Mommy's Night Out

I'm still around but now that I have a job (even if it is only a temp one) I've been keeping so busy that blogging definitely has slid down on my list of things to do.

Right alongside baby's many firsts: rolling over, starting solids, sleeping through the night etc... I've realised that there are quite a few 'Mommy Firsts' as well. Aside from the ones to do with mommy-baby bonding (like nursing and cuddling) there are many things that are quite fun to be able to do again. The first one I remember clearly was bundling all my maternity clothes into a bag to be donated. Since I had to wait months to get my other clothes from Jamaica I was in those elephant threads for far too long after Moo was born for my comfort. Other first included the first time I was able to spend a long time away from Moo. That was rough on me because I missed her but it was also liberating in a weird way.

Friday night marked another first: Mommy's Night Out. Two friends and I hit one of the clubs here for Lady's Night. Amazingly enough I was able to fit into one of my pre-preggo going out pants but I did have to get a new top to deal with what little mommy-tummy I've got left. Naturally since I'm in back bush north west Florida there was no dancehall to be heard and the juggling was dismal but I still had fun, after all I didn't have to pay to get in and I drank for free before 12.

I know it's not something I'll be doing very often, but it was nice to get out the house and dance and hang out with the girls for a bit.

Handbraking 101

Somehow I think that this isn't part of effective handbraking LOL

Merry Christmas!

Wow, another Christmas has rolled around. Right off the bat I can say that this Christmas is definitely better than the last. This time last year I was asleep getting ready to head to the airport for an early morning flight to head back to Jamaica after a five day stay with J in Louisiana. He was going to drop me to the airport then head to work for a 12-hour shift. And two days ago we had just found out that I was pregnant. We didn't know when next we'd be able to see each other again, and we certainly didn't know if and when I would be able to migrate.

Thankfully, this year is a lot different. We're here in our new home. The Munchkin is sleeping sweetly in her room. Her Dad is having a ball playing Star Wars: Republic Commando, a gift from our neighbours. And her Mom is being a kid again and avidly watching Santa's progress at NoradTracksSanta.com. We've got cards, we've got presents under the tree, we've got a poinsettia and holly bed-in-a-bag and we've got my Mom's Christmas punch, but most important, we've got each other all together for our first Christmas as a family.

Here's wishing you all a Merry Christmas and the happiest and most blessed of New Years, from our family, to yours.

The Mad White Jamaican

Discovered this on You Tube, had me and J in stitches... Let me know whether you think he's really Jamaican or not!

Hevaen and Hell

No, this won't be a deeply theological or philosophical piece, just something that found it's way into my Junk Mail that hit a chord.

A holy man was having a conversation with the Lord one and said, "Lord, I would like to know what Heaven and Hell are like. " The Lord led the holy man to two doors. He opened one of the doors and the holy man looked in.

In the middle of the room was a large round table. In the middle of the table was a large pot of stew which smelled delicious and made the holy man's mouth water. The people sitting around the table were thin and sickly. They appeared to be famished. They were holding spoons with very long handles that were strapped to their arms and each found it possible to reach into the pot of stew and take a spoonful, but because the handle was longer than their arms, they could not get the spoons back into their mouths. The holy man shuddered at the sight of their misery and suffering. The Lord said, "You have seen Hell."

They went to the next room and opened the door. It was exactly the same as the first one. There was the large round table with the large pot of stew which made the holy man's mouth water. The people were equipped with the same long-handled spoons, but here the people were well nourished and plump, laughing and talking.

The holy man said, "I don't understand." " It is simple" said the Lord, "it requires but one skill. You see, they have learned to feed each other, while the greedy think only of themselves."

I've been reading a lot of Medieval romance novels lately and I guess the contrast between then and now that doesn't put modern days in a positive light is that back then people worked together a lot more. I guess it may have mostly been because if they didn't work together they wouldn't survive but from that cooperation I'm sure there were instances where people helped each other and worked together just because of a genuine desire to do so. Today we live in a world - at least in the West - where each individual or family is more likely to be an island onto themselves.

Especially here in America, you can live somewhere and never know your neighbours name. It's bad but I only met my neighbours wife maybe 3 weeks ago and I've been here since June. (Mind you we live in split building type housing.) And I remember at our last base in similar housing, I'd mistakenly received my neighbour's mail and when I went to carry it over and introduce myself in the same go, the man cracked the screen door, mumbled hello, snatched the letter and shut the door in my face.

Such is life I guess, but it's so sad.