DAY OUT WITH FRIENDS

I have to say I feel so fortunate to have made some fantastic friends in my neighbourhood and am reminded of that almost daily.  Last week I made a trip with Sallyanne to Playground Paradise; it's in the Flemingdon Park area of Toronto and is so worth the trip every time.

We left extra early so we could have a picnic lunch and play in there outdoor playground before they opened for the afternoon.  We should have hung out at the park that is just across the street until Playground Paradise opened as the playground was pretty much just a climbing structure and a bit to complex for Sallyanne daughter.  However it's a pretty cool climbing structure that C Monster & H really enjoyed.

Look at me I am Spiderman

Once we got in at Playground Paradise everyone had a ball.  I would post picture but I can't as no cameras are aloud inside.  On the way home we just missed our bus, meaning we got stuck in rush hour traffic.  There was kind gentlemen that gave his seat to C Monster and H. The picture below is of them pretending to sleep squished together on a single TTC bus seat.  G, Sallyanne daughter, was comfortable in her stroller sleeping for the trip home.

C Monster & H on the bus

Thanks Sallyanne for a great day.

BTW - H is the little girl I looked after last summer, Sallyanne is now her care provider.

CUPCAKES GROWN UP STYLE

OK so I will admit it one of the things I like about blogging is well I can brag about stuff.  I said it.  Fellow bloggers you know you like it too. I wanted to show off these awesome cupcakes I made for my friend Jessica's going back to work party that I hosted for her a few weeks back. They are a mix of vanilla and chocolate with pink cream cheese frosting topped with hand made (by me of course) chocolate almond skulls.  I was pretty proud of myself.

Now that I am done patting myself on the back...

It's only been 1 week your back at work Jess and well I miss you; hope the transition is going well for you and your family.

Love ya.

FRIENDS...

I have to say I am blessed to have found some amazing moms in my hood.

I love the fact that on almost any given day I have a group of great friends that I can text and there will pretty much always be someone available for a play-date.  It really helps past the long days that can get very lonely for a SAHM.

On Monday we were at Sallyanne's house ( a close friend) and I took this picture of her daughter that I just had to share as it is way too cute...

The Baby G Monster Rocking her uncles hat.

On Tuesday that same group of friends came over for a Holiday Party.  I really loved hosting a party for them and their children; I do not want to even imagine life as a SAHM without all these wonderful people in it.

This post is dedicated to all our friends HAPPY HOLIDAYS.

life's been busy...

I just realized it's been more then 15 days since I last blogged - such a bad little blogger I am.  I find things get busy and well our blog is what suffers.  What have we been up to these days?

Put up a fence last week...

The picture tells you all.

Play dates with friends.

I just love this picture of C Monster and his "BFF" yes I think my 2 year old has a BFF.  Z Monster lives next door to us - so I think he sees her more like a sister.

Sand Box - Part 1

On Canada Day we spent the morning building a sand box. We used 2x10 for the sides, some 2x8 for 2 seat to sit on, some 1x6 for the bottom along with some gardening weed barrier stuff...  It was surprisingly very easy to build.  Today I hope to get out to sand the sides down (make sure all the splinters are gone); then tomorrow we are hopping to build a lid for it and then fill it up...

C Monster has a swing

Also on the toddler fun front; I made a swing for C Monster. I used an old piece of 2x6 that was lying around from all the construction that happened to the house in the last 5 years. Sanded it down and primed and painted it with the left over paint from the house projects.  I also had tones of rope left over; I braided 3 nylon ropes together - that way it's sturdier but also a bigger rope for him to grab onto.  Then we hung it in the back under our walk out.  When it's not in use I can lift it up and hang it away. I have to say I was pretty impressed with how it turned out...

Sluggy

Our garden is doing great this year except for a few crops that slugs are eating faster then I can deal with.  And I think Sluggy might have had something to do about it...

I guess a 4" slug eats a lot and fast because since we relocated him to the park my garden is doing a whole lot better.

 Berry picking

This morning we spent the day raspberry and black currant picking - here is our loot.

We went to Organics in Markham - definitely will return again next year or sooner.  They have much more then just raspberries and black currants.  We also got some home made jam and some fresh bread made on site in their stone oven... It smelled oh so yummy.

They had some chickens and a turkey roaming about - C Monster quite liked that.  If you live in the Markham area make sure to check out their website or visit them.

 Drying vegetables

One of the things we love making is crackers - but if you want to hide veggies in crackers it's best to dry them up first.  About a month ago now I built a frame out of wood and attached a mesh bottom to it - simple drying rack like our ancestors used to use many many moons ago.  Here I am drying carrots and onions.  As I write this I have zucchini drying.  The carrots so far turned out fine; still waiting on the others to dry up.  Will let you guys know how it goes.

Looking forward to...

The pride parade tomorrow.  (HAPPY PRIDE EVERYONE)

Doll House

One of the many things that were on my list to get for C Monster one day was a doll house. I think all children need a doll house it's a great way to help them act out feelings and emotions and tell stories with the little dolls.

I was so happy and appreciative when one our friends text-ed and said she wanted to give us one of her daughter's doll houses. I knew C Monster was going to like from the get go as he has played with it at her house before.

So before I continue - THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU AYELET.

I set up the doll house that night while C Monster was sleeping and well as soon as he saw it he had to play with it. He quickly realized that his dolls did not have a bed. I tried flipping one of the tables upside down to make a bed but that was not sufficient. So what do I do? - I made him a bed. I used an old jewelery box for the base and made a mattress and pillows out of a small piece of white felt and used a small square of fabric to make a blanket. I only made 2 pillows for the bed I should have known better and made 3 as he always puts 3 dolls in bed together - mama, papa and him.

I guess this is his ideal sleeping arrangement - in bed with his parents.

Looking Forward To

Landscaping my front yard.

Randome Images

Chilling with E Monster before Music Class

For what seemed like forever C Monster would not take his vitamins however recently the tides have changed.  He is so cute I tell him "ouvre ta bouche come un petit oiseau" (Open wide like a little bird) and he just opens up and lets us give him his drops.

During a visit to grandma C monster wanted a little cave to be built with pillows; he then fell asleep in this cave.

I just love this image Geoff took of see during an early morning walk.

C Monster practicing his career as a door man.

What do you wash your dishes with?

We have had a dishwasher now for just over half a year and I think I have tried more bad dishwasher liquid or powders then good ones - this is why that our soap of choice deserves a mention here.

First lets start with the worst of the soaps we tried - hands down it is Nature Clean Automatic Dishwasher Gel. It left the inside of our dishwasher with a nasty film of grime and well the dishes also.

Now the winner is EcoEthic Automatic Dishwashing Powder. It come in a plastic container that is recyclable; I prefer the plastic over the cardboard box because I don't need to worry about getting the packaging wet. Geoff saves the empties and uses them to package up oil (from motorcycle oil changes) to drop off at the hazardous wast transfer station. It has a bit of citrus smell that does not bother me. But most important of all it gets the job done; dishes come up clean.

In case you are wondering we purchase it from Green Cricket.

Seedlings - Soy Beans

Play Ground

The afternoon finished with a trip to the play ground; were we lucked out and bumped into some friends Marnie, A Monster and J Monster.

Looking Forward To

The eating home made bread my husband is working on.

Moms Lunch / Cat Nap / 10 Years Ago

Moms Lunch

Every Friday a bunch of us get together for lunch and chaos. I don't know why but each time it's my time to host I swear everyone shows up (don't get me wrong I love having everyone over) - it's just we have one of the smallest houses - so well it get cramped. Everyone has a good time - that is all that matters.

I have to say I love Fridays; it's great for C Monster to have a group of friends to play with on a regular basis - I think it's doubly important because he is at home with and not at daycare; so without days like this he would not get tones of group interaction with other kids.

Thanks everyone for coming over we had a great time. - Total bodies in my house from 11am to 1pm was 20.

Recipes

What was on the menu for lunch?
Broccoli Soup ; Mango Pomegranate Guacamole and Carrot Muffins.

Did not change anything in the Soup or the Guacamole. For the Carrot Muffins I added 1/4 milk and used 1/2 and 1/2 white and whole wheat pastry flours.

I have to say I loved the guacamole; however if you go in thinking you are getting guac you will be disappointed - it's a fantastic amazing avocado dip. The sweet of the mango goes great with the fattiness of the avocado and the pomegranate bit are like little burst of joy in your mouth. I really enjoyed this one will definitely be an addition to my recipe collection.

The muffins are hands down the best carrot muffins I have made so far. I had been looking for a good recipe for a bit; well I found it.

Cat Nap

I could not stop myself my babies are so cute together.

10 Years Ago

Here is a rare glimpse into my past. It got out of the bag that when we originally moved to the neighborhood I looked nothing like I do today. So here is a small pictorial glance at who I was when I first met Geoff.






No I don't smoke anymore I quite probably 8 or 9 years ago. Yes that is PVC I am wearing - despite the fact that today the eco-mom in me wont bring anything in the house made of PVC. We all have past; mine is a bit colorful...

For those of you wondering when these shots were taken probably from 2000 to 2002, we moved in our current home in 2002 if memory serves me right.

cupcake madness

Christophe party came and went...

A few days before his party I started baking vegan cupcakes I think I made around 60 in total. I needed some for our house, at Bizzy Bee and for a Wee Hands Party we were going to.


We ended up just dropping off the cupcakes to WeeHands because Christophe had been feeling under the weather for a few days and we figured it was best to rest before his big day; the last thing we wanted was to have to cancel his party because he was sick.

March 1, 2009 came and Christophe had a bit of a runny nose (but what child does not it was cold season in Toronto) but was feeling well otherwise - so we were a go for the party.

We had so many friends join us at Bizzy Bee, for the festivities; then at our home with our family.

We wanted to say thank you to everyone for all the great presents; Christophe had a blast opening them all at the house.

I plan on writing a few reviews about some of them and posting to the blog.

We also took some picture, one day when life is less crazy I will post some.

What would your family do if your were hospitalised

After receiving an email from one of my fellow mommy friends informing me that another mom that attends of ours groups had been admitted to the hospital for a stroke it got me thinking.

Before going any further with this post I want to mention that the mom is doing fine and is in recovery with her family to her side.

What would I do if I were admitted to the hospital? Does Geoff know my wishes? Would he be strong enough to advocate for my right to breast-feed? Would he push and push with the nurses and doctors so Christophe could stay in my room overnight? I don't know and this is a discussion we will have tonight.

Does your spouse know what to do if the unthinkable happened? They say mommies are always there and never out of commission even when they are sick but at last we mommies are just humans also...

To all our fellow mommies that are battling with there health my thoughts are with you.

October 7, 2008 - Day in the life of...

I decided to start once and while writing a brief journal of a day in the life of Christophe. That way he can look back at this and see what things were like when he was a baby.

Today was a busy one we started the day off late by sleeping in then off to our weekly trip to the market where mama bought tones of veggies. Christophe got to take the bus as mama hurt her foot the day before and the 30 min walk seemed a bit too much. We also stopped at Jerry's this great little grocery store at and Monarch Park to pick up a few items.

Once back home we built a fort using a bed sheet and the 3 kitchen chairs in the living room and played, nursed and napped in it while we waited for our friend Amitav and his mom Sara. Christophe really seemed to enjoy having a friend over; we have had other moms and babes over but never one in his age range (Amitav is around 7 1/2 months also). After some play we walked Amitav and Sara back home stopping on the way for some hot chocolate (for mama) and to check out a new second hand clothing store in the Beach.

Once we got back home we prepared supper; home made pasta for mama and papa; avocados for Christophe. I was amazed Christophe actually ate some food. We have been having a hard time convincing him to eat anything that is not breastmilk.

We were supposed to finish the night with a bath but all tired from a long day we fell asleep in mama's arm before the bath was even poured.
All in all we had a great day.

Pregnancy Rant

Now that I have past the 8 month mark I am going to share all the things I have learned and discovered about being pregnant. (Well at lease for me because I am led to believe the experience is different from person to person.

WARNING - some of you may think some items are gross or to descriptive...

• Minty toothpaste can make one want to puke, all natural toothpaste is much better
• Lemonade - yummy
• Heart burn - not so yummy (Can you believe I never had heart burn before)
• Cal Meg by Genestra is a great remedy for heart burn until you experience the evilest of heart burns then Tums become your best friend
• Smoothie Tums taste better then all the others
• Scrambled eggs - yummy
• Scrambled eggs with vegetables (kinda like a deconstructed omelet) - YUMMY
• Sacrificing things you love because you know there is another person inside of you
• Unconditional love for someone you have not even met yet
• Crying for no apparent reason
• Crying for what seems to be a good reason at the time however your husband thinks you have gone mad
• long soaks in the tub are amazing
• The feeling of a little person kicking you in the ribs (somehow this makes me smile even though it hurts)
• Restless legs syndrome - RLS (now I understand how Geoff often feels)
• Magnelevures by Unda is amazing for RLS - however very expensive
• That raspberry leaf tea taste pretty good; however after 2 months of it its the worst drink on earth
• A re-appreciation for raspberry leaf tea once my naturophath switch me to raspberry leaf tea extracts
• When you are pregnant you always seem to drop everything (force the lady with the big belly to bend down)
• Pee pee pee that is all I have to say
• Yeast infections (would you believe I never had one until I was pregnant)
• The stomach flue is never fun however; it is really bad when you are stuck on the bathroom floor and can not get up due to the combination of a big belly and no energy.
• Extremely cut little boys clothing
• Everything in the world seems to have toxic chemicals in it
• Baby toys are fun and cute and expensive
• That everyone wants to touch your belly
• That everyone has something to share about there experience with children, even people who do not have kids
• The whole world is pregnant (every wheres I go I see women with swollen bellies; I guess you just don't notice them until you are one of them)
• Pillows lots and lots of pillows are the only way you can get comfortable
• Carpal tunnel syndrome and how to cope with it
• Hip pain ( I guess this is a good pain; since your hips need to widen to let baby threw)
• Maternity underwear rule they are so comfy (I think I may even continue wearing them after)
• Yoga is a saving grace
• Shiatsu is complicated when you have restless legs ( it's hard to stay still for the therapist to work)
• Not to be afraid to ask for help
• How much my husband really loves me
• Having a TV in the bedroom is really not that bad even though I fought it for 7 years.
• There is nothing good on the after midnight
• Doing dishes when you are "fat" hurts your back
• I can no longer reach the bottom of the washing machine
• Watching other peoples kids make me smile
• Finding baby clothes in my laundry is neat
• Opening and installing your car seat kinda makes everything feel real
• Having a car seat in your car is weird
• Selecting items for your wee one is made way too complicated by an over saturated market full of junk and useless items for babies
• Everyone and there sister will have an opinion on a home birth ( not always a positive one)
• Midwives rule
• One can never drink enough water
• Seeing your baby for the first time (ultrasound) is the best feeling in the world
• Leaky breast
• No belly button
• Confirmation that the brown spot at the bottom of my belly button is really a birth mark and not dirt stuck there for 29 years (oops I just gave away my age)
• Spicy foods give you heart burn however I crave them so I seem to forget this one over an and over again
• Anything related to babies on TV will make you cry
• Sore shoulders from sleeping on your side
• Nesting
• Lopsided bellies - this one makes me smile
• It is amazing how much energy you can have when you are an insomniac; however eventually you crash and sleep.
• That good friends are hard to come by and we are lucky we have a few (you know who you are)
• How much Geoff's family is really mine too
• How much I miss my mom and dad
• That the world does not stop if you leave work at 5pm
• How to say no (sometimes)
• A stuffed up nose - all the time
• Being able to eat all sorts of things that I used to have intolerances too, baby gave me super stomach .

I am sure I can go on and on forever but we will end it here.

The Secret's Out

Pierrette joined a few pregnancy-related groups on Facebook without managing to hide the join messages from her contacts.

So she signed in just now and had some inquiring messages from those of you who noticed.

I guess that means the secret's out. No sense trying to control the flow of information anymore:

Yes, we're expecting.

If you're interested in keeping up to date, this is the place to do it. Of course, you're welcome to talk to us directly, but in terms of a 'broadcast medium', I think we're going to try and put the information here.

Thanks for all your well-wishes. If I'd previously asked you to keep it on the down-low, you can ignore that now.