A Year in the Life of ...

So I stumbled on a wonderful idea by way of the brilliant Scary Mommy (who is not so scary in real life, in fact, she's a sweetheart)!

As we wind down the decade, why don't we look back at 2009, from my blog-eyed view? To say 2009 was a most eventful one, with the highest of highs, and the low, lowest of the lows would be a massive understatement. These aren't necessarily my best posts ever, but they do sum up the year for me.

Here we go:

January: Possibly the worst month of my life. Oh I know, a bit dramatic, but this was the month that I sprained my knee and had to do the helpless "damsel in distress thing" with ski patrol; suffered my second gall bladder attack (on purpose, because it was cheesecake and I deserved it because it had been such a shitty start to the year)...and lost my beloved Dad.

But at least I was able to pay tribute to him publicly without losing it: A Tribute to the most wonderful man.

February: Still in grief mode. But this is one of my favourite posts ever. It's why I'm here: Lucky.

March: I hit my 500th post this month. So I did the whole Q & A thing, which ate up several posts. I also participated in the ultimate blog party. "Everything you ever wanted to know about me" is another title for March 2009. However, I'll have to link to this post, because there are some awfully precious moments in life, and I'm so mature that way: AKA the converter.

April: My boy turned 9. And this post was my favourite of the month, because it just warms a mother's heart: Brothers and Sisters

May: Wow, this was the month of my bitch-rant! And I did get a whole lotta sympathy: Gimme Sympathy.

June: I came out to some Real Life friends about this ole' blog here...and also the answer to my May problems was starting to come to light. Coming out and the world not imploding; and the most important job.

July: Two syllables, one word. BlogHer. (Two days in the life, a few bottles at a time...) And here's further evidence:

(That's me with Courtney, Mrs. 4444 and Melissa)

I miss my party girls.

August: Thank goodness for my pal Mrs. 4444 and her Friday Fragments. The summer of my big life decisions was summed up on several Fridays. My anniversary was in there too, But here are my scattered thoughts which accurately describe my August, as I grappled with the whole SAHM versus Career Woman life shift - a pictorial as to why I suck as a crafty SAHM -see Barbie Exhibit A.

September: The leap back into the work force. Ready or not.

October: It was my birthday month. And I don't mind linking to pictures of me when I was much cuter: Birf-day girl.

November: I don't blog about the Man much, but sometimes I just have to. Especially my superior wife moments: We interrupt this blog post...

December: Well, after a rough year, I need a new one. This is a tired post, but the kids bring out the spirit of the holidays just when you need it. Elyse Mommy Da

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Wishing you all a fantastic, happy and healthy 2010!!!

Approaching the One-Oh

I was looking at an old blog post of mine this morning. A post (when I actually had more readers) that I'd written about infertility, and wanting baby #2...and it brought us back 8 years and to bad outfits in San Fran ... but I digress. It brought me back to my little cherub.

As we approach 2010, I realize that it will be the year that my baby boy turns 10.

No longer baby, all boy, and approaching young manhood. He loves playing soccer, he loves playing tennis, he snowboards, he break dances, he wears a cool toque, a checked shirt, tartan-lined hoodie, skinny jeans with holes at the knees and his high top Converse ... all this at an age when I was getting my first blackheads. And he's incredibly sweet and good-natured (when he's done his daily harassment of his younger sister ritual).

"How many girls in your class hate you now?" I asked him this morning as I plated his breakfast (and by plated, in case you think I'm getting fancy, I mean, slopped his omelette on...).

"Uh, pretty much all of them."

Which in real terms means that we're in big trouble come Valentine's Day.

Belated Fragments

Welcome to another edition of Friday Fragments - please visit my friend, the lovely lady Mrs.4444.

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Hope everyone is enjoying their holidays!!!

What a perfect day for fragments - I don't know about you, but I'm exhausted, feel like I've been going non-stop since last Friday after work when I started my Christmas shopping! And grocery shopping, and mini-vacation shopping. And wrapping (until 2 AM the eve before Christmas Eve)... and cooking. And eating and drinking. Yeah, I'll admit it, it's the eating and drinking that probably did me in most.

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Hubs has said he wants to go out on a date sometime during our days off, now that we've got a babysitter. We haven't gone on a "date" in over 10 years.

First he said that we should go dancing (the holiday party and the dancing, and perhaps all the G & T's, got him thinking that it might be fun).

I would love that too ... only problem is, where the heck do you go when you're in your 40s so that you don't look ridiculously old, as in, possibly old enough to be parents of the kids gyrating in the same room as you? Nightlife to us these days is enjoying an old Barenaked Holiday special at 12:30 AM without being interrupted by the kids for a juice or a sandwich. ... even as I sit here I'm listening to Rough Trade and Supertramp and loving it.

Oh I know, I'm fairly hip for an old gal. I FB, I twitter, I blog -- I know who Faber Drive and Owl City are, I know that Billy Talent isn't the name of a guy, I know that the two Taylors are dating. But on days like today, when the kids are off playing and I'm sitting here being Blinded by the Light , thinking about Bizarre Love Triangles while enjoying a nice cup of hot java... the thought of bouncing around at a club makes me sort of tired.

I need to give this cup a shot of Bailey's.

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Other than the camcorder we got for our family, hubby and I got each other matching old school musical gifts as part of our Christmas presents. CD's, that's how old school (although I hear that the turntable is coming back, which gives the bunch of LP's hidden in a corner in our basement a hint of a second coming...)

Hubs got me this guy's N. Am debut...

And I got hubby the newest offering from this cutie:

"So, if you were to have a choice, who would you got on a date with?", the Man asked me out of curiosity this morning, as I was making up a batch of my famous homemade pancakes ...

"Hmmmm, that's a tough one. I'd have to go with Michael. Jay Sean is mega cute and he's got a sexy accent, but Michael, he's Canadian and I think I could really have a great laugh with him. Besides, I think he's dated older women before."

"ENGGGGGHHHH!!! Wrong answer. The correct one is: NEITHER. You're married."

Hey, that's what I'd usually say. He got me. Good.

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No Boxing day shopping for me today. Last place I want to be is a mall (it pains me to say that, but it is true!). Hubs went out because I told him I'd buy him a new ski jacket. I noticed on the slopes a few days ago that only men of a certain vintage wore jackets of the same colour (dark blue, bright yellow). The final straw was last night at my mom's when the boy saw an old family friend (who, at last count, is about 75 years old) reach into the closet for his jacket and he grabbed the Man's ( "Dad, Uncle S is trying to steal your coat!").

Needless to say, the Man was on a mission today for a serious upgrade. Luckily he succeeded.

The Gift

My most memorable Christmas gift?

There have been many - Christmas has always been a time when I've been giddy with excitement, brought to the point of NO WORDS I've been so excited. ( I have witnesses.)

But there's no getting around THE ultimate Christmas gift:


My Christmas baby, the Christmas miracle, who came a month early in December 2004.

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But we were more than ready for you. The cycles, the struggles, the heartache, the journey ... we'd been trying and hoping for a long, long time.

There are not enough words to express what a wonderful gift you've been to me, your Daddy and your big brother. You've shown us the value of patience, shared the joy of your boisterous laugh, made us marvel at how perseverance and stubbornness can reside in the tiniest person and opened an incredible new view of the world.

The world through your eyes...and the world is your oyster, princess.

Who could ask for a better Christmas present?

(This is my latest effort in the writing group I've joined with a bunch of blog pals. Join us:

Merry Christmas to you and yours...

I've been spending the last few days doing something perfect ... hanging out with my family, celebrating my baby daughter's 5th birthday, watching the kids frolic in the snow...

And loving it.

Wishing you and your family a wonderful Christmas from our home ...

and a glass of Christmas cheer ...

Friday Fragments - Elyse-Mommy-Da

Welcome to another edition of Friday Fragments - please visit my friend, the lovely lady Mrs.4444.

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I haven't even started Christmas shopping yet. It sucketh.

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There's a part of me that can't really get into the whole Christmas thing this year. I feel like I'm just going through the motions. First we planned the girlie's "school" birthday party (on the bus, it was on a bus!). And then we had the family birthday dinner celebration for her last weekend. Ho hum. Just going through the motions and feeling badly about it.

The garland is up; the tree is up; we've been to a wonderful holiday feast at a friend's place - kids and all; the school holiday concert where the kids in their dollar store elf hats, gleaming glasses, teeth and braces, chimed in as close to unison as any elementary kid could be expected to, cheering about Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and whatever other holiday celebration is happening this time of year (I'll admit it, I was just looking for my kid, who rocked it of course).

But other than that, meh. I'm not even up to sending Christmas cards this year.

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I've been trying not to think about it too much. Because thinking about it just overwhelms me. Thinking about it makes me quiver with grief inside. Most of the time I'm pretty good at quelling it. But every so often, while I'm brushing my teeth, doing the dishes, when I don't have the thousands of thoughts in my head about what I should be picking up for dinner, what I have to remember for the next lesson, when the next cheque needs to be written for the next school event ... when I let my brain breathe for a second... it hits me in a tidal wave. And then the tears.

They say the first year is the toughest, with all the family celebrations and the void that is so apparent. Just get through the first year and things should get easier.

But it's so hard, especially since it all snowballed around this time last year. The diagnosis. The running around from hospital to hospital. The frustration of not knowing the best thing to do. The frustration of the holidays getting in the way of access to procedures, to doctors, to answers ...sure we spent a lot, a TON of time with my siblings and family, but I wouldn't wish that sort of family time on anyone under those circumstances.

This is getting very depressing. So I'll post a picture of my hot boots.

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Thank goodness I have my kids. They are bringing the spirit of the holidays into our household whether I want it here or not. I especially love the singing, the excitement in the little one's eyes as she pulls out each decoration to put on the garland or tree, humming a holiday tune:

"Elyse-mommy-da, elyse-mommy-da, elyse-mommy-da, la-la-la...Elyse-Mommy-Da, mommy, guess what? It means Merry Christmas -- in FRENCH!"

God, I love my kids.

With a week to go, Elyse-mommy-da to you all ...

The Pick Up Artist

It was damp out. Rain was threatening, but held off for the time being. It was certainly less than welcoming outside.

He stood there, taking in the greyness of the scene before him. He had had a hard time convincing himself that he should venture out of the hotel at all today, but felt that he had to. After all, that's what you do when you're on holiday.

Damn, he'd forgotten his umbrella.

Making his way along the city streets, he felt the slippery bumps of the cobblestone under his feet signaling that he was approaching his first touristy destination of the day. The discordant tones of the holiday musak, being piped out by some invisible source, were punctuated every so often by the harsh honk of a passing car or the whirr of bicycle tires. The holiday ware being sold in the decorated stalls lining the canal; the glittering lights strewn among the garland that hung from the boats in the water; the imported hats, scarves and gloves overflowing from baskets; the cutesy decorations and candles; the tourists chatting in their different languages as they calculated how much things would cost in their native currency...he tried to let the joyousness of the season permeate. The holidays, such a wonderful time for most, but a sad time for many.

Especially when you're alone. And lonely.

He continued on his path, turning around and noting that yes, the scene before him was indeed picturesque, postcard-worthy, even. He took out his camera, scanning for the best shot and then he noticed in the corner of the screen...her.

She walked with a sense of purpose, but he could tell as her gaze wandered about her with a bit of wonder, that she was likely a tourist. As he was. After all, it was in the middle of the afternoon in the middle of the week, and despite her stride, there was an aura about her that indicated that she wasn't sure where she was going. She must not be a local either - she was wearing grey, but she wasn't a blonde.

And as if his thoughts about her beckoned her attention, she looked at him.

He gulped, took a quick deep breath, and spit out, "Hi, would you mind taking a photo of me here?"

She gave him a friendly smile, "Sure, that'd be a great shot." And she walked up to him.

He couldn't believe he'd done it. As she approached, he noticed the map sticking out of her coat pocket. Bonus. She got closer, and as he showed her how to operate his camera, the faint fragrance of hand cream caught his attention. It was nice.

"Okay, stand back and position yourself right in the middle there. Great, that's it. Perfect! Here you go! So, do you think you can do the same for me?" and she pulled out her Canon.

What luck! "Why of course, why don't you get into the same spot".

And he watched as she positioned herself, stood with one foot in front of the other posing as if she'd done this thousands of times before, and gave him a glossy smile.

"That's great, thanks!", she said as she looked at the results.

"Could I ask you a question?"...he couldn't help himself. "I noticed as you were standing there, you were looking to the right. Any particular reason for that?". Okay what the HELL was with that question? He was rusty.

"I was doing that, really? I don't know, but I'm operating on about one hour's sleep, so I'm pretty tired and I don't really know what I'm doing!" she said with a laugh. She also had a look on her face that said "what a weird question". Watch your next line, buddy.

"One hour?" Here's a story... a party girl, maybe? Yes!!

"Yeah, I just got off the plane, and I'm forcing myself to adjust to the time difference."

"Where are you from? I don't hear an accent."

"I'm from Canada, here for work."

"Oh, do you come here often?" Oh God, did he just say that? "...for work, I mean."

"No, this is actually my first time here. Where are you from?

Okay, so we were getting somewhere.

"I'm from New York City. I'm here on vacation, actually..."

"I LOVE Manhattan, how cool is that?"

Where was he going to go with this now... think, think, think...but too late:

"Um, so the shops close in a couple hours and this is all the free time I've got. I've got to go...enjoy the rest of your stay here. It looks like a beautiful city!"

And then like that, she was gone.

Bitch.

And he was all alone again.

And lonely.

He looked down at his camera. He turned around to face the canal and brought the instrument up to his eyes.

And at the corner of the screen, he caught a flash of blonde...

This is my first kick at the "Writing Well" Challenge set up by girl-bloggyfriend, Mrs. Flinger. Genius. The assignment was to write about a Character. Here's the link to others:

Friday Fragments - Oh. Mah. Gawd edition

Welcome to another edition of Friday Fragments - please visit my friend, the lovely lady Mrs.4444.

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Holy comments, Batman!

I have been totally overwhelmed by the SITS experience, as I got about 164 comments on my main blog, and so many more on the actual posts that I shared. You know, the posts that I put up when I was still doing something called WRITING? There's a paucity of that these days.

I intend to get to each and every one of the bloggers' blogs who came by for my SITS feature. I know that I've always said this blog is more of a creative outlet for me than anything else, but there's no getting around that fact that I loves me some comments. I also try to comment back to whoever visits me on FF, but I'm doing a rather crap job of that these days too. We're getting there...

So why break with current tradition - instead of quality writing, I'll post a couple of random photos.

As promised, here's a photo of me in my dress for the holiday party.

It was taken at about 1:30 AM last Saturday, aren't you impressed? I mean, that I'm still standing, even if I have a stupid grin on my face. My feet were totally killing me, but you just gotta do what you gotta do in the name of fashion sometimes. That stupid grin is actually severe pain masked by liquid band-aid in the form of 6 gin and tonics and 4 glasses of wine with dinner. So yes, it is a miracle that I am still standing.

We had a great time at the holiday party -- once they started playing music from this decade. It was funny, during dinner they played some great tunes (eg. Rihanna, ColdPlay, Maroon 5, Timbaland, Justin T ...not all danceable stuff, but pretty good tunage)...and then when they opened up the dance floor they played Kool and the Gang, Bee Gees, Lady in Red ...OMG, it's like the DJ took a look at the crowd and figured we were too ancient to know any better, it was a total wedding crowd, right?

I had to go up and request a song eventually, which thank goodness they had. You know, my favourite dance tune of late ... You could tell at the end of the evening who had young kids - the ones sticking around, who only knew the songs BECAUSE we had kids.

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And here is a photo of the mug that my mother made me keep - it gives you a bit of a hint about where I was in Europe a couple of weeks ago.

A rather big hint, wouldn't you say?

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And it's a special day today.

We'll keep it low key, but it's the man's birthday!!! I still tell him he looks great for his age, as he really does. He's a little doughier than when we first met, oh, 23 years ago (gahhh!) but he was a skinny student back then.

The boy made a card for his Dad:


Probably the best card the Man has received in a long time!

I can't say enough about my husband. Sure, he forgets to take the recycling out sometimes, he never knows where his keys are, he looks at me in a daze sometimes when I'm chatting his ear off, he even humoured me once by coming up to the BodyJam class and at least looking like he would try it (but he took a look and figured he wouldn't be able to shake his white ass that low!) ...but he totally, totally gets me. He knows me, he's been my biggest supporter, never doubting my capability to do anything. He took a chance on me years ago, figuring that I would become a stronger woman - a stronger partner - when I wasn't even sure that I would be.

And the kids, they could NOT find a better father anywhere on this earth. That I am sure of.

So the girlie and I are taking the Man out for dinner tonight. I'll probably pick up the DVD "I Love You Man" (we both love Paul Rudd) and we (sans the girlie) will watch it before we pick up the boy from his first ever all-kids, no-people-over-the-age-of-13-allowed holiday party.

I love you, Man.

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Have a great weekend, all!

Saucy Secrets

Well today is THE day.

It's my SITS Featured Blogger day! Whoo-hoo-yahoo and all that stuff! Exciting times my friends. See that cute button on the side-bar? That's where you'll find tons, I mean tons of wonderful bloggers, who share the love by visiting and commenting on blogs that they discover by joining the Secret Is In The Sauce community.

Too bad it comes at a time when my time for blogging is at an all time low and I am often too tired to even yawn. I'll have to admit that lately I've resorted to posting pictures of my shoes and wardrobe again. You'll notice if you pop around a bit that I have somewhat of an addictive personality, especially when it comes to shoes and shopping.

But enough excuses in my pre-amble...

WELCOME to my blog.

I'm Karen, wife to one, mother of two, and as my tag line says, I'm living in the burbs and trying to stay urban. Which is kinda hard to do when you're driving around in a minivan - parking spots in the city are not exactly minivan friendly. And from the title of my blog, I do like to drink preferably alcohol, although lately it's mostly coffee to stay awake!

I started this blog on Mother's Day 2005, about 5 months into my maternity leave with baby #2. I was still pretty amazed that I was a mother of two, as we had a number of difficult years dealing with infertility. In actual fact, I had made the decision to be a SAHM for a bit, and subsequently decided to capture the time and life's precious moments via this thing called a blog. I didn't even know that you could share it - I just wanted to write for myself, so that one day I would have something to look back at and remember the little things that I knew I would forget. Little did I know how important this vehicle would become to me in a very short time.

And here we are coming up to 5 years later, and boy, oh boy have things changed. My kids are no longer babies. After doing the work-from-home thing for a couple of years, I took the huge leap back into the corporate working world. Yup, as of 8 weeks ago, I'm a career gal again. Finding the balance is tough and it will take me a little while yet to really get the hang of it.

This blog, and more importantly, the community that I found through my voice here, has helped me tremendously, especially this past year. 2009 has had to be my most difficult year to date. I lost my beloved father to cancer in January. I had some health issues (gall bladders and knee sprains will forever be associated with hitting my mid-40s) that made me fear that I would not be able keep up with my beloved hip-hop aerobics class. (But fear not, I have hit the Bodyjam classes again with a vengeance). And a highlight of my year was attending the ultimate blogger fest - I rocked BlogHer 2009 Chicago in July and would do it again in a heartbeat.

So let me take you on a tour of my more recent favourite posts. It's been hard to choose, as at last count I have about 629 in total...sheesh. I guess I like to write, eh?

First up, a post about the dynamics between my boy and girl... and how sibling love lasts a lifetime, as I've seen through my mother's eyes.

Next, a memorable afternoon at the ballet.

And then, a more recent post about getting back up and moving on ...

And finally, as added bonus, just so you don't think I always write like a Hallmark card, a little ditty about man boobs.

Thanks again for stopping by my little abode in the blog world. I hope you stick around for a while, and better yet, come back for more. I can't wait to read your comments and visit you right back.

Cheers!