The End Is In Sight!

Tonight we are in Regina, SK. Some may understand the title of this post as quite literal. Saskatchewan is said to be so flat that you can watch your dog run away fro days, so even though we have about a day of driving yet, the end may be in sight!

We are staying at another Travelodge. I realized tonight this is the 3rd one on the trip. I guess they must be pretty good. I couldn't get a cheaper rate tonight, though I tried, but since we had gained an hour just before we stopped yesterday & then another one this afternoon, & we had driven almost 800 km, we decided that we'd just take the room here. It's the first night on the trip we've had to pay over $100 for a room, which overall is pretty good. Chad still thinks that's high, but I think he's just out of touch w/ how much hotels cost.

The perks of our hotel are:

• Swimming pool
• hot tub
• waterslide
• kiddie play area

So, yes the perks are pretty much all pool related, but really, who has time to do much more in the evenings anyways? We have to tire Asher out after a day of sitting in the car, what better way than a pool? A bath just doesn't cut it on days like this.

We stopped for coffee this morning in Kenora at a coffee shop called HoJoes. It was listed in our hotel book as a "Vancouver Style Coffee House." It lived up to it's name! It was some of the best coffee I've had in a long time. Strathroy had a coffee shop, but they seemed to go about things as cheaply as possible, & when you are making a latte for someone, that just doesn't cut it, my friend!

Anyways, back to the pool! Asher enjoyed the waterslide a bit more tonight. It wasn't as fast as last night's was, & it wasn't a brand new experience either. We have a pretend phone in the car for Asher to play w/ & he "called" Grandma Vos to tell her all about the pool & waterslide he went on last night. It was very cute & obviously left an impression on him.

In the kiddie play area there was a cave that lead up to a normal tube slide (w/o water) & it took some convincing & daddy to go w/ him, but Asher finally went down that slide as well. Chad said it was a good thing he had gone down the slide w/ him b/c since they were wet (the kiddie area was in w/ the pool area) the slide was really fast & Chad landed on his bottom at the bottom & it did not feel too pleasant. Plus it was quite a ways that you had to walk in the tunnel, & who knows if Asher would have made it the whole way up alone. It was pretty squishy in there as well, Chad reported.

So, we MIGHT be able to make it all the way to Lethbridge tomorrow, but it would be a long day to do it. We aren't sure if we are up for that long of a day w/ the most boring part of the drive still ahead of us. Besides, why not have another night at a hotel w/ a pool & possibly a waterslide?

One Thing I've Learned

On this trip there are many things I've learned, such as:

• I'm not as patient as I'd like to think I am.... especially when I am tired & hot. I just get cranky & snappy.
• I really, really like specialty coffee & it's not so easy to find when you are in the middle of nowhere (although I knew this before the trip too, but it's VERY evident now).
• Hotel rates are not set in stone.

This last one is a tricky one b/c we all know about AAA/CAA rates being lower than normal hotel rates, but did you know that if you hem & haw just a little, they will sometimes offer you an even LOWER rate? Our first hotel's rate was $120. They offered me $110 w/CAA, but then I asked how that compared to other rates in town & she said, "well, I can actually offer you $100." It came through as "Rate of the Day" on the bill, so it's worth asking for at Travelodges.

Tonight we stopped at a Holiday Inn & I asked about rates & they offered me $120, or $110 w/ CAA. I asked if there was anything cheaper & he simply said no, so we left. We went to a Days Inn & they offered $120 w/ CAA & I simply asked if she could give me a room for under $100, say $99 & she said, "sure." So It's definitely worth asking for cheaper or naming your price (as long as it's a reasonable price for a room) They'd rather have you there for a little less, than not have you there at all.

I am a bit surprised that they have cheaper rates though b/c it is Canada Day weekend, but perhaps we are just stopping at hotels that aren't full & that's working to our advantage.

Our hotel tonight has a swimming pool, a kiddie pool, a hot tub & a waterslide. We took advantage of them & tired Asher out. he went to bed easily & has been sleeping for the last hour or so. Much better than last night. Chad had to lay on the floor by his playpen for nearly an hour until he fell asleep. He just hadn't expended enough energy & wasn't very tired. We made up for that today by stopping for lunch at a rest area & letting him run around for awhile & then going swimming this evening. (The waterslide was pretty fun for all of us, though Asher took quite a bit of convincing to go on it).

Are We There Yet?

We are in Marathon, Ontario tonight. We have travelled about 1200 of 3500 kilometres on our trip. It feels like we've gone much further. Chad mentioned today that he already is not looking forward to making this trip again in 3 months. I agree.

Trips like this used to be fun, but now I am constantly having to turn around in my seat & being 7 months pregnant it's not too comfortable to try to reach for toys & books that have been thrown down on the floor. Asher's actually being fairly well behaved, until we get out of the car. He just wants to run & be crazy, but who can blame him? After 4 hours of having to sit still in the car seat we all want to run around & be crazy.

Driving is proving to be less than enjoyable for Chad as well b/c of the trailer. We can't use the cruise control b/c it makes the car work too hard, so Chad has to drive w/ his foot on the accelerator the whole time rather than being able to move a bit to get more comfortable.

Right now Asher is standing in his crib saying, "hi, Mummy!" over & over. We have set chairs on the table & draped a blanket over the top so he can't see us. Having to share a room w/ a toddler who has not expended enough energy over the course of the day, is not a whole lot of fun.

There will be no TV watching before bed. I always feel a bit sorry for the people on either side of us when we are in hotels. Asher is great at going to sleep at home now, but I think he saves all his bad nights for hotels. I suppose it makes sense since his routine is all askew.

Wish us luck on this trip, that we get the sleep we need.......

I Think I'm Ready To Move

Last night we got a call from the U-Haul guy saying that the closest place that had a trailer of the size we had reserved was 2 hours away. Well, we had ordered the smallest trailer b/c we have a VW Jetta to pull it with, so getting a bigger trailer wasn't really an option. His offer was to cut the price from $250 to $100 for the week.....

So Chad has gone to get our cheaper trailer! I declared it unfair that he gets to go driving for 4 hours this morning while I have to stay home & pack & clean, but then I remembered that I would have the computer, so I decided that I'd check emails & blog a bit!

So, now I have a few loads of laundry going, everything is pretty much packed, & I basically only have vacuuming to do, which I will wait until everything is pretty much out of here to do b/c you can't really vacuum w/ boxes everywhere. I'd show you a picture of all our boxes, but the cord for the camera is packed & I don't really know how to connect it to the laptop. Maybe I'll get them up in a few days.

Surprisingly, our phone has been disconnected already. I ordered it to be done today & they kept saying it would be done by 5 pm. I checked it at 9am & it had already been done. It figures that if you need a phone connected they'll wait until the last minute, but to get it disconnected it's done right away so you can't make anymore calls!

Tomorrow we head out on our way from Ontario to Alberta! It's supposed to be a 42 hour drive. We're going through Canada b/c we've never been that way before. It adds about 8 hours onto the trip, but since we have a trailer full of stuff we figured it doesn't make sense to cross the boarder if we don't have to.

I'm actually really looking forward to the trip both b/c it's seeing things we haven't seen before, & b/c we'll have lots of time to think about the calls we have received from churches. We don't really know where the Lord is leading us, so we have to really pray & figure out what His will is for us. We have 3 really good offers & we just don't know what our decision is.

So for the next week I'll be at the mercy of hotel internet. Hopefully most the ones we stay at will have wireless so I can still post about all the exciting things we do & see on our "big trip" as Asher has been calling it.

Packing Up

Chad & I are busy packing up all our stuff. It's a bit of a struggle, but we are making really good progress. We have taken all the boxes out of the storage room & gone through all the baby stuff to decide what we'll need in Alberta & what we can wait for.

We've packed all the things in the laundry room which included all the kitchen things like the rice cooker, crock pot, corningware, etc. We had to stop at that point b/c we started getting carried away & headed toward the kitchen stuff. At one point had we kept going we'd have nothing to eat for breakfast the next few days.

The items from the desk have been packed, which has become an issue already b/c all the rubberbands are gone.... How are we supposed to wrap electrical cords now? We did leave out a few pens, but we don't really have any paper to write things on..... I suppose we could write ourselves notes on boxes, but w/ our luck the box would get moved & we'd have no idea where that person's phone number went.......

All the books & art got packed before the weekend & now our living room echoes.... echoes... echoes....

Asher is enjoying being at daycare this week. Yesterday he managed to talk his way out of a nap there, but fell asleep on the couch about 20 minutes before we picked him up. This resulted in him sleeping in 'til quarter after 7 this morning! Of course b/c he is always awake at quarter 'TIL 7 most mornings, I woke up then & couldn't get back to sleep......

This morning Asher woke up & asked to play w/ his trucks, BUT we got a little carried away in packing his room yesterday & the only toys that are left are ones that we are going to get rid of, so there were no trucks. We did leave about 1/2 of his books out, but since he couldn't play w/ toys while we got ready, one of us had to read to him while the other got ready this morning, so we were a bit later than usual. That's ok though, we aren't really in a huge rush.

It's been really enjoyable having Chad around w/o Asher. I know that sounds bad, but normally one of us is preoccupied w/ Asher so we don't really spend all that much time talking & just BEING together.

This morning we got started packing our room. We're pretty much done, though it was not a whole lot of fun. We had to go through all our clothes & decide what we're going to wear in the next 2 months, pack THAT stuff to take to Alberta, & then pack the rest of the stuff for storage. For me, that consists of maternity clothes & post-maternity clothes.... It's not so easy to decide what clothes are going to fit after you have the baby, when you are currently 7 months pregnant.... How skinny will you be 2 weeks after your baby is born? What clothes (that you haven't even THOUGHT about looking at in the last 5 months) will you be able to/want to wear in 2 months?

Pretty much all that's left now is the washroom & the rest of the kitchen stuff. That shouldn't take us too long. We have 'til Thursday night when all the people come to load the trailer, but I think we should be able to be done sometime tomorrow. It's nice that we are so good at packing b/c I would NOT like to feel rushed doing this. It's nice to be able to relax in the evenings & not feel like we should be packing. Besides, I'm PREGNANT! I should be taking it easy, eh?

Oh, He's A Funny One!

Last night I found this blog. I was telling Chad how interesting it was that I found the blog of a woman whose husband is in the ministry, she has a son born in June 2006, & is 30 weeks pregnant (Since I also have a husband in the ministry, a son born June 2006 & am 31 weeks pregnant).


Chad's response? "Are you sure you weren't reading your own blog?"


He does keep me laughing!

Our Last Saturday

The day started as a typical Saturday. Asher woke up saying he wanted to go to McDonald's for Pancakes (he knows the routine). So, once were all ready, off we went. It was raining a bit when we left, but we were hoping that the showers would be over by afternoon b/c today was also our church picnic day.

After breakfast we decided to head to Sarnia b/c Chad has not been to the animal petting farm yet (& it's free), so off we went. I rained some more on our way, but we figured that Asher would be in the stroller, so as long as it wasn't actually raining when we got to there it would be ok.

Well, we kinda got sidetracked. First we went to Starbucks. Then we were right next to Goodwill, so I though we should just pop in & see if I could find some maternity shorts. I didn't find anything there, but I was still in the mood to look & since Value Village was just down the street, we figured we could have a look there too. Once again, no luck, but we were right next to Staples & we've been contemplating getting a GPS, so we thought we'd have a look.

We finally got on our way again & saw the CAA, so we stopped there to get maps for our trip from Ontario to Alberta since we don't have a Canadian atlas & maps are free. Then we went on our merry little way. But Janene had mentioned that she had found some maternity shorts at a consignment shop in Sarnia, so we had to go there.... On our way, Chad saw a sign that the pet shop had puppies, so we HAD to bring Asher in to see those (he was more interested in the fish).

I had no luck at the consignment shop either, but I did get a few longer maternity shirts since mine are starting to show a band of belly which I am not too crazy about. It was getting on 12 o'clock at this point, so we decided to stop for lunch.

After a delicious Subway sub (& cookies) we hightailed it for home since Asher tends to fall asleep in the car immediately after lunch & will not transfer to bed for the remainder of hios nap. So we drove home & kept bugging Asher to keep him awake until we got there so he could have a good nap.

Chad headed off to the chuch picnic shortly thereafter since council was planning a softball game against the youth. Asher & I joined him after naptime. The rain held off until just after the game was over & then it started thundering & pouring & FREEZING! Luckily I had decided against shorts for Asher & I, but Chad was wearing shorts & had no coat, so he was pretty cold.

We stayed just long enough for dinner & then came back home. I think most people were doing the same thing b/c it was pretty miserable & cold & most people were not really prepared for that kind of weather. We came home & gave Asher his bath & Chad & I both commented how nice it would be if we could have a bath as well, but there's just not enough room! (This is a picture of Asher a year ago in his tub. We only have a shower, so we had to improvise.)

A New Timeline

The other day I had another OB appointment. I am to the point where I see a different doctor everytime I go so that I can meet them all before I have the baby. O f course, I'm not having the baby here, but they didn't know that, so I was meeting them.

The last time I was there, the doctor asked if I was small when I was pregnant w/ Asher too. Well, I don't know really. I didn't gain a whole lot of excess weight, but I certainly got a big belly by the end. Then she asked if I was on a 28 day cycle.... well, not so much. So she changed my due date.

This time I saw a male doctor, & he said that since the ultrasound pictures had been a bit small for the time frame & I was more than 28 days, the new due date was August 21 instead of Aug 10. Then he asked if I was ok w/ that. Let me tell you, people are not expecting to hear that you'd rather have the baby inside for longer b/c it's quieter that way!

I am GREAT w/ having the baby later for that reason, but it does change things a bit for taking a call to a church somewhere. Our timeline has kinda been that we'd be in Alberta until the end of August & then move to wherever we are going, but I REALLY don't want to drive across the country 10 days after I have the baby, although at that point it will probably sleep most the way, nights will probably be another story. Asher was awake almost every 2 hours & was a Looooong nurser. That could make for an interesting trip.

It's Real Life

I'm having a go at the "It's Real Life" blog party. Here are pics from my real life (keep in mind that b/c we are packing to move, things are probably a bit messier/tidier than they would normally be in real life!) Without further ado, here's my real life:








Fridge:
Usually the fridge would be covered w/ pictures & magnets, but since my fridge died recently, it's been clean ever since.



The inside has less stuff than normal b/c we are moving & I'm TRYING to use up what we have.


Closet:
Chad & my closet. We came from a house where we each had our own closet this size.... I think we are doing pretty well sharing it!

Kitchen Sink:No dishwasher, so those dishes are drying. I decided if I have to wash after every meal, I am NOT drying the dishes too.

Toilet:Here's our throne.

Favourite Shoes:
I'm glad it's getting warm enough again!

Favourite Room In The House:
I like to sit in the bit chair & read/watch TV after Asher's in bed.

What Asher's Doing Right Now:
He's not in his jammies, but I didn't want to wake him, so here's an older pic. Imagine he's 2 months older.

Laundry Pile:
Not much here b/c I just did it yesterday, but I am anal enough to have it sorted into darks & lights.

Self Portrait:
Here I am!

Hot Feet

For the last few nights I have had a TERRIBLE time getting to sleep. I always have a problem w/ my feet being hot at night, it's kinds of a funny issue b/c quite often I'll go to bed w/ FREEZING cold feet so I'll put socks on, only to have to remove them 1/2 way through the night b/c my feet are too hot. This issue runs in my family as well. My brother always sleeps w/ his feet out of the covers & I think we both get that from Mom (Hi, Mom!).

So, last night I went to bed, no socks. My feet were sufficiently warm. After an hour of hanging my feet out of the covers, I finally had to get up & douse them w/ a cold washcloth. It didn't have much effect, but it felt pretty good at the time. I did realise that my feet were all swollen as well (one thing about pregnancy I could do w/o). FINALLY I was able to get to sleep.

I told Chad about it this morning & his reply was, "but the room was COLD! I had the window open all night." Yes, the room was cold, I was a little chilly, but my feet? Not so much. I do recall this hot feet problem from when I was pregnant w/ Asher & could quite often be found sitting on the front porch w/ my feet in a 5 gallon bucket of water to cool off my tootsies.

I think I may fill the hot water bottle w/ cold water & try that tonight. It's not like the weather has been that hot... just my feet!

There Are Worse Things Than Bushy Eyebrows

Today Chad was gone for the day. I spent almost all of Asher's waking hours reading him books. We read a few over & over, & then we moved on to some that I rarely read. He has enough books so that this can last for a very, very long time.

We were reading a book about animals that separates them into different kinds (Mammals, Fish, etc.). We got to the Reptiles page & Asher says "there's Daddy!" & points to the snake. He wanted to read the book again later & repeated again, "there's Daddy!" & once again pointed at the snake.

I'm not too sure where he got that idea from, but I suppose that it's better that he thinks I have bushy eyebrows than that I am a snake!

Maybe It's Time To Get Them Waxed

Tonight Asher was playing with his toys & I heard him saying, "looks like Mummy's eyes," over & over.... at least that's what I THOUGHT he was saying. When I got closer, I realized he was saying, "Looks like Mummy's eyes-brows."

So I looked at what he was playing with..... I know I don't keep my eyebrows as groomed as I should, but come on! I CAN'T look THIS bad!

A Few Asher-isms

Last night Asher & I took Chad out to Dinner @ Jack Astor's. They were having a special deal where if you ordered a Heineken, you got a free beer glass. Always ones to get free stuff, we went out to celebrate Father's Day!

We had just gotten out of the car & Chad was asking me if we were going to sit outside or inside, so he'd know if he'd need his sunglasses. Asher piped up, "Sit outside!" & promptly sat down in the parking lot. That boy DOES have good listening skills, I just wish he'd use them as much when we tell him "no."

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As I was putting Asher to bed last night, I asked him if he wanted the cow blanket or the purple blanket. He almost always chooses the cow blanket, so I started to put it on him. He said, "no, PURPLE blanket!" So I put the purple blanket on him instead. He was laying down in the crib, put his feet up in the air, & declared, "SU-PER Asher!"

Yes, we have a strange kid. Chad attributes it to the fact that he spends the bulk of his time with me. I have no comment.

Trying to Pack

I have been given the ok to pack from Chad. This is a good thing since we are moving in 2 weeks! I am a little worried though that we aren't going to make it out in time. You see, we have a storage room that is full of boxes. Some are 1/2 packed b/c we pulled some things out of them when we moved in, but we didn't unpack everything b/c we moved from a 3 bedroom house w/ basement, to a 2 bedroom apartment & we have less room here then we did before....

SO, not only do we have to pack the things that are UNPACKED, we also have to go through all the boxes in the storage room to fill the holes back in on the boxes that are 1/2 packed..... not only that, but since we are moving to Chad's parents for a few months, & are going to have the baby there, we have to have all the baby clothes & equipment along that we will need there, plus non-maternity clothes & maternity clothes for me.

Part of my task is also to look through all the boxes marked "Baby Stuff" & sort through it for things we will want in Alberta. To give you an idea of why this task is a bit daunting to me, here is a few pictures of the storage room. Keep in mind that this is all stuff that DIDN'T get unpacked. I still have to pack everything that we have had out in the last year!


*sigh* I think I'm procrastinating.

Baby Asher Has Stinky Pants....

.....Every morning.... at 6am!

So, I need some advice. Is there a way to change your child's poo habits? We have a night-light in Asher's room that is on a timer & he knows he can't get out of bed until it comes on at 7, but he has been waking up early b/c he's been filling his pants. So I have had to get up & change him & put him back into bed amid much protestations every morning.

I'd really like to get him to do his dirty business at a different time of the day, but I don't know how to get his bowels on a different schedule. One morning I told him I wished he wouldn't poo every morning & the next morning he didn't, but I don't think that will always work.

So, any advice?