You Can Stop Dialing Child Welfare

We do actually give our children coats when we go outside.

I'm referring of course to the picture on our Christmas card this year.

Exhibit #1 - Child Welfare Services v. Rogall

The five of us all look happy and healthy, but Megan and Kayla are noticeably 'sans veste'. So, here are a few quick facts that you need to know before you lose any sleep over the well being of our older children:

Fact #1.
Their nice, warm, winter jackets were about 3 feet away, just out of frame.
Fact #2.
They were only without their coats for the few seconds it took to snap the pic.
Fact #3.
Although we look happy and bright, this picture was the culmination of two hours of pose changes, venue changes, yelling, empty threats, and ultimately bribery. We got the shot, everyone looked good, and when we realized that the picture was going to be Exhibit #1 in the case for Child Welfare taking away our children, I refused to try to recreate that 'magic' with the jackets on, or everyone's jackets off, or whatever else it would've taken.

So, there you have it, the true meaning of Christmas. Hiding the truth about how tough life really is and how much extra, unnecessary stress this season adds, with a 4x6 glossy Christmas card your family almost killed each other to make.

Merry Christmas.

Bring on the eggnog.

I'm Calling It

Borrowing this phrase from my beautiful wife, her and I were talking while we were out Christmas shopping last night and I thought of something that I'll bet you will see in the next 5 years, so, I'm calling it now. It will be the next big self-indulgence for the rich people out there.

The drug-induced coma.

Stay with me here. I'm not a doctor and my knowledge on this amounts to simply imagining what it must be like, but it makes sense. It will be like the most restful vacation you could ever get. Instead of going to Fiji or something, people will go to the clinic and be put into a coma for a week or two. Think about it. How rested would you be if you could sleep for a week, literally! I would sign up in a second! That would rock.

Yup, this is definitely going to be the next big thing.

And I definitely need to get more sleep.

Don't Get Your Hopes Up Kids

"It doesn't ever snow here."

Fast-Forward 20mins, it's snowing.

"Alright, so sometimes it will snow, but it doesn't stick, it just makes the roads wet, like rain."
"There is almost no chance you will ever get to make a snowman here, sorry kids."

Fast-Forward two hours, it's sticking.
Fast-Forward to the next day, today. We made a snowman.

Thanks to Mother Nature's ironic sense of humor, I'm now a complete liar.

Yup, that's about right.

P.S. I love the first two pictures. They look so different, yet they were taken at the same time, one with flash and one without. Photography is cool. I should learn about it sometime. And check out how deep in the snow the stroller is, you can even see the wheels.

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Saving Money All Over The Place

Ok so, my wife rocks. Seriously, in so many ways. But tonight she rocked it again in one of my favorite ways. No. Not that. Get your mind out of the gutter. She went shopping.

And how can that be great for me you ask? I'll tell you. Half the time she goes shopping, she makes us money.

First, a little background. Vicki loves to shop. Loves to shop. LOVES IT. Ok, you get the picture. And most of the time that kind of obsession would be very detremental to our pocketbook(does anyone still have a 'pocketbook'), but once again I say, I am a lucky man. And this may be the only time I can make this statement safely. . .

My wife is cheap.

Totally cheap. So cheap it actually frustrates me sometimes. We'll be out shopping and the trip will take 3 times as long because she finds what she wants but refuses to buy it because it's not on sale and she wants to check around at other places. Seriously, she'll go to six different stores just to get it cheaper. Don't get me wrong, I'm always happy when she finds it cheaper, but I don't enjoy shopping, so the price I put on my time during shopping is a lot higher than her time price. Thats how much she loves shopping. She can easily go out for a couple hours, buy nothing at all, and come home happy as a pig in shit. I do not understand. When I have to shop for something I go to the store, find the item, bring it to the cashier and pay for it. I don't even look at the price most of the time. If I need it and I came all the way to store for it I obviously know approximately how much it is and what do I care about the details, that would just make it take longer. Get in, get what you came for, get out. That's my way.

So anyway, where was I on all this? Oh yeah, she rocks. As much as I don't understand her in this area, I get to reap all the benefits. I can quite safely send her out for a 'shopping spree' on the weekend and tell her, "Spend whatever you want, have fun, it's your day!" and she'll come home four hours later feeling guilty over the $65 she spent on 3 pairs of pants, 4 tops, a pair of shoes, a couple things for the kids, and lunch.

No word of a lie, a couple weeks ago she went to Old Navy for almost an hour and came out with 5 or 6 solid items for a grand total of $32. She told me to go in and look at a couple nice things they had for me, so I did. I spent 10 mins and bought two shirts for $50. I was stoked at the great deal I got, and she was aghast at how I overspent! She kills me.

Ok, to recap, my wife loves to shop and she's the absolute best and finding deals because she's so cheap. I love her to death. And finally we get to the part where she makes us money shopping.

Even after she's gotten great deals on things, she can always improve her record with her other great talent, keeping receipts forever. And that's what she did tonight. She went out shopping, didn't buy anything new, but found that two previous purchases she made had now gone on sale and proceeded to go through whatever effort necessary to get back the difference.

So, on two items, she came back from shopping $25 richer than when she went out.

Like I said, she rocks, and I am a lucky man.
Did I also mention that she's a total hottie? She is.

Apparently I'm Broken

My neck. Ow. I'm seriously considering that it might be partially broken. See, that's the benefit of knowing the bare minimum about things. I don't know if my neck can actually be partially broken so I have the ability to believe that it can and thereby put a solid, dramatic label on my pain.

I have a broken neck. Cool.

It's been hurting since the weekend when I twisted it wrong in the shower and no matter how I twist it, snap it, or crack it, it won't go away. It was much better today and I thought I was on the road to good times, but 20 mins ago I sat down wrong in my chair or looked up too quick or something, and now it's worse than ever.

Being broken sucks.

Maybe a chocolate bar will help. I'll try that.

Meh*

*used with permission.Copyright 2002 Jeremy Freeman.

'Meh' is how I'm feeling lately. I have negligable energy or drive to do anything and my attitude is basically, 'Whatever'.
This is not good. I don't know if it's the weather or the season or what. Even typing the entry is hard, cause what's the point.
So, I've been self-medicating with junk food and not only has that made me feel worse but it is also adding to my muffin top.
My list of things-to-do is getting longer and more urgent by the day. I can't even wrap my head around all that is on the list.
Meh.
Needless to say, I am not a lot of fun to be around lately. My girls have already realized that "Maybe later" is Daddy's way of being too lazy and they've started to call me on it. That hurts. When you're 6 year-old calls you on the fact that your just putting her off with empty words, and she's right. That hurts.
Meh.
From what I hear though, eating healthy, exercising and getting proper sleep could help. Maybe I'll try one or two of those things.
Til then, Your Welcome for this wonderful, absolutely free, burst of sunshine in your day.

Meh.

In Case You Didn't Know

Oh Yeah! Bring it on!

Happy Birthday Kayla!

Today, my little sweet pea turns 4. It's so hard to believe. You can see a couple great pictures of her over on Vicki's site.

So, Happy Birthday sweetheart, we love you very much.
You are funny. You are silly. You never fail to surprise and amaze me.
You love to color. You love to sing and dance. You love to have things your way.
You are energetic. You are strong-willed. You have the biggest heart in the world.
You are beautiful and you are amazing Kayla, and we are so proud to be your Mom and Dad.
We love you.

Happy Birthday!

Pop Quiz

What caused this?

Run in with a Rottweiler?
Tussle with a barb-wire fence?
Nope.
Kayla. With her mouth. Her mouth. Over the course of an afternoon.
Umm, WTF? I do not even know where to begin to deal with this.

So, please, commence with the advice.

Call Me, Beep Me, If You Want To Reach Me!

Here's my girls in their costumes. They looked pretty great!

Megan as Kim Possible

Kayla as Belle

Lauren as Peas in a Pod

The Day After

November 1st has a lot attached to it. Halloween is over, there's multiple piles of candy and chocolate in various places around the house. Those are good things. Especially when the kids are still young enough to share their candy without them knowing. But you know what else November 1st means? Christmas is coming.
Yup, after Halloween there's nothing in the way between now and December 25. No buffer, no protection. The stores will decorate, if they haven't already, the commercials will start up, and plans will be set in motion for just how to spend the upcoming festive season. Ugh.
Sure, in the states they've got Thanksgiving still before Christmas, but really, those two holidays are both so big and so close together, they're almost the same thing.

Don't get me wrong, I love Christmas. Watching the kids get so excited, putting up the tree, snuggling up with the wife and glass of eggnog while we listen to Christmas music by the fireplace. The problem is, that accounts for about 2% of the actual holiday experience. The rest is shopping for everyone and their dog, overspending on stuff no one really needs, travelling hundreds of miles to see family and then wishing you'd just stayed home.

Christmas is coming. Someone get me a rum 'n eggnog. Hold the eggnog.

Happy Halloween!

V dressed her up this morning for me before I left for work. More pics later of all the kids.

Ode to V

Three things:
Yes, I'm going to continue to refer to her as V. Too bad, it's my blog.
I suck at poetry and I don't even know what an Ode is.
If you don't like PDAs, then you might want to skip this one.

V is beautiful.

A beautiful person.
Stunning.
Naturally beautiful.
She glows.
She lights up the room.
She lights up my life.
She takes my breath away.
She makes me a better person.
My heart feels like it may burst.
I am blessed.

Gone Going Gone

Funny story from this weekend.

Saturday morning is going ahead like usual. We're all bouncing around the house trying to get the day started and trying to get the girls ready for Hip-Hop class. Generally speaking, before 9am we don't really pay as close attention to the kids as most times because we're busy with morning prep and we tend to let them play and stay out of our hair. Ok, I'd better qualify that last remark, I don't really pay close attention in the morning, V always seems to be aware of everything around her.
Anyway, so I'm taking care of things and letting the wife relax with the baby when Megan comes up to me with a smile and says, "Did you notice anything missing?". Not a good question. But what choice do I have, I'll play along.

"No, I didn't notice anything, why? And why do you have your jacket on?" She can barely keep in her giggles at this point and my curiousity is growing as she leads me to the front door.

"It's moving day! I'm moving." she proclaims, as she shows me the following.



That's all the stuff she's decided to bring with her, and she's going to wrap it all up in her blanket to carry it. Then she tells me, "There's a note on the fridge that explains everything."



For those of you not fluent in 6-year-old, let me translate:
"I am moving away, my new phone number is 60999 0110. Your daughter Megan"

I am laughing my ass off at this point and I'm wondering what country she's headed to with a phone number like that. By the time I got back to the front door she was already on her way out.




I grabbed the camera as quick as I could and shot the following video:


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Then I threw some shoes on and booked it out the door to catch her. By the time I got around the corner she had turned around with a huge smile on her face and told me,
"I changed my mind, I've decided to stay with you guys. Can you help me carry my stuff?"

Man, you just never know what the day will bring.

Seriously

I really don't like to gush too much about my kids, because I know how annoying it can be and how biased I am. And I know that I do gush about my girls a lot anyway, but V just sent me this picture at work and all I could think is "Seriously! She is ridiculously cute! She's amazing!". So, I'm posting the picture and I'm gushing about her. No one reads this stuff anyway.

Oh man, I love that little girl.

Muffin Top

One thing I've always respected about my wife is her honesty. (side note: should I start referring to Vicki as V? It seems to be the cool thing to do, and if I'm anything, it's cool)
V always has amazing tact and the ability to be honest while still giving full respect to the feelings of others. One exception there, me.
I guess it's one of the perks, one of the many perks, of being married to me, that she has someone that she can be honest with without having to worry about tact and feelings and all that sissy stuff. So, this is what I got last night when I removed my shirt before getting into bed:

"Oh my goodness, have you seen yourself? Seriously, look in the mirror, look at how you look with that belt!"

I crouch down to get a view of what's she's talking about (yes, crouch down, because our bedroom mirror is still leaning against the wall because I have yet to take the 10 mins to hang it, and then find out that I've hung it way too high. Don't ask). And to her credit it's pretty darn obvious what she's talking about.
My usual breathtaking physique has a new addition. The Muffin Top. Gracefully spilling over the sides of my jeans, my waist is showing the effects of my heart-healthy diet.
V continues to comment as I get into bed and try to sleep as fast as I can:

"Seriously, you need to do something about that, I worry about you. That is not healthy."

Again, she's right, but where's the tact and gentle delivery for me?

Ah, who am I kidding? With my nutritional history, she is being gentle.

The Dream is Over

I've had my last Krispy Kreme.

Today is the day I start on the path to healthier living. This will probably be a long path, and let's be real, you know I'm going to be walking on this path, very slowly. But you have to start somewhere and I'm starting with Krispy Kreme.

So, I decided to go out with a bang. I walked in this morning on my way to work and ordered 6 original glazed, all for me. Here's where it got interesting. My regular girl was working and I told her that this would be my last visit so I was going to go big and have 6 today. She had different ideas. As she handed me my free sample, hot right from the machine, she told me I was getting a full dozen today, in honor of it being my last visit and all. She said she'd put them into two small boxes of six each so I could eat six now and enjoy six later. This time it was me that had different ideas.

So, I'm sitting here at my desk enjoying my coffee, and the first 3 people that get to the kitchen here this morning will have a nice little treat for them, courtesy of me and my Krispy Kreme girl. I'm all about the charity.

Little Feet

I love Lauren's little feet.

And her little face.

And I love seeing what her little feet and face are going to grow up to be.

Lauren loves baths.

I Wish I Was Bored

Do you remember what it was like to be bored? Seriously, how many times back in high school were you just bored? Nothing to do, nowhere to be, and no one needing us for anything in particular. . . And we hated it! I would my left...umm...well I'd give a lot right now to be bored, truly bored, just for an hour even.

So, today was once again not boring. I personally set it up to be not boring yesterday afternoon when I realized that my wife had no idea how to run her own life or be an adult so I decided that I should tell her how to do that. By yelling. And being mean. And if any husbands out there don't know yet how to tell if your wife has finally understood the wisdom of your teachings, here's a hint: When you see the tears, you know your job is done.

So, our couch is remarkably comfortable, for anyone that might want to come stay with us. So, I made like a cockroach this morning and scurried out the door at the first sign of light. I spent the day trying to concentrate on my work while feeling like a miserable piece of shit and trying to imagine just how my night was going to play out. The drive home was FUN! Fun like walking into a bear's den wearing a steak suit. And how did my night go? What did I get from my wife?

Civility. Conversation. We even had some special time sitting on the couch watching TV with Lauren. So now I'm sitting here feeling even worse than I did this morning. Nicely played Mrs. Rogall, nicely played.

Tomorrow brings with it a field trip for Megan, problems to solve at work, countless errands to run, and a halloween party for Megan at her Sparks meeting, not to mention all the usual crap. Like I said, I wish I was bored.

I'm In Love

Head over heels for this girl.

Talented

That is a good description for my wife. Seriously, besides all the mothering, wifely stuff she does everyday, y'know, basically keeping our family running, she also has a million and one other talents that she tends to keep hidden.
One of those is photography, although she would beg to differ. She always says that she can never get the good shots and doesn't know enough about the camera to use it properly. Well, I know everything about the camera and I never get shots like she does.

All this just came to mind again when I saw the following picture:

Of course, it's hard to screw it up when you have such a beautiful subject...and Lauren.

Happy Thanksgiving!

We had a great weekend hanging out and having fun. Today we went to Aldor Acres with the kids and they had a blast. As you can see from the pictures, Lauren was absolutely enthralled with the whole experience.
Hope everyone had a good long weekend. Peace out!

 

Blessed, but tired

I have been trying to get around to posting something for weeks now. I always seem to have time to post while I'm at work, but I don't have any pictures at work so it seems pointless. I know, I know, all my fans out there only come here for my witty banter, but I thought I'd like to throw some pictures in there too.
(Yawn) Sorry, had to take a quick break to yawn and feel sorry for myself. Ahh, much better.
The last weeks have been crazy, almost cruise-azy even. Lots of working, driving the kids here and there, feeding Lauren, trying to come up with something that resembles meals, and attempting to still have energy to interact with the older kids(what were there names again?). Ok, so maybe that's actually the list of things that Vicki has been busy with, but I couldn't really complain about having 9 or 10 hours of alone time every day with which to sit and drink coffee, now could I? Let's keep things real people, I'm the one with the 'real job'.
(Yawn) Ah man, I wish one of my kids had ADD so I could pop some Ritalin for energy.
Anyway, life is good, life is busy. I am blessed, but tired. Now, here's a bunch of pictures for you.






I love that picture of Kayla, she makes me laugh.

Back to Work Tomorrow

Reality bites. After 11 days of blissful hecticness(is that a word?) enjoying my new little girl and my time with my family, I got the call. My boss has a new deadline and needs me to come in to help get it done. So, tomorrow I will be back to work. Ugh.

Why would I want leave this?

11 days, is that all?

It feels like it's been forever, but in a really good way. So, here's a super-quick recap of Lauren's first 11 days.

Thursday, August 31st
10am: Vicki calls me at work, it's time to go to the hospital
11:10am: We drop off the kids with Liz and head to the hospital
12:30pm: Dr. Hansen breaks Vicki's water
1:30pm: Contractions have arrived
2:30pm: Contractions have decided against taking a break in-between, not nice
4:30pm: Nurses realize most of the pain is because the baby is facing the wrong way, causing 'back labor'. Back labor sucks ass.
6:10pm: Time to push
6:28pm: Lauren Emily arrives 7 - 10pm: Phone calls are made and we snuggle our baby
10pm: Megan and Kayla meet their new baby sister

Friday, September 1

I picked up the kids from Liz late in the morning and we went to hang out with Mommy and Lauren. Then we went to Abbotsford to pick up Grandma and Grandpa Rempel so they could meet their newest great-granddaughter. After lots of good visiting and some frustrating waiting for the hospital lab, we went home at 8:30pm and started our new life.

Saturday, September 2

Spent the morning hanging out at home and trying to get settled. The health nurse came by in the afternoon to check out Lauren and everything went well. Then we decided to go on a bit of an adventure to find some cute new clothes for Lauren, in Metrotown. Tiring, but fun.

Sunday, September 3

Relaxed at home, ran some errands, and I took my 3 girls to Superstore for some groceries in the afternoon so Vicki could get some well deserved rest.

Monday, September 4

Health nurse came again, everything's good. Tried to have a special family dinner out to celebrate the last night before Megan's first day of Grade 1. Failed miserably and ended up eating at McDonalds. Of course, the kids thought it was the greatest meal on the planet.

Tuesday, September 5

Megan's first day of Grade 1! Busy morning, busy day. Yay Megan! Had an info meeting for Kayla's preschool in the evening. Watched Will get evicted from Big Brother. Almost cried.

Wednesday, September 6

Kayla's first day of preschool! Busy morning, busy day. Yay Kayla!

Thursday, September 7

Lauren's 1st appt. with Dr. Hansen! Yay Lauren! Everything is great with Lauren, but Vicki is on her way to a date with mastitis. (Don't worry though, she did everything she could and she fought it off. Yay Vicki!) Not.Good.At.All. Try to run way too many errands before Meg is done school in preparation for a trip back to the Okanagan. Horrible afternoon filled with stress and fighting, but we do get packed and on road by 5:50pm. Arrive in Summerland at 10:30pm. Ugh.

Friday, September 8

What a great day! Vicki and the girls got to spend time with a bunch of their friends all morning and I got to spend time with one of my best friends, the 50" Plasma HDTV. So nice. Then we had an amazing joint birthday party for Madison and Megan in the afternoon. Wow, Lisa Hilgersom is amazing.

Saturday, September 9

Another great morning with friends, followed by a suprise baby shower for Vicki at 1:30pm. Like I said, Lisa Hilgersom is amazing. More people at the shower than I could imagine and it goes off without a hitch. Wow. Some great time in the evening with Aunt Carol and Uncle Dennis and Grandma Jess and Grandpa Pete.

Sunday, September 10

Last bit of fun with friends in the morning and a nice long visit with Uncle Jason, Auntie Lise, Alyssa and Kaden in the afternoon. On the road back to Langley at 2:30pm and back home by 7:30pm. Frantic search for lost keys and utter meltdown by Kayla. Not a good way to end the weekend.

Monday, September 11

School again for Megan and Kayla. Unpacking for Vicki and Dono. Took Lauren to the Health unit to get her weighed and make sure she's growing well. Hoping for 2-4 ounces gained since Thursday. She gained 7 ounces, what a champ. Nice time around the house playing, organizing and doing laundry. By 8:30pm, everyone is asleep except me and after an hour of cuddle time with Lauren, I wrote this boring post.

So, that's the synopsis. It has been busy, but amazing. I love being a father and a husband and I can't imagine not having Lauren in our life. I can't even remember what it was like without her. She has been such a good baby and she is just plain perfect. Here are some more pictures of our little girl to finish this off. More to come!

Lauren Emily

Alright, so I accidentally posted this yesterday on Vicki's blog, I had a lot on my mind.

Lauren Emily Rogall, born at 6:28pm on Aug.31, 7lbs 2oz.

Check her out on Vicki's blog.

Ok, I was wrong...

The Dr. didn't tell us to come back on Friday, he said to come back tomorrow.

So, we saw him this morning, he checked Vicki out, and said that she has progressed, if almost unmeasurably. I think he's just trying to throw us a bone here, but it's nice of him to do that.

Anyway, he wants it to come naturally and doesn't really care too much about our lives outside his office, so Vicki will go back in tomorrow morning and again Friday morning.

Whatever. I'm kind of over it all right now. The excitement and joy has been sucked right out of it.

Grumpy McAss

That would be the most appropriate name for me yesterday.

As I stated in an earlier post I have issues with patience, and this whole 'waiting for the baby' thing has really messed with me. We went in yesterday morning to see the Dr. and were expecting fully for Vicki to be induced since that was the word from the almighty Dr. at the previous appt. So, we had dropped off the kids and had Vicki's bag packed and in the van. Here's how the appt. went:

Dr.: Hi, how are you feeling?

Vicki: I feel like crap, I want this baby out, it's sucking my will to live.(ok, maybe that's not verbatim, but you get the idea)

Dr.: Well, let's check you out.

...uncomfortable pelvic exam...

Dr.: You're a little further ahead, 2cm dilated and very thinned out.

Us: Alright, so what's next for the induction process?

Dr.: Well, there are some other women who are also overdue so it might be a hard sell to the maternity nurses to get you in there. Come back on Wednesday morning and we'll see how you're doing.

Me(luckily, inside my head only): I don't really give two s**ts about any other women and how overdue they are, nor do I care about your difficulty 'selling' the idea to the nurses. Induce her and get this darn baby out.

Me(on the outside): Umm, you said last week that we should pick a day for induction that worked best for my work schedule, and frankly, today works best because I have deadlines coming up and I want to be around to help out when the baby comes. So.....

Vicki: Yes, and with Megan's school year starting next week, it would really be better sooner than later.

Dr.(not looking at me any longer since it's obvious I ain't happy): Well, it'd be nice to get you to go into labor naturally so do lots of walking and we'll see you on Wednesday.

I swear I nearly strangled him with his stethoscope. No, let's not put any worth into the fact that Vicki is miserable and the late arrival of our darling baby is screwing up all our schedules and possibly the amount of time I am able to spend away from work helping out. No, that would be stupid, let's worry about not trying the 'hard sell' to the maternity nurses. Yeah, that makes sense.

So, in my classic style, rather than get angry with the Dr. and cause an uncomfortable moment, I waited til we were back in the van on our way home and decided that, in fact, it was all Vicki's fault because she didn't tell him in the right way how much we needed this baby out.

Just to recap, my logic is that it is the pregnant lady's fault that the Dr. is not doing what I wanted, so of course she should be blamed and yelled at immediately. Yup, that makes sense, because obviously I am the one who is being made to suffer immensely through all this, I mean, c'mon, I have to keep going to work and that's just not fair.

So, that is how I earned the name Grumpy McAss, named after how I was feeling and how I acted. Yeah, yesterday was a great day. Loved.It.

Now, if she'll let me come along, we are going to see the lovely Dr. tomorrow morning at 9am so he can tell us again how Mother Nature knows best and there are so many other, more deserving women out there, and most importantly, to do lots of walking(wow, what a concept, no, we haven't tried that at all) and come back and see him on Friday probably.

That's my prediction, along with the return of Grumpy McAss following the appt. Like I said, I have issues with patience.

Oh Sweet Sweet Vindication

Today I got my test results back for my cholesterol and blood-glucose. I'm not sure if they make a font big enough for this next line, but to all the people in my life that have told me for years how I was eating my way into untolled health problems, I say...

BOO-YA!(I'm doing a little happy dance right now)

I believe the word my Dr. used (twice!) to describe my results was "unbelievable". Oh yes, unbelievable. Both my cholesterol and blood-glucose are well below normal levels for someone my age.

Oh yeah! Hello Krispy Kreme, and how are you today? Oh, why yes, I will be visiting you again real soon.

Time For A Change

A change of attitude and a change of my blog template to go along with it.

And why the change? Who is to thank for it? As with all good things in my life, my wife is to blame, I mean, thank.

Preparing for the new baby and all the other life changes in the last year have gotten a little overwhelming in the past weeks/month and I have found myself not being all that much fun to be around. Generally, my attitude has been melancholy or 'detached' at best. (wow, i just used 'melancholy' in a sentence) It's all been about getting this done or getting that done and lately it's all been about, when's the baby coming, when's the baby coming, I want the baby to come, nothing else in my life can happen til the baby comes. Yes, I tend to get just a little obsessive sometimes, coupled with a complete lack of patience (see: January 1995).

So, the other day, and by that I mean yesterday but 'the other day' just sounds so much better, Vicki showed me another blog that she thought was funny so I took some time out and read it. It's nothing out the ordinary really, just a woman in California blogging her life with the rest of us, but it clicked something in me. I think it was because it reminded me of Vicki and me and it was a chance to look at something familiar from an outside perspective. Anyway, the why doesn't really matter, the what does.

It is a complete waste of time and all the glorious gifts that God has given us to be obsessive about all these things. All you end up doing is missing out on the really fun, truly important stuff so that you can feel like 'you got all your stuff done' and you're 'ready'. Who cares about that? Life really IS too short for that. Don't get me wrong, I'm not going to go out and buy a motorcycle and go skydiving now. But what I am going to do is try my best to appreciate what I have, right now, not what's coming down the pipe.

In case anyone out there is not aware, I have the most beautiful, caring, and overall wonderful wife on the planet. End.Of.Story.(currently, I am in love with that whole period after each word for dramatic effect thing) Vicki lights my world. And she's pregnant right now! Pregnant! There is almost nothing I love more in this world than my wife when she is pregnant, and I have NOT been appreciating that. I haven't taken a picture of my wife in days. Days, people. As if this is not a rare occurence or something. WTF is with me. Also, I have amazing daughters. I don't remember a single day that I have not been made to smile by them the moment I walk in the door from work.

So, there it is, changes are in the works. I am going to appreciate how awesome my life is, and I'm going to take lots of pictures of it too.

Oh, and I tend to ramble on WAAAAYYYYYY too long, but since you're reading this you already know that.

Peace Out.

Still coming to work...

Much like a watched pot never boils, it seems that a watched pregnant wife never pops out the darn kid.

So, last week at her appt, the doctor that was filling in for Dr. Hansen measured Vick and said that she measured 40cm. Now, 40cm is what one would usually measure when they are DONE and the baby's arrival is imminent, not to mention the fact that the week before, Dr. Hansen had measured her at 36cm. Hello!? 4cm in one week?

So, all week Vicki is drinking gallons of Raspberry Leaf tea, going for countless walks and trying every other natural induction technique she can get her hands on, because if this baby gets any bigger it's going to be a C-section, and she does not want to give that a try.

By the time her appt came today, her spirits had dropped substantially and she had actually become convinced that the baby was never actually going to come out and she would spend the rest of her life as some medical miracle for the world to be in awe of. (i'm thinking there could be good money in that) However, some good news arrived today at her appt with Dr. Hansen. Not only did the measurement from last weeks fill-in Dr. differ hugely from Dr. Hansen's measurement today, but he also "examined" Vicki to check how things were progressing in there and streched her cervix to try to help give things a boost.

So, she is actually measuring around 35-36cm today and it looks like things will progress nicely, shortly. And if nothing much has occured by next Thursday's appt, Dr. Hansen will put even more effort into getting this show on the road.

And yes, we all know that having the baby and Vicki be healthy is the most important thing and we should be glad for the lack of complications and not complain about .......blah blah blah. I want my new baby, and I want my old wife back.

So, put Vicki and the baby in your prayers please and we'll let you know as soon as something happens.

Tick Tock, Tick Tock

Up til now time has been flying by, trying to get everything done in prep for the new baby. Now, it's all done and we are ready, and time has slowed to a crawl. All weekend I was hoping something would happen. Vicki got some contractions here and there starting Saturday night and I know it's still 2 1/2 weeks early, but I am impatient and I can't wait to meet our baby.

Plus, I really didn't want to have to come to work today.

The last few moments...

of our life as we know it. The baby is coming soon and I am trying to enjoy everything I can before then. Leaving the house on a moments notice, NOT changing diapers, and most importantly, sleeping through the night. Oh how the sleep deprivation is going to suck.

So, we organized all the baby clothes on the weekend. It's so strange how we could be surrounded by 5 bins of clothes ranging from newborn to 3+years, and it still seems like we're short on clothes for certain things. Of course, then we realized that if this baby is a boy the 5 bins of clothes we have instantly becomes 2-3 items. Seriously. Screwed if it's a boy.

We have Vicki's friend Jill staying with us this week and I'm really looking forward to it. Vicki can really use some help and some adult interaction during the day right now, and Jill has decided to take on that role (i wonder is she knows that yet).

On Saturday, Vicki and I will have our last date night before the Almighty Sleep Depriver arrives. We are going to see The Phantom of the Opera which is something that her and I have been waiting to do since 1993, literally. We both saw it separately then when it was in Vancouver and we both loved it. Ever since, we have been waiting patiently for it to return so we could see it together and now we will. A nice dinner and night at the theatre. Wow, it's going to kick some ass.

That's all for now.

Peace Out!

This is worth listening to

I don't usually post links to funny things, mostly because I'm too lazy and there are so many great things on the net everyday, how do you choose what's worth posting?

THIS, is worth posting. Have a listen, and enjoy!

http://www.ebaumsworld.com/audio/crazy-lady-vs-telemarketer.html

mmm....Coffee

Currently I am trying to debug a subroutine that is supposed to erase and reprogram the flash of a PIC microcontroller. It's not working. Currently, I don't really care, all I care about is getting more coffee.

Enjoy it while you can...

That is my motto currently. It may sound strange but I'm still having trouble truly grasping the fact that we're going to have a new baby in the next 4-6 weeks. Wow, I sure hope this was a good idea...

Anyway, I am trying my best to really enjoy everything in our life as it is now, before it all changes again forever. Don't get me wrong, this change is going to be nothing but fantastic, but it will be a change nonetheless. I don't want to take anything for granted in these final weeks. I want to enjoy telling Megan and Kayla to go play and stop bugging me. I want to get up and leave the house and the drop of a hat, and I want to cherish every night that I go to sleep confidently knowing that the only thing that will wake me up is my alarm clock. (or my wife if the mood strikes her. Hey, a man can dream)

But most of all, I want to properly enjoy the final weeks of Vicki pregnant. I love it when she's pregnant. I can't describe just how beautiful she is when she's pregnant, with her round little belly and her cute little waddle. I love it. And I want to make sure that I make her feel like the most important person in the world, because she is. If my wife ever deserved to be treated like a princess, it is now more than ever.

Ok, enough gushing. I also want to drive some fast cars, watch some action movies, and drink some beer.

4-6 weeks. Wow. It's going to be interesting.

My Official Prediction

The newest Rogall is going to be a boy. That is my official prediction. And I think he will be born on August 18, weighing in at 6lbs 11ozs.

Nothing else to report really. We're still working around the house getting all things ready for his arrival and trying to truly appreciate this last bit of time with only two kids.

Vicki is looking absolutely gorgeous. I don't think she's ever looked more beautiful than she does right now, it's ridiculous.

In other news, our friend Jeremy, our single, no kids, no responsibilities friend Jeremy, just bought a new car. A 2006 Civic Si. Jer, you suck. On the bright side, it is nice to have someone to live vicariously through.

The next 6ish weeks are going to be busy and fun and I am promising myself to enjoy every wink of sleep I get.

Long Weekend Baby!

AAAAHHHHH YYYEEEAAAAHHHHHH! I had to work the May long weekend and we have never had the chance to "visit" the Okanagan on a long weekend and just relax, so this time we are extending it and leaving tomorrow night.

It's gonna be sweet.

So, I went and saw X-men 3 last night with Jay Fisher and it was really good. The movie was good, the popcorn was good, and the company was good. Thanks for coming along Jay.

Tonight, Vicki gets her nails done while the kids and I run some errands, and then we're going to take Megan somewhere special because today was her last day of Kindergarten! It absolutely blows my mind that I have a child that will be a full-time student. I mean, I still feel like I should be a full-time student. Weird.

Anyway, that's today's update. Vicki is feeling large, but looking fantastic and the weather has cooled down so it's comfortable in the house again.

Peace Out!

Happy 1st Day of Summer!

Tomorrow the days start getting shorter. It's all downhill from here.

Hey, look who's back...

Me. Yup, I'm still alive. I worked my arse off for the past 6 weeks and met my first deadline. I've been too busy to do much else besides working and trying to get reaquainted with my family. Still more deadlines looming, but the relentless overtime is done for now.

So, now we are in baby mode, in a big way. I've done some painting, some staining, we've put up a mirror and pictures, and this weekend we're buying some baby furniture and painting the baby's room. Wow, you'd think that by the third kid, there might be a little less prep, but no.

I can't even describe just how stoked I am about this baby. I cannot wait for it to come out. This will be the first time we've had a baby and actually had our own house to bring it home to! With Megan, we were living at Nanny's and with Kayla we were living with my parents. (what the heck was I thinking back then!?)

So, this time we are going to get the full experience. Get the nursery ready, bring the baby home to our own house with it's own room. It is going to kick some serious ass.

So, we are busy getting prepped and Vicki is just trying to find a little piece of comfort anywhere throughout the day. The baby never seems to stop moving, and moving violently almost. It really looks like it's trying to get out sometimes. And when I say that it never seems to stop moving, I really mean it. With Megan and Kayla I would have to sit with my hand on Vicki's tummy for 15 mins at least before I felt something. With this baby I can put my hand there at any given time and feel strong movements within 10 seconds. Seriously, it's crazy. Do they make baby's that truly don't require sleep? I sure hope not.

So, that's us for now. I'll try to update again soon, but don't hold your breath.

Mmm, Sweet Sweet Deadlines

Nothing can take the fun and creative enjoyment out of my job quicker than a frickin looming deadline.

I've quickly gone from enjoying the challenge of creating something that will do what it is supposed to in the most intelligent, eloquent way possible, to my current state; make it work and make it work fast, because you have half the time you need and a deadline extension is easily attainable right after hell freezes over.

I just checked the Weather Network, and no such luck.

So, for the next few weeks I may get to see my family from time to time and all my enjoyment of my job will be sucked right of me.

Isn't being an adult great.

My Bachelor Week

Oh yeah! It's one of the best things a married man with kids can look forward to, the wife goes away with the kids! Nothing but kicking back, relaxing, no rules, and no one to answer to. It's like when you were in high school and your parents went away for the weekend!

But wait, I don't remember missing my parents when they were gone. And I certainly don't remember this feeling of loneliness and emptiness in my heart. So, no, the wife goes away with the kids is not like when you were in high school and your parents went away. It's more like a 20-pack of Timbits. Let me explain.

Y'know when you're feeling a little hungry in the afternoon and you're craving something sweet and then it dawns on you, "Timbits would be great right now". It seems like the greatest idea in the world and you know it will just rock! So, you get yourself in the car and you make your way to Timmy's, and every moment you get closer to those bits the idea seems better and better. Finally you're back at home and you sit down, ready to enjoy the splendor that is, your own box of Timbits. At first, the reality seems just as good as the fantasy, but slowly, Timbit after Timbit you start to enjoy them less and less. You keep going and try to convince yourself that it really does rock just like you thought it would. But eventually you have to admit that it doesn't rock, and it was actually not a good idea. Sure, a Timbit here and there is good, but a whole box to yourself just leaves you feeling brutal and hurting a little.

That's what this week is for me. Vicki went with the kids back to Summerland to visit til Friday. I had a whole week of sweet bachelorhood in front of me and I thought it would rock. It's only Wednesday, and it hasn't rocked, at all.

The fact is, I love my wife and kids, and I don't like being without them. As soon as I knew that they were on the road on Monday I started to miss them. I don't even like going home at night, the house feels absolutely empty. I know most people will laugh at this and think I am totally crazy not to enjoy a little time alone, but I don't really care. I like spending time with my family, LOTS of time.

So it's Wednesday night of my bachelor week, and I can't wait for my family to come home.

Get It While You Can

I finally got Vicki in the right mood and got the green light for posting some pictures of her belly. She's always so camera shy so I'm going to post them while I can.

This is from our trip to Vegas - March 21/06

__________________________

And this is now - May 01/06

I know it's hard to see the belly in that second one, but it's what I've got so don't complain. I'll try to get more soon. I'm like the 'Baby Belly Paparazzi' now.

Peace out

What Have We Done!

It may just be a case of denial or just not really paying attention(if you know me, you're money is on not paying attention), but I swear my wife did not have a noticable baby bump last week. And last night I see her in a t-shirt and a pair of jeans and it's like, BOOM! there's a pregnant tummy! Suddenly it occurred to me, we're having a freakin' baby! We are way past the point of no return here and whether we're ready or not, that little sucker is coming out in a few months and it is going to expect someone to take care of it. And last time I checked, we don't have a nanny on staff.

In related news, hindsight is still 20/20.

So, once I got past that(all the previous thoughts took about 0.8 secs to go through my head), you know what I realized? My wife is BEAUTIFUL when she is pregnant! This is one of the best things about having kids, being able to watch her grow and feel the baby in there and just experience the whole thing. We're having a baby and I am absolutely STOKED!

I love my life.

And seriously, my wife is the cutest pregnant woman you'll ever see, I definitely married-up a step or two.

Back To The Old Grind

It's always so hard to get back to work after a long weekend. Of course, since my "grind" consists of sitting in front of a computer all day and making numerous walks to the office kitchen for more coffee, I can't really complain too much.

We had an alright weekend, but there is still lots of sickness flowing through the household. I got sick last week and it turned into strep-throat so I'm just having my first good day today. Vicki fought it off til Saturday night and then got taken down in a big way by a sinus cold/headache/cough with a little fever thrown in for good measure. And she's so lucky, because being pregnant means she gets to use the cure-all medicine for everything that ails her, Tylenol! And if you're wondering, no, Tylenol does NOT relieve any of the symptoms I just mentioned. I'm so glad I'm a man.

The kids have done pretty well with only some runny noses, but the sickness sure limited what we could do over the weekend. Still, we spent time together and had some fun.

So, here I sit, trying to get some inspiration to write some amazing code that will change the world as you know it. Either that or it will run the station processors of our new battery analyzer, I haven't decided which way to go with it yet.

Hmm...I Wonder If These Cold Meats Are Still Good

Ya, they'll be fine.

That was my mental dialogue when I decided to make my lunch. And in the words of the old dude in the cave in the 3rd Indiana Jones movie,

"You chose...poorly"

I am hating life right now. I was woken up a few times between 3am and 5am by stomach cramps, and have been writhing in pain with cramps and diarrhea ever since. Ok, maybe that's a little over-dramatic, but seriously, this sucks ass.

So, if your cold meats were packaged 7 days ago but they still smell fine, throw them in the garbage, it's not worth it.

Oh, and Pepto-Bismol caplets are one of the best inventions science has every had.

Hmm...Is there anything worth posting about?

Ummm, not really. We're very close to completely settled in and unpacked. I love PVR. Vicki's finally starting to get a noticable tummy. Oh, Megan lost both her front teeth on Saturday, that was cool. She's fun to listen to now because she has trouble talking sometimes.

Pretty much, our life is boring, and I like it that way right now.

Snap Back to Reality

It's Monday, we're back from Vegas, the weekend is over, the house is almost unpacked, and it's Megan's first day at her new school. We are officially back into the real world.
But it's kind of a good feeling too, getting into a routine and getting settled into our new life here. We had a great weekend of shopping and spending time with the kids and we got to visit with Jason and Lise and Alyssa and Kaden yesterday, that was great.
So, I'm a little nervous for Megan today, new school and all. I really hope things go well and she doesn't feel too uncomfortable or sad. Having kids is hard sometimes.

Anyway, we're back into real life and looking forward to Spring. We'll see how it goes.

The Crisis is Over, Everyone Can Relax

We have TV again. After weeks, maybe months, of uncertainty and countless sleepless nights, the satellite TV was installed last night and everything is up and running smoothly.

Thank you for all you calls, emails, and words of support, it really helped us get through this tough time. I know there will be times like this throughout our lives where we are pushed to the edge and put to the test, but we'll stick together through it and be stronger for it in the end.

Thank you.

The Final Countdown

(insert Europe song here) So, it's here. Moving weekend has arrived. I have been looking forward to this for months, and now that it is here I only have 1 overwhelming feeling...fear.

The amount of work that will HAVE to be done between now and Sunday afternoon is daunting and somewhat depressing. And now that moving day is so close, the reality of us leaving Summerland and living down here is really hitting, and I'm feeling a little apprehensive and sad.

But, looking at the next few days and everything that will be involved in them, there is only one thing to do, suck it up.

I can sleep again next month, I'm sure of it.

It was all going so well...

Sunday night and last night were both so successful at the new house. I finished the drywall work and got the new room painted and cleaned out. I finished painting the living room and I'm ready to paint the girls' room. Today was supposed to be a great day, the satellite was getting installed and the carpet in the new room was getting installed.

It wasn't meant to be.

The satellite installer was even nice enough to show up extra early to accomodate my schedule, he was there by 6:35am, ouch! We figured everything out in terms of where the dish would go and how the wires would be run, but then he couldn't get into the cable box in the garage to hook up the wires. Apparently only Shaw Cable has access to that box and the satellite guy wasn't allowed to break into it. So, the satellite did not get installed. We will try again tomorrow morning.

Even after stopping at the carpet place to double check the install, when I phoned to find out how it went, I found that the installer was not given or able to find the garage door opener that I had left with the sales guy. So, the carpet did not get installed. He will try again tomorrow.

So, tonight I will paint the girls' room, assemble the bunk beds, and cut the baseboards/door trim to size. That way, tomorrow night will only be installing the baseboards/door trim, cleaning up all the garbage, cleaning the house, doing some laundry, and getting prepared to fly back on Thursday for the big move.

Piece of cake. (sleep is over-rated anyway)

Never again...

I can't remember if I ever said to anyone that doing the drywall myself shouldn't be too tough or too much trouble. I sure hope I didn't say that. But in case I did I will say right now publicly, I was wrong and I shouldn't have said that.

I will never work with drywall again.

This tiny little project has sucked the life right out of me. Just thinking about that room puts me in foul mood.But don't worry Vicki, I will make sure that the end product is a good looking playroom, ripe for resale.

Maybe I'll post again later when I'm not so tired and bitter.

Who's the Idiot...

...that invented mudding and taping? I swear, there is a good chance our kids will be playing in a playroom with an upainted, half-finished wall. At best, the wall is going to have a lot of "imperfections" that will most likely show through the paint. Ah, it's a playroom anyway, right? I just hope Vicki shares my sentiment.

So, tonight's agenda: Pickup a bunch of stuff at Rona, 2nd coat of mud on wall, install microwave over the range, 1st coat of paint on living room, and maybe the bunk beds. Fun, fun, fun.

Then, tomorrow it's back to Summerland for two birthday parties, a bunch of packing, and maybe even some family time. Man, when this is done, Vicki and I are seriously going to need a vacation.

Which brings to mind, my birthday gift for Vicki that I gave her last weekend. Two words:

Vegas Baby!

Vicki has the details.

Peace out homies!

Hey, Look What I Made!

It's a wall. Yup, there is now offically a wall in our garage. We got all the drywall up and the insulation in, AND we even got the door moved over and installed.

Go Dono, It's Your Birthday, Go Dono, It's Your Birthday

Everything went very well, with only one mistake that cost some time. And at the heart of that mistake was...Me. You've heard "Measure twice, cut once" but with me involved it's a little different, more like "Don't let Donovan do the measuring.". No big deal, Jer was there to help save the day and in the end the night was a complete success.

So, I'm a little tired and my hands are sore and bothering me (don't touch fibreglass insulation without gloves) but I am looking forward to banging out some good coding here at work and heading back home to start the mudding and taping. It will be interesting.

I'm looking at my list of things to do at the new house before moving day and comparing it to the available time left and I'm thinking maybe some of the painting will have to be put off til later.

Or I could just not sleep because I mean that's a good 6 hours per night that I am simply just wasting being lazy.

OMG, Who Let Him Near The Power Tools!

Yes, it's true, I am using power tools. Anyone who knows me also knows that I am quite possible the most useless human when it comes to anything "handy". I know how to fill the vehicles with gas, and I know how to replace the light bulbs. Other than that, I'm tragic. Here's the problem:

I refuse to accept my limitations, so any chance I get I will try to do it myself. Usually, it ends in damage and a half-assed finished product that needs to be fixed by a professional. But this time it's different, so far at least.

I am putting up a wall in our new house to create a playroom for the kids. So far, the wall is framed. Not much, but for me it's huge. And last night I took a trip into the world of electrical when I cut open the drywall and moved wall switches around. So, now I have moved the switches to their new happy homes and patched up the drywall around them.

Tonight, Jeremy and I will be putting up drywall and attempting the 'mudding and taping' of the new wall.

Generally, most of my past problems have come from trying to do a task without actually having the proper tools, so tonight I am renting the proper 'drywall screwdriver' and I think it's going to go well.

Even if it doesn't go well, there will be beer, and that's a good thing.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY VICKI!

It's Vicki's 28th birthday today! Woo Hoo!

Have a fantastic day, sweetheart, I love you soooooo much!

Richmond is Bad

I don't like going into Richmond. I just had to go there to get some paperwork for buying our house and again I realized, I do not like Richmond. The layout is a mess, it's got zero curb-appeal, and I ALWAYS get lost when I go there. Today's 30 min trip took 55 min, due simply to the suckage of Richmond.

I don't want to go there anymore.

Except maybe for the casino.

The Couch Mission: It's All Good Baby

Just got authorization for putting the couch/loveseat in the new house. Just confirmed that Costco still has them. Just confirmed the cargo van pickup. I'm going to go pick it up at 1:30 and Jeremy will help me unload tonight.

Sweet.

Update: The Couch Mission

"Houston, we have a problem."

It was all going so well. I found a good deal on a cargo van and I had Jeremy lined up to help load/unload. The request to the current owners went in this morning. All was well.

By 5:38pm, there was no response from the current owners, probably due to a lack of checking their email. The van rental place is closed at 6pm. The mission has failed, for today.

However, at last check, no couches or loveseats had been sold from the Richmond location. We will get a "go/no go" for delivery by tonight. So, as long as there isn't a ridiculous run on Costco furniture in the next 24hrs, we'll be ok.

Check back tomorrow. And try not to worry too much, we'll make it through this.

My Valentine

Since the moment I met her, my life has been better, every day. She is intelligent, compassionate, and beautiful. Her smile lights me up inside and she takes my breath away, often.

I am truly blessed to have her. She will always be My Valentine.

I love you Vicki.