a big first!

Man oh man did I ever get a surprise yesterday! Nope - no biting yet, but the mister has his first tooth! To be honest, my first reaction was this: our little guy is growing up too faaaast! Is this something we'll think of as parents until... well, forever? Hm, maybe. Everyone we meet that has kids says how quickly it goes, and I sure do believe them. Just like good chocolate cake, you blink and it's gone.




Ummm, so if you have kids, you'll know that people loooove to comment, share information, pass judgement, and tell you what you're doing right or wrong or should be doing; luckily I haven't experienced much negative or unwanted advice, but I sure thought I was in for some the other day. I was in Shoppers with Hendrik (who was sleeping in the carrier), when an older gentleman approached me and said, "Are you aware of everything that you're doing to your baby?" He looked nice enough, but I thought for sure this guy was going to make a comment on how I'm ruining his hips or something (??). Ummmm I think so, I said. And then this: "The aura that is surrounding you and your baby is just really amazing, incredible. Having your baby like that is so good for the baby, so good for you. There is an energy - it's fantastic, really great." It was a bit strange, but then, after a moment of processing, I thought to myself that might be the best baby compliment I've ever received. He sure does attract a lot of attention, this guy.

Oh! And I almost forgot: he also ROLLED over for the first time yesterday! Okay, it was the first time he rolled over for me - he did it for dad two days before, from tummy to back. And to wrap things up, the best spiced cookie recipe ever. I made these for our weekend getaway trip to Mont Tremblant (yay!), because every road trip (no matter how short) needs snacks. Yum!

Ginger Cookies
4 c. a. p. flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. cloves
2 tsp. ginger
4 tsp. cinnamon
1 and 1/2 c. marg
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1/2 c. molasses
sugar to coat

Bake at 350 for 12 (ish) minutes! (I usually cut things in half - though the full recipe makes for a happy freezer :))

vote for me!

Noooo no no no I'm not running for Paaah-liament; I'm trying to win $500 for a club vb team in the Coaches Association of Ontario's Inspire Others contest. Here's the link - vote for me!

yumdelish

I have to start this blog with this chocolate cake recipe, since I'm pretty sure that it was the best chocolate cake that I've ever eaten - super super moist, and the perfect consistency. I didn't ice it, and if i did, I'd have to scour and test to find the right icing - the cake was so good that my regular old butter icing would disappoint the cake. Plus, there's oatmeal in it! So you could eat it for breakfast, guilt free (right?).

1/2 cup oats + 1 cup boiling water - let sit for 10 minutes
1/2 cup butter
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1/2 tsp salt

Cream butter with sugar, add eggs, vanilla; alternating, add remaining dry ingredients and oatmeal to the butter/sugar mixture - or just add it all at once and mix it up. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes in a greased round cake pan. Yumdelish.

If there's one thing that I can't resist buying for Hendrik, it's books. I think that I did an amazing job keeping the baby buying under control before he arrived (4 1/2 months ago!), and I'm pretty sure that I'm still, well, yup, under control. Last week I bought Good Night Canada! and Sandra Boynton's All the Hippos Go Berserk, a favourite from when I was a young 'un. I love it - ALL THE HIPPOS GO BERSERK! and seven hippos moving west | leave six hippos quite distressed (why?)... love love love. Hendrik likes the hippos, but his favourite book is still Watch Me Hop, and I'm not so sure that he really pays any attention at all to the story or the pictures - he just wants to grab and turn pages. And try to put the pages in his mouth. And slobber. And the same goes for his exersaucer (the slobber part) and the plastic toys, as you can see:






Winter is on it's way out - finally!!! We went for a walk around Lac Leamy yesterday, and the dude just slept - so much for taking him out to see the world. People were wearing shorts and sundresses and flip flops in eager anticipation of the summer - it's a bit too early for that stuff for me but I am looking forward to doing the switch-o of the winter and summer clothes. Sorels away! Down jacket - away! And on that note I should put this computer away. It's time to get out of the house and make it to mommy group on time, something I am rarely able to do. Hasta la proxima!

sugar!

Since the last post I've had a few similar days - late late shower and late late dinner... hmmm, goes with the territory of being a mom I suppose - especially when your significant other is out of town. Steve was in Winnipeg last weekend for a vb thing, so Hendrik and I had a weekend alone! Eeee... I was a bit hm, nervous I guess to be solo with the babe for three days, but it was totally fine! We went to Chapters and read books (and drooled on books - woops) and watched kiddies play with trains, and then braved the Saturday crowds at Ikea - I ate lunch and bought some small shelves and Hendrik slept. I fed him smack dab in the middle of the kid's section of Chapters sans problem, and then again in a quiet corner of the store on a footstool. 1001 video games to play before you die? Uh, yeah. No wonder traffic was minimal. We made it out to Jame's and Jordyn's for the first bbq of the season, and it was great to hang out with friends - yay.

Aaaand the week has totally flown by. I've been nothing short of completely addicted to The Help, and would have finished it in one shot (okay maybe two) if I could have conjured up a rainy, quiet Sunday (or two). I stayed up late late late last night and finished it - what a goooood book! I kind of wanted something different to happen at the end, but I don't want to say in case any of you are reading or are going to read the novel. Such great characters - such real characters - I want to know what the rest of their lives look like... but, that's not really the point. I often wonder, when I read or think about different times and attitudes that history holds, what would I have believed? How would I have acted? I like to think I'd have been like Skeeter, but it's hard to really know, outside a' the times. Anyways, it was an amazing book and I'd highly recommend it. Next, The Penderwicks. And I'm on hold for the next Alan Bradley book. And I could always get back to Mme Ramotswe... The list is never ending.

So! The sugar shack visit - yum, maple syrup. Yum yum yum yum yum. Team Canada organized a trip out to La Ferme du Terroir, where we feasted on a mid-morning smorgasbord of pancakes, french toast, sausages, bacon, potatoes, omelettes, beans, fruit, ham, tarts and of course, maple syrup. After a total chow down, we tromped over to watch the sap being boiled down into sugary wonderful syrup. And then, for the rest of the day I felt like a total blobbo; I always like the idea of big breakfasts with all of the above afor-eatened things, but then in the morning, all I really want is oatmeal or cereal, or something healthy. Maybe it's just that I'd rather gobble that kind of food in the afternoon or evening, not the morning. Unless there's a hangover involved, and then I'd feel like a hungover blobbo after the feast. Whatever. Anyways, here are some pics!

maple taffy


maple taffy in my hair :(

a quick'er

It's 9:52 and I still need to shower. And I just ate dinner. And by starting my blog like this I must sound frenetic or negative or je ne sais what but I'm not. I have two books to start (The Help and The Penderwicks) and a sleeping baby, and plans to shower, read and go to bed. This sounds almost like perfection for any night of the week - even Friday - and I just thought I'd fire off a quick blog before ignoring the mess in the kitchen and getting on with things. A night of drinks and dancing would be pretty amazing too - not tonight - but some time. I have my fingers crossed that I can swing a trip out to BC in May, piggy backing a volleyball coaching gig that might let me extend my ticket and stay for more than a long weekend. We'll see if it can work. That would be a good time for drinks and dancing. Ugh, I need to meet some people here in Ottawa. I didn't make it to the strollercize class this week, and can't go on Monday either (doh), but hopefully next Wednesday and Friday... there were some nice women there, and it was great to hang out with other moms that had babes that were more or less the same age as HLB. And ummmm... yup, we did the most quintessential Canadian thing this morning - we visited a real sugar shack and ate Canadian things and walked around in the mud before learning about syrup and the process and yadda yadda yadda. The next blog - there are some good pho-tos. But with that, I must sign off and get on with things, namely, showering. Peace!

a sunny, cold spring....

The new levels of cuteness - are they even possible? Or real? He has been pouring it on with the blue nap blankets - tugging and pulling and peeking, and we're blown away by how cute he is. I think the pictures speak for themselves, thankfully; I'm having difficulty articulating.




What is real - I will spare you the pics - is biggest poop of the little man's life, all saved up just for dad. It all went down (and up and everywhere) not two minutes after I left the house... what perfect timing. I had to ask Steve to take a picture, because it really was almost everywhere. And.... that's about enough of that.



We had a good weekend with a bit of everything. It was COLD though... too cold for the end of March in my books; it's supposed to be spring! -10 is not spring, no matter what anyone says. We went to an urban sugar shack that was hosting a maple syrup festival of sorts. It was pretty low key (maybe we were there too early?) and we were hoping for a bit more; perhaps we should have waited in the pancake breakfast line or checked out the library basement book sale or slid down the giant inflatable slides BUT ... it was just too chilly. We walked around, watched maple syrup drip out of the maple trees (okay, we didn't) and then made for the car. On our way home we went up and into the National Cemetery of Canada - Beechwood Cemetery - where my Grandma and Grandpa are buried. After a quick wander and a fast realization that I wasn't going to remember their precise resting place, we picked up a map and walked around in circles before finding the right spot. Cemeteries are strange places - there's sadness, but beauty too, with kept grounds and a sense of peace and quiet... and more. Anyways, we spent a few moments there in the sunshine, and it was a bit sad, but nice too.


And on a more... hmm... active and happy, here-and-now type note, we bought Hendrik an exersaucer and he loves it! We love it too, because he's happy in there for a decent little chunk of time - which makes making dinner possible. Hurray. Hurray for kijiji too... we'll sell it again when we're done with it. He's been a drool machine, and we're fairly certain that this is teething time... though thankfully he hasn't hit full fuss mode yet - yet. He has his cranky time and is just starting to show an interest in his teething toys (he gnawed on Sophie while we ate dinner: fish for us, giraffe hind leg for him), though his hands are still extremely popular. Okay, he's sleeping, so I'd better get to sleep too. Sleep when the baby sleeps! Especially at 11:00 at night. Adios!

our blue-eyed babe :)

It's Monday again already?!

I thought that spring had sprung! and there was snow coming down in droves today - walls of it, droves of it, lots lots lots. I suppose I don't really mind, as much of what had accumulated over the past few months melted, and everything looks so pretty covered in a fresh, white and unmuddied blanket. That being said, I'm super excited for spring and summer and warmer weather. I'm also kind of excited to do a massive clean; this includes a clean-out/throw-out/recycle of all of the stuff that has piled up in bathroom drawers and clothes that have gone unworn in my winter closet. I haven't gone shopping for mucho tiempo, and now, with no belly no more! I can get some new clothes for spring... yay. They are much needed - all I wear are lulus and sweatshirts - the same thing every day. Do nursing moms buy nursing tops? I'm wondering about that; do I invest in a few tops or just keep on with the three top rotation that I already have going... Mrrrr.... I'm just as reluctant to buy nursing Ts as I was buying maternity clothes.





Grandma and grandpa Brinkman came for a visit this past weekend and Hendrik was as well-behaved as ever, sleeping soundly from 10ish to 8ish - hurrrray! I think that this kind of heavy duty sleep business is an exception to the norm, and I still feel soooo lucky that he has - so far - figured out that night is for sleeping; may it continue forever. He has definitely left the newborn stage and entered - what's next? The infant stage? Big(ger) baby stage? Anyways, he's way more alert, smiling, laughing, almost sitting up, and he still loves being upright and on his feet. I'm on the search for an exersaucer; the chair no longer really cuts it, unless, like I said, he's upright. G-ma B dug out a bunch of super cute outfits - overalls and sweaters and long-sleeved t-shirts - and, as a growing babe, he finally looks like he can wear big people clothes. As a newborn, sleepers were - my opinion only here - the only way to go; clothes were impractical and just kind of looked funny to me. Cute I guess, but a hassle. I'm sure we'll still let him wear his sleeper-jammies all day every now and then (or, er, a couple times a week), especially because it is still snowy and wintery out AND because he can't wear sleepers forever, and they're SO cute too. Pics...





And with two professional babysitters :) available chez nous, Steve and I got out not once but TWICE, and in the same same day too. We joined Zella and Duncan and Elspeth at Social for Z's birthday lunch on Saturday (woops, no pictures); the food was good and the company was great. Both Steve and I had club sandwiches and I shared a half-litre of Prosecco with Zella - delish. (Aside: how good are club sandwiches? We should eat them all the time. Yumyum.) And then on Saturday night we went to a screening of the Oscar-nominated animated shorts at the Bytowne Cinema, an older movie theatre with a balcony and a curtain over the screen and no previews... and it was good. Not great, but good. There were the five animated short features (The Lost Thing, Let's Pollute, Day and Night, The Gruffalo and Madagascar, carnet de voyage) plus two bonus shorts, Urs and The Cow that wanted to be a Hamburger - eeeyikes. I have to say my fave was hmmm, The Gruffalo, but I also like The Lost Thing and Day and Night. Most - besides The Gruffalo and Day and Night - had some heavy-ish themes, but the art was great and so was the popcorn. Yumyum. I love animated movies... it's my favourite genre for sure. (Least favourite genre = romantic comedies; predictable, cheesy, always the same story, too Hollywood-y, machine-produced. Though I did like Love Actually. Anyways...) And with that, I think I'll join my favourite guy on the couch... see ya!

long overdue photo update

The last few days have had us glued to the news with everything that is going on in Japan vis a vis the earthquake, tsunami and the Fukushima power plant. There are some devastating images, and though it looks like life is calming down in Tokyo (so says Nao), the northern parts of Honshu and the island of Hokkaido are, to make a drastic understatement, struggling.

And what's new here? As he approaches the four month mark, Hendrik has been pouring on the cuteness - he's a pretty happy little dude, which makes for happy, well-rested parents (lucky us). He wasn't all that enthused with our decision to try out cloth diapers for the week (see pic below), and I'm really glad that we did a trial before making the decision before the gaffer was born. We rented a bag of assorted cloth diapers (there are way too many options - cotton, bamboo, all-in-one, pre-folds, with insert or without, organic, microfleece and the list goes on and on) and made it through hmmm... maybe five diapers before kind of making our decision. Hendrik was fussy, constantly wet (diaper, clothes), and showed signs of an impending rash - and neither of us wanted to deal with unhappiness or pee everywhere SO! we're back to disposables.

Before cloth diapers...

and after

Steve's knee is on the mend and the man is off crutches - yay. Other things I've been stoked about: the weather is getting warmer (8 degrees yesterday - woot! I saw a guy wearing shorts and a t-shirt... a crazy but sure sign that spring may is on its way), I had a great conversation with Lindsey yesterday, went out for sushi with a good friend who was in town for a conference, I breast fed Hendrik AT the restaurant while eating tempura at the same time (double amazing), and hm, what else. There has to be more. Anyways, pics below and I'm going to try to fit in some time with my neglected library book before the dude wakes up from his nap. Hasta la proxima!



He LOVES being on his feet - loves!! PS thanks auntie Claire for the boots!

This is how dad sits on the couch - works for me too!

thoughts

Problems will befall us; big ones, small ones, personal ones, catastrophic ones. And what is it - is it luck? Is it luck that dictates whether you're born in a time and place that might make a catastrophic problem less likely to happen? Sometimes, maybe. I think about last year's floods in Pakistan and the tsunami in Indonesia, and I wonder how such horribly large earth-moving earth-shattering events can happen in places already so challenged by overpopulation, poverty and political problems. Earthquakes in Japan are a pretty common occurrence, and by no means can one compare the recent 8.9 shake to either of the previously mentioned natural disasters, but the potential was there.... the potential to be immensely catastrophic. This too is an event that Steve and I have a connection to; we lived there, we were there! We have friends there too, and we can both put ourselves into the picture and wonder where we would have been, what we would have done.

And is it luck that wards off the more intimate catastrophes? A good friend of mine was recently diagnosed with cancer, and from one day to the next her life changed. It was the first time that I had heard about a diagnosis from one step to the next - from the MRI results to the first and second and third doctors appointments - and I saw the news breaking the barriers, sinking in. That's a difficult thing to experience from the outside, and I can only imagine what it's like for family and for her. And so I was thinking about it as I skirted puddles and slops of slush on my walk today: what's the balance, the line between living now, every day, the carpe diem, and planning for the long haul? Because there has to be a bit of both, right? I was sort of thinking about it in terms of money and time and planning, and I asked Steve for his opinion when Hendrik and I got home. Attitude was his answer; the way you look at everyday life and your day-to-day everyday activities; what and who fills your days and your time - and what you take away and keep for yourself. And yes, there has to be some balance with short and long term planning in terms of career, money, saving etc., but attitude is the big thing. And - oh man, this is starting to seem like the biggest downer blog I've ever written but I swear it's not - my great-aunt Hope Spencer had it. Last Friday, at the ripe old age of 91, she left this world for the next, and with all mental faculties still steaming away, her positive and vibrant attitude showed to the last. A good friend of hers was with her during her short stay at the hospital, and shortly before she passed away she was visited by, surprise, a doctor. After a brief conversation full of smiles and flirtatious quips, aunt Hope turned to her friend and, with a gleam in her eye and a lively smile, asked, "How did I look?" Amazing.

It's impossible to know what waits for us around the next bend of life, but there are a few things that will undoubtedly make for smoother sailing: family, friends, love, support, smiles, memories, solid ground beneath our feet. May we live in the moment and soak up the good, and dream and look forward to the future.


Hope SPENCER 1919 2011 Hope was born on July 4, 1919. She died peacefully on February 23, 2011 after a long life full of travel, adventure and fun. She loved good food, good wine, good beer, good music and a good cause. Hope inherited a pioneering creativity from her parents, Zella and Henry Spencer. She was always ahead of her time. Although Hope felt she was not always appreciated for pioneering projects, she was greatly admired and respected by a very large community of colleagues, friends and acquaintances. Hope graduated from the University of Alberta in 1941 with a B.A. in English. After graduation, Hope got a job with the University of Alberta's extension department writing brochures for the then new Banff School of Fine Arts. In the fall 1942 she joined the Royal Canadian Air Force. She was shipped to Rockcliffe Air Base in Ottawa for basic training. She quickly rose to the rank of First Barracks Corporal. While serving her duties for her country Hope worked hard to get equal treatment for the women in the forces. She was first stationed in Victoria as a radar plotter. On Valentines Day 1943, she was transferred to Prince Rupert continuing in her duties as a radar equipment operator. After an early discharge, she and a girlfriend hitchhiked to Los Angeles and back, in the forties! In 1948 Hope completed a Masters degree in sociology and economics at the University of Toronto. She also received a Masters degree in public health from the University of California at Berkley in 1960. She was proudest of having started the first provincial mental health association in Vancouver. This was when she was director of the health department in the Lower Mainland in the 1950's. Hope worked in Nepal in the 1980's training auxiliary health workers. This was a follow up to the same kind of work she had done in the North West Territories and California. While in the N.W.T. she was consultant for the health education program for both the Inuit and white population. It was during her stay in the North West Territories that Hope collected some fascinating pieces of Inuit art. Another of her pioneering projects was establishing a thirty year community plan for public health in the San Francisco area while working there in the 60's. Hope was a long time member of the Unitarian Fellowship and a proud supporter of the N.D.P. She was also a very active member of the Professional Writers Association of Canada. Hope was deeply grateful for the ongoing love and support she received from her large community of colleagues, friends, nieces, nephews, brother and extended family. We will miss her very much. A celebration of Hope's life will take place on Saturday, March 5th at 2:00 pm at the Comox United Church, 250 Beach Drive. Comox, BC In lieu of flowers please donate to the Comox Valley Transition Society 250-897-0511 or Seva Canada 604-713-6622. 217237

watch me...