Friday, 23 May 2008

exhausted, humorless and lonely

Warning: low mood to follow...turn back now if you're not keen on witnessing the blues...

It has been a rough week, folks...M left for the homeland on Tuesday and we're here on our own for the total of three weeks. Tuesday night I had a meeting...the boys got picked up, fed and pj'd by a neigbhour. Wednesday I had to sign our new lease (in french, all by myself), so the boys got to see me 5 minutes before the "garderie" (daycare) closed. Thursday night I had a computer software course, and got home an hour plus later than normal. Tonight I'm just fried. If I had to do anything intellectual it would have to be redone tomorrow anyway (maybe its a good thing I can't do report cards from home: less guilt about not doing them). I haven't done anything since the boys got in bed, in fact I'm in PJ's myself and the sun's still in the sky...pathetic.

On a lighter note, here's some pics of the new place...very small, but that's okay, we haven't much furniture anyway. This is an all-new kitchen, and it opens to the living/dining room, that is the second pic. This is the second floor, and there are two bedrooms above with a new bathroom and a tiny little attic that will serve for storage (suitcases) above that. Its all very clean, very new and bright, and we're not too much further away from school and friends...bikes will be our best mode of transportation next year, I think. Can only be good for us.

Speaking of furniture, we're working on it...getting the goods second hand and via yard sales once we get back...we may be sleeping all together the first few nights, as we've only got two single beds for the four of us so far!

Back to why I'm bummed out: its been a rough week because I am not eating or sleeping properly with M gone. Its easier having a piece of cold pizza (or 6) than a real dinner, and I'm bad at regulating my own bedtime when I haven't someone around to be with...surfing online or reading obscure stuff on websites seems to have kept me up way too late recently...hence the reason why I'm also humorless these days.

M. has been calling and keeping me updated on what's happening, but in a way, its only making it worse: I'm (emotionally) ready to go back to Canada for a few weeks and feel like he's doing it without me...even though he's working while there. I'm getting cuddles from the cute ones (see pic) but it's just not the same.

I know, I know...you'll tell me to knock some sense into my head and go do something, visit with someone, have an adventure with the boys or SOMETHING--and I will, right after I have a good mope and a few glasses too many of Chablis or half a box of Neuhaus chocolates...and after I finish downloading daytime t.v. to my ipod so I can watch junk t.v. until I crash...

--told you to turn back before I pulled you into the depths of dulldrums--I did warn you!

Sunday, 18 May 2008

too busy socializing to blog...

Ah, there's been visits from Canada, birthday parties, long weekends with glorious weather, fun fairs, community school fetes, and all in the last two weeks...when is anyone expected to Blog around here? It's just not possible what with all the barbequing, drinking to others' health and all!

But not all is cake and bordeaux around here...since I'm preparing to be a single parent for the next three weeks. Now I know how military wives feel (and there are quite a few on my staff to empathize with)...Matthew is off to the land of Habs and Sleeman starting tuesday to sing to Queen's University graduates and their families no less than 19 times in ten days: National anthem and God save the queen.

I am nicely finished with the major fifth grade culminating project, getting geared up to take 63 ten-eleven year olds to Arnhem for a 5 day school trip all while finishing up the curriculum we set in the fall and writing report cards (this will be my first set of elementary reports...you can pity my sore typing wrists now as this is an extensive task with much composition at the computer--yikes). The last unit of inquiry is all about Bridges which encompasses history, geography, design & technology, health (yes, I said health: bridges as a metaphor for the transition to adolescence that these kids are already starting via the lovely hormones already wreaking havoc on their wee bodies and unsuspecting brains), science of forces and matter, literature (no, not Bridges over Madison County...more like Bridge to Teribithia--a much more appropriate novel for this age-range) and even math, though I'm still looking for that metaphor to connect math to bridges...geometry, maybe? That sounds good to me!

I cannot believe this year is coming to an end so soon. We're barely settled and we're to the finish line for my sabbatical year. How did that happen so soon? I think its like a roller-coaster: interminable wait in line before it happens; thrilling ride that ends too soon and leaves the rider just a bit dizzy as they approach the exit gate and costed way too much for the time spent on it...ah, but we line up again, don't we? And we are making plans for next year... Particularly since we're searching for apartments here so that our second year will be in the same community--albeit with much less posh digs, sorry to say...friends: backpackers welcome provided they bring their own bedrolls...you might be on the floor if you visit (well, okay, not that bad, but how does an IKEA pull-out couch sound? Better than a hostel? Thought so...)

Ah, the parties...there'll be pics soon enough. I have to wrestle the camera out of one of my boy's hands and download them soon. Forgive me for none in this post...next time.

Monday, 5 May 2008

Sorry Emily...looks like the good weather missed you!


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Updated:Monday May 5 2008,12:01 CST - Brussels