So over it

Teething.  I'm done.  It's kicked my ass since she was 3 months old.  

For the past 15 months, it's been a pile of bibs, drool, cold washcloths, teethers, hard plastic nig-nobs, frozen pieces of fruit, random pieces of metal (like my keys), small electronic devices (like my phone), teething tabs, baby tylenol and diaper rashes.

And the temper.  Oh the temper.

She has no tolerance for pain, clearly.  Or these are the sharpest, hardest, most painful teeth any human has ever had to endure.

On the days (weeks) that she's hardcore teething, we deal with a kid who's whiny. Who doesn't sleep. Who hates every and all food set in front of her. Who can't imagine the injustice of not having her binky in her mouth. AT. ALL. TIMES. 

And I have I mentioned the temper?

Hubby is going away for a fishing weekend, and with work being what it is right now, and this teething stage... they'll both be lucky if I don't run away and join the circus by Sunday...

xxoo.S

The daily face we see at mealtime...

Finding a family doctor - part 1

I titled this post with a Part 1, because I expect this will be a multi-step, frustrating-as-all-hell, process for our family.

Way back when, before we moved to the boonies, both hubby and I had family doctors that we both liked, in the city.  Like minutes from our doorstep.  

Lots of people had asked me if I was changing doctors/hospitals etc, when I moved.  Since I only had one month to go pregnancy-wise, I figured, nah, I'll just keep the same doctor for the time-being.  And that worked.  It worked for delivery (loved Mt Sinai).  And it worked for after-care (in my transition up the boondocks, it was a very nice excuse to get into the "city" when I had to take Maddie in for her well-baby checkups).

And then I went back to work.  And uh, a doctor all the way in downtown Toronto became a little less-than-convenient.  Hence, Maddie turning 19-months and still needing her 15-month shots...

Now, to be perfectly honest, I did find a new family doctor up here.  At the medical centre that is around the corner from our house.  I found her a long time ago actually, just a few months after Maddie was born.

And I hate her.

Sorry, I mean...

I HATE her.

H.A.T.E.

My first appointment with her was more of an "interview" of sorts.  Her interviewing us, I was told.  To determine if she wanted us to become part of her patient roster.  To get this interview, we had to wait over a month for an appointment to open up.  And then, on the day of the appointment, wait another hour in the waiting room.

For a five-minute interview.

We went over our history, she not-so-much listened, as she nodded her head in anticipation of everything I said, in a way that I felt, was saying, Lady, get ON with it.  And so I did.  I spoke as fast and as concisely as humanly possible.

I mean, it's only my NEWBORN CHILD, right?  Why shouldn't I just gloss over random things like my ALLERGY HISTORY and other inconsequential stuff?

So that was experience #1.  

Experience #2 was about 4 weeks later.  Maddie had woken up to nurse in the middle of the night and I noticed her eye was completely crusted closed.  Gross, right?  

So I called the doctor for an appointment.  Nothing available for WEEKS.  But luckily they host an after-hours clinic for patients only, from 5-8pm every night.  Okay, that's cool.  I'm home with her, we can totally make it into the office right for 5.  And she's a baby right?  They won't make me wait?

We waited for an hour.

They gave us a prescription for some drops and that was that.  Not a terrible experience (except, you know, the whole waiting for an HOUR bit).  In fact the doctor we saw was nice, personable and concerned.  Of course, she wasn't OUR doctor - and after I asked, told me, no, we couldn't switch to her practice.  Apparently inter-office stealing of patients isn't viewed as acceptable practice behaviour...

By then, I had decided I'd still take Maddie to our downtown doctor for her shots and checkups, and just use this doctor's office for "walk-in" type appointments - only when absolutely necessary.

I know some friends who are in the healthcare field have exploding heads at the above sentence - let me just say.  I don't care.  Yes, I was double-dipping with 2 doctors, and I don't care.  I think it's important you feel comfortable with your doctor.  Just because they're hard to find, doesn't mean we still shouldn't be choosy, does it?

Anyways, long story short, we went  to the walk-in part of the clinic a few other times.  Waited for freaking ever, each time.  And then came experience #6.

This was when Maddie had her first ear infection.  We had actually managed to get an appointment in the afternoon that day at last minute, which was suprising and delighting all in itself.  And so we arrived, and waited.  And waited.  And an hour later, were finally beckoned.

To wait in the room for another 20 minutes. Awesome.

Finally, our Doctor comes in.  She asks me what's wrong.  I start to explain the symptoms, what we noticed first, how it's escalated..... and......

She walks out of the room.

I'm literally in mid-sentence.

So we sit.  And we wait.  And 10 (or 2, but felt like 10) minutes pass.

And she arrives back all nonchalant.

I don't effing think so...

Me: "Um, that's a little rude, don't you think?"

Dr: "What?"

Me: "Leaving the room while I'm in mid-sentence, telling you my daughter's symptoms."

Dr: "Oh, I had to go get this (the ear thermometer)."

Me: "That's fine.  But you don't leave in mid-sentence."

Dr: "But I was coming right back?"

Me: "Again, I get that you weren't disappearing forever. Off the face of the earth." My voice is escalating at this point, and anyone who knows me, knows that so far, I've kept it so much more together than I normally would. And internally, I'm shaking with rage. At this rude doctor I've tried to like. Tried to deal with. And will. Not. Anymore. 

Me again: "But whether you were coming right back or not, you shouldn't leave while someone is speaking.  I mean, I'm sorry, but that's just plain rude."

Dr: "Yeah yeah yeah, she has a fever and has been coughing.  You had already said that."

Me (voice in serious escalation mode): "NO.  I had NOT said she had been COUGHING.  I was SAYING that she was starting to pull at her throat, so maybe...."

Dr (cutting me off again): "Yeah yeah, so she has infection, probably just a cold."

Me: "Right.  Fine.  Just take her temperature then."

Dr: "Now you're the one being rude."

Me: HEAD EXPLOSION.

So that's that.  I have vowed never to set foot in that office again.  Hence our day-trip downtown next week to our old Doctor for Maddie's 15-month shots.  And why I'm conducting another search.  

Fun and games.

xxoo.S

Hello growth spurt

I'm still kind of flabbergasted at how quickly these little monkeys can grow.  Do they do it in their sleep?  How can we not notice until one day they are 2 inches taller?  Lackadaisical parenting perhaps?

Anyways - Maddie has been eating us out of house and home lately.  I mean, we literally, could not fill this child up.  We would just finally stop offering food when her belly would get so big and hard that you couldn't imagine another bite fitting in there.

And this morning?  She no longer fits half her pants.  Great news for my friend, who has a 1-year-old that we frequently lend out Maddie's clothes too.  She's got a big bin with her name on it now.  

But the weirdo thing?  The 18-24 month stuff is still super large.  Is there a secret in between size that I don't know about?  Or should do I just roll up the bottoms of the larger pants and deal with it?  Whatever, not a big deal...

The extra fun part that we're dealing with now is the LACK of appetite that Miss Thing. As in, she WILL NOT EAT. (Disclaimer: unless it's cherry tomatoes or strawberries - perhaps it's just all things red?)

All I can think to myself, is cool.  I was totally looking forward to the picky eating stage.  Awesome.

RAGING SARCASM...

xxoo.S

Maddie swims

xxoo.S

Our weekend in a nutshell

We watched the Wrestler. 

I gardened (a LOT). 

Seth cleaned (the ENTIRE house).

Maddie played in the backyard, in the house, at the park.

I got my ass kicked by pilates (again).

Two out of four meals were bbq'd.

Seth did swimming lessons with Maddie this week (as I still haven't found a non-cleavage/flasher bathing suit).

Maddie can now say, "bike", "ruff ruff" (what a dog says), "sky", and "ready" (as in, "ready, set, go!" on the slide).

Seth golfed, I didn't.

I napped on Sunday, Seth didn't.

Must be going through another growth spurt because Maddie couldn't eat enough or drink enough milk. Maybe she will get some wear out of all the 18-24 month summer clothes I bought her.

And my work week started with a round of golf.  Nice!

xxoo.S

Maddie's catepillar

Maddie's catepillar she made earlier this week at daycare.  

It's now residing on Daddy's desk at work.

xxoo.S

18 things

I'd been planning to post a commemorative note to Maddie for her 18 month birthday (? is it called a birthday when it's not a full year?). And um, here we are, 13 days late. Anywho, my post is a nod to the recently popular meme called 25 things. Except this is 18 things. About Maddie. Specifically Maddie at 18 months...

1. You are binkie-obsessed. I am going to be That Mom who needs to write into Ask Moxie to find out how to break her 8-year-old daughter of her binkie habit.
2. "NO!" is getting old. Quickly. I'm pretty sure the terrible twos are going to be terrifying if this is the lead up.
3. Not to say that you're not adorably cute and developing the best sense of humour. Because you are - and your belly laugh is AWESOME.  
4. I also like that you think I'm the funniest person in the whole world. Because I am, you know.
5. Your hair is just long enough for pigtails now. And you are friggin' CUTE in pigtails.
6. Your favourite food is cherry tomatoes. Followed by a close second of blackberries, broccolli and salmon.
7. You're still super tiny. Like 12-18 month clothes - not even close to growing out of those. 
8. I love that you are as obsessed with shoes as I am. I foresee a lot of fun shopping trips in our future.
9. My favourite time of the day is when you first wake up - you've always been such a morning person - even as a teeny tiny baby. Who did you get this from?
10. The kitty is old. Please stop sitting on him. He's not a chair.
11. You are starting to string together sentences. Possibly one of the cutest things when I pick you up from daycare is when you say "Mommy car-car" when I'm strapping you into your seat. Dude - you're smart!
12. I love the crafts you bring home from daycare. This week, you brought home an egg-carton catepillar. It now lives on Daddy's desk at work.
13. You're still obsessed with Loonette the Clown on Big Comfy Couch. I guess it's not Barney, so I can't really complain.
14. You love daycare. You love Annette ('Nette!) and all the kids and I love that you don't cry when I drop you off.
15. You love the park, but hate the sand. You think it's "dirty". I think that's hilarious, because you actually got this princess attitude from your Daddy, not me. 
16. We started swimming lessons last week, and you love the water. And the other kids. You are friendly and fearless and my heart swells with pride at how well you behave. But if you flash my boob to the public again, I'll dunk you.
17. Thank you for starting to sleep through the night again. Because, that? Was getting old quickly. And your Daddy and I are old. And in need of sleep. Lots of it, please.
18. Life with an 18-month old is awesome. Seriously. We are loving this stage and you are (relatively) cooperative, and understand a tonne and can say a lot, and just learning-absorbing-communicating at a level that makes me wonder why we couldn't have gotten here a lot sooner. Because this stage? Is fun. And cool. And we love you and we love life and everything rocks right now. And having said that, I know I've jinxed everything...

xxoo.S

Utensils part deux

Okay, so maybe I was expecting a bit too much from an 18 month old?  I don't know - seems every article I read on Baby Centre said a toddler should start using utensils by 16 months.

But, as an astute friend pointed out - using may actual refer to holding - as in, a toddler should start holding and understanding the general concept of utensils by 16 months.

Um, okay.  So apparently I'm a little too literal in my interpretation.

Thanks for the feedback though.  Good to know I'm not totally off.  And actually, she managed to scoop some mashed potatoes up tonight and bring the spoon to her mouth without flipping it over (because you know, turning the spoon upside down after filling it kinda defeats the purpose, and results in a pretty messy floor).  

So yay.  Milestone?  Not really.  But a small step towards non-caveman-esque eating.  Goooooo Maddie!

xxoo.S

Maddie swims and other stuff

We had our first swimming lesson this weekend - and even though it was crowded, and even though I could barely hear the instructor, and even though we were told they (our kids) should be able to blow bubbles and kick their arms and feet by now (HOW??  that was my question - how do I convey to an 18 MONTH OLD that she needs to stick her face in the water and blow?), we had a brilliant time.  Maddie couldn't stop smiling.  Even I had a good time - although must find new swimsuit ASAP as I flashed the entire pool at one point.  Fantastic-o.

In other news - we (and by we, I mean Seth) built the box for the veggie garden.  He made it out of 4x4 cedar posts.  That cost like, a bazillion dollars.  But now we don't have to feel guilty for using pressure-treated wood.  Like everyone else in the world uses for their garden.  Thanks internet, for telling us we would be poisoning our child if we used the much cheaper, much easier to find, pressure-treated mini-ties.

I planted the perennials plants at the side of the house.  And damn, they look sad.  Small and lonely and small.  Did I mention small?  Everyone (including my neighbour, who I chatted with for almost 20 whole minutes - yay to making friends!!!) tells me they will fill in like crazy and grow so well I will need to hack them down a bunch of times over the summer.

I am suspicious.  And a little pessimistic.  Did I mention they look really really small right now?

Oh, and we have ants.  Lots and lots and lots of ants in that side garden.  One of the bloody bastards bit me while I was gardening.  BIT ME.  ?!!??!?!  Do ants bite?  Apparently they do.

So I went all internet on their asses and have been looking up "non-toxic, garden-friendly, family-friendly, pet and child-friendly" ways in which to KILL THEM.  Apparently ants hate cumin, cinnamon, vinegar, coffee grinds and human urine.  Ha.  That's right.  Some people piss on their ants to get rid of them.  I will not be doing that.  But good to know that urine can be used for more things than just jellyfish stings.

You can also buy diatomaceous earth (crushed up crustaceans), which kills the ants by shredding their exoskeleton and then they dehydrate.  Harsh, non?  Or you can buy borax - which is really sodium borate - not harmful to animals, slightly less harsh than table salt, but apparently a very efficient incesticide.

Or I buy some ant traps.  You know those cheap, round, easy to use and oh so effective little trap killers?  Yeah, may be the easiest thing, since the garden is at the side of the house - safe from where Maddie is ever going to be playing.

Now that you're completely educated on the thousand ways to kill an ant, what else can I share? 

We hit up a dual-bday party for some crazy one year olds (hi Isla and hi Alex!!).  It was good times - we ate mac & cheese, played in the ball pit, and chit-chatted with friends.  Maddie had fun too.  I would share pics, but it appears we have lost our camera for the time being.  And by lost, I mean misplaced somewhere in the cyclone that is our house at the moment (why does yardwork = nightmare mess inside?).

Soooooo - it's Monday.  Boo Monday.  I should get back to work.  And so should you...

xxoo.S

Utensils?

So when the hell are we supposed to expect a toddler to use their utensils?  Should I still be feeding her yogurt with a spoon, or should I just give it to her and let her go to town?  Because, yeah, if that's the case, we need to rework our whole morning routine because she will be eating NEKKID.

We give her a spoon or fork every night, and no longer just put her food on the highchair tray (for some reason that offends her now).  But she can't really seem to master the whole, scoop up the food and get it in your mouth, thing.

Something I should work harder with her on?  Or just keep giving her the fork/spoon and eventually she'll get it.  To be honest - it just makes mealtime sooooooo much longer.  And then she gets annoyed and just eats with her hands again anyways.  Or stops eating altogether.  Because really, an hour at dinner?  I'd be annoyed too.

So - question to the peanut gallery... what did you do?  Is it something to even really be bothered about?

xxoo.S

Last weekend in pics

We've found a candy that Maddie will eat... Smarties!

Maddie playing around with the baby (doll) stroller that I used to play with as a kid.

Swing!

Reading all about the mitre saw Seth got for his birthday.  Hilarious to see Maddie get right up there and pick up the warranty brochure and pretend to be reading it.

My gorgeous girl in her Easter dress... playing with her "pretties".

xxoo.S

My life right now - in bullets

• Every morning, just as I'm trying to round her up to get out the door for daycare, Maddie finds something all important to play with.  Right.That.Minute.  Some days I have the patience (and luck?) to cajole her away from the toy without any drama.  Other days (like today), I am that bad parent.  In fairness, I do try to convince her that playing with blocks isn't necessary Right.That.Minute.  And maybe she could put on her jacket and follow me out to the car.  But maybe I'm less patient.  Maybe she's more tenacious.  But we end up in a tug-a-war with the toy, and it ends in tears.  Sometimes tantrums.  But I try not to let myself get that way too much... ;)
• Aren't blackberry's supposed to be the time-saving, wonderful technology that makes our lives more efficient?  Why then, did I just spend an hour deleting duplicate entries in my calendar, only to synch with my comp and find that I just deleted my whole life in appointments.  Seriously.  I'm not kidding.  I did a restore to a recent backup, but there are appointments and things that have been lost forever.  SO annoying.  And ps? Screw you RIM.
• I'm so excited that spring seems to be here (knock on wood) for good.  I'm planting a garden this weekend people.  Planting.  A.  Garden.  I'm so domesticated I wouldn't be surprised if I also made lemonade and homemade cookies too.  Yeah, probably not.  But I'm planting!  Flowers!  And other shit that's supposed to come up year after year and that I won't really have to think about ever again!  Woo HOO.
• Maddie starts swimming lessons for REALS this weekend.  Apparently they like to book these lessons to start the week before they close down for Easter weekend, and since that previous weekend Maddie had an ear infection, this Sunday will be her VERY FIRST lesson.  I am less than excited to be putting on a bathing suit myself, but she will be looking supercute in her one-piece!
• I've booked myself a few days off at the beginning of May.  My mom will be coming up to visit and I've finally scheduled Maddie in with the doctor to get her (wait for it)... 15 month shots.  Um.  Right.  I guess we're going on the "modified" immunization schedule.  Not because I don't believe in it, but because I'm lazy.  
• I think we live in one of the most family-friendly suburbs in Ontario, which makes me think it should be super easy to find a babysitter right?  Like one of those teenage girls that loves kids and is looking to make some easy cash?  Someone who would make it possible for Seth and I to have a date night without requiring a family member to make an overnight trip... But see, I don't really chat with anyone in our neighbourhood except for my immediate neighbours.  And their daughters are 9 and 2.  A little young for babysitting.  And as much as I want to make friends with all those trendy, cool moms at the park - I am excrutiatingly shy and have no idea how to approach them.  Any suggestions?  Aside from getting my head out of my arse and just becoming more friendly?  Maybe there's a list somewhere... like at a school?  Maybe I'll start there...
• My bff L officially started her mat leave yesterday.  She emailed me at noon and told me she was still in her pyjamas.  I hated her a little bit right then.  And then that hate blossomed into a lovely, full-bodied jealousy.  Is it totally strange that 2.5 years ago I could barely imagine having one baby, much less two.  And now I wish that I was preggo with my bff and getting the 2 kid thing over with in 2 years?  Um - hello 30's.  Change much?  Why, yes, yes, we do in fact...

Yup - I think that's it.  Looking forward to another quiet weekend spent around the house working on stuff outside and play play playing with Maddie.  Oh and Sunday is the joint bday party for Maddie's friends at MEGA Fun.  I hear it's really fun.  Mega.  Fun.

xxoo.S

Easter weekend

I have so many blog posts rattling around in my head, but can't seem to really get any down on paper (er, on keyboard...post...whadeva).  

So instead you get a post about our past weekend.  Easter weekend.  Maddie's second Easter weekend.

Last year I didn't get her anything.  Never was a big fan of Easter (maybe as a kid, but even then I didn't like chocolate all that much, yes you heard me right), so maybe that's why it didn't register as a "must-do" holiday on my radar.  But even so - it does seem like I was a bit of a Scrooge last year to not get her a single thing.  I'll be blogging about my theory on some of the why's a bit later.  In the meantime, we can just think I was a b*tch...

Anywho - this isn't about last year, it's about this year.  And this year, I was an awesome mom.  A mom that has been slowly stocking up for about a month.  For an 18-month old that has no flipping clue who this purported Easter bunny is, and why he's so exciting.  My hit rate on the gifts was about 50%...The playdoh in egg cups!  Not exciting.  The My Little Pony with bunny ears!  Couldn't care less.  The adorably soft little lamb!  Meh.  But the truck?  Or the bubbles?  Or the Smarties?  Oh yessir - they were a hit.

So that was Sunday morning.  And the resulting sugar high from the early-morning Smarties resulted in a late-morning crash nap for Miss Maddie that lasted until almost 1pm.  And the rest of the afternoon was spent on the couch watching the Masters.  Oh wait, that wasn't me... Right - and the rest of the afternoon was spent doing laundry, and sorting out goodwill clothes, and reorganizing closets, and avoiding nap-deprived-meltdowns.  Yeah, that's what we did.

The rest of the weekend before that is now just a bit of a blur.  Thurs night was supposed to be an exciting, fun date night in the city and we failed with a capital "F" to make it happen.  Friday we took advantage of the weather to break ground for our veggie garden.  Saturday Seth spent most of the day recovering from food poisoning, and I spent out at a babyshow + buying plants from the nursery.

That's it in a nutshell.  Very uneventful.  But relaxing.  And rejuvenating.  And just a nice family weekend.  

xxoo.S

Happy Easter from Maddie

xxoo.S

It must be frustrating

To be a toddler.  There's so much going on in their brains.  They understand a tonne, but can't verbalize it.

I reasoned with Maddie tonight.  I told her she had to finish her lasagne in order to get any more tomatoes (she would eat nothing but cherry tomatoes if we let her - don't worry, I realize it could be a lot worse).  We counted down the forkfulls together.  She got it, you know?

So if she can really understand that much, how frustrating must it be to not be able to make others understand you all the time.  And I can tell Maddie has so much to say.  In happy times, she's babbling away (NONstop - like seriously, we are so in trouble when she can speak).  In sad times and she's upset about something and can't get me to understand why.  Or in mad times.  To be honest, I usually know what she's mad about - but I'm sure it's frustrating to her when she's mad and wants to yell more directly at me.

So there I was, sitting there at the dinner table, kind of marvelling at it all.  Imagine the patience it must take.  It's kind of like someone coming to Canada that doesn't speak English.  You have to admire the patience it takes to keep trying, getting words wrong, having people shaking their heads at you, not understanding what you're saying, and you just keep at it.

Sorry for the ramble.  But kinda cool.  When you think about it.

xxoo.S

Weekend pics

Maddie & Simon fighting over Maddie's new chair.  Love how Si is all nonchalant, like, "Dude.  I'm totally not moving.  I'm old and I'm lazy and my commitment to lazing around kicks your attention span's ass.  Now move it along, young lady."

Maddie wears pigtails!  If any of you out there can resist my little girl in pigtails, I seriously contest your humanity.

This was Sunday.  Look!  Sun.  Sand.  Enjoyment.  Balmy compared to today.  Go away, Winter.

xxoo.S

Diagnosis

Another first for Maddie, but not a fun one.  Her first ear infection.

I guess it's kind of amazing that she's made it to 18 months without getting one yet - seems like everyone I know has gone through this at much a younger age.

Apparently her ears are only a bit red (although she SCREAMED when the doctor put the flashlight thingy in there), so the infection isn't severe.  But she's on antibiotics.  

So there you go.  We have our diagnosis and our medication.  I'm just praying for a good sleep for her tonight.

xxoo.S

Dead tired

Maddie celebrated her Grandparents' Vallier visit with a big case of s.i.c.k.  What has been a chesty cough on and off last week turned into a sucky, grumpy, fever-ish baby as of Saturday afternoon.  

Because she responded so well to the Tylenol each time and she was really chewing on her fingers, I kept thinking that perhaps the whole sickness could be chalked up to that last damn molar coming through.

Then she spent 4 hours awake last night.  Oh yes, from 10:30-2:30.  4 hours.  Awake.  Nothing worked.  Baby Tylenol.  Infant Motrin.  Orajel.  Warm bottle.  Cold bottle.  Cold compress.  Dancing in Mommy's arms.  Being rocked in Daddy's arms.  Lying in the bed with us.

Nothing worked.

I ended up letting her cry for a bit, hoping that if anything, it would tire her out to the point that she'd just fall asleep.

Nope.

And so I rocked.  And I sang.  And I cheated and turned the iPod on.  And I rubbed her back.  And I played with her hair.  And ohmygod does my back hurt from leaning over the crib.

She finally fell asleep and stayed that way until about 7am.  At which point she was feverish but happy.

More tylenol.  Some breakfast cajoling.  And lots and lots of JUICE!

She went to daycare this morning, but was starting to fever again when I called to check in, so I've picked her up - she's sleeping at the moment and we have a dr's appt at 3:15.  

I know this sounds bad, but I hope it's something.  As in something diagnosable and treatable.  As in - something that we can quantify and medicate.  As in something other than, "oh it's just a virus that needs to run it's course" because damn!  Bad timing with a week packed with work presentations and off-site meetings and downtown meetings and conference calls and, and, and...

Anyone have a spine I can borrow?

xxoo.S

Cheap cheap cheap!

In honour of all the cute, fuzzy, yellow chicks I've been seeing lately in the Easter-riffic advertising, I thought today's blog post should be dedicated to my secret persona.

I'm a cheap-ass-ho-motha@#(*$&!

Classy, right?  

To give you a bit of a background - one of my mom's favourite sayings while I was growing up was, "You have champagne tastes and a beer pocketbook."  I grew up with lots of hand-me-down clothes.  It wasn't strange to me that our house was filled with used furniture.  And we ate leftovers better than any family I've ever heard of.

I'm pretty sure I wasn't in love with the idea of hand-me-down clothes by the time I hit my pre-teens, but I can totally appreciate the concept now.  Kids grow, right?  Like, fast and stuff.  Which is why I continue to pledge my allegiance to the local Once Upon a Child - they rock my world and keep my kid un-nekkid.

And to be honest, as I was growing up, I don't remember even noticing that our furniture wasn't all-brand-new-all-the-time!  Or is this just a new phenomena in our materialistic-driven society?  

Regardless, I have really fond memories of working with my mom on refinishing lots of pieces of furniture.  Old dressers and end tables that we got gifted by friends or family members.  Using (what I'm sure was highly-toxic) paint remover and sanding and staining and varnishing.  It doesn't take talent, just an eye for detail and some elbow grease.  

I still have a few dressers in my house that are older than my grandmother, and that I can look at and remember finishing when I was like 11 years old.  (Whoa Mom, slave labour!)  One of these is actually ear-marked to be going through some more refinishing this summer, as part of the "spare bedroom overhaul" project that's residing in the back of my mind.

And leftovers?  Don't even get me started on this.  I don't mind leftovers.  In fact (even more so nowadays), I APPRECIATE leftovers.  Lots of things taste yummier after a few days in the fridge (chili - I 'm looking at you, here).  And the time-savings of eating already prepared food for dinner?  I'm like, in awe of appreciation when I can pull that kind of rabbit out of the hat.

But the hubby and several good friends often look at me sideways, like I'm a freaky depression-era reincarnation, when I mention the coolness of leftovers.  Wasters...

So what's the point of this rant?  Well, I was telling someone recently about my latest blog discovery, The Thrifty Chicks,  that I am currently obsessed with.  And this "someone" responded with, "Wow, you're a real Couponer now, aren't you?".  

First of all, I had to explain that reading about (or buying from) thrift stores has nothing to do with couponing.  And secondly, what the hell is wrong with coupons?

Apparently by Couponer, she meant that I go and on about deals here, and savings there, and you do this for that $, and garage sales and etc etc etc.  So it's a blanket concept.  You can be cheap and price match, or price compare or shop only sales - and you're labelled as a "Couponer".  Doesn't mean that you're obsessed only with coupons.  

Perhaps the politically incorrect term would be cheapskate?  Tightwad?

Whadeva.

I don't blame the economy, I think I've always been down with gooooood deals.  And if a struggling economy means stores are pushing sales and coupons, or it means lots of people are looking for extra $$$ and selling stuff (check out kijiji.ca for kids outdoor toys - WHY would you buy full price when you've got these options?) - well don't we all benefit?

And maybe it's because I am now a "Couponer", but there seems to be a huge resurgence towards old becoming new again.  I feel no shame in telling people about the great deals I got on things, that are in fact, second-hand.  Maybe you're a "Couponer" when you show pride in your frugality?

As I said.  Whadeva.  I am a Couponer.  Hear me roar (and $$$$ave)!

xxoo.S

I think her head grew

All of a sudden none of Maddie's hoodies fit her anymore.  Granted, she's worn most of these hoodies for months now.  But still, it's like she got up one morning and her head grew five sizes.

Dude.  I guess this means I have to go shopping now...

xxoo.S