A Moving Tale

Rocking Out

2012-01-28T09:02:00.003-03:30

I turned around and M had climbed up the rocking chair. Instead of getting her down, I made a little video of her.

Life is about to get scary!

Twas the Season

2012-01-12T12:57:00.001-03:30

So, Christmas happened. We flew out to Ontario to see Paul's family. The trip itself was fantastic. We were blessed by the use of my in-laws (2nd) car for the entire time we were there, so we were able to drive to see a few different friends who live in the area, as well as come and go as we pleased. It was one of the best visits for getting to spend a good amount of time with friends and family without feeling rushed or board.

This was the first year in the life of our family of four where G really knew what was going on at Christmas time. We have made a few traditions in the past, but this year was the first time that she noticed them and cared.
We had the big family celebration on Boxing Day, which was nice. We had our own little Christmas morning together with the girls.
This is also the first year I have really felt caught up in buying presents for my kids. Having a kid with opinions really makes a difference! But we limited ourselves (and I think this will become a tradition) to 3 presents: Clothes (this year it was the dresses in the above pic), a book and a toy. Plus a stocking with a few things and chocolates in it (M was thrilled with the orange in her stocking and didn't care about much else).

The other exciting thing that happened while we were there was M's baptism. Paul's mom, Nancy, is a priest and so it was really special for us to have her baptize our daughter. When G was born, we were attending an Anglican church, so it was very natural to have her baptized. But with M, we were between churches when she was born and now we attend a Westleyan church, who do not perform infant baptisms. We wanted M to have the same experience as G, so Christmas afforded the perfect opportunity to be surrounded by our family and have her baptized into the church universal. M was a perfectly behaved baby during the whole thing and charmed everyone who met her. She's such a joy to have in our family.

Overall, aside from the not-so-great flights (what is WITH Air Canada? Do they hate people?), it was a fun and relaxing Christmas season.

What I could do

2012-01-10T12:37:00.001-03:30

I could post pictures of Christmas. I could tell you about our time in Ontario, our kids reactions to Christmas and the traditions we're starting to form. I could tell you about our bad experience with Air Canada and of our good experience with the ROM.

But I can't right now. All of that will come, but right now I'm upset. Our car was stolen. Over Christmas, it was parked in our apartment parking lot and someone noticed (or didn't notice) that it wasn't being used and took it.
The positives are: It was found, it was relatively undamaged and it wasn't torched (as the thieves in this town seem to like to do). We only lost one carseat, since we had one with us.
The negatives are: It's going to cost us out-of-pocket money to fix it, because we have crappy insurance. G's carseat, our stroller and some other random stuff was chucked out of the car, so we have to replace those things. It's taking time to figure out how it's going to get fixed, so that's frustrating as well.

Last year at this time is when we got Carl the Car and it was so very freeing. We discovered when we moved here that the transit system was pretty bad, and then it went on strike. I had quite a bit of trouble getting to the grocery store with a newborn, so we got our car. It made life so much better, and it really facilitated making some friends.
So, it sucks. It sucks to feel trapped in my house again. Especially without a stroller. I can carry M on my back for only so long and G can only walk so far. I can't really even use a car until we get another carseat.

On the positive side, we have friends now. Within a day of finding it stolen, we had three offers of rides and I was able to go to the grocery store. This would not have happened a year ago. I am so grateful that we've made so many connections in the past year.

So, I'll post more things soon and talk about the past month. But for now, I'm working myself out of this no-car funk.

Merry Belated Christmas.

2012-01-07T15:40:00.000-03:30

Paul and G sing Jingle Bells.

My personal favourite is at 1:12 when she yells out "Like a lightbulb!"

The Messiah

2011-12-19T00:16:00.002-03:30

It is nearly Christmas.

We were on our way to a party, and we needed to pick up goat cheese. The idea of the party was that everyone would bring pizza toppings, and we were bringing the ingredients to make a goat cheese, fig, and caramelized onion pizza (which is, incidentally, amazing). So with the kids in the back seat and snow falling heavily, we drove to the grocery store. I parked, while Jan ran in to buy the goat cheese.

I was listening to CBC Radio 2. They were broadcasting a concert from Copenhagen, the idea of which was to celebrate and promote world peace by incorporating Arabic and Jewish music into traditional Christmas music. They had an amazingly beautiful version of a number of pieces from Handel's Messiah, re-orchestrated with Arabic drums.

There's something about the beginning of the Messiah. The text is from Isaiah 40.

Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God.
Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: for she hath received of the LORD's hand double for all her sins.

I will admit that even when I was studying the Bible in university at CMU, I got choked-up in when we were studying Isaiah, and we got to chapter 40. I'm not sure I can fully explain why. The beauty of Handel's music only adds to the emotion, and in this performance the tenor (who was excellent) kept breaking away from Handel into Arabic music, which added a plaintive mystery and beauty to the already beautiful recitative and aria.

So I told G, "This music, that we're listening to, is very beautiful."

She listened quietly for a moment, then asked me "Is the man who is singing sad?"

"No, he's not sad. He's singing to God's people that they don't have to be sad anymore. He's saying: 'It's okay, you don't have to cry'"

"Why is he saying 'it's okay'?"

"Because ... God's people don't always do what God tells them to do. And when God's people do bad things, sometimes God punishes them. But here God is saying that their punishment is over. God is saying that they don't need to be sad, that they don't need to be punished. God is saying 'I forgive you'".

She thought about that for a moment.

"Like how when I do something bad you forgive me?"

I was feeling emotional already, and at this point I could barely keep it together enough to say, "Yes. Exactly like that."

It is an amazing thing to watch a child learn, to watch a baby learn to sit, and crawl, and stand, and talk; to watch a toddler learn to express her ideas, and show off her memory, and exercise her imagination; to watch a child discover the world, and God too. And it's humbling to think that I am responsible (partly) for teaching her. Human fathers fail to be a fitting mirror for our heavenly father. But what I want to do is be the kind of father who can be an image to my daughters of God's love. And I know I will fail, but I want to try. To hear my daughter describe me that way, even for a moment,--to hear her think: "What is my daddy like? What does he do? He forgives me." is almost unbearably moving. It is exactly the kind of father I always hoped to be. It also makes me think of God so differently to think that God's love for me is like my love for my daughters. It was an insight, on an emotional level, to realize that God forgives Israel--that God forgives me--just like I forgive G: easily and endlessly.

I said, "I love you, G", and we listened to the concert, until Jan came back with the goat cheese.

The Unsolved Mystery of the Blocks

2011-12-16T15:52:00.001-03:30

So here's what happened. Back in the spring of 2009, G was 6 months old. We had found a bag of 60 wooden alphabet blocks at a thrift store for $6. It was a steal and we loved them. But, G was a little young for them, so we put them in an ice cream container and put them on our windowsill. We brought them down a couple times for her to play with, but they kept ending up all over our apartment. So we put them away on the sill until she was a bit older. A few months later, I went looking for them. They were missing. I didn't think much of it, assuming they'd turn up eventually.
In the summer, we moved apartments, across the street. I kept thinking "they'll turn up in the move". Paul thought so too.
We packed up our entire apartment. Everything we owned went into boxes and went across the street.
The blocks did not turn up! We searched our new apartment to no avail.
The two of us are positive that we never took them out of the house, we had no reason to. The window ledge they were on was the second floor with no easy access from the outside. Both of us remember that they lived on that ledge.
This was almost 3 years ago, and it still bugs us. What happened to the blocks? Where did they go?

We have been thinking about them again since we bought M wooden blocks for her birthday. It seems like the most logical, Holmes-esque deduction is that someone stole them. But who? And why?? I can't imagine any of our friends stealing them. Plus many of them knew the story of our missing blocks! They had opportunity to bring them back if they took them. How do you walk out of someone's house with an ice cream pail without them noticing?

It's like they fell into the black hole of oblivion. I may not, I almost certainly will not ever find out what happened to them, but it will bug me forever.

Hipster Family

2011-12-14T23:42:00.001-03:30

Bein' Silly

Christmas Books

2011-12-13T16:41:00.000-03:30

It's my favourite time of year for reading! We had a Dickens Party on Friday, complete with Plum Pudding and Smoking Bishop. We read all of A Christmas Carol aloud to each other and it was fantastic. It took about 3 hours to read the entire thing and since the wine was a-flowing, the ghost of Christmas Past was a bit more rollicking then usual. We were all pretty happy to call out "God Bless Us, Everyone" in unison at the end.

I have discovered two books in the past few years that have become my favourite ones to read for Christmas. They are not as commonplace as A Christmas Carol, but both are fantastic. I don't yet own either of them, but I may just have to buy them soon.

The first is Mortimer's Christmas Manger by Karma Wilson.

It's the story of a mouse who climbs the tree and finds a nativity scene. Every night, he drags all the pieces out, including baby Jesus and sleeps in the manger until he hears the story of Christmas told by the family who lives in the house. He has a change of heart and realizes who it is that he's been dragging out of bed each night. It is an unexpected ending to a very sweet book, and one of the few picture books I've found that tells the true meaning of Christmas in a meaningful way.

The other book is The Christmas Mystery by Jostein Gaarder.

Gaarder is the author of the fictionalized history of philosophy, Sophie's World and the fantastic twisting, turning tale The Solitaire Mystery. He writes in Norwegian, but most of his books are translated to English. The Christmas Mystery weaves the story of a boy who finds an old wooden advent calendar with the story of a young girl many years earlier. The narrative draws you in and twists and turns. I couldn't put it down. Like Mortimer's Christmas Manger, it manages to tell the true story of Christmas without being explicitly about the Nativity.

If you get a chance to read either of these books this Christmas, I highly recommend them!

One Year Old

2011-12-05T16:00:00.001-03:30

Today wee little M is one year old. I took a monthly photo of her with the same toy, starting at 2 months old.

One month old, without the toy:

Two Months

Three Months

Four Months

Five Months

Six Months

Seven Months

Eight Months

Nine Months

Ten Months

Eleven Months

One Year Old!

Get Yer Own Tim's, Mommy.

2011-11-30T12:55:00.001-03:30

Almost-wordless Tuesday

2011-11-29T08:22:00.001-03:30

Middle Cove: still beautiful in the winter

First Snow Day of the Season

2011-11-26T11:09:00.001-03:30

This week, we got winter. I drove home from my Wednesday bible study with barely a few flakes. When I went to bed around midnight, the ground was pretty much bare.
When I woke up at 7am on Thursday morning, this is what I saw:

Over the course of Thursday, almost 30cm of snow fell. The university was closed, so Paul stayed home for the day.

There is something about snow days that makes me want to make them awesome. There are many regular days when I'm at home the majority of the day, but on a day when the snow is so thick that there's not a chance of going anywhere, I want to do fun indoor things.
So, after making a great snowman out of the super-sticky snow:

We made salt dough ornaments to go on our Christmas tree (going up this Sunday!).


(Eagle-eyed readers may spot the Mario-inspired ornament)

Salt-dough ornaments are super fun and easy. They turned out better then I thought. G was very excited about them, even when we told her they were not for eating.

(Please excuse my lack of food-photography skills.)

I made doughnuts for the first time! They were super tasty. I recently acquired a candy/deep fry thermometer and it made all the difference to this endeavor.

2011-11-21T18:44:00.001-03:30

In just 2 weeks, this little girl will be one year old. Can you believe it?

I sure can't!

The Many Robins

2011-11-20T18:00:00.001-03:30

G: Daddy, you be Batman, I'll be Robin!
Paul: Okay, you're Robin.
G: There are lots of Robins.
Paul: Lots of Robins?
G: You know. There's Robin, Robin Hood and Little Red Robin Hood.

Weekend Trip

2011-11-18T14:04:00.001-03:30

We took a bit of an impromptu trip last weekend and it was great to get out of the city.We suddenly realized that with a car and no church responsibilities, we were free to go away for weekends if we wanted, so we packed up last Thursday and rented a cabin in Port Blandford for a couple of days, spending one of the days driving up to Bonavista (which is the end of one of the peninsula's of central Newfoundland).

Impromptu trips are fun, but can have their ups and downs.
The cabin was great. It was a cozy little place with 2 bedrooms. We don't own a playpen or anything, so we managed to make a bit of a nest in an open closet for M. It worked perfectly.

I forgot to bring our highchair, but M sat happily on our laps to eat. Parenthood does not have to be about bringing tons of stuff! We managed to bring all the things we needed for the weekend in one suitcase, our backpack diaper bag, a grocery bag and a small cooler. I'm pretty proud of that.

It was an absolutely beautiful drive. No rain, cool, crisp fall weather without being too cold.

One of the major highlights was this amazing playground in Newman's Cove. It had all the fantastic old equipment from our childhood, but the upkeep was great. Teeter-totters, swings, slides... G was in heaven.

Plus the awesome Merry-go-round. They just don't have these anymore. It was a blast. A perfect place to get out of the car and run around.

However, the downs part of "ups and downs" came when we arrived in Bonavista. We stopped for gas and realized that we had left our credit card back in the cabin at Port Blandford, and almost-2 hour drive away. We had already pumped our gas and through a (horrible) comedy of errors*, we didn't have money in our usual bank account. After much back-and-forthing, we finally left them with a license and debit card and a promise that we'd drive back to pay.

*It is quite embarrassing. It was a such an idiot mistake. I transferred money from one account into another in anticipation of our trip and, very stupidly, transferred it OUT of our main account rather then IN. And that amount just happened to be all but $25 of what we already had in our account.

So, despite seeing Bonavista's lovely lighthouse and beaches, it put us in a bit of a bad mood to say the least. We will definitely have to go back when we're all feeling happy (and have cash in our pockets).

Paul made the 4 hour drive there and back the next morning in about 2 and 3/4 hours, with me staying behind and praying that he didn't hit any moose!

In the end despite the frustration, it was fantastic to get out of town and see new parts of this beautiful province.

The Five Stages of Wake Up

2011-11-15T09:37:00.001-03:30

As I lay in bed this morning, not wanting to get up, I came up with the five stages of (a non-morning person's) wake up.

Denial - It is not time to getup yet. My clock must be wrong. Is it daylight savings? Why isn't it daylight savings every day? For parents: Why is that kid up so early? I'm sure if I don't get up, they'll just go back to sleep. If I lay here very quietly, they will know it's still nighttime, even though it's light out.

Bargaining - Just five more minutes. I have to get up when it's an even number on the clock. I have to get up when there's a 0 on the clock. For parents: I got up last time,you get up. I got way less sleep then you, you get up. No, no, remember how I got up two days in a row? Now it's your turn.

Anger - Why aren't you gettingup, self? Now you don't have time for a shower/breakfast/getting dressed/warming up the car! For parents: Why is that kid still calling for me? Can't they just get up on their own? I TOLD you I got up last time!

Depression - Why did I sleep in so long? What is wrong with me? What's the point ofgetting up now? It's so late, I might as well just sleep longer...

Acceptance - Okay, that's it.I'm getting up.

Back to Writing

2011-11-09T09:58:00.002-03:30

If you had asked me as a five year old what I wanted to be when I grew up, the answer would have been "a tightrope walker". Quickly, I discovered this was not the most lucrative of careers.
But if you had asked me at eight, I would have responded "an author" or "a writer". That career goal did not change. For the majority of my life, I dreamed of being a writer. I wrote endless stories. From my first picture book "Happy and Easter in: Chester`s Birthday Party" (a self-illustrated book about twin rabbits) to short works of fiction based strongly on the works of Janette Oke, to teenage angst poetry. In university, I was able to take three creative writing classes and, while I strengthened my skills, I also met many others who were skilled at writing as well.
Then, I was discouraged. There were so many other writers who were better then me. I imagined the sheer number of people in the world who were better then me. I loved writing, but my goal of getting published suddenly seemed so very far away.
Discouragement can be a powerful thing. It worked its way into my brain like a spore, slowly growing and growing until I forgot about my childhood dreams. Slowly, I stopped thinking of myself as "a good writer", then even as "a writer" at all. I busied myself with other things, working for the library, having kids, as that spore of "not as good as other people" worked its way through my brain. There was a tiny part that stayed free, a tiny part that thought "maybe someday I`ll get back to that".
Then, we moved here. I started up a new blog, thinking it might give me some practice writing again (and it has), and more recently, there was a theme in both church and bible study about our life's journey.
What is my journey? I always wanted to be a mother, and I am one. But that cannot and will not be my sole identity. For awhile my identity was the library, and it may well be again, but I felt at a loss for what exactly my journey was. Then the tiny part of my brain spoke up "a writer". I remembered the dreams of my childhood, the hours spent handwriting stories on looseleaf.
See, writing's not magical. I know this. You're not really a writer if you don't write. My production is going to be bad at first, but practice will make it better.
So I've vowed to practice.
This month I'm participating in NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month), a quest to write 50,000 words in the month of November. The words I'm banging out now are not of the highest quality, but what they are to me is a habit, a daily writing habit to remind me that I love to write and it is a part of my journey and a part of my childhood dream. I owe it to that eight-year-old who told everyone she was an author.

How Superman Carves a Pumpkin

2011-11-01T06:00:00.000-02:30

Instead of breaking our knives on our incredibly thick-skinned pumpkin, we broke out the power tools.

Halloween

2011-10-31T14:31:00.003-02:30

...And after an unplanned month off of blogging, I am back.

So, it's Halloween! I always enjoy getting dressed up and getting my kids dressed up. This year has been a superhero year. G chose to be Green Lantern and the rest of the costumes easily fell into place.

Evildoers, beware!

At the local comic book store - we entered their costume contest.

I've been meaning to make a Batgirl hoodie ever since I saw a pattern online, and this year I finally had the time and energy to do it! Paul was Clark Kent (there is a Superman t-shirt under that white shirt), M was a baby Batman and I made G a Green Lantern costume.

G had a chance to wear her costume on Friday at Storytime, then again on Saturday for the contest at the comic book store and for a Haunted Hike at the "Boo-tanical" Gardens, again on Sunday for church and now today for Halloween!

We planned to go trick-or-treating, but the weather is very crummy right now. Windy with a side of rain. So, we'll see how much we actually end up doing.

"Tell it Backwards"

2011-10-01T11:36:00.000-02:30

Like most three year olds, G loves stories. If she had her way someone would be either reading her a book or making up a story for her at all times.

And, again like most three year olds, she likes to hear her favourite books over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over.

But when even she starts to get tired of the repetition, she asks of a little variation on the familiar. Lately she has a new request. "Read it backwards."

When you read "The Little Red Hen" normally it's a story about a hen who finds a grain of wheat and makes it into bread without anybody's help, and then eats the bread also with nobody's help.

But when you read it backwards it's the story of a hen who wakes up and invites all her friends to eat bread for breakfast with her. They say no thank you, but she likes the bread so much she decides to make another loaf. Then she sells some flour to the mill in exchange for some grain, and offers the grain to her friends. They say no thank you again so she ends her day by doing some gardening.

Normally "The Little Engine that Could" is the story of a broken down train that is eventually rescued by a little blue engine who takes them over the mountain.

But when you read it backwards it's the story of a blue engine who abandons her train after bringing it over the mountain. No other engines will help, until the dolls and toys fix a broken down engine which takes them back home.

And when you read "The Cat in the Hat" backwards it is exactly the same.

New Photographer

2011-09-29T15:47:00.002-02:30

G has discovered how to use our camera. Out of the hundreds of ones like this:

and this:

There are also some interesting ones from a tiny person's perspective.

And, of course, plenty of her sister:

Her Mommy:

And herself:

A Year on The Rock

2011-09-15T12:11:00.000-02:30

So, as of a month ago, we have lived in this wacky island province for a full year. It's hard to believe, but, looking at how much my kids have changed (namely that there are kids instead of kid), it kinda makes sense.

What I have learned this year in Newfoundland:

-it's not a hair barrette, it's a buckle
-the snaps on your shirt are called hapses
-the porch on your house may or may not be called a bridge
-You don't Honk or Beep your horn, you Barmp.
-Pepsi, not Coke
-As someone who doesn't come from Newfoundland, I am a CFA (Come From Away)
-As someone who lives in St. John's, I'm a townie. Everywhere else in Newfoundland is "Around the Bay", and the people from there are called Baymen, regardless of gender.
-I cannot get away with adding b'y to the end of my sentences yet (and I probably never will, since I'm a CFA)
-Jiggs Dinner is delicious, but unhealthy, because of the insane amount of salt
-Quidi Vidi Beer (pronounced Kitty Vitty) is the best beer I've ever had and has turned me into a beer drinker
-Everyone calls you "my love" "my darling" and "my son"(if you're male), even if they've just met you
-The appropriate thing to say about a cute child is "God love 'em." and "She's some sweet"
-Speaking of which, "some" means "very" (eg. It's some windy! It's some hot!")
-What you eat on your fries is dressing (like what you'd stuff a turkey with) and gravy. And it is delicious.

Things I've done in the past year include:
-Whale sightings (both from a boat and from shore)
-Puffin sightings
-Scooping up caplin from the beach - an amazing experience
-Driving up Signal Hill approximately 6,000 times (and never getting sick of it)
-Spending at least 20 afternoons lounging on the rocky Middle Cove beach (and really never getting sick of it)
-One great trip off the Avalon to see the beauty of Terra Nova National Park
-Eating lots of fish and seafood, including several lobsters

In the future, I hope to do more of the same, and see an iceberg and a moose.

It has been an interesting year.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-09-14T14:58:00.001-02:30

How to Hack your Ergo Carrier into an Impromptu High Chair

2011-09-09T16:44:00.000-02:30

I don't usually post stuff like this, but I love sites like parenthacks and getting tips from parenting magazines, so I thought I'd post this hack I came up with when G was small.

I love my Ergo Carrier so very very much. We used it for G for over 2 years, and we use it for M now. We have quite a few carriers (slings, wraps, a mei tai), but Ergo is the one I'd recommend if you were only getting one.
I've had a few times when I've been out with it to eat at a place that didn't have a high chair (or all of them were taken) like, for example, the Costco food court I went to today.
So I figured out a way to strap a sitting-baby to a regular chair just using my ergo.

Step one:

Turn the ergo upside-down, so the waist strap is at the top and the arm straps are at the bottom.

Step Two:

Buckle the waistband at chest height around the baby, then around the back of the chair (obviously, this only works on chairs that have backs). Pull it quite tight, so they are secure. They need to have head control, so this works best for babies from about 6-12mo.

Step Three:

Put the baby's legs through the sides of the ergo, bringing the shoulder straps back around the chair. Secure them together using the chest clip.

And there you go. Baby is secured to a chair, and you are able to eat your meal without a baby strapped to your chest, grabbing your food.

Special thanks to my very adorable model.

So...this happened

2011-09-08T08:55:00.000-02:30

I wish I could blame this on the kids, but, sadly, it was I who stepped on Paul's laptop in the middle of the night and caused this tear in the space-time continuum.

The Life of M

2011-09-07T15:51:00.001-02:30

First off: apologies for the lull. When life gets busy, it gets too busy to post! We've officially been living in NL for a full year. I'm sure I'll post a rundown of all the stuff we've learned soon.

Many of my friends and some of my family haven't met our fabulous little 9 month old, so I thought I'd tell a bit about her.

M is seriously mellow. We thought that G was an easy-going kid, but M is even more so. I don't know if I want to have any more kids, since these two have been so great (especially in the sleeping department). The first 9 months of her life have flown by.

M loves her sister. For bathtime, they start off together, then G gets time on her own to splash and play, and often M will come and watch her, pulling herself up on the side of the tub, a new skill she's been perfecting lately. G looks at her and she looks at G and has this ridiculously cute belly laugh.

She even puts up with being dressed up.

M loves food. She eats with gusto and has gone from purees to chunks of food in less then a month. She has loved everything we've given her so far.

Even a bit of corn on the cob.

She is way more "mouthy" then G ever was. I have to be so careful about what's on my floor, since she eats everything she can get her little hands on!

M is super-smiley. Anytime I have her out and about in the carrier, she always smiles for strangers. She happily goes from person to person in a group, with a grin for each of them. While G was already a talker by this age, M is a bit more quiet, but always observing with wide eyes.

Three Years Old

2011-08-25T16:47:00.002-02:30

So G turned three years old on Monday.

We gave her a very large box.

It was a trunk full of costumes.

Like Hats.

And a Superman outfit.

Then we ate cake. On her request it was Chocolate and Chocolate, shaped like a bunny.

"What did you get for your birthday, G?"

"PRESENTS!"

1922-2011

2011-08-23T11:07:00.001-02:30

My grandmother passed away on August 8th, the day before her 89th birthday. She lost her husband, my grandfather, ten months earlier. It was a surprise that she went so quickly after him, but I think she just didn't quite have the energy to fight illness after he was gone.

Grandma was the anchor, the matriarch of the family. She always knew what was going on in each of her children and grandchildren (and great-grandchildren!)'s lives, and kept us all informed.

Grandma wasn't one to share a great deal about her past, but I grew up knowing that she'd lost her first husband in WWII before marrying Grandpa.

She was a dedicated member of the legion, and I'll always remember her and Grandpa on Remembrance Day. I was able to take some pieces of her jewelry, and one of the things I took was a poppy pin, which I plan to wear in their memory every Remembrance Day.

Grandma seemed like a very practical person, she was concerned with down-to-earth things like getting dinner on the table and making sure to remember every birthday and anniversary. She was at our house many years ago when I was crying over my breakup with a boyfriend and she said "You're young, there's lots of fish in the sea." Frankly, it was exactly what I didn't want to hear, but she was right and that's the kind of thing she would say.

But she was sentimental too, and a packrat (a tendency I share). She kept every card and letter she'd gotten over the past 60 years, plus. It was neat to glance at a few of the letters my parents sent when they were young parents like me. Grandma was very English as well. She loved the royal family, tea and proper etiquette. Even at 88, she was up to watch the royal wedding earlier this year.

In short, I will miss her. I will miss them both. Even when lives are long, we cannot help but wish for more time with our loved ones.

Lots of things

2011-08-23T10:30:00.000-02:30

I've been neglecting posting and now I have a huge backlog of "events" to write about. So... hopefully this week I'll post about.

-My grandmother's death and subsequent trip to Saskatoon
-Flying with two small children on one's own
-G's third birthday

August has gone by in a blink. I can't believe it's the 23rd already.

The Fox and the Raccoon: a 2 year old's story

2011-08-04T15:05:00.001-02:30

G tells stories and asks for stories constantly. I recorded one for posterity a little while ago, and her storytelling has improved in the past seven months. So here is a story she told me this afternoon.

Once upon a time...
there was a little little little fox who lived in the middle of the tree:
And he said: "Why can't we eat crench?"

"No, No, NO" said the raccoon.

"But I want to" said the fox

"No no no, it's crumply" said the raccoon.

"We are going to get crench" said the fox "we are going to the woods"

"But I thought If we go to the woods, we must get ready to go"
said the raccoon

"But we must stay sitting next to the tree" said the fox

"French?" said the fox "Crench!"

"I don't know" said the raccoon " I don't eat any"

"Crench is not food!" Said the fox

"We should go to the city" said the raccoon

"No, we should just stay home" said the fox

"Yesterday" said the fox " We should just go yesterday"

Then the fox said nothing.
Then the world was back. The end.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-07-27T09:58:00.002-02:30

Making our own Sea Salt

2011-07-25T13:08:00.001-02:30

The thought struck Paul recently that we live near the ocean and can therefore make our own salt out of seawater. We searched a bit online and found that it was quite easy, so yesterday we tried it out.
On Saturday, we took a couple of empty 2L pop bottles to the beach (side note: Tons of whales! Maybe even a Fin Whale!) and filled them with sea water.

We then put that water in a big pot and boiled it away to almost nothing. Towards the end it started popping and sputtering like popcorn.

So, when it was more like wet salt then water, we spread the salt on a pan and dried it in the oven:

It came out looking kinda like snow:

We got just over a shaker's worth from 4L of sea water. Plenty to last us awhile, and we may never have to buy salt again!

Genuine Newfoundland Sea Salt.

Awesome Conversation

2011-07-22T08:21:00.000-02:30

Me: Who all lives at our house?
G: Mommy, Daddy, M and G.
Me: Is that it?
G: ...and Elephant Gerald.
Me: Yes, you have lots of animals and toys.
G: Oh, and God! God lives here too!

Little House & Cornbread

2011-07-16T11:12:00.001-02:30

We started reading chapters books to G recently. I love how kids can love all levels of books at the same time. She's entertained by the simplest board books (like the ones with a colour per page), loves to look at picture books and can sit still enough to hear about a chapter out of a bigger book.

Our first chapter-a-night book has been Little House on the Prairie. It has just enough pictures to keep her entertained. G can get a little restless, but I'm often surprised at how she'll parrot back what she's heard in the story. She loves the horses - Pet and Patty and often asks for pictures of them.
It's also given her her first nightmare, though! There's a scene with wolves and she got a little upset and a bit obsessed with wolves. We had to tell her "there are no wolves in Newfoundland" and she has repeated that mantra a few times.
I found myself feeling emotional with the descriptions of the wide prairie. I used to be able to leave the city and find myself on that prairie, with it's wide open skies. There are some that can't see the beauty in the prairie, but I always will. Newfoundland has spectacular views, but I do miss those rolling fields of wheat and canola, and the gorgeous sky.
I have always loved the way food plays a role in those books, especially the simplicity of the food. So, when I spotted The Little House Cookbook at the thrift store the other day, I grabbed it immediately.
G and I got very excited about making food from the book.

So we decided to make the very simplest cornbread recipe.

It was just fat, cornmeal, salt and water. And it turned out fairly well, though hard to get off the pan. G was a fan, I preferred mine with a bit of maple syrup.

Half Days on Wednesday

2011-07-13T23:28:00.000-02:30

I am lucky enough that I have the freedom to decide my own schedule. I’m a grad student, which despite how it may sound, IS a job. I get paid (not much, but some). I have work to do. If I don’t do the work, I don’t get the pay. But (right now anyway) the work is almost entirely product-based, which means nobody cares if I do it from 9-5 on Monday to Friday, or if I do it all in a 30 hour spurt on the weekend. As long as it gets done. So my schedule is flexible.

But since I want to finish my degree quickly I pretty much think of myself as having a 9-5 job. I go to my office (or study room) every morning, and come home at around 5 every day. I try to put my studying away when I get home so that I am really home and present for my family when I am home, not distracted.

My big exception to this is on Wednesdays, when I take a half-day and let Jan go off on her own. Sometimes she goes out in the morning, and sometimes in the afternoon. It doesn’t matter. I look forward to Wednesdays. Although I really love my work, Wednesdays are great for a lot of reasons.

Firstly, it makes me feel like a good husband, which is always nice. I love how happy Jan is after she’s had a chance to spend a few hours drinking coffee at Starbucks, or browsing at a used book store, or even just grocery shopping without two kids. She gets to have some time to herself–some time OUT to herself, and I like being able to give her that.

I also love being able to spend time with my kids and no one else. When G was a baby, Jan and I each worked part-time, and I got a lot of time with her by myself. I really believe it helped me be a better father, because I didn’t have anyone else to rely on or to pass the buck to. It was all on me. It was sink or swim. And that gave me a confidence, and a competence, but also a closeness to my daughter that I think would have come more slowly otherwise. I don’t get that as much with M, and I miss it. But on Wednesdays I get that. It forces me to build my parenting skills–to learn how to deal with two kids at once and no help–but it is also a chance to spend some undistracted time with my kids.

I know many dads don’t have the same flexibility I have, and aren’t able to just take a half day once a week. But I really can’t overstate how nice it is to spend time parenting without a net.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-07-13T15:02:00.000-02:30

Of Tents, Black Flies, Sandy Beaches, and Long Bible Stories

2011-07-09T23:41:00.000-02:30

There are so many things to say about camping this week, but over all it was fantastic. We drove out to Terra Nova National Park and camped with my parents for three days. They were in their camper van and we bought a tent for the occasion.
We've been told to prepare for anything when it comes to camping in Newfoundland - sun,cold, rain,even snow- but our weather was perfect. It was sunny and warm the entire trip. We were able to relax, and G loved being outdoors. We brought several toys with us, but she played with a bucket and shovel the entire time - digging up sand and dirt in the campsite and filling the bucket with rocks and pine cones.
Tenting with kids can be challenging, but we tried to be pretty relaxed about it and I think it worked. G slept on an air mattress and I think was the most comfortable of all of us. M slept between us quite happily.
The first night, it was quite hard for G to fall asleep, especially with it being light out. She talked to herself and played in the tent until it was dark and we came to bed. Even then, she had trouble settling, so Paul told her a story. He began with another tent-dweller, Abraham, and continued to tell the story of the Patriarchs from Genesis. He had just made it to Joesph when G was finally asleep!
On Thursday night, we went to the interpretive theater put on by the park staff. We were unsure if it would be worth it to go (especially to keep our kids up late), but it was well worth it. If you ever have the chance to go, do it, it's hilarious.

Other highlights of the trip included picking shells off the beach with G, discovering an actual SANDY beach up in Eastport and seeing some more of this big beautiful island we live on.

There were also a few lowlights of the trip as well! G got carsick on the way out which involved a bit of a detour to get Gravol, and a bit of a stink in our already hot car. The mosquitoes weren't too bad, but the black flies were awful (in the evening). Poor M got bites on her head and G got bites around her entire hairline. I counted about 30 bites when we got home, poor thing!!
The other sadness was that I forgot the memory card for our camera, so I have no pictures of my own! My parents took plenty, however, so when I get some from them, I'll stick a few here.

Whales!

2011-07-02T17:11:00.001-02:30

When we moved to St. John's, we had one goal: see some whales.**
This week, we totally accomplished our goal.

(there are no whales pictured in this picture, but there is a hilarious sign of a guy falling into a wave)

My parents have arrived, driving all the way from Saskatoon to St. John's in their camper van (you can read about their travels here). So we went out to Cape Spear with them on Wednesday and saw several humpback whales swimming off shore!

It was amazing to see them, and so very exciting for Paul and I. Neither of us had ever seen whales in the wild before, and it was one of things we had been looking forward to about living on the ocean.

Today, we went one step further and took a boat tour from Bay Bulls NL to see both the puffins and the whales. We forgot our camera (boo!) but we did see both! Tons of puffins, who are very cute and, as someone described them to me, like little flying potatoes. Unlike some of the soaring sea birds (gulls, etc), puffins flapflapflap their wings like crazy. It seems like they are constantly panicking that they'll fall from the sky. The colours on their beaks are very cool and G was very, very impressed.

But, of course, nothing can compare to the whales. We watched two humpbacks surface and flip their tales at us from about 20 feet away. It was exhilarating to see such a big animal so close, and fantastic to watch G get very excited. While others were oohing and ahhing and asking questions about white markings and fins, G asked the most important question of all...

"What are their names?"

**Note: we actually had many goals.

I's the b'y that catches the fish...

2011-06-27T18:53:00.002-02:30

The Caplin rolled in this morning.

Caplin are small fish, and every spring, they come to the shore to spawn. This means that thousands of fish are washing up on shore. So, if you're so inclined (and many are), you grab your bucket, your net and some rubber boots and head out to the shore. I was told awhile ago that "when you hear the caplin are rolling, drop everything- you get in your car and drive to the shore."

I read on twitter that the Caplin that they were rolling this morning, I did just that. Paul went off to work and I loaded the girls in the car and drove off to Middle Cove.

It was really cool. There were so many fish right there on shore. There were hundred of birds as well, diving down for the fish, which was pretty amazing to watch. I've heard that there can be whales, too, but we didn't see any.

But, G took a bit of a dive into the waves and soaked herself from head to toe. When we got to the car, I pulled off her rubber boot and poured out the water. So, we went home.

But we came back later with Paul.

It was pretty crowded. More people, but many of the fish had gone away or been caught.

We did manage to catch a few.

G was really into it.

Then she asked the fish gods to bless her (or something).

We took them home.

Dredged them in flour.

Fried them up.

And polished them off!

G was very, very fond of them.

Secrets with 2 year olds

2011-06-23T19:05:00.000-02:30

G: Daddy, close your eyes!
(he closes his eyes)
Mommy, close your eyes!
(I close my eyes)
Me: Now what?
Paul (peaks): She has her eyes closed too. G, why are we closing our eyes?
G: Because we have to have a secret!
Paul: Okay! (we all close our eyes)
G: Daddy, open your eyes. Mommy, open your eyes.
Me: Okay...
G: We all have a secret now!
(pause...pause...)
And I WIN!

Wordless Wednesday - Video Edition!

2011-06-22T10:12:00.000-02:30

So... this happened

2011-06-17T15:43:00.001-02:30

I need to write this down somewhere, so I can share how confused it made me.

G and I were at the library and I left her reading to herself in the kids area while I wandered a bit away looking for some books for myself (she was within maybe five feet of me). I heard her say "No! That's mine!" and so I came back and there is a little boy, about a head taller then her STANDING on the book she's reading - which is currently on her lap. He gets off, but he keeps trying to stomp on her foot. G is upset (obviously) and saying "No! Go away!" and (her favourite new phrase) "Don't look at me!"
The boy says "Oops! Sorry!" as he continues to try to step on her. So I intervene. I say "No, no, let's not step on her foot." "Oops! Sorry!"
So he grabs her toy (that was in her hand) away, and, of course, G screams "NO!" in her angry-toddler-that's-mine voice. "Oops! Sorry!"

Enter his mother.
She's kind. She pulls her son away, but then, we have the following conversation:

Her: How old is she?
Me: Almost three.
Her: Oh, when's her birthday?
Me: She'll be three in August.
Her: Wow, she's a couple months older then him! He's tall for his age.
Me: Yeah.
(The little boy tries again to take away G's toy)
Her: Sorry! He thinks that she's littler then him, so he can beat her up.
(to her son) She's older then you, so you can't take things from her.
Me: uhm...
Her: He doesn't know she's older then him. What size does she wear? 2?
Me: Yeah, mostly.
Her: She's older then you, sweetie, don't pick on her!
(They leave)

So... it would be okay for him to pick on her if she was younger then him? I do not understand. I guess she was just surprised that G is almost 3 since she's so small. But seriously! The reason not to take a kid's toy or step on them is because you don't step on another kid regardless of their age.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-06-15T08:56:00.001-02:30

Why I Like Waking up at 4am -- a Post by Paul

2011-06-07T23:37:00.001-02:30

I know I'm not supposed to, but I really like walking around my apartment with my baby at 4am, pacing and singing her to sleep.

Of course, I don't like having my sleep interrupted. I don't like to hear my baby crying, and I don't like it when M wakes up in the middle of the night--not exactly. And I don't like it when my singing and pacing doesn't work. But usually it does. And when it does, it makes me feel like a good father, which is a really great feeling. When M is crying, and I pick her up and she stops, I love that feeling. And when I rock her and sing to her, and put her back to sleep, and she stays asleep, I'm a happy man.

I really like getting up with her while Jan stays in bed. Mothers have a built-in mechanism for bonding with their children. Especially while she is breastfeeding, Jan has a virtually foolproof way of calming M. But we're trying to convince M to sleep through the night again and a big part of that is breaking the expectation of milk at 4am. Like her big sister, M was an amazing sleeper for her first 6 months or so. But just around the 6 month mark--just before in M's case, just after in G's--she started to wake up in the middle of the night. With G we just assumed it was a fluke and Jan fed her, until before we noticed it had become a habit for G to eat 3 or 4 times a night. With M we're determined not to make that mistake. She's not hungry. She just wants comfort. But M won't calm down in Jan's arms unless Jan feeds her--not in the middle of the night anyway, not when she wants milk. But she'll calm down in my arms. So for fifteen minutes, or half an hour, I hold my baby all alone, in a quiet apartment. Everyone else is sleeping and it's just her and me. And I rock her and sing to her, and she nuzzles in and falls back asleep, because my voice is as soothing as mother's milk.

So yes, I like getting up with my baby and walking around the apartment with her at 4am, singing her to sleep.

Just as long as it doesn't last for too long.

This Week is Picture Two

2011-06-07T13:35:00.000-02:30

The view from my window...

Sun:

Fog:

Vegetarian, sort of

2011-06-06T21:19:00.001-02:30

So, we've decided to go vegetarian for the foreseeable future. Well, not entirely vegetarian, we'll probably still eat fish and seafood. This isn't a huge leap, since we've been eating many meat-free meals in the past, but it's a leap, nonetheless.

Our reasons are threefold:
- I have issues with how factory farming works. I went to a Farm Exhibition last year and was pretty saddened by how they kept the chickens - and that was what they felt free to SHOW me! I read recently that every dollar we spend on factory-farmed meat is a vote for that meat, so I want to reduce my consumption of something I don't agree with.
-Grocery store meat is expensive and not that great for what you pay for. Grain-fed free range meat actually tastes better. So if we stop eating meat all the time, we'll be able to afford the expensive, more delicious stuff on occasion.
-Eating vegetables=more healthy. We have been trying to live by Michael Pollan's 7-word mantra "Eat Food. Not too Much. Mostly Plants." , and so going vegetarian for awhile will help us make healthy food choices. One of my favourite meats is bacon and I know that's terrible for me, so it's probably good for me not to eat that for awhile.

We're not going to worry about forcing our choices on anyone else, so we'll still eat meat at friends houses if they offer, or possibly if we go out to eat.

There was a small hitch in our plan, however. When we made this choice, we said we'd start when we'd eaten all the meat in our house. Somehow, we had a chicken, bacon, meatballs, a whole ham and sausages in our fridge/freezer. So, we've had some very meaty meals leading up to this. But now we have purged our fridge, so it's meat-free from here on out.

Our mantra, on our fridge.

Name that Houseplant

2011-06-03T17:26:00.000-02:30

When we first moved here, my family sent us a potted plant. It was big and gorgeous, but it had no instructions or list of what plants were in it. We have since repotted all five of them into separate pots.

We have our guesses as to what they are, but we're a little unsure. So, if you are plant-minded, or just like to google obsessively, here is your chance to guess what plants they are. We'd like to know so that we know how to take care of them and if they are at all poisonous to small people

Our best guess for this one is Begonia. It's kinda redish, greenish and has produced no flowers.

This is likely a peace lily. It has now flowered twice, but the leaves keep going yellow, so we're not sure what we're doing wrong.

We have no idea what this is. Kinda looks like the top of a pineapple.

This is Ivy, pretty much for sure.

Bamboo Palm? Some other kind of palm? Is this going to get big?

Okay, so this is definitely a Gerber Daisy. It's not part of the guessing, it's just cute.

This is also not part of the guessing, it's just awesome. We planted some orange and lemon seeds and they all sprouted! They get bigger and bigger every day and it's so cool to watch.

Not sure what this one is. It's kinda papery.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-06-01T09:44:00.001-02:30

Summer/Not Summer

2011-05-31T16:12:00.002-02:30

Hey, it's practically June and I haven't posted in awhile. Sorry about that. The weather here flips from one day to the next. It has been just hovering about zero and it's been up to 25 degrees in the past week. Summer seems to be a myth.

What have we been up to?

First, the visit of my in-laws. We had a great time, acted like tourists, we ate Moose, we ate Jigg's Dinner, we ate cod, we ate lobster and we ate way too many meals of fish and chips and stayed the night on Bell Island.

It was cold. Note the winterish coat. So very, very cold. But very beautiful. I still can't believe we really live here. Seeing the ocean whenever I want is still pretty amazing for this prairie girl.

This Sunday, it was a balmy 25degrees, so we went to the beach with some friends. Fire, water and lobster, a perfect combination for a perfect East Coast day.

A Lobster almost as big as 6 month old M. (side note: SIX MONTHS! Where did the time go??)

It is glorious to eat lobster outdoors. There is no finicking with tools and wee forks, just a couple of rocks to smash and they open like a charm.

I grew up hearing the story of how my parents made a turkey on the beach when they lived in Australia - they buried it with hot rocks in the sand and came back hours and hours later. Nothing was as good as that turkey, it fell off the bone and they loved it. They still tell the story over 30 years later.

I think, in 30 years, we will still be telling stories of eating lobster on the beach in Newfoundland, and how it is amazing.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-05-18T22:02:00.002-02:30

Contradictions

2011-05-14T19:31:00.001-02:30

A traditional favourite of Newfoundland: Purity Brand.

These crackers are delicious, but...

"Keep in a dry place" in this province? What are they, kidding me? My walls are growing mold.

Then again... it's not very dry back home these days, either.

Mother's Day (and an update of sorts)

2011-05-09T16:56:00.000-02:30

I woke up on Sunday morning to whispering in the kitchen, then a wee girl appeared at my bedside smiling and handing me the lovely hand-drawn card above. "Happy Mother's Day!" she squealed.
We went off to church and then out to Swiss Chalet for lunch. G kept spontaneously wishing me a Happy Mother's Day all day. It was great.

Speaking of church, I have forgotten to mention on this blog that we officially have a church home. We've been attending Avalon Wesleyan since the beginning of March, I've been going to a home group on Mondays and we've really been embraced by the church. It's a small church, so we were the first to attend with children - but that has all changed since we got there, as more families have joined the church (and one baby was born last week!).
We still attend an Anglican church on the occasional Saturday night as well.
We have been making friends and finally are feeling a bit more settled in St. John's. Paul finished up his courses for his PhD in April, so it's only comps and thesis work from here on out. He'll be teaching classes in the fall as well, but this summer is quite open to taking time off, which works out well, since we have family visiting all throughout the summer. We'll be able to get out and see some of this island we call home!

Not-So-Wordless Wednesday

2011-05-04T15:55:00.000-02:30

It's Star Wars day! May the Fourth be with you:

Wordless Wednesday

2011-05-04T12:54:00.000-02:30

BIG DAY

2011-05-02T15:16:00.002-02:30

It's a big day in our house. A very big day. Is it the federal election? Is it the death of a famous terrorist?

No.

It's Both Girls in the Same Room Day! Hooray!

Okay, so technically, that day was Sunday night. We've done two nights of it so far. We decided on Saturday that we'd do a trial run. We did have to disassemble the crib to move it, so it's turning out to be a little less temporary then we thought at first - it may be hard to get up the energy to move it back if we need to.

So far, it's had mixed results. G was really excited when the crib came into her room, solemnly repeated our instructions of
-do not throw anything in the crib
-do not climb into the crib
-do not attempt to "help" M in any way
She seemed pretty on board with the whole thing.
Then, nighttime came, and she had a bit of trouble falling asleep (M was not yet in her crib), she asked for glasses of water, her bear and had the following conversation with Paul: "Daddy! Daddy! Daddy!" (he goes to the room) "Daddy, say I love you" "Okay, I love you, G." "No! I want to say it!" "Okay, go ahead" "I love you Daddy". After that, she slept. Even through a bit of crying from M as she protested being put down.

Then, 4am happened. Repeated calls for Daddy - and when Mommy tried to go in, even more desperate calls for Daddy. She never mentioned M or the crib, but something was off.
But, she was soothed back to sleep eventually.
Last night went better with both girls sleeping great.

However, naps are a bit of an issue. G is very used to being able to play in her room any time she wants, so M napping in it makes her a bit upset. G also has stopped taking an actual nap in the afternoon in favor of a 2-hour quiet time in her room, and I can't leave M in the room for that.
So, M sleeps in the middle of our bed. Which works for now, but not for much longer.

More No-Name Reviews

2011-04-29T09:18:00.000-02:30

Continuing on my No-Name Experiment, I've tried many, many products and several of them are now staples in our cupboard. As was pointed out in the comments ages ago, things that are the simplest tend to be the best, or to make little difference.
I have found that beans of all kinds (Chic Peas, Black Beans, Romano Beans, Pork n' Beans) are fine (though sometimes have more salt then I'd like).
Tuna, bottled lemon juice, canned tomatoes and tomato paste (both salt-free!) are great, just as good as brand name.

I am a huge fan of No Name perogies. G is a HUGE fan of perogies, so we eat them at least once a week. We were surprised at how good the No Name brand was. We had eaten some Cheemo brand recently (Feta, Spinach and Potato flavour) and those were amazingly good, so the No Name ones didn't live up to those, but they were as good as any other standard potato/cheese ones I've had. They have become a staple in our fridge.

I believe someone mentioned ketchup not being worth it, but I haven't found much of a difference. I don't buy Heinz ketchup ever since I went to Mexico and saw small children picking their tomatoes, so I probably don't know what I'm missing.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-04-27T13:25:00.000-02:30

Lobster Time

2011-04-25T02:38:00.001-02:30

One of the things that excited me about moving out east is the possibility of cheap lobster. Well, yesterday we drove past a sign that said $5.99/lb. I knew that in the grocery store it had been anywhere from $9-12, so this was a deal! They were also selling seal flippers, but I passed (I'd like to try them someday, but I think I'd like someone else to cook them for me first).

So we brought home 3 lobsters. Our first challenge was at the truck. Would we like males or females? Uhhh.... "We're not going to be breeding them..." says Paul. We were informed that the difference is the size and the possibility of roe inside the females. Alright, so with that decision done (we got 1 female and 2 males), we set to cook these suckers.

I tried not to be squeamish. I really wanted to be okay with dropping them in the pot. But man, it was harder then I thought. They MOVED around and kinda freaked out when they got close to the steam. I had to wear oven mitts to grab mine. And I only had the courage to do one.

There is a video of the first lobster going in, but the amount of freaking out by both of us is an indignity I'm not quite willing to share.

Paul went mittless for the other two.

Then, there they were. All red and cooked. Much happier (to us, not to them) , much easier to deal with.

Then came the trouble of eating them. The tails weren't too bad, but the claws were a tough crack. We don't own any of the tools of the trade, so we had to improvise with pliers and a hammer from our toolbox. By the end there were shells and bits of lobster everywhere. I can see why people wear bibs for this kind of thing.

They were tasty.

And we decimated them.

Yum.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-04-20T11:18:00.000-02:30

On Packaging (No Name)

2011-04-02T08:11:00.001-02:30

What I've quickly discovered in buying so many no name products is that one of the ways they cut corners is in packaging.
The re-sealable seals don't work, the caps sometimes leak, and it's better to just cut bags open rather then try to pull them apart. Little things that have been improved in packaging on say, a bottle of lemon juice (the cap has a flip top with a little hole to squeeze it out of) aren't there on the no-name (just a screw top). Clearly, these are the conveniences we are paying those few extra cents/dollars for.
Are they worth it? I'm going to go with no. As long as you pay attention and use other means of closing things, it shouldn't be an issue and the savings are good.

Snow Day/Beach Day

2011-03-28T13:04:00.001-02:30

We woke up on Friday morning and it looked like this outside:

Not pictured: whiteouts and 100km winds

MUN was closed, and the city pretty much shut down, so we were all stuck at home. Paul had a paper due, but the deadline had changed to midnight, so he was free to spend the day with his family!

So, we did something I've been wanting to do for awhile. Beach day! We set up the living room with a tan blanket for sand, and a blue tarp for water...

added a couple of umbrellas, a bucket and some egg carton cups for shells.

A dolphin even stopped by to say hello!
We had a fantastic time, all dressed in our beach clothes. M got to wear her bathing suit for the very first time.
We had a picnic lunch on the floor, listened to the Beach Boys and generally just had a great day.

In the evening, G went fishing. We cut up some cardboard fish and I made a fishing rod out of a pen, string and paperclip. She tossed her line over the couch cushion and I put a little fish on it to go in her bucket.

Snow days can be pretty awesome.

Not Worth It (a return to the No Name Experiment)

2011-03-25T03:07:00.007-02:30

I received a complaint (from this guy - known to me as Dad) that I started this No Name thing and haven't kept going. I originally planned to do a once-a-week update, but life got in the way. I have three half-finished posts. So I'm going to try and finish those in the next couple weeks and become disciplined enough to actually post reviews!

So, before this started, there are some things I've already tried in the past and have deemed Not Worth It At All. I'm not going to retry them this time around.

No Name Κraft Dinner* - Nobody makes that neon orange powdered cheese like Kraft. Aside from PC White Chedder Mac and Cheese, none of the generic brands compare. We only have it on occasion (usually I put spinach in it, which G thinks it comes with), but those occasions have to be brand name.

Toilet Paper - No. Just no. It's not worth it in many ways, including the price, because you tend to use more of a thinner brand.

Things I've tried in the past couple weeks that are not very tasty:

Instant Oatmeal - I like hot cereal in the morning, but I hate dirtying a pot, so I buy instant sometimes. Ugh. I tried the Apple Cinnamon flavour and it was not good. Gummy, tasteless and so much worse then Quaker.

Soda Crackers - The name brand is just SO much better. If you eat generic for awhile, you can kinda forget that, but once you buy a box of Premium brand, you notice the huge difference.

Oat O's (aka Cheerios) - G has not entirely expressed her dislike for generic Cheerios, but they're pretty bad. I hate buying cereal because of how overpriced it is, but I'd much rather just wait for a sale on brand name then get No Name.

(that is such a Canadian thing to say - that is to say, boxed Mac and Cheese)

Wordless Wednesday

2011-03-23T16:46:00.000-02:30

Same size, different face.

2011-03-21T15:48:00.002-02:30

I Swear This Really Happened

2011-03-10T13:57:00.000-03:30

Paul: Okay, G, you are Superman, and M will be Batman. (he plays with M, flying her through the air) NaNaNaNaNaNaNaNaNaNaNaNaNaNaNaNa...BATMAN!!

G: (takes of running) Pssh-ooo Superman! Do DO Dooo! Superman! (stops) No, no, I want M to be the Flash!

Paul: Okay, here goes M, running really fast (runs off with her)

G: (runs after them) No, No, I want M to be Green Lantern!

Ah, yes, we are nerds and we are raising our kids to be nerds.

On Strong Female Rolemodels

2011-03-09T08:37:00.000-03:30

This is the second of a two parter on raising girls, here's Paul's. This is mine.

G has been asking for stories all the time lately. She wants us to make up stories out of our heads. It can get tiring. I can come up with some fun stories off the top of my head, but sometimes they're just: "Once upon a time there was a little girl who went to the park. She saw a puppy, it barked. The End"
So, sometimes I retell fairy tales off the top of my head. The Three Bears, Cinderella, Snow White.
The other day I was nearing the end of Snow White when I started wanting to edit it. The ending bugged me in a way it never had before.
In the version we have on our shelf (that I was telling from memory), Snow White is in her glass coffin with a dwarf guarding her and the prince comes along and, since she is so beautiful, decides he must have her in his castle. What a jerk! The dwarves were mourning their friend, guarding her night and day, and along comes this guy out of nowhere to take her away! And of course, the ending of her waking up and instantly falling in love with him? Do I really want my daughter to take that as an example?
But here's the thing - I also grew up on those fairy tales and I don't have (that) warped of a view of love/men. So, I don't think I should censor or edit those classic tales.
However, I do want to think about what stories are available to her. Female role models beyond the standard disney princess.
Despite being annoying, Dora the Explorer is great - she's a girl with a compass and a backpack who decides where she gets to go. Unfortunately, she's also on EVERYTHING (including a pack of carrots I saw recently), and I don't love the rampant consumerism cartoons like that encourage.
I love (and G loves) Jessie from Toy Story. She is a great cowgirl who is strong and confident.

But, what I really love is a book I discovered last week. Brave Margaret, an irish folktale told by Robert San Souci that is a fantastic story of a woman who fights a sea monster and a giant. It's one of the most refreshing tales of a strong female lead I've read. I instantly thought - I must buy this and have it on my shelf. It's a little too old for G and M at this point, but I can't wait for them to discover it when they're old enough.

I love classic fairy tales, but I also want my girls to know that they can be the ones with the sword.

Don't Call My Daughter "Princess"

2011-03-07T13:35:00.001-03:30

Note: This is part one of a two part series on raising girls. Part one is by Paul, part two will be by me.

If you aren't a parent -- and especially if you're not the parent of a daughter -- you might not be aware of the whole "princess" thing. But trust me. It's a thing. Before I even get into whether it's a good thing or a bad thing, it's a thing.

G gets called "princess" several times a day by strangers, and when she's wearing a dress (especially a fancy dress) she gets called "princess" repeatedly by almost everyone who sees her. Grocery store clerks say "oh are you a princess?" People on the street say "What a little princess!"

So what's wrong with that? Girls go through a princess phase. What's the big deal?

A couple of things. Firstly, for G, the princess phase hasn't started yet. And this princess bombardment will keep going long past the natural life cycle of any phase. It's not "just a phase", it's a cultural prescription. When girls get told from the time they are born that they are princesses, that's not just a phase. Culture tells my daughters that they are (should be) princesses. Books, toys, movies and especially Disney bombard girls with princesses. And what assumptions are built into that label?

Princesses have no power*. They aren't queens, don't have any power except the power to marry a prince. They are objects not subjects. They don't do anything, they are done to. More, the cultural image of a princess is a pretty princess, so my daughters get told all the time that their only value lies in their appearance.

Secondly, princesses aren't just an abstract cultural idea, they're a cultural commodity. It's about stuff, mostly stuff sold by Disney. Disney markets the "disney princess" brand so strongly and so successfully that it's hard to get away from. And as marketing it's very successful. But I don't want my daughters to be consumers. I actually think unchecked consumerism is a bad thing, and I want to teach my daughters to resist it.

Finally, it's boring. G is full of imagination. One minute she's a tiger then next she's a cowboy then she's Mommy then she's Daddy then she's Superman then she's a singer then she's a dancer then she's a frog then she's a cook. And when she's wearing a fancy dress, she could be a fairy or a ballet dancer or an architect in a fancy dress. And why can't a princess be part of that? It can. It is and it unavoidably will be. But the princess idea is already taken care of by movies and books and strangers and pyjamas. If everyone who has ever thought about it deliberately avoided calling G and M "princess" they probably would still get called "princess" every single day. So seriously people Just stop it.

*Jan's editorial note: Except She-Ra, Princess of Power. But she's from the 80's.

Drawing

2011-03-03T16:29:00.001-03:30

Watching a kid grow up can be amazing in some ways. Take colouring for example. We moved here 6 months ago, and G was doing random scribbles. She pretty much ignored any pictures in the colouring book and had no shape at all to her drawings.

Then, one day a couple months ago she drew a circle and Paul and I went "Hey! A circle!! Amazing."
Next thing you know, she drew this:

And we went: "She drew a person! It has a smile and everything!" In fact, we pulled this away and put it on the fridge before she could colour on it anymore and ruin it.

Now, she's really drawing stuff. Stuff you can recognize! I took this video a couple days ago of her family portrait drawing.

I can now see why every parent thinks their child is gifted. Look at how fast they change!

In Which I Try to Explain My Absence

2011-02-26T23:09:00.001-03:30

So, I haven't been posting. Whoops. Who knew having two kids is hard?
Actually, if I'm going to be honest (which I try to do on this blog), I'm not doing the greatest. It's lonely out here. It sucks being so far away from friends and family. Many things are still really unfamiliar about St. John's and that can get me down.
Basically, I have my good days and my bad days.

The Bad:

G's temper tantrums - at least one a day, sometimes as many as five a day. Living with a toddler feels like living with a bi-polar person whose mood changes every 10 minutes. They are taking their toll on both of us. I try take the advice of parenting books and articles, but I still feel like I'm doing everything wrong.
The potty training nightmare (I don't discuss poo online, cause I don't think people need to hear about that, and I want to give my child a bit of dignity, but let's just say - nothing is good about the stage we're in).
Even though my children sleep well, sometimes I don't.
Trying to find a church home we both can agree on (and trying to forget how amazing St. Margaret's was)
There are no sidewalks. They plow the roads onto the sidewalks to create 6 foot snowbanks instead. So, if I walk anywhere, I walk on the street. If I drive anywhere, I drive around the poor people that are walking on the street.

The Good:

Getting out of the house every day to playgroups, Le Leche meetings, the drop-in gym, library storytime and shopping trips.
Meeting other people at those places, and even better, meeting people repeatedly and building a solid bunch of acquaintances with potential for eventual friendships
It may be insanely windy and have crazy amounts of snow, but it is not -40 and I don't have to bundle my children in five thousand layers.
Paul decided to celebrate Valentine's Day* by leaving love notes all over the apartment for me to find. I am still finding them.
M is still an amazingly mellow baby.
We managed to take G's soother away really easily and she hasn't asked for it since.**
When G isn't temper tantruming, she is hilarious. She makes up stories, songs and dances. And she's started asking hilarious questions like "What do aliens eat?" and "What does a crab say?"

So, I can list more good then bad. I suppose that says something.

*we never have, because it is a stupid non-holiday where flowers cost thrice as much and everything smells like yucky red cinnamon hearts.

**Soother Fairy - I may explain this in a later post.

The Talking Stove

2011-02-11T08:14:00.001-03:30

For Christmas, we got this great Little Tikes Kitchen from my mom and dad for G and M. It has everything. In fact, since it has

-an iron

-a microwave

-a washer and dryer

-a dishwasher

it is much more well-equipped then our kitchen!

It also takes 8 batteries. The washer and dryer go splish-splash and BUZZ, the phone makes (quite realistic) beeping phone sounds, the iron makes an iron-y hiss sound and the stove, well... the stove. It talks.

We didn't realize when we first tried it out how many things the stove says. When we turned the knob, it seemed to only say "Hi, let's get cooking!" and "It's time to eat!"

What we didn't realize is that it KNOWS things. What the voice says changes depending on what's on the element. We first noticed this when there was a pot on the stove and it started to make sizzle sounds. But it wasn't until this week when G put the toy food that came with the stove onto the element that we realized how complex this thing really is. Suddenly, the stove said "Ooh, a chocolate chip cookie!".

So here's the problem with that. We have other things in our house, other toy food. Food that doesn't have the microchip or whatever it is that lets the stove know what to say. This can make G a wee bit upset. She talks back to the stove.

Stove: "Hi! Let's get get cooking!" G: " Say plum! Say plum, Lady!"

Stove: "Don't forget to clean up!" G: "No! I don't want to clean up!"

Stove: "Let's cook your favourite!" G: "That's not my favourite."

Then, the stove said "Woof! Woof! Oh no, the dog got in the groceries!"

G really wanted the stove to say that again. "Say dog groceries! Say dog groceries!" But it wouldn't say it.

So she tried to use logic on it:

Yup.

In Which I Like to Make Up Recipes

2011-02-07T20:30:00.000-03:30

I made something yummy today and thought I'd share it with you. I like making recipes up off the top of my head, and this is one of them. It was inspired by something I ate years ago on a progressive supper when we were leading the youth group.

Coconut-Peanut Soup with Chicken
(I'll show the pictures first, the recipe is below a la Smitten Kitchen)

1 onion, diced
1 garlic clove, minced (I use jarred minced garlic* - it changed my life)
1/2 can of coconut milk (200ml)
1 cup natural peanut butter
1/2 cup chicken stock
salt and pepper
pinch of cayenne pepper (more if you like it spicy - I would make it more spicy if G wasn't eating it)
2 Chicken breasts*, sliced thinly (I find that it's easier to slice thin when it's still partly frozen)
Bean sprouts (handful)
Vermicelli Rice Noodles (about half a cup cooked)

Fry up the onion - actually, my favourite way of doing onions is by steaming them in bit of water until it boils off, then adding a small splash of oil until they're fried - seems to cook them way faster (I learned this from Michael Smith, your chef at home, who is my hero).
Add chicken stock, peanut butter and bring to a boil. Turn down to low, add coconut milk and spices.

Fry chicken strips in a splash of olive oil until they are white and cooked.
Boil and drain noodles, either breaking them up beforehand, or cutting them up (I use scissors) afterwards.

Layer in the bowl with noodles, then some bean sprouts, then the chicken, and pour the soup over top.

Yum.

* No-Name things I used in this meal.

Matchy Matchy

2011-02-04T16:24:00.000-03:30

When we found out we were having a second girl, I asked Paul about whether we would put them in matching outfits. Both of us were pretty sure we wouldn't - they aren't twins, after all.
But, we got matching dresses recently and discovered that they have matching pajamas... and it's just too cute not to do!

Pretty in Pink

Yellow Fuzzy Jamas

You'll also notice my new haircut. I am not sure how I feel about the cut itself - I went to a cheap salon, so it's not the greatest - but I do love having short hair again. I'll probably go even shorter soon. The hairdressers kept going on and on about my long thick "virgin" hair. I just wanted it off! The hair that I cut off was a 10-inch long braid, so I donated it to Locks of Love. That's the second time I've done something like that and I gotta say, it feels pretty good.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-02-02T17:37:00.000-03:30

In Case You Think I Don't Mention Her Enough

2011-01-31T14:03:00.000-03:30

M turned 2 months old yesterday and has started smiling and cooing. I present to you... the cutest smiles ever.

The 0:31 mark is the biggest and best smile.

So Far, So Good

2011-01-28T17:24:00.000-03:30

So, I've been trying the No-Name stuff.

First up, the Gingerale - this was a surprising one. Paul was really skeptical, but we tried it and it was really good. Much better, even, then other generic brands (Big8, Safeway brand) we've tried. It was actually gingery, a bit spicy and pretty tasty.
Conclusion: Totally worth it.

Second up, the Mayo - I tried it both mixed in tuna, and just spread on a sandwich. It was decent in the tuna, but as a spread, it didn't really stand up. It was watery and not tangy. I love my mayo - especially Hellman's, and especially NOT Miracle Whip. But, it would be fine as a mixer - in tuna, in dips, in salad dressing, just not on it's own.
Conclusion: Moderately worth it

Thirdly: Tortilla Chips

We eat quite a bit of tortilla chips. Chips and Salsa, Nachos, these are our go-to snacks. So, I bought a big bag (Club Pack in No-Name terms). We hadn't had yellow corn in awhile, since we've mostly been eating white corn. They were fairly tasty. Unfortunately, they don't come in a reduced-salt version, which I quite like about brand name.
Conclusion: Moderately worth it for the savings, but I would buy brand name occasionally as well.

Lastly: Granola Bars, specifically these Sweet and Salty ones:

I like the brand name ones quite a bit, so I thought I'd try them. This, my friends, this is what this experiment is all about. These are exactly the same as brand name, and at half the price. They are super yummy and, like two boxes for $5.
Conclusion: So very, very worth it. I highly recommend.

So, that's part one. So far, so good. Thanks for all the comments on the last one! I'm glad people are interested. I'm not going to buy anything that I wouldn't normally buy, so that leaves out quite a bit of pre-prepared stuff, and I am going for the savings over the experiment, so when (for example) Black Diamond cheese was cheaper this week - I bought it instead.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-01-26T13:40:00.001-03:30

A Story by a Two Year Old

2011-01-25T19:21:00.000-03:30

So G, she loves to talk. She talks pretty much all day. So, we told her to tell us a story and I attempted to transcript the chatter.
Keep in mind, she told this while pacing around the living room, and dancing during the dancing part.

"Once upon a time there was a picnic time
and there were two little monkeys jumping on the bed
and there were five little monkeys
they all jumped 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9... two monkeys!

Puppies, they all run outside and play with Piglet and Nila
and then all monkeys and monkeys and monkeys jumping on the bed

...and they sat on the potty next to G.

And they sang this song "Dance around, Dance dance dance Laalalalaaa they all go play, they was sad, then they saw a wombat wombat wombaaaaaaaaat wombat."

So they all run outside, so they lots and lots of ...

They all go right to the birthday and get some money
and then they get the money pig
then they all play with books
lots of books

then he jumps then he was scary

then he dived and...(fat?)
They all was a monkey, there were lots of dinosaur, right on the bed! So they crawl, crawl, to bed. They all crawl to bed.
They hang monkey onto a ROPE! They stand with him on his shoulder then hang him, they pull out his legs, and then pull out his arms, and then Puppy ran out and
JUMP RIGHT ON THE BED.

and then fell right over!

I'm not scary. Five bucks! Five bucks? A tree? Oh a tree! That's good.
I can be a tree and ball. I give you a blanket and a book.

Alllllll falling down to... they all read a book, and they with Polar Bears and Superman, and they all go right inside a monkey bear and jumped RIGHT ONTO THE COUCH.

And then they pick this book and to bring outside and open this door. Where is that door going to go in?

A little baby? A little baby."

The End.

And now you know what my average day is like.

The No-Name Experiment

2011-01-21T22:43:00.000-03:30

So with my new car, I've been able to shop at Dominion (Newfoundland's version of Superstore/Loblaws/President's Choice), which tends to have cheaper food then other places. And I've decided that I'd perform an experiment.
I tend to buy generic brands of things (again, with the cheapness), but there's generic store brand and then there's No-Name. No-Name brand is... like the lowest of the low when it comes to generic. With it's yellow and black packaging and complete lack of anything to attract you to it, it's the cheapest option out there. Most Canadians are pretty familiar with it.
But does it make a difference? I've definitely found that for some things, it doesn't matter at all, but I'm sure there are others where it makes a difference.
So, this is my experiment. From now on, anytime I buy something new, I'm going to buy No-Name. And I'll rate it: Worth the Savings, Not Worth the Savings and Somewhat Worth the Savings.

I'm thinking this will be an ongoing feature on this blog. I'll let you know some of the products I'm trying out and whether I think it makes any difference.

Today I bought Gingerale:

and Mayonnaise:

I haven't had a chance to try either at this point, but I'll let you know. I'm pretty passionate about my mayo, so I'm skeptical. And Paul gagged when he saw that I bought No-Name Gingerale, so he's pretty passionate about that.

Carl the Car

2011-01-17T11:03:00.000-03:30

So, we have acquired a car. After living through 2 months of a public transit strike, we decided it was time to get our own vehicle. Even when the buses were running, they failed to get us many places we wanted to go. So, when we got home from Ontario, we looked at a few cars and chose a silver 1999 Honda Civic. It's old and has no frills whatsoever - we even have to press the locks down by hand! Really takes me back...

We've named it Carl the Car, and it has greatly improved our lives already. We have never owned a car in our 6.5 years of marriage. So, we have rarely bought groceries in large batches. This week, I went to the store (the cheaper, but further away store!) and stocked up on a month's worth of groceries. Such a novelty! I was able to just buy cans and cans of things without stressing about the weight of carrying them home/pushing them in the stroller.
We also love Freecycle, but have rarely been able to take advantage of all the stuff people offer, because we can't get to their houses. This weekend, I picked up two large garbage bags full of kids clothes for free! Now G has a snowsuit for this year and next year, and M has one for next year.

Doing what newborns do best

2011-01-13T20:15:00.000-03:30

M in all her glory. If you listen carefully, you'll hear G in the background talking about Puppy 'Jamas.

Of Christmastime and Thereafter

2011-01-10T16:32:00.000-03:30

So, Christmas happened, and New Years and Epiphany... and now here I am, it's January somethingth and I'm officially at home with TWO girls. So far, it's been good. M eats and sleeps and poops and spits up, G eats and sleeps and talks and talks and talks...
Christmas was a great and relaxing time in Ontario, even though we did spend a good part of it sick with the flu (we were asleep before midnight on New Years). I'm really glad that I had time with my parents here and then two weeks with Paul's parents so that the adjustment to a new baby at home alone was after a full month. Having two kids is definitely an adjustment, but it's also so much easier since I feel much more confident this time. I am not stressed out to leave the house without M. In fact, it was fantastic to go to the grocery store by myself yesterday. It's also great for Paul to get a chance to be at home with the girls by himself, even if it's just an hour.
Not that it's all sunshine and roses. G seems to pick every time I'm feeding M (which, granted, is often) to want to do something that requires my hands. She'll ask for a snack, a story, for me to play with her in exactly the way she wants to be played with and get a bit frustrated when the answer is "in a minute". But, I keep congratulating her when she's patient and playing with her when I can.
Her new toys are great for distraction. She got a very fun new play kitchen for Christmas, and we got her an adorable fake sushi set, so she makes dinner in her little kitchen while I'm making mine.

One of her new toys is a doctor's kit, which she loved - in fact, it was the hit of the family Christmas, most of her cousins also played with it. The best part is that she will take the stethoscope and go around listening to people's hearts, except she heard heartbeats as heartbeeps, so she'll put the stethoscope on your chest (or any other random body part) and loudly say "BEEP!". It's pretty hilarious.

A followup to our new 12-days of Christmas tradition - it went quite well. I divided two boxes worth of Smarties into little origami boxes, which were in her shoe outside her door each morning. I don't think G really got the meaning, she was just excited to eat Smarties before breakfast, but it's the beginning of something she can expect every year. I think in the future, I'll try mix up what they get every day, so it's not just the same thing. I don't want to add too much extra stress to future holidays, so my hope is to keep it pretty simple.

What's on the horizon this month? Buying our very first car, since the bus strike continues (2 months and counting!).

Puppy Jamas

2011-01-07T11:46:00.000-03:30

G would very much like the world to know that she LOVES her Puppy Pajamas and wants to wear them every night, regardless of dirtiness. She would even like to wear them for her nap.

Some one liners from Christmas:
Her new play stove talks, and it said "Don't forget to clean up!", G responded "No! I don't want to clean up!" At least she comes by it honestly.

"No M, don't cry! Don't. Cry." - this is less of a comfort to her sister as a command. 2 year olds are bossy.

"Go away Marley [her Aunt's dog]. Don't eat my face."

In the grocery store, about Kraft Dinner: "Packaroni! Packaroni! Mommy buy packaroni!"... and when we got home... "Packaroni for lunch, Mommy!"

2010, Quite the Year

2010-12-30T12:12:00.000-03:30

As we come to the end of 2010, I can't believe how much has changed this year.

At the start of this year, we were feeling like we would be moving in August to whoever accepted Paul into a PhD program. He had applied at 10 different schools, so we were pretty optimistic. It was a difficult time as the rejection letters started coming in. We had heard from almost everyone and started making alternate plans - to stay in Winnipeg, to travel, for Paul to find some temporary work - when we finally heard from Memorial University in May. We went from "we're likely staying" to "we're definitely moving to St. John's" within the span of a week. It was an overwhelming time!
In the midst of this, we decided we wanted to have another child - a sibling for G that was close to her age. I assumed that it might take some time, but pretty much the moment we even considered trying, I was pregnant. We were (and are) thrilled, but in the future, I may plan a bit better then December!

If I could choose a word to describe 2010, it would be bittersweet. Leaving our friends and our church in Winnipeg was incredibly hard and emotional. Selling all our stuff (except what would fit in 11 boxes and 5 suitcases) was very hard, but also very freeing. It was painful to let go of our books, and those are the possessions I miss the most. We had brought together our two libraries when we got married, and had built it up over the past 6 years to over 300 books. We kept about 60.
I left my job of the past seven years with the library to move to St. John's. It was difficult to do, but it was a decision I had made years earlier when Paul started to pursue graduate work - so it's not a decision I regret, but I do miss the work and my co-workers.

Of course, this year also had the death of my grandfather, which I wrote about on this blog. I continue to mourn him, especially at Christmastime. One of the Sufjan Stevens Christmas songs that we play often this season has a line "Call your Grandma on the phone, if she's living all alone" and this year it made me cry. I have gone from three living grandparents to one in a very short time.

In the "sweet" part of bittersweet, the birth of M was a wonderful event and as I wrote earlier, ended up having perfect timing. Being pregnant and now having a newborn has helped in fostering new friendships in St. John's. I went to the drop-in gym last week and two moms were very excited to see me with the new baby. It has also been sweet to see the temperature in the prairies dip below -20C, while we were still sitting at a balmy +10C!
We have also found that God has been amazing at providing for us - we were shorter on money then we expected when we moved here, and somehow there were multiple small blessings to get us through. From finding a perfect apartment to our caretaker suddenly showing up with heaps of clothing for G to unexpected funds from various sources to our new church being extremely welcoming and friendly, we are in awe of how God provides and gives us more then we need.

And now, on to 2011, hopefully more new friendships in our new city, raising two girls and hopefully buying a car (and some freedom) soon.

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-24T13:14:00.000-03:30

Tomorrow is Christmas! We are visiting (most of) Paul's family in Ontario and it is beautifully snowy here. We traveled at the perfect time - just missing big windy storms in St. John's.

As Paul wrote in the previous post, it's complicated to make our own traditions when we are always visiting someone else's house, but we are trying to be active about what we want Christmas to be. One of the things we do every Christmas day is go for a walk as a family, a fairly simple tradition, but a necessary one to help us be just our core family. Our other tradition (decided a few years ago on one of these walks) is starting this year. We love the church year and the feasting/fasting aspects of that, so we are making sure that Christmas does not end on Christmas day. There are 12 days of Christmas starting on the day and lasting till Epiphany (the visit of the Magi). So, our tradition for our children (starting with G this year) is that they will get a tiny gift in their shoe every morning for the 12 days of Christmas.
We're really excited to start that tradition this year! It will be really simple - just a chocolate or two, but it will be a reminder that Advent has come to an end, and the feasting season of Christmas keeps going.

Anyway - from our family (now of four!!) to you, Merry Christmas!

Since it's Christmas let's be glad, even if your life's been bad

2010-12-20T15:49:00.000-03:30

Every year, Jan and I travel at Christmas. We alternate between spending Christmas with Jan's parents in Saskatoon and with my parents in Ontario. This year we're going to Ontario. We're leaving tomorrow, and we're looking forward to it.

I love my family, and it's very good to see them when I do. But there's something a little bit unsatisfying about this travel arrangement. It's not unsatisfying enough that we are likely to change anytime soon, but there it is. When we're in somebody else's home--even our own parents--we are having their Christmas. It makes it hard to make our own Christmas, our own traditions, stressing what we think are the most important parts and de-stressing other parts of the holiday. Even though we are both pushing 30, and have two children of our own, Christmas in our parents house makes it hard to feel like grown-ups. Also, Christmas time is so steeped in nostaligia and tradition that each of us becomes acutely aware of how our families are different from each other. One simple example of this is in Christmas music. Jan and I each grew up with music around Christmas time, and it's not the same music. So when we each think "Christmas music", we're thinking of different things.

We've been making our own Christmas playlists for the past few years, and Sufjan Stevens' Christmas music is featured prominently. Part of why I like Sufjan Stevens' Christmas music so much is that he hits a really good balance between joy and melancholy. There's just a touch of sadness in his Christmas music, but not enough to overwhelm the fact that Christmas is a happy time. It's a common thing for Christmas to be tinged with melancholy. For some people it's mostly melancholic, and for others it's just the barest touch. But Christmas naturally has a touch of melancholy to it. Partly this is because to the degree that it's a secular holiday it's a bittersweet one. Firstly because of the nostalgia; Christmas is a reminder of what we used to have and don't anymore. We miss the sentimental (fictional) childhood Christmas of pure excitement, but we can't recreate it. We try to make it for our own children, but it's not always obvious how. Commercial Christmas is ultimately unsatisfying, because you can't actually buy your childhood back. And non-commercial secular Christmas is almost worse. We try to make some kind of transcendental meaning out of imminent things like family and friends. But that just emphasizes what we have lost or are going to lose. Friendships and families change, and attaching a deep transcendental meaning to family can really add melancholy to the season, because on some level you know that these people are not going to be with you forever--and because your family is never what it should be.

Even religious Christmas is tinged with melancholy. It's not the outright, straightforwardly happy holiday that Easter is. That's why the magi bring Jesus myrrh. Myrrh is an embalming spice. There is a hint of sadness, of loss, right in the Christmas story. This child comes with tidings of great joy for all people, but he is also a child born to die. T.S. Eliot grasps this in his poem "Journey of the Magi":

All this was a long time ago, I remember,
And I would do it again, but set down
This set down
This: were we lead all that way for
Birth or Death? There was a Birth, certainly,
We had evidence and no doubt. I have seen birth and death,
But had thought they were different; this Birth was
Hard and bitter agony for us, like Death, our death.
We returned to our places, these Kingdoms,
But no longer at ease here, in the old dispensation,
With an alien people clutching their gods.
I should be glad of another death.

I can lose patience with the modernist tendency to make everything depressing--to act as though art isn't "real" unless it's forcing us to confront the sadness and brutality of our lives. There's a lot of joy in real lives too. I get annoyed when friends dismiss some styles of church worship as "happy-clappy", because though it's true that the Psalms show the whole range of human emotion, "bittersweet" isn't a range either, and we can sometimes rush through Joy to get back to modernist bittersweet melancholy. But Christmas seems to me to be naturally bittersweet. It's an emotionally complicated time, both as a secular holiday and as a religious Holy Day.

I think that part of what we need to do with Christmas is accept the bittersweet for what it is, like Sufjan Stevens does.

So this Christmas I'll be very glad to see my parents, and my brother J and his family, and my sister C and her family, but I'll be sad to miss my sister J and her family. I'll eat lots of yummy treats, but I'll probably feel a little sick. I'll enjoy the time off, but I'll probably feel a little stir-crazy. We'll go to church on Christmas Eve, but not our home church. We'll give and get presents, and we'll be glad. We'll experience the nativity but not the second coming. We'll celebrate the end of Advent, but we'll know that Lent is still coming. And knowing all of that, maybe we'll be able to rejoice in Christmas more fully.

God bless us, everyone.
Merry Christmas.

Early Days with a Yellowy Newborn

2010-12-16T21:55:00.000-03:30

M's first days went fairly well.With G, I had trouble with breastfeeding after she was born and there was quite a bit of stress in the first week/month of her life, but with M, it has gone very smoothly.
Our only stress was that at 5 days old, she began to get a yellowish tint. She was jaundiced. It's fairly common in newborns and what had happened was that she was sleepy, so she wasn't waking up to eat, so she would sleep more because she was getting jaundiced, and it became a cycle of a sleepy, non-eaty baby. The public health nurse came to visit (SUCH an invaluable service!) and was a bit concerned, so I made sure to wake her to eat every 2-3 hours. The doctor checked her blood the next day, which made for a bit of stress.
But, by Monday, everything had cleared up and she was back up to her birth weight.

So far, she has been a very nice baby to us. She doesn't really cry much yet, and she sleeps in good chunks. I know this will change, but so far it's been great. It's amazing to have such a sleepy baby!

There are some things I really remembered about having a newborn - the lack of sleep, the constant feeding - but other things I had totally forgotten. I forgot about spit-up, pee that goes everywhere and dozens of diaper changes. I had also forgotten how teeny tiny they are, how they snuggle into you so nicely and how they stretch their arms out in an adorable way when stressed.

So far, so good.

Of Post-Partum wards, Breastfeeding and Newfoundland - a bit of a rant

2010-12-14T14:52:00.000-03:30

Once again, a disclaimer to this post: I am an advocate of breastfeeding. I'm not a psycho-advocate and I'm not judging those who end up using formula. But I do have opinions and these are them. Also, some might not care at all about this stuff. Fair enough, feel free not to read this one either.

My birth story hospital experience was very positive. Aside from one pushy (literally) nurse, the doctors and nurses were really supportive of my choice to be natural. However, the post-partum stay was not quite as positive. For some reason, the hospital here is kinda stuck in the dark ages. In Winnipeg, they have these beautiful LDRP (Labour, Delivery, Recovery, Post-Partum) rooms, so you don't have to change rooms when you're in labour, rooming in with your baby is automatic (and the only option) and all of the nurses are trained lactation consultants who teach new moms how to breastfeed.
Here, not so much. I was in a room with four other beds - luckily only one roommate (there were three of us for a few hours at one point). There was quite a bit of pressure to put my baby in the nursery for the night, and the nurse in the morning was "shocked" that they let me keep her with me for the night. I am a strong believer in bonding after birth and there was no way I was going to let them take her away just to bring back every 3 hours to feed. I wanted to see my baby when I wasn't pressured to feed her! The best part was there was a big sign on the wall about how rooming in was the best way for mother and baby to bond and to get breastfeeding started. It's a shame the nurses don't read that sign!
Since I had breastfed G, I had very little trouble this time, so I didn't need much help from the nurses. I hated having to share a room and just wanted to get home, but I was okay in most respects.
However, the other woman in my room and the treatment she received made me realize why Newfoundland has the lowest rate in Canada of breastfeeding moms.
First of all, she was completely ignorant of breastfeeding to start with, so obviously the education needs to start prenatally. She assumed that since she didn't leak milk in pregnancy that she couldn't breastfeed at all (that's not how it works for 90% of women), so she was surprised when her daughter latched on and she was told she could breastfeed. However, she was not given any decent instruction in the hospital and by the time she left, she had fully decided to bottlefeed. I put the blame almost entirely on the nurses and the clear lack of education in the hospital.
The first nurse she had asked if she had "taken any classes" or "read any books" on breastfeeding, and when she hadn't, the nurse indicated that she might have missed the boat.
The overnight nurse offered to take her daughter to the nursery and she accepted, and when she brought her back to feed 3 hours later quickly asked "Should I just give her a bottle or do you want to nurse her?" Given these options, she asked "Oh, can I do both here?" and the nurse said she could, so she chose the bottle for the night.
In the morning, the next nurse asked her what she had decided, saying "Well, we don't pressure women either way, but if you bottlefeed we won't have to worry about bringing your baby to you every 3 hours and making sure you're properly feeding her." When the woman said she was thinking about bottlefeeding because her daughter was "so big" (at less then 8lbs) and "didn't seem like she was getting anything", the nurse made no effort to correct her about when milk comes in. The final nurse was the nail in the coffin of breastfeeding. She killed any chance of this woman choosing to breastfeed instead of giving formula.

It killed me to listen to these exchanges. I didn't have the guts to speak up, but I wonder if I should have. She went from "maybe I'll breastfeed after all" to "Heck no, formula is better" in the span of 24 hours.

I think this post is long enough, so... Coming Next: The First Days were Yellowy

The Birth Story

2010-12-13T15:28:00.000-03:30

After a week and a day of having a newborn, I have some time to write out the birth story of M. If you don't want to read about dilation, contractions and a natural birth I suggest you don't read this. You have been warned.

So, I started having braxton hicks (false contractions) on Wednesday (Dec 1st) evening. I didn't have these at all with G's birth, so I thought it might be labour. However, they went away, only to return every evening for the next 3 nights. They were really irregular and didn't get worse, so I knew it wasn't labour.
On Saturday, my mom was due to arrive here in St. John's. Her flight was delayed from the 4:30pm to 12:30am. I went to bed at 10, then got up to greet my mom at 1am, thinking that the light contractions I felt were just more braxton hicks. With my mom settled in the living room, I went back to bed, only to find that I had trouble settling, as the contractions started to get more intense.

[a slight digression] Actually, from here on out, I should mention that I didn't actually call them contractions. In (the wonderful) Ina May Gaskin's book on childbirth, she mentions that calling them rushes or waves can help in how we feel them. Contractions is a very medical and loaded term, and makes us think of pain. So, Paul and I were calling them rushes for most of the time I was in labour. [end of digression]

I drifted in and out of sleep, but had a hard time staying asleep, so by 5:30am, I got up and got into the bathtub. Paul was awake by this time and we spent some time timing the rushes and talking about how amazing it was that I was actually in labour - on my due date, and with perfect timing so my mom could take care of G for the maximum amount of time. By 7am, we had breakfast and called our doula and by 8:30 when she arrived, I was ready to go to the hospital, since I started feeling pressure.
I was checked at Triage in the hospital and was 5cm dilated. The doctor asked me about dealing with pain and when I mentioned I wanted to be as natural as possible, he was really supportive. We were sent immediately to a room, where I got in the bath again (yay for water!) and progressed fairly quickly to 8cm.
I mentioned early on that I was feeling pressure that might be to push, so the nurse kept asking me over and over if I wanted to push. It was frustrating. I finally, with the courage of my doula, had to just tell her to back off and that I would let her know when it was time to push.
Getting from 9 to 10cm dialted took me about an hour and it was the toughest part of my labour. The rushes were extremely intense and I could not find a position that would help. But, I took a short rest, laying down between contractions, which rejuvenated me to push. Pushing was a very different experience then my first birth. With G it had been a relief, but with M it was tougher. After about half an hour of pushing, little M had arrived at 1 in the afternoon on Dec 5th, her due date. She was perfect and beautiful (in that wrinkly, slimy newborn way) and both Paul and I cried. She weighed just 2oz more then her sister did.

I am so happy I got to have my natural birth again, and so amazed at the perfect timing of her arrival.

Coming next... the post-partum hospital stay (which was not nearly as good).

Arrival!

2010-12-10T16:24:00.000-03:30

Wee little M has arrived! Sunday, Dec. 5th at 1pm. 6lbs, 3oz. 20 inches long. 12 hours of labour - 5 hours of active labour. Drug free!
She had amazing timing - she arrived on her due date and I went into labour just as my mom arrived in town.

More details to come when I'm not exhausted.

Tired

2010-11-25T13:24:00.000-03:30

Life with a toddler, it is busy and exhausting. I would apologize for not posting more, but I'm too tired. G is both my joy and my frustration. Her laugh and constant chatter is hilarious, especially the things she says. It's funny to hear your words come out of a two year old's mouth. She likes very much to tell her stuffed animals "We will do [something] in FIVE minutes." or "Sit RIGHT there." Her favourite books (especially Mo Willem's Cat the Cat and Bill Martin Jr's Chicka Chicka Boom Boom) can be quoted verbatim.
But, there are the frustrations too. Toddlers have such strong ups and downs, and sometimes it feels like navigating a minefield. G's mantra these days is "I don't like it" - which she will say about just about anything she doesn't want at the moment, even things she does like. Some days I feel like if she says that one more time, I'll snap. But, I don't, somehow I find the patience to get through it, mostly, I think, because G is actually a really easy kid. She plays by herself well, eats almost anything and sleeps at night. What more could I ask for?

So, Boogaloo is due anytime now. Since we found out the gender, Paul and I have been much more indecisive about the name. We had narrowed it down to two and now it's been broadened again to 4 or 5. Maybe we'll just have to see a face to decide on a name! Every once and awhile we look at each other and go "So... what are we gonna name this kid?"

I am in the "GET OUT GET OUT GET OUT" phase. I would be very happy not to be pregnant anymore. The heartburn, leg cramps, lack of breath and all the other aches and pains are starting to get to me. Paul is frantically trying to make sure all his papers are done before I go into labour, so he's chanting "STAY IN STAY IN STAY IN" We'll see who Boogaloo listens to.

The transit strike continues - 21 days now, which is unbelievable to me. I can't imagine any other city where that would be acceptable. But, really, I don't have anywhere to go (besides the occasional doctors appointments) and Paul walks everywhere.

In Which I Do Not Reveal the Gender of Boogaloo

2010-11-12T13:44:00.000-03:30

We've been living here in St. John's for three months now, and every once and awhile, G will look up and say "Where is [toy we had in Winnipeg]? Other house?" I'm amazed she remembers these things she barely played with. She had a black sock monkey that I think she touched maybe twice, but I'll be darned if she doesn't keep wondering where it is. She thinks they still live back in our apartment in Winnipeg, assuming it's all still there for us to return to someday.

In other news, we had an ultrasound on Monday and Boogaloo is healthy and snuggled in there, about 5.5lbs at this point, so it's likely to be another 6lb-ish baby. We also got a look at the gender, which was pretty exciting! We've told our families and some close friends, but I think we'll leave it as a surprise to the rest of the general public... plus there's always the chance that the tech was wrong.
I'm technically full-term, so the birth could be any time in the next month or so, but I'm guessing it'll be closer to the due date, since there's still some fattening up to do.

Life without buses or a car is frustrating, but not as bad as I thought. I've only had to take a cab twice (to Drs Appointments), other then that I just walk (really slowly) everywhere. I can accomplish exactly one outing a day. The hardest thing is missing my favourite playgroup on Wednesdays, but it's just a bit far, and the homeward walk would be all uphill.
I'm hoping the transit strike is resolved soon so I can get some more stuff for the baby, but if not, I'm just going to start ordering online!

A Catch-All Update

2010-11-08T08:44:00.000-03:30

I didn't really post last week since life got kinda crazy. But here's a few pics of what we've been up to.

G was a Monkey for Halloween.

She loved trick-or-treating. Going to people's houses, yelling "Trick-or-Treat" and "Thank-you", getting things in her bag, being dressed as a Monkey... everything was awesome to her. It was quite a nice night too, not the warmest of evenings, but not raining, which is a miracle around here!
We (very wisely) taught her before we went out that she was collecting candy to share with Mommy and Daddy, and she dutifully did. I'm sure that won't last more then a couple years, though.
All the candy is now gone. But it sure brings out the politeness in kids "Please, may I have some candy, please?" was the funniest thing she said all week.

We were also kept busy this week by the (too short) visit of Paul's parents. We finally got a chance to be tourists, with the benefit of a car to get us around.
It was amazing to see the real beauty of where we live. We went up to Signal Hill.

And looked out over the vast Atlantic Ocean. If the earth was flat, you'd be able to see Ireland from here. Paul's parents visit Ireland regularly (his dad is from there) and they were impressed by how similar Newfoundland looks to Ireland.

We took a drive to Portugal Cove, then along the coast. The most beautiful view was Middle Cove. The ocean swirled and crashed against the rocks, it was spectacular.

Paul and I were amazed that we really live here! This view is only about a 20 min drive from our apartment. It's so cool how close together things are.

With the benefit of grandparents to babysit, the two of us finally got a much, much needed date night. It was so nice to get out without a child. We went to a nice restaurant and took our time eating. It was such a yummy meal. I got mussels and steak - two of my favourite things - and they were cooked to perfection. It would have been really perfect to have a glass of wine, but C'est la vie.

Getting out and about in a car really solidified our decision to buy a car. That, and the next day the St. John's transit (Metrobus) went on strike. There are no busses running, which means we have to walk everywhere. Luckily, Paul was already walking to class, and most of my outings are within walking distance. But I hope it ends soon. Walking is a (literal) pain sometimes.

1917-2010

2010-11-05T14:42:00.000-02:30

My Grandfather passed away last Thursday. Because I'm 35 weeks pregnant and we live 4000km away, I decided not to go the funeral. The stress of flying when I'm so close to giving birth was just too much of a risk. However, I really wanted to be there. This is the first time I have lost someone this close to me. I've experienced other deaths in the past, but none have hit me as hard as this, because I didn't know any of those people as well as I knew Grandpa.
Grandpa was a farmer for much of his life. He was born in small-town Saskatchewan and died not far from that same town. He took over the family farm in the early 50's and gave it over to his youngest son in the early 80's. So I grew up visiting the farm, and him in the small town nearby for my entire childhood. We would see Grandma and Grandpa several times a year, since they only lived 2 hours away.
Grandpa's hobby was making rocks (especially curling stones) into clocks and jewelry. He liked to tell long, odd stories that sometimes entertained us and other times drove us crazy. He had an amazing memory - he could recall the names of people he went to school with in a one-room prairie schoolhouse 80 years ago.
When he would visit us, he would always fall asleep on the couch after dinner (something my dad does now). Sometimes he would just reach over and want to hold my hand. He was strong and opinionated and always fiercely proud of Canada, and especially of his hometown. He wasn't afraid to travel, but in the end, he strongly believed that there was no greater place then his home in Saskatchewan.

It's hard to imagine life without him. Even though visits were few and far between these days, knowing he was there was important, a grounding anchor for my life. Now, he's gone and I miss him, even more then I expected I would.

Insecurities

2010-10-27T14:54:00.000-02:30

Wednesdays have become my favourite days. G and I go to this playgroup downtown. It's a short bus ride away and when we arrive, the staff greet both of us by name. We go into the room, which is filled with toys and crafts and lined on two sides with comfy benches. G is in LOVE with a stuffed dog and hippo that are bigger then her, so they always get first hugs. I am greeted by the smell of coffee and I pour myself a cup, heaping it full of sugar and cream, it's not that great quality, but it wakes me up and warms me. G happily plays - mostly by herself, sometimes interacting with other kids. I am free to chat with other caregivers (moms, dads, grandparents, nannies) and the staff. They ask me how I am, how the pregnancy is going. I am slowly getting to know names - kids names come easily, since they're always being said - other names are starting to become familiar too.
Many in this group are newcomers either to Canada, or just to St. John's like me. The room is warm and inviting, the talk casual and I never feel like I'm interrupting a friendship group's conversation by joining in. I'm always a little nervous at first, and tired from the lack of sleep the night before, but as more people become familiar, it is more and more comforting.
Making friends from scratch is hard and slow work. I am insecure that I'll come across as desperate, that I'll be forcing myself where I'm not wanted, that people have plenty of friends, so they won't need me. Those feelings are hard to fight. It's hard to say more then a simple "hi" sometimes - especially at the drop-in gym on Tuesdays.
But, on Wednesdays, I feel secure. I continue conversations that started last week, I remember faces and names and I am hopeful that I can build some friendships out of this.

This Has Gotten Out of Hand

2010-10-22T14:33:00.000-02:30

G loves stuffed animals. She really, really loves them. In the beginning, there was one favourite- Lambert. He's a lamb, he's small and he was a perfect thing to drag around. Then, Bear (aka Edward Bear, aka Pooh Bear) joined the list of favourites, and she would be satisfied with either of those two at night, or when we went out.

Now, she has no less then ten animals that can be slept with, taken with her when we go places, lined up around the house, fed, diapered and dressed and most especially, demanded at any specific time. I'm a little nervous that she's going to be babysat one of these days and the sitter will have no clue which animal she is wanting to sleep with. Some of the names are obvious - Frog, Puppy, Dinosaur, Monkey - others are a bit more confusing.
"Boston" is a teddy, a very dilapidated and frankly, frightening teddy bear. He was Paul's childhood bear, actually originally belonging to his older brother. He has no eyes or features to speak of, is falling to bits, stuffing coming out everywhere, and is so worn, I can't even sew the holes without some very serious patchwork. I would love to throw him out, but he would be missed.
"Florence The Lamb" is not that confusing, but G tends to blend her name into "YawenceDaYam", which I don't expect anyone but me to understand.
The best of all is Octopus.
This is Octopus:

Yeah, he's a peacock. G knows he is bird, she knows he is a peacock. But his name is Octopus. I'm not even sure she knows what a real octopus looks like.

This stuffed animal thing has gotten out of hand.

But we don't have a baby doll. Or a cat. Or a bunny. And I want all those things for her.
So, perhaps it's me who has gotten out of hand.

And Now For Your Listening Pleasure

2010-10-21T10:08:00.000-02:30

G sings "The Wheels on the Bus"

For those who don't speak toddler: They go Round and Round. The horn goes beep, beep. The baby goes wah, wah. The parents go shh, shh.

Things nobody told me...

2010-10-15T11:34:00.000-02:30

I wish there were more books out there for 2nd (and etc) time moms. I present to you, Things Nobody Told Me About a 2nd Pregnancy:

So tired all the time. There was no energetic 2nd Trimester for me, I'm just tired for the whole 9 months.
I just can't care as much about this time around. There are too many distractions.
It will not be exactly the same. I was much more sick this time in the beginning. Last time I was able to drink milk, this time, not so much.
No matter how hard I try to read pregnancy/birth books again, I can't help but feel like I know it all already.
Nobody else cares about kid #2 either - not in a bad way, just that there's very little literature/support for subsequent pregnancies.
It goes much, much faster. I can't believe I'm only 6-9 weeks from delivery!
Did I mention the tiredness? I've yawned four times while writing this.
Things that are the same: The left side of my uterus is apparently the comfy side. Both G and Boogaloo have camped out there, the right side feel practically empty. Maybe that's where my organs should go.
It's really hard to convince myself that the birth will go differently this time. It went so well last time that I assume it will be the same, but I should know better! My sister had a C-Section with #2 and not with #1.

That's enough. I need a nap.

Getting used to the SAHM Thing

2010-10-13T15:18:00.000-02:30

While Paul struggles a bit with the working dad thing, I'm trying my best at the Stay-at-home Mom thing. My sister gave me a fabulous book called A Mother's Rule of Life. It has been really inspirational to me in making a routine, putting God first and sorting out exactly what staying at home means to me.
I try to have a set routine in the day: Mornings we go out (either to a playgroup or gym, the library, the mall or to get groceries), afternoons are naptime (sometimes for me as well) and I try to get cleaning done. After naptime, I make supper and spend my evenings with Paul.
A key part of my day (and I admit I don't always do it) is right after G goes down for her nap. I make myself a cup of coffee or tea and sit and read the bible. I've been following the Daily Office in the Book of Alternative Services, which includes and Old Testament, a New Testament and a Gospel reading. If you do it every day for 2 years (maybe 3 years?), you'll read the entire bible.

One of the results of growing up in the church is that you get to adulthood feeling like you "know" the bible. I know all the stories, I know the books and what they're about, I even have chunks memorized, but I actually don't read it. I have really found myself rediscovering the Bible this past month. The readings are in order within a book, so I am currently reading a little bit of the book of Acts every day as my NT reading. It feels like every day ends on this cliffhanger! What's going to happen to Paul this time? Will he be able to escape the hundreds of people wanting to kill him? It's enough to make me go back and read what I missed if I forget to read every day. Sometimes I don't get much insight, and I admit that the minor prophets feel pretty "doom and gloom and lightning bolts", but much of the time, I see the text with new eyes, discovering not only insight, but humour!
The day is better when I take time to pause, relax and read, and it gives me just that little boost I need to keep going. And it's not just the caffeine.

Thanksgiving

2010-10-12T09:43:00.000-02:30

I love thanksgiving food. Turkey, stuffing, sweet potatoes, stuffing, cranberry sauce, stuffing, pumpkin pie, stuffing...and did I mention the stuffing?

So, this year, even though it is just the three of us, I decided it would be good for my mental health to have thanksgiving dinner anyway. We usually have some sort of big meal, but often it's been chicken, since a turkey is pretty big for two people, plus we've always seemed to get turkey from some other source (church, friends houses, etc). This year I knew there would be no turkey for me if I didn't make it myself!

Anyway, not to go on and on about the food, I took all of Monday to cook. I made a schedule beforehand so I could relax between making things and I wouldn't get overwhelmed.

It worked out really, really well.

G was my little "helper" for a little while:

You also get a sense of my 32-week baby bump. Oh, you can't see it? Yeah. I have tiny babies. It was the same way with G. I just don't get big. I know it's actually a blessing and that lots of women would like to be in my shoes, but... dangit! Nobody realizes that I'm... pretty darn close to giving birth. No sympathy for me.

But I digress.

Thanksgiving was great. We went for three family walks in the brisk fall weather and stuffed ourselves full of yummy food. G is a big turkey fan. She ate more turkey then I did! We told her that Thanksgiving was a time to say thank-you to God as well as to the people we love and about halfway through the meal, she spontaneously said "Thank you Mommy for making the food."

That makes everything worthwhile.

Stay at Home (posts by paul)

2010-10-11T12:04:00.000-02:30

For a long time before we moved to Newfoundland I was G's primary caregiver. Ever since her maternity leave ended, Jan had to be at work regularly, and I was the one who was home the most. When I wasn't actually in class I was often home with her. Now Jan is back on maternity leave as we are waiting for Baby 2: Electric Boogaloo to be born, and I'm struggling with the heavy workload of three Phd classes. So I'm going to the school every day--whether I have classes or not--to work.

And although I've only been doing this for about a month, I'm finding it surprisingly difficult to go to work every day and leave my daughter. It's hard to come home and ask Jan how G is doing, what she's been up to, what she did and learned to do, instead of seeing it all for myself. I also find, surprisingly, that since I've stopped being the parent who spends the most time with G, I've also stopped being the more patient parent. I used to secretly think that I was just a more patient person than Jan is, but now that I'm not spending all day with G anymore, it's harder to shift into a toddler's perspective--harder to be as patient with her as I would like to be. I miss that.

With all of that said, there is something really wonderful about coming home every evening to enthusiastic shouts of "Daddy! Daddy's home! Daddy! DADDY!".