This is my 202nd post

Wow. Who would have thunk it?!?

So the trade deadline was a bust for the Leafs, so lets move on to something more timely.

My son. Linus.

He's a cutie. He's just over 3 years old... He's awesome.

Here is what happened on our walk over to his pre-school today:

He told me that he was tired (he used to say that all the time so I would carry him, or we would drive him) but he clarified his comment by stating that he was tired because he woke up very early and did not go back to bed... He should have.

Then he told me that he was hungry and he justified it by saying that he was hungry because he did not finish his breakfast this morning but instead he wanted to play and he should not have done that...

Sweet.

He gets it!

Of course this was the same kid that 2 days earlier had gotten himself and his brother dressed in jacket, boots, and hat and with the car keys he took out of the drawer, announced that he was taking Stewie with him outside... They were going shopping. Geez. And he didn't even ask me what I needed...

Yes, I admit it, I'm a geek...

Today at 3pm is the NHL trade deadline and I can't wait. It's one of the most exciting days in the entire hockey season and 2 days ago I was hoping - not praying - that the Toronto Maple Leafs would sell off every valuable asset and tank it for the rest of the season to get a high draft pick. But what does this ass-backwards franchise do??? First they give everyone a no-trade clause in their contracts, then when every player states they will stay with the team, it blows the chance of getting better players in line. Take Mats Sundin for example, one of the greatest Leafs of all-time. He's 36, or 37 and he is an unrestricted free agent at the end of the year meaning he can choose to play with any team next season. So what he should have done was waive his no-trade clause, get trade for young players and draft picks, then in the off-season, re-sign with the Leafs (if he so desired). But nothing like that is going to happen now unless it was a ploy to get more from other teams (please may that be the case)

In other non-sports related news:

Stewie poo'd on the potty yesterday. Happily. Had his potty book, kept pressing the button which made the flushing sound, and away he went. Yay. That would be so much easier, considering the little dude is 16 months old! I welcome an end to diapers as we did with Linus at just over 2 1/2.

It's snowing outside... Again. Sigh. Or should I say, still.

I'm waiting for Linus to get dressed so we can walk to his pre-school in a few minutes. It used to be such a chore for him, all I would hear were cries of, "I'm tired, I don't want to go to that school, or I want to go home", but his Tuesday / Thursday school he gets Daddy in the morning and Mummy picks up and Thursday he gets either Gramma both ways or a combo of Mummy and Gramma. Fun, fun, fun!

Time to go!

Saturday night is alright...

.. For heading out in the cold to downtown Toronto to hook up with a bunch of very cool bloggers for a few drinks, and that is exactly what UrbanMummy and I did last night.

Once we got home and settled down - sent the babysitters home - I wanted to track down the blogs of all these fun people I met and start reading but after a quick stop at facebook (sorry, hun) and my email, I got only to the first blog and was ready for some shut-eye. Today, on the other hand is a new day!

So let me briefly add some comments about last night...

The meet-up was scheduled for 7pm and we arrived fashionably late, just before 8pm. Ok, we were not trying to be late, we had to ensure the kids were in bed. In the car heading downtown, I asked UrbanMummy for a rundown of who was going to be there that I would know and who she would know, and I asked for a little bio, if possible. Her reply, that she didn't really think she knew anyone made me a touch nervous and a whole lot excited. I mean we all blog... How bad could it be, right???

We found the bar - stupid directions from Google maps were wrong, but UM is a human GPS so we were fine the location, parking and I even got a history lesson of the area. I grew up in the 'burbs so downtown to me has always been a whole lot of weird and crazy people just wandering around looking to get in trouble... I know it's not like that all the time, buy hey, I digress.

Once inside there were a few people scattered around and right inside the door was a group of about 8 women and one guy, and I leaned over and asked them if they are bloggers (how else do you ask that question?). They were and we got introduced, sat down and let the evening unfold.

We chatted, drank, told stories, talked about our kids, our gardens, and we laughed... and laughed and laughed. Did I mention there was some boob action going on every now and then? Something to do with a blogger called the Redneck Mommy... I'll have to check out her blog to see if our "contribution" made the list. LOL. We met up with Kgirl, whom I have been reading for a few years, and Denguy, whom I have never read, but we have - as it turns out - played ball-hockey against each other for years. I had a nice chat with b*babbler of blithelybabbling, and got a book to review from MetroMama. I know there were more, and I will add you guys to my blogroll as I take out some of the old links I do not go to, and add some new ones from last night.

All in all, I had a fab time and can't wait for the next get-together so I can talk to the rest of the group that were too far away to chat with. Be warned! LOL. I hope to get a listing of the bloggers that were there last night and I look forward to some new reading material.

P.S. I hope that CAA arrived sooner rather than later for our poor out of city bloggers, and that the bill got covered in full...

Send pics!

Thank you

For the very kind birthday wishes, the facebook greetings, the phone calls and the yo, dude, happy birthday man... You look great for 40. (I'm not. Not for a few years now, thank you).

Thank you wife and children for the awesome tickets to We Will Rock You... I CAN'T wait!!!

Thank you to my work colleagues for making me pay for my own coffee that day and for my lunch. ;)

Thank you to my mother and sister for the underwear (not just for Hanukkah, I guess), tea and token money.

Thank you to my in-laws for dinner, more token money and for having your daughter.

It was a fun day, I had a great time! I really hope my kids grow up to be close to each other.

Re-introducing the UrbanDaddy family...

First, I need to steal a great post from my wife's blog (with permission).

"For future reference, we are now referring to The Happy Boy as Linus.
The similarities are striking.

Let’s take note:
Though young, Linus is unusually smart.
Everyone likes to think their child is smart. I don’t know if my Happy Boy is unusually smart, but he does have very strong language skills (often using words like actually, & similar). He makes interesting connections, and has a fabulous memory. He hasn’t quoted philosophers or found the Great Pumpkin yet, but he is just 3!

Linus is almost never without his blue blanket.

Well, in our case, it is striped. And we don’t let it out of the house, although, if we did, believe me, it would be with him everywhere. And like Linus’ blanket, Blankie has magical powers. If The Happy Boy falls and hurts himself, blankie makes the pain feel better. If The Happy Boy is scared, Blankie makes him feel less so.

The younger one, the one formerly known as The Weed, in future to be referred to as Stewie. Yes, him:

He’s a character and a half. He’s stubborn, he’s tough and I swear he's trying to kill us. He's very on the ball, he's very bright and has been known to mutter obscenities in a British accent. No. That last bit I made up.

But this is my family. For better stories, go to visit UrbanMummy.

The stress that is Valentine's Day...

I know it's just one day in a year and I know that if you need to make a grand gesture on this day and not all others, you're probably in deep shit with your wife, but still... It's an important day but not for the reasons you may think. You see Valentine's day, with children, is all about showing their mother that they think of her this day and that they love her, on February 14th. Sure she needs something from her husband too, but really, a guy could go nuts and buy a ton of expensive, beautiful stuff, but that handmade card with the baby's hand print on it is what makes her day... no?

Here is my story.

My wife, UrbanMummy... according to www.helpaguybuy.com, is a DIY mom. DIY, of course, meaning do it yourself. By definition that means the following;
She can make her own jewelry, design a room, and make a handmade gift, all while her oil painting is drying in the corner. The DIY Gal enjoys eclectic music, funky art and curious collections. She can scrapbook with the best of them and has a sense of style and taste that is uniquely her. The DIY Gal may also bring her inspiration to the kitchen where she enjoys making homemade breads, cakes and delicious dishes for her family.

Yup, that's her. So what does this site of sites (sponsored by WalMart) recommend I buy for her this wonderful Valentine's day???

Well, this... A robe, pink iPod, or a digital camera, heart pendant, heart paperweight... and the list goes on. But here is the problem, and I'm hoping UM reads this after I have given her gifts tomorrow... She has all that stuff. We just bought her a new laptop... She has enough jewellery (that may be up for debate) to go out for 2 months without repeating the same piece(s), she has a video iPod, we have a nice digital camera. She doesn't like (read: hates) dust collectors... So what to get her.

Well, how about the same as I get her every year.

A bouquet of flowers, not roses (she dislikes them), but real flowers like the ones you draw. If they have a calalily, I'll toss a few in too (her favourite flower). Dark chocolate from me, and from the kids. This woman I married almost 7 years ago LOVES her chocolate, and she's still breast-feeding so she NEEDS it.. Right dear. :) Jewellery is going to be left aside this time around because I found something I want to buy her, but I have to save up my loonies and toonies and pick it up for her birthday, in a few months instead. For dinner, I think it will be fondue. This Valentine's Day is also going to be big in the homemade cards and stuff, cause I know she loves that, and well, pretty much that is good enough reason for us to do it for her. I mean, unless I'm reading this holiday wrong, it's not about accumulating possessions, isn't that for Mother's Day, birthday's, Hanukkah / Christmas, Anniversary... Need I go on?!?

Honey, I love you.

If you hate the gift we got you, please be kind in the comments. IF you love them, please be kind in the comments...

I have a foot massage with your name on it! Just say the word!


Anyways... According to some magazine or another, this is the ultimate list.

Gift Ideas for wife
Valentine poems
Earrings, celtic jewelry
Animated valentine cards
Bracelets, necklaces
Flower bulb, wild flower
Cappuccino mugs
Fur lamps - not real fur, that's cruel.
Scented candles
Victorian jewelry, antique jewelry
Personalized romance novel
Theme gift basket, candles
Erotic perfume - as opposed to non-erotic?!? Like what? Eau du Dog Pee?
Romantic gift baskets
Marriage, intimacy, private parts
Homemade gift
Bubble bath
Fitness tapes - Yikes! What does this tell her? Honey, I think your fat...
Hawaii vacation, surf - Clearly written by a woman!
Romantic spa, bath baskets
Erotic massage oils, sensual massage oils

Gift Ideas for Mummy
Soak in the bath
Time on her own
A week's worth of precooked food
Florida vacation - without kids?!? :)
Italian food - but not Indian, or Chinese, or Ethiopian...
Boyfriend - WTF?!? This must have been a typo...
A bottle of wine
Camping trip, barbecue
Chocolate candy
Beauty treatment
Spa gift certificate
Ultimate relaxation basket
Bracelets, necklaces
Silver jewelry, celtic jewelry
Designer perfume
Old fashioned candy
Candles, candle holders
Easy meals, brownies - Cause brownies are easy meals...
Handmade gifts, handmade jewelry

So pick a few from this list and you're on your way! No thanks needed, just send money. ;)

Thursday Thirteen

Thirteen things on my mind today:

1. I think I need a reader to tell me who has new posts and a stat counter to tell me who, if anyone visits, and where they come from.

2. How can I be expected to apply for internal positions at my current employer if experience is needed that I do not have and probably will never get.

3. An older colleague that sits beside me in the office told me upon my return from the washroom that my, "blueberry" was ringing and beeping off the hook.

4. I have Toronto Rock lacrosse season tickets but so far cannot attend the first 2 games... There are only 8 games in the season...

5. I need a fancy header for my "Tuesday Newsday" blog feature (that I have not done in a while, mind you).

6. Make hockey more skilled by removing what they call, "finishing your check". Popping someone after they have passed the puck or along the boards is a penalty and should be called that way.

7. While I disagree with drug use in sports, remember that these performance enhancing drugs were not illegal at the time these guys were doing it. Was it wrong?!? Damn yes! Illegal, nope. We should pity those that abused it - they will regret it - and despise those that do it from this day forth.

8. Those kids that bring knives to school and those adult that stab people in places other than appendiges should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. When someone gets stabbed in the neck, chest, back... they are being stabbed to kill them, not to send a message and this law should be black and white. Stab in a kill-zone and you go to jail for 15 years. Kill someone and its life. This way we can take the decision making out of the hands of judges and into the hands of doctors.

9. I don't mind snow, and I have no problems trudging to the office, but it really bugs me when people don't shoval their walks, or when neighbours shovel their sidewalk in front of their house but can't take the extra few seconds and shoval a path in front of their neighbours house so people like me don't have to walk knee-deep in snow on the way to the office / subway.

10. Why can't I find a good, honest, recruiter / head hunter???

11. After losing 8-0 to the Florida Panthers last night, is it not time for the Toronto Maple Leafs to trade and release absolutely everyone so they can tank the season and get a high draft pick??? Steve Stamkos would be quite the prize for stinking all season...

12. Why is a spelling bee, dog show or poker considered a sport and shown on a sports station??? Golf too, for that matter.

13. The Buffalo Bills are coming to Toronto for eight games over 5 years, 5 will be pre-season games. . Does anybody really care???

Another weekend screeches to a halt...

... and another super-busy week is about to begin, starting with cleaning the house so the Nanny doesn't think we are incapable of keeping the house clean on the weekends. We can't, but she doesn't need to know that. Like a friend of mine said Saturday night, he got in "trouble" from his wife for not cleaning the house for the cleaning lady. He said he wants a cleaning lady, not a tidying lady. It's so true! I know you would do it too... Don't lie. :)



So what kept us busy this weekend???



Friday night shabbot dinner seems so far away, but because of the storm that wrecked havoc in the Greater Toronto Area Friday (I was one of, less than 10 that made it into the office on Friday out of about 75), my mothersister stayed home and we ate with the kids, played, bathed and shucked them off to bed before 7:30. Whew. So far, so good.



Saturday we had after-nap plans with some friends to come to our place - was a lot of fun, we ran all the kiddies into the ground and off to sleep they went just past 8, and for the second night in a row, Linus slept in his bed almost all night. Thank goodness... His middle of the morning wake-ups were killing us.



Sunday saw another early rise, 6am, and we hung around the house both making a mess and cleaning it up. We got both kids dressed in snowpants, and took Stewie and Linus out for a tumble in the snow. First time for Stewie... He cried and cried until he realized he could eat the snow, and then he just sat there, middle of the lawn, eating a snowballs. We did, however make a giant snowman that Linus named, Aaron.



Then our friends came in from Burlington and off we walked to the in-laws for a super bowl party... Chili, wings, desserts, baked brie. Fun... Except for the BORING game. Well, most of it was boring. The ending was fun considering that UrbanMummy has a fair amount of family in the NY/NJ area and they are Giants fans, and there is a Canadian on the Giants roster (so I was told), I'm voting for the Giants. Go Giants.




What did you do???

It's... It's... It's.... February!!!! Thursday Thirteen

Yay!

Known as a very depressing month to most, February has a different meaning to me. For me, February is significant for 13 of the following reasons;

1. I got a letter from the Ministry of Transportation, which means, my birthday is this month.
2. Valentine's Day
3. The days are getting longer
4. Baseball Spring Training begins
5. The NHL trade deadline is in February
6. UrbanMummy has just under a week off and that means little day trips with the kiddies
7. That "family" day that I don't get but will take as vacation
8. After the 28 days, it's March and with March, comes April, then May, then June... You get the picture.
9. I hope and prey to use February to change jobs
10. Become a substantive manager at my current position
11. Lose weight and get in shape playing sports
12. Get that closet done in our basement
13. Make the little misses VERY happy.

Just some weekend stuff...

So now when my older boy smacks the younger, the younger makes a face and pinches the older boy with a look of anger on his face, then he smiles and goes on with his business... This is going to be a problem. The older boy usually whine/cries and I come to his rescue. Oy. I can see us having to pull them off of each other within a year. And to think we kept telling the older boy not to hit/kick/bite his little brother because when he gets bigger... Well that time has come. sigh.

Why doesn't the Food Network show cooking classes early in the morning on the weekends? Why do they show infomercials. There are people up very early every day of the week that like to watch cooking shows!!!

How come every time Urban Mummy cleans up "clutter" that clutter is my stuff? What's wrong with hockey drill books I have not used in 15 years? That stuff never changes? Or a book on pitching? If my folks had realized I wanted to pitch - besides the hours I would spend per night pitching to a box I drew on the back of the garage, I would probably still be in the major leagues making $10 million per season. Hmmm. And Star Wars books? Old copies of the Income Tax Act and books on how to craft political research from 1980? Come on... That stuff is gold! Not like yucky physics and chemistry books. :)

What about dating? Are there enough dating shows on TV or the net these days? I mean good ones, not like the 3rd wheel or blind date. Real ones. What about ones from the perspective of the male species? Not really sure. What do you think?

... and the Giants are going to be playing the undefeated New England Patriots in, like 2 weeks in the Super Bore. Yawn. My father-in-law wants me to care but I don't. I just want to be invited to the Super Bore party... Now THAT is fun. :)

Did I mention it is cold outside... like really cold?!?

Gotta run and clean the house before the nanny comes home, because you know, she should never see that this house is chaos when she is away on the weekends...

The Official Cure for the Toronto Maple Leafs...

Yes folks you heard it here first. I might be available to take over JFJ's position once he is jettisoned to the unemployment line after butchering this team. How could he possibly think that last year's team which missed the playoffs was good enough to bring back this year almost intact - except for the additions of Jason Blake, Vesa Toskala and Mark Bell... Who approved this? They need to go too.

So lets start with how all this comes about.

First, the CBC gets it all started as they yank the Leafs from the Saturday night slot and replace them with the Ottawa Senators. I'm a huge hockey fan and would enjoy watching the Sens just as much. They are a really good, young team.

By not having the Leafs there, the slap in the face heard across the country would prompt the egos at MLSE to take action. Bye bye Peddie, Tenanbaum, JFJ and sadly the coach, Paul Maurice. Temporarily in comes a management team of former GM Cliff Fletcher and if the price is right, Scotty Bowman. Include Glenn Healy, Doug Gilmour and this group will take the roster of the Leafs and the Marlies and head into a board room only to come out with the following to do list:

1. Mats Sundin - great Leaf. Gone. To a contender as the playoffs come to other teams (not the Leafs). For at least, a good young player already on a roster, a young prospect from a farm team and a 1st round pick or 2. He's playing his best to get the most back to the team in his trade.

2. Darcy Tucker - for a young player and a pick
3. Bryan McCabe - back to the Islanders for a young player and a pick
4. Jason Blake - for a pick
5. Andrew Raycroft - for a pick
6. Matt Stajan - for another young player
7. Mark Bell - for anything
8. Alexei Ponikerovsky - player and a pick (he's big and has shown signs of being able to find the net, although penalty prone)
9. Nik Antripov - he's finally exceeding expectations, so it's a fluke (see Jason Blake) and time to go! Player from roster, young player and pick.
10. John Pohl - anything - he was JFJ's big steal from St. Louis... Oh, how the Blues must still be reeling. LOL.
11. Wellwood, Wozniewski and Kubina we'll take a pick for all three. The 2 defenseman must go and if Wellwood committed to getting in shape, then he can stay.
12. Vesa Toskala only if there is a fabulous offer like a young player or solid veteran.
Hal Gill - very slow and Bates Battaglia (on the farm) can go if anyone has interest in them. They shouldn't be good enough for this team, yet they are. Sad.

You see theses spare parts can bring in the youth. The kids on the roster not playing like Moore, White, Strahlman, Kabarle (the new Captain) Steen, Deveraux, Belak (every team needs an enforcer) and Tlusty need to play... A lot, in order to assess if they are keepers or gone. They'll figure it out.

As for the farm... I'll never forget Ed Belfour stating that Jay Harrison was a true NHL defenseman. So what does MLSE do with him??? The farm. Bring him up. Also coming up to play, and play hard include Carlo Colaiacovo (get him healthy and a personal trainer), Simon Gamache (1st line), David Ling (the leading point getter and set-up man) and Kris Newbury - Marlies leading goal scorer (last years tough guy - why?), bring up Jeremy Williams, Robbie Earl, Darrly Boyce (a plus 18) and on defense, Bryan Muir (if he can play on the NJ Devils, he can make the Leafs). Bring up Pogge to play net, and a lot of net and this is the 2008/2009 team.

In the off season sign a few free agent veterans to teach the kids never to give up, maybe one or two with Stanley Cup rings, and only young free agents if they are young! Bring back Mats if he wants either this year or next year to end his career.

This team will compete for either last or a playoff spot, so they'll be not better or no worse than the current bunch. Only difference is that in 2-3 years my team will be better and the current Leafs wont!

UrbanDaddy for GM!

Random

Both my kids have fevers tonight... Poor guys. They are now sleeping.

Found some cool jobs to apply for today. Special thanks to Laural Dawn for keeping me in the loop at her firm... Anyone else want to take a stab, my resume / CV is updated daily.

Ever heard of Tata Automotive? No? You will...They have a $2500 car coming out to market. Sure, it's probably made of paper-mache, but its $2500.

I need to increase the traffic on my blog... No, wait. No I don't. :) If you can read this, I thank you.

So now that I can actually watch TV for the first time in, like 5 years, the fucking writers go on strike. Grrrr. At least my wife found a sit com from many years ago starring Kirsten Dunst - when she was young - and it was cool. I rely on her for old sit-com material... That's her thing. :)

I'm still here...

... But without a computer. Mine is... Out of service right now. Grrr.

I'm using UrbanMummy's. When I can.

Quick Updates:

• Our new year's day open house was a success
• I got sick
• I got better
• Linus got sick
• I need sleep

G'nite

The week that was... Happy Birthday Big Boy.

Happy 3rd birthday to my big boy! You made it to three years old and along with that you bring some good points and some quirks. You are empathetic, so your teachers say, and we have seen. You speak very well for your age and use words like, "similar and available". You know how to speak well enough that you are able to put on a baby voice and character and speak in that weird way to us and others that we forget how articulate you are. You like to come to Mummy and Daddy's bed every night because you heard a noise or don't want to be alone. You make me laugh, even when you are being serious and asking me questions like, "Does Auntie R have a penis?", or, "Why do people say bless you when you sneeze?". Even tonight when you bit me, snacked me, knocked over your brother or jumped on Mummy, you are still our little big boy. I love you!



Tinker toys - remember them? I grew up playing with them. I had a few. They became boring as they started to break and my folks never bought me more. Well... They are back! (Were they ever gone?!?) Our big boy got 2 sets of them for his birthday and he loves them... Well loves having us make stuff for him like a car, elevator, or microphone that he can sing with, but he really like taking the orange ones (the really long ones), putting a round piece on the end and bopping his baby brother over the head with them... Nice.



Birthday Cake?!? Maybe not. Linus told me last night that he gets cake for his birthday, and balloons and gets to play with his friends. He was right. But then without taking a breath he told me that he doesn't want cake, but presents instead... He's only going to be three... Oy.


So after his birthday party we took all the presents into the living room with Linus, and had him open all of them as we decided what he had already, what he wouldn't play with and what he could have and play with now. He loved the dump truck and the wood fire truck, but the Fisher Price battery operated dinosaur that roars and tries to bite was not a winner as it made Linus run for cover. He did however tell me that he is keeping that toy for when he is bigger and it wont scare him. LOL. So we asked Linus to set aside 2 toys and we had 2 toys from Hanukkah and we packed both kids into the car and took them to the local Fire Station to have him donate the toys for Christmas Wish. Linus gave the toys to the fireman (and didn't start crying and asking for them back this year), and we all proceeded to the fire truck after a brief tour of the station. Linus and the fireman sat in the fire truck and Linus was shown how the truck operated and all the fancy bells and whistles. We left after about 35 minutes and headed home. I like this tradition that UrbanMummy started.



As I try to write some of this I am watching the BBC and news that Benazir Bhutto was killed a political rally. She, apparently, is not the 1st opposition leader killed while Pakistan is under the rule of General Parvaz Musharraf. Hmmmm. What really comes to my mind is, "What's with these people? Have they no morals? Killing for the sake of killing in the most cowardly way". I really have no patience for suicide bombers, especially this coward that shot and killed Bhutto, them blew himself up killing close to 30. Extremists must go!



Toronto Marlies are 21-5 so far this season and no one cares...

Some holiday thoughts....

1. Coal in the stockings of every upper-management type that works for the Chicago Bulls basketball team and approved the firing of coach Scott Skiles on the 24th of December... Couldn't wait 2 more days
2. Jamie Lynn Spears - 16 - is pregnant. First there was Brit, now her little sister. Seems wacko Mom allowed her to have a live-in 19 year old boyfriend. Duh. This woman is actually writing or has actually written a book on parenting. HA HA HA. I want to be in line to get that book, not to buy it but to smack every person that purchases one, and give them their money back. But, do we know that the dad-to-be is really this 19yr old boyfriend or could it be... Kevin Federline? He does like to be looked after financially, and already knows the Spears family... Hmmmm.
3. Congrats to UrbanMummy for finishing her diploma after not so long ago completing her Masters... No more courses, please dear... No more.
4. Our baby-boy - Stewie - now knows that if he calls, "da da" that I will give him attention, so he spent all day doing that yesterday. I love it!!!
5. It really is illegal to shovel your snow from your driveway or walk into the street. Tell your friends and neighbours. :)

Why, why, why???

Why did facebook have to add a new application to the Jedi vs. Sith application that also keeps track of stats and is Star Wars themed?!? It's not like I was already trying to kick the Jedi vs Sith habit, but now I have a new addiction... damn!



Why does my oldest son - hereinafter referred to as Linus (see UrbanMummy's blog for the reasoning) no longer deem it necessary to sleep through the night? He sleeps from - on average 8pm to on average 1am, then he sits in his bed wailing, usually something to do about wanting his mummy, or not wanting to be alone. Then I hop into bed with him and once I fall asleep, he leaves his room with his blankie, walks quietly down the hall and jumps into Mummy and Daddy's bed with Mummy. Grrrr.

Today I received my degree in the mail and 3 advanced diplomas in, as far as I can figure, in classes that I excelled in. So I now officially have my MBA. Now I can focus on my Masters of Marriage...

For all my readers who are celebrating Christmas, we here at the Urban Daddy household wish you all a very merry Christmas and a happy new year!

I am SO done...

I am.

Finished. As of 2am last night/this morning when I emailed my Corporate Finance exam to my professor. My last exam. My last course. I'm done. I'm finally done, after three long years. I'm done. I registered for business school one week before The Happy Boy was born in 2004. A couple people suggested to me that there is no way that I would be able to see this through to the end. To them, I laugh. I did it. Now all I need is another kick-ass mark on this exam, an acceptable mark in this course and then its just a short wait until I receive my Master of Business Administration. Finally. So how do I treat myself today?!? I didn't. I was a pallbearer at the funeral of my Uncle, whom I mentioned a few posts back, had fallen ill with cancer. I'll miss him because whenever I missed my dad (13 years younger than him) I always knew I could talk to or see my Uncle and he'd remind me of my Dad or talk to me about stuff they did growing up. That option is no longer available. Another thing that dawned on me is that with my Dad, Uncle and their parents gone, the next generation is myself and my 2 cousins. One cousin has all girls, but between 2 of us, we have 4 boys and still know very little about our heritage short of a few stories told here and there. It's kind of surreal.

In both one of my best and worst moments in recent memory, I was thankful to have my wife there to keep me honest, and for that I owe her a lot. She stood beside me through 3 years of classes and assignments and while she didn't always appreciate the late nights and frequent classes, I know deep down inside she wanted this for me as much as she wanted her masters degree that she got not too long ago. She just has trouble showing it sometimes. I'm proud of her.

So besides an obvious lack of sleep - Saturday night got about 2 hours sleep - I've been thinking about life after MBA and I have a lot on my mind. Some of which include:

• A white Christmas. While I don't celebrate it, per se, I like a white Christmas. With all this snow we have and the possibility of more coming, I think it's a lock. Merry Christmas to you all.
• I want to take a cooking class, or classes. My father-in-law said he wants to take them with me too. Really? He also quit smoking 3 weeks ago. I'm so impressed. Good on him.
• I got re-assigned at work starting today - ho hum.
• I hope the tech company that I have been consulting with manages to get moving forward so I can further develop the Finance role I utilize for them.
• I'm updating my blog - soon to read others - and both my kids are coughing in bed. It's just past 11pm and I wonder if I'll be able to get more than 6 hours sleep tonight... That would be a huge treat. :)

Time to finally get ready for bed before 2am. It's been three long years...

... and then there was one...

... one course left. Finally. I only imagined this day way back in December 2004 when I registered and was accepted to graduate school that I might be relieved to be completing my designation. Back then, we were soon to be parents and had all this "time off" coming. Fast forward 2007 and we have 2 kids, both of us are working and taking courses, and I have begun consulting with a tech company hoping to get them off the ground running... Needless to say, we have no time. I have no time... But I will. Soon.

I just completed one course, business strategy, and within days I received my final mark in a percentage. 91%. Not bed, eh? This would be right up there with my economics marks, my accounting marks (100% in financial accounting), new product development(s), organizational behaviour(s), marketing, human resources management, and hopefully soon Corporate Finance. Whew. I'm tired.

Tired, and not that smart. :) You see I have an exam due December 17th. 60 questions. I've already done 10 of them and I still decided to take Brian Mulroney's memoirs from the public library on a 7 day loan. I don't read very fast and the damn thing is 1100 pages. Yes, 1100 pages, plus. Mission Impossible. :)

Oh, time to get back to work... So I can read... or sleep.

What's up with that?

My son... The Habs fan?!? NOOOOOoooooo. Say it ain't so!!!

The Happy Boy was drinking his pre-bed cup of warm milk when I turned on the TV to see the score in the Leafs game. He saw the game and said, "I don't like that! I don't like hockey". Hmmph, I thought to myself. He'll like it one day. Then an update came on the TV and it was of the Canadiens scoring a goal, to which the Happy Boy pointed, smiled, clapped and rejoiced. I was beside myself. I said, "buddy, that is Montreal?!?", to which he replied, "I like Montreal. My friends Mom is from Montreal. My friend goes to Montreal sometimes..." Damn.

Aww, I know why he likes the yucky Canadiens... Their uniforms are red and his favourite colours are red, pink and brown. I'll have to show him the Black Hawks and the Hurricanes. He can be a fan of either of those, but NOT the Habs. I'd never live it down.

Let it snow

A very busy weekend at the UrbanDaddy household has been capped off by a lot of snow (and now rain) around the house. I love to get out and shovel first thing in the morning but figured it might not be a good idea to leave two children in the living room to play together while I shoveled and UrbanMummy worked on her assignments. I left it, but checked it often to make sure it was still there... It is.

Once again the old adage, "Bad news comes in threes", came true on Sunday as The Happy Boy fell at a birthday party this morning splitting his lip, I found out my sister's budgie is dying (man, she loves that thing), and my Uncle (my late father's brother) has cancer. Bad, bad, bad.

The Happy Boy incident happened at a birthday party when my son decided he could ride a riding car off of a wooden platform but failed to consider that when the front of the car hit the floor, he would go - face first - into the steering wheel, splitting his lip. Fortunately, he did this in front of 2 good friends of ours - both doctors - who were able to examine him and gently let me know that he was alright, before telling me why I should be concerned that he wasn't alright. When they handed him to me his face from the nose down was covered in blood, as were his hands. I thought his teeth had been knocked out or had gone through his lip.

Turns out he just split the inside of his lip with his teeth and once in the arms of Mummy and cleaned up, he soon realized crackers were more interesting to him than sympathy and off he went to play and eat. That's my boy! Tough as nails. Just like Daddy who has played ball-hockey with bruised ribs, a separated shoulder and numerous knee injuries.

As for my uncle... I have three uncles, two on my mother's side that I no longer talk to and one one my Dad's side (he is 13 years older than my Dad) and once my Dad passed away, I found that being around this uncle really brought back memories and made me feel comfortable. To find out today that he has cancer and was not well was very upsetting for me because I'm not sure I am mentally prepared to say goodbye. I may not always have the opportunity to see my uncle but knowing that he is there and that I can always ask him questions about my family or my father was very comforting. Losing my grandfather just days after returning from a heritage visit of sorts to Poland was disappointing and this would be on par. Although my uncle is 82 years old, he shows very little sign of his age except for being bow legged because he doesn't want to undergo knee replacement surgery (pain and fear) and the fact that he votes Liberal. He makes a great apple pie, loves to talk politics and reminds me of my Dad in so many ways... It's eerie. I wish him a speedy recovery.

Other happenings:

I've had to call on my few blogger friends to help with some seasonal issues, like whether Santa exists or not. You see, were are Jewish and do not celebrate Christmas, so essentially, Santa does not exist to us, and my son wanted to know why. For this, I have sub-contracted Laural of The misadventures of (pregnant) mommy Laural. http://lauraldawn.blogspot.com/ I'm sure there will be more issues relating to the tooth fairy, where babies come from and the Easter bunny... Loads of fun. I encourage all of you to comment with your tips, hints, techniques and thoughts... All comments are welcomed.

I also found out this Sunday that I do not finish my MBA December 7th as I previously mentioned, but rather that is the ending date of my business strategy class. On the 7th I get my final exam for Corporate Finance, then have to bust my ass to complete it, and do well. Class ends December 17th... Whew. I can't wait. There is a list a mile long of things to do in the house.

P.S. Anyone have a great Hanukkah idea for m'lady? I'm stuck! Everything she wants she orders online after memorizing the credit card number.