Breastfeeding

(I wrote this post back in May and forgot to publish it!)

Someone out there should write a book called "The Truth About Breastfeeding", and it should sell as many copies as "What to Expect When You're Expecting", and should be written in a very sarcastic but blunt manner.

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Crentist

(If you don't get the title of this post, it's because you don't watch The Office. Here, educate yourself.)

I've said before how much I love going to my dentist. I can't find the post, so I'll just quickly explain why -- we get a massage chair, shades to keep the blinding bright light and flying bits of tartar out of our eyes, an AWESOME x-ray machine, hygienists who get to wear golf shirts, a chatty dentist, a play area for kids, a nursing area for moms, a fridge in the waiting area for thirsty patients, and a bunch of other stuff that I can't remember. At the same time though, I'm not sure if I'm so amazed by my dentist's technology because I came from a ghetto-ish dentist before.

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Multi-tasking Me

What do you call a person who can do things with both hands and both feet? Polydextrous? Anyway, I'm learning to be that.

I'm becoming more and more skilled at typing with one hand and typing with my toes. My feet are clean, as is my keyboard, I promise.

There's so much to do and sometimes when I'm feeding, it's a prime opportunity to get some online banking done or something.

This doesn't make me a neglectful mother, right?

Her name was Lola

Lola's body was laid to rest on Tuesday. Her granddaughters helped to bring her there. Literally.

It's not in my memories of Lola that she encouraged her granddaughters to go against the grain or to go out of their way to do things differently from everyone else, but it is in my memory that she helped raise us all to be strong women. And I think in being strong women, we've found that we don't have to go with the grain or conform.

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Mr. and Mrs. H

Congratulations to one of my most cherished friends and her husband, one of my favourite ex-co-workers!

It was an amazing day and a wonderful experience, witnessing you, after all these years, coming together as one. We wish you all the joy and happiness times a million that you give to all those you love.

2 years

At the end of a fairy tale, there's always "...and they lived happily ever after." Usually it's just following the part where the prince saves the princess and they get married. I like to think that I got my happily ever after when we got married. It sounds cheesy, but it feels like happily ever after.

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Lola

Lola & me on my 18th birthday

It's bittersweet. Most times, when someone you love passes, it's just bitter. In Lola's case, there's a sort of sweetness to it. Let me explain.

My sister wrote recently about her feelings about Lola passing away. I couldn't have said it all better myself. In many ways, Lola has been gone for a while. Her mind and body slowly diminished over the years and it became increasingly challenging to get her back when we came to visit her. I found myself saying Goodbye every time we'd leave her bedside. It wasn't just "Goodbye, see you next time". It was more like, "Goodbye, it's okay." I've been saying goodbye like that for a long time.

I think if I had a nickel for every time Lola would say "maybe this is the last time...", I would be pretty well-off. She said it a lot and she said it for YEARS. So much so, we would crack jokes about it. We would sometimes wonder if she'd end up being the oldest person in the world, or if maybe she secretly had immortality on her mind. Before last year, we would wonder about what it'd be like if Lola made it to 100...and then last year, she did. Wow, to know someone 100 years old or older. That's pretty cool.

I used to wonder if Lola would live to see my wedding day or if she'd get to meet the great-grandchildren I'd give her. Turns out the answer was yes to both. She wasn't able to make it to my wedding because she was already bedridden at the time, but she did get to meet Mr.S at my 18th birthday and saw him over the years (sometimes confusing him for my brother -- how embarrassing!) . She did get to meet D-nut, although I'm not sure she realized he was my son. She was probably wondering what year it was and how I could possibly already have a child.

Lola and D-nut, her 17th great grandchild

(we played with her hair and forgot to fix it)

Lola is quite possibly the strongest woman I know. It's a little faded, but I remember her at certain times in the year (1988) she lost her daughter (my Mom) and her husband (my Lolo). Even though I was still young, I remember wondering how she could survive something like that. I wondered that for many years after too. And then I found out she and my Lolo had other children that they lost when they were very young. They had eight kids.

Then she had eleven grandchildren.

On Lola's 90somethingth birthday

Then she had seventeen great grandchildren.

And so my Lola returns to our Heavenly Father, her husband and six of her children, among more family and friends. Quite a homecoming.

Thank you so much, Lola. I love you and miss you and look forward to seeing you again.

Goodbye, for now.

Venancia G.V.

September 17, 1909 - July 10, 2010

Oh well

A few days ago after putting D-nut down for a nap, I went to the kitchen to wash some dishes. While washing, I had an itch on my cheek and because my hands were wet, I went to scratch my face and turned it to my shoulder. Then I found it:

A BOOGER ON MY SHIRT.

I guess I have to be okay with things like that now, right?