Making Bread Again

So I think I have the hang of it. My Bosch no longer crashes to the floor (you can read about that here) and my bread looks and tastes pretty good. I feel like such a good mother! Fresh home made bread still warm from the oven is the best!

Here are my latest efforts, a combination of whole wheat and rye flour:

Looks so yummy! The only problem with making my own bread, is that I want to eat it... all the time! I'm trying to eat healthier and not snack (I've already lost 14 lbs!) and fresh bread is just so good to snack on! Oh well.  I'll just have to be extra vigilant.

My Blankie

My 23 month old son "G" has recently been really attached to his blanket. He calls it his blankie and wants to take it everywhere with him. He sneaks it outside in the mud and it gets filthy and then he gets mad when I bring it inside. This all started a few months ago when "G" got sick. He just wanted to cuddle and have the comfort of his blanket and soother. Before he would just have those at nap and bed time, but now he wants them all the time.

This morning, when "G" was distracted, I snuck his blankie downstairs into the wash. I forgot about the load of laundry until after we were finished eating lunch and then hurried downstairs to put the wet laundry in the dryer. Soon after, "G" started asking for his blankie. I told him it was in the dryer and he could have it when it was all done. He started getting upset, but then calmed down a few minutes later. All of a sudden, there he was standing next to me showing me his blankie. "Blankie Momma," he says. "G" had gone downstairs, opened the dryer, and pulled out his wet blanket. He was so proud that he had figured out how to get his blankie all by himself.

I felt like a monster taking it away from him to put it back in the dryer. I explained to him that it was wet and wasn't finished in the dryer yet. He was furious - in fact he still hasn't calmed down yet and it has been a good ten minutes. Hopefully he'll calm down soon and have a nap, blankie or no blankie.... I can hope right?

Birthday Surprise

Monday was my husband's 30th birthday. We had been travelling for Easter (hence the short blogging hiatus) so I didn't really get to plan very much - or so he thought.  On Monday we had a nice relaxing day. My husband "A" didn't have to work so we had a nice time at home together. His brother and his family stopped by for a visit and we had a salmon supper (a true birthday gift, for I can't stand fish or seafood of any kind) and his favourite angel food cake. I felt kind of bad though because his gift hasn't arrived yet. I ordered something off eBay for him a month ago thinking it will be here in time for the 25th. The status said it had shipped, but nothing had arrived, so finally I wrote an email asking where it was. The seller had accidentally overlooked it and would send it right away. That was last Thursday, so with postal holidays, "A" won't be getting a birthday present for at least a week.

I think "A" was a little disappointed. No present to open, no party, just a family dinner with some really rowdy kids. He took it very well and cheery though and tried to be happy for me. What he didn't know was that I was planning a surprise party all along! I was sure my daughter "E" had given it away a million times and that "A" had figured it out. He always figures out my surprises.

So secretly and discreetly I invited some friends, family, and coworkers over for a BBQ and 30th birthday bash. I pressed the need for secrecy (even though I thought he knew) and told everyone to be at our house at 5pm. I delayed "A" from coming home too quickly by sending him to get some diapers. It worked! He arrived home totally oblivious to my scheming and was genuinely surprised. We had a blast eating hamburgers, hot dogs, and watermelon and enjoyed a warm spring evening. Most of the snow has melting in the backyard so the kids had great fun splashing in the mud and getting thoroughly dirty. It was a good birthday party. Now all I have to do is wait for his present to arrive!

Yes, It's On Fire!

 Why is it that when there is some kind of disaster people are drawn to it, like a moth to a flame? They gather round and try to see as many of the gory details that they can. When there is a car accident, traffic always slows down to a crawl - sure, it's partially for safety, but really people just want to get a good look.

This morning, I was running some errands. I dropped my daughter off at school, returned a rental movie, and went to an appointment. On my way to my last stop before going home I passed the movie store again. There were fire trucks, police cars, sirens, crowds of people watching, and thick black smoke coming from the top of the building. Sadly, my first thought was, "I hope they don't charge me late fees because of this."

There were so many people milling about! Didn`t they have jobs or things to do? Why stay so long to watch the fire?

I got out of the car a little ways away from the roadblock and my son "G" was so excited to see firemen and firetrucks, so we stopped to watch. I admit, it was a little exciting. There was a fireman way ontop of the ladder shooting water down into the building, a few firemen crouching in the doorway shooting water inside. There were even flames exploding periodically out of the roof. I had never seen a fire like this before. It was mesmorizing. I now understood why so many people were standing there just watching.

But, I had things to do, so I left for my last stop. "G" was very upset. He wanted to stay and watch the firemen, and I had a heck of a time getting him back into his carseat. He only calmed down when I told him he could watch the little video I shot of the firemen with my iPhone.

Mirror Reflections

I love the way my 22 month old son "G" reacts to himself in the mirror. He saw his reflection in the kitchen mirror this morning (which is normally to high for him to see in) as he was standing on the chair at the table. He was glancing around and then did a double-take as he saw himself. He grinned and then started posing, turning his head this way and that trying to see all the angles of his face.
"Who's that?" I asked him. "Baby 'G'," he replied laughing.

Sometimes when "G" is upset, I take him to the mirror so he can see himself. The wonder and the magic of seeing his own reflection usually calms him down.

After "G" has a bath, or after I brush his hair he likes to see what his hair looks like in the mirror, especially if I have done something silly with it. I'll brush his hair all messy or into a little mohawk and let "G" see himself. First he analyzes it by looking at all angles, then usually he shouts, "Yay!" and claps and laughs. I wish I could love my hair that much to clap when I look at myself in the mirror.

Coughing Kids

I had a nice relaxing weekend; my daughter danced in the Arts Festival, we played outside, hung out with friends, and my husband and I even got to go out on a date. It was very nice.

But this morning, my daughter woke with a racking cough, my son woke with a persistant cough, and my husband woke with a sore throat and body aches. I seem to have missed this round... hopefully. My daughter "E" was very upset that I kept her home from school saying very dramatically that if she doesn't go to school, she won't get to write in her journal... like this is the worst thing in the world, ever! She just informed me that she hasn't coughed in a very long time (a minute or so), so maybe she can go to school now. She has no other symptoms and I almost feel bad for keeping her home. I know she is going to be bored and irritable, but I would rather have a bored and irritable daughter than a classroom full of coughing sick kids. Hopefully this is just temporary and she will feel better by tomorrow.

One Of The Best Things In The World!

One of the best things in the world is when my children wake up happy. This morning I woke up hearing my son "G" calling for me from his crib. "Hi Momma!" he says when I open the door. He is smiling and reaching his arms up to me. I pick him up and he gives me a great big hug and a kiss.

My daughter "E" had woken up earlier and had been quietly playing in her room. Hearing me get up, she comes into her brother's room and says, "Good morning Momma," with a huge smile on her face. Oh, this just warms my heart!

Mornings like this makes me want to dance and sing, "Good morning!  Good morning too you!" (from Singing in the Rain). Yes, I'm feeling happy (despite the weather forcast of 15cm of snow for today) and today is going to be a good day!

Diaper Time.

My son "G" has suddenly decided he doesn't like having his diaper changed anymore. It used to go something like this:

Young Mother: Do you need a new diaper?
G: Ya.
YM: OK. Go get a clean diaper.
G would run to his room. Grab a diaper and lay down on his change pad.
G: (laughing) P-U! Stinky!
The process was so easy, quick, and painless. It is not so anymore. Now it goes like this:

YM: Do you need a new diaper?
G: (screaming) NO!
He runs away from me screaming. I try to calm him down, talk to him nicely, but nothing works. Eventually I have to hold him down and change his diaper. I can't leave him in a wet or soiled diaper - it needs to be changed. He is 22 months old and is showing no desire for toilet training. Despite his fascination with putting things in the toilet, he doesn't want to sit on it. So we struggle, scream and cry until he is changed and clean again. Then suddenly he is fine. He is smiling and happy and has forgotten all about the apparent trauma of putting on a new diaper.

I don't know what happened. Maybe he thinks a new diaper means naptime, or bedtime and doesn't want to go to bed, but I change his diaper more often than just before bed. Hopefully it's just a phase and he will be a helpful diaper changer again soon. Or better yet, he will show interest in potty training.

Rex Crain

This weeked I got to hear Rex Crain speak. He is a motivational speaker, life coach, ex pro baseball player, and all around great guy.

I first heard him speak at a conference in Seattle and was blown away by his passion for people. He is a great speaker and motivater and truly inspirational. I got to meet with him one on one and really enjoyed speaking with him. Rex has a gift for asking the right questions and getting people to find out what they truly want in life. His new book Life Lift is truly that. It lifts your life to a higher meaning and helps and inspires you to become a better person.

A couple of my favourite questions he asks:

1. Can you describe who you are with out describing what you do as a job? You are not just your vocation, but way more than that.

2. Fill in the blanks: My name is ________. My life is about____________.  What is your life about? What means the most to you? What is the purpose of your life. He goes on to explain that each of us has a divine purpose to our life and God wants us to succeed, and he wants to help us do it.

If you want to learn more about Rex visit his website here, or his facebook page here. Check Rex Crain out and if he is speaking near you, I urge you to see him. Your life will be different.

Just a note. I am not receiving any compensation for promoting Rex Crain and his book Life Lift. I just truly believe in what he is doing and want to get the word out about him so others can be inspired and lifted.

Welcome Monday!

Wow! I'm glad my weekend is over! What a silly thing to say. It's usually the other way around. It was so busy and crazy.  Luckily, I did find a babysitter (as explained in this post) but it was totally last minute and I was feeling very stressed about it.

So here's kind of how my weekend went (in a nutshell):

Friday night: Drop the kids of at the sitter around 6pm. Business meeting from 6:30-11ish, where we had some really great speakers (Rex Crain especially - I'll blog about him some more tomorrow). I was also helping at the tools table, so I had to stay a little later. Got home late (with company) and to bed late.

Saturday: Drop kids off at last minute babysitter 9am. More business meetings until 1:30pm. Pick up kids, rush home, get my five year old "E" ready for the American Academy Ballet Performance. Ballet at 2:30-5pm. "E" did really well and received a silver medal with double distinction. My son "G" didn't last very long though and screamed from 4-5. Luckily I got to see "E" dance, but spent the rest of the time out in the hall trying to calm "G" down, so I missed the awards presentation. Then we go home where I clean the dishes, and pack our overnight bags. Then I drive an hour and a bit to  the next city over, where I meet my husband and we have a meeting for church. We stay overnight at a friends house - again getting to bed late.

Sunday: Church conference in the morning (again "G" wouldn't sit still, so I spent most of my time in the hall and foyer, but what I did hear was great and just what I needed to hear). Went back to our friend's house for supper (and a quick nap) and then drove home again.

So I'm glad that the busyness is gone and I can get back into my schedule.
Welcome Monday! (Except for the snow that is currently swirling around outside. Curse you snow!! I thought spring was finally here. <sigh>).

Anyone Want To Babysit?... Anyone?

Why is so hard to find a babysitter? My husband and I have a meeting tomorrow and my husband's brother is coming in to town for the meeting with their two kids. My normal babysitter is out of town. My alternate just moved out of town. My second alternate is already babysitting. I asked a girl from church, but she can't either. I feel like the parents on the movie "Dennis the Menace." They go through their entire list of babysitters (all of which say no or hang up) until finally their neighbours, the Wilsons, say yes. And then havoc ensues.

I'm going through my list and still not finding anyone. The problem is, a lot of the people we know are going to this meeting, and the rest that we know are going out of town to a different meeting (which we will be going to as well later). It's stressful. Now I have one last chance, maybe two, but I'm just going to have to wait until school is over to talk to anyone.

To top it all off, I need to get the house ready for our guests tonight (including never-ending laundry, mopping the floor, dishes, getting the bed ready, etc), and my daughter "E" has a ballet performance tomorrow right after the first meeting. It's going to be a busy, busy day.

Well, wish me luck as I plow through this weekend and hopefully come out in one piece.

Happy Happy Springtime!

Hooray! I took out the stroller today and went for a walk/run. The roads are mostly clear of snow, but there are large puddles that my son loves to go splashing through, and luckily I only got a little stuck once. At least the sun is out and shining. I really need some Vitamin D. "G" loved it so much that he didn't want to come in, but after 2 hours, I was getting kind of tired.

It's been warm enough that my husband cleared off the deck and my kids have been spending every spare moment running around outside. The yard still has three feet of snow, but that's a lot less than a couple weeks ago and it's slowly melting. It's been great. The kids get to play outside (and I can see them from the kitchen window) and I can get some things done in the house while they wear themselves out. Spring sure makes me happy!!

Toilet Surprises

I've been finding odd things in the toilet lately. This is not about poop, so don't worry. My 22 month old son "G" has a new fascination with sticking things in the toilet: Q-Tips, dinosaurs, mega-blocks, rubber duckies, you name it. I think he likes the 'plop' sound it makes. Who wouldn't? I don't think I'd mind so much if I didn't have to reach in and grab it. It's not as if the toilet is really dirty (I clean it regularly), it's just that it's the toilet.  I don't know what to do to make him stop. I've told him that putting things in the toilet is yucky. He says, "Yucky," and then a couple hours later I open the toilet lid and surprise, there's another 20 Q-Tips in the toilet. I guess I'm just going to have to keep some extra disinfectant around.

Spring Is In The Air

Spring is springing! It has not yet sprung, but it is definitely on it's way. The sun is out and the mounds of snow are melting away slowly, but surely. Hopefully the snow continues to melt slowly so our basement doesn't flood. We have a de-humidifier down there, and that should help.

Last spring I was in Oregon, and I am finding myself missing the temperate weather and early signs of spring. In Oregon right now, there are probably shoots coming out of the soil, and flowers starting to bloom. I especially miss the cherry blossoms that look something like this:

Aren't they beautiful? Cherry blossoms are one of my favourite things. Sadly, no cherry trees up here. I do have a crab apple tree in the back yard; hopefully it will get some nice blossoms in a month or so.

So, the sun is out, the snow is melting and there is a freshness mingled with hope in the air. It's absolutely wonderful! What a great way to start a new week.

My Big VCR

This morning I dug out the old dusty VCR and hooked it up to the TV in order to make use of my old Yoga VHSs. I was surprised it still worked. It got packed away last time we moved and never got brought out again. No need for it really - we love our Blu-rays so much.

My 5 year old daughter "E" said, "What's that?" Pointing to my yoga tape.
"It's a VHS," I said.
"What's a VHS?"
Really? Does she really not know what a VHS is? Am I that old?
"It's a movie," I replied.
"That doesn't look like a movie. How do we play it?"
"In this machine. It's called a VCR."
"It's big."

Yes, it is big. Too big for the side shelf on the TV stand, in fact. It's now perched precariously on the bottom shelf, half of it hanging off the edge. I had no other place to put it.

I was surpised at the lack of picture quality when I got my yoga tape going. Compared to my usual hi-def quality experience of blu-rays, the VHS was garbage. How did we stand watching these? My kids didn't seem to mind though, especially after finding some old kid tapes to watch. Right now they are engrossed in The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, and loving it - poor quality and all. At least the kids are happy. But for me, I think I'll stick to the blu-rays.

Mommy Exercising

For some reason, everytime I do yoga, or ab exercises, or any kind of exercise on the floor, my son "G" thinks this is the most appropriate time to climb on me. He jumps on my tummy when I'm trying to do crunches, or crawls between my legs when I'm trying to do triangle pose. "Trying" being the word. I wonder how effective my workouts are when I spend half of the time moving "G" away from me, or concentrating on not kicking him in the head instead of my form and posture and breathing.

I know the best time for me to have an effective work out is in the morning before my kids wake up. But really, working out at 5:30 or 6 am is so not appealing to me. I'm not much of a morning person and I love sleep so much. But then again, I'm trying to lose 15-20 lbs (it would be awesome to fit into my wedding dress again) and I know that if I want big changes to happen in my life, I need to start by making my own little changes... like waking up earlier. Ay, there's the rub: to get up earlier and have an effective workout, or to workout with kids crawling all over me and to sleep, perchance to dream. I feel like Hamlet. To be, or not to be... thin.

I just need some motivation. Maybe I'll buy a nice dress that will fit a 15 pound skinnier me. I'll rip the tag off, throw away the reciept and then I can't return it, so I have to lose those pounds so I can fit into the dress... and be healthier, feel better, look better, all that jazz. Looking sexy in a little black dress will be worth waking up early. Right?