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.