Soooo...

I have a little sister. And she just graduated from University. With Honours. Yes, they make them smart in my family. I have a little brother as well who moved away to Toronto three years ago. He also graduated from University. Yes, they make them full of debt in my family (and have given us wonderful parents who did so much for us and still do).
My sister had a phone interview on Thursday. Today she got the job and found out she's moving to Toronto Sunday. SUNDAY.
Fuck.
I'm going to miss my little sister. Of course, now I have NO reason not to visit Toronto. But damn. That was quick.
Mom and I joked that I would write letters to my siblings:

My version:

Dear J and A:
Do not come home. I get the house.
Ali.


Hers

Dear J and A:
Come home. I cannot care for our aging parents myself.
Ali.

I think if I did write a letter it would read

Dear J and A:
Please come home. I miss you.
love,
Ali

Perhaps I should get facebook now to keep up with them all.

Medical Notes

My cat is lying on the floor. At one point I had to check and make sure he was still breathing as he's lying so very still and quiet. He's been walking around looking like yoda, but without the flip flops and little robe. He apparently has bacteria in his ears - bad bacteria. So 114$ later we have that information and medicine. At least they weighed him for free.
And now I'm going to the doctor. There's a number of things I need to talk to her about, the least of which is the fact that I need to get thicker, healthier hair and need the ability to take naps all the time since I have the time to do that. There's nothing worse that knowing everyone else is at work, unable to take naps when they want and you're home, lying in bed unable to sleep.
Hopefully P. doesn't get the pinkeye that's at his daycare centre right now. Drops for the cat and the child? That I would not be able to handle!!

Randomness

Random thoughts:
1. It's been one year since my son breastfed. Funny that.

2. I'm really tired. But it's been a good couple days. D. was off so we've been hanging out, having dates and enjoying each others company. Nachos last night were very yummy and the Mint Chocolate Ice Capp from Timmys was part of a delicious breakfast. I'm so relaxed.

3. I'm really really really pleased with the finale of the office. Between 'Creeds Thoughts' and 'I'm Done' and of course the date (trying to be as vague as possible) it was fantastic. Bravo.

4. Our new car is beautiful. It's a lazer blue Malibu with a black interior.

5. Reading my ljfriends page I've been tagged for a post where I have to be interesting. We'll see how that goes.

6. Second hand book stores are wonderful places. I got six books for the price of one or two.

7. My surgery is going to be in July. D. got very pale when they were talking about the complications and has decided that if he ever needs surgery he will just sign the paper and tell them to let me know of the complications when he's not around. I've just told them to not have it the day of the White Stripes concert.

8. I always have interestingesque things to post about when I'm not in front of my computer. Obviously it doesn't stick around.

9. I'm not getting a facebook. Facebook? Is it a facebook or just facebook?

Because there wasn't enough happening in my life....

Yesterday I was driving my husband and two of his friends to pool. The transmission of our '99 Saturn Wagon jumped at one point and we realized that we would have to get it checked on and hoped that it wasn't that big of a deal. I parked at the pool place, left the car there as my father drove P. and I to their house for supper and came back to it to drive D. and his friends home.
We dropped off one friend who lives downtown. The car was acting up a little. However, as we drove away from his house, the car would not change gears. We were in first. Cars aren't supposed to be in first the whole time. Just in case you were wondering. So we pulled over and the friend that was still there (we'll call him J.) showed us how to check the transmission fluid. We had none. That's right. None. NONE. So, it being ten to ten we drove, in first all the way, to W@lM@rt. My drunk husband and his drunk friend J. went in to buy the fluid, laughing all the way. They came out, we tried to fill it and realized we didn't have a funnel. The dollar store was not open and as the two drunken boys ran back to the big W to have the door locked just as they showed up. So they made a funnel out of a thick flyer and we put the fluid in. All would be well. Or so you would think.
We drove and it all seemed well. But then it returned to not going out of first. We got to Js house and he, as you would think he would, went into his house. I tried to drive away but all of a sudden the car would only go in reverse. We tried a few times and kept going backwards. J came out and we decided to just park the car. As we reversed we noticed the huge fluid puddle where the car had been. J and D walked to the gas station to get some money and then we got a cab with a car seat to bring us home.
The car has been towed to the garage and we've been told that it's toast. So we have to buy a new car. Tomorrow. Arg. We have, but don't really have the money. Bah. I'm thrilled about the new car (even if it's a used one) but I wish we'd had time to save a little. However, it wouldn't be a week at our house if something didn't go wrong. At least this way we get a new car.

Back from the hospital.... again

Well, I'm out of the hospital again. I was admitted Saturday and was released late yesterday. I'm ok.
I was admitted because I just can't keep food in. I'm doing a little better with that but not great. They figured I could rest at home as well as I could in the hospital, so here I am, on the couch, watching 'Mythbusters' and playing freecell. They are still reluctant to set up 'the drain' so I have all the lovely pancreas fluid that I went in with. Because of this I still have a gallbladder and will for a while I suspect. I've told my school that I won't be back this year because I know I will need all that time to recover. Pancreatitis is a bitch.
My son had his third birthday the day before I went back into the hospital. While in the hospital, in a morose mood, these lyrics reminded me of my little P. So here goes:

Sometimes I get the feeling
That I won’t be on this planet
For very long
I really like it here
I’m quite attached to it
I hope I’m wrong

All I really wanna say
Is you’re the reason I wanna stay
I loved you before I met you
And I met you just in time
’cause there was nothing left

Happy Birthday P.

I wish sometimes I could just relax. Just lean back and ask for help. Admit that I'm not so well. Might not seem like a big deal but the last time that I didn't do that I ended up in the hospital for a month.
I'm so relieved - my husband is taking tomorrow and friday off. I don't know why, but when I heard I felt a huge sense of relief. Sometimes I don't realize when I need to ask for help but the idea of getting the house ready for the party tomorrow was a little overwhelming. Things are going interestingly health wise and I don't have a lot of energy.
Now I just need to decide if I want to henna my hair today or leave it until next week.

Just the perfect day...

Yesterday was a wonderful day. This whole weekend was wonderful. We did normal things, more than normal things. Having the ability to be normal again was fantastic.
Yesterday we started with P. and D. getting haircuts. This was P.s first one and he was so very good while it was being done. Then, after we had celebration coffees (well, coffee, italian soda and apple juice from a coffee place), P. rode twice in a coin operated helicopter. He hadn't expected it to move which gave me a bad mommy moment when I laughed at his facial expression as he moved into the air. However, with his new hair cut making him look and act oh-so-mature and his love of anything 'crazy' he recovered and enjoyed it immensely.
The day continued amazingly with lunch at the UC, errands, the skateboard store and subs for supper. We're all realizing how important normal family days are after not having them for so very long. P. is such a wonderful little boy and in so many way makes our family a family.
I think I'm just getting sentimental - my babys first haircut and his third birthday in the same week will do that I think!

Time spent sleeping is time well spent

I had two naps today. TWO. One was this morning for an hour and a half, one was this afternoon for two and a half hours. Both were wonderful. I think the extended sleep came from not getting a nap yesterday and being busy today.
Yes, it's Saturday, the day of goofing off and I was busy. P. and I made a special breakfast this morning ('Pillsbury' cresent rolls and scrambled eggs), then I napped, then we went out and did normal things. We exchanged some shirts, went looking around places we shouldn't, went to the drug store and then went to see what was happening at the airport (fighter jets!). D. and I remarked how normal it was. However, it all made me quite tired. So a nap happened after lunch. And now D. and I have made spaghetti and we're going to have a family supper.
I know, the point of a blog is not to bore. However, the realization of how long it has been since we did something normal makes it noteworthy to write about our boring, normal day. I got sick with severe pancreatitis at the end of January and was admitted into the hospital. I was released February 19th and came home tired and in lots of pain. I spent a lot of my time throwing up or sleeping until I finally returned to the hospital March 18th and was readmitted with malnutrition and more pancreas issues. I didn't get out again until April 13th. I'm a lot more myself this time - not as tired, not as sick - but I'm not totally there yet. But doing something normal - errands on a Saturday - make me happier than I can say. Sure I needed to nap for hours, but we still did it. And that's wonderful.
In our family, we have what we call 'hug sandwiches'. Each one of us plays a role - usually I'm the meat, D. is the bread and P. is the cheese. P. decides who is which sandwich element. The other day he turned to D. and said : Mama is the bread because she keeps us together. Comments like that make being home happier than I can imagine.