New Thing #51: An early post for the long weekend!

Well, this is unprecedented...I think. The LP are currently having a nap and aside from the ferociously loud noise of the washing machine, the house is very quiet. I'm getting ahead of the game by posting during the afternoon instead of late evening because I'm pretty sure I won't be able to post tomorrow and I can't spend this weekend mired in guilt over my dilatory posting habits. Before I get to our adventures (so far) today, allow me to explain...for those of you not in the know, this weekend is Thanksgiving, one of my all-time favourite holidays. Anything devoted to eating I can get behind. And probably get a bigger behind as a result. Yes, Thanksgiving comes much earlier in Canada. Probably because way back in Ye Olden Times, nobody could go anywhere near the end of November due to horrible weather and everyone sat around being unthankful that they couldn't go eat turkey at someone else's log-cabin house and drink mead or whatever pioneers drank (maple syrup vodka? how do I know, it's not like I was there and I'm pretty sure they don't cover that at Old Fort Wherever), and so someone decided it was a wise idea to move it up to the beginning of October. Or so my theory goes, anyway.

This weekend is going to be a very busy one for us. On Friday, the LP are going for a three-hour visit at daycare and then will be having a sleepover at Grammy and Grandpa's house while Auntie K, Auntie J and I revive our traditional "Sisters And Misters" evening of beverages with Daddy, Uncle L and Uncle M. For several years we would attend a local establishment after Thanksgiving dinner and find creative ways to get home at the end of the night (the pizza delivery man, paying some random guy $20 to drive us home, etc). We're bringing it back this year but this time we are going to Octoberfest in Kitchener-Waterloo and this time we have already made arrangements for staying over. I am very much looking forward to this because the last time I went to Octoberfest, I was pregnant with LP1 and obviously I was not raising a beer in toast to the oom-pa-pah music. In fact, it marked the last time I was able to wear normal person jeans before giving in and wearing maternity clothes. You may not know this, but in the earlyish days of pregnancy, right as you are starting to develop a tiny bump, pants that fit you in the morning absolutely do not fit you at night. So my much-beloved jeans at the time were fine when we left the house but by the end of the night I had to undo them because they were making an indent on my belly. I began to worry that the baby would be born with a button-shaped dent in his or her head and I decided it was time to get into the maternity pants. This is when I learned one of the more wonderful secrets of pregnancy: maternity pants are probably the most comfortable pants in the world. No other clothing is as supportive, flexible and comfortable...well, until the end of pregnancy when everything irritates you and you have like, one outfit you love and you cry when it is laundry day (or at least I did). But getting back to those jeans...they were my favourite. After LP1 was born and I was pregnant with LP2, I became convinced I would never, ever fit into them again and I ended up donating them because I didn't want to see these too-small jeans, mocking me in my closet. I am happy to say that I will be returning to Octoberfest this year in the same size, although in a different and far less superior pair.

What am I talking about? Oh, right, our weekend. So you know about Friday. On Saturday we will have Thanksgiving dinner with my side of the family at Grammy and Grandpa's house. My Uncle B is retiring after 30 years as a doctor and my Auntie M is hosting a retirement dinner for him on Sunday at a restaurant in...somewhere. I should probably fish out the invitation and figure out where. And on Monday we are having Thanksgiving dinner with Daddy's side of the family at Auntie S and Uncle J's house. I bet that come Tuesday, I will not be able to fit into my previously mentioned jeans, particularly if Daddy's Auntie M makes her world-famous trifle. I'm drooling at the thought of it. Although this will be a busy weekend, we will be surrounded by family and that is something I am very thankful for.

LP1 has been asking to go to a pet store again lately. I know that both kids love looking at animals and since I had to make a quick run to the grocery store, I thought I would make it easier on all of us by taking them there first. Since I wanted to make an outing of it, we went to the PetSmart on the mountain because it is huge and has both a doggie salon and a pet daycare, so there would be even more animals for the LP to look at.

On our way in...fortunately the LP haven't yet figured out that you can actually buy pets at the pet store. They just think it is a fun place to go see animals. I'm good with that.

Today was a great day in PetSmart. We saw brightly coloured fish, fluttering birds, kittens chasing one another, doggies getting haircuts, dogs chasing balls and pooping on the floor in the doggie day care (WHY do we always see animals pooping?!), guinea pigs and even dwarf pigs. The dwarf pigs were curiously compelling. They had hairy faces with little goatees and hairless bodies. They seemed a little shy but when they came out of their enclosures, they shivered uncontrollably. The sign next to their display stated they are loyal, intelligent and will do tricks to get treats.

I sent Daddy a message, asking him if we could get a dwarf pig for the low, low price of $89. He responded with an immediate "NO!" and then promptly called me to find out where we were and why we were looking at pigs. As much as part of me wanted to see his face when he came home to find a pig in the house, the other part of me knew who would be cleaning up after it and I have enough to do, thank you very much.

We eventually left the pet store and wandered into a clothing store. I was half-heartedly looking for  Thanksgiving outfits for the LP and maybe something new for myself. I think I need someone to come shopping with me, though, because I tend to dither over things and never make a decision, particularly when it comes to clothing for myself. There is just too much to look at. Sometimes I need someone to say "THIS! Try this on, it will look good on you!" I can usually make a snap decision on clothes for the LP but nothing jumped out at me today for any of us. We left and headed for the grocery store. As we were nearing the end of our shopping, everyone was getting tired. A pumpkin spice coffee for me and a pumpkin-themed cookie for the LP revived all of us long enough to complete our errand.

We were heading home from our morning out. The sun was shining, it was warming up and there was good music playing on the radio. I decided to pick up some grilled cheese sandwiches for lunch because hey, sometimes you just gotta break out of the routine and get a treat. Yes, I could have made some at home. All of us love grilled cheese, however, and there was just something compelling about cruising through the drive-thru and having lunch immediately provided for us. So I did just that and once we got home, we thoroughly enjoyed our lunch together.

LP1 has now arisen and I can hear LP2 playing in his crib. Thus ends the quiet. I hope you have a marvelous weekend, whether celebrating Thanksgiving or just doing whatever it is you do. I'll see you back here on Tuesday (remember, Monday is a holiday!)

 When I looked over my shoulder into the backseat earlier today, this is what I saw. Of everything I have been blessed with, Daddy and these two little people are the three things I am most grateful for in my life. I hope I will always remember to give thanks for them and not just on long weekends in October. HAPPY THANKSGIVING!