Loulou's views

Today I woke up and I was cold. And it hit me like a ton of bricks that summer was over. I guess because we are now officially in October. Not counting today, of course. I never count the day we're in, for some reason. It makes the week go by faster, I swear. Like, really, there is only one day left before the weekend if you do Loukia math. Try it! It really works! Sorry... where was I? Oh, yes. Summer is over, fall is here, and winter is literally around the corner. I despise winter. I do. I'm Canadian by birth, but by blood? I'm Greek. I am not meant to live in such a cold climate! Every year, I complain about our brutal winter. And let me tell you - it it BRUTAL . It's harsh. It's mean, it's cruel. The sun goes down around 4:30 p.m. and we're left to drive home in the dark, eat dinner in the dark, play in the dark. No more nice after dinner walks to the park, no more running outside freely with only a tshirt on, no more swimming, no more making sand cas...

You know when you go shopping to buy something specific? You are a woman on a mission, and you will not stop until you find just what you are looking for. In your mind, you will walk into your favourite store, and the first thing you'll see when you walk in will be 'the item' that you have so desired. You walk quickly, with a light bounce in your step, because you're happy. Shopping always makes you happy, and today is no exception. Well. The other day, I went shopping to buy a new pair of pants from one of my favourite stores, and I thought I'd have a great shopping experience, leaving with a pair of brown wide-legged trouser pants. Instead, after searching through the entire store, I came to the sad realization that I was not going to leave a happy customer. The only pants they had that closely resembled what I wanted to buy were size 0, 2, and 4. Even if you add the 4 and 2 together, you would still not get my size number. I was quite upset. And I went through ...

I can be a control freak sometimes. Okay, most of the time. Fine. All of the time. My friends all know this about me, and yet, they still love me. Thank you, friends! I like to get my way. I want things to go my way, all the time. I want to go wherever I say, I want to eat what I'm craving, I want to shop where I like, and I want people to always agree with everything I say. I love having heated discussions about things, and I love trying to influence people to see my side of the story. I want people to agree with me. I can get annoyed if someone doesn't like the same shows I watch. Or shop where I like to shop. And I will never understand how someone doesn't enjoy eating pizza. Or how someone can vote for a different political party than me. Sometimes I like to control other people's lives, as well. Like my sister's. For instance, if she were to tell me she was going to watch the new Jennifer Aniston movie I'd get mad at her and tell her she is wasting her mon...

I've always loved reading, every since I can remember. Probably ever since I could read. The first book I remember reading will always have a special place in my heart - Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing by Judy Blume. You know what other books hold a special place in my heart? The Sweet Valley Twins and Sweet Valley High series. I remember the day I bought my very first one. It was from a small bookstore in a small mall, and I started reading the book that night. I fell in love right away. As you probably know, the series was about Elizabeth and Jessica Wakefield, blonde, blue-eyed California twins. The books were mindless fun, about their adventures in middle school... and all the drama. Well, as much drama as you can have as a 12 year old girl! Elizabeth was the 'good girl' - the teacher's pet. The one who got A's in school, the one who started up the school newspaper, the sister with big dreams of becoming a writer. She was always rescuing her younger-by-4-minut...

One summer, while waiting in the Heathrow airport after a vacation in Greece, I bumped into not one but two high school classmates who were going back home after being in Portugal and Ireland. The three of us talked about what a coincidence it was that we were all taking the same flight back to Canada. I was calm and cool on the outside, laughing and talking, but really, I was picturing the cover of the newspapers the next day, with the caption "Three passengers aboard the flight were all graudates of the same high school, coming home from vacation..." You see, in that instance when I bumped into these old friends, I found it way too weird that we were all taking the same flight back home. I was convinced we'd die in a terrible airplane crash. I could see the story in my mind unfolding as we were waiting to get on that plane. I was not sure I should even get on that plane, for I was sure we were doomed. I guess you could say I sometimes see the cup 'half empty' ...

There is one compliment you can give me that will make me feel like a million bucks. Like I'm on top of the world. A compliment that will always make me smile, after I take a second to take it in. At first I don't really believe it, and I think the person saying it is just 'being nice', but the more I hear it, the more I begin to believe it is true. And you know what? It's nice to hear. It's not hearing a compliment about my hair, and it's not about my smile, or what I'm wearing. It's not even about hearing "Hey! You look great - have you lost weight?" Which is pretty much the most awesome thing to hear, especially when you've been dieting and struggling to lose weight. Nope. The nicest thing in the world to hear - and the one compliment I appreciate more than any other is: "You're a great mom." That makes me feel so good! I don't think I will ever get tired of hearing that. I'm so thankful everytime someone says t...

My anxiety and fear over my son starting school has changed to a fierce feeling of pride and happiness. My baby boy finished his very first week of kindergarten. I can hardly believe it myself, and I am content and happy that he did so well. No tears, no fighting, no yelling - insead, each day this week, he happily went to school, with smiles, with confidence, and without even a look back over his shoulder at me. I love that I now have a school-aged child. I have been waiting for this moment for a long time! But I am still in disbelief that I have a school-aged child . Of course, the most exciting part of his day for me is when I pick him up, so I can ask him how his day went. Because truly - this is the first time in his life that I don't know the details of his every moment. And being the type of mom that I am, I need details! Sadly, he is not fulfilling my need here - he's not too vocal about the details of his day at school. I get the usual answer that I know I'll get ...

The world as we know it changed forever on September 11, 2001. Does a day go by where you don't think about 9/11? For me, I often think of that day and remember. Life changed that day, for everyone. It was quite possibly the single most historic day in our lifetime. 8 years ago today... 8 years. Yet, that day feels as clear to me as if it were yesterday. I was at work. I remember the fine details, like the outfit I was wearing, and what I was eating - grapes - when I found out an airplane had crashed into one of the twin towers. My mom phoned to tell me to turn on CNN. First, it was just one airplane. One plane had crashed into the World Trade Centre. Then, another. And then, a third plane crashed into the Pentagon. A fourth plane crashed into a field in Pennsylvania, after some of the passengers onboard tried to overtake the terrorists. Watching the twin towers collapse on CNN was one of the most terrifying moments of my life. To see this on television took my breath away. The s...

Stabbing yourself with a pencil will give you lead poisoning and you might die. This was the rumour going around, anyway. So when the boy sitting next me in grade 3 decided to stab me with his pencil in my back, it got me worried and upset. I did what any normal child would do - I stabbed him right back, but in the neck, with my pencil. I've never figured out why I was the one who was sent to the principle's office.... During a total eclipse of the sun, it is important to never stare at the sun. In fact, remain indoors and put black construction paper on all the windows. This won't freak out young children at all! ;) Teachers always have their favourite students - this is more evident if you're not, in fact, one of the teacher's favourite. The thing I remember the most from middle school was learning about the different types of clouds: Stratus, Startocumulus, Cumulus, Cumulonimbus, Altostratus, Altocumulus, Cirrus, Cirrocumulus. We had different stations set up an...

The morning before I left for Washington, D.C. with my boys was the morning Christos and I were going to meet his teacher for the first time. I was anxious, but prepared. I had spoken with his teacher over the phone previously, and she sounded incredibly nice. My husband and I spoke with Christos about this day, about the fact that he'd be going to meet his teacher before officially starting school. He was ready. However. My mom came over that morning to babysit Dimitry. And she said something she shouldn't have said. "Can I come meet the teacher, too?" Of course, in normal circumstances, this would have been okay. I mean, my son and I could have gone in, met with the teacher, looked at his classroom, and then my mom could have said hello to the teacher, too, as she will be Chrsitos's ride to and from school for most of the school year. But, considering the fact that my son is extremely shy to begin with, as well as super sensitive, it just didn't work out. He...

My boys and I are back from our mini vacation to Washington, D.C. We had an amazing time visiting family, sight-seeing, and enjoying ourselves. However, travelling with two young children is not easy. Rather, travelling with a 19 month old is not easy! Christos was amazing the entire trip, and as usual, he was perfect on the airplane. Dimitry, however, did not love the fact that he couldn't move around on the plane. There was some crying and screaming, and some dirty looks were sent my way. I let the boys run around when we were allowed to take our seatbelts of. Yes, it was loud. And I'm sorry. But they needed to move around. And yes, it was only a one hour flight. And thank God for that! Oh, also, going to the bathroom with 2 kids in the tiny stall wasn't as hard as I thought it would be. You just need to have a sense of humour about it. Here's my vacation, in summary: First of all, to the ticket agent at Air Canada who was a replica of the agent in Planes,...

Today is my birthday! Today, I am 33 years old. Yes, I am almost 35 which is almost 40 which is almost too depressing to even think about right now. Instead, let's focus on all the good stuff, shall we? Like the fact that I'm a Virgo. I love being a Virgo. It's a pretty sign. I like that. Better than being a crab. Even though I am often crabby. Apparently. I do get mad easily. But we're focusing on the good stuff, remember? Today I'm celebrating my birthday in D.C. Am I a true Virgo? Well, here is a description of Virgo I found online: Dedicated, Sympathetic, Observant, Creative, Reliable, Kind, Organized, Analytical, Sensual, Witty, Charming, Helpful, Thoughtful, Compassionate, and Sexy as Hell. Ahem. While maybe *some* of those words fit me to a T, I think the following description of Virgo is way more 'me'. At least, my sister thinks so, since she bought me the magnet: Virgo: Bitchy, Fussy, Pedantic, Always Complaining, Always Worrying, Indecisive, Anal-R...

Top 5 things on my mind today: 1. I'm not a big fan of Kindle. I love books. I love buying new books, I love adding books to my collection, I love books stacked up on my night table and on my bookcases. I love reading to my boys, I love the smell of a new book, the feel of a well-read book, and the comfort of holding a book in my hands. The thought that maybe one day books will become a thing of the past scares me, to be honest. We're at a digital age now where my 4 year old can use my iphone. What will the future be like for him? Will he not get the same joy as I do when I walk into a bookstore? At the same time, I think it's great that Kindle users have the ability to download books from the library for free. All you need is a library card. So technically, if you buy a Kindle, you'll never have to pay money for a book again, if you choose not to. 2. The whole Dooce washer and dryer story is kind of ridiculous, no? So she complains about her Maytag washer and dryer a...