suddenly 19...

October 15, 2018 Arlene Giddings

this kid…

i went back and read old blog posts
written on earlier birthdays…
every year, I am surprised by his age, it seems…
every year, I am like…
how can this be?
how can he be nine? ten? 12?
17?
18?

19.
really?
nineteen.
old enough to go places he wasn’t before,
old enough to drink…

it boggles my mind.

happy birthday, bighead.
every year, I am also so happy
that you are who you are…
independent, strong minded, responsible
and so funny, creative and original…

you’ll be just fine as a grown-up, I think…
but I’ll always win in an arm wrestle.
♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

the weekend of planes...

August 26, 2018 Arlene Giddings

I don't think it is a secret
that I
like the air show.

I go every time it comes to Summerside.

And, by "go", I mean, I don't just buy a ticket
and go one day...
on Friday, I drive around until I can find somewhere
to sit and watch them and practice
(which means sitting in a field from about 10:30
until 4:00 in order to see anything...)

Then, on Saturday, I make my son drive around
with me until we find a spot to watch them from...
this year, we found a great spot
but unfortunately, the CF18 was down for repair
but we did get to see the Snowbirds!

But then on Sunday, I go for the whole day.
18 came with me today and we got to see my brothers for a bit, too.
It was a beautiful day with blue skies
and fluffy white clouds...
and the CF18 was all fixed!!!!

PLUS I got to sit in the Hornet.
Completely stationary but...still!!!!
I was pretty excited...
even if I felt a little silly being the only grown up
in a group of 5-7 year olds waiting to get a chance
to sit in a stationary plane
and pretend they were driving it
(don't judge me...the little kids already did that.)

All in all....
it was a VERY successful weekend.

I can't wait for next time!

tuesday truths...

March 6, 2018 Arlene Giddings

♥♥♥
my boy is back from the big city
and i couldn't be happier...
or prouder.

there is a lot more i could say here
but i don't want to embarrass him...
:)

♥♥♥
literally
every time
i do a "tuesday truths"
i have to stop and think
wait...today IS tuesday, right?
every
frigging
tuesday.

that never happens to me on a friday.

♥♥♥
i bought some of these tonight...
i'm excited to try it.
the other flavors didn't really appeal to me...
blood orange?
what the hell is a blood orange?
like...is that a real thing?
um...not in my fridge.
which reminds me
i really need to clean out my fridge
and get groceries...
right now, i'm pretty sure all i've got in there
is hamburger far past the expiration date
(well...who can tell...it was frozen at some point
and then i defrosted it but i can't remember when
but i suspect it should not be eaten now
even if i do have an iron stomach as some would suggest)
and a head of cabbage
(and if you follow me on facebook,
which you should because i'm pretty amusing...
or annoying...i'm not sure which adjective is normally used..
anyway, if you follow me on fb,
you would have already read about the-great-cabbage-cauliflower-confusion).

wow.
did i just spin that far off topic.
that's gotta be a record.

♥♥♥
have you watched
everything sucks
if you haven't, you really, really should.
when have i steered you wrong?
i have great taste.
plus it has an awesome soundtrack.

just make sure you watch at least where
they make the oasis video...
that. part. literally. killed. me.
(plus i have a bit of a soft spot for that song
since it was the first song that my girl
learned all the words to...when she was like 2...
sigh....did someone make that damn time machine yet)

wow. i'm really off track tonight.
:)
it must be tuesday.
(right? it IS tuesday...right?)

edited to add...i realize i may not actually
know what an adjective is anymore so
if i have gotten that wrong, please forgive me...
it is tuesday, after all.

(right? it is..nevermind)

they told me this would happen...

February 27, 2018 Arlene Giddings

I mean...
I knew that they would grow up.
That's kind of the point, right?

I just didn't think it would feel like it happened
so damn fast...
that she would be off in another province,
working 3 jobs, taking charge of her life...
that he would get so tall,
and so self sufficient.
That they would take planes and trains
and buses all by themselves.
That the panicky texts would not come from them,
they would directly come from me...
did you get there?
are you on the plane?
have you eaten?
did you check in?
did you get your baggage?
did you ask anyone where to go?
don't talk to strangers!
and that the
short but sweet reassurances
would come from them...
all good!
i'm here.
pretty sure this is right.
love you too

He flew away today all by himself
to Toronto
to take part in a conference that the Student's Commission
puts on...he attended last year
and this year, he is helping to facilitate
and I couldn't be prouder
but I'm not gonna lie...
I miss him already.
The house is too quiet without
the sound of a Jetta revving in the shop...
no stories of paint jobs and
rims he found online
and what plans he has for the tail lights
or who cut him off while driving today.

Tuesday feels a long way away.
♥♥♥

i'm having a hard time even typing 18...

October 15, 2017 Arlene Giddings

because
that can't be right.
somewhere along the line
i think we must have done the
math wrong...
he can't be 18
already.

i want to stop time.
freeze the clock.
when is someone going to
make an app
that lets you
rewind
and live in those little moments again..

18 years.
and i couldn't be prouder.
a perfect mix of sweet and sarcastic,
responsible and fun,
interested in everything...
from fixing his own car to video games to go pros and airsoft guns,
always patiently smiling & nodding
when i make him look at
robots i drew and new markers i bought and
toys that i found...
always willing to run to needs, to the grocery store,
to drive me to work, to fill the car with gas...

happy birthday bighead...
now...how do you feel about
picking up your own cake?
:) :) :) :)