Government Red Tape

I received a letter from our Canadian equivalent to the IRS. The purpose was to verify my claim of a child as a dependant & that I have sole custody. Fair enough, audits happen all the time & this isn’t exactly an audit so I’m lucky, right?

Just a small problem…here is the documentation requested to prove my claim:

·         Schedule 5, Amounts for Spouse or Common Law Partner

·         Documents to confirm I have custody such as a court order or written agreement which must be signed by both parents…

·         In the absence of that they will accept a signed statement from the other parent detailing the custody agreement

·         OR a signed statement from an authority who is aware of the custody arrangement…Doctor, religious leader or recognized community official, etc…

 

I guess I shouldn’t have been surprised that the Canadian Government wouldn’t even consider that I had my child on my own. I felt like pointing them towards my 2010 Tax Return in which I claimed all my medical expenses that weren’t covered by insurance for my IUIs.

It all worked out in the end. I called their info line, explained my situation & was advised to write a letter to them explaining it all plus provide a letter from a third party who could verify my statement. One of my bosses was amendable to writing a letter since he was aware of my situation...but that was an awkward request. He was gracious about it…though the first draft of his letter needed some work:

Dear Feds,

Elena got no baby daddy.

Sincerely,

Tara’s Boss

When I first received the letter, I imagined having to hire a lawyer & spend all kinds of money getting legal documents drawn up…I received another letter on Friday. They accepted my claim & closed the file. Phew! I am grateful as the tax benefits we receive do make a difference.

Hide & Seek

I just have to write this down so I don't forget!!

 

Last night after dinner, Elena & I were playing & being silly & my Mom was telling me about their day. They had met 2 little girls (6 & 3 years old) at the park & they all played - (sidenote: Elena is really taking an interest in playing with other kids, preschool couldn't start soon enough!!) - all of a sudden, Elena runs over to the wall & stands with her nose against it calling for me...she then started "counting" - (Elena doesn't say numbers yet but will "count" by saying, "Meh, meh, meh..." imitating my intonation when I count, so funny) - I didn't understand what she was doing but my Mom clarified that the girls at the park had played Hide & Seek!!

 

Then Elena has me stand against the wall & count...but she is so excited by this new game, instead of hiding, she stands beside me squealing, laughing & jumping up & down...it was hilarious & precious!!

 

Elena then has me count again & this time my Mom shows her how to hide...well the squeals of delight coming from her hiding place were hard to miss but I played dumb & kept looking for her...oh the excitement as I got closer to her!!! It was So. Much. Fun!!!!!

 

Goddamn! I love this kid so much!!! Sharing the newness & wonder of Hide & Seek with her...I can't express how amazing that feels.

What We've Been Up To...

I have been in a funk the last couple of months…totally first world problems, but sucks just the same…thankfully, life with Elena has not been one of those problems…life with Elena has been pretty awesome…we have been having a pretty great summer & have kept very busy…

FaeryFest

 

Tall Ships

Highland Games

Canada’s Wonderland

Elena was in charge of the map

 

Canal Days

Eating a Potato Tornado! Have you heard of these?
Delicious!!

 

& LOTS of Swimming

 

What’s up next? Pirate Festival, another Highland Games, another Teddy Bear Picnic, African Lion Safari, at least 2 RibFests, Telling Tales…then on to Fall Fair Season!!!

GRAB(ook) Club - The Fault in Our Stars

While at dinner in Amsterdam, Gus tells Hazel, "If you don't live a life in service of a greater good, you've gotta at least die a death in service of a greater good."

In the end, Gus says, "The real heroes anyway aren't the people doing things; the real heroes are the people NOTICING things..."

What do you think is most heroic? Living a life in service of a greater good? Or noticing the good in life?

After you answer my question, please click over to read the rest of the book club questions for The Fault in Our Stars.  You can get your own copy of The Fault in Our Stars by John Green at bookstores including Amazon.

Help Please...Need Advice/Ideas

Ok everyone, I need your advice...Elena has been in music class for the last year & it has been an amazing experience for her. She loved the classes so much & it was so amazing to see her little personality shine. She now has just 2 music classes left & I want to get something nice as a thank you for her teacher. This woman has a passion for music & passes that on to the children. I'm so glad Elena got to know her...It makes me so sad that Elena can't continue but come September the classes available conflict with her preschool & gymnastics. I have no clue what to get for this amazing & inspiring woman...Advice? Please?

All By Myself...Again!

It was exactly one year ago today that I spent my 1st night away from Elena...and now here I am at my yearly conference spending my 3rd night apart from Elena...I'm in a much better mindset this year...but I miss her like freakin' crazy!! This year I explained to her that I wouldn't be home tonight...she took it well & we showed Gramma our bedtime routine...I can't wait to hear how she made out...I hope she missed me as much as I miss her!!

 

Now I am going to luxuriate in a bed all to myself!! Nighty-night!!

Bloglovin'

Upon hearing about the demise of Google Reader three months ago I have been in denial…I’d Google alternatives, become overwhelmed & crawl back under my denial rock. Blissful Mama posted recently about it which prompted me to look at the calendar & realize I was running out of time…so I logged on last night & checked out Bloglovin’ upon Blissful Mama’s suggestion…& OMG! I love it!! So easy to set up, they have an app for my phone, which was a must for whatever I choose…the layout was great. Plus my quick perusal of their terms & conditions seemed pretty straight forward & I wouldn’t be signing over all my rights to them. So thank you to Blissful Mama for making my transition from Google Reader so painless!!

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And now some blog lovin’ of a different kind…I received a lovely comment on my last post from a reader who is a regular but hadn’t ever commented before…not only were her words so kind, she also nominated me for a Blog Award! Thank you so much, Laura…both for your kind words & for the award nomination!

 

The following apply when accepting this award:

·         Link back to the blog that nominated you (thank you again, Laura)

·         Nominate 5 - 11 new bloggers who have 200 or less followers

·         Answer the questions posted for you by your nominator

·         Share 11 random facts about yourself

·         Create 11 questions for your nominees to answer

·         Contact your nominees and let them know that you have nominated them

 

The Blogs I am Nominating:

A Blissful Life
Perpetual Ambition
Chasing the Gerber Dragon
A Planned Life
B is for Baby 

11 Questions from Laura:

1.    Why did you start blogging? After deciding to become a SMC, I gained so much from the blogs I found about other women who had made the same choice. Since then I have been so very grateful for the support & sense of community I have gained from the blogosphere!

2.    Mountain hideaway or a beach house? Tough one…I think I’d have to go with Mountain Hideaway though

3.    McDonalds or pizza? As much as I love McDonald’s, I’ll take pizza any day!!

4.    Summer or winter? As much as I love my summers with Elena, I am still a winter lover at heart…the warm clothes, the smell of snow, the crunch under my boots, hot chocolate with marshmallows…love it!

5.    Hot chocolate or coffee? I think I just answered this, lol. Hot Chocolate for sure…never been a coffee drinker, not even in college

6.    Strength training or cardio? Huh? This sounds like exercise…I avoid that as much as possible, lol!! But if I had to choose, it’d be cardio.

7.    Computer or television? Television for sure…I am a MASSIVE TV-aholic!!!

8.    Rolling Stones or Beatles? The Beatles for sure…but I do sing “You Can’t Always Get What You Want” to Elena all the time!

9.    Sidney or Paris? Sydney…mostly because I’ve never been there & I have been to Paris.

10.  Alaska or Hawaii? Another tough one!! I’ve always wanted to go to Alaska since watching Men in Trees…but I’ve always wanted to go to Hawaii since watching Elvis’ Blue Hawaii…I don’t know how to choose!!

11.  Early bird or night owl? Definitely Early Bird! Always have been…I am usually awake before Elena, even on the weekends!

11 Random Facts about me:

It was hard enough coming up with 7 things for the Versatile Blogger Award…now I have to come up with 11? Well here goes…

1.       I’m a Dog Person…I don’t hate cats or anything…but I LOVE dogs! I can’t wait until Elena is a bit older so we can get one…though I did ask her recently if she wanted a puppy & she said no…I’ll have to work on her…

2.      My middle name is Darlene…so is my Mom’s…& Elena’s

3.      I was named after Tara Martin, a character from All My Children…

4.      Currently my favourite TV show is The Vampire Diaries…guess where Elena got her name?

5.      I had a GINORMOUS crush on Kirk Cameron when I was a kid…my bedroom walls were covered in posters of him.

6.      I broke by left wrist when I was 10 by falling from a play structure…I broke my left ankle when I was 32 by slipping on some ice in front of my apartment building…after spending the entire afternoon on a ski hill!

7.      I’ve never had sex in a car…not that anyone ever wanted to know that…

8.      The most famous person I’ve ever met is Ed Asner…my aunt took a photo of us together & he insisted his companion take a photo of us too…so possibly somewhere in all his belongings there’s a photo of me…

9.      There was a bully who tormented me from Grade 4 through most of high school for being overweight…in college, after losing a bunch of weight, I ran into him at a bar & he had the nerve to hit on me & ask me on a date!

10.   One of my all time favourite movies is Clue…when it premiered on TMN when I was a kid, then ran it 3 consecutive Saturdays, each week playing one of the alternate endings…I had nightmares for weeks! BTW this movie is a hilarious comedy based on the board game Clue starring Tim Curry…

11.    Finally!! #11! & speaking of  nightmares…the final random fact I’ll share with you is that I have very vivid dreams & nightmares & slept walk all the time when I was a child…one night, after hearing the front door open, my Dad found me half way down the driveway!!

11 Questions for my Nominees:

1.       Do you believe in ghosts?

2.      Which celebrity or public figure would you most like to meet?

3.      Have you ever shop lifted?

4.      Do you have a tattoo? If so, where/what?

5.      Facebook or Twitter?

6.      Nick has 8 cups. He gave Sam 5 cups. How many cups does Nick have left?

7.      What is your favourite childhood birthday memory?

8.      Are you more like your Mother or Father…or neither?

9.      What is your Dream Job?

10.   Other than this current one, what era would you have most liked to live?

11.    What is your proudest moment?