Beautify

I've never been one to choose a "word for the year". You may have talked to or read other people who do this: something, in a word, to focus on for the coming year. For me, this is too close to making a New Years Resolution, something I run away from annually.

Mainly because I try to avoid failure.

But this year, I started thinking about it a bit, just as a game. What word would I choose for this year? Laundry? That seems to dominate my time. Candyland? Also takes up more than its fair share of my days. Maybe sleep? that often sought-after but seemingly unattainable dream when you have three kids six and under. After about all of 5 seconds, I had moved onto something else. Probably choosing which setting to use on the laundry machine.

And then I had a new neighbour over for tea.

Her name is Shahi. She and her family just moved here from UAE. I decided to pull out the proper teacups instead of using usual pottery mugs. I served cake on pretty china plates.

As I passed Shahi her cup, she said: "These are so pretty. People don't put importance on beautiful things anymore. Everything is about function. It's sad that we are losing beauty from our homes and lives like that."

I haven't gone a day without thinking about that since. She's so right. We so often give over to function over beauty. I have a sideboard full of china and teacups and silver and crystal. It gets used at Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter. Or if we forget to run the dishwasher.

I decided that my word of the year would be Beautify. In fact, this may become my word for the next several years, if not my lifetime.

Being frugally minded, this doesn't mean I will be spending money to beautify my home and life. It means I'll start giving more playtime to the beautiful things we already have. I now have at least one cup of tea a day in a proper tea cup. I try and move things around occasionally to take better notice of some of the pretty things I own. For example, my friend Michelle was visiting last week from Waterloo. I put all the little travel size shampoos and soaps for her in a gorgeous silver bowl that we received as a wedding gift but normally sits collecting dust on a dark shelf in our family room.

It might seem like this all seems so superficial. But what I notice is that other people notice when there is beauty around them - they can be simple things, or simple actions, but they can have a profound effect on how someone's day goes. Seeing beauty and appreciating beauty is fundamental to human nature. That's why we make art, go to art galleries, garden, go to parks, cook lovely meals, make pottery, knit, sew, have meals together, read and write.

As I thought about beautifying more, I knew this should and would extend far beyond material things. I'm making an effort to beautify life.

I'm a patient mother - quite patient, in fact - but I can always improve and I'm making an effort to do that.

I'm baking more (gluten-free, mind you) than I have in the past two months so there is always something homemade to be had as a snack or small dessert.

My letter-writing project (sadly behind right now) is an additional effort to add a small amount of beauty to other people's lives.

I'm knitting for other people.

Emily and I have started a creative project that is almost finished that will add a bit of beauty and several smiles to the people around us. It's also given us something really fun - and therefore beautiful - to do together.

I've started ironing clothes. If you know me, you'll know that is nothing short of a miracle. But it is rather nice to not look like you slept in your clothes. You know?

Beauty is how you decide to define it. After all, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I can see beauty - or opportunities to beautify - all around me. How about you?

The award is in the bag

Would you like to know what I just did?

I just finished making a batch of homemade doughnuts. Oh yes, I did!

Gluten-free pumpkin doughnuts to be exact. And after a very long hiatus, I'm putting this up on a Wednesday which means this is part of Shannon's awesome What's Cooking Wednesday.

Emily made the batter with me, I heated the oil and deep-fried those suckers and they are everything a homemade doughnut (in this case, Timbit, or doughnut hole for you Americans) should be: crisp on the outside, soft on the inside, sugary, pumpkiny, spicy, warm.

For those of you vying for the Best Mum of the Year Award.... how does my dust taste?!

No one wants to be laughed at when they're naked

This blog is suffering from not-so-benign neglect. And just when there are so many things to talk about. It's always the way, isn't it? Lots been going on, much of it blog-worthy. Before the goings-on are filed away in my grey matter, never to be retrieved again, I'm going to try to get a few posts up this week. Saying it here may actually make it happen. Here's hoping, anyway.

I have funny kids... very funny kids... but the funniest (although the jury is still out on Henry) is Hope. She makes us belly-laugh frequently, never due to effort on her part, and then she gets extremely agitated (read: stinking mad) if she thinks we're laughing because of something she said or did. Which we almost always are.

Evidence: this week she said something funny (again) while she was changing into her jammies and yelled at us: I don't like it when people laugh at me when I'm naked!

Which did not make us laugh less.

In the past couple of weeks she has reached a new pinnacle of funniness. I've managed to remember three good Hope-isms, using top-secret, tired mummy-brain techniques, so that I could get them down and then free up that brain space for things such as remembering library book day and where I left my hemorrhoid medication. This is important stuff people. So very important.

Laugh #1: Hope tends to take Henry's toys right out of his hands. Yanks them actually. I caught her in the act a couple of weeks ago and explained how even though he's a baby, you can't just grab things away from him even if you want them. You have to treat him like you treat other kids, blah, blah, blah. I walked out of the room and back in to see her with Henry's toy again. I asked her how she got it.

Hope: "I asked Henry for it and he said yes."
Me: "But Henry can't talk."
Hope: "Yes, he can."
Me: "Uh no, he can't."
Hope: "Yes, he can, Mummy."
Me: "But how do you know what he's saying?"
Hope: "I understand baby talk."

A minute later, Hope turns to Henry and says: "Henry, can I use that when you're finished?" (She leans in to his face and listens near his mouth as though he were a stuffed animal in one of her pretend games.) "You're done? Oh good. Thanks!" Yanks toy out of his hand.

Laugh # 2:
Hope: I got my chest skin stuck in this zipper today at school. [It was a decorative zipper on the front of a dress.]
Me: Why were you unzipping that zipper?
Hope: My hand was tired so I was giving it some exercise to give it more energy.

Laugh #3:
(at the dinner table)
Hope: Mummy, you forgot to give me the broccoli I asked for!
Me: Oh, sorry. I didn't hear you ask for it.
Hope: That's because I asked you in my head.

And just so Emily isn't totally left out...
I was changing Henry's diaper last week when Emily walked into the room and said:
Is there poop in that diaper?
Me: No.
Emily: Good! Because the last time I saw Henry's poop, it was terrifying!

Letters 5 and 6

I have to admit that I got a bit behind in my letter writing. I haven't missed sending out a letter but for three weeks I was one letter behind, meaning that I always had two letters to send out and I never sent two letters out in a week so one letter kept being pushed a week ahead. Get that? Confusing, I know.

Well, last week I remedied that and actually mailed out two letters.

First, let's back up just a bit and say that letter number 3 went to Mrs. Cheevers. If you recognize the last name, you're right, it's THAT Cheevers, as in Gerry Cheevers, goaltender extraordinaire. If you know hockey, you'll know Gerry's mask: in 2008 Hockey News rated it the best goalie mask ever. I think I'm right in saying he was the first to ever decorate his mask - with stitch marks each time it was hit with a puck.

Mrs. Cheevers is his mother and just as importantly, mother to Pat Cheevers who was John's dad's best friend, pretty much forever as far as I can glean. Unfortunately for this world, Pat and Ken are in the great hereafter enjoying a beer (or several) together but Mrs. Cheevers is hanging on like a champ. She's what you'd describe as a spitfire in the best possible terms. I've always really liked her although I haven't seen her in a long time. I believe she is around 90 now, maybe a bit beyond that even. John's mom is close to her and visits her frequently. This is how I learned that Mrs. Cheevers was complaining that she hadn't received a letter in a while. That sealed it for me. Mrs. Cheevers was next on my list to write to. And I'm happy to report that she was thrilled to get my letter. I'll make sure that I write to her again in a few weeks.

Letter number 4 was a birthday card - a really nice one I bought at Chapters - for Donna, my dad's wife. I understand why people, and I've done it countless times, send e-cards but a real birthday card is just so much nicer. I will not be sending one e-card this year. It's going to be the real thing all the way... it's also a really easy way for me to send out a letter!

Letter 5 went to my dear friend Marnie. She reads my blog so I'm not saying more about the letter (actually, package). Marnie and I met in first year university. We lived in the same residence: Conrad Grebel College, the Mennonite college at the University of Waterloo. To say we hit it off, is an understatement. I could go on and on and on about our exploits - together with the other member of the trio that year, Holly (Hi Holly!). The following year, after Holly moved off-campus, Marnie and I shared a room and after that, a few houses. We've stayed very close through all these years and thankfully I got to spend lots of time with her last year when we were in Waterloo although we both kept saying that it still wasn't enough. She's one of my very special friends who I can not talk to or see for a while and when we meet again, it's like no time has passed at all.

The other letter I sent was to someone else who reads this blog so I'm not going to say much else. Getting real letters is such a rarity now that I don't want to spoil the surprise.

I'm really enjoying this. I'm not being too hard on myself if something is delayed a week, as long as it get the letter out eventually even if I have to double-up one week. The loveliest part of this whole project is spreading the love. People really appreciate getting a letter or card or package and it makes me feel like I'm beautifying the world a little bit by brightening up someone's day each week.

More on my beautifying project in a future post!

Why helping women be successful in breastfeeding should be applauded and not criticized (aka Karen's newest rant)

I've been following this story out of the U.S. with great interest. Can someone, anyone, please explain to me using some intellectual capacity, how promoting breastfeeding, especially to a population that traditionally doesn't breastfeed or at least breastfeed beyond a few weeks, is being Big Mother or creating a Nanny State?

I am so riled up about this and it isn't (thankfully) happening in my own country. But I just don't get how Americans can vote for the Republican Party.

Promoting breastfeeding is in no way being a Nanny State or "Big Mother", as the Republicans have described Michelle Obama. If it is then so is an anti-smoking policy, or banning asbestos as a building material, or promoting fitness through Participaction.

The Republicans argue that making these opinions into policy is making the U.S. into a Nanny State. Oh, and the Republicans have never made their opinions into policy, right? Making killing an abortion doctor justifiable homicide in South Dakota comes to mind as a recent and abhorent example.

By the by, making breastpumps a tax deduction wasn't Michelle Obama's idea. It was proposed by 45 Congress men and women. Not that that should matter. Working mothers - and most women in the U.S. don't get much maternity leave at all - need help if they're going to continue to breastfeed. A decent breastpump up to the job of a lot of pumping costs about $250. For a woman being paid minimum wage, that's unaffordable. These women need help. It makes me sick that the Republican Party thinks that because one well-off woman could buy a pump on her own to breastfeed her five children, that all women can do that. Guess what? Most American women don't have that kind of money. Most American women need a bit of help if they're going to work and breastfeed.

American Republicans: start thinking about someone other than yourselves. It's what you were elected to do.

You make me thankful I don't live in the United States.

Change of plans

We were supposed to be driving to my dad's in Gravenhurst right about now but Emily's stomach had a different idea for the weekend.

Yesterday morning Emily got up around 6:00 coughing and crying (I should have known what was to come... coughing for her is a sure sign of digestive distress - and impending yakking). She went back to bed until about 7:30 when she got up and ralphed. She had some water later. And then up came the water.

She spent from about 8:00 until 11:30 asleep. The rest of the day she lazed about feeling sort of okay when she had Motrin in her but really not okay when the Motrin wore off. Fevery.

After a lovely bubble bath last night (soothing and useful to wash barf out of hair) she felt GREAT! I thought maybe, just maybe, we'd be able to go to Muskoka for the weekend. But alas, this morning, she got up and laid right back down on my lap and didn't move for about 20 minutes. She still isn't herself so we've decided to stay put. Also, the risk that another member of the clan may fall to this flu also weighed on my mind. When you're barfing, you really want to do it in your own bathroom.

So, here we are: a long weekend ahead of us (as today is a P.D. day - no school) and Monday is a holiday. So, as long as everyone is healthy or near-healthy, here is our plan:

Today: a trip to the library this afternoon or Chapters (this is really more for me - I'm feeling like I need to breathe air outside these walls)? Emily may stay home for this.
Saturday: maybe go to The Farm. We haven't been there since we moved back to Ottawa. The museum isn't open yet (although will be open on Monday for Family Day) but we can still see the animals. Nice little piggies.
Sunday: Jacques Cartier Park for some Winterlude, Beavertails and sliding down the ice slides. Late afternoon - first swimming lessons (at least for Hope).
Monday: There's a winter festival at our local park from 11am to 3pm that I think we may go to. Of course, today feels like spring, but I hear that Winter plans to show his face again this weekend.

What are you doing this weekend?

Making up for lost canal time

Last year was the first winter I didn't skate on The Rideau Canal since about 1997. We were living in Waterloo last winter, a long commute to the Canal, and the one weekend I did make it here I was about 6 months pregnant and already Large And In Charge and wasn't willing to risk catching my blade in a crack in the ice. Henry would have been fine but my body wouldn't have liked the 165 pounds of momentum behind that fall.

I'm making up for lost time this winter. I've been out three times on the Canal and twice on our local rink helping the girls learn to skate. Next weekend, we'll be in Gravenhurst skating on Kahshe Lake in front of my dad's house if all goes according to plan. My legs are slowly remembering what to do and how to recover. Pushing Henry in a heavy stroller (Peg Peregos are great but not exactly lightweight) makes it an even better workout... especially if I'm skating into the wind.


My sort-of routine is to go to the Canal on Wednesday and Friday afternoons while both girls are in school. I hope to keep doing this as long as the ice is decent. Wouldn't you with scenes like this?


My only complaint up to this point has been the lack of decent food on the canal for a gluten-sensitive girl like me. Beavertails? Yum but fully-glutened and not exactly a healthy choice for lunch. Poutine? That gravy is likely chalk-full of wheat or something related (if it is even identifiable outside of a lab) and it tastes like shite. Why can't we get a decent poutine on the Canal? We're in a city ripe with good poutine. It's about LAYERS, friends, LAYERS. Fries, cheese curd, GOOD gravy, repeat. NOT fries, more fries, a bit more fries, a few curds, a brown sludge poorly resembling gravy.


Of course, poutine is definitely not going to make the list of healthy lunch choices, even when done well.

And then along came the soup lady. Stone Soup Foodworks was profiled in The Ottawa Citizen this week so I, like many other people on the Canal yesterday, sought her out. I had her Thai Squash Soup for lunch. It was delicious and nice and spicy. Clearly Ottawans have been wanting this because the line was huge by the time I joined it. I bought the last bowl of squash soup and she was almost out of bread (which I didn't take - she gave me 50 cents off as a result. Very friendly.). I hope she's a new fixture on the Canal because she's set a new standard.


So, for all of those Ottawa mums out there who are feeling a little house-bound: get out there, get skating and have some soup. Henry says so! (Don't worry, Rose, he survived the cold!)

He'd be at home in a garbage dump

Henry's newest favourite place to sit:




- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

I've been hoping for this

Last year during our very social year in Waterloo, I found myself complaining that we didn't know our neighbours in Ottawa very well at all. We had a few acquaintances on our street but no one that I would really call "friend". The girls didn't have any playmates that they would just meet in the back yards or ride their bikes with or invite over to play. They had that in Waterloo in spades and I was very sad to leave that behind.

This afternoon the girls came home from school and started playing on our front snow pile. Anna ran over from a few doors down. Minutes later Emily popped her head in the door and yelled that she and Hope were going to play in Anna's front yard. A little while after that Emily came back and asked if they could go have hot chocolate at Anna's. When I called over a little while later, I could barely hear Anna's mum, Isabelle, over the din. Mohammed and Raeff, other neighbours on our street, were also over playing she said. Earlier this week I had a new friend, Shahi, from down the street over for tea.

I promised myself in the summer that I would try to make more friends on our street. While I don't think I actually did anything extraordinary to make it happen, I'm so happy that has.

Friends nearby make a home happier.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Snow Day.... Sort of

We've woken up this morning to a very snowy Ottawa. The wind is whipping, buses are cancelled, snow is still falling, traffic is snarled. Schools remain open for those that can find their own way there.




My girls take the bus to school so we offered Emily every student's dream this morning: a Snow Day. Stay at home with Mummy in your pajamas and watch movies and do crafts. And do you know what she said?

No, I want to go to school.

Another episode for the nerd file. I love you, my little nerd.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Wah, harumph, grumble!

Here are some things I feel the need to complain about:

• John being away for most of last week while Henry decided to stay awake two hours (non-consecutive) each night and cry. Not John's fault in any way. Just bad luck.
• Mondays - I love them until I come home from my class at Carleton and then after that it feels like a big whirlwind while I try and clean up from the day and do the dishes and make dinner and play with the girls who really want to play games after not seeing me all day.
• my letter writing - I'm behind a letter. Last week, while I had plans to squeeze in my letter-writing, I didn't get it done. See above as to why.
  
• gluten. I love it but why doesn't it love me? Wah.
• people who flaunt rules... in front of their kids no less. Our local outdoor skating rink is actually a double-rink: one for recreational skating and one for hockey. There is a clear sign in the changing area that sticks, pucks and balls are prohibited on the rec ice. Does anyone care? Yes, two people - me and one other perturbed father who, like me, had to make sure his children didn't get a slapshot to the orbital lobe. Every other person on the ice (and there were many) had a stick, puck, net or full goalie gear (no exaggeration). Yes, I am calling my city councillor tomorrow. I'm that grumpy anti-hockey mom. So sue me for being unCanadian. I don't care. I just want to skate with my kids.
  
• The City of Ottawa's current garbage and recycling program. Our green bin (organic compostable waste) is currently full to the top - the lid can barely close - and it is also frozen solid. It's only collected every two weeks. We are a family of five (4 and a half anyway) who eat a lot of compostables and we're very committed to composting. The bin was full at the end of last week and it won't be collected until this Thursday. Collecting only once every two weeks is not acceptable when you want to encourage people to compost. I've told the city this in their current survey but I still feel the need to complain. To anyone who will listen.
• People who say they are "trying to prove a point" to the City by not using the Green Bin program. There is a special place in Hell reserved for you people. And I hope it is full of your stinky garbage.
  

Phew. Just needed to get that off my chest. And now, on to more positive things. Time for some tea and knitting. And a freshly baked (gluten-free) muffin!

Letters 1 and 2

I'm on track so far for my 52 letters in 52 weeks, granted it is only the second week but I like to give myself kudos occasionally...

Good for me!

Last week, I eased into the project and sent a birthday card to my friend, Pam. Last week I also ordered these pretty flat notecards on Etsy and bought some real-life notepaper from Chapters in preparation for what is to come.

By the by, it took me a coon's age to actually find any decent writing paper. I scoured Etsy. There was almost none to be had that was worth paying shipping for. I happened to be in Chapters picking up some SillyBandz for Hope (a reward for relearning how to go to bed and stay there) when I found some nice writing paper. They had one design. They had three boxes. $10. Done and done but wow, it really drove home how rare letter-writing has become. That doesn't come as a surprise of course. In fact, the back of the box of paper reads: "Designer letter sheets add flair to your correspondence, as you keep alive the fine art of letter-writing."

Yikes. The pressure! "Fine-art"... I doubt anyone will describe my letters that way. I am making an effort to sit down when I have no distractions and give my letter some undivided attention. This will be my once-a-week quiet time. I think that's something I could use.

This afternoon I sat down during a quiet moment and wrote a real-life honest-to-goodness letter. I haven't done that since.... I honestly have no idea how long it's been. I used to write letters all the time. And then email took over and it was probably circa 1994 that I last put pen to paper in a disciplined effort.

I chose to write to my friend Ferne today. Ferne is around 80 or so, maybe just shy of that. She visits the cottage right next to ours and we became fast friends during one of her early visits. Ferne worked for years in the maternity ward in one of the hospitals in London, Ontario and LOVES babies. She never had any of her own but you'd never know - she knows all the tricks and talks to babies like she had 40 of them herself. She also is just the hippest, most interesting 80-year-old I've ever met. I hope we cross paths again this summer. I don't see her every year but we write Christmas cards with short notes and she calls me occasionally.

Everyone needs a Ferne in their lives.

In fact, we've actually named her The Ferne because she's that awesome.

Anyway, I wrote to Ferne today for a couple of reasons: (1) she's a good friend and (2) she and my mum really liked one another and today is the anniversary of my mum's death and I just really wanted to be in contact with someone who knew and liked her but wasn't family.

From the side of self-serving, I also know Ferne will write back which is an added bonus to this project; I'll likely get some letters back!

In fact, I was triple-super-over-the-moon-excited to receive a letter from one of my soul-mates and best friends, Marnie, today. She wrote me a real letter. For real. On paper. With pen.

And I didn't write her first.

What surprised me most was how much joy I got from reading the letter. Not because of what it said necessarily but just because she took the time to write. It felt really special. I hope that's how people feel when they get mine. Because making someone's day a little brighter is something I would like to do more often.

A Little Bit of Foodsense: Hello Dollies recipe

I have my first recipe up at the new and awesome A Little Bit of Foodsense. I'm a contributor to the site. Go have a look! (And make some Hello Dollies!)

Henry 365 update

I FINALLY updated Henry 365 over on Flickr. You can click there on the sidebar. Most of you won't be interested but if you're a blood relative you might be interested.

He sure is cute, our wee man.

52 letters, 52 weeks

Have you heard about this? A blog I jus discovered called The NonConsumer Advocate has started this challenge. The challenge is to write and send 52 letters or postcards or thank-you notes or care packages, one a week, HANDWRITTEN and sent in the REAL MAIL for all of 2011. Well, I'm going to do it! Granted it is the second week of January right now so it will be a 51 week challenge. You can read the original post here.

Last year I read the book The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society.... twice. If you haven't read it yet, do go get it. After reading it I was inspired to start writing real letters again. It didn't happen. I needed something to push me out of the gates. I think this challenge will be the very thing.

Now to get me some nice writing paper! My Ottawa Citizen scratch pad won't do it.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Verbal Diahrea Round 1: the Henry Edition

I set myself a goal of finishing my assignment (more on that another time) so that I would have enough time to blog tonight. There are SO MANY things I want to blog about. I feel as though I'm about to throw up incoherent words all over the screen because I just want to get my thoughts out as quickly as possible. There are some many things I haven't written about since the beginning of December: the baking business, Hope's first kindergarten concert, Emily's reading, Christmas, Henry, my class at Carleton (the aforementioned assignment) etc etc etc.

Most pressing: Henry. I haven't given an update on the wee man in a coon's age. A coon's age, I say! And he is so deserving.

The wee man turned seven months old on December 19 and here we are ten days away from him being 8 months old and narry a tooth in sight. He sure seems to be trying hard to get one through what with all the drool and chewing and intermittent screaming and grunting. Try as he might, nothing seems imminent. He is weighing in at about 25 pounds. My arms are well-sculpted to say the least. At least the left one. The right is as flabby as ever.



Henry's days go like this: wake around 7:30 or 8:00. Squeal with uncontrollable joy when I walk in the room (because he hasn't seen me in, like, two hours!). Get dressed, head towards door of his room, squirm and squeal with uncontrollable joy because he might spot one of his sisters (hopefully the one that allows him some breathing space, although the smothery one is okay too in small doses). Breakfast - normally a prune concoction in order to aid things as it were - covers face in as much food as possible. While eating breakfast, he routinely tips his head to the side (either one will do) in order to see around some invisible object in his way - extraordinarily cute. After breakfast - carpet play time also known as the time during which he is ignored so that I can eat my own breakfast, read the paper or clean up the kitchen (hah! good one... doesn't usually happen until at least 4:00 pm and where is that housekeeper I ordered!?). Soon after that, nap number one happens, preceded by a long drink at the mummy-fountain, after which I either take a quick shower or play a board game with Hope or bake with Hope or do something or other with Hope. Henry normally sleeps for two hours... I say 'normally' because the last two days he has been taking one-hour naps. Not what we're looking for. This means he has much less patience for the rest of the day for being ignored. Not so good when I have other people and things needing my attention. His afternoon is mainly a repeat of the morning including an afternoon nap but minus the breakfast. Rinse repeat is the way it goes until about supper when he gets much attention from his sisters, a full family meal followed by a bath with one of the two girls, naked playtime (if he's lucky) on the carpet of the girls' room and then bedtime around 7:30. At some point in the afternoon, while Hope and Emily are both at school, we do occasionally leave the house to do errands. That is the part of the day when senior citizens swoon over his cheeks and his name (everyone over 70 had a brother named Henry apparently) and his size. We like that part of the day mainly because we're outside of these four walls (although I do like our four walls). Henry loves errands - so much to take in and lots of chatting from me as I putter through stores or meet a friend for coffee.



In essence, I couldn't ask for an easier baby. He is sweet and loving and fun and laughs so easily and I could just eat him up. Especially his thighs. In fact, a few people could easily dine on those thighs. He has lots to go around.


Phew. Verbal diarhea Round 1 complete. Tune back here... possibly tomorrow... for the Christmas show. Eventually, hopefully by the end of this week, I'll be caught up at least as much as I can be after this much neglect.

Welcome 2011

Wow, this site really is Virtually Stale. I hate to ever admit that John was right about something but....

December was insanely busy mostly due to another successful year for the Sugarplum Fairy. I made some very positive changes to how I ran the business this year. I'll devote a post to the business soon as well as one to our Christmas hubbub but for now I wanted to wish you all a belated Merry Christmas and a very happy New Year. I look forward to tomorrow mainly to get my healthy eating back on track. Tomorrow I go back to my no wheat, no dairy, no sugar regime and I think my gut will thank me for it. Not to say I haven't enjoyed the reprieve over Christmas. I certainly have but I've reached the point of too much of a good thing. Also some exercise would be helpful too. I vaguely remember what that is. I look forward to recommitting myself to my health.

2011 will be good in other ways too. I'm taking another course in my quest to get my TESL certificate, I hope to expand the baking business, I would like to blog more regularly and read some books that I've been meaning to pick up. None of these things are resolutions so much as some not-too-lofty goals.

I definitely do not expect to be awake to ring in the New Year tonight. In fact, I plan to head to bed shortly, read a little Marian Keyes and then gently snore my way into 2011.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Featured on SavvyMom Ottawa!

Sugarplum Fairy Homebaking, my other persona, is featured on SavvyMom Ottawa today! Go have a read (and order some baking if you feel so inclined :) ).....

That's what you get for referring to this as Virtually Stale

John just told me that "Virtually There is Virtually Stale." Hah. Funny guy.

Truth is there doesn't seem to be enough minutes in a day right now. I'm baking, freezing, andtaking orders for Sugarplum Fairy, taking the kids to their activities, changing diapers and playing with Henry, we've got all the usual church Christmas stuff going on, I'm still trying to get the Christmas decorations up around the house (that project stalled yesterday) and I haven't done anything about the 25 Days of Christmas project which has now been whittled down to 23 days at the most.

I'm not actually stressed about these things and how busy I feel. I still have time to help Emily with her homework, bake with Hope, tickle Henry and cook with John.

However it seems what has fallen off is the blogging. Something had to give.

I'll try and get here when I can but the reality of having your own baking business is that early December is mildly CUCKOO.

I must tell you about one small glimpse from my week though. This week was the last in the current gymnastics session for the girls. And the last week means that parents/siblings are invited in to watch the class, take pictures and see the routines that they've worked on. I went to Hope's class on Tuesday morning. Three and four-year-olds jumping around and hanging off ropes and tumbling and being generally chaotic. It was great. Hope is an amazing listener, she is extremely focussed on her task and her teacher and she is extremely persistent. If she can't accomplish something the first time, she tries until she does it. And without getting frustrated. That's pretty amazing for 4 years old. These qualities aren't true just at gymnastics. I've noticed those things in her for a while. They'll serve her well.

Yesterday we went to Emily's class. Hope was with me. Henry (all 23 pounds) was on my back in the Ergo baby carrier. By the by, my back is still aching today after having him in there for that hour. Emily's class had actual routines (sort of) that they worked out and performed together. There was floor work, beams, trampoline, etc. I've been to a few of Emily's classes but not for a few weeks. John has been taking her. I was WOWED at her progress. WOWED, I say. The child can do a full round-off and cartwheel. I have never successfully done a cartwheel so don't even ask about a round-off. She has almost mastered a handstand. I was really taken by her grace and athleticism. I knew she had athletic tendencies but it was amazing to see how after a few short weeks, her skills were really honed and she is so comfortable in her body, how it moves and what she can do with it.

Right now John would tell you that she does not get that from me. At which point I would do a double flip and drop him with a flying kick to the crotch. How's that for athletic, honey?

The Sugarplum Fairy bakes again!

I have a dual personality. My other persona is The Sugarplum Fairy. She bakes, she rolls pie crust, she delivers!

You see, I have my own little home-baking business where I do the work and customers eat the rewards. My business is called Sugarplum Fairy Homebaking and I've decided to dive back in this year after taking last year off (since we were living in another city with less than ample kitchen facilities for this kind of thing). However, this year I've decided to make some revisions to how I do things.

First, everything will be delivered frozen. This will allow me to accept orders up to a certain date and then bake for the two or so weeks following that and deliver everything at once. This way I'll actually be able to relax during the week or two before Christmas and really focus on my family. My other change will be how I deliver things. I didn't like the cake boxes I used last time from both an aesthetic and environmental perspective. So this year I'm offering to transfer the goodies into personal containers when I deliver them or to hand them over in Christmas tins or reusable Ziploc bags. I think this will work much better.

I just finished my 2010 Christmas price list. It's up on my Sugarplum Fairy blog right now. So, for anyone in the Ottawa area, if you don't like to bake or just don't have the time.... let me do it for you!

Feeling pink

One week.

One full week has passed since my last blog post.

That is not remarkable. What is remarkable is that it has only been a week because it has felt like A THOUSAND DAYS.

A thousand days filled with goo and blurry vision and itchy eyes.

That's right. Our house has been infiltrated. Infiltrated by conjunctivitis. Pink eye by another name.

Somehow we have avoided pink eye until now, six and a half years into this kid thing. I have no idea how we missed this swinging axe but we did.

But this week three of us have fallen. I am the one currently sporting the eyes that make me look like (a) I just had a wicked cry, (b) I was heavily in the sauce last night, or (c) I have pink eye.


This morning at church I was telling someone about Emily's ongoing issues with public performance and how she still often breaks down when confronted with having to stand in front of a crowd and do something (I've talked about this before here and while it is still an issue that we deal with, it is in fact getting better). The person who I was talking to gave me a shoulder squeeze and said "Oh, poor you... it's okay."

Which I thought was really nice, but sort of weird too.

And as I walked away it dawned on me that my flaming and drippy eyes totally made it seem as though I'd just spent the last 30 minutes crying, in fact sobbing uncontrollably, about the fact that my six-year-old wouldn't sing in the choir.

Um, yeah, so who looks like the weird one now? Yeah, that'd be me.

Oh, so the next question you are probably asking is why I was at church when I had a raging case of pink eye.

Because I've made it my mission this week to use my infectious family to spread the pink eye love all over Ottawa, THAT'S WHY!

Feathered friends post

I have my first post up at Kids in the Capital. Please go and have a read!

First taste

I realize that this week the blog has become a bit kid-centered (given that 2 out of my 3 posts are about the kids... that puts me at 66% kid posts). I hope to have other things to talk about next week.... but don't get your hopes up too much.

Anywho, Henry had his first solid (or at least, semi-solid) food tonight. He took to it like a house on fire. I dipped the spoon into the bowl of rice cereal/breastmilk and he lunged at that spoon like a fat kid on a Smartie. And that pretty much describes the way the rest of the bowl went down.

Going back to the dark ages

I have something to confess; something I've been thinking for a while but was a bit hesitant to admit to. Yesterday I embraced my feelings, my minority opinion and I'm putting it out there:

I don't like Twitter.

Yup, it's true.

I kind of feel leashed by it. As a blogger, I feel almost obligated to be involved, as though if I'm not tweeting through the evening or spending my time retweeting or responding to tweets or just reading tweets, then somehow I'm not really plugged into the whole blogging and social networking scene.

I've decided that I don't care.

For me the value of Twitter is finding out about interesting things going on in my city, keeping me up-to-date on current (very current) events (I found it invaluable on the night of the municipal election), knowing what close friends are up to (but really, I can just email or use Facebook for this, which I much prefer).

For the most part, Twitter makes me feel like the kid who shows up to a party and doesn't know anyone, or who no one really talks to; I spend my evening standing in the corner wondering how everyone knows one another, or what the heck they're talking about.

I spent enough time living that for real (as most people have) and don't enjoy reliving it as an adult when I'm confident enough in myself to say "smell ya later" and move on.

So, I'll continue to use it if I need to promote something or follow a current event or feel the need to have a laugh (I highly recommend Denis Leary's and Stephen Colbert's tweets). But beyond that, I'm pulling out. All done!

If you want to know what I'm up to, you can become my Facebook friend... or just email me... currently known as "the old-fashioned way."

Now that is something to make your head spin.

Faces

Look at these kids... are they not the cutest?

It was a Wiggly party!

So, you may remember that I mentioned that I WON TICKETS TO SEE THE WIGGLES! I was just a little bit excited. Really, still am a little bit.

The anticipation leading up to last Wednesday was formidable. We were all very. excited. Well, except John, who was just scared since he was tasked with looking after Henry for the 3 or so hours we were expected to be gone. That would likely require Henry to be fed. From a bottle. And that, my friends, is where the challenge lay.

However, as though the stars were aligned and it was all meant to be, things worked out perfectly.

First, the traffic was fine. Second, we found a great parking spot. Third, there was little merchandise for sale and therefore minimal whining about buying anything (which we didn't). Fourth, the Wiggles rocked the house! Fifth, the traffic home was actually okay, considering it was 4:00. Sixth, Henry slept and ate like a champ. Woot!

And now.... The Wiggles. They put on a great show. It's everything a fan would want: all the hits, some of the newer songs, all the characters you love, lots of funny banter, LOTS of time walking through the audience, reading the signs that kids wrote for them, picking up roses brought for Dorothy and bones for Wags. Lots of dancing. LOTS. These guys must be exhausted after the show. Especially Anthony who carried Dorothy around the entire audience and back onto the stage. That guy sweats a lot during a performance. There were lots of jokes just for the parents, which I appreciate. Jeff particularly wooed me with his Van Halen riff.

The show went on for about 1.5 hours. Both girls were tired by the end.

Had I actually had to pay for tickets, I would have declared it great value for money. And next time, assuming I don't win tickets again :), I will pay for tickets because it really was.

Hope will have your back when you need a laugh

Today was a sad Sunday. We lost a member of our church last night, Leonard, after an accident two weeks ago. Leonard was a big yet gentle presence and friends with everyone. It's a sad day. He was a fixture for Children's Hour, a program I'm heavily involved in and so his death not only touches all the adults in the church, but the kids too, making it even more heartbreaking.

This is what was on my mind for most of the day. The rain and cold matched my mood, although I did really enjoy the day, snuggling, talking and playing games with the kids. That always makes for a good day but I needed a bit of cheering up nonetheless.

Enter Hope.

For those of you who are feeling the same right now, this is for you. Warning: there will be descriptions of girl parts. If you're not comfortable with that... well, you probably wouldn't be visiting this blog anyway, now would you?

Back to Hope.

We had started our nightly routine which we've dubbed "naked time." Naked Time is mainly for Henry who I strip and lay on a blanket on the floor where he squeals and rolls around and poops on the cream-coloured carpet when my back is turned. Hope has joined in the fun recently, minus the pooping, stripping naked and running around before her bath or until someone tells her to "put your jammies on for Pete's sake!"

Actually, it is sanctioned. By me, anyway.

So tonight. I'm sitting beside Henry ensuring, hopefully, that the poop hits the blanket this time, and Hope walks in, stops beside me and starts squeezing herself. Down there. Her labia. Squeezing.

Me: Hope, do you have to pee?
Hope: No.
Me: What are you doing then?
Hope: I'm doing the Squeeze Dance.
Me: What's the Squeeze Dance?
Hope: I squeeze like this... [squeezes herself twice]... then I jump like this..... [leaps like a ballet dancer] and then slap my knees.

And that is when my mood was lifted as I snorted and chortled and guffawed my way into a sunnier place. That kid is awesome.

Wiggles here we come!

I am so, so, so excited to report that I am the winner of tickets to The Wiggles (and if you don't know who that is let's just call them Australia's most successful export), who will be playing at Scotiabank Place this Wednesday! I won the tickets through Dani's blog Postcards from the Mothership and to say I was (a) shocked and (b) deliriously excited to win would be an understatement of epic proportions. I may have used some mild profanity when I wrote Dani back but she said that my enthusiasm made her day, so I'm glad that my slight potty mouth could put a smile on someone's face.

I was likely more excited than even the girls who are two of the biggest Wiggles fans the world has ever known. I videoed their reaction while I told them the news:




Possibly the best part is when Emily ensures that she won't miss the ENTIRE day of school. Phew, that could have been the WORST.

I love my little nerd.

Thanksgiving in review

We had an amazing Thanksgiving Weekend. I won't even be able to accurately remember all the things we did, the things we laughed about, the food we ate (okay, I can probably remember the details of the food since I'm slightly food-obsessed). Also, given that I was having such a great time, my photos of the weekend are scant so you'll only get a smattering.

John's sister, Sue, her husband, Steve and their kids, Kennedy and Claire, joined us for the weekend from Cambridge. We spent A LOT of time with them last year when we were in Waterloo and we really miss them. Like, A LOT. It was great to have a full weekend with them and feel like we never left Waterloo (minus the Ottawa scenery out the door).

On Saturday morning we went to Miller's Pumpkin Farm south of the city. We had lots of fun roaming around the patch, riding the wagon, jumping on straw bales. (As an aside, I can't really see us going back there in future years - the nickel and diming was a bit much. If I'm going to buy a pumpkin out of your pumpkin patch, don't charge me a dollar to ride the wagon to get there. Just sayin'.)

On Saturday night, the whole crew (including John's brother and his family) was at our house for a supper from that great Canadian institution, Swiss Chalet. In the evening, the girls all had a sleepover in our girls' room (a sleeping arrangement that continued through the weekend) while we adults sat up and laughed until we couldn't stay awake any longer. (Had to be at least 10:00 p.m.)

On Sunday we went to Carleton, along with the rest of Ottawa, for the annual Butterfly Show in the greenhouses. We met friends Pam, Jim and kids there as well as John's brother, Mike and his family. Hope was too overwhelmed by the crowds and preferred to hang out in the lobby with me, which I didn't mind because I was feeling a bit claustrophobic anyway. Next year we're going on a weekday. From there we walked to Brewer Park and spent a good hour or two hanging out there with the entire family and Pam and Jim. The kids had a great time, didn't mind the cold air, and we adults loved just hanging out and talking. I loved seeing Sue and Steve finally get to know Pam and Jim after we've talked about each of them to each other for so long.

We spent the afternoon lounging at our house and then headed to Mike and Cibele's (John's aforementioned brother) for a Brazilian meal that Steve kept referring to as fishwater (actually call fejoada, but truly, when said, sounds like 'fishwater' if it was said with a strong Brooklyn accent). The funniest bit was at lunch that day when we adults all started simultaneously whistling the tune from Bridge on the River Kwai after Steve started talking about being served fishwater while in a Second World War work camp. It was hilarious (not the fact that people were in work camps. That kinda sucked for them.). The kids thought we were all nuts.

On Monday, Sue and I took all the girls to Starr Gymnastics, where we also met up with Mike and Cibele and their daughter Sofia, for drop-in gymnastics. The kids had the run of the place. Being a drop-in, we adults were in there on the action, too. My legs were so tired later from trampolining. I totally ROCKED the hula-hoop though. That Wii Fit is totally paying off!

The rest of the day was lounging and preparing our Thanksgiving feast. Which was AWESOME by the way. I kicked serious turkey ass. And pumpkin pie ass too.

All the other bits of the weekend involved Sue holding or entertaining or changing Henry which was such a huge break for me, she has no idea. Not that Henry is that difficult, he's really quite easy, but still, it meant I could sit and do nothing or have tea or whatever I wanted, something I often don't get to do. And Sue loved it too. Win, win!

The only thing "wrong" with the weekend was that John's mom, The Omi, wasn't able to join us. She was supposed to be here but came down with a nasty cold and had to stay home dreaming of turkey and stuffing from afar.

I guess I was able to remember a lot after all, an improvement over Mrs. Short-term Memory, my other persona. Here is the smattering of photos that I was able to capture during all that fun:

Hope and Kennedy ready for the hay ride

Emily does her ritual pumpkin dance

Cutest baby ever. Which one is the pumpkin?

Sue reveals her true persona. Just kidding!

Hope tries to make a dash for it before I make her go back in that greenhouse again.

A typical attempt at getting a photo of all the cousins together.

Mummy brain: not just for mummies anymore

Some of you may not know that John is currently on parental leave. This means, for those non-Canadians out there, that he is receiving employment insurance from the government plus "top-up" from his employer so that he is receiving 95% of his salary (not all employers do this... but the large ones - and nice ones - often do) for something like 30 weeks of leave. He's at home with us until April. Pretty sweet. And some of you Americans actually complain about a socialist state? Puh-lease. It's pretty great from where I'm sitting.

Anyhoo... so John is fully participating in getting the girls off to school, lunches made, cleaning done, all those lovely domestic chores that occupy a mummy's brain for a good part of the day. He's still squeezing in a bit of writing and is on campus a couple of times a week but he is most definitely on parental leave.

And this was very obvious yesterday on our way home from an afternoon at the apple farm when I realized that so-called "mummy brain" had somehow spread to John.

The sun was shining, we were cruising along a country road about halfway home when:

John: CRAP! Where are my sunglasses? (thinking he left them way back in Mountain at the farm)
Me: (looking at him curiously) Um.... on your face?
John: (dumb silence)
Me: (hysterical laughter)

A positive update on Henry

Someone who lives in this house with me has pointed out a number of times that my early posts about Henry had an, um, negative tone to them. It's time I rectify that, whether you buy the assessment or not.

Henry was a very typical newborn. He slept fitfully but not badly. He needed to be rocked to sleep. He loved to breastfeed. He was 100% normal. The only hard part of that was that I had two other kids... and we were about to move. So I did indeed find the whole newborn stuff a bit more stressful this time around.

When we moved back to Ottawa, Henry's sleep improved - he typically slept from about 8:00 until 1:00 and then up around 4:00 again and then around 7:00 or 8:00. Not bad at all.

His naps though.... oh, don't get me started. His morning nap was and still is somewhere between 20 minutes to 45 minutes (if I'm lucky).

And then he had a week where he was up at night every 1 to 2 hours. Ouch.

Again, 100% normal.

But a few days ago I reached my limit on his crappy naps. I deduced that when he had good naps (like on travel days when he naps for long stints in the car) he sleeps better at night. It was time to take action.

If you follow me on Facebook you'll know that I expressed a bit of angst at letting a 4 month old cry-it-out. I've never been much of a cry-it-outer. Emily threw up when we tried it with her. End of experiment. Hope was so stubborn that she was hoarse after a week of crying. Awful. And not willing to do that again.

I threw caution to the wind three days ago when I was on the phone with my friend Meredith and Henry woke after a 20 minute nap. I just had a feeling that he could do it. So, I kept talking, he kept crying, badda-boom badda-bing he was back asleep thirty minutes later. Yes, he was pretty mad in those 30 minutes but it so paid off! The next day, I put him in his crib awake, 3 minutes later he was asleep. Since then, if he goes to bed awake he fusses for a few minutes and then goes to sleep.

Last night, he slept from 8:15 to 5:40 this morning. Hello success! I've got this parenting thing licked!

Ahem... I must divulge that I'm typing this while listening to him cry through the monitor after a 25 minute nap.

So maybe his naps still aren't perfect but he's doing great, being so cooperative when I need him to be and sleeping great at night.... for now. I'm under no illusions. I know how these babies operate. Next week could be a different kettle of fish.

But even on the bad nights this dude gives me laughs and smiles and cuddles and cute stuff that would melt anyone's heart. Perhaps there is a bit of bias... but I'm willing to say that this is one great and easy baby right now. Way to go, Henry!


His latest favourite move is to grab his feet - the happy baby pose - and laugh and giggle while I change him. And his laugh! Oh his laugh! I have to record his squeaky gaspy snort. It is so funny.

On Friday he had his 4-month check-up. The guy is humongous. He is 20 lbs exactly, 70 cm long. We now have to upgrade to a new car seat which means our Snap N Go stroller will now be useless to us as well. The price you pay for having a bruiser I guess.

Hm.... still crying. Perhaps morning naps just aren't his thing.

Now we are six

Now we are six

by A.A. Milne

When I was one,
I had just begun.
When I was two,
I was nearly new.
When I was three,
I was hardly me.
When I was four,
I was not much more.
When I was five,
I was just alive.
But now I am six,
I'm as clever as clever.
So I think I'll be six
now and forever.

Emily,

You turned six on August 11. Today is September 21. I'm only two months late in writing this letter. At least I'm writing it this year; I seemed to have missed last year and maybe the year before. I will miss no more! I don't want to look back in twenty years and foggily remember how amazing you were at this age.

I won't gloss over it: the last two years have been challenging with you. You are an extremely intelligent kid but you are also very emotional; apparently it's common for these two things to go hand in hand. Being 4 and 5 is emotional for most kids but it seemed to wallop you especially hard and you had a hard time learning how to deal with those emotional swings. Through perseverance and as much patience as we could muster, we seem to have taught you how to handle it all a little better. You still have your moments, especially when you're tired, but you are much more mature about it now. You still need reminding sometimes that you should slow down, take a breath, or take a break in your room until you can talk about things calmly. There is still work to do but you have come a long way.

And boy, you're smart. You love school. You are thrilled by learning new things. You can't wait for me to start teaching you piano (gotta get on that). You love learning French again and you love numbers but by far your favourite thing to do is read. You are reading chapter books as quickly as we can get them from the library. A few weeks ago on a trip to the cottage you read through a Jigsaw Jones mystery (your current favourite series) long before we even reached Algonquin Park.


And while you love being six and being in Grade 1, you are still are little girl who, if given the choice, would somedays (like this morning) stay home with us rather than go to school because you're missing us now that you're at school full days, every day. I love that you feel that way because I feel that too. I miss you.

You still love crafts... any kind. Your favourite show is still Mr. Maker and you often come upstairs after watching an episode with a new craft idea to try or an inspiration for your own creation.

You and Hope continue to be the best of friends. Yesterday you were both playing school in the backyard using the chalkboard that I'm making for you. You both love to pretend together or play sports or put on shows for us.

You've become a big sister again without any problem... you loved Henry from the moment you saw him and you haven't once resented him being around. You run to see him every day and smother him with kisses and hugs and play. He absolutely adores you. You're a great helper to Mummy too, both with him and Hope.


You still show a love for sports. This year you're trying out indoor soccer and you've already told me that that this spring you're going to play baseball. Real baseball, you say, not t-ball. I'm excited to see where your interests take you in sport. Last year in Waterloo, you really advanced in swimming and you're excited to get back to that too.

Our transition to Waterloo and back was hard for you. You had an amazing year there though. You loved your school, your teacher and all the friends you made. We had a great social life there and both you and I are missing it even two months after being back. We hope to get back there permanently one day. I know it will be another transition. But you've got Mummy to watch your back and help you through the emotions of it. I understand it because you got those traits from me. We'll do it together.

I love you so much Emily. You'll always be my big girl, my special friend, my awesome helper, my sous-chef, my gardening buddy. I honestly could never have imagined a more perfect six-year old.

A wee schedule

I've decided that the best way to even make a small dent in the housework around here is to have a regular schedule that I follow each week. My duties each day will be small but I'll do the same thing in order each week. If I at least get this stuff done, then the house will be livable. Anymore and I'll feel like a freaking star. So here it is:

Monday: change the sheets
Tuesday: clean the bathrooms (we have four so that is no mean feat)
Wednesday: vacuum
Thursday: dust
Friday: groceries

I know that it doesn't seem like much, and it isn't but it will hopefully keep me on track to do one small thing each day that isn't just changing diapers, doing laundry and cleaning the kitchen. Sometimes that feels like all I do. Within this schedule I'll also be fitting laundry and sweeping and (rarely) mopping.

Since my focus is primarily to be with the kids, I think this will give me the balance I'm looking for: lots of play time and a house that is fit for humans and not just pigs.

Happy birthday to my 4 year old

My sweet Hope, you've had a great year and you've changed a lot. This year we clearly saw you go from pudgy toddler to big girl very quickly. It seemed it happened all in one month. You thinned out, you started using words like "nearly" and "appropriate" and other words I didn't even know you knew. Your speech still needs a little work, particiularly with your s, sh and j sounds, but I love how you sound. Our neighbour in Waterloo said you sounded like a cartoon character and she loved to hear you talk. Most people have the same reaction, loving to hear your voice and character come out when you speak.

You did so well in Waterloo. You made lots of friends, handled the moves easily and absolutely loved preschool at St. John's last year. You were enthusiastic about just about everything and you and I really enjoyed our days together on our own. You were and are such a great companion for me. We played lots of games and did crafts or went to the farmer's markets or had playdates or went for bike rides.

You still make us laugh constantly and we can always count on you to be in a great mood. You have so much empathy and love... it just bleeds out of you. For example, I made a dog's breakfast of your birthday cake on Tuesday. The icing just wouldn't cooperate to write Happy Birthday Hope. I was really mad about it and sorry that your cake wasn't how you wanted it. You said: "It's okay Mummy. I love it just the way it is. You don't need to be upset. I love it."

You completely melt my heart, just about everyday. I love that you still love to hold my hand when we walk. I love that you absolutely must kiss Daddy and me before bed. I love that you always want to sit beside me.

You are growing into a big kid now. And you seem as perfect now as you did when you were born. I love you Hope!

My labour today

Happy Labour Day to everyone.

My labour today consisted of Week 1 - Day 1 of the Couch to 5K program, otherwise known on Twitter and the like as #c25k.

Yup, I hit the pavement with my running shoes and iPhone and ran. And walked. And ran again. It is a learn-to-run program after all and that's how it's done.

So I'm outing myself to all of you. My goal is to participate in the Santa Shuffle Fun Run in Ottawa on December 4 running the 5k fun run. Anyone want to join me?

I'll post updates occasionally. Wish me and my aching legs luck!

Henry 365 update

It seems I fell off the wagon for a while but really it's just that I haven't been on the ball uploading the photos.

Until tonight.

I went crazy organizing and downloading and uploading and whatsit. So, go on over to Henry 365 to see what's new.

What to do with your cherry tomatoes

A lot of really good olive oil, sea salt and some onion. That's all.







- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Stream of consciousness

It's late and I should go to bed. Today I looked after four children and survived. In the midst of that I even mopped the floor. I'm feeling like ALL THAT.

This is the last weekend of a summer that disappeared under a mountain of diapers and beneath the wheels of a moving truck.

My wee Hope starts JK this week.

Henry started to sleep in his own room last night (although wasn't keen on napping today no matter where he was).

I had Henry weighed yesterday. He is 3 1/2 months old and weighs 18 lbs 10 oz. Oprah should be calling any day now to get obese baby on the show. He's actually outgrowing the 6-9 month clothes he is currently wearing. Tomorrow I'm pulling out the 12 month stuff. And booking a massage. My back is killing me.

Emily doesn't qualify for the bus now that she is Grade 1 yet Hope does as a kindergartener. September could be complicated.

It is possible that Henry is working on a tooth.

My canning has slowed down. Tomorrow I'll try and put up red pepper jelly and pickles. Miracles do happen, you know.

The house is slowly (so slowly) getting put together. Everyday I accomplish one thing to make it more unpacked, however small. Or cleaner because right now? Ew. In fact, I made the grave mistake of looking in the floor vent in the kitchen today and threw up in my mouth a little. And then booked a vent cleaning.

Now seriously, it's time for bed.





- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Canning it

I've learned a few things about having three kids after three months at it but the main one is that you have to seriously lower your expectations about what you can get done during a day. If I'm going to go out and do something with them, very little else will get done. If I'm going to unpack a few boxes (and there are still many, many to be unpacked - you should see our garage, my word - little piece of advice, do not move when you have three kids, one being a very small baby), the dishes won't get done. If I need to buy groceries, the laundry will sit untouched that day.

Time moves fast but everything else seems at a snail's pace. And unfortunately blogging falls to the bottom of the to-do list. And oh, how I miss it.

However, I have managed to do some canning this week. I love canning at this time of year - jams, pickles, tomato sauce - I love doing it all. This week, to the detriment of box unpacking etc, I put up peaches, made red pepper jelly and tonight, crabapple jelly. The crabapple jelly is extra special because we picked the crabapples from some trees nearby on city property; the apples were free for the taking. I've never made a proper jelly before, using a jelly bag; I really liked it. And the result is a lucious looking ruby red jelly that will be spread on my toast tomorrow morning. Mmm, mmm.


Later this week I'll ignore the garden and make tomato sauce!

And the winner is...

Erika! Erika, please send me you mailing address and I'll have the book sent to you ASAP. Congratulations!

I know I've been largely absent around here. Reminder: sinus infection, recently moved and three kids!

Hopefully I'll have time for a good, or at least mediocre, post soon.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

The Gourmet Pregnancy

On Wednesday, May 19, John and I had planned to prepare a meal for all of us, including an appetizer and dessert, from a book I was asked to review by Mom Central Canada called The Gourmet Pregnancy. They graciously sent me a gift card to purchase the groceries I would need to prepare the recipes I chose from this beautiful book.

And then at 3:30 am on May 19, I jumped out of bed seconds before my water broke all over the bedroom floor (Henry's full birth story is still forthcoming... that's just a taster of how it all went down).

Needless to say, I had to send an email telling the nice people at Mom Central Canada that my review would definitely not be in on time. They said "no problem." They're good like that.

About 2 weeks after Henry's birth, we finally got to cooking that meal. And it was awesome! The only hard part was choosing what to make. The book is full of beautiful photos and truly gourmet recipes for those of us who like to label ourselves "foodies". The book is careful to stay away from the foods that most western pregnant women avoid: unpasteurized cheeses, sushi, alcohol, while ensuring that these recipes will truly make a pregnant woman feel pampered and healthy at the same time (okay, except for the chocolate mousse cake which just makes you feel happy).

As an appetizer we chose to make the prunes (referred to as dried plums... I had to laugh) stuffed with maple roasted pecans and wrapped in bacon.

I chose these for some, ahem, obvious reasons that a pregnant or post-labour woman might choose them. But also, they tasted awesome. Needless to say, the girls peeled the bacon off and just ate that.

As a main course we made a warm steak salad. The grilled steak was marinated and then sliced over spring greens, tomatoes, avacado and walnuts and drizzled with balsamic vinegar and olive oil (I pulled out the good stuff, not the stuff from Costco).


For dessert I made the decadent chocolate mousse cake. It was killer and really, really easy. You could easily whip that dessert together an hour before your company arrives. I didn't take a photo of it however because, although it tasted divine, it was really hard to get out of the pan. When I finally post the recipe for it (after I locate the book amidst the boxes and general chaos that is our house right now) I will add that you must not bake the crust for as long as it says because it is almost impossible to cut through and therefore impossible to get out of the pan looking like anything but mess. No matter how it looks though, it tasted great.

And now for the giveaway! I have a copy of this book to give away to my gentle readers. Leave a comment below and I'll do a random draw on Random.org exactly one week from today. To make it fun, tell me what you knew you shouldn't be eating but did while you were pregnant... or if you've never been pregnant, tell me what you would miss and probably sneak once in a while.

As an aside, I avoided all those foods your doctors tell you to avoid during my first pregnancy, was a little more lax during the second and by the third assumed that women in France and Japan were eating cheese and sushi and having perfectly healthy babies so I just went with it. I'm a rebel!

The worst timing....

.... for a sinus cold, ever. I'm down and out but have a house to organize and unpack and a bunch of kids to look after.. two of whom have colds now and Henry is just coming down with it. Ugh!

The only thing getting me through so far is my rediscovery of homemade ice lattes with my Italian stove-top espresso maker. Oh, and air conditioning and a dishwasher help too.

Home!

Sort of... I'm currently sitting in the living room of our good friends who are out west on holiday. We unloaded everything (okay, John and some of our closest friends unloaded everything yesterday while I stayed here and let Henry sleep and went to the house when the truck was empty... Nice arrangement, eh?) and started to set things up. It was so great to spend the day with friends I haven't seen much in the last year.

Oh my word, the garden if you can call it that! "Jungle" is a more descriptive term for it. I'll post photos of it later. It will be a good challenge for me.

Being back home has got me thinking about so many things. Three of them I'm putting in resolution form: 1. I want to live our lives in our area of Ottawa much more. This means finding a doctor, dentist, chiro etc right near where we live to keep me here instead of driving to Westboro and Nepean all the time. 2. I want to make some new good friends in our neighborhood this year. 3. I want to get to know more of my neighbours.

I'm very glad to be home.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Two days to go!

Well, really a day and a half before we pull out of Waterloo to head back to Ottawa. I have lots of feelings about it - both excited and sad - but I just don't have the time to reflect on it blog-wise right now because of the PACKING AND PACKING AND PACKING.

Luckily, Henry has been awesome today (minus some clear digestive upset, poor guy) by napping nice long naps and has been fairly easy to get to sleep (the few days before this, neither one of those things has been easy) which meant my friend Michelle and I packed like fiends. Michelle was amazing and organized and brought Vincenzo's cappucino.

Tomorrow we finish up the packing. John picks up the truck. We have dinner with Paul and Marnie. And start to say our final goodbye's... for a while at least.

Packing is fully underway

I've managed to get Henry to take a long afternoon nap yesterday and today, something he hasn't done in about a week. Thank you Henry for complying! Because packing had to start in earnest and without him sleeping during the day, things were looking grim for me. But yesterday I managed to finish packing most of the playroom and by today about half the kitchen is packed (we're eating off of our picnic set now).

This morning John and our friend Greg took a trailer load to Generations (our favourite local consignment store - an MCC thrift store). I had to say goodbye to my favourite avacado green swivel rocking chair that has seem me through the last two months of breastfeeding. I was sad to see it go. Our living room furniture now consists of our IKEA pull-out couch, a desk and desk chair and one side table. We also got rid of our two leopard skin dining room chairs (didn't really shed a tear there) and will get rid of the other four (not leopard skin, sadly) just before we move.

On the dining room chair front, we gave away our chairs before we left Ottawa and bought 6 (at a whopping $4.99 each) at Value Village when we came to Waterloo. We obviously needed to replace them either before we moved back to Ottawa or right after we arrived. Today John went to one of those Toronto places you hear about but never find - direct from manufacturer, discounted, really nice stuff, pay in cash, no tax, near the airport, etc etc etc. He bought 6 dark brown high-back leather dining room chairs, no tax, in cash, no receipt, for $98 each. They were discontinued and they're gorgeous. They'll make our table look a bit ghetto. They make me feel like a grown-up given that they didn't come from IKEA like so much of our furniture.

Today we also said goodbye to our very close friends, Tamara and Greg, who are heading out on vacation today to New Brunswick and won't be back until after we've left. The first of the goodbyes have begun.

And now, time for some refreshment before Henry wakes up. Things are underway! The end is in sight... sad and happy at the same time.