Happy Birthday to me!

It's 5:30 and I've just had a chance to post! Thanks to everyone for their birthday wishes - you rawk the casbah :-)
I've been spoiled rotten and had to sit through the first of four days of TCP/IP training - all in all, I think that evens out.
Highlight of party this weekend: my cool friends who came to celebrate with me, awesome gifties, and cupcakes decorated with little Daniel Craigs - my husband is the best (but that doesn't mean he gets Willow or Veronica Mars cakes :-)
Smoochies and love to you all,
Dina

ADD in the afternoon

I am having the worst time concentrating today. For the first time in a week we have sunshine outside and it's hot enough to be sleeveless. I went out at lunch, but that just convinced me that I should be outside and not inside trying to wrap my head around access networks. Ben is getting on with his therapist, Sarah, and today he will meet the therapist who will work with him Wednesdays and Saturdays. I think that he will start appreciating his Sundays a little more with all the work he's going to be doing. Mornings have been a bit rough, he's had a freakout on the way to the daycare or just after we get there every day this week. I think that it's just because he has to adapt to a new schedule, so he's extra sensitive to transitions. Luckily after he's at the daycare he seems to have very productive mornings. Today was his shadow's birthday and I made chai cupcakes for the adults and a chocolate cake for the kids. The ladies at the daycare also bought a cake for Bea and there's another birthday cake for one of the kids this afternoon. Those kids are going to be so strung up on sugar by 5.
We have a lot of party prep to do tomorrow and Ben has a party for one of his classmates. This is his second party and it's at the same place as the first one, so he'll probably remember the drill.
So far I have two new pairs of shoes as birthday treats - hooray for shoes! I'm spoiled rotten :-)
Ok, babble is over - now back to work.

How not to use Powerpoint.

therapy begins!

Ben met the ABA therapist yesterday. She came over to our house where we will be doing the sessions because the daycare doesn't have the free space. This means that one of us has to pick up Ben at the daycare at noon everyday and bring him home for a 1-4 session. This kinda sucks because Steve was hoping to be able to work full time in September after Naomi starts daycare, and also because we will now be paying for full days of daycare for Ben and Naomi, and only using 3.5 hours of it for Ben everyday. Anyway, back to his therapist: Sarah is really nice and Ben seems to like her a great deal. We met the director as well. She went to the daycare earlier this week and she jumped in with advice where I thought that she should have been just observing. She meant well, but she doesn't know Ben and totally underestimated how stubborn he can be. Anyway, she's not the therapist who seems like she'll be great. She told us that she's never worked with a student this high functioning, she was amazed that he says "please", "thank you", and "sorry". It's nice to hear things like that. Steve related the comments to Ben's teacher and shadow who were really pleased - a lot of what he is now is due to their efforts. Sarah will be spending the first couple of weeks just hanging out with Ben and getting to know him and playing before the real work begins.
In other news, we've booked our plane tickets to Vancouver in August and we're really looking forward to visiting friends and family and enjoying a real beach. Woohoo!

we're just not that into him

The ladies in the dept were going to go out looking for Brad Pitt this noon hour, but called it off because it's raining, which would not be good for hair, clothing, and shoes. Sorry Brad, maybe next time?

poop the party, kill the joy

Since January, I have staged a few attacks on colleague's offices for fun and enjoyment. I work at a very ... conservative company, the kind that chooses people of a very reserved character. I assume that I got in as part of a rehabilitation program or perhaps just managed to fool them long enough to sign the papers. Anyway, I find that breaking in to someone's office and "My Little Ponying" it or filling it with balloons and streamers is my idea of fun and a good way to get my department together in a united front of mischief. My latest attack was supposed to be for a colleague's birthday. Instead of his office, I wanted to decorate his car to mix it up a bit. Yesterday, the day before we were supposed to do it, everyone chickened out and decided that we're going out for pizza - sigh. I will save the idea and pull it on someone else in the future. I'm not giving up on the party poopers!

trying something out

Created with Paul's flickrSLiDR.

BIG news

We just heard today that Ben is finally going to start his ABA therapy in a couple of weeks. We just have to get the location and the therapist organized. We have been waiting over a year for this and we are so excited to get started. He's eligible for 20hrs/week, but right now they have us slotted 1-4pm Monday-Friday. That's enough for us - way to wait in line! Hooray!

We didn't tiptoe

What a great weekend! A belated happy mother's day to everyone of the mom persuasion!
Saturday we drove to Ottawa to see Steve's mom, had a nice lunch, and went to the tulip festival.

The kids loved the tulips, but they were both in need of naps, so there was the usual demonic behaviour when we wouldn't let them wander through the flowers or pick them, or, in some cases, eat them.


If there's one thing that a tulip festival brings out, it's the photographers. I had some severe camera envy watching the supreme camera geeks wielding their expensive DSLRs with humongous lenses on sleek carbon tripods.
On Sunday I got to sleep in and I got flowers, a new cookbook, and Cirque du Soleil tickets for next weekend! After a pancake breakfast, I chatted on the phone with an old mommy friend (she's not that old), and when Ben and Steve got back from swimming, we had lunch, changed our clothes, and headed up the street for our friends' daughter's christening party. The kids ran around the backyard and we enjoyed some yummy food and good company. We had chinese food for supper and after the kdis were in bed, we watched some tv and enjoyed the evening. Perfect!

What do you think?
(via Melissa)

Your Birthdate: June 12

You're a dynamic, charismatic person who's possibly headed for fame. You tend to charm strangers easily. And you usually can get what you want from them. Verbally talented, you tend to persuade people with your speaking and writing. You are affectionate and loving, but it's hard for you to commit to any one relationship. Your strength: Your charm Your weakness: Your extreme manipulation tactics Your power color: Indigo Your power symbol: Four leaf clover Your power month: December

What Does Your Birth Date Mean?

March in April

We did an autism march with the ATEDM on Saturday. The weather was not good for marching - cold and rainy - but we had an amazing troupe of drummers playing us along and the organizers provided colourful red and green hats for the hatless. April is (was) autism awareness month, we'll have to keep that in mind for next year :-)



Ben loved "walking with the people" and jumping in the puddles. The most bizarre part of the march was that we went through mostly residential streets on the Plateau at 10:30 in the morning, so tons of locals came out of doors and stood on balconies in their jammies to watch us go by. There was a Radio Canada team there and they briefly interviewed Steve so he was on the news! Amidst all the drumming and hubbub, Naomi fell asleep. It felt good to participate, I have a feeling that we'll be doing more of it...

Am I the only one excited about this movie?

Yeah, I don't get the "modest" thing either...

stop when you hear the crunch

After living with back pain for the past 18 months, I finally decided to do something about it and booked an appointment with an osteopath. The trouble all started a month after Naomi was born. I would wake up at night and have to pile all the pillows up so that I was nearly vertical to get enough relief to go back to sleep. The pain has dulled significantly over the year and a half, but I still wake up somewhat sore, and that ain't right. A friend recommended her osteopath who has done a good job on her, so I swallowed my fear of all people who manipulate your body and went in. I'm not sure what I was expecting (cracking, breaking, crunching), but she was really nice and figured out that the problem is probably that my hips weren't aligned, not uncommon after birth, especially one that's so freakin' speedy (thanks again, Naomi). I felt fine right after, but now my hip is achy. It would be great if this gets me back to normal, and I'm not afraid anymore! Well, of her anyway.

bunnies and surgery

My Easter weekend was much better than my sister in law's. On Friday, they drove to my folks' place from Toronto. she jumped out of the truck and ran to the house because she had to pee, and as she rounded the corner she fell and broke her ankle in two places. The ambulance took her to Sherbrooke, an hour away, and she ended up having surgery to fix the break with plates and pins on Sunday. Blah!
Saturday we had Steve's folks and brother over for Easter festivities and a roast dinner. The kids were spoiled and happy to see everyone.
Sunday we drove up to see the folks and celebrate my dad's birthday. My nieces stayed for lunch and then my dad drove them to the bus station and they took the bus back to Toronto. The kids were spoiled there too, as expected. They ran around the house and entertained us all.
Monday was nice and quiet. I didn't get enough done, but that's ok for a holiday.
Yesterday I wandered in to Fabricville and saw some adorable fabric, so I found a pattern, and now I'm determined to use my sewing machine! I will! I will actually start a sewing project and finish it. Of course, this particular dress only has four pieces and about four steps. Wish me luck!

posting at my post

Today is Good Friday, but I decided to come in and work today so that I could have Monday off instead. While the majority of people are taking the day off, shopping, or lugging large crosses around, I am sitting here enjoying the silence that is an office without people. The other pluses are no traffic, good parking, and open access to the photocopier. Life is grand and I got so much more done than normal due to the fact I didn't have to listen to my officemate talk to her friends on the phone all day about her aches and pains.
Have to get back to my surfing work now!

Petting zoos a plenty

It's Easter, so every mall now has a petting zoo with all the basics: sheep, goats, llamas, ducks, piggies, bunnies, and chickens. The kids just love the animals, and the animals love the food from those little dispensers. Ben figured out that a whole bunch gets dropped, and he diligently picked up the pellets and fed them to the sheep - smart boy!

Steve took Naomi out with the playgroup to another mall on Wednesday, but Naomi was far more excited about the indoor play structure than the animals this time.

She's also discovered that climbing up slides is fun. She's been a bit hard on Steve lately; she's very busy and now seems to have a penchant for extreme toddler sports, like climbing on to the kitchen table and rolling off and jumping up and down on the toilet. Living with a small Knieval is tiring because it's a constant race to protect her from herself. Even when she falls she's not deterred. We are very happy that the weather is getting warmer and the park is now an option for running off some energy for both kids. They love the park more than they love us, and possibly more than their Uncle Scott, although that could be an exaggeration.

Should have been The Deaf Assassin

Blue Met is on at the end of the month. As interesting as this event is, I have to point out that they've chosen perhaps the worst reader of her own work, the Atwood, for opening night. For $50, you too can discover that listening to Margaret Atwood read her work and talk about it is actually worse than having your ears chewed off by coyotes or listening to Vogon poetry. If you go and they offer those translating headphones, take them and listen to the translator. You will thank me later.

weekend rounddown

Wheh! Busy weekend!
It was supposed to be even busier, but our Sunday plans were cancelled. On Saturday we drove up to Ottawa to celebrate Steve's folks' birthdays (they're both this week). While there, Steve's mom and I popped over to the store she works at and the mall. We picked up a few things for the kids, including new rubber boots for the kids. Naomi's boots are especially cute, she tried them out yesterday at the park:

I just found out that they're available in women's sizes - woo woo!
I also discovered that the body shop has brought back their pink grapefruit line of products. I have been looking for pink grapefruit-scented stuff for ages, and now it's back! I got a body wash and a lip balm.
It just doesn't get any better than that, and of course it didn't because we had to drive home in a snowstorm, bleh!
Sunday we were supposed to have our friend Sauline over and some of the old gang to celebrate Sauline's almost being a mommy, but she cancelled because she was 4cm dilated and her doctor thought that she was going to go into labour at any minute. The bad is that we don't get to watch her waddle around and laugh at her, the good is that the next time I see her, I get to cuddle a new baby - sigh! We took advantage of the less busy day and got some errands and chores done and rested a bit and went over and played in the park. It was a gorgeous day and the kids were excited to be running around outside and not sinking knee-deep into the snow.

Smell you later

It's a drag that by the time you realise that you forgot to use deodorant in the morning, it's far too late to do anything about it.
Quick tip: You cannot fix the situation using cucumber-melon hand sanitizer, in fact, it really only makes it worse.

Cleanup in office 6078

Can someone please explain to me how someone who complains about the smell of handcream and the smell of fresh paint two floors down can clean her desk with Hertel and then tell me I'm a baby when I complain about the fumes? Grrrrrr.....