Thoughts

I finished class at 2:30, and the realization that I have done everything I need to do before tomorrow hit me like a freight train. Whoa...I am having two babies tomorrow.

I don't want to say that I haven't thought about it, because I obviously have...but it just suddenly really set in that this is happening, and it is happening in approximately 20 hours. Like a sudden wave of "Oh shit".

I am just a little bit nervous about the surgery, but not terribly. I would say that I was probably more nervous about the surgery I had in the summer of 2007 than I am about this...although this one has a lot more lead-up to it. I think that I feel better knowing how common this kind of surgery is...it makes me feel better knowing that the doctors do it all the time.

I am going to miss being pregnant a little bit. Had I been able to be more up and about, I would really miss it, but I have basically enjoyed it. I feel great and have never really had the thoughts that I hear from a lot of women about just aching for it to finally be over with.

Mostly, I just feel ready...and I am not afraid to report that this is a new feeling as of, oh, about this morning. I don't have any loose ends to tie up or errands to run or anything that I have to do before the babies get here, I am just plain ready to go to the hospital and have it all done.

Now, am I ready to be a mother? Not quite as sure about that part...I will let you know in a week or so...but I am ready to have the babies.

In the meantime, though, this is all you will hear from me for the next five days, at least. Smoking Hot Roommate has my password, so she will post the details Friday or Saturday if she remembers, but I don't envision myself blogging from the hospital:-P

And when I come back, I am bringing two baby girls with me!!!

Gifts

At least five very generous people have sent me emails about sending me (or the baby girls) some kind of a gift, so I would kind of like to address it here.

First of all, Thank You all very, very much. It is extremely touching and makes me feel very legitimately warm inside. I have a hard time really describing how wonderful it feels to have strangers care that much and be willing to reach out like that.

I guess I just don't really feel comfortable accepting gifts, though. And yes, part of it is definitely a hesitancy to send my address out to people (although three of you are long-time readers that I wold probably feel OK about that with).

Mostly though, I feel like your generosity could benefit some others more dramatically. And no, I do not intend to tell people how, when, and how much they should choose to be generous...it is entirely your business. But I can tell you that I would feel much better if you told me that you wanted to send me adorable little baby hats, but instead gave them to your local church, shelter or other charitable organization. There are all kinds of people with babies (one or more) that do not have nearly the support or the resources that we are fortunate enough to have.

I actually tried to find a national or regional organization focused on helping single mothers with multiples, but I didn't find one. As this has approached, I have thought about those people that are facing the same thing that I am...only without a wonderful husband, a super-awesome sister, fantastic friends and family and a saint of a mother-in-law to help them. I can't even imagine how scary it would be to be staring at this alone.

So, I will make that my official Funny Thing plea: if you feel moved to send me or the babies something, please think about directing that generosity towards someone needy who is closer to home. Churches are probably a great place to start...I may not be terribly religious, but I can certainly recognize that a lot of the nuts and bolts charitable work is done very quietly and unceremoniously by churches. All of their efforts to provide clothing, emergency housing, counseling and rudimentary food and necessities to the truly needy are probably feeling the economic squeeze as much as anyone, and could use whatever you can give. And I would love it if you sent me a picture of whatever super cute baby clothes you give them:-)

And finally, for those that offered, I am incredibly touched at the offerings and flattered and thrilled by your gestures. Many, many Thank Yous to all.

When exactly should I schedule this meeting?

I had a phone message from the Vice Principal at Munchkin's school on Friday, asking me to call her first thing this morning. So I called her on my way to school and we talked for a minute.

She wanted to schedule a time when I could come in to talk with her, the teachers and Munchkin about whether or not it makes sense to put her on a track to finish high school in three years rather than four. She is already ahead of most of her classmates because she has taken a couple of Freshman classes this year, and her teachers are concerned that she isn't being challenged. Academically, I don't think it would be a big deal...it really just comes down to having to make up a couple of classes over the next three years where she hasn't already caught up with the grade ahead of her.

Age-wise, it would work fine, too...she is one of the older kids in her grade, and while she would be on the younger end of the next class up, she wouldn't be the youngest. When she moved her, we were a little concerned about her being behind and trying to adjust, so she repeated fourth grade...which turned out to probably be unnecessary. Then a few years ago they suggested she may want to skip seventh grade, but she didn't want to do that at the time. This wouldn't really be a total skipping, though, more like a gradual phasing up.

I don't have all of the details, but it sounds like they are proposing that she jump one grade per year in one or two of the subjects that she still is behind this year's 9th graders. So, she has already taken 9th grade science and math, so next year she would continue with 10th grade science and math, but would also jump to 10th grade in history, English or her foreign languages. She would stay with ninth graders for the others, and then in the following years she could do the same jump in whatever subjects were left.

Academically, it wouldn't be hard for her...she gets the same A's in her current 9th grade classes as she gets in her 8th grade ones. And as I have written before, she would probably fit socially a little bit better with the kids a year older than her current classmates. So, the idea has some merit on a couple of levels.

Obviously, this is not a meeting that will be scheduled in the next two weeks;-). But it is something that we will need to take care of before this school year is over (last week in May, roundabouts) and I am not real sure what to do about it. I will leave it up to Munchkin, but she will ask me what she should do, and I am not really sure that I have any ideas...anyone have anything for me?

One humorous part of this was the Vice Principal struggling over "I'd like to set up a meeting with the two of you and...um...maybe...well...um...I guess anyone else that you think should be a part of the decision." I guess "the rest of her unofficial web of parental figures" didn't roll off of her tongue.

Not really sad, but...

Munchkin has officially moved out, which fills me with all sorts of emotions. OK, part of that could just be my wacky hormones (I'm entitled!). And let's be honest, she is approximately two blocks away and I will see her every day, so this is hardly a significant breakaway. She is also staying in a home she lived in for over a year with someone she lived with for about three years...so we are not really pushing the envelope here.

Still, I will miss her! I always do when she is not around. I will miss seeing her when I wake up and right before I go to bed. And all of her funny Munchkin-isms that she throws out all day. It will be very quiet around here:-) It is also making me really anxious and excited...just making it all the more obvious how close we are now!!! I looked into the empty room and got some serious butterflies...

That's it, I guess.

I still love Canadians, but some Manitobans maybe just a little less

A much less serious topic to keep you interested for the weekend...Kari left this link in my comments the other day, and I demand that you all read it immediately...

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/to-have-and-to-hold-brought-to-you-by-89977017.html

She tells me that the idea of a "social" is something of a Manitoba tradition.

Well here is a small snippet of what she said "A social is just a big 'ole party that you sell tickets to to raise money (or sometimes just to cover the cost of the hall rental, etc). Growing up I remember going to socials when someone's farm burned down, when a father of a classmate died, to raise money for the local arena, etc."

Apparently, people sometimes also have them to fund weddings that they feel that they are entitled to but don't want to pay for. Their wedding party is expected to organize the event, drum up donations from local business and sell tickets to raise money for the wedding.

You can probably all kind of guess where I am going with this, but I will leave you a couple of questions to foster the discussion:

1) Is this a tradition that exists elsewhere, or is it just a Central Canadian thing?
2) Is it resourceful or is it tacky?
3) Would it be appropriate to invite someone to your wedding social but not your actual wedding? (Which is apparently not uncommon).
4) How about Mr. Friesen and Ms. Causton, who apparantly have no friends but want the financial benefits of the social.
5) Any other thoughts on them specifically:-P?

And really, anyone who has any other thoughts, just fire 'em up...