Friday, November 26, 2004

5:34pm  Birthday Greetings

Special birthday greetings to my Mom.  Thanks for all that you do!  May God's blessings continue to fall gently in your lap.  And Happy 1st Birthday to cute Trystan!  Here's a pinch for those cute, chubby cheeks of yours!   Much love all around! 

Thursday, November 25, 2004

9:42am  Business as Usual

Happy Thanksgiving to all my family and friends who are celebrating this holiday today!  Have a wonderful celebration!  It's business as usual here in Toronto since our Thanksgiving came and went in October.  Of course we missed it because we were on vacation in California.  Guess there won't be any turkey with all the fixings for me this year. 

Jay has the rest of the week off since he gets all the American holidays.  We had hoped to spend the holiday weekend in New Jersey and NYC with our friends and family there, but unfortunately we can't get away since Jessica has a swimming lesson this evening that she can't miss and Jay can't take Monday off.  American Thanksgiving is so festive and it sure helps that its the best weekend to shop.  Ah well, it's probably just as well because the news reports are showing insane travel delays.  Sorry Jane - I was looking forward to that homemade raspberry and chocolate dessert! 

All of a sudden I'm craving turkey with gravy, mashed potatoes, stuffing and Marie Callender's pie!  Maybe Jay and I will sneak off to Swiss Chalet tonight to get the festive special just to keep things in the spirit. 

Toronto got her first dusting of snow last night.  Before the end of the night it turned to rain, rain and more rain.  I was in the west end of town visiting with Blythe and Bethany and made the huge mistake of attempting to get anywhere in rush hour in bad weather.  What was I thinking! 

Needless to say, the morning got off to a crazy start.  The snow got washed away by the rain, but it's cold!  There was a thin layer of ice on my windshield this morning and for some reason my ice-scraper wasn't in the trunk.  Nothing more aggravating than rummaging for an ice-scraper  in the garage in 30 degree weather. 

On that note, I'll make a list of everything that I'm thankful for today (very long list) and you eat plenty of turkey and dessert for me!   Enjoy!

Monday, November 22, 2004

12:05am  I Love it When a Plan Comes Together

Bad hair was a good thing at Rosedale Heights Public School last Friday.  Jessica participated in the Crazy Hair Day themed Spirit Day in support of the Stephen Lewis Foundation.   I'm thinking there should be more of those days so that going to school with bed head wouldn't have such a stigma. 

Belated Happy Birthday to my cousin, Roxanne!  Hope you had a wonderful day surrounded by all your favorite people!  Hugs!

Another busy weekend is over.  Jessica had a playdate with her friend Gemini today and the two spent several hours getting all dolled up in their "high heels".   Of course no playdate is ever complete without a trip to McDonald's. 

Jumped into covert action mode for the surprise birthday gathering I planned for my Mom tonight.  I didn't think I'd have much luck pulling this off without my Mom finding out about it, but thanks to the power of email it went off without a hitch.  Mom was clueless up until the very last minute.  Much thanks to Ninong Boy, Ninang Edith, Ninong Ben and Ninang Evelyn for helping out.  I love it when a plan comes together! 

I'm still in denial that Christmas is just around the corner.  My mind is still programmed to believe that first we celebrate Thanksgiving and then we worry about Christmas.  After living outside of Canada for four years, we're finding it difficult to change the mindset.  It took at least a year to get into that mindset and now its just hard to undo it all.  So I'm still getting weird looks and awkward silent pauses after I spell my last name with a "zee" and not a "zed".  I'm a creature of habit what can I say. 

Jay gets American Thanksgiving off, but Jessica has school since it isn't a holiday here.  We're hoping to make a trip to New Jersey / New York City for the holiday weekend, but unfortunately it's still tentative at this point depending on Jay's travel schedule for the post-Thanksgiving week. 

Congratulations to Ed and Chris on the birth of their daughter, Caitlin Ema, born November 16, 2004.  I think she was born with a pink iPod and an age-appropriate playlist.  Forget about the keys to the beamer, she'll be asking for her own Mac in no time.   *wink*  

Thursday, November 18, 2004

6:43pm  What's Wrong in this Picture? 

Jay called me last night from my favorite Target in the Atlanta area, "Hey hon, I'm at Target.  Need anything?"  I asked him to pop by the Girls Dept., 2nd floor near Toys and then to Electronics, 2nd floor.  Then it suddenly dawned on him that he was the one physically in the store, but I was the one telling him where everything was...from all the way over here.  What's wrong in this picture?   Um yeah, I guess I've got the floor plans down in my head. 

Wednesday, November 17, 2004

7:31pm  Land of the Little Adults

Today I was invited to spend the morning with the "little adults" in Kindergarten to observe the curriculum and to have an opportunity to speak with the teacher about Jessica's progress.    I say "little adults" because I swear those kids are 25 year olds in 5 year old bodies.  One little gentleman introduced himself to me, "Hi, I'm Aidan.  What's your name?  My mom has the same purse as you do!"  That's two stickers for brand recognition!  

I see that the fine art of "brown-nosing" is learned at an early age.  The students are asked to say something nice after their name is called in attendance every morning.  Those kids were waving accolades for their teacher like they were in line for a heavy duty  pay raise.  It was obvious that each child would try to top the last compliment. 

The teacher asked me to help out with small tasks in the classroom and to be the guest reader during storytime.  As part of the routine, the kids eat their snack on the carpet while the story is being read.  One student valiantly offered me a piece of his "baby orange" when he noticed I didn't have my lunchbox and water bottle while another asked me to help him peel back the wrapping on his cheese and crackers. 

The kids were really quite cute and it was fun to watch them in action.  Jessica was proud that "her mom" was in class with her today.  I'm happy to see that she's progressing very well and she now knows the Canadian national anthem.  That's a very big deal!  The teacher is impressed with her writing, drawing and coloring abilities and notices that she takes pride in her work. 

I have a new appreciation for teachers who single-handedly manage 30 children in the course of their work day without the assistance of several doses of extra-strength Advil.  That's love man, that's love! 

Monday, November 15, 2004

10:49pm   Shall We Dance? 

Jay and I just got back from our first dance lesson at Arthur Murray.  Marie  introduced us to the basic steps of the waltz.  "The connection is in your palm," she said.   If you think waltz is a geriatric sport - think again!  After a session of  doing the steps over and over, concentrating to remember the sequences, trying desperately to look up and not at my feet and then having to do it all over again "with the music" - I was thinking "Dang is it hot in here or is it just me?!"  [Note to self:  don't wear cashmere to future classes.]   My husband was a great sport and was actually quite the good lead.  We had a great time and hopefully when Jay isn't out of town so much we can do a few more classes -   Salsa, rumba, cha-cha!  Did someone say Filipino party?  Hee!

4:36pm  Weekend in Review

For a change, the headline of the Sunday paper wasn't about Bush or the war.  It was about a different kind of loss - one man's grief in the loss of his wife and 7 children when their home burned to the ground last week.  A sad story that reminds me of the frailty of life! 

Jay was busy gloating about the warm temperatures and the gorgeous beach views in Florida last week.  Argh!  So I plotted my revenge and made good on my promise to finally book that free dance lesson at Arthur Murray.  We're booked for a lesson with Maria tonight.  Get out your dancing shoes hon!  Ah yes, revenge is best served cold!  Ha! 

We celebrated my niece's1st birthday on Saturday night at an intimate gathering of family and close friends hosted by her parents, Cliff and Aileen.  Alyssa is just the cuteness that doesn't quit.  Happy birthday cutie pie! 

I've been looking forward to seeing the latest Pixar animation, The Incredibles, and we finally got around to it yesterday afternoon.    It was...well, pretty darn incredible.  I also enjoy the Pixar shorts as much as I enjoy the feature film and Boundin' did not disappoint.    Maybe my alter-ego wishes it had mad rendering skills like the Pixar people over there in Northern California.  But the more grim reality is that I can't draw a stick man to save my life.  Awesome graphics and cool storyline - definitely worth the dollars!   Take your kids (or the kid in you) to see it!  I'll be adding that to my, umm Jessica's, Pixar DVD collection when it releases. 

There are some dandy perks that come along with Jay's telecommute job.  We get to take Jessica to school in the morning and then have the luxury of having our morning coffee together before he starts work.   This morning we got our coffee to go and  took a short drive north to pass by the sprawl of dirt that will eventually become our neighborhood and our new home.   It'll be exciting to watch the progression of the development.  Jay suspects that I'll be popping over there alot in the coming months.  Excited much?  Hee! 

Thursday, November 11, 2004

7:27pm  Comment Spam

One of the occupational hazards of being an avid blogger is the comment spam.  Hey I'm all about free speech obviously or else I wouldn't be maintaining an online journal for anyone with internet access and half a brain to see.  I'm certainly not deluded into thinking that every single person who reads my opinions and thoughts will necessarily agree or like what I have to say.  And that's cool with me!  Teen angst is so 1986.

I am a regular visitor of many blogs most of which have already come under fire by a hater or two.  I knew it would only be a matter of time before my guestbook would be graced by someone's lame comments left under the cloak of anonymity of course.  

I'm not particularly interested in who left their trash here today because even that person doesn't seem to know their name.  I can think of a few!  But if it weren't so sad, it would be incredibly humorous actually. 

For this reason, I've disabled my guestbook for now.  To my family and friends who read me on a regular basis, thanks for your support.  Non-fat, light whip mochas all around!  You can always drop me an email because chances are if you love me and I love you, you know how to reach me.  Cheers!

Tuesday, November 9, 2004

7:28pm  On Being a Contest Winner

This is what you get when you win the Uncle Norman Costume Contest -  Hello Kitty UNO and a cool new Hello Kitty backpack with portfolios.  Or at least that's what Jessica gets.  Yup this little chica, spoiled  by her favorite aunt and uncle, received another package in the mail today and judging by the size of it, I think I can safely assume that this one bears the subliminal message "we miss you so hurry up and move back over here!"  I suppose it's up for interpretation, but that's my analysis of the matter.  Hee!   

I always tell my daughter that she is one lucky little lady to be loved by so many.  I hope that she'll never take that for granted.  Since Jessica has such a wonderful aunt and uncle, that means that I have a great sister and brother-in-law.  I'm lucky to have a sister who so gets me and knew that I would just love the INC faux fur scarf that she threw in under all of Jessica's goodies.  Bring on the wind chill factor boys! 

Growing up, my Mom taught me the fine art and the importance of a handwritten thank you note.  That's something I've taken with me into my adult life.  I strive to teach Jessica the same value.  So I'm sure there will be a thank-you drawing that I'll need to take to the post office very soon.   

9:40am   The Mysteries of Life

So as I sit here freezing my little born-in-Canada-but-loathes-the-cold tush off, Jay is on a plane headed towards Florida to meet with a client until Thursday evening.  I'm thinking how nice it would have been to join him out there, but my Mommy responsibilities here aren't going to allow for a short beach getaway at this time.   

Its been a busy past few days.  There's always so much to do when Jay gets home so we (Jay would replace that we with I) took full advantage of his 4-day stint. 

Last Saturday we had the opportunity to attend the one-day From this Day Forward marriage conference at the Crowne Plaza Toronto.   The seminar was sponsored by the Family Ministries Dept., North American Division of the SDA Church.  Pastor Willie and Elaine Oliver and Don and Sue Murray spoke on Oneness, Sexual Intimacy and Forgiveness.  We really appreciated the candid way Pastor Oliver and his wife Elaine spoke about sexual intimacy.  Let's face it - sex isn't something we speak of so openly in church.  The Filipino culture also  seems to shy away from the topic like its some bad bad thing.  So it was quite refreshing to hear someone say penis! and vagina! (because that's what they're called) out loud.  Pastor Oliver made no apologies for himself,  "Why do we make sex so mysterious and use all those cutesy names like pee-pee and wee-wee around our children?  That's not what it's called - its penis and vagina, plain and simple!"  Preach! 

Jay went off to his weekly Sunday basketball game with the old high school boys.  I went off in the opposite direction to spend some time at our builders Design Studio to browse through their decorator samples in preparation for our January 2005 meeting with the design coordinator.  I'm quickly discovering that this no task for the weak at heart.  There are many specifications to make from a countless selection of choices - kitchen cabinetry, the color of the carpet, the hardwood flooring, countertops, even drawer pulls and knobs. 

I've started to compile my decorating vision by clipping pictures of looks that I like.  Half of my inspiration comes from Cindy and Norm's beautiful home and from visiting fully decorated model homes.  The other half is fueled by the time I spend at Home Depot.    Sometimes the eyes are bigger than the wallet, but a girl can dream. 

Apparently, Vaughan Mills is the greatest thing since sliced bread around these parts.  I'm just as excited as the next girl about any talk of shopping anywhere.  With all the hype that the opening of Vaughan Mills has been creating, I knew it wouldn't be long before our curiosity would get the best of us.  We headed out there yesterday evening and went straight to Bass Pro Shops.  Jessica always enjoys the trout pond and the displays. 

I headed straight for the mall directory to locate BCBG and was quite disappointed to see that  it isn't open for business yet.  I was curious to see what their "outlet discount" price points would be.  By the way, I stand corrected because apparently I misspelled Vaughan in my last entry - its Vaughan not Vaughn.  Oops!   The verdict is that it looks, feels and smells like any other Mills mall - but a Mills mall with the 15% sales tax tacked on.  Ugh! 

It's cold, real cold!  This morning, bundled in her red puffy coat, fleece hat and mittens, Jessica asked me, "Mom, why is Canada so cold?"  Somehow I don't think that was a rhetorical question. 

Thursday, November 4, 2004

9:47am  Another Four Years  :(

I'm borrowing this entry's title (and emoticon) from the subject heading of the email my best friend just sent me.  I guess condolences are in order for everyone who voted KERRY this past Tuesday.  I think there are quite a few of you out there. 

There was a special news feature on our Toronto-based newscast last night.  A Toronto reporter spent the day in NYC yesterday interviewing the locals about how they felt about Bush getting re-elected.  Many of them were quite serious about jumping into his news truck and heading back to Canada with him.  The Bush victory triggered a massive sell-off in USD and has driven our loonie to over $0.83 US.  While that is good news for most Canadian's, Jay and I are not amused.

American influence is also finding its way into our retail scene these days.  Vaughn Mills - the massive shopping and entertainment destination with US retailers such as Bass Pro Shops (Jay's personal favorite), BCBG (one of my personal favorites),  and Johnny Rockets,  officially opened at 8am today.  It's a huge deal out here.   And finally the first Canadian Sephora location, is opening its doors at the Eaton Centre tomorrow.  I love love love toy stores.  Nice! 

So with all this talk of American things, don't get me wrong, its not like I dislike Canada.  I love Canada!  I just think that our taxation system needs a little work.  And perhaps the weather could stand to be a tad warmer, but its highly impropable that Prime Minister  Paul Martin has that on his political agenda.  Hee!  He definitely has bigger fish to fry.  Anyway, its a broad topic much too complicated to be discussed on this blog. 

Wonder if those green card lotteries really work?  Oops did I say that out loud?

Tuesday, November 2, 2004

9:41am  Doh! 

If you are a US citizen, you shouldn't be here reading this blog, get to the polls quick!  Since I don't have the right to sway the vote either way, I'm counting on you.  Kerry or Bush?  Bush or Kerry?  Or Nader? 

Jay is in Atlanta until Thursday and all he's planning on doing tonight is crashing at the hotel to watch the election coverage.  Should be very interesting indeed! 

I suck!  The slacker in me let a perfectly good gmail invitation go to waste.  Doh!  So if you've got one in that little bag of tricks over there, be a sweetie and send one over my way.  Thanks!    

Monday, November 1, 2004

5:41pm  Sugar & Spice

"Sugar and spice and all things nice - that's what little girls are made of," is how the limerick goes if I recall correctly.  I'm sure that Edsel and Chris are hoping that this is true as they wait out the final 6 weeks to their December 12 due date and the arrival of their (90% chance) baby girl. 

Their family and friends gathered in celebration of this event at their baby shower yesterday afternoon.  It was nice to see the parents-to-be outside of the blog realm that is - Chris maintains a baby blog written in the voice of their baby that I frequent often.    It was awesome to see Ed and Des (Chris' cousin's) along with their wives.  I've known those guys since Grade 2 and in spite of the fact that our lives have taken us in all kinds of directions we've managed to keep in touch and always seem to pick up right where we left off.  Great to hear that Ed and Janet had some exciting news of their own to share. 

Somehow Jay and I found ourselves participating in a baby game relay.  He had to eat an entire bottle of baby food, pureed strawberries to be exact, which he claims was actually quite tasty and only 70 calories for an entire serving.  *he actually checked the label*  I got stuck with the juice-filled baby bottle and after several sucks on that nipple I figured it would be way more efficient to just take the entire cap off and chug it down that way.  Go team go! 

And while we're on the topic of sugar, Jessica got her bagful after an hour of trick-or-treating last night.  She had a blast and by the time we called it a night she was asking me to hold her treat bag.  I think I was more interested in getting a peek at the neighbors' beautifully appointed foyers than anything else.  Ha!

It was wonderful to get a phone call from Em this morning.  We had figured that our chances of seeing Em and Dan during their family event weekend visit to Toronto would be slim to none, so it was definitely a nice Monday morning surprise.   We managed to sneak in an hour of conversation over coffee and a few pictures to document this rare sighting of our favorite San Francisco girl (who by the way looks awesome in green) at the local Starbucks.  Unfortunately, Dan couldn't join in on the caffeine feeding-frenzy because of commitments with his family.  But considering how he's recently kicked coffee cold turkey, how cruel would it have been to drag him to Starbucks!  Hella cruel!  Hee!  We missed you Dan.  Next meeting will be at Sababa's.    Edit:  The pics above are thumbnails.  Please click to see enlarged photos.