Taking in the View from the Vancouver Hyatt
Posted on | March 8, 2010 | No Comments
I am currently away from home on business. It is much more difficult to be away from home than I ever imagined it would be. The nature of my work when I do work away from home is such that I cannot bring along my sweet cherubs. The hours are simply too long. Theoretically I could bring the girls along but I would not see them anyway. So yesterday, Caragh loaded the girls into the car and brought them down to see me during my lunch break. Story particularly enjoyed the view from my room in the Hyatt.
Story Enjoying the View
Bedtime Squirming and Screaming Troubles
Posted on | March 5, 2010 | 7 Comments
Bedtime has become a bit of a nightmare around here in the last couple of weeks. Story in particular hates to lie down and have her clothes and diaper removed. She squirms about so much that it is really tough to get her ready for her bath. And then post-tub…
Holy crapola. She has a bit of a diaper rash now and so we have to make sure she has some kind of barrier cream put on her junkyard. We use Penaten cream because that is what their mother tells me to use. Anyway, you smear this cream all around the junkyard as she is screaming and squirming about and trying to push her hands down into her…well where the cream is. She then gets the cream on her hands, and then on her face, in her mouth…and then the screams really start.
This evening I got so frustrated I had to step away and let Caragh take over the re-dressing post-tub. Has anybody else seen this behaviour from their little ones? She is just about eleven months old. Her twin sister Annalie does the same sort of thing but not nearly to the extent that Story does. What words of advice can you offer me, us? Please comment! I’m losing it over this squirmy, wormy kidlet. Ack.
“This Too Shall Pass”
Posted on | March 4, 2010 | No Comments
No, the title of this post is not about the topics from today’s workplace meetings, it is actually a very cool music video that I stumbled across on Dooce.com. (Thank you Ms K for the link!). Dooce is calling it “video of the year” and using other such extravagant language about the vid. I love the music video as well and marvel at the amount of coordination that must have gone into the production of it. Have a look, let me know what you think of it.
Wordless Wednesday
Posted on | March 3, 2010 | No Comments
Story at One Month Old
Annalie, the First Couple of Days
Caragh and Story
Annalie Feb 19th
Budget Day in BC
Posted on | March 2, 2010 | No Comments
I spent today in the “Budget lock-up” in the Premier’s Office in Vancouver, BC. The day was all about reading spreadsheets and trying to find where the juicy bits are hidden in the budget. I had the pleasure of sitting with Will McMartin of The Tyee as well as Bill Tieleman, writer for 24 Hours and blogger at Bill Tieleman at something or another. A good time was had as (well, them much more than me) found the lies and deceptive wording in the budget documents.
My write up about the 2010 budget will appear on the Vancouver Observer site once the editor has ironed out all the little turds I left in my writing. My caveat is that I had to file before proof-reading because Annalie was calling out to me and I already had Story on my knee. If you have any interest in BC’s budget, I provide an interesting look at the document on the Van Observer.
Now, back to being a Papa blogger!!
Layla Grace Provides Perspective Adjustment
Posted on | March 1, 2010 | 2 Comments
Okay, this weekend I was taught a life lesson I will not soon forget. As you may know I am a bit of a Twitter freak…and yes, you too can follow me @papastacey. I was reading the tweets as they popped up and this one pops up from @LaylaGrace saying;
She hasn’t eaten in 13 days and acid is building up causing her to be sick. Please continue to pray for her comfort.
Followed by;
Not eating is a completely normal part of the dying process. Her body is shutting down & she isnt hungry. She drinks a little every few days.
Okay. Now I like to think that I am a tough, non-sentimental type of guy. I like to cut down massive trees with my chainsaw and ride around in big trucks. I like to swear and spit and be a “man’s man.” Of course I don’t get to do this stuff much now that I live a soft city life, but you get the picture. When my wife asks me how I am feeling I typically respond with “hot” or “cold”.
So when I see “Not eating is a completely normal part of the dying process.” and I see that they are talking about their TWO YEAR OLD daughter…I lose it. It is the saddest, most gut-wrenching thing I have ever read or thought. Forget about the tough guy image.
Of course I immediately went over and picked up Story and Annalie who were completely taken by surprise by what they probably saw as me acting all freakish and sobbing. Story started laughing with her unique donkey-bray laugh and Annalie just looked at me adoringly. They were not as emotional as I was but it made me feel a tiny bit better to hold my babies.
So later Sunday night, 2:30am actually, Annalie called out; really she just screams with her volume building as I stagger to get to her crib. Once I was sitting in the glider chair with her in my arms I just watched her taking the milk from her bottle. Even after she had finished her bottle I sat there with her and watched as she settled deeper into my arms. I smiled and watched her. And I just sat there, thinking about how far we have come.
Ten and a half months ago we were the very frightened new parents in the Neo-natal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). Our twin girls had been born seven weeks premature and no matter how reassuring the doctors and nurses were, we were scared. Scared that these tiny little things were too tiny. Too vulnerable. Too early to the show. But even though they were tiny, they were tough. They did survive and through time, they thrived.
Story, Papa and Annalie
And through that experience we gained friends who we’ll always share a special bond with. Kelsey and Tamara were there with their precious little ones. You can follow Kelsey’s story on her blog. We all made it out of the NICU alive.
But enough about us. Back to Twitter to read;
Layla’s breathing is very shallow & her breaths are getting further & further apart. Laying next to her watching her sleep. She’s beautiful.
Followed by this morning;
Layla made it through another night. She’s still sleeping in her daddy’s arms.
Hand me the fucking tissues as I fall apart again. From Twitter a tiny bit of background, “Layla is 2 years old and has stage 4 high risk neuroblastoma. Follow her journey as she fights this monster!”
Stage four is bad. Really bad. And she is 2 years old. So please send your kindest thoughts and prayers, blessings, donations or whatever you can to this family. And give thanks for what you have. I know that Layla Grace has changed my perspective on life. I thank her and…what more can you say? For the first time ever, I don’t know what to say other than please send your kindest thoughts to this family.
Canada Wins Hockey Gold, 2010 Olympics Closing Ceremonies
Posted on | February 28, 2010 | No Comments
Such a crazy busy weekend I barely had time to sit sown at the computer and write anything. It is frustrating when so many things are going on that need to be written about and I only have half an hour in front of the computer.
Yesterday was a morning walk along Spanish Banks and lunch out at Moderne Burger with the girls (review to follow sometime soon). Today saw the Canadian men’s gold medal winning hockey game. This evening was the closing ceremonies for the 2010 Olympics which included all the weird musical choices. But the highlight of the weekend for me was 9:30 tonight. Annalie woke up crying. When I went in her room to soothe her she sat up in bed and reached her little arms out to me. Once she was in my arms it was like she melted onto my shoulder. Such a wonderful feeling as she quiets and returns to her peaceful slumber…for another two hours.
The Facebook Group to…
Posted on | February 28, 2010 | 1 Comment
Do you ever stop and think about all the Facebook pages and groups and fan clubs you join? What ever happens to them? Does the onion ring still have more fans than PM Harper? Did the group to stop education cuts stop the cuts? Did they save the rivers and the whales? Do people know that “gay” is not a synonym for stupid? And did they find 1,000,000 people who support gay rights? And further, do those same million people support the National Housing strategy while supporting Jack Layton in his fight against prostate cancer during the proroguing of parliament? How about the group that I just about joined with the purpose of getting people to join a group that had no purpose?
Does anyone else wonder about these things?
The IOC’S Preliminary Report on Canadian Women’s Gold Medal Hockey Celebration
Posted on | February 26, 2010 | 1 Comment
After yesterday’s Canadian women’s Olympic hockey team defeated (and shut out) the American hockey team, a sort of event we in Canada call a “Victory celebration” occurred. This “Victory celebration” took place in the hockey arena changing rooms and on the ice. It took place after the fans and spectators had left the building. It is reported that an AP reporter still in attendance was unfamiliar with the “Victory celebration” idea and phoned an IOC official to report(snitched or ratted-out) the Canadian women’s hockey team. Later that evening, the IOC said that they will be investigating the situation because it might not be the kind of event they condone.
In the public interest I have undertaken my own private investigation into the situation. Following are my findings:
- The Canadian women’s hockey team defeated the American women’s team and therefore won the GOLD medal.
- The Canadian women were overjoyed.
- The Canadian women were awarded GOLD medals in the arena, in front of the adoring fans and spectators.
- The building emptied of spectators, leaving the Canadian women’s hockey team in their change room and assorted media people in the building.
- Once the building was empty the Canadian women returned to the ice surface.
- As they are wont to do, the media followed.
- The Canadian women took part in a ritual called a “Victory celebration” that involved drinking beer and Champagne while smoking cigars, posing in silly positions and laughing.
- It is believed that one of the Canadian women is 18 years of age, below the legal drinking age in BC.
- No harm was done to the all-important IOC “brand.”
- The IOC was reportedly seen the following day trying to pull their collective heads out of their collective asses.
Tags: 2010 Olympics > Canadian women's Olympic hockey > IOC > Vancouver Olympics
Vancouver 2010 Olympic Update; Women’s Hockey and Joannie Rochette
Posted on | February 25, 2010 | No Comments
It started with the Canadian women playing, and defeating the Americans in the GOLD medal hockey game. Not only beating them but shutting them out. Beauty. Then Joannie Rochette skated. A young woman who’s mother died of a heart attack mere days ago.
Rochette skated in honour of her mother. And she brought home a bronze medal for her efforts. Keep in mind that the bronze medal she won is absolutely golden to Canadians. Now the IOC has to do the right thing and give her a duplicate medal so that she can bury one of the medals with her mother. IOC…just do the right thing.
Oh and IOC peeps, forget about the Canadian women drinking beer and smoking cigars on the ice later in the evening after their victory. Its a Canadian thing, you wouldn’t understand, so just forget about it.
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