Sleep Deprived

Alriiiiiiight.

That's enough.

Aren't long weekends for sleeping in?

Maybe drinking one too many glasses of sangria? On a dock? Or at least a deck?

I have been up every day this weekend at some god awful hour before 6am.

One day, Clem sleeps in while Griffy wakes, the next day is the exact opposite.

Daddy needs to come home now.

Scratch that.

Daddy needs to come home yesterday.

We had supper at mom and dad's last night (again) and mom made a comment to my aunt Carolyn about how Brad is such a wonderful dad (and he is) and that he watches the kids all day every Saturday.

Oh wow. What a hero.

All day Saturday is actually only 10-5 if we're keeping score.

And really. We're part of a new generation who are equal parts parents.

I truly feel that we share the responsibility 60/40. And that's only because daddy doesn't have breasts.

I'm not going to be apologetic about how much I rely on my husband to raise these kids. I think that's fair!

I'm the one went through 3 months of nausea and another 6 months of irreparable damage to my body (not to mention psyche) and then surgery...and then the trauma of learning to nurse all over again...all followed by another year of having to tailor my fashion choices around having to slip a nip 6 or more times a day.

The least he can do is let me sleep in an hour longer than the rest of these early risers and cover me while I work ONE full day a week.

And like it.

Where did little Miss Good Mood go you're wondering.

I'm just tired.

And a tad grumpy.

Brad comes home tomorrow.

He'd do well to bring flowers.

Em

Round Two

So round two was significantly better than round one.

(My posts this weekend are going to be somewhat kidcentric since that's about all I've got time for these next few days. So my apologies in advance.)

I tired those little suckers out yesterday.

We're talking grocery store, park, book store, library, Nana & Papa's house AND an after supper walk for ice cream.

I decided to let Clem go to bed a little later that her usual 7pm shut 'er down and that has worked quite nicely I must say.

In fact, she's still asleep and it's already just after 7am.

Of course, since she's not up, her brother is, but c'est life.

His four month un-birthday was yesterday and last night the kid slept from around 9pm to almost 6am, so that's pretty respectable for a boy his age. I won't complain over nearly 9 hours of sleep from a newborn.

We're going to Evan's (Josie and John's son) 1st Birthday party today, so we'll be forfeiting a nap, but hopefully that will only mean another good sleep tonight.

I know. This post is riveting.

I'll try to take lots of good pictures at the party today to make up for it.

Em

One down. Four to go.

Well that was a long night.

Who are these single parents of two? They all deserve medals.

Or at least a lifetime supply of coffee and under eye makeup.

Everything started off innocently enough.

I managed to get both kids happily bathed, smelling like roses and in their jammies.

I put Griffin downstairs so I could read Clemmie her bedtime books without distracting her from her routine too much.

I knew he'd cry, but also that he'd live, and put Clem to bed.

Two books and a story.

Easy breezy beautiful.

When I got downstairs the boy was beside himself, but I consoled him back to a happy state and even managed to eat supper. (Which I had the foresight to make in advance knowing my window of opportunity would be a small one.)

45 minutes went by.

I can totally do this!

And then.

Chaos.

A screaming two year old over the monitor.

"Something's scaring me mom!" "There's a bug! There's a bug!" "I need another storyyyyy!"

45 minutes! Wasn't she asleep?

Doesn't she realize this is only the first of five nights we have to do this?

I decided to pick a time on the clock that, if she didn't stopped screaming by then, I would go to her.

I never should have gone.

It was like I completely lost my mind.

Or, if I was going to go, I never should have brought Griffin with me.

I went up without him at first, but could hear him screaming blue flipping murder and came back down.

Naturally she screamed even louder over the fact that I'd left her again!

I called my dad.

"Dad. I need your hands here."

That in itself wasn't a mistake, but letting Clem know her Papa was here, however, was.

"Papa. YOU read a book."

So Papa read her a book.

And when Papa reads a book, Papa takes his time and uses different voices, and inflection, and makes it just a little more fun than when mom reads a book. (In my defense, if it was my first Mercer Mayer rodeo, I might take a little more time with it myself.)

So when I came in the room again to announce I'd read her one more book and then it'd be bed time, it was Niagara Falls all over again.

We got through it.

I read a book, and told another story and left her with a "I'm not coming back until tomorrow morning" and went downstairs again to relieve dad.

Griffin didn't fall asleep until 9:30 (not the worst for a 4 month old but so much for time alone) and then I did some freelance work until 11pm.

I should have gone to bed earlier.

I fell asleep just fine, but woke up at 12:30 and tossed and turned until at least 3:30.

Then Griff woke up at 5:30 to eat and Clem work up for the day at 6:30.

So I'll be loads of fun today.

The sun better shine or I might not have the energy to do this all over again tonight.

Thankfully the boy is still asleep now at 8am and Clementine is munching a Cheerios and watching Toy Story on the couch.

So the big question is, do I try it again on my own tonight or do I call in the reinforcements?

I mean, I AM their mother. I should be able to do this.

I kind of want to prove it to myself even.

But I know almost for certain that she will attempt the same antics again.

They worked after all.

I'll just have to have a plan of attack in place this time.

I'm thinking Gravol.

For one of us anyway.

Happy Long Weekend!

Really looking forward to the post-bedtime fireworks. Really.

Happy Thursday

It's Thursday morning.

Brad has just left on his annual boys camping trip north north north of Sudbury and I'll be home with these little goofballs for a whopping 5 sleeps.

I'm hooked on the Hipstamatic app on my iPhone.

I know all you "real" photographers are rolling your eyes.

We'll survive I'm sure.

And besides, I'll accumulate my fair share of "mommy points" while he's away.

Already planning ways to cash in on those when daddy gets home.

I'm thinking girls movie night with my lady friends.

I've been dying to see Bridesmaids since it came out.

I may actually enjoy myself while he's away.

Not that I don't enjoy life with him at home, it's just kind of nice to be able to beat my own drum sometimes.

It'll be five days without channel surfing anyway.

Right now I'm sitting in Starbucks (I know, I should be at Equator, but I had to get out of town or risk getting caught up chatting) with Griffy sleeping at my feet in his car seat, trying to maximize on this little bit of free time.

My little brain is a buzz with new ideas.

The first one being that I've decided to reinvent the shop.

I was so inspired by the vendors at Handmade Harvest that I've decided to integrate more handmade product lines into the store.

Truth is, I've always been a little insecure about how much stuff is imported from India, China, Thailand etc.

I really do make an effort to buy ethically produced items for Blackbird, but it's a challenge sometimes.

By carrying more handmade products not only can I have a story to tell about where they came from, but I can support people who are doing what they love.

And that, I love.

Holding this past show got me really thinking about how little creative work I've been doing for myself lately.

I love to paint, and also sew for example.

But I've found it almost impossible to do either since Clementine was born.

As soon as I pull out the sewing machine, she's up there on the chair wanting to create.

So the sewing machine is moving to the shop. And so is the easel.

(Not to mention the button making machine I just bought online! Custom buttons available soon!)

Colleen and I are in talks with my landlord to rent an additional space in the back of the building for Blackbird storage to make room for our brand new in store studio!! (Incidentally, the gorgeous, lofty office space above my store is available for rent. Email me if you want more details! emily@blackbirdshop.ca)

We'll be able to create things in our downtime, offer weekend and daytime workshops, and get our craft on whenever the mood strikes without having to return the dining room back to its original state.

The plan is to launch the studio space as well as the Handmade Department of the shop by July.

You can be sure I'll document the process. (We have some plans of our own, but if any of you have a vision, I'd love to hear from you! Design challenge anyone!?)

I am beyond excited about the possibility of this.

Honestly, I don't know why I didn't think of it sooner.

We were talking about renting a different space altogether for a workshop studio, but this makes so much more sense.

I better get moving here.

The boy is starting to stir (how dare he!?) and mama better get to the grocery store if these babies are going to eat today.

See you soon!

Em

Handmade Harvest SPRING!

I know.

AWFUL that I haven't posted about Handmade Harvest on here yet.

But I just did a little write up over here.

Hop on over to see some great pics courtesy of jemmTale Photography.

I'll be back soon!

Em