hedda dabbler

this moment

2010-08-25T12:55:00.004-04:00

As the summer draws to a close, here's a pic of Signal receiving his first-ever soccer trophy. He's certainly not a baby any more!

The Lion, the Tiger and the Jaguar by Signal

2010-08-24T08:11:00.004-04:00

Once upon a time there was a lion, a tiger and a jaguar. The lion was at the river. The tiger was at the pond, and the jaguar was at the lemon patch.

On day an owl flew by the lion, the tiger and the jaguar. They said, "Wow! We wish we had an owl for a pet!"

The belted kingfisher was the witch.

Monto del Montey ate a witch last. "Luca muca ooca shmuca," laughed the lion, the tiger and the jaguar.

The end

This story appears exactly how it was dictated to me (though I did figure out the punctuation myself!). I could be wrong, but I think his style is showing some influence from our one-chapter-a-night reading of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis!

Experiments: Morning Screen Time

2010-08-17T07:43:00.002-04:00

Last week, Signal and I tried something new. He and I agreed that we would get up in the mornings and do something other than turn on our respective screens first thing (TV for him, computer for me). The screen first-thing in the morning thing is an old habit, one that I attribute mostly to how badly Signal slept for the first three years of his life. Having the TV going made it much easier for me to ease into the morning without having a total breakdown, day after day after day.

These days he is sleeping better (a little bit), and I am getting better and more sleep as a result, so I thought it was time to perhaps wean ourselves off our morning drug a bit. So last week, these are the things we did instead of watch TV first thing in the morning:

- made butter (sort of, we turned OFF the TV to do this)
- went to the park (x3)
- read books (to each other and separately)

I think we both enjoyed it. I think it is something we will continue trying - to move away from morning screen time in favour of morning together time.

this moment

2010-08-13T09:08:00.002-04:00

borrowing a feature from Amanda over at Soule Mama - a moment to remember.

Home Creamery

2010-08-09T19:14:00.005-04:00

That is the name of the restaurant Signal wants us to open. He will be the chef. I have been assigned the duties of "Assistant No. 1." M has been designated "Assistant No. 2." On the menu at Home Creamery?

Well, first up, it's butter. Good, old-fashioned, salted-down, homemade butter.

Nearly two years ago, I saw this book in the Cookbook Store in Toronto. The book is called Home Creamery by Kathy Farrell-Kingsley. I was fascinated by the idea of making my own butter, yogurt and cheese. So I came back home and asked my library to purchase it. They did so dutifully. It has been checked out four times since December 2008, when it was purchased. Every single time, it was checked out by yours truly!

In all that time, however, I had never gotten around to actually trying one of the recipes. Until Sunday morning. I had a cup of cream leftover from our adventures in ice-cream making earlier in the week. (More on that later, but we ate it all before I could take a picture, so it will have to wait!) And since that is pretty much all you need, ingredient-wise, Signal and I went to work.

We poured the cream into a Mason jar. We screwed the lid on tight. Then we shook. Then I stopped shaking to set the kitchen timer for 20 minutes. Then we shook some more. We turned some Indigo Girls on the computer to provide a soundtrack. We danced and shook and shook and danced. And then we shook and danced some more!

At about the 8 minute mark, I noticed considerable thickening of the material in the jar. At the 10 minute mark, I thought "Huh. That's it. We've whipped the cream." But I kept at it. (Signal at this point was playing Noah's Ark with his plastic animals and a Winnie-the-Pooh book cube.) At about the 12 minute mark, all of sudden, I heard a "whack" and a "splash." I looked in the jar, and there was a completely solid, light yellow mass in a thin, whitish liquid.

Holy crap! We did it! We made butter in a jar with nothing but cream and shaking!

I rinsed it, salted it, and put it in a little bowl in the refrigerator. I didn't eat any right away, though I did dip my finger in for a small taste. It was salty and delicious.

It might have taken me nearly two years to get it done, but I finally made my first foray into what I like to call our adventures in homesteading. And the fact that Signal loves it so much he wants to open a family restaurant? Well, that's just butter on the bread!

Okay. This is it. I am doing this.

2010-08-08T14:25:00.002-04:00

For the longest time I could not figure out why I am having such difficulty kick-starting this blog again. It is never far from my mind, and when I think of it, hanging out here with its old photos and stagnant news, I cringe.

The other day, I finally figured it out. I started this blog before Signal was born. It was a random little place to collect things - quotes, poems, moments. And then Signal came along, and we turned the blog into a chronicle of all things Signal. Rightfully and fully understandably so. And now, it is time to turn it back. Oh, not back to just what it was before.

First of all, I am not taking back sole proprietorship. M will still be free to post or not as she will. So that is a difference. And of course, we are different people now than we were pre-Signal. I can certainly see my pre-parent self in my now-self. I like to think that my pre-parent self would recognize me, if I saw me walking down the street. (Of course, the buzz cut does help, even with self-recognition!) But I do different things. I am concerned about different stuff. My lunches are no longer about sitting on a curb ruminating on the breeze until a haiku forms. My lunches are now about cramming my food into my face so I can score some reading time before having to go back to work!! Just an example, of course.

So I think that I might have a plan now. A plan for how to dust heddadabbler off and get her going again. Please keep checking back! I have plans for a post for tomorrow!

Moment capture

2010-04-19T08:20:00.004-04:00

Me: What shape do you want your jam-toast cut into? Triangles or strips?
Signal: I can't decide right now!
Me: Why not? What shape do you want?!
Signal: I am trying to keep Zeus [the cat] out of my kingdom [the couch]!

If there was ever a good reason not to be able to make a decision about something...

Making changes

2010-04-16T13:35:00.001-04:00

Hi! It's been awhile. But we don't want to let this blog go by the wayside (permanently). M told me that if I picked up some of the writing duties, she would really appreciate it.

So I am just popping on really quickly to say that I am in the midst of unpacking/purging/rearranging some of the stuff in our place. We have been thinking for a year or so about getting a dog. And I made a deal with M that we would get a dog as soon as we could get a defined set of to-do's done. Those to-do's include organizing and straightening the living areas on the main floor (living/dining room and guest bedroom, with all their attendant closets). I got started when she was in Los Angeles last weekend, and we are keeping it up today (my day off work for the week).

And, so, that said, off I go to get the books on the shelf in its new location in the guest bedroom. Think about what kind of dog you think we should get and leave suggestions in the comments!

here we are

2009-10-06T14:16:00.002-04:00

We're still out here. I swear it!

I realize that it has been nearly two months since we last updated. That time was filled with house hunting, family visits, trips, and last but not least a move! Come the end of the week we'll be leaving our not-quite-completely-unpacked new place and flying to Oklahoma to visit. Needless to say, fall has been a busy season for us!

Look for blog updates come the third week of October. With Signal in preschool two mornings a week, I am going to have more time to devote to the blog. See you then!

super undies!

2009-08-11T13:08:00.003-04:00

Things have been crazy buys around here again! Sorry for the lag in blogging. Right now Signal is going through the process of potty learning, and that has required a lot of attention. He is doing great - he's wearing undies all the time during the day now, with a diaper at nap time and bed time. However, he's been waking up dry from his nap and almost always dry in the morning as well, so we're really encouraged. He still has the occasional accident in his undies, particularly with poop, but we can't complain. I am very hopeful that Signal will be accident-free by the time snowsuit season rolls around. I don't want to have to wash pee-soaked snow pants, thank you very much!

We're also in the process of enrolling Signal in a co-op preschool two mornings a week. I am looking forward to seeing him get to interact more with kids his own age. I think it will be a great opportunity for him to do different activities than he does with me, and to become more independent too. Ru will be sitting on the board of the preschool, and I will be doing some work to help in the classroom. Signal's first day of school will be September 17th. We'll be sure to keep you posted.

Oh, and if that wasn't enough, we also facing another move. We'll be moving out of this house later in the fall... don't know to where yet, but we're hoping to find something good soon. Please send us some housing vibes, okay? We need them.

And what would a post be without pictures? Take one potty learning boy, add a playsilk as a cape and some elbow pads, and you have "Super Undies!" Here to save the world from, ummm, sleep? Quiet time? I dunno. :)

actually NOT the worst blogger ever!

2009-07-21T08:54:00.004-04:00

i would like to relieve m of the terrible burden of being the worst blogger ever. because of course, that distinction must fall to me, since i am the one who got this project started in the first place and then abandoned it to her when i went back to work after my four months' parental leave.

it's not that there hasn't been anything going on. au contraire. it's just that the weird simultaneous compression and stretching of time that occurs when one has a small child is so unusual and so unexpected that it really does take some time to get used to. i think i actually got used to the weeks upon weeks of sleep deprivation (which should not be understood as to be in the past, by the way, though it IS a lot better) long before i grew accustomed to the balance struck between the attention to minutiae that having a child entails (did you see that face?! did you hear what he said?! he is so amazing!) and the sweeping and incomprehensible passage of time (what's that you say? july is almost over? july of 2009? doesn't that mean i will be 33 years old this year?! WTH?!).

but now, three years into this parenthood project (and believe me, once he is potty-trained, i am sending him off to the ivy league - surely they have research projects in place where he will get loads of individualized care!), i am finally coming back to myself. we've got some interesting stuff going on - things that we came to by decision or by accident. things like this year we are hoping to do an entire (or almost entire) homemade/handmade/artisan christmas. and since we decided on it so early in the year, it has expanded to most of gift-giving so far this year. so there is a lot of knitting, some sewing being proposed, and a great deal of WAHM- and artisan-support shopping (thank goodness for Hyena Cart and Etsy!).

things have gotten a lot more interesting at work for me. i have been filling in a contract position for the past few months at a level up from where i was, and that is going permanent - which presents a great opportunity for me.

there is more reading going on (and not just of picture books, and not just by the two adults!). m has actually finished two books this year - i will let her tell you more about it!

signal has discovered a couple new loves - Fireman Sam (the hero next door!) and the Toronto Zoo ("mama, i saw NAKED MOLE RATS at the zoo!!").

and i have found a new project to try to stick with (HA!). it's called "101 Things in 1001 Days" - which is about 2.75 years. i inadvertently started my 1001 days yesterday, by doing something that i had put on my list (which is not complete, by the way). so now i better get a move on... i had actually put "finish this list" as one of the things on the list, but i had intended to replace it with something else when i actually finished the list. now it looks like it might be a legitimate directive! but the first task is done, which was to transfer our car payment from our old bank account to our new bank account. it doesn't sound nearly so difficult now that it's done! but trust me, that was a phone call eight months in the making!! so now it will save me a biweekly drive to two banks to transfer money and the $7/month the old account cost us in fees. (let us not think about how many double cheeseburgers i could have eaten for $7/month over eight months! GAH!)

anyway, there's a little update. hopefully m has been absolved of all responsibility of being the worst blogger ever, and i have been kickstarted back into involvement!

worst blogger ever?

2009-07-11T10:33:00.005-04:00

Okay, so I realize that I am fully falling down on the job of blogging. Why? I don't really know the answer to that question. As E has gotten older, it seems like a combination of things has led be to blog less. First, I am taking less pictures of E now. So there is less visual fodder for the blog. Second, it seems that as he grows, the number of "new" things he does is lessening. So I feel that there is less to tell you all about as well. Third, I feel like I have less time to blog. I don't really know why - I still get lots of computer time. But somehow, the blog is not really what I am drawn to right now.

Being Mommy to Signal continues to be a blast though. He's getting SO big (in size 4T and 5T clothes), is always talking up a storm, and his interests are growing and changing too. Current favourites include cars and trains, play dough, and of course, puzzles. Here are some recent pics of him and Ru working on a new floor puzzle. Try to ignore the cat hair; Zeus loves to join in when we're doing puzzles, and sheds all over them as we try to move him out of the way.

swing toddler toddler, swing!

2009-06-26T16:38:00.004-04:00

At least once a week, Ru takes Signal to the park before I even get up out of bed. It's nice time for them to spend together, allows me to sleep in a bit, and makes for a trip outside before it gets too hot under the summer sun. His very favourite things to do at the park is swing. And swing. AND swing. Ru tells me that there are mornings that they are at the park for an hour and all Signal does is swing.

I found these pictures on the camera yesterday when I was uploading pictures to the laptop. I'm guessing that this is Ru's view for about an hour, once or twice a week. Cute as heck, but I can also see why she brings a book!

Too bad we don't have a tree to hold a swing on our property. Signal would surely be in it all the time.

m's meal plan, june 22 through 28

2009-06-24T08:31:00.003-04:00

Geez, how did it get so long between posts again? Life has been really busy around here. With warmer weather here to stay, it seems, we've been out and about more. While I am not fan of the heat by any means, I have to admit that I love leaving the house without worrying about coats and sweaters and all that cold weather bulk.

With temperatures hovering in the mid-30s this week with the humidity factored in, I'm trying to cook by using primarily the slow cooker or the grill. Neither method heats up the house much, and that's just what we need!

Monday - Chicken kebabs, couscous and veggie kebabs
Tuesday - Easy slow cooker chili and bread
Wednesday - Salmon and shrimp with rice and broccoli
Thursday - Takeout
Friday - Groundnut stew, rice and naan
Saturday - Thai peanut satays, noodles, and snow peas
Sunday - Grilled steak, potatoes and asparagus

I hope that wherever you are, you are all beating the heat in the kitchen and avoiding toiling over a hot stove!

junk mail

2009-06-11T14:45:00.001-04:00

Signal sure loves it when the mail comes. He always hopes that there might be a little something for him. A package, a card, some stickers. The boy has definitely inherited his Mama's love of the postal service!

The mail he loves most of all, however, is flyers. Flyers for restaurants. For grocery stores, or department stores, or even for tourist attractions. Flyers are were it's at for him. We keep a small stash in the car for when we're driving around town, because Signal inevitably asks to "read a magazine" while we're out. He's so funny.

I think that he's pretty convincing too (except for the part where he wears the flyers on his head.) With his love of all things printed, I wonder how long before he'll be recognizing sight words.

m's meal plan, june 8 through 14

2009-06-08T11:31:00.002-04:00

Another delicious week of meals ahead in the C-P household. I think I am particularly looking forward to Thursday's meal. Nothing like a nice serving of shepherd's pie to make one feel comfy and cozy inside.

Monday - Pasta and meatball bake with garlic bread
Tuesday - Pork tenderloin, sauteed noodles and sweet bell peppers
Wednesday - Cauliflower & potatoes with ginger and chiles, naan and papadums
Thursday - Shepherd's pie
Friday - Fondue and baked potatoes
Saturday - Indonesian peanut chicken, green beans, rice and naan
Sunday - Tacos

if you go to the zoo in the spring...

2009-06-04T14:19:00.003-04:00

Don't be surprised if you see something like this. I dare say that these grizzlies were twitter-painted.

6 years. Really?

2009-05-31T17:50:00.004-04:00

First off, thanks for everyone who sent out well wishes to Ru for her wisdom teeth extraction on Thursday. It really and truly went oh so much better than we expected. They took out all 4 teeth in under and hour, her pain was minimal, and she has little swelling and no bruising. I was all prepared to take awesome pictures and post them on the blog, but she honestly didn't look much different. I didn't want you, my dear readers, to be too disappointed. So thanks for all your positive thoughts. They sure seemed to work! Ru is also proclaiming her oral surgeon a genius, so let us know if you're looking for someone awesome to yank out your teeth.

Second, today is our 6th wedding anniversary. Oh my gosh. I know I say this every year, but I really do not know where the time has gone. It seems like this year more than ever, the time between the first of the year and now has gone by with lightening speed. We're been busy. Like with a toddler is pretty wild. Sometimes I don't really remember what it was like back when it was just the two of us. But looking at this picture, I'm thinking we were pretty darn happy. (Sorry for the poor quality - it's a scanned pic.)

Not that we're not happy now, of course. We're just older. And a whole lot tireder. And a bit heavier too. Oh, to be young and in love. ;)

I hope everyone has a very happy first day of June tomorrow. Craziness, I tell you. Come on summer. Bring back some of our youthful vigour and zest!

m's meal plan, may 25 through 31

2009-05-25T12:43:00.002-04:00

Well, I'm going to go ahead and admit right now that our meal plan for this week lacks a whole lot of imagination or effort. There is a good reason for that, however. This Thursday, Ru is having all four of her wisdom teeth removed. The poor girl is going to be going under general anesthetic for the first time ever, and I'm sure that after having all those teeth out it'll take her a while to get back on track with the whole eating thing. I'm seeing a lot of pudding and jello and broth in her future. As such, most meals this week are going to be just for Signal and I. Since I am only cooking for two and also will be looking after Signal and Ru, I want to keep it simple. Here goes.

Monday - Leftover chicken, fries, cucumbers and tomatoes
Tuesday - BBQ beef satay, rice, snow peas
Wednesday - Steak, asparagus, roasted potatoes
Thursday - Texican chili (leftovers from the freezer), garlic bread
Friday - Green pea soup, naan
Saturday - Takeout
Sunday - Spaghetti with turkey sausage, garlic bread

We may end up switching Saturday and Sunday's meals, depending on how Ru is feeling, as Sunday is our 6th wedding anniversary. 6 years! How'd that happen?

cute-a-riffic

2009-05-22T10:56:00.002-04:00

One of my very favourite more recent pictures of Signal. Here, we were getting ready to take Mommy Penguin with us to Planet Organic. While there, he let another friendly shopper know that Mommy Penguin is a big fan of Snapea Crisps. She's a penguin with very sophisticated tastes.

lions and tigers and red river hogs! oh my!

2009-05-19T22:39:00.005-04:00

so monday was a holiday here. we decided it would be a good day to take signal to the zoo for the first time this year. we went last summer when my parents were in town, and signal was not very interested in the animals, though he did love all the running around. this time, though, it was all about the animals, baby!

lions!

tigers!

red river hogs!

oh! (did you know a giraffe could hold his legs like that?!)

my! (lovely loving little golden lion tamarins!)

when we got home monday afternoon, we asked e when he wanted to go back to the zoo again, he said "tomorrow!" of course, we did not go today, but we did get a season pass, so we will be going back soon (and frequently)! more highlights:

signal and mommy

the rare and wild canada gosling!

signal and mama

the rare domestic canadian goat!

the rare domesticated (for now) canadian toddler
(with his tube of plastic animals, or "my new present" as he calls it)

if you ask signal what his favourite animals he saw at the zoo were, he will tell you "the hyena, the rhino and the elephant." if you ask either m or myself what three animals we did not see at the zoo, we will tell you "the hyena, the rhino and the elephant." m says she is not sure what trip he went on, but he seemed to have a good time!

but signal's absolute favourite animal from our trip to the zoo was the kakoon. what's a kakoon you ask? that's what i asked too. and signal tells me "it is not a baboon. the kakoon lives over a high mountain. it looks like a lion, but it wiggles like a tiger." later, he told ak that "it is really cute." and this morning he added that "it is really enormous." but this evening he reiterated that "it is very very small." we are not sure we have the spelling right, but we thought it looked african. if you have any ideas, leave them in the comments!!

rawr rawr

2009-05-06T13:59:00.004-04:00

As a stay-at-home parent, I sometimes struggle with what to DO with Signal all day. When the weather is good we try to get outside, but when it's bad, I feel like we quickly go a bit stir-crazy around here. Being a one-car family, I rarely have the car during the day, meaning that I can't just pack up and head to the store or mall or a friend's house if I feel like I'm going to tear out my hair either.

Enter No Time for Flash Cards. The ever-helpful and talented EcoMum recently made me aware of this really fun web site with cool crafts and activities for preschoolers. There are lots of simple crafts. There are book recommendations. Nothing takes a ton of prep, nor does it require a whole lot of complicated supplies. So late week, Signal and I set about to make a stuffed monster.

Signal loved it. Loved getting to use the glue stick and the googly eyes especially. Had a lot of fun ripping the paper and stuffing it inside the monster's body. When all was said and done, Rawr Rawr (as Signal named his creation) was born.

Signal did all of the decorating with the exception of drawing the teeth. I thing he did a fantastic job. I especially like how Rawr Rawr's eyes are not at exactly the same level. I think it gives him a rather jaunty air.

The boy and his monster.

Teaching Rawr Rawr about dinosaurs.

Clearly, I need to get into the habit of crafting with Signal more often. I recently came to the realization that the boy is 2 and a half, and has never ever played with play dough! Geez, what kind of Mommy am I? Anyone have a favourite recipe for the home made variety?

m's meal plan, may 4 through 10

2009-05-04T13:57:00.002-04:00

More fun use of the grill this week - two separate meals of skewers/kebabs. Yum! We also grilled hot dogs for lunch today. Let me tell you that that really felt like a treat. Using the BBQ at lunch? Score!

Monday - Homemade chicken noodle soup, cheesy garlic bread
Tuesday - Thai pork kebabs, sesame noodles
Wednesday - Tilapia, green beans, couscous
Thursday - Mrs. Kelly's pork chops, mashed potatoes, peas
Friday - Shrimp skewers, rice, broccoli
Saturday - Takeout or a restaurant (an early Mother's Day celebration)
Sunday - Texican chili and garlic bread

for noelle, on her due date

2009-05-01T09:38:00.004-04:00

Today is May 1st.
A day that I have been dreading for weeks and weeks.
Today was Noelle's due date.

Oddly, it doesn't feel quite as terrible as I thought it might. Of course, the day is still early and I'm sure that it will have its ups and downs, but the sun still came up this morning. I'm still here, Ru's still here, and Signal's still here. The world didn't stop spinning just because my due date finally came. Although I kind of wish it had, if only just for a moment.

I wish that we were getting ready for the arrival of our sweet baby girl instead of trying to figure out when and if we'll get pregnant again. I wish I could be truly happy for pregnant friends instead of filled with envy. Most of all, I wish that there didn't have to be this hole in our hearts where Noelle was supposed to be. While it hurts less now than it did in December, I know that it will never go away. And sometimes that thought is just overwhelming.

To honour Noelle on her due date, I thought that I should take a few photos of things of hers to share with you all.

One of the only "pictures" that I have of our baby girl. Taken at about 11 weeks.

Noelle's angel Christmas ornament, purchased at the One of a Kind Show, and the stained glass heart that hung on the door of the hospital room as I gave birth to her.

The beautiful cross-stitch that EcoMum made for us.

A perpetual membership in the Jesuit Seminary's masses and prayers, given to us by L, C and K.

And last but certainly not least, Noelle's fluff. Although she never got to wear any of these items, I will always think of them as hers. If we ever welcome another baby into our family, they will be wearing their big sister's diapers.

If you're still with me at this point, thanks for listening. And thank you for taking a minute to think of our family and our little girl on this special day.

you might be the parent of a toddler

2009-04-30T09:08:00.002-04:00

You might be the parent of a toddler if you get asked to put a diaper on a lobster. And are told that they wear disposable diapers, not cloth.

Claws out the top, all 4 legs on each side out the same leg hole. Awkward looking? You betcha! That'd be why lobsters don't worry about potty training.

m's meal plan, april 27 through may (!) 3

2009-04-28T15:29:00.002-04:00

With the weather getting better and better, I've noticed a switch in my meal planning. I'm trying to incorporate more items on the grill, since we were blessed with a BBQ with the new house. I'm also trying to do more vegetarian meals. It's hard to balance healthy foods and good variety with stuff I know Signal will eat, but for the most part we're pretty lucky. The only thing he seems even remotely picky about is stir-fry, but even then I still make it. I just have to accept that he likely won't eat much for supper if that's what's on the plate.

Monday - Chicken kebabs, rice, grilled mixed veggies
Tuesday - Samosas, dal, naan bread
Wednesday - Steak, roasted cauliflower, ginger snow peas
Thursday - Pizza night!
Friday - Tacos
Saturday - Pasta primavera, garlic bread
Sunday - Indian-spiced chicken burgers, sweet potato fries

Dal isn't much of a "spring-ish" food, but it's raining today and so seemed fitting. Hopefully all of this weeks meals with be a hit with everyone.

more signs of spring

2009-04-25T12:55:00.004-04:00

I know that it's not yet May and we could absolutely still be hit with snow around these parts, but I do dare say that I finally feel like spring weather might really be here to stay. There has been rain. There have been wildly fluctuating temperatures. And there have been days warm enough for shorts! Sounds like spring in southern Ontario to me!

Yesterday we decked E out in a new-to-us outfit from Once Upon a Child and enjoyed the warmth. Went outside a bit. Walked in the wagon. Opened the windows. Used the BBQ. It was a lot of fun, and definitely has me looking forward to more consistently warm weather. Not having to deck a toddler out in winter gear every time we have to leave the house? Priceless!

Mexx shirt and Gymboree shorts for a total of $9.

Quenching his thirst with cool water.

Reading one of his new favorites, Rhyming Dust Bunnies.

What rhymes with cat? Hat!

Ewww, kisses.

I hope that wherever you are, you too are enjoying some nice warm weather. Or at least warmer weather.

m's meal plan, april 20 through 26

2009-04-22T11:04:00.002-04:00

More than a week between updates again. Clearly our lives have been less than thrilling lately. I'm looking forward to this weekend, when we're supposed to have temperatures in the 20s. Hopefully that will inspire some photography and some blog posts!

Monday - Takeout
Tuesday - Meatloaf, mashed potatoes, and maple glazed carrots
Wednesday - Chicken korma with green beans, rice, naan
Thursday - Pork stir-fry over rice vermicelli
Friday - Grilled steaks, quinoa, and grilled veggies
Saturday - Blast-roasted chicken, roasted potatoes, and peas
Sunday - A's lasagna

I'm looking forward to using the BBQ on Friday, and getting out in the yard and to the playground with E again. With all the rain and wind we've been having, we've been more house-bound this week. It's driving us both a little batty!

happy easter!

2009-04-14T13:21:00.005-04:00

Ru, Signal and I all had an ab fab Easter long weekend. With Ru off work for four days in a row, we had a ton of family time, saw lots of friends, and got lots done too! There was of course drama, brought on by a 2 year old who was without much routine all weekend long. But the good parts definitely outshone the bad.

The weekend started off with Signal's Uncle D in town. On Friday we had a great BBQ, with 13 people all crammed into our house for lots of food and great conversation. I had originally hoped that it would be warm enough for us to hang out outdoors, but with the snow we had at the beginning of the week last week the back yard was muddy and the wind was chilly. All the kids in attendance played wonderfully together, and it was nice to catch up with friends, some of whom we hadn't seen since Signal's birthday party. Sadly, I seem to not have taken any pictures at all at the BBQ. Oops!

Saturday began with Signal, Ru, Uncle D and I painting Easter eggs and Signal doing a little egg hunt around the house. Ru had purchased an egg decorating kit that involved painting the eggs with sponge brushes instead of dipping them, and I thought it was really great for a kid as young as Signal. He was really able to get into it!

At the table with Uncle D and Mama.

A look of utter concentration.

Finding Easter eggs.

Finding M&M eggs inside his Easter eggs.

On Sunday, we were invited to breakfast at J, J, and B's place. It was a ton of fun! A yummy yummy breakfast of eggs, waffles, fresh fruit and cappuccinos. Big fish in a tank that Signal would have loved to watch all day long. Fun times playing with all of B's toys and books. And an egg hunt in their back yard that ended with Signal getting some yummy chocolate. A very fun way to celebrate Easter indeed.

The Easter bunny left Signal underwear and cars.

Playing the piano while wearing B's kippa.

One of the eggs J hid for Signal.

Egg hunt success!

And then yesterday, we used Ru's final day off to get quite a few tasks out of the way. Both Ru and I went to the dentist to get our teeth cleaned. Ru went to Walmart to get replacement bulbs for the turn signal on our car and got that replaced. I made up this week's meal plan and we went for groceries. Then, we were joined by more friends, E and Jer. They came over to share pizza for supper and to watch the very final episode of Corner Gas. While the ending of the show was a tad disappointing, it was still a great evening.

Thanks so much to all the friends that shared our Easter weekend with us. It made being far from home this holiday a lot more fun.

update fail

2009-04-13T23:19:00.001-04:00

It's Monday.

And there's no new blog post.

I'd promise to get one up during nap tomorrow, but I might end up breaking that promise. So instead, I'll just try really hard. Okay?

i know, i know

2009-04-08T14:52:00.003-04:00

It has been too long since we've poster to the blog. We know.

But things have been a little crazy around here. Nice weather, and then crappy weather. Visitors. Parties. Upcoming holidays. It seems like Ru and Signal and I never have a moment to sit and just be anymore. I am hoping that this upcoming Easter weekend will provide some rest and relaxation for our family, but I am fully aware of how full our schedule is.

Just in case you were worried that Signal had lost some of his cute during our blogging lapse, I assure you he has not. Here he is modeling his new tomten jacket, knit by my very dear friend R.

I will try to get some new photos of us all this weekend and update the blog for everyone who reads as a way to keep in touch since we're so far from family. I vow to post again by Monday. Hold me to it people!

m's meal plan, march 30 through april 5

2009-03-31T13:36:00.002-04:00

Alrighty! Here's this week's meal plan. Ru decided that as her celebratory dinner for her first day of her new contract, she'd like me to make chicken pot pie. I haven't made one in ages and ages, so I had too look up a recipe that wouldn't be too difficult to complete with a toddler under foot. Hopefully I chose well! I guess I'll find out tomorrow.

Monday - Ground beef enchilitos and sliced cucumber
Tuesday - A's grandmother's spaghetti and meatballs
Wednesday - Easy chicken pot pie and green salad
Thursday - Pork stir-fry with peanut sauce
Friday - Fast food at the One of a Kind Show
Saturday - Three kinds of soup (an Empty Bowls meal)
Sunday - Pot roast with mashed potatoes and roasted broccoli and cauliflower

Nothing too too labour intensive this week, which is great. Got to love simplicity sometimes!

a sign of spring

2009-03-28T14:08:00.001-04:00

It's nice and warm and sunny here today. So many neighbours are out raking their lawns, getting everything ready for the grass to turn green. No more snow in sight, and temperatures in the double digits to boot!

To celebrate, I took our brand new dyed toddler prefolds, washed them and popped them onto our clothesline.

Ah, springtime bliss.

delicious deliciousness

2009-03-26T10:13:00.003-04:00

In Monday's meal plan blog post, I mentioned that I was making Michael Smith's Potato Bacon Cheese tart for J's birthday supper last night. And make it I did!

This is definitely not a recipe I'd make all the time. It took an hour to prep, which is pretty darn long in my books. I'm more of a quick-cook gal, generally. While making it, every surface in my kitchen got covered in bacon grease. My hands smelled like bacon well into the evening, despite numerous washings. But in spite of that, the resulting meal was well worth it.

The assembled tart before baking.

The tart with half of it eaten. Look at that crispy bacon!

A close-up of the cheesy, potato-y goodness.

It tasted even better than it looked, if that's at all possible. I think it would make an excellent addition to a breakfast/brunch menu, as it could be sliced into much thinner wedges than we had for supper, stretching how many it would feed.

And with that, get cooking everyone. You know you want to!

m's meal plan, march 23 through 29

2009-03-23T14:45:00.002-04:00

It's been a while since I posted a meal plan, but I'm still at it! I've been trying out a lot of new recipes lately, and most have been very successful. I really do love cooking great food for family and friends. It's fun to play chef!

Monday - Mrs. Kelly's pork chops, cheesy potatoes and green peas
Tuesday - Hamburger and lentil soup with garlic bread
Wednesday - Michael Smith's potato bacon cheddar tart with a salad (for J's birthday)
Thursday - Chicken korma with green beans and basmati
Friday - Salmon with maple-glazed carrots and couscous
Saturday - Takeout of some sort
Sunday - Spaghetti with Italian sausage meatballs

I am particularly looking forward to Wednesday. Bacon potato and cheddar tart for supper with cake for dessert? Decadence!

i want to be a supermodel

2009-03-22T13:24:00.002-04:00

It has begun.

The process of potty learning is underway for Signal. The week after I purchase six more toddler prefolds to replace diapers he has outgrown, of course!

It started with my dad (Signal's Opa) talking up how fun it was to use the potty. At their place two weeks ago, Signal began thinking pooping on the potty was fun. Now, that didn't last, but peeing on the potty is in full swing! He has been peeing in the potty an average 4 times a day. Sometimes more and sometimes less, but he is definitely getting the idea down! It's so fun to see how proud he is of himself when he pees on his potty. And of course Ru and I are proud too!

In honour of starting potty learning, Ru and I picked up some big boy underwear for Signal on Friday. It's too big (even though he's at the high end of the weight range for it), but he's pretty happy to be strutting around in the stuff. We are of course still using diapers at many times throughout the day, but he's been pretty good at keeping those dry too. In fact, from 10am to 1pm today, he didn't wet a diaper at all and peed in the potty three times!

We couldn't help, of course, snapping some pictures of Signal in his new undies.

In doggie print undies from Osk Kosh.

Looking like a future underwear model.

How cute is that? I'm thinking that we're likely a ways off until we ditch the diapers all together, but my hope is that by the fall Signal will be completely dry during the day. I don't think that that's too ambitious. I suppose we'll see...

mitty matty had a hen

2009-03-17T22:58:00.002-04:00

she laid eggs for gentlemen
sometimes nine and sometimes ten
mitty matty, fine fat hen!

for your st patrick's day viewing please: signal's stage debut at the tender age of 2 years, 3 months, 7 days!

m's meal plan, february 23 through march 1

2009-02-24T17:00:00.002-05:00

Here's this week's meal plan. I think Wednesday and Thursday are going to be a lot of fun. Wednesday's meal uses black bean soup that I have in the freezer, so it's basically assembly-only. Always fun. And I have never made steak sandwiches as part of our weekly meal plan before. I hope that they're a hit!

Secretly, I think I am most looking forward to Sunday. Any meal that I don't have to cook is a fine one in my book. Hooray for friends with culinary skills.

Monday - Chicken breasts, roasted potatoes, carrots and leeks, and green peas
Tuesday - Penne and meatball bake with rolls
Wednesday - Black bean soup with deli chicken sandwiches
Thursday - Steak, pepper and onion sandwiches with sweet potato fries
Friday - Blast-roasted whole chicken with potatoes and asparagus
Saturday - Tacos
Sunday - N's surprise Chinese meal

fantastic photos

2009-02-23T13:44:00.003-05:00

Sorry that there hasn't been much going on on the blog recently. In all honesty, most of what's been going on here lately is just maintenance. Meals, laundry, diapers, naps, groceries. Not exactly thrilling blog topics. There will surely be more to blog about come next week, when my mom and dad (Signal's Oma and Opa) arrive in town for a few days. I expect the guys to spend a lot of time outside, and my mom and I to talk wardrobe for the upcoming Irish Show. Should be a ton of fun! It'll be the first time they see the house too. I can't wait for Dad to replace the toilet paper holder in our downstairs bathroom!

In order to tide you over until more is going on around here, I leave you with three awesome pictures of Signal snapped by our friend D. They really do capture the spirit of our little guy.

GLBTQ books for children and teens

2009-02-18T09:53:00.002-05:00

The 2009 Rainbow List has just been released. What is the Rainbow List, you ask? It's a joint undertaking of the American Library Association’s Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgendered Round Table and Social Responsibilities Round Table that features books that are both well-written and have significant gay/lesbian/bisexual/trangender or queer content and are specifically targeted for people from birth to age 18. I know how hard it can be to find books that feature GLBTQ content AND are well-written, so it's great to see such a list available.

Please visit The Rainbow List's blog to see this year's introduction to the books picked for 2009. In the sidebar on the left of their blog you can find the complete 2008 and 2009 lists, as well as other recent posts. Go check it out!

Being the librarian that I am, I also feel the need to say that if you see books that you think you'd like to read on this list but don't feel like buying all of them, please check your local library to see if they carry any of the titles. If they don't, feel free to ask your librarian if they have a purchase request program where you can ask for titles to be purchased and added to the collection. Let's all work to diversify our local libraries' collections!

m's meal plan, february 16 through 22

2009-02-17T18:30:00.003-05:00

Now that every member of our family seems to be out of the woods in terms of sickness (I ran a fever for nearly 48 hours last week... fun!), we're back into the swing of things with meal planning. I like this weeks plan because it has two new-to-us recipes, as well as other things we haven't eaten recently. It always feels good to be eating new stuff; helps to break me out of the monotony of being home all day and spices things up a bit!

Monday - Supper at a tex-mex restaurant
Tuesday - Chicken korma with green beans, basmati and naan
Wednesday - Make-your-own pizzas
Thursday - Sweet potato soup and whole wheat rolls
Friday - A's grandmother's meatballs
Saturday - Sauteed shrimp with roasted vegetable couscous
Sunday - Pork with peanuts and quinoa

quote of the day

2009-02-06T10:40:00.003-05:00

it was another one of those mornings, when signal wanted both oatmeal AND cheese toast for breakfast (a sure sign that he, at least, is feeling better!).

so he was standing on his footstool ("stooful") next to the counter, where he stands to help me make breakfast (he can pour the oatmeal water into the pan, get the pinch of salt, put cheese on the toast, stir the sugar and butter and oatmeal and milk and cinnamon - he is really a great help in the kitchen, when he isn't trying to run off with a knife...). i took the toast out of the toaster and was waving it in the air, trying to get it a little dry before putting it on the foil for the cheese. the oatmeal water was buddling away on the stovetop. and signal puts his hands on top of his head and says:

"my hair! it's blowing in a hot wind!"

classic!

and in other news, i made it back to work yesterday. by the time i got home, though, i was green, exhausted and a little pukey. and then, after supper, my lip and face swelled up a little bit. just a little random swelling, for the heck of it! it seems ridiculous that it was too much too soon, but i think it was indeed that. so i am staying home again today, in hopes that i can make it in tomorrow morning... i haven't been this sick since early 2005! wish me luck!

new art

2009-02-04T13:47:00.002-05:00

Yesterday morning before I got up, Signal did some drawing while Ru tried to take it easy a bit. This was one of the drawings he did. A dog - two eyes, a nose, a mouth, 4 legs, ears, a tail, and a crown. Yep, a crown. Apparently dogs are royalty in Signal's world.

He sure loves art. This morning he asked to draw with his markers and Ru said no, because she was busy doing something else and felt that she couldn't watch him adequately. She told him that he was free to draw, but needed to use his wax crayons. Signal then told her "These (the wax crayons) are for little kids. I want markers!" Cause he's an oh-so-mature 26 months, after all.

the ick

2009-02-02T12:13:00.003-05:00

Yes, it has been a week since I have poster to the blog. If you want a recap, it goes something like this:
Monday - A (roommate) home from work with the ick.
Tuesday - Signal shows signs of getting the ick.
Wednesday - Snowstorm. Signal throwing up. Must drive in said storm to go get long-lost friend from the subway. Good times.
Thursday - Signal still sick. Prepare dinner party for 7. Get really good news over supper that makes up for general grossness of week so far.
Friday - Get up really early. Drive Ru and long-lost friend to commuter train. Deal with sick cranky toddler all day. Cancel dinner plans.
Saturday - Ru sick with the ick. Signal still sick. Opt out of gymnastics. Do nothing.
Sunday - Ru really sick with ick. Signal getting better. I'm getting the ick too. Don't go out for Superbowl. Be cranky all day. Get A to take pictures of us in football gear just to show we're not dead.

Yep, I know we look terrible. Did you read the above part of this post? Truth is, I'm feeling worse today and Ru's not feeling that much better. I am getting really tired of it. Oh well. At least the Steelers won the Superbowl.

m's meal plan, january 26 through february 1

2009-01-27T14:58:00.002-05:00

This weeks meal plan isn't as inspired as those for the last few weeks. Honestly, I am feeling every so slightly burned out from doing so much cooking. It's great that we're having much less carry-out and delivery, but it is more work to make and clean up after so many meals. So this week there's some stuff from the freezer, and we're also away eating with friends for two nights. So that's really only 4 meals that I have to cook this week, of which we will have guests for two. Surely I can handle that.

Monday - Stew and rolls (stew defrosted from freezer leftovers)
Tuesday - Chicken enchilitos
Wednesday - Spaghetti and meat sauce with garlic bread
Thursday - Smoky brisket with mashed potatoes and peas (such a hit last week that we're having it with guests this week)
Friday - Supper at a friend's house
Saturday - Pork tenderloin with rice and broccoli
Sunday - We're at a Superbowl party!

Also, for any of you who live north of Toronto - this past Sunday, we decided that our takeout was going to be from The Chef Thai Fusion in Markham. The food was super delicious. Really yummy satays and a very good pepper cashew tenderloin. If you're in the mood for Thai and you're in the area, I highly recommend it!

family necklaces

2009-01-24T16:20:00.002-05:00

After Noelle's birth, Ru and I decided that we wanted some sort of jewelry that we could wear that would remind us of her. Something that would be a way of having her close to us even though she wasn't physically with us any longer. We looked around online at various places specializing in pregnancy and birth loss jewelry, but didn't see anything that really struck our fancy.

Then, when at the One of a Kind show, just three days after Noelle's birth, we found Luxe Design. We decided then and there that we were going to order necklaces from them. And instead of getting pieces to remind us of just Noelle, we'd each get a necklace symbolizing our entire family.

These arrived just over a week ago, but I just remembered to take the time to snap pictures of them today. They are fantastic. I love putting my necklace on and fingering the little charms, physically feeling our family with my fingers even when I'm all alone. We are so so happy we decided to go with Luxe and get these necklaces. I'm sure you'll agree.

First, there's Ru's necklace:

Her name, a carnelian heart-shaped bead, my name, "Our Little Family" charm with her birthstone hanging in the centre, Signal's name, a turquoise bead for the birth month of both our children, and Noelle's name.

Then there's my necklace:

Ru and I's initials on a love note charm, an emerald coloured bead for the month of our wedding and Noelle's actual due date, a soul mate charm, "Beauty blinding and unsurpassed" charm with a heart in the centre, Signal's initial, a turquoise bead for the kids' birth month, and Noelle's initial.

I hope that you find them just as lovely to look at as we do. And if you are in the market for anything similar, I highly recommend Luxe Design. They were great to deal with and had a very quick turnaround time. Here's to hoping that we'll have need to add more charms to our necklaces in the future.

early 2009 complete stash pictures

2009-01-21T14:52:00.004-05:00

I realized recently that I hadn't done a cloth diapering update in some time. We've been in the process of revamping the stash a little bit, getting rid of things that weren't working or that Signal had grown out of and adding more of what was working for us. Yesterday I took a bunch pictures so that I could share them with some ladies that I chat with on Diaperswappers, so I thought I'd take the opportunity to post them here too.

First off we have the bamboo preflats and the cotton prefolds.

MEOS, Goodmamas and Patooshie Pants, Toddle-ease, Mutts, and BedBugs.

Flannel flats, hemp doublers, bum wipes and face wipes.

PUL covers.

Fleece covers.

Wool covers.

Where it all lives.

And the cutie that wears it all!

I hope that you have as much fun gazing at my stash as I do gazing at other people's stashes. I always like to see what others are drawn to and what works well for different parents and kids. I will say that I am so so happy that we made the switch to cloth a year ago, and I know that should we have more kids we'll definitely cloth diaper again. It's just too fun not to.

m's meal plan, january 19 through 25

2009-01-19T15:55:00.002-05:00

Here's the meal plan for this week. I think we'll be able to stick with it pretty well, although I just remembered that we're going to an event for Family Literacy Day on Thursday night. I think we can still have the tilapia though - I'll just have to have it ready right for when Ru gets home from work in order to get us to the event on time. For lunches this week we still have ham for ham sandwiches, beef stew in the freezer, and some carrot soup too. That along with the leftovers from this weeks suppers should get us through the week.

Monday - Chicken tikka masala with rice and naan
Tuesday - Red lentil soup with rolls and salad
Wednesday - Smoky brisket with mashed potatoes & peas
Thursday - Tilapia with couscous and asparagus
Friday - Tacos in a pan with tortilla chips
Saturday - Whole roasted chicken with roasted potatoes
Sunday - Takeout

There's a new Thai fusion place that we got a menu for this past week, and I think that that is where we are going to get takeout from on Sunday. Should be delicious! What are you all having for supper this week?

coolest blog find ever

2009-01-16T11:14:00.002-05:00

As much as I wish that there wasn't a need for a blog like this, someone linked to To Write Their Names In The Sand on a message board that I frequent and I was hooked.

Such a beautiful, beautiful tribute to so many children who never got to grow up. I can't believe how many names have been written in such a short time. I haven't submitted Noelle's name yet, but I may. I'd love to see her name written in the sand as a way to remember how loved and wanted she was, even though we didn't get to bring her home.

who do you cheer for?

2009-01-15T12:33:00.002-05:00

The start of a new year is always marked, in our family, be some rather obsessive football watching. As the playoffs are in full swing and everyone is gearing up for the Superbowl, my family and our roommate alike are annoyed by the fact that Ru and I want to watch football, football and maybe a little more football.

This year our family team of choice, the Jets, are sadly out of the running for the big game. But we think that Farve did a great job as quarterback and we will be proudly wearing our Jets gear for the Superbowl, even though the Jets won't be playing. (Look for pictures of our family gear soon after the game.)

But as consolation for the fact that the Jets won't be playing, I'm hoping to win FireMom's Super Bowl XLIII Ultimate Pepsi Party Pack. I mean really,who doesn't want to be eating snacks out of a helmet on game day? I hope that if I do win the coupons are good in Canada... hmmm. Although I don't really want you all to be competition for me, I think you should mosey on over to FireMom's blog and enter too. And if you beat me out and win the party pack, I want to be invited to your Superbowl party.

m's meal plan, january 12 through 18

2009-01-13T13:37:00.002-05:00

Now that we're in the new house and really back into the swing of things after a rather busy/unpleasant/tiring December, we are getting back into meal planning. We want to spend less money on fast food and have leftovers for lunches, and meal planning is the best way to do that. Last night I came up with a meal plan for the week and this morning we went for groceries to get everything we need. We also got some meat on sale and froze it - it'll be worked into next weeks plan.

Monday - Roasted chicken with carrots and potatoes
Tuesday - Pasta and meatball bake with garlic bread
Wednesday - Pork stir-fry over rice
Thursday - Make your own pizzas
Friday - Beef stew and rolls
Saturday - Party food!
Sunday - A's shepherd's pie

Hopefully we'll stay on track with everything!

happy (belated) new year!

2009-01-12T15:34:00.002-05:00

I know it's late and that we're two weeks into 2009, but we just got back from an extended trip to see my parents, and had limited internet access while we were away. I hope to get back to blogging more regularly soon, as we settle back into our daily routines here at home.

So for now, Signal, Ru and I hope that your new year is off to a good start. May 2009 bring you all much health and happiness.

no nap?

2008-12-29T16:43:00.003-05:00

As many of you know, Signal has never been a very good sleeper. He has slept through the night a total of three times in his life, once being within his first three weeks. He didn't really get the napping thing down until around his first birthday. Now, all of a sudden, he's refusing naps. Oh my!

Nothing has changed in his routine. We still go into Signal's room, rock in the rocking chair, and I sing while he drinks a bottle of milk. Once he's done the milk, he takes his pacifier and we keep rocking. But more and more frequently, I rock and rock and then he just sits up and says "Let's go to the living room!" By the end of the day (bedtime is around 7:30pm), he's not any crankier than usual. It's a little unnerving.

I am personally having a hard time coming to terms with the idea that Signal's days might soon all be napless. I will no longer have any "me" time during the day. I think that is going to be a difficult adjustment for me. I realize that napless days also means we're freer to do what we want when we want to, but it's weird to think about.

For those of you with older children, did your kids drop naps this early? Did they have a napless period and then go back to napping? This is unchartered territory for our family. Any insight is most appreciated!

merry christmas!

2008-12-27T10:03:00.006-05:00

Ru, Signal and I hope that all of you loyal blog readers had a great holiday season. Despite my sadness and anxiety leading up to Christmas Day, we actually had a really great holiday this year. It was quiet. It was relaxing. We had great family time with traditions old and new. It was a very merry Christmas indeed.

On Christmas Eve we had a yummy meal of ragout, using my Grandmaman's recipe. It was the first time I had ever made it myself, and Ru was a great co-chef. It made us feel a little closer to my family in Quebec even though we weren't near them this Christmas. After supper, Ru and Signal worked on his letter to Santa. He wrote his own while dictating what he wanted to tell Santa, and Ru wrote it down for him on another sheet of paper. There was much talk of elephants. He also said he wanted an Irish Show for Christmas. Poor kid'll have to wait another 2.5 months for that. Then we unwrapped our new Christmas pjs and got Signal ready for bed. It took Signal a little while to fall asleep, but we all know that that's not out of the ordinary. Then Ru and I worked our holiday magic and hit the sack ourselves.

Sitting by the tree writing letters.

Making corrections.

With clean teeth, in his Christmas pjs.

Reading a bedtime story.

Signal woke bright and early on Christmas morning (7:15am) and then he and Ru came to wake me too. No sleeping in with a toddler on Christmas! Signal was delighted to find our stockings full and presents under the tree. We set to opening everything. It took us more than two hours!! We were very blessed with a lot of things from a lot of people this year. Sweaters and jewelry for me, a Laptop Lunchbox and pocket watch for Ru, Playmobil, a play kitchen, an easel, a Cozy Coupe (and many other things!) for Signal. There was lots of stuff to keep us all busy all day long.

Santa came!

With a full stocking.

Early-morning Mama with her lunchbox.

Me, looking haggard, with my new scarf.

Eating an (organic) lollipop for breakfast.

One of three Playmobil sets.

A great Luved sweatshirt.

Cookies from the Erfurt market.

Signal in his Cozy Coupe from D & B.

The artist at work.

Just before nap in boxers! (With a diaper underneath.)

In the afternoon we just hung around and played with all our new items and had family time. I had put a roast in the slow cooker early in the morning, so we didn't have to worry about prepping a turkey or anything. Come 5:00pm I put some potatoes on to boil and fried up some green beans with sesame seeds, and paired with the roast we had a lovely Christmas supper. Then, as quietly as it came this year, Christmas was over for 2008. And as we got ready for bed, Ru and I decided to brave the Boxing Day sales the next day. Now that is a different story all together.

Happy holidays everyone!

a little more festive

2008-12-24T14:30:00.003-05:00

I know that the last post, while Christmas related, wasn't particularly festive. The lead up to Christmas hasn't been all doom and gloom. We've had fun shopping, wrapping, shoveling, looking at Christmas lights, cooking, and eating together. Ru, Signal and I have also spent a lot of time listening to great holiday music. We've been listening in particular to The Chieftains Bells of Dublin album, as well as the Rankin Sisters' holiday album. I hope that the Rankin sisters singing on of our favourites - Children Go Where I Send You - finds you in a celebrating mood this Christmas Eve.

it isn't easy

2008-12-22T14:17:00.002-05:00

It wasn't the easiest weekend. I spent quite a lot of it in a funk, actually. The fact that Christmas is just a few days away, I'm no longer pregnant, Noelle is gone, and we're not going home for Christmas has me dreading Thursday instead of looking forward to it. I don't know. I feel like I just want Christmas to be over and done with. Mostly so I don't have to think about the fact that I'm not halfway through a pregnancy like I was supposed to be. And also so that I don't have to feel like I'm ruining Signal's holiday by not being as happy as I should be this Christmas. Sigh.

In the Pregnancy and Birth Loss forum on MDC another mom posted a slideshow that she created in memory of the little boy she lost in pregnancy last year. With Christmas nearly upon us, it really hit home. I wanted to share it with you all too.

In Memory

May we all find joy in something, no matter how big or how small, this holiday season

gymnastics

2008-12-16T12:48:00.005-05:00

Sunday was Signal's last gymnastics class. He's been taking tot's gymnastics (with Ru) at Gymalaya since September. We decided to sign him up for the class when we realized that while Signal's language and fine motor skills are ahead of the curve, he's not that great with gross motor activities. I think that the class has helped a lot, and he seemed to have a lot of fun too. Despite the fact that Ru reported a melt down 45 minutes into the hour-long class nearly every week, Signal always wanted to go back. He must have liked something about it!

Since it was the last class, all of the kids were allowed to have "spectators" in the room with them, and we were allowed to take pictures and video if we wanted to. Since I had managed to observe a grand total of zero classes in his entire session, it was a lot of fun to see what he had been up to all this time. It was fun to watch him walking on the balance beam, jumping on the trampoline (although he really still can't jump... it was more like his teacher jumping and him being dragged along...), and hanging from the rings. He seemed like such a big boy doing all of those things!

Going along the double bars.

Hanging out.

Textured mats.

Up the little climbing mat.

Walking on the beam.

Strong boy on the rings.

Receiving his "Champion" ribbon.

Two cuties all done!

We want to sign him up for another session after the holidays, but sadly there isn't a Sunday morning session. What we liked about Sunday mornings was that it gave Ru an opportunity to hang out with Signal one-on-one, which she gets to do less than me because she's at work all week. We'll have to see - maybe gymnastics will be Mommy and Signal time in the new year.

outtakes

2008-12-13T13:04:00.002-05:00

We're not sending out that many Christmas cards this year. As much as it pains me to say it, I feel that we just don't have the time or energy to send cards to everyone that we should. Only a very small list of people will be getting cards from us this year; I do hope that those of you who don't get a card can forgive us. We're sorry. Maybe next year.

We did, however, want to send a picture of Signal in those cards that we are sending out. He's just so darn cute and growing so much that we wanted people to see how different he is from those pictures we sent out just two short Christmases ago. We didn't do professional portraits this year. I just popped Signal up on his high chair in front of the tree and snapped away.

Here are some outtakes from our little session. They're all funny. And sweet. And very, very good representations of our little monkey. I didn't include the picture that we're actually sending out in this post because I want it to be a surprise, but rest assured that it's in the same vein.

Happy silly holidays!

new traditions

2008-12-10T19:24:00.005-05:00

With Christmas Eve just two weeks away, I was reminded today of how our traditions will be shaped by last week's events from here on in. While the holiday season will always be one of happiness and closeness, it will also be a season when we're reminded of the little one who's not here to celebrate with us.

When I was at the hospital last Thursday delivering Noelle, we were given a stained glass heart by hospital staff to hang on our door during our stay. A little reminder to those coming into the room that the labour at hand was a little different that usual. We got to take the heart with us when we left that night, and it went up onto the tree the moment we got home. From the top of the tree it looks out at us, reminding us that Noelle is close in spirit, if not in body.

Then on Sunday when we braved the One of A Kind Show, we saw that one of our favourite vendors had come out with a new ornament in their collection this year. A beautiful little angel in a pink and white dress. We immediately knew that it would make a perfect ornament to honour our little girl. She seems to have a bit of a mischevious smile, as we're sure any little one of ours would have.

The two reminders of Noelle sit side by side on the tree. While on one hand it's hard for me, as I was supposed to be halfway through this pregnancy at Christmas, it's also nice to know that she'll be with us for Christmas. She wasn't ready for the world for some reason, and that's okay. We respect the fact that while she chose us as her family, she couldn't be born into the world this spring. Noelle needed to be here for Christmas. And she will be.

big birthday boy

2008-12-09T12:04:00.007-05:00

Despite the loss of Noelle on Thursday, we decided to go ahead with Signal's birthday party on Saturday as planned. I was hoping that a little joy and a lot of friends would help us all feel better. And it did indeed work.

Signal had a great time. There were two other toddlers and one baby there, as well as a good many adults. We ate appetizers and pizza, drank juice and soda, talked and sang, and of course had cake and presents! Signal did a great job of sharing with his friends, and liked all of his gifts so much. He wanted to play with each one as he unwrapped it, so it took forever to get through all of the lovely gifts everyone had brought. And he's been playing with everything non-stop ever since. Come bedtime he's been telling us "I don't want to sleep. I want to play!"

Here are a lot of pictures from his big day. As you can see it was quite the event!

Signal and Mama get started on the unwrapping.

Reading a new book with S.

Really exited about his trucks from L, C, and K.

Reading more books and eating.

Mommy helps Signal unwrap his gnomes.

A reads a card to Signal and N.

K, a silly S, and J.

Checking out the Viewmaster.

His requested cake with strawberries.

Singing to the birthday boy.

T and A singing too.

The guys looking at cake.

Signal actually eating cake! A rare occurrence.

Why yes, there are more presents to open.

Playing with his Playmobil.

I honestly can't believe that it's been two years since Signal joined our little family. It really seems like just a few months ago that I was in the hospital having him. While I know that his birthday will never seem quite the same to me, coming so close on the heels of Noelle's birthday, it will always be a day I look forward to. How could we not want to celebrate such a wonderful boy?

Way to be 2, Signal! Mommy and Mama love you to the moon and back.

thank you all

2008-12-07T22:50:00.002-05:00

Ru and I just wanted to take a moment and thank everyone. Thanks so much for your kind thoughts, words and prayers. Thanks to those who brought food, sent flowers, and gave cards. We really appreciate so many people thinking of our little family and Noelle as we recover from our loss.

Our hearts are hurting, my body is sore, but we're doing okay.

in loving memory of Noelle

2008-12-06T09:45:00.004-05:00

Unfortunately our little family suffered a pretty huge blow this week.

On Wednesday, I went in to our midwives' office for a routine appointment. Everything was going along pretty normally until my midwife E went to look for the baby's heartbeat. She searched and searched with the doppler, but couldn't pick anything up. She called in another midwife, who searched and searched. More silence. They booked me in for an urgent ultrasound to figure out what was going on. Needless to say, I was freaking out.

I drove from our midwives office to pick Ru up at work, and we went to the ultrasound office together. They wouldn't let Ru into the room with me while they did the scan. Scan done. The poor ultrasound technicians couldn't tell me anything - I had to wait for a call from E to see what was going on. But at this point, I felt deep down that it wasn't going to be good news.

I was right. E called us to say that our precious little one had passed away. She said that we could go in to the hospital that night to speak to someone about our options, or we could wait until the morning. Knowing that a night's sleep wasn't going to change anything in the long run, we chose to wait until Thursday morning to head in.

We went up to the hospital for 9:30am. All of the staff was absolutely fabulous, even though we had never met any of them before. They got my history, went over everything and got us into our own room. We found out that since I was already 18 weeks along, I was essentially going to have my labour induced. Not the happiest thought. But it had to be done.

I had my first dose of Misoprostol at just after noon, and my second dose at just after 4pm. Our little girl, Noelle, was born not long after 7pm. It turns out that she was perfect. She just happened to get herself tangled up in her cord and passed away. Stupid dumb luck, as Ru would say.

Noelle C.P.
18 weeks and 2 days in utero.
Forever in our hearts.
We miss you baby girl.

highlights

2008-12-02T22:41:00.003-05:00

we finally made it back from oklahoma, and 24 hours later our baggage has too!

in the baggage was the camera.

in the camera were the highlights.

loving our new hotwheels.

loving the oklahoma weather.

loving gigi's "pet" deer.

loving gigi.

HATING the haircut! (but he said "thank you" three times and then hugged gigi's hairdresser, so i think all was forgiven after she was done...)

we did it

2008-11-24T15:52:00.001-05:00

That's all folks.

We are now 100% out of our old apartment and into the new house. Now, nearly nothing in the new place is unpacked, but that's a different kettle of fish all together.

I am so relieved I can't even find the words to explain. We can actually leave for Oklahoma on Wednesday and not worry. Except that we moved out clothes in our suitcases. So I'll have to at least unpack those before we go...

so far...

2008-11-21T23:12:00.001-05:00

in the first 24 hours, i made 6 trips to the old apartment for stuff.

this is what we have left:
- master closet
- spare closet
- utility closet
- front closet
- kitchen
- spare bed frame
- crib frame
- bathroom under-sink and drawers
- computer table

really, that is not much at all. i am pleased with the progress.

digging in

2008-11-20T23:14:00.002-05:00

this is it, folks. the final push. i have three days off work that started this evening at 5pm. i don't have to be back until monday at 1pm.

in that time, we will clean the rest of our cr*p out of the apartment (the "old house" as signal calls it), clean it up to the best of our ability, throw the keys in the super's mail slot, and say sayonara to dudley towers forever! (oh, god, i hope! - not that it was a bad place to live; it would just seem like going backwards to move back in...)

then i will work on monday and tuesday evenings. and then on early early early wednesday morning, so early, in fact, that it barely qualifies as wednesday, we will leave for oklahoma city for american thanksgiving. then back on december 1.

so.

all this to say - don't expect an update until december 2. but that update SHOULD include some photos. at this rate, the next time you see a photo, signal will have graduated from high school!

just popping by

2008-11-14T22:17:00.000-05:00

hey everyone! just popping by to say hi, we are not dead, we are in the middle of moving (which is going about as well as can be expected, which isn't great, but also isn't all that bad, it just kind of sucks!!), and we will finish moving just in time to go out of town for a week, so don't get your hopes up for a post before the beginning of december! keep sending your good packing vibes...

in the jungle, the mighty jungle, the...

2008-11-05T21:42:00.006-05:00

(that's "the lion sleeps tonight" for all you who don't know the song!!)

we got zeus shorn today. he has a terrible problem with matted fur, since there is just so much of it. so we took him in for a lion cut. they left him his "mane."

and they left him the little lionish tuft at the end of his tail.

and they left him four little boots on each of his fluffy little feet.

he seems a little miffed at us right now, but he did purr a bit this evening when m petted him. so he is on his way to forgiving us. perhaps in the seven months it takes for his coat to grow back in, he can come to terms with it, just before we do it to him again!

as we suspected

2008-11-04T13:00:00.002-05:00

On Friday night we didn't take Signal trick-or-treating. We hadn't planned on going out all along, as I though that walking in the mostly dark with a toddler who gets easily spooked by people in costume might be a bit much. Add to that the fact that he came down with an icky cold on Wednesday, and it just wasn't a good idea.

Signal also isn't very interested in candy, having more of a savory tooth like his Mama. Which would have left me, pregnant Mommy, with a bunch of candy to eat. While tasty, I'm not sure that my midwives would have appreciated the pounds I would have packed on eating 100 mini chocolate bars. Sadness.

We did take Signal down to the lobby of our building to get one bag of candy from our superintendent L though, whom he gets along with swimmingly. He wore his red playsilk as a skirt and walked down and dutifully said "trick-or-treat!" For that he was rewarded with a small bag of assorted candies and a bag of cheese puffs. As we suspected, the candy wasn't much of a hit. He ate a few rockets, but refused Swedish Berries. Signal did, however, chow down very happily on that bag of cheese puffs.

He made his Mama proud!

fun with playsilks

2008-10-30T19:40:00.002-04:00

After not having played with them for quite some time, Signal pulled out his playsilks after supper tonight and he and Mama had a grand old time with them. They were used to play peek-a-boo, used to make wind, and most of all used to dress up.

Signal decided that he wanted to be a princess, and wear his red silk as a skirt. He was prancing around rather cutely when he also grabbed his pirate silk and told Ru he wanted to wear it as a pirate hat. This resulted in the following outfit: Signal the Pirate Princess.

I think he looks rather fetching in a headscarf. I'll have to remember that as a hat alternative when summer returns to our cold land.

free! free! free!

2008-10-23T07:07:00.003-04:00

well, sort of free.

firemom over at stop, drop and blog (which you can always access from our sidebar) is doing a goodmama fire-themed giveaway.

this post is one of the prerequisites for entering to win the dipe. so that's why it's only sort of free. because it has taken me three minutes to do this. and time is money. BUT. she is not charging for shipping on the dipe if you win, so i think it balances out!

so check out the fire family, and enter the contest if you must, though i would think you would want me to have the best chance possible to win without your interference!

does it get cuter?

2008-10-22T17:02:00.002-04:00

A 22 month old asking to hug and kiss "his baby."

Yeah, I didn't think so.

like mother, like son

2008-10-18T14:48:00.003-04:00

My cousin L likes to tell a certain story about me. It happened when I was about two, and she and her friend were babysitting me. They were giving me a bubble bath before bed, and my Miss Piggy doll was sitting on the side of the tub. At some point during bath time, Miss Piggy fell in. I then stood, covered in bubbles, and exclaimed "I'm so disgusted!" Yep. At two, I had a very good sense of the dramatic.

Fast forward some 27 years. Ru and Signal and I have just finished up our weekly trip to the grocery store. Even though Signal protests about having to go every week, it's done and he's now chatting excitedly in the back seat. Telling us "That was fun!" and "I like the grocery store." As we pull out of the store parking lot, Signal asks for "More grocery store." We politely tell him that we're all done, and we have to go home to put away all of the things we bought. Much sighing starts up. And then, he exclaims "That's so depressing."

Oh yes. Our 22 month old was depressed to be leaving Loblaws. Can you just imagine the drama when this kid hits his teens??

merry christmas! hope you like botulism!!

2008-10-13T09:58:00.004-04:00

so i had my first foray into "canning" yesterday. i say "canning" because i didn't actually properly do ... well, just about anything!!

we had 36 pounds of apples from our apple-picking venture while oma was in town. the timing of that event was truly poor, since i didn't have the extended time i needed to do anything with the apples until this weekend, which means they sat on a shelf in our pantry (which is really just a green bookcase in the living room), apple-smelling up the whole apartment for two weeks!

now at least there is only one 12 pound bag of macintosh left - i am thinking pie filling, but i haven't decided. maybe crumble? four nights in a row? presuming we can eat each one on the night it is baked? might be time to invite some dessert-lovers over.

what we have here is the pile of peelings after one pot full of apples had been peeled:

bascially what we did was peel, core and segment all the apples (i invested in one of thost push down apple corers/wedgers, which made m's job a lot easier! i still had to peel all the apples with the potato peeler, but that's so much better than using a knife that i can't complain.)

then we filled a pot with apples wedges:

threw some water (not too much) into the bottom of the pot, and put them on to mush down at a boil into homemade chunky applesauce. we filled that pot three times!

unfortunately, i don't have any photos for the rest of this process. i am still a little untested at documenting my domestic arts experiments!

after we had all our applesauce, we filled the slow cooker with applesauce, spiced it up (sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, cloves, allspice) and turned that puppy on to cook down overnight - it's the only time that i use the slow cooker with the lid off (because of course, if you cook it with the lid on, it doesn't ever thicken). basically, the first two pots of applesauce filled the crock, so with the third pot, i had two and a half plastic quart jugs left. i put the half one in the fridge for eating (signal seems to really like it). i put one of the full ones in the freezer for eating later. and the other full one was added to the slow cooker the next morning, along with a tad more spice.

once the cooking was all done, i had apple butter! i use this recipe from pickyourown.org for the apple butter. it refers to this recipe from pickyourown.org for applesauce, which is the first ingredient in their apple butter! in turn, the applesauce recipe got me to this one, for applesauce without specialized equipment. but i seem to be moving backwards in my account here.

so, once the apple butter was done (much thicker and chunkier than last year's, much to m's delight), it was time to "can" it. so i pulled out six of the pint mason jars i bought with canadian tire money a few weeks back. washed and rinsed them with scalding water, as per the manufacturer's instructions in preparation for sterilizing them (since i was not going to put them through the proper boiling water bath for proper canning). only to realize that the largest pot i have is not even big enough to sterilize the jars.

the only really good thing to come of that is the awareness that i did not avoid proper canning because i am lazy so much as that i didn't have the correct hardware! whew - that's a load off my mind!

so the jars were scalded, but not sterilized, and the vacuum seals are incomplete and not official. but i have five pint jars of apple butter, hanging out in the fridge, hopefully not growing anything terrible before the great gifting begins!

if you happen to be a lucky recipient of my kitchen flailings, please do not feel bad if you decide the risk is not worth the reward - just lie to me about how much you enjoyed it!

oh, and because no post is complete with the requisite photo of the boy, this should serve as a warning to those thinking of embarking on "canning" adventures that require the simultaneous participation of all supervisory persons in the house:

that's right: sitting on the arm of the couch in a bamboo flat diaper with his diaper cover on ... his head!

a picture is worth 1000 words

2008-10-08T13:03:00.004-04:00

You're absolutely right. I haven't updated the blog in what seems like forever. And I'm sorry about that. I swear I have a good reason. And Signal would like to take this opportunity to tell you what that reason is.

Okay, the lentil (which is what we have dubbed the unborn one) could make his or her debut at the end of April. Signal was 10 days late, however, so I'm guessing it's more likely that we'll have a very early May 2009 baby. Provided of course that all goes smoothly from here on out.

We're excited. We're exhausted. We happy, but also nervous and a little apprehensive. We hope everything goes okay and that Signal will be a great big brother come spring. And of course, we'll be sure to blog about it all along the way!

blah blah blah, the end

2008-09-27T20:00:00.002-04:00

Sorry that this is a day late. We were delayed in getting back from Niagara and it was all we could do to muster the strength to prepare frozen pizza for supper. Hence the lack of post. But here it is! I hope it was worth the wait.

reading duo

2008-09-25T14:03:00.006-04:00

Ack, it's been a while again. Sorry about that. My mom's in town and although we haven't been really doing anything in particular, I haven't had a whole lot of time to sit down and blog either. But here I am, trying to sneak a post in during naptime. Mostly for my dad, who stayed home and is dying for pictures of my mom and the boy, I am sure.

Yesterday afternoon Signal pulled his little wooden chair up next to his Oma's chair and started reading, just like her. They were too cute, the pair of them. My mom with a copy of Canadian Living and Signal with a copy of Peek-a-moo.

Both were happily entertained for a while, and then it was onto something else. Probably Signal exclaiming; "Pl-ay Oma! Play tower! Sit on floor!" Poor Mom.

Be on the lookout for another reading-related post tomorrow, in which Signal undertakes the task of reading every single mini Winnie the Pooh book we have to his poor Oma, who can barely contain her laughter.

couldn't not post, really

2008-09-19T16:52:00.002-04:00

I am sure that some of you know that Ru and I are toying with the idea of homeschooling Signal when he gets to be older. I mean, we do a lot of learning at home now, but we're considering not enrolling him in school and doing our own thing, possibly with the provincial curriculum, when he's old enough.

Because it is something that we are seriously considering, I do a lot of reading about different approaches to homeschooling. I like to know about different curricula, different tactics, different things that have worked or not worked for different families. It helps me feel informed and prepared so that I can make the right decisions for Signal when the time comes.

Today, I came across something that I felt I couldn't not comment on. I had never heard of No Greater Joy Ministries before today. I kind of wish I had never heard of them, because the ideas that they spread make me sad. But I wanted to blog about them because I want people to know that they exist, I guess. To make people aware and wary.

Michael and Debi Pearl preach "child training." They teach that a 3 month old who cries and is picked up is being trained to control the adults in its life. They teach people to swat 6 month olds with a wooden spoon or flexible tubing when they throw something they shouldn't. They say that it's good for children to obey out of a fear of being spanked. It honestly horrifies me. I am not the prefect parent by any means. But I can't imagine hitting a young baby because they were tired or hungry or frustrated.

They sell homeschooling materials. Which, obviously, I will never buy. But hopefully by blogging about No Greater Joy Ministries people will know exactly what they stand for and preach before purchasing their materials. While I am all for people making their own decisions when it comes to teaching their children, I really hope that they won't choose a method of teaching that centers around corporal punishment and shame.

cooler weather

2008-09-17T12:46:00.003-04:00

You can tell that fall is on the way. The night have been downright chilly and the days have been cooler, and my kitchen has been churning out more soup than we've seen in a while.

Monday I whipped up a batch of Buttery Baby Pea Soup. Since I can't leave well enough alone, I modified it a tad by adding a potato and a handful of quinoa. This recipe is truly one of our family's favourite soups. It's sweet and very satisfying, great with some crusty bread. Because Signal likes peas so much it's a sure hit with him too, which is nice.

Here are a few pictures of the kiddo chowing down, and then showing off his signature "Cheese!" face. What a ham.

I hope that you are all enjoying the late summer/early fall weather. Fall is my favourite time of year - fun food, fun clothes, and all those pretty leaves falling. Look out for more fall-inspired food and fun soon!

is it a bird? or a plane?

2008-09-10T17:33:00.004-04:00

The other morning Ru and Signal went for a walk before I was up for the day. They walked quite a long distance for a toddler and had a lot of fun. This particular encounter that Ru told me about had me in stitches.

Signal, upon seeing a man walking his pug:

"Mama, pig!"

"No Signal, it's not a pig. It's a doggy."

"Mama, donkey!"

"No Signal, it's not a donkey, it's a doggy."

"Mama, donkey-pig!"

The pug's owner was apparently laughing hysterically too. I guess pug's are pretty funny looking, aren't they?

soup "recipe"

2008-09-07T12:51:00.003-04:00

A few comments were left on a previous post, asking for my recipe for carrot/ginger/curry soup. My heart kind of sank when I read them. Truth is, I don't really have a recipe for said soup. I've been making it for so long that I just eyeball the ingredients and throw them all in a pot and go. I gave it some thought, however, and figured out some approximations. So for those of you that were interested, here it (kinda) is.

Olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, sliced
2 medium potatoes, diced (I leave the skin on)
4 medium or 3 large carrots, diced
1-inch knob of fresh ginger, minced
1/2 tsp of thyme
1/2 tsp of fresh black peppers
1 heaping tsp of curry powder
Chicken or veggie stock to cover
2 handfuls of quinoa
Salt to taste

In a few tsps of olive oil, sautée onions over medium-high heat until translucent and fragrant. Add garlic, being careful not to brown. After 2-3 minutes, add potatoes and carrots and sautée for about 5 minutes. Then add the minced ginger and cook for about 1 minute longer. Add all of the spices except the salt and turn the heat up to high, then add enough stock to cover all of the veggies (I find you need at least 4 cups.) Bring to a boil, and add two handfuls of quinoa. Simmer the soup over medium heat for about half an hour, until the potatoes and carrots are tender and the quinoa has unfurled. Using either a stand blender or an immersion blender (an immersion blender is easier) purée the soup until quite smooth. The soup will not be totally smooth if you have left the skin of your potatoes. Return the soup to the pot if you have used a stand blender and test for seasonings, adding salt and more pepper if required. Serve and enjoy!

I hope that this turns out for you. Don't be afraid to add more stock if the soup seems too thick, or add some milk or cream after puréeing the soup if you'd like a richer texture. At our house, this makes enough soup for supper for three (Signal LOVES soup) as well as leftovers for lunch the next day. If you make it, please do let me know who (or if) it worked out for you.

a little ditty

2008-09-03T18:15:00.006-04:00

happy birthday to you!

happy birthday dear grandpa!!

happy birthday to you!

proud of my supper

2008-09-02T20:36:00.005-04:00

This morning when I woke up, I had every intention of making pasta for supper. Baked penne with chicken and sauteed mushrooms, covered in melted cheese. However, when supper time rolled around, pasta wasn't sounding so good anymore. Maybe it was all the fresh corn we consumed at my parents' place this weekend, but I had corn on the brain. Cornbread, to be exact. It's what I really wanted.

Now, I'd never made cornbread before. In all honesty, I think I've only eaten cornbread once or twice in my whole life before today. So off to Mothering I went in search of an easy cornbread recipe. I found one that I had all the ingredients for, and I'll share it with you here. It was really easy and really delicious, especially topped with salted butter.

1 cup cornmeal
1 cup whole wheat flower
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 egg
1/4 cup oil
1/3 cup maple syrup
1 cup milk (any kind - the recipe called for rice milk but said you could use anything. I used whole milk.)
Preheat oven to 425 Fahrenheit. Put 1-2 tbsp of butter in a cast iron skillet and put it in the oven to preheat while you mix you batter. Mix all dry ingredients well in a bowl. In a separate bowl, mix wet ingredients. Combine wet ingredients with dry, mixing until just combined so that you don't develop too much gluten in your batter. Pour batter into preheated skillet and bake 18-20 minutes. Cut and enjoy!

My finished cornbread.

To go with the cornbread, I made a carrot/ginger/curry soup with two handfuls of quinoa thrown in for protein. It was lovely and fallish and made me think of my favourite season despite the fact that it was 32 degrees outside today with the humidity.

Said delicious soup.

The whole meal was just fab. I can definitely see this being one of our more popular fall meals. The sweetness of the cornbread worked wonderfully with the curry and ginger in the soup. It was warming and comforting and took me less than 45 minutes from start to finish. Hooray for late summer yumminess and come on fall!

the toddler and the jackhammer

2008-08-27T19:46:00.003-04:00

My brain is going to explode. No, not because Signal has been acting up. And not because the cats have been bad, or because Ru and I have been fighting. Nope, my brain is going to explode because of the deafening noise that has been racking our house for the past week.

Because of some leaking issues that have been plaguing our building's underground parking, they are tearing up the entirety of the back yard. You see, the back yard sits on a giant concrete slab, and the draining just hasn't been sufficient. So they whole thing is coming up, including the back balconies of everyone who lives on the first floor off the yard, and they're going to fix the drainage.

Now, since it's all concrete slab and brick walls, there has been a lot of jackhammering going on. A lot. Quite a bit of it right outside our windows, since they had to dismantle our back balcony. The noise has been earth-shattering. And it's been fairly continuous. We've been lucky in that for the most part the workers have been on their lunch break during Signal's nap time, but it hasn't been the case every day. I am proud to say, however, that yesterday the kid napped for 3 hours despite the noise. Woo hoo!

On the upside, all of the workers with their cool machines have given Signal lots of entertainment too. He likes to stand in the window in the living room or on the bed in the spare bedroom and watch the men work. They swing hammers. They drive mini scoopers. And of course they jackhammer. It's great entertainment for a toddler!

As you can see from the pictures, it's also been a rather dirty and dusty affair. For the time being we're keeping our windows closed at all times and relying on the A/C for air cooling. Not ideal, but whay can you do? Hopefully they'll be done soon and we can go back to our rather peaceful existence, with only the noise of a toddler to be heard.

blast from the past

2008-08-24T08:46:00.004-04:00

my granddad died in may 2005 - about 18 months before signal was born. m's granddad died in october 2006 - just a couple months before signal was born. signal is named for both of these fine men. the one thing i kept of granddad's was his old carhartt work hat, all stiff and sweat-stained from goodness knows how many years of wear! i keep it on a doorknob in the house, just to have around. yesterday, as we were heading out to the market, signal decided he wanted to wear gigi's hat (we call my grandmother "gigi" and since signal has only ever seen granddad in photos with gigi, he calls granddad gigi, too). he said "gigi's hat!" and then put it on.

i think the look suits him, and it even matches his little outfit pretty well!

inquisitive minds

2008-08-20T19:43:00.005-04:00

On Sunday, Ru, Signal and I took advantage of our membership to the Ontario Science Centre and met up with our friends R and G and their son N for a morning of fun. We got there at opening and let me tell you - that's the time to hit the Science Centre! When we got to the KidSpark area, there were only one or two other families there. It was great, because Signal and N got to play with whatever they wanted as much as they wanted, and we didn't have to worry too much about sharing or waiting.

The boys had a ton of fun, running from station to station and not having to worry about being too loud. We of course kept them close at hand, but it was so nice for them to be able to really explore the area and gets their hands on things. Hooray for science and discovery stuff really geared for the preschool set!

In the first area we hit, the boys got to explore some play instruments and strum along to tunes while watching themselves on a big wall-mounted TV. Impromptu toddler music video!

Signal, being the texture-oriented guy that he is, had a lot of fun checking out the texture table.

N and Signal then launched a lot of balls down ramps, seeing who could get them to do more loops and roll farther. This of course required some boosts up to the top of the ramps, but Mama was more than happy to help!

After playing with balls the boys hit the play market and had a grand old time filling their baskets with items and then ringing them through the register. Signal was of course very heavy on the fruits and vegetables, putting tons of red peppers and mangoes in his basket.

Once they were done in the market, they went wild in the water area. After all, there aren't too many boys (or Mamas) out there who don't love to get a little wet. The Science Centre provides cute little aprons to try and keep the kids dry, but we found that they weren't terribly useful. After running his hands through the waterworks, Signal spent the rest of the morning with wet armpits.

The last section we explored before heading home was the mat area. Lots of soft areas for jumping and resting, and a fish tank to boot! Signal was truly a cutie and listened remarkably well all morning long. No tantrums, little fussing, and a sunny disposition. Can't complain about that!

Perhaps Sunday morning Science Centre outings will become a monthly event for our little family.

fruit. fruit counting.

2008-08-16T18:29:00.007-04:00

that is what signal said just before he did this:

i tried to get him to say it again on camera, to no avail. as you hear, he wanted nothing more than a full photo shoot.

which, of course, he got.

this is his new "smile for the camera face"... which is better than his previous one, which consisted of turning his head away so you could take yet another picture of his ear.

and on a completely unrelated note, i made a blueberry pie this afternoon.

busy biblical scholar

2008-08-14T22:26:00.006-04:00

today there was oodles of cuteness. signal has shown a sudden interest in his "busy bible", a gift from grandma and grandpa in texas. it has single page picture representations of common bible stories, each with a chapter and verse reference. each page, as well, is interactive - that is, the page for jesus' birth has an empty stable and felt characters that can be arranged therein; the page for peter goes fishing has five felt fish attached to the page with snaps and a net you can put them in when you pull them off; that sort of thing.

signal is particularly fond of pulling the fish off their snaps and putting them in the net.

he also likes trying to put the fish back on their snaps.

he also has a great affinity for king solomon's treasures, particularly the shiny gemstone necklace.

he also seemed to find it amusing that king solomon's treasure chest contained a roll of small, monopoly-sized fake US $50 bills. he would pull them out one by one, toss them on the couch and say "solomon american!" (i suppose i could be slightly fabricating that last bit, but he did say it once, after i said "oh, king solomon must have been american!")

sleepy sleepy

2008-08-11T21:08:00.002-04:00

Just a little update to say that while Signal's bedtime routine has suddenly become much easier and shorter, his night wakings have dramatically increased in the past few days. For three nights in a row now he has had full-on tantrums in the middle of the night for no clear reason. I mean, I'm sure he has a reason. It's just that Ru and I don't really know what it is.

The first night he complained that his legs hurt. A friend of ours suggested perhaps Signal is experiencing growth pains. I also suspect that his two-year molars are at least partially to blame, since Ru saw that the gums at the back of his mouth have turned white and bumpy in his bottom jaw.

Please send us some sleep vibes. And while you're at it, send some over to our friend kidletsmum too, okay? We are three very tired ladies at the moment. Every little sleep vibe will help.

20 months

2008-08-07T13:13:00.002-04:00

If you can believe it, Signal is 20 months old today. He is growing up far too fast for my liking, but I am also finding it really interesting to see how he grows and develops into his own person. In honour of his 20-month-iversary, I thought I would share with you some of Signal's current stats, likes, dislikes, and abilities.

Stats: Signal now weighs approximately 30 pounds and is about 35 inches tall. He was up over 30 pounds for a while, but dropped around 4 pounds while he was hospitalized in July. He is wearing size 2T or 3T shirts (because of his long torso) and size 2T pants (although he could still wear an 18-24 if he wasn't so tall.) He wears a size 8 or 8.5 shoe. Signal now has all of his teeth except his two-year molars.

Favourite foods: cheddar cheese, asparagus, green beans, grapes, ground beef.

Least favourite foods: bananas, juice of any kind, french fries, stir-fry.

Favourite TV shows: Yo Gabba Gabba, Word World, The Backyardigans.

Favourite books: Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, Bear's New Friend, One Leaf Rides The Wind.

Favourite toys: cars and trucks, paper and wax crayons, wooden blocks.

Speech: Signal now often speaks in sentences. He asks politely for "More water, please," and is very good at making his wants and needs clearly known. My very favourite phrase at the moment is "I love you, too." How could that not make your heart melt?

Cognitive skills: Signal can now count to 20 (although the numbers between 14 and 19 are sometimes out of order), knows his alphabet in capital letters, and can tell you that his name is spelled "E-Z-R-A" if you ask. He also knows some of his shapes and most of his colours.

Motor skills: His fine motor skills are much better than his gross motor skills. While he cannot throw or catch a ball, he likes to build with Mega Blocks, do puzzles, and draw circles and "trees" (long straight lines.)

Signal remains a difficult sleeper who has yet to sleep through the night. Although our bedtime routine is becoming easier, he still wakes at least three times a night and needs help getting settled back down. He is also a little boy who is very attached to his "sucie" (soother) and "bibi" (blanket.) Signal is showing some potty awareness by telling us when he poops, and he enjoys sitting on his potty. He has not, however, showed any desire to actually pee on the potty. He is still riding rear-facing in his car seat and will remain that way until he reaches the 35 pound rear-facing weight limit on his seat. Signal is a great traveler and deals with car trips, even extended ones, very well.

I can't believe how much he has grown in the short time he has been around. Signal continues to amaze, annoy, and amuse Ru and I each and every day. His 2nd birthday suddenly seems to close. We love you, little man!

ever-evolving

2008-08-06T12:32:00.002-04:00

Just when you think you've got something nailed in the realm of parenting, you child goes and throws a wrench in things. This is exactly what Signal has done to us over the past week with his bedtime routine.

It used to be that we'd change his diaper and put him in PJs, brush his teeth, and the head to the bedroom. There, we'd give Signal a bottle while rocking him to sleep. On a good night, the bottle and rocking to sleep would take in the area of 15 minutes. On a bad night, it took more than an hour.

After three really awful nights last week where Signal was clearly adjusting to being back from our vacation and not having Mama around all the time, he decided to throw us for a loop. All of a sudden, he no longer wants us to rock him until he's sound asleep. We go into the bedroom, rock while giving him a bottle, and after a little bit he will say "Night-night, pillow." Down we place him onto his mattress, and within 10 minutes or so he's asleep. We need to stay in the room with him until he's asleep (I tried leaving the other night and was met with cries of "No, no Mommy stay!"), but he's clearly on the road to a more independent bedtime routine.

There you go. We're not still going to be rocking him to sleep when he's 4. He's growing up and deciding what's right for him in his own time, and we're really happy with that. Now if only he'd decide to sleep through the night...

i did it

2008-08-04T16:26:00.003-04:00

Success. I rose with Signal this morning when he got up, despite the fact that it was only 5:40am. I let Ru sleep in until ten after eight, which for her is quite late. And you know what? It wasn't as painful as I thought it might be. I survived. Signal was cheerful and we read and sang and watched TV. He drank tons of water and I ended up changing his diaper 4 times in 2.5 hours. It was rather enjoyable, all things considered.

It's hard to be grumpy when you're surrounded by such cuteness, even if it is an hour that you'd rather not know exists!

sleeping

2008-08-03T22:00:00.002-04:00

In Ontario, tomorrow is a statutory holiday. Meaning that Ru doesn't have to go in to work. For once, a holiday Monday has actually coincided with her regular 3-day weekend, giving her four days off from work in a row. Fun times!

After letting me sleep until 11:30 this morning, I am going to treat her to a lie-in tomorrow. This is a big deal. I have always required a great deal of sleep, ever since I was a child. Without enough sleep, I am a cranky horrible mess during the day. Before kids, I would routinely sleep 12 hours a night. It was glorious. But since Signal is such a cruddy sleeper and I generally have to be up at 8:30am to take care of him when Ru heads to work, I don't really get those 12 hours anymore. Ru very graciously lets me sleep in on the mornings she can though. Based on today's wake-up time for me, you can see that I happily take advantage.

Tomorrow, though, I will rise with the kiddo when he awakes for the day (generally around 6:00am) and let Ru sleep as long as she wants to. I won't like it I'm sure, but I bet that there are morning that she doesn't like getting up at six either. If she chooses to sleep until 7:30am (which is what she did last time I offered to let her sleep in), I will not begrudge her the fact that she was unable to sleep later. And if she chooses to sleep past noon, I will try to keep Signal from making too much noise outside our bedroom door.

Then maybe, just maybe when she gets up I'll head back to bed. I am after all a girl who needs a lot of sleep.

howdy-ho!

2008-07-30T11:56:00.004-04:00

Yes, we're back. In fact, we've been back in the city since late Friday night. But with unpacking and follow-up chest x-rays and prepping for a house guest, we've been a little busy. Okay, a lot busy. I am taking a moment out of moving a bunch of stuff around the apartment to cool down and blog while Signal enjoys some Mr. Rogers.

I thought I'd start the blog update with some pictures from the wedding of our friends Julia and Jérémi. It took place in lovely St. Ignace, New Brunswick on July 19th. Signal was lucky enough to be a member of the wedding party, and got to wear a sweet little linen suit made by the bride herself. There was also a large amount of delicious Ukranian food on hand, made by Julia's mother and grandmother. A wedding featuring Baba's perogies might be just about the best thing ever.

Peering out at the arriving guests.

Mama kisses for a fancy boy.

Mommy is all dressed up too.

Signal had a great time hanging out with O, Julia's nephew, and managed to actually get all the way down the aisle despite some rather suspicious glances at those in attendance. He loved the roasted pork, and had a fun time inspecting the beer canoe and the tents set up in Jérémi's parents' backyard for those roughing it for the night.

Fast friends.

Just married!

The wedding party in all their hand-made finery.

Pooped after a long and eventful day.

Congrats to you guys, Julia and Jérémi! I hope that your whirlwind trip to Canada was a lot of fun and that the wedding was everything you hoped it would be. I'll have you know that the Martin Luther chocolate is slowly being consumed in all its delicious glory.

still on the mend

2008-07-15T13:04:00.006-04:00

Yesterday we had Signal's follow-up with our family doctor to make sure that everything was all clear for us to head out on vacation tomorrow. It turns out that while Signal is indeed doing a lot better, he still has crackling in his lungs (particularly on the left side) and he is still wheezing some. Not the best news, but not the worst either. Dr. Y scheduled us for a repeat chest x-ray when we return for our vacation to make sure that by that point Signals' lungs get the all clear. We are also to watch him closely for any signs of fever while we're gone; if he does get a fever we need to see a doctor immediately because it would be a sign that the infection once again has the upper hand. I'm hoping that all goes well and we can have a nice, peaceful, disease-free trip. Is that too much to ask?

One things that has certainly improved since his release from the hospital is Signal's appetite. He's devouring fruit and cheese left, right, and centre, with a good dose of lentils and veggies along side. He hasn't been too much into meat just yet, but I suppose that's alright. With everything else he is eating he is certainly not lacking in nutritious foods. Hopefully he'll be able to regain the weight he lost quickly. It's weird to me to feel his little ribs poking out of his back when I am rocking him to sleep.

Here's some plum-eating action that Ru caught on video the other morning. That kid is such a joker. And he's mighty cute, if I do say so myself.

the long version

2008-07-13T20:03:00.007-04:00

bear with me, because this is quite the tale!

nearly a week ago, on monday, july 7, m began having a really hard time catching her breath. she had had some problems on sunday, while we were out and about on transit, but we chalked it up to the warm weather and the omnipresence of vehicle exhaust that is such a blessed part of taking the bus anywhere. but then on monday, coming home from the grocery store, m decided that perhaps she should go to the doctor.

we got home, called the doctor's office (who said to come in right away), and then i called work to let them know that i would likely be late, if i was coming in at all. i felt bad about this, because i had called in on thursday, when m first came down with this cold and couldn't take care of signal on her own. but, family comes first.

so we all piled into the car and headed across town to the doctor. m was in for about 10 minutes - long enough for the doctor to confirm that m was experiencing her first asthma flare-up in nearly a decade. we left again with a prescription for steroids, an emergency puffer and the hardware to administer it all. we pointed the car toward the pharmacy, m still none the better for having a diagnosis. the doctor had told her that she was to tolerate no worsening of the symptoms and head straight to the ER if things went downhill - so i knew for sure that i wasn't going in to work.

as all these things tumbled in my head, the white panel van in front of us threw a rock up into the passenger side of our windshield, leaving a bull's eye chip with a handful of radiating cracks. three days before we were supposed to be leaving on vacation. well crap.

things went well at the pharmacy - the pharmacists did their best to rush the prescription since m was wheezing painfully in the waiting area. signal and i cruised around the store finding all kinds of nonsense to buy - magazines, lip balm, drinks, snacks, etc. m took her first doses in the car on the way home, and while the improvement was perhaps neither immediate nor acute, it did seem to help.

so off to home. the afternoon and evening passed without event. there was no need to head to the ER. we thought we were out of the woods!

tuesday morning, we headed off for our biweekly visit to the chiropractor (though it had been more than two weeks, and m and i both were very much looking forward to being adjusted...). everything seemed normal until signal got on the exam table. as soon as dr. f touched him, he completely freaked out. crying, screaming, trying to get away. we have never seen anything like it. never has he reacted to a chiropractic adjustment that way - even if he doesn't really want to be there (restrained and kept from playing), he has never... cried. we finally got him calmed down, though. we chalked it up to the teething and all of its attendant hardships. (we had been chalking a lot up to the teething - the lack of appetite, the crabbiness, the bad sleeping.)

we headed home. i got ready and left for work, glad to be getting back, on my way to a meeting. and the auto glass guy was coming to fix the chip in the windshield before thursday's departure on vacation. about two hours into my shift, i started getting increasingly concerned emails from m about signal. he was listless, feverish, not himself. all he wanted to do was lie on the couch. he had a coughing fit that lasted half an hour and left him blue around the lips. i told m that the auto glass guy had just started on the windshield and that he was supposed to be done in 20 minutes. i told m to keep an eye on signal. m called telehealth ontario, and they told her that signal should be seen by a doctor in the next 4 hours.

so, windshield fixed, i left work halfway through my shift to go home and get my little family. off to the doctor again! about halfway up to the doctor's office, we decided that it might be best to go to the hospital instead. i think m had her suspicions that the doctor would send us to the hospital anyway, so we might as well start there.

intake was fast and easy. they got us back into the examining area and into a bed there in good time. and then the waiting began. we were taken through from the waiting room into the examination area at about 5pm. signal was finally examined by a doctor at 8pm. i think someone needs to do some research about how ER waiting times are measured. and if they are measured as the time from triage to the time when a patient is taken into the exam area (without regard to when a doctor is seen), then it is time to alter the measurement matrix a bit.

but, that is beside the point.

the doctor diagnosed bronchiolitis (baby asthma - since asthma is a chronic condition, the first time asthma-like symptoms occur, it by definition cannot generate a diagnosis of asthma) and started signal on mask treatments - ventolin administered with an oxygen mask. let me tell you right now, those were not popular. with anyone, i think! the ER doctor also said that she thought he should have a chest xray to rule out any pneumonia.

waiting waiting waiting, chest xray (more fun fun fun), waiting waiting waiting, mask treatment, waiting waiting waiting waiting, mask treatment, waiting waiting waiting.

he has pneumonia.

well, that was not what we were hoping to hear. and what's that? we are going to have to wait for the paediatrition on call to see him?

waiting waiting waiting, mask treatment, waiting waiting waiting, mask treatment, waiting waiting waiting waiting, mask treatment, waiting waiting waiting.

dr. f - paediatrition on call, and head of paediatrics for the hospital (i saw that later, on a poster). two choices. take him home on oral antibiotics and the understanding that you will likely be back here in 4-6 hours when things get worse. admit him, start him on IV antibiotics and continue mask treatments.

what's that? you are supposed to leave for vacation on thursday? admit him, it is! so, at 10pm, we decided to allow them to admit signal to the hospital, in hopes of helping along his fighting of the illness.

at this point, i decided to run home and get some supplies. i assumed that when i returned, they would have moved m and signal to the ward. alas, when i returned, roughly an hour later, m and signal were still in the ER, and signal was being stuck for the third time by some poor nurse trying desperately to find a vein - hand, foot, arm, anywhere... no luck.

they trundled us off to the ward, where the hospital's resident expert in IVs took four more tries to finally get a vein in signal's foot. at this point i had gone home. it was 3:30am.

m stayed with signal that first night. they went to sleep at about 4:00 and got up again around 6:00. it was a short night. i embarked on a new regime of NOT going to work anymore, and headed to the hospital when i woke up in the morning. m went home, took a shower, did some work around the house, and then headed back with my PJs for the night and some snack foods.

this whole time, we were continuing with mask treatments every four hours, IV antibiotics, and 28 mL of prednisone, administered orally via syringe every 24 hours.

m and i took turns staying nights at the hospital. i called work and got my manager to agree that i could work friday, monday and tuesday and then take three extra days at the end of my vacation (since we obviously didn't go anywhere thursday...). finally, on friday morning, dr. g agreed that signal had improved enough to be allowed to go home, continuing on oral antibiotics (he managed, after days of concerted effort, to kick his IV out of his foot on friday morning).

so ak went to pick up my little family while i tried to play catch-up on a week's worth of stuff at work!

the time spent in hospital was not a total bust. signal got some really good relaxation time (please note the most suspicious chipmunk):

and he got a new giant pad of paper and some really kickin' crayons:

and he got to snuggle with his mama (and vice versa) while watching the backyardigans:

back in the hospital for the first time since he was born, wearing his "pretty cuff":

i started out writing this thinking that i would be able to share the fun, the humour. but really, i couldn't find it after all. maybe i am still too tired! and to be fair, the sequence of events on monday, with the rock and the windshield - that was funny, in that neverending comedy of errors sort of way.

but really, we just wanted you to know what we spent the last 5 days or so doing. signal is very much on the mend now, though. in spite of an unfortunate encounter with some oddly dodgy milk (which resulted in a most unexpected and truly disgusting stealth vomit attack), progress has been steady and all uphill!

thanks for all your good wishes and thoughts and prayers! we promise that everyone's favourite little boy will be good as new sooner than you can say "what? you want me to draw ANOTHER cat?!"

mini update

2008-07-11T22:54:00.002-04:00

Thanks to everyone for their good wishes while Signal was in the hospital with pneumonia and bronchiospasms. After 65 hours in the hospital, he is now home and on the mend. We're happy to have everyone back under the same roof; taking turns sleeping at the hospital, no matter how necessary, was not very restful.

Due to Signal's illness, our summer vacation has been delayed into the middle of next week. We'll update the blog more fully over the weekend with the full hospital story and more pictures of Signal both sick and on the road to recovery. Please stay tuned.

tasty tidbit

2008-07-06T21:24:00.002-04:00

A portion of this evening's dinner conversation:

Signal: "Mmmm, ewwchini."
Ru: "Yep, that's zucchini."
Signal, while sniffing a piece: "It smells."
Mel: "It smells like what?"
Signal: "Cake."

Apparently zucchini sauteed with onions in olive oil smells like cake to our crazy kiddo. Who knew? Of course, this comes from a kid who's had cake what, three or four times in his life? So perhaps we should all take his assessment with a grain of salt. Or a crumb of cake.

first beach day

2008-07-05T22:32:00.003-04:00

Yesterday, despite both Signal and I being rather under the weather, we decided to take our friend A up on an invitation to head out to her family's cottage in Amberley. We weren't super keen on the idea of a 3-hour drive each way with a sick toddler, but the call of the beach was just too much. We hadn't been to the cottage since the summer that I was pregnant with Signal. It seemed fitting somehow to take him back to the beach I had walked along with him in my tummy. And it was indeed worth it.

When we arrived in Amberley we discovered that a rather strong wind was making it pretty chilly. I wasn't feeling up to getting into the water, but Ru and Signal did! Signal was really impressed by the waves and by the doggy who was also swimming. Fun times!

Ru and Signal prepare to enter the water.

They are joined by a very tentative A.

More than the water though, Signal loved the sand. Loved it. Played for a very, very long time with his shovel and pail and mini watering can. Wanted to scoop and dump and scoop some more. It was just about the cutest thing ever. He looked so grown up there on the beach playing with his toys; it was hard for me to think back to the summer that I was pregnant with him. It seems so foreign and far away now.

"More wa-wa peas, Mama!"

Our cutie.

We're thinking that Signal's love of sand will come in handy when we head out east on vacation. Sandy beaches here we come!

happy canada day!

2008-07-01T09:05:00.004-04:00

on this day, canadians everywhere celebrate the triumph of the great fruititarian signal over the would-be-usurpers, organic cherries, at the great pit massacre commonly called breakfast.

warning, the following images are graphic and may disturb some viewers:

surprise attack!

sweet victory!

war is not without its consequences...

happy canada day, everyone! have fun, but always be on the lookout for uppity fruit!