Saturday, October 31, 2009

Thursday, October 29, 2009

Baking Disaster


























Time well wasted...two hours in the kitchen and the cupcakes and icing where disgusting.

It was the dried fruit that ruined the cupcakes. The icing was a flop and I don't know what I did wrong there. It looked deceivingly good.





















I've developed the attitude not to get frustrated. It's not a rare event that this happens.

My baking and cooking skills are a work in progress.

As a stay at home mom I don't do the cooking. Like hardly ever. I'm what Daddy calls his Sous-Chef. I'll clean up after him and pour him his wine.

My sister and I try as we may are far from being the next Rachel Ray. Lucky for us we married husbands who cook pretty darn good. I think both of our men figured out early that they better get in the kitchen.

Last week, I aced the banana cookie recipe my sister emailed me. James said it 3 times when he ate the first cookie, "Yummy!" I swear it sounded like he was pleasantly surprised.

Maybe I'm being paranoid.



Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Monday, October 19, 2009

Unique Taste Buds


Not my first choice but tomato juice and crackers with PB is one of Parker's regular snacks. Sometimes he'll mix it up and have Daddy's famous mustard and cracker combo.

A couple of times he's down two of these juices in a row. Then he'll get diarrhea. As he is sitting on the toilet he'll say, too much tomato juice mommy?

Yes Parker. One drink too many can cause you all kinds of grief.



Tuesday, October 13, 2009

My tooth is lost...

Motherhood, brings unexpected joys. I never would have thought that I'd experience such giddiness and pride seeing my child loose a tooth. But oh how I did!

Here's the story...

James discovered that two of his teeth where loose a few days ago when he accidentally bumped his mouth on a chair. I was surprised! Isn't he kinda young? Maybe his birth date isn't accurate? Maybe he just bumped them too hard. So I checked his teeth again? Further shocked! His permanent teeth where pushing through!





















I checked on the Mayo Clinic website...indeed you can start losing your teeth at 4.5. Not as common but its' not common to weigh 50lbs at this age either.

I hadn't really talked to James about the whole process of why we lose our teeth...I though I'd have a year or two more. I read to him the book, "Throw Your Tooth on the Roof. Tooth Traditions from Around the World." To try and get him up to speed.




















After reading the book James said, "I want a treat and throw it on the roof when my tooth is lost. " In other words James wants the Tooth Fairy (Canada) tradition and an African tradition where you throw your tooth on the roof for the birds when his first tooth falls out.

On day 3 James' tooth fell out! He was so proud that he kept looking at himself in the mirror...like a lot more then usual. He admires himself in the mirror about 10 times a day, this time you can definitely double that number!!!!

He quickly put the tooth under his bed.





















The Tooth Fairy will be honored to pay him a visit tonight!


Monday, October 12, 2009

Thanksgiving.


Read this on a blog..."But despite today’s legally mandated annual day of Thanksgiving, genuine thankfulness, though rare, should be much more than a once-a year-event with a web of dubious traditions."

What did this day mean to you this year?

Friday, October 9, 2009

Club Foot Update

We headed to BC Children's Hospital for Parker's club foot appointment. Parker is no longer having to wear his boots and bars at night.
















He'll be required to keep wearing his runners. Which lately he's been averse to wearing them. He rather put on his rubber boots. He seldom likes doing the norm.

We where crammed in a little corner of the Casting Room to get his foot cast so that they can fit him with an ankle foot orthosis.


















He'll wear this for a year during night time.















We will go next week to get it fitted. The clinic called me this week to see what design Parker would like his AFO to have. I think he'll be impressed with what I've choosen.
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And here is my little munchkin at about five months old wearing his cast. So cute!

Thursday, October 8, 2009

Hip Shoes

I confess. I broke my New Year's resolution.

I've never owned a pair of hi-top shoes. I splurged on my very first Converse Chuck Taylor All Star Hi Top Shoes!
















Buying them on sale eased the slight guilt I had for breaking my rule. If ever in Victoria, BC go check out the store, it's very cool. In the meantime visit their website: Baggins. My next pair will be these. And I think you know why.

Saturday, October 3, 2009

I stumble as I try.

James is the new kid at preschool. The nine other kids where together last year. This didn't phase James. He is the most easy going person I know. He doesn't cling to my leg nor do I have to bribe him to get to school. Before I know all the mommy's know his name and the teacher reports that he is doing A+.

I am impressed by James' ability to parachute into a new environment without even showing a stumble. For me it's not that easy: evidence of this was as early as when I started kindergarten where I literally would hide in the morning so I wouldn't have to go. (Side note: my teacher was a nun, need I say more?) Twenty some years later I remember one of my performance reviews said I had to work on not being so aloof. I was insulted and chalked it up that my boss was an idiot.

Recently a friend told me her daughter said to her, "I think Joanne doesn't like me." I was shocked and sadden by this. I really like her daughter. Her confidence and ability to play all kinds of sports impresses me. What did I do that made her feel this way? Did I show signs of being "'unapproachable"? Was my boss' comment from years back coming back to haunt me?

James is the type of person, regardless of the color of his skin, that people will remember meeting him. Me on the hand, people forget my name. That doesn't bother me. I am by no means the life of the party. I like being on the side lines. But I don't want my quiet personality to be classified as snobbery...if that is even a word. I don't want people who are in my presence to have thoughts to themselves, "Isn't she anti-social. Obviously she isn't very friendly" or worse thinking I don't like them.

Last week at preschool I tried to be more 'open'. I said hello to one of James' classmate and than said hello to what I thought was the grandpa. "Hello! You must be Jane's grandpa." "No. I am her dad." Damn.

As I stumble to find my way to being a more open person I will take cues from my four year old, who to me, has mastered the art of being friendly without being overbearing.