Another day, another day without photos

I REALLY want to show you some photos from the last 2 months but I still don't have the necessary technology. I almost bought the required cable but then my DH found out that it is 20 dollars in the store and 5 dollars online. Make sense? I don't think so. So, I wait.

Hubby is the sickest in the house. I'm on the mend. Some sinus pain. The boys are improving. Here's a funny YouTube on the "man cold."

Here is an explanation of some of the references.
Calling 999 = 911.
Lem sip = NeoCitran (Canada) or TheraFlu (USA).
Ceebeebees = kids TV.

I'm excited about the new Veggie Tales movie.It comes to theatres on January 11th. I'm going to take my youngest and maybe my oldest if he changes his mind. It would be their first ever movie in a theatre.Pin It

Just a fun image to share

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Happy 2008

Or is it? :)

Mine hasn't started out very well. My littlest one was up with a fever on New Years Eve. My hubby and I spent it in the bathroom - no, we weren't sick but that was the only place to hang out in our hotel when both boys were finally asleep at 11:20 pm (too late to take my dad up on his offer to babysit). We didn't know when it was midnight since neither of us has a watch. We both read. He's reading Agent Zigzag and I was reading Atonement. I finished it today. Great book. Fabulous writing.

We travelled on New Years Day on the Victoria Clipper. The seas were rough and I held A while my hubby held C. I don't think I've cuddled A for such a long time since he was a toddler. He was scared by the boat's movements. He also kept asking "are we in Seattle yet?" That dreaded question.

C has continued to have a fever and asthma symptoms. A has a cough but I was a bad mommy and sent him to school today anyway. He would've been so disappointed to miss the first day back.

Oh, did I mention that I have a cold? Yep. I'm off to bed after a drink of Neo Citran - the Canadian's favourite cold remedy.Pin It

100 random things about me.

OK, so this has been floating around forever. I decided to just do it.

1. I was born on Easter Sunday. I'm not telling which year.
2. I have a degree in Psychology. Never really used it, though.
3. I grew up on a farm and moved to the city when I was 11.
4. I was an extra in a movie - a Japanese Samurai one that I've never seen. It was good money but hard work and boring.
5. Other jobs that I have had: working in a discount clothing store, a juice stand in a mall, as a "mother's helper," a waitress, a chambermaid, a camp counselor, a cashier in a drugstore, and some more satisfying jobs.
6. I am an only child.
7. I was married at age 31.
8. I had my first child at age 36. This should help you figure out how old I am. Ha ha.
9. I hate phoning people. I would much rather talk in person or e mail.
10. I don't mind if people phone me. It rarely happens, however.
11. I hardly watch any TV. I prefer movies.
12. I love coffee ice cream. I recently discovered Haagen-Dazs coffee flavour. Oh my.
13. This is hard.
14. I dye my hair. I was finding greys in my early 20s.
15. I don't like spicy food.
16. My favourite thing to order at a good restaurant is alder plank cooked salmon. It is a good thing that I live where I do.
17. The best place I've ever visited is Santorini, Greece.
18. Politically, I'm conservative and libertarian.
19. I can't vote here since I'm not a citizen.
20. If I could vote and was a Republican, I'd probably vote for Fred Thompson although I don't like his track record with women.
21. I don't like to talk politics, except occasionally with my husband. I worked in that field for 6 long years. I'm burnt out.
22. I breastfed both my boys. It didn't go well with my first. It went very well with my second.
23. My home town is Calgary, Alberta. It has changed so much from when I lived there that I don't want to live there now.
24. My favourite colour is pink.
25. I make scrambled eggs every morning for our family.
26. I'm allergic to pet dander.
27. We don't have any pets due to the above, plus I don't want to clean up after any more creatures.
28. I'm blind as a bat without glasses or contacts.
29. I've considered lasik surgery but it scares me.
30. My favourite Starbucks drinks are gingerbread latte, pumpkin spice latte, shaked iced tea lemonade with black tea and cinnamon dolce latte.
31. I once fainted in a department store due to really bad menstrual cramps. I was 12 or 13. I got medication for it after that.
32. I have never smoked a cigarette.
33. I have never chewed my nails.
34. I hate wearing socks in bed.
35. I love flannel sheets. I wish I'd used them when I lived in Ottawa.
36. I'm really good at name that tune, especially songs from the 80s and maybe the 70s, too. I can name a tune very soon after it starts.
37. I used to listen to the radio constantly. Now, I don't want the kids to hear the stupid commercials. They will tolerate a bit of jazz NPR sometimes.
38. When I'm alone in the car I flip the stations around a lot.
39. I've had way too many car accidents - none of which were my fault. Almost all were rear enders. I have a bad neck and subsequently tendonitis to show for it.
40. Amusement park rides make me sick. I used to enjoy the Tilt a Whirl.
41. I love magazines. I love to get a stack from Barnes and Noble and flip through them in the cafe.
42. I had a subscription for Seventeen when I was a teenage. I also had a subscription to Glamour before it became trashy.
43. I got my first cell phone in 2004. I still have it and use it.
44. I am a terrible packrat. I married a slight packrat.
45. My mother is "chucker" which probably explains why I'm a packrat.
46. I never learned to swim properly, that is, with my face in the water. I do a sort of dog paddle. I think it would keep me alive in a pinch.
47. I used to be late all the time. Now, I'm much more punctual. That's with kids, too!
48. I really, really want an Ipod. I would probably only use it when I go to the gym. Therefore, I don't have an Ipod yet.
49. I have an olive complexion. When I was in first grade I was called "Indian girl." It wasn't a compliment.
50. When I was in Greece I was mistaken for a local. That was fun!
51. I don't have any exotic ancestry. English, Irish, that's about it.
52. Sometimes I get TERRIBLE headaches that knock me out. Not quite migraines but still h***ish.
53. I used British/Canadian spelling for many words that spell check doesn't like. (sticking my tongue out at spell check).
54. I don't know how I survived before the Internet.
55. My mom had me when she was 39.
56. I love shabby chic decorating style.
57. I used to not be able to swallow pills. I had to crush them up. This was a big problem when I had to take malaria pills while travelling in the Orient. Those are NASTY tasting.
58. Lighting a match used to scare me. I would get my lab partner in school to do it for me.
59. My husband loves fire.
60. I can now light a match without any problem.
61. I love Yankee Candles.
62. My current favourite candle scents are gingerbread, frosted pumpkin and sparkling cinnamon.
63. I don't drink pop. If it is the only thing available, I'll have a Coke or Sierra Mist.
64. I have never broken a bone.
65. Raspberries are my favourite fruit.
66. I knew I would name my first son ...... from when I was in ninth grade.
67. I was often the teacher's pet in school.
68. When my husband retires and the kids are gone, I want to travel around in an RV.
69. I don't have a single tattoo. I will never have a tattoo.
70. Some actors that I think are cute/attractive/sexy:
Hugh Grant, Ioan Gruffudd, George Clooney, Cary Grant.
71. I take a nap almost every day. My youngest needs to lie beside me and hold on to a lock of my hair in order to nap. Awwww.
72. A lot of the singers I like are wacky liberals. I want them to "shut up and sing." Cheryl Crow is one of them.
73. I was a stay at home wife for many years. I'm not allowed to work in the US and before kids I didn't have any choice about working. I got asked "what do you do all day?" WAY too many times.
74. I hate Dora the Explorer. I saw it once and thought "this makes me want to poke my eyes out."
75. Both of my kids were born on Saturday.
76. Both of my kids were born on holiday weekends.
77. I'm not going to have any more kids.
78. I would love to have a little girl. Yes, this conflicts with #77. It is just a longing.
79. I prefer a cafe au lait (which is made with coffee instead of espresso) to a latte. They are hard to find.
80. I only drink black tea - no herbal. If I'm not feeling well, I might drink mint.
81. I failed my drivers test twice before passing. I am an excellent driver. I had trouble with parallel parking back then.
82. I am a very fast reader. I have to slow down since I don't always remember what I've read. This can be a problem for book club. :)
83. I don't like beer.
84. I like Cosmopolitans.
85. I like German wine.
86. When I was a teenager I was very thin. I wanted to give blood but didn't weigh the required 110 pounds.
87. I have never had an eating disorder.
88. I sing alto.
89. I used to sing on the worship team at our church in Ottawa.
90. I go to a Presbyterian church.
91. I grew up in a Baptist church.
92. I'm happy to be almost finished this list.
93. I love to watch my boys when they are asleep.
94. I miss the thrill of seeing my printed photos back from the "developer" back in the pre-digital days.
95. I enjoy buying scrapbook supplies more than I enjoy scrapbooking.
96. I'd like to lose 5 or 10 pounds.
97. I worked for a Canadian political party for 2 years.
98. The current Prime Minister of Canada would know me if he saw me. A few years ago he asked my mother about me. We worked in the same office for a brief time.
99. I'd like to have a red Mustang some day.
100. I stay up late too much.

Yeah, I did it! I can go to bed now!

I tag Colette to do it. Take your time. :)Pin It

Christmas parade of toys

A's favourite present is the marble maze.He doesn't have that maniacal grin, though.

We took the plunge into "big boy" Lego - the small stuff. Yikes it hurts to step on those. Worse than Duplo, that's for sure. I am proud to say that I built the marble maze, a Lego house and a Lego car on Christmas morning. My husband was quite impressed.

A's big present was a train table which was actually a reward for finally p**ping in the potty consistently (this has been a long, long struggle since he had encopresis 6 months ago.) We got an amazing deal on the table at Costco.

A received this as a present from his aunt and uncle.The boys played Zingo by themselves today. Now that is bliss!

C's presents were mainly alphabet related. He's into his ABCs right now. He received an Eeboo alphabet puzzle
and an ABC board book. He also got a police car with a police dog, a policeman and a robber. He said "I'm a robber!" which is exactly what we expected from our little imp.Pin It

Christmas summary

My parents phoned the day before they were expected to arrive to say that they weren't coming for Christmas. My mom has been having heart palpitations and coming to the US (where she doesn't have health care coverage) was too anxiety producing. I was very sad. I've only been away from my parents for Christmas twice before. We are going to visit them for a few days including New Years Eve.

It snowed on Christmas Day! Big, huge, beautiful, fluffy flakes. Here's a photo from the local newspaper since mine didn't turn out very well and I haven't yet downloaded any from my new camera.

My hubby and I cooked Christmas dinner for just the four of us. He did the potatoes, I did the rest. We had a turkey breast instead of the whole turkey. The stuffing was the only thing that didn't turn out too well. I needed Mom's help!

The boys didn't receive any toys that required batteries! We only realized this at the end of the day. It wasn't something that we planned. I will post some photos of the boys and their toys soon.

Our tree is on its last legs. We got a real tree this year and it is completely dried out. It wasn't recut after we bought it so it wouldn't soak up any water. We usually have an artificial tree. Next year we'll be wiser.

Today we're going downtown to see the gingerbread houses and the carousel.Pin It

Staying sane

Well, I've almost survived this week. My oldest is out of preschool on Christmas break and CBS is also on Christmas break. This is bad news for a child who loves structure as much as A does. He also misses the crafts.

I've come up with some activities and crafts to keep him busy. So far we've
- made a card for his best friend
- made a gingerbread man paper chain
- put glitter on wood stars
- enjoyed the indoor playground (twice)
- went back to story time at the library

I still have a Christmas-themed foam craft kit lying around. Tomorrow we'll head back to the library and maybe the childrens museum.

I'm having a terrible time getting my photo cards. I used Shutterfly and I'm very unhappy with the colour. They've already redone them, too. I wore a red sweater for our family photo and it looks WAY brighter and orange-y than in real life. I won't be using them again for Christmas cards. I want to put a sticky note on all the cards I send out saying "my sweater isn't this hideous, really!"Pin It

Cutest thing I've seen today....

other than my boys, of course!



Otters holding hands.Pin It

Sick season

People are dropping like flies. Thankfully we are still surviving here. My youngest has a cough but he has had it forever so is probably not contagious.

I found this today and thought it was great.

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Christmas to do list

- find sweaters for family photo
- Get family photo taken
- choose family photo
- order photo cards
- order 4 by 6 photos for family
- make gifts for boys' teachers (6)
- write Christmas letter (DH's job)
- find addresses for mailing
- print address labels
- put up tree
- decorate tree
- redecorate tree after 2 year old takes ornaments off
- buy presents
- make scrapbooks for grandparents
- pick photos for photo calendar (gift for grandparents)
- order calendar - can't - Costco's website not working. Argg.
- attempt a Santa photo - youngest son was willing but didn't look at camera. Oh well.Pin It

If I had a hammer...

Today in preschool, the teacher asked all of the children what they would give baby Jesus as a present. She made a list of their answers. My son said "toy tools." Awwww. Maybe he remembered that Joseph was a carpenter? I'd like to think so!

One child said a pacifier. I guess he/she hasn't been listening to Away in the Manger and the line "no crying he makes."Pin It

Since I'm the photo blogger lately....

Baby hedgehogs!Pin It

What an amazing photo!

I found this while surfing today.
It *almost* makes me want to go back to Trafalgar Square. I'm not found of pigeons. I used to live in a "high rise" apartment complex and I was often awoken but the cooing of pigeons. It sounds romantic but it got VERY annoying. One came inside on a hot summer morning and I was freaked out!

note: If you go to the photographer's website, be warned there is one non-family-friendly photo.Pin It

Beautiful?

"A beautiful mess," said my 2 year old as he looked at the toys in the playroom. (A room which is indeed messy).

I could probably come up with some profound lesson from that comment but I'm too tired.Pin It

History for preschoolers and toddlers

Yes, you read that right. Who knew that a 2 year old and a 4 year old could learn American history? Without much effort on my part. :)

I was browsing DVDs online and came across this:

This is America, Charlie Brown.

My sons love it. Their favourite "episode" is the music one. A likes When the Saints Go Marching In, C likes Yankee Doodle. I learned some things myself (about the Mayflower) since I'm Canadian. We borrowed it from our local library. I think kids will enjoy it more if they have already watched a Charlie Brown show already. Say this one?
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Some fun giveaways!

Williams Sonoma cookware and a beautiful apron.

How about everything from the Parents "Holiday" Christmas Gift Guide?Pin It

Menu plan Monday

Tonight we had chili. The recipe is here.

This week we'll have:

- Jambalaya

- Veggie Lasagna in the Crock Pot - recipe here.

- Meatball Soup (A's favourite)Pin It

You should see the other guy.

My youngest is very adventurous and doesn't have a good sense of what is a good idea and what is not. We were at a fast food restaurant on Friday and he wanted to sit in the wooden high chair. Well, he wanted to *play* in the high chair. He was perched on it, squatting and he tumbled out, head first onto the hard uncarpeted floor. You wouldn't believe the screaming. He is OK, by the way.

We were supposed to have our Christmas family photo taken on Saturday but when I had a good look at his eye Saturday morning, I knew we had to reschedule. There are some things even Photoshop can't fix. Here's hoping NEXT Saturday will work out!

p.s. The photo was taken with my *old* camera. I need a flash drive for my new one so I can share photos.Pin It

Works for Me Wednesday - almost free books

I love my local library. Tonight I had some kid-free time and I was able to browse the "Friends of the Library" section which is where you can purchase used books for amazing prices and the proceeds go to the library. I found 4 very popular books and my total was $1.00. OK, so that isn't even the end of this amazing tip. :) I'm going to post 3 of these books (I'm keeping one) on Paperback Swap and soon I'll be receiving books in the mail that I want - for next to nothing!! So, I will end up with a book that would have cost me at least ten dollars new for the price of postage and 25 cents!

I love paperback swap. You make up a wish list, you enter the books that you have to give away and then you receive requests for your books. You mail them media rate for the price of $2.50 or less. You then receive a credit and can request books from other people. I'm not explaining it very well but the website does a better job. If you do sign up with Paperback Swap, please use my name as a reference so I will get a book credit. My email address is s . bloedow AT comcast dot net

Curious as to what book I'm keeping for myself? The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio: How My Mother Raised 10 Kids on 25 Words or Less by Terry Ryan.

Check out Shannon's blog for more tips.Pin It

Christmas came early!

Look what the UPS man brought today!



The camera I've been wanting for years - a Canon Digital Rebel XT.

I'll be spending the next 3 weeks learning how to use it. A steep learning curve, I expect. Hopefully I'll be ready for Christmas photos. :)Pin It

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Thanksgiving

The year has turned its circle,
The seasons come and go.
The harvest is all gathered in
And chilly north winds blow.

Orchards have shared their treasures,
The fields, their yellow grain.
So open wide the doorway--
Thanksgiving comes again!

I read this on a blog today and I'm sorry that I can't remember which one! If it was yours, please accept my thanks. It was a very hectic day.Pin It

Even better than a GBL?

GBL is Starbucks shorthand for a Gingerbread Latte, by the way. :)

I had a gingerbread milkshake at Red Robin's on Saturday night. Oh my. That was amazing. I let C have some. I think we're both hooked! Red Robin needs drive thrus!

Here's a recipe.

Gingerbread Shake

1½ oz. gingerbread syrup (which I need to dig out of the garage)
2 oz. milk
1 tablespoon Graham Cracker crumbs
14 oz. vanilla ice cream

Blend syrup, milk, ice cream.
Garnish with whipped cream, Graham Cracker crumbs, and a gingersnap.Pin It

A dubious milestone

"Get this out, Daddy."

My youngest put a pea up his nose for the first time. My oldest (4) has never done this.Pin It

"Save me Mommy"

This morning I decided to go the consignment store. When I feel the need for rejection Sometimes I take in some clothes and shoes and hopefully get some store credit. I say hopefully since it is a complete crap shoot. They are extremely picky and even it your stuff is 100% fine, they might already be stocked up with winter boots and boys shoes size 7.

I digress. When I told C where we were going (A was in school), he said "they're girls there." At first I thought he said "ghost." I assured him it would be OK. He said "Save me, Mommy. Save me from the girls." I said I would. To explain, there is a small play area at the store and he doesn't like aggressive or even friendly kids. He can be a bit shy at times.

I wonder if that is the last time he will say that. He is a cutey patootie now what will he look like as a teenager? He might need saving from the girls then.Pin It

Fun children's book

This book is a lot of fun. I did a bunch of the pictures with my 4 year old today. My 2 year old preferred to just do "freestyle." He's like that. :)

It is pretty simple. You put your finger on a stamp pad, put it on a piece of paper and then draw in some details with a fine, black pen.

I think I might do some of the examples by myself. This book makes good use of the many stamp pads I have.Pin It

Shopping season has started....

It appears that the shopping season is upon us. I know this to be a fact. It is even subliminal. Call me crazy but Target is sending subliminal messages. I was driving on the freeway where you can see the back of the store and it usually says TARGET in red neon. Some lights are missing so it read "GET" this afternoon. Ooooooooooh!Pin It

They're baaaaack!

Gingerbread lattes, that is!

I hope to go get one tonight!Pin It

Quick update

Thanks to the persistence of my hubby, my lost e mails have been recovered. My account is now password-protected. I'm going to compile all my contacts and create a hard copy in case anything like this happens again. Relieved.

Clearly, I have a Dennis the Menace.Pin It

Angry

My 2 year old permanently deleted 8 pages of my e mails today. He is obsessed with my computer. Every time I leave my chair he is on that thing clicking anything and everything. We've tried various things to prevent this sort of thing happening but nothing's working. Time to put a password on the screensaver, I suppose. I want a Berlin wall around my desk! (it's in the playroom)Pin It

Craft idea? Not for me.

I found a link to this very unique craft today. I don't think I'll be making it but I thought it was a good tie in to mention that I had my first mammogram today. Ouch!

I think they should give you a free t shirt afterwards. I thought of the slogan:

"CHECK THESE OUT!
I did. Get your yearly mammogram."Pin It

Happy Halloween!

Image courtesy of Dover.Pin It

Ready for Halloween

This morning I went and got the final missing piece for C's costume - rubber boots. Those boots were more than I paid for the costume! Hopefully they will get a lot of wear since he loves the puddles. He will be a fireman and A will be a monkey. Here's a photo of them from a few weeks back.
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Have you seen this photo?

I have to admit that I haven't been paying too much attention to the California wildfires. Here is an amazing photo from NASA.

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Hip, hip, hip, hippopotamus!

My son has been learning this song at preschool since the first week. Almost every day he would say, "we sang the hippopotamus song again." It wasn't clear if he enjoyed it or was getting tired of it. :)

His preschool open house was last week. He was *so* excited about it. We went to the pumpkin patch that same day and he was very concerned that we make it back in time. Well, we did, barely. I dropped off J and A and then ran home to get clean clothes for C since he stepped into a huge mud puddle at the farm.

A was so proud to show off his artwork and his classroom to Daddy and Mommy. His class sang the hippopotamus song for the families. I was very proud of A and his participation - singing and doing the hand motions. Other times when he has been in front of a crowd he has frozen up.

Here is a fun photo. Sorry about the lighting and blurriness. My son is on the right hand side in the dark blue t shirt.
You can listen to the song here. Beware - it may get stuck in your head for a while. It is a fun, sweet song.Pin It

Works for Me Wednesday - ending mealtime boredom

To end mealtime boredom this is what I do - calendars. Calendars, you say? Yes, I print out a blank calendar every month from this site (I use the monthly vertical ones) and write down what meals I make every day. I only write down supper so that's how it fits in that little space. :) That way I can say, oh, we haven't had salmon in a couple weeks, let's do it again. This helps so much when I plan my meals for the week. I also make small notes such as "the boys loved this" or "not a big hit" so I will remember. I staple the calendars together and keep them with my recipes. I can look back at October 2006 to find recipes that fit with the season. This works especially well in the summer when I don't want to turn on the oven and I'm trying to remember what I can make that is summery.

For more great tips, see Shannon's blog - Rocks in the Dryer.Pin It

Boys are so uncomplicated.......sometimes

I took my boys to the park this afternoon. The weather was warm (for a change) and it wasn't raining (for a change). Also, C, hasn't been getting to sleep until 10 or 11 (seriously) so I want him to get as much exercise as possible in hopes that he'll conk out earlier.

So, my oldest was playing with another boy who was approximately his age. They both went down the slide, copied each other, etc. They were having a great time. (A welcome great change from the demon children I sometimes encounter at the park!) So, this boy wanted A come over to where he was. They hadn't introduced themselves (why ever not? smile) and so this boy didn't know A's name. He called out "Best Friend!" and then "Friend, come here!" It was soooooo cute! My son later said that the boy was his best friend. Ah, the fleeting relationships established on the playground. I would've introduced myself and exchanged phone numbers if this boy had been accompanied by his *mother.* His dad was with him. "Nuff said!Pin It

Menu plan Monday

This week we'll be having:

- Bratwurst Stew - recipe from Taste of Home

- Fusilli with yellow squash - recipe from Everyday Food

- Quinoa Chili

- "Bats and Cobwebs" which is actually sausage, bowties, cheese and tomato sauce - recipe from Everyday Food.Pin It

Colouring pages for boys

I found this website today. My boys are loving it.

Tonka colouring pages.Pin It

Children's book Monday - Bear and Bunny Grow Tomatoes

Bear and Bunny both decide to grow tomatoes. Bunny takes some seed throws it on the hard, weedy ground and turns his attention to fun and relaxation all the while expecting to reap a harvest of colossal tomatoes. Bear actually works - he carefully prepares the soil, plants the seeds, waters and weeds and scares away pests. Of course, Bear reaps a healthy harvest of tomatoes and Bunny stands in a forest of weeds wondering what happened.

This book is a terrific way to teach little ones about gardening and the importance of patience and hard work. It is very funny, too. My 4 year old especially enjoys it.

For more great children's books go to Elise's blog - A Path Made Straight.Pin It

Planting tulips today

I planted 24 bulbs today. The weather was gorgeous (sunny and warm) and my boys were sleeping most of the time.

Hopefully they will look like this:
and this:
Here's to hopes of spring beauty!Pin It

Book Review - Snow Flower and the Secret Fan

I finished Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See way back in August while on vacation. It was on the list for my bookclub. Here is a synopsis from Publisher's Weekly:

See's engrossing novel set in remote 19th-century China details the deeply affecting story of lifelong, intimate friends (laotong, or "old sames") Lily and Snow Flower, their imprisonment by rigid codes of conduct for women and their betrayal by pride and love. While granting immediacy to Lily's voice, See (Flower Net) adroitly transmits historical background in graceful prose. Her in-depth research into women's ceremonies and duties in China's rural interior brings fascinating revelations about arranged marriages, women's inferior status in both their natal and married homes, and the Confucian proverbs and myriad superstitions that informed daily life. Beginning with a detailed and heartbreaking description of Lily and her sisters' foot binding ("Only through pain will you have beauty. Only through suffering will you have peace"), the story widens to a vivid portrait of family and village life. Most impressive is See's incorporation of nu shu, a secret written phonetic code among women—here between Lily and Snow Flower—that dates back 1,000 years in the southwestern Hunan province ("My writing is soaked with the tears of my heart,/ An invisible rebellion that no man can see").

What I liked about the book
- learning about life in 19th Century China.

What I didn't like about the book
- the foot binding. A big "ick" factor. I can't believe how long this horrible practice continued in China. Centuries! It reminds me of female circumcision.

I was a bit disappointed in this book. Like I Capture the Castle, I had high expectations of it. I expected to *love* the book but it was just a good read.Pin It

Apparently I'm not working hard enough

Last night it was way past C's bedtime. He was in bed with the lights out but not asleep. He called out for Daddy/Mommy. I went upstairs, talked to him for a while, tucked him in and then he said, "you need to do laundry." I guess he's losing sleep about the laundry backlog.Pin It

Who needs to go to sleep?

Tonight, my son A had already gone to bed and was listening to music. My hubby went in to check on him.

A said "Teddy wants to listen to the music, but he needs to go sleep. I want to listen to the music."

Apparently, Teddy is not getting enough sleep.Pin It

Preschool milestone

A had his very first "show and tell" at preschool today. He brought Teddy with him. Oh how I wish I could've been a fly on the wall for that!

He seems to be loving school. One thing that I'm surprised by is that A has an *increased* need for structure since starting school. I thought that it would be the opposite. In the afternoons he asks me "what can I do now?" "what are we doing after nap?" It's a bit draining. He used to be quite content to find his own activities. I'm not big into structure and planning. I suggested a craft (that I wanted to do) today but he didn't want to do it. Time to make a crazy can, I guess.

p.s. The crazy can idea is from this book.Pin It

I changed my name!

Well, of my blog, that is. I've been unhappy with the name for a long time and today was the day. I asked for suggestions and received many great ones. I decided to go with Dodging Raindrops while holding little hands. Thank you, Jennifer, for the fantastic suggestion!

Welcome to my new blog. Now I just need a fancier background.Pin It

Works for Me Wednesday - backwards edition

Today is Backwards Day at Works-For-Me Wednesday. Instead of sharing a tip that has worked for me, it's time to ask for advice! I couldn't think of any problem to ask about that was simple or straight-forward. :)

Then, I got an idea. I've been thinking of renaming my blog for ages but haven't come up with a catchy title. It seems that all the good ones are taken! So, here's my question, can anyone think of a better blog title? One I thought of yesterday was "Dodging Raindrops" since I live in a very rainy place. I'd love any and all ideas. If you think I *shouldn't* change it, tell me that too. I just think my blog name is too long.

For more advice-giving opportunities, visit Shannon at Rocks in my DryerPin It

Children's book review - Max's Words

I can't remember where I heard about this book but it is a winner with my 4 year old. Max's Words by Kate Banks is about a boy who has 2 older brothers who have collections. One collects stamps and the other coins. Max wants a collection, too. He decides to collect words that he cuts out. He collects enough words to create an exciting story. His brothers are intrigued and eventually give up something from their collections in order to get a word from Max. My son loves to read so this book was right up his alley.Pin It

Book Review - I Capture the Castle

A friend of mine loaned me this book. She recommended it to me, knowing my tendency to enjoy all things British. I also read this book as part of Semicolon's Saturday Review of Books challenge.

I did enjoy the book but not *nearly* as much as I expected. Funny to have high expectations of a book and then be disappointed.

I'm too lazy to write an original review so here is Amazon's plot summary.

Seventeen-year-old Cassandra Mortmain wants to become a writer. Trouble is, she's the daughter of a once-famous author with a severe case of writer's block. Her family--beautiful sister Rose, brooding father James, ethereal stepmother Topaz--is barely scraping by in a crumbling English castle they leased when times were good. Now there's very little furniture, hardly any food, and just a few pages of notebook paper left to write on. Bravely making the best of things, Cassandra gets hold of a journal and begins her literary apprenticeship by refusing to face the facts. She writes, "I have just remarked to Rose that our situation is really rather romantic, two girls in this strange and lonely house. She replied that she saw nothing romantic about being shut up in a crumbling ruin surrounded by a sea of mud."

I read Carrie's review of this book and I have to agree with a lot of what she said. I found it hard to stomach the father's laziness and unwillingness to be a man and support his family. He reads detective novels while they struggle to eat! The poverty at the beginning of the book wasn't romantic in the least.

I enjoyed the witty dialogue and the bear story is very funny. My final comment - read it for fun but don't expect it to rival Jane Austen.Pin It

All things pumpkin

I've been burning these candles from Yankee Candle, drinking Pumpkin Spice lattes from Starbucks and today it was time to make pumpkin bread!

A few years ago I found this recipe on Allrecipes.com and tweaked it a bit.

Pumpkin Bread

* 1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
* 4 eggs
* 1 cup vegetable oil
* 2/3 cup water
* 3 cups white sugar
* 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
* 2 teaspoons baking soda
* 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
* 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
* 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
* 3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
(optional) 1/2 cup golden raisins
(optional) 1/2 cup brown raisins
(optional) 1/4 cup toasted walnut pieces

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour three 7x3 inch loaf pans.
2. In a large bowl, mix together pumpkin puree, eggs, oil, water and sugar until well blended. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and ginger. Stir the dry ingredients into the pumpkin mixture until just blended. Add raisins. Pour into the prepared pans. Top with walnut pieces (optional).
3. Bake for about 50 minutes in the preheated oven. Loaves are done when toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.Pin It

In case you didn't already know this....

I am 35% Normal
"You sure do march to your own beat...

But you're so weird, people wonder if it's a beat at all

You think on a totally different wavelength

And it's often a chore to get people to understand you."

How Normal Are You?

I'm playing around with silly quizes when I should go to bed!Pin It

Activities for a boy who doesn't go to school

So, I'm worn out this afternoon. I did errands with C while A was at preschool (which is going just fine, by the way, after that terrible first day). I have tendonitis in both of my elbows and it can flare up if I lift the boys too much like I did this morning. Too many trips in and out of the car and into the stroller.

I think C and I should go back home while A is in school. I found this terrific website thanks to my friend Bo Tai Tai called Toddler Toddler..

This is the activity Bo Tai Tai did with her daughter - and her photo is much better than the one on Toddler Toddler's website.

Its easy to forget about planning fun activities for the second child!Pin It

Max and Ruby.....Ruby and Max

My boys love Max and Ruby. This is my boys' favourite video right now. I enjoy them because they are funny. Max doesn't talk very much. He says "delicious" many times during the lemonade episode. He makes ant and acorn pancakes. I hope C. doesn't get ideas from Max. He is a bit like Max.

The website is pretty fun, too.Pin It

Menu plan Monday

This week we'll be having (in no particular order):

- Meatball Soup

- Turkey chili

- Lentil Barley Vegetable Stew (recipe from Gooseberry Patch)

- Crockpot Chicken Curry and baked Acorn squash

- Creamy Chicken Rigatoni (thanks to Scribbit for the recipe)

Head over to I'm an Organizing Junkie to see a whole bunch of menu plans!Pin It

Free trial of Netflix

I have a coupon for a free month trial of Netflix. If you would like to try out this awesome service, please e mail me so I can forward this coupon to you.Pin It

Hymns, choruses or both?

I found this on Mrs. Wilt's blog tonight. I was laughing out loud.

I'm a fan of both, if you're wondering.Pin It

Summer memory

 

I'm editing and organizing photos tonight and had to share this one.

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Survived the first day of preschool..... barely

My oldest son (4) started preschool today. I actually thought it would go pretty well since we met his teacher yesterday and he seemed "keen." Unfortunately, I was wrong.

The morning quickly deteriorated into a major battle over clothing. He has become very particular about what he will wear and it usually the opposite of what I want. He refused to wear any of the polo shirts I recently bought for him (I'm tired of t shirts.) I gave in on that one but then he freaked out about his pants. I bought him some new brown fall-like pants that have an adjustable waist. The school doesn't want the kids wearing belts since they might need help doing those up after potty trips. Almost all of his jeans require belts so those were out. I wouldn't budge on the pants. He was screaming and crying forever. He said the pants were "too comfy and too soft." Then he said they were scratchy. ?? He cried all the way to school. My hubby went with us since we *thought* it would be a fun milestone to share. Ha! He clung to Daddy like white on rice! We waited until all the other kids had gone into the classroom and then we had to hand him over (physically) to the teacher's assistant. He continued to scream behind the closed door. We could still hear him as we walked down the hallway. I cried on the way home. It seemed like an eternity until pick up time. I was worried that my phone would ring and the school would call and ask me to come pick him up.

On a bright note, my youngest son handled it fine. I wondered if *he* would cry and want to go to school. (There was another little brother doing just that).

When it was time to go in and pick up my son, I stood at the doorway with nervous anticipation. I looked at the teacher with panicky eyes that said "did he do OK?" They said he did fine. I think he loved it. He was proud of the Fruit Loop necklace he brought home and is excited about the Scholastic book catalogue. Is that thing a racket or what?

He even let me take his picture this afternoon with the sign I made that says "First Day of Preschool 2007." A great idea I read in Family Fun magazine.

Oh - A said that he cried until circle time was over. Those poor teachers and kids!

I heard today that the son of a mom at my church reacted pretty much the same way as A did to his first day of preschool. We'll have to chat and commiserate!Pin It

Beach at sunset

 

This is my hubby kissing my little boy's sweet little toes at the beach at sunset. I love the lighting.

Pin It

We're going to the zoo, zoo, zoo, how about you, you, you...

Love that Raffi song although I don't think he wrote it. I heard it on Peter, Paul and Mommy which predates Raffi. OK, back to the real subject of this post.

On Friday we went to the zoo with Colette and her kids. It was a beautiful day and I enjoyed that it wasn't very busy since summer is over, well, sort of.

Welcome to the zoo! A loves the zoo map, probably because he can read the names of some of the animals.

My boys feed the giraffes - a fun treat to be that close to such a tall animal.


C enjoyed the "bear cave" where he could hide.

He loved the otter sculpture.

We saw an ostrich close up as well as a peacock.

We also watched the orangutans but getting a good picture of them behind the glass isn't possible.Pin It

Free Kashi snack

Sign up here for either free cookies, free crackers or a free granola bar.

I love Kashi products, especially the TLC crackers which are whole grain and contain no high fructose corn syrup.Pin It

Works for Me - Motts for Tots Juice

I heard about this in a magazine and I knew it was for me.

My boys drink lots of juice. Too much, really. But to minimize the sugar I always dilute it. Usually 50% water, 50% juice. Sometimes more water.

When we are out and about, I carry small cans of juice in the back of my car to fill up their sippy cups. I used to have to also carry water bottles and then do the mixing. Now I can just carry these Motts for Tots juice boxes. *For SAHMmy Says - I buy them at WalMart*

I wish they had more flavours but they are still a great idea.

Now, if I could only get my impish 2 year old to stop pushing that straw through into the juice box!Pin It

How I wasted several hours today

While one son napped and the other played happily with Daddy, I played around with Rhapsody, going down memory lane and creating a playlist of some music. I used to go to Christian rollerskating in the late 70s and early 80s. Yes, its true. These are a few I remember from those days and other CCM favourites from my past.

Click here to listen to My Rhapsody Playlist called "Christian Oldies."

By the way, I'm open to suggestions. If you remember some songs from that era, please let me know. I might add them to the list if I like them.Pin It

What I'm listening to right now

Jars Of Clay's song Worlds Apart
from the album Furthermore - Live

I am the only one to blame for this
Somehow it all ends up the same
Soaring on the wings of selfish pride
I flew too high and like Icarus I collide
With a world I try so hard to leave behind
To rid myself of all but love
to give and die

To turn away and not become
Another nail to pierce the skin of one who loves
more deeply than the oceans,
more abundant than the tear
Of a world embracing every heartache

Can I be the one to sacrifice
Or grip the spear and watch the blood and water flow

To want you - take my world apart
To need you - I am on my knees
To love you - take my world apart
To need you - broken on my knees

All said and done I stand alone
Amongst remains of a life I should not own
It takes all I am to believe
In the mercy that covers me

Did you really have to die for me?
All I am for all you are
Because what I need and what I believe are worlds apart

I look beyond the empty cross
forgetting what my life has cost
and wipe away the crimson stains
and dull the nails that still remain
More and more I need you now,
I owe you more each passing hour
the battle between grace and pride
I gave up not so long ago
So steal my heart and take the pain
and wash the feet and cleanse my pride
take the selfish, take the weak,
and all the things I cannot hide
take the beauty, take my tears
the sin-soaked heart and make it yours
take my world all apart
take it now, take it now
and serve the ones that I despise
speak the words I can't deny
watch the world I used to love
fall to dust and thrown away
I look beyond the empty cross
forgetting what my life has cost
so wipe away the crimson stains
and dull the nails that still remain
so steal my heart and take the pain
take the selfish, take the weak
and all the things I cannot hide
take the beauty, take my tears
take my world apart, take my world apart
I pray, I pray, I pray
take my world apart Pin It

Fun contest!

I would love one of these! An HP photosmart printer. It would be so convenient to be able to print my own photos.

Hey I won another drawing at Five Minutes for Mom, so it *is* possible to win! Enter here.Pin It