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Undivided Attention

P1: It looks like I will just have to fill out some confidentiality agreements in order to get permission to counsel at Mount Sinai...as well as the small task of passing our research proposal through the hospital's ethics board. Anyone who has tried to get a research proposal approved by an ethics board will know I'm being sarcastic there. I had some unsavoury dealings with the ethics board at the University of Toronto while doing my PhD and I've heard that those at other universities are similar. I was simply administering a paper-and-pencil survey to adult volunteers about body image, and eating and exercise attitudes and behaviours. But from the reaction of the ethics board, you'd think I was proposing to administer cocaine to babies. Anyhow, hopefully we will get our project approved without much trouble.

P2: Big A has been behaving MUCH better the past two weeks. One thing I am trying hard to do is make time for just the two of us. Now that Little A is walking and all over the place, it is really tough for me to give Big A undivided attention. Last weekend I sent Adam out to do errands on Sunday with Little A while Big A and I pulled dandelions out of the front yard and cleaned up the garden. We had a great time and she was very cooperative afterwards about eating her lunch and then going down for her nap before Adam and Little A even got home. This weekend Adam is in Boston for a conference so I arranged for my in-laws to take Little A for the day so that I can pick up Big A from her gymnastics class and then take her to the mall for lunch and shopping. I don't know who's more excited, Big A or me. When she is cooperating, it really is more enjoyable to be with her than with Little A simply because we can converse. Little A still has only one word: "HI". Its very cute but it makes it pretty difficult to have any meaningful conversations at this stage. Big A, on the other hand, asks me very interesting questions and comes up with ideas that often blow me away. Of course, I'm not at all biased when I say I think she is utterly brilliant at age 4 already.

F1: Since Adam is away, I treated myself to a delicious, un-Kosher meal that I could never share with him...pulled pork and beans from a local BBQ restaurant. Mmmm, so good! Oink!

F2: My yin yoga class did not do the trick in loosening up my muscles after my Brazilian Butt Lift class yesterday so I tried an old yoga video at home today. Still no luck. I'm beginning to think that the ache in my glutes is the sciatica which I had while pregnant with Little A coming back. Yuck! I guess these things start happening more often once you get past 35.

This week on May 19, it was our 8 year anniversary! Adam and I have been together 10years. I can't believe it. I was 25 and he was 23 when we first started dating. So young...Unfortunately, we don't have the opportunity to celebrate for another month until we could find a Saturday when we were free, Adam isn't away for work and my in-laws are available to babysit. But I can't wait, we are going to have couple's massages at a nice spa in Yorkville and then lunch and a movie. Yipee!!!

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