Longest. Week. Ever

Is it Friday yet?

I woke up yesterday morning not knowing what day it was and was disappointed to realize that it was only Tuesday. Today feels like Thursday, at least.

Not sure why this week is dragging. Last week was a full 5 days of work, although covering for my colleague who was on holiday while I was battleing major sinus congestion made it seem like a full 10. All is normal again this week (staff and health-wise) so maybe that's why it feels long in comparison.

Anyway, it's not often that time seems to slow down, so maybe I should just enjoy it and smell the roses.

Relapse

Just when we thought we were in the clear, Lauren came down with another bad cough last Saturday night. It has continued so far throughout this week and I got a call from daycare yesterday at 4pm to come get her. She had a coughing attack for an hour and a half and couldn't stop long enouygh to drink some water.

Poor baby. She looks exhausted, and she was just starting to look like her usual cheerful self after the last cold two weeks ago. She hasn't been getting restful sleep and has been ending up in our bed again, so we're all looking ragged.

The other night I read online that Vicks VapoRub can help to soothe a cough, so I bought some yesterday after speaking with the pharmacist. Seemed to help a little, but not exactly the miracle that many parents claimed in the article I read. But I suppose any bit of help is good.

Other than the rub and  honey and lots of liquids and standing in the cold night air and a warm mist humidifier, there's nothing to do except to wait it out. And when this cold is finally gone we wait again on tenterhooks until the next cold comes along.

Eaves...

I meant to have a look to see if the eaves on the side of the house held up after last night's heavy rain. It's the first rain we've had since A came to fix it a few weeks ago. It is only a temporary fix to last the winter, as he said we'll have to call in a professional to replace that whole side come Spring.

During his time on the roof, A also discovered that the house connected to our has an eaves system that's connects to our system. That's two roofs worth of rain runoff being deposited into our little yard. Not good.

I don't know who would have set it up like that and it's hard to place blame when the house is so old and so many people have lived in it. I do know for sure that the neighbours will be happy to do whatever we need to do to fix it. Thank  goodness.

Cold and flu season

Tis the season to cough and sneeze. The 3 of us have been doing just that for the last few weeks - hence the blog post hiatus. I think we've used up a small tree worth of tissue to plug our leaky nostrils and several jars of honey to soothe our sore throats.

Lauren's cough started at Thanksgiving, got a bit better, then came back in full force the day after Halloween. C got a call from daycare saying that she had a fever and ended up spending the rest of the week at home. As it turns out the whole daycare class had a severe cough. When Lauren finally returned 7 (of 16) kids were still absent.

We're all doing much better now, although I don't doubt that there will be another wave of something in the coming months. For now we'll catch up on rest and stock up on more tissue and honey.

Training day

Lauren had her first diaper free day at daycare today - yay! I see the light at the end of the, um, diaper?

She's been in training at home for a while but we decided with the daycare teachers last week that today we'd extend the training at school.  I packed many extra pairs of pants and underwear in case of any accidents, but she made it back home in the same clothing she left with. I'm  so proud. Her'es hoping the rest of the week goes just as well.

Simple pleasure #4

Sitting in the passenger seat while my husband drives.

HVAC guy continued. And other stuff

My favourite HVAC guy came today to replace the furnace ventor motor. He had metioned last year that it sounded loud (which it did) and finally made a call to the manufacturer during his last check-up to see if it was still under warranty. Luckily it is was (until December of this year), so all we paid for was labour.

He managed to do the job in half an hour (half the original estimated time) so in the end we paid $45.  Yay! And what a difference. C turned on the furnace after dinner and I could barely hear it.

I love it when home service maintenance calls go as planned.

C also made an appointment to get our eaves checked out. The one running along the side of the house is leaking in a major way so we'd like to get it patched up before winter. Seems like the neighbour would like it too. I can't blame them as I'm sure they don't appreciate the puddle of standing water that accumulates between our houses after each rainfall.

Anyway, the eaves person is scheduled to come for an estimate on Monday afternoon.

Mashed potato meltdown

C committed a major faux pas this evening by serving mashed potato on the same plate as Lauren's meat balls and tortilla. Big mistake.

The plate is one of those kid friendly sectional kinds so the food items weren't even touching, but it didn't matter. Lauren took one look and burst into a screeching fit. She tends to do this when food that she doesn't like shares the same space as food she does like. We've told her countless times to just eat what she wants and leave the rest, but she'll just refuse to eat anything until the offending food is removed.

I eventually got a new plate and transferred everything minus the mash, but I'm not sure this is the right thing to do. Does this teach her that she can screech to get her way at the dinner table? How will she discover new foods if she won't even accept it being on her plate?

I don't like the "eat this or nothing" approach because Lauren doesn't have a big appetite to begin with. Not that I think she'll starve herself, but pasta again is better than nothing, right? Plus we've tried that approach a few times which resulted in her waking up at all hours of the night because of hunger. At 4am the only thing I have the energy to serve is cereal.

"Be persistent" is the phrase I hear over and over again when it comes to kids eating. Well, being persistent ain't easy, but I'll try.

Unmentionables

This is too funny not to share.

I was in my bedroom yesterday sorting through laundry while Lauren was occupying herself by buzzing around and fiddling with whatever she could get her hands on.

She eventually grabbed my bra, hung one strap around her neck and lifted her shirt over one of the cups then delared proudly, "Look Mommy, I have boobies like you!"

Remembering Grandpa

Lauren never got to meet my dad. Unfortunately he passed away on this day in 2007, just a few months before she was born. Considering the nature of his illness, I can't be sure that he knew she was on her way. But somehow I think deep down he did.

I’m fortunate though, to be left with so many great memories of him to pass along. He was a kind, patient and hands-on kind of parent. He never passed up a request to go for a bike ride or play a board game, or help with my homework, and he always made an effort to listen to what I had to say despite the bustle of a busy dinner table. He loved good conversation and I have no doubt that he and Lauren would have gotten along famously.

When my sisters and I were little, he would take us for walks through the wooded trails of the provincial park that was close to our home. We enjoyed the activity, but it wouldn’t take long for tiredness to set in. At least for me and my little legs. Just at the point when I felt I couldn’t go on, we’d take a break and he’d reach into his coat pocket and pull out a chocolate bar for us to share. It was like magic.

I hope to be as good a parent to my daughter as he and my mom were to me. I’ll do my very best to teach her to enjoy life and to be true to herself and caring towards others.

This evening I’ll pull a chocolate bar out of my pocket for us to share as we walk together and remember Grandpa.

Biker mom

As Lauren and I were walking from the daycare playground this evening, a family came up behind us. "Where's your bike?" the dad asked. It took me a moment to register that he was talking to me. "It was raining this morning so I left it at home today." I replied. He and his wife nodded in acknowlegment. I've never spoken to this family before but I've seen them around the neighbourhood, and they've obviously seen me.

And there you have it. I am officially recognized as the mom with the bike. It's not the riding of the bike that's so special, but the action of me pushing the bike and the stroller with Lauren sitting in it at the same time. Because I ride my bike to and from work most days, the best technique to manage the last few minutes of the way from daycare to home is with stroller on my left and bike on my right. They're all on wheels so it's really not at all as awkward as it may seem, but it sure attracts a lot of attention from passers by.

I've been doing this simultaneous bike and stroller push for over a year now and still hear comments from people asking how I manage. "You sure have your hands full!" Or, "Wow, how are you doing that?!" I often get offers from people who want to help. A few months ago a woman riding by on a tandem bike stopped to ask if I was interested in a child bike seat. I had considered a bike seat before I came up with this push technique, but decided against it. Traffic is too busy where I live and if I were ever to get bumped by a car, Lauren would go down with me and I'm not willing to take that risk.

It makes me happy to know that there are so many thoughtful people in the neighbourhood, but to be honest, the best help is to stay out of my way. I just need a clear path down the sidewalk and I'm good to go.

Still, for all the attention, wanted or not, and the 10 minutes it takes to push us home, it's worth it to be outdoors on my bike.

Death of a waffle iron

I love my waffle iron, but I don't think it loves me anymore.

C and I put it on our wedding registry all those years ago as a fun to have item, and were delighted when we discovered that one of our friends had purchased it for us. We enjoyed many weekend waffle brunches that year until the day that I accidently snapped off the plastic on/off knob that also regulates the temperature setting.

I tried to glue it back on but that didn't work. I figured I could still turn the metal switch that the knob was attached to with my fingers, but quickly learned that the metal switch gets too hot to handle with bare fingers. I tried oven mitts but they were too stubby, and poking a pair of metal tongs at it just seemed like a bad idea.

It would have been a shame to throw the whole thing away, the iron itself still worked after all, so I packed it up in its box with the intention of fixing it when a better idea came along.

3 years have gone by since then and I still haven't found a solution, but I haven't yet given up. This past weekend my sister and her family came to spend the night so I took this as motivation to prepare a fun and filling breakfast menu. In the morning there would be waffles for everyone, knob of not.

I figured that if I pre-set the temperature when it was unplugged, all I'd have to do is plug it in and add the batter when the iron got hot. What I forgot, unfortunately, is that there is a technique to waffle making that involves the perfect ratio of batter, temperature and timing.

The instant I lowered the lid steam billowed from the seams and hot batter oozed out and down the front and sides of the appliance and all over the kitchen counter like molten lava. I quickly moped up as much as I could making sure to keep it from dripping into the exposed knob area and electricals. I then tried to open the lid but it was fused shut. Even my brother-in-law couldn't pry it open and managed to snap a wooden spoon in the process. I finally unplugged it so the batter wouldn't char and cause a fire.

When the iron cooled enough to be handled my brother-in-law gave it a good tug and finally got the lip open. Batter was burnt and crusted onto the waffle grooves. I started to the scrape off what I could, but this was going to be a big clean up job. With 5 hungry people hovering in the kitchen and a big bowl of batter waiting to be cooked there was no time to scrape, so I took out my trustee frying pan and went to work. That morning there would be pancakes for everyone.

I haven’t touched the waffle iron since then. I think it still needs time to cool off – a “time out” as Lauren would say. Maybe it was trying to tell me to leave it alone. Maybe the knob can’t be fixed and I should just throw it away. But somehow I don’t think so. I think after a little love and attention and after the crusted batter has been removed, we can enjoy our weekend waffle brunches again someday.

Note to self: cycling in the rain

Note to self: buy fenders for the bike.

Also, buy appropriate rain gear. Arriving home in sopping wet clothing and dirty from tire spray is really no fun anymore.

It all add$ up

I'm still trying to wrap my head around how I spent $76 at Walmart (of all places) last night and still managed not to buy the one item we really went there for, which was a winter coat for Lauren.

Zut alors!

I was puzzled when the cashier rung up the total and C must have been too because he asked me about it as we walked away with our stuff. I stared at the receipt for a good minute doing the mental math. Yep. It all added up.

I think it was the grocery items that did it, plus the halloween candy, plus the umbrella, plus all those pairs of socks that I didn't realize were too big until I unwrapped them when we got home. Zut! Zut! Zut!

Lesson learned: if a store doesn't have what you're looking for, turn around and walk right out!

I'm not lovin' it

I've been trying to avoid McDonald's like I've been trying to avoid the ice cream truck, and was doing a great job until two weeks ago. In the past two weeks we've been three time. THREE TIMES!! Not good.

Twice was during a road trip, and then again tonight while we were out shopping. It was right there inside the store so there was no other option for food. That's the thing about McDonald's - even when you'd prefer to eat elsewhere, it's there when you're desperate to feed your child.
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Lauren has already learned that they serve her beloved chicken nuggets, but I don't think she associates the chicken nuggets with the golden arches. Considering we walk by the arches every day on our walk home from daycare, I think I just won't tell her. Until next year. Maybe...

I scream at the ice cream truck

Well, it's not a great day outside today, but I did hear the ice cream truck a few days ago and spotted it at least twice last week. I suppose that as long as the warm autumn weather holds I'll be seeing more of it for a while longer.

I used to love the ice cream truck. Shortly after moving to this city six years ago I spotted one and was so excited that I chased it down the street like a six year old, with all the glorious memories of my care-free youth rushing back to me. The last time I had seen one before that was probably when I was six years old. They disappeared sometime after that. At least from the suburban Montreal neighbourhood that I grew up in.

I lost my taste for the soft serve treat during the summer I was pregnant, after I read somewhere that it could be unsafe due to risk of bacteria. Kind of like soft cheese or deli meat, or hot dogs from a sidewalk vendor - you just really never know how clean the stuff is. It may have been paranoia, but better safe than sorry when you've got a baby growing inside of you, right?

I had a cone or two last summer when Lauren was very little, but now that she's more aware of the things around her and has developed a sweet tooth, I've been avoiding it again. All she knows is that it's "the truck that makes music." I haven't told her that it's a truck filled with her absolute favourite treat that drives around the neighbourhood, and that someone inside will fill up a cup or cone and even put a cherry on top and hand it to you right there on the street. I would never hear the end of it.

My avoidance tactic was working just fine until about mid-summer when the truck took up a route that went down my street at precisely 8pm, parking two houses away - music blaring. I could have screamed. The bedtime routine of a toddler is a fine art that can go very wrong with the slightest distraction. The last thing a parent needs when they've finally got their child settled is temptation in the form of vanilla and chocolate goodness right outside the bedroom window.

This went on for a few days and on each occasion I would shut the window until the truck finally took up a route on another street. Maybe other parents of toddlers complained. There are a lot of young families on my street and I'm sure I wasn't the only one trying to get their kid to sleep while ice cream was being scooped up outdoors.

Maybe I underestimate my daughter. Maybe she wouldn't be tempted by the music and would understand that we can't buy ice cream every time the truck goes by, as tempting as it is even for me. She does get that sweet tooth from me after all.

Anyway, I'll test out that theory next summer. This year it will simply be known as "the truck that makes music."

Simple pleasure #3

Browsing around the farmer's market on a warm autumn afternoon.

Black is back

I've decided that the next home improvement project will be to paint the front porch railing. The brown is flaking and looking drab and I really think a new coat of shiny black will help perk up the front of the house.

I should have enough black left from last year's front door paint job. I'm tempted to use it to paint the back door, but no one ever sees the back door aside from me and C. I'll put that paint job at the bottom of the list.

I estimate the project shouldn't take longer than a weekend. The hard part is finding a free weekend between now and when the cold weather and rain sets in.

B is for broccoli

Every once in a while I try to convince Lauren that the particular veggie I'm eating is so delicious that she should try some too. She's too smart for this tactic but I try anyway hoping that one day she'll give in. Tonight was not the night...

Me: Mmmm... I like my broccoli!

Lauren: Mmmm... I like my chicken!

Me: Mmmm... I love my broccoli!

Lauren: Mmmm... I love my chicken!

Me: Mmmm... broccoli is soooo good!

Lauren: Broccoli is NOT good for me!

The art of dinner conversation

Lauren has been keen about joining in on dinner conversation lately. Now she'll ask to participate which I take as a sign that she's maturing. In the not so distant past she would just whine or hum loudly to get our attention.

Yesterday C and I were discussing something when Lauren piped up "Mommy, talk to me!"

"OK", I said, "what do you want to talk about?"

"Let's talk about ice cream!"

This was amusing to me because she had started a conversation about ice cream the night before. I suppose ice cream talk never gets old. After we went around the table stating our favourite flavours it was time for another topic.

"Now lets talk about pizza!" She said. She very politely asked C and I what kind we liked then told us her preference. "My favourite is chocolate and chicken and meatball."

I doubt she would ever actually eat chocolate pizza with chicken and meat ball, but you never know with this kid, and it did make for interesting dinner conversation!

I wonder what we'll be talking about tonight.

And more on apples

Apples seem to be a recurring theme these days. Must be the change in season. This weekend Lauren and I spent some time in the burbs visiting family then ventured further out into the country on a spontaneous apple picking outing.

I've never been apple picking before so I wasn't sure what to expect. Armed with a map of the local area farms, my sister picked one at random and off we went.

To our surprise, Chudleigh's turned out to be quite the hot spot for outdoor family entertainment. There were giant slides and a straw maze; face painting and a farm animal petting/observation area; a giant sand pit and tire swings. And apples too of course! Lots of them!

After some mandatory play time we hitched a ride on the tractor wagon that took us deep into the orchard. The trees weren't as big as I expected, but just the right size for kids and adults alike to reach into the branches and pluck the perfect fruit.

Lauren's older cousins were thrilled to help her with the picking and Lauren was thrilled to be gallivanting in the country with her cousins.

All in all it was a nice break from the bustle of the city and a great way to kick off the harvest season.

It’s not the cyclist, it’s the attitude

Recently while cycling home from work I approached a red light at an intersection behind another cyclist. As is usually the case, the stream of cars on our left weren't leaving much room between them and the curb. When this happens I usually fall back and wait for traffic to move again rather than risk being squashed into the curb, but the cyclist ahead managed to squeeze his way forward.

At the corner a large vehicle starting to make a right turn then stopped short of hitting the cyclist ahead of me. I was close enough to the vehicle to hear the driver mumble something. “%#%@ cyclists!” I don’t know what he said exactly, but I doubt it was a compliment.

I hear a lot of grumbling regarding cyclists. They take up room on the road, they plow through stop signs and red lights at intersections. They dangerously weave in and out of traffic and are a menace towards pedestrians on sidewalks. I’ve witnessed all of these instances and will agree that some cyclists are a hazard.

I have also witnessed hazardous behaviour on the part of drivers and pedestrians. Just this morning a pedestrian failed to look both ways before stepping from the sidewalk onto the street a few feet from my path. Had there not been time for me to stop it would have been a nasty collision.

A few minutes later I saw a driver make a left turn onto a street nearly knocking down a dad and his 2 kids on a crosswalk. The pedestrian signal clearly indicated that it was that family's right of way.

Unfortunately too many people have a very careless attitude on the road whether they be cyclist, driver or pedestrian. It's an individual issue. Put that careless cyclist behind the wheel of a car and I'm sure you'll see reckless driving behaviour. Or watch that reckless driver walk down the street for a block and they will likely try crossing the street when or where they shouldn't be.

We all need to smarten up and pay attention. There's room for everyone on the road and with a little more care we should all be able to get to where we're going safely.

A is for apple

If I ever figure out Lauren's eating habits, I'm sure it will be a very long time from now.

Every evening after dinner or for a snack on the weekends I offer a selection of fruit. She always says no to apple, but I keep offering anyway.  

Yesterday on our way home from daycare she went snooping through my tote bag and found an apple then asked if she could eat it. I was shocked, so of course I said yes even though we were going to have dinner soon. She ate 3/4 of the apple before dinner, paused to eat dinner (pasta), then polished off an apple fruit cup for dessert.

I guess she just had a craving?!

Simple pleasure #2

Pulling weeds from the garden under a light rain on a quiet Monday morning.

Simple pleasure #1

Spending 30 uninterrupted minutes putting away the dishes and tidying the kitchen while Lauren plays puzzles with Grandma.

Home grown bagels

I love that Lauren enjoys helping me in the garden. It's not a big area by any means, but it's ours and there's enough space to dig and play and get messy or just sit and hang out.

She's curious now about the names of the different flowers and tools and has done a good job of remembering most things.

This evening she wanted to help with watering. After we filled the watering can together she said, "Mummy, I want to water the bagel."

"The bagel?! We don't have bagels out here." I replied. Strange request but imagination runs wild at this age so anything's possible.

"I want to water the bagel." She insisted. Then I saw that she was headed straight for the potted herbs.

"Ooooohh, the basil. You mean baay-sil?"

"Yes." She said. "The basil."

Neanderthals roam the earth

If you believe that Neanderthals are extinct, let me assure you that they're not. In fact they're alive and roaming around right here in this city.

They're tricky to spot because they look and dress like modern man, but just one cat call from their mouths is a sure sign that their brains haven't yet evolved.

I'm sure any woman who, while going about her own business and has experienced this unwanted attention, like I was on my cycle to work this morning, would attest to it. I thought this lame behaviour died off at least a decade ago, but sadly, no.

So in reaction to this I take the high road and ignore it. But what I'm thinking is - Dude. Seriously? This is 2010, catch up already. Go educate yourself or something. I should hand out books to these poor souls and explain in language they might understand. "Book. Read. Learn you. Good." But that would take too much of my time.

What might be even more effective is to simply throw books at their heads. Maybe that would knock some sense into them.

HVAC

Got a message from the HVAC company about booking an appointment for our annual furnace cleaning.

I always look forward to this appointment. I think because of all the seasonal home maintenance tasks we should do, we only ever get around to some, but this is the one that we never let slide. 

While we were house hunting we saw first hand what happens to a neglected furnace. Aside from not heating the house properly, it needs more energy (and in turn more money) to run, and decreases the value of the house. All in all it's just not good.

So this week we'll book our appointment and be toasty warm again for another season.

The tummy speaks again

It's routine on weekend mornings for Lauren to call out from her bedroom to let C and I know that she's awake. This morning after I lifted her from her bed her stomach let out a little gurgle.

In response to the gurgle Lauren said, "My tummy said, 'Hi, I  am hungry and  I want Cheerios'". "Oh!", I replied. "Ok, let's go to my bedroom first for a bit then we'll go downstairs for breakfast."

This isn't the first time the tummy has spoken, and I'm not sure why she sometimes refers to it in the 3rd person, but it's pretty darn cute.

C and I are always still groggy when Lauren wakes up, but we can usually squeeze in a light snooze while she flops around on our bed for a while or reads her books. If we're lucky she'll fall asleep again. This morning we weren't so lucky and I was coerced into a game of -"The lion is coming we have to hide under the blanket!"

So we spent several minutes hiding from the lion and were having a jolly old time when Lauren suddenly declared loudly, "I AM HUNGRY!! I WANT CHEERIOS!!"

Oops. Grogginess got the better of me and I forgot that the tummy had very politely asked for Cheerios a while ago. Experience has taught me that when Lauren is hungry it's best to get some food in her fast otherwise a meltdown is sure to follow. And that really ain't so cute, especially on a Sunday morning.

My husband. My hero.

Today marks the 4 year wedding anniversary of my husband and I. At least as documented by the province of Ontario. We prefer to celebrate the anniversary of when we first got together - May 12, 1999. That was 11 years ago, and add to that the year we spent getting acquainted as friends, makes 12 years of togetherness.

12 years is a long time to know a guy, but this guy still knows how to keep the fun and excitement alive. Take last night for example. It was late and I was shuffling around upstairs getting ready for bed when I heard him call for help. The tone in his voice told me right away that something wasn't right.

"I saw it again", he said as he met me at the foot of the stairs handing me my shoes to put on. He had mentioned earlier that day that he thought he saw something small scamper across the kitchen floor. It was too small and too fast to identify but, it could have been anything. We live in a really old house in the city, so it's not unheard-of for tiny outdoor critters to sometimes find their way indoors.

The rational part of my brain was telling me that anything so small is probably way more afraid of me than I should be of it. But still, the best I could do to help was stand very still feeling squeamish.

One of us had to do something, so without hesitation this husband of mine jumped into action. Imagine if you will, a thirty-something year old man bounding around the kitchen at 11 o'clock at night shoving appliances aside, with a large metal BBQ spatula (for squashing) in one hand and a plastic waste basket in another. "This is to trap it", he said, waving the basket at me.

By the end of the night nothing was trapped or squashed, but the sentiment was there. My husband was ready and willing to go head to head against the thing so that I wouldn't have to. My hero.

So husband, here's to you and me on our fruit & flower/ linen, silk, nylon/ appliances anniversary. May our happy old home be rid of creepy crawlies and unidentified critters,  and may the excitement continue for many, many more years to come.

xo

Leaky pipe

C discovered a slow leak in the seam of one of the pipes beneath the kitchen sink. It really is a sloooow leak, but a leak none the less.

Zut alors!

When the contractor finished the reno job back in March he did mention that we could call for up to a year if any issues came up. So, C gave him a call this evening and fell on voice-mail. I'm really hoping he'll phone back tomorrow, or at least sometime before the weekend. I would really love to get this pinhole patched up before it turns into a gusher.

Hot Smoothee?

I'm not a coffee drinker, but every once in a while I need an afternoon boost and tea just doesn't cut it.

This summer I've been slightly hooked on Tim Hortons' Iced Cappuccino.  Again, I'm not a coffee drinker, but add a lot of milk, a bit or chocolate and whip it together in a big blending machine and I'm all over it. Bonus if it comes with whipped cream on top. On the Tim's site it's described as a "cool treat" which is really what it is. Or in my case, it's an after lunch get me through the next few hours before I go home, dessert.

Earlier this week I needed a boost, so headed off to the nearest Tim's with Iced Capp in mind. Only it was chilly that afternoon so when I got to the store I browsed the menu for something hot.

Me: What's a Hot Smoothee?

Counter Person: I don't really know

Me: Is there coffee in it?

Counter Person: Actually it's the only beverage that doesn't have coffee in it. Sorry!

Me: Is there fruit in it?

Counter Person: No

Just as I'm starting to think that this isn't a useful conversation, the counter person walks away and  comes back with a small piping hot cup of frothy looking milk for me to sample.

Counter Person: It's a kind of milky powdered base that you can add flavour to.

This sample tasted like piping hot milk with hazelnut flavour, maybe?

Me: Thanks. I'll take a small café mocha please.

I'm a huge smoothie fan (the cool, thick fruit packed variety) and there should be no confusing it with this hot smoothee drink. I think Tim's should change the name of it to "Flavoured Steamed Milk Drink" or "FSMD", or something. Not quite as catchy, but way more accurate.

When all else fails, eat cheese

On the lunch menu today at daycare were egg sandwiches. I'm told that Lauren took 2 bites then refused the rest. I'm not surprised. Actually I'm surprised she even tried it at all.

Her disdain for egg goes back a long way. One day when she was just old enough to eat egg yolk I carefully separated it from the white and mashed it up into a paste and fed it to her. She spat it out. On the next try I mixed it with one of her favourite purees. She spat it out. On the next try I simply crumbled the yolk so she could finger it and feed herself.  She mashed it into the feeding tray.

I gave egg a rest for a while, but one day thought that scrambled might be more appealing. She looked at it as if it was some nasty alien concoction then turned her head away.

Nowadays when I'm home and making lunch she'll ask, "We're not having egg?", which is her roundabout way of telling me that she really doesn't approve. Similar to, "We're not washing my hair?" Or, "I'm not going to bed?" Frankly, sometimes I think she's a little paranoid that the eggs are out to get her.

So today for lunch, Lauren did not eat her egg sandwich. BUT, she did eat a lot of cheese and some mango and strawberry. Hurray for little victories!

Drum roll please... zuccini cookies!

I finally got around to making this zuccini cookie recipe that I first spotted in Today's Parent.

Getting Lauren to eat vegetables is a challenge, so I'm always on the lookout for variations on the traditional ways of serving them up. And I love cookies, no matter what they're made from, so I couldn't resist giving it a try.
 
I substituted the sugar with 3 tbsp of maple syrup and raisins for chocolate chips. When all ingredients were combined the batter was a bit more gloopey than expected, but they firmed up into nicely shaped chewy cookies after a few minutes of baking.

I offered one to Lauren today and... drum roll please... she liked it! She actually liked it! I was half expecting her to spit it out and hand it back to me, but she asked for more!

This recipe is a definite keeper.

Stinky Pinky no more

C finally managed to get Lauren's stuffed Pinky bear into the wash this weekend. The stuffed Mouton sheep got a bath too - bonus!

I don't think it would have been possible had Lauren not decided to take Teddy Bear to daycare on Friday instead of Pinky as is usual. That afternoon we went straight from daycare to the train station and off to Grandma's house while Pinky stayed home.

Pinky has a pretty tight schedule between being Lauren's chaperone at daycare by day and sleep buddy by night, so there's little chance to steal him away for a good washing.

Thankfully he got his chance and none too soon as he was getting really grubby, and really stinky.

Mind your manners

Lauren's stomach has a mind of its own. I already know that it's particular about what it eats. But, sometimes when it grumbles she'll tell me that it's saying "hi". At least it's friendly!

Today at the dinner table it got an education in manners:

Lauren: My tummy is hungry for apple sauce but she doesn't know the magic word. Please!

The magic word works every time.

Oh happy day!

I recently received the gas bill for July and had a little conniption at the amount due. $306.43 is nearly double the usual monthly amount and more than I've ever been charged. Ever.

Zut alors.

So I'm thinking, what the heck have we been doing differently? There are only two adults and one little girl living here. The furnace isn't on. We haven't been taking more hot showers than usual - or have we? We do cold water wash for laundry. We did get a new dishwasher in March, but is it really using that much hot water? Is it the HST? Are we simply using more energy?

I began to panic and wondered how we can continue to afford living in this house if the utility bills are suddenly skyrocketing? Hydro was high thanks to the air conditioner and dehumidifier (it has been a record breaking hot summer after all) and the last water & waste bill was ridiculous. Although I finally figured out the cause of that issue.

So I called my brother-in-law to get some feedback and he suggested that if we cranked the furnace during the winter it could be over usage amounts that are being billed now. We're on an equal billing plan so this is a possible theory. But didn't we have a mild winter?

Just before we decide to try not using the dish washer for a month to see if it will make a difference, I gave Enbridge a call to see if maybe a mistake was made. Like the bean counter added some numbers instead of subtracting. Or something. Anything.

I waited on hold for 15 minutes and finally gushed my problem to the customer service rep.  And this is what happened...


Enbridge: Ma'am, you have a credit of $612.72


Me: What?


Enbridge: We overcharged you the other month. That little CR next to the mount is what we owe you.


Me: Oh! Really?


Enbridge: So you don't pay anything until that little CR is gone.

Me: Oh! Well great! Thanks!

Apparently I didn't have a lot to say, but what else is there when a utility company says they owe you money. It turns out that the little CR has been on my bills for the past few months and I didn't notice so just kept paying the amount due, which was actually the amount due to me which kept increasing with every payment I made.

So no gas payments necessary for the next few months. Woohoo! I fee like I won a small lottery.

I heart giant sunflowers

I love sunflowers. I especially love the giant variety because they're so comical and huge. I once saw a house with a sunflower patch in the front yard and the flowers were taller than the house. It was  an amazing sight to see a house dwarfed by  flowers.

Well, mine didn't grow as tall as the house (although that would have been ridiculous, and very cool), they  did get pretty huge. My final measurement was 8'10" and they probably could have reached up  higher had I tied them to some sort of support. Instead the heads have gotten too heavy for their necks and started to droop last weekend.

If these flowers produce any seeds I image they'll fall to the ground and grow into new  flowers next year. At least that's what I'm hoping.

In the mean time I'll enjoy the final blooms and think up something to do with the stems. I recently heard an interesting tip about using them for Halloween and Christmas sculpture decorations. Stay tuned for updates on that project...

Brand new day

First day at the new daycare today.  We've been talking about it so much that Lauren was very exciting to go and squealed as we approached the building this morning.

Apparently she shed a few tears soon after we left, but she was fine moments later. I think seeing some of her pals there helped to make the unfamiliar more familiar.

Introduction is gradual so it was just two hours today, then 3.5 tomorrow, then a full day on Wednesday.

So far so good!

Beam me up Mommy!!

This cracks me up every time.

I was never much of a Star Trek fan, but I do know what "Beam me up Scotty" refers to.

Lauren has a great vocabulary and can pronounce most words pretty well. Still, some words don't always come out very clearly. So when she has her arms outstretched asking to be picked up she'll say, "Bring me up Mommy!", which sounds an awful lot like, "Beam me up Mommy!".

Excuse me waiter, there's a fly in my blouse

So I'm riding home and suddenly an insect of some sort flies down my blouse and starts buzzing around.

Zut alors! 

This is not a good situation to be in while both hands are on the handle bars trying to negotiate traffic. I do manage to waft my blouse with one hand and the insect finally frees itself. Phew...  accident averted. 

Conversation about dinner

My daughter is a very fussy eater. She can eat her weight in pasta and cereal, but will ignore food she's not interested in, which is just about everything other than pasta and cereal and some very select meats and one kind of vegetable. No big surprise from someone her age, but I still persist in trying to get her to eat new foods. Here's a conversation we had recently about what we should have for dinner.


Me: Lauren, would you like rice or couscous?

Lauren: Sausage!

Me: OK, with your sausage, would you like rice or couscous?

Lauren: Cucumber!

Me: OK, with your sausage and cucumber would you like rice or couscous?

Pause ... smile ...

Lauren: I don't know!

A few minutes later...

Me: Lauren, would you like pasta with your sausage and cucumber?

Lauren: Ummm, yup!

Well played little girl, well played.

My favourite food

Well, this is a first. From the mouth of a toddler that doesn't care much about eating unless it's pasta or cereal, while eating lunch today came the words, "Mmmmmm... my favourite food!" followed by "I love to eat!" Of course she was eating meatballs, which I suppose is one of her favourite things to eat aside from pasta and cereal.

I took a chance on something new and bought some chicken noodle soup while out grocery shopping. I thought it might help with her cough and sniffles. Later at dinner I just served up a little bit and low and behold she took a bite and liked it - Eureka!! I have a suspicion that she eats noodle soup at daycare because she was pretty keen when I mentioned earlier that we were having it for dinner.

True to form, however, she spat out the celery and picked out the lumps of chicken and carrot. Ah well...

Dear Mother Nature

Dear Mother Nature,

Don't think that I can't see those rain clouds hovering up there in the sky. Please blow them away.

The sky was beautiful this morning (thank you) and I did not hear the weatherman mention anything about rain for this afternoon, so I did not pack an umbrella and I am wearing pants that will turn transparent when wet. My blouse will likely turn transparent too. Transparent is really not a good look for me.

Feel free to bring on the rain anytime after 5:30 pm. My sunflowers would love it.

Thanks much,
Caroline

Stink strikes again. Thank goodness for Albert's

It must be Thursday. I mentioned in a previous post about the stink on St. Clair Av W. Well sure enough as I rode to work this AM, the whiff was in the air.

What I didn't mention last time is that there is relief from the stink in the form of the delicious smells wafting from Albert's Real Jamaica Foods on St.Clair @ Vaughan Rd.

Albert's has been serving up West Indian delights in this location for well over 10 years, and more recently has been soothing my nostrils with wonderful smells of soup, curried chicken, roti and patties. Even at 7:30am in 30 degree heat I want to eat it all up. Unfortunately I'm always in too much of a hurry for a pit stop - and the doors don't open until 11am.

I think I'll pop in for bite this weekend and say thanks for saving my nose once again.

Cookies!

My daughter makes the best imaginary chocolate cookies, cake and tea EVER! I think she's going to be a master baker when she grows up.

Note to self: tomato sauce

Note to self: Be more careful when eating pasta and tomato sauce while wearing a white linen blouse at work. Tomato sauce spills are tricky to eliminate without leaving large wet spots on said blouse.

Zut alors!

Oh, the irony

Well don't I feel silly. After writing a comment mentioning how Lauren is a good sleeper, she decides tonight is the night that she doesn't feel like sleeping.

Maybe it was the novelty of reading bed-time stories on my bed rather than in her room as we do every night. Or maybe she really wasn't all that tired. Whatever the case, there was 10 minutes of her babbling to herself, then one request for water, then one bedside visit by me to explain that it was indeed time to sleep, followed by 20 minutes of screaming. And then silence...

Sweet dreams baby.

I need privacy!

This child of mine cracks me up. As I write this blog, she is sitting on the toilet reading a book while she does her business. She's already dropped the book once and called me in to pick it off the floor for her.

Thanks to a certain book we read a few months back, Big Words for Little People, she likes to declare, "I need privacy!" when I sit her on the toilet. Somehow her bowels are timed to let loose during dinner time, so there have been a lot of interrupted meals in the last little while.

Oh! She's done! Better go...

You are a good good girl

This is Lauren's favourite phrase lately, and if I had a dollar for every time she's said it, I'd have a nice little university fund save up by now.

C isn't spared the compliments either. "You are a good good boy" she'll say as she strokes her dads arm or rubs his head.

So full of love, my little girl.

Mango surprise

I had a brief moment of delight and surprise at breakfast this morning. Pancakes are a weekend treat that we enjoy and that Lauren loves, so she was delighted to dig in even after finishing a bowl of cereal a short time before.

I like to serve some fruit on the side just to add a bit of goodness to the meal. Plus, fruit tastes great drizzled in syrup. Lauren typically eats her pancakes "sans fruit", but today she lifted her shirt at the table and declared "My tummy wants mango!"

I typically discourage belly showing at the table, but for Lauren to ask for fruit just never happens, unless it's banana and she's reeeaaallllllyy hungry and it's in plain view. So I was surprised to hear her make this request. And delighted!

"Your belly wants mango?!" I said.

"Yeah!" She said.

So I put a lovely little piece of mango on her plate.

"No, I don't want it!" she said.

"But your belly just asked for it." I said.

"No, I don't want it."

And there you have it. The moment was gone. Sigh...

St. Clair Av W stinks

Let me be specific. St. Clair Av W stinks between Oakwood and Vaughan on Thurdays mornings at 7:20am.

Thursday morning is organics and garbage/recycling pick-up day on this stretch of road, and during the 4 months that I have been riding my bike it has yet to fail that there puddles of rotten food juice splashed on the pavement and stench wafting in the air. It's even worse on really warm mornings.

I feel for the apartment dwellers. How horrible it must be to wake up to. Come to think of it, it never smelled like this when C & I were living on St. Clair. Interesting...

I wish there was an alternate route I could take, but no other makes sense. Riding the off streets would add considerable extra time to what is already a longish ride. As it is now I just take short breaths and zoom thru the stink zone as quick as my legs can take me.

Sicko

Spent the day at home today with the little girl. She was fine this morning and throughout the day thankfully, but after last night's fever and spew (eeuuww!!) we thought it best just to keep her home.

You never how long these things are going last. I remember the first time she was really sick just before starting her first time at daycare. That lasted a week and the time after that was a couple of days. This bug was out of her system as quick as it came. I suppose there's something floating round the city because the symptoms are exactly what I heard a mom describe last weekend at the park. Fever then puke and then gone within 24 hours.

Anyway, despite the circumstances it was great to hang out, just the two of us. We played and read and went grocery shopping, and I even managed to squeeze in a bit of work so I'm not too swamped at work tomorrow. Oh! And Dora. It can't be a sick day at home without a few episodes of Dora.

BMW

Saw a nice display of luxury cars on the road today coming home from work. It's typical for the Forest Hill hood but there seemed to be more about than usual today. They reminded me of the MBW I spotted on my ride this morning which reminded me of "BMW".

I haven't thought of the expression in a long time, but it made me smile this morning. In Montreal, people (at least some people know) would say that they're taking the "BMW" to get to a particular destination. Sounds fancy doesn't it? But, "BMW" is the short form of Bus Metro Walk. Ha ha. Get it?! It's corny but deserving of a chuckle.

BMW doesn't make much sense in a city like T.O. where the metro equivalent is subway. Hmmm, "BSW". No, that doesn't work.

Anyway, a BMW (the 4 wheeled kind) would be nice, but for now I'm happy with the two wheels I've got. My bike.

Library woes

More trouble with the library. First I tried logging in to my account and got bounced to a "page not found" 3 times - I should tell tech support about that. When I did get into my account saw that I have a $3 fine - will I never learn to check due dates on time? And then when I tried to renew some of the books on the list I got a message telling me that there is a problem with my account and I need to contact the library by phone or email. And I couldn't renew the books so the fine will be more by the time I get this resolved.

Zut alors!

Yikes! Am I in trouble? It's like being in elementary school when you get a test or essay back with a note at the top where the teacher has written "See me" in red marker. Never a good sign, and I always got a sinking feeling in my gut when I read those notes. It's never a good sign when you have to talk to someone in person to resolve an issue, but I have to say that I'm slightly intrigued. What could the issue be? It's the library after all. Maybe my card expired, or maybe my card has been compromised in some way. Library card identity fraud? Interesting...

I have no idea, but I just hope that whatever it is, it's not going to cost me more money!!

Weedless

Just noticed that there really aren't any weeds in the yard. I guess I have the clover to thank for that!

Mommy I'm hungry

Did I mention that I was woken up at 4am on Saturday by the repeated cry of "Mommy I'm hungry, Mommy I'm hungry, Mommy I'm hungry!!"?

I tried to ignore it, I really did, but after about 5 minutes I felt bad for the starving girl. So I unpeeled myself from bed, trudged down the hall, scooped her from her bed and made our way down to the kitchen. I fixed a bowl of cereal and plopped her in her chair while I plopped down on the couch. I think she asked for a refill twice before she was done. I'm not sure as I went back to snooze on the couch between refills, but I do remember telling her that she was going right back to sleep, which she agreed to, and did.

I was hoping she'd sleep to at least 8am or beyond, but she was rearing to go at 7am. No wonder I felt out of it all weekend. I don't think I recovered from that 4am snack attack.

Anyway, the weekend was a good one non the less. Party in the park on Saturday followed by a mellow day at home today.

Lets hope for a more restful week. I sure could use it.

Note to self: black dress & cycling

Note to self: Cycling from downtown to midtown T.O. in 30 degrees celsius heat while wearing a black linen dress will cause profuse sweating.

Do not attempt to do this ever again. Ever.

Road etiquette

Witnessed another example of poor road etiquette today on the ride home from work.

There was a line of cars waiting for the light to change at a busy intersection. A jeep was trying to creep up ahead into the right lane by bumping up onto the sidewalk. The jeep couldn't get ahead due to an electrical pole on the sidewalk and I couldn't get past the jeep because it was now taking up room on the road and the sidewalk.

When the light changed I managed to get ahead and cross the intersection. The jeep drives along side me and then passes me and then cuts me off by taking a sharp right turn into a parking lot. No signaling whatsoever and I slammed the brakes hard enough for passers by to notice.

Watch out jeep. You're an accident waiting to happen.

Money not well spent

When did I get to be so bad at returning books to the library on time? I used to have an excellent return record and now I currently have a $2.70 fine on my account for this week alone. I wouldn't be surprised if I've already paid over $10 this year.

Zut alors!

I either need to borrow less, or work out a better system for returning them. The library is getting to be too expensive!

Veg!

Picked two more ripe cherry tomatoes today!

Little Miss Bamm-Bamm

Of all the DVDs in the house, little Miss Bamm-Bamm managed to break the one that doesn't belong to us.

Zut alors!

Replacement fee = $15 + late book fee = $15.87. Most expensive trip to the library ever.

2 going on teenage

Just a month shy of 2 1/2 and my daughter is a already showing signs of teenage behaviour. This morning before waking her I opened the drapes in her room to let some light in. She groaned and grumbled and finally mumbled "Mmmhmm...it's too bright". Is she going to be one of those teens that goes to bed a 4am and wakes at 4pm?

Lately she's been saying that she "needs privacy" while in the bathroom. We haven't been pushing the potty training, but we're thrilled that she has been telling us that she "has to go". Actually, she tells us about 50% of the time, but we're still thrilled non the less. So now when she's sitting on the toilet she'll ask for a book to read, say "I need privacy" which is our cue to leave the bathroom and close the door.

At a few minute intervals we'll check in to which she usually replies "I'm not finished yet". After about the 3rd or 4th time she'll decide she's done and we can move on to hand washing.

I think being in the bathroom by herself gives her a sense of maturity and independence. After all, that's what all the big kids do.

I think we're going to have to get the basement toilet fixed in the next few years if we want to keep the peace in this household!

Bike wear!

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Working on it

Ok, so the painting isn't complete, but it's getting there! I just have to touch up some patches on the walls and go over the door frames and then the kitchen will be done! And then the wall hangings and shelves go up...

Received a lovely orchid and potted flower from M & M for Mother's day that adds to the decor. It's so nice to fianlly have the counter space to put plants on. I hope I can keep this orchid alive for longer than a few weeks.

Speaking of plants, we've had a ton of rain and lots of sun this month so I'm hoping the seeds will grow. I think I may need to sprinkle some more seed in the front yard though. I have a feeling some of it may have gotten washed away.

Tired now, so off to bed.

Night 4

Night 4 is done and I'm tired. Thank goodness it's Friday. I'll spend another few hours painting tonight then I'm taking the weekend off. I figure that way I'll have more energy going into Monday.

I made good progress though. Last night I put a first coat on the north and west walls and a rough coat around the window frame in the dining room. I didn't bother patching up the other walls. I figure I'll do that tonight or just do all of the second coats next week.

So I'm thinking that the colour is a tinge on the yellow side, but it's bright and cheerful, and a definite improvement overall. Looks like butter colour, which I suppose is fitting for a kitchen. I think it will look great in the dining and living rooms as well. With new wood floors it will all look fab.

Night 3

So, I got through night 3 of kitchen painting last night. I think I'm keeping a pretty good pace and I'm pleased that I haven't compromised on sleep. I figure if I do bits at a time I won't get exhausted and burn out. My schedule has been to start at 8:30pm, or soon depending on when Lauren gets to sleep, then paint until 10-10:30pm.

So far the french doors are done plus a first coat on the walls of the kitchen extension. I also put a first coat of white on 3 door frames shared by the kitchen and dining room. Tonight I'll apply a first coat in the main kitchen area then a second coat over what I've already done. I'll touch up the door frames too.

My goal is to have the kitchen done by the second weekend in May. Bonus if I can get the shelves up and wall hangings hung, but I won't push it.

In outdoor news, the clover looks like it's coming in nicely. I've been keeping a close eye on it and can see tiny buds pushing up. It's a bit patchy in parts, but I'm hoping the more dense areas will spread out. I wonder how much growth there will be by this time next week. Hopefully lots!

I thought I was done for plant buying, but I still have to get some potted herbs and a few potted flowers for the patio pots. On my list for this weekend is basil and oregano, but I feel like I should get something else to add to the mix. I'll see what there is. Oh, and tomatoes!

Community compost day is coming up. Need to look up the date before I miss it!

Hello blog

Hello blog,

You must be feeling ignored. Gotta go, but just wanted to popped in to say that I'll be back!

Time well spent

It's been a while since my last post, but I promise that the time has been well spent.

Construction started today at 8:01 am on the new kitchen - woohoo!! According to C, the contractor showed up on time and starting breaking through the walls looking for pipes. Apparently his first comment was that the walls were thicker than he thought. This is an old house after all, and I suppose they don't make them like they used to. Anyway, the water pipes were found right where they were suspected to be (phew!!) so he said he would get going on the plumbing today.

I think I'm going to be nervous about this whole project until it's done. As I said, this is an old house so hopefully everything will go as planned without any nasty surprises. Fingers crossed and I'll fill in the details as they come.

In other news, I painted the upstairs bathroom a few weeks back. I'm happy with it and it looks so much cleaner and brighter than before, although I wish I was a little more careful with the poly fila. I can't help but look up at the patches on the ceiling whenever I'm in there. Oh well, I don't think anyone else will notice. It was good practice anyway and I'll be sure to be more careful with hole filling in the kitchen.