Well, Christmas is behind us and so is our Mexican vacation. It’s back to the joys of an alarm clock going off at 6:30am on cold, dark, winter mornings and fighting my way to work through rush-hour traffic. Sigh.
Of course lots happened over the Holidays; how can it not when our travelling circus is involved? This December’s notable events included the following: Read more…
For this family, the most wonderful time of the year has really arrived because tomorrow we get to jump on a plane for warmer climes and leave all this festive madness behind. Of course it won’t be without its challenges, as I will have to shoehorn three teenagers out of bed at 4am to go to the airport. I suspect that some of them just won’t go to bed at all… hmmm, I predict some grumpiness from the troops.
And we may be a sorry-looking bunch. Youngest Child is now limping from his parkour exploits last night, Middle Child finished his soccer tournament with a sprained wrist and bloodied knees, and Oldest Child hasn’t emerged from his man-cave since finishing his final exams, so Lord knows what he looks like right now. Hopefully Mexican immigration authorities don’t take exception to such poor specimens visiting their country.
But I will be content. And for two glorious weeks will put aside the mother treadmill and slow life right down (a couple of margaritas will help with that process).
Cheers.
We are all over the idea of workplace gender equality here in North America, and indeed in many other parts of the world too. We women typically – and simply – just want to have the same opportunities and remuneration as our male counterparts. And while the glass ceiling hasn’t yet been shattered, particularly at an executive level, there are many signs and studies out there indicating increased equality at junior management levels, giving hope for future generations of aspiring ‘C’ level women.
How surprising, then, to discover that Russian employment legislation still has different laws and contracts for female workers versus male. The prescribed hours of work are quite strictly adhered to; 9am to 6pm for men, and 9am to…. get this…. 5:12pm for women. HUH?
It was a sad day for hockey today, as news broke about the downed airplane in Russia. It was carrying an elite Russian hockey team to their season opener in Minsk; a team that included many recognizable names from the NHL. Also on board was the team’s coach, Brad McCrimmon, a former NHL player and coach who had just recently taken the position in Russia.
The Me-And-Six-Men vacation is over. I have breathed a sigh of relief.
I think they all had a good time. There were plenty of mini-adventures along the way – boating to deserted beaches, tubing with some epic dismounts, snorkeling with sea lions, catching a 25-pound tuna, driving golf carts along deserted roads at midnight… all good stuff for teenage boys.
It’s Day 8 and Oldest Child got stung by a stingray today on the sole of his foot. Very, very painful. Now this guy is a big, tough rugby player and has always had a high tolerance for pain, but was clearly in extreme discomfort. We had to call the paramedics who cleaned out the wound and administered three (yes, THREE) shots of local anaesthetic to give him some relief. At this point his friend, who was standing nearby trying to help, started to feel faint and had to sit down. I would observe, from so many years of close study, that men are not always good with needles.
It’s Day Two of the Me-And-Six-Men vacation. So far we’ve had two cases of sunburn, two cases of travelers tummy, and lots and lots of dishes. The appetites are of biblical proportions; the fridge regularly looks like a plague of locusts has swept through it.
Tomorrow I go on vacation with six men. Yes, six. Not quite as scandalous as it sounds, though, as several of them are underage. Hmmm, on second thoughts I guess that could be very scandalous. Anyway, I am off for 10 days with hubby, my three boys and two of the boys’ friends. This is the first time we’ve agreed to take friends on a family vacation. It will either be really good or really bad.
