Let me in!

I did the most UNTHINKABLE thing a parent could do - I  locked the bathroom door. I don't always, in fact, I NEVER lock the door, because the fights that ensue outside the door as everyone in the house tries to enter the locked door are unbearable. There's a child radar that goes off when a mother enters a bathroom and shuts the door. It alerts every child, and in our house, every animal, within 500 yards and they all come charging in to see what is the matter and to demand entry. For the MOST part, it is safer and quicker and quieter to leave the door open, sneak in and get out as fast as possible before anyone comes running.
I don't know why I decided to lock the door, but I did. The kids were all in bed asleep, but I KNEW, I KNEW, that the child radar would wake at least one of them. I threw caution to the wind and did it anyway.
I shut the door as quietly as possible, I turned the lock as quietly as possible. I undressed in complete silence and turned on the water. I stepped in and stood with my head under the scalding water and thought I was home free. Then came the knock. I heard it, but I pretended I didn't. I took an almost glorious HOT shower, but I felt guilty knowing one of my cherubs was out in the hallway, bereft without access to the bathroom and his mom. (He had another mother close by, but mother in the bathroom trumps mother in the bedroom.) I got out and grabbed a towel and saw a folded note being pushed under the door.
I was apparently in the shower long enough for my five year old, distraught at being ignored as he knocked, had time to "write" me a note.
I hate to say it but it's true - locking the door was worth it - just for this note.

Happy Thanksgiving... or not?!

It is officially Thanksgiving day here in the Great White North. Thanksgiving in my mind is a time of family and friends gathering to enjoy one another's company and to play football outside in the cool fall air.
We have a family tradition at Thanksgiving where we pass a bowl of uncooked rice at the supper table and every person takes some grains. Then we go around and say what we are thankful for - one item of gratitude for each grain of rice. A few years ago my brother and his wife came to us for Thanksgiving. She was unfamiliar with the tradition and when the bowl passed around we told her to take a handful - and she did. I still laugh to think about it. We made her talk about what she was grateful for all night long!!
For the last ten years, Thanksgiving for me meant all day at work cooking for the student's who are staying in Residence over the long weekend. Some years I had help, other years I did it alone.
This year there was just us, no all day cooking for students, no family visiting or trips to see anyone. Not even my old friend Eddie was around this year to join us for our Thanksgiving meal.
Shel and I are both working full time right now. We have managed to arrange our schedules so that one of us is always at home while the other is at work and we have saved the cost of daycare that way - and one of us has been able to be with kids at all times which is important to us.
Unfortunately it also means that we are a wee bit on the ragged side. We are like ships passing in the night. We started to write in a journal for each other so that one could get home and read what the other had done/was doing - but we are so darn tired we haven't kept it up. (and to be honest we aren't getting much done in the home hours anyway!)
Our Turkey dinner today ended up being.... I don't actually know because I had to come to work for 3 pm... but I do know that we both forgot to take the turkey out of the freezer last night until LATE LATE LATE and so it was not thawed out and able to be cooked today.
We haven't exactly cancelled Thanksgiving, we are just postponing it. I think tomorrow night we will all be home and can eat together. Having said that I am not 100 percent certain! I have to check the calendar.  have to check the calendar multiple times a day to make certain that everyone is where they are supposed to be, with what they need (I have only missed a swim suit once).  I do happen to know that today is Monday but that's because it's a holiday and I know the kids were SUPPOSED to go to school today but didn't. And no - we didn't go out to the wait for the bus this morning, but I could totally see why you might think that we would.
Since this is a VERY non-traditional Thanksgiving for us you might believe that I am not thinking about gratitude. You would be wrong. It is forefront in my mind. I am grateful for SO MANY THINGS. Here are some of the things I am happy to share with you that I am grateful for.
1. I am grateful for the people in my life. I am grateful for my spouse, for my mom, for my aunt, for my siblings, for my Max, My CJ, and my littles. I am grateful for my nieces and nephews and in-laws. (yup it's in print). I am grateful for our neighbours, I am grateful for our friends. I am grateful for our family doctor!
2. I am grateful for to have the means and opportunity to provide for my family.
3. I am grateful for the methods of communication which keep me in contact with my friends and family who are far away but a HUGE support to me.
4. I am grateful for my health.
5. I am grateful for Canadian Citizenship.
6. I am grateful for my thesis advisor who is STILL working with me to finish my degree.
7. I am grateful for our kids caseworker who has been a huge advocate and support for us.


I hope there is something for you to be grateful for tonight.