Best.Song.Ever

Well, for M anyway... I heart this song and love watching the video with M. He loves it, too!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cyVzjoj96vs

Christmas 2010

And just like that, Christmas is over. My main motivation this year was to really start creating traditions that we'll follow for years to come. I want M to have the same sort of "oh yeah, it's Christmas and this and that happens" memories that I have from my childhood.

D tracked down the elusive Le Creuset fondue pot so that sealed our new fate for Christmas Eve. On Christmas Day, we hosted my parents and my in-laws for dinner and I did a beef tenderloin with various carrot, spinach and potato recipes (all new to my repertoire) followed by Baileys chocolate mousse. On Boxing Day, we headed to my parent's house for the usual turkey dinner.

M was totally spoiled and loves his new Thomas the Tank Engine train table. He got a number of gifts that will be put away for another time and some that will be donated. He's a lucky kid so he needs to learn early that sharing with others is a very good thing.

In my family, we have a limit of $50 per person but each couple makes a $100 donation to charity. A few years back, gifts were getting out control and everyone was spending way too much money. The limit makes you THINK of what the recipient will want and the donation reminds everyone of what Christmas is actually all about. This is a fantastic tradition that I love and am so glad M is going to grow up knowing that Christmas is all about giving a little, getting a little and doing a whole lot of good.

A few weeks or months ago, a friend shared with me a story about her friend's almost 2 year old son who is battling brain cancer at Sick Kids. I spent hours reading her blog and I cannot stop thinking about this little family. So, my family directed their charitable donations this year to Sick Kids and doing a little token gift for the boy. Heart. It's a small thing but one of those things that makes me feel good to know that all of us are sending healing thoughts to someone who will never know us and that maybe, just maybe, that small donation will help the hospital find a cure.

All in all, we had a fabulous little Christmas!

Scrooge.

This picture basically sums up the extent of the

Christmas spirit that is floating around our house this year.

Bah humbug.

Feeling Better...

I had a horrible sleep last night and decided to call in sick to work today. I figured I could do with a "me" day and nurse my wounds.

D took M to daycare and I lay in for a few extra hours and then got down to some therapeutic cleaning & laundry. I made a big list of things to do and managed to get a bunch of random tasks completed.

The one thing I didn't manage to do? Make dinner. I'm waiting for the call and then I'm ordering gourmet burgers from the Burger Shoppe, which I'll walk to grab.

Oh well, the main floor is tidy and all ready for a Christmas tree!

I was in a car accident today. With M. Holy F*CK. Hands down, today will go down in the books as the scariest day of my life.

M & I were heading to my parent's house to spend the morning decorating a gingerbread house with my Mum. We were driving in the middle lane of the DVP when the car ahead of me put on their brakes. I had to brake hard and swerve to avoid ramming straight into the back of the car. I looked to my right and the slow lane was full of cars. I looked to the left and thought the car was empty. I swerved into the lane but there was a car in my blind spot. We made contact and I was pushed back towards the middle lane where I struck the car I was trying to avoid.

The whole thing took seconds but the event is going to stick with me for a very long time. I watched M via my rearview mirror and saw him being jostled in his seat from the impacts. He was totally fine but stunned into silence. There is no way the impact & noise didn't startle him. I pulled over and immediately checked him over. He gave me a smile as if to say "WTF" but I couldn't stop shaking. I am still going over every last detail and can't stop the 'what ifs' from crawling into my head.

Everyone was okay. The cars were not and not one could be driven. Not the end of the world, right? We are so very lucky that nobody was hurt today and I am so thankful that nothing bad happened to M. I don't know what I would have done if things didn't turn out just the way they have.

Just yesterday, I was looking at M in the car seat and thinking how pleased I was that we have made it to 20 months rear facing. Of course, this was after D bonked his head while attempting to get him into the seat and M was screaming his head off. Yes, it's a PITA at times but it is the SAFEST way for M to travel in the car. D has suggested many times we turn him around and I always said I just wasn't ready yet. Mummy instinct? Definitely. My goal was to keep M rear facing until his 2nd birthday. Now? Longer.

Did you know your car seat needs to be replaced if it is involved in a car accident of moderate to more severity? We've already purchased M's new seat (again, a Britax Advocate CS) and I am so happy that the 2010 will allow M to stay rear facing until he is 40lbs (and 49") instead of the old 35lb limit.

Alas, we are all okay. D was amazing today and kept me calm (sort of) and sane. He encouraged me to relax and take it as it came. M is now sleeping soundly upstairs and luckily, the laughs and hugs were plentiful today. That said, horrible day and I wish to never experience anything like it ever again.

Let it Snow!

How is it already December 1st?! Yikes!

I'm really excited for Christmas this year. M is almost 20 months and will definitely be more aware of what's going on this year. We were still finding our feet this time last year so it's really important to me that we create & establish our family traditions this year.

Right now, I'm obsessing about creating a great, family-oriented Christmas Eve that will become "our" tradition for years to come. I will carry on my family tradition of the gift of new pajamas on Christmas Eve but I'm really eager to buy a fondue set so we can do a traditional fondue as our Christmas Eve dinner. We can all hang out watching Christmas shows in our new pajamas and just relax before the big day.

I picked up his yearly ornament and I know we'll be hiding it at the back of the tree! For a kid obsessed with Thomas the Tank Engine, this one will be a hit. I can't wait until we buy our tree and decorate it. M will love all the ornaments & lights!

We had a few snowflakes fall today so that is pushing me in the right direction. The holiday mood is sinking in and I'm getting excited!