I AM - BECAUSE YOU ARE

A couple of few weeks ago I started to go through my collection of images to work on the August wallpaper, but things got busy and I decided to put it aside figuring I had more than enough time to pull something together. Today, over lunch, I looked down at my office phone and noticed that it is already the last day of July! This month has gone by in the blink of an eye! Being work-widowed, pulling together DH's birthday picnic, a few trips to the clinic and hospital for the LO's recurring ear infections, a mini family getaway to our nation's capital and poof! Gone! I will find some time to write more soon, but for now here is August's wallpaper! August 2018 And for a lighter touch, Wallpaper 2.0! August 2018

Another week as a work widow is coming to an end... 8hrs and counting! And, tomorrow is not only Fri-yay but it is DH's birthday too! The big 4-2! Which means he should have all of the answers to the meaning of life, the universe and everything, right? Yes, geek reference, but it's appropriate! I don't have much planned for him this year. Dinner somewhere or other tomorrow night and hopefully a family picnic if the weather co-operates. Right now they predict rain so we shall see. Things may turn out to be more low-key than we planned!

Recently I saw that our Indigo Bookstore would be holding a free event, for children aged 3-6, introducing a relatively new toy from Fisher-Price called the “Think & Learn Rocktopus”. I was excited because a lot of the events they hold are usually aimed towards slightly older children and we never really get to participate, and because getting to try something before you buy is priceless! I immediately registered for the event and looked up the toy as well. It wasn’t easy to find as it has only been out for a few months, but I managed to find it on Amazon at about 55USD or 77CAD! Quite a steep price tag, so it had better be good! Think & Learn Rocktopus by Fisher-Price As you can see from the picture, it is super cute! But aside from cuteness, it is a mini music lovers dream! The toy boasts 15 musical instruments, 5 musical styles, and 3 separate ways to play. It incorporates Math, Music and Play at an appropriate level. It has fun lights and colors that help guide ...

I am not going to sugar coat anything... today was rough. DH is away for work again, and the LO decided to push my buttons 1000 times. I get it, she is 2.5! She is clearly testing her limits and exploring her independence, especially since I was frequently out of sight doing laundry and such, leaving her to her own devices. She was playing with things she knows she isn't supposed to, climbing to get items I purposely put out of her reach, refusing to eat what I put in front of her, knocking over juice and yogurt in frustration and throwing mini tantrums even at the swimming pool! Today was the last class and I didn't think we would make it in! Did she drive me crazy? A little, yeah. But... I learned something today. She was upset about something, I still don't know what, and we collided before going into the pool; I was kneeling down to talk to her when she thrust upwards, splitting my lip with her hard head. She was crying as my teeth likely hit her scalp and I was h...

This last week has not been easy. DH has been in Germany all week so I was a work widow once again. To make matters worse, this was one of the anticipated  "hell weeks" at work, my bestest-most-awesome-co-worker's last day was Friday and I have no clue what I will do without him, AF came to visit for the first time in months (because she's a big, fat, bitch), and the LO... well, she's been kind of awesome actually. I mean, she certainly can be a handful at times, but, she is 2! Countdown to Easter now. Not only do we get a long weekend, but my BFF is coming to town... And staying with us! It's crazy to think our kids have never even met yet! It will be a full house, but even fuller hearts!

On the last day of my latest work-widow adventure, my LO’s playdate was cancelled so I had some time to (desperately try and) kill. I’ve had a gift card for one of my favorite clothing stores burning a hole in my wallet since Christmas, so I decided to take a look and see what I could find. I usually go to their liquidation outlet, but this time I hit their regular shop since it was closer to the rest of our errands and I am so glad that I did! After a quick look through the racks I remembered that I have ben hemorrhaging money lately, with car repairs and a vacation in our midst, so I tried to think of what I actually needed. Underwear, I need new underwear; both practical and necessary! A salesgirl saw me heading over to the lingerie section and offered up some help as she could see the LO was being a bit of a handful. She explained that the style I had come to love had gone through some design changes and cautioned me that the feedback had not been 100% positive. Good to know. At ...

This is day 8/10 of another work-widow week... and what a week it has been! Last weekend the LO got a diaper rash from hell! Her poor little bum was as red as a tomato and so raw she was bloody. Diaper changes were understandably a battle and it took me about 4 days to clear it! Lots of baths, creams and extra care. I even had to give her some Imodium to stop the poop! And, yes, a toddler CAN have Imodium! I asked before giving it to her and was told she was allowed half of the smallest liquid dose. Well, she got about 1/4 of it, because she hated the taste, and it did the trick!Guess what I am packing for vacation in 2 weeks. just in case? Dance class was... better? But not fantastic. I will hold off further judgment until class 3 is over with. Jump ahead to Wednesday and I take a tumble down my stairs. More like my feet slipping out from under me and landing down on my back and elbows with a thud. Ouch! I sat at the bottom of the stairs while the LO showed her concern over and ...

As I come upon my 17yr work anniversary,  all in the same department, I realize that I am also at the half way point to early retirement; freedom 55!!! That doesn't mean that I plan to retire then, or ever as I don't know what I would do with so much free time, but I will have the option to. So, naturally, all of the work-related turmoil that started this past summer (and continues now, but in a different way) is starting to feel a bit like a career midlife crisis! I am pretty sure that I have become the "problem child" in the eyes of management, but as a mentor pointed out to me... I am simply trying to guide my ship through calm waters, it is others who are creating the stormy conditions. It has taken me a whole year since returning from maternity leave to understand that my 9-5 is now my part time job. My daughter is my priority, 24/7, and for that to work the way I want it to (the way it should) I need to be happy. And, to put it simply, I am not. I've com...

I suppose the majority of my CMM readers have always been those close to my journey TTC, personally or following a similar path, but my goal with IABYA is to be a bit more broad in scope and reach a larger audience. I am not looking to take over the world wide web and become an empire, just a little slice! I will continue to keep this as a personal journal of sorts, but I also hope to share guest posts and curated content as well ( in other words - if you have something to say... please message me, I want to hear from you ). There is so much information out there regarding our health, parenting, relationships and anything else you can think of, but sometimes a story jumps out at me and I just feel like it is something I need to share! So, I will try and post a list of interesting reads from time to time alongside my own story. Some may be correlated or intertwined, others may just be an interesting read. I may even dig something up from my old blog! Being a new mom as well as a...