in his toys, right now it's all about testing his boundaries and trying to reach things while standing. We've had to put a strap around the glass door protecting our DVD player and VCR. Of course Aidan has little baby fingers so he is able to reach between the glass and the wood and spends a lot of his time trying to pry the door open. And then he cries when he's unable to do it. What a baby!
JG

New Year's Resolution: Stop numbering my blogs

Blogging feels like a chore now, and that does nothing to compel me to put some effort into it. Our readership is way down as well, so I can't help but wonder why we're still doing it.
Things here at work have been crazy busy, but not as stressful now that we've hired a part-timer to help with the orders in the morning. He's a bit of a pot-head; a great worker when he's here, but unreliable as far as getting here on time. I mean, who puts on their resume that they used to work at "Two Guys With Pipes"? But for $8.50/hr and only four hours per day guaranteed I suppose you have to take what you can get. There's talk of expanding AGAIN in the spring, so it would be nice if this part-timer would stick around until there's fulltime work, so we don't have to train a new guy on the fly.
Amanda already mentioned our weekend away to Lake Louise. A couple years ago the Martech after-Christmas get together was at the Banff Springs Hotel. I actually didn't enjoy myself all that much that time. I was incredibly nervous and didn't understand how a five-star hotel worked. Everything from the valet parking to the breakfast buffet stressed me out. This time will be different. We'll know that the Martech master account will take care of all charges to our room, so we don't have to worry about room service and tips and stuff. Hopefully the weather will be good so we can get out and about.
As you were probably aware of, I did get my Gamecube for Christmas. What I wasn't aware of was how much my wife would enjoy playing too. "Animal Crossing" is very interactive and encourages communication and all that family friendly stuff. It's actually not bad for a game that has no guns, swords or racing. My "Legend of Zelda" game is absolutely gorgeous looking and is everything that I had hoped for as a sequel.
I guess that’s it for now. Any ideas for a new poll question?

JG

Sick, But On The Mend

I have been sick for a while, but that is no excuse. I will try to blog more regularly....It's been hard getting back into a routine, though.

I had a cold for the past 5 days or so. I am feeling much better today, mostly because I have a wonderful hubby who really stepped up to the plate to get me feeling better. On Saturday night, he slept in our son's room on the spare bed so that I could get a good night's sleep in our bed. I snore quite loudly when I have a cold, so I had been sleeping on the couch. But, Jonathan insisted that I sleep in our bed since he didn't have to go to work the next day. Then yesterday he totally took care of everything: our son, laundry, supper, lunch, getting me drinks, etc. He was amazing. Today, I feel 95% better. One more good night's sleep and I should be 100%. Thanks, Jonathan....You are truly amazing, and sometimes more than I deserve.

Aidan is doing well. His top teeth are coming in slowly. Today all he wants to do is chew on things: the end tables, bottles, paper....You have to be totally aware of what he is putting in his mouth...He has swallowed lots of paper that I have not seen, I am sure. Oh well!

This weekend we are going to Lake Louise with Jonathan's work - a post Christmas, Christmas thing. All expenses paid. It will be wonderful. Aidan is going to stay with Granny and Grandpa and Auntie Jen. I know that he will be completely spoiled, but what are grandparents for? It should be wonderful all around.

Well, I hope you all have a wonderful day living in God's grace and love. Isn't it wonderful to have a God so giving, generous and kind?

Love,
Manders

Evidence of God

Seriously...I feel as though I am not keeping up with blogging. Too much other stuff is going on, like Aidan getting into everything, for example. I know that he is just curious, but it makes for a lot of work for daddy and mommy. There is no real down time until nap time or sleep time. Of course then we are all sleeping...So does sleep time really count as down time?

I have forgotten to mention the most exciting thing that Aidan learned to do about a week and a half ago...He learned to clap. So on Saturday night at church, everyone was always clapping. We had a guest band in leading worship and at one point he asked everyone to clap for Jesus (something to that affect). Anyway, it was so funny because Aidan began clapping a lot...on cue. I know it was only because he saw everyone else clapping, but Jonathan and I burst out laughing. We are still laughing about it today.

We have also started putting him down at night awake, after he has finished drinking his bottle. Now our nighttime routine goes - cereal, bath, bottle and stories, kisses and then crib. At first he wasn't too keen on it, but he has since really done well. We figured since we were letting him cry it out at night, we should be letting him go to sleep on his own to begin with. Sometimes it seems hard to do these things and make these decisions, but I actually had such a peace about it. It was nice.

The other day I was looking at Aidan and remembering how tiny he was when he was first born, and how quickly they grow up. And to think that he started as a sperm and an egg! The only thought that came to mind was, 'how can people not believe in God after seeing a baby, and watching him/her grow?' For me, the evidence of there being a creator is so 'in your face'. It truly is amazing, and I feel so blessed to be a part of something so much bigger than myself.

I will try to do better at writing more. I make no promises.

May you all find the evidence you need to know that God reigns. Have a great day.

Love,
Manders

Being Content in All Circumstances

I don't really have much to say today....I am supposed to be going to my new mom's group today. We have started meeting on Thursdays at a United Church because all of our babies are mobile. There are 3 groups all together now, so I don't really know everyone. Plus I am pretty shy, but considering the week I have had, I was really looking forward to going. Unfortunately, Aidan has either developed a runny nose because of his teething or because he has been suffering from lack of sleep. That presents 2 problems: I need to let him sleep this afternoon; do I take him knowing that I desperately need to get out of the house??? Or stay home because I don't want to infect other children??? I think I may drop in for a bit...but I don't think we will stay that long. Just long enough for me to vent.

I was watching 'It's a New Day' this morning on Vision TV. I like this show because they are so real, unlike many other Christian shows on TV (100 Huntley Street, for example). They had this lady on, Cynthia Yates, who is an author...(It was like watching my mother-in-law...They didn't look alike, but they sure talked the same, with the same sense of humor!) Anyway, I thought I would just leave you with this thought for the day....Contentment is not getting what you want, it is wanting what you have. Just sit with that for a while...

I hope that you all have a wonderful day. I am going to go and try and drown out my drunk neighbors. (Obviously not working today....Singing really badly to 80's songs...) May you find contentment in what you have today and always.

Love,
Manders

Teething, Crawling, and Things

So much to tell....Where to start?

We went to Granny and Grandpa's for Christmas (my parents) in Calgary. It was lovely. I let everyone else take care of Aidan all week long. I am still paying for that probably, but I really needed the break. Of course Aidan was the star of the show, which is fine. We actually had everyone for Christmas dinner at my aunt's, which is unusual. Of course they all wanted to come and see Aidan. My parents then followed us back last week (Wednesday) so that they could bring all the presents. (Our Tercel would not have fit all of those....) Jonathan worked Wednesday and Thursday last week, then had Friday off, which was nice. We spent all weekend watching Star Wars and playing Jonathan's Gamecube. We are addicted to 'Animal Crossing' (thanks, Jennifer)...Of course we have turned it into a competition because Jonathan and I turn everything into a competition.....It's fun.

Aidan learned how to crawl at my parents' house. He was learning before we went, but really excelled when he had cats to chase around the house. He is also pulling himself up to standing position, opening cupboards, fighting sleep....I think we have entered upon him turning into a Toddler - no more baby. It is a lot of work.....Interesting to watch, though.

He is also getting in his two front teeth on top. These teeth are twice as big as the ones on the bottom. This doesn't really hit you until you have a son who is teething. Check it out in a mirror. I mean, his gums were so swollen. (They still are, but the teeth are almost poking through.) He was in a lot of pain on Sunday night, well every night since we have been home. He has been getting up a lot. Of course he stands at the side of his crib, screaming at me, then when I come in, he puts his hands up because he wants me to pick him up. Well, Sunday night was the last straw. After giving him Tylenol and Baby Oragel (which people will tell you not to use, but it really helps) I finally gave in and slept with him in the spare bed. Last night I was exahausted. He fell asleep for half an hour and then woke up. I thought to myself, 'Self, you can go in and do the same thing you did last night, or you can put ear plugs in and let him cry it out.' I chose the latter, not feeling guilty at all. I had already given him Tylenol and Oragel...There was nothing left for me to do. So, Jonathan, the amazing sleeper, slept without ear plugs, and I slept with them and didn't wake up until Jonathan's alarm went off this morning. I feel human again, although another good sleep would do me good. Aidan is quite tired today. I think all of his night wakings are catching up to him. Before I would have felt guilty about leaving him, but I feel as though I did the right thing. I need my sleep so I can be a good mom the next day....Plus, he needs to be able to put himself back to sleep sooner or later. He's 9 months after all. (Still there is always a small voice in the back of your head telling you that you have become a horrible mother....Giving him drugs, letting him cry....But, you need to be realistic sometimes and do what works for you....)

All in all it was a good holiday, but it is hard getting back into a routine. Of course Aidan and I are suffering from cabin fever. It is sooooo cold here in Edmonton. There are a few days of respite tomorrow and Thursday, but then it is back to the deep freeze....YUCK! It is really hard to be a mom in the winter.

I hope you all had a good time this Christmas. One of my favorite things was playing a game called 'Things'. You have to write down answers to cards like, 'things you would want to try' or 'things you shouldn't do in a cemetary', etc. Some of the answers...hilarious. You can only buy it at certains stores as it is a Canadian made game, but it is worth getting, especially for youth groups, parties, etc.

Have a great day everyone. Happy New Year to all. May God bless you all today.

Love,
Manders