August Recap!

What a crazy summer!  It flew by - who knows what happened to August because I blinked and it was gone!  I packed in a lot of fun events as well as lots of work and pool time!

- We are still plugging along with the Civic Awards - we have been busy working on new awards and re-writing the bylaws as the mayor and town council want huge changes for next year's awards.  My ideas are to have agriculture, beautification and wildlife awards....basically we need to create categories for more people to fit into.

- Our town has a bandshell in the park (we are so small town there is a baby Jesus in it at Christmastime) and all summer they have concerts on Thursday nights.  Lots of people go to sit in the park and listen to the music, each week is a different style of music.  I took the Little Prince to see the swing band and he loved it...but then he does have my taste in music.  We took a blanket and a little picnic and picked a spot on the grass to lounge and be entertained!

- 50kms north of us is a much bigger city so we go there for shopping, there is a big mall, Costco, Sbux and lot's more.  We love making a whole day of it so we took the Little Prince to the zoo up there which is free and small enough for a 3 year old to manage.  We took a picnic lunch and wandered around looking at the meercats, otters, camels and ostriches.  Once we were finished there we made all of our shopping stops and bought everything we need to fill the freezer.

- We took the Little Prince to see the Smurfs movie.  I thought it was cute but the Little Prince said it was a bit scarey.  He hasnt mentioned it since so I think we are safe!

- We sent the Little Prince to Camp Granny for a day.  It was the weirdest day - to not be rushing around to get things done before he wakes us and to not hear him laughing and squealing in the house was so strange.

- Hermes Scarf Friend got tickets to see Hairspray so I went with her, her son and her best friend.  It was a great show and we got to go to the cocktail reception and rub elbows with all the town bigwigs and the actors.

- We went to a bbq at the home of a guy the Suburban Prince's brother grew up with.  All these guys knew each other and it turns out this one lives just 15 minutes away from us.  We were told too bring a chair, a dish for the food table and our own booze.  Hm.  I know we have discussed this before but I still believe if it's the first time someone is coming to your house you should extend some hospitality and not make them bring all kinds of things so you can have a party.  Anyhoo...it was pretty boring for me as I didnt know anyone and didnt go to the same schools as all of them so we stayed for a few hours then made our way home.  Maybe we will invite the hosts for a coffee or something in the next few weeks and show them how it's done.

- Our contractor and his girlfriend (one of my babysitters) were in an ATV accident a few weeks ago.  The ATV flipped over and landed on them while they were out riding it.  Fortunately they got through it mostly with just lots of bumps, bruises and bandages tho our contractor needed surgery on his ankle and had a few broken bones.  I was busy for a week or so making them meals and going back and forth to make sure they had everything they needed.  Hermes Scarf Friend's husband is good friends with the contractor and he came home from visiting them telling HSF that I was the only person who did anything to help them.  I hope they take this opportunity to re-evaluate the relationships they have with people because if I had an accident and not one of my friends came by or brought a casserole or did a single thing to help me, they would be removed from my life.

- There was one day this last month that made me realize what people who work full time go through - I had a hair appopintment 45 minutes away, then rushed back to see a potential customer, then dashed across the street to have lunch with the Happy Reaper (code name for the local funeral director who is very cheerful) to discuss a Christmas fundraiser then raced home to cook dinner for the contractor and girlfriend....while cooking dinner got a phone call from my longest friend who recently moved from NJ to Kansas City so it was nice to catch up with her.  Then I packed up the dinner, dropped it off and went to pick up HSF to go to a Chamber of Commerce cocktail party.  I get a bit tired just reading that!

- The Mayor and I went to see The Help and we both loved it!  Neither of us has read the book yet but really wanted to see it in the theater.  The book is on my list...in my ereader waiting for me.

- The Little Prince went to Canadian Tire with the Suburban Prince and bought himself some stickers...with a stack of Canadian Tire money.  His first purchase! 

- I had nibblies and cocktails with a couple who do a lot of work in town on arts festivals and the like.  Currently they are working on building schools in Laos and have a fundraising event planned so they came over to chat about that and they gave me some great ideas for the 1920s gala I am planning for next spring.  I haven't seen these guys for a couple of years so it was so nice to get a couple of hours with them to catch up.

- Housekeeper had a corn roast at her house about 20 minutes from me.  You know you are in the country when there isnt a single landmark to help with directions.  She told me to go to the stop sign and her street is the third on after that.  My gps could barely find it!  But we got there and had a drink, sat by the fire listening to country music (Lawdy, what has happened to me?!) and had some corn and s'mores.  The Little Prince loved the s'mores and kept wanting to 'go for a little walk' by the food table!

- The basement renovation is still coming along.  We found another electrician after the one we hired in the spring just stopped showing up and put us a few months behind schedule.  Ugh I bumped into him in the grocery store the other day - what a jerk.  I still like his girlfriend tho as she is my seamstress but he just rubs me the wrong way.  Anyhoo, the electrical passed inspection and the insulation has been installed and now it needs to be inspected before we drywall.  

- We spent an afternoon with my in-laws.  They made a nice lunch and we sat outside in the sun enjoying it.  These days they are getting on my nerves...which is awful, I know, but MIL is getting needier and needier and I just cant handle it.  She wants to see us alllllll the time and we barely have any free time (Hello!  I've been out alone with my husband twice this year!!) so we don't want to be pressured into spending what little time we have going back and forth.  We have tried to tell her that if we could do short visits we could do them more often but then she gets all weepy *sigh*  She just doesn't understand that just because she has nothing to do doesn't mean the rest of us aren't run off our feet trying to keep up with our lives!  The Suburban Prince gets annoyed at her notion that if we don't have a meal together it doesn't count as a visit.  The has been Christmas drama already and I am thinking about booking a holiday for a few days to avoid it all!

- GEM Munro came to my Rotary club to talk about his work in the slums of Bangladesh - he is so fascinating and such a great storyteller.  We were all on the edge of our seats waiting to hear how it all turned out!  He has written a book about his experiences so if you are interested in reading about how he did the impossible you can purchase it here.

- The leader of the official opposition in Canada died.  Jack Layton was only 61 and at the height of his career.  I wont politically out myself here but regardless of what he fought for or against he was an amazing politician, passionate Canadian and made politics in this country interesting.  I feel he was this generation's Trudeau and I doubt his party will be the same without him.

- I have been in discussions with a big company for ages and got the word that I got the ribbon contract!  Yay!  So I will be printing up lots of ribbon for them to go with their marketing materials and donations they make to every charity in the area.  It's all so exciting how fast my ribbon business has taken off!  In case you havn't seen it yet, my ribbon business site is www.Royal-Ribbons.com and I create personalized ribbon!

- I spent the summer watching Downton Abbey in the kitchen while I made meals and did dishes.  I just watched the last episode a few days ago and now have a touch of Downton Depression.  If you haven't seen this show get the dvds asap!  It is so good - I couldn't take my eyes off it!

- Let's not forget Big Brother 13 - I can't believe we have been subjected to Rachael's voice for all these weeks!  I didn't have a favourite this season so there was no one I was rooting for except anyone who had the power to evict Rachael.

- I cant believe I only got to golf twice all summer!  I am having visions of being in my parka knee-deep in snow just to hit a few balls!  I must book some time with my teacher before the weather turns...only 8 weeks or so left!

- We went to my Rotary club's corn roast and got to hang out with everyone and their children and grandchildren.  The weirdest thing is a woman I met...she was saying how cute the Little Prince is and I joked and laughed and said I don't even need my husband anymore, I just stare at my son all day long.  Well.  I think she thought I was serious because she said 'I know!  If my vibr**or could mow the lawn I wouldn't be married anymore!'.  Ummm ok.  Holy inappropriate!  I was sitting with HSF and we were just looking at each other like WTH?  and this woman kept it up saying 'Am I right?!'.  The worst of it is...I know her husband!!!! 

- The juiciest goss of the summer...the neighbours across the street...the ones who are anti-social and only speak to us when they want something...have been seen with legal separation papers.  And he is sleeping in the basement.  I guess two self-centered people just dont make for a good marriage.  So I am hoping this means their house is up for sale soon - I never understood why they moved into a neighbourhood when they want nothing to do with anyone or socializing or anything.  They have a little girl the same age as the Little Prince and never had play dates or anything!  I will be happy to see the back of them and hopefully some nice, friendly people move in.


And now it's September already and Thanksgiving is in 6 weeks or so and I need to hit the ground running!  All of my autumn decor is packed in the storage room and I had no idea the basement renovation would take this long so now I need to figure out how to get in there and get it all out and get the house ready for fall!  I have been pinning like mad on Pinterest and have a million ideas for food, decorations and everything I want to do while the leaves change colour.  First up...a PSL from the new Sbucks just down the highway!  After that I can put some old jeans and a t-shirt on and see what I can do in the basement to get things a bit organized and ready.

And how was your summer?


Have a fabulous day!

How will I survive?

Happy Monday!  I am writing this post on Sunday because at this moment I have no power at all at my house.  No internet, no puter, no blow dryer, no phone, no tv, no kettle, no toaster oven, no laundry, no hoover...nothing.  Everything I do depends on electricity!  So I am spending today (Sunday) getting everything done to make Monday tolerable.  The Suburban Prince told me to tell you not to worry that I havnt been on twitter, facebook and email all day...there's no need to call the FBI or anything.

If the situation is dire I might pop out to McDs or Sbux to use their wifi for an hour (or 4).   I will miss you all but hopefully I will be back online on Monday night!  And back to work!  All in all it's the next step in the renovations in the basement...the electrician we hire in March (!!!) never finished the job and put us months behind...I thought we would at least have drywall by now!  Sooooo I can suffer for the cause for one day.

I hope you had a faboo weekend!  On Friday I went to see Hairspray with Hermes Scarf Friend - she got us comp tickets from work so we got to see it for free!  We had 4th row seats and it was nice to be so close.  After the show there was a cocktail reception - we got to mingle with the cast and rub elbows with some of the a-list of town. 

On Saturday we went to a 'party' at the home of a guy the Suburban Prince grew up with.  It turns out he lives 15 minutes from us way out in the country.  It was a bit of a surprise to see there were only about 8 adults and maybe 25 teenagers...I didnt realize it was meant to be a kids' party.  We stayed for a couple of hours and then headed home.  The Suburban Prince said it was nice to see some of the guys he knew in school and hasnt seen for 20 years or so but I was bored out of my mind.  Here's a question for you...have you ever been invited to a party you had to bring your own chairs, booze and a dish for the food table?  What do we think of this?   Is this ok when it's a group of people who have known each other for years and get together a lot?  How about when it's the first time you have been invited to someone's house?

On Sunday I did some errands and got caught up on emails then spent an hour in the pool.  It was a bit overcast so we kept our swimming short and got on with productive things. 

The winner of my personalized ribbon giveaway is ... Little Miss Cant Be Wrong!  Wahoo!  Congratulations!  Please contact me so we can discuss your ribbon :O)  Everyone else...thank you so much for entering!  Please visit Royal Ribbons to see what my amazing customers have had designed for them - I cant wait to make ribbon for you!


Have a fabulous day!

Rent - The Musical

A few weeks ago Hermes Scarf Friend and I went to see Rent.  Now granted, we knew it was a high school production but my goodness, we had no idea what we were in for

 

 The play was performed in the drama room.  I hate to sound snobby but I went to a high school with it's own auditorium much like you would see a big show in so I was unprepared for this performance.  I am still getting used to small town life and every once in a while I am thrown a curve ball!

The main set was in the middle of the room with seating all around it...'theater in the round' they called it.  I think that's code for 'there are no good seats'. Fortunately the main set was raised so we could see it over everyone.

They had a part of the set to the right of us and another part waaaayyy to the left of us that we couldnt see.  They made good use of a small room to recreate the places in the movie.

We were sitting right in front of the bass player...yeah, the band was at the back of the room.  We know the guy who played bass...he is a doctor and single.  

It was the whitest cast of Rent I have ever seen!  I would love to say it was an awe inspiring performance but unfortunately one of the leads was so incredibly painful to listen to I just kept silently praying for him to suddenly lose his voice.  Why did no one politely tell him he cant sing (I suspect he is tone deaf) and find him another job on the production? We did lots of musicals in high school...were WE this bad?  Maybe we were!  Oh no...we probably were!  Everyone gave them a standing ovation because let's face it, being a teenager and getting up there to perform in front of a room full of people is so incredibly hard, especially the guy who played Angel and had to wear a dress!  Rent is a brave choice for small town whiteyville. 

All in all it was a nice night out with HSF and we did our usual best Statler and Waldorf impersonations while we got all caught up on each other's lives.  I see Grease is playing at another high school but I didnt have time to see it.  Good thing I have seen the movie!

Dont miss my latest giveaway!  It's open to anyone in North America!


Have a fabulous day!

Goodbye 2010

It has come time to say goodbye to 2010.  It feels like the year that never was...where did it go?   I was looking through blog posts from the past year and realised things I thought happened in the summer actually happened in January and February - how strange is that!?  Why was I so apathetic about so much of it?  Just thinking about this Christmas I could've easily skipped over it and gone on with my life without regret...I am surprised at how many people I know feel the same way.  Most people I know didnt bother with presents, decorated out of obligation, and have opted to pack up their decor early.  Perhaps we squeezed all we could out of 2010 by Halloween and just needed to get on with new beginnings, fresh starts and the big plans we have for 2011.

It's not that I didnt enjoy 2010....it just seems like it was more a time of laying groundwork for bigger things.  It is the year I had my midlife crisis.  It shocks me but I spent a good chunk of the year trying to recapture 1985 and everything I felt, learned and cherished that year.  My ipod has been playing a lot of Phil Collins, Miami Vice, Van Halen and Def Leopard - I keep finding myself closing my eyes and I can almost transport myself to a high school dance or party.  I can conjure the way my locker smelled (a combination of Finesse and Wind Drift) and the way the cafeteria sounded every day at lunch time.  Suddenly, while writing this, I remembered my grade 9 crush.  I wont say his name here, I havnt seen him since and for all I know he has google alerts and will crawl out of the woodwork to shatter the memories - I prefer to keep him tucked away as a handsome teenage boy in jeans, topsiders and a rugby shirt rather than a 40-something, balding, out of shape, peaked-at-eighteen middle aged man who will no doubt be wearing short sleeved dress shirts.  I will remember him as the boy who, while knowing I had a gargantuan crush on him, stopped to make sure I was ok when he saw I was crying in a secluded hallway.  A simple kindness, but one that might've shaped my view of men from from then on.  Perhaps my husband owes him a beer.

2010 was the year of the most amazing Olympics I can remember!  Canada put on an awesome show and many incredible performances!  I've never been prouder to be a Canadian and we showed the world how it's done!

2010 was a year of perspective.  One friend was airlifted to the city while going through a heart attack and another lost her home to a fire.  I stopped more than a few times this year simply to count my blessings.  I told the Suburban Prince that a friend always says 'She's rich' when she is asked what I do for a living.  His response?  We are.  We are?  Huh?  Yes, we are rich.  We have our health, a roof over our heads, cars in the driveway, food in the fridge, electricity, running water, heat and the means to enjoy a nice life.  And, each other.  What more does anyone need to be defined as rich? 

Remember waiting for months for the new Sex and the City movie?  I had such high hopes and left the theatre feeling a bit let down.  Sure the parties and antics and outfits we fun, but isnt Charlotte's conversation with Miranda what we really walked away with?  Even when we get everything we want, life can be hard sometimes.  Children certainly show us what we are made of and who we really are.  Sometimes mommy just needs to get away and be her old self to be able to appreciate (and tollerate) what she has at home.  And that's ok.

2010 brought us the follow up to The Official Preppy Handbook and I know I was counting down the days leading up to it's release.  The silence was deafening.  Dare I say it?  True Prep wasnt all we hoped it would be?  It followed the format, stayed true to the ideals and certainly helped us through the fleece minefield!  But what was missing?  Lisa Birnbach told me she had no idea we were looking for an update....I told her we could've used some help through the 90's.  I dont know if we learned anything new but it certainly reinforced, for most of us, we were going in the right direction.  For those of us who weren't born American, to a legacy, near a country club or sailing school, we need the reassurance from the prep of all preps and for that, Lisa, I thank you.

In 2010 my blog went in every direction...maybe this year it will find it's place - much like my life.  I spent this year 'finding myself' but let's not get to deep, I like to find myself at cocktail parties and charity events.  I often wondered if I am writing a lifestyle blog - I write about my lifestyle so who knows.  Do I think I am writing a preppy blog?  It never occured to me to define my blog that way as I couldn't imagine writing only of preppy things.  My preppiness is a natural state so it's not like I think it is anything special.  Certainly not special enough for me to put thought and typing into it.  I just blog what I like, what I observe and what I think is funny.  Whatever my blog ends up being...please dont ever call it a 'mommy blog'...there are enough of those out there as it is!

For the first time in my life I actually considered being a party planner.  I dont know how I fell into this except that I have a small child who has birthdays and I have a big ego.  I have never done anything half way and dont like to be outdone by anyone.  Perhaps not my best character trait but without people who go over the top, the rest of us might not know the bar is set high and at least make an attempt to reach it.  I love throwing parties and with my blog I have had a chance to showcase what I do.  So many people are gracious enough to think (or at least say) I do a good job and the suggestion came up many, many times, 'You should be a party planner'.  Maybe 2011 is the year for this.  Maybe now I feel the time is right.  Maybe now it will all come together.  Maybe now I know what I will be when I grow up.

When one goes through a midlife crisis, one has to confirm their worth.  One needs to know the last 25 years meant something, that one learned something and in a sense, has cast a shadow.  As I entered the 40th year of my life I kept asking 'What have I accomplished?' and struggled to find the answer.  Im not a captain of industry, hadnt become famous, hadnt created anything, left my mark on anything, changed anyone's life or path and I certainly didn't feel I had done much but float through life, easy peasy, on a pink cloud, never really needing to put much effort into anything.  But 40 loomed.  Waiting.  Daring me to prove something.  Anything!  I started thinking my life over and realised I had learned an awful lot.  So many people had come and gone, so many places have been visited, relationships ended, loved ones died and through it all I listened to people...so many wise people, but I also listened to myself.  I dont consider myself a very deep person but somewhere inside I had something to say and it started pouring out, onto my keyboard and into the blogisphere.  I took the most important things I have learned over the last 25 years and turned them into a book.   A book!  While I was dancing through life, unbeknownst to me, a book was brewing.  It isnt a big book nor it is my last book, but it will always be...my first book.

While I was busy trying to perhaps define myself I was invited to join Rotary International and tagged along with a friend to a few meetings.  Smartest.Decision.This.Year.  Suddenly I was where I belong!  Surrounded by fun, ambitious, energetic people who are dedicated to bettering our community.  I suspect this is my big chance to make a name for myself in our little town.  To show them what I'm made of.  I see a step-and-repeat in my future!

In 2010 I met my dear friend High Heeled Life.  Who knew anyone near me would ever read my blog and find a connection!  From the moment we met we have been great friends and I am so grateful for that first email she sent me that started it all.  I know my life wouldnt be the same with her and MrG in it and I love knowing the Little Prince has an auntie and uncle who dote on him and have become a part of our family.  Without HHL my book would still be sitting on my laptop waiting for someone to believe in me and for that I will forever owe her a debt of gratitude.

I have always loved theatre and for some reason saw more shows this year than I have seen in the last 10 years.  I can only assume it is because when mommy finally got back into life and out in the world, I decided I was leaving no stone unturned, no cork unpopped and no show unseen!

The Little Prince found his voice.  At last.  After months of work, classes, an amazing school and the never ending efforts we put into him, he has surpassed the level expected of him and at his 3rd birthday will be tested for kindergarten.  A whole year early!  My heart overflows with pride everytime he runs down the hall yelling 'Mommy, mommy, mommy!!', a word I thought I would never hear.  I am brought to tears every time I think of how far he has come and know he is destined for greatness.  The love I have for this child is unfathomable, indefinable, overflowing, unending and every time he puts his hands on my face and comes in for a big sloppy kiss I am brought to a place of peace and I know where I belong.  At two and a half he can count to 100, spell his name, recite our phone number, name every animal we have ever shown him and repeats everything I say...the good, the bad and the not so pretty.  The best Christmas present was hearing him sing Frosty The Snowman.  I guess we both found our voices this year! 

2008 was the worst and hardest year of my life.
2009 was about picking up the pieces and survival.
2010 was about figuring it all out.

2011 is going to be epic.  Huge.  My year. 
It's the year I simplify, minimize and take everything I prepared for this year and make it happen. 

Happy New Year!


Have a fabulous day!

Wicked Photos

We went to see Wicked in Toronto on October 27th and I managed to sneak a few photos while we were waiting. Someone took a photo with the flash on very close to us which ruined it for anyone else who wanted to take photos as the ushers were on high alert and searching for people with cameras.  So, a word of advice, take your photos without the flash and hope for the best!

The curtain was sparkly and glowing! 

A huge dragon overlooked the stage!

Everytime I tried to take a photo someone stood up!

The center of the curtain - beautiful!

Isn't this just a delightful example of what people wear to the theatre these days?

Now, I'm not a religious person...the theatre is my church.  These people work very hard for months on end - everyone from the person who sews buttons on costumes to the star of the show and everyone in between.  And you know what?  None of them are getting rich at this.  Every day they put all they've got into bringing you, the audience, the performance of a lifetime and for many it might be the only time they see any particular show as not everyone can afford to spend over 100.00 a seat to see a show twice.  Every person involved knows this and they make sure your experience is a memorable one because they respect the audience.  Without the audience the show is nothing.  So please, I beg of you, show respect for these people who have poured their heart and soul into the next two hours and wear something appropriate.  Just like you would for church/shull/temple.  Yoga clothes do not fall into the 'appropriate' category.

Have a fabulous day!

I'm off to see the Wizard!

The Suburban Prince and I will be spending the day in the city seeing Wicked and having dinner.  My inlaws will be entertaining the Little Prince all day so we can take on the city with reckless abandon!  Our first stop will be for PSLs and our last stop will most likely be BBW for candles and smelly soaps.  The Suburban Prince and I havn't spent time together alone in months (I believe it was when we went to see Cats and my inlaws wouldn't answer the phone which sent both of us into a panic and we raced home to make sure the Little Prince was ok - they were suitably punished.) so it will be nice to pretend we are dating or some other romantic thing.

My outfit ironed and ready to don - black tights and black pumps will complete the look...

Green and pink representing Elphaba and Glinda!

Tiny little secret...these pearls are glass and came from...the dollar store!  It's amazing what they have sometimes!  They are the perfect shade of 'pearl' for this outfit!

To those who'd ground me

Take a message back from me

Tell them how I am

Defying gravity

I'm flying high

Defying gravity

And soon I'll match them in renown

And nobody in all of Oz

No Wizard that there is or was

Is ever gonna bring me down!

Have a fabulous day!

Cats!

Continuing with my trip down memory lane we went to see Cats on Sunday!  I saw in in 1985 so yes, I was 14.  Seeing it all these years later was fun but I realised just how cheesy it is - I felt like Charlotte the whole time!

On the way home the Suburban Prince and I were talking about it and he was asking what a Jellicle cat is and which parts were written by TS Elliot and which parts were written by Andrew Lloyd Webber....

Suburban Prince:  Well, I understand the underlying message...
Suburban Princess:  You do?  I studied Cats in drama class and I have no idea what the underlying message is!
Suburban Prince:  Duh...spay and neuter your pets!


Have a fabulous day!

Weekend recap and more!

I had a very busy and fun weekend!  On Friday night we went to see Sweeney Todd and on Saturday afternoon the bestie and I walked down to the theatre to see it for the last time.  I am sad it has come to an end and I am so looking forward to the next time it appears in this area!

The set of Sweeney Todd - the pie shop actually spins around and Mrs Lovett's parlour is on the other side.  There are stairs on both sides making a walkway across the top and providing access to the barber shop.

Last Friday, after the show we went to the local pub for drinks and a bite to eat, and gossip...always gossip!  All of the cast came in to the same pub so we got to sit with them and chat about the show - it helps that we know the man who played The Beadle.  I was telling our friend that Sweeney Todd is my absolute favourite show and I have seen it 13 times now so he called the actor who played Sweeney over and he and I spent the next hour disecting his performance and talking about other productions and the movie.  I am sure everyone around us was bored to tears but he and I had a great time!  I told him I thought a certain scene should be played slightly more jovial because it is meant to take the audience by surprise and the way he played it that night it was obvious what was coming - he took my advice and at the end of another performance the woman next to me said she was soooo surprised!  I sent him a red carnation and a note the next day telling him what an amazing job he did!  He wrote me a lovely note back saying what an honour it was to meet someone who is almost as much of a fan of Sweeney as he is!

On Saturday night we all went to the mutual friends' house for nibblies and drinks - they surprised me with a yummy birthday cake with candle and an angel statue for the garden!  The mutual friends are leaving for Florida on Friday morning and wont be around for my birthday so it was very nice of them to do this ahead of time!

On Sunday we discovered the zoo isnt open in the winter so we went to the playground instead.  In November we got a huge, fabulous new playground so it is always full of moms and kids these days!  After we played for a while we went for brunch then came home to get stuff done in the house and get ready for another busy week!

Yesterday I finally tackled figuring out how to put music on my ipod.  Yes, I am so old that I was born before these instructions came as a part of one's dna!  I was so excited when 4 hours later I was actually listening to (you guessed it) Sweeney Todd on my ipod!  I did put lots of other music on it too but I had to get one last Sweeney reference in.  I assure you, unless there is a surprise production of it in my living room, this is the last time I will bore you with it.

This morning the Little Prince is at nursery school and we have an appointment with the speech pathologist at noon.  I am still so impressed at how fast this has happened!  5 weeks from my initial phone call and here we are in the system and moving along quickly towards getting some words from the Little Prince! 

Tomorrow we have baby time at the library - it is the last one for a few weeks which is almost a relief because I seem to be running out of time every single day!  I am also trying out a new housekeeper in the afternoon - wish me luck!  I would love to find someone and get those few hours back!  I am so incredibly sick of cleaning toilets and mopping floors!

To answer a couple of questions I get from time to time...

I know so many people because I talk to everyone.  EVERYONE!  You know when you are standing in line at the post office or some such place and you see someone wearing a really nice scarf or who smells really nice - I am the person who will tell them how nice their perfume/scarf/hat is - I also always stop to tell mothers how well behaved their child is (if the child is well behaved).  I just cant help myself!  I learned a long time ago that compliments are free so give them out!  Nothing will make someone want to know you more than letting them know how fabulous they are!

I know it sounds like I am off galavanting every hour of the day but I do spend quite a bit of time at home.  The Little Prince is very important to me so if I go out at night it is usually not until he has gone to bed.  Rarely will I go out before bedtime but if I do it is when the Suburban Prince is home or my MIL is here since she raised 3 boys and knows how to get them fed and to bed!  I have a regular babysitter who comes and watches movies while the Little Prince sleeps.  If I go out to lunch it is when the Suburban Prince is home and they are spending 'guy time' at the playground or in the woods.  Of course the Suburban Prince is very important to me too and we spend the evenings together when he is home.  The nice part of being married to someone who works swing shift is the lack of guilt.  When he is working the night shift I can get the Little Prince to bed, get the babysitter settled with chips and a movie and go out for a couple of hours in the evening without feeling like I am letting anyone down.

My appologies for not commenting on your blogs as much as I usually do - I have just been so busy with life and it is hard enough to blog about my own life on a daily basis that I am having trouble keeping up with all of you!  Please forgive me!  When I get time I do read the most recent posts and comment as much as I can!

Savvy Mode is hosting a fabulous March giveaway!  You must visit her blog and enter to win Quotations of Coco Chanel and a pair of Marc Jacob earrings!

Dont miss my Monogrammed Golf Glove Giveaway!


Have a fabulous day!

Swing your razor high Sweeney! (Or, have a great weekend!)

Happy Friday!!  I hope you have a wonderful weekend!   Please don't miss out on my March LillyP Giveaway!

I still have a couple of pairs of Olympic mittens - if you would like to buy a pair (or two) please email me!

Thank you to everyone who helped me with the blogger editor!!!  I got it switched over and yes this is much easier but at the same time much different.  There is no spell check!  Or do I need to tell it to add spell check?

To answer a question from yesterday...We went to Morocco for the first 3 weeks of our honeymoon.  We spent a few days relaxing poolside in Agadir and then flew to Casablanca where we started the real tour of Morocco.  Casablanca is really not as glamourous as one would think.  There was nothing fabulous about the place as it is more of a business centre as opposed to a touristy kind of place.  There are so many other places I would recommend visiting in Morocco but we needed to get to Casablanca to meet a group of people - we only stayed one night and one morning there.

Tonight the Suburban Prince and I are going to see Sweeney Todd - I can't wait!  I have hardly seen him all week so it will be nice to spend an evening together watching the show!

The weather here is supposed to be beautiful (10degrees!!) so we are going to take the Little Prince to the zoo on Sunday morning.  I am looking forward to being outside in the sunshine!  I can't believe how much I have missed just being able to walk around outside!

I spoke with my golf teacher this week as he is back in Canada after a winter down south!  I told him I want to run charity golf tournaments so he is going to help me get in with all of the bigwigs at the golf and country clubs!  He said he himself runs a few tournaments through the season so I will be helping him and learning the ropes!  Hopefully I will figure out my purpose in life soon!

Did you see RHNYC last night?  I hear it was very dramatic!  I didn't see it as it doesn't air here for a while - months even - so I will have to try to find it online!  Unfortunately sites like Bravo dont allow anyone from other countries to watch their videos so I will have to be creative about finding it!

What are your plans for the weekend?


Have a fabulous day!

Could it really be?

Could it really be spring? Today is the kind of day we wait all winter for! The temperature thing on my dashboard said 5 degrees! On the news this morning they said 8 degrees for the weekend! Yay!!

I took the Little Prince to the library for story time this morning and walked from there to the drug store. Normally I would race to the car and drive to run my errands but it was so nice today I decided to walk! The sun is shining, coats are open, people are smiling - it is the kind of day best spent in ski pants/boots, a turtleneck and sunglasses at a ski resort - you know those days - sitting in a chair outside the chalet just soaking up the first tiny hopeful wisps of spring! It's the kind of day that makes one suddenly realise how much of a hurry they have been in getting from place to place because it has been so cold. The warmer weather makes us slow down and take it all in!

Last night I went to see Valentine's Day with some of the sorority girls. The movie had it's cute moments but really it was just ok. I am glad we went on cheap night and only paid 4.00 to get in! I found it a bit odd that the girls I went with did not order drinks or snacks for the show nor did they have any in their purses (like I did!) hmmmm there is no way on earth I could get through a 2 hour movie without even a beverage of some sort!

Tonight I am going to dinner with a newish friend. She is the kind of person one instantly clicks with and even though we know very little about each other it feels like we have known each other forever! She is very sociable and honestly the least boring accountant I have ever met in my life!

Tomorrow night I am braving Costco with the bestie - it is a 30 minute drive each way so we will have lots of time to discuss the Saturday night plans with another mutual friend. Seems the mutual friend has gone ahead and planned some sort of party for my birthday without letting me know or even finding out if I can make it! The Suburban Prince and I thought it was 'having a drink at the weekend' but it seems to have turned into something a bit bigger than that. My birthday isn't until the end of the month but the mutual friend is going to be out of town for a few weeks so I guess she is trying to do something before they leave - she doesn't care to celebrate her own birthday so she doesn't really bother with anyone else's which is why I am surprised at how this seems to be unfolding!

On Friday I am seeing Sweeney Todd again! This time the Suburban Prince is coming so he will get to share the experience with me. On Saturday afternoon I am seeing it for the final time with the bestie so I will have been successful in my mission to make the people closest to me sit through it with me!

I had 200 followers for a couple of days but someone seems to have removed themself. I was gearing up for a big celebration post and a giveaway to mark the occassion but now I need to wait until I am back at 200 again!

During a recent snowfall I was putting my bags in my car and noticed the snowflakes were all very umm uhhh hm...snowflakey? Is that a word? They were all just the most amazing, perfect snowflakes! I always have my camera in my purse so I started taking pictures but I was having trouble getting the focus right. I called into the house for some camera expertise so the Suburban Prince came out to help me. I told him I was lucky to be married to someone who would drop what he was doing to come help me take a photo for my blog. He told me he is lucky to be married to someone who would stop and notice something like perfect snowflakes. Oh it's just a big ol' lovefest around here!






Have a fabulous day!

My Friends....You shall drip rubies. (Or, have a great weekend!)

First off, thank you so very much to everyone who left the incredibly supportive comments on my post about the Little Prince and his speaking issues. It was comforting to know how many of you have dealt with the same problem and now your kids are doctors and lawyers! This is why the blog world is so amazing - everyone supports everyone else! I read every single comment and appreciate the time you all took to help make me feel better.

The assessment went well. The Little Prince is very advanced physically and in comprehension so the case manager will be referring him to the speech pathologist to see if we can do anything to get him speaking.


Now back to my charmed life!

It seems I need to educate all of you on the fine art of musical theatre! Long before The Lion King and Wicked there was an incredible musical by Stephen Sondheim called Sweeney Todd. I first saw this show back in 1992 when a friend asked me to be an Assistant Stage Manager on the production she was working on.

Stephen Sondheim took this show to the boards in 1979. The role of Mrs Lovett was written for Angela Lansbury and for those of you who think the 2007 movie was good - you need to see Angela Lansbury's performance. She makes HBC look like a chair leg! The original Sweeney was played by Len Cariou but unfortunately he put so much into his performance he strained his vocal cords to the point of permanent damage!

Sweeney Todd has been staged all over the world! Did you know the movie was as good as it was because Stephen Sondheim was on set every day overseeing the direction? I think Johnny Depp did a wonderful job of playing Sweeney and I have seen a lot of Sweeneys over the years!

Tonight I will settle into my seat at the theatre and take in the sights, sounds and smells of Victorian England compliments of a bestie who works for a radio station and got us free tickets. This is about the 10th time I have seen Sweeney Todd, on stage, as it was always meant to be seen - my friend has been given instructions to elbow me if I suddenly start singing along with the actors!

Mrs. Lovett (spoken)

My! Them handles is chased silver, ain't they?

Sweeney Todd (spoken)

Silver, yes.
(sung)
These are my friends.
See how they glisten.
See this one shine...
How he smiles in the light.
My friend.
My faithful friend...
Speak to me friend.
Whisper...
I'll listen.
I know, I know you've been locked
out of sight
all these years, like me
My friend...
well I've come home to find you waiting.
Home, and we're together!
And we'll do wonders.
Won't we?
You there, my friend?

Mrs. Lovett

I'm your friend too, Mr. Todd
If you only knew, Mr. Todd
Ooh, Mr. Todd
You're warm in my hand.
You've come home!
Always had a fondness for you, I did.


Sweeney Todd (simultaneously)

Come let me hold you.
Now, with a sigh, you grow warm in my hand.
My friend!
My clever friend...

Mrs. Lovett

Never you fear, Mr. Todd
You can move in here, Mr. Todd
Mr. Todd, splendors.
You never have dreamed
all your days
will be yours!
I'm your friend
and you're mine!
Don't they shine beautiful?
Silver's good enough for me, Mr. T.

Sweeney Todd (simultaneously)

Rest now, my friends.
Soon, I'll unfold you.
Soon you'll know splendors
You never have dreamed
all you days,
my lucky friends
'Til now your shine was merely silver.
Friends, you shall drip rubies, you'll soon drip precious rubies...
(spoken)
AT LAST! MY RIGHT ARM IS COMPLETE AGAIN!

Have a fabulous day!

Life and other trials

I still have some Olympic mittens! If you would like a pair please email me - if you don't hear back from me please check your spam folder as I reply to every email.


A little clue. I am going to be entertained by Mrs Lovett 3 times in the next 10 days. Any guesses?


The last week has been so stressful. The old tenants moved out and left our house in such a horrible condition I can only assume they are the dirtiest, filthiest pigs I have ever met in my life. On top of that they have been incredibly nasty to us while we try to get all of this sorted out. Fortunately the new tenants are amazing and have been a huge part of getting this mess sorted out. They move in this weekend and I am sending a bottle of Cliquot to the house for them on Sunday.

Another thing that is stressing me out is the Little Prince's lack of verbal skills. It is not something I have ever blogged about - I really don't want this to be another mom blog but it is a part of my life, my struggle and I feel it is important to put out there. The Little Prince is 22 months and doesn't speak. He repeats things but wont use words to express himself. 3 weeks ago I started making phone calls to different agencies - I was amazed at how helpful people were! I was passed around a bit but I did get valuable information from everyone I spoke to including public health nurses, speech pathologists and child development case workers. We were assigned a case worker who will be our advocate until the Little Prince is 18. We spoke last week and she is so amazingly nice - the perfect type of person for working with children and their moms who have their emotions way too close to the surface. So today the Little Prince is going to be evaluated so we can be referred to the right agencies and doctors. Wish us luck! If you suspect your child is missing milestones please contact your local agencies - start with the public health nurse. I was amazed at how fast they leapt on this and got us in the system and on the road to catching up!


Have a fabulous day!