Happy Birthday, Dear Daughter

Dear Daughter,

Today you were born.

If my life wasn't so blessed already with your two brothers and your daddy, one might say that there was no void for you to fill.  But my life is made more blessed with your presence, your little light.

I wonder what you have in store for us....I wonder what we have in store for you.  We've never had a little princess before, and that is what you shall remain in both your daddy's eyes and mine.

We love you and can't be more happier than we are today.

Mommy and Daddy,
February 1st, 2013

End of an Era...Sort Of.

And.....SEND!

"No more school, no more books, no more teachers, dirty looks!"

Kinda.....for now.

Having had one more paper left hanging from my last class that ended in December, I finally polished it off and hit that SEND button just minutes ago.

My last paper for the year.

As I breathe heavily and glance soulfully at the papers and textbooks strewn around me, I try to collect my feelings of.....accomplishment?  Of dread? Of forlornness?

My feelings are mixed: like waiting for the other shoe to drop, I'm waiting for the jubilee I expected from completing my final assignment before my pending maternity leave from work and school, but it's just not coming.  It's like I'm missing something: is it a fear? A fear of a lack of purpose in life?  Perhaps not a fear of a lack of purpose but perhaps a fear of being rejected from the life I knew, a built-up, dream-like state of academia life and being lost within my real reality, of family and obligations.

Is that wrong?

School will be there for me next January when I resume my degree, and although it's difficult to envision now, next January will come around so fast I'll likely be cursing the passage of time and longingly look back to what the future holds for me today.

So, as parallelisms go, as I gather my papers and close my books, I end another chapter in my life and open another one.  Instead of going to classes, taking notes, writing papers, one thing that will remain the same are my group projects, albeit of a different kind.

My group will now consist of my husband, my two little boys and my new little girl who arrives in 3 weeks, and my new projects will be more colourful, likely messy and dysfunctional, and most definitely more satisfying than I could possibly imagine.

Happy New Year, 2013!

I forgot that once upon a time, a long, long time ago, I used to make New Year's Resolutions each year.

Will lose weight.
Will exercise more.
Will eat healthier.

See a trend?

My resolutions were usually about improving the physical side of me.  Maybe because that's what seemed obvious.  Maybe because everyone was doing the same.

But I haven't made these resolutions in the longest time, nor do I remember when the last time I did so.

What happened to me?

I became a mom.

I see my kids' smiling faces each day, and I forget that my daily existence revolves around them.  And with a new baby just around the corner, I see the need to state the resolution that has gone unsaid, unspoken all these years:

Will be a better mom.

Sure, I'll be thinking about the losing weight, exercise more, eating healthier in the meantime.  But as I reflect on the meaning of a new beginning, a new year, what better way to pay homage to the one important role in my life that has given me meaning, shaped my life, and made me who I am today.  Not that I know HOW to be a better mom...but to try my hardest to enjoy my kids more,  shape them into responsible little citizens of the world, and to help them be who they are and what they know best: being a kid.

They're only young once, and so am I.

Happy New Year, 2013!  2012 was a year of many blessings, and I'm looking forward to year of another round of joyful surprises and happiness, for our family and for yours!

Back To School!

"Congratulations!"

And with that, my life has been uprooted again.

I have been accepted into grad school!



A solemn acceptance of my fate ahead was sealed as I read my offer of admission via email last Thursday. I actually got in, unconditionally; my file at The Faculty of Graduate Studies is considered complete. I don't have to write the GMAT...all I have to do is say yes.

It took me 8 days to reply to the Faculty of Medicine (from which the MHA is being offered). I needed time to assess what a Yes meant for me, my family, and life as I knew it.

Saying yes meant I would be immediately broke starting September.
Saying yes meant moving into a bigger home would likely have to be put on hold.
Saying yes meant I would be spending less time with family.
Saying yes meant I would be stressing out a lot more than I already do (I'm anticipating meds.)

Saying yes meant I would not add Child #3 to my family....for now.

I'm ok with the first four points. The last point was a little bit hard to face.

But, you know, I have to remain firm in my belief that what is meant to be will be. Life is too short to be wondering about the what ifs.

Eight days later, and I believe.

I could've dissected this decision to apply to grad school with a finer-toothed comb, but it's because I believe in the fate that leads me, I'll be ok.

And so goes my reply... "I am writing to inform you that I happily accept the offer of admission granted by The Faculty of Graduate Studies and I am extremely excited to be entering the MHA program in September 2011."

I need another sip of my Malibu sitting beside me: it's finally kicking in.

Cheers to the long 2 year ride ahead!

A Red, Pink and Blonde Valentine's

I've never been much into Valentine's Day. Just another commercial day to force you to acknowledge those who love you. Ok, to remind you might be a more diplomatic term. (Did I mention I got a paper shredder one year from my husband? I try not to read between the lines if I can help it).

Yesterday, while I didn't do anything to acknowledge the day (I wore black , coincidentally), my two little men each gave me a long-stemmed rose that they picked out themselves...red and pink.

And Hubby surprised me with tickets to Legally Blonde: The Musical!

I love this musical....the music is catchy, and I've been wanting to see this for a while. I DID have to go online and pick out the seats I wanted. AND because I'm an email subscriber to Broadway Across Canada, I had a promo code for $45 Orchestra seats ($30 off!). He was going to pay $122US/ticket but thought I should pick the seats I want so I had to go online and buy them first, and good thing: he was on the venue's ticketing site, and not Ticketmaster (who DOESN'T go through Ticketmaster?)

So, I saved him a bundle, I get to Go Pink, and life just became peachy again!

5 Years Ago Today....

.... my first little boy was born!

I can't believe how much my life has changed since my firstborn! Although he can be a little stubborn and grumpy (aren't they all at this age?), he's just the apple of my eye, and my heart melts each time I see him smile: his eyes crinkle, his cheeks plump up, his little dimple in his chin appears. Then he says I love you, Mom! Awwwww.....

Everywhere I go, I get told he's a handsome boy. He is, in fact! LOL I like to think he's looks like me but maybe I really wished that I look like him! With his right-shade-of-brown hair, and fair skin, I wish I could ingest a bottle of his good looks!

He loves sports and has been able to swing at an overhand ball since two years old. I thought that was normal until I was told otherwise from strangers, whose sons awkwardly demonstrated this to be the case. He has a good swing but an even meaner wrist shot: he loves hockey like his Dad. Learning to skate is his biggest hurdle to date, but I know when he masters that, there's no looking back with this kid!

I love him to bits and can't wait (yes, I can!) to see him grow up. I know one day I'll be wishing for the time he was five again.




Happy Birthday, Gabey! Mommy loves you lots!

Olympic Adversity

adversity. noun. 1, adversity. a stroke of ill fortune; a calamitous event

We all have adversities in our life. Some call it bad luck, others call it fate. But we learn to deal with it, regardless of how wrongly victimized we are. We learn to rise to the occasion, from the occasion.

This triumphant human spirit rejoices in the hearts and minds of all who were touched by the powerful and wrenching story of the Canadian figure skater, Joannie Rochette, whose mother passed away from a heart attack within hours of her arrival in Vancouver, a mere 2-3 days before Joannie would take to the Olympic ice for the 2010 Games.

Joannie maintained her third place ranking throughout her two skates, ultimately winning the Bronze Medal. Adversity fell in her lap, with the potential to cripple her, yet she somehow managed to stand, and stand tall she did, isolating her mental pain and anguish into bittersweet gratification. I can only imagine how deep and reflective she had to be, intentional or not, in order to pull those performances out of her.

Now, I'm not trying to over-dramatize. Although I used to be a huge figure skating fan at one point in my life (remember: Battle of the Brians, Kerrigan vs Harding, Midori Ito, the Jumping Bean?), I no longer follow the sport but an appreciation has remained for the hard work involved. But even then, my interest has waned. No, I'm way more interested in the human interest stories around these athletes, these Olympic athletes, specifically. They fascinate me with both their physical ability and their mental tenacity.

Take Slovenian cross-country skier Petra Majdic, who caught some ice and fell into a three-metre deep ravine while on a training run, broke four ribs (some reports say five), punctured a lung, and still managed to qualify, then make quarter-finals, then semi-finals and go on to win a Bronze medal.

How's that for conquering adversity?

So, now, I keep in mind: when kicked to the ground, there is always a way to get back on your feet again...you just need to dig deep within yourself to find out how.

I Believe.

Internet Woes

My internet connection crapped out before the weekend, and I had to call my ISP and get a technician in.

After three days, 2 new modems (and a partridge in a pear tree), I am finally connected again.

Oh, the withdrawal I've had!

I'm CONSTANTLY online, much to the chagrin of my husband ("You prefer it to sex, don't you" -- hmmm, no comment...LOL) and I have been shaking (literally) as a result, my hands trembling from not typing, from not being connected. It was kind of a good thing, as I got some much needed cleaning around the house, though not enough. I would probably have to be offline for a whole week before I start doing the WHOLE house. But, thank god, it was only three days!

So what sucked about being offline:

One major shoot-me-now was missing out on Clearly Contacts free eyeglasses giveaway this morning. First 500 people in Vancouver to use the emailed code sent this morning would get free eyeglasses. I paid $89 last week to get my prescription updated so that I could get a chance at free eyeglasses. My last pair cost me over $600, granted, they were imported Nikon glass lenses, so FREE sounds good to me. So what I can get a pair of glasses on the site from $38? Isn't it the principle that I COULD get it FREE? Besides, the designer frames on the site do cost closer, if not over, $100, so free or not free, it's a decent deal. I'm just bummed that I couldn't even try and get free glasses, just because my modem crapped out. C'est la vie, non?

And, after finally checking my email after these few days (I got no less, I kid you not, than 100 emails over the weekend), I started getting Comment Spam on my blog. After finally deleting all the comments, I have one thing to say to this commenter: Go spam a Chinese-written blog! For f&*k sakes, how am I and my readers going to read your spam if it's not in friggen English?? Seriously, use SOME marketing skills!

So, now you'll see I've had to moderate my comments for my blog. Don't take offence. I used to think that comment moderation was pointless until now. Now I understand. I hope you do too.

So, I have a few days of catching up on everything: Twitter, Facebook, email, etc. I may need the whole week to feel like myself again; the weekend wasn't the same with my computer!

Karen

There will never be a moment when I will not hear your voice, your laugh. There will never be a moment when I won't see your smile. There will never be a moment when I forget what you meant to all of us.

For all the moments we own now are changed for the better for having known you.

I love you, Karen...and always will.

Weight Loss Journey: Complete! Next Challenge...

I finally did it! As of October 1st, I officially weighed-in at 120lbs, a 33-lb loss from when I started Weight Watchers on May 28, 18 weeks earlier.

I had been about 2-3 lbs within Goal for about 5 weeks straight, and I was certain that I would have another week at 122 lb. Without much resentment, I stimulated my metabolism by eating more than I usually would and, lo and behold, that seemed to have done the trick!

I'm currently on what's called Maintenance, where I get a few more extra points each day (5 pts), to up my caloric intake. Funny, after one week of Maintenance, I happened to lose ANOTHER 2 lbs, so that I now sit at 118. Apparently it may take a while for my body to re-stabilize, so a weight loss here and there may occur.

So, what's next, you ask? Now that I've reached my weight-loss goal, what do I do next? Other than go shopping (which I soooo have to do. I kid you not: the size 8 jeans I have are swimming on me that I can literally pull them down to my knees without unbuckling them! I'm now fitting my size 4 Gap khakis once again!), I'm concentrating on developing a good, solid running base so that I can train for that half marathon I've been raving about recently.

I had been taking kickboxing classes since the beginning of July and decided that for the month of October, I'd quit for a while and go invest in another pair of runners. My last pair has definitely seen 500 miles and would never see me through another training season. So, I hit up my local running store with a friend and bought these pretty little toe-covers:

Hot Pink! The NB 769's. Love them! Going for a run in them is awesome. They feel a bit different than the other New Balance shoes I used to use, the 1022's from six years ago.

(Technical notes: 769 is for mild overpronators, a cushioning, moderate stability shoe. Not as technical as the 1224's in terms of cushioning, but remains reponsive.)

So, with these, I'm hoping to run 3-4x a week, logging between 10-13 miles. I figure the next 12 weeks will take me into the New Year with a good conditioning base on which to start my Half Mara training. I probably have an extra 5 weeks in the New Year before the "official" training schedule gets followed, so I still have a buffer, should I need to repeat some training weeks if my body needs it.

I started running outdoors this week, and have only ran about 6 miles so far. Plotting my run routes, logging my miles and strength training (lunges, pushups, squats, etc) is occupying much of my time now. Not to mention that I had to figure out my plan-of-attack when it came to deciding when to run and how far and how often. I don't want to over-train (nor under-train!) or not schedule my runs in at all (since how likely will I go out and do them, then?).

I'm feeling sleek and fast, even though I'm still a snail by a racer's standards. I'm enjoying myself, in my own skin, more aware than ever how my body moves as I walk, run. My larger clothes serve as a reminder of the miracle that has occurred; my depression has lifted. I can move around my bedroom without banging my hips against the footboard and howling in pain and crying about not clearing it. I am less concerned about the once-apparent muffin top I carried and more concerned about which muffin recipe to try out.

I'm happy.

Now, I'm a happy, running fool.

"Run, Forrest, Run"

Happy Anniversary To Me!

Today's my 7th wedding anniversary.

Where has the time gone?

I find it difficult to understand how time has really flown by. I remember getting married back in 2002 (it's a little hazy but I have photos!). We bought a house that year. 2003 were my "running days". 2004, got pregnant, gave birth in 2005. 2006 and '07 are a blur (with a kid, that's a given). 2008, got pregnant again and gave birth by year end...

And here we are in 2009.

I wanna say I'd like to celebrate our 7th anniversary, but it's a moot point when we've been together for almost 18 years.

Yes, high school sweethearts. I've been with the man in my life for longer than I haven't been. We went to the same high school; I remember seeing him in Grade 8 across the hallway at his locker. No, it wasn't love-at-first-sight (he may disagree), but he was cute: aren't all red heads? Something about that fiery colour and quirky freckles does something to me. Well, I had a Raggedy Andy rag doll which I still shared the same bed with, so I did have a penchant for red heads for as long as I can remember.

And, yes, we were band geeks (why my love for the show Glee is growing fervently!). Technically, he was the band geek, playing trumpet, while I was rocking with the guitar club -- I migrated over to the vocal jazz and chamber ctoir soon afterwards. We went on a week-long music department field trip by bus in the Spring of Grade 10, when he tried to "talk to the cute girl" and introduced her to the styling rhymings of Flava Flav and his Public Enemy crew (he was a wanna-be white boy rapper, back in the day!). I don't think I ever returned his cassette tape!

We wouldn't talk again until Grade 11. There, we sorta went our separate ways, so conversations were pretty limited: I, the Honour Roll student, taking every single accelerated class I can fit in my schedule, and he, trying not to flunk out of English and Math, tired from early morning hockey practices and evening bowling leagues (yes, he was a 5-pin bowler!).

Another summer would pass and still no contact. He phoned me once, and I wasn't home, and I phoned once, and he was out too. I guess we couldn't be bothered to try a second time.

So, come Grade 12, he was determined to get to know me better. After spending 4 hours on the phone, watching the movie Space Balls "together" -- to this date, THE longest conversation we shared, married or not :P -- our first date ensued (saw My Girl, where he cried and I didn't -- the first of many movies where he would shed a tear while stoic-me would roll my eyes). A second date a week later would culminate in an awkward first kiss and a "would you be my girlfriend" request. I obviously meant "yes" but I seem to recall shrugging "why not?".

We would date -- I kid you not! -- for another 10 years before he proposed to me. I know not many people would have waited, but given that we started seeing each other rather early in our lives, and with my university and post-grad studies and my career, only the last couple of those years were dragging.

We've had our ups and downs before and during marriage, but it's been good, overall. He's a part of me, regardless of how crazy he drives me when he's drunk, tries to be a handyman, tries to avoid being a handyman, when he's drunk again. As a testament to his nature, he has many friends who find him indispensable, and sharing him with the world has been one of my many trials.

He appreciates me, I know he does: we'd be swimming in socks and underwear in the living room if it weren't for me. All kidding aside, today of all days, I at least get an honest-to-goodness I Love You.

"The best seven years of my life" he told me today.

Aww, shucks...who would've known that a "why not" would have led to something so good.

Happy Anniversary, Honey!

A Day in Vancouver

I live in a beautiful city!

This video, captured on July 25th, shows the wonder that we call Home. Time-lapsed every 5 minutes over the Burrard Street Bridge, the weather changed from calm to cloudy to thunderstorms over the course of the day, ending with the HSBC Fireworks at 10pm.

Welcome to my world!

Help Make Miracles Happen - Buy a Blizzard August 13th, 2009

When you have kids, or at least have a little kid in your life (a niece, a nephew, a friend's kid), you know that you would do ANYTHING to help them in their time of need.

For all the great work that the BC Children's Hospital and The Miracle Network does for all the kids in our beautiful province --- I thank you!

Today, run to your DQ and buy a Blizzard and proceeds go to support these great organizations in helping our Little Heroes survive some of life's greatest challenges.

Read "scatteredmom's" heart-wrenching blog post:
Notes From the Cookie Jar

Another Update - a Vacation, a Netbook, and a Baby.

All I seem to be doing is updates!

I'm finding it difficult to put in some blogging time, as I've been soooo busy lately. With a cousin's wedding, then a quick little vacation, I'm finally back home, trying to get back into Routine.

I'll have to update this post with pics, but I went to my cousin's wedding last weekend. It amazes me, how we're all getting older, us cousins are getting married and starting families and our own family traditions continuing where our parents left off. Being one of the older cousins in town (ok, the oldest one), it warms my heart to witness this all, but breaks it, because life is quickly passing by.

But enough being sappy -- it's almost 2 am and I tend to always get carried away, deeply reflecting on life when all I really need is some chocolate. :)

I just got back from beautiful Kelowna, BC. There are several (maybe only 1 or 2 major ones?) forest fires in the area, but whatever smoke and ash we noticed when we arrived last Tuesday seemed to dissipate since then, or at least we didn't notice it much.


View Larger Map


We had a great stay in a beach home we rented for the past 6 days. The place was kid-friendly, with a private sandy beach and dock, a large yard. The home was pleasantly decorated and provided more than we needed to be comfortable during our stay. If you caught my Tweets on my blog, you would have gotten some updates along the way, including my brief margarita escapades playing a horrible round of Rummy. I guess alcohol and cards don't mix well with me! But it didn't help that I was Facebooking and Twittering at the same on my netbook to pay attention to anything else!

And, yes, folks, I finally got my netbook! An Asus 1005HA-PU1X, the Premium edition. I promised myself that when I hit 130 lbs I would buy one for myself. So, preempting that I would hit the mark during or just before my vacation, I bought one, and playing around with it briefly for a week, not feeling all-deserving of it yet. But last week Tuesday, the morning I left for vacation, I hit 130 lbs! My "official" weigh-in wasn't until Thursday, but it would've been odd to lug a scale with me 300+ km across the province for a 5-sec weigh in, so I weighed myself on that Tuesday. I just hope if I did gain weight on this vacation, I've got a few more days to try and correct myself until Thursday rolls around again.

On another note, my littlest boy turned 8 months last Tuesday. That morning he learned to sit up by himself, from a lying position. Next thing you know, he'll be able to pull himself up to standing. He's already making attempts at crawling, learning to get on his hands and knees. He sorta rotates around now and makes great reaches for anything just beyond him but just hasn't taken that one knee forward to go anywhere yet.

He's growing up fast...I wish he was still a little tiny baby!

Here are some pics from this past week:

- few pics from our little tour of Mission Hill Family Estate Winery Gorgeous scenery! I bought a bottle of their Five Vineyards 2007 Pinot Grigio for us, and a Reserve 2007 Pinot Gris for my Dad. I almost bought their SLC 2005 Syrah for $45, but decided to not get all alcoholic since, technically, I'm still breastfeeding. :P

Their award-winning restaurant situated above the grassy amphitheatre, with a vineyard backdrop:

The only winery in Canada to have their own clock tower, which opens down into their cellar below:

Example of the beautiful architecture:


The family, sitting on the dock one evening:



At a waterslide park, after Mr. B ate all his oatmeal:


And, lastly, the yield from our impromptu berry-picking session, while driving home from Kelowna, we pulled over to feed Mr. B after a long-crying bout, and magically parking in front of a huge blackberry bush growing wild, as they do around here:


The perfect ending to start a new week off!

An Update: Random Musings

I haven't had the time to blog much, and although I've been tweeting occasionally, it's not nearly enough to feed my online addiction.

What has been happening recently?

1) I recently bought a webcam a couple of days ago so that I can Skype with out-of-town family members. I really wanted to use it to Skype with my brother but turns out his own computer is infected and he hasn't had it looked at yet, and he can't download anything onto his Work laptop. So the only person I've Skyped with is my cousin and daughter who happen to only live 10 blocks away! At least I know the darn thing works!

This webcam will at least tie me over until I buy that netbook I've been craving the past few weeks.

2) I officially weighed in at 138 lbs this morning, marking a 15-lb weight loss since going on this Weight Watchers journey 5 weeks ago. I have this weekly ritual when I weigh myself each Thursday: I nurse the Mr. B when he starts to squawk at 6:30ish, use the washroom, strip down naked (my wristwatch included!) and then weigh myself, crossing my fingers hoping I somehow learned to magically levitate on the scale even for a brief second.

I've had a few BBQs to go to recently, with a couple this week alone (Happy Canada Day yesterday!), and I managed to eat healthy or at least portion control each time. I'm pretty damn proud of myself, if I do say so. After months of not losing anything, being on this program has really made me realize that I don't need food when I'm bored or stressed, the two occasions that happen to often overlap each other often several times a day. I'm trying to think of food as fuel, paying attention to my satiety signals and eating more fibrous foods to give me that "full" feeling. Also helps that I'm exercising more, which brings me to my next update...

3) I'm able to run a lot better on my treadmill compared to when I started. I used to be able to run for 45 min continuously at an average 6.2 mi/hr but found it disappointing when I could only run for 1 minute at 5.0 mi/hr! I'm now up to a 3 min run with a 1 min walk in between sets. My goal right now is to be able to run 30 min straight, then I'll work on speed. I'm trying to work my way back to road running, and perhaps next year get a few more races under my belt.

4) Meanwhile, I've started my kickboxing class this past Monday and it was great! The warm up was a killer, and I could definitely see the classes helping me tone up. Today is the first day that I can't feel my glutes tightening up as I walk! My back muscles is still sore, as are my arms, but the pain is subsiding...in time for tomorrow's workout!

5) My microwave blew last Friday, and I had to wait 4 days before getting another one that was going on sale. Those days were brutal! You really just don't know how much you depend on quick, hot food until your microwave is gone! I had to resort to pan-heating or toaster-oven-heating or double-boiling all our foods. And the leftovers that went wasted in the meantime? Don't get me started on that...a perfectly good steak down the tube (really...how do you reheat steak without a microwave and not cooking it past well-done? )

6) I went shopping for a birthday gift on the weekend and ended up stopping by Reitman's and bought a cute summer tank that, admittedly, fits awesome. Tried it on in the changing room: hangs nicely? Check. No noticeable flab poking through? Check. Machine washable? Check. Universal colour pattern? Check. Sold!

I have to go do more shopping, now that I can at least camouflage whatever flab I've still got going on! I've got a wedding to attend in a month, and hope to find something good!

So, that's it for now! Now you're up-to-date!

Mr. B

I call my little one Mr. B. I have a friend who started calling him this and it stuck. He is a little mister: he dictates how our days are run, how long we stay out for and when we get to sleep.

On Sunday he started eating solid foods, aka rice cereal, and I snapped a few pics.



He ate the whole tablespoon of rice cereal, diluted with a good amount of formula to make it liquid-y and much creamier than adding just water. He loved it! I went to church afterwards and he was so full that he didn't budge one bit, smiling and staring at us choir members, and even fell asleep for a while on his own.

He was such a good baby today!

I fed him more at dinner, but he was so full from all the milk he drank, he only ate 3/4 of the amount fed to him in the morning. I'm blogging at 2am, typing away, making noise, and he's so sound asleep. Shhhh!

Mr. B. is growing up fast!

Oh, To Be in Hot Water!

We live in a civilized nation, where freedom is a chartered right, crime is relatively controlled, and democracy prevails. The trees grow tall around us, providing us oxygen and playful scenery. Roads are being paved constantly to allow us to venture near or far with ease. Indoor plumbing is a given.

We take for granted many things that we expect to be around when we need them. I'm guilty of this too.

Case in point: my hot water tank blew this weekend, and I REALLY missed having hot water to do simple things like washing my hands.

And being a mom, you REALLY miss having hot water to do your mom-ly things.

Several problems I ran into this weekend:

* washing The Little One's diapers:


If you know me, I'm a closet environmentalist. I recycle everything like crazy -- my mom shocked me one day when she mocked me and called me The Recycle Queen...and my mom doesn't say witty things like that! -- I will walk if I can do without my car, I swore off drinking bottled water, I have an "enviroVisa" that subsidizes local environmental initiatives, and so it was natural to start cloth diapering 4 years ago when The Big Kid was born. You need hot water for the washing machine to do its thing (no, I don't know ANYBODY who hand washes those suckers....ewwww!), and I had to boil 4 huge cauldrons of water to get the load at a lukewarm temperature.


* washing my breastpump parts:

I hate sterilizing, so I don't do it often. Instead I wash and soak with really hot water. Had to boil another cauldron each time I did this.

* washing our dishes:

In retropect, I guess we could've used paper plates, but that would defeat the environmentalist in me. Lucky for me, DH washed all the loads of dishes, again heating up several cauldrons of water.

* no showers:

'nuff said. We stunk this weekend! LOL

My husband is a plumber, but that didn't do any good all weekend, since the wholesaler was closed until Tuesday (yesterday), and it was Victoria Day long weekend. He believes that the tank is still under warranty and managed to get another tank to install yesterday. So now we have LOTS of hot water! I can wash dishes with ease again, re-wash my load of diapers, and most of all, TAKE A SHOWER!



Oh, the Rime of the Ancient Mariner....
Water, water, every where!

Photo credits:
Recycle Symbol by chris27
Water Drops by alexfrance
Great Diaper Hunt Icon
by DiaperDecisions.com

Happy Mother's Day

I hope this day brought peace and love to all moms out there. For all that they do for us, sacrificed for us, so that we, too, would in turn be as great a mother for our own kids. This is my hope, that I become as good a mother, if not better, as my own mom.

We shouldn't need one day to celebrate mothers: as enduring as their love is, celebrations should take place daily. I still have to be reminded of this, even after I've become a mom myself.

I hope my kids know how much I love being their mom, even though I don't show it every second. My life isn't complete without my kids; hard to imagine life before they came along. I understand, now, how hard it is to be a mom, but it's the best job out there.

So, thanks, Mom, for being you. You are the source of love and meaning and direction in my life and in my family. You've taught me many things, and I am still learning, yet I have not learned enough. Your little ways, nuances, bring a smile to my face, even though I seem to laugh at the things you do, I laugh with love. You are special, one-of-a-kind. No one can replace you.

I'm glad you're mine.

Happy Mother's Day, Mom!

Photo by Craig Jewell
(royalty free)

Happy Birthday To Me!

It's my birthday...it's my birthday! I'm, ahem, finally 19 today! Ha...wouldn't it be nice...

But, seriously, I was looking forward to my birthday this year. I don't know why. Not looking forward to adding a number to my age, not looking forward to another grey hair (what's another one on this head of mine?), but happy to have a "it's all about me" day. I don't get too many of those the rest of the year.

The day started with my morning 3hr appointment at the spa. Yes, 3 hours! It was a gift from my husband. I found this wonderful spa a couple of years ago, Perfect Health Spa, that had the most reasonable sale on manicures and pedicures (at the time anyways), and I have since gone there several times over the years. A really cool place, with a labyrinth of rooms, where they have big screens so you can pick a DVD to watch while you're there. Anyways, DH had my sister call me up and ask "for her friend" what the name of that spa was so she can try it out. Turns out she was just helping DH get me a spa appointment. But it wasn't a real surprise as intended, since I got a "confirmation email" the night before....so much for birthday surprises!

Image courtesy of perfecthealth.ca

Barely making it to my 10:30 appointment, I was immediately whisked away to one of the rooms for my 30 minute relaxation massage, which was very nice. Mind you, I was a tad tense for most of that session, seeing I was on my belly the whole time, and worried about my poor breasts who are still nursing The Little One (I'm sure the last massage I had while nursing years ago attributed to my poor supply issues I had). So, I was propped up with pillows on either side, above and below, to keep me comfortable, which I appreciated.

I've had massages before, yet each time I get one, I always feel stupid asking, "so, you want me to take everything off?". If I don't ask, I have this ridiculous notion in my head that one day someone will actually say, "um, you didn't have to take everything off", while I lie there on the table, almost naked, the scene playing out like a sitcom episode in my head, laugh track and all.

After the massage I get my Celebrity Manicure, a basic manicure with extras: herbal soak, arm and hand exfoliation and massage and warm towel relaxation. Meanwhile, I'm watching Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants on the screen. I chose the prettiest pink from the O.P.I palette they had, Argenteeny Pinkini. Rather cool-toned on my skin, but I like it:


Next, I had the Celebrity Pedicure, with the extras included. I forgot to ask the name of the colour I chose...it's a bright fuchsia colour pink. I took this pic when I got home later at night, all comfy in my pjs, with the sandals I wore all day:
I didn't have the time to apply my makeup in the morning before I left, so I brought everything with me, and after my pedicure, I took the time in the bathroom to apply it. I wished I brought my mini train case because I crammed everything in a little ziplock bag, brushes and mixing bowls included, and carried it around gingerly so that my mineral makeup wouldn't spill.

Because it was my birthday, the owner of the spa gave me a complimentary "A-List Membership" for the next 365 days, which would have normally cost me $36.50, allowing me something like up to 35% off any spa service. I thought that was pretty cool of her to do so, and I hope to cash in on this deal this summer, getting myself some more pedicures as the weather warms up.

After I get picked up by my chauffeur, my husband, we head over to Toys R Us to buy a present for our friend's son's 1st birthday, which we were attending their party in a couple of hours.

Stupid Alert! Funny thing happened on the rooftop parking lot of Toys R Us: DH left his driver's door open as he went to purchase a ticket, and some lady decides to back up into the stall in which our car door was blocking (there were tons of other spots open). Her rent-a-car (yes, you read right!) hit the corner of our open car door and dented her bumper pretty good, but not so much a scratch on our car. Luckily, I had come around the car by then and stopped her from doing more damage. DH came back to the car and had to bite his tongue from saying, "Are you dumb, lady?".

Anyways, on to the party we went later, chatting with friends we haven't seen in a while and with those we've seen recently, playing games, entertained by a clown (scary!), eating lots of food and cake. Not everyone there knew that I shared the same birthday as the birthday boy, but that was fine with me. My little happy secret!

By 7pm, my family met up with my mom, dad, and sis at a greek restaurant we frequent now and then. After waiting 20 minutes for a table (somebody should've made reservations!), we indulged in another feast of carbs. Here are some pics I took after dinner.





With the kids getting cranky, that was the sign to head home. After putting everyone asleep, including my DH, I have to say I had a nice birthday. The spa was great today. Good thing: I had some time alone, to be primped and prettified. Bad thing: I had some time alone, without my family. I did miss them while I was there, how silly of me to do so, but I did, like I was being selfish or something. Dinner was good with family tonight, even though it was short but sweet. I can't complain about much right now. 19 sure feels like it's going to be a great year. :)

Beauty Sleep - It's Back!

Last night was Night 5 that my 4 month old slept through the night (ie. 9ish through 6-7ish in the morning). A whopping 9-10 hrs of sleep he's getting. That means I've finally been able to get some much needed beauty rest.

But did you ever notice that sometimes when you get too much sleep, you just CRAVE more? I went to bed "early" at 11:45 and woke up at 6am. Ok, this isn't considered too much sleep - as I used to have to get up every couple of hours for the Little One, this IS a lot of sleep - but now I've been sleeping through anything these past couple of nights. I mean, my husband, of all people, actually has to wake ME up because my oldest son is crying for me from the other room. I'm supposed to be the light sleeper in the family!

And given that I'm still nursing the Little One, I'm totally engorged by morning, and I've been trying to wake up by 2 or 3 am so that I could pump a few ounces. He usually cries awake at that time, so you'd think I'd be able to jump out of bed and do so. Nope. I just turn over, muffle the sleepy cries he makes, and fall back asleep. Two days in a row, no success. I'll try again tomorrow.

I have considered the fact that getting up in the middle of the night seems to defeat the purpose of having the Little One sleep all night and me getting all my much-needed sleep. But now he can settle himself back to sleep on his own without me having to run to him at night, and risk falling out of my arms while we both fall asleep after he nurses (which has almost happened more than once!). But, overall, my Beauty Sleep appears to be here to stay, so far!