mommy stories

Menu Plan February 6th - 10th

2012-02-07T00:37:00.001-04:00

Today, Whole Food Kitchen began! I really enjoyed the cooking videos, who knew it was so easy to make almond milk?! It's going to be a challenging journey for me, but I love the practical tips and support through the community forum.

Here is the plan for the week:

Monday: Split Pea Soup (thanks for the recipe Emily!) and an herb/garlic bread
(I used homemade ham bone stock and ham pieces instead of bacon. I also ran out of garlic... doesn't happen often because we keep a lot on hand! But there was fresh garlic in the stock.)

Tuesday: Penne with tomato and loaded with veg using TVP

Wednesday: homemade "fries" (chopped potato with splash of EVOO and dash of sea salt), vegetable sticks with homemade hummus, homemade chicken strips

Thursday: leftovers

Friday: pink pancakes
(making homemade pancake mix)

Check out more Menu Plans and recipes here.

my second attempt at french braids... she loves them!

my little kitchen helpers - Lila brushes the carrots with her "cheese" face!

Charlotte loves to peel!

baby steps

2012-02-05T23:47:00.000-04:00

"A goal without a plan is just a dream." - Dave Ramsey

I shared why I still make resolutions in January. Although I do tend to love to make goals, actually accomplishing them is another story. My plan this year is to make specific baby steps, or smaller goals that lead to the overall vision I have for the year. The steps must lead to peace, although I know that the journey will contain stress and sacrifice, and hopefully not too much anxiety. The goal to financial peace is worth it and I need to keep that foremost in my mind.

So here are my goals for financial peace in 2012 and written underneath are some baby steps I have identified that (hopefully) will help accomplish these goals.

1. I would like to open a savings account, and have money in that account.

a) Go to the Superstore with Tim, by February 15th (mid-month, random day). Discuss which kind of free savings account to open and make the plunge.

b) Work toward having $500 in that fund. Any extra money each month will go toward the fund, as well as all of my teaching piano money. (Hope to have reached this goal by May 31, 2012.)

c) Don't touch the money, unless it is a real emergency!

2. I would like to make a significant dent on our debt this year.

a) Create of list of all of our current debt, interest rates and minimum payments.

b) Once the savings fund is complete, start by paying back our smallest debt first. This is regardless of interest rate, and called the debt snowball. The debt snowball basically means that you pay off the smallest debt you have first, regardless of the interest rate. You still make minimum payments on all other debt. When your smallest debt is paid you take the money you were using for that debt and throw is all onto the next largest debt amount. That way, you build intensity as you go. (I may switch around the rules a bit and pay off my personal Mastercard first. It has an incredibly high interest rate, far more than our student line of credits and student loans.)

3. I would like to complete the "Financial Peace University" course.

a) There are 13 lessons in the course, and I would like to work through one lesson every two weeks. This means making time to do this and do to the coursework. I would like to listen to the first lesson (again) on Sunday February 5th, which would mean that we would complete it by July 31st 2012. (That gives me a buffer week as well.)

b) Each lesson includes reading from "Financial Peace Revisited" by Dave Ramsey and homework such as creating budget worksheets etc. I hope to work together with Tim on this and touch base every Sunday evening on our finances and how we are doing with homework.

4. In order to work on all of the above, I need to create and stick to a budget!

a) We will work through this with the course above. In the first week the homework is to create a mini-budget.

b) By April 1st I would like to evaluate whether we need an online tool to help track our finances. That may be My Total Money Makeover, YNAB, Mint or Pear Budget.

Financial peace. That is my dream! My dream is to live debt free (including house) and know that it took a lot of sacrifice to get there... but we got there. My dream is to not see hundreds upon hundreds of dollars every month going to debt and interest. My dream is to be able to tell others who feel like they can't even talk about it, because it is just too hard... to tell them that it IS possible.

I love Bari Tessler Linden's approach to think about your money story, re-name some of those budget categories that you dislike, eating a little chocolate, and body check-ins. I had access to her Introductory Video Course when it was first released (for free) and I still think about some of her concepts and ideas. She approaches things from a financial therapy perspective and has a wonderful, gentle tone.

Here we go! I have no idea how long this journey will take, perhaps years? If you are in a difficult financial situation, take comfort and know you are not alone. Muster the courage to look (by Bari) and begin to take baby steps to change.

Menu Plan January 30 - February 3

2012-01-31T00:50:00.001-04:00

We made it through the week of being frugal! It was a great learning experience for me. I used cloth diapers most of the time, and I practiced grocery shopping very carefully with a calculator, pencil and list in hand. I scrimped and avoided shopping as much as I could and it was inspiring to me in the sense that now I want to create our budget. So all of that is to come...

On Saturday we did a grocery run at our local Co-op and I love stocking up on healthy food that will last forever, like huge 10 kg bags of flour for $8 (white and whole wheat) and large 10 lb bags of rice for $10. I love that their diapers cost .17 cents per diaper (for size 4) which really is an amazing price. (I use a combination of cloth and disposable.)

Here is our plan for the week:

Monday: we ended up eating at my cousin's house with her amazing family! I had planned a tomato and veg pasta over rice penne but had a delicious barley soup and homemade biscuits instead, what a treat!
Tuesday: Ham, potato scallop, peas and corn
Wednesday: Cheesy Ham and Pasta Bake with green beans (using rice pasta)
Making a meal for a family who just had a sweet baby girl! Some kind of homemade soup and homemade whole wheat bread.
Thursday: Courtney's Shepherd's Pie
Friday: Pizza night with wheat crust (for the bread machine and yummy spices mixed in!)

I'm sure we will be eating ham for quite some time (I will be freezing a bunch) and hope to try a Split Pea soup recipe - maybe something like this one? Does anyone have a family favorite? This week is a busy one, and my recipes seem quite time consuming, so we will see how it goes!

Check out Laura's blog for more ideas (and link up your own menu plan if you wish!)

My favorite bread recipe last week: WHO bread
(Don't double it... we have a 2, 2.5, or 3 lb machine and this loaf is 1.5... doubling doesn't fit in a 3 lb loaf pan size! From my FB friends... I could have just made the dough in the machine and popped the loaves in the oven to bake. Creates a few more dishes, but might be worth a try.)

My favorite parenting related link: Five Reasons to Stop Saying "Good Job!"
(So challenging and inspiring at the same time. I love learning how to be mindful of the words that I use.)

Favorite photos: We must play store first thing in the morning while still in our pajamas!

It's just too much fun!

Menu Plan January 23 - 27

2012-01-25T23:41:00.002-04:00

Okay, so it's not Monday at all. I'm still trying to figure out how to keep to my schedule of writing, and although I have been working on it, it's still not as regular as I had wished. Baby steps! My challenge this week in menu planning was very little money to work with. In fact, because of a few different factors, our budget for food this week was as close to nil as possible. I did an inventory of the freezer (and cleaned out the REALLY old pork chops and semi old pureed veggies) and came up with some meals.

Monday: Pizza, because we didn't get to it on Friday.
Tuesday: Pork chops (no, not the really old ones!) baked with mushrooms and cream, basmati rice and corn.
Wednesday: Spaghetti (using sauce frozen from a previous batch)
Thursday: Turkey Stroganoff
Friday: Chicken nachos to celebrate a frugal week!

Almost every item will be from food we already had, either in the fridge, or frozen. (Except for the egg noodles and yogurt in the Stroganoff, but I might just use whole wheat fettuccine. Oh, and the nacho chips for the chicken nachos.) Other than that, we stocked up on milk, potatoes, and eggs on the weekend and we have pulled out the breadmaker again! I made a whole wheat loaf today. It's incredible what you can avoid buying when you just are not able to! (In saying that, I don't disregard how difficult it is either, and we are blessed with a freezer and pantry full of food.)

I WISH I had taken a picture of this cake for the blog! I took the cupcake recipe, doubled it for a Bundt cake and it was so yummy. Yes, I used real, unsalted butter. And yes, Joy the Baker is amazing. (Oh, and yes it was for a dessert night out, with friends... a special occasion!)

Check out Organizing Junkie for more recipe links!

Why I still make resolutions

2012-01-25T00:08:00.002-04:00

I always made resolutions. In my childhood/adolescent years, I would get a large sheet of paper, and write out every goal I could think of in order to improve my life, my health, my academics, my relationship with God... I was full of good intentions! Of course, I would always fail. This is the reason many scoff at resolution makers, knowing full well that they will be broken.

However, I still feel the desire to create goals for 2012. Goals with a plan to accomplish them or at least head in that general direction. Without some plan of action, there are some areas of my life that feel drastically out of control and scary. This is why I must have goals. This leads me to the theme of my resolutions this year....

financial peace.

My heart is in my throat writing those to words because they seem so opposite in my brain, thinking of finances usually causes my heart to beat fast, anxiety to rear it's ugly head and the stress levels to rise so fast I become defensive. It's not a pretty scene! In the spirit of keeping an honest blog, I would like to share some of our financial struggle and how we plan to take baby steps to get control of this area.

I've always been inspired by Simple Mom's new Year's Eve Reflection questions, and her Goal Setting questions. I also loved the post Resolve Not To which was helpful in thinking that no, I cannot do it all, and yes, I do need to focus on the things which are most important this year.

This year, I would like to work on these goals:

1. I would like to open a savings account, and have money in that account.
2. I would like to make a significant dent on our debt this year.
3. I would like to complete the "Financial Peace University" course.
(I actually won the audio course from a blog giveaway!)
4. In order to work on all of the above, I need to create and stick to a budget!

In other areas, I am going to work on our family health through menu planning and attending the Whole Food Kitchen online workshop. I think that reorganizing our pantry and kitchen will help save money too!

Peace.

Peace is my word for 2012. Peace... because I need it! I want to be able to breathe when I analyze our finances. Peace and not overwhelming guilt. Peace knowing that our schooling contributed to this debt and that all of that was not in vain. Peace accepting my role of being the best stay at home mama I can and appreciating that I can do this, while making sacrifices along the way.

"If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other."
-Mother Teresa

I am grateful for the people in my life, the belonging I experience, and I'm hoping that the act of being mindful and aware in life (and in finances) will contribute to a depth of peace this year.

Considering it is almost the end of January... I think it's never too late to create goals! What are your goals and/or word for the year?

Menu Plan January 16 - 20

2012-01-16T16:31:00.000-04:00

I have been menu planning, loosely over the past month or so. Of course menu plans were disrupted over the holidays and I was able to have a break from cooking while visiting my mom and dad in Nova Scotia. It was such a treat to enjoy Mom's cooking and take a break, and help out with clean up when I could. I am going to be writing about my resolutions and goals this week, and part of that is healthy cooking and eating. I am so excited to be attending an online course on this very subject starting in February. My sister and "bestie" are taking the course as well, so I am so excited to share knowledge and have accountability in applying the concepts that I'm learning. Hopefully I will be able to share on Menu Planning Mondays some of the concepts and how I am practically applying them in our kitchen.

So here is the plan for this week:

Monday: Beef Pot Roast with roasted potatoes, carrots, onion, garlic and parsnip
Tuesday: Tomato and noodle sausage bake loaded with veggies and topped with cheese
Wednesday: Leftovers (I'm out for a dessert night with my Mommy Friends and must come up with a yummy dessert to bake!)
Thursday: Corn Chowder (I'm going to try a new recipe that has more veggies!)
Friday: Pizza night with my easy pizza dough recipe

Check out Laura's blog for more ideas!

Today was cool outside (-14 ish this afternoon with windchill) but the sun was incredible and it was so nice to be out with the girls! Had to share these...

(Yes her leg is green, actually the whole underside of her is green! She sat on a painting after our last outdoor adventure, was wet with snow... and turned green.)

{this moment}

2012-01-13T15:07:00.002-04:00

I've decided to try a new Friday tradition of posting a picture, inspired by soulemama. This is what she writes on her blog:

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

Confessions of 2011

2012-01-11T13:52:00.006-04:00

Happy New Year! While I do love the New Year, and the fresh start it brings, I feel the pull towards reflection this year. So much happened in 2011 and I feel there are some confessions I must make.

1. This year, I entered a pretty dark period and dealt with some post-partum depression after Lila was born. I didn't write about it, and only shared with a few closest confidants. It was extremely hard to admit to myself and accept the help that I needed. I ended up getting counselling and help through my church. I guess I want to confess this because, I know there are women out there who are struggling and I want to share my life in an honest way. If you are reading this, and feel lost, without hope, please see your family doctor, and get help in some way. I will gladly send you an encouraging message or refer you to the local places that you can get help. I refrained from getting help for a long time, just because I thought I should be happy and have it all together. There is still stigma associated with PPD, and I need to confess that although I struggled with this, I feel like myself again.

(Just a note: I was not actually diagnosed with PPD by my doctor. It was something I felt like I was going through, according to my own research and reading. This is not to say that I don't think actual diagnosis is important, I do. It was my own fear that held me back from the doctor, but I was able to get help in other ways.)

2. I didn't write nearly as much as I wanted to in 2011! I only had 31 posts in 2011 and I am going to make some changes to the blog this year! I would like to switch formats, create a schedule for posting and turn this website into something a little more substantial (and hopefully, helpful!). My most popular post in 2011 was the Reggio Emilia Approach post and the second most popular was Tandem Nursing Part 1. Writing is a passion of mine and I am determined to carve out time for it this year! So stay tuned.

3. 2011 held some particularly beautiful times and wonderful memories, and also held difficult decisions, and some painful goodbyes. One of my most prayed for miracles happened this year as one of my best friends adopted her baby girl from Iqaluit.

Lila January 2012

Both Charlotte and Lila have grown a tremendous amount in one year! And I don't hesitate in adding, that so did I!

Lila February 2011

Charlotte February 2011

Charlotte January 2012

Happy New Year... here's to fresh starts and many memories to make!

Menu Plan Nov 28 - Dec 2

2011-11-28T22:56:00.005-04:00

Wow, did I really write December 2nd in the title? Time feels like it is slipping away and I cannot seem to grasp any of it to write! I did get the chance today to listen to a Simple mom podcast while folding laundry and doing other chores. Charlotte slept today and she rarely naps anymore. I had to laugh when they talked about the craziest age in toddler-hood... the year between 1 and 2. Lila is such a content little girl, but she is busy and constantly curious!

Last week we had our very first real snowfall and it was fun! There is something enchanting about that first snow, white covering all the brown of late fall. I have been busy thinking about advent activities and Christmas plans ever since then!

Here is the menu plan for this week:

Monday: Leftover homemade bbq hamburgers, mashed potatoes and steamed carrots
Tuesday: Smarter Fettuccine Alfredo with Chicken
Wednesday: Beef Barley Stew
Thursday: leftovers (Thursday has become our new leftover night as I have started teaching piano again, which I love!)
Friday: Veggie stir fry over basmati rice (maybe curry?)

Check out Laura's blog for many more menu planning ideas.

imperfect

2011-11-03T15:11:00.001-03:00

I struggle with perfectionism.

I mean, the longing for perfection, the burden of trying, trying, and trying some more. The guilt of not-having-it-all-together. And feeling like I never will. I don't have a newborn anymore. I should be able to...

And the list begins. I feel inspired by Simple Mom's post and I will write my own list of things I don't do. Like she said - it's not about "a weird, reversed sense of comparison". Rather I would love to create "a breathing space for women to feel okay about who they are and the platform they've been given". (Tsh Oxenreider)

Sometimes the blog world is filled with beautiful photos and lovely posts about activities and well behaved children and we forget. We forget about the reality of life and feel the pressure that we don't measure up.

So here is a list of things I don't do:

-I don't wash the dishes after every meal. Yes, I use the excuse of not having a dishwasher. And I know it would make my life easier to get the dishes done. But I don't. And they pile.

-I don't exercise right now. At all. Besides going for walks with the girls and the dog.

-I don't wash my cloth diapers every other day.

-I don't tidy up the toys every evening. Sometimes I leave them out.

-I don't sew.

-I don't enjoy baking.

-I don't mop my kitchen floor (or any floors) very often.

There are many more things I don't do. Will you share?

Let's encourage each other and break away from the "super mom" mentality.

What don't you do?

Menu Plan October 31 - November 4

2011-11-01T22:43:00.005-03:00

We had a fun Halloween with the girls! Last year we visited four houses and that took a long time! So this year, I took the girls to visit friends in the afternoon and then we visited both of Tim's sisters in the evening (and his parents who were visiting in town as well). It was just enough - Charlotte got a few treats and had lots of fun with her cousins! We have kept things pretty low key, and the treats really aren't the focus for us (yet). In fact, I find that Charlotte cannot even really handle one treat as the sugar (or dye?) makes her really hyper. She is fine with being limited in what she is allowed to have.

My adorable dragon and beautiful princess!

Our menu for this week may change a bit as plans change. We may have some company for supper one night this week and I will adjust accordingly!

Monday - Leftover Enchilada Bake

Tuesday - Spaghetti with ground beef and loaded with veggies

Wednesday - Roast with onions and carrots and baked potatoes

Thursday - either Lentil and Sweet Potato Chili (which I haven't tried yet) or the recipe for

Sweet Potato Chili in Vegetarian Comfort Food (which I LOVE)

Friday - Chicken Burgers with Avocado

Check out Organizing Junkie for more menu planning ideas!

she's got her own style

2011-10-27T22:38:00.001-03:00

Charlotte dresses herself 90% of the time. Before she turned two she would try to pull on her pants and put on her shirt all by herself. Most of the time it would result in a huge meltdown because she couldn't physically put her shirt on all by herself. She wanted the independence but was not ready for it yet. I do not concern myself with matching (see above picture) unless we are going to an important event, and sometimes I lay clothes out on the sofa for church Sunday morning. This doesn't bother her because she gets to choose most of the time and I try not to make a big deal of it.

Oh, and the belt on her head is her tiara - brilliant!

She also chose Lila's clothes for the first time today. Should be interesting when Lila wants to choose her own!

How do you deal with clothes, matching, and personal style when it comes to your kids?

Montessori and the Prepared Environment

2011-10-25T22:35:00.000-03:00

It has been ages since I started writing about preschool philosophies and trying to come to a decision about what philosophy to take as I embark on teaching Charlotte at home. Since that time I have done a lot of reading, but not much writing, struggling to find a balance between being a mama and wife, and creating time for "me" to write about everything I have been learning.

I have already written about Reggio Emilia and Classical Education , and today I will focus on Montessori Education. A remarkable woman named Maria Montessori (1870-1952) founded Montessori education. She was the first female to receive a medical degree in Italy. It 1907 she took care of fifty poor children in a slum outside of Rome. She became known for her success in the Casa dei Bambini (House of Children) and her methods of education spread across the globe. According the montessori.edu,

"She believed that each child is born with a unique potential to be revealed, rather than as a "blank slate" waiting to be written upon. Her main contributions to the work of those of us raising and educating children are in these areas:

Preparing the most natural and life-supporting environments for the child
Observing the child living freely in this environment
Continually adapting the environment in order that the child may fulfill his or her greatest potential, physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually."

(www.montessori.edu/maria.html)

There are many, many resources on the web for Montessori education. There is also a local Montessori school in this city, however the wait list is three years for their preschool program! I love reading blogs that base their philosophy upon Montessori education, like Chasing Cheerios. The thing is, the more I read about Montessori, the more I feel under prepared, and not qualified to teach with this philosophy in mind. There are schools to train Montessori teachers and in order to teach at a Montessori school, I believe you have to be trained.

So how do I implement Montessori in our home environment? I am trying to get a handle on our space, the environment which we work, which is our home. It is a difficult task, and I can not really implement a lot of the specific Montessori toys and tools, as it would cost a lot, as well as take up a lot of space. I picture wooden toys, carefully chosen decorations, things like tongs for sorting small objects, and a shelf of specific activities separated in baskets ready for the child to choose and play on their individual mat. Of course, this is my own perspective, and may not be true to Maria Montessori's vision. Maria Montessori also created tables and chairs and other furniture to fit the child. We have a small table and chair set that my sister refurbished as a gift for the girls. It is lovely! Other than that, I keep Montessori's ideals in my head regarding a beautiful space and I try to observe Charlotte in her play rather than have it "teacher directed" all of the time.

Another aspect of Montessori philosophy is involvement in every day life: family care, self care and care for the environment. I have been attempting to incorporate Charlotte into more of our daily tasks, which also increases her sense of significance in our family. This includes dressing herself, helping with outdoor chores and indoor chores including raking, sweeping, washing breakfast dishes and cleaning up spills with my vinegar and water solution. She does not do all of these every day, but when she is able to contribute in a practical way, she loves doing it, and always feels a sense of accomplishment and happiness through doing a practical task. It helps me change my perspective a bit about housework! (Although tasks usually take longer of course.)

What is your experience with Montessori education?
How do you incorporate a Montessori philosophy into your parenting and/or homeschooling?

saying goodbye

2011-10-23T14:16:00.008-03:00

"Mommy when are Kathryn and Tim coming home from their big airplane trip?"

"But we always used to play at their house and they always used to come to our house to play..."

"Mama, I think Eden is going to really miss me..."

-Charlotte

These conversations have been scattered here and there as Charlotte comes to a greater realization that her auntie, uncle and cousin have moved away. We have told her that they have moved, but it is a hard concept for a three year old to grasp. For two years, pretty much as long as she can remember, they have been a part of her life. Kathryn babysat for us while I worked for Tim's company and she had all kinds of special play time with Kathryn, including trips to the park.

She was there when Eden was first born and was in awe of her new baby cousin.

Kathryn and Tim graciously babysat for many a date night and she always had tons of fun playing imaginatively, watering their plants, reading books and baking yummy treats!

And honestly, it's not just Charlotte that's coming to grips with missing her family. It has been a huge transition and struggle for me to say good-bye. Because we do not know when we will see them again. They are headed to Australia! It is a whole new adventure for a couple who loves adventure and travel. I am happy they get to follow their dreams. But I am also sad, and I struggle with worry and anxiety over their move, and for Kathryn, soon to be mama of two! I cherished our time together so much, it was a gift, really. I knew these adventurers wouldn't stay put for too long!

We miss you and we love you!

she's one

2011-09-15T15:42:00.012-03:00

Lila Adelaide had her birthday late August. It was a beautiful, sunny day at the lake. We spent our late afternoon and evening hours with family and close friends, swimming, eating yummy food and pumpkin cupcakes.

Oh, how a year has gone by so quickly. It seems in a breath we have passed babyhood (with many difficult days and much crying), rolling, crawling, learning words (Ava, ball, mama and dada), and a week before her birthday, walking! How is that toddling, adventurous, independent little girl my baby? It astounds me!

She is wildly in love with her dada, runs to him and squeals at the end of every weekday. She loves her snuggles and her space, she loves to eat and feeds herself pretty much on her own now. (Using child friendly spoons and forks!) She has a wonderful attachment to Ava and dada and Lila and Ava usually play ball every evening.

My little Lila. I feel as if I've been on this wild journey with you. I struggled through those baby days, and know now that it wasn't you, it was me who needed some help. I learned how to take time for myself, although I still find this difficult. I love getting to know you, you are such a happy, beautiful soul. You are still so attached to me, and I wouldn't have it any other way. It's the way we need to be right now.

I adore the weight of your sleeping body when you drift off at night. Often I hold you longer, rather than placing you softly in your crib for the night.... I mean, for a few hours till you wake again! With you, I don't bat an eye at coming to get you when you wake in the night. It's just not a big deal. It seemed like so much more with Charlotte. I was waiting for the "sleep through the night" phase. I've just let it go and it's so much better.

You always smile when you wake in the morning. You want a hug and then to be let down to play. You love to play. Walking has opened a whole new world of exploration and freedom. You love to run as fast as those legs can carry you when you know I'm trying to keep you in one place! (For example at the children's play area at the library, or at the park when you want to go the opposite way down the trail.)

My second daughter, you are a precious gift. You have taught me so much, I love you beyond life itself. I thank God for choosing you for our family.

Love, Mama

she's three

2011-08-15T15:15:00.011-03:00

I find it hard to believe that three years ago I was exhausted, cradling a newborn in my arms and figuring out how to nurse a child for the first time. She was amazing and perfect. A whole new love opened up within my heart, one that I had never known before.

Then she was one, she was walking and exploring, discovering her world. She loved to play outside, she loved the pool. It seems like yesterday we were in our backyard on a sweltering hot, humid day singing happy birthday to my girl who was one!

Then she turned two. There were so many changes from one to two. Tim started the company in the fall after her first birthday. Auntie Kathryn and Uncle Tim moved close by and we had lots of help and babysitting! I was pregnant with baby number two. We were so busy and then all of a sudden, she was a big cousin and then a big sister. And she grew up so much.

Today she is three. Three years old and a beautiful, healthy, determined little girl. She is a big sister, and has her own interests, friends and passions. She loves to make art, she loves to pretend. She loves to be read to, and to then imitate those stories in her play. She loves most kinds of fruit, dislikes chocolate and adores natural peanut butter. To her, the colour red is best. And climbing the roots in the park was what she remembered most clearly when re-telling her birthday party to Grammie. Happy Birthday my sweet Charlotte Wendy! I love living my days (and of course, my nights) with you as my daughter. It is a privilege and an honour to be your mama.

Happy Birthday to you!

Summer vacation 2011 (part 1)

2011-08-09T23:49:00.014-03:00

We just recently had our summer vacation for the year, travelling to Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia. What a beautiful little spot to relax and enjoy each other, catching up with many family members, some we only get to see every three years. We had so much fun, I'll let the pictures tell the story!

We took the ferry from Saint John to Digby. It saved us many, many hours of driving, plus it was tons of fun for the kids! The water was calm (thankfully I wasn't motion sick) and the sun was shining!

Friday was Upper Clements Park day. This amusement park holds so many fun family memories for me, as we used to go every year after school was over as a celebration. (Mom would refuse to take us to the rides when they came to the parking lot in New Minas and always promise us Upper Clements Park!) It was like a dream land for Charlotte. She was thrilled the whole time and thankfully her aunties graciously took her on all the kiddie rides many, many times over! I even got in some adult rides... the Flume and Roller Coaster too!

What's a day at an amusement park without a little cotton candy ice cream?

Needless to say, everyone was a bit sleepy by the end of the day! Upper Clements Park is such a beautiful spot, lots of trees and shade, many benches for nursing and resting. It's a perfect spot for family fun!

A Taste of Classical Education

2011-07-30T16:54:00.000-03:00

I can't quite remember where I first heard of Classical Education, but I didn't even include it on my list of philosophies for preschool. I was skeptical of what I assumed was a super structured approach, focused on bookwork and lots of worksheets. I was inspired by the Curriculum Fair on Simple Homeschool and Tsh's article on Classical Curriculum for a Flexible Lifestyle. I did some exploring online and went to our local library website to find "The Well Trained Mind" by Susan Wise Bauer and Jessie Wise. I placed it on hold, along with "The Well Educated Mind" by Susan Wise Bauer.

As I started reading, I was constantly arguing the points in my mind, wondering if there really was something to their philosophy of learning and that the first few grades of school are the appropriate time for practice work and memorization as this is the first stage in the trivium.

Let me back up here. The Classical philosophy focuses on three stages of learning called the trivium. The first is called the "grammar stage" as this is when the building blocks for learning take place. They consider this stage as happening in grades 1 to 4. The mind is ready to absorb information and children find memorization fun. (Charlotte is already repeating poems and sections of books that she has memorizes and uses them in her play!) The learning of facts plays an important part here. This includes phonics, spelling, rules of grammar, vocabulary of foreign languages, facts of mathematics, the stories of literature and history, descriptions of plants and animals and the list goes on and on. The focus is not on self-discovery or self-expression.

The second stage is is the "logic stage" during the middle school years. During these years, students focus on cause and effect, relationships between different fields of knowledge and the way that facts fit together. Abstract thought begins to mature at this age.

The third stage is called the "rhetoric stage" in which the high school student uses all of the knowledge they have built up to write and speak with originality. Students begin to specialize in their areas of interest at this point.

Classical education is print focused and not image or video focused. In other words, phonics and letters are not learned by watching animated alphabet letters jump and dance on the screen.

There is also a systematic way of organizing the information that is learned according to time periods in history. Knowledge is interrelated and one topic is not to be studied in isolation.

The Well Trained Mind website has piles of information and I have read a few of the articles under "getting started" and FAQ.

I have become very interested in this type of education. Although I would not follow "The Well Trained Mind" to the letter (the book is a curriculum for grade 1-12), I think it has some very interesting ideas in it's philosophy that I would not have previously considered. In my education degree, we were taught that project-based learning and thematic learning were the way of the future in education. The truth is, educational trends are always coming and going. I do not think there is anything wrong with projects, especially projects that students are interested in, however I DO think that a structure is key for education. A structure that builds on itself, and focuses on the teaching of skills so that students can use these skills without having to completely concentrate on the skill itself. For example, the student who struggles sounding out words and does not know the sounds for consonants and vowels will struggle to read until they have mastered the basic skills for reading. The same could be said of a skill like sewing. If I have not mastered sewing a straight line and how to thread my machine every time that I try to sew will be a frustrating project. I need to practice some basic skills before I can sew a skirt! (Which is the truth!)

As for preschool education? There is not much written about it in this book. They mention one resource book and discuss the importance of talking to your kids and reading with your kids. There is also a book about teaching your kids to read. I think that this is purposeful in that they don't intend for your three year olds to be sitting for an hour of bookwork and phonics skills!

I feel a bit of the pressure lifting for preschool education after reading this book and articles on the website. I feel like a focus on reading and making the sounds for letters is sufficient at this point. I am challenged and intrigued by this philosophy that originated in the Middle Ages, and I'm looking forward to studying it further if we do decide to homeschool.

Menu Plan July 11 - 16

2011-07-11T00:02:00.006-03:00

What gorgeous weather we have had here! We have been taking in the wading pools, having picnics and loving the parks. The only meal we did not get to this week was the Quiche, as it turned out to be hot and sunny that day and I could not bring myself to turn the oven on! Instead we had yummy omelets cooked on the stove top.

I am loving the website TasteSpotting, it has gorgeous photography and leads you to many delicious looking recipes. You can search anything and come up with lots of recipes and ideas!

Here is the plan for this week:

Monday: Testing out a Spaghetti Bolognese for a potluck Tuesday night
Tuesday: Hopefully the Spaghetti Bolognese for a Mama's night out potluck!
(I'll pick up some yummy meat for Tim to bbq for himself!)
Wednesday: Lentil Brown Rice Casserole with homemade coleslaw on the side
Thursday: Homemade pizza and garlic fingers using this dough
Friday: BBQ chicken with cold Italian pasta salad
Saturday: new potatoes baked haddock and peas

I will also be trying this Bean Salad for lunch with a friend!

Check out organizing junkie for lots of recipe ideas!

Menu Plan July 4 - 10

2011-06-13T23:16:00.004-03:00

Eating and cooking food seems like a struggle for me in the summer. (Well, maybe not eating, I love eating!) The hot weather is here, and I hesitate to turn the oven on and make it blasting hot in our house. It doesn't help that the sun beams through (even through our blind) in the kitchen in the heat of late afternoon and makes the kitchen toasty warm anyway! Turning on the oven is.... well, just not an option for me!

I am not adept at the barbecue, and even if I was, running outside to cook with a baby and toddler in the house is not practical to say the least. (Sometimes I will prepare other food to go with a barbecue and Tim will turn on the grill as soon as he gets home.) So, in order to have meals at a somewhat decent hour I have to come up with a plan... and get the creativity flowing!

Yesterday we had a pureed potato soup loaded with garlic, onions, celery and carrots. Soup is not a "cold" meal I do realize, but it doesn't require turning the oven on, and it was just the comfort food I was craving. Lila LOVED it and it was made of - vegetables! Now if only Charlotte would be so keen... she did taste it but that is it.

So here is the plan for this hot summer week:

Monday: Pureed potato soup with french bread for dipping

Tuesday: BBQ sausage, garden salad

Wednesday: Veggie stir fry over basmati rice (I'm looking for a good stir fry sauce recipe, let me know if you have one!)

Thursday: Asparagus Bacon Quiche (requires the oven, but is supposed to be a rainy day!)

Friday: 5 Minute Southwest Layered Salad

Saturday: BBQ hamburgers and Potato salad

Sunday: Leftovers

Check out Organizing Junkie for more menu planning ideas!

Reggio Emilia Approach

2011-05-17T16:12:00.007-03:00

"...a hundred worlds to discover

a hundred worlds to invent
a hundred worlds to dream."
Loris Malaguzzi, founder of the Reggio Emilia Method

I first heard of Reggio Emilia in my Play class doing my degree in Education at UNB. I was fascinated at once and seemed inwardly drawn to this philosophy of education. The founder of this approach, Loris Malaguizzi saw a need for preschool education after World War II in Italy. The town in Italy where the school began is called Reggio Emilia and the focus is on primary education. The need arose out of the destruction from the war and the desire of the parents and community to teach their children respect and responsibility through self-guided curriculum.

Exploration, discovery and creativity are key elements to this approach.

A few of the underlying principle of the Reggio Emilia approach are:

The child is a collaborator, communicator and plays a central role.
The teacher is a partner to the child, a nurturer, a researcher and a guide.
Cooperation and community involvement are foundational.
The environment is considered the "third teacher" (this includes the physical classroom space).
The parent is considered a partner in the educational process.
Documentation is of utmost importance, for communication and learning.

Aspects that I love about Reggio Emilia:

The emergent curriculum. The curriculum is built upon the child's interests. Topics of interest come up from observing and documenting the children's conversations or from their known interests. The curriculum often involves large projects that start with a certain topic and build and grow to in-depth studies of that topic.
The creative aspect. Art in many forms is important, and considered the symbolic representation of children. Art is the child's language.
The role of the teacher as collaborator. The teacher works alongside the child not solely as an instructor, but as an facilitator. Collecting data and documenting using writing, recording devices help the teacher learn and assess.

Difficulties with the Reggio Emilia approach:

The philosophy is rooted in Italian culture and community and not meant to be duplicated (I don't think) fully in a American/Canadian setting. The philosophy must be adapted to our own community and culture without losing it's main tenants.
For the homeschooling family, Reggio Emilia poses difficulty because of the focus on collaboration and groups of children working together. A multi-age homeschool co-op would probably be the best form for implementation.

If you would like to read more on Reggio Emilia, consider these resources:
Official Reggio Emilia website
Reggio Emilia on Wikipedia
Reggio Emilia on the Homeschool Learning Network
Camp Creek Blog (homeschooling with a Reggio approach)
Wee Can Too (a local program inspired by Reggio)

Menu Plan May 16 - May 21

2011-05-15T23:03:00.004-03:00

It's been forever since I've posted a menu plan. It's actually been forever since I've made a menu plan! I got out off the habit, and now, it is time to get back in the habit of planning what we eat. Our shopping has been more like pick up the few things we can afford from the local grocery store and avoid the Superstore as much as possible! I always tend to spend way more at the big stores. I noticed that in the past, making a menu caused me to shop the big store every week and therefore spend more because I was buying ingredients to fit certain recipes.

I need to make frugality a priority in my menu planning.

I also want to make healthy eating a priority. Our local CSA will contribute to the idea of eating local, and eating healthy. We are considering local, organic meat as well. I have been thinking a lot about healthy food and cooking and eating as a family. (More on this to come!)

For now, I will try to include more eggs, beans and lentils in my recipes. It is so easy to get overwhelmed when trying to change food habits. I think choosing one or two goals and being intentional is the key to change. Menu planning is the intentional part!

So here is our menu for this week:

Monday: Leftover beef pot roast with root veggies
Tuesday: Egg and black bean burritos with homemade fruit smoothies
Wednesday: Stir Fry with leftover beef (it was a big roast!)
Thursday: Lentil Shepherd's Pie
Friday: Vegetarian Chili and Rolls
Saturday: My Sister's Birthday party! We are hosting a potluck BBQ and will serve chicken breast and homemade hamburgers.

Please check out Laura's blog for more ideas!

Easter

2011-05-06T23:57:00.016-03:00

It's been a couple of weeks, but I had to share some photos from our Easter weekend. My family came to visit and we had a wonderful time together. It is a rare occasion that we are all together (one of my brother in laws was missing though) and I soaked up every minute.

How does time pass so quickly? The days and weeks pass and moments slip through my fingers. I want to savor more and see the beauty. The beauty in those small moments, the ones I am usually too rushed or too distracted to notice. I want to actually live to be present and not live to make it to the end of the day. I love being a wife, a mom, a maker of this home. I want to learn to love it more. (For the fog to clear and my scattered thoughts to align.)

fredkid fair!

2011-05-05T23:30:00.003-03:00

The fredkid fair is almost here!

There are three events this year:
Friday night - Movie night - "Tangled"
Saturday - the FAIR!
Sunday - a family concert

Look for all the details on the fredkid site and have a great weekend!

early literacy... making labels

2011-04-21T23:06:00.015-03:00

About a month ago, Charlotte wanted to write labels. We were inspired by "Blue's Clues", the "Alphabet Power" video, and the episode called, "Let's Write". (I must be honest, the inspiration was not sheer will to write, but watching characters in a movie label things!) We worked together, and she had so much fun!

I had fun too, I love literacy, teaching it, reading, writing... all of these things are passions of mine. So it gave me great joy to practice writing and labeling with Charlotte. Here is one of her earlier labels - the door.

Here is a label made after we had been writing for a while. Notice the difference in her mark making, the separations and formations of the letters are becoming more distinct.

I modeled writing (without teaching her any letters or symbols) and made lots of labels too.

That evening Daddy got in on the writing action too! We made labels for each other.

The activity spanned two days. Notice the pajamas above (we started earlier into the day and were still labeling before bed). The following pictures are from the next day, you can see her "letters" getting more precise and separated with a space.

What are your favorite literacy activities?

She looks like me

2011-04-19T19:45:00.001-03:00

Sometimes we compare how much our babes resemble one parent or the other. I have never been good at this, deciding who has whose nose, or cheeks or whatever.

I searched for pictures for the girls around the same time of year, so they would be about the same age. The black and whites are... moi.

Lila. April 19, 2011

Charlotte. April 22, 2009

Charlotte's first bike

2011-04-12T23:13:00.007-03:00

We decided to get Charlotte her first bicycle this spring! After a lot of research, we decided on a balance bike, or "run" bike. A balance bike teaches a child the most important skill of riding a bike first: balance! Pedaling is pretty instinctive, Charlotte knew how to pedal when she tried a tricycle for the first time. Using a balance bike skips the step of training wheels, which can be hard to let go of. The Strider is a popular brand, but we decided on the Norco bike as it has a sturdier frame. We wanted air tires, but they didn't sell that type of Norco in the city.

(yes this is me being incredibly enthusiastic and our house which I did not tidy pre-picture!)

Our first dilemma came as we left the store... Charlotte desperately wanted pedals and had a melt down as we were in the line up to pay. We made it to the car with bike and tearful toddler, but with some encouragement, I think she likes her bike!

(riding in Nannie and Grampie's basement that day)

It has been incredibly windy here lately, but we have gotten out for a few rides. Charlotte rides and I walk along beside. Her stride is getting longer and more confident and I'm sure by the end of the summer she will be zooming around!

I think she'll be hitting the trails before we know it!

(Tim took this while she was practicing at Nannie and Grampie's house - forgive the fact that you have to turn your head sideways!)

taking care of... you

2011-03-22T23:50:00.000-03:00

Any mother of young children will tell you it is hard to take care of the one person that needs care desperately. It has been so challenging for me to learn this lesson - that I need to care for ME. I knew it in my head, but practically speaking, it just didn't happen. So I had to be intentional. Here are a few of the steps I have taken recently to invest in myself.

painted my toenails bright pink... summer is coming, right?

organized my closet (see previous post)

worked on enjoying the activities that I actually enjoy (reading, writing) rather than ones I wish I enjoyed (baking, shopping).

bought myself a Moleskin Book Journal with my birthday money

fresh air time, walking the dog, outside play with the girls

make sure that I feed myself breakfast first thing in the morning in order to have energy for nursing and everything else in the day.

get a shower every morning

get out by myself once a week

keeping date night a priority

Getting out by myself has been the most difficult. Tim is amazing, and has been supportive of the changes I've made for myself, but Lila is demanding. She often gets herself into fits of crying (especially when I am not readily available). So we've made it work, and it's not been easy. Last time, he took the girls out in the stroller and they had a long walk in the fresh air. It was good for everyone, including Ava! (Or especially for Ava, she is now getting some exercise and attention.)

These things may seem pretty obvious, but when you have demanding children and a busy household often the person that does not get proper care is the mama. It's okay to take care of yourself. It's important to care for yourself.

What do you do to take care of YOU? Let's share some ideas!

Project Simplify - Closet reorganization

2011-03-12T23:23:00.014-04:00

One of the blogs I find myself frequenting often these days is simplemom.net. Last week she started project simplify which is a challenge to simplify our lives and homes by setting out weekly organizing challenges.

I am not currently an organized person. I'd like to say that in my pre-married life I was, but in reality, I have always been a pack rat. I love my things, especially my books and paper and it is a struggle to throw stuff away or give it away. I keep all my gifts and usually remember who gave me what. So when I read about this challenge, I thought, this is not for me. I don't have time. I barely get the dishes done, the girls rarely nap at the same time. How on earth would I tackle huge organizing projects?

Then on Friday, I started browsing through the posts of women who accomplished this . I saw closets totally cleaned out and even small spaces cleared with only a few clothes piled on shelves or hanging on hangers. Both the girls were sleeping. And I thought "why not"?

Before:

I use the only teeny tiny closet that is in our bedroom. It is pretty embarrassing to post these photos! But I think Tsh was right in stating that we tend to take care of ourselves last. Really, I have put myself of the very bottom of the "people to take care of" chain and this project was perfect timing for me.

I gathered some boxes (one for donation and one for garbage) and then completely emptied my closet. There was A LOT of stuff jammed in there! I found that the diaper boxes I grabbed soon became useless as my piles grew. And so, I went for blue bags for donation and black bags for garbage. I was pretty ruthless. I had many dress pants from teaching and clothes that were missing buttons, some with holes in them and some with dust on them!

There was a small white bookcase doubling as a clothes shelf in the closet and I emptied and removed that shelf as well.

I had a small pile that I was not sure about and saved those to try on and sort at the end. (I love the idea of turning the hangers backwards to know when you actually wear something and if you haven't worn it... toss it or give it away.)

After:

The results astonished me. My floor was clear - I scrubbed it with vinegar spray and a rag. I had two huge blue bags full of giveaway clothes and a small garbage bag with, well, garbage. My closet looks empty. But I have plans!

Future:

Tim has offered to paint my closet white as it is really dark in there (no light fixture) and a fresh coat of paint would do wonders for brightening the closet.

I plan to also empty and organize my dresser (a child's dresser I have had since I was a child....) and hang my shirts that are stored in there. I have organized two drawers out of four so far. My "work-out" clothes... well the few that I save will go in a basket on one of the closet shelves. My drawer for undies will hopefully be combined with Charlotte's dresser (which is in our bedroom due to lack of space in the girls' room). I hope to use one drawer out of her dresser and completely eliminate my dresser from the bedroom! Hurray, more space!

I am not finished, but I am so thrilled with what I have done so far. It is amazing what some decluttering will do to one's spirit. Especially when it is just for me. I really enjoyed this project and look forward to the next! (And the dishes... well, they will have to wait.)

Lila's 6 months

2011-03-02T16:30:00.001-04:00

The time passes so quickly, too quickly it seems to note every little change, every little milestone. Here we are, little Lila Adelaide is 6 months old. She is half of one whole year, soon there will be birthday cake and toddling around the yard and wondering... what happened to my tiny baby girl?

At 6 months, Lila can do so many things. She is rolling adeptly, can get across a room in no time at all. She rolls to get toys and paper and anything else she discovers on our floors. (Much harder to keep them baby friendly with a toddler around!) She has no interest in sitting still and playing!

She is gooing and gahhing and not growling (yet). Charlotte growled for a long time... mimicking Ava, we believe!

Lila loves Charlotte... she will laugh outloud at her sillyness, especially her dancing!

She loves to nurse, loves to snuggle but if I can't figure out what is bothering her, sometimes it is that she needs to get on the floor and move! She loves to go, grab and reach.

Lila is a very social girl and doesn't mind a big crowd with lots of noise! She is going through a phase of wanting to be close to me and usually if I'm in the room, wants to be held by me.

Lila is full of energy, knows what she wants and a feisty girl! I think we knew this moments after she arrived! She is a joy, and it is a blessing to call her my daughter.

Introduction to Education Philosophy for Preschool

2011-02-28T23:00:00.000-04:00

Charlotte is nearing preschool age and my head has been spinning lately with ideas to implement a semi-structured program for her in the fall. Many of my friends are looking into three year old programs, but I think we are going to stay close to home for our preschool (3 and 4 year old) education. I have also considered homeschooling, and although that will depend on a few different factors, I want to be prepared when it comes to considering philosophy, theory and practice. Purely out of interest's sake, I have ordered books on Montessori and Reggio Emilia from the library and hope to continue some research with Waldorf and Charlotte Mason.

I have discovered that this is actually a love of mine, researching and planning for preschool education. When I did my internship for elementary education I was placed in a Kindergarten class. I loved my "Play" course at university where we worked in the 4-year-old classroom observing and preparing an imaginative play center. I love this age group, I am fascinated by the capacity for learning through play and how to assess learning. Although I know that Charlotte is a tremendously social girl (and lack of social interaction is often a criticism against homeschooling families) we will be involved in many social activities throughout our weeks. In my opinion, I am already involved in the education process daily with both of my daughters and furthering this education at home seems like a natural progression for us. And it goes without saying... I am learning and growing every day as my girls teach me how to mother, love unconditionally and be stretched physically, mentally and emotionally.

As I began to read, I thought about compiling a summary of sorts for this blog and writing my thoughts regarding different philosophies of education, in particular, for preschool. I will review and consider the following:

1. Reggio Emilia

This is a child-centered approach developed over the last fifty years in Reggio Emilia, Italy. A few of the principles are: collaboration (parents, teachers, students, the larger community); the image of the child (as competent and inventive); and preparing an environment that acts as the third teacher.

2. Montessori

This approach was founded it 1907 and is based on the experiences of Maria Montessori, an Italian physician and educator. One of the underlying principles is that of a prepared environment where children choose individual activities to pursue and they teach themselves. Montessori also focuses on learning through all five senses and giving children responsibility through everyday life tasks.

3. Waldorf

This is a humanistic approach based on the research and philosophy of Rudolf Steiner. Steiner was an Austrian philosopher and who founded anthroposophy (a spiritual philosophy focused on a spiritual world accessible through inner development). The Waldorf approach focuses on the creative, the natural world, inner growth and moral responsibility. The first school was founded in 1919 in Germany.

4. Charlotte Mason
Charlotte Mason was a British educator who lived in the late 1800s and early 1900s. The method is centered around the idea that education has three aspects: an atmosphere, a discipline and a life. The method is known for promoting and using living books - stories that have one author, who has a passion for that subject, rather than textbooks.

I may add more as I discover new ideas and hopefully either decide on a philosophy to start with Charlotte, or combine ideas from various philosophies and come up with my own principles to guide our education experience for her third year.

What are your thoughts and ideas about homeschool, preschool or education theory and practice?

love

2011-02-15T13:33:00.010-04:00

"There is only love."

-Gretchen Rubin (from "The Happiness Project")

Valentine's Day is usually pretty low key for us. One year we took Charlotte swimming at the indoor pool and got Chinese Take-out afterwards. Before children... we made chocolate fondu and would watch a movie at home. To be honest, I think it is more about the PLAN to spend time together in a special way than the actual activity itself. It's the plan that gives me something to look forward to on a cold, dreary February day. We didn't have a plan this year. The girls were both up at 5 am, both exhausted from a busy weekend.

I used candy hearts to decorate homemade oatmeal a fun way to make it special but Tim preferred brown sugar and Charlotte wouldn't eat the oatmeal... or the hearts! I laughed it off and moved on...

The most fun part of this Valentine's Day was planning on making Valentine's with Charlotte and accomplishing this task over several days.

We had a lot of fun! But a hint... don't use Dollarama kids tempera paint if the paint will end up anywhere on their bodies - it is almost impossible to get off! A long soak in a bubble bath ended up doing the trick for us. (Oh, and if you haven't received your Valentine yet... I still have yet to deliver most of them!)

The day ended in exhaustion and our few ideas of a fun family night out were left in the dust. It wasn't what the girls needed after all. They needed snuggles and books and nursing. So Tim asked me what I needed, and I said a tidy house. Just the dishes and floors and a chance to start fresh on Tuesday. So that's what he did. He worked hard as I dozed off while nursing the girls. And today was a new day.

That's what love is - a choice to serve, little surprise love notes, tight hugs when I finally get to bed at 3 am. It's the reassurance that this too shall pass, and we will make it through - because we have each other.

sleep breakthrough

2011-02-10T19:24:00.006-04:00

We have had a breakthrough with sleep this past week. Charlotte normally nurses to sleep or the odd time just falls asleep eating dinner or driving around in the car when she is really tired. We implemented a 20 minute "rest" time in the afternoons when she would go into her room and basically play and keep coming out until the 20 minutes was up. Then one day... all was quiet in her bedroom and I was somewhat shocked to discover that she was curled up in her bed sound asleep. Then she put herself to sleep the next afternoon, and then the next. I'm not sure what prompted this change, but I can think of a few things that might be contributing factors. One is independence. Charlotte is becoming much more independent as she often dresses herself (now she can handle socks, shirts and pants that are legging-like). She also dresses for outdoors, only getting help with her boot zippers, coat zipper and both mittens. She is helping to set the table, and I'm trying to be consistent with asking her to feed Ava and keep her water dish full. She discovered that she can put herself to sleep independently and so I think that is just another step in the process. Another factor is security. We have never let Charlotte "cry it out" and she is always comforted if she wakes up. She knows that sleep and bed are not negative things and I guess she decided that she felt secure enough to snuggle down in her bed all by herself.

I am not counting on this lasting forever, but I am thankful that for the time being, she is taking a step in the process for independently putting herself to sleep.

Tandem nursing part 2

2011-02-09T14:40:00.003-04:00

Feelings

"I've had more nausea this time around and found it more difficult with a toddler to take care of. The nipple sensitivity has been one of the most difficult things, as I am still nursing Charlotte every couple of hours. Nursing is still very important to her. I believe that is important nutritionally as well as emotionally. I really can't imagine that she will want to wean any time soon. I don't force her to nurse by any means, it is just natural and instinctive for both of us. The transition to nursing while pregnant has been a bit more difficult than I anticipated."

January 30, 2010 (from my journal)

Breastfeeding is what I do. For hours and hours, every day. It is an investment of my time and energy and emotions. It is also a joy.

Breastfeeding Charlotte was not always easy at first. We had to work on latch and I dealt with blisters at the beginning. I was hospitalized when she was a week and a half because of my gall bladder and she had to go to formula and then back to breastfeeding. In the hospital, when I was with it and not drugged up, breastfeeding Charlotte was pretty much all I cared about and I just wanted to be with her. All the time. It must have been heartbreaking for my mom, as she stayed with me.

Breastfeeding Charlotte through toddler-hood just made sense for us. It grounds her, it connects us in a pretty profound way. When I was pregnant with Lila, sometimes it was painful and irritating. Sometimes I needed a break and so she snuggled with her dad so I could rest. The only deficiency in my blood tests was low calcium and so I took another supplement and tried to drink more milk. There were times when I questioned myself and worried about the future, but I just decided to take it a day at a time. And I was right, as my journal writing indicated... she was not ready to wean at all!

My feeling surrounding Lila's birth were all over the place really! I was ecstatic to meet our new baby! I was psyched to try the hypno-birthing breathing techniques for labour! I was terrified about leaving Charlotte and missed her incredibly, even while in the midst of strong labour. I was overwhelmed with the thought of having two children.

Lila took a bit to adjust to nursing. Almost every nurse in the maternity ward blamed her fussiness of the fact that I was tandem nursing. The funny thing was, Charlotte didn't nurse when I was in the hospital. I was producing a lot of colostrum, but Lila still wasn't full (I don't think, in retrospect). I thought my milk had come in, due to the abundance of colostrum, but it didn't come in until a few days later. I felt concerned, when really, she was just a newborn, trying to get her milk. I nursed them separately for the first bit, as I had to work with Lila on her latch. She got it, and then I tried to nurse both girls together. It was overwhelming at first, but soon I cherished those moments of nursing both girls, especially in the evening. I could close my eyes and take a deep breath. I knew the jealousy would pass. (And it did, after two weeks.) It took a while to find a comfortable position for nursing both girls and it has changed over time, as both girls have grown. We know what works best now.

I felt so many things. I still have so many feelings, every day. I feel overwhelmed at times and full of contentment too. Some of my favorite times in the day are when I snuggle up with either Lila and/or Charlotte and nurse. Lila loves to grab my hand with hers while she is nursing and wants that affection and touch. They almost always hold hands when they are nursing together. Charlotte makes Lila smile every time she walks by. She makes a clicking noise with her tongue when she hears Lila crying (sometimes even in the middle of the night when she is half asleep) because she knows that Lila likes that sound. Lila adores her big sister. We were laying in bed this morning, Charlotte sound asleep, Lila gurgling and wiggling around, trying to look at her sleeping sister with a huge smile and squeal. The bond they share runs deep and strong.

Life is full, difficult and beautiful. Breastfeeding my two daughters makes me happy. Breastfeeding enhances the production of oxytocin, a hormone that physically makes you feel happier. And goodness, this happiness feeling is (and has been) really important to me, to my making it through the hard, exhausting days. I think it's okay that breastfeeding benefits my children, but it also is beneficial for me. Breastfeeding two also has contributed to weight loss and a healthier diet as I try and remember to eat healthy for three. Breast milk provides nutrients and an immunity boost to both of my girls.

Emotions are a tricky thing postpartum and how I have been feeling through tandem nursing has it's ups and downs. I feel thankful that I can do this and provide nutrition to my 2 and a half year old as well as my 5 month old. It is a blessing.

happiness

2011-02-07T15:02:00.005-04:00

Did you ever think it's a little self-indulgent to consider your own happiness?

I certainly have. I'm not really sure where it stems from, perhaps in my people-pleasing nature, some teaching I have heard somewhere or the guilt ridden mommy thing that puts everyone above herself. I'm not sure.

I just finished reading "The Happiness Project" by Gretchen Rubin. I kind of expected a book about self-improvement which would make me feel guilty and wanting to do a million things to improve myself. But I couldn't put it down, and although it is kind of about self-improvement, it really is about happiness. I cannot stop thinking about my own happiness and my struggle with it. Why do I feel like it's asking for the moon if I want a few moments to myself? Why do I feel guilty when I read or write, two of my favorite things to do? I haven't really acknowledged the importance of my own happiness and how that affects my family. I love the quote (her second splendid truth in the book) "One of the best ways to make myself happy is to make other people happy. One of the best ways to make other people happy is to be happy myself." (Gretchen Rubin) It's an interesting paradox!

So I've been thinking about what makes me happy! (It's fun to do this, trust me.) I love the blog post on Gretchen's blog to get you thinking about happiness. What did you do for fun when you were 10 years old? This was our supper time conversation that evening and it was funny how Tim's answers were drastically different from mine.

What did I do for fun when I was 10 years old? I read books all the time and I wrote (journals, stories). One of my favorite activities was our writing contracts in my grade 4 classroom where we got to choose four writing projects to work on for that month. I loved to sing (school and church choir). I took ballet lessons and loved to dance, and I started piano lessons at that age. I also "played school" in the summertime with my sisters. I was the teacher.

What did Tim do for fun when he was 10 years old? He biked everywhere and loved biking, making ramps, jumping etc. Playing the drums in band (we didn't start band until grade 7 at my school), playing with fire...

What did you do for fun when you were 10 years old? Do you think that it might reflect some of your interests now? (It certainly does for me!)

I heard about "The Happiness Project" from the online book club at lifeasmom. They have a great format where you can post comments and discuss the books on her list, or books from your own list each month!

a little thing

2011-02-02T16:00:00.002-04:00

Sometimes the little things make such a difference. Before Christmas I decided to start the tradition of lighting a candle every time we eat supper together at the kitchen table. This one little act has changed the way we eat supper. We slow down when we are eating. We all talk about our days. We enjoy dinner and do not rush to the next activity. Without nagging or feeling sad about how rushed our lives are, I light a candle instead. I meant it to be an advent tradition, but it has continued and I love it.

What simple traditions do you have that have impacted your family?

books, books and more books!

2011-01-31T20:41:00.004-04:00

I love books. I love having books around me, I love seeing my bookshelves packed full. I love bookstores and libraries.

I lost my love of reading post-university days. Being forced to read in school made reading seem like a chore. Last year, I decided to join a book club at the library to try and get back into the habit of reading fiction. For fun! I love reading pregnancy, birth and parenting books. But it's been a long time since I devoured fiction and read because I just couldn't put it down.

The book club was a great start to instilling a love for reading back into my life. I discovered some treasures. Now this year, I decided to start my own book club that was friendly to babies and spouses and whoever wanted to join! All of a sudden, I am devouring books again. I can't put them down!

Here are the books we have read for book club:

"A Million Miles in a Thousand Years" by Donald Miller

"The Memory Keeper's Daughter" by Kim Edwards

"Ragged Islands" by Don Hannah

And next month:

"Kiss the Joy as it Flies" by Sheree Fitch

Because I can't seem to stop reading, I've also started reading the books for this online book club. I can't put down "The Happiness Project" by Gretchen Rubin. (Perhaps we should choose this one for book club... we need some happy books!)

I am thankful to enjoy reading again. Now I just have to figure out how to get Lila to stop grabbing the book while she is nursing...

What are YOU reading lately? Do you make time to read books, just for fun?

Tandem nursing part 1

2011-01-24T21:00:00.003-04:00

I nurse two children. Tandem nursing is nursing two or more siblings concurrently. This practice is still quite "hush hush" in our society and I would love to share my experience with my readers to add another "success" story and a bit more knowledge to this topic. There are a few medical reasons for stopping the nursing relationship when you are pregnant (signs of preterm labour, previously delivered a premature baby) and it would be wise to consult a physician or a lactation consultant for your specific situation.

Charlotte was nursing quite frequently when I became pregnant with Lila. She would nurse when she woke up, around nap times, and before bed. She would also nurse throughout the day if she hurt herself, felt overwhelmed in a situation or just needed to get centered emotionally. She was 16 months when I found out that I was pregnant. I did not wish to wean her at this time and started researching tandem nursing. To my surprise, there was not a lot of literature out there. The La Leche League has information online, and when I looked up tandem nursing on amazon I found "Adventures in Tandem Nursing" by Hilary Flower. I also bought "Mothering Your Nursing Toddler" by Norma Jane Bumgarner at the same time which has a section on tandem nursing. I would recommend these resources!

The feeling of nursing while you are pregnant changed over time for me. It was fine for a while, but there was definite soreness during periods. Of course, nipple soreness is common in pregnancy, so nursing just adds to that. It was never excruciating for me, and if I felt like I needed a break, I just asked Charlotte to come off and she was usually fine with that. We read stories a lot together while nursing, in fact she still usually grabs a book when she comes to nurse! So we would continue snuggling and reading or find something else to distract her. I remember a few times, wondering if I could do this, because the last thing when you want when you are pregnant (especially really pregnant in the heat of the summer) is to nurse another child. For me, it was worth it. We had a little one-room air conditioner that we used when the heat became unbearable and the bond I continued to have with Charlotte stayed strong through my pregnancy. Charlotte was not getting tons of milk and had a big appetite for other foods. It bothers me when people say "oh, she's just nursing for comfort" because well... she was nursing for comfort! She did continue to receive some nutrition, but the emotional stability and security she gained from continued nursing was equally if not more important for us. Nothing much could quell those tantrums and frustrations of wanting to do everything herself and not being able to do everything by herself. Nursing would calm her (if she would come and nurse) and she would gain a sense of emotional security because of it.

One of my biggest concerns for Charlotte was how she was going to manage while we were in the hospital without being able to nurse when she needed to. I was so nervous about this, and probably even lost sleep over it. We hadn't tried an overnight sleepover yet, as I know this may seem shocking - she still nursed to sleep. It was (and IS) the calming before bed routine and it works for our family! So I gained comfort from talking to a friend in the same situation as I was, as well as seeking out help from a well known doula. The doula explained that I would not be able to take Charlotte into the labour and delivery ward. This was quite upsetting for me, as I knew that although I probably would not want to nurse during labour, at least that option might be there for me if Charlotte was really upset. However, after my first ob/gyn meeting at the hospital, the doctor reassured me that the hospital was undergoing changes in support of families especially in labour and delivery and the maternity ward. She was part of the team that was pushing for these changes. And she said that I could bring Charlotte in as it was a special circumstance. Such a weight lifted from me and I burst into tears! She instructed me to write a letter to the head of labour and delivery after my 36 week appointment. I needed to explain that I was nursing a toddler as well as planning to nurse a newborn and needed special privileges in labour and delivery as well as the maternity ward. What a comfort this was for me at the time.

As it turned out, Charlotte did not come into the labour and delivery ward to nurse. She was happy as can be staying with Nannie and Grampie! She was confused and a bit uncertain at the hospital setting, but did not nurse until almost 2 days after Lila was born. Then upon returning home, she resumed nursing and it took time for her to make the emotional adjustment to having a sibling, a sister to share the nursing relationship with.

Also, the lactation consultant at the hospital was a huge resource for me and completely in support of tandem nursing! I had a couple of phone conversations with her in advance of Lila's birth and then a visit in the hospital and a visit afterwards. Having support is key and of utmost importance when starting to tandem nurse. My husband was (and is) supportive, and having key people in the medical field (lactation consultant, ob/gyn, and research from books) to support me was so important to our success.

What about the people that aren't supportive? In my life, that includes my family doctor, friends/family who may be uncomfortable but just don't talk about it, and those that voice their concerns. For the most part, I don't bring it up. This is a personal decision for our family and I believe it is the best one for us. It doesn't help to create conflict about it unless concerns come up that do need to be dealt with. For the most part, Charlotte nurses at home, and if she does need to nurse in public I tend to take her to a quiet, private spot to do so. Sometimes I wish I felt more comfortable nursing her openly, but I guess my fear of conflict stops me from doing so.

Have you known anyone who is tandem nursing? Are you tandem nursing? Do you feel like you have the support that you need? Please share in the comments!

a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

2011-01-19T08:27:00.014-04:00

The past couple of months have been pretty full and busy! Here are some snapshots of our life:

Charlotte injured her ankle in November, just by slipping on a Ziploc bag. She was back to crawling for a while, but she eventually started walking again after a couple of weeks. It was really hard to have two kiddos non-walking... those with twins, I don't know how you do it!

Puzzles have become a new favorite past-time. This one is a foam puzzle (like a jigsaw puzzle) with 30 pieces and she can almost do it completely by herself! She is quite talented in the puzzle department!

Our Christmas tree expedition was a bit different this year... because of Tim being so busy with work and being away for a week in Toronto for work, we didn't get our tree until late. Then one night around 5 pm we made it out and the people we normally go to graciously gave us a saw (it was getting dark!) and we found one quickly and cut it down. Lila slept in her car seat the entire time and Charlotte was off of her foot at the time and so she was carried/sat in the truck while we got it!

Decorating was fun though!

Christmas morning... my two girls snuggled up in their Christmas Eve jammies! Tim and I both had the flu, and so Christmas was pretty low key, focused on time spent together as a family and lots of snuggles!

We went to Nova Scotia after Christmas and Grampy J. helped Charlotte build a huge snowman! (Tim helped too!) I guess Charlotte insisted that Frosty was not complete without a scarf, hat, buttons etc....

Swinging on the swing I used to use when I was young!

They also built a snow slide which was a hit!

And I made some yummy hot chocolate afterwards!

Happy new year! We are hoping for health in the new year, although Lila just came down with her first ear infection we are not doing so well in that department.

Art for toddlers

2010-11-24T15:42:00.008-04:00

I just came across a post about art supplies for toddlers. I am excited to try some of her ideas! I am not a fan of "cookie cutter projects" as she mentions in the post. We've had exposure to some of these in the mommy and me programs at the library - step by step crafts that all turn out to look pretty much the same. I try to let Charlotte run with her creativity in these as well, and decorate as much and as little as she wants without much direction from me. Although our art projects have been somewhat limited in quantity, I have managed to squeeze in a few while Lila sleeps. Here is a painting project, the goal to make creative wrapping paper for birthday presents! Thanks to Shanie, who gave Charlotte a HUGE roll of paper to use and enjoy!

Charlotte is hard at work, and I try not to interfere but join with lines and circles and scribbles of my own. (Sometimes I try to step back completely and let her create her own work, but as the author mentions in the above article, it is helpful for toddlers to have someone join in and engage with them.)

Our materials are simple: paper, brushes, water and Crayola tempra paint.

The finished product!

And we are not scared of a little paint on ourselves (and the floor too for that matter!)

Menu Plan November 22 - 26

2010-11-23T19:10:00.004-04:00

Menu Planning! I haven't forgotten about it, in fact, I have been menu planning for about a month or so. I just have neglected to post my plans. They have been pretty simple, with familiar recipes and favorites such as:

Corn Chowder

Apple Chicken Quesadillas

Beef Barley Stew

Pink Pancakes

Pita Pocket Chicken Salad

This week I am trying a few new recipes! Here is the plan:

Monday: Family dinner at Tim's house (his uncle is visiting!)

Tuesday: Italian Sausage and Potato Roast (Suggestion from my sister... it was delicious and SO easy! Supper was completed by 5 pm for once! Thank Kathryn.)

Wednesday: Wild rice, roasted veggies and chicken

Thursday: Four Cheese Spinach Lasagna

Friday: Courtney's Shepherd's Pie (see below)

See Organizing Junkie's blog for more yummy recipes!

We ate so many yummy recipes when we had friends cook for us after Lila was born! Courtney's Shepherd's Pie was so delicious and I needed to get the recipe. Here it is for your enjoyment!

Courtney's Shepherd's Pie

1 1/2 - 2 pounds hamburger

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 540 g can of cream corn

1/2 onion

7-8 large potatoes

butter

milk

garlic powder

cheddar cheese

Cook the hamburger, and boil the potatoes.

Add cut up onion and a little garlic powder to the hamburger as it's cooking.

In a separate bowl mix the soup and the cream corn and heat in microwave or on the stove top.

Add milk and butter to mashed potatoes, mix in 1/2 cup of cheese to the potatoes.

Layer the hamburger, soup/corn mix and potatoes then finish with the remaining cheese on top.

Bake at 350 for 45 minutes.

It was a fun one!

2010-11-19T00:36:00.002-04:00

Oh what a day!

Starting with painting class, at our local art centre, with a local artist.

The toddlers dabbled with tempera, oil pastels and watercolor, what fun! They painted to music!

Then home for lunch and packed up again to the mall, for a little Christmas shopping (adorable, matching Christmas sleepers on SALE!) and BOGO free holiday drinks at Starbucks. Don't forget a long play time at Chapters... play stove and fridge and doll house! (Who needs to spend $200 to buy one when you don't have the room and you can play with them for free?)

Then pizza "party" (every time there is pizza, it's a party) and carrot sticks...

A huge bubble bath, stories and snuggles before bed. (Charlotte is adorable, she wanted to get a "fresh" book to read... meaning one we haven't read in a while.)

Life is full and fun.

(And tomorrow is "catch up on housework day" with some cutting and gluing and collage making thrown in.)

Lila's birth - epilogue

2010-11-17T16:44:00.009-04:00

Lila Adelaide is an amazing, healthy, beautiful baby girl. The past three months have not been without struggle, however and there have been days (and nights) when I wondered if I was crazy. To have two children, two and under, both nursing and in diapers! Lila cried a lot in the hospital and although we have come out on the other side to a much calmer baby, she cried a lot. (She still dislikes her car seat and cries almost every time she goes in it and goes in the car.) I am learning that it is okay to ask for help and okay to welcome support with open arms. It's okay. Because life can be hard with a newborn and you don't have to be strong all the time. There were nights when I didn't even get to the bathroom to brush my teeth and wash my face... and that's a big deal for me!

We have an amazing support system, and I am so, extremely grateful to everyone who made us a meal, prayed for us, and snuggled Lila when I felt like I just needed a break.

The support started in the hospital with Tim's parents caring so beautifully for Charlotte and easing all my worries about leaving her while we were in the hospital.

The support continued in the hospital with Mom coming to care for Lila and I and stay overnight with us while Tim went home to care for Charlotte and our crazy dog. Lila cried and cried in the night and mom was there for me, it was an incredible support to have loving arms to walk her around the room. Also to have loving arms to snuggle her while she slept so I could have a relaxing bath.

There were church family and lots of friends who made us delicious food to eat when the last thing I could think about was cooking... and friends who came over to snuggle and play with the girls. Talking to adults is so refreshing sometimes! Friends also fed and walked Ava while we were in the hospital, our poor little doggy who has been bumped to third when it comes to being loved and cared for!

My sister has been an amazing support, despite the fact that she has a newborn too! The yummy food, much needed phone calls and babysitting offers for Charlotte, are well, invaluable. Tim's sisters have been a wonderful support in this area too. We are so blessed with family surrounding us.

Of course, then there is Tim. I couldn't be the mom I am without him. He plays with Charlotte, does housework and supports me by knowing when I need to take a break. He doesn't make me feel bad when he comes home and nothing is done around the house, but the girl's are happily nursing, or playing or whatever. He is well... amazing.

This may all sound sappy and over-the-top, but sometimes you just need to say "thank you". So to all you people out there... thank you for everything.

Lila's birth part 2

2010-11-16T08:52:00.003-04:00

When I had the 39 week appointment, the OB noticed a few signs indicating preeclampsia and she was concerned. Of course, immediately I was concerned and Charlotte and I headed to the hospital for further testing. Tim was able to meet us there and take Charlotte which was huge... I was in there for a while, strapped to the bed because of fetal monitoring. The baby's heartbeat was normal, and my blood pressure was normal as well. After doing blood work, they discovered low blood platelet levels which are a concern for blood clotting in labour. So I was to return Friday (August 20th) for further fetal monitoring and testing. I found a babysitter for Friday morning and went to the hospital by myself. The blood work revealed that my blood platelet levels had dropped further and quite a significant amount. I felt so lucky to have had Dr. Frecker for all of my OB appointments and then to discover she was on duty on Friday at the hospital. She knew my birth plan and she was so understanding and patient with me. She gave me two options: to be induced immediately or to wait until Saturday morning and get blood work done again. The problem with waiting is that if my blood platelet levels dropped further, I could have other serious complication with blood clotting in labour. The problem with being induced was that my body may not be ready and it could present difficulties in labour as well as lots of interventions. I was not mentally prepared to hear this! I called Tim and was teary explaining what our options were. I was a little scared. Dr. Frecker had recommended being induced, and after asking her my questions, I decided to do that. I would be allowed to return home, and they would only administer a half dose of the prostaglandin gel. If I did not go into labour after a few doses of the gel, it did not automatically mean that I would get pitocin. One of my worries was being able to go home and be with Charlotte and it really put my mind at ease to be able to do this. I was able to rest with her that afternoon which was exactly what I needed!

I had a few contractions that afternoon and Tim and I returned to the hospital that evening for further blood work and monitoring. We were there for hours and it was a great time for us to connect before the birth and I had brought along "Hypnobirthing: the Mongan Method" by Marie Mongan. I had read the whole book and it was a chance to practice the relaxation techniques with Tim without any distractions! The amazing thing was, as I was strapped to the fetal monitoring for hours once again, we could observe the affect of the deep breathing on my contractions. (Which were coming pretty regularly by then.) It was pretty amazing how relaxation and deep breathing directly affected the length and strength of each contraction. It was almost as if I had control of the contractions according to my breath. Tim was blown away! He could watch the results as the paper came out of the machine and see how I was controlling the contractions with my breath.

Labour had started on it's own, with just half a dose of the gel. It was best case scenario for me! We were able to return home that night knowing our baby girl was on her way. In the middle of the night labour started getting intense. I had been in contact with Abi, our doula, throughout this whole process and it was finally time to call her and tell her she should probably come into the city. She arrived in the middle of the night, and I was so thankful that Charlotte slept soundly through the whole thing! After a while of labouring at home, in bed and on the ball, we decided it was time to call Nannie and Grampie and head to the hospital. I didn't want our transition of leaving to be really difficult and Charlotte was still sound asleep. Charlotte made out amazingly well all weekend and although we had never left her overnight, she was happy as could be with Nannie and Grampie!

The drive to the hospital was a really hard part of my labour with Charlotte and I decided to pop in the relaxation CD from the "Hypnobirthing" book into the CD player. It helped me relax and the drive was over before I knew it. I had requested in my birth plan not to know my dilation number and the nurses were very respectful of that. It contributed to a lot of anxiety in my first labour which was why I just didn't want to know. Labour progressed very well, and it was completely different than my labour with Charlotte. I practiced relaxation, slept between contractions and was laying down in the bed for most of it. With Charlotte, I walked and bounced and bathed and tried to progress my labour. I made it to 7 cm (found out afterwards) using these relaxation techniques! I couple of times I thought (and worried) about Charlotte, how she was doing, whether she needed to nurse and how this new baby was going to change our lives. At one point I became really emotional and cried over it, grasping Tim's hand and hanging onto every word of encouragement he had for me.

Labour got really intense. Later I learned that she was occiput posterior (OP) position and she didn't turn until I started to push. The nurse encouraged me to labour standing up, or on the toilet. Labouring on the toilet was extremely intense and I stayed there because I thought that it would progress things. This was the moment when the OB on duty decided to come in and introduce himself to me. It was awkward and strange and I had never met him before. The other thing that bothered me about the bathroom was the awful smell of cigarette smoke. (They are shared stalls in labour and delivery.) I was shaking pretty violently and couldn't really handle this form of labouring. After returning to bed, the nurse mentioned the "P" word... and I really freaked out then. I was stuck (I didn't know how far along) and she wanted to progress the labour. Labour was so intense, I couldn't imagine adding pitocin to the mix. Abi and Tim tried to calm me down and discuss other options with the nurse. We decided to go with fentanyl at that point so that my body could relax. It was mid-Saturday the 21st at that point. I needed some rest and I think this was the best option for me at the time.

After having fentanyl for a bit, I felt the intense urge to push. The problem was, I was loopy and felt completely out of control. I had progressed to 10 cm while resting and now it was time! It was scary to feel like my mind was elsewhere and my body was pushing full force. It is a good thing fentanyl leaves your system quickly and soon I was pushing. The first push (or maybe two?) she did a complete turn. The doctor was aiding in this too... talk about intense. Twenty minutes of pushing and she was here.... it was surreal.

I snuggled my baby, brought her to my breast and she nursed like a champion! The nurses were shocked, they had rarely seen a newborn nurse for 40 minutes straight before! I was closely monitored for bleeding and stayed in the labour and delivery ward for a long time after she was born.

I fell asleep afterwards with the cell phone in hand!

Charlotte finally met her when I went to the maternity ward. It was emotional and amazing all at the same time. Charlotte was so uncertain about everything, the hospital, me laying in bed, it was all so strange for her. She received a doctor's kit from Lila and she was so excited about it. The nurse on duty was so nice and let Charlotte help... she was so interested in everything that was going on! Charlotte didn't nurse right away as I thought she would. It wasn't until Sunday that she wanted to nurse again.

One thing that was really surprising was the afterpains. Although I had had some with Charlotte, they were extremely intense with Lila. I was in tears, it felt like I was in labour again. With a bit of time they subsided. I didn't have any stitches and felt pretty good, although exhausted. Lila was feisty, loud and demanding from the very beginning! She cried most of the nights and I had to wrap my brain around having a high needs baby along with my busy and beautiful toddler!

As I reflect back, I know that my labour would not have been the experience it was without my husband and without our amazing doula. She was there for us the entire time, actively suggesting options for labouring positions and relaxation techniques. She was the calm presence when things got hard. She supported me the entire time. She held me and rubbed my back and snuggled my baby when she was born. She switched the CD when we needed some different music! She brought battery operated candles and dimmed the lights to create a relaxing atmosphere in the hospital. And these are just a few things... after having a doula with Charlotte, there was no way we were going without for our second baby. And although Emilie was not available (she gave birth a few days before we did!) Abi was amazing. Thank you Abi, for making our experience an amazing and memorable one. We love you!

Lila's birth part 1

2010-10-10T14:30:00.009-03:00

How do you begin the story of one's birth? It is a miracle, a journey, time suspended.

The few weeks before Lila was born were uncomfortable and yet I still didn't quite feel prepared to make the transition to two. I didn't even pack my bags until I was 40 weeks or so, and even then, they were partially packed.

I wasn't emotionally prepared to leave Charlotte and I really wasn't sure how she was going to make out without nursing to sleep and during the night (if she woke up). I tried to treasure my time with Charlotte and remember that this was it... before everything was going to change.

We had our pictures done by a good friend (who is a potter - check out shaniestozek.com) and decided to do an outdoor shoot. The pictures here are a few from our shoot. I love having these memories, the last few before our family of three became a family of four. Tim and I went on some dates and saw a few movies.... a date night that is hard to pull off with a fussy newborn!

Wednesday morning (August 18th) Charlotte and I went to the beach and played in the sand and tried to cool down in the water. We had a picnic and enjoyed time with my cousin and her little guy! After a visit with Kathryn and Eden, we headed to the OB for my 39 week appointment. Little did I know that I would be heading to the hospital for monitoring and blood work that day, and induced two days later! My emotions were all over the place, and I was scared for my baby and for the loss of my ideal of what her birth was going to be like...

trying to figure all this out...

2010-10-06T15:38:00.002-03:00

Life has been interesting. Lila cries, a lot and I'm trying to make my time with Charlotte count, while she does sleep. Right now, they are both sleeping, an odd and rare occurrence. Tim and I have gotten out for a couple of dates (with Lila in tow) and it has been nice. The first time, we went out for dessert and Tim randomly asked me what goals I would like to accomplish before Christmas time. My response was... I'd like to be more intentional with my time with Charlotte, doing more creative activities with her. Tim said....... no, I mean, what do you want for YOURSELF? I was stumped. Sleep deprived, barely having time to brush my teeth and wash my face before "bed", desperately trying to get a shower every day.... what to do for myself??? It seemed bizarre and strange. And yet, I knew that if I didn't do at least something, ONE thing for myself I was headed towards burn-out. And I have been.. burnt out that is. Losing patience with my beautiful daughters. Not knowing what to do with this life with two children. It's totally different.

This may sound ridiculous, but it's how I've been feeling, so therefore valid to write it down I think! And perhaps, just maybe, someone out there feels the same way.

So I couldn't think of anything. But we went on, to talk about his goals, and ideas for a book club with friends (which is in the works!). I miss reading, and I definitely miss writing. So I think my goal is going to be something to do with writing. Even writing on this blog, because I miss it! Lila is awake, so I must go now, but I will write. I know I want to write...

Lila Adelaide

2010-09-07T16:01:00.004-03:00

Welcome to the world my sweet second daughter, Lila Adelaide! She is actually two weeks and three days old now, but I must say that life is much more complicated and busy with two children and finding that quiet moment to write is very difficult right now! At the moment, Tim's crew is siding our house and Tim took Charlotte out for a couple of moments to pick up some things in the backyard to put in her wagon. She LOVES hanging out with dad and working alongside him and they have developed such a special father/daughter bond in the past few weeks. Lila is sleeping, surprisingly in her bassinet and will wake any moment!

I can't wait to write out my version of her birth story and share h

er amazing entry into this crazy world! For now, here are some pictures:

Just a day old, snuggling with Grammie.

On our way home from the hospital.

Charlotte looks extremely excited in the last picture, but has had some pretty big adjustments to make as a big sister. I have to share this before I forget the moment. One evening while tandem nursing both girls to sleep, Charlotte looks up, and says to me "I love her, Mama. I love baby Lila." It was totally unprompted, natural and beautiful. Naturally, I tried to hold back the grateful tears that welled up in my eyes and said "Lila loves you too, Charlotte".... She is trying and it is such a hard adjustment, but oh those moments of love are SO worth it.

Be back soon....

on my mind...

2010-08-02T23:40:00.003-03:00

I feel like everything is a bit chaotic these days. Like I can't quite get a handle on life and it's making me a bit nervous to bring a baby into this world, this home, this life that is kind of crazy.

Today was supposed to be our organizing day. The day that we would prepare Charlotte's room and have it ready to fit clothes and items for both girls. The day I would have the bins of clothes sorted and labelled and stacked neatly in the basement. And.... it didn't happen. Charlotte was sick with a fever on Saturday night and Sunday and still didn't feel quite herself today. I ended up caring for her and nursing a lot while Tim ran around, and did a lot of cleaning/throwing out stuff that was in the basement (which needed to be done, and there is still a long way to go). Then we went out to the cottage for a much needed escape from the house and a swim.

I am worried that not being physically prepared... not having a dresser for the baby and having a space organized will somehow make her not feel welcome and wanted in this house. That squeezing in an office for the business (and all the "stuff" that comes with), and bedroom space for 4 in a small two bedroom house is pretty much impossible. Despite the fact that I desperately love this baby and I KNOW that all she needs is milk and love and someone to hold her close and change her when she needs it, I can't seem to get past this mental block. I can't seem to get a hold of what truly matters and embrace the truth and simplicity of what a newborn really needs. I think that I'm just worried and overwhelmed and well, tired!

My little "material" wishes and desires these days are for newborn cloth diapers.... I've been tempted by some kijiji deals! Also, these necklaces! (I've been hinting for a while now!!) And a creative and nice looking storage solution for the girl's clothes in their bedroom.

Oh, and it's World Breastfeeding Week! Check out this challenging article and tell me what you think! And stay tuned for a post on breastfeeding... and how I have been challenged and encouraged when it comes to preparing for tandem nursing.

Steel Drum band concert!

2010-07-28T23:31:00.002-03:00

My aunt directs/plays in a steel drum band that is based out of Calgary and they are doing an East Coast tour! Check out their myspace page here. They are playing at Officer's Square tomorrow at 7:30 pm and it's free. I think it will be a fun time :)

Menu Plan July 26 - 30

2010-07-28T23:18:00.002-03:00

I had my menu plan done on Monday... it just seems that my computer time is few and far between now, especially since Charlotte is really not wanting to go down for a nap, and if she does sleep for a few blissful moments, I do too!!

There is so much preparation for us to do for this baby, and not just practically, emotionally and mentally too. I am trying not to feel overwhelmed, but it's been a pretty crazy few months. I'm hoping to get a few things done on the weekend... maybe??

Here is the plan for this week:

Monday: a complete write-off. I struggled with trying to do to housework and loud banging and drilling on the house all day. Charlotte wouldn't/couldn't sleep, so at 4 pm we went for a drive out of desperation! On the way home I picked up some pre-cooked chicken and taters, and we had cucumber slices too.

Tuesday: Mom's Chicken and Rice Casserole

Wednesday: Fuss-Free Ravioli and Cheese Bake

Thursday: BBQ sausages and garden salad

Friday: Homemade pizza made with leftover sausage, zucchini and mushroom

Check out Organizing Junkie!

she's here!

2010-07-25T22:54:00.003-03:00

My gorgeous niece, Eden Jacquelyn arrived a short 12 days ago and she is perfect. My sister is adjusting so well and it seems like they have been parents forever... I knew they were going to be pros. I am so grateful that they are here and we can share in this amazing journey together.

You are loved, little miss Eden!

Yard Sale Fundraiser!

2010-07-19T23:37:00.003-03:00

Friend's of ours, Shanie and Warren are in the process of adopting their baby from South Africa. They are an amazing couple, and have been through a lot. We love them and want to support then as much as possible on their journey! So our small group (from church) decided to have a huge summer yard sale to raise money for the incredible expense of adoption. Please come and check it out if you are in this area! If you want to help, that would be great too! If you have stuff in your basement you've been meaning to get rid of, this is a great chance! Read more about Shanie and Warren's journey here. And don't forget to jot it down in your calendars: this Saturday, July 24th from 7 am - 1 pm, George St Middle School.

Menu Plan July 19 - 23

2010-07-19T23:18:00.002-03:00

We had a thrilling week last week! My sister had her baby and she is an amazing, wonderful, healthy little girl! I will post more on this later.

Here is the menu for this week:

Monday: Chicken and veggie pizza using this recipe for the crust (didn't get to this one last week)

Making lasagna, garden salad, and bringing bread and a sweet to friend's who just had a beautiful baby girl!

Tuesday: Shipwreck Casserole (Tim's request)

Wednesday: Smarter Fettuccine Alfredo

Thursday: BBQ steak, potatoes and fresh peas from our garden

Friday: leftovers

Check out Organizing Junkie for lots of yummy recipes (and organizing tips!)

Menu Plan July 12 - 16

2010-07-11T22:26:00.005-03:00

Ah, what a week. I actually had a menu plan last week, and somewhat followed it! I just have not had time to post and write. So here's general idea of last week's meals:

Monday: Mom's lasagna, garlic bread and Caesar salad

Tuesday: leftovers

Wednesday: Apple Chicken Quesadillas - I didn't get to these last week and they were SO yummy!

Thursday: ended up being leftovers again

Friday: ended up having chicken and veggie nachos with homemade guacamole, but this was not in the plan.

The best way to describe the past week is sweltering heat, unbearable humidity and major home renovations. There were days that the humidex was 90%+ and one day it got up to 40 or 41 degrees with the humidity. I have been really struggling with it this week and find it quite difficult to breathe, almost wheezy like someone with asthma would be. I must talk to my doctor about that, because it doesn't look like it's supposed to cool down anytime soon!! The renos on our house have been in waiting for a long time, and they are mainly our back porch (which was rotting away....), new windows and doors and new insulation on the outside of the house and siding.... these are in order to get the renovation tax credit (we had an energy audit done in the spring). It may seem exciting to some, but to be completely honest... I was dreading it, and now am struggling even more that it has started and will be put on hold for a bit. It adds stress along with stress with the business and I need to find ways to cope with it all.

What a vent... on a more positive note, I got a lovely hair cut this week! And Tim and I were able to get a sitter for Charlotte in order to go on a date which was a much needed hour or so away from the house and life...

I like it... and it's pretty easy to do, and doesn't look too awful when it is not styled!

So, back to the menu planning! I am trying to think simple meals as we are busy almost every evening.

Monday: Turkey Chili with rice

Baking a meal for a family who just had twin boys!! Plan is: homemade lasagna, garlic bread, Caesar salad and probably chocolate chip cookies for dessert. (They are a large family, and Mom's lasagna recipe is tasty and goes a long way!)

Tuesday: Pita Pocket Chicken Salad

Blueberry oatmeal muffins for Mom's group snack

Wednesday: Potato wedges and something on the bbq

Thursday: Leftovers

Friday: Homemade pizza using this recipe for dough as recommended by my sister!

I am also determined to try this green smoothie recipe this week! I am hoping to get hooked on these, there are tons of different recipes for green smoothies out there. Do you have a favorite? Or does this look disgusting to you?? I'd love to hear your experiences!

Thanks for hanging in there with me. Please check out Laura's blog for lots more ideas and organizing inspiration too!

Menu Plan June 28 - July 2

2010-06-29T22:16:00.006-03:00

So I had the best of intentions today to take some time to WRITE today! And..... I ended up going to Value Village instead as I heard that they had quite a few maternity clothes in! Oops...

We were in town as we had a lovely mom's group out lunch at the Delta. A fabulous place to treat yourself and the babes... kids eat free and the pasta buffet is delicious! I knew Charlotte would be ready for a nap afterwards and had intentions of walking her until she fell asleep and then using the free wireless downtown for some serious catch up in the blog world. I promise... it will come soon! I ended up getting a couple of new maternity shirts... hurray! And some lovely books with their buy two get two free sale. A generous stranger made my trip by giving me a coupon for $10 off too! Charlotte woke up after a bit and picked out a new baby doll and we even found her a knit dress to wear! It ended up being a good (and tiring) afternoon. One of my favorite finds was "Rediscovering Birth" by Sheila Kitzinger. The images looked so powerful and I think it will be a great treat to read and pour over.

So that is quite an elaborate excuse for not getting caught up on writing! Here is the menu for the week:

Monday: Haddock chowder

Tuesday: Pink Pancakes (we didn't get to last week)

Wednesday: Apple Chicken Quesadillas

Thursday: Grilled sausage and grilled asparagus with rice

Friday: Away on a road trip!

Happy Canada Day!!

Check out Laura's blog - she's having a giveaway this week :)

Menu Plan June 21 - 25

2010-06-22T00:17:00.003-03:00

How do the weeks pass so quickly? I have been meaning to post on the talk fredkid sponsored but I haven't seem to have found the time yet. Barbara Coloroso was amazing and inspiring and so challenging. She was entertaining as well... the 2 hours seemed like less than 30 minutes! I hope I have half as much energy as her in my 60s! I also hope to chase after a passion like she has in her life.

Happy belated Father's day to all the dad's out there! We had a pretty low key day, made a homemade card and went shopping for a few small things. I am so grateful for my own amazing dad and to have a wonderful husband who is an incredible dad to Charlotte. I'm very lucky!

So, last week's recipes! The Beef Barley Stew was a hit, and was so tasty. (Although not with Charlotte... she ate the carrots!!) I would not recommend the Oriental Chicken Wraps without some major adjustments! The sauce was so incredibly sweet it was kind of sickening, I could only eat one small wrap. I would omit or definitely cut down on the sugar a lot. There was also way too much sauce for the amount of salad we had.

This week is a pretty simple plan!

Monday: Veggie spaghetti with spinach/tomato sauce and whole wheat pasta

Tuesday: Chicken stir fry with lots of veggies over rice

Wednesday: BBQ potluck, bringing Broccoli Slaw salad (recipe from my mother-in-law... see below!)

Thursday: Potato Soup with raw veggies and hummus

Friday: Pink Pancakes from "Deceptively Delicious"

Broccoli Slaw Salad

1 package broccoli slaw

2-3 green onions (I omitted these because MIL did, and I think they would really change the taste of the salad)

1 c. peanuts

1 c. sunflower seeds

1 package Ramen noodles crushed

1/2 c. dried cranberries

Dressing:

1/4 c. oil

1/3 c. cider vinegar

1/2 c. sugar

Mix salad and dressing 3-4 hours before serving. (I did less time, and it was fine, also added the noodles just before serving to keep them crunchy.)

Keep cool, stir occasionally.

This salad is so easy... no chopping (without the green onions) or cooking. Throw all the ingredients together and stir!!

Check out organizing junkie for lots more ideas!

Menu Plan June 14 - 18

2010-06-14T23:27:00.003-03:00

I love the new banners that Organizing Junkie has up! Especially this one... so cute. And speaking of her site, don't forget to check out this week's menu plan post. She has a link for Canadian coupons and money saving blogs! I can't wait to take some time to check these out... pennies/dollars saved at the grocery store is worth it!

I'm curious... how do you buy your groceries? Do you stick to one store and primarily shop there? Do you drive around the city to get all the best deals at each store? Do you shop the Farmer's Market for fresh produce? Right now, to save time and lugging a toddler in and out of the car.... I primarily shop at one large grocery store, once a week. Although, I mainly buy our meat at the grocery store down the street as I find it's better, (less full of fat) and usually much cheaper. I would like to start shopping more at the Farmer's Market, however that means planning our meals on Friday for the week ahead!! Don't know if I can be THAT organized :P

Here's the plan for this week:

Monday: leftover vegetarian spaghetti from the weekend

Tuesday: Beef Barley Stew (we don't have a slow cooker, so this is slightly revised... we'll see how it goes!)

Wednesday: Bbq steak with grilled potatoes and salad

Thursday: Oriental Chicken Wraps

Friday: Teriyaki Chicken over brown rice with a green veg

So three new recipes this week.... slightly crazy for me! I needed to mix it up a bit and try some new things! All of the recipes are from Laura's Family Favorites.

Oh, and our desktop computer, well, it has died. Needs much more than a complete re-formatting. It's a bit disastrous for us, since we use the computer constantly for work. Thank goodness for this trusty old laptop from my sister and her husband! We bought it from them back in the fall. So grateful, as we would literally be panicking without it! (Bank stuff due tomorrow....) Thanks guys :)

Menu Plan June 7 - 11

2010-06-10T14:03:00.004-03:00

I'm finally getting around to posting our menu for the week, although it has been done since Tuesday :) Charlotte and I have both been sick and at my prenatal appointment yesterday, the doctor checked my throat and prescribed Amoxil in case it didn't improve. Fortunately I am feeling much better today, just very, very tired.

One exciting bit of news is that Barbara Coloroso is coming to Fredericton TOMORROW and putting on two talks!! The first is at 2 pm and not sold out, the second is at 7 pm and sold out a long time ago! Check out fredkid.com for more details. She is such a well-known author and speaker and it is very exciting that she is here :)

So here is the plan for this week:

Monday: Tuna Melts and steamed carrots

Tuesday: Mexican Pita Pizza from "Parenting" magazine, May 2010

Wednesday: BBQ sausages, mashed potatoes, and peas

Thursday: Southwest Layered Salad

Friday: Tortellini Pasta with tomato sauce and veggies

Check out organizing junkie for many menu links!

(Unfortunately I can't open any tabs or windows to input links as our computer will crash.... it needs re-formatting.) Have a great week!

to write, or not to write...

2010-06-07T13:35:00.005-03:00

I've been having a bit of a dilemma lately, wondering about continuing to write here. Mainly for personal/privacy reasons. The thing is, I love to write and at the present, this is my only outlet for that! I miss it when I don't write. I miss spilling out my thoughts (however jumbled) to the internet world!

So I'm going to try again, hopefully with a bit more consistency :)

My menu plan is not done for this week, I have been a serious slacker and although have had little plans to guide my grocery shopping, I have not been a great cook for my family. There have been a few days when Tim has done the cooking, and it has been a great break for me. Perhaps I should institute day when Tim is the cook??

We tried this Yummy Summer Salad from SouleMama, and it was amazing! So light and yummy, although Charlotte did not go for the salad, she loved the plain Orzo.

I continue to try recipes out of "Deceptively Delicious" and the only one I haven't loved is her grilled cheese recipe. The "Pink Pancakes" we had on the weekend were so delicious... they have beet puree, ricotta cheese and grated apple in them. Tim was extremely skeptical as the dough looked a bit like play doh, but they were a hit with everyone!

I've been thinking about cloth diapering a lot with this new little one on the way, especially in light of this scary article put out by the CBC. Really though... it's time that diaper companies become transparent with the products that are contained in their diapers. Mothering magazine had a wonderful article about cloth diapers this month and it was inspiring! I am considering putting disposables to rest and switching entirely to cloth. She has been in cloth much more frequently lately and it has been great. Part of my disgust had to do with two disposable diapers in a row putting the little beads that absorb water all over her skin, even without the diaper being fully absorbed and wet. It was awful. Tim shook her pajamas outside on the step and after it rained, the step was covered in a huge amount of clear balls... and they weren't small either. We have registered with Little Tree Hugger for this baby, as we need small cloth diapers for her! We started with Charlotte when she bigger and don't have any teeny tiny cloth diapers!

I must get to some laundry and have a rest while Charlotte is still sleeping! I find that tiredness consumes me and we are both getting over colds right now. I have stopped feeling guilty about having to rest and realize that as the time for this baby is drawing near, I need to take the time to quiet my mind and body and prepare for her birth. I am taking care of myself too!!

Here is a somewhat recent picture of us enjoying the sunshine!

updates

2010-05-11T16:12:00.002-03:00

-A sweet little story, reminding me that it's normal for life to be a bit crazy!

http://mothering.com/parenting/dances-my-daughter

-First pee in a public toilet happened yesterday!

-First poo at home in the toilet happened yesterday too! Although I caught her and put her on... but we celebrate the little things around here :).

Menu Plan May 10 - 14

2010-05-10T11:11:00.002-03:00

I'm enjoying a bit of a breather as Charlotte went down for a nap this morning, instead of in the afternoon. It's nice to have the break in the morning, as I still feel like I have lots of energy! We had a busy weekend with the fredkid fair on Saturday, date night Saturday night and Mother's Day on Sunday! I volunteered at the Birth Matters booth at the fredkid fair and it was a lot of fun! I was loosing my voice a bit at the end of it, so many people were interested in showing support for midwifery in New Brunswick! It was great to meet so many people and hear their stories. Also, sad at times too, because many pregnant women (or wanting to be pregnant) were very discouraged at their lack of options in this province. We drew in many people because of the generous donation by Shanie Stozek pottery of a large footed platter to give away as prize for filling out our quiz. Thanks Shanie!

I had a lovely Mother's day as well, although my emotions got the best of me yesterday. I felt like I was on the verge of tears all day! Maybe my pregnant, lactating body just needed a bit of a rest. We had a nice lunch together at Issac's Way, one of our favorite restaurants in the city.

So on to the menu plan! Another busy week is ahead, with events going on every evening. So I'm sticking to an easy menu plan this week!

Monday: Leftover enchilada bake with corn
Tuesday: Potato Soup (didn't use last week) and fresh rolls
Wednesday: Chicken Fettucini Alfredo
Thursday: Baked Haddock, peas and mashed potatoes
Friday: Grilled Cheese Sandwiches with squash (from "Deceptively Delicious") and Tomato Soup

For lunches some of my ideas are quinoa and steamed vegetables; pancakes with sweet potatoes (from "Deceptively Delicious").

Check out Laura's blog for some great recipe links!

Toilet Training......... sort of!

2010-05-07T18:48:00.003-03:00

Our journey with toilet training began about a year ago when I read "Diaper Free - The Gentle Wisdom of Natural Infant Hygiene" by Ingrid Bauer. I recorded some of our journey here and here. After last summer I really slowed down on practicing EC, life got really busy and it just became less of a priority I guess.

This past week and a half, however, Charlotte has been expressing much displeasure in being changed and having someone dress her. She is learning about her own will and how much she can do for herself. She wants to do everything for herself and is very adapt at expressing herself. (I can count 4 and 5 word sentences now... maybe more? She has become quite a talker and it is pretty amazing to me.) However, some of these pushes towards independence left us both quite frustrated and resulted in a lot of crying on her part. So, one of those days, when I just couldn't face another huge fit, I decided that we would try the toilet. Enough of struggling with these diapers, she can pull up undies! I dug out the seat we picked up for free at a yard sale last year, cleaned it off and placed it on our toilet. We already have a step stool so she can wash her own hands, so it's great for the toilet as well. She sat up and voila! She used the toilet!

She did really well for about a week and although didn't always cue us, it seemed as though she would hold it for the toilet if we took her at regular intervals. (When she woke up, before and after eating, etc.) Then a couple of days ago she refused to go in the morning and I didn't push it. I don't want it to be a negative and tearful experience for her.

So we are on the journey... despite my plans to wait after little miss number 2 is born! I guess I was worried about regression and the timing of things. Having to rush Charlotte to the toilet while breastfeeding baby instead of being able to wait a few minutes to change her diaper. Needing the toilet is immediate! But it's summer, the perfect time to train and run around without pants and so we will try it.

Just for fun: my parents bought one of those machines that changes slides into pictures and it will be so much fun to view all of these classic photos! Here is one of me, in 1984. Mom made me this adorable little outfit!! See any resemblance to Charlotte??

Menu Plan May 3 - 7

2010-05-03T23:40:00.003-03:00

I really don't mean to make every post a menu plan post!! I am hoping to get a post out soon about our new experience with toilet training this past week. It has been very successful and the fits and screams about getting dressed and diaper changed have improved dramatically. She is doing very well as long as we continue to give her opportunities to go.

Here is the easy and simple menu plan for the week:

Monday: Leftover bbq bison burgers, grilled sweet potatoes and steamed carrots
Tuesday: Sausage pasta
Wednesday: Lentil Brown Rice Casserole
Thursday: Potato Soup
Friday: Enchilada Bake

We tried the Lemon Blueberry Muffins (with squash) from "Deceptively Delicious" last week and they were amazing! Yum!

Check out organizing junkie for many more recipe ideas.

Menu Plan April 26 - 30

2010-04-27T15:36:00.002-03:00

Can it seriously be the last week in April? I have no idea where this month has gone... partially it went to Vancouver and back and now I am facing some crazy facts:
Charlotte is 20 and a half months.... nearing her second birthday!
Charlotte is becoming wildly independent and the struggles ("I do it") are difficult. (More on this another post....)
I am 23 weeks pregnant and feeling the baby more now! I was kind of worried about it, but my placenta is in front, so it feels quite a bit different from the first pregnancy.
We have been living in this beautiful city we call home for 5 years now.
And... we are very blessed to continually have more family moving here!

I did have my menu plan ready yesterday, but did not have time to post. I am really enjoying the cookbook "Deceptively Delicious" by Jessica Seinfeld which I got while we were away. It is fun to read and I already have my zucchini puree in the freezer!

Monday: Leftover chili and rice
Tuesday: Vegetarian Quesadillas
Wednesday: Sweet and Sour Chicken Drumsticks, rice and peas
Thursday: Leftovers
Friday: Macaroni and Cheese (with Butternut Squash or Cauliflower) from "Deceptively Delicious"

Check out Laura's blog for lots more ideas!

the plane

2010-04-22T13:49:00.003-03:00

Charlotte's first ride on an airplane! (My third, second that I can remember!) I was so nervous to take a 20 month old on such a long flight and we had one, very large carry-on suitcase packed to the brim with toys, puzzles, books, crayons, paper and snacks. We couldn't even fit said suitcase on the first plane, as it was a teeny-tiny propeller plane and it had to go in the storage underneath! Thankfully, that journey was only to Montreal, it was short, but not so sweet for me. Charlotte was unbelievable. She was content, slept a lot (it may have helped that our flight left at 6 am) and I was blown away. I was so prepared for the worst (and dreading it!).

On the other hand, I had pretty awful motion sickness and was actually sick twice on this flight and then once on the next. I was pretty miserable and Charlotte was happy as a clam!! The trip from Montreal to Vancouver went smoothly as well. Charlotte slept, and loved the tiny tv screens in the seats! We had even brought our laptop with a couple Wiggles DVDs for emergencies, but didn't need to use it until our trip home.

I breastfed Charlotte during most take-offs and landings and she did well with this until the flights home. She wasn't as happy on the way home and did not want to be held still. Unlike some of the forums I had read prior to leaving, the flight attendants did not say boo about me breastfeeding sans blanket on the plane. I was pleased that it was not an issue and it helped lull Charlotte to sleep a few times.

I also wanted to say a huge THANKS to all who wrote comments and sent me e-mails with tips for traveling with babes. It was very helpful and I didn't get a chance to thank everyone individually. If you are thinking about traveling while your toddler is still free... might as well give it a try! It might be insane, but they might completely surprise you! :)

Menu Plan April 19 - 23

2010-04-19T14:32:00.002-03:00

I must admit, we got home Wednesday evening, and it's been a bit of an adjustment to get back into house work/meal making mode! I've never really been on a vacation like this before and until this morning I've been resisting giving up vacation mode!!

After a few hours of work for the business this morning and menu planning last night, I feel ready to get back into real life. We are still dealing with some jet lag as Charlotte is going to bed quite late which makes for difficult and tiring evenings. Hopefully with time we will get back on track.

Here is the plan for this week! I found some inexpensive pork and extra lean ground beef at our local supermarket last night, so our menu for the week is planned around those. On the weekend, we had a yummy potato/carrot/cauliflower soup and a whole wheat pasta dish. Tim is ready for some meat in the menu I think!

Monday: Baked pork chops with asparagus and celery and cream of celery soup over rice
Tuesday: Shipwreck casserole
Wednesday: Leftovers
Thursday: Sour Cream Pork Chops (with some modifications as we don't have a slow cooker), Rice or Egg Noodles and Green Beans
Friday: Taco Salad

Check out organizing junkie for yummy recipes to try!

We're home!

2010-04-19T14:11:00.011-03:00

We had a wonderful and busy trip out West. The mountains were stunning, I fell in love with them! We visited with family and friends, and enjoyed exploring a huge city. We took a day trip to Whistler and drove up Cypress Mountain. We spent the weekend on Salt Spring Island and a day in Victoria. Here are some pictures of our adventures!

On the way out of the city towards Whistler

Whistler Village, at the base of Blackcomb. We had a fun day being tourists!

At the top of Cypress... a winter wonderland.

See the cars to get a sense of the "hugeness" of the trees! It felt like a fairy world.

The bunny rabbits at UVic... a huge hit for Charlotte, although a huge problem for the university.

One of Charlotte's favorite park activities is to slide... she had fun at the Ganges park the same morning as the Farmer's Market. (And on the ferry!)

A tea party! Another favorite activity for Charlotte. She was thrilled when the home we stayed at in Salt Springs had a "party"!At the top on Mount Maxwell on Salt Spring Island - gorgeous place.

Menu Plan March 29 - April 2

2010-03-30T14:31:00.002-03:00

Oh, what a difficult time I had thinking of meals this week. My mind is elsewhere... we have our ultrasound this Thursday and leave for our trip on Monday! My brain is in another world, and to make matters worse, I feel extra tired and worn out this week.

So my meals this week are easy and there are a few that I grew up with at home, that I haven't made as of yet. Check out Organizing Junkie for some recipe links that look really yummy!

Monday: Leftover spaghetti, whole wheat pasta with loads of veggies
Tuesday: Mom's Chicken and Rice Casserole
Wednesday: Chicken strips and salad
Thursday: Pork Roast with potatoes and carrots
Friday: Mom's taco recipe

Thanks for the tips on flying! I am trying not to stress about what to pack/what not to, and how Charlotte (and I) are going to manage on such a long flight. I got some "new" board books from Value Village on the weekend which should be useful! I am really excited to see family and friends and of course, the mountains. I think I will be even more excited once the plane ride is over and we are there!!

Menu Plan March 22 - 26

2010-03-22T19:46:00.002-03:00

Menu planning seemed almost painful this week! Part of my problem is that I need to plan on Sunday now (which I didn't do yesterday). Monday morning I have dedicated to work for the business and I take Charlotte to a sitter. So by the time we get home and get lunch, it is getting late to tidy the house (also should do this on the weekend....) plan the menu, make the grocery list and shop all before supper. Plus Charlotte has a nap in there. I am a lucky girl... daddy is out with the girl tonight with my grocery list! And I get to tidy the house (again), wash dishes (again!!) and hopefully get some prenatal yoga in there. I have been extremely tired the past couple of days and felt totally drained today. I am feeling somewhat stressed about our upcoming trip (and excited too)... more to come on that later! If you have ANY tips on plane travel and/or travel in general with a toddler, I would LOVE to have them!!

So back to the menu plan. Here is what's on the go for this week:

Monday: Baked potatoes, peas, steamed broccoli, and chicken strips
Tuesday: Curry chicken and veggies over basmati rice
Wednesday: Cheesy Chicken Vermicelli with peas and carrots
Thursday: leftovers
Friday: BLT wraps and sweet potato fries

I am making snack for mom's group, and I'm planning on baking Apple Banana Oatmeal muffins.

Check out Laura's blog for more recipes. I have been checking out her Family Favorite Recipes when I get stumped for an idea.

Babywearing and sling safety

2010-03-17T22:23:00.005-03:00

You may have heard the updates in the news lately regarding safety with certain types of slings such as "bag" type slings. There have been a number of infant deaths which is causing a bit of an uproar regarding baby wearing in general. I thought I would post some relevant links for those who are interested, and concerned about baby-wearing.

Here is a great article which helps clarify what you need to watch out for when wearing your baby, and that baby wearing in general is not necessarily dangerous. You need to make sure that your infant's face is not covered and visible to you at all times.

The above article links to this one which has helpful images (for those visual learners!!) that explain the potential dangers of bag slings. (Note, it was written in 2008.)

Here is a recent CBC news article which warns against the baby being in a C-like position, curling from head to toe, and how that is dangerous.

And here is a special report from Mothering magazine with many different links on this topic.

On a personal note - I love wearing Charlotte and although my pregnant belly is getting in the way a bit now, it is a wonderful way to "wear" her with her weight distributed evenly and lots of support from the wide cloth over my shoulders. I never really mastered the over the shoulder sling and found them uncomfortable for longer periods of time. I think that it is tragic that babes have suffocated in slings and grieve for those families. It is great that the general public is becoming more aware of the dangers, although important not to realize that not all baby-wearing is dangerous. Here is a picture of Charlotte and I at the lake last summer! I look forward to wearing our new babe in the same wrap this summer :)

Menu Plan March 15 - 19

2010-03-14T23:21:00.004-03:00

This week will be full of lots of visiting with family! It is March break week in NS and we are very blessed to have Tim's sister and family and my parents and sisters visiting. Plus all the regular stuff - work, mom's group and Pilates! Yup, I started prenatal pilates last week, and wow, I am out of shape. I don't think some of those muscles have been worked for two years... when I last took the class. I am looking forward to the health benefits and how a little bit of exercise goes a long way in shaping my attitude about health and exercise. The sidewalks are completely clear and that really helps with walking... I have been out much more lately with the girls. Although Charlotte often wants to walk "with her feet" which makes things a lot slower!

Here is the menu plan for this week:

Monday: Chicken, asparagus and rice
Tuesday: Corn Chowder (minus the bacon this time... I found that surprisingly, it didn't add much flavor at all)
Wednesday: Taco Salad Bowls
Thursday: Pancakes with loads of fresh fruit
Friday: Leftovers, or pizza night

Check out Laura's blog for ideas!

Waldorf education series

2010-03-14T22:17:00.002-03:00

I'm really excited about these seminars - fredkid is offering FREE seminars with Waldorf educators. Check out this link for all the details. And don't miss it! There are a few spots left :)

Menu Plan March 8 - 12

2010-03-08T12:54:00.003-04:00

After a overnight trip away, I'm feeling slightly tired and refreshed and ready to face another busy week! We took a little trip to Saint John, stayed in a beautiful hotel (with a pool!) and really reconnected as a family. We also visited two friends of mine and their families. It was so nice to see these ladies and their gorgeous/handsome babes! So nice to catch up.

Here is the plan for this week:

Monday: Mashed potatoes, baked haddock and peas
Tuesday: Southwest Layered Salad
Wednesday: Basil Tortellini Soup
Thursday: Grilled Honey-Lime Chicken Sandwiches and homemade, baked french fries
Friday: Leftovers and/or Homemade mini pizzas

Check our organizing junkie for more ideas and links!

Birth Matters

2010-03-05T14:46:00.003-04:00

I attended my first Birth Matters meeting a couple of weeks ago now, and subsequently, was involved in the question period in the Legislature the following day! The women and men who are involved in this organization are dedicated to working with the government to get midwifery legislated and in place in this province. It goes beyond getting midwives in NB, to making sure that the rules and regulations make sense and will be effective. It's a difficult process, and a lot of work, and I only understand a teeny bit of it all!

It was great to meet the women at the initial meeting and discuss many things related to the subject of midwifery in NB. It's amazing the inquiries that Birth Matters receives each WEEK from families and women in NB and people who want to move to NB but are hesitant because of the lack of birthing options here. It is important to a lot of people. The government here promised that midwives would be working in Fall of 2009. Now the promise is Spring of 2010, and it is highly unlikely that everything will be in place by this time. There are no midwives currently working in New Brunswick as they had to go take jobs elsewhere.

The meeting at the Legislature was interesting, although extremely long and we were very warm being up in the gallery. I brought Charlotte and she was AMAZING......... one of the mom's brought suckers and she had her very first sucker.... and she was in heaven :)

If you are interested in seeing the opposition question the Liberal Department of Health Minister, click here and it runs from 22:45 to 28:37.

What can you do? One way to make a difference, is to write to the Minister of Health and let her know that having legislated midwifery proclaimed in NB is important to you.

Ministre Mary Schryer
25 William Court
Quispamsis, New Brunswick
E2E 4B1

(taken from the Birth Matters website)

There were a few articles on this meeting in the Legislature, here is the one from the Daily Gleaner - it's a good one! I was interviewed and ended up on CBC radio, but unfortunately, missed the airing! I hope my thoughts were well represented.

And I should note: I did not have a terrible birth experience with Charlotte. It was long, and difficult, but I am not anti-obstetrician or anything like that. I think that obstetricians play an important role for women who have difficulties in labour and have high risk pregnancies. I think that women in NB need options for their care, and that care by midwives is superior in that it is personal - you receive care from a couple of consistent people. Also, you have amazing post-partum care, which is basically non-existent in our current system. Anyway, just my personal thoughts, and I would love to hear what you think!!

Birthday fun & Menu Plan March 1 - 5

2010-03-04T15:21:00.008-04:00

Yesterday was my birthday! Tim woke me up in the morning with the smell of pancakes cooking which was lovely... we don't have a tradition of cooking each other breakfast on our birthdays, but it's a nice one! The morning was a bit rough as Charlotte was up a lot in the night, and fussy, so we were both tired and she was pretty cranky all morning.

After her nap (which she refused to have in her crib, so she snuggled with me!) we made play doh together for the first time! It was a lot of fun... Charlotte loves to stir and mix. She picked out the color too! I thought she might be a little too young for play doh, but she loved squishing it in her hands and rolling with the rolling pin and cutting with her little toddler knife! She was amused for quite a while! Although Ava got scraps of play doh, and really enjoyed them... Charlotte didn't really try to eat it until the end, and I didn't let her! (I think she would have probably liked it!!)

Then we went out for supper at Canon's as you get a FREE meal on your birthday, up to $15! It was yummy and Charlotte got her first own "kid's meal" at a restaurant! (Usually she just muched off of our plates.) She loved her chicken strips and fries! :)

I had book club after that, it was a special evening club as Canada Reads starts next week! (Hurray!) We had to read one of the books that is in the running: "Fall on Your Knees" by Ann- Marie MacDonald. What an unbelievably well-written, and depressing book. The characters are still with me, and will be for a long time, I think. We had a great discussion, and are following it up by listening to the finale next Friday together.

After the book club, I rushed straight to my sister's house and she had a lovely birthday party with our family that lives here in Fredericton! It was so lovely, and she made an AMAZING mint/chocolate cheesecake for me! It was delcious, and I am about to have a leftover slice with some tea :) It was a wonderful way to celebrate 28 years!

Since I missed the menu plan this week, here it is! It was planned on Sunday and I thought of an idea Sunday night.... I asked Tim to help me plan! Wow, did it ever go faster :) I usually ask him if he has any requests for food, but he usually says, plan whatever! So sitting down to write it together was a huge help, and I think that I will do that more often :)

Monday: Shipwreck Casserole
Tuesday: Chicken Ceasar Wraps
Wednesday: Dinner out for my birthday!
Thursday: Sphagetti
Friday: Leftovers

Be sure to check out Laura's blog!

Vaccine update

2010-02-25T14:40:00.003-04:00

So Charlotte had her 18 month vaccines almost 2 weeks ago now, and I've been meaning to post on it all this time. The nurse was extremely open to my questions and brought out the pamphlet that comes with the vaccine to give me the most accurate information. And when she saw I was taking notes she offered me the pamphlet to keep! (I guess each vaccine comes with a pamphlet, so if you are interested... ask!)

All of the vaccines that contain aluminum (that I was worried about) are grouped into one vaccine shot called "Pediacel". It contains 1.5 mg of aluminum phosphate which is 0.33 mg of aluminum. Because it is such a small amount, I went ahead with that vaccine (Pneumococcal, Diphtheria, Pertussis, Tetanus, Haemophilus Influenza Type B) as well as the 2 others:
Polio IPV, and Measles, Mumps and Rubella.

Charlotte was upset... it definitely stung her and she was so much more aware of what was going on. We had waited in the waiting room alone for 45 minutes and she was getting quite antsy by the end of it. She slept A LOT that night and was fussy during the day. Basically, all she wanted to do was nurse and sleep, so I put everything else on hold, and so that's what we did!

Now she is set until she enters Kindergarten (or we homeschool!!) Another post for another time.....

Menu Plan Feb 22 - 26

2010-02-24T09:25:00.003-04:00

I have so much to write about, and no time it seems. Tim is incredibly busy right now, and along with daily construction work, has a few other business projects. So it's been a bit of a whirlwind. And he's exhausted. This weekend is the Solar Home Design Course and he is bringing in a teacher from Nova Scotia to teach on Passive Solar Design and Construction (for the general public). I've been working on advertising and registration. Charlotte and I are going to have to think of some fun activities to do together while daddy is busy! Along with working some nights, I feel like we don't see each other much. Suppertime is really important to us and even to just sit down for an hour or so and catch up is so important. I 'm glad that he takes the time to come home for supper even when he has to go back to work after.

Here is the menu plan for this week:

Monday: Lentil Brown Rice Casserole
Tuesday: Yummy Chicken Sausages from our local market and homemade french fries
Wednesday: Chicken Stir Fry
Thursday: Homemade Pizza
Friday: Leftovers

Check out Laura's blog for lots of ideas!

Menu Plan Monday Feb 15 - 19

2010-02-15T13:56:00.003-04:00

Menu planning is not so much fun for me today! I need to get it done, in the midst of a lot of other things, and I really need to get out and get groceries in time to do some banking for the business at the same time. Charlotte had her needles this morning and didn't have a long enough nap, so everything is a bit crazy today. Anyway, I think I need to post that menu planning is supposed to make life easier! And it does... sometimes it's just a pain to do the planning part. (Just being honest!!) But during the week, flexibility is key, don't feel like you need to stick to your exact plan to succeed. As long as you have ideas and the groceries in the fridge, make what works for your family at the time. Don't be too hard on yourself!!

Monday: Whatever's in the fridge (Charlotte was really fussy from her needles and we ended up having baked sausage and leftovers... Tim also is working REALLY late tonight, so with no help with the babe or the food, we just made do. That's where the flexibility comes in!!)

Tuesday: Chicken Marsala
Wednesday: Mashed Potatoes with a veg and steak
Thursday: Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup
Friday: Leftovers

Check out Laura's blog, she has some helpful menu planning links up this week!

Vaccines part 2

2010-02-09T19:50:00.006-04:00

I wrote about Charlotte's 12 month vaccines here. We ended up deferring her chicken pox and I wrote about struggling with that decision here. Now we are facing a whole onslaught of vaccinations..... the 18 month ones. Here is the list for 18 months:

Pneumococcal (Pc Vaccine) - contains aluminum
Diphtheria
Pertussis
Tetanus (DTaP, three vaccines in one) - contains aluminum, mercury in Tripedia brand
Polio IPV - contains animal tissue
Haemophilus Influenza Type B (HIB Vaccine) - may contain aluminum (PedVaxHIB brand)
Measles
Mumps
Rubella (MMR vaccine, three in one) - contains animal tissue, may have some serious side effects, live vaccine

(The information in italics is generalized from "The Vaccine Book" by Robert Sears. I am definitely not a vaccine expert and as science changes all the time, I could be mistaken in some of these statements. Different brands of vaccines contain different substances and are made in different ways.)

Yikes. That's all in one appointment. Of course many of the vaccines are lumped together in one needle, which is good for the babe in one way (9 needles would be insane) but not so good if she has a reaction. You would never know what caused the reaction.

It is time for me to go back to "The Vaccine Book" (by Robert Sears) and figure out which ones to request right away and which ones to defer. (Or whether to get all of them together.) Besides the Hep B at birth and the Chickenpox vaccine we have gotten all the other ones according to the recommended routine. The other thing is, she has gotten all of these vaccines at one time or another in the schedule. My main concern is that so many vaccines that contain aluminum are given in one appointment. My plan is to request that she only gets one aluminum containing vaccine at a time and defer what is possible to defer to another appointment. (Some vaccines, if they are on the second or third dose, have time limitations.) I hope to have a chat with my doctor about it and I'm really hoping they will be understanding. It is going to depend on what vaccines they put together in the needles (I heard yesterday that they only have three needles) so I can't really pick and choose in advance.

Anyway, I'll let you know how it goes! If you are interested in reading about Aluminum in vaccines, check out the mothering.com website and in particular, this article by Robert Sears.

Menu Plan Monday Feb 8 - 12

2010-02-09T09:33:00.003-04:00

Monday: Baked Pasta with Chicken Sausage (pretty much the same as the link, minus the vodka and I used mozza cheese as well)
Tuesday: Chicken with Tomatoes and Mushrooms over rice
Wednesday: Enchilada Bake or Leftovers
Thursday: Salmon and Rice Casserole
Friday: Date night - out to dinner for Valentine's Day

Check out Laura's blog for more ideas!

yup, we're having a baby!

2010-02-05T15:03:00.002-04:00

So the news is out - we are expecting baby Naugler #2! This baby is already holding a huge place in our hearts. I thought I was having a miscarriage at one point and so as you can imagine, we were extremely anxious and relieved after having an early ultrasound, confirming that our babe is growing and healthy so far! It is amazing and overwhelming all at once. My due "month" is late August and so I have just about reached my 12 week mark.

Many thoughts are constantly swirling in my head, regarding this baby's birth and entrance into our family. I am committed to nursing Charlotte for as long as she wants to, and so tandem nursing is probably in our future! I am really excited about this, and have purchased the book "Adventures in Tandem Nursing" by Hilary Flower. It is the only book that I could find so far exclusively on the subject. I will write more on this as I finish the book and reflect on the possibilities of tandem nursing in our family. I was really excited to meet a real-life woman (as opposed to reading about them on the internet!) who nursed two of her babes at the same time. I look forward to getting lots of tips and encouragement from her :)

One big obstacle that I can't stop thinking about is the birth of this baby. I was in labour with Charlotte for a long time and I'm not sure how Charlotte (who might still be nursing) will handle this. Having a home birth with a midwife is not an option in New Brunswick. (Unless you pay for a midwife to come from another province or from the States.) At one point, there were some licensed midwives working in NB and you could pay them out of pocket to birth your babies. As legislation has been pushed back and pushed back and nothing has been put in place, most (or maybe all) of these trained midwives have had to leave the province in order to find work elsewhere. For this reason, I hope to become involved in Birth Matters which is a non-profit organization working to have midwives working under our medical system. I think that having a midwife would allow me to have a lot more flexiblity in the birthing of this baby and allowing Charlotte to not be separated from us for a long period of time. I still need to look into the policies of our hospital regarding toddlers visiting labour and delivery and also visiting and staying in the maternity ward. My inclination (after trying to be a breastfeeding mom while going through gall bladder surgery and complications when Charlotte was a week and a half) is that it will NOT be easy, and perhaps, impossible for Charlotte to stay at the hospital with us, just because she is breastfeeding.

Anyway, I need to invest a lot more time in research about this whole process. Perhaps Charlotte will self-wean before the time comes. Or perhaps she will nurse a lot less. But I need to be prepared as she might still be nursing quite a bit. It is a bit nerve wracking for me, as I don't have many options, and it costs a lot of money to bring a midwife from Maine or Ontario.

For now, I am enjoying every special nursing time with Charlotte. She is becoming quite a chatterbox and I love spending my days with her.

On another note, I am also thoroughly enjoying the book "Creative Family" by Amanda Soule. I just started it today, and I am being challenged to be creative in my own life. I just finished the section on Graditude and oh my, I have not been very outwardly grateful in my everyday life. There have been a lot of stressful things going on with the business which affects our future and some pretty huge decisions. I have been affected by this in my attitude and have been stressed (as has Tim). I hope to change the stress in the air tonight as we have dinner with my sis and her husband and relax and hang out together. I want to start saying the things that I am grateful for out loud! And encouraging genuine gratitude without forcing Charlotte to say thank you all the time. Have a wonderful, gratitude filled weekend!

"big sis"

2010-02-02T09:00:00.001-04:00

Menu Plan Monday Feb 1 - 5

2010-02-01T18:27:00.002-04:00

Here's another plan for another week! Last week's plan went as scheduled and it was yummy! Charlotte LOVED the honey garlic chicken sausages from the market. They were ALL meat and so good barbecued. They are quite expensive, but a great way to get Charlotte to eat some meat.

Monday: Fettuccine Chicken Alfredo
Tuesday: Baked Haddock and Potatoes
Wednesday: Corn Chowder
Thursday: Tacos
*Making lasagna, salad, and chocolate cake for friend's who just had their fourth... a girl!
Friday: Leftovers (if we have any) or pizza

Check out Laura's blog for more ideas!

"Dreamer...."

2010-02-01T10:12:00.002-04:00

It's been a long time since a wrote this post on date night. At that point, Tim and I weren't spending any time together without Charlotte in tow. After a few dates here and there, we finally are in a routine of having a WEEKLY date night. Yes, I said weekly!! I will go as far as to say, I think it is the one thing that will keep our marriage together and strong through the life stuff and busyness that is always keeping us apart. We need to communicate to remain a close couple. It sounds simple, but often, there just isn't time.

So thanks to some wonderful babysitters we have in our lives, we are going out every week. Sometimes it's dinner (one of my favorite dates by far....... no cooking and no cleaning up at home!), coffee, shopping, and last night... a concert!

We went to see Jenn Grant perform last night and it was fabulous. Despite the fact that we had to leave "early" (we stayed for 2 hours) it was so much fun, and so enjoyable. She is an amazing performer and artist. "Dreamer" was the last song we heard before we left, and it was SO good.

It's expensive, going out every week. But I look at it as an investment, and a lot cheaper than future therapy!

So that's what's up with date night. It has changed our marriage. You should try it!!

Menu Plan Monday Jan 25 - 29

2010-01-27T10:11:00.003-04:00

(Sorry this is late... I actually had it done, but couldn't get into my blog for some reason!)
Last week was a bit of a strange week as far as menu planning went. I didn't get to the grocery store until later on in the week and had a few thrown together meals (including pancakes one night) but it all worked out. And I have some meals to use again this week. One of the favorites last week was the Cream of Potato Soup. A little scoop of sour cream went with this soup really well! (Perhaps because of the cauliflower?) I also made a simple white bread recipe for the bread machine which is one of our favorites! (Not the most healthy, but so yummy!)

Here is our plan for this week:
Monday: Leftover Cream of Potato Soup
Tuesday: Quinoa and Lentil Confetti with honey garlic chicken sausages from our local market
Wednesday: Chili with Sweet dinner rolls
Thursday: Mom's lasagna (didn't get to make last week)
Friday: Leftover buffet

Check out Laura's blog for some more meal planning ideas!

when she sleeps...

2010-01-22T13:36:00.002-04:00

When she sleeps.... all I want to do is relax and breathe! Go to the bathroom in silence. Close my eyes and forget about the mountain of dishes. Read a magazine or book and ignore the toys scattered all over the floor. (Or write out my thoughts on here!)

I enjoy spending time with Charlotte but lately the biting and hitting has gotten to me. She is testing and has a very strong will. I love that about her... but I need to be able to listen to what she is trying to tell me. That an extra measure of attention and love and PATIENCE is key right now. She has a mouthful of teeth coming in, including molars after being a four-tooth girl for quite some time. It probably hurts like crazy. She is realizing things that she is capable of doing (climbing the toilet for example) but that I won't let her because it isn't safe. She just got the sound /k/ this week at the end of words and says "milk" and "book" clear as anything. Amazing!

She loves noodles and bread and grapes. She "jumped" like a maniac on the trampolines at open gym this week and I was so proud!! She is fearless and adventurous and loves to dance to "Fruit Salad" by the Wiggles.

I love her to bits and for now, I'm thanking God that she still has a nap during the day!! :)

Menu Plan Jan 18 - 22

2010-01-18T10:10:00.003-04:00

Last week I followed the menu plan every day! It worked really well, and because I didn't introduce any new recipes, it made it easy for me. The most difficult part was cooking two meals on Friday and we our car started leaking gas that afternoon, which created some chaos as well. Thank goodness for my sister who came over to help that afternoon!

This week I am keeping it simple with some family recipes.

Monday: Mom's sweet and sour drumsticks with basmati rice and peas
Tuesday: Baked potatoes, baked haddock and green beans
Wednesday: Veggie Quesadillas
Thursday: Cream of Potato Soup (healthy version) with homemade bread
Friday: Mom's lasagna

Check out organizing junkie for lots more menu planning ideas!

book club

2010-01-13T19:50:00.009-04:00

I joined a book club last fall! I can't remember if I've blogged about it, but I think it's about time!
When Charlotte was a newborn, I was desperate to get out and meet other people, and also wanted to get involved in something just for me. So I called the public library and asked about book clubs and whether I'd be able to bring a newborn (as she mainly slept and ate at that point!). They said sure, but I had to go on a waiting list. Well, about a year later, they called and there was a spot! So I joined but manage to line up sitters for Charlotte as she is much too rambunctious to take to a book club now.

So everyone is older than me, but it is great to meet new people, outside of the mommy and baby world. The women (and one man) have great input and perspectives and we often have lively debates! We meet once a month and read a new book every month. Some of my favorites so far have been:

"Water for Elephants" by Sara Gruen

"A Thousand Splendid Suns" by Khaled Hosseini

and the first one we read:

"The Nine Lives of Charlotte Taylor: The First Woman Settler of the Miramichi" by Sally Armstrong

I used to love to read, until I studied English in my first undergrad degree. Then it became a chore as I had to read A LOT of books for that degree. Since then, I haven't read a lot of fiction just the odd book here and there. I read a lot of non-fiction now (parenting, baby books etc). Joining this book club in one way has forced me to get back into reading again and it turns out, I really enjoy it! I love being able to do something just for me and to have my own reading goals. Let me know... what do you like to read?? What is on your bookshelf these days?

Menu Plan Jan 11 - 15

2010-01-11T12:17:00.004-04:00

So last week's plan did not go entirely as planned, but that is okay. I am giving myself lots of freedom when it comes to changing it up and going with the flow of the week. The initial planning of it is important as it gives me a place to start and lots of groceries to work with in the house. Flexibility is going to be key this year I think!

Here is the plan for this week:

Monday: Sausage spaghetti with loads of veggies
Tuesday: Pork with rice and asparagus
Wednesday: Shipwreck Casserole (recipe below)
Thursday: Chicken Caesar Wraps
Friday: Homemade pizza
*I'm making Potato soup and homemade bread for a friend who just a baby as well!*

Check out Laura's blog for lots of great menu planning ideas and recipes.

Mom's Shipwreck Casserole

Grease casserole dish. Slice 1 layer of onions, 1 layer potatoes, 1 layer sliced carrots, 1 layer Minute Rice, 1 layer fried hamburger. Season with salt and pepper. Mix together 1 tin of tomato soup with 1 tin of hot water and pour over casserole. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour (covered) or until fork goes easily into potatoes and carrots.

(I am going to try and use leftover rice from Tuesday's meal instead of Minute Rice.)

Menu Plan January 4 - 8

2010-01-04T14:40:00.002-04:00

What a nice break I've had! With every break from routine, it seems like it's harder to get back into the groove, so I am going to try and keep it simple this week.

Monday: Curry Chicken and veggies with rice
Tuesday: Spud Special Soup (recipe from my sister)
Wednesday: Baked Spaghetti
Thursday: Lentil Burgers
Friday: Homemade pizza

Check out organizing junkie for lots more menu planning ideas!

Happy New Year!

2010-01-02T22:22:00.002-04:00

Well, we are home sweet home and I love it. I love being in our space. We are experiencing the first major snowstorm of the season and had to brave the roads home tonight as we were out visiting family. A bit treacherous, but we made it (although not in the driveway) and Tim is clearing snow at the moment. I am so thankful for finding a snowblower on kijiji as Tim has problems with his shoulder and shoveling really bothers it.

So I am blessed. Curled up in front of the computer, browsing amazon and thinking about the fact that I have yet to ponder my New Year's Resolutions for the Year. Last year, my word for the year was "health". (Check out my post on the fredkid forum to read more about it!) My goals were lofty last year, and I only really worked seriously on a few. I think that part of the issue was not going back and reading them, or posting them in a place where I could remember and re-focus. I did start researching recipes, menu planning and trying to cook healthier meals. I learned how to cook dried beans and lentils. I try to only shop for groceries once a week. Planning really helped eliminate quick (and unhealthy) pre-packaged food from our diet. We still have a long way to go, especially when it comes to late night snacking and portion sizes. But I grew a lot in this area this year.

Exercise... I did really well at the beginning of the year with videos at home. I became a member of Leslie Sansome's Walk at Home online program and also did "The Shred" (by Jillian Michaels). That slowly faded away when Charlotte became really mobile and wouldn't sit still for a workout session. I am lacking exercise in a major way in my life right now. I walk our dog but that is it. I miss it and still have yet to think of a solution for this.

Home organzation... nada. Major goal for this year.
Creativity... not so much. I thought about it a bit and blogged about it. I definitly need more creativity in my life.

Financial... still need major work on this. We decided to do an online financial and budgeting course together but have yet to start it. Tim also started his own business in 2009, which is a huge change in many, many, ways. Being in charge of the books, has been extrememly daunting, and another major stressor in my life. This is something that I have to deal with and get under control in the new year.

Spiritual... I have completed one Beth Moore Bible study and I'm still working on my second. I grew quite a bit spiritually this year through these studies and I look forward to continuing with a structured form to stay consistent.

So am I a healthier person? In some ways. But I still really lack balance in my life. I think some of the major problems are an un-organized home which is stressful for me and the stress of dealing with finances. These things plus lack of exercise and time for myself contribute to lack of health in my life. So on to 2010! New possibilities, many new opportunities! I think reflecting helps clarify what stands out for this year. Happy New Year!

little trip

2009-12-30T23:47:00.005-04:00

My family and I are on a little trip right now, visiting my parents and sisters. We are having a wonderful break from the everyday busyness of a life that had spun a bit out of control. It is perfect timing for me, and a great time to stop for a bit (as much as you can with a busy toddler!) and step away from the every day tasks that running a house brings and just be.

I am looking forward to a new year with great anticipation. I feel like I am in need of taking stock of what is happening in my life and making some pretty important decisions to the direction that we need to take together. Look out for some new goals that I will be working on and posting soon! For now, here is a picture of me with my gorgeous sisters taken by the talented Laura MacDonald.

And there won't be any menu planning this week, as I am not cooking, just helping out with other things around the house. And I love it :)

Christmas traditions

2009-12-23T09:44:00.007-04:00

This is my very first year not being with my mom, dad and sisters for Christmas. The sad thing is, it won't be the same, the good thing is, we can start making our own traditions as a family unit!

Here are some of the traditions we hope to incorporate, or have already done this year.

Christmas tree lighting downtown. This is a fun event with lots of Christmas carols and music playing downtown. The shops are open late and it is a fun way to celebrate the season with the community.

(picture from 2008, forgot the camera this year!)

Cutting our Christmas tree from a local, organic Christmas tree farm. At the farm we go to, any tree you cut is $10! This is a tradition that my parents started, but we would tag our tree and cut it on separate weekends. (2008)

(2009)

Christmas Eve
Gingerbread house making
Chicken fricot for dinner
Church service
Ice Cream making with Tim's parents (they have a real, old-fashioned ice cream maker)
Open our new, cozy pajamas for a cozy sleep Christmas night! (This one is carried over from my childhood!)

Christmas Day
Read the Christmas story in the Bible together and pray together. Focus on why we are celebrating and rejoice in Jesus' birth!
Open our stockings and gifts, taking time to thank the giver and enjoying the gifts.
Have a yummy brunch of homemade pancakes, real maple syrup and mounds of fresh fruit!
Spend the rest of the day with Tim's family, his sisters, and her cousins.
Eat a delicious Christmas dinner together!

Boxing Day
Drive to visit my family and enjoy Christmas with them.

What are some of your favorite family Christmas traditions? In the future, I would like to focus more on homemade gifts with lots of thoughtfulness and time going into them, but I have to work on my crafty/artistic side plus have lots of time! I think a lot of planning will have to do into this in future years!

Menu Plan December 21 - 25th

2009-12-22T10:04:00.003-04:00

Time is flying... I don't know where the days go sometimes. Tim has been working every day and night until 10ish, and all weekend as well. I am somewhat tired and certainly ready to have him home for a bit! Our holidays are going to be a bit different this year. I have been home with my family every Christmas, for my whole life. We had lots of traditions and I really enjoy spending Christmas eve and morning with them. Then we would spend Christmas afternoon, supper and evening with Tim's family. This year, we are staying home for Christmas day! It will be different, but good, as we decide what traditions to keep and what to do differently, changing and revising our plan every year. We will visit my family on Boxing Day. Kathryn and Tim will also be here to spend Christmas eve and Christmas morning with us which will be very special.

Here is the menu plan for the week which for some reason, was really hard to come up with this week!

Monday: We ended up getting Wendy's.... lack of menu planning and busyness caused this!
Tuesday: Homemade pizza, which I didn't get to last week. I will be using this recipe for the crust.
Wednesday: Omelets and hash browns
Thursday: Chicken Fricot (a dish I have never tried before, but was recommended by a friend, and thought I'd like to do something easy and different for Christmas Eve!)
Friday: Christmas dinner with the in-laws

Instead of the BLT guacamole I was supposed to make for the potluck last week, I made the Appetizer Wreath suggested on Laura's blog. It was so easy, and delicious AND pretty! A huge hit, and I will definitely be making it again, either for Christmas dinner as an appetizer, or next year!

Check out Organizing Junkie for more menu planning ideas. And Merry Christmas!

Menu Plan Dec 14 - 18

2009-12-14T08:39:00.002-04:00

My favorite recipe last week was Armenian Lentil Soup. I made a few adjustments: 1 tbsp of lemon juice and 1 tbsp of soy sauce instead of two each... 3/4 tsp of salt instead of 1 tbsp and I omitted the dill weed. It was hearty and delicious, perhaps because I love the texture of cooked spinach. (Those that don't would probably not like it as much.) I also used chopped fresh spinach instead of frozen. Yum!

We had a little snowstorm last week and so our small group potluck was postponed. My sister and I decided to test cook our dishes for our hubbies anyway! (We had a meal of appetizers!) Her mushroom and onion dip was AMAZING (company's coming recipe) and my cheese balls were boring and not very enjoyable. (They tasted like cheese and flour, which pretty much describes the ingredients!)

So.... I am going to try another recipe this week! Here is the plan:

Monday: Chicken fajitas (boxed kit, bought it for an easy meal on the weekend, as I usually take the weekend off/do everything the easy way!)
Tuesday: Date night out
Wednesday: Small group potluck. This time, I am going to try BLT Guacamole from Rachel Ray's Big Orange Book. Pretty similar to this version I found online, she just uses romaine and 2 lemons.
Thursday: Pork Roast with veggies (potatoes, carrots, onion and parsnip)
Friday: homemade pizza

I experimented with Curry Chickpeas this week as a little snack to take along to the potluck. It didn't turn out as I expected (they didn't get crispy) but I think I will bake some this week with the spices to see how it works. This recipe is also from the "Big Orange Book" by Rachel Ray. (I got it from the library..... before I started menu planning there was no way I'd be interested in getting cookbooks from the library! Now I actually read recipes for fun......................)

I have another potluck with my mom's group this week, and we are going a cookie exchange. My brilliant sister thought of peanut logs which are easy, and you don't have to bake them!! I am going to make them today, and will post the info later on! I am also going to make a couple of loaves of bread from the breadmaker to take.

Busy busy cooking week! For more menu planning ideas, check out Laura's blog. I LOVE the idea of the Appetizer Wreath!

what we have been up to....

2009-12-09T14:26:00.007-04:00

I plugged my camera cord into the computer today, and discovered that my picture taking has been few and far between. My folder titled Nov 21 - Dec 8 09 with a total of 37 pictures in it. Here are some snapshots of our life in the past few weeks. Full of family and wonderful memories.

The background is my old high school, we were headed to basketball game on our trip to NS for early Christmas. Charlotte's aunt and uncle (pictured) were headed to South Korea to teach English... little did we know, plans would change shortly....

And they ended up not going and living here for a bit! Uncle /t/ is helping out Tim with his business and Nina is spending loads of time with us and we are loving it! They needed a fridge for their apartment and I have always wanted a full size fridge. (We had a 9 ct. one, and now have an 18!!) I put an ad on kijiji and ta-da! Nina and Charlotte have a marvelous time cleaning the fridge (well, Charlotte did anyway) and there was water.......... everywhere!!

Charlotte is growing up so much. One of her favorite words is "no" and she loves to express herself through words and sign language. She can draw and I gave her a little "writing" book that is similar to my little notebook. She is quite adapt at holding pencils and pens (with supervision of course)!

She has a beautiful personality and although she doesn't talk much in groups, she is a chatterbox at home. She loves to explore and find out how things work. She also asks for a book pretty much every time we sit down to nurse together. (Milk and books go together now!)

We just had the joy of celebrating uncle /t/'s birthday party! (I write /t/ because Charlotte makes the sound for "t" to say Tim's name.) We had a yummy blizzard cake and (my) Tim took both of these incredible pictures!

We are enjoying every moment with Kathryn and Tim and will be very, very sad when they have to leave. But we are not thinking about that, and are thankful for the time we have together now. We share many meals together and Kathryn and Tim are amazing babysitters!!
I must get ready for book club... there are so many fun parties and celebrations these days, I barely have time to post! But I will get back to regular posting soon......... promise! ;)

Menu Plan Dec 7 - Dec 11

2009-12-09T14:04:00.002-04:00

Well, it's not exactly Monday and my dog is running around like a maniac while Charlotte sleeps, so I suspect she won't sleep for long.

Here is the menu plan for this week:

Monday: DH - leftover chili, Moi - out with the Mom's group mom's for dinner
Tuesday: Veggie nachos and homemade guacamole
Wednesday: Pot Luck with our Small group Bible study, I am making Baked Cheese Balls from Company's Coming (I can't find the recipe online....)
Thursday: Armenian Lentil Soup with homemade (breadmaker) bread
Friday: Nacho Salad (at hubby's request)

Check out organizing junkie for more ideas!

the babe at Christmas

2009-12-04T10:28:00.002-04:00

I came across a blog that was linked to another blog.... ah the joys of "surfing the web" as we used to say! I love this post... had to share.

Thinking about births and babes and breastfeeding this Christmas!!

Menu Plan Nov 30th - Dec 4th

2009-12-03T11:28:00.002-04:00

Another week is almost done and I am posting this way too late. But here is my plan for this week:

Monday: Scrambled eggs and spinach on bagels
Tuesday: Date night - out for supper
Wednesday: Homemade spaghetti, with garlic toast and ceasar salad
Thursday: Pork chops, with rice and asparagus
Friday: Baked Pasta with Chicken Sausage

I want to try this Banana Oatmeal Chocolate Chip cookie recipe. And I've been using the breadmaker fairly frequently which has been great!

My sister and her husband are here temporarily while Tim helps Tim with the piles of work he has right now. It's been wonderful having them here. My blog has been neglected, and I do miss the outlet for writing. Hopefully I will get back into it soon. Thanks for being faithful readers! (And please say hello in the comments!!)

Check out Laura's blog for more menu planning ideas.

sleeping in

2009-11-28T10:30:00.002-04:00

I remember the days of sleeping in........ they were glorious and relaxing and usually set the tone for a chill day. Now, the concept does not really exist. Not that I would trade or go back. It's just that....

Charlotte slept in today! And she's still sleeping at 10:30. She was up at 6:30 and I had to change her and tuck her back in bed for more milk. But I slept in!! (Poor Tim... he's working again today, putting in windows in the rain.)

Have a wonderful (rainy) weekend everyone!