As is.

I like Ikea.  I LOVE Ikea showrooms.  I have come to a sad realization though.  The showroom is a lie.  The tidy, clean toddler room.  The immaculate kitchen.  The bathroom with no long hairs strewn about.  The laundry room that makes you WANT to iron something.  Everything looks "lived in" yet "perfect" - a combination that does not actually exist in real life.  I have decided that from now on instead of starting my Ikea shopping experience by lolling about dreamily through the showrooms, I am going to begin in the "As Is" section, since it is a far more accurate representation of reality, and how your furniture will look two months after bringing it home.

jbxo

Not fair.

I received wonderful news via email this week, that a lovely friend gave birth to a beautiful baby boy.  She included this photo in her email.  As happy as I am for her, I can't help but be rather perplexed that she looked this good just moments after giving birth.  I have reviewed photos of myself post-baby-birthing, and there was no such glow on my face.  My hair was a disaster... I think I was actually wearing my babushka for Nora's birth - poor girl.  I looked like I had been through a major battle... and lost.  I was pale, blotchy, shiny and altogether messy.  This must be why there were no photos included in my "welcome to the world" emails.

CONGRATULATIONS!

jbxo

Open.

I did it!  I finally went to the art supply store, purchased a pad of beautiful paper, and two proper drawing pens.  I sat at the dining room table.  I drew.

It felt really, really good.

Here it is.  This piece is called "Open".  I donated it to a silent auction at work.  Oddly enough, as good as it felt to draw it, it almost felt better to give it away.  I love the thought of something I created sitting in someone else's home.  A few more and I can open my Etsy shop.

jbxo

Ladybug.

I grew up on a farm in a small town. My dad is a farmer, he is now retired. My dad has the biggest hands you have ever seen. He is very social, and makes new friends wherever he goes. He once met a sweet couple at a coffee shop, and invited them back to our house for a visit. He couldn't understand why mom wasn't pleased. In the summer he makes trades from his garden with the local merchants for milk, bread and eggs. When I was 18 Canadian music legend Ronnie Hawkins was at our house to look at one of my dad's 1967 Chargers (for a period of time he collected them). Ronnie ended up at the kitchen table for a two hour visit. My dad worked hard his entire life, and even though he is now officially "retired" he has a full time job selling miscilaneous seed, because he likes to be out and about, talking to people. On the hottest, most awful days in the field when a truck would pull up dad would say: "Smile, everybody...". Dad wakes up every day happy, just because. Always has, and I hope he always will. He gets really embarrassed if you say: "I love you", and he won't say it back... but he hugs so tight it almost hurts. 

He doesn't like the city, or being in other peoples houses, so when they come for a visit he often leaves and goes for a drive. On one visit we went to a small town to look in some shops. My sister and I saw some ornamental ladybugs, and we fell in love with them. We left the store and continued on our way when out of nowhere dad presented us each with a tissue-wrapped surprise. He had bought us each a ladybug when we weren't looking. I keep that ladybug beside my bed, it is the first thing I see each morning. It reminds me to wake up every day happy, just because.

jbxo

Joe Joe.

This may seem like a gross exaggeration, but I swear, this ENTIRE conversation took place tonight before bed:

Julian:  "Mommy, tonight I would like to use my Sponge Bob Hair Pants toothpaste."

Me:  "Umm, it's Sponge Bob SQUARE Pants."

Julian:  "No, Noah says it's HAIR Pants Mommy, he is a piece of cheese."

Me:  "He is a SPONGE, Julian."

Julian:  "That's just silly, Mommy."

Later, keep in mind, he had been looking at my old Beetlejuice cards this weekend.

Julian:  "Mommy, why does Maplejuice eat bugs?"

Even Later, while being tucked into bed, I put his favourite mixed CD "DJ Duckie, Licence to Quack", and the song "Peanut Butter & Jelly" came on.

Julian (singing along):  "Peanut, peanut butter, and Joe Joe."

I couldn't even bear to correct him at this point.

jbxo