Christmas - a year in review "newsletter style"

Greetings readers...

I have thought for years I should write a Christmas Newsletter, but quite frankly, I’m at my most creative and inspired when I’m pondering life, future circumstances and venting on my blog (which sadly, has only been updated twice this year) - so, that either means I don’t have an ounce of creativity left in me or no time to sit and write, as I know the year was full of things to vent and chat about!  But, since we turned down repeated requests for interviews from People Magazine and the National Enquirer, we are going to share the exclusive of our rollercoaster year with you, in the Edgett-Gallant Newsletter.

Since it is the holiday season, it does seem fitting to mention that we have not been invited to one holiday party, come to think of it, we rarely get an invite to do anything.  We are starting to wonder if people think we are contagious, it’s not like we have much of a life – we are free –  have to admit we do watch the clock and can barely stay up until 10pm, but that is a minor detail.  
I promise, this won’t be an annual family newsletter that will be full of kid tidbits and phenomenal accomplishments experienced throughout the year…no…I recognize no one really wants to read that and I actually just chuckled typing “phenomenal accomplishments” as besides miraculously keeping a fish alive for the past 3 months, I wouldn’t have much more to brag about.  Sure we have an adorable little girl, who is smart as a cookie (are cookies really smart – what a silly saying), but she is, the child is brilliant, but that is all, no more bragging…I mean, she is beautiful too and is going to have amazing hair and long eyelashes, but that is all.  Well, maybe the fact that she is obsessed with letters and can spell her name already is worth mentioning…but that is it…oh maybe one more thing, this one is really impressive she thus far has not turned on the little bully at her gymnastics class – although I’m considering giving her pointers on how to knock the little brat to the floor!
So my goal is not to bore you but rather compose a newsletter worthy of your time ... the struggle is “what to highlight”.

Highlights of 2012•    We are all alive – you may think this isn’t too hard to accomplish, but let me tell you, between Darren defrosting meat all day on the cupboard (how he hasn’t become ill from salmonella poisoning remains a mystery), and well, I am just an unhealthy creature, being alive is pretty impressive.  And while many doubted my ability to keep a child alive (I admit, I was the biggest skeptic), we have managed to do remarkably well with Greta – we have remembered to feed her each day, neither of us has forgotten her in the house and we have never left her accidentally out in public. Now, I admit, we have to do better with teeth brushing, you wouldn’t think this task would be hard to remember…but our goal for 2013 is to ensure she doesn’t have tons of cavities.
•    Greatest thing happened this year – Canadians can now take $800 across the border without having to pay duty – you may not think this is big – but it has greatly reduced what I owe at the border!
•    We didn't lose any money in the stock market – not hard since we didn’t have any money to put in to the stock market – I’ll blame my shopping habits and Greta’s wardrobe.
•    We had a lovely trip to New Hampshire planned for our anniversary – full of shopping, relaxation and the White Mountains – alas, two days before our trip Darren realized his passport was expired – he is alive – that is the highlight!!!
•    The animals both remained rather healthy – believe me, after the 2010-2011 Vet Bills this is definitely big news.  I could have paid for Greta’s first year of university with that money – granted, she is so smart, we are sure she’ll get a scholarship!!! 
•    I managed to read 3 books - the 50 Shades of Grey series.  I may have to read them again in 2013.  Impressive, not the fact that I read, but the books!
•    I survived a week in the hospital in October, after pancreatitis, crohns and liver disease struck me down - how is that for a downer line.  The good news is, I survived, the nurses who missed my veins every time they needed to give me a needle survived and my bad behavior while in the hospital did not get me kicked out. 

So, that is a few highlights to catch you up on our year.  As we embark on the holidays, we are trying to keep up with Greta’s wish list, amazing at two years old that she can tell us all the things she “needs” from the Sears Wish Book - my goal now is to not have her change her mind daily on what Santa is going to bring.  We are confident it will be a very fun and exciting Christmas for her and I hope the same for you and your loved ones.

We wish you good health and happiness this holiday season and plenty of time to do what is important to you in the coming year.

Merry Christmas from our home to yours,

Gail, Darren and Greta Claire
Scarlet & Casanova
   

Toddlers, they just keep going and going and going

Shame, shame, shame....I know it has been a very long time since I graced the Internet with a blog post. No great excuses, just laziness mixed with a lack of creativity and perhaps a touch of exhaustion. But, I'm back and tonight I have so many thoughts for a blog post that I may actually be able to, do I dare say, commit to writing more regularly again. With so much in my brain, I am afraid this may be a jumbled mess of words and thoughts, so hold on, you may be in for a bumpy reading experience!

The last three months in review:

Since I haven't written since Mid January, I will spare you the full social calendar of the past few months...ha, that is almost funny...the reason I can spare you is - there is no social calendar. My big outings are usually to the grocery store, I even dress up, fix up the make up, pretend I'm actually going somewhere exciting! But here is a few highlights of the past three months:

- My last blog post was to share the good news that I was cancer free after a very, very scary experience with Dr's and the mammogram machine, just a little scare, but one that is now behind me. I still had to meet with the surgeon, which I did two weeks ago, and all was confirmed as fine, so hopefully I won't have to face the machine again until the regular scheduled time that comes with age...which, low and behold is just 2 years away. It was quite funny however, as the surgeon asked, "despite this scare", would I consider myself otherwise healthy. I said NO. He then asked me to explain. So, I do what all people with multiple illness should do - I pulled out my full paged typed list and handed it to him. He was a bit taken aback, as I said in a smart ass way, "do you need anything further". He chuckled! I can never tell from Dr's when they see my list if they are thinking, poor you because I have so much to deal with, or poor you because I have something they know nothing about and don't know what to say to me. To add to the irony, I met the surgeon at the hospital in the outpatient clinic which is the old ER and ironically, I was brought to the exact same room I was in when I found out I was pregnant. I promise, I was much more well behaved at this appt than I was 2 years ago when I told the ER Dr he didn't know how to read a pregnancy test and he was incompetent. I felt an overwhelming need to go find the ER Dr's and apologize and tell them that I am a good mother and that my child survived, as I am sure that day the ER Dr confirmed I was pregnant he had his doubts... All this to say, it was kind of strange lying in the bed, in that room, and thinking back to the day my life changed forever and being there again, realizing that my life could have changed yet again if that mammogram wasn't positive.

- At the beginning of the month I said goodbye to another year as I continue my climb to 40...

- I also managed to spend a small little fortune in my favorite place, the great USA and specifically Maine and New Hampshire. I must say, this was not a planned trip, I actually told many it was an impossible trip as I owe lots if taxes (thanks to the maternity leave top up from last year), but, within a matter of 20 minutes, someone twisted my rubber arm and a trip was booked. Thanks Lisa! The great news, I had a few nights of amazing sleep, had others wait on me, did what I do best - shop and find bargains, and was able to buy lots of fun things for my favorite holiday - Easter!

- What a great holiday (and when I say holiday, I'm meaning more the Easter Bunny and candy, compared to the religious holiday). I have always loved Easter, maybe because my birthday was always around the holiday, but I really do love spring, I love the flowers, the baby animals and birds, the colors, especially the day when you finally notice the first buds on the trees and I really do like Easter decorations. So, what does someone do who loves Easter...they shop like it's Christmas. I may have gone a tad overboard, I never had to buy for a kid at Easter and there were so many nice and fun things to buy and with my eye for a bargain and a great USA deal, I just kept buying and buying and buying. Greta I think really enjoyed my efforts and at the end of the day, that is the fun part, she loved searching for eggs that the Easter Bunny left, and every morning leading up to Easter she would look at the Easter Tree (yes, I had an Easter Tree) and all the bunnies that were on display in the house and said, "there are the eggs and there are the bunnies" as she pointed / and or patted the items. Sadly, now that they are back in storage, she asks daily "where did they go", but soon enough, another holiday will be upon us to decorate for. Mom and Haley joined us for Easter, and she had a great time playing with her big cousin and thankfully cooperated so well during a photo session.

- And, finally, to top off this update on the past 3 months, can't go without saying something about work. The 2012 Budget, which was read while I was in the USA had a few eye openers, my personal favorite, was the increase to $800 that Canadians can bring back after shopping in the USA, just wish it had started April 1st and not June 1st. Unfortunately however the budget brought about confirmation that the public service will become smaller. While I don't think I have ever once blogged about where I work, I am a public servant, and worked hard to become one. When I worked for the provincial government, my goal was to move to the Federal System, it took attempts at applying online, and never even getting screened in, then numerous exams, and then interviews but my goal became a reality and once in to the system, I often joked that I was going to be a full time job applicant until I found the job that suited me best...and that also became reality. I dare say I studied more for internal job competitions than I did in 6 years of post secondary education. I have been fortunate to represent young public servants both on the provincial stage and the national stage and have always taken great offense to the public perception that government workers and lazy, under-skilled and under-worked, I will have to dedicate a blog just to this topic, but for now, I can say I appreciate those who support public servants and the difficult months and years ahead. While I was not directly affected and for now my position is safe, I know that is not the case for many of my peers who I have had the opportunity to work with, both on committees, or who I met at conferences or within my own Department, it is definitely a sad time ahead.

Okay, that is the last 3 months in review...now, lets see about Miss Greta and life as we now know it. Greta doesn't shut up...the child talks non stop, in the car, at a store. The only time she is quiet is when others come to the house, granted, once she gets over the shyness, look out. Her day is filled with, what's that, where did they go, who is that, where, what, when, why....this world of discovery is so interesting, yet so very, very exhausting. I was trying to visit a friend 2 weeks ago, and I couldn't get a word in, "Mommy, where did the kitty go", over and over and over. We play teacher / student quite a bit, she is a smart little gal and I am shocked at how many things she knows. I thank Barney (yes the purple dinosaur) and Sesame Street for a great deal of her learning, but she loves queue cards and picture books and is a quick study. While her "animal sounds" have been perfected for quite some time, her latest responses include music. We seem to look at animal pics quite often and lately, instead of saying an animal sound, she'll break out in to the song...looking at a mouse - she sings Hickory Dickory Dock, the mouse went up the clock (okay, not that clear, but I know what she is singing), Ducks - instead of quack, quack, is, Do what the Duckies do, and my all time favorite...if you ask her what a monkey says, she starts up with a Wiggles Song, Ya, ya, ya, Monkey Man. She is quite amusing and a great entertainer.

Which brings me, finally, to a few thoughts. Seeing an old friend this evening, we were talking about change, and friends and life, and how things and people change over time. She is soon going to start planning for a wedding, and believe me, I was in no position to give advice on weddings, as many know I skipped out on that phase of life and planning and eloped, but I did so to avoid the expectations and opinions of how a wedding should be, who should be invited, who shouldn't be invited, who to please, who would feel left out, etc, etc, etc...my only advice was, think of who you really want to be there, then think - do you think those people truly will be around in 2 years time, 5 years time, etc. That is hard to imagine, as lord knows, I never could have envisioned this past 2 years of my life, and that social calendar being so very, very empty from adult activities and now replaced with spending time with a toddler...so here is my take on the THEN AND NOW:

Then: I really loved Jello shots and would have them stuck to the floor after a party (even the walls).

Now: I have bought animal molds to make Jello shapes for Greta and pray she doesn't throw them on the floor.

Then: 12:30, awesome, the late night shows are about to start, wonder who is on Leno?

Now: OMG! It is 9:00, I don't think I can stay up much longer. I'll PVR the shows and watch them in my spare time (aka, I'll delete them when the PVR is filled to the max without watching them)

Then: Weekends were full of fun, friends, dorm parties and drinks, followed by sleeping in until noon.

Now: Saturday means I sleep in, hopefully until 9:30, no parties, no drinks, just exhaustion.

Then: I enjoyed daytime TV soaps - Days of Our Lives was a must - mindless TV with love triangles, affairs and rivals.

Now: I enjoy daytime TV dramas like Wonder Pets, what a great trio, "What's going to work, Team Work". " Wonder Pets, Wonder Pets, We are on our way, to help a baby animal and save the day".... Song and drama - and suspense, it's perfect.

Then: A spontaneous trip to the mall involved getting dressed, looking presentable and grab the purse.

Now: A spontaneous trip to the mall now involves a two hour prep, get ready, get Greta ready, pack snacks, drinks, Barney, the Doll, books to keep her entertained, diaper bag for the car - just in case, head to the truck only to realize I forgot my own purse... the malls really should get online and deliver to my door...

Then: Friends called to chat and asked about life, work, love. Would chat for hours.

Now: On a rare occasion may get an email and not sure why we all have phones as no one uses them anymore. And of course, if someone ever did think about calling, better be before 8:30, as I will likely not answer after this time due to being in bed.


Then: Enjoyed a good movie.

Now: Good video is one of 20 Barney video's that make Greta happy.


Then: Facial every month.

Now: Needed the uplift and old age facial because my skin was old and dull.


Then: Looked forward to having a night at home on a weekend as the social calendar was so full it was rare to just sit and relax.

Now: Social calendar - ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha...oh yes, and Babysitters cost a lot, can't afford much of a social calendar even if there were options.

So, that is life, then and now. And I must say, the now is pretty Super-dee-duper!

Toodles.

Rite of Passage....to Squishville

Well, I have contemplated writing this blog post, then decided against it, but then I thought...maybe I should, it will be my public service announcement of 2012, maybe it will somehow help many to follow in my footsteps, maybe it will let others have a better understanding of something I never hear anyone talk about. So, here is my journey - to the Mammogram machine, aka Squishville!!! Warning - this will cause you to wince in pain, cringe a little, and maybe even gasp - so men - stop reading, you won't be able to handle it!

Now, despite having an 18 month old (wow, can you believe, 18 months - actually, in 5 more days it will be 19 months), I can't really say her arrival was painful. I had a planned c-section...no pain, no discomfort, operating room, and 16 minutes later had a baby - so maybe I won't be able to say I "experienced child birth", I think, despite having a not so pleasant recovery, it was a walk in the park....of course, I truly believe I have the most amazing pain tolerance of anyone I know. Kidney stone and liver biopsy - now they hurt... But I really can handle pain. But, let me take you back a few weeks and we'll get this story started....

After getting "freaked out", almost obsessive and having experienced quite unbearable pain (which see above - I usually can handle), I broke down and called the Dr. Of course, by the time I made the call to the Dr I had of course diagnosed myself.... Dr Google is never wrong, so I truly was convinced my fear of cancer had finally caught up with me. I was a mess - every spare moment was spent on a medical site. Thankfully, with my other medical issues, mixed with meds that have dreadful side effects, I was able to get in to my Dr within 24 hours of my call. And then things moved quick. I heard the word mammogram, will happen fast, will make a referral to a specialist...and ummm, I think that was all I heard. Despite being Dr Google, I don't know if I actually thought I would get booked for a mammogram and definitely not quickly...I thought woman were waiting months. Anyway, next business day, I receive the call, the following day I'm on my way to the hospital and off to this rite of passage that I guess woman must take - but I am still a little ways from that magic age (okay, so the age is creeping up quick, but still, I'm not 40 yet).

And here is where the Squishville story really begins - my guide to the mammogram for all the newbies out there who have yet to experience this great little adventure.

After navigating through the new hospital lobby - which was extremely long I must say, I follow the pink tape in the radiology department towards the mammo waiting room. The sweetest volunteer is there to greet me, along with two other ladies all dressed in their gowns waiting for their punishment, whoops, I mean test. The ladies are looking, dare I say judging, sure they appear to be double my age, I think they are checking me out, thankfully the volunteer calls me and sends me to the changing room. Now, this changing room is small, if I were any bigger I would have to walk in side ways, lean up against the wall to be able to shut the door...but I get in to the small broom closet they say is a changing room and am given the instructions to put the gown on, open in the front please!!! I ask for a housecoat...there are none! I am them asked to return to the waiting room. As I sit down on the couch (it really is a cozy little room), another lady comes in, and now I'm the one judging. She is dressed in a fur coat, the brightest red lipstick I have ever seen and talking a mile a minute, and all I keep thinking is - you are wearing a dress...for a mammogram... you can leave your "pants" on and this lady is wearing a dress, which means her chest is going to be exposed and she has no pants on - anyway, it took my mind off what was coming next...they are just needing your "upper parts" to be on display, but I can't get over, someone who no doubt has had regular mammograms (again, judging by age) came to a booked mammogram in a dress...obviously she doesn't have body image issues like I. I like to be covered!

Anyway, after a few questions, I am taken to the room...and there it is - the Squishville machine, the star attraction. I must say, the captain of this machine was a sweet nurse, she was kind, matter of fact and made the entire uncomfortable experience seem so routine and like it was nothing that it did bring some calm over me...but...let me give you a little play by play.

This sweet nurse is too cheerful, she is bubbly and explaining what will be happening to me and my dignity. I remember quite well checking my dignity at the door when I had Greta, but this was a different feeling...definitely a check the dignity at the door, but then I think - this woman moves peoples breasts around all day, 8 hours a day, pushing, squeezing, pinching and squishing breasts...Anyway, what happens next is not at all what I'm expecting. I never expected anything so positively funny in all my life!

I have to stand on a line on the floor, put one of the "girls/puppies, B cups", whatever you want to call them, on a glass plate (or maybe, it was plastic), then lean into it, while the sweet little nurse starts pushing, positioning you, moving your shoulders, tell you to move this way,then back, then up, there are foot pedals on the floor that she moves the Squishville machine with and sweetly again, tells me she needs me to get in to the machine as much as possible. Believe me, I was in the machine, I was starting to think they wanted pics of my liver not my chest. Then as I am standing pretty much on one foot and being told to breathe normally the other plate starts moving down, and down, and down...a let out a little gasp, followed by - are you kidding me! She then informs me there is a bar I can hold...a bar, at this point the only bar I'm thinking about is at a local pub with a fruity vodka filled drink. Of course, I'm trying to maintain an ounce of dignity and don't want to hold the bar because that means I won't be able to hold the tiny thread of fabric on the open gown I am wearing, my gown is slipping off my shoulder, and the machine is getting tighter...Breathe she says...then the picture is taken and I'm let go from the death grip... Phew - Okay, I say, that wasn't as bad as I thought, she said that is great, only 3 more pics to go!

You see, they'll want to look at your puppies/ girls, B cups, from the top, bottom and sides and all of this takes some interesting dance moves. As I am positioned again for other shots, I'm realizing the effort to hold this gown up isn't really worth it, pretty sure it fell completely off me come the 3rd photo. I am pretty sure the 4th picture actually lifted me off the ground, and the breathing normal - nah, I was wincing in pain...but the good news is, literally within minutes it is over with. Despite what I was anticipating, it really wasn't as painful as I expected, uncomfy yes, being pushed, positioned and lifted off of the floor, not a walk in the park, but worth it to find out what is going on.

Of course, then you wait for the results...which means someone like me comes home and starts to research again and start to think about my funeral, because I don't have a positive bone in my body when it comes to health matters. And I'm not thinking of any funeral, I want a NB style funeral on PEI...this line up thing is just odd, and name tags...nope, don't like that either. And I want flowers...lots of flowers...and I think I need a guest list, there are people I just don't think should be allowed to come to my funeral, so short of hiring bouncers, I think at least the guest list would control who was let in, and I was going to leave a list of who was to be kicked out. Then clothes...what would I do for Greta - was I going to have to buy a lifetime of clothes for her, prom dresses, jewelry, surely I would have to buy shoes for the next 18 years for her. And what would Darren do, would my pictures still me in the house, would Greta come look for me and just see my picture...ahhh, it was stressful.

But thankfully, my story has a good ending, in one week, I saw the Dr, was referred, bet the mammo machine and had a positive outcome. Phew. I know others are not so lucky and despite imaging for a full week what it would be like, I am sure you never could be prepared. So for now, thankfully I'll stick to my 3 diseases that cause me pain and agony, stress and anxiety, but that can somewhat be controlled...It could have always been worse.

So, that is the journey, if you are 40 and have yet to book your first visit to Squishville...make that call...it could very well save your life and you may even find it a tad funny...where else can you get a "massage", good conversation and a lift off the floor by your chest!

Toodles!