Pub Food

Last night was MUCH better. Asher only woke up twice, & I think he was not aware that we were in the room with him b/c when he did get up he looked toward the door & directed his comments towards it.

However, I didn't sleep well at all. I guess all the walking we did yesterday coupled with the fact that I've been a bit of a couch potato of late, made for a very sore back! Finally at about 1am I decided it was time for some drugs. I took a Tylenol & within the hour, was drifting softly towards dreamland. I was a bit hesitant to take the Tylenol b/c I only have a limited number in my purse, but the pain was so bad & the drugs worked so well, that I went to the shops today & purchased some Paracetamol which is the UK equivalent. I am now a happy camper again.... just waiting to be rid of the stuffy nose.

We are staying in the quaint town of Ballina/Killalae, Ireland. We had a delicious Pub dinner this evening, & Asher amazed us all by eating a whole pizza all by himself! I asked the proprietor of the B&B where we are staying where she recommended for dinner & she gave us a highly recommended Chinese place, or the Pub. Chinese sounded really good to my pregnant cravings, but when I asked Chad which he'd prefer, a little boy piped up, “PUB food!” So off we went to the pub. The prices were a bit steep, but Chad & I decided to share since we both wanted the same type of food (quite a rare thing since I usually want pasta) & we could afford a delicious Apple Crumble as well!

**In case you were wondering about my new handbag, I still love it, & I informed Chad today that even if I don't find any other souvenirs on this trip, I will still be happy b/c I am SO chuffed w/ my new bag!

An Eventful Day in Dublin

Oh boy! Last night was a doozy! Asher went to bed fine around 8pm, but then woke up repeatedly crying that he wanted to come out, “please out!” Until we finally just let him cry. I felt really bad for the people next door b/c it was after midnight, but I could hear someone snoring the whole time, so they must not have been too bothered by all the noise. We sure were though. I think we got about 6 hours sleep. Today Asher never got a real nap, so we are hoping it goes better tonight.

We decided to stay at the B&B for 2 nights since it is a short train ride into Dublin. Today we parked the car at the station & went into the city to see what we could see. Now, first I should tell you that as we were leaving London, I said to Chad, “we don't really need the stroller b/c we'll be in the car the whole time, right?” Ummm, not so much. We walked all around Dublin today, well as much as you can w/ a small child who can't decide if he wants to walk or be carried, but never the one that he is actually doing at the moment. Chad was great about carrying him, seeing as it's a bit difficult since I have my own little bundle I am carrying around as well.

We went to a few shops, & in the first one we stopped at I got a new bag which I am quite chuffed with. It's a Guinness bag (how cool is that?) & I can chuck my purse & the camera in it w/ plenty of room to spare, yet it isn't a real big bag that I'll get tired of hauling around. Also, I can throw it on one shoulder OR attach the longer handle to carry it more on my back. Can you tell that I just LOVE my new bag?

We looked at a few pay-as-you-go mobile phones & decided to get one b/c it's pretty hard to come by a phone box when you need one, & it seems like no one knows where one is either. I suppose that makes sense b/c everyone has a mobile phone nowadays. It was a pretty good price, & the piece of mind we have is excellent. What we really should have done is bring Chad's mobile w/ us & merely bought a new SIM card, but we didn't think of it. Next time we'll remember to bring everything.

Speaking of forgetting things, I realized as I was getting up in the morning that I had forgotten to pack the most essential items. Something I can't borrow from Chad, & something that isn't especially easy to just pick up at the shops..... Have you guessed what I forgot yet? You bet, my bras! So today along with looking for souvenirs & mobile phones, we were bra shopping, something I dread at the best of times, let alone in a strange country where you don't know the stores & we're supposed to be on holidays, enjoying ourselves! Well, we did find a store that was having a huge sale & I even got a bra for 50cents! Not too shabby!

When we were leaving the shopping area it was POURING! WE noticed on the way in that there were rickshaw-type cabs that said “free ride” on the backs, so we found one parked a short ways from the shopping centre & the driver informed us that the ride really was free, & we didn't have to pay b/c it's a promotion done by 7Up Free. It's some new beverage that has no sugar & no calories or something. Great advertising, but I don't like 7Up, so sadly I won't be buying their product. I love the idea though, & if I lived around there I'd definitely tell others about it as well.

We got back to the car park & we weren't sure what to do b/c it was only about 2:15 & Asher was quite tired, yet we didn't really want him to sleep b/c we are hoping to get him on the time schedule here. Not to worry, apparently we parked where we weren't supposed to, & our car got CLAMPED!!! There goes a day of the vacation budget! But how do you call to get your car unclamped w/o a working mobile phone? Send a pretty girl into a nearby shop to ask if she can use the phone of course! After Chad had tried to get the guy at the train station to call w/o any luck, he was quite upset by the day's events, so off I went & 10 minutes later emerged poorer, but the situation was sorted. We waited in the car about 40 minutes & the man came & removed the clamp. Lesson learned, money burned!

I really hope tomorrow isn't as eventful as today, however, I am really, really chuffed with my new bag!

From England to Dublin

This morning our friends that we are staying with brought us to the tube station to go to Heathrow. On the way to the station we ran into the same issue we have had everytime we have flown with Asher. Day one in a new place, he gets sick. So this time it was in the car. Luckily it all managed to stay on him & in the car seat we were borrowing. Fairly easy to clean, but times like that always make me wish we had stayed home. Things would be a lot easier to deal with on our own turf. So, we got to the station & I pulled Asher into a dark corner & gave him a new set of clothes. I suppose it was better that he did it in the car rather than in the tube, if he had waited 15 more minutes it would have been all over me as well as the carriage. We got to the airport without any further problems & flew off to Dublin.

Once we got to Dublin we had to get our rental car & B&B vouchers. We had purchsed a travel pack from a travel agent b/c we thought it was a great deal to get a weeks worth of B&B vouchers along with a car rental for the week. We are already beginning to rethink that option. When we lived in England & we had people come to tour around w/ us we adopted a system of driving around & then stopping when we saw a B&B that looked good at the right time of day. This requires a bit more planning since you are supposed to call ahead (not easy to do when you are dependant upon phone boxes, which we have found to be fairly scarce). And there are a limited number of B&Bs that take the vouchers. So, we've learned a valuable lesson, next time go on our own rather than doing the voucher thing.

To Answer Meghann's Questions

"What are your feelings about your impending bundle of joy? are you hoping for a boy or girl? do you have any names picked out? what does asher think about a baby coming?"

Well, I am both excited & apprehensive about the new baby.... I really enjoy being pregnant, I don't really have much to complain about. I've had stomach issues for the past 5 years, so being pregnant isn't that much more uncomfortable.... plus, you get to feel a little person wiggling around inside of you, that's definitely the coolest part!

I am kind of hoping for another boy. I have 2 older brothers & I am the youngest, so why not try to have the perfect family? *smile* I would like to have a girl as well, but I think Asher would really enjoy having a brother to play with first. Whatever we get, we'll be happy. I think if we have a girl though, there might be the temptation to stop after 2, & we both would like to have 3 kids. I'm just not too terribly great with kids, so there is that to overcome!

We do have names picked out. When we were having Asher we figured we were probably going to have a boy b/c we just couldn't agree on a boys name until about a week before he was born. This time we have agreed & we like them, so we have no inkling of what we'll be having. Of course, you'll just have to wait until the baby's born to find out the names b/c if we told you now, who's to say they won't get stolen? We like unique names, & these are definitely that.

Asher doesn't really get it that we are going to have a baby. We've told him there's a baby in Mummy's belly, but then he also says there's a baby in Daddy's belly. He gives kisses to the baby, but he aims a little high (if you get what I mean) he is all boy!

Today I was complaining that I couldn't eat all my pizza b/c my belly was too big & all on his own Asher said there was a baby in Mummy's belly, so I suppose we are making some progress there. I just don't know what he's going to think about it when the baby comes home & Mummy's belly is flat again. He's been having some issues with sitting on my lap for bedtime. It's quite rapidly decreasing in size & it's getting harder & harder for him to get comfy on it.

We're Ready To Go!

I thought I should do a post before we are off, since I don't think I'll be able to do much blogging once we leave. We are off to Toronto as soon as Asher wakes up from his nap & then we fly to London tonight. We get in tomorrow & then Wednesday we're off to Ireland for a week. I keep worrying about how this is going to go & thinking it would be EASY if we weren't taking Asher, but part of the point of the trip is so the people we lived with over there can see Asher (and so when Asher is older we can say, "What do you mean we never take you anywhere? We took you to England & Ireland!")

I'm hoping to take lots of pictures & I'll post some when we get back. Of course we are leaving beautiful weather here. It's about 15C right now & going to where the high will be about 5C. *sigh* Just when I start enjoying the weather we leave, but hopefully it'll still be here when we get back & I'll appreciate it even more then.

Laundress

Stupid Laundry.... where do you come from, & how can you breed so quickly? I just did 3 loads 4 days ago, & now must do 4 more?

Packing Bug

Whenever we are on the verge of moving (read: within 4 months or so) I get the packing bug. This really drives Chad crazy b/c I start to pack things that I think we don't use, leading to oddly packed boxes b/c I have a space & all spaces must be filled. Sometimes when we unpack a box, the contents must be delivered to 3 or more rooms....
It also leads to things being packed that I am unaware that Chad uses. For instance, last time we moved, Chad was doing all the cooking & I wasn't. I packed most of the kitchen utensils b/c I figured he wasn't using them. We then had to unpack 3 boxes to find the pancake flipper.
I have officially caught the packing bug again. Chad has forbidden me from packing any more boxes since he came home to 5 boxes of videos sitting on the couch. I asked him to put them away & since we are living in a small apartment, our storage room is already filled nearly to capacity. He had to stack those beautiful Huggies boxes behind the couch in our living room.
His point was, that A-we don't have the space, & B-we aren't moving for another 2.5 months. However, with our trip to England & numerous trips to Grand Rapids, a whole month is cut out of that time frame. But he assures me that our stuff will get packed, we will move on time, & I have nothing to worry about...... It's hard, but I'm really going to try to quit now.

What would you like to know?

In an attempt to come up with something interesting to write (and something interesting for you to read), I have decided to ask you, Dear Reader, what you would like to know about me. Perhaps this will initiate some communication as I have no idea who reads this, or how many people read this. I admit that this is getting out of thinking for myself, but the way my memory has been (not) working lately, that's probably a good thing. I await your responses (and hope I get some, or I will be very depressed).

The madness is soon to begin......

.....And they call it vacation! Hah! Wednesday we will be starting our successive trips. We're going to Grand Rapids to visit some friends & Chad will be attending the Festival of Faith & Writing which he has wanted to go to for a few years, but since the Seminary never gave them time off to attend it, he was never able to. Hence, this year, we're going. We'll be coming back home late Saturday night, then Chad has to preach at 2 different churches Sunday.
Not bad so far, eh? But Monday we leave for 2 weeks to England (with a side trip to Ireland). I know now that you're saying "Stop your whinging, you get to go to England!" But I'll have to do laundry in there somewhere too & I'm a little worried about what to pack for Asher. Normally we can nip into Walmart on a trip if we forget something, but that won't be an option over there.
When we get back, Chad leaves the next morning for a 3 day men's retreat for church, so I'll be a single mum for a few days. I don't mind so much during the days, but I really miss having him to help at meal times (and of course his company at night as well). Chad gets back from his retreat Saturday night & has to preach again on Sunday. Then we get 2 days of normalcy before the next leg of our journey.
Wednesday we'll be going back down to Grand Rapids for Chad's Seminary graduation. Yay! I'm excited about this. Coincidentally his 10 year highschool reunion falls on the same weekend. Yes, he's been in school all this time. This summer he'll be up for candidacy and ready for his first REAL job!

Some interesting things

I found this on a blog I read & thought it looked fun, so here it goes:

What was I doing ten years ago (1998):
*Going to Dordt College
*Studying for Finals
*Worrying about my future
*Getting ready to go home for the summer
*Enjoying hanging out w/ my friends w/o much real responsibility

5 things on my to-do list today:
*laundry
*Get some groceries
*Bake a cake
*Figure something out for dinner
*Take a nap

5 snacks I enjoy:
*Sour Grape Candies
*Hot Tamales
*Ice Cream
*Hostess Suzy-Qs
*Soft Homemade cookies or brownies

5 things I would do if I were a billionaire:
*Hire a maid
*Go live in England
*give to my church
*Save for kids' college
*Invest

5 bad habits:
*staying up too late
*not cleaning the house
*not eating healthy
*not working out
*spending too much money on good deals

5 places I have lived:
*Poulsbo, Washington
*Claresholm, Alberta
*London, England
*Grand Rapids, Michigan
*Strathroy, Onatrio

5 jobs I have had:
*Espresso Barista in drive-thru espresso stand (great for someone who loves Lattes)
*Drive-Thru at McDonald's (great for someone who loves Grilled Chicken Sandwiches)
*Mail order Manager at Frontier Western Shop (great b/c I didn't have to deal w/ customers face to face)
*Switchboard Operator at Charles Russell Solicitors (great b/c I could check email all day)
*Medical Assistant at East Paris Internal Medicine (great b/c we had free lunches everyday)

Sing a Song

Yesterday Asher & I were riding the bike around & Asher asked me to sing a song. I asked him what song I should sing & he said "You Bet Song." I told him that I didn't know that song & asked if he could sing it to me..... Here's what I got: "Yoooouuuu Bet Sooo-ooong" Apparently it was a very short song. A few minutes later I heard him singing, "Wheels on bike a roud a roud, round a roud..." Kids are great.

Just call me "Honey"

We're not too sure where Asher picked it up, but for the last week, he's been calling Chad & I "Honey." It's kind of cute, but also a little disconcerting to have an almost-2-year-old ask, "Have some milk, ok, Honey?" Chad & I don't call each other honey, and we don't really know anyone else that he's been around that would. The only thing we can figure out is maybe someone in the nursery called him "honey" recently.

The weather has gotten nicer. We actually have temperatures above freezing! It's been great to get out to the park & go for walks & be OUTSIDE! It feels strange in some ways to deviate from our winter schedule, but it's definitely nice to get some fresh air!

"Music Please!"

We have a 3-disc-changer on our CD player. We usually have a CD for each of us. Chad has number 1, I have number 2, and we put a kids CD in number 3. Asher quite often will ask for music & I ask if he wants Mummy's music, Daddy's music or Asher's music. The other day he asked for Daddy's music, so I hit number 1 expecting some Nickelback or Finger Eleven..... Instead what I was greeted with was Avril Lavigne singing "Hey, hey, You, you, I don't like your girlfriend!"
I'll be the first to admit that Chad & I have diverse music tastes, but it just wasn't QUITE what I was expecting.

Our Upcoming Trip

We are planning a trip to England this spring & decided there was a deal to go to Ireland for a week that we really couldn't pass up. We were discussing it at the dinner table & Chad asked Asher if he wanted to go to Ireland. Asher replied, "Des!" So we asked him to say Ireland. His reply was, "Ireland, Walmart!" He really does love his trips to Walmart, any time we are going somewhere, he'll say "Walmart." So, we had to explain there is no Walmart in Ireland. Poor guy looked so disappointed..........

Aghhhhh, Canada!

Last week I received a call from a man in immigration asking if I'd be home b/c he had some papers to deliver to me. Lo & behold, I am now the proud owner of an appeal in the Federal Court of Canada. It seems that the Citizenship Judge who permitted me to continue in the Citizenship process made an error in judgement in the Minister of Citizenship & Immigration's eyes.

I made an appointment with an immigration lawyer & yesterday Chad & I went to see what his take on my case was. He said that the nice Judge man had probably liked the fact that Chad was studying to be a minister & decided I was a nice person & judged in my favour. He did not follow the laws & maybe he was on drugs when he made the decision.

So, what are my chances? I could go through with the appeal, it would take about 1 1/2 years & cost about $4000, or I could wait until June 2010 when I actually have enough time in Canada to apply again.

The issue was that when I applied I had not met the 1095 days residency in Canada in the last 4 years, & it's only gotten worse with Chad being in school in the States. I had read somewhere that your time still counted if you were outside of Canada accompanied by a Canadian spouse. We fell under that category, so I applied. However, the Canadian spouse rule was for Permanent residence, not citizenship. So here I sit, still 2 years from being able to say, "I AM CANADIAN!"