Thomas’ daycare has a Friday Fun night every couple of months where he gets to stay at daycare until 10pm, eating pizza, playing with his friends and watching a movie. OK, not as much fun for the kids and the caregivers as it is for Mum and Dad. This is one of the very few opportunities where Kei and I get to spend some time together doing adult things like dinner and a movie.

Since our night is over at 10pm we start early. This time we decided on happy hour at the Sapphire Hotel. Happy hour in Portland means regularly priced drinks but cheap food. Perfect for a pregnant woman with a big appetite. 🙂

Next we stopped for some Gelato and then made our way to the Laurelhurst theatre to see Atonement. We had planned on No Country for Old Men but it seems they changed the movie time on us and we were working to a strict 10pm curfew. We actually bumped into two other sets of parents at the same movie – neighbours with kids in the same daycare. I guess everyone equates Friday Fun with catching up on the movies they missed.

I was a little skeptical about Atonement since I had tried (and failed) to read the book, but the movie was actually really great. Not very uplifting, but a great story and wonderful cinematography. I would give it an A-. The night overall definitely an A. We had a great time.

We picked Thomas up at 10 which was nearly three hours past his bedtime. He was pretty tired and cranky and didn’t actually want me to touch him which was a little heartbreaking. I had to wake him up three hours into his nap on Saturday so I guess he was pretty wiped out.

Getting way more creative with the bath shots. 🙂

Thomas’ hands were cold. I just love his pose in this photo – not sure why. Maybe it’s the skull and crossbones T-Shirt…

Another “before” photo. Taken this morning before the work was set to begin. I say “set to begin” because nothing really started today. I think they were running a little late and the dumpster guy is waiting for them to pull down our back fence. Fingers crossed that we will start moving tomorrow and the back of house will begin it’s transformation. In the meantime, we can enjoy the peace and quite before the trucks roll in.

By the way – that little dormer there is our toilet. The more I look at it the more odd it looks.

This is Thomas all nice and clean after his bath and “pretending” to be asleep for the camera.

Now that we have moved his bedroom downstairs we can hear just how long it takes Thomas to go to sleep at night. Usually he lies in bed singing, pretending to read in the dark or talking to the 10 or 12 toys he has taken to bed with him that night. I usually let him continue for about 30 minutes before I go in there to tell him it’s time to go to sleep. The funny thing is that when he hears me open the door he gets down under his covers and makes snoring sounds so I will think he’s asleep. It’s so funny because he can’t help doing it without a smile on his face and his fake snoring is actually quite good (must be all that time listening to his father). This kid cracks me up. 🙂

Saying goodbye to our house the way it is.

The porta potty has arrived (for the workers, not for us) and the dumpster will be delivered by the time we get home. Who knows what else will have transpired by then, but I do know that our lives are about to get just a little more crazy.

I took this photo of our upstairs hallway. The space is so pokey that it’s impossible to get a clear picture of the space. This is the view from our bedroom to the stairs.

There are so many things I hate about our second floor:

• Thomas’ tiny 9×9 bedroom
• The teeny tiny little toilet room that I hate using
• The fact that we have just one hot wire that powers the lights so everything is on pull cord
• The lack of elecrtrical outlets (and the fact that the one in Thomas’ room doesn’t work at all)
• No insulation – Stinking hot in summer and freezing in winter – and heating in only one room.
• The fact that opening a window takes super human strength
• The one closet that fits most of my clothes but none of Kei’s

But on the other hand… this is the very first house we bought together – just two years ago, warts and all. I painted Thomas very first bedroom myself, 9×9 is a cute size for a nursery and I like living without dust and construction.

So I have mixed feelings… but admittedly they are leaning very strongly to one side. Bring it on!

I just love the colours in this photo – and the fact that I was able to get a good shot even though Thomas kept moving towards the camera. 🙂

This is a daily ritual in our house. As soon as I get home from work Thomas asks for some milk and we sit and cuddle on the couch while he drinks it. I love this time we spend together and I hope it can continue to some extent after the new baby arrives.

I know he’ll hate me for this when he gets older but I thought it was important for me to create a record of where we seem to be spending a lot of time lately. The good news is that Thomas is showing an interest in the potty. The bad news? I can see that it’s going to be a very long process. I’m hoping he will just wake up one day and get it. Preferably before I am forced to change diapers for two kids.

Decluttering.

With our renovation starting on Monday, Kei and I have been busy tring to get the house ready. Translation: purging everything possible to make room for the three of us downstairs. Here is part of my contribution to last night’s declutter – cleaning out the catalogues. This is about half of the final purge pile. And I cleaned them out just two months ago.

There are a few things that bother me about living in the States – one of them is the enormous amount of everyday waste. And a big contributer to that waste is the endless supply of catalogues that come through the mailbox. Oh, I admit I am partly to blame. I signed up for Pottery Barn (not sure why – I can never afford anything) and maybe a clothing catalogue or two. The problem is that these things are like rabbits and seem to multiply before your very eyes.

“Oh, seems you recently requested a birth certificate for your newborn – how about we send you this Fischer price catalogue to add to your growing pile of stuff?… Well, if you like Fischer Price you must LOVE this random catalogue of very expensive children’s clothes that are WAY beyond your income level… Come on… who wouldn’t pay $60 for a little girl’s swimsuit? (!!!!)… and whle you’re at it we should just add you to the mailing list for a catalogue of random crap… You can thank me later…”

So my contribution to reducing the impact? I wrote down the names and phone numbers of about 15 catalogues I no longer want to receive (not Pottery Barn. I LOVE Pottery Barn). Tomorrow I am going to dial those 15 numbers (Toll Free of course) and remove myself from the mailing list. And I am determined to continue this practice – slowly reducing the number of catalogues that come through the mail until I am down a few inspiring favourites.

May have to keep that kids clothing catalogue though. I was just waiting to spend $70 on the right pair of toddler size shoes for Thomas to grow out of in two months…