This story was shared with one of my regular readers/friends and she recommended that I blog this.  So with a little bit of editting, here is the story of Oldest Large Child’s birth on Christmas Morning.

Chloe was born in the early hours of Christmas Day.  I went in to labour very late Christmas Eve. I was about to be a single parent so I was going to have a doula (professional labour coach) and my very good friend Jen there. Early that evening Jenn and I, and a couple others had gone to one of the local churches (there are many many MANY churches in Abbotsford, BC it is affectionately known as the bible belt) for their Christmas Eve services. Then we all went to our respective houses.

I was due to go to one of my sisters the next day for Christmas and as I was feeling like I was going to be constipated (this had been happening a lot toward the end of the pregnancy) I rang her and said I how I was feeling and that I was just going to stay home because I would rather be uncomfortable in my own home than somewhere where there would A LOT more people. Shortly after that, I took a “pregnancy safe” laxative and went to bed. (I did say I had been having that problem in my last trimester with C so this was not an inducement) Two hours later I woke up and had to pee (as you do when you are past your due date and just want this baby out!) 30 minutes later same thing only no pee. Back to bed … 30 minutes later ….. then I woke up. Hmmm was that a pain or do I have to pee again?  Then I did the whole make note of the time thing and tried doing everything they tell you to do to not only make early labour comfortable, but what is supposed to stop a “false labour” (I’m sure those of you who know having been there a time or two yourself know all about this). I called my doula and got her to come over and by the time she got there it was time to go to the hospital.  By that time there was no point in having Jenn come to my house, so I rang her and told her that the Baby was on the way and to meet us at the hospital.  I think we got there about 2am, it might have been three. 

So up on the table I get so they can take my vitals etc and down I did not get. I asked for the radio in the room to be put to the local christian station and of course it was playing all the traditional Christmas carols and HYMNS (there is meaning for that you’ll see quickly). So, for me the time passes somewhat quickly, especially after I was given the gas to suck on and could then get ohhh so legally high! Then the real fun begins and the hard labour starts and at one point I look over at Jenn who is sitting watching all this, and the doctor has asked her if she is okay and I think to my sooo stoned self “heh heh heh Jenn’s never seen a baby born before…heh heh heh” Then Chloe in all her 8 pounds 15 ounces arrives, naturally I might add. Just after that Jenn tells me that she had been doing a bible study with her care group (what small bible study groups in that area are called) about Adam and Eve and they had just focussed on the fall from grace that passed week. And add to that the hymns and carols on the radio brought it all to reality for Jenn that … IT’S ALL EVE’S FAULT! If she hadn’t eaten the forbidden fruit, I would never had to have gone throught the pain of child birth and IT’S ALL EVE’ FAULT!

So where do I start?  My last post told you of a snow storm that hit Calgary on Friday 12th December, dropping about two feet of snow on us and The Husband was sent home on “snow days”.  As this had happened before, we really did not think much of it.  A couple days and he would be back at it, after all he had been told that the crew would be working from the beginning of December straight through to Christmas then off for two weeks and back to work the 5th of January 2009.  Well …. not so.  On the following Monday, 15th December, The Husband finally got a call at 8PM!!! saying that he was laid off until further notice and the crew would not be back to work until well in to the New Year.  Uhhhh …. pardon…. did I hear you correctly???  This is not good.

I started making the necessary enquiries about what to do next and it was not looking good.  The Husband is tied to his employer on his work permit and therefore can not work for anyone else.  I had only one child to mind so was not bringing in very much income and to add to that, Tiny Wee Man was about to leave as his Mam wasn’t making any money (she is on 100% commission), and according to Service Canada, TH would not be eligible for Employment Insurance (even though he had paid in to it!) but, he should apply anyhow and see what the outcome was.  At this point, we would be no worse off than we already were.  I did go and inquire about Income Assistance and was told by that Government Agency there was nothing they could do to help us in December, and to go back at the beginning of January. ~ And again …. did I hear you correctly?

So now a scramble as we have been living on a tight budget that did not allow for such … Emergencies.  We had accounted for TH to be working the extra two weeks and that alone was a hefty chunk of dosh…  Calls were made and things were attempted to be attained, but there would be no more income for the rest of the month for either of us from our current sources.  That meant I got to start looking for work out of the house and considering what move to make next.

As all seemed to be a bit lost, I asked for help from the public of Calgary, by posting an add asking for help on the web site Kijiji.  And with great thanks to two separate people and a huge break from our landlord for the next months rent, we made Christmas come and will just and only just keep ourselves for another month.  It is going to mean some great sacrifices on all parts, but it can and hopefully will be achieved.  The one thing that we have come to a major agreement on, we will not let it happen again.

I can not thank thank those that helped enough.  To say that they were generous is an understatement.  Seriously, we would not have made it through Christmas and the rest of December without their help.  While I did not get to actually meet one of the people who helped, I can only refer to them as Angels! 

But now I must go.  The Monsters are finally asleep and Santa needs to arrive and then get some sleep to be rested for tomorrow.  It is going to be a big enough day.  Santa will arrive tonight and then we have to celebrate Oldest Large Child’s birthday in the evening.  Once again, I am lead to think of the generosity of complete strangers and again, I can not thank them enough!  The standard has been set and I can only think to do for others next year as was done for us this.  May they have blessings all year long and know that what they have given, gave more than they can imagine.

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL AND TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT!

Well, it finally stopped sometime this morning.  The storm that was forcast and finally did arrive about noon on Friday finally did end.  The Husband was sent home early and now has a couple unplanned days off thanks to Mother Nature.  Now we have another two feet of snow and temperatures of -20 and below. 

BUT not to be disheartened, the Lake had a community Christams Party and we went.  It was not quite what was expected, as it was advetised as hay rides with Santa and Carollers by the fire on the ice rink.  Yeah the Carollers stayed inside and Santa was not out on a hay wagon.  I don’t blame him, it was bitterly cold!  But we had our play on the ice and some cake and hot chocolate, and of course a chat with Santa.

Then off to our warm house only to discover that one of “The Big Guy’s” helpers came to bring the Santa key.  Every year the key is delivered so that Santa can let himself in the house while we sleep safely in our beds.

Okay I needed to go to WalMart on Sunday, but hadn’t left the house before the snow accumulated to the point where I was safer to stay home and go in the middle of the night.  But, as The Husband’s alarm goes off at the un-Godly hour of 5:30AM! and all too often these days I don’t fall back to sleep, even when there is no school or other peoples children to mind.  So going in the middle of the night is not going to happen just yet.

ANYHOW … what I’m getting at is that I waited until tonight to go as we were out of milk, coffee, bread and juice it was a necessary run.  I waited until TH was home from work and off I went.  Out to the garage I went and jumped in to our purdy lil’ city truck.  Slowly I pulled out of the garage as the lane behind our house does not get plowed and is therefore still full of snow.  Not so bad.  No slipping or sliding, of course I was going about oh 5 kph!  Out of the lane and on to the side road I always take and hhmmmm maybe I should have gone the other way out on to the main road.  The road that gets plowed.  But its all good, easy on the brake easy on the accelerator no worries.  Yeh.  Right.  Make a 135 degree turn to the left travelling at the speed of 10 kph, and I am sideways across the road now facing a house straight on.  Okay foot off the accelerator.  Good thing roads in Canada are wider than roads in Ireland.  Yeh.  Twice on the same road at speeds a snail could have passed me I slid to the side.  Now was it completely MY driving??  or the combination of really bad roads, and a very light back end on the truck.  Personally I am thinking the latter.  I was not going at great speeds and really was taking great care at driving and oh so not driving recklessly.

So will my nerves hold out the winter until the snow melts and the roads are mainly clear?  Here’s hopin!

The snow started falling about 8am and didn’t stop until about 8pm.  Not a big heavy snow fall, but consistant… and this is what ensued…

The Husband ended up with a snow day….(I’m not sure who is the bigger kid!)

Then after supper we went for a walk in the park to see the lights …. and TH and the monsters played….

So I thought I would do something different with the girls (Healthy Weighty Wee Man wasn’t old enough ~ although he did steal the show).  I had heard an ad on the radio for auditions for children back in August and had rung then to book Oldest Large Child in and then ended up cancelling it before the day.  Well the company that was holding the auditions rang the other day and asked if I wanted to book for another audition and I thought, “why not?”  so I book OLC and Wee Blonde Child in.  HWWM wasn’t old enough.  Well I have to say it really was a waste of time.  I felt that it was more of a push to promote the company’s training programmes.  I could have made better use of those hours, but hey it is all a learning curve right?  I think I’ll find a local theatre group and try to kids out there.

But there is another significance to this day.  11 years ago I had a very serious car accident that I was incredibly lucky to walk away from fairly unscathed.  I was a bit battered and bruised, but all in all I was okay.  But still I can’t help thinking about it every year on this day.  And the irony about that is it then reminds me that this day is also my old friend Cyndi’s birthday.  We have been friends since before either of us wants to admit we were ever “that age”  and every year (back in the dark ages!) I would always get the date of her birthday wrong by about a week either before or after the actual day.  But from 1997 onward …. yeah not so much.  Too bad we have grown apart on our separate paths of life.  Regardless … Happy Birthday Spinbinder!

So once again in my daily hourly half-hourly, quater-hourly perusal of the stuff-for-sale-or-free web sites, I came across a christmas tree for sale “ready to go with lights and decorations $25″ well I thought this to be a great deal and so I went to collect it.  Well, as the price sticker was still on it from (according to the seller) two years ago, and it said $59.97 for the tree.  And the decs??  Well that was a small box of about 12 balls and a small bundle of wired, metallic ribbon.  There were four strands of fifty lights or so in a shopping bag, and one to be found in the box so in total five strands.  Okay all in all this was not all that bad of a deal.  The tree is not missing any parts (unlike the free one I picked up in early October which is missing more than the two I was told about!) and I only spent about $30 more on decs and some more lights.  I would say it is our Charlie Brown christmas tree, but it is a lot more full of branches than that, but at the moment, it is just a little bare…lacking decs.  BUT! that will come.  We moved this year about a distance of 6000 miles or so and our stuff hasn’t caught up with us yet.  But the children had a grand time putting the decs on and some times that’s all that counts!

(yes the “tree faery” missing …. “right now she is busy helping other wee children to set up their tree and will then come and find her home on our tree” ~ well they bought it! read Mammy was not paying $15 for one! even if it did have fiber optic lights and glowed from with in.)

so I shall talk about mommy things.  As you all have come to know we decided I would stay home and mind other children instead of getting our children minded and working away from the house.  So now my life consists of mostly ~ okay I’ll admit it all mommy related things and to be franky honest there are times when I positively hate it.  I am more than just a mom, a house wife, a housekeeper, cook, dishwasher, laundry schlep, a taxi driver and general dogs body to do things that revolve around the house.  I am a woman of many talents and interests that don’t relate to JUST the afore mentioned list.  I enjoy photography, walking, hiking, skiing, rollerblading, painting, scrapbooking, crafting, reading, talking to other people that are older than 6 years! 

But yet again I digress ….. I’m going to talk about mommy things! (insert groaning and rolling of eyes)

So the biggest mommy acomplishment has been that Heathy Weighty Wee Man is now fully potty trained.  In less than the year and then some that it is taking Wee Blonde Child.  Okay she is having her issues, BUT she is also 58 weeks older than HWWM and still needs a nappy at night.  HWWM has consistantly not wet himself at night for a couple weeks and we have had virtually no accidents for over a month and half.  Yeah he needs tuition on cleaning his bum after a #2, but hey he is only 3 years old!

Now I have to go have a chat with WBC ….