Dear Person Who Shall Not Be Named:

I understand that in the past I have leaned on you a little bit for help. I was a single mom and needed some relief every once in a while. I have been back on my feet for a couple of years now and I thank you for your support... I cannot forget your support because you lord it over my head every chance you get.

Yes, you have helped out a lot with M. This does not mean that you get to be substitute-mom. It does not mean that you get to pick and choose how you spend time with my son.

If you want to see him... you need to ask me. It's not a matter of popping in and out when it is convenient for you and then acting as though you are doing me a big honkin' huge favour when you 'take him for a couple of hours'.

Newsflash! I like hanging out with my kid. More than ever. He is smart and funny and very sweet. And I am not keeping him from you in any way shape or form, but I'm tired of bending to YOUR rules every time you want to see him. We have plans, we make plans for the day and for the weekend. If you can't be bothered to check a day in advance then it's your loss when you don't see him.

I seem to be getting all hot and bothered by the re-trial of Andrea Yates. Some may call me judgmental and wrong, but as far as I am concerned, the only thing this woman needs is a bullet to the head.

I'm not used to really hating people. I don't think that there are wide swaths of humanity that need to be extinguished... but I do think that a woman who systematically drowns all five of her children needs to be sent to her maker and He can sort her out.

A seven-year-old boy struggled so hard as his mother drowned him that his small
fists remained stiff and raised over his head hours later, the medical examiner
testified Wednesday.

What kind of human does that? Yes, I know, there will be many (again) who says that she is mentally ill. I could not care less. If someone is mentally ill and not a danger to society, then fine. But this woman, whether mentally ill or not, should not be allowed to continue breathing the air.

If my son grows up to do what Matt is doing, I will be proud.

http://www.wherethehellismatt.com/

Why did the video make me teary-eyed?

Has your cable guy ever fallen asleep on your couch?

Ok, I know the story. I've been a stay at home mom before.

I thought it would take more than two days before the Jehovahs Witnesses smelled my mom-at-home-ness and came calling.

Nope. 10 am and they're a' knockin'.

I girded myself for a little confrontation. But when I opened the door, what did I see?

An adorable five year old girl. She was VERY cute, holding a bible with big Minnie Mouse sunglasses on. She stood right at the knee of the adult and grinned a big, sweet grin up at me. What could I do? I'm not going to go all anti-Jehovah on the guy when he's got a sweet little girl with him.. and he KNOWS that.. the bastard.

There was also an older girl, maybe 9 or 10 years old. She'd probably been doing this since she was five. Playing the part of the cute little human shield.

It really, really irritated me. I can't say what I REALLY want to say to this man without looking like a big ass in front of these two kids.

Underhanded I tell ya.

Of course I come from a long line of anti-JWs.. my grandfather once broke the foot of a JW who had the absolute nerve to stick his foot in the door while my grandfather tried to close it.

What is up with the new drum set?

I don't want to crush your creative spirit and all... but you suck ass.

A to Z
A- AVAILABLE?: For work, yes. For love, nope.

B- BEST SPORT?: Reining (www.nrha.com)

C- CRUSH?:

D- DOGS NAMES?: Christy... Sam... Jake ...

E- EASIEST PERSON(s) TO TALK TO?: My husband

G- GUMMY BEARS OR GUMMY WORMS?: Worms

H- HOMETOWN?: Bradwell, Saskatchewan (we moved a lot.. that was my favourite)

I- INSTRUMENT?: I used to play the Alto Sax and the Baritone Trumpet

J- JUICE?: Orange with Perrier

K- KIND OF MUSIC?: Country, unless I'm in the mood for a little Eminiem or Black Eyed Peas

L- LONGEST CAR RIDE?: Calgary, AB to Chicago, IL... or, that summer I toured with the Drum & Bugle Corps and we hit 14 states and 4 provinces traveling in a Greyhound bus full of other hormonal teenagers

M- MILK FLAVOR?: 1% Chocolate

N- NUMBER OF SIBLINGS?: one

O- ONE WISH: Happiness for my children

P- PHOBIA/FEARS?: Death of my children

Q- FAVORITE QUOTE?: "There are many ways to measure success; not the least of which is the way your child describes you when talking to a friend." Unknown

R- REASON TO SMILE?: Making my son smile

S- SONG YOU LAST HEARD?: Alouette, Jaunte Alouette, as sung by my son.

T- TIME YOU WOKE UP TODAY?: 6:30 am... habit.

U- UNKNOWN FACTS ABOUT ME?: Two tattoos.

V- VEGETABLE YOU DONT LIKE?: Olives

W- WORST HABIT?: Procrastination

X - X-rays? Many.

Y- YUMMY FOOD?: Right now? Oranges.

Z- ZODIAC/ASTROLOGY SIGN?: Cancer

It's been very wet for just under a week... so there has been no weeding happening in my garden... but hey, at least everything is growing!

Those of you who are married, don't you ever have days where you thing "Gosh I love my husband!!" I do. Days when he agrees that my crappy relationship with my mother is not 100% my fault... days when I come home and he's made cookies, and not just any cookies but the ones that I like rather than his favourite ones. Or days like yesterday when he came to my work get together (because it was my last day and now I'm on Maternity Leave, YAY!) and all I could think is "Dude, you are so hot and you smell really good too!!"

I don't post about Major Man very often because he's a private guy, he doesn't like people thinking they KNOW him... but I think I can get away with saying that I loved him from the very first day I met him... even if it took 10 years to land him and a couple of times I thought I might as well forget about him... I knew he was The One.

I will tell the story again for those who haven't heard.

In 1996 I was young and working in Austria, training horses. He was older and in the US Army and stationed in Germany. We met on Memorial Day Weekend in Italy.

If I've ever chastised myself for being a total loser, the introduction redeems me. Being a loser can work, too. I was in the water of the Adriatic Sea, thinking about how much this totally rocked, being in Italy with nothing to do for three days and here I was with my hair pinned up on my head and sweet new sunglasses and I thought I was looking HOT, baby! I heard voices several yards away... not just speaking English, but American.

Let me pause to say, I fight for the underdog and when you're in Europe and it's a freeforall on bashing Americans, I became very pro-American.

I turn and holy hubba hubba... hot army guys.

My Hot Army Guy radar was turned up from a young age, let me tell you. Corny? Oh yes. Steroetypical? Yeppers. But helloooo... short hair cuts, no facial hair, strong and muscular?

So I walk over, through the water, which of course is the best way to meet a guy... when the water is covering your ample hips.... and say "Hey! Hi! My name is Heather! I'm from Canada!" Yeah. Dumbest opening lines ever, but whatever...

There were three of them, we chat, find out what hotel they are staying in and mention that my girlfriend and I need to find a hotel room. Huh.. their hotel happens to have room. Well ok then!

Major Man (who was Captain Man then..) and I hit it off right away. Inseparable for our three days together.

I'd never met anyone like him. Not only was he chivalrous and funny, he was attentive to me... ME. He would walk me home from dinner (ok, we had drunk far too much and by 'walking me home' I mean he held me up so we could actually walk to the hotel) and walk on the beach together, he spent more time with me than he did with the guys I think.

Anyways. The time came for us to head back to our respective countries and of COURSE we were going to see each other again...

We didn't. Not for over 8 years.

Life intervened and I returned to Canada and he went back to the states... we lost touch. But, thank you to the US Army who keeps all it's officer's postings as public record and the power of Google. I stalked tracked him down.

We met again in 2004. After dating long distance for a year, we married in 2005.

It took him a while to come around to my way of thinking. Let's just say that.

I can't help but start planning for my 'time off'. It will only be about six weeks from when I stop working outside the home to when the baby arrives, and there are several deadlines before then. In fact, a good chunk of deadlines are happening between RIGHT THIS MINUTE and next week. I fully admit that I've been putting some things off because it's getting very difficult to write in the evenings when my eyes are heavy and my belly is aching.

But next Monday I shall wake up bright and squirrley and all ready to begin my new life as Work At Home Mom.

I know a little bit about myself ... enough to know that I need structure in my day. So I have to come up with a plan to get everything done. In the morning I will enjoy my coffee and watch some news, check emails and spend some time on the email lists I love.

And, ok, that's as far as the planning has gotten. That's it.

Somewhere along the line I need to plan my writing day, when to do interviews...when to edit... which deadlines to give the attention to... when to work on the book...

But for now I think I'm just going to think about how wonderful my mornings are going to be, knowing that I don't need to rush my son into his clothes and remind him to eat his breakfast with every second breath.

I won't need to check email, put on earings, comb my wet hair, get my son breakfast and type all at the same time...

I'll be able to have coffee in the nice ceramic cup rather than the leaky' go-mug'.

I will be able to check the mail when it arrives.

I will be able to know which phone number to give out because I will have only ONE office.

I will be able to stop working when my son needs me and cuddle on the couch to talk about whatever our hearts desire...

I will be able to take reading breaks. Imagine that! The ability to finish a book!

I may even get out for a walk so my son can learn to ride his bike.

I can't wait.

1. What time did you get up this morning?
7:30am

2. Diamonds or pearls?
Pearls.

3. What was the last film you saw at the movie house?
Ice Age: Meltdown (I took my son to it)

4. What is your favorite TV show?
Grey's Anatomy

5. What did you have for breakfast?
Orange Juice, some sweet pastry thing, a bacon, egg & cheese bun, large milk and a double chocolate donut (shut up. I'm pregnant.)

6. What is your middle name?
Leigh

7. What is your favorite cuisine?
Anything I didn't make or Thai, but I never know what anything is...

8. What foods do you dislike?
Food I have to make when I think that my husband has made dinner already

9. What kind of car do you drive?
2003 Dodge Ram (Lariat) Quad Cab

10. Favorite Sandwich?
Tuna

11. What characteristic do you despise?
Insincerety

12. Favorite item of clothing?
Currently ... my stretchy white maternity tank top

13. If you could go anywhere in the world for a holiday where would you go?
Italy

14. What color is your bathroom?
White

15. Favorite brand of clothing?
Currently - Thyme. Normally - Cruel Girl

16. Where would you like to retire?
The Midwest... maybe near a lake

17. Favorite time of the day?
4:00pm, when I'm done work

18. What was your most memorable birthday?
My 18th, when no one showed up for my birthday at Ranchmans except my mother

19. Where were you born?
Flin Flon, Manitoba

20. Favorite sport to watch?
Reining of course (www.nrha.com)

21. What are you wearing right now?
Maternity pajama bottoms and a sleeveless polo shirt

22. What star sign are you?
Cancer

23. What fabric detergent do you use?
Whatever is on sale

24. Pepsi or Coke?
Diet Coke

25. Are you a morning person or a night owl?
Depends. Usually I'm more of a night owl, but being a mother means I'm whatever, whenever. And because I'm pregnant and not sleeping I go to bed far earlier than I used to. I've been getting up an hour earlier to get some writing done though, since I'm not sleeping anyways...

26. What is your shoe size?
6.5

27. Do you have any pets?
None at the moment

28. Any new exciting news you'd like to share with your readers?
I have a literary agent

29. What did you want to be when you were little?
A horse trainer

30. What are you meant to be doing today?
I did what I was meant to do today. Right now I should be writing but I'm too tired and sore and a wee bit cranky.