Wednesday November 15: When R Is Away...

R is away in India - at the first annual Canada-India Business Forum.  It lasts two days,  but he's gone for over two weeks.

Normally, I don't mind when he travels, which is good because he always seems to be heading somewhere.

Yes, the kids slowly become more and more fractious as the time passes (R seems to have a calming influence on them) but I like having the house to myself (well, as much as possible with a 5 and 2 year old with me), I dig out sweatpants (versus their better looking cousin the yoga pant), I eat cereal for dinner (Just Right with a touch of Froot Loops). And generally just go back to a more essential Me.

But even better than having the house to myself is having my Mom with me.  Which is my current set up.

This means: not much work gets done (she has that effect) but, both of us with the kids also means: lots of laughing, lots of walking, lots of talking and gossip (old and new), and lots of delicious food.

And no, she's not the only one cooking, Saturday night I went here for amazing jumbo wild scallops (so fresh you wanted to eat them raw) which I served with an avocado and warm vinegrette salad).

It also means my house looks clean, I had a Friday night dinner out with the ladies on my street (can I just say Korean food gets beef?) and I discovered the wonder of Soju infused drinks - a must try, especially with ginger which makes it taste healthy and yummy.

We also plan special treats for the kids: this week a day off for Seth from school and instead, some real learning at the Science Center where i saw what I'd look like in 30 years (terrifying) and learned that I was made up of 30 litres of water....

Friday September 23: First & Last Day

Yesterday was the last day of summer.

So today is the first Friday of Fall.  Even though I work from home three days a week and have the kind of work (writing, consulting and starting a business) that is always with me, regardless of days of the week or time of month (the challenge of the new career model) -

I still always feel like Friday calls for some kind of celebration.  Drinks, steak, treats are in order.

Someone I dated way back once told me I wasn't very good at celebrating the big moments or occasions in my life (I'm a bride that hated my wedding even though it was objectively stunning, skipped both my undergrad and law school graduations and view most birthdays as a time for critical self assessment: where is my life going and what am I doing) - all of which say, years later, hey, I think "short story man" might have been right.

But I think I am good at celebrating the small moments: Fridays, when the kids go to sleep (a bubble bath), a new book to read and anything to do with my kids achievements or things that make them happy (for a while this translated into candles in everything from noodles to pancakes, because hey, why not)

And so this Friday I am:

• Making a bbqed steak salad, but am adding grilled anise, peppers and baby spinach that I am looking forward to eating on the deck with R and a bottle of red; 
• Looking forward to hot yoga on Saturday and 
• Hoping for a big family walk.