Welcome Home Mommy

Well.. Friday has come and gone, and my one week experiment in single parenting has come to an end. Laural is back from Calgary, safe and sound. As a father, this week has been an increadible learning and bonding experiance. This week I have:

• Cleaned "Dora the Explorer" tomato pasta from our sofa, floor, carpet, chair & walls.
• Calmed Matty down from two nightmares, one of which apparently contained both cars AND trains.
• Watched Matty attempt to ride that shiny new Vespa in the parking garage.
• Discoverd that Matty really (REALLY) enjoys the music of Amy Grant, to which he cannot fall asleep without listening to now. (I think Mommy had a part in this, playing this same tape at bedtime to Matty when he was younger)
  
• Found out what it really feels like to be the most important part of a childs life (temporaraly of course, as Mommy is now home again...)

Overall, I feel that it was a great week. Matthew and I got along great, the house stayed clean, I even unpacked and rearranged the bedroom as a surprise to Laural on her return. I did every single piece of laundry I could find, and even put it away. Crazy I know! But without my domestic goddess by my side, it was either sink or swim. I felt like swimming. ;)

Seeing Laural at the gate after 5 days of absence was emotionally difficult for me. On one hand, I was saddened that my week of 'one on one' time with my son had come to an end. On the other, I had to fight back tears of joy that my beautiful wife and partner would soon be in my arms again. It was great to come home, put on a pot of coffee, eat some popcorn, and get all the awesome details of her trip. Things feel 'right' once more, and I'll finally be able to get a full nights sleep again.

The next few weeks should prove interesting. We'll be moving back to Laurals parents home for the next two weeks, as Matthews daycare is closed for summer break. I begin councelling for stress and depression. Of course, on top of that is everything else.. Crazy.. Just plain crazy...

Calgary

So Laural is off to Calgary for a whole week on business. I have to say that it's a little lonely at home. Laural hasn't been away on a business trip in over 2 years. Matthew of course keeps asking "Where's Mommy?", "Mommy on airplane?", and I try to explain as best I can that she is coming home in a few days. Not that he understands that though. It is amazing how quickly your heart sinks when you realize that your partner is not at home, and not even a quick phonecall away. After Matthew goes to sleep, one wonders what there is to do? Watching television isn't any fun when you have all the channel changing power. Cleaning helps, and I think I will go about rearranging and perhaps unpacking some more of the house that we never got around to doing. Sleeping is difficult. It's not that you don't sleep, but there is the nagging sense that something isn't right. Even when you're asleep, you know your partner isn't there. I can only hope that without my snoring, she's getting a better nights sleep than I! :)

Vacation

Finally back from our week long vacation in Vermont. After driving back to Toronto thru the night (thanks to my wife who has proven she has much more night driving stamina than I), and about ready to crash, I wanted to make sure that I got a few Matty/Daddy photos up.

Looking at the dairy cattle at the Ben & Jerry's factory.

Going through our collection of photo's from the last few years, I was shocked at how few photo's there were of my son and I.

Riding the train in Burlington Vt. What a character!

I was glad to see that we got a few great shots on this vacation. Enjoy!

Matty and daddy taking a silly photo op at
the Cabot Creamery outside of Stowe, Vt.

My top 10 current playlist.... Scary I know!

The music I choose to listen to is a metaphor of my life. My thoughts, my moods, and the things I can't ever seem to put into words. The songs I choose to listen to are not always good, or current, or even sound like anything someone would assume I listen to. However, the music I choose to listen to are selected not based on current trends, what sounds 'good' or any of that stuff. It's based solely on the lyrics, and the messages contained within the song. If you were to ask me about any point in my life, the good, the bad, the ugly, the highs and the lows, there is a song attached to that time in my life, or that specific event. Each month I will try to pick the ten songs that I seem to be listening to the most at that point in time. It will be pretty easy for most anyone who knows a few of the picks to get a general idea of the moods I'm feeling at that point in time. Without further adieu: My current top 10 playlist.

1. Johhny Cash - Hurt (hats off to NIN)
2. Matchbox Twenty - If You're Gone
3. The Eagles - Lyin' Eyes
4. Blue Star - Sweet Dreams (nod to the Eurythmics)
5. Sheryl Crow - I Believe
6. Pink Floyd - High Hopes (yes, there will always be a Floyd song)
7. Nova Space - Run to You (oh dear god, not a Bryan Adams remix)
8. Leonard Cohen - So Long Marianne
9. Blue Rodeo - Lost Together
10. Sarah Maclachlan - I Love You