Treading Softly

Goal Love

2012-02-14T10:08:00.000-08:00

I am determined to stick to the goals I set for myself for this year. Several other bloggers I follow do a monthly check-in with what they have accomplished over the month and what they hope to accomplish in the coming month. I thought I'd do a one and a half month check in and just focus on the progress I have made toward my goals. We don't really celebrate V-Day around these parts since we try to love and show appreciation all 365 days (and buying more stuff isn't in the budget) so I apologize for the unrelated post.

Continue to eliminate clutter from our lives and improve our financial security.

3 bags of clothes donated!
Recovered from the Christmas financial slump - besides all the costs associated with the holiday, DH also had an unpaid week off work
Applied for a sweet job (fingers crossed) timing would be perfect and it is in my field!

Continue to find meaningful ways to give back to my community.

From the above clothing, I did set aside a bag of more current/good condition clothing for the local women's shelter. Although donation is always seen as good, I think it is important to ensure that donations are going to those who need them most.
As I mentioned in the previous post, I did take that lactation consultant course (at a student rate), I also went for an interview and will start volunteering in March with a local organization that supports young parents.

Immerse myself in my thesis research and give it my all.

I have really starting to narrow down my research proposal. It has been difficult since I have such a heavy course load for grad school this semester.

Cherish the little things

I am still keeping my daily highlights journal. I don't write every day (maybe every 2-3) but I do have an entry for each day and therefore also reflect back on highlights when I have to retroactively fill in dates. I find this therapeutic.

Act on the fact that "life is short".

My best friend K moved last year to Edmonton, Alberta to be closer to her boyfriend who is working out there. Usually she is surrounded by many friends to celebrate her birthdays but since most of her friends are back here, I figured she'd be missing the usual festivities. I scrounged up some photos from birthday parties past, got B to make her a card complete with stickers and scribbles, and we strung her name onto a string with a bead kit I had kicking around. It was fun and she had no idea since we asked her boyfriend for her address.
One of my girlfriends sent out an invite to a ladies only better sex workshop. Usually I say no to these kind of outings... you know.. kids... family life. But after looking through old photos for my project above and realizing how much fun I used to be, I committed to go. Besides.. it will be fun to meet new people and learn some new tricks. Ladies night here I come!

Someone else in this house is also working hard at something:

Early Successes

2012-01-27T17:46:00.000-08:00

I'm a celebrate the small successes kinda gal. I get so much joy out of crossing things off my to-do list. In fact, I try on purpose to put small tasks on my to do lists so that I can feel that sense of accomplishment when I cross something off.

This week I muddled through with regular classes, a ton of deliverables for school, a meeting for one of the board of directors I sit on, and a 3-day intensive breastfeeding support course. I'm feeling extra good because, besides being an amazing experience, the breastfeeding course puts me one step closer to crossing off one of my resolutions for this year - volunteering with young mothers. I have an interview with a support organization on Monday.

In other news, baby N is crawling all over the place and pulling himself to standing. He's definitely on the move now!

Book: The Happiness Project

2012-01-10T03:44:00.000-08:00

Photo Source (also a great book review!)

So to start my new year off I picked up a copy of the Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin (yay for reading for pleasure!) I had seen it in Chapters while doing my Christmas shopping and stopped to take a glance. I was tempted to buy the book for myself but in remembering my goals - making smart consumer choices and sticking to the budget - I opted to try the library. This was a serious achievement for me since when I want something, I usually don't want to wait for it. I have found that waiting to see whether I still want something after a week or a month is a good test for me. Thankfully, I didn't have to wait long since apparently others seem to be enjoying this book as much as I have and aren't keeping it for the allowed 3 weeks.

A little over halfway through, I am thoroughly enjoying this read and learning a lot about happiness. Gretchen comes at happiness from the point of someone who although isn't unhappy or facing a life crisis, feels that she is taking many things for granted in everyday life, so she focuses for a year on trying to live a happier life. Monthly topics she tackles are: Vitality, Marriage, Work, Parenthood, Leisure, Friendship, Money, Eternity, Passion, Mindfulness, Attitude, and finally Happiness (a culmination of her learnings from all topics).

At one point in the book Gretchen starts a one line journal and a gratitude log. She ultimately gives up the gratitude journal as it starts to become more of a chore for her than a source of happiness. In my goals for 2012 I decided I wanted to be more thankful for the little things in life and therefore decided I would write them down. I also decided that I would keep track of the things I do daily for myself. I have started jotting things down daily in my Moleskine pocket notebook - however, it has been more of a 50 word max highlights of my day journal entry than specifically gratuitous points or things I have done solely for myself. Although when I look back, I can often see one or two things I have done each day for myself (reading for pleasure; actually taking the time to wipe down my kitchen cupboards and baseboards) and things that made me truly happy (N's giggles; teaching B how to skate) and for all those - and yes they happen to be little for the most part, I am grateful.

I'd love to hear others thoughts on this book!

2012

2012-01-01T04:54:00.000-08:00

2011 was pretty eventful:

We decluttered and got ourselves in a better place financially.
I wrapped up my first significant contract job in my field and it felt good.
DH got a job promotion in the Spring and by the end of the year secured himself another for 2012.
We had our second beautiful baby boy in May.
Sold our first house that we had completely gutted and renovated over the last 3 years.
Moved into a newer house where we haven't had to do many renovations (thank goodness).
I went back to my Masters program, got an awesome field placement for the Fall, and and even better Graduate Assistantship with an environmental organization that does really good work.

In both my professional and academic lives, I have realized that it isn't enough just to have have a plan (or goals). In order to bring that plan to fruition, you need to most importantly set out the actions you will take to achieve your goals.

Alas, for 2012:

I want to continue to eliminate clutter from our lives and improve our financial security. I will do this through regular purging/donation, being a mindful consumer, and sticking to our household budget which includes budgeting money for emergencies and savings.
Continue to find meaningful ways to give back to my community. For awhile I have wanted to volunteer doing young mother support. This year I am hoping to make that happen. I have looked into taking a lactation consultant course which will hopefully make me more marketable since I'll have a tangible skill to offer.
Immerse myself in my thesis research and give it my all. I want to make my research meaningful to myself and for society. I will not feel pressured into framing my research in such a way as to disregard my own interests in favour of others. Perhaps I will focus on publishing something this year.
Cherish the little things - Quite often I read this or hear this said. Frankly, it is difficult to do in a society that places the most value on grandiosity (case and point with child birthday parties). I will start taking note of daily "bests" in a journal. This will also help me to be more "present".
Act on the fact that "life is short". It is so easy to get stuck in routine. I want to try new things often and more importantly, focus on doing things that make me happy. In the same journal, I will also write down one thing I did that was new or out of the ordinary and one thing I did for myself for each day.

Bests of the Holiday

2011-12-31T11:18:00.000-08:00

The Christmas holidays have come and gone. Around here we're winding down and getting ready for the New Year, new semester for me, and back to work for DH. The tree is down and decorations are nearly all put away. For us, usually this doesn't happen until well into January - however, I heard on the radio awhile back someone talking about how they take everything down by December 31st so as to start the new year with a clean slate. It made sense.

Highlights of this holiday have been:

Brendan participating in the Christmas Play at my mom's Church. He was a horse. It was very cute.
Hosting our first Christmas dinner for extended family. It was a success and surprisingly low stress.
Seeing Brendan so excited realizing that Santa had came and brought him the "big boy scooter" he had requested (the only thing he asked Santa for).
Flying a new kite - thanks to Nana and Papa - on a rather warm Christmas morning
Getting together with old friends. We were lucky to have multiple visits from one of my very best childhood friend's who came home from Edmonton for the holidays. One of these visits involved a foam sword fight..between her and I. I haven't laughed so hard in such a long time. I was also able to get out for dinner with 3 friends from high school and despite not seeing each other in years it was just like old times.
Taking B skating for the first time. I was so proud of him. Skating is hard and he was such a good sport. We only caught the last 30 minutes of a family skate session but by the end he was balancing well standing in one spot and getting better at getting up from the ice on his own.

Tonight is shaping up to be another low key New Years Eve and that's A-okay with me.

Blue W

2011-12-21T08:52:00.000-08:00

Image Source: Back2Tap

Have you ever just wanted a glass of tap water but felt compelled to either buy something from a store in order to get a free glass of water or buy bottled water? No more! This cool website and smartphone application let you know places in your vicinity that will fill a water bottle for you no questions asked. This could be a quite useful application for holiday travels. I know I'll be using it.

Giving back for the holidays with young children

2011-12-15T07:20:00.000-08:00

As I mentioned awhile back. We want to start instilling the idea of Christmas as a time of giving to those who are less fortunate with our boys. Now that classes are out and exams and final papers have been written, I have a little bit more time to dedicate to finalizing more ambitious Christmas gifts like a family scrapbooking project we decided to do for my MIL (who sadly was recently diagnosed with Alzheimer’s), and to deciding and executing our plan for giving this year.

Having young children, certain ways of giving seem less practical for us, mainly those that involve volunteering time. Some opportunities are inappropriate for small children – like working in a soup kitchen. Consequently, we have been trying to find ways that will have meaning for us, are appropriate given our finances and family dynamic, and most importantly, that B will understand (i.e. visible actions such as gift giving as opposed to monetary donations or monetary contributions that involve tangible gifts like food hampers). We’re also trying to pick opportunities that offer a teaching opportunity such as to explain poverty, homelessness, or illness. Food and toy donations are simple enough – he understands that we are giving to people who don’t have food or toys.

Some ideas for giving back at Christmas time for those with very young kids:

Donate non-perishable food or personal hygiene items to a local food drive. **We try to avoid giving sugar-laden, highly processed, or junk foods. Also, if you’re cleaning out your cupboards pay attention to best before dates and when in doubt toss it out. Alternately, if you have more money to spend, you could buy a food hamper.

Donate warm winter clothing – many places will take both used and new items and are looking especially for children’s items.

Donate toys to a local toy drive. Although many toy drives request new toys, there are also some places that will accept decent quality used toys. **We are asking B to select a few toys he no longer plays with/has duplicates of to donate since he is fortunate enough to be receiving new toys this Christmas.

Give a less fortunate family the gift of “Christmas” – gifts, food, decor

Make Christmas crafts and cards with your children and drop them off to a local nursing home for seniors who do not receive visitors over the holidays. The same can be done with flower arrangements (or poinsettias received as gifts if you’re concerned about small children or pets).

Donate to the local animal shelter - kids love animals.

Purchase products where the proceeds go to important causes ex. a local initiative is selling very cute calendars with the proceeds going toward the construction of a new, affordable facility in the Region.

Donate gifts to Sick Kids. DH spent some time there as a child for eye surgeries. They have a really neat site for giving get well gifts like crafts/baking supplies, books, etc.

Any other ideas?

Santa Babies

2011-12-13T12:43:00.000-08:00

One very excited boy and one not so sure baby.

Hello December!

2011-12-01T08:01:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was the first snowfall in these parts. I assured a rather anxious B he would be able to go tobogganing soon. The hot chocolate has already been flowing here and a pot of soup (ends of veggies thrown together in attempts to clean out the fridge before grocery day) is simmering away on the stove for dinner tonight. The snow serves as a reminder that I need to get moving on finishing my Christmas shopping.

I've been enjoying our newly painted house. Having the walls look fresh makes the other not so fresh things stick out - I totally need to find some new throw pillows. We used Benjamin Moore's Collingwood for most of our house and totally love it. Our living room (pictured) is done in Grey Mist the BM match for Restoration Hardware's Silver Sage.

Newest development? N's first tooth came through and this kid loves "real" food way more than baby mush.

Winter Wardrobe on the Cheap

2011-11-27T08:54:00.000-08:00

Recently I was very successful at the Value Village 50% off sale. I've learned from experience that in order to score big you need to be there at 7am and have at least 2 hrs. to peruse. I also strategically shop the women's section first since good items go more quickly there than in other areas. I tend to grab anything that looks decent in my size and then pare down when I get to the change rooms. The boys are good for clothes so the purpose of my trip was for DH and myself.

Being in construction, DH goes through clothing quickly. If you've been to stores like Marks Work Wearhouse, you know that durable clothing isn't cheap! I find mens clothing at VV, for the most part, is more gently used than womens. My best finds were a pair of like new industrial quality Gap pants and some thick fleece sweaters, essentials for the cold weather. DH isn't picky when it comes to style or colour so is usually happy with anything I get him.

For myself, I usually find cheaper clothing doesn't always fit the same or hold up as well after a few washes. Consequently I tend to focus on label picking when thrifting for myself. This trip I got a couple Jacob items, Gap, Banana Republic, and Old Navy brands. Behold my winter finds!

I paid $30 for all of this which regularly would've been $60 but I could've easily paid that for one item retail. Side note - I got a free membership to their club and as a benefit will be able to shop 50% off the day before the event next time. Well worth it if you ask me!

6 Months

2011-11-22T06:39:00.000-08:00

So much has happened in 6 months. With the second child, time is just flying by. I remember with B anxiously awaiting new developmental milestones and constantly comparing his development with that of other babes his age. With N the milestones are coming and going far too fast. I don’t know whether it is the simultaneous achievements of both children that satisfies our parental desire to see our children reach new milestones quickly or whether just being so busy means we don’t have as much time to give it much thought. Either way, I find myself longing for the days when I could just nurse and cuddle my littlest. Lately he is so full of wonder. He rarely sits still and quite often squirms while I am feeding him taking several breaks when he hears noises or something catches his eye.

These days he is:

as always, enthralled with his big brother
a very picky eater. Aside from cereal, he will only tolerate carrots – and by this I mean so far they are the only veggies that don’t elicit an instant shudder.
a champion roller - no mobility issues here
loving the tummy time and is content to alternate between his tummy and back playing with toys in his playpen for 20 minute stretches (I didn’t use a playpen much with B but since my attention is far more divided these days, the playpen serves as a safeguard against doggy kisses, rough brotherly love, and age in-appropriate toys)
starting to enjoy riding around in the Ergo – not so much a couple months ago
grabbing at anything he can get his little hands on, faces included, and pulling it to his mouth for some gumming and a taste

Two peas in a pod.

Letting go..a little

2011-11-19T03:12:00.000-08:00

Usually I feel the need to give B reminders such as "don't forget to stop before the next street" when he is outside. He always does. Yesterday I nearly had a heart attack when he unmounted his bike and ran toward the road. I shouted out, only to realize that he wasn't heading for the road at all but was interested in a leaf nearby on the boulevard.

On that chilly walk, I realized perhaps I am overdoing it just a touch with the constant safety/rules commentary and that I might be infringing on his innocent and exploratory nature which I want him to hang onto for a long time. Maybe I should scale back ever so slightly to offering comments only in the face of imminent danger. Someone with five grown children recently gave me some sound parenting advice - it was to save the "No" for when you really need to use it. Some days I feel like all I am saying is "No" or "Don't". I think I'll try to keep this advice in the back of my head and work harder at creating an environment where I do not have to focus on the negative. My baby isn't such a baby anymore. Might I add, he made us wait 5 minutes to cross a road until no cars were coming. We had plenty of opportunities to cross but he put it off just long enough until another car would appear.

Besides, I can find comfort in knowing we don't have to worry as much about others for awhile :)

A date to remember.

2011-11-17T18:25:00.000-08:00

File date nights with B under things I love.

Hot chocolate for B and cider for me.

Dan the Music Man entertained.

There was plenty of dancing.

And amazement as the jolly old man in red stopped by to say hello.

One large beautiful lit tree.

Community and lots of snuggles to keep warm.

Chilled bones. Warmed soul.

My Negotiation Deal

2011-11-17T07:54:00.000-08:00

Since moving to our new abode - we've not been in the mood for renovations besides painting the boys bedrooms. Reno burn out I guess from tackling such a big project at our old house. The upcoming holiday season has been the perfect excuse to make a few changes which will freshen it up, as well as make it more of a home. Our home.

DH insisted that he did not want to do anymore large painting projects. i.e. the hallway and main floor which also have some height in areas. This meant we were in the market for a painter. I scooped up some business cards while getting paint for N's room last month at the local paint store. I had 3 quotes and ended up negotiating $400 off an original quote and $700 less than the highest quote I received. How's that for a deal? I've never been good at negotiating - DH is worse. I always feel like by negotiating on price I am devaluing someone's hard work. Reading this post just prior to going through this ordeal gave me an extra boost of confidence to negotiate a deal that would also prioritize my own needs - thanks Kelsey!

It starts:

In light of my recent post on frugality and trade offs, we did compromise since we were paying to hire a painter and opted for low-VOC paint for half the price of the $80/gallon VOC-free even after tinting natural paint we used for the bedrooms.

But DH didn't get away scot-free! I managed to talk him into doing a budget bathroom reno. The birds ($10) are a favourite as is the "laugh"($6) as sometimes in the midst of all the chaos of two children, laughter is indeed what saves us.

And finally, we always battle over who gets to drink their coffee from this ceramic travel mug on weekend mornings. Thankfully today I have no competition!

Frugality

2011-11-16T06:44:00.000-08:00

Welcome to my first post of a mini-series on how we do “frugal”. I like to think of being frugal, in the simplest of senses, as trying our best to live “well” (by our own standards) within our financial means. I also realize that some of the actions we see as being “frugal” can be seen as a luxury or just way of life by others. If you have time – there is an interesting read here about differing definitions of frugality.

These days I pride myself on being frugal. I am elated when I find a good deal on kijiji, find something on sale, or better yet - for free – just ask my husband. I love the challenge of reigning in the budget and getting more out of less. During my wedding planning days I had a wee bit of an obsession with budget-friendly weddings.

I came into frugality in university with a meager - yet generous since provided by the “bank of mom” - $1000 a month budget which after rent, car insurance, and debt payments left me with $300 for groceries, spending, and gas. I realize this is a large monthly budget for some but it does take a degree of creativity to “live well” with the luxury of a vehicle, shopping locally for approx. 30% of my needs, and finding extra money for outings (bars, cafes, movies) and non-essentials (extra clothing, gifts). Of course, there was no room in this budget for an emergency fund which meant that in the event of an unforeseen expenditure i.e. car repair, I had to make a plea to the “bank of mom” for a loan and arrange for a repayment plan – further cutting into my $300 allotment for non-fixed expenses.

To me, frugality is not about seeking the lowest price. It is about quality over quantity, making trade offs, spending a little more time researching options, and sometimes compromising. For instance, I may actually spend more on a good quality item so that I don’t have to replace lesser quality ones several times. I will also pay more for organic/natural foods but skip out on pricy convenience items. I generally go by the motto of buy used first. When this is not possible, I buy items on sale and only items that I would ordinarily buy i.e. just because I see a nice sweater at the thrift sore or on sale doesn’t mean I buy it unless I am actually in the market for a new sweater. I also only buy things I absolutely love.

Our financial circumstances these days are far from the lean budget of my university days and for that I am grateful. However, despite having the luxury of a higher income, we still have significant expenses that come with the lifestyle we have chosen for our family (home/car ownership, consumer preferences such as organic or local, etc.). Therefore, we are constantly faced with making choices and trade-offs. Our recent upgrade to a larger home in a ~~suburban~~ more family-oriented neighbourhood last summer meant that when my decade old car finally kicked the can awhile back, we opted for another used vehicle (unfortunately DH’s vehicle needs for work coupled with an inefficient transit system means we cannot be a car-less or even a one car family L as much as I dream about it). We now both drive ’04 models.

Five Senses Friday

2011-11-11T05:32:00.000-08:00

:Tasting:

A strong cup of coffee to take the edge off my 4am wake-up with the littlest.

:Hearing:

This track seems fitting and won't get outta my head these days.

:Seeing:

My empty fridge as a reminder I need to do groceries *note this is what it looks like come Friday every week as a testament of meal planning and attempting to minimize food waste

:Smelling:

Fresh November air - a reminder to take long ventures out with the boys like the one pictured below before it gets far more chilly.

:Feeling:

Thankful for fallen soldiers and veterans. I'm taking the boys to the Remembrance Day Parade downtown this morning.

Happy Friday everyone!

The Same but Different

2011-11-08T08:51:00.000-08:00

One thing I love about having boys is dressing them alike as the picture above demonstrates. They aren’t too similar in appearance so B gets a kick out of “looking like brothers” in matching clothes.

Before N was born, I always heard others say that they loved all their children the same but differently and wondered how this could be possible. Harder for me to understand was how to love two boys the same. Somehow it seemed more plausible to me that loving two children the same could be achieved if they were different sexes. Now that I have two boys, I have been indoctrinated into the category of parents who love all their children the same but for different reasons. The things I like about B are definite character traits, whereas the things I love about N are general baby traits since at 6 mos. we only have a small glimpse of his personality.

Things I love about B at Age 3:

His determination – he is sometimes persistent to a fault (good for things like mastering new tasks..bad for not getting his way)
His independence – apart from playing, he enjoys doing things on his own so I let him. Yes, it can get messy or take a million times longer than it should but when he does master something, it gives him confidence and frees up time for us to focus on learning new things.
His friendliness – this kid loves to talk to everyone and anyone who will listen (truth be told, it hurts my feelings when he tries to talk to other kids and they don’t respond to him or do so unfavourably)
His sensitive/empathetic side – B has an extremely big heart. He is always concerned about how another’s day went. He never fails to show affection and share his feelings with us. Perhaps what I love most about him is his unwavering love for N - from getting out of bed to cheer him up in the middle of the night, to racing with excitement to see him every morning, to suggesting what he feels N might want when he gets fussy. He has yet to express jealousy toward him and I’m hoping it doesn’t come.

Things I love about N at 6 months:

When he giggles at his big brother – I could listen to this all day
His agreeableness – in comparison to B, N is a far more agreeable baby. He rarely fussy apart from when he is hungry, tired, or bothered by a cold. He enjoys being held, but is also happy on his own.
His relaxed demeanor – N is pretty okay with lots of commotion. This is good because with B, there’s no getting away from chaos. DH is pretty laid back, something I have always liked about him since I am a little more high strung. I’m thinking N might be similar to DH in this regard but hard to tell since he is still so young.
His toe sucking – so darn cute!

My little gnome

2011-11-02T06:36:00.000-07:00

It was just B's luck that he came down with a nasty cough and ear infection on Halloween. N was in bed at 6pm so we didn't even bother dressing him up.

Here is a short re-cap of B's previous costumes:

2008 - Tigger (we were busy renovating our house and last minute costume selections were sparse for a 6 month old a.k.a. pooh, piglet or tigger). A bonus.. I think I only paid about $15 since it was on clearance.

2009 - Skeleton - we bought a pair of skeleton pjs for $8 and a skeleton hat from the dollar store. Needless to say he got much use out of this costume for under $10

2010 - Construction man - we already had a play construction hat and jean overalls. We got him a set of play tools for $2, borrowed a small tool belt off a neighbour which we doubled around him, and I smudged some charcoal eyeshadow on his cheeks for good measure.

This year, after changing his mind several times from robot to scarecrow to clown, he finally settled on being a gnome Halloween morning after watching one of the latest favourite movies, Gnomeo and Juliet (love the Elton John soundtrack to this movie!). Lucky enough, I stumbled across this tutorial online. I ran out to the store and grabbed some faux fur for the beard which was 50% off so cost me $3.50. For the hat, I cut up one of DH's old red work t-shirts, hand stitched it into a hat, and stuffed the top with some tissue paper I had lying around the house. I safety pinned the beard to the hat and he wore his yellow rain boots. Voila! Year 3 of not spending over $10 for a costume.

B was almost too sick to make it out but after seeing the first few kids come to our door, magically felt well enough to get dressed up and hit a few houses on our street. He got lots of compliments on his costume!

Creating Family Holiday Traditions

2011-10-27T09:07:00.000-07:00

In Canada, those who celebrate Christmas have the luxury of getting an early start (if we take advantage of it) since Thanksgiving takes place in early October.

Every family has their own approach to the holidays so I thought I would share ours:

Winter Solstice

This is something I want to incorporate more into our holiday traditions. I think it is important to recognize natural patterns and celebrate the lengthening of the days. This celebration also makes me feel warm and fuzzy. This year I see us celebrating with a hearty soup or chili, hot chocolate, candlelight, gifts of knitted goodies, and maybe a family game of snakes and ladders – the only board game we own that B can play.

Christmas Eve Church Service

Christianity was significant in my upbringing, less significant for DH. Both my parents were practicing Christians. Church was a Sunday ritual. Once I reached adolescence, it became less significant to me and I attended less regularly. Now, as an adult, I appreciate good morals i.e. treat your neighbours as you would yourself, don’t steal, etc. (also taught by society in general) that Christianity reinforced in me. However, I remain undecided on whether or not I wholeheartedly believe in all parts of the faith. Consequently, I have adopted a somewhat piecemeal approach – accepting parts that seem relevant to me and taking the rest with a grain of salt.

Growing up, I attended Christmas eve and morning church services. As a child, I felt heavy about going to church in the morning as I was naturally anxious to explore new gifts. For my own family, we have decided to only attend the evening service. This gives us a chance to do something meaningful at Christmas with my side of the family.

Giving

Both DH and I feel strongly about charity and want to make giving a significant part of our holiday traditions.

Beginning this year, we will be asking B to pick a few toys he no longer uses to donate since he will be receiving new toys as gifts. Also new for us this year will be buying a food hamper for a family through a local charity. While the toy donation will be a ritual, we plan on finding new ways to give every year. For example, next year we might buy winter clothing for a family. In doing this, we will have the opportunity to explain to our children that there are others less fortunate and instill in them the importance of giving to those in need.

Santa

There is much debate out there in the parenting sphere on incorporating Santa into the holidays. We do. Santa was an integral part of our holiday traditions growing up. That being said, we have made a few deviations from our upbringings, for instance, in our family Santa only comes for the children. This means no stockings or Santa gifts for DH or I.

Gifts

We didn’t buy wrapping paper last year and still have a small stash from previous years including gift bags (which we reuse). We plan on using this up. Beyond that, we will use recycled brown paper which B can draw/paint on to decorate. In subsequent years I would like to use handmade Christmas gift sacks – although I realize for children half the fun is peeling off the wrapping paper so I don’t want to eliminate paper altogether just yet. Maybe we’ll just phase in the sacks by using them for adult gifts.

Besides having a limited budget which forces us to be creative by making handmade gifts or search for used items, we also limit the number of gifts. For example, B will get one gift from us, one from his brother, and one from santa (besides his stocking). DH will get one gift from the boys and one from me. This also allows us to spend a little bit more on quality gifts.

Activities and Food

DH’s family enjoys doing lots of outside activities up North during the holidays like winter walks, tobogganing, horse-drawn sleigh rides and bonfires. They always convene on Boxing Day (December 26), so we like to partake in these activities with them, and avoid the Boxing Day shopping madness in the city.

Until this year, owning and operating a Christmas tree farm was a large part of our winter holidays. DH has always had a real tree since he grew up at the farm. We’ve continued this tradition and plan on finding a local Christmas tree farm where we can get our tree this year. Again, as the kids get older, we may look at other more environmentally-friendly options such as “renting” a potted tree.

Lastly, home-cooked meals and holiday baking (gluten/dairy free for me) with family and friends are big for us. This year I may initiate a baking exchange with family!

What traditions do others have/plan on implementing this holiday season?

When Birthday Parties Become Larger Than Life

2011-10-23T07:50:00.001-07:00

Yesterday afternoon I took B to his first birthday party he had been invited to by a classmate. Pretty exciting, right?

This party was BIG. The parents had gone all out. Afterwards I estimated that the party likely cost upward of $500 for 2 hours of fun. The whole class and some parents (of younger kids including myself) were in attendance. The decor was of course superhero themed with licensed characters galore. This was actually the second "larger than life" party we have attended, the other for the child of a family friend. Aside from the monetary cost of the party, what really bothered me was the following...

- Even if we try really hard to limit the exposure of our own children to licensed characters (a whole other post for another day) they will inevitably learn of these characters through classmates. B goes to a Montessori school and while the learning environment doesn't support these types of characters i.e. children are not allowed to bring toys from home etc. I have found that most other parents do not practice the Montessori method in the home. We now run the risk of our kid having the "lame" party with no superheros.

- Extravagant parties set a precedence for the birthday child who is receiving these type of parties but also for the other children and parents attending the parties. They "set the bar" so to speak, for subsequent birthday parties. Que massive anxiety attack.

- While parties used to be centred around the birthday child, aside from seeing this child blow out the candles and receive the first piece of cake, there was very little indication of the significance of the event to the birthday child. This could've been due to the size of the party....which brings me to..

- The size of the party... the fact that everyone in the class was invited was odd to me. Growing up, for my friends and myself, birthday parties were only ever limited to close friends. Surely the birthday child was not close friends with all 20 of the children in the class. I realize now-a-days parents are so concerned with children feeling left out. But in speaking with my mother about the party afterwards, she mentioned that an integral part of growing up for us was learning to accept that we cannot always be invited to everything.

- Gifts. It is extremely hard to find anything that even looks like a substantial gift - which is important for keeping up with the Joneses in the birthday department - these days for under $30. Not to mention the fact that a lot of these kids with the extravagant parties have every toy imaginable already. Furthermore, how do you pick out a gift for a child that both yourself and your child, if they aren't really close friends with the birthday child, do not REALLY know very well? (not usually a problem with parties limited to close friends only). But what really bothers me is that at both said party and other party of similar magnitude, gifts were not opened in front of the party guests. This means that the birthday child does not have to thank each child for their gift, appreciate the thought put into gifts by close friends, and of course learn how to appropriately handle situations where say..they receive something they already have or is a duplicate of another gift. For this birthday, B wanted to make his friend a card. He worked really hard at this card and I assured him that his friend would love it and appreciate his hard work. Unfortunately we'll never know..we'll also never know if the card got mixed up and placed with another gift by mistake or lost all together, something that could easily be identified if the opening took place in front of the guests.

There is so much more I'd like to say on this but for now...

End rant.

On My Own

2011-10-17T04:33:00.000-07:00

Firstly, let me say I have the utmost respect for single parents. I couldn't imagine raising children on my own day in and day out. Sometimes when things get tough I need a little break and that is when DH is there to step in or vice versa... also when I'm on the verge of caving after long battles with B, he is there to reinforce me and remind me not to give in and that things will get easier in the long run. Furthermore, in my experience... sometimes all it takes is a different person saying the same thing to get through to a toddler - as frustrating as that can be.

That being said, DH is gone for the week so I am going at it alone this week. Although the days are long and I miss the companionship (and sometimes relief), it feels really good at the end of the day knowing that I am capable of watching my two precious boys on my own. It also presents a challenge to find a new rhythm, make time for both kids instead of relying on the usual divide and conquer routine (a luxury that single parents can't take advantage of), and find time to get my own schoolwork and housework done.

In short..I pretty much feel like superwoman!

Finding an equitable balance in the home

2011-10-03T05:53:00.000-07:00

Man does this post from Feeding the Soil ever resonate with me. Finding an equitable balance in the home sure is tough, especially when one person is "working" in the home. In my particular situation, I have found the hubby is much more willing to take on a larger share of the domestic tasks when I am not at home 100% of the time. I have also learned that in order for me to avoid feelings of resentment towards domestic tasks/child rearing, I need to spend some time "working" - or in my case doing coursework - outside the home.

This is a topic that I'm always curious to hear about how others divide the tasks in their households. Do other women find that they end up doing the lion's share of the domestic chores as well as raising the children as SAHMs? Does being a SAHM mean working around the clock and always being on call for nighttime feedings, pee accidents, and middle of the night sickness episodes?

When DH and I got married we had to take a preparation course in order to get married in the church. We learned that the #1 cause of all fights in the household in marriages is over the division of household tasks. In this day and age where household roles are not so cut and dry along gender lines, running a household sure is complicated.

Milk Pumping Bandit

2011-09-29T08:12:00.000-07:00

Now I know breastfeeding in public is talked about often and is one of those things that ought to be socially accepted but that you know people still get uncomfortable about anyway. But pumping in public is a whole other story!

Yesterday I was having an INSANELY busy day running around, going to class, taking public transit, and attending a meeting in the evening. There was no way I was going to squeeze in 15 minutes anywhere near a bathroom to go and do my “mommy duty” aka pump which I need to do every 3-4 hours to keep my supply up because I am

a. too cheap to buy formula

b. too stubborn to give my hard earned dollars to the multi-billion dollar baby industry whose interests are often questionable and favour profit over the health of your baby; and

c. in need of appeasing my baby who wont have anything to do with anything other than the real deal – gosh I hope this isn’t a prelude to a picky eater

So on the GO bus (a coach type bus) I went to make it home in time for a meeting, all the while wondering when I would be able to fit in my mandatory pumping. Then it dawned on me..I must admit… I’ve never been one to sit suspiciously in the very back row of any bus since I was in grade school. But there’s a first time for everything.

I proceeded to the very back of the bus, situated myself in the corner seat by the window, and hoped that no one else would join me back there. Just my luck - two passengers sat in the row in front of me. Oh well I thought.. I NEED to do this. So I positioned my backpack so that it was covering “the view” and proceeded to quietly go about my business pumping, ensuring that the time I was done pumping one side coincided with the next scheduled stop so I wouldn’t get stuck with embarking passengers potentially walking in on my session. After all was said and done – I got away with it and no one was the wiser. I felt strangely liberated.

So there it is…one big step for nursing/working mothers everywhere!

Routine

2011-09-25T10:48:00.000-07:00

Could it be? Could we be finally settling into a ROUTINE?

Ever since N was born, things in the way of routine have been a little outta whack...especially in the way of naps.

B is getting to the age where he can manage (sometimes) without a nap but then other times - like when we have exciting places to go such as..oh to see the Lion King 3D - he needs a nap.

N has never been much of a long napper or a napper at all. He's always way too interested in what his brother is doing. So much so that I sometimes have to ask B to leave the room while I'm feeding N.

WELL. I have perhaps found the solution to both dilemmas:

A short one hour nap in the afternoon takes the grumpies away from B and he still goes to bed easily at night by 8pm.

Two crib naps for N does the trick for him which has led to longer nighttime sleeps! He is so good for me these days allowing me to lay him in the crib awake and he happily rolls over himself and goes to sleep without protest.

Finding a routine that works for both children has been a real challenge since they both have such different needs. I constantly find it to be a balancing act to figure out what is in the best interest of each child individually, as well as for the family collectively. Also, sometimes all B needs is a little one on one time. He loves riding his bike with training wheels alongside dad on the rollerblades. He was also tickled that I took him out to see his first movie at the theatre on Friday. Another one of his favourites..sitting by the fire in the backyard with mom and dad and roasting marshmallows after little brother has gone to bed.

The Great Regression

2011-09-21T05:39:00.000-07:00

So far so good! I'm happy to say that I'm getting the hang of this pumping on the go thing and would highly recommend the Avent hand pump for occasional pumping on the go.

I've been trying to pump every 3-4 hours while I'm away which means I don't have to pump much and it coincides with natural breaks like lunch, class breaks, etc. Thank god I'm not gone 5 days/week. Although I am able to pump a decent amount, it still isn't enough to fully cover the time I'm gone.

There seems to be a regression trend in my household this week. Yesterday N decided to go into formula acceptance regression. We thought we'd found one he'd eat after an unsuccessful run with an "allergy sensitive formula". After he had motored through the milk I left (as he usually does), my sister offered him formula. He became hysterical and refused to take any of the formula for the rest of the time I was away but happily ate some rice cereal. Luckily I've been pumping like mad and he shouldn't have to have the formula today while I'm away. I guess I'll have to try harder!

B is going through a bit of toilet training regression and has been having accidents all week at night and during the day. He was sleeping on his top bunk which he was thrilled about, however after a couple accidents, we've had to move him back to the bottom so he can make it to the bathroom in time in the middle of the night.

Nursing and "working"

2011-09-11T18:14:00.000-07:00

So - I've returned back to my graduate studies program with nearly a full-time course load. N is 4 months old.

I'll give a bit of a brief history for me as this is my second time around being a somewhat "working mom" while nursing. B was the same age as N when I resumed my coursework after he was born. That being said... B did not need to have formula much at all until he stopped nursing when he was around 8 months old. With him I was only gone for two 5 hour time slots/week. Also, with B being a preemie we invested in a super duper double electric pump - the Medela - which I HIGHLY recommend to any moms that are on the go or that have preemies that are not able to latch on effectively for the first while.

This past week was my first go at it and I hadn't yet gotten out the hand pump (Avent) I borrowed from a girlfriend (just me being lazy) so it was a couple of somewhat uncomfortable days followed by a slight dwindling of my supply. Also... N seems to pound back the milk I pump when it comes in a bottle so both days he motored on through all the milk I left (even my frozen supply). Since I feed on demand, it is hard for me to pump out large quantities. Consequently we were forced to supplement. With my own allergies, I didn't want to take any chances so we settled on a soy-based formula which doesn't seem to give him stomach troubles. He also started on rice cereal - just as his brother did when he was the same age.

I really wanted to hold back on starting his solids since B has so many allergies and I do as well. But when given the choice of a formula feeding or rice cereal I feel a little more comfortable with the cereal option after reading the nutrition labels of just about every can of formula in the store. I just don't understand why there are so many garbage fillers in baby formula. Where is the nutritious option for mothers that aren't able to or don't choose to breastfeed? ***Formula moms please comment!*** Back in the day babies were just given condensed milk and seemed to turn out okay.

A girlfriend of mine weaned her daughter onto goat whey - when she was closer to a year though. I'm going to have to do a little more research on this one.

In the mean time... I have gotten the hand pump and cooler pack out for this week. I'll just have to find a quiet corner of the bathroom on my short breaks to keep the supply going!

10 Things About Boob Feeding

2011-08-24T19:11:00.000-07:00

I thought this blog post was hilarious and very much true...man do I ever watch so many more tv shows that I ordinarily wouldn't have time to nor care to watch normally.

http://www.modgblog.com/2011/08/04/10-things-about-boob-feeding-that-only-im-going-to-tell-you-you-my-friend-are-welcome/

Nuturing Two Little Souls

2011-08-18T09:17:00.000-07:00

Now that B is getting a little older and beginning to love and learn tremendously from new experiences - we try our hardest to diversify from the everyday schedule and let him try new experiences.

First was t-ball which they offered at the Montessori after the morning session. He "had a ball" playing. We also signed him up for soccer. Towards the end of the session, he told us that he didn't like soccer (we figure he was bored waiting around for kids to take their turn kicking the ball). Both my husband and I don't want to be those parents that forces their kids into pursuing activities they don't enjoy. We also don't want to "overschedule" our kids but at the same time, we want to be able to introduce them to new activities that they may really enjoy doing.We will not be registering him again for soccer unless he asks to go in the future. Instead... this Fall he will be going to a kindergym class - we'll see how it goes...maybe more his speed.

Since N has come along, I find myself conciously having to make an effort to focus attention on B's needs too since so much time is spent tending to the babe. In focusing on B's needs, N also gets to come along for the ride so it's a win-win. Here is a list of all the things we've been up to this summer so far:

- Playdates and many of them!

- Swimming in our 3ft deep "kiddie" pool in the backyard

- Water play in our water table

- Going to many playgrounds and splash pads

- Zoo trips

- A trip to the Science Centre

- Beach trips

- Birthday parties

- Fishing

- Swimming in the lake and jumping off the dock!

- Boat rides

- Tubing behind the boat (this was a daddy and B activity.. N didn't get to participate)

- Campfires

- Midieval Times (another daddy and B trip)

- A trip to Ontario Place..complete with GO Train ride

- Reading library books and rediscovering our own books

- Cruising the mall on rainy days and stopping for popcorn

- Hiking at local conservation areas

- Going for walks around the block with B on his scooter

- Playing lego together

B has also given up napping since N came along. He sometimes gets cranky around dinner time but no nap means no struggle at night to put him down and he goes around 7 instead of 9-10pm if he does nap. I'll take the crankiness!

I'd love to hear what others have been doing to busy themselves this summer with the little ones!

Blogging Hiatus

2011-08-15T06:52:00.000-07:00

I've been trying to post my last post for the past 2 months. Between that and being incredibly busy with mommy stuff and moving... I finally got around to working through the computer glitch today. I'm back in the blogosphere!

7 Weeks

2011-06-30T16:19:00.000-07:00

We had our last midwives appointment today, Nicholas and I,.. it was sad to think that this appointment marked "end" of my relationship with them atleast for awhile.

Nicholas weighed in at a whopping 11lbs 8oz.

Development-wise he is...

-Tracking objects

-Smiling

-Coo-ing

Other news...

-He grunts and has a lot of gas between 3-4am pretty much every morning

-Dislikes having anything on his head or being covered with a blanket while nursing (sorry people who find a little breast offensive - my baby needs to eat)

-Loves his baths

-Starting to have longer feeds and last longer between feeds. He was a compulsive snacker for awhile

-Will allow daddy to give him a bottle in mommy's absence. We did this with Brendan too when I could pump enough and it gave us a little freedom to miss a feeding.

Overall we're tired but good :)

And then there were four...

2011-05-28T15:14:00.000-07:00

We're finally settling in to a nice rhythm here at home...I've been slowly getting the hang of the two kid thing..Papa has been working a lot but enjoying cuddles with both boys when he gets home.

Big brother is loving soccer and t-ball

Little brother is becoming more and more alert every day

We've been "librarying" a lot these days since it has been raining so much. A few of the books on our shelf are:

Blueberries for Sal - Robert McCloskey

Each Peach Pear Plum - J & A Ahlberg

Tell Me the Day Backwards - Albert Lamb

Make Way for Ducklings - Robert McCloskey

Spring is Here - Lois Lenski

Nicholas' Story

2011-05-21T09:52:00.000-07:00

He's here! It took me awhile to post this. We have been slowly adjusting to life as a family of 4. Brendan, although over the moon about his little brother, has had the most adjusting of us all and has needed quite a bit of extra patience and love these days.

Here goes the story of Nicholas' arrival. I got my full-term, natural birth, I wanted.

Mothers' Day weekend (38 weeks) I was having quite a bit of contractions - starting Saturday at about noon. They were painless but a lot of pressure and were coming every few minutes. I decided to call the midwives just to have them check it out. I had experienced these contractions earlier on and they turned out to be nothing more than braxton hicks. She came to check me out and determined that I was about 3.5cm which was up from 1cm when I was checked at the clinic a couple days prior. She did a quick stretch and sweep (which wasn't as painful as I had thought it would be). However, when she returned a couple hours later there was no further progress. The contractions petered off at night and I was able to sleep. Brendan had a sleepover at Grandma's just incase labour picked up in the night.

All day Sunday I had sporadic painless contractions, again just a whole lot of pressure. About 4pm I noticed a bit of "bloody show" but nothing to shake a stick at. Around 8:30pm I started getting some crampy contractions. I tried to lay down, in hopes they might settle. They didn't. At 10pm I paged my midwife who suggested that I should take some tylenol or gravol and have a warm bath since I seemed to have an irritable uterus. I didn't take the meds but decided to try the bath. After 10 mins in the bath I got out and things seemed to really pick up. I woke DH at about 10:45 and paged the midwife again. She said she'd meet us at the hospital at midnight. I called my mother to come over and watch Brendan since he was sleeping. Once she arrived we left immediately for the hospital since I was getting pretty uncomfortable. We arrived at the hospital at 11:30pm and checked in. The nurses checked my blood pressure, had the lab come to take some blood, and hooked me up to the monitors so that the midwife would have something to look at once she arrived. Sitting down so that the monitor could track my contractions and the baby's heartbeat made the contractions feel a million times worse. The midwife arrived at midnight and checked my progress immediately. We were 10cm and ready to push. She told me I had to hold off for 15 minutes until the other midwife arrived for the baby. At that point, 15 minutes seemed like an eternity.

Once the midwife arrived for the baby they ruptured my membranes and we began pushing. After trying out three different positions, Nicholas Christopher was born at 1:40am and weighed 7lbs3oz. I didn't have any tearing and the proud papa was able to cut the cord for the second son like he did 3 years ago for the first. We were able to go home right afterwards but chose to stick around until about 10am to get a little rest afterwards.

Nicholas is such a gentle spirit. He sleeps right through all the commotion of the day and rarely fusses. He has been having longer quiet alert periods now which is just amazing. He is nursing like a champ. The past couple of nights he has slept 4-5 hour stretches which has allowed me to get some extra shut eye. He did have some jaundice but his levels are finally dropping and he didn't need any therapy which was nice. We just love him!

Late Night Pregnancy Snacks

2011-04-26T02:41:00.000-07:00

I got this idea from a recent blog post over here. Not only are these jam packed with healthiness - not to mention raw - but they satisfy the sweet cravings and they are rediculously easy and fun for the little ones to help make. I'm usually a measurement kind of gal but Ella was right, no measurement necessary here.

We made ours Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Corn-Free, Nut-Free so modified a bit from Ella's recipe. They are delicious!

Wet Ingredients

Sunflowerseed Butter with Flax Seeds (the best one I find is at the Bulk Barn)

Drizzle Maple Syrup

Coconut Oil (melted)

Mashed Banana

Cocoa Powder

Dry Ingredients

Rolled Oats (Gluten-Free for us!)

Sunflower Seeds

Currants

Raisins

Hemp Seeds

Toppings

Unsweetened Medium Coconut (unfortunately the sweetened everywhere I looked contained corn - however, it is still sweet and tasty and probably far healthier)

Grated 71% Dark Chocolate (dairy-free for us!)

Mix wet and dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Form into balls. Roll in coconut or chocolate toppings. Place on parchment paper and refridgerate for 10 mins before enjoying!

A Low Key Different Easter

2011-04-24T18:25:00.000-07:00

This year Easter weekend was different for us for many reasons. Firstly, being in the last month of pregnancy and having a quick birth first time around - not to mention at 35 weeks 4 days - I cannot travel anywhere remotely far and the in-laws live about 2 hours away so that family get together was crossed off the list. My mother who lives close by went to spend Easter weekend with her partner's family in Montreal for the weekend so no getting together with them either. Secondly, Ryan was offered overtime work both Friday and Saturday so it was just B and me both days. Thirdly, we've had people come to view our house every day since it was listed for Sale last Wednesday so the cleaning and vacating of the house has been the central activity of the past few days.

I must say, it was kind of nice to be just the 3 of us today on our last Easter as a family of three. This was also the first year B really took an interest in Easter and its activities. We didn't go overboard. I got the idea from Dreena Burton's Easter post to buy some larger plastic eggs and fill them with goodies, both edible and non-edible. The key attraction to these was that they are reusable and that they are large enough for a toddler to efficiently find. Also, the emphasis wasn't as much on the sweets. 12 eggs were enough for this year. The hunt was also limited to the living room only. When our children get a wee bit older I would love to do an outdoor hunt with them. B was thrilled and it was amazing watching our little guy run around looking for these eggs and take such joy in finding each one. I had hoped to get around to fun things like dying eggs (done so nicely by this lovely lady) however, being in the final stages of this pregnancy, I've been focusing on getting things ready for the arrival of the new babe and also on preparing for B's 3rd Birthday next weekend just in case we get some baby action this week.

Keeping a busy toddler..busy

2011-04-19T17:54:00.001-07:00

Most SAHM's know too well that sometimes it can be far more challenging (although incredibly rewarding) than working out of the home.

B is the most creative, funny, thoughtful, smart little guy most of the time. However, when he is not stimulated enough a.k.a bored, he can be the least agreeable, most difficult, little fellow. This is particularly difficult for me as I am an A-type personality that like to plan things out or stick to a routine and sometimes I feel as though I don't have enough imagination or whim-type thinking to keep him entertained. To be quite honest it is sometimes mentally exhausting for me to think of ways to keep him entertained and happy. It is certainly something that has challenged me on an intellectual level. I'm working on it. Funny how much we learn from our kids when we think they are the ones doing all the learning.

Some things that have kept us busy these past few days:

Making an art smock from daddy's old ripped shirt

Working on creative masterpieces - painting, colouring, stickering, and cutting with safety scissors

Exploring new parks

Rainy Days

2011-04-13T09:47:00.000-07:00

On rainy days we spend our time...

baking - cut out cookies are a hit as cookie cutters are fun

constructing elaborate structures for marble runs

visiting the library (this afternoon we will try to find some books on being a "big brother")

gently tossing a ball to eachother

catch is the latest and greatest new game

sometimes settling on the couch for some Caillou or Thomas

building and re-building Mr.Potatohead

I'm enjoying these last few days with my little boy before he becomes my big boy. The midwives think baby might arrive in the next 2 weeks. We'll see. Some slight nesting has been going on here.. hospital bag packed, all essential supplies purchased...also..we are signing the paperwork to list our house tomorrow evening!

Settling into the Rhythm of Being Home Again

2011-04-06T05:35:00.000-07:00

(32 1/2 weeks)

Although my last post was somewhat dark, things have much improved in only a few short weeks. We started putting B to bed between 7:45 and 8pm instead of between 7-7:30pm. This has made a huge difference. He no longer struggles with us and for the most part stays in bed after we have read him a couple of stories and tucked him in. He also now wakes up closer to 7am instead of 5:30 or 6am which is a bonus for me since I'm now home and don't have to get up for work. It also has been extremely wonderful that we decided to keep him in 3 half days/week at the school.

Our "school" days look a little something like this:

7am - Wake up - B wakes me up and we cuddle for a couple minutes in my bed.

7:05-7:45am - We eat some breakfast and get dressed, sometimes B watches one Caillou segment on YouTube while I get ready.

7:45-8am - Drop off to Montessori

8:05am - Coffee by myself!

8:05am-11:45am - I complete various errands, appointments (midwives), and household tasks.

11:45am - Pick up B from Montessori

11:50am-1pm - Lunch and a little play time

1pm-2:30 or 3pm - Nap time (I usually nap at this time too or atleast stay in bed)

3-4pm - Outdoor activity (weather permitting)

4-5pm - Dinner prep and daddy gets home

On the pregnancy front I am feeling quite large these days at nearly 34 weeks even though I have dropped 1 pound at each of my 2 appointments in the last month which concerns me slightly. Belly still seems to be getting larger. Had an early labour scare as a result of a symptomless UTI a few weeks back which led to 24 hours in a hospital 2 hours away since all the closer hospitals could not deliver before 32 weeks. In good news, baby is head down and ready to go. I previously had a low lying placenta. However the head has already cleared the placenta so I'm good to go for a vaginal birth. Horray! Hard to believe at this point with B I was a week and a half away from his arrival!

Third Trimester Musings - or Woes

2011-03-11T16:49:00.000-08:00

So I'm officially in my third trimester with this pregnancy.. time seems to be going slowly and quickly all at the same time if that makes any sense. I am around 30 1/2 weeks now.

This time around I am feeling so much bigger than I did with B..even though I have gained the same amount of weight thus far. Small things like bending over are really starting to become tasks. Back ache presents itself toward the end of every day. Sleep at night is restless...between waking to use the washroom and waking to switch sides to alleviate sore hips. Heartburn..common these days. Now I know why they say second and subsequent pregnancies aren't the walk in the park the first one can often be. Much of this is commonly voiced among the other women I know who are currently pregnant with their second or third children...however rarely do these women discuss difficulties with their children or their husbands as if others will surely judge and that a woman on her second or subsequent pregnancy should be able to handle any situation at home she might have since she likely had a hand in deciding to have another baby.

Well although the physical part of being pregnant again has been somewhat uncomfortable to say the least, to be perfectly honest, to add to all this, the antics of an almost 3 year old are tiring, stressful, and just plain difficult much of the time. I find myself feeling awful about the sometimes strained relationship between me and B these days. It's not his fault but yet it isn't totally mine either with the hormones and growing body. He is a really spirited character. I find it really hard to keep him stimulated in his environment at home. When he is not stimulated he starts to cause trouble and demand attention and when he is pleasant to be around it takes much effort on my part to maintain the mood by constantly offering up new activities for him (usually us) to do that I really haven't had the energy for. It sometimes worries me about what the future might have in store once the baby is here and demands a lot of my time as well. However, even though I feel like 70% of my time spent with my little man these days is spent with me feeling frustrated and impatient (sometimes powerless and at my wits end) and him equally upset. The other 30% of the time is wonderful - with the laughs, morning cuddles, hugs and kisses, witty remarks on his end... these are the times I truely cherish with him and reaffirm that it is all worth it. I guess we have to take the bad with the good like in any meaningful relationship. They don't call it "terrible twos" for nothing but it is called "terrible twos" for a reason.. because it is a phase which means like all phases it will eventually be outgrown.

The Big Brother of Almost 3!

2011-03-04T09:57:00.000-08:00

I used to use this blog space as almost a journal to keep track of B's development. I now realize that I have been lacking a "journal-type" post as of late.

At almost 3 (end of April)

My "little" guy is really growing up..

- He is pretty darn near fully potty trained (FINALLY) we still have the occasional accident at school during playtime but none at home and a usually dry sleep

- On that note - has graduated to the next class up at Montessori with the "big kids". He absolutely loves it and never looks back at me anymore when I drop him off

- Very concerned about what is right and what is wrong and often tells us. He also provides constant reminders/prompts to mommy and daddy such as "are you driving the speed limit?"

- Extremely excited to be a big brother and calls his impending sibling "my baby"

- Enjoys sleeping in his new big boy bedroom in a bunkbed - still goes to bed between 7-7:30 and wakes up somewhere between 5:30 (YES 5:30) and 6:30 no fail..every morning. Although I'd rather him be an early riser than late to go down. It does also make the school drop offs much easier since he has a little while to wake up before we leave the house

- A big "helper". Loves to help daddy do almost anything..especially things that involve a hammer

- Also likes to stick things (small pieces of crayon) in his ear which we recently discovered after visiting the doctor for another issue

- Favourite activities include: Swimming Lessons with Grandma, colouring with crayons, watching Caillou, reading (this kid tries to sneak books in his bed when he is supposed to be sleeping - we have to remove the books from the bedroom)

- Favourite foods: Will eat nearly anything you put in front of him..veggies too except sweet potato and squash although we're working on it. Yogurt, fruit of any sort, cheerios, peanut butter and crackers or toast, spaghetti, pizza, and the dreaded McDonalds fries seem to be hits these days.

In other news.. Baby #2 is doing well. Extremely active and my earlier placenta location issues seem to be resolving themselves nicely so yay for a likely uncomplicated birth. I have started taking pre-natal yoga which is awesome and I only have 3 weeks left of work. Oh yeah and a potential move is on the horizon.

Children, Environment, and Allergies

2011-02-10T09:26:00.000-08:00

One Toronto Star Article in particular caught my attention today. This one indicates that a British Study found higher rates of peanut allergies in boys among more affluent families.

The article states that, "“Fussy parents” – parents who shield their children from all potential allergens in a hyper-clean environment from before birth – could be one explanation for the higher rate in more affluent homes".

Not sure how I feel about this hypothesis. Our family would definitely be considered to be among the middle class and despite recommendations to hold off on offering peanuts until the age of 3, we still introduced peanuts to our son earlier. However, we were careful to offer small amounts initially and monitor to determine whether or not there were any adverse effects. I am sometimes sad that the old "staple" peanut butter sandwich or peanut butter and crackers are no longer allowed in schools. That being said, I have become extremely sensitive to many foods since cutting them out of my diet initially for an elimination/reintroduction phase. Foods that previously did not bother me, now in some cases invoke a mild anaphylactic reaction which is somewhat remediated by anti-histamines. Maybe there is something to the hypothesis of the "fussy parent".

Toys, Toys, Toys

2011-02-06T11:12:00.000-08:00

One of the bloggers I read regularly recently featured a series of posts on "How We Do It" - I thought it was a great idea since everyone does things differently in their homes, it is nice to see different ways of running house without having someone tell you this is how it ought to be done. I decided to talk about toys since a number of visitors always comment on our house being rather "unconsumed" by kid paraphernalia. Maybe you're one of those people who cannot walk into a room in their house without seeing a number of toys either organized or strewn across the floor. At our house this is it....

Might I first say that our house is less than 1200 sq. feet which is "small" by today's starter home standards. We also don't have many closets or dedicated storage space and well since the rooms are small, sometimes it is difficult to fit in an extra piece of furniture to house toys.

Reasons why this system works for us:

Aforementioned small house/lack of storage situation

I don't like to dust - yet have bad allergies (dilemma) - and cleaning toys is pretty much last on my list of priorities - less toys means less toys to harbour bacteria and germs and ultimately less toys to clean

Everything has its place and everything is easily seen. Before we had a toy bucket and only the items at the top were played with

Toys don't end up in many rooms usually just the living room, adjoining hallway and kitchen and are always close to their "homes" when it comes time to clean up

Less toys means less mess to clean up and since we always enforce a tidy prior to afternoon nap and bedtime, having fewer toys means a more manageable clean up for a 2 1/2 year old with a little bit of help from mom or dad if he's lucky

The toys that are actually played with are limited to a wooden Thomas the Train Set (limited to as much track will fit in the small pink bucket), Mega Blocks (we had to buy an additional smaller bag - a $2 find at Value Village), about 1/2 bucket of Hot Wheels Cars (to drive on the train track - naturally), and occasionally the wooden puzzles and wooden tool set when mom and dad are around

I know many families have a toy room - we just don't have the additional space to have a dedicated toy room and since B likes to have us nearby while he plays, the living room is the natural play room of choice. Also..see ablove comment on not liking to clean.

What about they boy's bedroom? No toys there. There is a basket at the end of the bed which contains books for our nightly story - some of these books end up on the shelf in the living room from time to time.

I might have lied just a bit.. we do have a second small shelving unit for toys in the basement. When things aren't getting played with we rotate them up.

Other notes... the toy selection is going to go down even further 6 months from now as some space will need to be allocated for baby #2 as well! Also, we have bought very few toys for B. Most have been given to us second hand from families and friends. Since B has never seemed bored with what he has, we've never felt the need to go out and buy more toys. Also, many of our friends have rooms full of toys and their children only play with a few and make a mess with the rest.

How do others manage toys??

Re-Evaluating What is Important to Us.

2011-01-25T09:56:00.001-08:00

As suggested by my last post.. I have been going through a crazy nesting phase as of late and have the extreme urge to purge..well my whole house. Days have been spent sorting. Baby items...kitchen items...linnen closet..bathroom vanity. I have also been posting a number of things for sale on Kijiji and having some success with that. Extra days that I have now without going to school or working gives me this little bit of extra time for which I am grateful.

Throughout the process, my budget has also gone under scrutiny and become tightened. I think in the impending arrival of another addition to the family this Spring, it has forced me to re-examine our lifestyle and values. I think a constant theme in my past few posts has been slowing down. And now, I really am. In a few short months I will be back at home, away from working...away from school... fully immersed once again in family life and community life as I will still have a couple community social and environmental initiatives that I will be involved in.

On Decluttering

2011-01-10T10:48:00.001-08:00

Photo Credit: Miss Minimalist

Lately I have felt a real need to declutter my life. I'm beginning to feel trapped in my belongings. This desire has come along with my graduate school aspirations to do ethnographic research which would mean living in another place for a period of time. Consequently, I wouldn't be able to bring all the stuff I (we - husband included - although he has far less "stuff" than I) have accumulated over the past 6 years in various apartments and our current house.

Also, with a new babe coming this Spring. It only seems fitting to do some "spring cleaning" while sorting through all of B's old stuff in storage and since moving him into his Big Boy room. It also feels like I have so much more time on my hands since taking a leave from school this Winter.

It feels nice to let things go - freeing really. This weekend I sold our old dining room hutch which was taking up space amongst our new furniture, along with a mantel clock we've had kicking around but sadly no mantel to place it on. Although I loved the hutch - I felt no remorse when it went out the door.

I keep telling myself - only the essentials but alas it is a process. I'm very into this website on the topic.

2011: the Year of the Slowdown

2011-01-02T07:40:00.000-08:00

On the 31st we recieved news that foreshadowed a year of slowing down. One of my midwives called with some "non-concerning" news on my ultrasound for baby #2. It appears that I have a very low-lying placenta in this pregnancy. Not officially placenta previa where the placenta covers the cervix, but close. But as a precautionary measure, my midwife advised me to take it easy and of course no intercourse until I can go for another ultrasound at 28 weeks. She was optimistic that the situation would correct itself.

Therefore I have begun the process of taking an early leave of absence from Graduate School. I had hoped to finish off this semester in April. However, I know it would be too stressful and since B was a month early I want to keep this baby in as long as possible. Not to mention I'd have to leave part way through the semester if at 28 weeks I do indeed have placenta previa since I would require bed rest for the duration of the pregnancy.

So 2011... back to working 3 days/week until late March and spending more time at home with this sweet little guy.

Holiday Cheer

2010-12-22T09:34:00.000-08:00

The holidays have come!

It's been awhile.. it has been busy around these parts to say the least.

With the last of final papers going in for this semester, Christmas Tree season in full swing and occupying every weekend of December - this is our last year with the tree farm, and a winter wedding to top it all off (see photo above), things have been crazy. Not to mention the last minute shopping and hectic-ness as we prepare for the holidays and the night of baking ahead..my first go at a handful of gluten-free holiday treats. Little B is delighted with all things Christmas.

Looking forward to the weekend and a nice chance to slow down and take it all in. This will after all be our last Christmas as a family of 3 as we will be welcoming a sweet new babe in May...:)

14 Weeks

2010-11-20T19:09:00.001-08:00

Well I've been somewhat absent since ohh about Thanksgiving. Things have been busy to say the least. School, Work, Family Time doesn't leave time for much else. But. We are expecting another wee babe in May and we're delighted. So far so good. No sickness this time around. Although I only had minimal feelings of nausea when I was pregnant with B - about 2 weeks. Things on the diet front are much different this time around with a Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Corn-Free and other dietary restrictions. But all is well - my wonderful team of midwives are not concerned. I feel great and have gained 3 lbs. Standard for me - I usually don't gain much weight in the first half of pregnancy.

So much to do before this next little one makes an appearance! Including transitioning our little "big brother" to a brand new bedroom. I'll be looking for design ideas for sure :)

Up and Coming Thanksgiving

2010-10-06T09:43:00.000-07:00

This year I am thankful that my school reading week falls on the same week as Thanksgiving. This means a much awaited break from the 7 day/week of readings, assignments and not to mention my two jam packed days of classes and Graduate Assistantship position.

I am looking forward to spending some quality time with my boys.

On the agenda:

- Lots of outdoor time - Farmers Market Trip, Park, Conservation Area
- A friend's surprise birthday party - Yay adult time.
- Preparing some Gluten-Free/Dairy-Free/Meat-Free dishes and baked goods to take to our family Thanksgiving dinners (pictures next week, I promise!)
- Snuggling up and watching a movie at home
- Searching nearby natural landscapes for things we can use to make Autumn crafts - I'm definitely thinking these!

http://www.waldorfcrafts.com/?p=72

What are other Canadian folk doing this long weekend?

Five Senses Friday - Autumn Begins

2010-09-24T09:34:00.000-07:00

Above, a photo of my father, far right celebrating his 4th birthday in Manitoba in November. It was unusually warm that Fall, much like it is looking it will be here in Ontario anyway. Everything about the image is perfect to me.. homemade cake, sweet sweet children (cousins), outdoor eating, tractor toy in hand, right down to his striking resemblance to B.

Five Senses Friday

Tasting:

Crunchy, delicious apples. There have been fresh apples at work all this week and since I've been indulging I think I will take the little man for our annual apple pick this weekend. I wonder what else I can make besides sauce, jam, pie filling and muffins... maybe cider!

:Hearing:

Feist - something about her soothing sound eludes "Autumn" to me.

:Seeing:

The changing colour of the leaves.

:Smelling:

Cinnamon and nutmeg - almost time for Pumpkin Pie

:Feeling:

Peaceful. As I am enjoying many of my readings, the workload of grad school doesn't seem so burdening. Here's to hoping they keep on being good. Oh I'm also feeling extreme excitement as I spoke with a Professor and she'd love to have me take her Maternal Theory course in the Winter semester. Hurrah!

Definitions and Meanings..Nature

2010-09-22T09:42:00.001-07:00

First off, might I say that my brain has been exploding a little with all the information I've been taking in since starting back at school. As I am at a loss for something to write about today and have the desire to write still.. I will speak to a point made by more than one professor in three of the courses I am taking.

There is no one universally accepted definition of concepts such as "nature", "sustainability" , "poverty", "environmental justice" and "development".

Every definition is culturally infused and based on individual experiences. Therefore, our definitions are often based on what is "most real" to us at any given time.

For instance, I had the chance to speak with fellow students about their own definitions of the concept of nature. Here are just some of the answers I encountered:

Nature is...
- a pristine environment
- lacking human presence and involvement
- all living and non-living organisms, including humans
- not cyborgs
- innate characteristics
- the purest essence of being - a newborn babe, not yet socialized
- wilderness environments
- city landscapes such as parks, gardens, trees, meadows

Nature is also hard to describe due to the restricting nature of grammar and the English language - perhaps it is best portrayed through images, poetry, drama, or song

One final comment on this matter - a woman who had been heavily involved in protecting forests in BC in a non-violent manner mentioned her experiences at the front line with regard to nature as the body. She described how industry would halt their operations at the sight of an erect penis and how legal authorities wouldn't touch those who proclaimed to be "bleeding" due to menstruation or covered in shit. I found it interesting to hear how seemingly natural processes or substances had such a strong influence in repelling perhaps the most highly socialized individuals.

Is socialization the "ultimate" barrier to nature and natural processes?

Five Senses Friday

2010-09-10T09:55:00.000-07:00

Tasting:

The warmth of cinnamon. Cinnamon Toast (G/F of course)..Pumpkin Spice Soy Lattes.. the list goes on.

:Hearing:

IPod Audio Books from the library. I'm addicted. First Outliers by Malcom Gladwell and now Nurture Shock by... gosh I can't remember.

:Seeing:

Masses of students as I round up my first week of Grad School. Campus has been hectic to say the least. I guess this is what I get for deciding to go to one of the largest universities. I must say, the pace is a far cry from the relaxed one I remember at my much MUCH smaller undergrad university.

:Smelling:

Peppermint and Eucalyptus. I've been on a bit of a peppermint tea binge as of late and well. I use eucalyptus essential oil in all my laundry detergent and cleaning products. I love the smell of it in my bed linens.

:Feeling:

Cold - we've been going through a bit of a cool weather spurt this week. Need to start pulling the warm socks and sweaters out :)

Simply Lovely Long Weekend

2010-09-04T17:55:00.000-07:00

Long weekend thus far has been productive and pleasant.

Groceries were gotten - under budget I might add too!

Office was cleaned

Bikes were brought out to go downtown to the GO Bus Terminal to get tickets for school

Boys did some purging of stuff we no longer need

Hair was cut and styled for a fresh new "back to school" look

In attempts to stick to a strict budget, pay down debt, and get back on track with my environmental values, I set out today to cancel our cable TV (finally got the hubby's agreement on this). Let me tell you how the service provider cut $40 off our bill - we pay around $35 for Cable currently and let us keep our cable - all because I mentioned that we didn't feel the money for the cable was worth it given the amount of time we watch the tube.

Tomorrow's Agenda -

Cleaning & Cooking

Painting doors and putting knobs back on. In keeping some of the integrity of our old house, we've kept the original skeleton key doors. Love them. However, we've been knobless on some doors for ohh about 6 months now so I'll be happy to get those back on. :)

The Schedule!

2010-09-03T09:33:00.001-07:00

Baby Blue - Work
Pink - Graduate Assistantship
Purple - Family Time
Orange - Travel Time
Grey - Down Time
Blue/Gray - Cleaning/Organizing
Green - Class/Readings/Essay Writing

Oy vey.

Five Senses..Tuesday?!

2010-08-24T09:48:00.000-07:00

Five Senses for Tuesday. Because I feel like it.

:Tasting:

Gluten-Free goodies. Homemade Peach/Blueberry Cobbler with Quinoa Crumble.

:Hearing:

A thousand library sounds. I know.. libraries are supposed to be quiet.

:Seeing:

The season start to change with cooler weather. I'm loving it.

:Smelling:

The smell of fresh tomato from my garden, daily.

:Feeling:

Happy - Organized - Relaxed..ready for something new

As of Late

2010-08-11T18:07:00.000-07:00

As of Late I have been reading non-stop in preparation for my academic year ahead. I've also been thinking a lot about organizing and planning to make things easier for the year. I'm notorious for piling a lot on my plate. For instance..this year I plan on.. taking my Masters Full-Time, Working 7 hours/week at the university as a Graduate Assistant for my funding, working 3 days/week at my part-time job, getting pregnant and spending as much extra time as possible with Brendan. All of this will require a ton of coordination, organization and planning. I have started looking into freezer meals. With my new diet, food has been rather challenging but it is that much more satisfying when I find a good recipe.

Even in the craziness I find solace, as always, in my partner. He is the calm to my storm. I couldn't imagine a better friend, father and husband. This weekend we will celebrate our first anniversary. To celebrate we will go to dinner at an awesome Jazz Bar and go see a movie (pre-baby we went almost weekly to the theatre). We're also attending my cousin's stag n' doe in Hamilton and spending the following day in Niagara on the Lake (where my parents honeymooned and visited annually for each anniversary). I'm hoping to pick up some yummy Niagara fruit for preserving! I'm also planning a home reno project - a family picture wall on our staircase. I will post pictures post-anniversary weekend.

Talk to Strangers

2010-07-24T04:34:00.001-07:00

I came across the following retweet on Twitter this morning - a link to an article about encouraging your kids to talk to strangers rather than avoid them.

This immediately conjured up thoughts on a recent outing to the park my sister had with B. Long story short, my sister was chatting with another woman at the park and when it was time to leave, B marched over and gave the woman a hug. The woman proceeded to say "You should be careful who you hug".

I can't tell you how much this statement angered me. We try to teach B to befriend new children and people and to make his own judgement calls. Children are so naturally intuitive - chances are if mum is wary of another adult, the child will feel and mimick that wariness. We want him to know it is okay to trust other adults, especially those we deem as safe and subsequently engage in meaningful conversation with. I absolutely agree with this article.

Latest Food Discoveries and Good Reads

2010-07-06T18:41:00.000-07:00

I must say this elimination diet was not the most enjoyable past couple months for the taste buds.

Some things I learned about myself:

Avoids:
- Peanuts (gassy, headaches, and mouth dryness)
- Dairy in all forms (mucous, stuffy nose, phlegm)
- Corn (significant eczema flair ups)
- Tomato (significant eczema flair ups)

I'm sure this list will keep growing..

Some good grocery discoveries:

Red Raspberry Spritzer - so delicious and refreshing
Lara Bars (Apple) - somewhat calorie dense and flavourful and virtually allergen free - vegan, GF, soy free etc.
Spelt Pasta
Silk French Vanilla Creamer

In other news, I've been DEVOURING books from the library by my work lately. In the past returning books on time has been a huge problem for me. Now with working so close and recieving e-mail notifications a couple days in advance I've only managed to have $1.50 in fines and they were on purpose - I was trying to finish a book because I couldn't renew it.

Latest good reads,

"You are Your Child's First Teacher" by Rahima Baldwin Dancy - great great parenting resource
"Living Simply With Children" by Marie Sherlock - also wonderful
"Geography of Hope" by Chris Turner - I saw this author give a talk at a work conference in Toronto I attended. He was absolutely amazing and inspiring. His book is sensational.

He's just THAT Kid

2010-06-23T12:09:00.001-07:00

I think after ohh about a year and a half I have come to terms with the fact that I am raising "THAT kid".. you know..

The one...

That can't resist jumping in every muddy puddle when given a chance.

That sticks his hands in butter and tries to drink massage oil when I'm not looking.

Who runs away in stores just about the time when mom has to pay the cashiers - and giggles his head off when I catch up to him.

That would rather eat all the strawberries and raspberries and "pick" rocks for his basket instead.

Who still wants to play on the playground even though he got his clothes and shoes all covered in sand and lake water and therefore had to play in a *borrowed* diaper (thank you prepared mom at the beach!), soaked running shoes and a hat on the busiest playground in town.

Who takes all his clothes and diaper off at potty time while the other daycare teachers are helping other children and declares proudly, "This is my penis!"

That throws a full blown tantrum every time we have to come inside from playing outside.

To clarify.. I don't think it has anything to do with my parenting skills or style. Often I find other parents saying "you sure have your hands full". I know at certain times I've felt green with envy at those parents that seem to have it easy with children that are quite content amusing themselves quietly and never seem to get into trouble. The truth is, I'm happy with who Brendan has become. I'm glad he's confident, outgoing, and not afraid to try new things and see what reactions he can elicit. I know he is learning valuable lessons about cause and effect and testing out boundaries. He effectively keeps me on my toes and teaches me so many new things every day. He also strengthens the bond in our family through laughter and honesty. I can't wait to see what another child will bring to our little family. Part of leading a more stress-free life is learning to accept the hand that you've been dealt. I'm feeling pretty content with all aspects of my life right now and so we enter the "premester". We were trying for another baby awhile back and decided to put it on hold when I got my part-time contract job. Timing was not right. Now it seems like a much better fit. We will begin trying for baby #2 in August.

10 Things

2010-06-19T05:15:00.000-07:00

(Photo Courtesy of the Hubby's Last Fishing Trip)

This awesome weather we've been having lately has definately been a breathy of fresh air. When SouleMama did a 10 things post over on her blog I just had to jump on board. Ten things bringing me joy lately:

1) Brendan giggling as we push him in a friend's hammock

2) Our delicious CSA weekly baskets

3) The prospect of a finished closet and patch of wall in the kitchen - after 2 years my husband will be drywalling both of these neglected places in our house

4) Book reading

5) Salt water baths by candlelight and red wine with my love

6) Discovering new lovely blogs

7) The ever approaching 4 day weekends I have for July and August - I rearranged my schedule to work Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday.

8) Ripe strawberries

9) More quality time with my family

10) Brendan's preschool pot luck

What about you???

TGIF

2010-06-04T16:47:00.001-07:00

This diet has been less than desirable for the palette. I'm hoping an eventful weekend might take my mind off it. In good news. It seems the antibiotics and medicated creams are helping my eczema - no surprise there.. sigh. The itchiness is unbearable sometimes. Only pharmaceuticals offer quick relief. I have noticed a digestion improvement on this diet. I am enjoying a lot more herbal tea these days and missing coffee less than I thought I would - I have subbed in green tea in its place.

Today I thought I'd post on 5 senses - something borrowed from another blogger I religiously follow :)

Feeling - hopeful after a very productive week. I am starting to feel like my transition to grad school for the Fall won't be quite as overwhelming as I've felt it would be for the past few weeks. Come Fall I will be a full-time grad school student, working part-time still in my current job (3 days/week) and working an additional 10 hours/week as a Graduate Assistant doing some sort of research at the university.

Tasting - seed and feed. Is this what it would be like to be a bird? Nearly everything I eat on this diet is dry and tasteless. Most of all I miss breads/potato/sauces/soy. I must find some delicious alternatives.

Seeing - growth. The little one is growing so quickly. Many of my seedlings are also growing rapidly. I have been experiencing much personal growth too these days. I love spring.

Hearing - protesting. An opinionated little boy protesting bedtime and trying to bargain with daddy.

Smelling - hemp oil. This stuff is seriously doing wonders for my eczema on my hands. The scent is also quite soothing.

The Diet Low Down: Day 1

2010-05-30T18:04:00.000-07:00

So I saw a naturopath yesterday (she was absolutely fabulous, part-time doctor who stays home with her kids, and moonlights as a Professor at UofT). The reason for my visit was that for the past almost year I have gotten some progressively worse eczema on my hands, legs and feet. Particularly my hands. As a child I had eczema but never on my hands and feet like this before and it went away for ohh about 10+years. She suggested the best thing for me to try is an elimination diet. What can you eat on this diet? hmmm next to nothing.

List of Avoids...(pretty much my entire current diet - with the exception of egg, dairy, meat)

Wheat

Egg

Dairy

Red meat

Nightshade veggies - tomato, potato, peppers, eggplant

Corn

Banana, melons, and citrus

Soy

Processed foods

Sugars

Caffeine

Dried Fruit

Peanuts, Cashews and Pistachios

On the menu today:

Breakfast - Oatmeal with almond milk (very bland)

Coffee with sugar and cream - BIG CHEAT

Snacks/Lunch - Sunflower Rye crackers, Sesame gluten-free crackers with edameme dip (the dip is delicious although it does have a little lemon juice in it)

An apple

Gluten-free cereal with almond milk (again - pretty bland)

Dinner - pasta salad (which I later red the package of mix for the dressing and it contained dehydrated peppers)

blueberries and cherries for dessert

Supplements - flax oil, probiotics, spoonful of molasses (I read in a book this can help)

I did drink the recommended 2L of water today which is always challenging for me. I'm really going to have to work harder at this diet. Overall, I don't feel very satisfied and the diet is extremely difficult to follow. Sigh. 20 more days to go until I can start reintroducing. I'm going to have to get a whole lot more creative with my meal plan.

The Last Hurrah!

2010-05-25T18:17:00.000-07:00

This past long weekend marked the end of a long era for my in-laws. This was the official last gathering of the family before they move into town from their 100 acre farm. The farm has been the hub of all family gatherings and the childhood home of my husband and his next immediate brother (there are 5 siblings in total - my husband is the youngest and his brother a year older as well as three older siblings from his dad's first marriage). I was lucky to enjoy the past 5 years of celebrations there with them. Time was often spent around a bonfire, going on hikes back into the bush, fishing, playing bocce ball, and going on snowmobile and atv rides. Often too much alcohol was consumed and too many dogs fighting for table scraps (8 in total). So here is the photo documentation of the final celebration - minus a few people - in front of our tent.

The rest of our weekend was spent gardening. The gardens in the front make a HUGE difference. I also started some veggies in containers on the porch. We'll see how they do. Our CSA starts next week. I can't tell you how excited I am for farm fresh local fruit and vegetables.

On the Brendan front... we can't get enough of being outside!

It's been awhile..I have a 2 year old!

2010-05-20T17:48:00.000-07:00

Life has been so crazy lately with working, vacationing to Florida, home renovations and the little one's birthday. Yes.. I have a 2 year old. One very sick 2 year old at the moment with an ear infection. It feels awful that I have to work when he's sick. Even though I know he's in good hands with my sister at home.

Not two days after Brendan's 2nd birthday he decided to embark on some crib climbing escapades. Needless to say, we've had to take the front off his crib so he doesn't fall (we have a 3-in-1). It has taken a little bit of adjusting for him - learning not to get out of bed. He can also climb the rope ladder and a ladder with foot holes at the park on his own. This is quite terrifying for me to watch but I love his sense of independence. He is so confident.

I'll let you see for yourself.. snapshots to sum up April

One of many trips to the park.

Swimming it up with Grandma in the outdoor pool in Florida. He loved the plane ride - especially the landing and take off. He laughed and laughed the whole time while other babies cried.To think I worried for nothing.

Playing with his sweet new wooden train set he got for his birthday. He even had a few friends over to celebrate.

Mid-March Reflection

2010-03-17T03:30:00.000-07:00

First off.. wishing everyone a Happy (safe) St.Patty's Day. I've never been much for green beer. The sight of it just turned me off. Nevertheless I'm sure plenty of people will be enjoying it today.

This month has been full of change for our little family. We are adjusting quite well. Mama is loving working 3 days/week. Brendan has finally adjusted to going to Montessori for the mornings I am gone and we no longer have any tears at drop off. He is quite excited to ride the bus after school with his auntie who he so fondly calls "Ti Ti". The hubby has been pitching in more around the house to account for the fact that I am gone more.

Days off are spent playing with building blocks, going to the park, walking along the beach and visiting Daddy at work among other things. This week we went to the zoo with some dear friends. B's favourites were the gorillas, the horses and the camel. But our days off have not been all fun and games. Lately I have been noticing that B gets really really cranky if he isn't being constantly entertained. That's not to say he can't entertain himself, because he can, I just need to give him the activity like...open the building blocks and he will play. This has become somewhat exhausting for me and I feel like he just isn't getting enough stimulation being home with me unless we go outside or do activities we don't normally do. I'm not quite sure how to remedy this... hmmm

Happy March!

2010-03-01T10:35:00.000-08:00

This month is one of big change for us around here. Firstly, I will be starting a new job tomorrow. It is only part-time which is perfect so I can still spend time with my little man. Not to mention it is in the environmental field and I will get to do some great things for some pretty great pay too. The job kind of landed in my lap through some of the volunteer work I do. It is only a year long contract which is great since I plan on going back to school this Fall if everything pans out. This also means that our plans for baby #2 are sadly put on hold for another few months to ensure I can finish up my contract. I also don't think I could manage full-time grad school, a part-time job and a new baby. School, job and Brendan are going to be more than enough come fall.

This job has also meant that I have had to find care for Brendan. About a year ago he went to a home daycare for a few months and it didn't work out. This time around we are sending him to a Montessori for 3 mornings/week and having my sister pick him up, feed him lunch and put him down for his nap at home. I feel really comfortable with our choice. Expensive it is but he will be well looked after. The school also aligns very well with our own parenting philosophies such as...

- eating nutritious food - the kids only eat fruits and veggies for snack and drink filtered water which means no sugar laden foods

- getting out in nature - they play outside every morning

- learning through play

- arts and crafts

- teaching manners

Things I particularly like are that on the child's birthday, the parents are asked to donate a book to the classroom. They ask that the books are nature books or stories about real life experiences. The parents can also send a plant with the child's name on it and the name of the plant so that they may take part in nurturing it and watching it grow. The class also sponsors a child in a third world country. Many of the philosophies are very similar to Waldorf Education. Unfortunately for us, we live nowhere near a Waldorf school but I think this environment will be just fine for us.

Brendan has gotten to do two one hour visits to the classroom and has seemed to enjoy his time there from what the teachers tell me except for the initial me leaving part. I'm sure things will get better.

Perhaps I'll find out this month whether or not I have been accepted to the program for this Fall.

What have I been eating lately?

2010-02-16T17:21:00.000-08:00

LOTS AND LOTS OF THIS

Recipe and photo from here.

I can't believe how many times I have made this recipe in the last month. It truly feels like a big bowl of warmth. Yum Yum and Yum.

With my birthday coming up this week I will be making this cake for myself. I don't know how "ethical" it is to make cake for your own birthday but it sure will beat whatever Ryan would have come up with. Or atleast I'm hoping. How could it not with a picture like this?

Parenting styles

2010-02-04T19:29:00.000-08:00

While pregnant with little B, I thought a lot about what kind of parent I would like to be. The hubby and I spoke often about how we wanted to raise our children. In many ways (not all) we have very similar philosophies which is good - as we are more effective that way as a "unit" or team. Many times I am amazed at how we both have the same opinions on the effectiveness or often INeffectiveness when seeing examples of various other parenting styles be it though other friends, family or even complete strangers. But who are we really to be critical? I think it is a natural parenting flaw to see how one measures up with others. We often forget that only 50% of a child's development is influenced by environmental factors while the other half is determined by the child's genetic and personality predisposition alone. That being said, parenting styles must by nature be varied in order to best suit each individual child. We often hear the saying, "no two children are alike". Although I have not experienced parenting more than one child, I would imagine for parents who have two completely opposite children, the adaptation must be extremely challenging as we are so used to learning by experience and therefore as a creature of habit tend to base our actions on past successes. In the case of parenting more than one, the tried and true may not infact be tried and true with each different child.

The other week I was offered the opportunity to interview for a series of articles on moms with different parenting styles on urbanmoms.ca by another mom I met though a local mom and baby group. She just posted it today! Check it out if you want!

I have found myself on more than one occasion joking that the next child I have will not be nearly as busy as the one I've got now but WHO KNOWS

At 21 months my little man is:

- An outdoor enthusiast collecting sticks and pine cones at the park, wanting to walk the dog and always protesting coming inside - even in the most bitter of cold weather

- A climber. Anything he can get himself up onto is game.

- A jumper. This goes along with climbing. Jumping off anything is the latest activity of choice. I tried to make him a fort with chairs and blankets and he took it as an opportunity to climb the chair and jump off onto the couch pillows

- A leader and an activist - he is never shy to stand up for what he believes in and is very assertive with his "no"s and "mummy, come". Also, anything out of reach is a challenge he's up for. He'll push around various items as stepping stools to reach items of desire.

- An independent spirit - this kid is not afraid of anything or anyone. As most kids will run after their parents if they think they are being left alone, this one marches off in the other direction without the slightest look over his shoulder. He loves saying Hi to strangers.

- And most recently a potty/toilet user..most of the time!

He is also... sweet, loving and kind

- He loves to help with cleaning, baking and running items between mom and dad

- He often says "love you!" when we are putting him to bed or when I am leaving to go somewhere.

- He'll give kisses. But not too often. This makes them more special :)

- He's also hard to stay mad at as he now agrees with us when we tell him he did something wrong. Smart cookie!

The Struggle Against Stuff

2010-02-02T19:57:00.000-08:00

Aptly titled the same as this blog post from one of the regular blogs I follow (mainly as a result of my complete lack of creativity but also because it just suits). The author has adopted an almost 100 mile diet for awhile now and I thoroughly enjoy reading each and every new post!

In the past few months, Christmas excluded, I have found myself constantly blowing the budget that I set for various things. I was so good about the budget in the summer and in my wedding planning. The posting above really spoke to me as it came at a really good time where I could relate very well to what the author was saying. I think that everyone should develop a set of moral shopping rules to ensure concious consumerism. I especially like her rule of when buying a new garment etc., making sure you get rid of the old one - the reason why you bought the new one in the first place!

That being said, I am pleased to announce that I can officially sew somewhat competently after a couple sewing classes and forsee many a diy clothing/accessory projects in the near future. I was truly in my element at the class on Tuesday evening. :)

Are you part of the problem or part of the solution???

2010-01-25T19:03:00.001-08:00

The problem with making strong political statements and not practicing what you preach...

Tonight on my way home from my very first sewing class (YAY!) I saw a vehicle with two bumper stickers.. on the left it said "Are you part of the problem or part of the solution?" - this really got me thinking! - and on the right, "LIVE SIMPLY so others may simply live" I'm a big fan of both but found it extremely ironic that the person who made these statements was driving around in an older Chevy Venture van so although they were living simply I guess.. kinda.. by driving a used older car, they were also largely contributing to the problem cough cough gas guzzler/rediculously higher emissions.. unless of course this person was a vegan in which case they might as well be driving a Hummer to equal the amount of emissions of the average meat eater who drives a hybrid car.

In other words....

Winds of Change

2010-01-21T19:17:00.000-08:00

I snapped this photo one morning a couple weeks ago when I woke up early from a good sleep. This was one of the rare mornings where I don't wake up to a little voice calling out to me or whining to let me know he is awake and ready to play. Brendan was still fast asleep that morning and like other mornings of the sort I try my best to lay quietly and enjoy the peace. I cherish these moments. Just the way the sun was lighting the bedroom, shining through the big trees and the condensation building up on the old window was enough to put me in a state of complete and utter relaxation. I really appreciate the privilege of living in an older house in an older neighbourhood where all the houses look different and there are many large trees and deep private lots.

Lately I've been reading a lot on Feng Shui and have become fascinated with the concepts. This is something I would like to seriously take into consideration while continuing on with our huge renovation project which up until now has been at an almost stand still for over a year. I think I will make a commitment to doing one home improvement task/week.

Growing and Learning

2010-01-12T09:57:00.000-08:00

While I have been having so much fun with Brendan staying home and watching him grow in leaps and bounds, I have still felt as though something has been missing...

At many points during my time as a stay at home mom I have felt an extreme loss of independence. Before Brendan came along I relished my time alone and loved keeping actibe and busy in a number of ways through my coursework, volunteering, etc. When Brendan was born I did what every mother does naturally and put life aside and took on my role as a mother 110% in that transition I lost a lot of what really made me independent and happy. When I was working on my undergraduate thesis I felt that independence come back. When I was working full-time last summer a small part of my "independence void" was filled but my "nurturing mother void" prevailed and I couldn't fathom working full-time and being a part-time mom.

Over the past few weeks I have realized that I really want to go back to school. I had always planned on going back to do a Masters but just didn't know when. As Brendan is learning new things everyday (see evidence below) my own personal growth and breadth of knowledge has been waning. I'm certain the answer to my fulfillment is to jump back into academia. This new endeavor will allow me to be a full-time mom and part-time student. I think this is my perfect balance. I have been working hard on my application for the Fall and hoping and praying that all the pieces fall into place. As for our baby plans... they are still in place even though I have decided to pursue this large venture. After much thought I felt that I didn't want to not take advantage of the opportunity to go back to school while I am in the right mindset. When I get pregnant I'll work out the details then but for now..here I go! Oh...and I officially start sewing classes this month - YAY!

Learning how to walk the dog and LOVING it!

I taught him how to make snowangels. He thought it was great :)

The Perfect Holiday

2010-01-03T20:20:00.000-08:00

Christmas eve was spent wrapping gifts and enjoying champagne and Christmas music after Brendan was in bed.

Christmas morning in this house was spent enjoying a hot cup of coffee and watching the wee one open a ton of gifts and try out each and every one before opening the next.

(Very proud of my value village find - the xmas table cloth, also the tree from our own christmas tree farm and the beautiful flowers on the table from my dear husband since I was having a less than great week the week before Christmas. Not so proud of our old dining room windows in the background that need replacing but at the very least need a curtain to cover up the awfulness)

Then we went on a Christmas morning walk

Made Lentil Soup

Made Super Charge Me Cookies - found here and they were AMAZING

And to top it all off we ate some greasy chinese food!

New Years was spent with Ryan's family at his sister's house playing good old fashioned pond hockey. Unfortunately the ice was a little soft on top so no skating could be done. This is the 3rd year she has had a New Years Day event and it is quickly turning into a tradition. Lots of fun was had indeed!

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

2009-12-29T11:25:00.000-08:00

I feel like it has been awhile since I have given an update (or updated myself) on Brendan's latest developments as a 20-month-old. This year Brendan learned to associate and say "Santa". When asked what Santa says he promptly replies "HoHo!"

(A minor note on the photo above - being a procrastinator, I sent Ryan to wait in line with Brendan at the mall for 2 1/2 hours on Christmas eve day to visit Santa. Which Ryan understandably grumbled about considering he never visited Santa as a child. In an effort to make Santa affordable to everyone since many autoworkers in Oshawa were hit hard this year, photos at the mall were free and e-mailed to individuals for printing. I must say...you certainly get what you pay for - in this case not much. I'm really resenting the cheesy Oshawa Centre border and the fact that you can CLEARLY see the mall in the background. Why oh why did I not take him to the Pickering mall where Santa was brought in from Vancouver and there is an actual classy backdrop. oh well...next year)

Back to developments.. I have been noticing good and not-so-good changes and he seems to be growing both physically and developmentally in leaps and bounds lately.

The Good

- Communication skills are improving - he has just started using two words together although not necessarily in the correct order

- He is absolutely loving baths and requests them now "BAAFF"

- Loves music - any thing from playing the piano at my in-laws to playing with his new xylophone and singing and dancing to Barney and his new little mp3 playing stereo

- Although he is resisting some foods previously enjoyed, his tastes are expanding and his favourite foods right now are any fruit, cherry tomato, cucumber, peppers. Any round fruit or vegetable are all called "buberries" to him!

The Bad

- Protesting regular activities such as diaper changes: "Brendan, can I change your diaper?" "No" this is often followed by extreme fussiness

The Ugly

- Temper tantrums in public places. Today. The library where he wanted to push around the basket that had a handle and wheels and then when it was time to go he screamed at the top of his lungs while I carried him and made my best attempt to check the books out.

- Resisting bedtime with everything he's got. For awhile he tried to play us by asking for the opposite parent when we tried to put him to bed but it didn't take long to figure that one out. Now he tests us by playing with his bottle - not wanting it, wanting it, throwing it, spitting the contents out. A number of nights recently have been ending in him wailing at the top of his lungs for 5-10 minutes before falling asleep. It breaks my heart to hear the little man sad.

Penniless and Blessed

2009-12-21T11:11:00.001-08:00

Today I came across a really great article. Shuns organized sports which I don't necessarily agree with but on the whole is a great article!

http://mothering.com/green-living/penniless-and-blessed

Living more sustainably and saving major $$$

2009-12-21T09:08:00.000-08:00

As a single income family, we already try to cut back on a lot of unnecessary expenses and excess consumption. This is sometimes difficult, especially at Christmas time.

We had an awesome CSA foodshare this summer that was DELIVERED to our house weekly and included fresh eggs. We got a 1/2 share and had enough veggies and fruit that we were giving some of it away to neighbours and family. It was roughly $18/week for 22 weeks. I have yet to find somewhere close that has reasonable winter shares. Unfortunately here there aren't too many options besides big chain grocery stores for the winter. In Peterborough where we used to live during my university days, the Farmers Market ran all year round. Sigh...

As for meat.. I have been trying to wean it out of my diet although have found myself eating it purely out of convenience. It is hard to cook different meals for my household. I have however made an effort to buy only free range organic local meat. My husband grew up eating far more meat than any person should - meat at every meal. He is also a hunter and an angler and has grown up like that all his life. We usually have moose, venison, turkey or fish in our freezer which cost barely any money and my husband eats happily. I'm not too keen on the taste. I also have a friend whose dad owns a cattle farm where all the cattle are raised hormone free, grass fed, and free range. It is a rather small family farm. Unlike the ground beef at the supermarket, there is no red dye either and it comes in compostable packing for $3/lb. This has saved me from shopping at the grocery store for meat for the past year or so. When we do need meat we don't have I have been able to pop around the corner and get some from our neighbourhood butcher - a small business owner.

Coffee - I have had a few too many Tim Horton's lately and my husband too. We vowed that a new coffee maker - a programmable grind and brew with a thermal carafe - for our wedding would eliminate the need to buy coffee out, especially from big franchises but HONESTLY there are next to no small cafes in this city and even fewer small businesses. Oh how I long to be back in Peterborough. When we do get around to making coffee at home these days, our brand of choice is Kicking Horse coffee. It is fair trade and organic and deeelightful!

I am happy to say that as of the end of January we will be replacing our 1980 100 AMP forced air electric furnace which is hugely inefficient and in the winter runs us electricity bills of $500+/month. EEP. We have gone high efficiency natural gas. I know.. with electric you can purchase green energy but I still think that by switching to gas we will be HUGELY saving both in our pocket and in our consumption.

This year I have tried to cut back on the number of gifts and the number of new bought gifts. I was able to find some nice things thrifting - including a present for myself..a pair of NEW Aeropostale jeans for $12 at Value Village :) With my last minute shopping it has been hard to economize this way and the number of crafted gifts significantly diminished. Many christmas recipients this year will be recieving vegan cookies!!

Where did the Fall go?

2009-12-19T13:16:00.000-08:00

This is where I've been spending most of my December... yup.. the family tree farm up north.

I must admit.. I had planned on blogging atleast once/week. But life has seriously gotten in the way. I've been so busy I haven't had a spare moment to myself except for to check various blogs which I love reading. The Fall had such nice weather and then all of a sudden BAM... crazy cold and snow. The weather even made me put off Christmas shopping. So here I am starting my shopping on December 19th. I found some FABULOUS stuff thrifting today that I am so excited to give in a weeks time. Something about finding or making the perfect unique gifts is so much more rewarding than buying a gift certificate at the mall or giving cash. Not to mention the malls are crazy these days. I'm absolutely loving seeing the wonderful x-mas gifts all of you have been busy crafting or purchasing.

Just another one of those nights

2009-11-19T00:32:00.000-08:00

It has been one of those nights. Clearly since I'm blogging at 3:30am. We just broke a fever finally and my little man is finally sleeping for now. 11pm he woke up quite distraught but once I got him he seemed fine. He was boiling hot to the touch so I checked his temp. - 102F. Do you think I could find any fever medication for him...nope. Ryan suggested I put him back to bed since he was chatty and otherwise seemed fine. He happily took a bottle so had no diminished appetite. He woke up again at 1am at which point the fever was still there and I had to go out to the nearest 24 hours Shoppers Drugmart to get some medication. After I gave him the medication I could not get him to go back to sleep. The sad, sick little boy in his crib was a happy, extremely talkative energetic little boy outside of his bed. Clearly this boy just doesn't want to sleep. Therefore I sat in emotional dilemma...on the one hand I reminded myself that I have a sick child with a proven fever that needs all the love and nurturing I can give him. Yet on the other hand part of me thought that he was totally playing me since he's as happy as ever outside of his bed. It was really an emotional battle. Not for Ryan though. If Brendan is eating, talking and wanting to play - regardless of fever - Ryan is more than happy to go to sleep with his mind at rest while Brendan is fussing in the other room because "he must not be that sick if he wants to play" I think fathers must be wired differently. My emotional motherly side says make the child happy and my rational outsider viewpoint says.... most likely the husband is right.

Whoever said being a mother is easy clearly hasn't had kids.

Maybe I do have a crafty side!

2009-11-06T19:40:00.000-08:00

May I present.. MY VERY FIRST COMPLETED BLANKET! (ignore my 70's recliner) I've always loved doing artsy/crafty things. However... most of the things I have attempted have not turned out so nice, I've gotten bored or I've quit after experiencing slight difficulty aka. knitting, crochet, even cross stitch but this... this blanket was foolproof! You'd never know it wasn't quite rectangular or the fringe isn't evenly spaced. This was a project I started in the summer for Ryan's cousin's daughter, Zoe, who is 8 months younger than Brendan. We got one for Brendan last winter from a family friend and absolutely loved it. The one I made for Zoe, has a pink fleece side with hippos on it and a flat purple side. I was complaining to Ryan tonight while I was finishing it off about how I hate measuring and I couldn't get anything even and never to let me start crafty projects again because I always end up not liking them or failing horribly. WELL let me tell you, when I finished doing all the knots I was so proud I decided I will just have to make 2 more. One for each of my neighbours who are expecting this winter :) You can get the directions for yourself here. These would make AWESOME christmas gifts as you can choose a million different patterns and colours of fleece.

Now for the Halloween pictures of my little skeleton. We just layered him underneath and put his coat on and left it open. He can be a skeleton every night now because his costume was a pair of $10 glow in the dark pyjamas! His hat was $1 from the Dollarama and his bucket also $1. Can you tell mom doesn't like to spend a lot on costumes and loves to repurpose yet still be unique. Believe it or not I had a ton of people ask me where I got his costume.. and my slightly embarassing response in my head was "they are actually $10 pyjamas because I'm too cheap to spend $40 on a one time use kids costume". Actual response - "from Walmart" also slightly embarassing for the fact that I shopped there but how many places are there to get costumes really.. but plain and simple..no need to know they weren't in the costume section and they may or may not have been on a clearance rack heheheh

New Moon, New Start

2009-11-05T05:55:00.000-08:00

Since being sick all week has left me bored and in bed I decided to pick up my half read New Moon book from the Twilight Saga. Brendan has been staying with my sister this week so he doesn't catch the flu. In my eyes avoidance is a far better precaution than vaccinating with a questionable vaccine.

I started reading New Moon months ago only to become uninterested and put it down. It seemed like perfect timing to start reading it again right before the new movie comes out this month. Although I thought the first book was wayyy better than the movie. I think the movie coming out sometime mid-month might just out do this book - or I hope so anyway.

In other exciting news.. I have decided this year we will make the most out of our health benefits. Ryan's plan covers massage and naturopath doctors so I will be going to both! Since having Brendan 18 months ago I haven't quite felt 100%. I don't know if it is from the new stress of being a parent or changed eating habits (I never felt healthier than when I was pregnant and eating very well, taking vitamins, getting appropriate amounts of exercise). Once Brendan was born I felt like I didn't have the time to eat healthy the way I had while pregnant. I would just scarf down anything quickly while he was napping for 20 mins - truth be told I probably lived off grilled cheese for the first 3 months. Now he is starting into that convenience food stage where he prefers finger foods like grilled cheese or fish sticks which has made it even harder on me to eat well. I don't know if I've mentioned it before but I breast-fed Brendan solid for 8 months. During that time I lost all of my pregnancy weight gain and then some. When I was pregnant I only gained 25 lbs. Brendan was a month early. I haven't been able to gain any weight back. Surprisingly.. because the way I've been eating has been a far cry from healthy and balanced. I have been eating way more meat which I am not happy about and I really do notice a big decline in the way I feel but I have needed the extra iron in quick doses. I'm hoping the naturopathic doctor can help me to get back on track so that when we are expecting baby #2 I am in great shape nutrition and otherwise.

Books, Books and More Books

2009-10-19T09:23:00.000-07:00

Recently I have become addicted to a book trading website - BookMooch!. This website allows users to trade books they no longer want for points. These points allow you to "mooch" books from other people. So far I have sent 2 books (one to Italy and one to the US) and it didn't cost me too much. I have already recieved the Time Traveller's Wife which I am so anxious to read and am waiting on another book for a Christmas gift. Whoever came up with this site was a genious! Now I just need to find the time to read them and get them back on my list to give so I can recieve some more good reads!

Brendan got a box full of kids books from his cousins. I have decided I will read every book in the box to him between now and Christmas. There have to be some that he likes. Right now he is far to busy to be interested in reading with me but I'm going to read them to him regardless, even if he just plays while I read. This morning I made and canned homemade applesauce from the apples Brendan and I picked a couple weeks ago. It felt really nice to get back to cooking and baking. We have been eating too much convenience food lately which has left me feeling less than healthy and energetic and my eczema rediculously worse. So my fall resolutions... back to the basics..more me time.. get organized for Christmas

Getting Back in the Groove

2009-10-16T03:22:00.001-07:00

I realize that I haven't posted on here in oh so long. We've been so incredibly busy since the wedding but I'm BACK!

Re-cap of September:

- My first month back home not working. Yay!

- Our first month trying for baby #2..unsuccessfully but fun anyway :)

- The long weekend we went 5 hours north to the family cottage. Brendan wore his life-jacket that we got him from a yard sale for $2 this summer the whole weekend and loved it!

- Brendan's first haircut (see below!) we went to a kids chain called Melonheads - what a great first time experience! He sat in an airplane shaped bucket seat and played with toys and bubbles, there was a tv on the wall playing cartoons, the hair dresser cut away at his hair while he played, at the end he got a free ride on their resident horse hehe and a certificate with his picture and first lock of hair.

Yeah.... my kid wouldn't wear the cape!

- We joined a Durham mom and baby group and did a mall outing and met lots of other moms and babies. Mostly boys and mostly younger than Brendan. This made me realize that there really aren't too many stay at home moms out there. After talking to many of the ladies I came to the conclusion most really don't want to go back to work, some dreading it but really don't feel that they have any option otherwise. I feel incredibly priviledged to be able to stay home with Brendan but this is a choice that my husband and I made together to give up some of the non-necessities and I've never been happier. For whatever reason it is, I still always feel the need to mention to other women who inquire about my decision to stay home that I do have a university degree..unfortunately they are always surprised to hear this. I hope that in the next few years there will be a shift in thinking and that the stigma now associated with women who stay home to care for their children as being less educated or lazy might be put to rest. Dr. Phil the other day had a show on Stay at Home Moms vs. Working Moms and concluded that working moms have better socialized and rounded children?! I do understand the benefits of daycares for social interaction but what about the stay at home mothers who go out and do activities with their children and teach them manners and other important socialization skills one on one? Apparently in Dr.Phil's books that counts for nothing. sigh.

Wedding Day! (mixed up)

2009-08-29T07:21:00.001-07:00

T-Minus 1 day!

2009-08-14T06:26:00.000-07:00

Sooo my big wedding is tomorrow. Lately I've been going a little crazy with the planning and find myself wishing that the wedding was just over - as awful as that sounds. All of the plans I had in the beginning...most of them I put into action but many of the final details have just been decided by me going with whatever was easiest. A decision I do not think I will regret. Man this wedding planning is hard work! Exciting news on the food front. I have been harvesting a lot from my garden these days. 1 summer squash (another on the way), a handful of grape tomatoes, spring greens, radish, calendula, and herbs. YUM. My CSA food share has been more than filling in the rest of our fruit and veggies and Ryan's meat from last fall's hunt is just about finished. Also, Brendan had his first taste of Yves veggie sausage (cut up and quartered of course) the other night and absolutely loved it. Yay!

Ryan picked up our tree favours earlier this week and they turned out far better than I had expected. We ended up paying a little extra but the farm wrapped each tree very nicely in a burlap sack and tied a dark purple ribbon around the top. Just have to finish printing out our instructions for the trees. I am hoping to get a final budget for our wedding posted after the wedding a la "2000 dollar wedding blog" style.

Tonight we are hosting our rehearsal dinner at our house. On the menu:
BBQ Chicken
Baked Potato
Corn on the Cob
Homegrown tossed salad
Caesar Salad
Key Lime and Lemon Meringue Pie
Strawberries from our foodshare

I'm really looking forward to relaxing on that beach now...

And He's Up and Walking!

2009-07-23T07:25:00.000-07:00

Finally... Brendan has been making fairly successful attempts at walking for the past week. He is almost 16 months old now. Ryan walked around 16 months and I walked around 13 months so he's bang on given his genes! His walking is resembling more of a run. He has learned if he goes slowly he is more likely to fall before reaching his goal. We keep on encouraging him. :). He has also made some attempts to use a spoon to eat his food.

The last two nights we have made some pretty healthy meals that Brendan has happily eaten. The first night I made some sticky rice (we found that this is the best rice for him to eat with his hands as it clumps when he grabs it) with black beans, peppers, and onion. I am going to add tofu to it next time, I think. He ate it up. Last night I made my own version of the maceroni and cheese from Deceptively Delicious by using brown rice pasta, 1/4 cup of pumpkin puree (very healthy!) instead of squash or cauliflower puree and adding the left over black beans from the night before. Brendan, Ryan and I all enjoyed it. The best part was it only took 15 minutes to make, including prep time and cleaning up after myself as I went. I like many of the recipes in this book and am always looking for ways to add nutritional content to foods that Brendan enjoys. I am delighted to report that he absolutely loves veggie pizza!

Sewing Project for the Wedding

2009-07-15T09:55:00.000-07:00

I am thinking about making my own napkins or table cloths for the wedding...but I do not have a sewing machine. I actually know very little about sewing machines and want to buy a fairly basic machine that will be good for small projects. I know that some good quality ones can be upward of $600. Clearly I don't have this kind of money...

Anyone have any suggestions on where to get one at a fairly good price? Brand name suggestions would also be greatly appreciated!!!

Honeymooning in Bruce

2009-07-13T19:18:00.000-07:00

In the midst of wedding planning we have also managed to plan a wonderful 4-night 5 day honeymoon in the Bruce Peninsula. When I was younger my parents used to rent a cottage in Sauble Beach on Lake Huron nearly every summer. I loved going there. I haven't been in quite a few years though and Ryan has never been. His one criteria for a honeymoon was a beach... mine was staying local and saving money while having a romantic experience. As you can see above. Sauble Beach has one of the top ten sunsets in the world!...truly amazing. I don't even feel bad in the slightest that we will not be going to some far off grand destination for our honeymoon. Ontario can be quite beautiful and it is all about spending time alone with eachother. Best of all... we're supporting Ontario tourism in this economic recession. I love it!

We are staying at bed and breakfasts for the 4 nights. The first two will be spent the closest to Sauble Beach so we can unwind from the wedding and sit on the beach. This B&B is the most private but also has a nice area outside for a nightly fire where guests can mingle (see below!) The other two B&B's will be further up the peninsula and are eco-friendly! The first one is an Edwardian style home (Same as ours - only much much larger) and we'll have a whirlpool tub and our own private balcony. The last B&B we'll stay at is a farm house that serves local and organic food :) For our meals, breakfast will be covered, we'll have a light lunch - maybe some picnics on the beach or wherever we are and then splurge for some fancy dinners. We usually do this sort of thing on all our vacations.. breakfast in the hotel..pack a lunch and have a very nice dinner. It will definitely be nice just the two of us.

So far our list of activities includes:

- Sunbathing on Sauble Beach

- Golfing

- Hiking the Bruce Trail (we plan on seeing the grotto). Likely we'll do outdoor activities every morning. We usually do when we vacation.

- Touring various historical light houses

- Taking a boat out to see the shipwrecks off Tobermory

- Visiting the Southampton Market

- Going to a drive-in movie (something we always used to do before Brendan)

- Buying some local artwork - a tradition my parents used to do on their anniversaries from Niagara-on-the-Lake or various places they travelled. This is something I'd really love to do with Ryan.

- Finding a live band to enjoy

SUGGESTIONS ARE WELCOME!

Big Wedding Update

2009-07-05T09:29:00.001-07:00

The wedding is in a little over a month and I haven't posted any updates lately.

Firstly, we have been getting many compliments on our homemade invites. Ryan and I spent two whole days crafting them and then several weeks gathering up the addresses, writing personal messages for some and addressing the envelopes. We ended up paying probably the same as a basic wedding invitation made. I can definitely see why most brides leave this to stationers. Never the less... we were quite happy with them too.

Ryan wrapped the ribbon on them so that they looked like little gifts.

This is what was on the inside.

Other exciting news.. we got a trial version of our cake in time for Canada Day. For those of you that remember, I was planning on making my own cake but those plans went out the window when I got a job. A collegue of my mom's who just happened to take the same decorating courses as I did is planning on starting up a business on the side and is going to give us a great deal on the cake. Here is the mini version! (chocolate inside - Ryan's request - and thinly rolled fondant on the outside because some people don't like the taste/texture of it but I like the look)

We have picked out the music for the ceremony and I'm quite happy with it. The procession will be the same song that my parents used at their wedding which is meaningful. Also, we asked my grandfather to do one of the readings which he happily agreed to do and then mentioned that he had been hoping to maybe sing a solo at one of his grandchildren's weddings and we happily agreed to having him do so :)

On the attire front, I bought a pair of shoes! My mother wasn't too thrilled they do not have a high heel but really I just wanted something where my feet wouldn't kill me by the end of the night AND most importantly something I could wear again. I have been dying to wear them to several outings this summer but refrained from doing so because it just wouldn't be right. This is a good sign that I will indeed wear them again.

And now, off to sort out Ryan and Brendan's outfits for the big day!

Happy Canada Day!

2009-07-01T12:32:00.000-07:00

Oh Canada!!!

From this half of the year on, I plan on blogging way more. I have been so busy with work I have little time for much else. This is part of the reason why I posted this beautiful picture of dawn in the country taken just 20 mins north of Oshawa at 6am one morning while I was driving Ryan to work at a site nearby. I have decided that unless I get the super awesome contract job I have just applied for, isn't worth it to work full-time, away from Brendan and with little time to garden, bake, blog etc. which I really enjoy.

Latest developments with Brendan:

- Running around behind a walker is his favourite activity. Close seconds are swimming in his kiddie pool, playing in his sandbox (a birthday gift from Ryan's sister) and climbing stairs or anything else he can climb

- His vocabulary consists of - Mama, Dada, Baba (bottle), Car, and Nana (for Banana). He has been trying to repeat many words we say to him.

- He has become the biggest fan of his daddy and sometimes wants nothing to do with his mama!. See evidence below!

Limbo....

2009-06-02T18:25:00.000-07:00

I cannot lie.. I am missing being a stay at home mom a lot. As I mentioned in my last post, I gave up cake decorating twice a week to spend time with Brendan since we only get 2 hours/day to see eachother. On the other hand...I also enjoy working and spending my days with adults having adult conversations. The two jobs I interviewed for which both sounded reall promising didn't come through. For both I was the second place candidate. I guess it wasn't meant to be. I've been reading through many many job boards and sending out resumes with not a lot of luck. My contract at my current job is up at the end of this month so hopefully something good will come along before then. But I really don't know...

The wedding is fast approaching. We got our quote for the alcohol from my brother (he owns a bartending company) which isn't nearly as expensive as we had budgeted for AND Ryan's parents have offered to pay for the alcohol which is pretty nice of them. So far we are on budget. I am hoping to get a nearly complete budget posted soon. I'm getting a little stressed out from all the planning and I think I will be really happy once the wedding is over and I can relax.

For now I leave you with a picture of Ryan, Brendan and our friend Chris and his son Andrew. Andrew is expecting a baby sister any day now!!! Also some other randoms like Brendan's first time eating pizza

Working Gal

2009-05-17T07:04:00.000-07:00

I feel as though I have been absent for a little while in the blogging world. This week was my first week in a new job and was it ever exhausting! Unfortunately, my new position involves an hour commute to work. Luckily I am against traffic both ways which is nice and it is somewhat relaxing to have that time to myself to gather my thoughts and clear my head. Although I do not love my job in this department as I did the previous department I worked in the summer before Brendan was born, I am happy to be back in the same organization, greatful for the experience in my field and have been applying for some year-long contract positions within the building. Last week I had two interviews (my boss has been more than accomodating giving me time off work in the first week to interview for other positions). Both interviews went well and sound fairly promising but competition is fierce and in this economy I really consider myself lucky to have even secured a summer position. So many of the people I know are without work right now or as young professionals entering into the workforce do not have much experience in their field and therefore cannot find any employment in the field in which they had hoped to work.

As far as smooth transitioning, this week did not go as I had hoped. I found when I got home from work I was so exhausted that on the two nights where I usually have cake decorating, I couldn't get organized enough to make it to the class and all I really wanted to do was spend the 2 hours I could with Brendan after not seeing him all day. Note daily schedule below...

6am - Wake-up --> frantically get dressed, wash face, put make-up on, make the bed
6:30am - Brendan wakes up/gets dressed/eats breakfast
6:50am - Load up the car and drop Brendan off with my sister
7:05am - Leave for work/eat breakfast on the road
8:30am - Start work
4:45pm - Leave work
6pm - Arrive home exhausted
8pm - Brendan's bedtime
9pm - Ryan's bedtime (I usually spend that hour with him)
9-10pm- Get everyone ready and packed for the next day/shower/clean up

On Wednesday, our babysitter gave us 2 weeks notice, saying that Brendan wasn't happy there because he couldn't interact very well with the other kids as he isn't walking or talking a lot and the other kids range from 2-5. Consequently he was proving to be a lot of work for her and she would prefer to watch only older kids.. so that SUCKED. But obviously I want the best for my son and for him to be in an environment where he is happy. Luckily my sister is not working and she said she would watch him for as long as we needed and Brendan is quite happy there. I think this will work out better for us anyway.

To top it all off.. I was sick as a dog from Mon-Thurs and now Ryan has gotten sick. We're spending our long weekend recovering. We also had a nice visit with my brother and his girlfriend last night.

Hopefully next week will be better.. much better if I get good news from one of the positions I am hoping to get!

Brendan's Birthday Festivities

2009-05-07T18:49:00.000-07:00

We have been fighting off some sickness.. high fevers and coughs = not too much fun 'round these parts lately.

Last Sunday we celebrated the little man's birthday by hosting a BBQ for close friends and family. The little guy loved his gifts - two fisher price farms and two shape sorters are hits haha. Brendan enjoyed a homemade Turkey burger and a slice of store bought, sugar-loaded vanilla cake. I was really planning on making him a carrot cake for his birthday but Ryan and I were at a marriage preparation class all weekend (a requirement from the church in order to be married) and so my sister convinced me to let her buy him a cake from the store. The marriage prep course was not religious in the slightest and both Ryan and I walked away from it feeling that it was incredibly worthwhile and helped us to talk about things that we hadn't yet talked about after 4 years of being together, living together, and looking after a baby and toy yorkie (that needs almost as much attention as the baby). I think that it has strengthened our relationship and opened our eyes to areas of improvement and healthy conflict management. Also noteworthy...Ryan has done a significantly larger share of the household tasks since attending this course!!

I am knee-deep in job search/interviews/small contract work offerings. I should have more to say on this after next week.

On the plant front, I need to plant some more tomato seedlings. I don't know what happened but I am left with one little tomato plant. Lately my plants have been basking in the nice weather and sun on our front porch. I even leave some of the larger ones outside overnight now.

Happy 1st Birthday to My Little Man

2009-04-30T05:21:00.000-07:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEAR BRENDAN

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!!!

Today is Brendan's 1st birthday. I cannot believe a year ago he was just hours old. We are having a little BBQ with close friends and some family this Sunday to celebrate. I cannot wait to see him dig into the cake I will bake for him.

I thought I had at least a couple years before the "birthday excitement" starts but unfortunately... the birthday boy decided to wake up for good at 5:30am..joy. I am really happy though that I get to spend the day with him..just the two of us. We are going to go to public swim later on this morning and then hopefully to the park this afternoon.

At 1 year, some of his most recent developments are:

- Sleeping 12 hours through the night!!!!!!!!! (About 2 weeks ago he started sleeping from 8pm to 8am. I honestly never thought I would see the days of getting 8 hour sleeps again. A downside to this is how much harder it is for me to get out of bed now)

- Trying to push objects that he can stand at

- Waving at himself in the mirror and when people (live or on tv) wave at him

- Finally understanding the word no.. but also how to manipulate us by giving the quivering lip

- Saying uh oh - though he doesn't use it right

I'm sure there are more that I am forgetting... but I thought I'd post some of his very first pictures of my then 5 pound boy

Wedding Update

2009-04-18T19:39:00.000-07:00

So.. The wedding is less than 4 months away now. I hadn't really been keeping track but yeah! Someone better light a fire under my ass now. So much to do still!

This past week I feel that I got a whole lot done.

- Finished off the guest list (106 people!)

- Narrowed down my colours: Peach, Green, Gold and Purple - I didn't want a theme but it is looking a little like what I would imagine to be A Midsummer Night's Dream themed wedding

- Got my flowers all sorted out with our local flower lady who operates out of her basement. She did the flowers for a friend of mine's wedding. We are doing the reception flowers on our own. For all the bouquets etc. for the wedding party the cost came to $350 including delivery...I plan on doing up a budget in the near future to highlight all the amazing deals I have been getting.

- Arranged to meet with the organist who has offered to provide her services free of charge! I've known her for quite some time from the church my parents went to since I was born!

- Got fabric swatches for the bridesmaids dresses. We are having my mom's seamstress make the dresses at a very reasonable price. I have decided to let the girls choose their own styles and they will all be in the same green stretch satin material. Gold shoes!

- We have been having some trouble deciding on a honeymoon destination. We are only planning on going for a 4-day weekend, likely in September, because we feel a week would be too long to leave Brendan and hard for Ryan to get off work. Ryan wants to go to a beach and drink but I really don't want to do something like that and it is hard to find an all-inclusive for only 4 days. Places like Mexico and the Dominican have also made me apprehensive these days with all the recent misfortunes of Canadian couple travellers. I would love to go to NYC or somewhere in New England. I have thought about Quebec City too. I'd love to hear any ideas anyone might have of somewhere budget friendly, close by and where I won't go crazy with nothing to do. I know the point of a honeymoon is to spend time alone as newlyweds but honestly, I think I would go crazy secluded with just booze, a beach and a hotel room.

Sarah, my maid of honour, has offered to help me craft the invitations soon before her baby #2 arrives in less than 6 weeks. They found out this baby is going to be a girl! Yayyyyyy I can now actually buy some of the cute little dresses I always gush over in the stores while Ryan reminds me that we have a baby boy and that I'm looking in the wrong section! Another friend of mine who lives on our street found out they will be having a baby boy in September so Brendan will have a little friend on the street. So exciting. A few of the bloggers I follow have just had babies or are expecting babies too. I think this has got me thinking about #2. Thoughts of babies have been occupying my mind for the past couple weeks and has got me thinking that I would really like to start trying for another baby right after the wedding. I think a 2 year gap between children would be a nice gap and both Ryan and I have brought up the point that we feel Brendan will make an excellent older brother based on the characteristics that he is demonstrating right now such as his mild temperament, content with playing on his own or with others, and his independence - he won't sleep in bed with us anymore and is not cuddly in the slightest. But are we really ready to embark on that journey again? Sleepless nights... we are just finally getting some sleep now ahhhh I don't know!

Happy Easter!

2009-04-13T18:13:00.000-07:00

There were plenty of new developments this Easter. Brendan sprouted a second tooth and the first one is growing like mad. He climbed his first stair at my mom's house and he started blowing bubbles into the water during his bath today.He was spoiled and got a cute book called "Peek-a-Zoo" from my Aunt Donna, along with a stuffed chick. Mommy and daddy got him some new bibs. Bigger ones. He wont eat from a spoon often anymore so we needed the bibs with the food catcher. We tend to get him practical gifts for every occasion because we figure he isn't old enough yet to really get it and he enjoys the wrapping way more than any gift we give him. I guess this will probably change next year! Also, a couple weeks ago, Ryan's sister sent us a carload of toys her kids no longer play with and therefore our original Easter present idea of new toys - he seems bored with the old stuff - went out the window. Brendan wouldn't go down for a nap at all at our Sunday Easter Lunch with my family so inevitably this happened....I know I know...Valentine's bib!

On Saturday we went up to Muskoka to Ryan's parents place to celebrate with his family. The weather was gorgeous and we enjoyed a bonfire outside in the afternoon and a lovely dinner. Ryan's sister brought bubbles up. Brendan really liked them. I enjoyed dying eggs with Ryan's nieces. We had some sleep issues here too.. both in the morning and afternoon Ryan or I had to take him out for a car ride to get him to go down for his nap. Guess it was all the commotion.

All in all...Easter was a hit with this little boy!