Yes, I am back. I know I have alot of pictures to post from my trip to Mexico. It was just absolutely, amazing, fantastic, love love love loved it! I’ve had friends who talked about all-inclusive resorts, and I’ve never really paid much attention. Probably because I didn’t think I’d ever go on one anyway. 
But it was just beautiful, even with the rain (which I’ll get into in another post).
It’s been crazy since I’ve been back. It wasn’t that hard getting the kids back on schedule, since Mexico was only 2 hours head of us. I went back to work last Thursday. I was in Mexico when this big building move happened. I went from being in an office space of 4 people, to a big office space of 30+ people. My coworkers unpacked all my stuff, so that was awesome. I’m social, so I love interacting with more people. It’s just that there’s less privacy, of course. So it’s been an adjustment.
Yesterday I took Myk for a haircut. She has always talked about getting her hair cut short. Plus in Mexico, her two girl cousins have short hair. So she was all stoked to get her hair cut. I took her to this Japanese hair salon. They’re amazing with layering. I picked a hair style in a mag that looked oh-so-cute. However, this was where I made a mistake. Her cousins’ short hair is long at the front, but short at the back. The one I got Myk is short at the front, but long at the back. So when you look at her straight on, you really sense the shock of the shortness of the hair.
Coming from the hairdresser, she claimed she loved it. It was later when she got home when I caught her crying. OMG…I felt so bad. I told her she could tell me the honest truth, and that I won’t be mad. And that if she doesn’t like it, it will grow. And that we’ll never cut it short again. So there my poor baby is, trying to hold back her tears, and gulping that she really does like it, but that she’s scared that her friends from OOSC will make fun of her. Now, there are girls at her OOSC with short hair like her’s, but I can completely understand how it can be tramatizing for someone who’s always had long hair to go from that…to this!
I feel so bad. I should of been careful not to have chosen such a drastic cut. This morning I curled her hair, so that it flips in a cute way. Otherwise, even I will admit, that without the curl…it’s very boyish. And then to make it more even more feminine, I put a hairband on her. I didn’t want her to get teased that she looks like a boy. That would devastate my poor, sensitive daughter. I’m just on pins and needles wondering how her day went. How her friends reacted to her hair. I had told her that if they were her real friends, then they would not tease her. But kids are cruel. I’ve been there. I’ve done it. I just pray she had a good experience. She was so nervous.
OMG…Myk will remember this moment forever. The day her mother traumatized her with a hair cut! I, myself, have my traumatizing hair moment with my mom. I think I was in grade 3 or 4. My mom was cutting my bangs. She kept saying it wasn’t straight, and would cut more. This went on till my bangs were half way up my forehead. Bowl cut extraordinare! Right before school picture day too! I cried like you wouldn’t believe, and from that day on, my mom never cut my hair herself again. I was treated to the hair salon with her.
I’m going to go to the store and pick up a bunch of cute hairbands. I feel sooooooooooooo bad.
I’m pretty much set. I just have to pack. I’ve kind of tossed the kids’ clothes into one suitcase already. I’m going to have to figure some space issues out. Myk has a Dora suitcase (from many moons ago), and I wasn’t planning on bringing it. I have 2 mid-sized suitcases, and I’m hoping to squish everything in those.
I’ve got to go out at lunch today to Forever 21. I want to pick up some cheapo sunglasses. I’ve got these prescription COACH ones, and I don’t really want to take them along. I can be pretty clumsy sometimes, and have broken many sunglasses in my time. I’m very careful with my COACH ones (which I used the $250.00 from my benefits plan to help purchase). But I know that when I’m in a ‘vacation environment’, I may misplace them too.
I know the kids are getting so stinkin’ excited about it too. It’ll be their first time on a plane as well.
Remember that I’m charge of the birthday cake for this guy at our work this Friday? It’s my turn on the ‘Birthday’ responsibility list. He is also retiring the same day so I got some donations from all the coworkers, and yesterday I picked him up a bottle of dark rum. Now, I’m not much of a rum drinker so I just did some researching on the net. I came upon a list of ones that won some awards, and I wanted to get this Khu Kri.
Personally, I just thought the bottle was just too cool, and a keepsake. However, I don’t think many liquor stores carry it. I was told that they don’t keep a huge selection of dark rums. But I didn’t pursue it as I don’t think we could have afforded it anyway. I got a total of $50.00 donated towards his gift, so I ended up getting some Cruzan rum that came out to exactly $50.00.
I have no clue if it’s good or not. It has a cork in it. One of my coworkers drinks dark rum, and said she would go for that one. And I’ll have to pick up a cake tonight too.
So last night there was a PAC (Parent Advisory Council) meeting at the school. I like to go to this first one as the Principal always give a talk about what they plan for the whole school year. Oddly enough, only some parents from Kindergarten to Grade 2 were there. They also arranged babysitting services, so that’s the only reason I can go too.
The kids were so excited to be able to go to the school, especially Colton. He fits right in there. All the grade 2’s know he’s Myk’s little brother, and always take care of him. Linda is actually watching 2 of the boys (Michael and Roy) that are currently in kindergarten at that school, so Colt is almost already a part of the school community there. I was also able to meet Michael & Roy’s moms too. So that’s always nice.
Anyway, most of the members on the current PAC have kids in the late intermediate grades, so they want to introduce some new blood into the PAC. I always kind of thought about it, but dismissed it since I do not have the time. I’m a single parent, and I work full-time. I can’t go in at lunch time or school hours like most of those moms that are currently on the PAC. They really needed a Treasurer this year, and believe me, there wasn’t any interest. You have to be able to collect money, write cheques, and make deposits to the bank. It takes up, as I call it, alot of “dinky time”. “Dinky time” that I don’t have, especially when I’m the sole person trying to balance my schedule, as well as my two kids. It would be different if I had a partner who could watch the kids while I was out running errands.
Anyway, one of the moms (Cecilia) in Myk’s class is a “Member At Large”. Meaning that she attends the PAC meetings when she can. You’re not really in a designated role. I volunteered…..
I know!!!! What the heck did I get myself into, eh??!?!? But lately now that I don’t get to pick up Myk from school, I feel so removed from everything. All us moms and dads were always so close. Mind you, Cecilia mentioned that now that the kids are in grade 2, that the parents rarely get to chat much the way we used to when the kids were in kindergarten or grade 1. That’s because we picked them from the outside door with those early classes. Now their grade 2 class is upstairs, and the kids rush out of the class when the bell rings like there’s some $1.00 sale at Walmart.
Anyway, I read somewhere too that when the parent is in a PAC, then the kids tend to excel more in school. Which does make sense, because then you’re in the loop of school-happenings. And plus the Principal and teachers are more aware of you, and will therefore pay more attention to the student who’s mom/dad is part of the PAC. And you know me. Any opportunity that provides more for my kids, and especially in education, I will try to do my part.
Supposedly right now the current PAC meets during a Wednesday (once a month) at recess time. I told them I can’t do that. So I think that they want people on the PAC so bad, that they will figure something out. One of the other volunteer moms also can’t make it during school hours.
And THEN….Roy’s mom asked the Principal what the school was planning to combat the H1N1.
The Principal kind of did this sarcastic chuckle, and said that they already combatted it since everyone in the school pretty much got it. 
Well, obviously Roy never got it.
So yes, remember when Myk was sick right after Thanksgiving and I had to stay home from work with her? THAT was when all the kids at her school were getting sick. They’re a small school of maybe 150 (??) students. And he said that at one point 36 kids were sick, which means about 25%!!! And you have to report it to the Health Department if 10% of your school population is sick. Little did I know that the Health Board was at our school. And there were confirmed cases of certain students that had the H1N1!!! I was a little ticked when I heard this. I mean, I would have appreciated the school informing us. So that when my child is sick, I know definately or not whether she does have the swine flu! Then I would have been so much more careful. But then I guess the school didn’t want to panic the parents. There’s enough panic out there as it is right now. Anyway, the Principal says there’s only 2 kids away sick now, so I guess the H1N1 passed through out school already. He said it just happened that ours was the first school in our city that was hit with the H1N1. And that he’s sure that it’ll move through the other schools within out city soon, and we’ll hear about it then since our school is small, and there are other huge population schools still to be affected.
And I was hemming & hawing about whether or not to give my kids the H1N1 shot. Now I know I don’t need it since Myk had it already, and therefore has the antibodies in her. Colton only had it for 2 days, so he had a mild case. Myk had it for 6 days.
Colton just cracks me up so much sometimes. He always has the best expressions. Such a little actor. That’s his sister feeding him some chex mix thing.
As you can see, I took him for a haircut at his Italian Barber. My mom is always telling me to just buy a shaver, save some money, and do it myself.
Let us go back in time, when I tried to shave his head myself, right before his 2nd birthday. And it grew out a bit already, so you can imagine the massacre I did on it. Luckily he was too young to be vain then.
I mean, it’s more complicated than it looks. His barber shaves his sides. But I always like the top of Colt’s hair longer (like a fauxhawk), so there is also alot of cutting (with scissors) involved. Plus Colton enjoys his “barber experience” way too much for me to take it away from him.
It was a real cold & windy day, and I decided at the last minute to take the kids out for pho at a Vietnamese restaurant. Well, they usually go for the lemongrass chicken on rice. I took some more pics of his hair…
There was some oriental barbershop next to the restaurant, and the lady owner of the restaurant was exclaiming about what a great job they did on Colton. I was like: “No…he didn’t go next door. He goes to an Italian barber.” Chinese hair is usually a coarser texture, and oriental barbers usually just do a straight shave. They wouldn’t know how to cut my son’s hair the way I want it.
So my kids are getting excited about Mexico around the corner. Myk has been drawing pictures of what she imagines it will be like. I guess she has some friends who have been to Mexico, and they have told her all about it.
I am glad that those kids have stressed the important aspect of the “Free Wine & Beer” stand. Holy crikies! You see it? On the top left hand corner.
Anyway, I’ve got so much crap going on this weekend that I don’t know if I’m coming or going! Myk’s got 2 Halloween parties to go to. Spelling test. We’ve got to go to a PAC meeting in the evening. I’m in charge ofa birthday cake on Friday for a coworker, and he’s also leaving so I have to go hunt for a going-away gift. Just crazy! And then there’s trick or treating, and whether it’s going to rain. I don’t want the kids to go and get sick right before we have to leave! Coming? Going?
My kids’ bedtimes are around 8:30-9:00pm. But prior to that, they tend to want to play together in their room. I’m so lucky that they get along so well. Now, they argue and fight like most siblings. But there’s no doubt that they adore each other.
The latest thing they enjoy is taking all my blankets and making a fort within their bunk bed.
So Friday after work I go and pick up Colton first. Linda helped them do a craft and he wore this the whole rest of the day. Too funny.
He needs a hair cut bad. He’s got 2 cowlicks, and when he was a baby, we nicknamed him “Pineapple” for a reason. Well, when his hair gets too long, he’s “Pineapple” once again. I was just holding off a hair cut till it got closer to Mexico. I wouldn’t mind trying to grow his hair longer, as I think he would still look pretty cool. But he’s got so much hair that it becomes a “process” to dry his hair after a shower/bath.
So then I picked up Myk so we could get her tooth filled. I have chipped my own front teeth before, and I never needed freezing. So I erronenously told my daughter that. Turns out because the tooth was chipped so bad, then the dentist wanted to do some freezing in case a nerve was hit. Yeah, she wasn’t too impressed and I felt so bad for misinforming her.
So yay! The tooth is fixed. Filled. As the dentist says, it’s a filling. So he has no doubt that she will be chipping the tooth many times before she gets a cap on it around her late teens. And to just come in and get it filled again.
I’m lucky I have such a great dental plan at work. Or else I probably would have to borrow money from my parents. Myk was telling me that many kids at her OOSC told her how they knew someone who broke their front tooth too. And that one said that the boy still hasn’t fixed his tooth. I mean, not everyone has a dental plan at work, and I can understand how that could be put on the backburner if they’re not hurting.
The weekend was pretty standard. The countdown to Mexico is on now, and everyone is pretty stoked about it. My brother brought me another mid-sized luggage. I have 2 now. I don’t think I need more than 2 mid-sized ones. But last night I was just putting the kids’ clothes in one, and it was already getting full! What the..! Good lord…
We were at the mall. Some bookstore was having a promo and handing out coupons, with this Rat mascot. It was weird because my kids went up to them. Then the rat did this “camera clicking” motion to me. I guess he wanted me to take a picture of him with the kids. And I just kind of stood there perplexed as to why HE was telling ME to take a picture. Shouldn’t I be the one to WANT to? Anyway, I took a pic for the rat’s sake. Or is he a mouse?
And I called Joel (ex’s) mom on the weekend. I am completely oblivious to what is going on with the ex now that I don’t have access to his email, and it’s great. And to be honest, I have no interest in following up with the drama that is always in his family’s lives. I hadn’t called my ex-MIL for 6 weeks. She sounded good. let me know how she was doing, and what Joel’s brother in Salmon Arm is doing. A sad piece of news is that her sister just got diagnosed with cervical cancer. Supposedly she hasn’t seen a doctor since the 80’s, as she never felt the need to. But she was peeing blood lately, so she finally went to a doctor. Ironically, her daughter is a very well-known and respected doctor in BC. But that’s also good in that I’m certain her daughter will make sure she gathers the best people out there to treat her mom. I will be praying for her. I only think that Joel is a piece a shit. His immediate family is always full of addiction drama. But his mom’s family has always been nice to me. Good people. Anyway, I didn’t relay any piece of news to the ex-MIL except telling her what the kids are going to be for Halloween, and what happened to Myk’s tooth. She knows nothing about Mexico. I don’t send them pictures of the kids anymore. I don’t trust that they won’t forward it to Joel. Who deserves no consideration as far as I’m concerned. But anyway, not going to talk about him anymore.Thinking of him makes me annoyed.
Oh! I finalized my will and everything got signed! It cost me $186.00, and it is so worth it to me. I just feel better about everything. That my kids will be taken care of in case anything happens to me (knock on wood).
Oh! And then I get a call at noon (while at work). I had put my phone on vibrate since I was in a 2-hour session this morning. So I finally clued in that I had a call…and I see it’s from her school. And my first thought was “OMG…what NOW!?!?” So I’m panicking that something happened to Myk again! But…turned out it was just the secretary phoning to remind us of the first PAC meeting of the year. She only calls parents once a year, and it’s for this. So yeah…talk about another scare this afternoon! Geesh!
Ooooooh yes. She broke her front tooth. Her adult front tooth.
I was in a meeting yesterday when my phone rings. I rarely get calls. The only time I’m on my phone is when I do my regular 1-2 minute call with my mom in the evening. So I see that it’s Myk’s OOSC. It’s about 3:30pm and the owner of the OOSC tells me that there’s been an accident. As a parent, when you hear that, your heart just stops pumping for a moment there. Then she tells me that Myk fell and broke her front tooth, and that it’s pretty bad, and that I may want to make an appointment with the dentist. I immediately booted out of the meeting, and went to my office to call our dentist. They said they could fit me at 5:30pm. I’m already a bit panicked because I know how painful it can be when you have a tooth situation. I have no clue whether my daughter is in incredible pain or what. But of course I took the appointment and headed out of the building. Right when I got outside, the dentists office calls me again. They just had a cancellation and did I want to come at 4:30pm? YES!!! I called and asked Linda to watch Colt a bit longer so I could focus on Myk. I mean, in a way I kind of anticipated something like this happening with Colton who is completely fearless with anything physical thing he does. I didn’t prepare for it to happen with my daughter.
So I get to the OOSC. I knew Myk would have been crying. Partially because there would be a little part of her who would be scared that I was mad at her. But right away I pulled her in a hug and told her everything is OK. No one is mad, and that these things happen. That it could of happened to anyone. That we’re going to the dentist now, and he’s going to make sure everything is OK. And Myk stopped crying. It was obviously a shock to her, and of course she got frightened when this huge deal was going on around her, and everyone is looking at her tooth and saying out loud how it doesn’t look good.
I guess they were at one of the school playgrounds. There’s some metal oval contraption that had some bar in the middle. Some girl was spinning a few people on this, and when the kids told her to slow down, she didn’t hear them. Then Myk lost her grip and fell head first onto the metal bar. I guess it was quite the big deal. A bunch of moms exclaimed how they were always afraid that something like that would happen with their own kids. And the principal of that school actually came out and said that she was going to remove that off the playground immediately.
So we went to the dentist. I love my kids’ dentist. There are 3 different dentists there, and all of them are so patient to explain every little detail. The good thing was that no nerve was exposed. If so, we would have seen a red dot. And he felt Myk’s gums and mouth and made sure she felt no pain. And Myk felt no pain at all.
Everything looked good, but he explained that the other concern he has is that with kids’ teeth, their roots aren’t fully grown yet. He was actually surprised that Myk’s got her 4 adult teeth on her upper palate. He said that his son is 7 and his adult front tooth hasn’t even come out yet. And that he was afraid that the impact of the hit may have jarred or shocked the tooth in a way that may have pulled it away from the blood vessels. And therefore that may impact the roots’ continueing growth process. And that down the road, that tooth may start dying.
So they do x-rays on the tooth, and the dentist came back pleased. He said that for someone her age, Myk’s roots are actually quite long. And that they’re already almost closing in together, which is what they want to see. 
So later I have an appointment with them again for them to fill her broken tooth. They say that as she gets older, she’ll probably need a cap on it.
My poor daughter. She was all A-OK. But she did admit that she was scared that her friends would make fun of her, or laugh at her. You see, for girls it is so different. For boys, they would be slapping each other’s backs, and bragging that they got it in a fight or a rough hockey game or something.
Anyway, it’s all good now. Phew. It sucked that she broke her FRONT tooth. But at least it was literally only a tooth part, and not something that would cause her any pain.
As my readers know, I have one of the most amazing & supportive families ever. We would do anything for each other. We will think about our family member before ourselves. It’s just how we are. I can’t describe how happy my family makes me. And I realize I am very lucky.
And this goes to all my extended family members too. My parents both have 5 siblings in their family. And I have many, many cousins. On my dad’s side, all of them live here. On my mom’s side, they are scattered through the world (primarily Ontario, but also New York, Australia, Singapore, Phillipines, England). So we don’t get to see each other often, but I have clear memories of when we used to fly almost every summer to have little reunions for 2 weeks. This went on till we hit about highschool stage. But it was always about being a family. There was so much love, and fun.
All of my mom’s siblings loved singing. My Por-Por (grandmother) obviously instilled the joy of music into all their lives, because you could just see the joy on their faces as they sang. They would gather the whole family into the family room and had sing-offs. They did karaoke before that even existed! And during those days, they were into these Hong Kong singers like (Roman) Tam Lo Man, and especially into (Paula) Tsui Siu Fung.
She was like a Barbra Streisand in the Hong Kong singing world. And there was one particular song of her’s that my mom and her siblings were obsessed with. I can’t remember the name, but if I heard it, I would know it. But they would sing it so much that us kids pretty much knew it word for word. And the thing was that even though we all spoke Cantonese, we all had no clue what we were singing as poetic verse in Chinese, is completely different than oral speak. It was all phoenetics. And I remember one of my aunts had totally trained my wee cousin Patrick (god, he must’ve been 4 or something) to sing it perfectly. I still remember clear as day when they made him stand up in front of the whole family, and sing this song. It was so frickin’ cute!
I remember a talent show that all of kids prepared. I don’t even know how it all came about. Alot of us knew how to play piano. Now, it’s a chinese thing. For some reason, it was a bragging right for a chinese mother to be able to tell people that their child played piano. Mind you, I begged for lessons. My mom bought me the piano, and after the second lesson I told her I really don’t want to play piano anymore. Yeah…let’s just say that I went up to Grade 10 at the Royal Conservatory. Now, I’m not saying I was naturally talented. I couldn’t play by ear.I basically flew through it by the seat of my pants! Anyway, there are many cousins on that side that are musically talented. I can brag that there are ones that play the piano, violin, cello, and clarinet. Anyway, I went totally off-tangent there. To get back to the story, I remember a talent show. One where someone played piano, and a few of us sang “Endless Love”, that duet with Lionel Richie. And we also did a song by Stevie Wonder, and I think it was “I Just Called To Say”. And later on I remember my cousin Amy choreographing a group dance to a song by Martika.
I remember that the “in” restaurant at that time was some Japanese restaurant, where the chef cooked the food in front of you, and tossed pepper shakers in the air, and cooked with a fire, to put on a show. Shogun? I can’t remember. Nowadays these restaurants are no big deal, but it was a new concept then. Anyway, one time my mom and her siblings were drinking, and just letting loose. Later on, I remember a few of us getting into a minivan. And how my dad was going to be the designated driver (since he never drinks). And me sitting in the backseat beside my mom, and my mom was so giddy. And I remember so clearly how I was just observing her, and her giggliness and thinking: “Wow, my mom is drunk.” I mean, it was no big deal. My mom never drank at home. It was a new side of her that I had never seen. She was letting loose. But I totally remember feeling amused. And then I remember how all of sudden there was a big drama, and my dad had to pull over the the side of the road, and the next thing I see is one of my Uncles bursting out of the minivan and puking. OMG…I hold on to this memory because it was just so awesome. I saw a new side of these “adults”, and yet I wasn’t scared of it, but knew that they were just enjoying having all their siblings together again. And I think (sometimes all my memories get meshed together), I remember us all getting home, and then getting an emergency call as my aunt from Australia (who’s used to driving on the other side of the road, and having the steering wheel on the other side of the car), drove into a pothole and got a flat tire, and someone had to go back out and help her.
Memories of us taking the whole family to Niagara Falls. Now, it’s a big deal because as I said, there were my grandparents, my mom and her 5 siblings, and each of them had 3 kids minimum. And I remember them taking us to Toronto’s Wonderland, but before that the girls were all taken to the mall to choose out their own Cabbage Patch Doll. Now, many of you may not remember, but at that time, it was when these dolls first surfaced. They were a big deal. They were hard to get your hands on because the supply did not meet the demand. Nowadays when you buy one, you can see their birth certificate, and what name they are. During those older times, you didn’t see what their name was. And I remember I chose one, and turned out her name was “Adeline Zoe”, and I thought how great that it was so close to my name, and that I was meant to choose her.
And of course the big reunion banquet that celebrated my grandparents. I think it was for an anniversary. But I remember the excitement of what dress you were to wear. Well, my mom’s excitement. I was quite the tomboy then. I remember when we got to the restaurant early, and how I was sitting on a chair. And my Por-Por telling me how I wasn’t sitting like a lady. My mom was on me all the time because I used to sit with my legs spread apart like a boy. There I was in a dress, slouched, and sitting with my legs apart. I think someone even took photographic evidence of it, as I remember a picture of it flitting about. Now, that’s a tiny memory of something, but I have lots of those too.
But you see how our family dynamics are like? And that is why I am so incredibly excited to finally be able to catch up with this extended family when we all go to Mexico. Not exactly everyone on my mom’s side can make it, but the majority are. One of my New York cousins are getting married there.
And there is also another huge piece of exciting news. One of my favourite cousins, Lin, just got engaged. I was fortunate enough to meet her boyfriend when they had come down for my brothers’s wedding in 2008. Was it 2008? I can’t remember. Of course my time to get to know him wasn’t long enough, but I could tell he adored our Lin. Just this calm, and easy-going man. Lin is 8, or 9 years younger than me. When we would go visit Ontatio inthe summers, I was primarily glued to my cousin Myrna, who was a year older than me. Lin was like the pesky little sister who wouldn’t leave you alone. I think back on it now, and I can see she obviously looked up to her big sister and wanted so much to be able to hang out with her. But even then, when we would always try to push her away from being with us, I still remember looking at her and thinking how beautiful she was. Even then, I thought she was the most beautiful out of all us cousins. And I remember how she was so naturally talented at everything she did. When she sang or danced, even at that little age, she had so much confidence coming out from her. She was born with a positive attitude of life. You could see that in her, even as a child. I could see how her feelings were hurt when we pushed her out of her own room because Myrna and I wanted it all to ourselves. I think something was said to her, and I saw the hurt in her eyes. But then I clearly remember how she tossed her chin up, and walked away in a huff like she was better than us. And she rarely tattled to her mother. Even then…she had the emotional mechanisms in her to cope with a “situation”. And…she was also clumsy like you wouldn’t believe. I lived in Ontario for a year, and I remember being in my aunt’s house. Lin was like this newborn giraffe learning how to walk. I was in the kitchen, and there was this wide open doorway to get in. And Lin came bounding from the living room, and instead of coming through the doorway, it was like she body slammed into the door frame. And she collapsed on the floor from the impact. And before you knew it, she bounced up on her feet and bopped back into the kitchen like nothing happened. I have a feeling that wasn’t an uncommon thing for her to do.
Anyway, I truly think Lin is such an amazing woman. I’ve admired her from afar. She is not afraid to try new things. I remember when she decided to move to China and teach English there. And I remember when that happened, I thought to myself how I wished I had made some of those same choices when I was younger. To be brave enough to so something like that. I was so proud of her.
Our families are so close it’s like she’s my own little sister, and so the news of their engagement made me so happy. There is alot to celebrate when we all meet in Mexico.
Well, it’s been almost 2-1/2 months since the whole Ford drama. We left it with the Service Manager trying to see if there was any way he could get some sort of financial reimbursement for me. Well peeps…I am sad to say I have still gotten nowhere. He’s suddenly a very hard man to get a hold of.
In the mail, I had gotten this survey asking me to fill a questionnaire on how my Ford customer service was. This is stemming from my original complaint when I called into their headquarters line.
And once again…I expect to get nowhere with Ford. But I’m letting it all out anyway. Here is my letter. And yes, it’s a freaking novel, but it is what it was!
Attention:
Al McCormick
VP, Customer Service
Ford Motor Company of Canada, Limited
I would like to express how incredibly disappointed and disillusioned I am with how my matter was dealt with at FORD. I am walking away with knowing that I, as a FORD customer, am just a “drop in a bucket of rainwater” when it comes to being a FORD customer. It has been 2 ½ months since my vehicle broke down, and I have gotten many answers (all which go off in a different tangent), and nothing has been resolved to my satisfaction.
I currently lease a FORD Escape. I am in the last year of my 4-year lease. It will expire in April 2010. I have been an ideal lease customer of FORD’s. You can check with the Service Department at Coastal Ford (Burnaby). I bring it in every 5000 km like clockwork to get the vehicle maintenanced. My extended warranty expired at 61,000 km. Now the service contract covers things such as brake pads, engine oil and such.
On Sunday, August 16th, 2009, I am turning a corner on the highway when my vehicle starts making a grinding noise, and starts slowing down even though I have my foot on the gas. I immediately pull over to the side, and my vehicle has completely died. The motor can turn over, but it is not letting me pull forward or reverse. There were no signal lights that ever turned on to indicate to me that something may be wrong with the vehicle. Since I bring it in every 5000 km, I safely assume that my car won’t just die on me for no reason at all.
And herein starts the drama… (grab a coffee, sit down, because I will vent…)
I made a conscious decision to get a new car as I have 2 young children. I did not want to chance driving a used and older car, where anything could happen. When you make the decision to buy a used car, you understand the risk you are taking. When you buy a new car, you walk into the contract knowing that you will have a reliable vehicle that you do not have to worry about (especially when you get it serviced regularly). Turns out what happened to my 3 year old car was a TRANSMISSION problem. And yes, I do understand that my extended warranty (that covers problems happening to the motor or transmission) expired at 61,000 km. But when you are sitting down, buying a NEW car, you weigh your decisions carefully about what service contract you’re going to take. And I (and I assume most other customers) made a conscious decision to go with the one I did, because I would not BELIEVE that I would have to deal with a TRANSMISSION problem with a vehicle that is 3 years old! I have driven many used cars and quite aware that transmission problems usually occur when the car is about 10 years old. So it sucks to be me with the extended warranty that expired at 61,000 km, but I honestly don’t believe I should have to pay for repairs in this case because basically this is something that came up I would classify in a “lemon” nature. (Yes, I am using the dreaded word that the car industry turns a deaf ear to).
My first mistake was calling for help from the Sales Department at Coastal Ford (Burnaby). I should have known better, but I was highly stressed out, and reached out to the first people I thought of to help me. Well, let’s say they stringed me along through the whole painful process. I had to tow my car to Richport Ford (Richmond) as that was where my car broke down. So my Sales Department basically told me that they believe that they can tow the car back to their own Service area, but for me to wait until Richport Ford (Richmond) tells me what the cost of the damages is. That maybe they can move my existing lease, and put me in a new FORD vehicle. I mean, I was incredibly stressed out with the repair situation without them trying to push a new Sales on me, but if I were a man…they had me by the balls. You’re in a desperate situation….you’re desperate. It took over a week before I got an estimate (and the whole time I am paying for a rental vehicle). Yes, the estimate came to $3500.00. And the Sales Department dropped me like the plague. That they’ve spoke to all the higher-up Managers and that there is nothing they can do for me. There I was, the popular girl in the playground, till they realized I had no lunch money to give them.
At this point, I call up your FORD customer service line and spoke to a wonderful and helpful rep named Keisha. She called up the Service Department at Coastal Ford (Burnaby) and spoke to *** , who having heard the whole situation, confirms that what happened to me should not have happened. That if only I had brought it to their Service area in the first place, then *** could have been able to do something without me having to pay anything, or pay full repairs costs.
So at this point, I am highly pissed off at the Sales Department who should have told me to call the Service Department to handle my situation IN THE FIRST PLACE. But instead they saw dollar signs, and dangled the little carrot in front of my face till they realized that no profit can be made from helping me out. Let me tell you a little piece of news. The thing called the “returning customer”. I realize it’s all about the “sale” for their department. Once you drive out of there with your vehicle, the Salesman has done his job. You know what I find amusing? That the last thing the Sales Department tells me is that they’re sorry that there’s nothing they can do for me, but that they will call me a month before my lease expires to see what to put me in next. Really…Seriously…was it really appropriate for them to spit out that line to me after they just kicked my ass to the curb? Is there not some “Being Tactful Handbook” they could have referred to?
Anyway, to backtrack…by the time I heard of what *** had told Keisha, I had already authorized the repairs to Richport Ford (Richmond). I had been stringed along long enough, and had to have my vehicle back.
I finally get my car back on August 26th, after 10 days of hell. Supposedly in the transmission, there is a valve body, and one of the check valves was stuck. Since it runs on hydraulics, it seized and the rod kept twisting till it finally could twist no more, and it finally broke off. Thus my car dying on the highway without any indication. I have included pictures of this rod. Even the Service girls exclaimed how they have never seen anything like this happen….so once again….I wholeheartedly believe that this is something of a “lemon” nature.
I actually spoke to *** after that, and he told me to email him the repair bill. He told me how it would have been easier for him to rectify the situation if the vehicle was in his shop, and that they were dealing with it, since they are my home dealership. But now that I’ve already paid, that it will be harder to get approval for covering any costs from Head Office. Yes, you can imagine how I held on to his words like a woman overboard holding on to a life preserver. I wanted some straight answers. I was sick of being strung along.
I gave *** lots of time. I lost trust in Coastal Ford (Burnaby), and at this point, he was the only one I felt was giving me “customer service” (as I’m constantly reminded that that is what it’s all about in your commercials).
It is now October 21, 2009. I checked in with *** 3 times to see what the progress was. Each time he apologized, and claimed that he has been incredibly busy. And I understand that. I do. I’ve already made many calls to him. I am not going to call him every second day to see if anything new has transpired. This defies the whole point of being offered “customer service”. And if ***cannot do anything for me, then what he should do is call me and TELL ME. All I’ve wanted this whole time was a straight answer, and all I’ve gotten is being strung along.
The sadness of this is that I was such a loyal customer. I had already decided to finance a FORD Fusion for my next vehicle, and now all I have left is a sour taste in my mouth, just THINKING about true FORD “customer service”. I lived it.
I honestly don’t even know if anyone bothered reading this little tirade. For all I know, you saw it and tossed it in the trash. But I will be damned if I don’t tell you HOW IT IS. I may be one person, but I will be heard. I am not impressed.
I’ve been out of commission this past week because of sickness. I ended up having to take Wed – Fri off work to stay home with Myk. It started out as a cough, but then she ended up getting a fever. She was hot for about 2 days. All she did was sleep all day. Seriously. And I think I ended up getting it on Thursday and Friday. Colt had it for maybe a day.
I had taken Myk to our doctor on Friday. My doctor said she’s been getting alot of people with H1N1 strains through there all week. She didn’t exactly say that that was what Myk had. I asked her how she knows whether it’s the H1N1 or the regular flu. And she said that if it was the regular flu, you would be hit harder. To the point where you almost can’t even stand up. Go figure, eh?
Well, I’ve lost a total of 10 pounds now. But that’s not from my SB Diet. It was more from not eating for 2 days. I couldn’t stomach the thought of eating. So who knows if that 10 lbs will stick.
The hunt was on this past weekend for a Halloween costume for the kids this year. I am still on a budget, and did not want it to get overboard.
That was THE BEST afro wig ever! It fit on the head perfectly. I was tempted to buy it as it just so amazing.
We first checked out Value Village. But believe it or not, I found it a bit pricey. The standard costumes like devil, pirate, witch, cheerleader, etc were averaging about $19.99. But if you wanted something like a recognizable comic hero, then some of them went up to $39.99. Which…is a ridiculous price to pay for one night!
We checked out Superstore (where we found that awesome wig), and found a few superhero outfits for Colton to choose from. There was a really cute Incredibles outfit, but in the end, he chose….surprise…surprise…
We couldn’t find anything for Myk that day. She wanted to be Hermione from Harry Potter, but there are none of her. I figured that if we could find a Harry Potter costume, then it would suffice too. Just don’t wear the glasses. She was going to settle for some cheerleader outfit a size too small, but I nixayed it. But I knew she really really wanted to be Hermione. Which I think is so great. She’s already for it planned. I have to braid her hair the night before so that it can be wavy for when she’s in costume. I think one of her friends at the OOSC wants to be Hermione too.
You know how you see alot of “slutty” costumes for women? Well, I’m seeing more of them on the shelves this year for little girls.
A few days later we ended up going to Walmart, and we actually found a Harry Potter costume kit!!!
It was perfect. It came with a Griffindor robe, glasses, a clasp for the robe, and even a wand! Of course Colton wanted to be Harry Potter because he wanted the wand that bad. Boys and sticks (swords, light sabers, etc). The whole evening he was just pining for this wand, but I told him that it was his sister’s costume, and that she had to be the one to give him permission to play with it. I think she let him play for about 1 minute. She went to bed early that night (as she ended up getting a cough this weekend), and while she was sleeping Colton sneaked the wand. OMG..such a hoot. I could hear him in the room playing pretend and shouting lines from the movie: ”Expeliamis!!!!” and “Stupid-Fy!” The last one is supposed to be “Stupefy“, but he hears it as “Stupid-Fy!”
So Sunday my brothers hosted Thanksgiving dinner for the whole family on my dad’s side. It was awesome. This was just one of those weeks that I needed a “rejuvination”, which happens when I’m around family.
Let me tell you, being on the SB Diet on Thanksgiving sucks!!! And yes, I had a spoonful of yams. I had 4 sips of wine. To be honest, I think I did pretty good. I didn’t have any stuffing or mashed potatoes. I was careful. Luckily my mom made mussels, or else there would be barely anything I could eat. One of my aunts made stuffed peppers with fish paste, so I had that too.
I made my candied yam dish. They’re mashed with marshmallows, honey & cinnamon. Then you put a layer of extra marshmallows on top and put it back in the oven for a bit.
There was tons of food as my aunts, uncles and cousins also brought stuff.
And I got a compliment from my cousin’s girlfriend, who said that you could noticeably see my weight loss. I mean, I haven’t moved. I’m still at a 4 lbs loss. But she said that you could see from my back. Wow, I must’ve had alot of back fat before. So that was nice. But I still have some ways to go. I’m not just doing this for my trip to Mexico. I know I need to lose, even after I return from Mexico.
All my cousins on my dad’s side are male. And they’re all seriously addicted to their video games. That and poker. So Colton was just having the time of his life playing this new game my brothers got. It’s really the first time he was able to play. And believe it or not, he really could keep up! My mom kept telling us to not let Colt play so long. But you know what…I don’t have any video games at home. So I let my Colts play to his heart’s content. And then they turned it off so they could all watch hockey while eating. One of my cousins brought a buddy, and Colton decided to attack him with a barage of talk about the video game, and how you play it, and what he did, and how he did it. It was too comical. He seriously did not give this guy a break.
My brothers told me that my parents are treating them to Mexico too! So amazing. So they were asking if I was going to the spa. Which I’m not as it’s extra $. But my bros may treat my parents.
We left about 8:30pm. My kids were tuckered. Plus Myk got sick from going outside with my dad. She only wore a hoodie, and didn’t zip it. 
So she’s coughing. I am seriously nagging her, and makign her sleep early and take medicine. God forbid she gets sick just prior to having to go to Mexico. I wasn’t sure whether or not I’d have to take a sick day today. She was coughing a bit yesterday. And you know how with the H1N1 going on, that if you even cough once, the school will be on you. But she told me she felt good enough to go to school.
Oh, and I have this sundress that I planned on wearing for my cousin’s wedding. I highly doubt I will be able to get into it as I had this dress pre-kids. I was a-hoping there. So I may have to find something else. I tried on 6 dresses at Forever 21. I like the prices. But I guess there is a reason that it’s called “Forever 21″, because I felt so stupid in them. Mind you, if I had long skinny legs, I think I would have been OK in those dresses. But yeah…I’m not skinny enough to get away with them. Sadness. However, I did end up going back to La Vie En Rose Aqua to get a bathing suit. Seriously…I don’t know what it is about the lighting in the change rooms when you try on bathing suits. If you want to see every glop of cellulite on your body, you go there! I mean, at home it never seems as prevalent as when you’re standing in front of these change room mirrors. I may have to rethink about what I’m going to wear to the pool. I may opt for a muu-muu. Anyway, I tried on that black bandeau bikini. And I really loved it. I’ve wanted one for a while, but the thing is that it would be perfect if I was just lying on a chaise and tanning. It is not a bathing suit you could jump around in, as my boob was practically popping out when I raised my arm. So I opted for a halter type one, with an elastic strap for the back. It was neat really. I hate the tie-backs as sometimes when your crazy 4 year old holds on to you, he may end up untying it. I needed a bathing suit that I could toss the kids with, and not worry about showing anything by mistake. It was a good deal. About 50% off.
This diet keeps hitting roadbumps. My coworker also works part-time at a restaurant, and she brought me in an apple crisp. I mean, seriously. I reminded her about my diet, and she’s like: “There’s not that much.” First of all, I’m not allowed any carbs (the crisps). Not allowed any fruits (the apple). And then you feel kind of bad as she was so nice to think of me. I’m going to pretend to have some bites, and then bring it home for the kids.
I’m telling you, I’m getting bored of this diet now. I haven’t lost any more weight so I’m still at 4 lbs. And yes, I do work out too.
And this Sunday my brothers are hosting Thanksgiving dinner. I’m contributing a mashed candied yam dish (topped with mini marshmallows). It’s not Thanksgiving for my kids unless they have this dish. Of course I’m not going to eat it. I’m not allowed vegetables that are sweet, like carrots, and definately not yams or sweet potatoes. I think there will be enough to pick on. My aunts and cousins will all be bringing something.
So I went to the doctor this morning. I told her I need something because it’s getting unbearable. It’s been 2 months of nose blowing. I mentioned about the sinus rinse and how that didn’t help. And she said that the rinse doesn’t really get up to your actual sinuses, which is closer to the sides of your head. She gave me two different steroid sprays to use.
The doctor said that supposedly many people like this new Avamys one.
Fluticasone nasal spray belongs to the class of medications called corticosteroids. It is used to treat seasonal and perennial (year-round) allergic rhinitis in people 12 years of age and older. It is also used to treat seasonal allergic rhinitis in children aged 2 to less than 12 years. Fluticasone nasal spray helps to reduce the symptoms of seasonal allergic rhinitis such as stuffy, runny, or itchy nose, sneezing, and red, itchy, or watery eyes.
So yes, I am glad there is something for me to take.
And then my doctor asked how everything else was going on in my life, so I obviously feel obligated to give her something. I told her things were going really well. I mentioned about how Myk’s teacher brought up counselling, and my doctor gave this look like “What…WHY?” And then I told her how I had a chat with the counsellor, and that it was decided that Myk didn’t need counselling. And my doctor said that she doesn’t think Myk needs counselling at all. That she has a few patients that she does think have alot of issues, and would recommend counselling. But that she has no worries about Mykaela. She is a very centered girl.
My “allergies” are killing me. I hope the doctor can do something for me. Give me some drug. Antibiotic. Something. I’m sick of this.
Went out at lunch again today. Just to do some window shopping. My friend wanted to check out Oakley as her hubby bought her polarized ones at $350.00 for her birthday. And she doesn’t like them, and wanted to see if she likes anything else at the store. Sunglasses are like jeans. The person has to try them on. The thought is awesome, but you can’t tell with those things till you try them. Oakley’s fit horribly on my face. Not one felt right on me. I was just trying them on for fun. I’m not in the market for sunglasses. While she was perusing, I went to La Vie En Rose Aqua to check out their swimsuits.
I saw this 2-piece, but in black, that I loved. But I am nowhere near the weight to wear something like this yet. I told the gal that I may be back later on. Oh, and the funny thing was at one point, she told me how the same suit also comes with a bottom with ruffles on it. I just heard “ruffles” and my brain was screaming. I told her: “Yeah, at my age, if I ever wore something with ruffles, then I would want someone to slap me.” She gave me a courtesy laugh. 
I mean, it would depend on where the ruffles are placed. I mean, if it’s a soft ruffle pattern on a shirt, I would be OK with it. Like on sleeves or the neckline. But these were tight ruffles on a bikini bottom! God forbid I become one of those rich Taiwan women who thinks they can still dress like they’re 16. Wouldn’t it be absolutely hilarious if I ended up getting that ruffled bikini, wear it in Mexico, and then my cousin’s 2 (?) year old daughter wears the same thing. Hahahaha. Priceless.
The school counsellor at Myk’s school just called me. I guess it ended up being an interview on the phone. I told her our “story”, and how I deal with things. How Myk acts around me. I mentioned how she and Colton get along so well, and she sounded so enthusiastic about that fact. I guess other kids she may “counsel” don’t get along with their siblings. ?? And she mentioned how Myk’s teacher made a comment about how Mykaela seeks attention. I was kind of annoyed with that. I told her I have no clue how she is at school, but that she has many friends. And that she is an alpha-female, so she leads them alot. And that she tends to be the class clown. But to “seek attention”. I don’t think so. I told her how Mykaela is not like that at home. I mean, what child doesn’t seek attention? But she doesn’t try to get attention in a rough way. Both her and Colton know I love them both equally, and am fair with them. And never has she done something to “seek attention” to make me notice her more. She doesn’t have to. And she is respectful, kind and courteous. No behaviour problems. The cousellor said that she doesn’t think Myk needs counselling. She doesn’t want to make an “issue” out of something that isn’t an issue, you know? She says it seems like I’m doing a great job raising her on my own, and that Myk obviously has an amazing support system with my family. I brought up Big Sisters with her, but she said that’s mostly for girls with no moms.
And Myk’s on her second week of the Spelling with the Grade 3 class. They get 16 words instead of 10. And honestly, they are obviously harder. She kept whining, and saying how it’s hard and she can’t get it. I was like a Sargeant. “I hate it when you give up too easily. I know you can do it. You have to practice. You can DO it.” I made her write them out. I tested her till she finally got 16/16…twice! And when she did, she was so proud of herself that she ran at me and hugged me. She got 13/16 on her first test. Which I was still pretty proud. I know that sometimes you blank out when you’re in a test environment. This Friday is her second test. Words like: television, thousand, enough, minutes, finished, saturday, city. Words that sometimes have letters that don’t sound like what they normally would sound like. We’ll practice for the last time tonight. I find it kind of weird that she doesn’t get any other homework though. Like even for math.
So I took my lunch hour and went to my Notary to get my will started. My Notary is an older guy as it is…about late 40’s or early 50’s. I guess he wasn’t in, so I walk in and it’s this super old guy. He was doing things really slow. But basically he just asked me the basic questions off a sheet template. And then the secretary/assistant will draft it up and call me when it’s ready.
Pretty much made my brother the Executor of my will (since my children are underage). Left everything to my kids (not that I have much monetary-wise, but I have Bonds and RRSPS, and stuff). I assigned my brother(s) as the guardians of my kids in case anything happened to me. There was a “Death Clause”. Which means that if the kids and I go on vacation, and we all die (knock on wood), then my assets will go to my brothers.
Considering how slow this Notary was, I was surprised that it only took under half an hour. I had time to spare, so I decided to check Metrotown Mall (Metropolis). Turned a corner and the new Sephora was open!!!
I guess today is their Grand Opening. It was my first time checking out a Sephora store. Of course I’ve heard lots from my friends who checked it out in the States. And I never bothered going to downtown Vancouver to check that new one in Pacific Centre Mall. It’s out-of-the-way, and having to think about parking and paying that much just makes me not want to bother. Anyway, there were tons of sales associates wearing the standard black. I think 5 approached me to ask if I needed help. But it was done in a way that wasn’t annoying. I was laughing with one of them, and telling them I was totally overwhelmed. Different brands were everywhere, and the thing was that I walked in with no purpose.
As I’ve always said, my weaknesses are shoes (which I’ve controlled alot now), and makeup. And yes, I ended up spending $50.00 there.
I’m a Lip Gloss girl, and I also like lip tints. I use the one by Benefit for my cheeks alot. But I find that it doesn’t stay on my lips very long. I also bought one of those Cover Girl “Outlast Lipstains”, and I was totally unimpressed. I completely wasted my money on that one. It’s cheaper at $10.00+ (??? – can’t remember exactly), but it’s more worth it to pay an extra $10.00 to get a better one. This Cover Girl one went on so thick that it’s like I have lipstick on. And I never wear lipstick. I just don’t like lipstick. And as it wears off, there are parts of your lips that have more color than another part. You KWIM?
Anyway, the Sephora girl said NARS makes one. The NARS one just looked like it would go on thick, so I didn’t want to go down that road again. She told me the one by Urban Decay lasts longer. So…I decided to try the latter. You should check out their website. They even have a page dedicated to “vegan items“.
And then I noticed that they also have the Two Faced line. Amy (ex-SIL) had brought me an eyeshadow after a trip to New York once, and I really liked it. I know there’s a cosmetics shop on West 4th that sells this line, but I rarely get down there. And I’m on a tight budget, so I never buy cosmetics unless it’s spur-of-the-moment (like today).
It was so funny because there were two different shadow colors lined up to two names. And I thought I was looking for one, which was some name like something-something Lily. So I couldn’t find it and asked a salesgirl. And she goes: “You’re looking for the wrong one. Label Whore.” What the! And then elaborates: “This one is called Label Whore.” We were cracking up.
The color you see above on their website doesn’t do it justice. It looks like some iridescent green. But when you put it on, it looks brown…with iridescent green/blue specks. I figured that this colour would go with everything.
And when I paid, they also gave me this big shoulder bag as a gift. It’s like a big beach bag. I love it. It’ll be perfect to use for when we go to Mexico. I took a picture of it still in the see-through plastic wrap, so it may look weird.
My coworker said that she thinks they’re only giving these away for their Grand Opening Day.
And then my work was hosting this Farmers & Artisan’s Market, and I ended up getting something for Mykaela. Sometimes she claims she gets headaches, and I give her those little blue pills (low dosage of Aspirin). But I’m always hesitant to give it to her, as I’m never sure if it works or not. This lady had a booth, and she makes all natural products. I heard something about pure peppermint oil being good for getting rid of migraines/headaches, and turns out that she actually makes this Pain Stick (Aromotheraphy Roll On) that you would put on your temples, neck and under the feet. It’s a blend of black pepper, eucalyptus, rosemary and peppermint. It was $10.00. So worth it.
And to totally change topics, my coworker told me to check out Google Street View. I guess it’s like Google Earth, but we don’t have Google Earth in Canada. OMG…scary stalker thing!!!
Just a crazy week. I’ve got an appointment with the Notary tomorrow to discuss a will. Then Friday I have a doctor’s appointment as these allergies (???) are absolutely killing me! It was sinuses at first, but now my eyes are watering like crazy. I took an Aerius last night, and it did nothing for me. And this morning I’m all droopy eyes as Colton peed on my bed last night. I shooed him off the bed to change the sheet, and he was still sleepy. He was so out-of-it that he then starts peeing in the middle of the hallway. Aaaaaaaaaaaaah! I was freaking out. Boys.
So I bought these little VIA instant coffee packets from Starbucks. They’re not bad. They have some bite, and it does taste like their regular coffees. I asked at the drive-through, and the guy went into this huge spiel about it and how this formula got perfected. It comes with 3 packets, or 12 packets. Then at the window, he ends up giving me a slew of $1.00 off coupons.
Anyway, I’m late posting about this weekend. Well, I posted about the restaurant on Saturday. I would like to say I had little “Mommy Meltdowns” this past weekend. I just freaked out over any little thing with the kids. Kids are kids. It’s in-one-ear-out-the-other. But every once in a while it builds up to the point that your burst. And the moment you burst may be right after they do a very little thing, that really isn’t such a huge deal, but you make it one. I don’t have “Mommy Meltdowns” very often now. It happened alot when I first separated, and when I first moved out back on our own (just me and the kids). Because I’m the only parent, I never get a break. And it was a huge adjustment time for me. Not that Joel was there much anyway during our last year together, but you may still get an hour or so on your own once in a while. To regroup, you know what I mean? And I don’t want my kids to think back on their childhood memories or remember how I freaked out on them all the time. I freaked out when I told them to clean their room numerous times, and I still walked in to a pigsty. And I freaked out when Colton spilled his whole glass of milk on the carpet. I screamed at him to go into his bedroom, and while Myk was watching cartoons on the couch, I’m on my hands & knees trying to soak the milk up, scrubbing, and muttering under my breath going “Just so incredibly stupid! Just drives me nuts!” And then I’m muttering: “Your dad should just die. Your dad should just die.” Yes, I know!!! It just came out. I would take it back if I could. OMG…that was so bad. And I will admit it on here, because I always said I’ll be real. And it’s not my proudest moment. I shouldn’t have let it come out in front of Myk. I was muttering, so I have no idea whether she heard me. But even so…she may have. I mean, it just came out of left field. I can just see Myk going to the cousellor: “Yeah, my mommy wished my daddy would just die.” Oh, GOOD one mommy! I don’t want her to carry any burden on her shoulders, and here I just gave her one. <Sigh> And all over spilled milk. <Sigh> And do I bring it up to her? What if she didn’t hear me? But what if she did? Do I say I was wrong and I really don’t wish her Daddy would die? Because in reality, he is dead to me already. I suck.
Anyway, my daughter is a gem. She is always just…just great. She is an amazing being. Every day I know how much she loves me. With both my kids. They’re just full of love. I know they forgive their mommy for her freak-outs and get on with the next thing. But yeah, I look back on these “Mommy Meltdowns” and know it’s so silly. My mom used to have them when we were growing up too, and I remember wondering what the heck set her off. I actually have told my mom I know EXACTLY what she went through now. I actually apologize to my kids afterwards and tell them Mommy made a big deal out of nothing.
Anyway, Sunday was a gorgeous day, and I went to one of my favourite places. Granville Island.
Okay, I took all these on my camera phone. So the grain quality isn’t the best. But I noticed that alot of photograhers bring their clients to Granville Island to do photoshoots. And that’s because alot of the buildings at Granville Island are painted in the funkiest colors, and it makes for really good backgrounds.
Of course it’s not like I have an SLR or anything, and thus I can’t do funky stuff like make them jump.
Afterwards we went to Best Buy. I made the decision to use my GST cheque to buy a new camera. My old one is getting delayed. You press the button, and it takes forever for the picture to take. I remember the Chinatown parade, and I had to make Gregor Robertson wait as my camera took it’s merry old time. And he’s in a frickin’ parade, and his people were trying to get him to mosey along. Too funny. The thing is that I am soon going on this amazing trip, and I want really good pictures to remember my children’s first real vacation. It’s mine too! My first real overseas vacation. I never did the vacation thing (my only regret in life) as I was so practical even early on. School…or vacation? New car…or vacation?
I had a budget. I wasn’t going to let it get over $200.00 with taxes. I researched and narrowed it down to Nikon, Sony or Canon. Certain models. And I ended up with this:
The Nikon CoolPix S220. It’s really compact and thin. I’ve set it up and charged it, but have yet to take pictures with it.
