Naked Baby On The Loose

When our first baby was born we toted all the essentials --- car seat, stroller, play pen, swing, booster chair and diaper bag stuffed to the gills. We crammed these necessaries into our vehicle everywhere we travelled, across the province or across the street. We were prepared. Our precious boy lacked for nothing.

Fast forward to baby number four. Suffice it to say, our level of preparedness has relaxed just a tad. I'm lucky to make it out of the house with my own purse and keys. Diaper bag? Sometimes it gets left at home. (There's usually a stray diaper to be found somewhere within the depths of the van, right?)

That laissez faire attitude came back to bite me in the bum this weekend.

Our family is slowly settling in to our new home. I can scarcely believe we've been here nearly two weeks already. Earlier this weekend we made the obligatory trek to the urban mecca that is Ikea to purchase goodies for the aforementioned new home. As our van pulled into the parking lot my eloquent husband made the following comment:

"Something really stinks."

Not something, my friends. Someone. The littlest member of our family had filled his diaper. And his pants. And his shirt. And his socks. The movement was epic. I'm surprised the car seat escaped unscathed.

We had remembered to bring the diaper bag along on our excursion. I was supremely thankful to have a large supply of fresh diapers and wipes close at hand. However, had I thought to pack an extra set of clothes in said diaper bag? Of course not.

So we did what any other family-of-six would do in our position. I set up a make-shift changing station in the front of our minivan, wiped down the babe as best we could, slapped on a fresh diaper, and strapped our (otherwise naked) three-month-old into the Baby Bjorn. With the unnatural effort it takes to haul our family into Ikea, we were determined to complete our mission.

So what if the baby was slightly under dressed? At least it wasn't February. Besides, no one would even notice. Right?

(To be continued...)

Quote of the Day

"No Mommy, I won't squeeze the chickens. Because then they will cry."

Things I Love About Our House: The Deck

One of the main features of our new home is the back deck. The previous owners built a stunning two-tier cedar deck with wrought iron railings. The back of our house faces east, so the deck is warm and sunny each morning but well-shaded by the evening. As well, the railing posts are topped with solar-powered moon lights. Ben and I hope to host many a BBQ on our new back deck. :-)

Things I Love About Our House: The Field

Our new home's location is spectacular. Our property backs on to a huge, green soccer field. The kids have already spent a great deal of time running through the grass (and they have the mosquito bites to prove it, unfortunately). A few nights ago we sat on our back deck and watched a cricket league play! Every morning I open the blinds on our east-facing windows and am met by a gorgeous sea of green.

Menu Plan Monday
July 7, 2008

We made it! Our move is complete and we are almost settled in to our new home. This house is so beautiful. Next week I need to clean, clean, clean our previous home to prepare for the new owners.

The weather in Calgary has been gorgeous and hot all week. I am very thankful our new house has central air conditioning! We have been pampered by the cool air these past few days.

I am slowly getting back on my feet now that our kitchen is unpacked. I managed to buy a few groceries on Friday and will do my usual grocery run on Monday. Admittedly, we ate out a lot this past week. I was simply too exhausted to cook (or even search for my dishes amidst the boxes). I'm looking forward to resuming our normal routine soon.

Here's my proposed menu plan for the coming week:

Monday: No cooking (supper with my parents)
Tuesday: Curried lentil soup (slow cooker), whole wheat toast
Wednesday: Cheeseburger pasta, chunky fruit salad
Thursday: Broccoli chicken potato parmesan, tossed green salad
Friday: Leftovers
Saturday: Grilled salmon burgers, whole grain buns, baked beans, raw veggie sticks
Sunday: Forage through the fridge

Please head over to Org Junkie to browse through further recipes and menu planning ideas.

Things I Love About Our House: The Colour Palate

The predominant colours of our new house are cranberry, sage, yellow ocre and beige. I am in love with this colour scheme (and it is quite similar to our previous home). For the most part, I plan to leave the paint colours unchanged. However, many of the walls need retouching so the interior of our house will gradually get repainted over the coming months. (Good thing I really like painting!)

Things I Love About Our House: The Bathrooms

I cannot believe how wonderful it is to have a "kids" bathroom and an "adults" bathroom. Ben and I have never lived in a house with a master ensuite before. I am especially enjoying our big soaker tub. Bliss!

The New House!

We are still alive :-). The internet service man just left and our new home is connected to the net once again. I've been completely relying upon Blogger's auto post option for the past couple of weeks.

Last night we slept in our new home for the first time. It felt very weird. Ben and I both agreed our house feels more like a hotel at this point. (A hotel with all the comforts of home?) Today I am up to my eyeballs in boxes and the goal is to unpack our kitchen. Tomorrow or Saturday I plan to return to our old house and begin the monumental task of cleaning.

The kids are being terrific amidst all this change and turmoil. We've unpacked very few of the toys as of yet, but they are happy to play with packing paper and tinker toys. This afternoon I will make a point of taking them outside to run in our new soccer field.

There's so much to process at this point. We're just working at it one step at a time...

I love my new house.

Hmmmm ... Gross

The other day I brainstormed several ideas for future blog posts. I scribbled the following words in the corner of my paper, only later realizing their potential relationship:

kissing toes
fungus infection

Kind of makes you wonder what's been going on inside my head lately...

The Absolute Cutest Dessert

I stumbled across Pioneer Woman's blog this weekend. Ree's photography is stunning and I thoroughly drooled over her terrific recipes. Take a peek at this terrific recipe for Springy Flower Pot Desserts. It's perfect for a hot summer day.

Welcome to Canada!

Today's the day! I've been waiting four long years for this day to finally arrive. This evening we will meet my dear South African pen pal and her family for the very first time. I can hardly wait to go to the airport!

This week the children and I constructed a welcome banner for our South African friends. I wrote "Welcome to Canada" in large letters across the banner. The kids used crayons, markers and stickers to decorate the rest of the large roll of paper. Everything went smoothly until our five-year-old decided to add his own welcome message to the banner.

(Last weekend a mission's team from Tanzania spoke at our church. They talked about their experience working with African orphans and presented a slide show. One image must have stuck in the mind of our impressionable kindergartner...)

Our five-year-old, using primitive phonetic spelling and a big black crayon, added the following words to the banner:

FUNGUS INFECTION

Oh dear. Welcome to Canada. Don't mind the mushrooms...

Due Reverence

Our two-year-old daughter is positively fascinated by nail polish. A few days ago I painted her tiny toe nails for the very first time. You'd think she'd died and gone to heaven! For the rest of the week our little girl's been prancing around, showing off her "pwetty" pink toes.

I enjoy sporting my own "pwetty" toes. Several days ago I stole a few moments to paint my toe nails a lovely shade of red. Our sweet girl is now quite enthralled by her Mommy's toes as well.

Our daughter is so enamoured, in fact, she's taken to kissing my feet.

That's right. You have to teach 'em while they're young. ;-)

Word of the Day

Mastication, time for mastication
Mastication, time for me to chew

(Sung to the tune of Alouette)

I am amazed by the things our five-year-old learned in junior kindergarten this year...

Small Offerings


Our baby boy has already been included as "one of the kids". His older siblings smother him with love and attention. I often find tiny offerings resting on the baby's tummy --- small toys or stuffed animals. (I've even discovered the occasional cheerio.) Our little timbit is certainly a well-loved boy.

A Day of Firsts!

Ben and I stayed up until the wee hours of this morning packing and sorting boxes. We got a great deal accomplished. Unfortunately, we did not get very much sleep! (Funny how those kiddies still want to be fed breakfast first thing in the morning...)

Thankfully, our accommodating babe slept like a champ last night. He went for eleven straight hours! It was a new record! Our baby boy is only ten weeks old but he's a chubby little dude. He has lots of reserves stored up to make it through the night.

In other news, our newly minted two-year-old has decided to potty train. All by herself. This morning she asked her big brother to take off her diaper. Then she sat down on her potty and proceeded to tinkle for the first time. Wow! I think our daughter will be potty trained before her three-year-old brother gets the hang of it. I'm not sure if the timing is opportune (what with the move next week) but we're going for it nonetheless. We need to use fewer diapers around here.

I Need Me Some Tums

The week of craziness has begun. I keep telling myself to take each day one step at a time. (One step at a time. One step at a time. One step...) Four big events will happen within the next ten days:

1. Ben's parents and sister will move into their new house on Saturday.
2. My South African friends will arrive in Calgary on Sunday (after four long years of waiting and praying).
3. We will take possession of our new house next Monday.
4. Our family moves next Wednesday.

The packing is going well and the pile of boxes in our garage continues to grow. Thankfully, Babe is consistently sleeping through the night so my energy reserves are better than usual. We have a number of hectic days ahead of us!

I recently read an appropriate motto for this busy season of my life --- eat the frog. The saying basically means to tackle the least appealing task first. Each morning I wake up to a long list of items and I'm trying my best to eat all those frogs.

Here's to hoping I don't croak in the midst of it all! (I couldn't resist.)

Menu Plan Monday
June 23, 2008

The packing and sorting continues in Inksterland. I am feeling good about everything we've accomplished so far, and think we are well on track for the big move next Wednesday. With all the craziness my menu plan will be somewhat sketchy this week. It does help to have a flexible plan, though.

Here is my proposed menu plan for the week:

Monday: Spanish rice casserole (from the freezer), fresh veggie crudites (I will make a tray of vegetables for quick meals and snacks throughout the week)
Tuesday: Scrambled eggs, toast, fruit salad
Wednesday: Homemade soup (from the freezer), whole wheat rolls, veggies
Thursday: No cooking! (supper with my parents)
Friday: Pizza, veggies
Saturday: Slow cooker spaghetti sauce, whole wheat spaghetti, bread, green salad
Sunday: Leftovers

Check out Menu Plan Monday at Org Junkie for other great meal plans and recipe ideas.

Yum

Spring Reading Thing 2008
Wrap-Up

Wow! I just realized today is the first official day of summer. We've had terrific weather in Calgary all week and (fingers crossed) we have officially left the rainy days of spring behind. I am looking forward to spending lots of time outside with the kids this season.

Our family has enjoyed an eventful few months. Most notably, we had a new baby and bought a beautiful new home. Knowing our baby was due in April (but not expecting to buy a new house!) I chose a short list of books for this year's Spring Reading Thing. My selections included:

Sew Everything Workshop
by Diana Rupp

The Riddle of Amish Culture
by Donald B. Kraybill

The Creative Family
by Amanda Blake Soule

Deadline
by Randy Alcorn

Seventh Day
by Bodie and Brock Thoene

A New Song
by Jan Karon

Surprisingly, I finished my entire book list before our baby boy arrived on April 15. (I guess I was too tired to do much else but read those last few weeks!) I particularly enjoyed two of the non-fiction selections, Sew Everything Workshop and The Creative Family. I ended up purchasing both books for our home library.

Shortly after the birth of our baby, I chewed through Jan Karon's entire Mitford series. I also read her latest novel, Home to Holly Springs. I spent many late nights rocking the baby, reading about Father Tim's (mis)adventures. I appreciate Jan Karon's dry sense of humour and the series' quirky characters. I am currently enjoying the Mitford Cookbook and Kitchen Reader. This book is less a cookbook and more a walk down Mitford's memory lane. I love the way Karon includes excerpts from her novels and personal commentary along with the recipes.

For some reason I have become infatuated with cookbooks lately. (Please take a look at my reviews here, here, here and here.) I did not always enjoy reading recipes. In the past I would habitually skip the recipe sections of women's magazines. Now I can't seem to get enough of cookbooks and food magazines. This spring I discovered the Taste of Home series of cookbooks and I recently subscribed to the magazine. I also love Martha Stewart's Everyday Food. Whenever I need a recipe fix I've started the habit of picking up a new cookbook or magazine from our local library.

This spring I also enjoyed reading Randy Alcorn's novel Deadline. To be honest, I don't often read books by male authors (for no particular reason). I found Deadline to be more intense than the books I usually like but Alcorn presented some intriguing ideas. I currently have Alcorn's follow-up novel, Dominion, waiting on my bookshelf.

I am also currently reading Bodie and Brock Thoene's Gates of Zion. I was initially excited to start the Zion Chronicles series because I love the Thoenes' A.D. Chronicles. Unfortunately, Gates of Zion feels quite flat and story's characters are disappointingly one-dimensional. What a difference twenty years of writing experience can make! I am amazed by the Thoenes' rich character development throughout the A.D. Chronicles series. I enjoyed reading Seventh Day this spring and am looking forward the the eighth installment in the series. (I may leave off the Zion Chronicles once I finish the first book.)

I always enjoy participating in Katrina's seasonal reading challenges. I think she's done a terrific job with the Spring Reading Thing. Thank you, Katrina! I'm looking forward to a summer filled with delicious books and I hope Katrina will host Fall Into Reading again in the autumn :-).

If you would like to read the wrap-up posts from other Spring Reading Thing participants, please click here.

Word Scramble

My five-year-old son watched intently as I applied my makeup. "Hey Mommy, I like the brown eye light the best," he said. (Perhaps he meant eye shadow?)

***************

Our family gobbled down a particularly sweet melon for supper. The next morning, my three-year-old casually commented, "Mommy, I sure loved that yummy candy-loup!"

Dr. Shrinky Strikes Again
(Did Anyone See Where I Packed the Lifeboat?)

The bedroom was a sea of half-filled boxes and plastic bins. The baby wailed hungrily as I rushed to finish my task. The three eldest children happily occupied themselves somewhere downstairs.

I stole a quick a moment to sit and nurse the baby. My five-year-old appeared at the top of the stairs. "Mommy?" he said, "I need a drink of water."

"Well, you're a big boy," I replied, "Mommy's busy. You go get one yourself."

"Okay." He hobbled up the last two stairs and carefully walked past my bedroom door.

Something wasn't right. "Wait a second, Buddy," I said, "What happened to your feet?"

"Well ... they're just all wet, Mommy."

A tiny alarm bell sounded. "And how did they get all wet?" I asked.

"I just gave my feet a bubbly wubbly bath, that's all."

For the first time, I realized the tap was running downstairs. "And where did you give your feet a bath?" I nervously asked.

"In the kitchen sink, Mommy."

I hastily burped the baby and buttoned my shirt. "Where are your brother and sister?"

"Playing with the bubbly wubblies!" my son exclaimed.

I ran downstairs. The super villains stood on chairs in front of the kitchen sink. Water overflowed onto the counter and spilled down to the floor. My new bottle of dish soap stood nearly empty.

Dr. Shrinky looked up and grinned. "Mommy! Mommy!" he exclaimed, "Bubbles!"

Dr. Shrinky at work.

The apricots and baby monitor receive a soapy bath.

The floor needed a wash anyway, right?

The super villains attempt to hide the evidence.

The sensitive side kick is caught in the act.

Book Review:
Homemade

This book is awesome. If I had to choose a single cookbook to keep on my shelf, this would be the one. Homemade claims to include "702 ways to save money and the earth ... how to make hundreds of everyday products fast, fresh and more naturally". I believe it fully lives up to the promise.

Would you like to make your own multigrain bread? How about marshmallows? Ketchup? Maybe lip balm? Or toothpaste? I especially appreciated the numerous recipes for non-toxic, natural cleaners. Homemade contains terrific recipes for food, health and beauty products, home remedies, pet care products, cleaning agents and gardening aids.

I read every single recipe in this book. I liked the ingredients and instructions because nothing was scary, complicated or intimidating. Many products I always wondered about are included within Homemade's pages. I now feel confident enough to attempt making things like pickles or my own bathroom cleaner.

Homemade is an excellent resource for any homemaker. This book may very well become my go-to wedding gift for new brides. I borrowed my current copy from the library but intend to purchase a book of my own very soon. I feel sure the investment will quickly pay for itself. Our family's health and budget will reap great rewards.

More of the Quotes

"Mommy! You can't put a lid on the jar without holes in it. My worms will defecate!" (From the mouth of the aforementioned five-year-old.)

Another Quote for the Day

"No. You can not use power tools!" (From the mouth of an exasperated dad to his over-ambitious five-year-old son.)

Quote for the Day

"I don't like rocks with crocs. I just like 'dem with feet." (From the mouth of an incredibly cute three-year-old).

Book Review:
Taste of Home Casseroles

I have mixed feelings about this cookbook. I enjoy many Taste of Home recipes because they are simple, delicious and unfussy. I prefer down-to-earth ingredients and unpretentious dishes. Most of the time, I love making casseroles because they are easy and can freeze well for later meals.

This book contains over 440 casserole recipes. The recipes are divided into categories such as Poultry, Beef, Pork, Seafood or Meatless Classics; Quick and Easy; Side Dishes; Breakfast and Brunch; and World Favorites. I love the extensive indexes at the end of the book. I also appreciate the handy serving suggestions for sides, salads and desserts.

Unfortunately, I was disappointed with many of the recipes in Casseroles. To be blunt, if I routinely served these meals to my family we would become very fat. In my opinion, potato chips should never be used as a casserole ingredient. As well, what dish requires four pounds of cheese? I was disturbed to read comments such as "I serve this meal at least twice a month" and "my children always licks the platter clean" attached to horribly unhealthy meals.

Granted, Casseroles contains numerous recipes for nutritious meals as well. I also realize that, by their very nature, creamy casseroles are often sinfully rich. Many recipes can be adapted with low-fat, low-sodium ingredients and healthy substitutions. On the whole, I did like Taste of Home Casseroles. I even included two recipes from the book in my menu plan this week (with a few changes). I simply feel this cookbook should be used with discernment, and some of the recipes are best avoided altogether.

Menu Plan Monday
June 16, 2008

Ahhhhh! We are moving to our new home in less than three weeks. I am valiantly continuing my mission to clear out the food in our freezer before we move. (I appear to have an overabundance of ground beef in that freezer.) Last week, I cheated on my menu plan and we ordered pizza Friday night. This week I will repeat a couple of the old "freezer meals" to make up for the missed days.

As an aside ... our family is enjoying a new root vegetable. I have one question, however. How do you pronounce jicama? Is the "j" pronounced like "h" as in jalapeno? At any rate, jicama is pretty tasty. The round, squatty version of the vegetable tastes better than the long, tubular one.

Without further ado, here is my proposed menu plan for the upcoming week:

Monday: No cooking (supper with my parents)
Tuesday: Sloppy joe pasta (gotta use up some ground beef), fresh fruit salad
Wednesday: Homemade soup (from the freezer), multigrain bread
Thursday: Leftover night
Friday: Wild rice chicken casserole, steamed broccoli, honey glazed carrots
Saturday: Supper with friends
Sunday: Leftover night

Thank you, Laura, for hosting Menu Plan Monday each and every week. Head on over to Org Junkie and check it out!

"We Are NOT Super Heroes"

Pardon me. My boys have politely corrected their mother. Today our sons have decided not to be super heroes. Instead, they are pretending to be super villains. (Apparently, playing the bad guy is a lot more fun.)

Our three-year-old has taken on an especially villainous persona. He will no longer answer to his given name and now prefers to be called Dr. Shrinky.

Ooooooo. I'm quaking in my flip flops.

Our Birthday Girl

How did it happen? Our Baby Girl turned two years old yesterday! She's hardly a baby anymore...

Our little sweetheart is a total girly girl and loves to dress up. She received several pretty dresses and two new pairs of shoes for her birthday. I think she was in heaven! We will have a hard time choosing which new dress she'll wear to church tomorrow morning.

Yesterday we invited our close family over for a small birthday celebration. We ate very delicious sprinkles cupcakes (the mix was a gift from my good friend, saved for a special occasion). Our birthday girl modeled her new clothes (adorable) and her older brothers entertained the guests with an impromptu performance. (It may have involved super heroes. The whole plot was somewhat fuzzy.)

Our Baby Girl is practically all grown up, it seems. Can't she stay small forever?

The birthday girl and her big brother.

Blowing out the birthday candle.

The super heroes.

Electrifying

CRAAAAASH!!!

The thunder reverberated through our house. The kids looked up in surprise and our five-year-old quickly hid under the table.

"I don't want the lightning to get me!" he cried.

"Don't worry, Bud," I said, "That lightning was very far away."

"But what if it hits our house!" he exclaimed.

"It won't ... But do you know what happened when I was a little girl?" I asked. "One time when I lived in Saskatoon we had a big, big thunder storm. There was a Dairy Queen a few blocks away from our house and lightning went right through the roof of the restaurant!"

Our son's eyes grew round. "Whoa," he said, "I bet the lightning melted all the ice cream."

Another Milestone

Tonight we're trying an experiment. Our baby boy will be two months old this weekend. Up until now, he's been sleeping in a cradle at our bedside. For the first time tonight we laid him to sleep in the crib in his sister's room.

Our (almost) two-year-old was overjoyed to share the room with her baby brother. Her response was totally adorable. Ben and I heard her singing and talking through the baby monitor for more than an hour after bedtime. She sang endless repetitions of "Twinkle, Twinkle" and "ABCDs" to her little brother. He blissfully slept through it all.

I'm not sure how our experiment will turn out in the wee hours of the morning. Babe is often up twice in the night. However, last night was his best sleep yet --- eight and a half straight hours! All of our children have moved into their own rooms at about this stage, so I am praying Baby sleeps well tonight. At the rate he's growing, I don't think our big boy will fit in the cradle much longer anyway...

Tongue Tied

"Mommy! Mommy!" my (almost) two-year-old called out, "I find a gooey!"

"You found a what?" I asked.

She held out her little, chubby hand. "I find a gooey!"

I bent to examine the miniscule object grasped between her fingers.

"It a gooey! A gooey!"

Oh yes. It was a googly. A tiny googly eye.

Deep Intercession

We were gathered around the kitchen table, finishing the last bites of supper. Our five-year-old suddenly slid from view and disappeared under the table.

"Whoa Buddy!" I exclaimed, "What are you doing under there?"

Our son's head popped up from under the table. He paused for a moment. "Umm. You know. I was just praying," he mumbled.

"You were praying???"

"Well ... in Sunday school we learned that you should pray where nobody can see you," our preschooler explained.

My husband swallowed a laugh. I hid my smile behind my hand. "I'm just curious. What were you praying about when you were under the table?" Ben finally managed to ask.

"I was just asking God to help me be a better Christian. And to not lie too much."

"Ah, I see," Ben replied, "Well ... amen!"

Menu Plan Monday
June 9, 2008

Here's my proposed menu for the upcoming week:

Monday: No cooking (supper with my parents)
Tuesday: Spanish rice (from the freezer), spinach salad with pears and almonds
Wednesday: Soft tacos (meat from the freezer), veggie fixings, baked beans (from the freezer)
Thursday: Leftovers
Friday: Whole wheat spaghetti with meat sauce, steamed broccoli, cupcakes (for a special birthday girl!)
Saturday: Homemade soup (from the freezer), whole wheat rolls
Sunday: Leftovers

This week I made my mom's white bean dip for the first time. It's low-fat, nutritious and tastes yummy with raw veggies. The recipe is much like hummus.

1 onion, chopped
6-8 cloves garlic, minced
1-2 lemons, juiced
1-2 tbsp. olive oil
2, 15 oz. cans white kidney beans
salt and pepper to taste

Heat oil in a small skillet. Cook onion and garlic over low heat until very soft, brown and caramelized (about 15-20 minutes). Combine onions, garlic, kidney beans and lemon juice in food processor. Blend until smooth. Add extra olive oil if needed. Season with salt and pepper. Serve with raw veggies, pita crisps, etc. This dip freezes very well.

Special thanks to Laura at Org Junkie for hosting Menu Plan Monday each week.

Thought for the Day

"Preschoolers and Tesla coils are not compatible."

Whoa Baby!

Yesterday our baby boy had his last visit to the midwives' office. His official weight was 14lbs 2oz! He gained more than five and a half pounds within seven weeks!

A Peek at My Bookshelf

This afternoon the kids and I spent some time at the library. I love visiting the library because it's a bit like shopping ... except it's free. I enjoy the "thrill of the hunt", searching for hidden treasures. If I could, I'd spend thousands of dollars buying books. The library is a far less expensive substitute!

Last night I finished Jan Karon's latest novel, Home to Holly Springs. It was a terrific read, though certainly darker than her bucolic Mitford series. I have now started chewing through Bodie and Brock Thoene's epic Zion Chronicles series. As a fan of Christian historical fiction, I am almost embarrassed to admit I haven't read these iconic books.

I rarely have time to browse the library stacks with the children in tow. I like to search the library catalogue online instead. I have a long list of favourites saved under my online library profile. Every week or two I select a few favourites and place my holds. This week my picks included a new Taste of Home cookbook, Randy Alcorn's Dominion and a collection of short stories from Karen Kingsbury.

Surprisingly, I've waded through a good dozen books over the past couple of months. What else is there to do during a marathon nursing session in the wee hours of the morning? Now that Baby has become an efficient nurser, I must catch my books in fits and starts. I am looking forward to settling into our new home this summer and finding time to eat a few more good books.

The Week at a Glance

(I'm writing this out mostly for my own benefit. I know it's not exactly fascinating subject matter...)

I'm a routine-oriented kind of girl. I like to know what to expect each day and am not much for surprises. I believe children thrive on routine as well. For the most part, I try to keep our family's daily activities as consistent as possible.

I've been thinking about my daily chores and tasks. Now that the new baby has settled into a somewhat predictable pattern, I feel I can re-commit to a regular housekeeping routine. I like to break my homemaking duties into daily and weekly segments. Here's my schedule of weekly tasks and events:

Monday: Grocery shopping and errands (after school), supper with my parents
Tuesday: Big laundry day, piano lessons (in the evening)
Wednesday: Ironing, library trip and errands (after school)
Thursday: Laundry, clean lower level (dust, vacuum, bathroom)
Friday: Change sheets, clean upper level (dust, vacuum, bathroom)
Saturday: Laundry, clean basement level (dust, vacuum, bathroom, hamster's cage)
Sunday: Church, make menu plan and shopping list, supper with Ben's parents

I prefer to do the laundry three days each week. On Tuesdays I usually wash four or five loads, and I try to be diligent about folding and putting things away promptly. I figure the job's not done until everything is neatly out of sight! On Thursdays and Saturdays I usually only have two or three loads to wash. It's a good laundry day if I can get everything washed and put away before supper.

I'm a big believer in tidying, organizing and clutter-busting. I try to keep the house reasonably clean at all times. Every day I pick up the toys and such. When the house is tidy I can dust, vacuum and clean the bathrooms very quickly.

My weekly housekeeping routine might change a bit when we move next month. (Our new house is bigger. It also has a fancy front-loading washer!) As well, my son has only three weeks of school left. Our weekdays will be more flexible through July and August. I am looking forward to having many friends over to our new house for play dates this summer!

Taming the Lego Monster

I'm scared to go into my basement. I think a monster lives down there. In fact, I'm pretty sure one does. We call him the Lego Monster.

He came to live with us about two years ago and made himself right at home. The monster quickly took over the playroom. I suspect this particular monster has digestive issues. How do I know this? He vomits. Legos. All over the floor.

I've forgotten the original colour of the carpet down there. It is perpetually coated with thousands of tiny plastic pieces. Have you ever tried to clean up after a messy Lego monster? I am nearly at the end of my rope and require some sage advice.

Perhaps I should limit the monster's food supply? Feed him a small daily selection of the choicest plastic pieces? Maybe he needs a special table all to himself? A homemade drawstring bag? Or maybe a designated Lego mat?

I need help!

I'm not willing to bring the Lego monster along on our move next month. He'll have to find a new place to call home. Until then, it's down to the basement I go, to once again do battle with the monster.

Menu Plan Monday
June 2, 2008

I'm still cleaning out the food in our freezer because we have only one more month until our family's big move! Here's my proposed menu plan for this week:

Monday: No cooking (supper with my parents)
Tuesday: Veggie lasagna (from the freezer), spinach and orange salad
Wednesday: Encore performance
Thursday: Slow cooker Thai chicken (from the freezer), basmati rice, steamed cauliflower, green peas
Friday: (Supper with friends) homemade pizza, veggie crudites with white bean dip
Saturday: Leftover buffet
Sunday: Homemade chicken soup (from the freezer), fresh honey wheat bread

Menu Plan Monday is hosted by Org Junkie each and every week. Thanks, Laura!

Birth Pictures

This week my sister blessed me with a CD of our new baby's birth pictures. I can hardly believe our babe is already six weeks old and is officially past the newborn stage. (Where did the time go? Can it be my sweet baby is already growing up?)

Feel free to read Baby's birth story here. He was born at home on the morning of April 15th. We had a wonderful water birth, surrounded by loving family members. It was a beautiful experience.

Baby was born in the "fishy pool" in our kitchen. Our midwives, Kim and Cassie, are in the background of this photo.

Daddy and Mommy admire their new baby.

Daddy holds his new son for the first time. Baby was very cheesy!

The big brothers play on the clean and empty fishy pool.

Baby, Daddy and a big brother.

Uncle Patrick holds his littlest nephew.

Auntie Lori and the new baby.

Our precious little boy.

Grammy Marilou snuggles her new grandson.

Pictures! Hooray!

My technically-savvy, impulsive, irresistible, self-sacrificing, geeky and debonair husband (he made me say that) added a nifty Flickr badge to my sidebar. Click on over and check it out!

Crafty Goodness:







These books make me drool. I could slowly leaf through their pages all day long. Anna Williams' photography is fresh and inviting, beautifully illustrating Joelle Hoverson's talent for colour and design. Last-Minute Gifts are a treat for the senses.

Lost in Translation

Hey Mommy! Did you know there are two kind of leopards in the world? There are scary ones that can eat you and there are leopards that are humans.

You know the leopards that are humans? They're called leopards because they have a disease called leprosy. That means they have lots of zits...

Uncluttered

Hear that? The gentle whirring sound? You may mistake it for the gentle purr of a sewing machine ... but it is much more than that.

It's the sweet sound of productivity.

The small sewing desk in our bedroom is finally clean. This evening I diligently worked my way through the piles. What do I have to show for my labour? My son has two "new" pairs of shorts. My daughter has one as well. A sweater and a dress are now mended. My dear husband's shirts are ironed and neatly hung away.

I can finally enjoy my uncluttered desk in peace.

It's Official!

We will be moving to our new house on July 2nd. Ahhhh!

Foiled

The disaster was (narrowly) averted.

I just caught my eldest son on the verge of sending his two younger siblings on a ride down the stairs in my laundry basket.

I'm thinking most five-year-olds don't have the greatest sense of judgement. (Or fear of death...)

Factoid

Did you know a baby eel is called an elver?

(Neither did I.)

Menu Plan Monday
May 26, 2008

I can hardly believe we will move into our new house within six short weeks. (Coincidentally, our new baby is also nearly six weeks old.) When our baby was born, I was blessed with many meals for my freezer. This week I plan to begin clearing out our freezer in preparation for the move. I won't be doing much cooking! As well, I've somehow managed to accumulate three dozen eggs in my fridge. I think some omelets may be in our family's future...

In other news, last week's slow cooker lasagna turned out surprisingly well. (I was somewhat skeptical about the recipe.) The preparation was no different than for traditional lasagna, so I didn't save much time. Overall, I think I prefer baking lasagna in the oven. I can see two advantages to using the slow cooker, though:

1. In the summer I can make lasagna without turning on the oven and heating up the house.

2. If I plan to take lasagna to a pot luck supper, the slow cooker is transportable and keeps the food hot.

At any rate, here is my proposed menu plan for the upcoming week:

Monday: No cooking (supper with my parents)
Tuesday: Salmon noodle casserole (from the freezer), spinach and orange salad
Wednesday: Encore performance
Thursday: Chili (from the freezer), broccoli slaw, cornmeal muffins
Friday: Mushroom omelets, homemade waffles, fruit salad
Saturday: No cooking (BBQ with friends)
Sunday: Leftover buffet

A big thank you to Org Junkie for hosting Menu Plan Monday each and every week!

Preschooler Logic

"Mommy, look at all the sunflowers!"

"Those aren't sunflowers, Buddy. Those are dandelions."

"Ohhhh. Daddy lions .... Do they have big teeth?"

Timely Advice

I just so happen to have a pile of holey jeans waiting patiently on my sewing table. My eldest son is literally down to his last pair, so methinks this weekend may include some patch action.

Imagine my delight in finding this little tutorial. It features my secret crush, no less. (Bre Pettis has nice hair.)

Ah, No

Today my impulsive husband is somewhat less irresistible, self-sacrificing, geeky and debonair (he made me say that). When I said my man possessed a balding pate, it was not an invitation for him to go completely bald. Certainly not. What was he thinking?

I nearly had a heart attack when I realized I had mistakenly married Lex Luther.

(As an aside --- Did you know they are thinking of renaming strokes brain attacks? Perhaps my dear husband was trying to give his frazzled wife a brain attack.)

Ben assures me his new look will grow on me.

I don't want the hair (or lack thereof) to grow on me. I want it to grow back on him.

DH

My dear husband is irresistible, self-sacrificing, geeky and debonair (he made me say that).

He also wears cool glasses.

And has a balding pate.

That is all.

Cute As A Bug's Ear

Big, fat bumble bees are starting to appear outside.  Perhaps spring has finally arrived in The Great White North.  (One can only hope.)  I'd like to think we've seen the last of the snow.

Our kids had tons of fun chasing bees this past weekend.  It was a riot to watch the boys run after an unsuspecting bee, only to turn around and run away from said bee (shrieking wildly) in fear of its stinger.  It was a sort of love / hate relationship.

Best of all, the kids refused to call the insects bumble bees.  For whatever reason, our three eldest Inklings insisted the bees were called huckle bugs.

Huckle bugs?  I think I like the sound of that.

Gross

I can only guess what possessed our three-year-old to poop on the carpet this morning.  What a lovely way to start the day...

A gold star goes to my self-sacrificing, geeky and debonair husband (he made me say that) for cleaning up the toxic waste.

Menu Plan Monday

May 19, 2008

Last week our family was blessed with an unexpected box of groceries. In an effort to use up the extra milk, fruit and veggies we received I've adapted my meal plan for the week.

Here's my proposed menu plan:

Monday: No cooking (supper with my parents)

Tuesday: Chicken fajitas with veggie fixings, brown beans, Mexican rice

Wednesday: Spud special soup, buttermilk wheat rolls

Thursday: Leftovers

Friday: Slow cooker lasagna, green salad

Saturday: Encore performance

Sunday:  Grilled salmon burgers, homemade oven fries, spinach salad  

For more great menu plans and ideas, please visit Org Junkie.  

Out There

I'm feeling pretty self-conscious these days. I am a reserved, introverted type of person. Contrary to popular belief, I do know how to talk, but I often have trouble making casual conversation. (Especially when I'm feeling tired).

Unfortunately, fatigue is a fairly constant companion these days. I'm certainly less exhausted that I was a few short weeks ago, but a month of disjointed nights are catching up with me. I feel my social skills have taken a real beating lately.

I like keeping a blog because I communicate more fluidly through text than speech.  I love the written word (and often wish my mouth came with a backspace key). When I'm too tired to talk, I usually have no problem expressing myself in writing. I've always enjoyed updating my blog.

Until now, that is.

I'll be very candid --- I'm feeling self conscious because many people have started reading this blog. When I started out a couple years ago my blog was a private passion. My family and a few friends knew it existed but for the most part I could be anonymous. Not many people from my "real life" read The Ink Spot.

Now it seems like everybody and their dogs read The Blog. (I know this really isn't true.) In a way I'm flattered. At the same time, I'm terrified.

My goodness, all my friends know the intimate details of my life. (I also know this really isn't true.) They even know what I'm cooking for supper each night! What a heavy burden of responsibility! I feel like I must deliver on what I write. Blogging is a great tool for accountability and self-examination, but I'm not sure you all need to know every time I serve my family pork chops.

This is quite a scary predicament for an introvert. I've got serious case of stage fright going on. However, I don't plan to give up blogging just yet. It wouldn't be right for me to run away in fear. 

That said, I need to make the following disclaimer:

I'm human. 

I'm FAR from perfect.  

My kids drive me nuts too often.

I can be anal and controlling.

I don't do well on little sleep.

I get angry.

I yell.

I gripe and complain.

I judge unfairly.

I'm horribly prideful.

I rarely follow my meal plans to the letter.

I'm a work in progress.  Thank God, I'm His work.

   

Wired Again

After a long month unplugged, my trusty Apple Blossom is once again operational. My geeky and debonair husband (he made me say that) finally gave up on Apple Care and replaced the hard drive himself.

Sadly, I lost every speck of data on the old hard disk. (What? Take a backup? Are you mad?) I did not lose anything critically important, but am nonetheless mourning the loss of my personal files. It was a hard lesson learned.

From now on I intend to update my blog on a more regular basis. Life has settled down in Inksterland for the time being. Babe is rapidly moving beyond the newborn stage, our house is comfortably sold, and I don't intend to start packing for another good month. It's all smooth sailing for now.

Super-Duper Thankful!

Our littlest family member celebrated his one-month birthday yesterday and gave his Mommy a great gift. Our babe slept seven straight hours last night! A new record!

Our little guy hadn't been sleeping very well since the weekend. I enjoyed some spicy East Indian food for supper on Mother's Day. The curry agreed with my digestive system just fine. When it landed Baby's tummy a few hours later, it went over not so well.

Lesson learned. I'll lay off the curry for the next few weeks. (And for the particularly observant, yes, I did modify this week's menu plan.)

At any rate, our baby's bad night on Sunday resulted in a series of less-than-stellar sleeps. He seemingly forgot how to sleep in stretches longer than three hours.

Until last night!

Here's to hoping the trend continues this evening...

Thankful

I have lots of big things to be thankful for in my life. Here's a tribute to the precious little stuff that also makes life great...

Watermelon
Chubby babies
Spell check
Three or more consecutive hours of sleep (still hoping for this one)
The Grouchy Ladybug
A gift primarily composed of nylon stockings, a flowerpot and grass
Call display
My husband's debonair good looks (he made me say that)
Unexpected groceries
Little girls in summer dresses
A new magazine
Slow cookers

I Admit Defeat

I shouldn't start blogging after nine o'clock in the evening, when my brain is half-fried. Apparently, I lack the required horsepower. Posts that seemed brilliant at ten in the morning are considerably less wonderful from the other end of the clock.

I think I'll go to bed instead.

Menu Plan Monday
May 12, 2008

I am stepping back on the menu planning bandwagon after several weeks. We've been blessed with many hot meals since Baby's arrival and our freezer is well-stocked with food. I haven't had to cook from scratch for nearly a month. It's been a wonderful break!

Here's my plan for the upcoming week:

Monday: Bubble and squeak (we'll clean out the fridge)
Tuesday: Slow-cooked ham and broccoli (with some adaptations, recipe from my new cookbook), steamed carrots, cabbage salad
Wednesday: Encore performance
Thursday: Beef curry (from the freezer), basmati rice, steamed cauliflower, green peas
Friday: Veggie lasagna (from the freezer), green salad
Saturday: Leftover buffet
Sunday: No cooking (supper with Ben's parents)

For more great recipes and menu planning tips, please visit Org Junkie.

Playtime

I'm often amazed by the innate creativity and playful nature of children. Today I enjoyed a quiet morning with our two youngest kids. Our (almost) two-year-old daughter spent the better part of an hour playing with a teddy bear, a blanket, the laundry basket and an empty yogurt container. She was happy as a clam, not concerned that her toys were simple and inexpensive.

As I prepare for our upcoming move, I am thinking about purging and streamlining our family's belongings. In particular, I've begun sorting through the kids' toys. It seems toys have a crazy way of multiplying and taking over space. I believe toys need not be expensive or fancy to be fun. Some of the best toys are simple and everyday. Therefore, I plan to get rid of most of the kids "non-creative' toys --- especially the ones that require batteries, are made of cheap plastic, came with a restaurant meal, or are broken or damaged.

Further, in our new house Ben and I plan to rotate through the kids' toy collection. We will keep many toys in storage, bringing out only a small selection at a time. When our house was on the market we put many of the children's toys away anyway. The kids didn't seem to notice toys were missing. I was amazed how much easier clean-up time became with fewer toys. The play room in our new house will be slightly smaller than our current one, so I believe less toys will be a great benefit.

Here is a list of some of my favourite toys for children. These toys will definitely stay within our collection:

• Wooden blocks
• Wooden train set with tracks
• Lego and duplo blocks
• Tinker toys
• Play kitchen with pretend food and dishes
• Soft puppets
• Dress up clothes
• Little people
• Potato heads
  
• Stuffed animals (I often edit this collection)
• Dolls with soft bodies and faces
• Play dough and tools
• Art supplies
• Lacing toys (for older preschoolers)
• Aqua doodle
• Puzzles
  

Life Is Good

Our house is now officially 100% sold. Babe slept six hours straight the other night. I received the latest issue of Craft in the mail today. And Ben and I are turning in early!

Life's Short

An aged turquoise minivan.

Four full car seats.

A trunk full of groceries.

Windows rolled down.

Speakers blaring Skillet.

(I see nothing wrong with this picture.)

Crafty Goodness:

Taste of Home: The New Slow Cooker

(Can a cookbook be classified as crafty goodness? Hey, why not?)

I possess a terrible weakness for comfort cooking. I love making soups, stews, casseroles and roasts. I'm into simple, homey recipes. As well, I am (more than a little) dependent on my slow cooker. It is one of my few kitchen appliances I could not do without. Lucky for me, comfort food and slow cookers go hand-in-hand!

I recently discovered the Taste of Home series of cookbooks and magazines. (The Taste of Home website is also worth a look.) I like many of their recipes and I especially enjoy all the beautiful pictures accompanying them! The New Slow Cooker is a gorgeous book, filled with over 200 tasty recipes. The book is conveniently divided into categories and even includes an extensive desserts section.

A few days ago, my good friend dropped off several meals for my freezer. The meals were simple, pre-prepared slow cooker dishes. A light bulb went off as I considered her gift. Many of the recipes within the pages of The New Slow Cooker could be adapted for the freezer. The slow cooker is already a time-saving appliance, but I can prepare simple slow cooker dishes and freeze them in advance! How easy is that?

I borrowed my current copy of The New Slow Cooker from our local library. I'm hoping to receive a copy of my very own for Mother's Day. (Hint, hint, hint.) I figure this book is an appropriate Mother's Day gift, as most moms spend a great deal of time in the kitchen!

Dreaming...

Now that our house is conditionally sold I am allowing myself to feel excited about our new home. In two short months we're moving to a new house! A big house! With a big yard!

I've been thinking a lot about our new yard (and the wonderful soccer fields out our back gate). Here are some things I am looking forward to outside:

• A compost bin. (I've wanted one for years and years, but we've never had a yard to call our own.)
• Choosing a tree for the front yard. (I think a mountain ash is the front-runner at the moment.)
• Shoveling the walk. (Yes. I do like shoveling. It's very therapeutic, don't you know.)
• Having a place for the kids to run!
• Our beautiful new two-level deck.
• Inviting friends over for BBQs.
• Having a place for the kids to run!
• Starting a little vegetable garden. I'd like to plant some peppers and tomatoes and sunflowers (because they're just fun and could look cute along the back fence).
• Planting some perennials in the front yard. Any low-maintenance suggestions?
• Having a place for the kids to run!

And you know the best part? Those soccer field will be an awesome place to set the kids loose and let them run ;-).

Crafty Goodness:

Itty-Bitty Hats
by Susan B. Anderson

I like to joke about the fact I enjoy reading books about knitting more that I like the act of knitting itself. I think this is because I feel somewhat intimidated by the craft. Some knitting patterns are virtually indecipherable, and the choices of yarns and tools and projects are practically endless. It's all rather daunting.

I love Itty-Bitty Hats because it is accessible for newbie knitters. I learned a great deal from this book. Susan Anderson begins at the beginning and clearly explains knitting terms and techniques. As well, her baby hat patterns are actually understandable (and the projects are terribly cute)! Baby hats make great projects for newbies because they are easy to finish. A simple hat might require a mere hour or two of effort.

Anderson's book motivated me to take a leap of faith. I finally learned to knit continental style, thanks to Susan's clear illustrated instructions. (I originally learned to knit in the less-efficient english style.) I'm slow as a tortoise at this point, but am clinging to the hope that my change in technique will pay off in the long run.

I highly recommend Itty-Bitty Hats for newbie and wannabe knitters alike.

Crafty Goodness:

S.E.W. Sew Everything Workshop
by Diana Rupp

This year I'm working to improve my sewing skills. I'd classify myself as a "sort-of-experienced beginner" seamstress. I saw Diana Rupp's new book on the Craft blog and promptly borrowed the Sew Everything Workshop from the library.

I only wish such a cool text existed when I was studying home ec. in junior high! This book is an excellent resource for anyone interested in the basics of sewing. The projects are hip and fun, and Rupp includes tissue patterns for 10 projects right within the book. (I did not open the envelope, however, as my book was from the library.)

Rupp clearly explains sewing terms and techniques. She starts right from square one. Her book discusses tools, fabrics, notions, sewing machines, patterns and much more. The book even includes several quizzes to test readers' new-found sewing knowledge.

The Sew Everything Workshop is a comprehensive crafty guide. I'm planning to add a copy to my personal library.

And In Other News...

Yesterday Ben and I accepted an offer on our house. It is conditionally sold! Our realtor has slapped one of those wonderful C/S stickers on the sign in our front yard. Hopefully, that C/S will transform into a big, fat SOLD sticker by the end of the week!

God has been amazingly faithful to us through this entire process. A month ago I could not have imagined we would buy a new house and sell our current one. Our home was only on the market for 18 days. We had one showing and one open house. (I was feeling quite discouraged that no one was coming to look at our place!) Our realtor says it is a miracle we have sold so quickly, as the Calgary market is completely saturated and few houses are moving.

As well, our buyers would like to take possession two weeks after we take possession of our new house. We will have some grace to accomplish our move and clean up the house. Everything has fallen into place effortlessly, it seems.

Hooray and hallelujah! :-D

Is This Meant To Be A Compliment?

We stood outside the classroom door, waiting for the school day to begin. My five-year-old son gently patted my belly and casually remarked, "Hey Mommy, your tummy is all soft and squishy now." He paused and then continued, "You know, now that you don't have a baby in it."

My son began tugging at my shirt, and before I could stop him, exposed my soft tummy to the other moms gathered in the hallway. "And look Mom!" he exclaimed, "Your belly button's not an outie any more!"