Wednesday 16 November 2011

Otherwise Occupied

Well, it seems that my days as a leftie pinko are numbered.

Yesterday, I was leaving a government office downtown, where I had taken a French test that, I hoped, would further my career and allow me to gain a permanent (and impressive) position at the end of my current contract.

I crossed the street, and while I was waiting for the light to change to cross to the other corner, ended up stranded beside an Occupy protester, complete with face covering and megaphone, who declared (into said megaphone): "As long as you have Fashion, you don't need a personality."

Um.

I went through a bit of an emotional rollercoaster.

Phase 1: Irritation. I'm not going to go into how I feel about the Occupy movement as a whole, either as a statement or as something that has been "organized", but I certainly don't need to be judged by some yahoo with a megaphone.

Phase 2: Flattery. Hmm - someone thinks I look pretty fashionable! I was rocking some platform boots, slim black capris, had actually blown-dry my hair... ok, so maybe I don't need a personality, fashion plate that I am. So there, you unkempt person in a mask, you.

Phase 3: Need to Tell-It-Like-It-Is. Yes, I looked good. But despite that, I do have a personality.* And I have an education, and a good job that I've worked hard for, and work hard every day and even put in overtime to perform and meet deadlines. And I have pride.

And what do you have, Mister Faceless Occupy Protester?

You have a megaphone.



* A great personality! Just ask Fis.

Thursday 10 November 2011

Halloweenies: October 2011

This year, I put my order in with Grandma early.






In September, I told her, "Vaughn wants to be a lion."




At the time, he pronounced it "yion", but has been working hard and practicing, and now says the L perfectly. He is also very well aware of what a lion says. Often, you don't even have to ask him.












"Raaaaaaaarrrrr"









Ailsa, being a Second Child, got to be a wee skunkie.* She was taught that skunks say, "Fffttt". She didn't quite get the hang of saying "trick or treat", but was very open to receiving candy and saying "sonkoooo" afterwards.









"Fffftttt!"









All in all, it added up to two beautiful costumes on two adorable kids (oh, the comments and praise and head-swelling...), and quite a respectable haul of candy. There aren't a lot of houses in our neighbourhood that leave their lights on, but those that do aren't stingy at all!






We also ran into the Vanier Beautification Committee, doing a walkabout, to promote safety and community spirit. As much as some days I don't like walking home through all the unsavoury areas, I really love that there is so much passion for turning our community into a safe and wonderful place in which our kids can grow up.






Post-Halloween, the nightly discussion is on how much of the stash we will letting the lion and skunkie eat, balancing between being bad parents who deprive their kids of the candy they worked "hard" for, and bad parents who let their small children eat candy. We're still duking it out between eating it all ourselves and getting fat and... I forget the other option. Pass the rockets.**












Despite living pretty close to downtown, we get a surprising assortment of wildlife in our backyard. Luckily, they're usually quite tame.


















* Guess what she gets to be next year?




** Jenny: we also got a nice amount of crap-in-my-mouth. YAY! Which Chris likes, too. Booo....

Wednesday 9 November 2011

The Sweetest Sound in the World

Our sweet little Ailsa is now walking briskly like people (almost running!), talking up a storm (last night's favourite word: unnnnyunnnn) (we made tacos, and she tried to fill up on raw onion during the chopping phase) and giving the Best Hugs Ever. (I call them ALF hugs. Picture ALF hugging someone: you see him squeeze them in, and then his hands pat their back. She does that.)

But, by far, her most lovely sound is "Mammy". She'll call for me if she can't see me, say it as a greeting, or even, when being held, smile, stroke my face with both hands and say it. Awwww.

However.

This is a child that can go from full-on unconscious, face down on her blankie, to standing upright and calling "Mammy. Mammy. Maaaaaa. Mammy. Maaaammy. Maaaammmy. Mammy! Mammy! Mammy....."

It's horrifyingly similar to this.

(but still pretty cute)

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