Birthday Cake (babies & doggies eddition)

Christmas Eve marks the celebration of my first year of being a mother, also it was Ezri's birthday. I have a few photos to share with you of the celebration, but an entire year of motherhood is exhausting and tomorrow is Christmas, so here is a quick bed time story to tide you over until I can write a more detailed post.

The afternoon was filled with cake, family and friends. The little girl received more then a little girl needs for her first birthday. After all the guests had gone, only a single piece of cake remained uneaten. The mother gave into the dog, who sat unmoving, focused on the last remaining piece of cake. The plate was placed on the floor and the mother left the room for only a moment to clean up the left over wrapping paper. When the mother returned to the kitchen, she found the dog and the little girl sitting on the floor sharing that last remaining piece of cake. Here is the conversation that ensued that evening.

Ezri: "That's what I was telling you about earlier. You kept sliding the plate across the floor like that piece of cake was a hockey puck. You had absolutely no control, eating cake is not some kind of game. Here is the answer to your problem, this is a bowl."

Ezri: "You see, the bowl has this nifty edge around it that allows you to push the food into the side for a better grip. Honestly, how did you even survive before me? Clearly your quality of life has improved since I've come along. Yes, yes I'm working on opening the fridge. All in good time. You just keep bringing us those treats you find in the garbage can."

I miss you already

I miss you, Nunavut. I don't think about how much I miss you during the day time when I'm driving in my car, texting and eating a Big Mac (but not really because texting and driving is illegal in my area, and I'm a perfect citizen). I don't really think I miss you when the weather is warm, I'm wearing a tee-shirt, the grass is still green and it's November. I vaugly remember you when I'm power shopping the mall, online shopping a distant memory, sipping a Starbucks and heading through a self check out.

But late at night, when I'm fast asleep, visions of snowmachines drive through my head. Blizzards, cold and the snow. And I remember how much I hate rain, rain sucks. Then I start dream wondering why it hasn't snowed here yet, this place sucks and I'm never going to snowmachine here!

Then I really, really miss you!

Playing the single parent, and it sucks.

We recently had my friend Julie come over and take some photos of us in front of my mother's "Bay store entrance" tree (this is what I call her Christmas tree because she does it up like the ones you see at the front of The Bay, you know where all the ornaments match). My tree, which is still not up, normally looks like Christmas barfed all over it, rather then the well thought out, choreographed tree at my mothers house.

This was supposed to be a family portrait, but Nathan was called away for a 3 week work course and I was left a single parent. I didn't really think much of it at first, but now that the 3 weeks are almost over and there are only 2 LONG days until daddy comes home, I am now realizing how ridiculously hard it is for single parents of the world. Now granted I am 6 months pregnant and feeling a little bit of extra burn because my body is hard at work making another person, while I run around, chasing a creature that has just been unleashed to the world walking, with no concept of electricity or stairs. I'm pretty freaking tired. This child also does not like to sit still, or stay in any one place for too long, this also includes mommy's lap. I call her my "free range chicken", because she is constantly on the go and gets very cranky when not left to her own devices. I've got my fingers crossed that the second baby is a little more chilled out. I'm going to start pumping Bob Marley into the womb.

Only 2 more days and the daddy can do all the picking up and lifting. And maybe a diaper too.
You can see more of Julie's exceptional photography here.