we did it!

The half-marathon - my first - is ah-done! I finished in under two hours and ran the whole time - eee! All I've got are a few pictures and enough energy to watch some tv with my feet up. Feeling good!

pre and post race - we did it shants!

We're heading back to the cottage and back to our kiddies (and the Fab Four) tomorrow morning, and man, it is weird to be here at home without them around. This is my first night away from Alana and I miss her already. Now, to the couch!

dinosaur!

my day: every 15 minutes

A few things, quickly (I hope):

I went for a run this afternoon with Shanti, and it was so crazy humid and hot and I felt like a slug that had just grown a pair of gams - man oh man, I hope I feel better on Saturday.

We are headed to the cottage tomorrow afternoon until next Tuesday, hurrah! (I'll come back to run the race and then drive back.) We'll celebrate Alana's first birthday (September 2nd) with the Fab Four (grandparents Brinkman and Aunt and Unc) and enjoy some net-free, quiet time... it will be fah-bu-lous.

Since my last post we have had two horribly early mornings with Alana (5:30ish) and then today: 7:20 - !! She awoke close to 6:30, did some quacking and woofing and spouted off a few mama mamma mammmas (but without any real urgency), and then went back to sleep. Really! We were amazed. If I hadn't had such a hard time falling asleep last night (I think I was on a book purchase high), my sleep also would have been epic. (On the book purchase note, you can check out our bookshelf here; some of the new additions are thanks to my parents - the McCloskey series - and the rest are mine. Mine! I mean, um, they're for the children.)

A link to this article: "What Parents Should Say as Their Kids Perform". Also applies to the game of life.

Okay, and lastly: I tried something out today - I took a photo of what I was doing every 15 minutes, all day long and collaged it all up (picmonkey). How interesting, if I'd done this when we lived in Romania or Russia or Greece or Italy or Japan or Indonesia - things sure do look different now. Voila....

starting at 7:45
1. alana eats | making my breakfast | wiping hendrik's face | kitchen happenings
2. repairing a library book | timer app | laundry | alana face planting in our bed
3. post-poop franklin + lists | reading, sort of | putting alana down | headstands
4. all smiles | reading | still reading | on mls

starting at 11:45
1. en route to the gym | at the gym | quick library visit | car vs bike to get home - we win
2. vacuuming up a broken glass | feeding alans | feeding everyone else | clean up
3. cleaning up | pick me up! | upside down, again | watching hendrik's first attempt at baseball
4. mom and babe | trying to convince hendrik to nap (unsuccessfully) | grocery plan + coffee | vids

starting at 3:45
1. en route to grocery store | from store 1-store 2 | from store 2-home | chilling
2. ready to run | running | still running/resting | chatting with shants post-run
3. shower | getting dinner on the go | calming a crying baby | dinner!
4. YUM! | hendrik in the tub and i'm getting a kiss from alana - ! | just diapered | climber, ready for bed

starting at 7:45
1. bed time stories | making turkey burgs | turkey burg clean up | zucchini bread recipe
2. late-ish night baking: veggie-cake | baking | email | baking
3. facebook | blog | blog | blog
BED

upside down update

How to begin? If I didn't decide on the family update format, I'm sure that things would be so all over the place and scatterbrained that I'd have some of you wondering. I have lists and other lists and there are all the photos I haven't posted and things we've been doing that I haven't said anything about... so I'll do the update thing and then cross-check with lists and pics. Ready, go:

Hendrik
These days, Hendrik spends more time on his head than he does on his feet; he's our upside down jellyfish. Headstands on the couch on the floor in the chair on the futon on our bed in the window - he likes being up-side-down. He likes doing things he's not supposed to do - run on the couch, throw blocks, cars, his placemat (/everything) and steamroll and knee-slam his sister; and he also likes not doing things he is supposed to do - listen, go to bed when we tell him to etc. So yeah, he's pretty on cue for a two-year old. He throws tantrums sometimes, but usually just when he's a tired sack o potatoes, and sometimes he's kind and affectionate with Alana - but this is definitely the exception to the norm. His favourite toys are cars cars cars, and he's still super into books (current faves are Earl the Squirrel and Blueberries for Sal). Potty training is going well, and this is, in large part we believe, thanks to Franklin. We switched up our rewards system from potty charts and cars to right-away watch a Franklin or get iPad time, and it seems to be working. Sure, there are some spills and lumps from time to time, but more often than not it is all ending up where it should - in le toilet. Que mas que mas what else... the kid is starting to show his competitive colours - if he's dawdling to get out of the house (which is every time we want to leave the house) and you throw in a "who'll get there first!?", he's all over it, with a fast-footed flash to the door. We are both aware that we're setting ourselves up for some trouble once Alana is big enough to get in on this game, but we just think it's one of those inevitable things, no? He has a new blanket that is pretty much the best blanket a two-year old could ask for: trains on one side and construction vehicles on the other, complete with "HLB Construction" (Hendrik Lawrence Brinkman) sewn right into both a front-end loader and a dump truck. It's a Grandma B original, and let's hope it keeps him under wraps in sleepville for a solid night tonight; that's been a bit up and down too, the quality of his - and our - sleeps. Okay, onwards.

a rare, but very lovely moment

Alana
Alana - our growing girl! We can't believe she'll be one in a week. Well, we can and we can't - it seems like she's been around forever, even though she was just a big bean in my big belly at this time last year. Her favourite things to do are eat, woof like a dog (she was woofing at a women's bag this afternoon while we lunched... very entertaining) and... chew on things? She likes motoring around on all fours still, even though she is capable of cruising on two; she can stand by herself for several seconds at a time and has stood up from a crouch-down toute seule, but I think these are things that she does without thinking about them, and mindful actions in these departments will take a bit longer to show up. New words include a baby version of ball ("bah") and a sometimes "mama"; it's not her go-to (woof is), but she knows what it means and will use it from time to time. She's in bed between 7:30 and 8:00 and usually sleeps until 5:30-6:00; then, I'll feed her and put her back to bed until she wakes between 7:30 and 8:00. However, since I'm trying to drop the last two feeds (a morning and a night), I took the opportunity this morning, after a night of no wake-ups and a 6:20 start to the day, to skip right to pancakes. She didn't seem to mind, so we'll see how things go tonight (and tomorrow morning). She is also into books (indoctrination!!) and her faves are The House in the Night, A Book of Sleep and two Martine Perrin books (Look Who's There! and What Do You See?). She'll also check things out on her own (books, toys), which I love.

Me
Gulp... I am running a half-marathon in one week. One week! And no, I have not been training. I have been running two sometimes three times a week, with my longest log-in being 10km. Ak. Twenty-one is going to be painful, but I'll do my best. All I want out of this business is to finish the thing and if pain intercedes and I can't do it, then so be it. I started The Paris Wife this afternoon (while everyone else was doing what I have no idea) and it is so far so so so so good. I can't wait to read it after I get this blog posted. Mmmmmm what else can I say about myself.... hmph. Someone posted a link on facebook to this hilarious article, and it kinda makes me want to get pregnant again just so I can act on some of this advice. Heh, just kidding Steve....

Steve
Is home and not in Europe. It's bad news and good news, all wrapped up together. It means he gets to be home with us instead of doing the same hotel-drive--gym-drive-hotel circuit thing in what could be any city in any country in the world, which is really not all that much fun. However, it kind of means that he'll be off the roster for the NORCECA tournament that is coming up in September in Langley, and it would have been nice for him to play there - I'm sure family and friends would (and will anyways) come out to support him and the team. So yeah, he still has to be around for some training in the next few weeks, but has been dealt an extra-long long weekend coming up here, so we'll likely head to the cottage for a few days. There's still no word on a contract for this fall, so that's a waiting game too. If nothing comes up, he'll join me and the kids in Vancouver in late-ish September for my best friend's wedding and a family get-together.

I don't think I missed too much, and anyways, I need to shower and (read and) go to bed. The kids were up early today, to bed early today, and will likely be up in the night and/or at the crack of dawn. Until next time!

showtime

a good week

Week of work complete! Now I can put my feet up and relax. Yeah, wait - my feet are going back down, now that Grams and Gramps have hit the road and it's just us four once more. We were spoiled this week - with help around the house, full-time kitchen workers and a full-time gym-job for me. First, my week: it was awesome - we had a great group of girls, no bad attitudes and a really fun, cohesive coaching staff. Second, Grams, Gramps and grandchildren - they also had an awesome week, with a full set of photos as proof (see below). It was the best to come home to the kids and their smiling faces, and too, to hear that everyone had behaved and not thrown any major terrible-two-tantrums (some of those were saved for me). We're back on our own now until Steve travels (or doesn't) to Europe; then we'll make our next round of plans. Hhhhhhhhmmm... most people make five-year plans? I feel like ours are averaging 2-4 weeks here; besides the Vancouver trip that's coming up in three weeks, I'm not really sure where we'll be or when we'll be there. We are definitely being more proactive in thinking about the next stage, but we still have a long way to go. Pictures - more on all of this to come soon...

splash pad fun with grandma

LOVE these two pictures!

classic

hanging out with corduroy

our girl

short on sleep at pink lake

the kids are getting big!

beginnings + endings

Day one of volleyball camp is done, and it was awesome - great to be in the gym and great to have my own thing totally independent and separate from parenthood. I left the house before either of the kids were up and going (that's not to say that they weren't up earlier (as in 5:00ish), because they were), and I missed them. After my day at the gym was all wrapped up, I came straight home and played with them until dinner time - I needed my fix. Anyways, there's not too too much to write about (or maybe there is) - wait, besides the three books that the Amazon man brought the other day - two more illustrated-by-Jon-Klassen books (The Dark and House Held Up By Trees - both more for me than for the kidlets) and 13 Words (Hendrik will LOVE this book come his third birthday, and I love it now) - so I'll get this post posted; I meant to get it up the week before last.

The last few weeks have seen quite a few changes for our girl: she's talking more, sleeping better, roaring, quacking and eating strawberries and drinking whole milk. And the biggest change - that affects me just as much - is that she's nearing the end of her mom-baby milk marathon. Well, to say that it's a marathon is a bit of an exaggeration, but Alana never took a bottle and has gone from five or six feeds a day down to two, in two weeks. And since we're not sure if we'll keep our brood at two or go for one more chile, this may be the end of it all for me - and I'm feeling a little sentimental about it. I feel very lucky to have been able to nurse both my kids, even though there were some big (and little) challenges along the way. And I wasn't really anticipating feeling a little down about it being over; after all, I'm now free to wear non-nursing-friendly clothes and do my own thing alllll day (ie this week of work). But seeing as how it's such an essential, vital, life-giving thing - something that baby really needs - in its absence I almost feel like Alana needs me less. I mean, I suppose then that she's needed me less and less since she started eating more and more (and more and more). Really, I know that she doesn't need me any less - she's just less dependent on me, fully. The best memory of the experience as a whole must be the closeness, the need, the quiet - when nursing became comfortable and easy and night-time sleep started adding up. If I had a little more time, I suppose I could write something a bit more in-depth and poignant, but Allison Tate's list (almost) says it all, about what I will miss about nursing. (It makes me a little teary - nursing moms beware.) My only addition are our top spots, and here they are:

from the porch of our house in Vela, Italy - can't beat these views!

Lago di Garda, Italy

in a castle south of Trento

outside the zoo in Innsbruck

Jamaica: on an overcast day, we had the beach to ourselves

And not pictured: in an ancient, empty, beautiful church in Venice and in the Beijing Aquarium, in the dark, in front of the most massive tank of massive fish I'll ever see in my life.

(The least favourite places must be Ikea Beijing and any time on an airplane - except for our first-class journey on the way home from China.)

There might be more, but that's all I've got for now. I'll enjoy the last 2-3 (+?) weeks of morning noon and night feeding sessions, even if those first ones happen before the sun comes up.

back in the gat

We're back in the Gat and... bleh. After a near month of family, back yard time, collaborative meals and two extra sets of hands to help with the kids, I can't say that I'm over the moon to be back in our apartment in this ville. I don't mind the french, but I don't feel at home in the language; I do mind the second hand smoke. Meh. Anyways, we had a great time in B-ville - it might be Hendrik's favourite place in the world. Photos!

crafting with grams

at the grandma store

And where do we go from here? I get to go away to work next week - ! Volleyball camp starts on Monday and runs through Friday; Marg and Bob are full-time, with Steve filling in when he can. He started training today, and the team is around until a European tour takes them back on the road in a few weeks. And, I have three weeks until I get to suffer through run a half-marathon! I have not been training, but I have been running since ... well, since a few days ago. I'll blame this on my sore knees, cottage relaxation requirements (and a buggy road) and ... mom duties. I just want to finish the thing - no worries if it takes me three hours. I got 8km in this morning, and felt optimistic about getting in better shape before the race. Fingers crossed that all goes as planned. Here are a few pics from a visit to the park yesterday... we sure do miss having an outdoor space!

love love love!

you can see hendrik in the background, if you look closely. see pic below...

he was doing this, for real. it was HI-larious.

fun with puppy in circles, at milestones - en route home from b-ville

some lost, but not forgottens

Here are a few pics I found on Steve's iphone; I had the fish and the rainbow pictures in mind, but found others that I don't think I've posted... and I want to. Check:

And others, all over the map:

September 2, 2012, Alana's birthday.

September 5, 2012

May 17, 2013, almost 2 1/2

July 17, 2013

post-pool

July 25, 2013 | in Havelock

yesterday

I'm not sure what this is from but it was on Steve's phone. Hijacked!

July 8, 2013 | storage container? hat? same thing!

Steve and I had an awesome lunch date in Port Perry yesterday, and are heading in to Toronto tomorrow morning to meet up with Dan and Milka for a lunch/brunch - again, sans les enfants. Are we maxing out the babysitters? I hope not. Will Hendrik go into Gramps and Grandma withdrawal when we head back to Gatineau on Tuesday? Probably. Will we all be a little blue about leaving the company, the fabulous meals and the beautiful outdoor space? Definitely. I have more to write about, but no more energy to do so. Shower, magazine, bed....

ps. Steve and Hendrik are camping in the backyard tonight - pics and report to follow.