WAHM Juggling Two

Sausage Fest

2011-04-28T10:10:00.007-07:00

My family loves sausage, and each year before Jason's annual hunting trip, we resolve to learn to make sausage, but have somehow never gotten around to it.

But then a few weeks back, I heard about a free Sausage-Making workshop at Williams Sonoma on Granville. Every Sunday they put on a different cooking demo twice a day (11am & 2pm) - Jason and I opted for the later slot since it seemed like attendance would be much lower, and we were right. It was AWESOME and Dana, the instructor, was chock full of tips that I now use in my everyday cooking. While Carmen was glued to the counter as Dana chopped, fried, ground and seasoned, Keira was not-so-entranced and completely surrounded by expensive, breakable things... So while I wouldn't recommend bringing a feisty 3yr-old, an older kid or a babe in arms would be fine. And did I mention that you get 10% off everything in the store following the free workshop? Fun!

Later that week, Jason arrived at home with a 12lb frozen turkey to turn into sausage - he was so excited! After leaving it to thaw, it dawned on me that we would not be able to refreeze the sausage, and that 12lbs of turkey would make a heck-of-a-lot of sausage! So we decided to turn our normal Friday date night into a sausage-making extravaganza, and use the sausage for our daughters' birthday party the following day. No pressure, right?

I walked to Windsor Meats on Main Street to pick up some sausage casings, bought presoaked for 25 cents a foot - my disclaimer is that sausage-making is not for the faint of heart! If you want to make breakfast-size sausages, you opt for sheep intestines, but we opted for pig intestines for the bratwurst-size sausages. I bought 30 feet. This is what it looks like, washed and soaking - appetizing, no?

Armed with my Kitchenaid and the new grinder & sausage stuffing attachments that I bought for 10% off, we set off to work Friday afternoon. Jason's mad hunting skillz were quickly appreciated when faced with carving a raw and partially-frozen turkey. We opted to put the kidney & heart into the mix, and used both breasts (skin on) but only one leg. The other leg and wings were for dinner on Sunday night! Because we used a high-quality bird, we used the skin to add some fat to the mix (Dana tip), while some people might opt to add pork fat. I know, it sounds gross, but like I said - not for the faint of heart.

The meat grinder worked like a dream, and of course the beer-drinking that accompanied the grinding helped keep a festive date-night atmosphere! Add to that a healthy dose of sausage innuendo...

I opted to fry my mustard seeds and fennel seeds in a bit of butter, before adding some onion to the saute pan. I chopped some fresh thyme and rosemary from the garden, and then finished the seasonings off with dijon mustard and salt & pepper. This needed to cool before we added it to the meat.

One of the invaluable tips we learned in the demo was to mix everything together and then fry up a bit of the sausage mix to make sure it tasted good BEFORE stuffing 30 feet of casings. Makes sense, hey? But I've never thought about applying this to hamburgers, cabbage rolls, etc. Smart cookie, that Dana.

The next tip we learned was to make sure the meat was allowed to rest for 2-3hrs refrigerated before stuffing the casings. This allows the fat to congeal (gross) so everything sticks together, removing the need for any binding ingredients. The same principle can be applied to burgers, etc. Another great tip.

While the meat rested, our awesome teenaged twin babysitters arrived for their usual 2hr date-night stint. We headed out for a workout. Some people might think that is a lame date, but we really like it!

Upon our return, I pulled the Kitchenaid out and fitted the stuffing attachment on, then started setting up the casings after putting a bit of olive oil over the stuffing attachment to make it slippery (another great Dana tip). And yes, I know what it looks like - get your mind out of the gutter!

By about 10:30pm, we had 37 sausages. So not only was this a pretty fun experiment, it was also totally cost-effective! Because we used the whole bird for the stuffing, I think the sausages were also much healthier and better quality than what you would normally buy in the store. I'll admit that it's a two-person job, and still pretty time-consuming... but we still had fun!

And we have it on good word that the sausages were pretty darned tasty. Every single one of them was eaten the next afternoon!

You Say Good-bye, I Say Hello!

2011-03-15T15:10:00.003-07:00

In the spirit of Spring Cleaning, here are a few of the things we've said 'good-bye' to in the last little while...

1. Jason's Motorbike (wahoo!)
2. The POTTY (double wahoo!)
3. Store-bought cleaning supplies (even the eco-friendly ones)
4. Preschool, kindergarten and childcare-related stress
5. Yelling (me - that's another post entirely)

A few things we've recently said 'hello' to...

1. Triathlon Training
2. A Naturopath (Jason) and a new RMT (both of us)
3. The 3yr-old partially-pieced stash quilt jammed into my sewing drawer!
4. Sunday morning 'date-runs'
5. Cod Liver Oil (blech!)
6. The Grow Lights

What have you said good-bye and hello to?

Lil' Tri Girl Resurrected?

2011-03-11T16:08:00.005-08:00

Well, it's certainly been awhile. Nearly six years, actually, since I did my last triathlon - the Squamish Tri in 2005, the official first day of my pregnancy with Carmen! Crazy how time flies when you're procreating. I miss it though - the training and goal-setting, the excitement, biking around soaking wet... it's how I met my man.

OMG - these pictures are so old I actually had to SCAN them in. Geesh. And damnit, I have no idea where my lucky red bandana has gone. This is a bunch of us after the Squamish Tri in 2004 - the race that I trained for with Jason and totally fell in love with him...

And this is Jason and I at the New Balance Half Iron in 2005, right after we got engaged and decided to have babies...

In any event, I decided to sign up for an event, FINALLY. Actually, I meant to sign up for one a while ago, then forgot, then it sold out... yada yada yada, and those are the days of our lives!

And so, for the second time I will be doing the North Shore Sprint Triathlon on the Victoria Day weekend - May 23, Keira's original due date. It seems fitting, no? I did the event way back in 2004 and remember lots of happy, smiling faces on the sidelines cheering me on through the run. I will probably need it a lot more this time through!

My goal is to finish and have fun, decide if I still LIKE triathlon (!) and enjoy the training up until the event. Honestly, my husband talked me down from signing up for an Olympic distance, arguing that I could 'off the couch' the Sprint distance without too much risk of injury, based on my existing 30 mins here and 35 mins there of training time! He's a smart man, and so I agreed to maybe aim for an Olympic (Vancouver Tri) over the Labour Day weekend, so I can have the summer to fit in some longer rides when he is home from school. It also mirrors the baby-steps approach I took to my training in the first place - lots of sprints, a bunch of Olympics and then finally the Half Iron.

And so today I headed to the pool for a straight-up 30 laps to see how it felt (boring!), and secretly compare it to my time in 2004. I think that's going to be the hardest part for me is NOT competing with myself in that way. I used to sit at a desk all day and then literally SPRING into my swim, bike or run. Nowadays, I am fitting my brief spurts of training in after teaching a few classes and keeping up with my kids all day. Who knows - maybe my kids have turned me into a triathlon MACHINE?

Here's hoping. I do want to still love it, and eventually talk my husband into doing it together again...

Friday Morning Trigger

2011-02-18T12:21:00.003-08:00

Why do kids always act so differently when they are in the care of others?

And why does it trigger me so badly?

This morning was gymnastics - Carmen does her class by herself, while Keira and I are in the parent-participation class for 2yr olds. I have found trying to juggle the two classes is less than ideal. The upside is that I am in the facility with both girls at the same time, so it fits into our schedule. There are a few downsides though - whenever Keira sees Carmen across the room, she is wont to beeline over and become part of the older kids' class. It's cute, really, that she wants to be with her big sis, even though they spend nearly every waking moment together! But it's also frustrating because it's disruptive to both classes in session. The other downside is that I feel torn between the two. I like to watch what Carmen is doing in class (especially when she turns to see if I'm watching her demonstrate a new skill she's mastered) but I also need to be present for Keira - not just to help her on the trickier stuff and cheer her on, but also to fulfill my obligation as a parent to keep my kid (sort of) in line.

Today was one of those days. I'm sick, I'm tired from lack of sleep and both girls had ingested enough oatmeal at breakfast to power the nation. Keira was EVERYWHERE, and disruptive and crazy. And if I were in a better place, it would probably have been fine... but I wasn't and at one point, I had to take a 'mommy timeout' to prevent a major meltdown on MY part! The instructor, bless her heart, saw me close to losing it and intervened. Gently guiding Keira along the balance beam, congratulating her somersaults.

And Keira? Well, of course Keira was an angel.

Obviously this is not the first time this has happened, and nor does it really surprise me. But it still doesn't make it any easier. On the plus side, we feel pretty confident that our kids will behave for anyone that is nice enough to take them! Conversely, it's a bit upsetting when you've molded your life around your kids and have spent so much time with them that they know just how to press your buttons!

So now I am going to my RMT appointment while Grandma C watches the girls (and of course they'll be perfect) and hoping to have a better outlook when I get back!

Revamp II - The Way We Play

2011-02-13T15:23:00.008-08:00

Recently a few girlfriends and I were talking about the way we 'play' - some people are a bit more free-form and spontaneous, some are a bit more organized and planned. This of course enters into the way we express ourselves creatively. I've been looking at my girls a little closer these days, and more specifically, the way they play. At one time I would have thought that Carmen was the more 'just-so' type, but now I'm noticing that our little Keira is now organizing her toys - in lines, patterns and such.

One of her favourite games right now is lining up all her 'groceries' in a single-file food parade and then me, as the friendly and very hungry mommy dragon, eating them by stuffing them down the neck of my shirt and winding up with a very full belly! Specific dances for certain songs, complete and distinct costumes for different characters... I can't decide if Carmen is influencing her, or if it's coming from me, or if this is just what happens when Jason and I combine gene pools?

Because the way I play? Very organized, planned out, lines, patterns, repetition. It's why I like sports like triathlon, because there is a methodology towards a set goal. And when I quilt or knit? Same thing. So I tried (REALLY TRIED) to break out of my mold and, hold onto your hats, I decided to put a crazy binding on the table runner I made to match the pillow covers.

And because an old dog can learn new tricks, I learned how to mitre my bindings.

And because I had a whack of binding left over afterwards, I made this crazy third pillow cover that I actually really dig. You'll notice I started out with a set pattern in the centre, so hard to let go!

A year ago I started this sweater and got to here before I realized that the neckline is really screwed up when I put it on.

I actually finished it last weekend and wore it in public(!) but haven't taken a good enough picture (hard when I'm holding the camera myself) so that you can see how screwed up it really is...

And I 'messanger-bagged' the bottom of my leather jacket as suggested, but I just didn't have the patience to do a proper job, nor am I planning on trying again. My poor Bernina. In any case, it makes a passable knitting bag!

I've decided I'm really like the 3 & 5yr old thing we have going on in our home right now. The girls are just old enough to hang out and craft along beside me. Really, they are simply content to be allowed to play with sharp things! But sometimes they will spend 1/2hr cutting small ribbons or yarn into shreds while I sew alongside them. Sometimes Keira replaces pins in the pincushion or Carmen helps hand me pieces of material or 'irons' with the cold iron. It's 100% awesomeness, and has totally brought something back to my everyday that I've been missing for years.

In other news - I decided to experiment a bit with winter gardening this year in our unheated greenhouse, inspired by this book by Eliot Coleman. I planted lettuce, spinach, leeks, shallots and green onions in early January and here is what is coming up! Yes, I know - boring dirt with green specks. But I'm not even watering these babies and they are flourishing! So exciting for early spring eating!

New Year Revamp!

2011-01-25T20:38:00.008-08:00

January is great for getting the creative juices flowing - at this time of year I always find myself figuring out new ways to use old things, since the credit card bills are usually sky-high and retail therapy is out of the question!

I made a quilt for my brother's wedding waaaay back when and was so in love with the materials that I was hording a stash of leftovers. Bits and pieces have made it into a variety of presents over the years, but I finally got to make something for myself out of them! Behold, new cushion covers! The invisible zippers were a bit of a pain, but after about 4 YouTube videos, I had 'em figured out...

Years ago (like 2002?) an ex-boyfriend bought me this beautiful, and horrifically expensive, DKNY leather jacket. In the past 9 years, I think I've worn it a few dozen times. But each time, I couldn't get past the feeling that I was in 'The Matrix', concealing an automatic weapon! So, a revamp was in order.

Originally I was planning to cut it just below the pockets and have it mid-thigh, but my friend Michelle pointed out that it would be much cuter if I just removed the skirt portion altogether. She was right! This is totally wearable and cute, and although the reseaming I had to do nearly broke my poor Bernina, I'm pretty happy with the result!

And now I have this to play with... any ideas? I was in the Net Loft at Granville Island this afternoon and got some cute purse and belt ideas - maybe a foldover smallish purse (to minimize needed stitching) and a basic double-sided sash-style belt? Recommendations welcome!

Lastly, it was inevitable that some drywall dust would have to fly to make it a REAL new year! This entryway has been an eyesore since Day 1, both Jason and I have been griping about it forever. It's usually much, much messier than this, and you can barely open the front door with the wicked mess of puffy jackets on hooks...

Influenced by a recent SouleMama post and a surge of crazy-lady hormones, I somehow convinced my hubby that it had to be fixed NOW! And so a (loosely-budgeted) trip to Ikea and Rona, some drywall patching, some painting, some assembling, LOTS of vacuuming, et voila!

A drawer for keys, lots of room for shoes, and a row of hooks at kid-level to help distribute the puffy-jacket mess. Just need to add some baskets along the top shelf - I'm sure I can scrounge some up from around the house. The best part? Not only is the double rack wide enough to hold Jason's Blundstones, but the girls are actually enjoying putting away their shoes!

Economy Post

2011-01-19T15:01:00.008-08:00

Five posts in one! Something for everyone!

Sorry - don't have enough for five separate posts, but still need some feedback...

1. Nighttime potty training, my nemesis. I thought that my crazy laundry days were over when I stopped cloth diapering for two, but I was wrong! For those of you that have kids that nighttime trained right away, I ENVY YOU!! Because this has not been the case for my twosome. We had a long streak (10 days?) of no wetting with my eldest, but now have had a complete reversal and I find myself stripping Carmen's bed EVERY MORNING. It's gotten to the point where I am getting her out of bed at the crack of dawn, putting her on the toilet while she is basically still asleep, and then popping her back in bed! Terrible. And it's only training ME, not her. Right now we have no drinks/food after 7, a pee before bed and then in bed by 8. They sleep right through 'til 8, and HEAVILY at that. We just bought a night-light, as she is in the top bunk, but she never wakes up. Suggestions? Anyone else with nearly-kindergarteners with the same problem?

2. Favorite non-homemade snack? My hubby needs snacks that he can stash in his school drawer for those looooong days. We make nearly everything from scratch, so please don't suggest that I make yet another thing! The snack needs to be nut-free, and somewhat non-perishable... I'm thinking granola-bar-like?

3. Very excited to make these Crash Hot Potatoes tonight, but with a twist. I think I'll boil the potatoes in a double boiler, and steam yams (in thick cross-sections) over top at the same time, then have a yam & a potato 'cookie' for each person at dinner. I think these will make great leftovers, and the girls will have a blast mashing, painting and sprinkling! I'll let you know how it goes...

4. I'm embarrassed to admit how much I spend on facial products (think Spa brands) and am looking for alternatives without building up a stash of unusable products! I hate that. So far I've replaced my cleanser with the London Drugs equivalent of Cetaphil. I also like Aveeno's Daily Scrub to exfoliate, but only every few days. I'm seeking a non-alcohol-based toner that is very gentle. Ideas? A moisturizer would be great too, but I'm a little hesitant to give up my wonderful moisturizer...

5. Epic fail on the weekend making these cotton shirts for the girls. I stole over a dozen from-the-70's patterns from my mom's stash over the holiday - score! I even remember having some of these clothes growing up...

I thought they would be so great with the skirt on the pattern (which I plan to make in the stripes & print with the double ruffle) as well as with the smocks I made them at Christmas. However, from the picture, you can see that they look like clowns in the picture with the smocks!

Poor clowns.

Oh well, at least they are clowns in love!

Hopefully they will look better with the skirts! And yes, I know I should stop dressing my children the same...

Meal Plan

2011-01-12T16:14:00.004-08:00

One of my resolutions has been to break out of my normal meal plans. I love the consistency of food that I know everyone loves (or tolerates, in some cases) but am a bit bored - I do like me some variety! So I'm looking for a bit of inspiration from you, fellow FB'ers and bloggers... I'll show you mine, if you show me yours!

Here is my meal plan for this week:

S: Turkey Canelloni (from the Christmas freezer stash)
M: Roast Chicken a la Crock Pot with roasted Yams, Carrots, Potatoes & Mushrooms
T: Tortilla Soup - canned tomatoes/onion/garlic, last night's stock & leftover chicken, black beans, rice, avocado (splurge!), cheddar, cilantro, stale tortillas!
W: Prawn Pad Thai & spinach salad
T: Whole wheat Linguine with Buffalo Bolognese
F: Leftover PIZZA!
S: Wildcard - not sure yet!

What I look for? One crock pot meal, at least one meal of planned-overs, variety in my grains... I try for one seafood meal and one veggie meal a week. Always pizza on Friday to get rid of any deli meat left in the fridge!

What do your weekly meals look like?

No More Treats

2011-01-09T09:57:00.001-08:00

Typically, our family is not a 'treat' family - the kids are expected to eat their dinner (or at least try everything) without reward of dessert for clearing their plate. However, with holiday events abound, the girls got into the habit of asking for treats for finishing their dinner, and with different people around to help facilitate the treat-giving... well, it's just gotten out of hand. It was cute the first few times, but now they are literally asking what they are going to get as a treat if they finish their meal, right as they are sitting down to dinner! Totally unacceptable.

So my family resolution is to introduce the concept of a 'chore board' - in fact, I'm sick of a bunch of other things too (like picking up My Little Ponies from every corner of the house 10x a day), and so I'm hoping to kill a few birds with this stone. I think the following 'tasks' are realistic for both girls, and have a range of things they both like and dislike:

Meals
Clean-ups
Baths
Making Beds
Special Helper - helping with cooking, cleaning, baking, walking the dog, etc.

Each time my girls accomplish one of these tasks, they get to put a marker on their board. At the end of the week, if they've got X markers (haven't decided how many yet), we're going to have a special outing... a Girl's Date at the new cafe around the corner? Going to the Aquarium? I dunno yet, but I just can't stomach bribing my kids with things or junkfood.

I actually constructed a glass wall calendar well over a year ago, and have received so many compliments on it that I decided to make a bunch for Christmas this year - I am posting these how-to's now that all of the recipients have them unwrapped! I decided to extend the idea to construct the chore board, since I find that most of the store-bought ones are kinda ugly, or paper, or make a mess, or are too rigid in the 'tasks', etc. Mostly, I'm picky! I wanted something customizable, so I can change the tasks to be more advanced as the kids get older. I also have a major hate-on for stickers, so having the kids use colourful washable inkpads and various cute stamps as markers is much more appealing to me!

The calendar I made is fully erasable on the front, and I use a non-toxic washable marker to write the dates, month, appts, etc. You could use one of those whiteboard markers, but they stink, are usually toxic, and I hate having that stuff on my fingers afterwards. I use indelible marker on the back of the glass to mark the calendar grid, the placeholders for the dates, and then placeholders for lists down the side - some examples, below - leaving room for a few clips for the Garbage/Recycling Schedule, coupons, etc:

Weekly Meal Plan
Shopping List (from the meal plan, and as things come up)
Highlights for the Next Month
Telephone Messages
Important Numbers (for the babysitter, etc)

The end result looks like this!

First, go to Ikea and buy one of these ($24.99):

I would recommend getting all the hardware installed on your wall before you start mucking around with the actual painting of the glass.

Then go and buy one of these indelible Oil fine-tip Sharpies ($3.99 at Opus). They are toxic and stinky, but I have yet to find an indelible marker that isn't! You only use it once, when you create the calendar template:

For the squares that you write the number on, some coloured inkpads with a 1" square stamp - pick to suit your wall colour and decor:

Set your glass up with the frosted side UP - putting it on an Olfa grid is a great way to keep your measurements consistent and your lines STRAIGHT! Before you start, figure out your plan - you could even trace your lines with pencil if you're feeling gunshy!

Use a straight edge. Work top to bottom and make sure your lines are dry before you move your straight edge over them! Remember if you want any writing, you have to do it backwards, so use a stencil or do some practice runs. I have a really hard time with backwards N's and S's! Try not to worry if your printing sucks, just get in touch with your inner typewriter. Have fun!

Our calendar is fundamental in the orchestration of our household. I'm hoping that the chore board will also help things run a bit more smoothly... anyone else have any advice or tips on how to make this work?

Sew Cool

2010-11-28T21:25:00.007-08:00

Okay - so I'll admit that this Fall has been busier, harder and more exhausting than I had imagined... blah blah blah, I won't bore you with the details!

BUT. I've managed to do some creating amidst it all. I've been exercising my mad Home Ec Sewing skillz with my 30yr-old Bernina, and actually learning a whole bunch of new stuff in the process. Quilting is one thing, but sewing clothes is a whole different ballgame! Buttons, zippers, pleats, bias tape, even how to measure properly - YouTube, I love you!

All of my inspiration has come from the never-ending fabric stash passed on by the lovely Grammelina nearly a year ago. Beautiful dress fabrics, crazy costume fabrics, cozy corduroys and velvets, cottons and linens - you name it, I probably have some! I've also become very, very attached to her underused Singer 4/3 Overlock sewing machine that has been sitting comfortably on my sewing desk for a few months - lots to learn, but so much fun! I'm getting pretty good at adjusting the tensions, using the different stitches, and not sawing through dangling sleeves by accident!

Helping my girls shake their tailfeathers for Halloween...

Lady Gaga'ing it up... Jason's costume is not really for internet consumption (not the one pictured here) but I can assure you that he was Gaga-licious!

Christmas stuff slowly making it's way off the to-do list... recycled t-shirt nightshirts for the girls and some corduroy jumpers.

And last but not least, a pretty dress for mama, made of some beautiful orange silk.

Coincidentally I still have yards and yards of this silk left... what would you do with it? Ideas needed!

I've also made some other stuff... but I can't post pictures until after Christmas! Don't want to ruin the surprise!

What's on your to-do list?

Gradual (RE) Entry

2010-09-08T16:33:00.005-07:00

It's the first week of school - the week of easing back into things school, work and family-related... I'm glad to have this first week of slow beginnings. Only one day of preschool. Only a few classes to teach. Only four out of five work days that I have to chauffeur, referee and entertain the kids all on my own! It's become increasingly clear to me that life as I know it is over. This post could easily be retitled 'A Day in the Life of an Overscheduled WAHM with 2 Kids that Don't Nap!'

On the positive side? No more diapers - HURRAY x10! Weekly gym workouts, yoga and spin classes! Dancing with my husband every Friday night, while amazingly awesome twin 12yr-old neighbourhood babysitters entertain our kids! Arts Umbrella classes for BOTH my girls - Carmen in her first 'big kid class' of 4.5-6yr olds, and Keira and I creating together in the 2-3yr old class!

Not so positive? No more afternoon naps - BOO. Preschool at 9am on Tues/Thurs means I have to have both kids fed, dressed and out the door by 8:53am - YIKES! Three days of multiple classes to teach means I have to be extra vigilant taking care of my body AND my voice. And find a new place to get my admin done... sheesh.

Certainly one of the coolest changes this Fall is two mornings of spending time with Keira, all by herself! Doing two-year-old things! Last year, Keira napped during Carmen's preschool. This year, the world is our oyster... Swimming. Playgrounding. Going for very slow toddler-speed walks! I was singing with Keira the other day and she was positively ROCKING OUT and it occurred to me how infrequently I've done things like this with only her. So excited!

I've also come to the grim realization that I have to schedule my housework. Isn't that lame? So if you try calling me for a playdate on Monday or Wednesday afternoon, I am likely mopping, ironing, vaccuuming or cleaning the bathrooms! Friday is laundry. Tuesday we make bread & granola.

I'm also using this 'weekly calendar' with the girls to explain why they are NOT watching a movie every day of the week! Seriously, they ask me EVERY DAY. We don't have cable, but we do have a decent library of kids movies that I use when I need to get stuff DONE. So they are allowed a movie on Monday & Wednesday afternoon, but not otherwise unless Mama is completely spent! I've been trying to get them involved more and more with the chores, cleaning their room, etc. But mopping the floors and scrubbing the bathtub is just not that kid-friendly! So far this week, it seems to be working.

Sigh. It seems like summer ended months ago. A few favorite pics from the end of August and our most recent week-long trip to Valdes seems fitting as a proper send-off!

Happy Fall!

Morning Rant

2010-08-24T11:21:00.003-07:00

Fall is almost here, and I'm starting to get a little anxious... having my hubby at home during the summer is a wonderful thing, and I recognize how lucky I am - but at the same time, it's a double-edged sword.

With Jason away from the house more and more as he prepares for his new school year, I'm being subjected to the constant litany of 'We want DADDY!' and 'We don't want YOU' and 'Daddy's nicer!' and 'Daddy lets me'. I'm trying not to take it personally, but WTF? What am I, chopped liver???

One of my main intentions coming home from both my Mama's and the Couple's retreat was to BE PRESENT. For my husband, for my kids, for myself... but what about real life? With kids that no longer nap (damn you, KEIRA!!) I'm finding the new struggle of juggling quality time with the girls and finding time for housework and business admin almost insurmountable. There are always housekeepers and babysitters, but you need MONEY for those things and I need to be sure the money is there before I spend it!

I'm not trying to beat myself up, but my husband is much better at being present when he's with the girls and I'm working. But that's also because he doesn't feel same pressure I put on myself for a clean house or foodie dinners, nor does he have a business to attend to do during most of the summer. I'm not trying to give him a bum rap - he pulls his weight around the house and the workload is distributed fairly evenly. For some reason, he fits it in better than me. Frustrating, no?

I'm trying to be creative. This morning the girls were 'helping' me clean the bathroom. Things quickly devolved into a screaming match over the toilet brush, and I have to admit that I was one of the three screamers! I've tried to sneak some admin time in here and there, but my impatient two-year-old will slam the lid of my laptop down on my fingers in protest. Either that or type gobbledy-gook into something I am working on. Recently a colleague's FB status reflected her frustration with her kid pulling the keys off her keyboard to stop her from getting a bit of work done, and I could completely relate.

While I've been typing this post, we've had two timeouts over the proper sharing etiquette of My Little Ponies. I feel partially responsible because I am blogging and not practicing very good presence! But DAMN, it's been a frustrating day and it's only 11:40am.

In any case, just needed to rant. Either that or scream into a pillow. I find this release slightly more effective! Thanks for listening :)

Trigger

2010-08-15T10:40:00.004-07:00

A week ago, Jason and I returned from a couple's retreat at Hollyhock, hosted by Robert Gass and Judith Ansara - 'Sharing the Path'. Each time someone asks me how it was, I struggle to answer in a way that would adequately explain the immense power of the retreat, and how it has transformed our relationship.

We decided to attend the five-night retreat as an anniversary gift to ourselves - it's our fifth anniversary this coming Friday. Before the workshop we did the obligatory pre-work, identifying our intentions for the retreat and doing a short independent survey on how we function as a couple.

We thought we'd be given lots of free time to play, enjoy the Cortes beaches, drink wine, read, etc. We were wrong! The night we showed up, we saw the schedule and balked... each day contained 3x 3hr sessions and in the orientation, we were instructed to attend EVERY ONE. There was one single afternoon off and an optional night session following. It seemed more like couple's bootcamp!

But then we got into the circle the first night - 15 couples, all in varying stages of their relationships, some in crisis, some in celebration. Some people were totally in their comfort zone, and some were visibly squirming in discomfort and often it was obvious which partner had talked the other into attending! But somehow, Robert and Judith managed to orchestrate a cohesive gathering of people with a similar goal - to make our relationships the best they can possibly be by taking 100% responsibility for ourselves, our actions and our feelings.

Alongside Judith and Robert, the SWAT team - Sensual Women Assisting Transformation - of three fantastic therapists helped each person navigate through each workshop element. And let me tell you, some of the elements were INTENSE. Each morning we would do something really heavy (picture men crying openly), sometimes with our partners and sometimes with different group members, while the afternoons were usually something a bit lighter to complement.

We talked about playing the victim vs. taking responsibility.

We delved into our manipulative behaviours - think you don't have any? Think again!

We practiced different communication techniques, being present, taking turns broaching difficult conversation topics and coming to resolutions where both sides have responsibility.

While Jason and I have always had an easy time with communicating, we both had significant breakthroughs with identifying the ways we trigger each other. Once we figured out the specific triggers, we went through an exercise to figure out what the trigger stemmed from (our own personal 'core wound') and were amazed to find that many of our triggers all came from the same core wound - which have NOTHING to do with our partners! We also traveled through time to see how the same core wound has manifested itself in relationships past - lovers, friends and family. From there, we learned ways to deal with the real problems in a constructive way.

Do you know what your triggers are? Do you continually react to something somebody does in the same negative way? Your heart rate goes up. You want to yell. You feel like you want to barf. You revisit and replay the conversation multiple times, fuming and stewing. Making up snarky replies hours later. Triggertriggertrigger. Nasty.

Like I said, powerful stuff even for the healthiest relationships. And transferrable outside your marriage too, with friends and family, business associates, everyone!

Night sessions were often broken into same-sex circles to talk (very in-depth) about sacred sexuality, sensuality and how we each came to be the sexual (or non-sexual, for that matter) beings that we are today. Sometimes there was light-hearted instruction, since each of the therapists also happened to be practitioners of Tantra! Sometimes there were sharing circles - all very safe and confidential, all very enlightening. We talked about being 'all-day-lovers', meaning you don't need to have sex to make love. Making a coffee for your partner can be making love. Giving them a foot rub, expressing gratitude, reading together while your feet are touching - all just different ways to make love.

And what workshop would be complete without homework? Well, ours was called 'homeplay' and we were each assigned one hour of pleasuring our partner in any way you felt inclined. Get your mind out of the gutter - it didn't have to be like that! But surely we were given many, many tools if that's the way you wanted it to go!

Sometimes what we did was plain fun. Blindfolded dancing. Massage. Feeding each other dessert in crazy ways. Accompanying Robert's amazing voice and guitar. Sharing circles. Oyster BBQs. Conversation around the dinner table. And of course, just enjoying Hollyhock's beautiful beach, food, hot tub, garden... SO RELAXING, and the perfect environment to cultivate our relationship.

So how has it changed us? We laugh heartily at our triggers. We have a few new tricks up our sleeve to make our everyday lives more sensual. I'm really working on my presence, and am already making a ton of headway. And every week we are committing to the 1-hour of pleasure. I know the retreat was only a week ago, but our relationship feels better and stronger than ever.

On that note, I have to brag - this week my husband lit a fire, put marbles in a Rubbermaid with hot water and left me to soak my feet while I read my book and drank wine. Then he gave me an amazing foot massage. We used to do this kind of romancing all the time... and now, we're baaaaaaaaaaack!

Quiet Time Activities...

2010-07-16T14:05:00.009-07:00

With the summer sun blazing (FINALLY), it seems that the indoor quiet time activities have given way to bike-riding, sprinkler-diving and general outdoor mayhem! But here and there we find ourselves seeking a bit of inside-time...

Shelling peas.

Cleaning veggies. Love love love the Chiogga beets coming out of the garden right now!

Making basil, although pine nuts and parmesan in the Cuisinart can hardly be considered 'quiet'!

We recently foraged up at UBC for delicious salmonberries that easily found their way into muffins. A trip to the U-Pick was also quite fruitful... sorry, couldn't help myself.

A few days ago, I was given a used pair of True Religion jeans with a very pretty applique of Lady Godiva splashed across the bum. I tried on the short-rise, flare-cut jeans and decided that they were best suited for a tall, leggy girl with protruding hipbones - the rise was too low for this mama-of-two and the flare cut made me look stumpier than ever. I can't STAND having to readjust waistbands just so my bum fits, or having to constantly pull my shirt down to cover what my jeans don't! But I just couldn't say NO to Lady G, so I had to get creative...

I decided to try one of the numerous 'Jeans into Skirt' tutorials on the web. I didn't find one of them particularly awesome and I think I probably followed about 25% of the instructions. Since the jeans had such cool stitching details and colours, I opted to recycle some of the original thread from the legs and preserve as much of the hem as I could - I know, a little anal. Carmen helped me roll the thread onto spools, and I fed the embroidery thread into my sewing machine quite painstakingly! After all, they WERE True Religion jeans... the fact that I even cut into them is almost sacrilege! I kept the unfinished hem to complement the rough-edged details (and also because I got tired of salvaging thread!) and I think the best part is that the unicorn part of the applique, Carmen's favourite part, no longer looks like it's trying to crawl up my butt crack!

Here's what I got...

Fun for summer, and great with a sweater, tights and boots in winter!

Our trip out to Valdes was nothing short of spectacular - in fact, upon our arrival, we reconfigured our summer plans a bit to include an extra visit during the sunny months and then a few trips later on this year. Aside from a ridiculously comfortable and spacious cabin-mansion, the visit felt so effortless with the girls. A safe sandy beach to play on. A cool loft for the girls to spread out their toys and colouring books, or build blanket forts around their sleeping spaces. And we ate well! Fresh veggies picked just before we left, oysters that we picked up off the beach and ate on the half-shell, wine and cheese after the girls went to bed... ah, luxury!

Sweet Sweet Summertime

2010-06-26T14:15:00.008-07:00

It's here... the last week of school! That means a husband at home for the summer, a shorter work week for me, and long lazy summer afternoons free of preschool and full of beachcombing, sprinkler-diving and popsicle eating!

At the end of May, I was lucky enough to qualify for a scholarship at the beautiful Hollyhock Wellness Retreat, where I spent 3 amazing nights with a group of 8 beautiful, amazing and talented women for the Mama Renew Retreat. The environment was rustic, magical and invigorating...

During last year's retreat, I created the prayer flags that still adorn my doorway - a shout out for energy, commitment and (lots of) patience.

This year, I came home rested, inspired and, well, RENEWED. My intent for the year is to BLOOM, and so I've been working hard to put the things in place to make it happen.

The first thing on my list was to share the experience with my husband, so after a teeny bit of persuading (clothing-optional beachfront hot tub! fresh raw oysters on the beach!), Jason and I decided to take the financial plunge for our 5th year wedding anniversary to attend the 5-night Couples Retreat at Hollyhock. So after cashing in a few RRSPs (sorry, retirement) and talking Grandma Wolff into taking our kids AND dog (thanks Grandma!), we are on our way! We were told to bring massage oil for one of the workshops - I can't wait!

The second thing on my list was to hire a housekeeper to come in for a few hours every few weeks. It's in the works for September. Luxury? Maybe. But I can't wait!

As you can see, the things on my list are all pretty great.

The last thing, but certainly not least, was to get into my craft room a bit more. With the huge pile of fabric from Grammelina and her underutilized overlock machine, I've managed to craft a few of these great reversible pinafores for the girls from the Sew Baby pattern (thanks SouleMama).

A few more for Fall are in the works, and I got crafty with some old Ikea fabric and double-sided interfacing on the French corduroy, so soft!

Also, less fun, but certainly much-needed were a new set of chair covers for my kitchen using some recycled upholstery material. Thank GOD my old Bernina put up with me through these...

And of course, there's always gardening. For now... Garlic scape pesto. Brand new Yukon Golds run amok. Vivid green broccoli and sweet sweet peas.

And a sign of things to come! Homemade tomato sauce.

Blueberry muffins.

Roasted red peppers.

Basil pesto.

And cheese, thanks to Sarah S. for her goat cheese inspiration on the ferry to Hollyhock! This is the most action my husband's climbing equipment has seen in years, and it certainly did the trick to hang the cheese perfectly, right over the sink drain! So yummy!

Did I tell you that we've become cabinkeepers for a family that's relocated for a few years? It's on Valdes, the island where Jason and I started our relationship, honeymooned, hunted successfully... so dear to our relationship and so exciting to bring our family there!

Happy Summer to you all!

Busy House

2010-05-23T12:05:00.006-07:00

There's been so much going on that I haven't had time to write about it. Birthdays, weddings, gardens... so much to craft!

Last bit of sprouting broccoli (what a treat!) and first bunch of radishes to add to the abundant salad greens... kale, chard, spinach, and many many lettuces are happily greening up the garden plots!

Easter - eggs, cookies, chocolates and tons of fun!

The girls' birthday party was a ton of fun, and I managed to finish the birthday sweaters and the flag banner just in time!

My sister-in-law, Andrea's, wedding to her beau Rod called for a wedding quilt! I tried my hand at mitre-ing the borders - works well with a stripey fabric, and wasn't as hard as I thought it would be...

The girls have been busy too with summery activities - sidewalk-chalking the front of the house and painting their toes (sandal season!) with Crayola washables... pretty!

What's up next? With loads of fabric gifted from Grammelina's immense stash, I hope to be making a few things for myself and the girls. First up are reversible cotton pinafore dresses for the gruesome twosome, and a shift for myself out of bright orange silk! And I STILL have to finish the green sweater I started in Feb...

Mary, Mary Quite Contrary - How Does YOUR Garlic Grow?

2010-03-14T16:39:00.004-07:00

Spring is upon us... the cherry blossoms are out in full force and my seed order that arrived in January is beckoning!

The overwintering crops are looking good - the Purple Sprouting Broccoli is sprouting tasty loonie-size heads of deliciousness, the garlic is going strong and the kale is a veritable forest!

This afternoon on an outing at the Robson park community garden (I'm a looky-loo!) I saw that amidst the largest stalks of kale, someone had planted their garlic and it was growing like gangbusters! Our very first crop of garlic had to be uprooted during the Great Ruptured Waterline Fiasco of 2010, so I was brainstorming where they would find home, sweet home. Kale grows rather abundantly in our garden, and so I decided to thin out the kale forest into a more manageable kale orchard, interspersing the garlic. I have no idea if this will work, but am willing to try!

Last year's potato crops were also very successful (who can't grow a potato?) and I decided to up the ante this year. I may have gone a little overboard though - instead of 14 plants like last year, I'm doing about 50, including Yukon Golds, Red Chieftains and Seiglindes! Right now they are happily chitting on the art room windowsill...

And last but certainly not least - under the grow lights we have 3 types of tomatoes (20 plants in all), two types of peppers (16 plants in all), 2 types of broccoli (16 plants in all), peas and leeks! Here you can see the tomatoes reaching for some rays. I am SO SO happy to not have these on my kitchen counter this year!

Next weekend I hope to get out into the greenhouse to start my lettuces, herbs, marigolds and nasturtiums. We're getting some more dirt and taking over more of our front yard, since the grass was kinda ruined from the Waterline debacle. Who needs a front lawn anyways? Radishes, parsnips and beets - oh my!

After a few hours of gardening in the rain this afternoon, I came back inside to this little scene. Silly family!

In other news, Keira has recently entered a new phase of crazy. Now she's carrying around multiple blankies, even during the daytime, and sucking her thumb like mad. Most nights we find her curled up on the floor, sound alseep beside the strip of light coming underneath the door to their room. Naps during the daytime are getting fewer and fewer... they aren't kidding when they say that every kid is unique! But her particular brand of unique is slowly driving me crazy. I'm hoping it's just her second set of molars coming in but who knows??

It's a good thing they're cute!

Meal Plan for the Work Week

2010-02-17T14:32:00.011-08:00

I love to cook. In fact, one of the few things that outweighs my love of cooking is my love of eating! It's a darned good thing I teach fitness for a living...

When I took an instructor's course for Postpartum Nutrition, one of the skills I walked away with (and have used the most!) is meal planning. That means sitting down each week, planning out the dinners (and lunchables) so that we make the best use of time and money, we determine who's cooking which night, and of course, we get a bit of variety! From the week's menu (which is displayed on the family whiteboard so that ingredients aren't accidentally eaten) the shopping list is created, so nothing is forgetten... sometimes if I really like the plan I'll write it down and store it for future use.

I like the idea of patterns too. Friday is ALWAYS leftover homemade pizza night. I use the crock pot once a week. We try to do one non-meat-centric meal. And I always try to make 'planned-overs', where the leftovers from one night are recycled into a new meal the following night(s).

One of my very favourite planned-over meal plans is based on the delicious Maple Hill Specialty Chickens I receive from my food co-op at a HUGE savings. I love these birds - so tasty and non-medicated to boot! To cover 4 dinners (2 adults and 2 picky kids), a few lunches and still put something in the freezer, I modified a shorter meal plan that I read about in Bon Appetit that started with one chicken and stretched it out for a week...

Roast Chicken (in the crockpot) with Roasted Root Veggies and Gnocchi
Cheesy Chicken & Mushroom Lasagne
Chicken & Black Bean Enchiladas with Baked Rice
Leek & Shiitake Mushroom Risotto
Chicken, Kale & Chickpea Soup

Carmen loves to help with the chicken in the morning, putting it on the LOW setting all day in the crockpot - she is a whiz at dusting thyme, Pimenton de la Vera (thanks Auntie Meaghan!) and salt & pepper, then stuffing half an onion 'in the chicken's bum', according to her! A bit of water and VOILA! Done.

At about 5pm (before I head out to teach Prenatal Fitness Fusion!) she helps me peel parsnips that we are STILL finding in our garden, as well as yams and carrots. While the water for gnocchi is boiling, we set the veggies, seasoned with rosemary and olive oil, to roast at 425F for 20 mins. I've recently tried making my own ricotta gnocchi (inspired by Soule Mama), but you can buy it from the store and it's still pretty good!

Making pan gravy is a bit indulgent, but SO YUMMY! First, drain the juices from the crockpot into a liquid measuring cup - it's important that they are still hot. Put a tablespoon of butter in a saucepan and let melt on medium heat. With a whisk, stir in about 3 tablespoons of flour so it's crumbly. Then continue stirring as you add the juices a teeny bit by bit, whisking the lumps out as you go. Eventually you'll have an empty measuring cup and a full pan of gravy!

After dinner that night, I pull the remaining meat off the bones and separate into two bigger piles for the lasagne and the enchiladas, and a tiny pile for the soup. I put the bones and skin and the roasted onion into a pot of water (about 10 cups) with a splash of white vinegar, and boil it for stock. I need 5 cups for the risotto and the rest for the soup.

The lasagne and risotto recipes are pulled from Epicurious, and they are FAB. I usually do some substitutions, using homo milk instead of cream, less salt, etc. to make them a bit healthier. I also skip the truffle oil in the risotto, and only sometimes have shiitakes on hand, so often just use white and crimini mushrooms. Still tastes great! The lasagne I put into two casserole dishes - one for dinner, and one for the freezer.

The enchiladas are simple. I get a stack of whole wheat tortillas and a can of black beans, a bit of shredded mozzarella, cheddar & jack cheese (if I have it) and fill each tortilla first with some beans, then cheese, then shredded roast chicken. Roll 'em up, stuff them in a casserole dish. In a saucepan, heat one can of tomato sauce (from my summer canning session!) and some chili powder, cumin & salt to taste. Pour this over the casserole, reserving a little bit. On top, a bit more shredded cheese. In a matching casserole, I put 3 cups of cooked brown rice mixed with the remaining sauce and covered with a bit more cheese. Cook them in the oven at the same time at 350F until things look bubbly and smell yummy. I like to serve them with shredded lettuce or spinach and a dollop of plain yogurt. Kids love 'em too.

Lastly, but certainly not least, the soup. This is by far my favourite way to use the prolific kale that grows year-round in our garden. Stock, chicken, chopped kale and a can of drained chickpeas. Throw it in the pot, add thyme & more Pimenton de la Vera (or not) salt & pepper... so yummy with fresh bread! Makes a great hearty lunch too.

Dinner at our house doesn't always look like this... for instance, tonight the girls and I shared a $10 frozen dim sum feast from Gah Lok on Fraser because I was too tired to do anything else! But it is nice when time is on my side, I have the energy, and my fridge is full of the ingredients I need!

In other news - this is what I have on my 3.75mm circulars right now! I'm doing the short-sleeved version in a similar green merino from the local Unwinding Yarns. So excited, although I've said a million times I don't like to knit THAT small...

Happy eating!

Creating Space

2010-01-27T13:54:00.006-08:00

For those of us who live in the city, sometimes finding space to DO things can be really challenging.

I have quilted for years, but haven't for ages because my stuff is stored underneath the stairs, and each time I create I have to unload and pack it back up so that it remains unattractive to small hands and out of the way. For Christmas this year, Jason and I decided to gift ourselves with a creative space that we could both use (together! at the same time!), a place where we could leave projects at the drop of a hat and just SHUT THE DOOR! Trying to reduce, reuse and recycle as much as we can, we opted to scavenging around the house and Craigslist, selling some things and donating others to make room. Of course, the sunny yellow paint we bought was new! But everything else, not so much... We decided to repurpose the spare bedroom (which still has a bed, visitors welcome!) into a sewing/painting room for my sewing/knitting stuff and Jason's easel.

From this catastrophe...

To this!

I've already sewed up a few fun projects, but that is another post entirely!

Another nasty area was the downstairs 'workbench'. When we remodelled our kitchen, we moved the existing cabinetry downstairs for storage space and an indoor base from which to do household fix-its. I also dreamt of having my tomato and pepper seedlings under a proper grow light, instead of the Duplo/Ikea-lamp setup that monopolized my kitchen counters last year. So a trip to Rona to buy a florescent fixture ($18!) and some 'Gro-lux' wide-spectrum tubes, plus a ridiculous cleanup effort took this...

To this! Seedlings have never had it so good!

The last area we really needed to tackle was the girls' shared bedroom. I am merciless when it comes to toys in our house - they belong in the bedroom. I think having a few really good toys rather than a mountain of crazy toys is perfect, and I'm thankful that we have an extended family that (mostly - you know who you are!) supports this belief. Having limited storage space makes this necessity, so when we get new toys, older unused toys often make it to the Sally Ann...

Regardless, there are toys. Plenty of toys. So I wanted to open up the mostly-unused closet in their room into a 'toy nook' by cutting up an old Ikea bookshelf and stuffing it in there. I don't have a very good before picture, but many of you know the mess that used to exist! Check out the dark, toy-covered corner of these pictures.

And voila! The girls love it!

We also tackled the big girl bed issue. Kids furniture is EXPENSIVE. Instead of buying two captain's beds for the girls (to the tune of $1500!) we decided to buy a used mate's bed for Carmen ($200, phew!), reuse the toddler bed for Keira and make use of some under-bed storage ($4, thanks Ikea!) for sweaters and bigger dresses. Their old white dresser made it down to the creative space, to hold art supplies, yarn, fabric, etc.

And now we have two silly monkeys, jumping on the bed!

And yes, they've BOTH fallen off and bumped their heads!

Baby's Got the Blues!

2010-01-15T14:06:00.005-08:00

Well it's been a while, but I'm back and feeling a little blue...

Like, turquoise blue.

I'll start off with possibly the world's ugliest sweater, but thankfully not one created for human consumption! I was inspired by the lovely Bamboletta dolls my girls were given for their birthdays last year - GAWD, but they are cute! They come with their own little clothes (and we even got more gifted to us, crafted by the lovely Tessa) as well as a handknit sweater. I'm making sweaters for the girls' birthdays in April and decided to copy the doll sweater pattern to make matching ones for the Bambolettas... but then I saw the sweater had actual seams in it and I HATE SEWING. So I made up a pattern - my very first pattern - knit in one piece from the neck down, sleeves in the round. Partially through Keira's doll sweater, I ran out of yarn. And so I perused the stash and emptied at least 5 bobbins of wool on this (ugly) beauty!

It really brings out the green in Penny's eyes, no? If you want the pattern I created, let me know...

I've also decided to become one of 'those people'... you know, the ones that you see walking down Main Street totally rocking some wild outfit and you just wish you had the guts to wear something so cool/weird and pull it off half as well? I'm stepping outside my fashion comfort zone and am starting to ACCESSORIZE, with the help of a few friends and Christmas gift cards! Crazy tights, scarves, baubles, pins, earrings... amazing how they can transform blah into FUN!!!

And lastly, my challenge to you, fellow bloggers and Facebookers... I recently found out my SIL is getting married this Spring (hurrah!) and was combing magazines for ideas on a new outfit for their afternoon/nighttime wedding. I've seen a lot of petite women in these cute little dresses, and was OH-SO-HAPPY to find this on sale at Aritzia where, behold - I had a gift card to spend! 10 minutes in the change room with two squirming children, and I emerged victorious! I don't know if I've ever owned a strapless dress... anyhew. Let the accessorizing begin!

Whaddya think? I can even eat a big dinner without having to suck it in! And POCKETS! Hello! (don't worry, I won't put anything in them)

I'm totally stuck on hosiery and shoes (please don't suggest bare legs for this skim-milk white, often-bruised mama). Would love to have color/metal suggestions for earrings and necklaces... bonus points if I can buy it at the Bay using another gift card I have stashed!

Help!

UPDATE:

Went to the Bay - found these brushed gold Nine West beauties on the clearance rack in a 5.5 (last pair!) for only $42! Then paired with this necklace (coincidentally Nine West as well) in brushed gold for $22, and some (not so shimmery) linen 'Shimmer' stockings. Hurrah for gift cards! Not sure about earrings... I've been further advised to keep it simple. Managed to leave my driver's license at the concierge counter though, when I borrowed the double (dreaded) 'fire engine stroller' to keep my kids happy! Gotta go back tomorrow!

Apple for the Teacher

2009-12-07T15:55:00.003-08:00

After finishing one of the Side Slip Cloche hats for Christmas (pictures after I block it), I realized that I really needed to reprioritize my Christmas creating! Carmen's preschool finishes up next week, and so it was time to make three of the Apple Cozies...

Here they are: Red Delicious, Granny Smith and Pink Lady!

As usual, after the third one I really felt like I had mastered the pattern. Easy to memorize, pain in the butt to knit. While I was knitting, I kept trying to put it on one of our apples to see how much felting would be needed. I guess this pattern is for non-organic apples, as the organic Galas we favour in our house are WAY TOO SMALL! I actually had to make a special trip to the apple aisle to buy apples that would fit. Crazy - these apples are the size of my head.

Another thing checked off my list!

My birthday was last week and I got spoiled rotten. A wonderful Rangoli dinner at home, sumptuous flourless chocolate cake with raspberries, copious amounts of Veuve Cliquot and wonderful people to share it with! My favourite gift is always the homemade card from my thoughtful hubby - this year he also gave me a 'free pass' to do a set of whatever type of classes I want (his suggestions: gambling, jazzercise, Russian History), paired with chocolate, some trashy magazines (love!) and a giant bottle of Baileys. My husband knows me very very well! Last time he gifted me classes, I did some singing lessons. Not sure what I'll pick this time... ideas?

Lastly, as part of my birthday gift, I got to go and pick out a new pair of BOOTS!!!! If you saw my post before about my boot dilemma, then you'll be happy to see that I got these mid-calf, asymmetric-cut, brown leather Italian beauties from Kalena's on Commercial Drive. Their little red friends are the cutest flats that I couldn't help but treat myself to, since the store was having a sale (buy one, get the second 1/2 off). Really, I SAVED money by buying them.

LOVE. RED. SHOES.

And to go so well with them, my neighbour Glenys just popped over with this posy that her friend, Kirsty of Re-Felt, crafted from reclaimed sweaters. Kirsty is selling them at a bunch of different local craft fairs. So pretty! Thanks Glenys!

My lovely pal Lisa also met me on the seawall this week with more Baileys (I'm sensing a pattern here...) and the great photocards she did for us for mailing out. I won't put them here because you might get one in the mail!! But I just finished sending out the last of 'em to friends in the U.S. of A. and UK. Another thing checked off the list!

All I need is some hot chocolate to put in my Baileys to get crafting some more...

Santa's Little Helper, Rainbow Brite

2009-11-28T08:13:00.004-08:00

Carmen was my little helper during Keira's nap yesterday afternoon and we had so much fun crafting play silks and ribbon streamer wristbands for some of Carmen's little friends!

For the play silks, we started with:

12 silk scarves (36"x36")
12 packs of Koolaid (3 of each colour)
2L of white vinegar

Putting our big mixing bowl into our larger sink proved to contain the mess and prevent stained countertops!

Pour 2 cups of vinegar, 3 cups warm water and 3 Koolaid packs into a big bowl.

Stir, then add scarves.

Agitate for a few minutes (you might want to wear gloves!), then squeeze liquid out when you notice that all the dye has been soaked up. So weird how the water turns nearly colourless again!

Rinse and hang out to dry!

While we waited for them to dry in the winter sunshine, we started the ribbon streamer wristbands. Carmen had a great time helping measure, picking the colours, then cutting the ribbons. I had to tie them all on, but she was definitely a better product tester...

Then we 'wrapped' the gifts up, two wristbands and two matching scarves. Soon we will have a whole bunch of dancing butterflies, caped superheros, magical wizards and exquisite princesses!

I'm not sure, however, when the dye will come off my hands. The gross orangey-green makes me look like an Oompah-Loompah!

Santa Machine

2009-11-24T16:06:00.006-08:00

I've morphed into Eco-Santa!

My Christmas theme this year is keeping it green, meaning at least the vast majority of the gifts I give are hand-made and that I am reusing materials or taking them from my crazy stash of quilting and knitting leftovers. It is SO MUCH FUN to see how far I can make everything stretch, and also great to see my stash clear out!

For starters, for the many teachers in our lives, I am making 8 Apple Cozies with my last year stocking project's bright red and green yarns. Here are the stockings that took me until 9:30pm on Christmas Eve 2008 to finish (with my tinier 30-yr-old stocking on the right):

And here is what the Apple Cozy is supposed to look like, pattern borrowed from 'I Think I'm Gonna Purl':

For a few of the women in my life, I went to the library and got a copy of Laura Irwin's 'Boutique Knits' to craft the lovely Side Slip Cloche (as seen on the cover). I already went to Baaad Anna's and let Keira play in their great kid's area while I petted and drooled over all their great yarns! I finally picked out some nice Angora, which was even on sale. This was a bit of rule-breaking, but I figured the book was from the library and the yarn was on sale...

Recently re-inspired by Vancouver's own Little Bird Designs, I created some larger felt/pencil/make-up brush/whatever holders with Japanese-patterned fabrics from three different quilts I've made. Using a similar design, I also decided to try making a knitting needle holder for the new knitter Michelle, using scraps from a Thai silk dress that I had tailored in Chiang Mai, since I decided to shorten the floor-length dress to knee-length.

I made a similar roll-up organizer for myself a few years ago and my mom has been bugging me to make one for her so this year she's also getting one for her long straight needles, and a matching one for her DPNs. After the third organizer, my pattern was perfected and as I complete each one, I keep thinking 'this is my favourite!' - very gratifying to use up all those teensy weensy pieces of gorgeous fabric! All together, I'll have made about 14 different bags, and right now I'm on number 9!

For some of the younger kiddos... a few months ago, a bunch of us from the Homespun Salon got together with some plain white silk scarves from Maiwa and used Koolaid to dye them a variety of shades. This year I'm putting together a few packages of play silks that I've dyed, along with cool streamer wrist-bands (inspired by Karen) made with different bright colours of ribbon. So much fun for encouraging imaginative play and dress-up! My daughters use theirs for superhero capes, princess skirts, baby blankets, butterfly wings, you name it!

A few years ago, when I was pregnant with Keira and battling with Carpal Tunnel (again), I started a sweater for Carmen... well two years later, I finished it and plan to give it to Keira and start a matching one for Carmen. Of course, I will have to make it in some shade of pink or purple to make sure she actually WEARS it! Sigh. I love these colours, and they seem to fit Keira better anyways:

I finally finished the socks I started for Jason THREE YEARS AGO. This is what happens when you start something (in a pregnancy-induced haze), put it down, and restart three years later...

Somehow one of the socks is wider than the other. Really I should frog the entire thing, but one of his feet is slightly bigger, and I hope this works to my advantage! Otherwise, there is always blocking and felting! Tee hee!

Right now the spare bedroom downstairs looks as though a bomb has gone off with thread and yarn everywhere - in the upcoming break I hope to convert the space into a sleepover-ready spare room/craft room... my mind is buzzing with possibilities!

Winter Nesting

2009-11-18T14:05:00.004-08:00

I think we've skipped Fall and went straight into Winter. This could be based on the chill in the air today, or the feelings of nesting that I've been experiencing lately... It seems like the minute the rotting jack-o-lanterns are pulled from our front stoops, the Christmas lights come out - what about November???

A few weekends ago, my husband went away on a hunting trip to Valdes Island with some family friends. When he decided to take up hunting a while ago, I was skeptical but supportive, in the sense that I didn't bar the door or hide his Visa. After all, I am his wife and not his keeper - I adopted the same mindset when he decided to purchase a motorcycle a few years ago! Given the choice, I would rather that he had taken up basket-weaving or ballroom dance, but apparently my husband has a penchant for more dangerous hobbies. In his defense, his reasoning for taking up hunting was more philosophical than anything... in his words:

I read "The Omnivore's Dilemma" a couple of years later and Michael Pollon had a great chapter in the book about trying to put a meal on the table using a 'hunter - gatherer' technique. This meant that he was only going to use ingredients that he could either make or obtain for free - which included a wild pig that he shot in California. His dilemma seemed very close to mine. Since I can eat anything I want at any time - what is a good omnivore to do? I have tried the vegetarian lifestyle for short periods (maximum 2 months while travelling) and I have gone through peaks and valleys when it comes to the amount of meat that I eat in a week. But I couldn't help but feel that to make sense of what it is to eat meat I had to at least once go back, almost in time, to the basic idea of hunting and gathering. My plan was to shoot, clean, and butcher a deer which would then supplement my family's diet through the winter.

He returned from his first successful hunting trip, having shot a doe and a larger buck. A few days after his return, we all went to butcher, package and label the deer, which was a huge learning experience! Thankfully his family friends have been hunting for decades, and so I had ample cooking instructions for the many different cuts of venison. I actually wrote them all directly on the freezer paper, so will have to put them in a notebook somewhere...

I am very happy for Jason that he was able to navigate through his questions about the philosophy of meat-eating, and have to admit that a freezer stocked with close to 50lbs of organic, grassfed, free-range, happy-when-they-left-this-earth venison is quite pleasing! I thought that the meat would be quite gamey and hard to prepare, but it is actually very mild (more so than lamb) and delicious. I made a rump roast the other night that turned out fantastically, with the help of my Lee Valley digital thermometer - works perfect every time!

There is a big knitting post that I need to write, but right now Keira is asleep and Carmen is at preschool... maybe I should just go knit instead!

Two-Step Process

2009-11-10T15:51:00.007-08:00

It seems that life these days is full of two-step processes.

For example, getting BOTH my kids to eat their greens! It's karmic (and my mother would agree) that my kids are kinda fussy eaters. It's also karmic that the thing that grows the best in our garden year-round, and the plant I know the fewest ways to prepare, is kale. There is always a giant bin of it waiting patiently in the fridge, curly, green and beautiful... so I happened upon the green smoothie idea this summer and have never turned back! Chard, spinach, lettuce, kale, mint, even cilantro have all made their way into our smoothies. Keira LOVES them, but Carmen - well she's just too smart for me to fool these days. She stands beside the blender and proclaims, "I don't like that KAY-YELLLL!" So I got a bit smarter too and, lo and behold, the green smoothie popsicle!

She hasn't figured it out yet.

This afternoon, after our popsicle and during Keira's nap, we decided to try cookie-painting, or painting with cookie cutters. These Ikea cookie cutters are getting a lot of mileage! I started with a cookie sheet of her paints...

I always add water to make the paint stretch farther (cuz I'm cheap like that), and have figured out the perfect order to mix water into my paint colours so that I don't have to wash the paintbrush in between: yellow, green, blue, purple, red, orange. That way, the colours are not all brown by the time I finish! Also, if you're putting them on a cookie sheet this way, if they run into each other then they still look relatively close to their original colours.

The painting was totally fun, and it was interesting to see that Carmen and I could look at the same shape and see a totally different animal... is it a whale, or a snail?

But then we got a bit bored and decided to take it to the floor for two-stepping!

While Carmen was painting her toes...

for the finale of my two-step processes today, I decided finish the last rows of my sweater and then block it. It took me almost two months exactly to finish knitting, but as you can see, the arms and bodice were sorely in need of some straightening out.

While I was knitting, I was a little worried about how the colours hand-dyed wool would pool differently in the arms vs. the bodice, since some was knit in the round, and some on normal straight needles. I think the variation is kinda neat!

And so, armed with garbage bags and straight-pins, I made my first attempt at wet-blocking a sweater. Apparently putting the sweater on bags rather than on a towel will help it dry faster, as the bags will not absorb any water (thank-you Knitty). Voila!

We'll see how it turns out.

Reunion

2009-11-03T07:40:00.003-08:00

It's been a week since Jason and I had our couple's adventure and if I close my eyes, I can still get a sense of the contentment and relaxation we both felt being on 'vacation', even for such a small chunk of time, and for such a short distance away from our home...

Don't get me wrong - it's not like our marriage is in trouble by any stretch! And we are very lucky to have family nearby for date nights here and there. We both have hobbies supported by one another; Jason's Tuesday painting nights, my Saturday singing mornings. And our kids - they sleep! They behave in restaurants! They are pretty darned fun to be around!

But there's something about going to sleep after a blissfully exciting night out NOT worrying that one of your kids is going to have a bad night, or that you're going to be woken up at the crack of dawn, groggy and fuzzy from too much wine. Or going for a morning coffee stroll without having to juggle your mug, a dog on leash and a stroller full of squirmy kids. Not thinking about having enough snacks in the diaper bag to tide hungry mouths over until the breakfast order arrives. Not having to go to a restaurant that has booster seats and high chairs.

Last Saturday night Jason and I ventured out onto Commercial Drive in search of wining, dining and dancing. We were not disappointed! We stepped into the Latin Quarter at about 7pm, were deep into conversation over appies and cocktails by 7:30, salsa and cha-cha'ing our butts off by 9:30, and stumbling home weary and sated just after 1am! It was romantic and exciting and exactly what we both needed.

We spent the drizzly Sunday morning with coffees in hand, combing Commercial Drive for a breakfast joint that opened before 10am - NOT Little Nest!! We sank into our diner seats and continued our conversations from the night before, laughing over our boogie adventures and loosely mapping out the day ahead. We snuggled on the couch where we were staying, watching 'Silence of the Lambs' on cable - maybe not the most romantic movie, but we were too busy being blissed out by the silence of the house to notice!

But the best part was our trip to the Miraj Spa. Oh, so heavenly. Such attention to detail - you feel like you are the only couple there, and won't see another customer during your visit. Sumptuous in every way. Delicious, even. I encourage every couple to eek out the bucks (shared Christmas or anniversary gift? forgo JJ Bean for a few months?) to try it. You will NOT be disappointed - it is a relaxing, amazing, sexy (!?!) reunion with your partner.

That is, unless you don't like being naked around strangers. You ARE getting scrubbed down in the buff, but it is so professional and SO freakin' fantastic!

Now if only I could wrangle some freebie hammam passes in exchange for testimonials...

A girl can dream, can't she?

Tired of Pink

2009-10-26T21:13:00.003-07:00

Oh. So. Tired.

Of pink.

I've done everything I can to introduce to Carmen the beautiful colours of the spectrum. I bought gender-neutral, put her in boys hand-me-downs... we play with trains and trucks and blocks and dirt.

WHY WHY WHY am I cursed with PINK???

And pink princess-mermaid-butterfly-fairies riding on pink unicorns?

AGH.

For Halloween, Carmen wants to be a princess. In pink. BIG SURPRISE. She was a princess last year.
So what do I do? Dress her in a costume she wants to be in, or something creative and cool that I have to force her to wear, that will probably get torn off the minute I have my back turned...

Now as I reread it, I realize this post is awfully whiney, and the answer seems obvious.

AND YET.

Pink.

Urrrrrrrrgh.

UPDATE:
Disaster Averted! Carmen and Keira will go as 'The Paperbag Princess: Before and After'. Keira will be dirty and messy and paper-baggy and Carmen will be pink and princess-y. Lame? Jason and I like it!

Calling All Fashionistas...

2009-10-20T13:13:00.003-07:00

Help a girl out!

This weekend, my mom is coming over from the Island to spend the night in our house with the girls and the dog (thanks Mom!) meaning... we can leave together! Overnight! For the first time since Keira's been born!

Yahoo!!

Our plan is to crash Auntie's beautiful and vacant-for-the-weekend house (thanks Auntie!), to make use of her guest room and amazing location - just off Commercial Drive. We're going to go out for a nice dinner, drinks and dancing! Any suggestions for locations?

Sunday morning we'll sleep in and have a breakfast out, and then it's off to Miraj Spa for their Couple's Hammam, Gommage and Massage - I've had a gift certificate for nearly a year now (thanks Melina!) that will finally be put to use. If you haven't been - it is the ultimate luxury... someone else giving you the best, most vigorous scrubdown EVER after a ridiculously hot but refreshing 15 minute sauna. All in a totally private marble grotto-esque cavern, which Jason and I will be sharing. Then a 30 minute massage, followed by hot mint tea and honey cakes in a gorgeous lounge with lots of new shiny magazines that no child has slobbered on, ripped apart, or coloured on!

Can you sense my excitement?

In preparation, I hurried out to the Oakridge Mall's Bay to find something to wear... I love shopping there because they have a lot of major labels (Mexx, DKNY, etc), but always at a huge discount! I have to admit to a major penchant for clothes, although my fashion sense is still developing. I usually call on the help of friends, sales assistants and store personal shoppers (so much fun) but was on my own - ACK! After trying on 40 (I'm not kidding, 40) different dresses, I settled on one that I knew would turn my hubby's head!

Being winter and all, the Kensie knit dress is long-sleevey, turtle-necky and blacky-browny-tan. Perfect for me since I'm always chilly. It calls for what Carmen and I refer to as zip-up boots, but I am a little directionally challenged and also suffer from TTCS - Twist-Tie Calf Syndrome. My legs (especially in tights) have always resembled pipecleaners no matter how many squats, lunges and calf raises I do.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not being down on myself - I do have a pretty good bum and am overall pretty fit. But realistically, I got a little shafted in the leg department and suffer immensely during boot season. The standard knee-high boots require legs to fill them out, and they tend to sag out on me besides being way too tall. I usually end up buying mid-calf length boots that look like knee-highs on me. In fact, my friend Lisa and I both bought the same boots last year (hers knee-high, mine mid-calf) and they look the same on us!

After trying on about 12 pairs of boots I gave up, totally flustered.

I went home and tried on a pair of tan Mag boots from my closet. I bought them in 2002 while vacationing in Belgium and loooove them, but have only ever worn them with jeans. I think wearing trendy-in-2002 boots is pushing it. My husband seems to think they are great, but I think maybe he is just too busy looking at my bum... Whaddya think?

Be HONEST. I promise not to be offended or take it personally! There are many situations in which fashion intervention is necessary!!

And if you think they are hideously out of style now, or just look goofy with a skirt, I need you to tell me what to buy, and where I can find it! If you feel more comfortable, just email or message me with your suggestion...

And please don't say Gravity Pope, unless you are willing to show up with your Visa to pay for my purchase - in which case, please do! I've been saving my pennies, but that place is soooo out of my price range...

As an aside - nice bras at the Bay are only $24.99 right now! Triumph, Maidenform, Bali... for some reason I actually had another $5 knocked off the new Bali bra I bought, yay! My size certainly changed a lot after 3 years of breastfeeding... feels nice to buy something that fits, what a treat!

Not Better or Worse, Just Different

2009-10-16T13:50:00.003-07:00

I was at a community centre playgym this morning with my girlfriend and our gaggle of kids and was chatting with another mom that had recently given birth. She looked at my twosome and then looked at me and said, "Boy are you going to have your hands full when your due date comes!"

I just giggled and walked away, not sure how to respond. Sure I was wearing a fairly flowy and ambiguous blouse, and was standing with pretty sloppy posture. It was uncomfortable because I didn't want to embarrass her by letting her know that I wasn't actually pregnant, but what really bothered me was the surge of emotion that welled up inside me as I walked away.

The funny thing is, I'm okay with the changes in my body since having my girls - or so I thought. Why, as a society, are we so hung up on this? Why, as an active and healthy woman, am I?

In almost every prenatal class, I have one or two pregnant clients that are very anxious about weight gain. They ask me questions like "How long did it take you to lose your pregnancy weight?" and make comments like "You're so lucky to work out for your job, you must have gotten back into shape so quickly!" In the same vein, I have postnatal clients that are shocked to still look pregnant in the early months postpartum, as if by giving birth they should have noticed a more drastic change in their body weight and distribution. They are relieved to show up and see that almost everyone else in the same boat!

But it's all relative. Some clients come to class a few months postpartum looking like they haven't changed at all from their pre-baby selves. They certainly aren't given any sympathy, even though their old 'normal' might have Ultimate frisbee twice a week and marathon training three times a week and now they can't run without peeing themselves...

Time and time again, I remind clients that growing a baby takes 40 weeks and advise them to be equally patient with their postpartum bodies. We talk about how most women notice lasting changes in their bodies postpartum that have everything to do with with new and different habits postpartum. While our weight may be similar, our shapes can be totally different. Beautiful mommy muscles appear in the upper body with the lifting and carrying, soft curves from maternal fat stores shape our breasts, butts and abdomens. Strong glutes and quads from pushing strollers increase our lean muscle mass and sometimes push our weight above pre-pregnancy numbers even though we are fit and toned. In fact, some new moms talk about being in the best shape of their lives because they are so much more active as parents, and so much more invested in being good role models.

Do they weigh less or fit into their old clothes?

Does it matter, if they can still run and jump, play and laugh?

I've often referred clients to a great website called 'The Shape of a Mother', a blog that numerous women have contributed to in order to dispel the myths surrounding the postpartum body, and to give a little perspective on what is 'normal'.

Truth be told, I haven't stepped on a scale in a long time. I have no idea if I weigh the same or not (probably not), and I gave away the majority of my pre-baby clothing because it didn't suit my age or my lifestyle. Again, it's all relative to what your old 'normal' was. Waaaay back when I used to train for triathlon, I went over a year without a menstrual cycle due to a really low body fat percentage. In fact, to get pregnant and regain my cycle I had to lay off the training and put on a few pounds. Since then, I've taken pleasure in having a little curve below my bellybutton - it's what allowed me to have babies in the first place.

It's not better or worse. It's just different.

In the beginning of each of my prenatal classes, we do an 'around-the-room' of who we are and where we are in our pregnancies. Recently I asked the women to tell me something about pregnancy that has empowered them and one of the women said, "All my life, I've been very self-conscious about my body - but now I am really in awe of it!"

Her answer still makes me grin from ear to ear.

The Calm After the Storm...

2009-10-13T16:59:00.005-07:00

Gobble gobble!

Thanksgiving went off without a hitch at Chez Camp! Hurrah!

Jason took Keira in the morning while Carmen and I prepared the veggies and stuffing. In the afternoon, he took Carmen hiking with the family while Keira napped, the 18lb turkey roasted to perfection (toot toot!) and I sipped wine and knitted. It was AWESOME. Around 5pm, everyone returned, tired from the hike... Melina brought 3 different types of homemade bread and beautiful pumpkin tartlets with pumpkin seed brittle, Paul brought some amazing prawns and cheeses for appies. There was lots of wine and beer, a crackling fire and, of course, a round of "Why We are Thankful". Oh, that and two boys running after each other downstairs with a 15lb maul, but I digress...

Before everyone left, the dishes were done, the turkey bones stripped, care packages were distributed, and the leftovers stashed away in the fridge.

The next morning (slightly cloudy from too much lovely vino) I woke to a reasonably clean house and was attacked with the craziest urge to nest - seriously, I thought I might be going into labour soon, it was that crazy! Starting with the turkey bones, I made about 16 cups of gorgeous stock. I wanted some yummy soups for the freezer to go with the nice breads, so I made:

Turkey Noodle Soup
Cream of Broccoli and Turkey Soup
Potato, Leek and Thyme Soup

And then for dinners:

Turkey Pot Pie
Pasta Shells stuffed with Turkey, Goat Cheese, Sundried Tomatoes and Fresh Basil

We had leftover prawns and appies for dinner last night, and we STILL have leftover stuffing, meat and gravy. Dinner for the ENTIRE WEEK!!!

We should have Thanksgiving every Sunday.

But for now, I am pooped from the insane day of cooking and am looking forward to sitting on my butt, enjoying the fruits of my labour!! Gonna go grab one of those leftover beers...

And don't worry - I haven't fooled myself into believing my preschooler will eat any of it!

How to Host a Thanksgiving Dinner for 12 in 401 Easy Steps!

2009-10-06T13:18:00.003-07:00

This year we are hosting Thanksgiving Dinner for 12, and I'm determined to make it as stress-free as possible! Am I deluded, you ask? Maybe slightly, but by hosting the dinner it means we get to sit back and enjoy some wine and a crackling fire after the kiddos go to bed at 8pm, instead of either frantically dining and dashing to get them in bed at a decent hour, or trying to wrangle tired, cranky kids if we decide to keep them out late.

Plus, it means we can both roll our wine-soaked bodies only metres to bed, rather than have to designate a driver! The truth emerges...

Anyways, in order to actually enjoy myself on Sunday, I'm trying to outsource as much as possible and spread the cooking out over the week. Grammelina's ordering and dropping off the turkey and making pumpkin pie tarts and breads, Paul's bringing appies... I actually really like making use of the 'big half' of my oven for large turkeys and doing the stuffing, mashed potatoes, etc. A little intimidating to cook for this crowd, as Paul and his wife own a well-known Fort Langley restaurant and both Paul and Grammelina are amazing artists in the kitchen! But I'm confident I can hold my own...

Today Carmen and I were roasting veggies for the first course - Roasted Butternut Squash and Parsnip soup. It was really fun to get her dirty in the garden digging out the super stubborn parsnips, and to let her practice her knife-wielding skills. She is really good with her small-motor skills and I like to see her have fun and confidence in the kitchen!

Tomorrow we will actually puree the soup, as running the Cuisinart will wake Keira up from her nap!

Jason's also been doing some prep - he went out to a secret spot close to Squamish to buck some already-felled trees for firewood. There's nothing sexier than your man splitting wood!

Boo hoo, there are only 2 squashes left from the garden! I will have to plant more next year...

Brraaaahhhhhhhhhck!

2009-10-04T13:21:00.007-07:00

Well this year's pet project was the garden and greenhouse. We had a garden the year before and had some success, but were gifted with a used glass/aluminum greenhouse from some old family friends, so our existing garden underwent a total rehaul. We were lucky enough to use almost all recycled stuff (even the wall plaques!) to complete the project - minus the intricate watering system and seeds. Such a steep learning curve, but the rewards were well worth it.

From start...

To finish...

And in between...

What did we learn? That broad beans are aphid-magnets and the end product was not worth our time. That beets, parsnips and potatoes dug fresh from the ground and newly cut broccoli were oh-so-sumptuous compared to even the stuff at the Farmer's Market. That tomatoes in the greenhouse are finicky, but so worth the 12L of sauce and heaps of dehydrated and canned tomatoes for the rest of the year! That there is such thing as too much zucchini. That kale tastes good in blueberry smoothies and pole beans grow until mid-October if you harvest them regularly. Obviously I'm missing a few things, but you get the drift.

Next year's project is CHICKENS! Yay, chickens! Did you know that the bylaws will be passed this October for Vancouver backyard chickens?

I grew up eating fresh chicken eggs and I remember my brother having to help my Grandpa Dumas kill his huge flock of chickens every year. I remember the tiny fluffy chicks in the box with the heat lamp. I remember going next door to collect eggs and getting paid in candy. I remember having to help clean up our own chicken coop, although my brother would argue that only he ever did!

Today, Keira and I attended a Backyard Chickens Workshop with Heather Havens and it was great. Super informative, myth-dispelling, and very inclusive of all the basic information you need to keep backyard hens locally, including feed and pullet/hen suppliers, veterinarians, etc. All by donation! If you're thinking of going, I would highly recommend it! I don't know if Keira learned much, but I certainly did.

After snacking all week on the delicious dehydrated apples that Carmen and I made, we decided to revisit the apple trees and pick more.

Jason and I turned it into a bit of a date night with a roaring fire, wine and The Apple Machine...

Yum!

The Apple Machine and 'There's a Moose on my Pie!'

2009-09-28T16:30:00.007-07:00

I've been struggling with ways to keep Carmen entertained (read, QUIET) while Keira naps in the afternoons. With winter fast approaching, going in the backyard is not always do-able, and I don't like hiding downstairs.

Over the weekend, Jason and I took off on his motorbike for a short spell while Grandpa JJ and Grammelina took the girls to a park. Jason had heard from a friend that there were three apple trees laden with fruit, available for picking! I can't tell you where, because then I'd have to kill you... And yes, I know we are weird for going apple-picking for a date.

Regardless, after nearly an hour of looking for these mysterious trees, lo and behold, we found them! They were indeed dripping with three different types of apples! Jason quickly climbed the trees in full motorcycle gear and started tossing apples down into my hands. Before long we had a huge bag full!

So today Carmen and I tackled the bag with our Apple Machine - a clever little contraption that peels, cores and slices the apples.

After about an hour, we had a dehydrator full of slices for apple chips, and a freezer full for smoothies, pies and morning oatmeal. We kept some of the teeniest ones for eating in the fridge - just the right size for hungry tots! Yum!

Yesterday we made a Chicken Pot Pie with a creative twist - I think I have Tessa L. to thank for some creative inspiration, but can't remember for sure.

Playdough is huge at our house, and so a while back I went to Ikea and purchased these Canadian animal-shaped cookie cutters (can't find 'em online, but they're a few bucks in the Richmond store). A moose, porcupine, beaver, squirrel, bear... you get the picture.

Cutting out dough shapes for the top of our pie kept her busy for over an hour! Hurrah!

And then she had to do 'clean-ups'...

The only question is - what do I do tomorrow? As much as I'd like, pie for dinner every night is NOT a healthy food choice! And we're out of apples until we visit the tree again...

Ideas?

Sing a Song of Spelt Bread...

2009-09-26T16:17:00.003-07:00

Today was my first day of singing lessons and it was AWESOME! Picture standing in a room with 20 other strangers, belting out a song you don't know at the top of your lungs - liberating, no?

For our anniversary this year, Jason gifted me with 8 weeks of singing lessons through the VSB. It's something that I've been talking about for a looooooong time and he figured that I needed a bit of a kick in the rear to get it done. So every Saturday for the next while, I will be cranking it out in a high school band room. The instructor is totally quirky, the other participants quite an eclectic bunch. But together we'll be a hit, if only in our own eyes (ears)!

Thursday morning was baking time - we were out of cookies and bread - so the girls and I combined forces in the kitchen and managed to produce quite a spread! Happiness is letting your kids lick the beaters, and I am a firm believer in eating raw cookie dough.

We started with multigrain bread in the breadmaker (I'm no martyr), and then followed with our favourite Spelt Bread. It's super duper easy to make with kids and takes only about 45 minutes from start to finish. Perfect for short preschool attention spans!

Once Keira was down for her nap (surprising after all the honey-yogurt mix she consumed) we made a batch of Ginger Snaps. Carmen's favourite parts are making designs in the molasses, rolling the cookies in sugar and plopping them on the cookie sheet.

Keira's favourite part is eating the end product.

Tuesday

2009-09-22T21:01:00.005-07:00

Sweet, wonderful, relaxing Tuesday - oh, how I love you!

It was a full, fun day. Sunshine, Granville Island, playground, dog walk, gardening, kids in bed at a decent time, knitting, the last slice of still-moist chocolate cake from my neighbour... It's one of those days that I envisioned life as a parent would be like, where you push your kids in the swings and then share a sandwich in on a sun-warmed bench.

Sure, there were mishaps. Naked screaming kid on the deck wanting a cookie instead of lunch. Toddler pooping in the bathtub. Dog refusing to heel and wandering dangerously amongst people on bikes. Spilled soapy bubble-making water causing everyone to careen and swerve across the deck. The bruised bum cheeks that resulted.

But the world didn't come to a crashing halt. And everyone was still smiling.

Jason called me tonight, away on a three-night camping trip with his class. It was just after 8pm and the kids were already in bed. The house was quiet, and I was relaxed. I think he was expecting me to be a bit more frazzled, and was pleasantly surprised. It felt good, to not feel like I was at the end of my rope by bedtime.

It's amazing what Tuesday can do.

I didn't have an appropriate photo to share, since I ditched the camera and cell phone for the day. So instead, here is a photo of Keira eating one of the dollhouse dolls.

Spring Constant

2009-09-18T05:48:00.004-07:00

My mental and emotional health requires me to move. I NEED physical activity. Without regular exercise I am a tightly coiled spring, full of potential energy and ready to unleash at the slightest provocation.

Personally, I am not a social exerciser. I seek out solitary sports like swimming, biking and running. It may seem strange that I love being a group fitness instructor, and most people that have been to my classes would comment that I am a ridiculously social chatterbox while I am teaching, but then I'm there to teach and motivate my participants, and not for my own workout... Aside from my husband, there are few people that can lull me into conversation while I am in the zone. I crank the volume and sing to the music. Loudly. If you are on a treadmill beside me, unbeknownst to you, I am probably having a secret race with you. This would lead you to believe that I am an accomplished athlete or something, and while I'm happy with my long-ago race times, they are not going to make the news. Mostly I'm just ridiculously competitive. Not sure why. It's not something I'm proud of - I'm just being honest.

It's 6am and I can't sleep because my body is rebelling. My right hand is suspended in a splint for a flare-up of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, and my left knee is being iced for a recurrent injury. My right foot throbs. My hips are out of alignment. I am not trying to garner sympathy, as I know that there are people out there with bigger problems! But as I think and type this, I wonder if this is my new physical reality?

Yesterday I went for a hilly jaunt to JJ Bean for 'coffee and a muffin' with my girls... girls that, coupled with a giant double stroller, are very closely approaching my body weight. I was tired. I wore stupid shoes. I was not 'moving mindfully' when the dog was pulling on her leash, nor when I was trying to balance my coffee mug in one hand and push the stroller with the other. I didn't do my physio corrections for my back that morning. It was my first week back teaching full time, and my first week back into my own workout regime.

There are a million and one reasons why I am feeling like this right now, and things that I could have done to prevent it. I should know better. Believe me, this irony is not lost. But I've never had to think, or prepare so much, just to go get a damned coffee!

I've seen my body go through two pregnancies, three years of breast feeding, major abdominal surgery, and many kid-related repetitive strain injuries. I have a few battle scars. I'm not solely blaming motherhood, but it has taken its toll, along with aging, agressive training, etc. Every once in a while I hear a story about a mother of four who ran her best marathon ever a few months after her youngest babe was born. If this was you, I want to give you the biggest congratulatory hug, and thank you for empowering women everywhere! It also means that my ridiculous competitive streak has probably flared up, and I am suddenly in a secret race with you. It's not something I'm proud of - I'm just being honest.

Do we all hurt? Is that marathon mommy sleeping with heating pads and special pillows and the perfect position to increase the likelihood of a decent sleep? Am I the only one that relies on chiropractors and massage therapists and physiotherapists (thankyouthankyouthankyou) to get through the month?

And am I always going to be fearful that going for a coffee is going to bite me in the bum?

This is a hard post for me, because of what I do for a living. But again, it's not something I'm proud of - I'm just being honest.

Nudge

2009-09-15T13:05:00.006-07:00

I have a theory about being creative... part of it is an innate talent, to be able to look at a heap of supplies and just create something fabulous. Part of it is from exposure, absorbing ideas and learning concepts about different artistic mediums - what works and what doesn't according to other people's experiences. I tend to rely more on exposure than innate talent and usually spend quite a bit of time with a given medium before I am confident enough to branch out and apply my own artistic elements. But I am easily inspired, given a nudge in any direction...

Some of my favourite nudges, recent and not-so-recent?

Cooking is by far one of my favourite pastimes. Working weekends in a coffeeshop with my Grandma Dumas before I could even see over the counter, I made breads, pies and other sinfully delicious treats. She never measured anything, nor did she write much down! I recently pulled out three butternut squashes from the garden - what to do...

I don't even like squash that much, but I know I should! So I plugged it into Epicurious and was inspired by this recipe for Butternut Hazelnut Lasagne. I reduced the amount of bechamel, and added mushrooms and the ubiquitous garden-fresh swiss chard and zucchini - YUM! Made enough for the freezer too!

BTW, try not to pay too close attention to my (lack of) photography skills... I think I will have to hang out more with Lisa!

I looooooove knitting, but am not far enough in my current project to post a pic yet - wait for it!

Probably next up would be quilting... My dear friend Amanda taught me to quilt back in my university days, when I would carefully scrape together cash for the fabrics and wait for Christmas and birthdays to add rotary cutters and quilt batting to my wishlist! She started a paper-pieced quilt way back when and got sick of it, so I gratefully picked up where she had left off and made a light-to-dark transition diagonally across. Paper-piecing requires a lot of patience and precision - two things I am short on, as you can see in the close-up! But I was pretty pleased with the outcome, nonetheless, and have crafted many quilts since.

Being artistic with my kids has been a real challenge for me. Lack of ideas? Lack of patience? Too neat-freaky? All of the above? In any case, I am thankful for the gentle nudges of friends like Michelle, who gave me the idea of letting the kids paint with yarn, feathers, sponges, etc. The other day I let them both loose on the sunshiney deck with paints and paper, and craziness ensued! But it nothing that couldn't be cleaned up with a nice bath, and a good rain!

A while back, during a creative Mama Renew session, we met at the lovely Sarah J's house for a messy introduction to felting - what fun! A brave woman she is, inviting us into her living room to create using such a watery, soapy, fluffy, space-intensive process! I made this purse and fell in love with the medium, but I have yet to return to it...

Possibly this fall Carmen and I will create little felted flowers while Keira naps? I think she would LOVE it!

Mama Renewed

2009-09-13T10:28:00.008-07:00

Well, it's been a while since I've last blogged - in fact, my poor second daughter Keira hasn't even had a name mention on the blogosphere yet! So I've decided to retire the old 'Lil Tri Girl' blog, but maintain the old post list so I don't lose all the writing I've done during life before kids, and Carmen's early days...

There are a few reasons I'm back.

I recently attended a relaxing, rejuvenating Mama Renew retreat held at the beautiful Rolling Earth centre on the Sunshine Coast. There was dancing, singing, EATING, naked hottubbing, visualizing, journalling, creating... I went there without a solid intention, but returned with a ton of energy and creative inspiration. We made beautiful prayer flags, which were hung lovingly over my patio door (thanks Jason!) to remind me of a few promises I made to myself.

Upon my return, I found an email in my inbox from the lovely Bonnie, requesting my presence at her monthly 'Homespun Salon' creative circle. I excitedly 'Craigslist'-ed a few baby items to put some cash together for what some might see as frivolity... I bought 2 beautiful hanks of hand-dyed merino for a sweater FOR MYSELF. To wear. In public. Crazy, I know... this is the gorgeous Whisper Cardigan by Hannah Fettig, and I am knitting it in 'Valkyrie' from Socks that Rock - 'Reds, from poppy to rust darkened with black. Midwife of change. She will walk with you up to that door and be your witness as you walk through it.' Cool, no?

And at both lovely gatherings, amazing women chatted excitedly about their blogs. Some about parenting, some about creativity, some about simply capturing their lives. And I remembered how I used to do that too... and I don't want to be a 'used-to' anymore.

And so my solid intention was born, and here I am. Stay tuned.