Happy Holidays!!!

I haven't written in a while because as usual things have been so busy, especially with the holidays! BUT it has been awesome and a bit sad at the same time. Usually we go home to Winnipeg for Christmas but this year we decided to stay here and spend our first Christmas with just the three of us. As nice as it was to have just our little family, it was kind of sad not being with my family. Also, it is my brother-in-law's birthday ON Christmas so I'm sad I missed that too. And of course, I miss my neice Emelia like crazy!!! AND, we missed out on Ukrainian Christmas this year too, which is always fun with Dan's side of the family. It's always fun picking on Dan with his cousins :) Anyway, we had a great time here at home. Here it is for ya, a long holiday, shortened into blurbs...

~Dan's dad left us on Christmas day to fly to Halifax to be with the other half of the family.

~We opened up presents and emptied stockings right away! All I can say is, boy did Dan do good this year!!! He got me so many awesome gifts... I'm so lucky!!!

~Lucas was showered with gifts from his Aunts, Uncles and Grandparents. What a spoiled kid!!! He loved everything and couldn't wait to get into it all!

~Our Christmas dinner consisted of anything but traditional things... we had slow roasted ribs and fried chicken! I know, decadent, right? Well, it IS the holidays right?? Then Dan made us homemade Creme Brulee! Again, how lucky am I??

The rest of our holiday has been filled with ridiculously delicious food, relaxation and good ol' family time. Dan is off for a few days and we've been keeping Lucas home too so it really does feel like the holidays! Our dear friends Kevin and Megan are coming to visit us in 4 days (yes, i've been counting down!!) and I can't wait for them to come!!! It will be nice to have visitors from home.

Well, I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday and has indulged in as many treats as us :)

Family

It's December and you know what that means... busy, busy, busy! We have been having fun getting ready for Christmas and preparing for our first Christmas together at home as a family. I am sad that we won't be going back to Winnipeg this year, but I guess that's just the reality of living so far from one another.

In other news, Dan's parents are moving here from Italy! His dad is already here, but is working a few hours out of Edmonton. Dan's mom will be arriving in January. Everything seemed to have happened so fast, but we are happy and excited to have them near us. It will be nice for Lucas to have some grandparents close by who he can finally get to know!

On December 18th, we are having a Christmas party with our friends, but not just any Christmas party. It's going to be a Mexican themed party. We figured since everyone is going to have the typical turkey dinner back at home with their families, we would do something totally different. The girls and I have been constructing a pinata for the party which looks hilarious! Anyway, it should be an interesting Christmas for sure!

Other than that, things are busy as usual with work and getting ready for Christmas. We can't wait to wake up with Lucas on Christmas morning!!!

WHOA WHOA WOW WOW

I know I haven't written in a long time, but it has been crazy busy around here!!!! I have been working like crazy- basically everyday at the same school for different teachers and it's been great! I feel so at home there. This past week was the worst though...

Dan was in Ottawa for work/play from last Monday up until yesterday. Needless to say it was stressful for me. Not only because I felt like a single parent, but I also had to sub for one teacher, from Mon-Fri who teaches in two different classes. Kindergarden and a grade 1/2 split class. WHOA WHOA it was a lot of work. Great experience (and moolah!) for me, but it was super stressful having to get up at 6am, get showered and ready, warm up the car, go up and get Lucas, dress him, brush his teeth and wipe his face, then be out the door by 6:50am. I'm out of breath just thinking about it. Anyway, it would take 30min to get downtown to drop Lucas off at daycare, then make it all the way back to the school (5 min from house!) in another 30min. An hour of travelling in the morning- another hour in the afternoon, everyday. By the time I put Lucas to bed I was wiped. So tired that I could barely function. My desk was a mess at school, I was becoming forgetful and really worrying about my future as a teacher. It wasn't the work that was just stressful, but having that combined with having to take care of Lucas ALL BY MYSELF. It was too much.

By the time Dan walked in on Sunday just past noon, I was completely burned out. I broke down in tears. I realized that I could never do it as a single mom. I don't know how they do it. It is the hardest job in the world.

So it's another week and I am again, working at the same school for a few different teachers. I'm excited because it's always nice to know all of the kids! I'm off to a "knockout class" with my friend Kristen so I can blow off some steam!

Stay warm- wherever you are!

Grade 10- THE Grade 10's...

All this talk about teaching in this High School got me feeling really nervous today and I was on the verge of being sick this morning because of it. The teacher I am subbing for (I'm on my "spare" right now)was here this morning and let me know about what was going to be going on in the next couple days. She said today was going to be a breeze- that the 10, 11 and 12's she has on Thursday's are all really good kids and I am finding this to be very true- I am having a great day so far. THEN she warned me about tomorrow. I am going to have the same grade 11 and 12's, but there will be the grade 10 class. THE grade 10 class that has terrorized every teacher they have had to deal with. I was told that these kids are "mean spirited" and that they "chew subs up and spit them out with no remorse." The reason why this teacher is out today and tomorrow is because the teachers are getting together to come up with new strategies they can use with this class- this one class has caused a band of teachers to have to take time to learn how to deal and teach them. This is terrifying. I am afraid that I will not have the courage to come back tomorrow. I mean, I have been warned about kids before, but I have never had a teacher tell me- kick out as many kids as you need to, they WILL be bad, they can't stay still, they are all coded with some learning disability or behaviour issue, etc. Oh dear.

Since this is my first time in a High School in a very long time, I have noticed some things...

~Boobs are getting bigger and hanging out even more. Whoa cleavage city.
~These kids have more expensive clothes than I do.
~High School relationships are funny to watch now that I'm a teacher.
~Kids seem to swear more...
~Ipods and cell phones have replaced books and one-on-one conversation.
~Some kids are actually excited about the future and to learn.

So, while I am waiting for Judgement Day, as I like to call it, I'm going to focus on the good things about today. This morning I taught a lesson on poetry and went through "The Swimmer's Moment" with them. They haven't done a lot of poetry and were quite nervous about the assignment, but I assured them that I used to be horrible poetry- I hated it, but when you learn to understand and appreciate it, you hang onto every word. After reading the poem, I walked around and peeked at a few assignments and the kids were getting it- they were totally into it!

Tonight I have to think about what I can do to attempt to manage these 10's tomorrow. Wish me luck!

High School Anxiety...

This week has been crazy busy again with work, but has been going well! For the past two days I have been teaching English at a Junior High that I have been too several times and it's been really nice to get to know kids in this age group. What makes me even more happy is that the grade 9's- 31 of them, that I teach have a really bad reputation with the rest of the school. The first time I was with the 9's I was terrified because I had been warned. But I think I get them and they get me. They know that I will not put up with anything and are actually pretty good. Although, there was that one kid...

The 9's had a writing activity to do and the goal was to explore descriptive writing and to try and write out of their element. Anyway, so I let them browse dictionaries/thesauruses to help them find some words and a student looked up the word "faggot" and began to yell out the meaning and laugh hysterically. Immediately, I called out his name and asked him to leave. The school board is taking this stuff seriously and any comment- joking or not is to be reported to the school board and action is taken immediately. There is a no tolerance policy especially now with all the gay teen suicides. It makes me sad that some kids are so heartless and that the homosexual issue is still well, an issue.

So, I'm a bit nervous about tomorrow because it will be my first day teaching High School English. It is a multiple day job, so I will be with the same kids for two days- if I can handle the first day that is... I figure it can go two ways. One, it could go well because these kids will have the choice to be there- it's their choice to learn. Or it could be bad- where kids will show up JUST so they can torment the sub. Oh, I don't know. I guess I'll just have to hold my head up high- especially because I'm sure 90% of the students will be taller than me :)

One last thing- our Halloween weekend was awesome!! We took Lucas to West Edmonton Mall to do some Halloween activities. The stores had candy so there were a ton of kids trick-or-treating and we also went to Galaxyland where there were a bunch of stations for the kids to go to pick up a special treat or prize. Lucas loved it!!!! But not as much as he loved watching Dan and our friend Mark go on the rollercoaster! Then in the evening our friends came over with their son and we took the kids around the neighborhood. We were out until 7:30 so by the time bedtime rolled around, Lucas just kept pointing at his crib and didn't make a peep. Here are pictures of our little octopus/spider (you decide!)and his second costume, Luigi (and Charlie as Mario)!!

To Teach or Not to Teach...

The last week and a half has been insanely busy. I have been working almost everyday in a variety of classrooms... from Early Education (ages 2-4) to Junior High. Late Wednesday night I received a call for a job in a Junior High (to teach math), which I was not familiar with but I thought, it can't be that bad.... well, I was wrong. It was by far, the worst day of subbing I have had.

I left home just before 7am to be safe because the school was way on the northside. I got to the school at 7:40am, asked the secretary if I could have a key (which almost all schools have for subs) to the room so I could figure out what I was doing. She said it wasn't a big deal and to just wait in the staff room because it was so early. By 8am the secretary would still not let me into the class so I had to get another teacher to let me in. And what happened? The plans were nowhere to be found and the desk was in complete disarray.

The teacher I was subbing for was in the school and rushed in at 8:10am (school starts at 8:20am) to give me very vague idea as to what I was to do for the day. She threw her plans at me and off she went. I had now, 5 min to figure out my day- grade 8, 9 Leadership and Math and grade 7 DRAMA. Drama??? Long story short, I was stressed. Normally when I know that I am teaching math I get there extra early so I can prepare better and think of a few strategies. Well I didn't have time- I had to just figure it out! ALSO, EVERY SINGLE of these classes had 31 students in them. I thought I was going to lose my mind. The kids were all nice, but they were all CHATTY- they wouldn't shut up. Having to classroom manage and teach a subject like math to a bunch of junior high kids almost gave me an ulcer!! And man, when junior high kids see a sub, you know what they're thinking.... WOO HOO!

By the end of the day I was wiped- these kids had mentally and emotionally gotten to me. It was just too much. It was the sort of day where I asked myself- do I really want to be a teacher? Am I really cut out for this? Teaching takes so much out of you. You invest yourself in these kids everyday, and I feel like it's especially difficult as a sub because you have to be brave enough to take charge of these kids who have no idea- who don't even care who you are. In the end, I managed to keep my head up,stick to my class rules and came out of there alive- barely.

Now that this whole debaucle is over I have accepted a multiple day job on Nov. 4/5for.... HIGH SCHOOL English. I'd like to think I will get through it, but now I'm not so sure. It's not too late to cancel the job... I'll have to think about it. It's tough because the pay is significantly higher if you teach in the same class for more than one day in a row.

On Friday, Lucas was dressed up as a spider/octopus (what do you think??) at daycare and I volunteered with them for a few hours to help take the kids to all the parents' floors. Lucas looked so cute with all of his legs!



We have been getting really excited about Halloween! We are taking Lucas trick-or-treating with his friend Charlie (Mario and Luigi!!), then we are putting the kids to bed and the parents are going to watch a scary movie and eat junk! I'm excited!

Hope you all have a Happy Halloween!! Don't get a tummy ache...

Where to Start...

The past few weeks have been very busy and eventful. So, here we go...

~Last Monday I subbed at a Junior High (which I've been doing a lot of and am really enjoying it!) and the teacher next door asked me if I could sub for her that following Friday. Long story short, she had not booked me in the system yet (by Thursday at 11pm) and I called her 3 times and left messages on Thursday, wanting her to contact me to let me know if she still needed me or not. Anyway, I didn't end up hearing from her and I contemplated not coming in, but decided to anyway in case she still needed me.
When I got there at 7:55am, the secretaries(yes, there were two...)had no idea what was going on (you'd think with two, one would atleast know what the hell was going on) and didn't know if she needed me or not. So they sent me home. At about 9:15am I got an angry call from Edmonton Public Schools asking me why I did not show up at the school and that I was supposed to be there for this teacher.
Enraged, I drove back to the school, went to her class and there she was. She said, in front of all the kids, "Great, our sub is FINALLY here." I kindly brought her into the hallway and asked her why she didn't call me- that I tried to call her all those times! Also, I had just met her- it's protocol to communicate to substitute teachers ESPECIALLY when you just met them! Anyway, I went out of my way to go to this school, whom I had no personal ties to, called this teacher several times... and all I got was- "I guess I should have called you back."
Needless to say, I was not a very happy substitute. I had never hated being a substitute as I did at this very moment. And with this, I will rant...

~I feel very lucky to even be on the Edmonton Public Schools supply list (there were over 500 cut from the list this year), but there are a ton of things that I cannot stand about being a sub...

1. The inconsistency of everything- when, where and if you'll even be working on which day... am or pm, full day or half??

2. The pressure and stress of having to prove yourself everytime you walk into that classroom.

3. Setting expectations and using behaviour management, while putting on a brave, stern face and hoping that you can just through this one day. You pray that these kids don't see just how nervous you are and take advantage of it.

4. Being treated like crap by schools. At almost every school that I have been to, not one person has asked me what my name is or has even said hello. Teachers preach about inclusion and respect to their students, but yet they won't even acknowledge or speak to a guest in their school. Do they not remember what it was like to be a new teacher??

5. Getting attached to some great kids and realizing, that this is only temporary.

BUT there are a few things I don't mind about being a sub...

1. It pays quite well... if you are WORKING, that is.
2. Having the opportunity to get to know so many kids, in such little time.
3. Having the chance to just teach- to practice what I hope to be doing sometime on a consistent basis. Someday.
4. Learning- everyday is different and sometimes I like having the chance to teach a grade 8 English class one day and a grade 2 class on another.

ANYWAY, this has turned into a bit more than a rant, so let's get back to the update...

~I am going to be teaching a Mom and Tot's group at Summerside Beach Club (an actual beach in the city in a semi-closed community. I know, it sounds a bit ridiculous) starting in January. Lucas and I used to go to these sorts of groups when he was younger, but they didn't really offer much. My goal is to have a variety of things to do for both mom and baby.

~The whole family is sick in some way. I have an eye and nose infection, while Dan and Lucas both have a nasty cough and cold. I feel like I'm getting their cold too. So it's been kind of somber in the Spandoza house these past few days!

~Dan is off to Regina for work for a couple of days. I hope I'm feeling a hundred percent by then!! I know Dan has to travel for work sometimes, but it's never easy.

~Last week Lucas had picture day at the daycare, but had to be sent home early because he had a fever (hence the cold and cough).

Other than that, things have been good. We've been keeping busy and can't believe that October is halfway done! Lately, it has been feeling like fall, which is kind of cozy. Hope the weather is being nice to you too, wherever you are...

Extended Summer

It's great to have Dan back home! This weekend it felt like summer all over again so we made sure to stay outside as much as we could. On Saturday we went to the Farmer's Market in the morning, then we went for a walk in the ravine.

Today we met up with our good friends Dave, Tamiko and their son Charlie at a farm outside of the city for a Halloween themed afternoon. We went on a hayride, walked through a corn maze, watched a puppet show and saw some animals at the petting zoo. It was great! We can't wait for Lucas to appreciate Halloween as much as mom and dad! We (well, I) decorated the front of our house with some decorations and Lucas helped me with the spiders.




Other than that, not much else is going on. We've just been spending a ton of time outside. Everyday after dinner we take Lucas out for a walk around the neighborhood, which is great because he gets to practice his walking skills and has also made a few friends in the neighborhood :)

This is Going to be a LONG WEEK

So, late yesterday afternoon Dan headed to Medicine Hat for work and from here, will have to go to Lethbridge then Calgary. Holy Moly! Needless to say, we already miss him and while we knew this would happen, it's tough having to go all the way downtown to drop Lucas off at daycare and head to whatever sub job I have for the day. I didn't get any calls today, but tomorrow I will be at a school that is 5 min away from our house and then on Wednesday I'm heading over to the west end. Lots and lots of driving, but like I said, we knew what we were getting into by putting Lucas into this daycare.

Last week I worked at a couple schools and was just reminded again of how annoying subbing is sometimes for this reason: the staff treats substitute teachers like garbage. Actually. Nobody ever says a word to me or acknowledges my presence in the staff room. I just don't understand- don't they remember what it was like to be in this position? To not feel like you're a part of any school and that you are constantly in transition? And don't even get me started on the awkward lunch room. Yup, i just feel like I'm a loser in grade school, not being accepted by the cool kids. It's lame! How can teachers preach acceptance and inclusion when they themselves act the exact opposite when it comes to new teachers coming into their space? It's just rude. Just another reminder of how I need to find a consistent job. I know, I know, people sub for years and years, but I just don't want to feel like this every time I enter a new school. I just don't know if it's worth it.

Anyway, back to more positive talk... today I ran a few errands and picked Lucas up at daycare early so we could spend some time together outside. Before we left we hung out with his friends on the daycare playground. It was just great to see him interacting with the other kids. It was also +25!!!! So we went for a walk around the neighborhood, then had supper together which consisted of garden burgers and yam fries while we talked to Dad on speaker phone :)






Today was a great day, but we miss dad terribly :(

Dream Dream Dreeeeam Dreeeeeeam

Today I had my first sub job of the year at the school I had my last practicum at. I have been subbing there a ton since I graduated and I'm not going to lie, it's kind of my dream job. But... I can only dream. I had a great day though- I subbed in a grade 1/2 class and I've seen these kids grow up during these last couple years, so it was pretty neat to see how they have changed over the summer. They're taller, smarter, and for some, mouthier :) I had a great day!

Lately I have been feeling like I need a career change. I think it's because I'm feeling discouraged and frustrated with the lack of jobs for teachers. But today when I saw those kids and was able to teach, I came back to reality. I realized all over again, that this is what I want and if I can't get my own class now, I hopefully will in the near future. Stay positive, right?

I had a great conversation with an old friend the other day who is optimistic, enlightening and knows me quite well. She knows that while I want to teach, that I also love painting, writing, music, cooking and being with kids- and not necessarily in the classroom. So she gave me a few ideas about what else I could do with my degree. So, this is my latest "thing".... I think it would be great to create a workshop for kids to learn how to cook, paint and write. Maybe as an afterschool program or weekend day camp type deal. All three things could be a bit overwhelming, but the ideas could also be alternated as well. Just a thought. At this point, I just want to do something with kids- I want to do hands-on activities and get kids passionate about learning- on every level. This is a dream. A big dream.

Other than that, not much else is too new. Life is good. Lucas is doing great at daycare! Dan says he just watches him leave and just continues on with his breakfast. He truly is, a Spanu!

Friday Friday Friday!!!

Today Dan had a flex day (he works extra hours during the week then gets a Friday off every month!) and we decided to have a day date since we don't really get to go out much together anymore! We dropped off Lucas at daycare, where delicious pineapple bread was waiting for him for breakfast and he watched us leave- without a struggle or any tears! Usually Dan says he clings for dear life when Dan tries to leave, but I guess Lucas is just getting used to it and is really liking daycare.





Then Dan and I were off- to do absolutely anything we wanted! So what did we do? Headed to West Ed of course. We had breakfast, did a bit of shopping, watched a movie and then we headed back to pick Lucas up. Although it was great to be with Dan on our "date" we kept talking about Lucas and said how much we missed him! There was just something missing...

When we got to the daycare Lucas threw his arms up and started to smile and laugh. What a welcoming! We stayed for a little while and saw how the room was rearranged and what Lucas was interested in. Debbie, one of the women in the room showed us a a list of goals they have for each age group. Lucas seems to be doing great! He is achieving a lot of things and is attempting things that a lot of older kids do.

I'm finally off to my first sub job of the year, on Monday. It is for the school I did my last practicum at and it is where I have done a ton of subbing. I know all the kids, they know what to expect from me and it will be neat to see how much they have changed over the summer. I can't wait!

Other than that, Dan and I are going out with our friends Dave and Tamiko for a little parent time. We're really excited because they are so great and they have become great friends of ours. Usually we bring our boys along, but have been able to get out with just the four of us on a few occasions.

It's getting colder outside, but we're still trying to get out as much as we can. Time to get out the mitts, toques and big fluffy jackets!



I'm pretty tired... it's 10:40pm on a Friday night!! Oh my, life has changed!!! I had a great day with Dan and now it's time to turn in...

Update

I know it seems it's been ages since we have last written, but it's been a busy summer! We have had a ton of guests visit us and it was great, but now it's time to settle down, relax and face the year ahead! Here is a little summary of the life of the Spandoza's as of late...

~ Lucas has started daycare in Dan's building and is just loving it! I never (EVER) wanted my kids to go to daycare because I always thought I wanted to stay home until they were a bit older and then start teaching again from there. Also because I have worked in several daycares and in the back of my mind I was never quite satisfied with how each daycare was run. Lucas' daycare in Canada Place is awesome and really focuses on learning through play. The workers are great and really dedicated at what they do.



~ Where does this leave me? Nope, I'm no longer planning my days around Lucas' naps or pushing Lucas around in a shopping cart while he screams and reaches for the lemons (???), but I am "supply teaching." I am only putting this in quotation marks because since it is the beginning of the school year, work has been slow. And by slow I mean, I have not been called in for one job. I am patiently (not to mention eagerly, anxiously, angrily...)waiting for that call to send me to God knows where for my next job. In the meantime, I am looking for other work. At this point, I don't care what it is, as long as it has to do with kids, I'm up for the challenge! Today I applied for a job at a centre that works with pregnant and parenting teens. Yikes, sounds intense, but I think it would be really great!

~ I'm missing Lucas like crazy at home. There are no more diapers to be changed during the day or the sound of Lucas talking in his sleep. I miss all of the little things... even the tantrums in the car or shopping mall. Honestly! I miss my little peanut, but I know daycare is going to be good for him. We really wanted him to get used to being around other people and interacting with other kids.

~ As usual, Dan just been working at the same place and is content and happy doing so. The people he works with are really great and a huge plus is that he gets to visit (aka creep on him through the mirrored window) Lucas anytime he wants! I'm VERY jealous, but I'm glad that dad's nearby. Other than that, life is good. We are enjoying Edmonton and are actually looking forward to winter. Whoa whoa whoa, maybe I should restate that- I guess we're anticipating winter and trying to focus on all the good things... being cozy in the evenings, looking at Lucas in a cute snowsuit that he'll be screaming to get out of, taking Lucas out for a sleigh ride, making snowmen with Lucas.... That's one of the best things about Lucas- his existence has made me more positive :)

The Doza's Unite!

My sister Chris, her baby Emelia and husband Steve Tran (yes, I've always called him by his whole name) are here visiting!!! The Trandoza's and Spandoza's unite!! Steve Tran will be here for a week and my sis is staying for an extra week. We've been having a great time and it's been so cute to see Lucas bond with his cousin and his auntie and uncle, who he sees so rarely.


Yesterday, my sis and I spent the day at West Edmonton Mall and when we came home I was welcomed by all of my good friends. Dan had planned a surprise birthday party for me!! Some of my girlfriends drove up from Calgary and sadly enough, there were a few friends missing because I'm sure it was hard to coordinate a day that worked with everyone. After eating delicious food, the girls and I headed out and went dancing. It was something I haven't done in so long! I had way too much fun!!! Anyway, thanks Dan for being an awesome husband and thanks to my friends who were able to make it!

This visit has been awesome so far, but I know I'll be sad when they leave :( I'll take what I can get for now!

Four Nights, Five Days

So Dan is in Calgary for work from Friday until Tuesday. Needless to say, it has been very quiet around here! We are only on day three, but Lucas and I miss him very much. The other day we put Dan on speaker phone and Lucas was very confused and started crying, but eventually just looked at the phone and started smiling. He knew it was his dad!

Last night my girlfriends came over to keep me company and we ate a delicious dinner of Jill pizza (magical pizza dough, aka magical breadmaker) some salad and a bowl of 5 cent candies supplied by Kristen. It was great! Then we headed out on the porch to do our nails (trust me, we are not the girlie girl types so that made it even funnier!) IN THE DARK. Great idea... I feel so lucky to have such a great group of girls in Edmonton, which makes it feel more like home.

Today Lucas and I went for a stroll on our street with his little walker, which was a little difficult at times because we are living in a total construction zone and there is so much mud and rocks everywhere. After our walk, we watered our plants on the porch- Lucas used his own watering can. So adorable! I made sure to take a picture and I will be sure to upload them soon!

My parents are coming to visit soon, but until then we are missing Papa and can't wait until he is back! All I can say is that single mothers have the hardest job in the world! I'm lucky Lucas is a great kid, but man am I exhausted!

Cabin Fever

Lately Dan and I have been having a dilemma. Lucas has consistently been waking up once during the night and we don't know why. Our perfectly sleeping baby has disappeared! He still naps well during the day, but it's been very frustrating having to get up. When we get up in the middle of the night the quick solution has always been to give him a bottle, which has always worked, but we think he's getting too old for this. Also, he's been biting his hands lately which makes us think that it's teething that is getting him up at night, but have no idea if this is it! When in doubt, blame teething. But what if it's not teething? How can a baby who used to sleep all through the night since 3 months old, start waking up now? I guess we've been spoiled! SO frustrating! We are at a loss...

Other than that, it has been raining, raining, raining everyday. Yes, all day everyday. This has cut into my regular fun plans with Lucas because we are usually able to get out and go to the park or at least go for a walk around the neighborhood. But the monsoon has taken over and has given us cabin fever. So what did we do today? Lucas helped me bake a cake! My friend Jill and I are taking a cake decorating class so tomorrow we have to bring in a cake. I will be sure to send that cake off with Dan to work so he can share it with his co-workers. This cake class could be dangerous!

Anyway, we're off to pick Dan up from the bus stop... I hope we don't get washed away!!!

Month of Visitors!

This month we are having a bunch of people coming to visit us! Right now our friend Justin is in from Ottawa and we haven't seen him since we got married, so it's been great having him around. Then Dan is off to Calgary for work and while he is gone my parents are coming, then that will (hopefully!!) be followed by my friend Megan and her family visiting, then my sister's little fam then.... maybe my bestest friend Caitlin who is in Canada for a short while. She has been in China for what seems forever and I'm hoping she can make it out for a visit.

Needless to say, summer is zooming by fast, but we're having a great one. It's so nice that Lucas has the opportunity to meet so many people in our lives. He is warming up well to everyone and (I think) just likes new faces to play with.

Loving playing at the water table under the HOT HOT sun!

Lately I've been making more of an effort to get Lucas around other kids and at first, he is a bit hesitant, cries for mom and won't leave my side for a while. BUT, the other day we were at his friend's house for a playdate and got right in there and was splashing around with the other kids. It was so nice to see him starting to play with other little ones because it always seems like on these playdates, all the kids are playing independently. The group of mom's I have met have been awesome and it's nice to see our kids grow up together.


Lucas is doing great- he's been walking (with assistance!) more and more and becoming a little mobile man. He's also been into dancing lately- hilarious to watch and always makes my day! I can't believe how fast this year has gone by already and how much his personality is really coming out! Oh, do I have a little rascal on my hands...

Walking with dad to get the mail!

Dan and I have been trying to get our house in order. We feel like we've been in this house for so long (well, not really), but it doesn't quite feel like home yet because the walls are bare and it doesn't have our own personal taste shown amongst each room yet. It's so hard moving and getting things the way you want them to be. Also, sometimes it's tough to get things done with Lucas around because he always wants to be a part of the action. It's so cute, but tough to get stuff done sometimes! It will be great when Lucas can help out!

So proud to be walking!!

Not much is up for the rest of the weekend. We're having dinner tonight with some friends and Justin will be on his way on Monday afternoon. Then a little lull in visitors, then boom... more visitors! I can't wait to see my family and how much my niece has grown- I miss her terribly!

Preaching and Ikea

A couple days ago, Lucas woke up at 5:30am, fell back asleep until... 6:30am. Needless to say, I didn't get the best sleep that night. On top of that he didn't really nap during the day. So frustrating!!!! After unsuccesfully putting him down for a nap at 9am, we headed out to Ikea. Before driving off to Ikea, I was approached by two young mormon guys, trying to share their "word." Now, let's talk door-to-door religious preaching....

I am not a religious person. I never have been. I have absolutely nothing against religion or the people who believe in God or whomever it may be. In fact, I admire people who have such faith. Sometimes I wish that I believed in something. Don't get me wrong, I am not an atheist- I'm just not sure what I believe. I think that I have taken way too many religion classes in University that make me think way too much about whether or not God exists or is "good."

Anyway, so as I'm trying to load the stroller into my trunk and these two guys shared their bit and literally put the pamphlet in my face- I kept saying, "No thank you," but they were relentless. They kept asking me why I wasn't interested. I honestly don't think this is any of their business. If anything, it gives religion, including people who go around door-to-door to preach, a really bad name. I mean, why would someone want to hear what you have to say if you're going to be so aggressive about it? It was borderline harrassment. Actually, NO, i did feel like I was being harrassed!

I realize that religion is a very touchy subject and I do believe to each's own, but there's so much about it that I just don't get. For example, people who go on missions and do so because they feel that God pushed them to do it. Why can't you do these missions without this supposed push from God? Why can't you just go to these places, help out these people in need for the sake of being a good person? Why does it always have to be tied to God? Can't you go to Africa and build a school or houses because you want to just be a good person and help people out? I just find it irritating when people don't do things because they say God didn't tell them to. Sounds like a cop out to me.

Having said all of this, I don't know if I will ever be religious or fully believe in God. Again, I am in between- I am not all for one side. All I know is that if I want to learn about a certain religion, I want it to be by my own will. I don't appreciate someone invading my own private space and insisting that I listen to something I just don't want to be a part of. I want to go to church and learn about God when or if I am ready, not because someone convinced me to.

Sheesh, all I wanted to do was go to Ikea and get out of the house and all I got was a pamphlet shoved in my face and a blog entry ranting too much about religion. Sorry if I offended anyone.

The Sardine Tent

The camping trip was a success!! Our friend Laura (the most organized of the group!) drove up early from Calgary to try and snag a first come first serve site at Red Lodge. She managed to get a group site, but ended up waiting a little long for us Edmonton girls to get there. And by a "little" long, I actually mean, a really long time. As in almost 4 hours!!! I think Laura got there around 5pm and we didn't get there until about 9pm. On the car ride over we were expecting (and understandably so!) Laura to gouge our eyes out and call friendship off when we got there, but she's a trooper and was just glad to see us (right, Laura?). We also wrote her a really sweet poem on a paper plate in the car just to show our appreciation. It had lines like, "Your skin makes me thirsty" (courtesy of Kristen) and "You are the sun..." You can tell it was a really deep poem ha ha!

Anyway, the trip was great! We got to catch up with our Calgary friends, Laura and Amy (who drove up at 11pm on Friday after a nursing evening shift!) who we hadn't seen in a while. We did a whole lot of nothing, a lot of roasting in the sun, but it was just what I needed! Oh, also due to a lack of communication, we sort of only brought one tent- there were six of us! We were under the impression that Laura would be bringing her tent and Jill would bring hers too. I ended up bringing our friends' that I had borrowed that just so happened to be a 6 person tent. When we got to the site, we realized I was the only one who brought a tent. SO, all six of us packed in and slept like sardines. Good thing we love each other so much!

Needless to say I missed Lucas terribly and that was the hardest and worse part of the trip! Good thing the girls like Lucas so much and don't mind hearing me talk about him!

Our friends Kristen and Mark are staying with us for a few days while they wait to move into their new house. It has been so awesome having them around and they are great with Lucas! It kind of gives Dan and I a chance to have a quick break to get something done! They're both really playful and silly with Lucas and I love that about them. I can't wait until they have their own kids.

Spoiled, Nothin'

Today Lucas and I met up with our friends Charlie and Tamiko and went to the Mill Creek outdoor pool. It was great, besides the brute children who were taking over the pool! Anyway, it was flippin hot out this afternoon and as I'm driving Lucas home in our car with broken A/C, I began to feel a little princess-like, thinking about how much I hated roasting in the car and why we can't just get the A/C fixed, blah blah. Then it occurred to me- I can't be like this and I think that it's these little luxuries that I don't want Lucas to get used to. Not livin' the high life, if you will. We are too fortunate and lucky to complain about such small details in life. I know it's just A/C, but it's so much more than that.

Dan's friend once told him a story about how when he was little, he used to live near a family with horses and complained to his dad saying that he hated being poor and that he wished they had horses. The result... his dad took him to the most grim and poor parts of Calgary to make him realize that THIS is poor and they are really, very fortunate.

This whole A/C situation began as something so small and made me think about so many other things. For example, Dan always says that he doesn't want Lucas to grow up not knowing about people who are less fortunate or about people from different economic backgrounds or other cultures. I completely agree and it makes me think about how spoiled and ignorant kids (and their PARENTS, even worse!) are today. Life has become all about stuff, the latest trend or who has the fastest gadget. While I don't want Lucas to live in the dark ages, I don't want to raise him thinking that these material things are a normal part of everyday life. Sorry, this is quite the rant! I guess things have changed so much since I was younger and it's kind of scary thinking about what Lucas will have to go through when he's a teenager or University, or tradeschool-whatever he chooses.

Now, back to this whole issue of exposing Lucas to other people and situations... living in Alberta has allowed me to learn a few things. For the most part, living in Edmonton has been great and does not meet up to the stereotype of hick Alberta. But the other parts of me have also met quite a few YOUNG and EDUCATED people who are as ignorant and dare I say, racist as Ma and Pa living in the back shed. This makes me sad. It makes me sad to think of Lucas being around people who are not accepting of other people because of their ethnicity or the clothes they wear or the language they speak. Need I remind you that Lucas is not entirely ONE thing. He is Filipino, Ukrainian AND Italian and for that, Dan and I are very proud. He is made up of all these great backgrounds and culture and heritage and sometimes I feel like people forget that.

I don't even know where I'm going with all of this! But, I guess I just had time to reflect in the blistering hot car about simple things in life and one thing led to another. At times I feel that I am disappointed in people's actions, but don't know how to react or what to say. I just think that people need to think a little more before they say things or at least question why they might feel a certain way. Nothing is set in stone and there is always time to change.

Marriage, Blarriage

Tonight Dan and I had a great night chatting on our porch while watching crazy lightning and, not gonna lie, creeping on our neighbors across the street through their windows (well, geez, you leave your windows wide open with all of your lights on, what do you expect?!). Then it occured to me- this is what marriage is supposed to be like- sitting around with your love, talking about important and not-so-important things.

I think that in this day in age so many people are so scared to get married or to have any sort of monogamy because they think it will fail; that it will just be a waste of time- that they will just get divorced and end up hating whoever it is that they married. It just seems so simple to me... marry your best friend, someone who makes you feel good about yourself everyday, makes you feel secure and kisses you like they mean it. Sorry if this is awkward for family members, but it's true! I guess maybe I'm just lucky, but it seems like it was so easy to figure out why I wanted to married Dan.

Now, onto less sappy things, this business about Dan sharing too much information.... man, I've finally made it through the night without coughing like a friggin 80 year old smoker. Woo hoo!! Sweet relief. The past two nights I was able to sleep for more than an hour at a time! HUGE accomplishment, I'm telling you!

Today Lucas and I went to his friend Charlie's birthday party and had a great time! We went with a bunch of other babes and mom's that we met through a mom's group. I love these mom's- we all connect in so many other ways that the fact that we all have kids. They are hilarious, open-minded, gracious and so comfortable to be around. This is what is making me feel more at home in Edmonton.

This weekend I am off to go camping with my girlfriends- half of us are in Edmonton and the other half are in Calgary. We are going to meet somewhere in the middle. Where that is, I don't know because we planned this a million years ago and none of us were organized enough to get on finding a site! But it's going to be great- I'm sure we'll find somewhere to camp, even if it's in the middle of nowhere! It's going to be weird not seeing Lucas for a day and a half, but I'm glad that Dan is a good papa and I don't have to worry about him! I will miss Lucas terribly, but it's nice to know that he will be in good hands! Now, this doesn't mean I won't call multiple times a day while I'm gone, but I'm feeling good about taking this little, much needed vacation!

Off to bed soon... I'm crossing my fingers hoping we won't end up in a field, but at least it will make for a good story?

More on the Weekend

I think Lucas must have been reading this blog because after that post on Saturday about his sleep, he's had two normal nights in a row. He slept until 8:30 on Sunday which was a fantastic father's day present (wait, does that make me sound cold and unloving?). Too bad Dad was sleeping in the spare room - it's not what you think, Coughy McCoughinstein was coughing up a storm all night (poor girl!) so it's just what made sense. Wait is talking about our sleeping arrangements on the internet one of those things that falls under "embarrassing"? (Speaking of embarrassing I just had to Google how to spell that very word...) Anyway, I'll check with Marion and let you know. Maybe it'll be like that time on the Simpsons when Homer is teaching some kind of marriage course that no one is interested in until he starts telling everyone intimate details of his marriage with Marge and the class loves it, but Marge doesn't. I'm sure Marion will love that reference, being the avid Simpson's fan that she is (note to Marion- Homer is the Dad of the yellow family with four fingers per hand and Marge is the mom. Oh, and no Darth Vader is not the King of Space. Actually, he kind of is. You know what? That was a really good question.) Wait, is anyone even reading this? I find it so interesting to be typing something to "the internet" and not knowing who will be reading it. Long story short, we'll see see how much detail I can get away with in here. Back to Father's Day, following Lucas' stellar sleep performance we went for brunch (as indicated below), but just to try and beef up the blog a bit, let me describe to you everything I ate. Plate # 1 contained eggs benedict, bacon, cheese (blue cheese!), perogies, roast beef, teriyaki salmon, smoked salmon, and a croissant. Of course, this was followed by a more modest plate # 2 which contained more cheese, cold cuts, olive bread, and fruit. It was sometime around plate #2 that Lucas decided to launch a piece of watermelon about 12 feet away. Now, of course, this wasn't the first piece of food he fired off his tray, but it probably covered the most distance. Following plate two was dessert, which was ridiculously good as well. Really the long and the short of it is I really appreciate my family taking me out for brunch! It was nice to go to a sort of fancier restaurant with the family instead of just Red Robin. Prior to breakfast Marion and Lucas gave me some father's day presents including the nicest belt I've ever owned (it has bicycles on it!), the most thoughtful collection of pictures and captions I have every received, and the cutest mug you could imagine with a picture of Lucas (seen at the start here) and a caption saying "World's Greatest Dad". Very thoughtful and very much appreciated! Then after some bumming around (don't get ahead of yourselves, that just means sitting around doing nothing) I headed out to the World Extreme Cagefighting event at Rexall Place. Following the event I went to Earl's (doesn't that seem a natural choice following a cagefighting event?)for something to eat and sitting and the table next to us was none other than Kenny Florian who was in town to do the TV commentating for the event.

I hope your brain hasn't gone numb with boredom after this, Dad's first post. I'll work on my brevity next time!

The Weekend

Last night I got a chance to go out with my girlfriends and it was great! We went out for sushi, caught up, talked a lot about nothing and headed out to Whyte Ave. Ever since I had Lucas I realized that there are a lot of things I don't miss... like all the drunks stumbling on Whyte. Or the awkward drunken arguments between couples, really short skirts (way too short) and meat heads wearing Ed Hardy shirts. I'm not going to lie though, it still makes me laugh! It's even more funny when you're sober and all you want to do is pee, but the drunk girl in the stall is talking on her cell phone to her mom.

I am glad that Dan and I were able to get out do the "party" thing when we were younger so we can say that we didn't miss out on anything. Don't get me wrong, it's nice to get out, relax and have a drink or two, but I'm happy I got all of that stuff out of my system. I'm perfectly happy to be the DD, out with my friends, drinking a club soda (never thought I'd ever say that!)- especially if there's a drunk chick wearing a lace dress who can't even walk straight, standing in front of us.

Onto other things- today is Father's Day! Lucas and I took Dan out for brunch at the Sutton Hotel where we spent last year's Father's Day. Lucas couldn't even eat real food then, so it was great to share all of the delicious food with him! To cap this special day off, Dan is going to some cage fighting event with his friend Mark. I think it's hilarious! At least I don't have to watch sweaty men in short shorts beating each other. It's been a great day!

Sheesh- content with being the DD, drinking club soda on a Saturday night and encouraging my husband to watch cage fighting on Father's Day? HIGH-larious.

Too Good To Be True

Lucas has always been a good sleeper... until the past couple weeks or so. He has been for the most part, sleeping throughout the night, but has been waking up at 6-6:30am. Boy, were mom and dad spoiled with those 9:30am wake ups! Dan and I have never been morning people, but when we had Lucas it forced us to appreciate being up in the morning. But not THIS early! It's a good thing that Dan is such a great dad because he still helps out if Lucas wakes up.

Everytime we would tell people what time Lucas went to bed and woke up, they would be so jealous and we knew we were lucky. This is why we never boasted about our perfectly sleeping baby because we knew that it could all end one day. And end, it has. But even when Lucas wakes me up at 6am, I can't look at that face and ever be mad at him! He's much too cute for that.

As a sidenote, this reminds me of a pet peeve of mine. I don't have patience for people who aren't humble about the things they have or who they have become. I truly believe in karma and for the sake of sounding religious-ish, which I am not, we should all count our blessings and thankful!

Finally!

For a little while now, Dan and I have been thinking about the best way to keep in touch with all of our friends and family all over the world. So, finally we decided to start a blog! Our son, Lucas is about 13 months now and we thought it would neat to reflect on our first year as parents, what it's been like living in a new city, with no family and all those everyday funny encounters (or not so funny) we have.

This past year has zoomed by and has been crazy and hectic, BUT it has been the best year of our lives.