Odds and Ends

There is one clear thing I can remember about my Grandma; she loved rubber bands. There was always a stack of stuff on the kitchen table and if you sat and surveyed what was there you would see at least 3 rubber bands. Everything that could be wrapped in a rubber band was. There was a band around her wallet, a stack of paper, containers etc. I really didn't think much of it until the day my Mom commented on it. "Rubber bands are gross. They dry up and they smell and when they get old they break..." Another time I heard her and her brother talking about them. After hearing them talk, I would bet that my Mom and all her siblings avoid the use of rubber bands. OVERUSE comes to mind.

A few years ago my Mom started using tape. A lot of tape. She would tape notes to everything; the computer screen, kitchen counter, van consol. My sibblings and I were relentless in our commentary on the taped notes. Some of us were worse then others but they will remain nameless.

It wasn't until my husband started making comments on paper clips that I started to see a pattern. I can not stay away from paper clips. If I see one on the table or counter I will pick it up and play with it. When I was teaching I always had at least one in my pocket. I don't recall ever buying a package of them however I do possess a large number of them. Multiple sizes. Multiple containers full of them. When I was teaching I would use them to hold class sets of assignments together. (Teaching is more about paper than you can ever imagine.) It's all very innocent but to hear my husband talk about it and you wouldn't think so. I've stopped commenting on the tape.

My Grandma had rubber bands, my Mom has tape and I have paper clips. A proud family quirk. And then it happened. My husband has joined the ranks. He has a thing for ice cream pails. When we were cleaning the garage and house I started finding his stash. One under the bed, 2 under the work bench, 7 more floating around the garage, 3 in the storage room. And I quote "You never know when or where you might need a pail." Really!?!

So I must correct myself.... My Grandma has rubber bands, my Mom has tape, I have paper clips and Karl has ice cream pails.

How old is too old?

The other day I watched my husband take tylenol that was passed it's expiry date. When I asked him about it he just shrugged it off. I told someone else about this they said they ignore the expiry dates on Tylenol as well. Apparently there is more than one person out there who doesn't care about expiry dates. This leads me to the question, how old is too old? Would you take tylenol that was a month old? 6 months old? a year? 10 years? If you aren't following the expiry day then where do you draw the line? And does this disregard of the expiry dates apply to all products? There are expiry dates on dairy, cereals, breads, meats, juice, medication, contact solutions, contacts, car seats, poison, and condoms. So I must ask again, how old is too old and do expiry dates apply to any of these products?

Pink, twirly and puffed sleeves.

I must admit I was a little shocked at how young our first born was when she developed an opinion. She was 6 weeks old and had decided she only liked to feed from one side. I tried everything to trick to eat from both sides and there were a few times I was grateful we had a pump. By 3 months we had convinced her that she should re-think her position.

Now she is four and for the last year and a half she has been sharing her opinions. She has many opinions. I really shouldn't be surprised. I have many opinions and her Dad is one of the most stubborn people I know. Most people don't believe me when I tell them that Karl is more stubborn than me but the fact is that I am more likely to change my position before him. We both have our "things" that we just won't let go of. Some might call them grudges. Ask Karl about the time he got potato chips when he was expecting french fries or about the hair stylist who put mousse in his hair. The point is that our daughter is a product of both of us. She is passionately opinionated and super stubborn. Both qualities have their place (like standing up for yourself when faced with peer pressure) however... well let me give you an example.

TESLA'S GUIDE TO GETTING DRESSED

• Dresses must be worn every day. Preferrably sun dresses.
• It must be pink.
• And have puffy sleaves or no sleaves.
• And be twirly.
• Shirts are not worn with dresses; so no jumpers. This rule also includes sun dresses.
• Pants are not worn with dresses
• Only tights with feet can be worn otherwise they are considered pants.
• Dresses must meet all criteria

This would be fine if she had 7 pink, twirly, puffy sleaved dresses and our weather didn't go down to -30. Every morning we have the same discussion and the result is that her sun dresses are hidden. Gone! Some dresses have been dirty for a while. She has missed preschool because she took too long getting dressed. She has been cold. She has been angry. She has worn pants! Did I mention she has been angry?

My friends laugh. My parents tell us to take away the choices. Karl's mom keeps giving her dresses. And we keep working with her.

I love my daugher. She is bright and fun. She is creative and talkative. She wants to be a princess and look like a princess and I can't fault her for wanting to be special and feel pretty. At somepoint she will have to learn practicality and reasoning and flexibilty but I'm pretty sure we are still a long ways away from that... at least about dresses.

Are you Kidding Me?

This Christmas my husbands extended family rented a time share in Fairmont. We arrived 2 days after his immediate family. A van full of 1 playpen, 2 suitcases, 2 snowboards and 1 pair of skis, many toys, 12 books, 2 favorite teddy bears, 2 pots, 10 pounds of potatotes, 3 blankets, 1 bag of tolietries, 1 cooler, 1 box of dry food, 4 pairs of snow pants and so much more. Upon arrival we decide to bring our girls in and survey the situation.

To enter the timeshare you walk through a door into a small hallway that is shaped like a Y. It contains a closet on the right with a washer and dryer. If you go to the left you enter the larger of two suites. It has a large kitchen, eating area and living room. It has one bedroom which is the master bedroom and it has a king sized bed and ensuite. There is also a second bathroom off the kitchen. My MIL and Grand-MIL are sleeping in this suite.

If you go to the suite on the right, you will find the smaller suite. We were told this would be ours. It has a kitchette, small living room, one bedroom and one bathroom. My BIL (B stands for Brother) has claimed the king sized bed in the only bedroom in this suite. Our family is meant to sleep on the double hid-a-bed in the living room. We decide to make the best of it and pull the bed out. It needs to be made but we expected that. The mattress is in terrible condition. If you sit at the head of the bed the bed flips up and your feet are in the air and your bum has fallen into no mans land.

Are you kidding me? My single brother in law is sleeping in a kingsize bed while my husband and I sleep on a double hide a bed in a common area with our girls and all our stuff. His response... "Why should I always sleep on the hid a bed?" Why? I'll tell you why.

Because he is single and can sleep on the cushy leather couch as a single and we can not. We must sleep on the hid a bed.
Because there is one of him and two of us. We need more room. We should have the bigger bed.
Because our girls are sleeping in a main room and he is out partying. He must walk through our sleeping space to get to his.
Because we are married and need more privacy (wink, nudge, nudge).
Because I have a miserable cold and am having trouble sleeping as it is.

And so goes the first night. I am going to go crawl into my hid-a-bed with my husband and hug my box of kleenex.

My Husband

I love being married. I love being married to my husband. My husband is one of the hardest working men I know and I must admit I feel taken care of by him. Being married to him does have it's perks. I can honestly say I have never changed a flat tire and while I may understand the theory behind it I doubt I will ever do it with my husband around.

Shortly after we were married his family decided to sell off the farm equipment and have an auction. We spent many weekends at the farm preparing for the big sale and it was during this time that I witnessed my husband in his true element. My heart swelled with pride as I watched him back the tractor up to endless pieces of equipment without the slightest hesitation. While most people would have to backup, pull forward, turn this way or that countless times in order to line up the hitch to the equipment my husband did not. He got in the tractor and backed up perfectly aligned time after time. He was quick and efficient and had obviously done this a number of times.

I have also seen him come from rotatilling the garden covered from head to toe with back dirt and all I could see was the whites of his eyes and his teeth revealed from his big goofy grin. The man loves his tractors and is never quite as happy as when he is on them.

People have asked me a number of times why were are moving to the farm. Why would we leave Calgary when we have good jobs, friends, a great home church? Why would we leave a finacially comfortable position to a life time of debt? Why would we move so that we can commute for 2 hours a day to jobs in Calgary and what is a born and raised city girl going to do on a farm?

Few people get the opportunity to witness their spouse doing what they love and in their element. When my husband gets on a tractor it is a sight to witness. When he chases cows, he is posed and confident. So when we move to the farm I am going to watch my husband live out his dream. He is going to drive tractors and chase cows, he is going to be covered from head to toe in dirt and he is going to mow grass (probably at 7 in the morning). And he is going to smile! Don't get me wrong my husband is happy but moving to the farm is a dream. It's a lifestyle and it's one that was almost lost. What we lose is distance we are gaining in life.