A Little Haitus Called Life

And Christmas... The blog writing hiatus is due to the fact that I've been spending all of my spare time doing two things.

First, I've been making Christmas gifts for the relatives. I won't mention what I've been up to or put up photos of the created loot because said relatives read this blog. But, I will say that the gifts are quite different, beautiful, and were really fun to make. That's the spirit of Christmas right there, non?

The second thing I've been doing is a bit of daily self-care. So, instead of spending my mornings checking my email and Facebook every fifteen minutes, I take an hour or two to go through my Morning Routine.

Morning Routine (aside from peeing and changing clothes/diapers):

1) Drink big glass of lemon water
2) Get breaky started on the stove
3) Attempt to do at least 20 minutes of yoga with Little Bean crawling through my downward dog, or as we like to call it "Threading the Needle" (Note: yoga is typically interrupted by a brief breastfeeding session)
4) Take vitamins
5) Eat breakfast
6) Clean up the breakfast dishes
7) Check email and Facebook

By the time my routine is complete, it's usually nearly time for Little Bean to go back to bed for his morning nap. Then I really get into the nitty gritty (without child), like creating fun gifts, and, well, let's be honest, making dinner, cleaning up, doing laundry, and all the other daily 'grime' we love here at our house.

It's been a pretty stress-free Christmas season so far. I love that. We create that quite intentionally.

Losing My Sense

See, I've got this mega head cold. It's gripped my sinuses and filled them with muck, and keeps squeezing them so my eyes leak like a dripping tap and my head feels like it's in a vice. Ugh.

With all this, I've lost my sense of smell. There are benefits to this: I couldn't smell the chunky milk I tossed after returning home from a two-week vacation.

The less desirable effect of this cold is not being able to taste. I just polished off a few slices of a juicy, tasteless orange. Not a drop of sweetness experienced by me. Seems like a bit of a waste, really. On the flip side, I was aware of all the textures instead. It was like I was 'tasting' fiber. Take all the sweetness out of an orange and that's what you're left with.

Reduce

Remember that ol' slogan, "Reduce Reuse Recycle"? Well, I'm taking on the Reduce part in a specific way related to the S-word: Stuff.

We're definitely on the road to less, but where less equals more. Confused? Sure. It may seem strange, but we feel like we would be happier with less stuff. Less stuff for us means buying less stuff, and getting rid of lots of the stuff we already have. It's about having enough, but not too much. 'Cuz too much stuff means we are drowning in clutter. I don't know about you, but I'm no good at treading water, and when I'm surrounded by stuff I feel like I can't stay afloat. When my space is sparse, I feel more open in mind and body and there is room for opportunity and a higher quality of life.

Following blogs has been a good source of inspiration. Take, for example, The Minimalist Mom.

There are also TED Talks about the topic, like Graham Hill, Less is More.

This idea, instigated in our family by my husband, has slowly made a difference through our actions. We decline buying something just because it's on sale. We continuously attempt to de-clutter our living spaces. We have a big pile in the basement ready for the next garage sale, so in everyday life when we come across something we don't think we need anymore it can go down in the pile instead of leaving it where it is for lack of knowing where else to put it. We save money. We aren't sucked into instant gratification. We feel a nice sense of freedom. Freedom from attachment to stuff. So far, it's a pretty sweet way of life.

My current project involves cutting my wardrobe down by 50%. I started this a few days ago and have about a third of my clothes in a 'give away or sell' bin. I still have a bit of a challenge ahead, but it sure does feel good to pare down to what I need. Or at least what I think I need at this point. More to come on this and reducing Little Bean's wardrobe too.

One last note about this before I head out: I realize the total luxury I have in being able to reduce what I own. Not everyone has this privilege.

My guts are going to get me back for this

My dog's breath?
hot.

The midday sun?
Hot.

Our curry meal tonight?
H-O-T.

Okay, so when a cookbook recipe indicates to put in an entire tablespoon of cayenne pepper in your meal, don't do it. Read it. Laugh at the losers who actually follow the recipe. And maybe then refrain from adding any cayenne pepper at all. Holy bah-jeezuz. Whatever you do, don't put a tablespoon of cayenne pepper in the meal. H-O-T.

We tamed it down just barely enough to ingest it by adding plenty of rice, some fresh cilantro, and piles of plain yoghurt.

I just updated my Facebook status saying, "The Mushroom Medley Curry I made tonight is burning my insides... I'm afraid for tomorrow's release."

It is quite possible that Little Bean may have pretty severely sour farts after a good breastfeed later tonight.

"Do you think eating lots of ice cream will help?" I asked Papa Bean.

"It can't hurt."

"I'm still scared. And my gums are in pain."

Cooking a Feast, or Five

A friend of mine said she was saving money by doing meal planning. I knew exactly what she was talking about because when it's 4:30PM and I'm already hungry, I venture over to the grocery store, which is viciously close to our house - 30 second walking distance(!), and I inevitably spend $30-$50 and end up with some junk food fillers and one meal. What!? That's insane. Yes, I said it: INSANE.

My friend claims she can spend $200 on 12 days worth of meals. Twelve whole days. Wow. I can't even really think about twelve meals let alone days, but it sounded like I should give this a try since we're attempting to eat better (i.e., change up the variety so we're not eating the same ol' eggs in every meal) and save money (who doesn't need to save cash? p.s. we have a mortgage and I'm a stay-at-home, non-moolah-making mama).

Project Meal Planning started off on a good go: I selected three recipes I know well, and two I have never tried before. Meals were selected on freezing ability and the amount of food the recipe makes (copious = better, as long as it can all fit in our small freezer). I also figured into Project Meal Planning the fact that I can eat oatmeal for breakfast every morning (we already have the Costco-sized bag of oats), and lunch can consist of leftovers from amazing dish from the night before. The recipe finalists are: Enchiladas, Yam and Peanut Soup, Glory Bowl, Veggie Burgers, and Mushroom Medley Curry. Deep appreciation goes out to Whitewater Cooks, Rebar, and Vij's At Home, my three favourite cook books.

One heck of a grocery list resulted in an hour and a half at the grocery store. I enhanced my shopping experience by going to the lovely Thrifty's down the street instead of the slacker Save-On across the road (that's a whole other blog post in the making). I spent $198.26 on food for these five recipes, which will make approximately, at a very minimum, 20 dinner meals (if each recipe makes four servings, but they typically make way more). Twelve meals? Ha! I've got you in the bag, Meal Planning. I'll also note here that of the nearly two hundred smackers I spent on groceries, I purchased a bunch of organic nuts on sale, two huge tubs of peanut butter (two for one!!), and big bags of spices good for many future meals in Project Meal Planning. I'm thinking the next five-recipe grocery extravaganza will come in well under $150.

Only trouble is.... now that I have this huge pile of groceries, I have to actually cook it all! Keeping myself in the moment, I'm taking things one step at a time. Today's meal: enchiladas, which also helps to serve as a dish for tonight's Gluten Free Mexican Potluck. Yep, you heard that right. I'm going to go back to the store for some gluten free corn tortillas, but other than that, we're all ready. "Por favor, comer la enchilada!" I don't actually speak Spanish, but Google translate tells me this is "please eat the enchilada".

If I have time this afternoon, I'll take a crack at another recipe. And when I say, "if I have time", I mean, if my Little seven-month-old Bean takes another two-and-a-half hour nap just like he did this morning. What are the chances he'll nap that long again? Not great. But I can always hope. Although.... the sun is now shining and my bike hasn't seen the pavement for a while..... There's always tomorrow to cook up a storm, right? -- Ack! Little Bean just discovered the dog's water dish and is currently smacking in and drinking less than clean water. Gotta go!

Scones to live by

The best scones I have ever eaten, in my ENTIRE life, were consumed yesterday on Gabriola Island, at the sweet little outdoor market. Consider this: pumpkin spice with chunks of white chocolate all mixed into a scone, and eaten while the scone was still warm, thus the pieces of white chocolate were still all gooey and melted. This is most certainly my new favourite thing. Thank you Slow Rise Organic Bakery.

Minimizing

I'm minimizing bit by bit, here and there, moment to moment. The acts are small and sporadic, but with big rewards. Cleaner, less clutter. The stuff I love, and love to use, spilling out and not shadowed by the stuff I don't love and seem to use less.

Cozy Sweatshirts

With the slowing of summer, the cooler breezes flowing in, the Fall beginning it's changing of colours, I love feeling the need to slow down, to wrap up in my coziest sweatshirt, and drink a mug of tea. I feel embraced by the changing seasons and savour the resulting changes within me.

Inspired

Feeling inspired lately. It's like I missed the spring cleanup feeling and am doing it in the fall. I feel like I want to get all those to-do lists sorted and worked on. House stuff, baby stuff, career stuff, blog stuff, and even things as simple as the laundry. It's all inspiring. Maybe it's the amazing sunny weather keeping my energy up, or maybe it could be all the fun physical activities we've been partaking in. Whatever it is, I'll take it. And I'll use it to get stuff done.

With or Against the Grain

You know sometimes when whatever it is you're doing just feels right? And other times, it's like pulling teeth?

For some reason, last night, I felt like I was going against the grain of things and everything I tried to do to get ready to go camping seemed super difficult. I was aware of this for a little while, and then decided it would be better to just go to bed and sort things out in the morning.

This morning, things are flowing much easier.

Smooothieness

I forgot how amazing smoothies are. (I'm drinking one right now).

We used to buy the big bag of frozen berries to make smoothies all winter long. This winter will be different. We've been harvesting berries. As many berries that will fit into our little freezer. Raspberries, blackberries, and cherries. Yum yum in the tum tum. 

Who would have thought... Free berries.

I think we may have to buy a bigger freezer.

Home Reno Radical

Well, not that radical. I just installed a shower curtain rod, and re-caulked the bathtub. I felt like a little bit of a super hero, or a home reno hero. Only because both projects were cheap, easy, and I didn't mess anything up (messing up would have caused me to get frustrated and spend more time and money on the so-called 'cheap and easy' tasks).

The Fough

Little Bean is very good at what we call the fough (pronounced 'fahff'). It's a combination of a cough and a fart. Usually the cough instigates the fart. Regardless, it's hilarious every time.

The Power of New

My hands were deep in kneading dough. Little cries were coming from the blanket on the kitchen floor by my feet. The usual suspects were proving to be useless: Sophie the giraffe, the swirly bobs, the wooden shaker. Light bulb moment ensued. I put my stainless steel water bottle on the floor with Little Bean, and *poof*, he was quiet and entertained for at least 15 minutes. Dough is now rising. The power of something new...

Diapers are for...

... birds?

I was drying Ira's cloth diapers on the clothes horse during the sunny, beautiful day today, and when I returned several hours later I discovered a bird had pooped on Ira's diaper! Gross! Clearly unnecessary, don't you think?

Our Faithful Friend

Our pooch hasn't been well the past while. Then a few days ago, she stopped eating and drinking. Gulp!

We took her to the vet and she's got an inflamed section in her throat. Really inflamed. Like the size of a plum. It's pushing her esophagus forward, it's so big. The vet thinks it might have been a stick that punctured and then got infected. Stupid sticks.

These days $650 will get you a vet inspection, a couple x-rays, blood work, and four medications. It was kind of them to throw in clipping her nails for free. (It never hurts to ask).

She's now eating soft food, and has gained some normalcy back. Although she's still hiding/resting under our bed half the time, she's also been spotted humping her bear toy and visiting our neighbours.

We're hoping the swelling goes down with the meds. If not, we may have to remortgage our house (the one we just actually purchased last Friday - yay! we're house owners!).

Rock Paper Scissors

The old school game of Rock Paper Scissors comes in handy many a time in our household. Tonight, as a result of 'best of three', the loser (Papa Bean) has to change a fully loaded diaper. Gross.

Summers are for....

The good weather of late has been a sure sign it's summer. If that hasn't done it for us, we just need to look at all the people we've hosted in the past number of weeks, and we know for sure it's the season for visiting, potluck dinners, hikes and walks, and everything social. It's the time when people shed their skin and open up to the warmth, the energy, and the food. Ohhhh, the food. The barbeques, the wild berries, the lemonade, the guacamole, the occasional beer (I'm still breastfeeding). The list goes on... and Little Bean would like to include milk on that list of delicious food.

Enjoy the bright and infectious energy of this season. Cheers!

It just came to me

What do you do when you have a lot of fresh raspberries (with too many already frozen in the freezer) and a bunch of spotty bananas? Why, you make a banana raspberry loaf!

I made the best of bridge banana bread recipe, but changed it a bit.... Coconut on the bottom of the buttered pan (thanks for that tip, AK). I halved the sugar, added some vanilla and molasses (a teaspoon each), and used 1/4 cup of quinoa flour (only because I ran out of unbleached flour). And then, the raspberries: I put half the batter in the pan, then put fresh raspberries over top and then covered them up with the remaining batter. Pretty delish, I'd say. Only problem is that a whole layer of raspberries doesn't bode well for the structural integrity of the loaf for either coming out of the pan or getting sliced up. Oh well, it still tastes good.

This was a success in terms of looking for things to put in banana bread other than chocolate chips. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE chocolate chips, but Hershey's is likely not at all considerate to fair trade or organic processes, and I swear they are laced with coke because they are so addictive. So, I buy the uber expensive Camino chips only for special occasions. Today? Not a special occasion. Happy Raspberry Wednesday!

Motherhood: Part 1

www.bluemoonfabricarts.com/

I wrote a letter to a lovely friend of mine this morning, and realized it would be perfect for this blog: a concise description of my first five months with Little Bean.

When Little Bean first arrived, everything was fresh, new, raw and absolutely exhausting. I remember at times during that first week or two, I wondered if I was going to make it. I thought I might dry up and fall apart into dust. It was definitely not a sustainable way to be, to live. But, each day did get a little bit better, and before I knew it, six weeks had past and my iron levels, and subsequently my energy, returned to normal. I think my healing in that time was immense (physically, spiritually, etc. the works!), but also it was so intense learning how to be with this new little human. The first period is like becoming a baby again yourself - everything new, with the learning curve so steep you need climbing gear.

Now, suddenly, it's five months later and we've all worked ourselves into a lovely groove, but still learning, adapting, and watching each other change. I'm sure finding our new community and settling down has helped both Little Bean and me, and the rest of our little clan too.

When Little Bean was born, we were in a new, temporary space, which was a bit unsettling. We moved in three or four weeks before he was born, and had been somewhat 'homeless' for the previous six months. I hope never to do that again (while being pregnant). I would advise any new mom to have somewhere very comfortable to give birth; a place you know, a place just for you, surrounded by the comforts you have developed over the time of being pregnant. This wasn't the case for me, anyway. Sometimes I think it was meant to be so that I could leave that space with Ira and "forget" about how hard it was to give birth to him. To move on and start fresh. And conversely, sometimes, I think that place and our temporary status had something to do with how hard it was to give birth to Little Bean. Maybe he didn't want to leave his cushy, warm, waterbed lifestyle and enter this cold, strange space? I wouldn't either.

The day after Little Bean was born, Papa Bean got offered a temporary job located nearly two-hours drive south of our new home. Talk about shitty timing! So, he spent one week with us and then he spent four days working south of us, every week after that. Weekends went by far too quickly, and every time he left for another work week, I cried a lot. Good thing for family there to help me through. Whew!.... And then suddenly, it was a month and a half later and we decided living in separate places was stupid. Really stupid. So, even though Papa Bean's job was still classified as temporary, Little Bean and I moved down to be with him, and a few weeks later, he was re-offered the job with a permanent status. Smart move, and sweet result.

And now, as Little Bean has just turned five months old, we have bought a house, Papa Bean's work is going well, I'm meeting lots of friends (moms and babies), and this place feels like home...

We have finally settled down... for a while.

There's a first time for everything

These handkerchiefs are much nicer than ours...

Little Bean's first cold has been caught and the effects are here: snotty, dribbling nose, sneezes, coughs, and leaky eyes. It's kind of amazing. I know that's not the first descriptive word that most people would come up with to describe the common cold, but it's true. It's fascinating that someone so small can have exactly the same kind of physical 'hardships' as I do when I get a cold. He seems to be dealing with it fairly well, except he doesn't like it much when I wipe his nose with the handkerchief tied to my waist (for easy and frequent access).

Maybe cake-batter-smelling barf indicates a coming cold? I'll keep it under advisement.

Cake Batter

"Little Bean, your barf smells like cake batter."

I actually said that out loud, mere minutes ago. Lately, I find there are a lot of things that just come out of my mouth that would make fantastic t-shirt designs.

Like Old Times

The visit from my family this weekend reminded me of old times when we were camping as kids, but with Baileys in our coffee! Such a lovely time spent being together, not having to do much, just being.

Giving it back

So, last night I was doing a bit of yoga in my living room. My favourite thing to do is let my body move spontaneously, as it wishes, as it needs, with little to no control or judgement from my ego brain. It's always amazing, and last night was no exception.

Somewhere in the midst of my yogic movement session, I began to move my hands in a way that felt like I was scooping the earth from below and pouring it down on top of me, literally swallowing it as it flowed. That materialized into a flow of movement where my hands were guiding the energetic womb from Ira back out to the universe. It was like it was okay for me to release it; it could go back "out there" for someone else to use.

Today, I feel lighter. And my old pre-preggo pants fit.

What did you say?

Little Bean has been voicing it up lately. Not saying anything we can comprehend, but making a real good effort at making some new noises. High ones. Low ones. Slobbery ones. He's also taken to blowing raspberries. So cute!

When I saw his horoscope online, I laughed at the irony:

Aquarius: You really need to tell your stories. It's not just a good idea; it's downright urgent. There's a backlog of unexpressed narratives clogging up your depths. It's like you have become too big of a secret to the world. The unvented pressure is building up, threatening to implode. So please find a graceful way to share the narratives that are smoldering inside you -- with the emphasis on the word "graceful." I don't want your tales to suddenly erupt like a volcano all over everything at the wrong time and place. You need a receptive audience and the proper setting.

Go Left or Right?

In the park, I found myself faced with the choice of going left or right at a trail junction. Right would have taken me the way I always go, and left would have taken me a new way. Pausing for a moment, my mind wanted to go the way I always go because I had an appointment to get to, but something deeper said, "Go the other way."

I tend to follow those deeper voices because they never let me down.

It's a good thing I went the other way because further down the trail, I came upon a woman who had just broken her ankle while trying to dance with her grandson down the dirt path. A few more helpful strangers and a cell phone call to 911 rescued this lovely lady from her agony. I didn't do much more than look after her grandsons and give her some water while we waited for the ambulance, but I feel like if I wasn't there, it could have been worse.

The instant warmth and sense of kinship between people helping people is one I will never forget.

Death by Salt or Magnifying Glass?

While harvesting more raspberries, Papa Bean and I were discussing things we did as children. This topic came up because my parents had a raspberry farm and I used to pick (eat) raspberries when I was small.

Aside from getting raspberry belly aches, I used to salt slugs. Ever done it? It's disgusting and fascinating all at once. I'm not sure if my mom condoned this behaviour. I remember the salt shaker we had was a ceramic one with really big holes so the salt poured out super fast. Those slugs were doomed. I'm pretty sure a bunch of good karma oozed away from me faster than those slugs cringed and shriveled up.

Papa Bean was not as grossed out as I expected, and in return actually surprised me with his childhood activity: "I burned ants with a magnifying glass." What?! That also sounds disgusting and fascinating. He said, "The sun was hot, so it literally took seconds for them to burn and smoke."

We are a couple of weirdos. I hope Little Bean knows who he has for parents. For what it's worth, I hope the buck stops here and Little Bean stays clear of finding disgusting and fascinating methods of killing small insects and the like.

No leaks!

It's been a terribly frustrating time attempting to perfect the cloth diaper situation here in our house. First, Little Bean was too small, so nothing fit = leaks. Then, we realized that using zinc-based cream makes diapers less absorbent = leaks. And then, we recognized that the free diapers given to us may have been through too many other children to provide a good seal around Little Bean's pelvis = leaks.

In a last ditch attempt to scope the internet for ideas and resources, I asked some moms what they use for cloth diapers and one response was Mother-ease. They claim they are leak-proof. Wha? Did I hear right? LEAK-PROOF? So, I ordered one to try out and see if they are what they say they are. I put it to the test: overnight on Little Bean and a poop in the early morning to boot. Result?.... Drum roll please... Success. It's nearly too good to be true. So, I'm going back online and ordering more.

Second best part about Mother-ease other than no leaks is that they are made in Canada with fair wages and health care for their employees. Hooray!

Want to check 'em out? www.mother-ease.com/

Red and Delicious

Freshly picked from our backyard. Drum roll please.... RASPBERRIES!! Oooh, so good. I'm sure by the end of their season, we'll be sick and tired of them, but for now, our taste buds are in love. Raspberries with ice cream, in smoothies, on our cereal, in our baking, and all by themselves. Plenty of options.

Our plan is to pick every day and keep freezing what we don't eat so we can eat them in the winter months. Plus we'll have a few jam-making sessions this summer so we have something tasty to put on our famous homemade waffles.

Hooray for free fruit!

Frig, why do you stop running?

No, I'm not accusing a friend of quitting a marathon, but I am asking my car why it stalls on the highway. Why?... We delivered Little Bean's aunt to the airport in Comox this morning, and on the way back home, Frig called it quits about 10km short of our destination.

I knew the drill, since I found myself in the same situation last month. With our cell phone, fully stocked with credit (lesson learned), I called BCAA for a tow for Frig and a cab for the rest of us. What turned our frown upside down was the lovely woman who stopped and asked us if she could give us a lift home. Step 1: Graciously accept sweet offer. Step 2: Cancel cab. Step 3: Stop bad-mouthing Nanaimo (it used to have a poor reputation).

Now we just have to wait to see what the garage thinks the problem is, and continue our serious discussions about becoming car-free.

And the little one said, "Roll over. Roll over."

Little Bean has suddenly mastered rolling over onto his belly. It is fantastic that he's got something new to show off. It feels like there has been a solid length of time of no newness to Little Bean's repertoire of skills. And then one morning, he looked like he was trying and then *poof!* he was over and now every time he gets placed on the floor or on the bed or on any surface, really, he's over within ten seconds. Atta boy!

The Solo Sleeper

I wish this was my bed, but sadly it is not.

Little Bean has decided that sleeping on his own is totally okay for him now. This is progress. Not that it was a bad thing before when he could only sleep while in the carrier strapped to my chest, and only while I was moving (keeps a mom in shape and less stagnant). Now it's a little bit easier to do things that I need to do without a little one on me. Look at me talking as though this has been going on for weeks now - it's been just over 24 hours. All I can say is that I like what's happening here and I hope this new phase sticks around for a while.

A Trip to the Islands

Denman and Hornby, to be exact.

It was a memorable adventure for many reasons, including Sheldon, the kind, gentle and talkative hostel owner, whose one eye drifted so far to one side that we weren't sure which eye to look at. Why is speaking to someone like this always so awkward? The hostel itself was quirky and old, like the kind of old where it was built before electricity was available on the island, and now has electrical wires duct taped to the walls and ceilings. The kind of old where Sheldon advises us that the water is safe, but smells really, really bad, so it's best to drink out of this here blue container only. The kind of old where the decor is nearly back in style again, after two or three rounds of being in and out of style already.

How quirky? Well, the cafe attached to the hostel had a homemade crokinole board (cool quirky), and the coffee they served was roasted in the barbeque in the backyard.

Add the heavy-footed Korean couple also staying at the hostel, who changed into their silk pyjamas at four in the afternoon and closed off the kitchen door so they couldn't hear my strumming on the cheap guitar.

Our time was also spent checking out the lives of painters, potters and other artists alike. We drove down long forested driveways not knowing what we were coming upon except what was indicated on the old, worn sign "Pottery: Open".

There were some interesting cafes and stores on both islands including the Cardboard House Cafe and The Koffee Klatsch Kafe, where we discovered our new favourite menu item of all time: The Squat and Gobble.

Fun trip, overall, except maybe the ride home, where Little Bean decided he didn't like the car seat again.

Coombs

Ice cream in waffle cones. Olive bread and fun pasta to bring home for dinner. Peaches and vanilla as ingredients for a clafouti recipe. Three big pottery balls as garden ornaments. Cute tea towels. Goats on roof. Coombs market rules.

Shoot, those hurt.

Shots. Immunizations. Ways to prevent illness..... There must be a better way.

Poor Little Bean. His four month shots today seemed much more painful than his two month shots. He wouldn't even go back to the boob; he just cried and looked at me with this "how could you let this happen to me?" kind of look. Like a mixture of disbelief, surprise and pain. Sorry little dude.

Pleasantly Tuckered

I'm pooped. Tired. Tuckered. Drowsy. Desiring drifting off to miraculously deep sleep. I've got good reason: we've moved into the new house and have unpacked and put away most things. It looks fabulous. The garden is coming along too, thanks to Little Bean's amazing Aunt.

It feels like the reward is to sit in my big, super comfy chair and admire the scene. We're home. We're finally home.

Bubble Burst

http://www.treehugger.com

So, after thinking the biking with Little Bean thing was the bestest since sliced bread, I started to look for little bike helmets to protect the little knoggin.

Secretly, I knew I'd be bombarded with messages online about how old a baby should be when you start riding a bike with them, and I also knew I wasn't going to like what they had to say. I guess I just conveniently dreamed the world was going to agree with me on the success of Little Bean's first bike ride in his Charriot trailer.

The world, as it seems online, doesn't agree. I shouldn't be surprised, but I feel like my happy bubble has been burst into dread over what I may be exposing my "undeveloped baby" to. Brain damage. Shaken baby syndrome. Mental disabilities in the future. They don't side step the potential pitfalls, do they? But, I have to say, I'm glad this information is out there because it helps us all make the informed decisions we need to make as a family.

Check out this link for a nice review: www.treehugger.com

In the grand scheme of things (a.k.a., of all the bikes, trailers, and babies out there), I think Little Bean has a better chance of staying harm free in our bike set up because he's in a five-point harness with a head support; the trailer is enclosed to protect from dust, dirt, rocks, and wind; the structure of the trailer encases Little Bean so even if the trailer flipped he'd be protected; the trailer has shocks, lessening the bumps along the way; and Little Bean has been holding his head up proudly from week three. I'm not stating these things to prove a "This is why I can do it" argument. I'm just saying that of all the ways to be put behind or on a bicycle as a baby, this ain't as bad as it could be.

So, what's my final judgement on this one? I'm saddened to think that our athletic and healthy family, who are trying to be friendly to the environment by not driving our car, may have to wait for a long time before biking with him full time. But I also care for this little bamino more than I care to ride my bike with him, so I guess I'll put the brakes on biking with the little dude until he gets older. How much older? I'll keep researching that and see.

Anyone else out there have any input on this?

Bad Dream

Last night, I dreamed I drove off a cliff in our car, which was totally frightening.

Then this morning, Brian tells me it's the 20th anniversary of the movie, "Thelma and Louise".

Refridgerator Broken

What happens when the fridge breaks down? All the stuff in the freezer thaws out and you have to invite all your friends over for a massive meat BBQ. This happened a number of years ago in the Maritimes and we had a super fun four-hour meat fest on ocean front property. Ahh... I digress.

This time, because we've been moving about so much, we have very little in the freezer, except..... (young readers or easily grossed-out folks, cover your eyes or stop reading).... Little Bean's placenta, or what I prefer to call The Capsule.

Before Little Bean was born, our Doula suggested we keep it and plant it under a tree for Little Bean to visit later in life. At the time, we thought we were hippy enough to think this was a good idea. Months later, with The Capsule thawed out and contained in a thin Ziplock baggie, and our living situation still being a rental, we were reconsidering.

Nothing like a soggy placenta to get our thinking caps working on a new plan.

After double bagging The Capsule, we brought it down to a local beach (where not many people go), and buried it under the sand, close to the rising tide, topped with a number of stones for safe-keeping. We gave it back to the earth.

After the deed was complete, we sat back, looked out at the marvelous sunset, and felt like this was the perfect thing to do.

Update on the Car

So, not fingering the Universe was a good idea because the car apparently just had an air bubble in the fuel line. Minimal cost to us. The car is fine.

Now if only the Canucks could win....

Spinning

Sometimes, I feel like time is spinning... Spinning a web of everyday things that collectively make up my life.

Today's little whirls were family walks in the sun, playing a fun round of disc golf, watching the pooch shamelessly chasing a scared rabbit, eating fresh-out-of-the-oven scones with loved ones, and one well-deserved and enjoyable hot shower washing off the day.

Biking Babe

Bean's first ride in Harriet the Charriot as a bike trailer... success!

I love that he falls asleep better on walks and bike rides than in the car. He must be our son.

I wish I could give the universe the finger, but I know better

So here's what happened:

My best friend and Little Bean and I packed up all our stuff and hopped in the car for the typically one and a half hour drive south to Victoria to drop off my visiting best bud at her brother's house. If I had known the adventure would have taken four hours to drive one way, and another five to get back, I may have waived the luxury of getting to deliver my friend to her brother.

The problem driving down was that Little Bean was not enjoying the car seat and seemed endlessly hungry and poopy. We stopped on the side of the road probably five or six times. I stopped counting.

The drive home started well with catching the Mill Bay ferry on time, but quickly became the drive from hell when half way home my car stopped running. I pulled over on the highway and realized how much I love my husband for telling me that morning to bring the cell phone. I called CAA and arranged for a tow, but discovered that tow trucks can't take small children in car seats. Insert moment of panic here. My sister-in-law happened to call at that point, during which the cell provider so pleasantly stated, "There are one minutes remaining on this call." Why are they always grammatically incorrect? That's beside the point. Our pre-paid deal was almost out of juice.

"Great" [said in most sarcastic tone]. So I asked my sister-in-law to contact my husband and let him know what the deal was: "Car refuses to start. Baby is not welcome in tow truck. Come pick me up at the Wendy's in Duncan."

It was near this point that I reached into the back of our car to find my friend's luggage still with me and not with her. "Oh jeeze." When I dropped her off at her brother's place, she ran out of the car, so excited to see her little niece. The luggage wasn't so lucky.

I spent $25 getting back to Duncan with a cabbie who insisted I read his poetry (all laminated and hand written, obviously shared with anyone lucky enough to get in his cab) while telling me that the one time he was in Chilliwack, he met a guy at the bus station with the exact same name as him. "Fascinating. Thank you for sharing."

I sat wondering if I was going to be picked up from the greasey-smelling Wendy's, where I felt sort of trapped since I had a three-month old, a bag of diapers, an umbrella and a heavy car seat. I thought I packed light, but the car seat pushed me over the top. I looked at my cell phone (useless). I looked at my ipod touch (useless because Wendy's doesn't have wireless). I was hoping that my husband had been contacted, and that our neighbour was home and graciously let him borrow a car and that I'd be on my way home very soon. When stuff like this happens, the only place to be is home. Lucky for me, I only had to wait about an hour before I saw that loving familiar face: My knight in shining armour on his borrowed horse. "Let's go home."

I called my best buddy when I got back home and she said she'll make it through a few days without her coat, her bags, and her computer. Nothing like forgetting luggage to make you buy some new undies and soap. She'll be returning to our house on the greyhound bus in a few days to pick up her things and continue on her travels. At least we get to see her again, right?

Well, Universe. Thanks for a good ending to such a ridiculous day. And thanks for the long recovery sleep the following day. No finger for you.

Bestest

Best friends are the bestest...

One of those days...

I woke up with baby poo on our sheets.

I have a killer head cold.

The dog is menstruating (she's in heat and is wearing a diaper).

There is milk dripping down my shirt from my boob.

I seem to be losing my hair - it's everywhere (and I admit that I haven't vacuumed this place since we moved in two months ago).

The gross smell I couldn't find ended up being from Little Bean, who was growing 'cheese' in the fold of skin under his neck. 

My addiction to the television show "What Not To Wear" is embarrassing (it starts in eleven minutes).

.....

But life is good: Papa Bean left me a small bag of Cheezies.

Jog it up

I just finished run #2 as a mom. It's a family affair: Little Bean sleeping peacefully in the jogging stroller and the pooch gliding gracefully beside me as I amp it up from the daily walks we've been doing lately. This is good.... and I feel great.

Faken

In an email to vegetarian friends of mine, I suggested we go out for "faken and eggs"... Thinking I was pretty funny and a bit of a momentary humour-genius, I decided to check out the internet to see if there was such a thing as "Faken". If not, I could make millions with the newest label for vegetarian bacon.

The first thing to pop up when Google searched "faken" was this: fakebaby.blogspot.com

I can't help but post the link to this blog because it has to do with faken, but also babies. Perfect combo. And, I have to tell you that a few weeks ago, while I was shopping for a loaf of bread with the Little Bean in a sling on my chest, a woman beside me looked over, did a double-take, and then said, "Oh my! I thought you had a fake baby in there!" Wha?... I'm not even kidding.

110%

My dog teaches me a lot about life and being present. Today, however, she taught me how to go 110%. 

We were at the local park playing fetch, and it amazed me to watch her go for every single ball, every bounce, even when it looked impossible. She always managed to find that extra bit of energy in her step and then... "Gotcha!" I believe that's what she thinks when she has a particularly good catch.

She must have no fear. Singularly driven. Impeccably persistent. And super freakishly cute. What a combo.