Sunday morning thoughts

Before I skipped off to make Sunday morning pancakes ...

- For what it is worth, the Canadian consummer has taken no heed to the pending or already arrived US recession. I was at the mall yesterday, spending a $50 gift certificate my husband had received from retailer while he was at gymnastic with 3 of the four kiddos, and had the hardest time finding parking - it was almost Christmas like in that parking lot.

- At what point am I no longer allowed to use the 'Courtesy Parking' that is located very close to the mall entrance. The sign is clear that the parking is for expecting mothers and parents with infants. Is Sean, now 7.5 months, still an infant? Do I have until 12 months to fit within that category? I actually think, Courtesy Parking spaces should be for mothers who are nuts enough to go to the mall alone with three or more kiddos, under the age of six. Parking lots are very dangerous places - pregnant or non-walking infants, what is the need?

To Kathy, one of my university housemates (which to Cdns might give away the school) who now lives in a very cold, yet civilized part of Canada with her two beautiful daughters (btw - loved the picture you sent, your newest is adorable and your eldest is so much like you!)

- homework on Fridays (which wasn't done this past Friday because of a snow afternoon and I instead had the two neighbours' kids over - 7 and 4 for a movie afternoon so their mom with a bad headache could have a nap (am I nuts?) ... Kathleen gets a few excercises every Friday. It changed lately to a simple page of writing down words that have a certain sound (last week was 'R') as well as a 'spelling' test of sorts of simple 3 or 4 letter words. The idea of the test is to learn phonetic sounds and not necessarily the goal to teach kiddos to spell correctly every time. Kathleen loves to spell so she is, I think, quite good at this part. (I, of course, have nothing to compare so for all I know she might be way behind too - doubt it, as the teacher would have told me, right?) We will do homework this afternoon. Andrew will practice drawing lines and I am hoping he will attempt to hold a pencil properly.

- the sling from a few posts ago is an Ella Roo wrap - oragami for babywearing. It is a lot of fun to wrap him up and with a wrap there seems to be little prospect of him pitching out of the sling. I have even hoisted Deckles onto my back to go to school - he fell asleep on my back on the way home, I guess it is very comfortable.