Today the King of Howieland turns 34. My life is so much better for having him in it. He has given me almost 12 years of unconditional love and devotion, 7 years of married bliss, 2 beautiful boys, and 1 wonderful life.
I'm not sure if I've shared this story before or not, but it's worth sharing again. Steve and I call each other "Big Brick" and "Baby Brick". It goes back years - we like to sleep cuddled up in bed, back to back. Neither of us likes our arms tangled up, but we like to be close when we sleep, so we're often that way instead of spooning. Steve says that we're like bricks, which are better than spoons. Spoons get taken out of their drawers and separated, but bricks are cemented together for always. And sometimes we'll even jokingly refer to Owen (now both boys) as our "Mortar".
Happy Birthday Big Brick! I love you today and always.
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Thursday, May 07, 2009
The Big Five-Oh!
With this one little post, my 2009 blog output is now equal to the sum of all previous years. That's right, this English major can do the math!
On a completely unrelated note, I updated my Facebook status (I know, but seriously, I go back to work in two months. I need Twitter like I need another Y chromosome in my house) to read "Cari has too much surplus". Not only my favourite line from Disney's Cars movie, but an accurate reflection of how I feel whenever I look in our spare room closet, or the basement. We have too much! Period. But thankfully, some baby clothes and other assorted baby-oriented items will be distributed among some pregnant friends, and various other odds and ends will be Kijiji'd. Either that or we'll be having a garage sale sometime this summer.
(Also, I know not everyone has seen Cars, but I'm pretty sure the line stands on its own, decontextualized. But a few people are asking me what I have too much of....is the definition of "surplus" not common knowledge? Personally, I laugh every time I hear that line; but then again, I also laughed at "I have a big head, and little arms".)
On a completely unrelated note, I updated my Facebook status (I know, but seriously, I go back to work in two months. I need Twitter like I need another Y chromosome in my house) to read "Cari has too much surplus". Not only my favourite line from Disney's Cars movie, but an accurate reflection of how I feel whenever I look in our spare room closet, or the basement. We have too much! Period. But thankfully, some baby clothes and other assorted baby-oriented items will be distributed among some pregnant friends, and various other odds and ends will be Kijiji'd. Either that or we'll be having a garage sale sometime this summer.
(Also, I know not everyone has seen Cars, but I'm pretty sure the line stands on its own, decontextualized. But a few people are asking me what I have too much of....is the definition of "surplus" not common knowledge? Personally, I laugh every time I hear that line; but then again, I also laughed at "I have a big head, and little arms".)
Tuesday, May 05, 2009
Got Milk?
So, further on the topic of Jake, he's got two teeth through, the front bottom ones. Today he finally cut one of the top front ones, and he's got swollen gums showing that the second top one and the two on either side of the bottom two will be here shortly. So that's two teeth, one nub, and three pending. Although Owen got his first two teeth nearly two months before Jake did, he got his second two in May, so Jake is right on track with that.
I am still nursing him. He eats a lot of baby and regular food, three meals a day, plus snacks. But he nurses when he first wakes, generally following a meal, and then a few times before bed (he's been sleeping through for a little while now, touch wood, so not feeding during the night). He never has taken a bottle, but he'll drink from a straw, sippie, or even a regular cup. However, he'll only take water. He's not interested in breast milk from anything but the source, or in formula however it's presented.
This is okay with me. By this point with Owen, we were about to give up nursing. He was a biter, and with two teeth, it was bad. I tried all kinds of things to get him to stop. I would yell, put him down, tell him "no" sternly, and he would look up at me and laugh. The only time he wouldn't bite was if he woke up in the night to nurse - he would be half asleep the entire time. Jake tried gumming me once or twice before his teeth even came in. I did the same routine with him, but he would look up, and give me the crumple face: that pouty look that means he's about to cry. He got it - after a couple of times, he stopped trying to bite me. Hasn't even tried once since he's gotten his two chompers, so I'm not worried about these new ones. With Owen, I was in tears.
With Owen, once the top teeth came in, not only was he biting, he was drawing blood. Since he wouldn't take formula, I didn't want to stop breastfeeding, because he wasn't eating enough to get all the vitamins and nourishment he needed yet from real food alone, but I was in a lot of pain, and too sore to pump. I don't know if I cried more from the pain, or from not knowing what to do. Finally, after a particularly bloody battle, Steve took Owen, got a bottle of formula, and sat down, determined to get him to take it. And you know what that cheeky monkey did? Took that bottle like he'd been doing it all along. So that was it - weaned to bottles of formula at 10 months, no more breastfeeding.
And as relieved as I felt, I was still sad - I really enjoyed breastfeeding, when it wasn't a blood sport. I always thought I'd breastfeed for at least a year, and then see how things went. I was sad that we didn't have a "last time" - the last time I breastfed him, I didn't know it was the last, and I certainly didn't enjoy it. I'm hoping that will be different with Jake.
I'll be going back to work when Jake is just over a year, so by then, we'll have to be done with breastfeeding during the day. But if he's still into nursing in the morning and before bed, I'll be happy to keep that up for a little while. I know that I'm not comfortable with the idea of him walking up to me and lifting up my shirt himself. The other day, I was talking to Steve while nursing Jake, and he sat up, climbed over my lap, and tried to latch onto my other side while standing beside me, all on his own! Whoa! Not cool. I got him settled back down lying in my lap, and had a bit of a laugh. But I just didn't find that cozy - I felt a little pawed and manhandled. So maybe I just need to teach him better manners. :) We'll see - I don't know how much longer our nursing relationship will last, but I'm enjoying it now, and since he's going to be my last baby, I plan to keep it up as long as I am still enjoying it. We'll see. Of course, if the appearance of the new teeth change Jake into Chompy McChomperson, I reserve the right to call in reinforcements in the form of his dad with a bottle. ;)
I am still nursing him. He eats a lot of baby and regular food, three meals a day, plus snacks. But he nurses when he first wakes, generally following a meal, and then a few times before bed (he's been sleeping through for a little while now, touch wood, so not feeding during the night). He never has taken a bottle, but he'll drink from a straw, sippie, or even a regular cup. However, he'll only take water. He's not interested in breast milk from anything but the source, or in formula however it's presented.
This is okay with me. By this point with Owen, we were about to give up nursing. He was a biter, and with two teeth, it was bad. I tried all kinds of things to get him to stop. I would yell, put him down, tell him "no" sternly, and he would look up at me and laugh. The only time he wouldn't bite was if he woke up in the night to nurse - he would be half asleep the entire time. Jake tried gumming me once or twice before his teeth even came in. I did the same routine with him, but he would look up, and give me the crumple face: that pouty look that means he's about to cry. He got it - after a couple of times, he stopped trying to bite me. Hasn't even tried once since he's gotten his two chompers, so I'm not worried about these new ones. With Owen, I was in tears.
With Owen, once the top teeth came in, not only was he biting, he was drawing blood. Since he wouldn't take formula, I didn't want to stop breastfeeding, because he wasn't eating enough to get all the vitamins and nourishment he needed yet from real food alone, but I was in a lot of pain, and too sore to pump. I don't know if I cried more from the pain, or from not knowing what to do. Finally, after a particularly bloody battle, Steve took Owen, got a bottle of formula, and sat down, determined to get him to take it. And you know what that cheeky monkey did? Took that bottle like he'd been doing it all along. So that was it - weaned to bottles of formula at 10 months, no more breastfeeding.
And as relieved as I felt, I was still sad - I really enjoyed breastfeeding, when it wasn't a blood sport. I always thought I'd breastfeed for at least a year, and then see how things went. I was sad that we didn't have a "last time" - the last time I breastfed him, I didn't know it was the last, and I certainly didn't enjoy it. I'm hoping that will be different with Jake.
I'll be going back to work when Jake is just over a year, so by then, we'll have to be done with breastfeeding during the day. But if he's still into nursing in the morning and before bed, I'll be happy to keep that up for a little while. I know that I'm not comfortable with the idea of him walking up to me and lifting up my shirt himself. The other day, I was talking to Steve while nursing Jake, and he sat up, climbed over my lap, and tried to latch onto my other side while standing beside me, all on his own! Whoa! Not cool. I got him settled back down lying in my lap, and had a bit of a laugh. But I just didn't find that cozy - I felt a little pawed and manhandled. So maybe I just need to teach him better manners. :) We'll see - I don't know how much longer our nursing relationship will last, but I'm enjoying it now, and since he's going to be my last baby, I plan to keep it up as long as I am still enjoying it. We'll see. Of course, if the appearance of the new teeth change Jake into Chompy McChomperson, I reserve the right to call in reinforcements in the form of his dad with a bottle. ;)
Monday, May 04, 2009
Little Man
Owen tends to get the lion's share of updates here, I think, because simply by nature of being two-going-on-three, pretty much everything that he's doing these days is hilarious. (Case in point: we were at a birthday party on Saturday, and my girlfriend wondered aloud how she was going to cut into the cake, because there were so many details on it. Owen: You can do it! You just need a knife!) But Jake is doing all kinds of wonderful things too, and even if they are a lot quieter than Owen's things, they are no less amazing. So here's a brief update on our littlest man.
Jake is quite the talker. For "words" he says Dada, Mama, and Hi. (Hi is always accompanied by a little wave. He waves "bye" too, but doesn't say anything.) He understands EVERYTHING we say. He'll be across the room, and Owen (the little pot-stirrer!) will hold the gate open and say "Come on Jakey!" and slap-slap-slap, here comes Jake tearing across the room, through the gate, then sitting on his little bum and looking expectantly up at big brother, like Okay, what next? (Next is usually the stairs, which he climbs easily. Down is another matter entirely, but he FLIES up them.) But he babbles all the time, nonsense words, talking to his toys, his brother, all of us. He likes to sing too, and will often sing to himself in the Jeep. He answers to Jake, Jakey, Jacob, and Pickle-Mickle, which is Owen's nickname for him.
He eats anything and everything. More specifically, he eats anything and everything that Owen eats. I have to feed them at different times if Owen's eating something that Jake can't have, because otherwise Jake won't eat. Which is kind of a pain, so we try and feed them the same stuff. If Owen's having a sandwich, Jake gets a piece of whole wheat bread to nibble. Happily they both like yogurt and applesauce, and Jake is getting fairly adept at gumming all kinds of food.
Jake has got some moves! He loves to dance to any kind of music. He'll sit on his bottom and wave his arms in the air, or he'll stand (holding on with one hand) and bop up and down, usually with a big grin, maybe with some yelling/singing. And he's a copycat - all ready, he'll pick up anything that looks remotely like a stick, and use it to whack anything that looks remotely like a ball. The hockey mini-sticks are now all his. He'll even pick up Owen's bat, crawl over to his tee, and start taking whacks at it.
He's a sweetie - he has a REALLY long tongue, that he loves to stick out. In fact, if you ask him, "Let's see that tongue!" he'll stick it out for you. I've been trying to teach him to blow kisses, but either his hand-head coordination is really lacking, or he just doesn't get it yet - if I blow him a kiss, he whacks himself in the ear repeatedly. Um, nice try honey! And he does "number 1", holding up one little finger in the air if you ask him "Who's number 1, Jake?" (Owen used to do this with both hands, but Jake just does it with the right.)
He's still my little cuddle-bug, though. He's definitely mommy's little boy. He LOVES his daddy, Da-da was the first word, don't forget, and he goes NUTS whenever Steve comes home. But sometimes, only Mommy will do. And he lets you know with the "baby monkey" routine - he clings so tightly to me, that even if I weren't holding on to him, he wouldn't fall. I have bruises on the backs of my one arm now that I'm wearing t-shirts instead of long-sleeves. He grabs a handful of my clothes in each tiny fist, and holds on for dear life. He'll smile at daddy, or grandma, or whomever is coming close, but he sure won't go once he's in mommy's arms. If I put him down and he's distracted, he's perfectly happy with anyone who will play with him, and then he's fine to be picked up by them as well. But allow someone to take him from his Mommy? No dice. :)
He's my little peanut, and I can't believe he's ten months old all ready. Before you know it, that first birthday will be here. (Number 1!) Sigh. My little baby boy. Very much loved!
Jake is quite the talker. For "words" he says Dada, Mama, and Hi. (Hi is always accompanied by a little wave. He waves "bye" too, but doesn't say anything.) He understands EVERYTHING we say. He'll be across the room, and Owen (the little pot-stirrer!) will hold the gate open and say "Come on Jakey!" and slap-slap-slap, here comes Jake tearing across the room, through the gate, then sitting on his little bum and looking expectantly up at big brother, like Okay, what next? (Next is usually the stairs, which he climbs easily. Down is another matter entirely, but he FLIES up them.) But he babbles all the time, nonsense words, talking to his toys, his brother, all of us. He likes to sing too, and will often sing to himself in the Jeep. He answers to Jake, Jakey, Jacob, and Pickle-Mickle, which is Owen's nickname for him.
He eats anything and everything. More specifically, he eats anything and everything that Owen eats. I have to feed them at different times if Owen's eating something that Jake can't have, because otherwise Jake won't eat. Which is kind of a pain, so we try and feed them the same stuff. If Owen's having a sandwich, Jake gets a piece of whole wheat bread to nibble. Happily they both like yogurt and applesauce, and Jake is getting fairly adept at gumming all kinds of food.
Jake has got some moves! He loves to dance to any kind of music. He'll sit on his bottom and wave his arms in the air, or he'll stand (holding on with one hand) and bop up and down, usually with a big grin, maybe with some yelling/singing. And he's a copycat - all ready, he'll pick up anything that looks remotely like a stick, and use it to whack anything that looks remotely like a ball. The hockey mini-sticks are now all his. He'll even pick up Owen's bat, crawl over to his tee, and start taking whacks at it.
He's a sweetie - he has a REALLY long tongue, that he loves to stick out. In fact, if you ask him, "Let's see that tongue!" he'll stick it out for you. I've been trying to teach him to blow kisses, but either his hand-head coordination is really lacking, or he just doesn't get it yet - if I blow him a kiss, he whacks himself in the ear repeatedly. Um, nice try honey! And he does "number 1", holding up one little finger in the air if you ask him "Who's number 1, Jake?" (Owen used to do this with both hands, but Jake just does it with the right.)
He's still my little cuddle-bug, though. He's definitely mommy's little boy. He LOVES his daddy, Da-da was the first word, don't forget, and he goes NUTS whenever Steve comes home. But sometimes, only Mommy will do. And he lets you know with the "baby monkey" routine - he clings so tightly to me, that even if I weren't holding on to him, he wouldn't fall. I have bruises on the backs of my one arm now that I'm wearing t-shirts instead of long-sleeves. He grabs a handful of my clothes in each tiny fist, and holds on for dear life. He'll smile at daddy, or grandma, or whomever is coming close, but he sure won't go once he's in mommy's arms. If I put him down and he's distracted, he's perfectly happy with anyone who will play with him, and then he's fine to be picked up by them as well. But allow someone to take him from his Mommy? No dice. :)
He's my little peanut, and I can't believe he's ten months old all ready. Before you know it, that first birthday will be here. (Number 1!) Sigh. My little baby boy. Very much loved!
Saturday, May 02, 2009
Clearly Speaking
Busy, busy, busy. Of course, whose life isn't these days? I did my EndurRace, with a personal best in both distances! I was hoping to do the 5K in under 30 minutes, and I did it in 30 minutes, 26 seconds, so I was quite pleased (my previous time had been about 34 minutes). My previous 8K time (two years ago, the last time I ran it) was just under 55 minutes - I was just hoping to beat that time. I blew it away, finishing in 49 minutes, 51 seconds! I'm so proud of myself!! And so, so happy to finally have completed both races that make up this event. Yay me! The best was having Steve and the boys cheering for me - nothing motivates you for those last hundred metres like hearing your little guy yelling "Go Mommy go! Go Mommy go!"
Lots of other stuff has been going on, some good, some not so good. The really sad news is that we lost Steve's Grandma last weekend. She had been ill for some time, with growing tumours in her lungs. At her age (94) there really wasn't anything they could do for her - her body wouldn't have withstood radiation or an operation, so the doctors just did the best they could to make her comfortable. We will be getting together with family to celebrate her life next weekend.
The boys are growing like crazy. Jake has two teeth, and is the fastest thing around here on all fours. He's literally crawling the knees out of his pants! And speaking of pants, Owen keeps getting taller. I bought new pants for him, but since we're nearly done with pants-wearing-weather, I bought them big enough to (hopefully!) fit him this fall. Which means we're currently rolling the cuffs, and he finds that annoying. Thank goodness most places are putting the adjustable waists into pants, because he's still a skinny minny. Also, those pants are staying completely dry during the day, and Owen is finally telling us when it's time to go on the potty, instead of the other way 'round. Life is good!
I will be trying to post more regularly, evenings have been kind of full of late, and while I've been wanting to post, my brain hasn't been able to handle it. But I do have to quickly post this conversation we had with Owen in the car yesterday before I forget it. (If I don't put these stories down somewhere, I'll never remember them!)
(Owen was playing with a pair of sunglasses.)
Owen (putting on sunglasses): Wow! These sunglasses are really queer!
Mommy: (Sharing a "did we just hear that?" glance with Steve) Pardon me?
O: These sunglasses are really, really, queer Mommy! I like them.
M: Um, where did you hear the word "queer", Owen? (Wondering how I'm even going to start a conversation about the heady semantics of that word with my two-year-old...)
O: On Sid the Science Kid.
M: What???!!! (Mentally reviewing recent Sid episodes... love that show, but pretty sure there hasn't been one about sexual orientation recently... wait, there was one about glasses... making your vision....) OHHH! The glasses are really CLEAR!
O: That's what I said, Mommy. These glasses are cwear.
Owen pronounces his L's like W's. It's something I don't even notice anymore, we're so used to it. Steve and I laughed the rest of the way home.
Lots of other stuff has been going on, some good, some not so good. The really sad news is that we lost Steve's Grandma last weekend. She had been ill for some time, with growing tumours in her lungs. At her age (94) there really wasn't anything they could do for her - her body wouldn't have withstood radiation or an operation, so the doctors just did the best they could to make her comfortable. We will be getting together with family to celebrate her life next weekend.
The boys are growing like crazy. Jake has two teeth, and is the fastest thing around here on all fours. He's literally crawling the knees out of his pants! And speaking of pants, Owen keeps getting taller. I bought new pants for him, but since we're nearly done with pants-wearing-weather, I bought them big enough to (hopefully!) fit him this fall. Which means we're currently rolling the cuffs, and he finds that annoying. Thank goodness most places are putting the adjustable waists into pants, because he's still a skinny minny. Also, those pants are staying completely dry during the day, and Owen is finally telling us when it's time to go on the potty, instead of the other way 'round. Life is good!
I will be trying to post more regularly, evenings have been kind of full of late, and while I've been wanting to post, my brain hasn't been able to handle it. But I do have to quickly post this conversation we had with Owen in the car yesterday before I forget it. (If I don't put these stories down somewhere, I'll never remember them!)
(Owen was playing with a pair of sunglasses.)
Owen (putting on sunglasses): Wow! These sunglasses are really queer!
Mommy: (Sharing a "did we just hear that?" glance with Steve) Pardon me?
O: These sunglasses are really, really, queer Mommy! I like them.
M: Um, where did you hear the word "queer", Owen? (Wondering how I'm even going to start a conversation about the heady semantics of that word with my two-year-old...)
O: On Sid the Science Kid.
M: What???!!! (Mentally reviewing recent Sid episodes... love that show, but pretty sure there hasn't been one about sexual orientation recently... wait, there was one about glasses... making your vision....) OHHH! The glasses are really CLEAR!
O: That's what I said, Mommy. These glasses are cwear.
Owen pronounces his L's like W's. It's something I don't even notice anymore, we're so used to it. Steve and I laughed the rest of the way home.
Tuesday, April 07, 2009
Neither Snow Nor Sleet (um, Ice!)
The first weekend of the EndurRace is less than two weeks away. I'll be running 5K on the 18th, and 8K on the 25th. This means that I can no longer slack off in my running, because come hell or high water, I'll be out there on the 18t,h wearing a number, and I'd really prefer not to have to get picked up by the cleanup crew that comes out to round up stragglers. (I'm pretty sure they only do that during marathons, but I really don't want to find out!)
SO! Owen was off to daycare today, and Jake and I had to run. Notwithstanding the 15 cm of snow we got yesterday, we had to run. Nevermind that running with the stroller in the wind is like running with a parachute (and that's without the storm cover on...) we had to run. So, I gave Jake a teething biscuit to keep him happy, strapped him into his fleecy stroller bag, and covered him with his plastic bubble. (Um, I dressed him in winter gear as well.)
Thanks to the lovely Auntie Erica, with whom I had the most amazing extended-birthday-afternoon on Saturday, I am now the proud owner of a pair of Yak Trax to fit under my shoes. I'm sure she thought I wouldn't be getting any use out of them until next winter, but they were just what I needed today! Outside is a mess of sticky, blowing snow on top of a crunchy, icy crust - pretty much the worst running surface ever. But my Yak Trax gave me the traction necessary to push Jake up the hills, and the control to keep my stride up down the hills. We ran on the sidewalks, which we don't usually do. Ashphalt is easier on the knees, but on a day like today, we don't trust the drivers in our neighbourhood to be looking out for us. (Or to be able to stop on the ice even if they are looking out for us.)
They were great! Jake and I did 7K. That's right, in the ice, snow and wind, we did 7K. I'm pretty sure my Trax would have stayed attached to my shoes even without the velcro attachment overtop, and the rubbery/springy traction pieces were comfy to run in over the snow and ice. I wouldn't want to run on them all the time on a dry surface, but for the few places where people had shovelled down to bare sidewalk, they were fine, and even helped absorb some of the pounding that makes me avoid concrete .
EndurRace, here I come! :)
SO! Owen was off to daycare today, and Jake and I had to run. Notwithstanding the 15 cm of snow we got yesterday, we had to run. Nevermind that running with the stroller in the wind is like running with a parachute (and that's without the storm cover on...) we had to run. So, I gave Jake a teething biscuit to keep him happy, strapped him into his fleecy stroller bag, and covered him with his plastic bubble. (Um, I dressed him in winter gear as well.)
Thanks to the lovely Auntie Erica, with whom I had the most amazing extended-birthday-afternoon on Saturday, I am now the proud owner of a pair of Yak Trax to fit under my shoes. I'm sure she thought I wouldn't be getting any use out of them until next winter, but they were just what I needed today! Outside is a mess of sticky, blowing snow on top of a crunchy, icy crust - pretty much the worst running surface ever. But my Yak Trax gave me the traction necessary to push Jake up the hills, and the control to keep my stride up down the hills. We ran on the sidewalks, which we don't usually do. Ashphalt is easier on the knees, but on a day like today, we don't trust the drivers in our neighbourhood to be looking out for us. (Or to be able to stop on the ice even if they are looking out for us.)
They were great! Jake and I did 7K. That's right, in the ice, snow and wind, we did 7K. I'm pretty sure my Trax would have stayed attached to my shoes even without the velcro attachment overtop, and the rubbery/springy traction pieces were comfy to run in over the snow and ice. I wouldn't want to run on them all the time on a dry surface, but for the few places where people had shovelled down to bare sidewalk, they were fine, and even helped absorb some of the pounding that makes me avoid concrete .
EndurRace, here I come! :)
Sunday, April 05, 2009
Competitive Spirit!
I don't know if this is a boy thing, or a two-and-a-half thing, or just an Owen thing. He's become ridiculously competitive! Every thing is a chance to win, or a chance to beat someone. Putting on our shoes? "I'm beating you, Mommy!" Having a bath? "I'm winning Mommy! Jakey is losing!" Driving? "We're passing that car! We're winning!" Which can be cute, but he's a TERRIBLE loser! And when everything in our life has become a contest, he loses often.
I'm not talking about losing at a game or something I could cheat at to ensure an outcome that does not involve screaming. We're talking about scenarios where I didn't even realize he was in danger of losing until the yelling starts. We were all having dinner the other night, and I was feeding Jake his "mush" at the same time. Jake finished the veggies and I told him he was a good boy for eating all his dinner. Owen burst into tears! "I lost Mommy? Jakey beat me?" Hoo boy.
As parents, of course, Steve and I know that how we deal with this is extremely important. Winning and losing are a part of life, and there are some important lessons to be learned here. And as any good set of parents would do, we've completely leveraged this to our advantage for potty training.
Yep. Warm up the handbasket for us, because we've actually told our son that going on the potty is winning, and going in his pants is losing. And we haven't stopped there, oh no. Whenever he goes on the potty, we tell him he's "beating his friends!" (Nevermind that practically all his friends were potty trained months ago, beating these unnamed "friends" is what makes winning that much sweeter for him. It's succeeding where praise, stickers, and even lollipops have failed!)
Say what you will about our tactics, but the kid has had "underwear under there" for three days now, and has only had four "losses" in that time. (Diapers still for bed.) And whenever he does lose, we talk about how he'll get another chance to try and win again, so it's not like it's all bad. He's a winner, like Lightening McQueen on his underpants. (Of course, tonight when we were putting a diaper on for bed, he wanted to know "Is Elmo a loser Mommy?")
We're very proud of our big boy! I should have known the time was right for him to finally get it: I just bought a club-pack of his current diaper size. I'm sure we'll use them up for overnights. We've been out and about too, using washrooms in stores, at friends' homes, and in restaurants, and he's got a perfect record on the road.
And ball hockey starts in two weeks, so we'll get another chance toscrew up work on the whole "winning isn't everthing" message then. In the meantime, his jock fits lots better over Lightening McQueen than Elmo.
I'm not talking about losing at a game or something I could cheat at to ensure an outcome that does not involve screaming. We're talking about scenarios where I didn't even realize he was in danger of losing until the yelling starts. We were all having dinner the other night, and I was feeding Jake his "mush" at the same time. Jake finished the veggies and I told him he was a good boy for eating all his dinner. Owen burst into tears! "I lost Mommy? Jakey beat me?" Hoo boy.
As parents, of course, Steve and I know that how we deal with this is extremely important. Winning and losing are a part of life, and there are some important lessons to be learned here. And as any good set of parents would do, we've completely leveraged this to our advantage for potty training.
Yep. Warm up the handbasket for us, because we've actually told our son that going on the potty is winning, and going in his pants is losing. And we haven't stopped there, oh no. Whenever he goes on the potty, we tell him he's "beating his friends!" (Nevermind that practically all his friends were potty trained months ago, beating these unnamed "friends" is what makes winning that much sweeter for him. It's succeeding where praise, stickers, and even lollipops have failed!)
Say what you will about our tactics, but the kid has had "underwear under there" for three days now, and has only had four "losses" in that time. (Diapers still for bed.) And whenever he does lose, we talk about how he'll get another chance to try and win again, so it's not like it's all bad. He's a winner, like Lightening McQueen on his underpants. (Of course, tonight when we were putting a diaper on for bed, he wanted to know "Is Elmo a loser Mommy?")
We're very proud of our big boy! I should have known the time was right for him to finally get it: I just bought a club-pack of his current diaper size. I'm sure we'll use them up for overnights. We've been out and about too, using washrooms in stores, at friends' homes, and in restaurants, and he's got a perfect record on the road.
And ball hockey starts in two weeks, so we'll get another chance to
Friday, April 03, 2009
Friday's List of Ten IX
Ten things to remember whilst attending Afternoon Tea at Langdon Hall tomorrow with Erica:*
10. All signs to the contrary, we're not there to enjoy ourselves. We're there for our health - two cups of tea a day can have significant health benefits, you know. We're doing this toescape benefit our husbands and children!
9. Proper service of lemon slice vs. lemon wedge: a lemon slice can float in your tea cup, a lemon wedge is meant to be squeezed and discarded on the edge of your saucer. I think tea with lemon is disgusting, so I will be disposing discreetly of any lemon bits served to me in the nearest potted plant. Failing any such handy plants, I will be politely lofting them over my shoulder.
8. The proper eating of a scone involves breaking off a bite-sized piece, and then applying cream and/or jam to said piece before popping it daintily into one's mouth. Like a dinner roll, one should not attempt to saw it in half with the butter knife before slathering it with toppings and then taking bite after bite. Am I wrong in thinking this rule probably came from the pre-dental-advances British wanting to ensure they were exposed to as little view of each other's wonky teeth as possible?
7. Twelve-inch napkins are used for Afternoon Tea service - I have packed my handy ruler in my handbag, so as to be sure that I am not being short-changed in the napkin department!
6. The proper stirring of tea. Apparently, one is to "Place your tea spoon at the six o'clock position and softly fold the liquid towards the twelve o'clock position two or three times." I have been practicing with my breakfast Cheerios, but have a distressing tendency to want to fold from 12 to 6, instead of the proper 6 to 12. Fortunately, I already know about removing one's spoon from the tea before drinking (this needed to be a rule? Seriously, how many people poked themselves in the eye before this became a rule??)
5. Sugar tongs are sometimes referred to as "sugar nips". Try not to giggle if someone does so.
4. Afternoon Tea is NOT High Tea. There is a special level of Hell reserved for those who confuse the two.
3. Proper service for the eats on a three-tiered stand is scones on top, sandwiches and savories in the middle, and yummies on the bottom. Traditionally, service is provided to remove each tier at the progression of each course. (If they think that's going to stop me from having dessert first, then they've got another "jolly good" coming!)
2. Pinkies up! I always thought this was an affectation, but apparently, the proper way to grasp your teacup is "By placing ones fingers to the front and back of the handle with ones pinkie up ... (which) allows (for) balance. It is not an affectation, but a graceful way to avoid spills." The pinkie up is for BALANCE! And actually looping ones fingers through the handle on the teacup reveals that you were raised in a barn. And not one of those nice, red-painted barns, but one of those saggy-roofed, a-few-boards-are-missing-from-the-walls, I-hope-no-animals-are-actually-kept-in-there barns.
1. And of course the number one etiquette rule in any situation: to point and laugh heartily, fully shaming those who are less couth than ourselves into a state of agoraphobia. (No, I know my Miss Manners. Etiquette exists to govern our own behavior, and proper behavior does not allow for us to make others uncomfortable by pointing out their faux pas. Such as my originally writing this sentence to read "there faux pas".)
*With thanks to this site for offering British Royal Household Approved tea tips and interesting facts!
10. All signs to the contrary, we're not there to enjoy ourselves. We're there for our health - two cups of tea a day can have significant health benefits, you know. We're doing this to
9. Proper service of lemon slice vs. lemon wedge: a lemon slice can float in your tea cup, a lemon wedge is meant to be squeezed and discarded on the edge of your saucer. I think tea with lemon is disgusting, so I will be disposing discreetly of any lemon bits served to me in the nearest potted plant. Failing any such handy plants, I will be politely lofting them over my shoulder.
8. The proper eating of a scone involves breaking off a bite-sized piece, and then applying cream and/or jam to said piece before popping it daintily into one's mouth. Like a dinner roll, one should not attempt to saw it in half with the butter knife before slathering it with toppings and then taking bite after bite. Am I wrong in thinking this rule probably came from the pre-dental-advances British wanting to ensure they were exposed to as little view of each other's wonky teeth as possible?
7. Twelve-inch napkins are used for Afternoon Tea service - I have packed my handy ruler in my handbag, so as to be sure that I am not being short-changed in the napkin department!
6. The proper stirring of tea. Apparently, one is to "Place your tea spoon at the six o'clock position and softly fold the liquid towards the twelve o'clock position two or three times." I have been practicing with my breakfast Cheerios, but have a distressing tendency to want to fold from 12 to 6, instead of the proper 6 to 12. Fortunately, I already know about removing one's spoon from the tea before drinking (this needed to be a rule? Seriously, how many people poked themselves in the eye before this became a rule??)
5. Sugar tongs are sometimes referred to as "sugar nips". Try not to giggle if someone does so.
4. Afternoon Tea is NOT High Tea. There is a special level of Hell reserved for those who confuse the two.
3. Proper service for the eats on a three-tiered stand is scones on top, sandwiches and savories in the middle, and yummies on the bottom. Traditionally, service is provided to remove each tier at the progression of each course. (If they think that's going to stop me from having dessert first, then they've got another "jolly good" coming!)
2. Pinkies up! I always thought this was an affectation, but apparently, the proper way to grasp your teacup is "By placing ones fingers to the front and back of the handle with ones pinkie up ... (which) allows (for) balance. It is not an affectation, but a graceful way to avoid spills." The pinkie up is for BALANCE! And actually looping ones fingers through the handle on the teacup reveals that you were raised in a barn. And not one of those nice, red-painted barns, but one of those saggy-roofed, a-few-boards-are-missing-from-the-walls, I-hope-no-animals-are-actually-kept-in-there barns.
1. And of course the number one etiquette rule in any situation: to point and laugh heartily, fully shaming those who are less couth than ourselves into a state of agoraphobia. (No, I know my Miss Manners. Etiquette exists to govern our own behavior, and proper behavior does not allow for us to make others uncomfortable by pointing out their faux pas. Such as my originally writing this sentence to read "there faux pas".)
*With thanks to this site for offering British Royal Household Approved tea tips and interesting facts!
Thursday, April 02, 2009
Share and share alike
Okay, so like all parents of toddlers, we've constantly been drilling home the "sharing" lesson since before Owen could even comprehend it. We've come a long way with him, and he pretty much gets it. He knows that sharing is good, especially sharing when someone has nothing, and that sometimes we even have share things that are special to us. When you're 2, even M&Ms are special to you, so this has been a tricky one. But the kid's finally got it.
Last weekend, after a Family Shower (yes, we have a really big shower in the master bathroom, and sometimes the most efficient way to get everyone out the door in the morning is to just all get in there together. It'schaos lots of fun!) Owen was running around upstairs, enjoying being "naked without a diaper". (It's potty-training leverage - the kid LOVES to be naked, but since he hasn't been potty trained, we usually insist he has to be naked-with-a-diaper. Since he's getting better at using the potty, he gets to be naked-without-a-diaper now. Woo hoo!)
I was dressing Jake, and Owen came running in:
Owen: Here I am mommy!
Mommy: There you are. Are you going to get dressed?
O: (running from the room) NO! I'm naked without a diaper! I'm running with my penis!
M: ??? (He was running down the hall, so I wasn't entirely sure I'd properly heard that last part. Does that really require a response? I didn't think it did.)
O: (running back into the room) Mommy, you want to run around with your penis?
M: No thanks Owen. Remember, Mommy is a girl. Mommy doesn't have a penis. Only boys like Daddy, and Owen, and Jake have them.
O: (stops dead in his tracks as he considers this, then gives me a big smile) You can share my little penis, Mommy!
Well, it doesn't get much more "special" than that, does it?
Last weekend, after a Family Shower (yes, we have a really big shower in the master bathroom, and sometimes the most efficient way to get everyone out the door in the morning is to just all get in there together. It's
I was dressing Jake, and Owen came running in:
Owen: Here I am mommy!
Mommy: There you are. Are you going to get dressed?
O: (running from the room) NO! I'm naked without a diaper! I'm running with my penis!
M: ??? (He was running down the hall, so I wasn't entirely sure I'd properly heard that last part. Does that really require a response? I didn't think it did.)
O: (running back into the room) Mommy, you want to run around with your penis?
M: No thanks Owen. Remember, Mommy is a girl. Mommy doesn't have a penis. Only boys like Daddy, and Owen, and Jake have them.
O: (stops dead in his tracks as he considers this, then gives me a big smile) You can share my little penis, Mommy!
Well, it doesn't get much more "special" than that, does it?
Wednesday, April 01, 2009
Join the Club
The 100K club, that is. Wouldn't you like to? Of course, if you work in the public sector (I do) then apparently it's everyone's business if you make more than 100K a year. (Before taxes, and including benefits, don't forget.) I have no worries about being on this list. What I do is not worth 100K a year. Don't get me wrong, I work hard (um, when I'm not on mat leave, that is) but I happily leave at the end of the day and spend time with my family, and forget about work until the next day. Yes, there are probably other people who could do what I do.
But for the higher ups at the Region and other local government who ARE on the list, I would argue that there are very FEW people who could do what they do. Managing people is not easy. Managing the entire Region, with all its unions and the public scrutiny, is a big job. Higher ups are definitely putting in more than 35-40 hours a week, and there's the whole "walk a mile in their shoes" thing. Plus, they're not in the stratosphere - the highest local government earners are in the high 100K-low 200K range, which I actually find to be quite reasonable. My director made the list, and so did my manager (barely). These guys are both professional engineers. They have training and knowledge that a lot of people don't. I will never move up into their jobs, I'm not qualified. They work hard and deserve their salaries.
What is completely UN-reasonable is the fact that there are people on this list making over a million dollars a year. Even over TWO million dollars a year! The hell??? My reaction is not because of the downturn in the economy. I get pissed about this every time this list comes out. There is NO WAY that the CEO of Ontario Power Generation is worth that much. What in the heck is he doing, casting fantasic spells that are keeping dragons from frying the province to a crisp?? Maybe "CEO of OPG" is just his mild-mannered ego, and his office is really located on the Hellmouth, and he spends his nights saving the world from demons and vampires while the rest of us sleep in blissful oblivion. (No Buffy fans out there? Just me then? Okay.) His trusty sidekick, "CEO of OMERS" started off a little geeky, but really came into his own in Season 4 when he started the whole practicing witchcraft thing.... (Seriously? Only me, huh?)
Nope. Nuh-uh. You cannot convince me that people are worth this much money. MAYBE if you work in the private sector and are responsible for making this kind of money for your investors, you deserve a piece of the pie. Maybe. (And don't even get me started on AIG executives. I'm just not going to go there with companies receiving handouts.) I am happy with how my OMERS pension fund is performing, but I just can't find 2 million dollars worth of happiness in my heart. Sour grapes? I'm pretty sure not.
I agree with Dwight Duncan that the number of 100K employees is not such a big deal, especially given inflation. What percentage of those people are in the lower range? Looks like a lot, from what I can see. Where we need to take a good look is at those in the 1M club. Maybe even the 500K club. But 100K? Not so much.
(Season 4 Buffy! Those of you who have finished reading The Grapes of Wrath, go watch! The rest of you, back to the book.)
But for the higher ups at the Region and other local government who ARE on the list, I would argue that there are very FEW people who could do what they do. Managing people is not easy. Managing the entire Region, with all its unions and the public scrutiny, is a big job. Higher ups are definitely putting in more than 35-40 hours a week, and there's the whole "walk a mile in their shoes" thing. Plus, they're not in the stratosphere - the highest local government earners are in the high 100K-low 200K range, which I actually find to be quite reasonable. My director made the list, and so did my manager (barely). These guys are both professional engineers. They have training and knowledge that a lot of people don't. I will never move up into their jobs, I'm not qualified. They work hard and deserve their salaries.
What is completely UN-reasonable is the fact that there are people on this list making over a million dollars a year. Even over TWO million dollars a year! The hell??? My reaction is not because of the downturn in the economy. I get pissed about this every time this list comes out. There is NO WAY that the CEO of Ontario Power Generation is worth that much. What in the heck is he doing, casting fantasic spells that are keeping dragons from frying the province to a crisp?? Maybe "CEO of OPG" is just his mild-mannered ego, and his office is really located on the Hellmouth, and he spends his nights saving the world from demons and vampires while the rest of us sleep in blissful oblivion. (No Buffy fans out there? Just me then? Okay.) His trusty sidekick, "CEO of OMERS" started off a little geeky, but really came into his own in Season 4 when he started the whole practicing witchcraft thing.... (Seriously? Only me, huh?)
Nope. Nuh-uh. You cannot convince me that people are worth this much money. MAYBE if you work in the private sector and are responsible for making this kind of money for your investors, you deserve a piece of the pie. Maybe. (And don't even get me started on AIG executives. I'm just not going to go there with companies receiving handouts.) I am happy with how my OMERS pension fund is performing, but I just can't find 2 million dollars worth of happiness in my heart. Sour grapes? I'm pretty sure not.
I agree with Dwight Duncan that the number of 100K employees is not such a big deal, especially given inflation. What percentage of those people are in the lower range? Looks like a lot, from what I can see. Where we need to take a good look is at those in the 1M club. Maybe even the 500K club. But 100K? Not so much.
(Season 4 Buffy! Those of you who have finished reading The Grapes of Wrath, go watch! The rest of you, back to the book.)
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Long Story Short
March Break. Trip to Ottawa. Baby Gracie! Good news from great friends. Museum of Science and Tech. Juggling and train engines. Doggy fun. First joint-birthday celebration in years! Boys awesome on the road. Running. 5K in 34 minutes with the stroller in the wind. Jake says Ma-ma. Actual birthday. Sleeping in. Fabulous dinner out with Steve. New patio furniture (front and back). CAKE! Steve re-discovers online poker, seriously cutting into my computer time. A good friend gets engaged! Owen spends one day dry, going on the potty. Jake is cutting tooth number one. Oh, and Abby home and healthy!
We'll return to regular scheduled programming soon. :)
We'll return to regular scheduled programming soon. :)
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Long Overdue
I finally got around to installing the software for our new camera (ran out of room on the memory card, just the motivation I needed!). Here are some fun recent family pics, and there are entries below for Christmas and New Years.
New Years Photos
We were in Ottawa for New Years, where we finally got to meet my lovely niece, baby Gracie, and hang with Auntie Kristi and Uncle Ryan, and visit with Auntie Lee Ann and Uncle Evan too. Good thing I cleared the camera, I'm posting these in time for our March Break trip up - maybe we'll get over to Lee Ann and Evan's house, and get some pictures of the boys with their adorable pups!
Christmas Photos
We went to Barrie before Christmas, where Owen got his train table from Grandma and Grandpa (Grandpa built it - yes, Owen has an oak train table. It's nicer than my dining room table. He is nuts about it!)
Christmas morning at home - Mommy, Daddy, and the boys.
Christmas morning at home - Mommy, Daddy, and the boys.
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Go ahead, make my day!
Okay, remember this lady? Well, I meant to blog about a discussion with another stranger at the track that totally makes up for that one, but I'd forgotten about it, until seeing the same gentleman there again this past Thursday. He totally made my day last week!
I was there with my StrollerFit class (which I also really love, it's offered through Belly Buttons, and the instructor, Trish, is awesome. She's going to do the EndurRACE 8K with me in April.*) Trish works us in intervals: we do a lap of the track, and then some weight work with resistance bands, or lunges, or crazy-butt-working-kick-things. The point is, we run a lot. (Well, not everyone runs - you go at your own level.)
ANYWAY! I had just finished a lap, and an elderly gentleman came up and said to me that he just had to ask: had I ever raced track seriously? He said that I had a fantastic running stride. He told me that he used to be a track coach, and that I had great form - good leg turnover, a long stride, keeping my head level, and making it look effortless. After joking that I'm glad he thought it looked effortless, I told him I'd actually been really working on my form, so he had just made my day. He told me he was at the track training to do a 10K run with his daughter this summer, so I'm sure we'll see him again. Jake liked him too - he had a big smile for him again when we saw him there again this week.
I've actually been working really hard to lengthen my stride, (it's easy to shuffle your feet when you get tired, and then I lose all the benefit of having long legs!) and keep my head up, and steady (legs doing all the work of moving me horizontally, instead of wasting effort in bobbing up and down. Think of the marathoners you see in the Olympics - the girls' ponytails don't even swish!) By concentrating on form, I'm doing the same distance with less effort - running upright with a longer stride, I cover more ground in fewer steps. (Um, this is the theory, anyway. It still FEELS like a lot of effort, but the math works.) But it's hard to evaluate myself, so it was super great to be complimented like that. (And honestly, this man had to be in his seventies. He was not hitting on me. Or maybe he was, I guess you never know, but I'm still taking the running compliment at face value.) Am superwoman running goddess. Go me. :)
* Yep, I'm all signed up for the EndurRACE: 5K on April 18, and then 8K on April 25. Both races at 6 p.m. - come cheer for me, locals! ;)
I was there with my StrollerFit class (which I also really love, it's offered through Belly Buttons, and the instructor, Trish, is awesome. She's going to do the EndurRACE 8K with me in April.*) Trish works us in intervals: we do a lap of the track, and then some weight work with resistance bands, or lunges, or crazy-butt-working-kick-things. The point is, we run a lot. (Well, not everyone runs - you go at your own level.)
ANYWAY! I had just finished a lap, and an elderly gentleman came up and said to me that he just had to ask: had I ever raced track seriously? He said that I had a fantastic running stride. He told me that he used to be a track coach, and that I had great form - good leg turnover, a long stride, keeping my head level, and making it look effortless. After joking that I'm glad he thought it looked effortless, I told him I'd actually been really working on my form, so he had just made my day. He told me he was at the track training to do a 10K run with his daughter this summer, so I'm sure we'll see him again. Jake liked him too - he had a big smile for him again when we saw him there again this week.
I've actually been working really hard to lengthen my stride, (it's easy to shuffle your feet when you get tired, and then I lose all the benefit of having long legs!) and keep my head up, and steady (legs doing all the work of moving me horizontally, instead of wasting effort in bobbing up and down. Think of the marathoners you see in the Olympics - the girls' ponytails don't even swish!) By concentrating on form, I'm doing the same distance with less effort - running upright with a longer stride, I cover more ground in fewer steps. (Um, this is the theory, anyway. It still FEELS like a lot of effort, but the math works.) But it's hard to evaluate myself, so it was super great to be complimented like that. (And honestly, this man had to be in his seventies. He was not hitting on me. Or maybe he was, I guess you never know, but I'm still taking the running compliment at face value.) Am superwoman running goddess. Go me. :)
* Yep, I'm all signed up for the EndurRACE: 5K on April 18, and then 8K on April 25. Both races at 6 p.m. - come cheer for me, locals! ;)
Friday, March 13, 2009
Friday's List of Ten VIII
Milestones that Jake reached this week (I'm not kidding. The kid has done all of these things since last weekend.):
10. Moved from the bucket seat into his (rear-facing) big-boy carseat. Which means that without the bucket, I am wrangling two boys when I'm out and about. He now sits beside Owen in the shopping cart. Grocery shopping just became a contact sport!
9. Stopped waking himself up in the night practicing crawling. He's finally sleeping better again. Yeah, remember this post? Oh the hubris! We all got sick, and the good sleeping came to an end. But he's really on a roll now, and doesn't need to practice, because...
8. He crawls! Like Owen, he would pull himself up and walk along the furniture before crawling. But he's finally figured it out. It's only been a few days, and he's v--e--r--y deliberate and careful, but he's definitely on the move.
7. Did I mention the pulling up on the furniture? The other day I went in because he'd woken up from a nap, and he was standing in the crib, shaking the bars. Time to lower the mattress again, and remove theclimbing aid bumper pad.
6. He peed in the shower. Now that he likes to stand up holding on to things, he had his first shower with me where he stood like a big boy, holding the bench the whole time. And when you're eight months old and you gotta go, you gotta go.
5. He gives high fives! He's been clapping for a while now, but if you held up your hand for a five, he'd just stare at it. Now he whacks away with enthusiasm, grinning the whole time.
4. He got his first bloody nose. I put him down on the floor at the Rec Centre while I filled my water bottle, and he decided to move from sitting onto his tummy. But his winter jacket is so bulky, he didn't get his hands in front of him in time, and did a face plant on the tiles. Poor little babe, one red, drippy nostril. Along with that, he also got...
3. His first bloody lip. At first I thought it was blood from the nose, but I wiped it, and it came back. I wiped it again, and it came back. A third wipe, and it stayed gone. Thank goodness he doesn't have any teeth yet!
2. Ate his first real food. He likes his mush, but would always much rather have whatever Owen is having. Last night, Owen was having alphabet soup with vegetables. Jake sampled the noodles, and the mushy veggies, courtesy of Daddy. Owen was happy to share. Jake was ecstatic. (Oh come on, alphabet soup is TOO real food!)
1. Said his first word. He's been babbling for some time, and da-da-da-da-da recently became part of the lexicon. But said three times, it's capitalized: Da-da-da. He knows that's Steve. He looks around for him when he says it, and if you ask him where Da-da-da is, he zeros in on daddy. Too cute, because Owen's first word was "Mem", and that was me, so it's nice that Steve is Jake's first word. :)
10. Moved from the bucket seat into his (rear-facing) big-boy carseat. Which means that without the bucket, I am wrangling two boys when I'm out and about. He now sits beside Owen in the shopping cart. Grocery shopping just became a contact sport!
9. Stopped waking himself up in the night practicing crawling. He's finally sleeping better again. Yeah, remember this post? Oh the hubris! We all got sick, and the good sleeping came to an end. But he's really on a roll now, and doesn't need to practice, because...
8. He crawls! Like Owen, he would pull himself up and walk along the furniture before crawling. But he's finally figured it out. It's only been a few days, and he's v--e--r--y deliberate and careful, but he's definitely on the move.
7. Did I mention the pulling up on the furniture? The other day I went in because he'd woken up from a nap, and he was standing in the crib, shaking the bars. Time to lower the mattress again, and remove the
6. He peed in the shower. Now that he likes to stand up holding on to things, he had his first shower with me where he stood like a big boy, holding the bench the whole time. And when you're eight months old and you gotta go, you gotta go.
5. He gives high fives! He's been clapping for a while now, but if you held up your hand for a five, he'd just stare at it. Now he whacks away with enthusiasm, grinning the whole time.
4. He got his first bloody nose. I put him down on the floor at the Rec Centre while I filled my water bottle, and he decided to move from sitting onto his tummy. But his winter jacket is so bulky, he didn't get his hands in front of him in time, and did a face plant on the tiles. Poor little babe, one red, drippy nostril. Along with that, he also got...
3. His first bloody lip. At first I thought it was blood from the nose, but I wiped it, and it came back. I wiped it again, and it came back. A third wipe, and it stayed gone. Thank goodness he doesn't have any teeth yet!
2. Ate his first real food. He likes his mush, but would always much rather have whatever Owen is having. Last night, Owen was having alphabet soup with vegetables. Jake sampled the noodles, and the mushy veggies, courtesy of Daddy. Owen was happy to share. Jake was ecstatic. (Oh come on, alphabet soup is TOO real food!)
1. Said his first word. He's been babbling for some time, and da-da-da-da-da recently became part of the lexicon. But said three times, it's capitalized: Da-da-da. He knows that's Steve. He looks around for him when he says it, and if you ask him where Da-da-da is, he zeros in on daddy. Too cute, because Owen's first word was "Mem", and that was me, so it's nice that Steve is Jake's first word. :)
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Thank you, please keep praying!
Abby did have to have a second surgery, (the first was to try and clear fluid from around her lungs, and to insert a chest tube to keep draining) as scans revealed the level of fluid around her lungs was too much for the current tube to get rid of. But she's recovering well, and her mom reports that she's been holding her own, fever-wise, for 24 hours, which is a great milestone! I know all your prayers and kind thoughts are helping, so thank you!! I'm hoping this is the turning point, and that she continues to get better now until she and her mom can come home.
Made in...hmmmmm.
All this talk about the big three car manufacturers looking for bailout money, and most recently, Chrysler's threat to move their whole operation out of Canada unless they get X amount of money and the CAW employees take a $20/hour pay cut has me thinking. We have had lots of parts manufacturers in this area. Many closed their doors in the past few years, and the few left are cutting further and further back on staff and hours. Now, I feel badly for anyone who loses their job. But you have to admit that there's a certain... irony? Schadenfreude? (Not sure what the word is I'm looking for here...) in the situation. See, lots of people around here, whom, I'm assuming, work or did work for these parts makers have bumper stickers on their cars that read Out of a job yet? Keep buying foreign! (These are always on Fords and Chrysler products, by the way, not on Toyotas, some of which are actually assembled right here in Cambridge, but that's another post for another day.)
Where the irony comes in is when I see three cars all sporting this bumper sticker parked in a row. In the Wal-Mart parking lot.
Now I get that for some people, Wal-Mart is a necessary evil (or a guilty pleasure!). I'm sure there are some people who would prefer to only buy things made in Canada who shop there because they are barely making ends meet as it is. But maybe don't drive the car with anti-buying-foreign-sentiment proudly displayed on it when you go. Hmmm'kay?
I'm guilty. I don't look for a Made in Canada label. I do patronize my local farmer's market and small, local specialty shops and bakeries, but I also shop Wal-Mart and Costco. Lucky for our family, the loss of manufacturing jobs will not affect us directly. I still feel for the people it does affect, but I don't think the situation will change, and I don't think government handouts to private industry are the way to go. These are growing pains. Have you read The Grapes of Wrath? It's a good picture of the growing pains suffered as North America moved from the agricultural age to the industrial age. Now we're moving from the industrial age to the knowledge age. Can't stop it, and bailouts to private industry are only delaying the inevitable. Manufacturing in North America is no longer smart business, sad but true. How much better would it be to use that bailout money to help people support their families, and help them re-train for the knowledge industry? A lot, I think.
(I also have some thoughts about how ironic it is that unions were formed as a result of some of the issues arising as we moved into the industrial age, but that they may also have sped its passing in the last 20 years or so. But those thoughts are still percolating, and my arm is sore from one-handed typing while Jake sleeps in my other arm. So that's all you get today. Go read The Grapes of Wrath!)
Where the irony comes in is when I see three cars all sporting this bumper sticker parked in a row. In the Wal-Mart parking lot.
Now I get that for some people, Wal-Mart is a necessary evil (or a guilty pleasure!). I'm sure there are some people who would prefer to only buy things made in Canada who shop there because they are barely making ends meet as it is. But maybe don't drive the car with anti-buying-foreign-sentiment proudly displayed on it when you go. Hmmm'kay?
I'm guilty. I don't look for a Made in Canada label. I do patronize my local farmer's market and small, local specialty shops and bakeries, but I also shop Wal-Mart and Costco. Lucky for our family, the loss of manufacturing jobs will not affect us directly. I still feel for the people it does affect, but I don't think the situation will change, and I don't think government handouts to private industry are the way to go. These are growing pains. Have you read The Grapes of Wrath? It's a good picture of the growing pains suffered as North America moved from the agricultural age to the industrial age. Now we're moving from the industrial age to the knowledge age. Can't stop it, and bailouts to private industry are only delaying the inevitable. Manufacturing in North America is no longer smart business, sad but true. How much better would it be to use that bailout money to help people support their families, and help them re-train for the knowledge industry? A lot, I think.
(I also have some thoughts about how ironic it is that unions were formed as a result of some of the issues arising as we moved into the industrial age, but that they may also have sped its passing in the last 20 years or so. But those thoughts are still percolating, and my arm is sore from one-handed typing while Jake sleeps in my other arm. So that's all you get today. Go read The Grapes of Wrath!)
Sunday, March 08, 2009
Taller Than Your Mama!
I was thinking the other evening, as I hung upside-down over Jake's crib, arms around him, giving him kisses and shushing him to sleep, how do the short moms do it? When Jake (and Owen too, back in the crib days) needs comforting at night and not to eat, I don't like to take him out of the crib. If I get up on my tip-toes, I can bend at the waist right over the crib front and snuggle him. I get a bit of a head rush when I stand back up, but he knows mommy isn't pulling him out of the crib, so it's time for sleep. I also don't have the issue of "baby fell asleep in my arms, but wakes up when I put him down". So there you go - using my height to my mommy-advantage!
(Our crib converts to a double bed frame, so I don't have the drop-down option on the front.)
Heh, my height and more specifically my long legs also work to my advantage the odd time I am putting him down all ready asleep, but forgot to pull the blanket back fully when I last got him up. I stand on one foot, kick my other leg up and over into the crib, and pull the blanket aside with my toes. All while holding the sleeping baby! I never thought of this as an accomplishment until Steve saw me do it the other day. He was mighty impressed, so I just thought I'd share.
(Our crib converts to a double bed frame, so I don't have the drop-down option on the front.)
Heh, my height and more specifically my long legs also work to my advantage the odd time I am putting him down all ready asleep, but forgot to pull the blanket back fully when I last got him up. I stand on one foot, kick my other leg up and over into the crib, and pull the blanket aside with my toes. All while holding the sleeping baby! I never thought of this as an accomplishment until Steve saw me do it the other day. He was mighty impressed, so I just thought I'd share.
Friday, March 06, 2009
Friday's List of Ten VII
(First a note: Abby is doing really well! The enzyme treatments are working, and her mom is very encouraged. Yay Abby! We'll keep praying, and hopefully you'll be home soon.)
Okay, in honour of the lovely warm day we had (with a warm breeze, no less!): ten things I am looking forward to doing outside this spring:
10. More outdoor running! Jake and I had a lovely 5K out in the sun today, even though the wind (which was warm) was horribly strong. Who designed my subdivision so that all the uphills are against the wind?? It was like pushing an umbrella through a wind tunnel!
9. Boys in the bike trailer! Owen loves the bike trailer, and I imagine Jake will too. The only question is: will they ride nicely in it TOGETHER?
8. Playing in the backyard. Owen was all over his playfort today, and came in covered in mud. Can't wait to see Jake out there too.
7. Gardening/lawncare. We hope this is the year that we finally get the grass to grow in the back. And I can't wait to finish landscaping around our new porch in the front.
6. More family walks. Since the snow started melting, Owen has discovered burrs, gravity's effect on strollers on an incline, and that cattails may look like sticks, but after a winter under the snow, they tend to turn to mush when you try to pick them up. Can't wait to see what else there is out there!
5. Lounging, on the back deck or front porch, on new patio furniture (we think we've found what we want, finally!)
4. BBQing! (Well, Steve tends to do this, not me. But that's why I'm looking forward to it!)
3. Moving the hockey/soccer/baseball fun outside instead of in the basement.
2. Puddle jumping! This is one of Owen's and my favourite things to do outside together.
1. Getting to see the neighbours again. We've had some changeover through the winter, but it's hard to meet new neighbours when we all drive straight into our garages, and only come out to shovel.
Okay, in honour of the lovely warm day we had (with a warm breeze, no less!): ten things I am looking forward to doing outside this spring:
10. More outdoor running! Jake and I had a lovely 5K out in the sun today, even though the wind (which was warm) was horribly strong. Who designed my subdivision so that all the uphills are against the wind?? It was like pushing an umbrella through a wind tunnel!
9. Boys in the bike trailer! Owen loves the bike trailer, and I imagine Jake will too. The only question is: will they ride nicely in it TOGETHER?
8. Playing in the backyard. Owen was all over his playfort today, and came in covered in mud. Can't wait to see Jake out there too.
7. Gardening/lawncare. We hope this is the year that we finally get the grass to grow in the back. And I can't wait to finish landscaping around our new porch in the front.
6. More family walks. Since the snow started melting, Owen has discovered burrs, gravity's effect on strollers on an incline, and that cattails may look like sticks, but after a winter under the snow, they tend to turn to mush when you try to pick them up. Can't wait to see what else there is out there!
5. Lounging, on the back deck or front porch, on new patio furniture (we think we've found what we want, finally!)
4. BBQing! (Well, Steve tends to do this, not me. But that's why I'm looking forward to it!)
3. Moving the hockey/soccer/baseball fun outside instead of in the basement.
2. Puddle jumping! This is one of Owen's and my favourite things to do outside together.
1. Getting to see the neighbours again. We've had some changeover through the winter, but it's hard to meet new neighbours when we all drive straight into our garages, and only come out to shovel.
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