HAPPY HOLIDAYS 2010

Dear Weeb,

We have been dressing you up and posing you for seasons greeting cards since you were born.

I hope you will think that's cool, one day. But at some point you're going to be horrified by these pictures. Sorry about that. But until then, here's the awesome one your dad did for you this Christmas!

SANTA'S SECURITY CAMERAS

Dear Weeb,

I wanted to record this precious moment of your childhood.

You just came into the kitchen where I was making very marshmallowy holiday Rice Krispie Treats and you waggled your butt at me. You likely did this because your father was doing the same.

My glare (why do I always have to play the straight man?) met your grinning face and you announced, "And I'm still not on the naughty list because Santa doesn't have security cameras everywhere!"

Oh really?

So where does Santa have security cameras? Nowhere, you advise. You further explain that he has a tracking system and just knows when people are good and bad because he has a naughty and nice list, REMEMBER?!

It seems you think that because you were on the nice list in the past, you will remain there.

So, if Santa just knows, why do you think he won't see you waggling your butt at me? Your answer, "Well I just saw my daddy doing it."

Uh huh. No extra marshmallowy Rice Krispie Treats for you.

Or Daddy.

Well... maybe just one.

NOW YOU'RE FIVE

HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my amazing daughter! I don't know how the planet could spin without you on it!

Oh, and just because it's your birthday, it doesn't mean you're going to get taller over night... even though you did.

44" tall and 41 lbs full of five year old vile! I'm glad you enjoyed your Rainbow Play-Doh birthday party. I have no idea how we'll top that, next year!

I love you.

Mummy

LITTLE BIG WEEB

Dear Weeb,

Proof that you are the child of people who play video games, you just said, as we were playing Little Big Planet, "Daddy, look out for the fiery obstacoals!"

The obstacles were coals, so somehow it works. Well done, kid!

HELPER ELF

Dear Weeb,

When we were at the mall yesterday, the elves asked if you would like to be an Elf Helper for Santa's Elf Inspection. You replied, "No thank you. I think I'd just like to be a regular girl." Then you, my little performer girl, hid behind me and Daddy.

They just wanted you to stand beside them and talk to Santa with them. They didn't actually want you to leave us and go live at the North Pole, Baby.

I will probably chuckle at your reaction until next December.

RICE KRISPIE SHARDS

Dear Weeb,

I'm sorry that the batch of Holiday Rice Krispie Treats we made were so hard.

Next time we'll make them with WAY more marshmallows.

We should probably count your teeth tomorrow.

CRYING AT SCHOOL

Dear Weeb,

I know that your teacher is not as affectionate as your preschool teachers, but you have to understand that she has over 20 kids and she can't always help you immediately, when you need help or attention. The same is true of the Librarian and your computer teacher.

You are an emotional girl, like your mother. I hope to teach you better ways of expressing your feelings and frustrations, though at 41, I'm still having a hard time figuring out how to do the same. Sometimes we just need to cry.

Part of me desperately wants to teach you to act the way that is acceptable, and the other part of me wants you to be yourself and if you have to cry, then you go ahead and cry.

Let's work on understanding WHY you are crying before we tackle how to handle the emotion. I'm pretty sure it's because you're an 'only child' at home and you're used to having as much attention as you'd like. Now you're at school with a much higher kid to teacher ratio than there was at the preschool (there were 50+ kids at your preschool, but there was one teacher or aid for every 5 or 6 kids). You're not the center of the universe anymore. I'm so sorry it's proving to be a hard lesson.

You'll always be the center of MY universe!

READING

Dear Weeb,

Yesterday, Daddy and I heard you talking to yourself in the bathroom.

Upon closer inspection, we realised that you were reading to yourself from your most recent Chirp magazine.

I don't even know how to tell you how proud I am that you are reading so well before you're even 5 years old! A sticker on your calendar just doesn't seem to be enough.

This makes all those times we had to read the same Dora stories to you over and over and over again ALMOST worth while!

I hope your love of reading and being read to continues!

SNOW BOOTS

Dear Weeb,

I do not quite understand why you are so attached to snow boots that you've worn seven times. They were cheap boots and that is why they got holes in the soles so quickly. You needed new boots. Crying in the car, all the way to the mall, and then dropping into a starfish position in the shoe store and crying your little eyes out was not going to solve the boot problem.

I also don't quite understand why your mother, who was NOT mad at you, was not able to calm your boot tragedy, yet the woman at Pay Less had no problem getting a smile out of you and finding boots to appease you. You even agreed to part with the old boots that you had earlier insisted you were going to miss so much that it was making you cry.

I'm very proud of you for not crying at school today. I'm beyond thrilled that you saved it up for me, for after school.

WEEBY IT'S COLD OUTSIDE

Dear Weeb,

You did a very good job of singing your new song today. It is a perfect very cold day song to help you remember what to do before you go outside for recess and lunch!

*singing*

You put on your boots, then your coat, then you zip, then your hat, then your mitts!

DREAMS

Dear Weeb,

I'm sorry that you only dream about ghosts and not about Christmas.

Ghosts are not real, even if, as you say, they are real in your imagination.

BATS

Dear Weeb,

There are no bats living in our townhouse attic.

Really. I promise.

GAPPY SMILES

Dear Weeb,

Your tooth finally came out! That thing was wiggly for more than a month!

We were in my bed reading a story and I was bugging you to wiggle it some more. You'd been stressing about it for a couple of days because it was SO loose that you were having trouble eating. Your lunch box would come home with little blood marks around the sandwich crusts that you'd leave. Poor thing.

Finally it came out. You were really upset about it because you saw some blood but we quickly rinsed the tooth off and then you thought that was pretty cool!

I was severely grossed out at how manky your gum looked after the little tiny tooth came out, but I couldn't let you know that, so I kept telling you how cool and awesome this was!

You drew a picture of the Tooth Fairy and a tooth on a little cup with a lid. We put your tooth in there and waited for the Tooth Fairy that night.

For your very first tooth, the Tooth Fairy left you the DVD of Ponyo. It had a little stuffed Ponyo doll with it. Then you noticed something was inside the cup! Your tooth was gone and there was a two dollar coin and a couple of quarters! Awesome!

This is your first baby tooth and my wisdom teeth. Yours is SO tiny! I wonder when the next one will come out.

HOBBIT

Dear Weeb,

Hobbit passed away tonight. She was very old and very sick. I am very sad. Again, more death in your short life.

I was always amazed that Hobbit treated you as well as she did. She could be a very mean cat but she usually treated you very well. Actually, mostly she just stayed out of your way.

When I told you, you didn't cry. You gave me a little hug and said it would be okay, that YOU would pretend to be Hobbit for me if I missed her and chase the little red laser pointer that you used to get Hobbit to chase on the floor.

TOOTH CLEANING

Dear Weeb,

You had your first tooth cleaning today. You were so brave! I was very proud of how well you sat still and let the dental assistant polish your teeth!

You'd been to the dentist about six months ago to have your teeth counted and to introduce you to the dentist. You were not so thrilled that time.

DISNEY, HERCULES AND GOD

FROM MY BLOG:

This past weekend, my mom and sister were giving sea shells to the girls. My daughter was impressed with one shell and remarked that it looked painted. My father said it must have been painted by God. My daughter replied, “Grandpa, there are no such things as gods!”

One of Weeb’s favorite movies is Disney’s Hercules. As I’m a bit of a Mythology buff, I’ve explained to her that the story of Hercules was a story that people used to tell but is not a story about real people. I’ve also explained how Disney’s version is quite a bit different from the Greek and Roman tales (for example, Hera is NOT Hercules’ mother, Hades was not a bad guy and Pegasus was more Perseus’ buddy than Hercules’ made-from-clouds pal, and there were 3 or 9 muses, depending what you read, not 5). My daughter understands that the gods in the story are not real and that people, long ago, told stories to teach lessons and to entertain themselves.

I guess it’s time I talked a bit more about God with her. I’ve talked with her a bit about it before. I’ve told her, as simply and logically as I can, what I believe and I’ve explained that not everybody believes the same thing or worships the same way. We’ve got a way to go.

I will say this, I don’t have the heart to tell Weeb the truth about what happens to Hercules and Megara in the non-Disney stories. I think that one can wait.

FIRST WIGGLY TOOTH

Dear Weeb,

You have your first wiggly tooth!

Bottom middle right. I think that was your first one to come in, too.

I can see the adult tooth coming in behind the wiggly tooth, too!

RAINBOW CUPCAKES

Dear Weeb,

We made our first rainbow cupcakes tonight. I think they turned out pretty well.

KINDERGARTEN WEEB

FROM MY BLOG:

Weeb started Kindergarten September 7th. The first two weeks was a crazy schedule of school starting at various times, for various lengths of time. It was chaotic to say the very least. Wonko and I either took vacation time or worked from home to be with Weeb. It was wonderful and hectic, at the same time.

After a week and a bit, the kids were assigned their teacher. Weeb got Mrs. E, who has a split Kindergarten / Grade 1 class. A lot of mothers hoped their kid wouldn't be in the split class, but Weeb is advanced academically and used to being in a 50+ kid preschool so I figured it was a good spot for her.

On the Thursday of the second week, Weeb had her first full day of school. I realized when I picked her up that she had no idea where the bathrooms were. She SAID she did, but since she couldn't show them to me, I was onto the fact that she had not gone to the bathroom at school in the two weeks she'd been there. So we asked the teacher where they were and off we went.

The bathrooms are down the hall from Weeb's classroom. They are big and have an echo and Weeb was freaked. She didn't like that anyone could come in at any time. She didn't like locking herself into a stall. She didn't like the sound of the bathroom. She freaked out at the idea of flushing. She insisted she would go when we got home, but I am a stubborn momma and insisted we weren't going anywhere until she went pee and flushed. My poor girl, she was not happy with me. But she did it! We went back to her classroom and let her teacher know that she was a bit nervous about the bathrooms and she suggested Weeb bring a buddy with her the next day.

Friday when I asked Weeb if she went to the bathroom she said yes, she'd gone with a buddy. Then I learned that they didn't go pee, they just went down there and washed their hands. Okay, it's a start. So I dragged her back to the bathroom and she went. Then I made her flush. She was not happy with me again. After she flushed she decided it wasn't a big deal. She managed to go to the bathroom all week, this week. She doesn't love the bathrooms, but she's not terrified, so that's good for now.

This week they had a fire drill. In the morning their teacher advised them that they would be having a fire drill and a loud bell would sound. Weeb was not happy about this. She doesn't like the school bells as they are quite loud and make a little girl who is very involved with whatever she is daydreaming about or playing with JUMP! She managed to get so anxious knowing that the fire drill was coming that she cried for a good deal of the morning. She was happy again at lunch but was back to loud sobbing after lunch was over. Finally they had the fire drill and she shrugged it off and said, "We did the same thing at my preschool." Ah, anticipation anxiety! My poor girl is just a bit too much like her mother!

I think most of the kids in Weeb's class have older siblings so they are used to being in the school environment. Weeb's older siblings are in another province so this whole big school thing is new to her (and me!) and is a bit daunting. It seems as though she's adjusting well now.

We have our first Pro-D Day today. It's just as well since the landlord is here fixing up some stuff in the house and we have a contractor from the strata coming to deal with a leaky pipe in our kitchen ceiling. Hopefully that won't take too long to sort out. Oh and I seem to have a cold. It's not terrible, but it's sucking enough that I'm glad nobody was available to watch Weeb this morning so I had the perfect excuse to take the day off.

The weather is definitely telling us that Autumn is here. It's colder and rainy. I have great plans to get this house as uncluttered as possible as the mess is making me insane! Our new routines are falling into place and I am going to attempt to get back to my writing. We shall see. Maybe another week or two into this Kindergarten thing and we'll all be feeling 'normal' again. Well, until the next thing comes up and throws us off. Bring it Universe - we got our kid successfully into Kindergarten without breaking her, we can do ANYTHING!

And now a picture of rocks and pebbles (what is the difference between a rock and a pebble?) that I likely got off the internet at some point. Why have I posted a picture of rocks / pebbles? Because Weeb digs collecting rocks and pebbles. I direct you back to the comment that my kid is a lot like me. Sometimes that's NOT a bad thing.

Edit to add: A rock has a rough surface, a pebble has a smooth surface. You'll have to sort out your opinion on the picture above for yourself. I'm going to call them rockles. The Kindergarten Kid concurs.

FIRST DAY OF KINDERGARTEN

Dear Weeb,

I am so amazed, so terrified, so proud that you are starting school.

Kindergarten won't know what hit it!

TAMBOURINE WEEB

FROM MY BLOG:

This is a picture of Weeb and her cousin J. Weeb drew it on a paper plate tambourine that the girls made with Grandma and Grandpa this week. I think the picture is incredibly cute. Weeb has drawn J in purple, which is J's favorite color. Weeb drew herself pink because that is her current favorite color. She's even got J's curly hair. I love that they are holding hands. Even more, I love that this is what my daughter draws pictures of. I think it's so cute and it just speaks volumes about who my nearly 5 year old daughter is.

MONSTERS UNDER WEEB'S BED

FROM MY BLOG:

I'm writing a story for Weeb about the Monsters under her bed.

I thought when I told her the beginning of the story that she'd be entranced by the tale and fall into the 'other world' with a terrific sense of wonder.

What happened is that she spent the next three nights having nightmares about monsters under her bed.

I am the Mother of the Year. Again.

So I decided to ask my brother, who has amazed me with his drawings since childhood, to whip up a picture of Weeb and one of the monsters. I described the monster as: a large dust bunny with a toothy grin and large sneakers.

In minutes my brother had the above picture drawn. The monster looks slightly more meatbally-ish than dustbunny-ish but I think it's awesome. So does Weeb. And now she's bugging me to keep writing the story.

NOTES OF INTEREST

Dear Weeb,

You have just informed me that flying feels like swimming. You've also informed me that some frogs don't start out as tadpoles, they start out as caterpillars and that all butterflies are girls.

You are currently rocking out to the Blues Brothers on TV. Time for bed, kid!

WATERMELONOM

FROM MY BLOG:

It was a watermelony kind of weekend. So here are some awesome watermelonoms.

A CORN-NOM-A-NOM

FROM MY BLOG:

Sometimes a single picture says it all.

Especially if I add stupid text to it.

Like now.

Weeb likes corn on the cob. GIANT corn on the cob.

And who can blame her?

AUNTY BRENDA

Dear Weeb,

Aunty Brenda passed away today. You haven't seen her in a long while because she was very sick and had to be around germs when possible. You (like most kids) are a walking germ, so we stayed away. The last time we saw her was last Thanksgiving. When you did see her, you sometimes confused her with Granny because of the hair color and English accent. But she was a wonderful lady and she loved you very much.

My heart is broken. Again, you will have another lesson about death. I have told you that she has gone to watch over us from the stars. You seem okay with that, though you are sad. I think you are sad mostly because I am - you get that this is a sad thing, though you probably don't quite understand it all.

She was an amazing woman and she is watching over us from the stars. She isn't hurting anymore. We will hurt for a long time though.

LIKE MOTHER, LIKE DAUGHTER

FROM MY BLOG:

I sometimes wonder what kind of influence I really am on my daughter.

I don't know much about that, but I do know that if I put my shoes away, so does she. And if I don't put my shoes away, they have little pink company.

This could very possibly have some deep meaning.

But mostly I just think the picture is cute.

O CANADA (AS SUNG BY A WEEB)

FROM MY BLOG:

Weeb loves to sing.

This is our National Anthem.

(This is how Weeb sings it.)

O Canada!
(O Canada!)
Our home and native land!
(Our home and native land!)
True patriot love in all thy sons command.
(True paradise in all our sons command.)
With glowing hearts we see thee rise,
(With glowing hearts we see the rice,)
The True North strong and free!
(From True North strong and free!)
From far and wide,
(From garden lights,)
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.
(O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.)
God keep our land glorious and free!
(Guard/Gord keep our land glorious and free!)
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.
(O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.)
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.
(*takes a bow*)

PHOTOGRA-WEEB

FROM MY BLOG:

Weeb has a camera. It's pink, but beyond that, I can't recall much about it. Weeb is a very skilled 4 year old photographer and I thought I'd share some of her photographic insight into the important things in her universe.

Weeb has many fuzzy toys. I occasionally wake at night, jolted by thoughts of small fuzzy toys staring at me with beady, black eyes. So far I've found no fuzzy army evidence in my room, though I suspect it's only a matter of time.

Weeb has little plastic friends, as well. This shot is pre-stepped-on-head-which-snaps-off-easily-and-can't-be-easily-glued-so-toy-must-be-sneakily-disgarded-into-trash.

Here is a parade of little plastic pals. There was very little carnage in this circle of life. Though I am reminded that this was, in fact, a parade and NOT a circle of life.

Is a photo shoot ever complete without a shot of someone's butt? I think this is Weeb's cousin, JM. "Hey JM, wiggle your butt and I'll take a picture, okay?" "Okay!"

And, of course, the over exposed, self-shot hand. Classic!

Stay tuned for more Photogra-Weeb.

WEEB ART MAY/10 PART 2

FROM MY BLOG:

Mummy. Weeb has learned the spelling, at preschool,

with an O instead of a U.

I'm not that fussed about it. May 2010.

WEEB ART MAY/10

FROM MY BLOG:

A castle with Princess Weeb and some smiles. May 2010.

TIC TAC TOE

Dear Weeb,

We have been playing Tic Tac Toe. It's been pretty funny. Oh, and can you please explain why you know the JAWS theme at four years old?

STICKY KISSES

Mummy: *gives you a bedtime kiss*
Weeb: *wipes mouth after kiss*
Mummy: Why do you do that? I don't have big wet lips. I give you a little peck, what are you wiping away?
Weeb: The kiss.
Mummy: Why?
Weeb: It's sticky. I put it in my collection.
Mummy: Your collection?
Weeb: This one is going to my collection on the blanket in your car. (There is a fleece blanket in the car that I use to cover you in cold weather.)
Mummy: You have a collection of kisses on the blanket in my car?
Weeb: *laughing* Yup.

Next morning.
Mummy: *gives you a goodbye kiss*
Weeb: *wipes away kiss with a giggle and pretends to wrap it up and send it to a collection*
Mummy: So that sticky kiss has gone to the blanket in my car, has it?
Weeb: Yes.
Mummy: Well I'm just going to take it and stick it to me. I'm going to stick them all over me so I feel kisses all day.
Weeb: You can't. They are SUPER sticky and you can't get them off the blanket. *laughing*

A few months ago, every time we'd kiss you, you'd 'take them off' and then put them in an invisible envelope and give them back to us. Cold season was starting and I guess they were doing that at school instead of actual hugs and kisses. LOL

MOON PHOTOGRAPHY AND WEEBS

FROM MY BLOG:

As many of you know, I dig Astronomy, and I have recently become interested in Lunar Photography.

Posted below is my first Moon photo. I was trying to get a good capture of 'the Man in the Moon'.

I'm amazed with the detail you see even with a fairly inexpensive camera.

I was having a bit of a difficult time with this particular photo shoot because Weeb was just getting into EVERYTHING! Anyone with young kids knows what I'm talking about.

Still, I think it turned out well. And you just have to love Moon photos. I mean, how can you not?

RAINBOW LIGHTSABER

Dear Weeb,

I agree, a rainbow colored lightsaber WOULD be cool.

You got a glimpse of STAR WARS - CLONE WARS on TV and recognised it as something your boyfriend at school talks about. So you wanted to watch it. She say to Daddy, "I can't figure out who is Star Wars and who is Clone Wars."

You call R2D2 'Arpy Dupy'.

THE MIGHTY BANANA WEEB INFECTION

FROM MY BLOG:

Few know of the Mighty Banana Weeb Infection.

In the darkness of night it will slink into your home and find your bananas. Instinct draws the Weeb to bananas and it can find them with little or no effort, regardless of how well you hide them. It finds the mightiest banana and infects it with Weebishness.

Hiding bananas in the fridge no longer keeps your long yellow tasties safe as the Weeb has evolved to such a degree that it can now open refrigerators, though the Weeb has commented that refrigerating bananas turns them black which is gross and seems to be a very high price to pay for banana safety, especially given that as Weeb protection, refrigeration no longer works. The Weeb further explained that in these cases, she will infect your black bananas just for a laugh.

An odd fact regarding the Mighty Banana Weeb Infection, and one scientists are hoping leads them to a cure, is though the Weeb does enjoy infecting bananas, it does not enjoy eating them.

Signs of Might Banana Weeb Infection include:

• markings that resemble a cute little face at the end of the biggest banana
• the nighttime sounds of giggling, as though a banana with a face was up to no good
• the mysterious juicing of your other fruits and vegetables
• missing mini marshmallows

At this time there is no cure for the Mighty Banana Weeb Infection. We recommend you wash your hands often and stock up on mini marshmallows.

DISNEY'S HERCULES

Dear Weeb,

I am listening to ANOTHER four year old commentary on Hercules. Kid, I've seen the movie several times and though I know you are sick and require the viewing several times a day for the past four days, I do not need to know about or look at every single thing that amuses you. Though know and look I shall (like I have a choice).

One day we will chat about the inaccuracies between the Disney version and the Greek and Roman versions of the tale.

ZHU ZHU HAIR CUTS

Dear Weeb,

Zhu Zhu hamsters of evilness = 2 inches cut from your hair and lesson learned that pulling out your ponytail to play with Zhu Zhu hamsters of evilness has hair shortening consequences.

TEARTH

Dear Weeb,

You have decided that Earth has a brother named Tearth.

UNICORN FARTS

Dear Weeb,

Wednesday is Macaroni Shell (aka Hamburger Helper) Night. You get left-overs for school on Thursday and Friday, in a Thermos. You did not want this, this week, so you asked for Macaroni Rainbows (aka macaroni elbows, aka Kraft Dinner) with hot dog pieces for lunch Thursday and Friday. When we got home from work/school on Thursday, I began to do the dishes and this conversation took place as I opened your lunch box and took your Thermos out for washing.

Weeb: Momma, tomorrow, I want you to put the hot dogs on the bottom.
Mummy: Okay. Why?
Weeb: Because otherwise I burp macaroni rainbows.
Mummy: So if the hotdogs on the bottom you will burp hot dogs?
Weeb: Yes.

This, from the same child who decided a night earlier, as you cuddled with her new little unicorn (a Valentine’s Day present from me and your father), that unicorn farts smell like perfume. I don't wear perfume so I'm not sure where you got that from. I would be lying if I said I wasn't really proud of this.

WEEB THE OSTRICH TAMER

FROM MY BLOG:

Everybody has certainly heard, by now, the tales of Weeb and her ostriches.

We saw this little fellow while we were waiting for the Olympic Torch Relay to start in February 2010. I was certain it would be hit by a car and was dialing animal control when Weeb stepped in. In moments, Weeb had called to this young, feral ostrich and was bonding with it.

It always amazes me how ostriches respond to Weeb's 'whispering'. She really has a knack for it. As you can see from the photo, they like to have their heads scratched. I was worried that it would bite her fingers off, but the girl knows what she's doing and the bird followed her around for the rest of the night. Seriously, we couldn't get rid of it.

Ostrich Tamers are rare in these parts and I can tell you, we got some odd looks!

I'm not sure where my 4 year old daughter got this odd talent from. Nobody else in our family is especially good with animals, much less large, weird looking birds. I'm hoping it's something that can make her some money when she's older.

DAYCARE, KINDERGARTEN AND SAHM ENVY

FROM MY BLOG:

I am a mother who works full time. I went through the hell that most new moms go through when Maternity Leave is over and the idea of handing our kid/s off to strangers for the work day becomes a reality. We don't want to do it. Not many of us have a choice, these days.

We put our daughter into daycare two weeks before her first birthday. It was the hardest thing I have ever done in my life. She stayed at that daycare facility until we were told we had to leave because the facility broke rules and had too many children under the age of two years old. We went through hell a second time to find another daycare that we could trust and now we had a bad experience under our belts. Luckily, we found another facility that we liked and, after several months, unfortunately had another bad experience. Looking for our third daycare, I think I would have done ANYTHING to be a stay at home mom, but it still was not an option and luckily, we found a spot in an amazing Montessori Child Care Centre for our daughter.

Several weeks ago, we registered our daughter for Kindergarten. After some governmental drama, we learned that our school had Full Day Kindergarten, which we had hoped for. Our daughter has been in daycare since she was a year old and been in a preschool environment for two years. The idea of two and a half hours for Kindergarten seems absurd to me. It's a hassle for working parents and if the child is in care, it's just rushing them off to yet another place during the day. And I won't lie, I was ecstatic at the idea of no longer paying such high child care costs!

Our family will be in a position, come September, where I can work part time. I am about to present an offer to my current employer, reducing my hours so I can pick my daughter up from school once Kindergarten starts. I am overjoyed at this idea. It means getting up earlier in the mornings and being out of the house before my husband and daughter wake up. It means we still need to find an hour or two of care for her in the mornings, before school starts. But it means I will be there for her, at the end of the day and end up having more time with her than I do now.

I'm greedy, I want to take my child to school AND be there to pick her up. Beyond the benefits to both her and my husband (who currently takes her to preschool in the mornings) the very thought of having time to clean my house (and do other chores) when my kid is at school, instead of the sad attempt to rush it into our lives on the weekend or after work, makes me a step away from giddy!

We've thought about me becoming a stay at home mom (SAHM). We could probably pull it off. We would be much tighter with money, but the family would, theoretically, be happier if I had more time to take care of them and take care of our home. I wonder if I am disciplined enough to actually do it though.

Everything is so rushed now. After working full time and picking up my daughter, and making dinner and cleaning up after dinner and spending a bit of time with my daughter and getting her to bed, I am pooped! And I have a wonderful partner who helps! Chores often fall to the bottom of the 'to do' list. Groceries are gathered at weekends. Bathrooms, vacuuming, mending, all chores are left to the weekend, which makes weekends very fast paced, especially if you add in any classes and visits with Grandma, Grandpa and cousins. And I'm lazy - I like movies and video games and time to myself. It's hard to manage a busy week and even harder to manage a busy weekend. Prioritizing is something I've become very good at, though the dust in my dining room might beg to differ.

As I sit at the computer on a Sunday afternoon, the laundry is tumbling in the washer, dinner is in the oven, and I contemplate the coming busy week. Maybe if I were a SAHM, I'd have time to properly clean this house and maybe write the novel that would make us rich. More than likely, I'd end up watching soaps and the potato chips in the cupboard would disappear.

At the moment, working vs. becoming a stay at home mom is still up in the air. It will sort itself out. It usually does.