Pepto-dreaming

Nausea is bothering me today.  Is it because I start work tomorrow and it is merely nervousness?  Is it a flu-bug?  Am I just hungry?

The feeling reminds me of a time when, following 6 years of university and a year of articling, I attended for an interview and was shocked being offered the job within 30 minutes.  It was 1993 in the midst of a recession where jobs were scarce.  Upon accepting the position, I was asked to start the next week.

When I showed up for my first day of work, I anticipated being shown around and given some time to settle in as it was an unfamiliar city and I had never really practiced criminal law.  It wasn't to be so: I was surprised to find myself dropped off at the RCMP detachment and locked in RCMP prisoner cells with a prisoner within 45 minutes of starting and interviewing the prisoner in preparation for a show-cause (bail) hearing that morning.  I didn't even know what was a show-cause hearing.  I think I had 3 new clients that I met in RCMP cells that morning.  I somehow got myself to from the detachment to the Provincial Courthouse (as it was an unfamiliar city) but vividly recall not knowing how to find my way back to my office once my morning ordeal was over.

My first job was literally baptism by fire.  I recall having my first superior court trial within my first 4 months of practice  with my client charged with aggravated assault **.  I had never met my client and he hadn't responded to any of my letters requesting contact.  I had the preliminary hearing transcript in hand and know I didn't even talk about the charges with my client before the trial (which is something I wouldn't do now).  My client was acquitted.

I attended court-points in the far north, being transported by airplane along with the Judge and the Prosecutor.  I was responsible for a court-circuit and had to locate community halls where the ad hoc court sessions were held where I would huddle with my client(s) in corners to get whispered instructions.

My first year was a time of great learning and stress.  I guzzled Pepto-Bismol as needed to calm my erupting digestive system.  I easily digested 4 large bottles of Pepto-Bismol within the first 4 months of practice which is why we, Pepto and I, are on a first-name basis.

As I prepare to return to practice tomorrow, these memories are stirred.  I don't believe my colleagues have set any matters for Chambers or trial for me but I am reasonably confident that new job won't be nearly as stressful as my first.

(** An aggravated assault is an assault that wounds, maims, disfigures or endangers the life of the complainant.)

the patriots

K and N have been all abuzz with Canada Day festivities this year.  A few days before July 1, they could be seen and heard singing the national anthem in both official languages as loudly as possible as they marched around our yard, particularly the front sidewalk.  Anyone within ear proximity was reminded that it would soon be Canada Day with the same fervor expected of proclaiming Santa's immediate  arrival on Christmas Eve.  I relented and purchased up a couple flags and tattoos for my little patriots.

The big day came.  They were disappointed that most festivities didn't start until after lunch.  When we finally arrived at the park, the line-ups for face-painting were long (about 1 hour long) and ditto for the kiddie games.  We periodically monitored the line-ups and never participated in either (as my back isn't cooperative in line-ups).  I had 2 disappointed non-face-painted patriots.  Next year, I'll do the face-painting before we go; the results may not be as "professional" but at least K and N will be happy to have it done!

K raised an important question yesterday: what gift do we give to Canada for its birthday? Taxes and service (both military and public) were my response but the question haunts me.  It certainly invokes Kennedy's 1961 inaugural speech,

ask not what your country can do for you - ask what you can do for your country.

Perhaps the question haunts me because it is time that I start asking this of myself.

nesting again

I haven't dealt with the question, "Am [I] ready", so regularly since I was in the last stages of pregnancy with K and N.  Next week, I return to practice albeit part-time (mornings only) for July and part of August and then I work school hours starting September.  I am also tucking in a little annotating contract starting this week with delivery of my materials due mid-September ( ~ I'll try to work an hour each afternoon and put in extra hours over weekends).  It is going to be a bit busier of a summer than I had initially planned.

"Am I ready" is a loaded question because it has so many dimensions.  It really isn't about me but whether the household is ready.

I've been busy stocking food into the pantry and freezer which is an ongoing effort during summer months ~ bean blanching will happen within weeks!  Plus we'd like to try canning peaches and pears this summer!  We've made enough strawberry jam to supply us for a couple years!

I've been cleaning although not as diligently as I should.  Clothes/boots are almost ready for next winter.

I've got a stack of sewing and painting projects that need attention!  (I haven't painted my Christmas ornaments yet!)  As time has passed, I've discovered that I can't drink anything with caffeine after lunch and can't work in the evenings otherwise I suffer insomnia!  Guess what I'll be doing in the evenings?  What a handy excuse for work evasion too!

On reflection, I am preparing for my return to work similar to how I prepared for K and N's arrival ~ with a flurry of activity.  It seems I'm nesting again.

free to be... you and me

I first watched Free to Be... You and Me in elementary school in the mid-1970s.  I think I even borrowed the LP from the public library so that Saucy and I could sing along to it during a sleep-over.  It had an amazing impact upon me with its effort to bust stereotypes, particularly gender stereotypes.

I'm now an owner of the Free to Be... You and Me CD (plus piano book but we haven't paid much attention to it yet as it is a replica of the CD).   When K, N and I drive around in the car, the CD is often playing and I contemplate how the themes within Free to Be... You and Me remain pertinent.  The stereotypes it was trying to disrupt in the 1970s remain prevalent to varying degrees within our societies and communities.  "When We Grow Up" plays, I can't help but notice the irony between what Michael Jackson sang of during the 1970s and what became of him during the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s.  (For those unfamiliar with this film/song, here's the link ~ I don't know how to embed YouTube into Blogger!  Yes, it is Michael Jackson!)

I love Free to Be... You and Me and it already forms an important part of my children's life.  They don't realize the messages that it is imparting.  They will soon enough.

Did Free to Be... You and Me impact you too?  If so, how?

flood & found

Santa has a history of being thwarted in this house.  The first time?  She had been wanting a Madeline rag doll for her 2nd birthday.  Due to unforeseen events, the rag doll had to be shelved in favour of a Cabbage Patch doll (to go with grandma's accessories!).  On Christmas Eve, K looked at the top shelf in daddy's closet (where it had just been placed for quick retrieval) and spied the rag doll.  Madeline became a gift from Mommy and Daddy that Christmas.

This year, I had purchased an used Madeline dollhouse.  The girls have been wanting a dollhouse, any dollhouse, for a long time.  I refused to pay the outrageous eBay prices for a new Madeline dollhouse.  The used dollhouse had been assembled and stored in the deep darkness of the mud-room... until the flood.

Upon our return on Monday, my dh discovered the basement flood and started bringing out all the items stashed in the mudroom that needed airing/drying.  You can only imagine the squeals of delight as K and N entered the back door to look down the stairs to see the dollhouse.  In legal terms, the dollhouse was in plain view, subject to search and seizure by K and N.  They pounced on the dollhouse that needed drying (and still seems a bit wet ~ as visible on the outside of the house ~ but I can't withstand their demands to play with it anymore).

I have told them that they've already received their Christmas gift from Mom & Dad.  They've already requested furniture but I've told them to put it on their Christmas lists and they are having to use their imaginations instead.  (Santa got the Madeline furniture at up to and over 50% off retail years ago and it is stored safely out of reach of minor flooding).

Other fun news: on a lark, I entered into a "postcard story competition" for the best story under 250 words with a $500 cash prize.  I entered the competition and, although I didn't win, I was delighted to discover that, of the 966 submissions, my manuscript was shortlisted as one of 111 stories for the second round of evaluations.  I actually got some comments back on my manuscript!  I've never entered into an adult prose writing competition before so this was a pleasant surprise!

end of school gifts reveal!

Today is K's last day of kindergarten.  N's preschool ended last week.  This means I can finally reveal what we've been up to for teachers' end of school gifts this year!  We've been busy crafting!

K's French immersion teacher sent a note home with K complimenting K's apron sent for show-and-tell.  I have lots of Molly Goes to Paris fabric on hand (although my Eiffel Tower stock is low!) so, after some humming-and-hawing, I made her an apron.  I suspect she might be able to use it in her classroom or at home gardening.  I also tucked a photo of K modelling the apron in a pocket as a little souvenir.

As students in K's school have to share computers (only 4 computers are allotted per classroom), the Kindergarten class was often interrupted by older students inquiring whether they could use the computers.  K dip-dotted and chose paper materials to make a door-hanger for the classroom so that future classes may be less interrupted.  (The sign translated would read: "Sorry, the computers are not available!")

N's preschool teacher enjoys sewing so she was given most of the materials to make her own Advent calendar.  N dip-dotted and chose paper materials for her wooden doo-dads (that can hold photos or notes) for the teacher's aides who also received gift certificates.  Both doo-dads are mostly identical so the photos show what is on each side!

where have I been?

Yes, that is a live cobra, Brittany, around my neck.  When timid K and then N decided they could bravely wear the snake, I felt foolish not being willing to try too.

We had a fun trip!  Unfortunately,

1. my dh hurt his back following golf which resulted in both of us jockeying for the driver's seat (which is the only seat with lumbar support).
   
2. the gravel road was in such poor condition that we weren't able to return to the ranch B&B for the final leg of the trip.  K and N were disappointed that they couldn't visit the horses again!
3. we arrived home to discover that our sump pump failed resulting in a minor flood of our (brand-new!) basement.  We had a mess to clean up but it could have been much worse!

If bad things come in threes, we should be good for a while!