Celebrating Today and Every Day

Fun with my new computer

2012-01-24T19:38:00.000-08:00

John & I gave ourselves a new computer for Christmas. I've been working on figuring out everything I can now do. Current project - video maker.

Wasn't the timing of the sample music on my computer perfect?

Kleenex

2012-01-23T13:45:00.000-08:00

But Mom, they just kept coming!

Our Apartment Building on TV

2012-01-22T16:29:00.000-08:00

The TV series The Firm is out, and to be honest, we are not all that wild about it. We watched the Pilot and after 20 minutes acknowledged that the only reason we were still watching was to see our old apartment building.

So, this week, while John did homework, I watched episode 2 and there was our apartment! Yay! If you care to watch it, our building (or the outside of it) is the set from 23:34 - 26:10 and 38:23 - 38:32. Not really that much time but well worth looking into if you`re curious.

A little caveat to go with that - the hallway they walk into from the elevator is exactly what ours looked like. But the apartment, well, it was recently renovated and looked nothing like ours did. Oh, and the sidewalk that Mitch and his brother walk on, we have walked on that same sidewalk so many times!

Perhaps this is as close to our 15 minutes of fame as we`ll ever be.

Two Parts

2012-01-20T17:05:00.000-08:00

Part One: It's been a long 10 days. We're almost done with being sick. John is good, Helena is pretty good, and I have sinusitis. Medicine should start working in a few days...

But let me just say being sick is hard when you're a mom. You can rest every chance you get, but you're still not resting as much as you really should. It's just another one of those things you don't appreciate enough about your mom until you become one. Thanks Mom!

Part Two: In those same ten days, Helena has become quite the hugger. She loves hugging her mom and her dad, and we pretty much melt in her arms every time. But she also loves hugging her stuffed animals and her dolls with a good close hug like a mom would give. Here's the evidence:

See what I mean?

Such a good hugger of her baby...

until she decides to shake the baby while only holding onto her hat! She's got a ways to go in her motherhood training...

Sick

2012-01-13T15:55:00.000-08:00

The happenings of a day when all three members of a family are sick:

-the laundry grows exponentially

-the father tries to teach his 11-month old how to blow her own nose

-even though no one is eating much, the dishes pile up

-the vaporizer travels from room to room

-the daughter has moments of happiness and many many minutes of sadness

-the kitchen table gets lost beneath the mountain of Tylenol, Kleenex, papers, dirty bibs, and I don't even know what else

-the mother takes her daughter on a walk by making 20 laps of our floor's hallways

-the babe sleeps and we all rejoice

A Few Favorites

2012-01-12T16:53:00.000-08:00

Taking a three-week vacation means LOTS of pictures and LOTS of good times.

One of my all-time favorite events of our trip was eating Burger King food at my grandmother's nursing home. We visit her often when in Bemidji, but it's always in the dining room with lots of other residents. One day my parents got lunch from BK and we ate together in the conference room. I don't know how to describe it but that it just felt RIGHT. There we were, all family, eating lunch together just like we have done many times before. (I wish you hadn't had to work Rob!)

Helena likes dogs, but when the cat came out at Grandma's, she started making her excited grunting noise and chasing after him. Bubba was great, in that every morning he'd walk by her numerous times, brushing his entire body up against hers. This picture isn't the greatest, but cousin Dillon brought his cats over, and Helena basically crawled up in his lap while trying to hug the kitty!

It was looking like it wasn't going to happen, but the annual sibling sledding adventure was finally made possible by four inches of snow! Like usual, there were many races and a sled was broken. But this time, we had a fifth participant, Chris - my sister's fiance!

On January 1, 2012, we dedicated Helena in the same church with the same officiant as our wedding! During the dedication, I got choked up as I was suddenly back at our wedding saying our vows. Afterwards my dad said he also got choked up because he was remembering dedicating me.

We have always missed the family birthday gatherings on John's side, but this time we didn't! It was January birthdays this time, meaning Helena got her first taste of Uncle Ethan's favorite Twinkie Cake. She seemed to like it okay :)

During the celebration, the two oldest cousins asked if they could babysit for Helena. I went downstairs to check on them 10 minutes later and the above pictures shows what I found. Sophia was reading a story to all the cousins, while Helena kept busy playing with the kitchen. My heart practically burst with happiness when I saw all the cousins quietly and happily being together. I hope there are many many more times like that.

Aren't they great?

To no one's surprise, Helena was definitely the centre of attention all trip long!

Fun was had with each family member and with the friends that we saw. While it's hard to be far away, in many ways it makes the time together sweeter.

Back in TO

2012-01-10T11:31:00.000-08:00

We had a wonderful time visiting family, seeing friends, and enjoying warm weather. The trip home was pretty easy - Helena did really well in the plane, and when she finally fell asleep, her parents conked out as well.

But before we got on the plane, Helena found a friend hiding between the airport seat rows. It didn't take Helena long to join her - but it was hard to get her out!

It's finally white outside!

2011-12-30T21:50:00.000-08:00

It's funny to think that my first non-white Minnesota Christmas was Helena's first Minnesota Christmas. But it snowed today and all the fun Helena had this morning made up for it. Papa & Nani had bought a little sled just for Helena, and it worked great for her.

She seemed to not really know what to think until the sled started moving. Then it was smiles from there on out.

It was fun as she even started body bobbing - you know, the action we all do when we're trying to get a sled to go just a little bit farther and faster!

Perhaps it's too early to say definitively, but if today is any indication, she's going to be a real snow enthusiast.

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-24T04:30:00.000-08:00

The lights have definitely been Helena's favorite part of Christmas. It seems like every new place we go she's immediately pointing to the lights in the windows, on the tree, in the garlands, and more.

She's quite the reader.

2011-12-15T05:39:00.000-08:00

But I guess she was having a hard time picking which book to read this morning.

Helena's Latest

2011-12-14T05:19:00.000-08:00

A few days ago I got to hold a newborn while the baby's dad held Helena. Helena looked HUGE, but it was only 10 1/2 months since she was the newborn. They really do change a lot in the first year.

Here's what Helena has been up to:

Eating pizza. She loves the stuff. It doesn't matter I make the pizza on pizza dough, on naan, or on an English muffin. If it's got pizza sauce and cheese on it, she's leaning out of her chair trying to get more off my plate!

Playing with her nativity scene. Actually, it's a bit more accurate to say throwing the nativity pieces on the floor and then putting them back up on her Rubbermaid table.

Helena likes to be in on the cooking action. Thus, she's either in my arms or at my feet in the kitchen!

She's learned to point at things she wants to touch, her favorite being the lanterns in her bedroom as they move.

Helena gave her dad Squealers the Pig Puppet for Christmas. He loves to tickle her and she doesn't seem to mind.

Fantastic Finger Foods

2011-12-03T08:09:00.000-08:00

Helena loves to eat. She's over and done with purees and wants flavor all the time! Helena also likes to feed herself most everything now. (Pushing our hands away or picking food off of the spoon in order to put it in her mouth independently happens regularly.) So Helena wants flavor, she wants finger food, and the doctor wants fatty foods in order to bulk her up a bit. And her mom wouldn't mind foods that don't make too huge of a mess :)

She usually eats what we eat but I do make special simple things for just her too. So after scouring the internet for flavorful, simple, fatty, non-messy finger food for Helena. Here are the three best foods I've found:
1) Hardboiled egg yolk mashed up with avocado and spread on bread, pita, tortilla, naan, etc. Yum.

2) Meatballs. It's so easy to mix up a batch of meatballs, freeze them, and then cook one for Helena or a bunch for all three of us!

3) Banana Custard - A banana, two eggs, and blueberries, steamed for 30 minutes. Easy, flavorful, full of protein, only makes 3 dirty dishes, and Helena loves this. John & I think it tastes pretty good too!

Do you have any other ideas for me?

La Cucaracha

2011-12-02T07:59:00.000-08:00

My uncle & aunt gave us this picture as a wedding gift, and we love it.

But three nights ago the picture became a little bit less wonderful.

John walked into the kitchen and saw a cockroach peeking out from behind it. After killing the bug, he took the picture off and found another one.

Yuck. I know that cockroaches and old apartment buildings in Toronto go together like black and white, but still. Yuck.

Cloth Diapers

2011-12-01T07:41:00.000-08:00

We use cloth diapers around this place, and believe it or not, we love them. A few friends have asked me for details about our experience so here they are.

After much searching and researching, we chose to use prefolds from Green Mountain Diapers. While some might say prefolds are old-school, they are the best to use when washing in a laundromat as they are easier to clean and faster to dry. Diaper pins are no longer necessary, as there are now Snappis. We also purchased a few workhorse cloth diapers, and I love those. If I could go back in time, I'd buy a few less prefolds and a few more workhorse,because I've found Helena isn't as patient when we're out and about, and the workhorse diapers require a little bit less time.

For covers, we've tried Bummis, Bummis Original, Kissaluvs, and Thirsties, and have found Thirsties to be our favorite. Thirsties doesn't have a cover that fits from newborn to potty-training, but that's okay with us. (A friend bought all-in-one diapers for her first child and then found out all the leg grommets were too stretched out to use with her second child!)

We dunk and rinse used diapers in the toilet. I think this is the part that perhaps turns people away from using cloth diapers but it's really not that bad. Even John would say so. He does it every day without complaining! Rather than using a pail (pails are considered dangerous once a child is walking), we have a large wet-dry bag from Planetwise. There's never been a smell coming from it, and we wash diapers every 4-5 days. Our travel wet-dry bag is a KangaSac.

While cloth diapering does require a little more time than disposables, we're glad we use cloth. For one thing, we don't have to go buy disposables, which not only saves money but also saves the hassle of watching for sales, getting to the store before the on-sale diapers are gone (everything goes fast around here!), and having to transport them without a car. Another reason is it feels like we're being more environmentally friendly. It's been said that disposables and cloth diapers are pretty even when it comes to the environment, but with cloth I'm not taking a bag full of diapers down to the garbage each day, and that feels good. Last but not least, Helena has only had one diaper rash (and that was my fault because I used too much detergent).

All that to say, cloth diapering is not as scary as it seems.

The Park in November

2011-11-27T09:00:00.000-08:00

On Monday we went out to the park to enjoy one last warm day before winter came.

But on Friday the weather was gorgeous!

The tunnel doesn't really thrill Helena but the first stair does,

as it makes it so easy to get up on her feet!

What could be better than a ride on the swing?

Poor John

2011-11-26T18:08:00.001-08:00

You know the homework is tough when John almost completes 2 Akkadian exercises in the time that I put together these three tables.

By the way, he has 10 more to do tonight.

Two things that make life easier in the U.S.

2011-11-17T19:05:00.001-08:00

It's been awhile since I wrote anything about life in Canada. That's probably because it has just become so normal for us. We still do have moments in which we have no idea what others are talking about but now more of our focus is on how to live in the downtown of a very large city. This led me to realize two things I really miss about the U.S.

1) Target - It seems to always have things in stock. One thing I've learned about living and shopping downtown is merchandise goes quickly. Not only are all the people who live downtown shopping in the downtown stores but so are all the people who work downtown.

For example, I went to the mall to find Helena a Christmas dress. The Children's Place had 1/4 of the store full of 0-24 month Christmas outfits for girls. Being the indecisive shopper that I am, I decided to talk to John about the ones I liked and then go back and buy one. A week later I went back and there was a shelf about 2 1/2 feet long holding those same outfits. Everything else had been sold!

2) Amazon.com - It's amazing how much shopping one does when she has a baby/has a new apartment to put together/has Christmas presents to buy/and more. It would be so wonderful to just open up the internet, find the items I need (at lower prices too), and then have them arrive at my doorstep! Amazon.ca has a LONG way to go...

But while those two things that make life simpler are missed, we are enjoying the community of university housing, all the free activities that we can now take part in, and being so much closer to friends. So, despite the lack of easy shopping, we're liking city life!

She's all grown up.

2011-11-16T17:34:00.001-08:00

Okay, so maybe that is a bit of an exaggeration but I do feel like Helena has reached a major milestone in life that simply says "I'm Big!" For some it's no longer needing the car seat attachment on the stroller, for others it's eating real food, but when Helena did those things it felt pretty normal.

For me it's having her be able to go from lying down to sitting up ALL BY HERSELF.

Now I look at her and she's lying down. Three seconds later I look again and she's sitting. Two minutes later she's lying down again. Or I go in her room after a nap and she's sitting up! All I want to say is "How has all of this happened without me knowing about it?"

I know, I need to face reality. She's only going to be doing more and more all by herself. Like today she began to search out ways to pull herself up into a standing position!

While the time is going quickly and it seems like only yesterday we brought her home wrapped as a burrito, I have to say my mom is right. I wouldn't want it any other way.

Fall Leaves Fall

2011-11-12T19:03:00.001-08:00

Helena LOVES reading. She happily sits in our laps while we read book after book after book to her. Of course, she does that when the books are ones that interest her, as some definitely do not. One book that never fails to capture her attention is Fall Leaves Fall.

Today we decided to enjoy the gorgeous weather by going out to Queen's Park and letting Helena do just what the boys do in the book - play in those leaves!

There were so many dry crispy ones.

Helena did lots of inspecting in order to determine which kind of leaf each was.

As you can see, it was so much fun!

Our time in the park also provided ample opportunity to get on those hands and knees. No crawling yet but she's trying hard to figure it out. She's concentrating so hard her tongue is sticking out!

Laughing with Mommy

2011-11-06T16:43:00.000-08:00

She's got the best laugh.

Beware of an Up and Coming Addiction

2011-11-04T17:32:00.000-07:00

A special treat that John's grandma makes is called Cracker Candy. It's delish. Saltines, butter, brown sugar, and chocolate chips - not hard to see why it's good, right? But it's not just good, it's incredibly addicting. So much so that I try to not make it very often because I know I'll eat way more than I should.

Yet John loves it and wishes I made it more often. Being the ingenious and daring man that he is, he took on the challenge to come up with a

personal-size microwave-friendly recipe.

Arrange six saltines on parchment paper in a glass container that will contain the future goo. (Parchment paper is crucial, as otherwise the cracker candy will be difficult to get out and aluminum paper doesn't mix with the microwave.)

Nuke 2.5 Tbsp butter and 2.5 Tbsp brown sugar until butter is melted.

Stir. Nuke it for 30 seconds at a time, stirring after each nuke, until the caramel is thick and combined.

Pour over saltines. Nuke crackers & caramel until the goo is bubbling all over, somewhere between 1.5-2.5 minutes.

Sprinkle 3-4 Tbsp. of chocolate chips on top.

Nuke for another 30 seconds and then spread the chocolate to cover the crackers.

Freeze until solid, around 45 minutes.

Twiddling thumbs is a good activity to help fill the time while you wait.

Break into pieces and try to eat only one piece.

The below photo has microwave cracker candy on the left and oven cracker candy on the right. There's really no difference!

All photo credits for this blog post belong to John.

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T18:18:00.000-07:00

Yes, Helena did dress up for October 31st. She had been given a tutu from her Grandma and some ballet socks from her Nani, so choosing her costume was easy.

What made the night even more fun was trick-or-treating with Helena's friend Holly, who was a cat. Holly came to Helena's home, Helena went to Holly's home, and the parents made a few stops at friends' homes along the way!

I know Halloween can have a dark side to it, but if you focus on the good, it can really be quite fun. Plus, it can really help one work up an appetite.

Spaghetti anyone?

2011-10-28T11:47:00.000-07:00

This girl recently had spaghetti sauce and noodles for the first time.

She loved it. She loved it so much that when food fell into her bib, she stopped and dug the food out. Usually once it's out of hand but not in mouth, it's out of mind.

Her mom learned a good lesson that day. Spaghetti is a dinner meal, not a lunch meal, as bath time is after dinner.

CrockPot Success!

2011-10-27T11:38:00.000-07:00

Have you ever mixed up a batch of granola, put it in the oven and then come back to it to find it burnt? Ugh, it's a horrible thing that I've experienced at least three times. So when I read that you can make granola in a slow cooker, I decided to try again.

It was so easy!

I've read that any recipe will work. So here's what you do - choose your recipe, mix it up, then put it in the CrockPot for 2-3 hours. The slow cooker does need a vent, so take a chopstick and stick it on the side to keep the lid slightly open. You have to remember to stir it every 20 minutes, but it's easy to do that, as when you can smell it cooking, that means it's time to stir!

Helena's Latest Activities

2011-10-20T05:22:00.000-07:00

I only had to show her this drawer once. Now she's army crawling into the kitchen and pulling it open all by herself.

Helena was happily playing on the floor one day, so John sat down and started drumming. She dropped her toys, took the sticks from her dad, and has been loving them ever since.

You can't eat an apple without Helena getting upset. SHE wants to chew on the apple too!

The underside of the stroller is infinitely interesting. If the stroller is out in the hallway, there's no question where Helena will be.

Helena's Grandma brought this fun Little Mermaid toy with her when she visited a few weeks ago. The toys in the front are currently getting a lot of attention.

She's always been a good reader, but lately the books on the bed are much more interesting than the book that is being read.

Bathtime with Daddy and Duckie are the best. If the tub faucet is running, Helena's on her way to the bathroom!

I made her cry. Twice.

2011-10-17T19:34:00.000-07:00

Helena hates wearing shoes. To make matters worse, she loves to pull her socks off. There is just nothing better to play with in the stroller than a sock or her own toes. A very cute thing in the summer but now it's fall and it's 55F/12C degrees out.

So today Helena and I headed out for the Canadian Passport Office, which is a 25-minute walk away. She made it the entire way without even attempting to kick her shoes off. I was celebrating.

From there the morning went downhill. I learned I didn't have all the necessary forms with me, so I'd have to go back another time. Frustrating. Then I begin to walk back, this time facing the sun so I pull the stroller cover over Helena so she won't have to squint. I'm walking, I'm walking, I'm walking. I peek in at Helena and she has a sock in her mouth and a bare foot. Where's the shoe? I don't know. How long has she had nothing on her foot? I don't know.

Turn around. Walk 2 blocks, there's the shoe. During that 2 block walk, she has successfully kicked off the other shoe. So both shoes go in the basket, both feet are socked, and we walk. As we cross the street, she pulls her sock off. (Here's where it gets bad.) When we get to the sidewalk, I walk to the front of the stroller, tell her we have to keep our socks on, and put the sock back on. She immediately pulls it off. I tell her "No" and she starts to wail.

It happens again 3 blocks later. This time the wailing lasted quite a bit longer.

What a horrible feeling, knowing that you just made your baby cry because of what you said to her. I know it's going to happen again, many times. But the first time made me just feel awful.

So what did we do to make ourselves feel better once we were home? I opened a bag of chocolate chips. Helena ate a banana. And took her socks off.

Happy Belated Thanksgiving!

2011-10-13T17:40:00.000-07:00

Thanksgiving is a weird holiday for us. Canadian Thanksgiving is at the beginning of October. That doesn't really feel like Thanksgiving to us, so skipping it is no big deal. American Thanksgiving is in November but no one is celebrating up here and there's no vacation on that day, so skipping it is, again, no big deal.

But when a friend says, "Hey, we have a turkey in our freezer. Do you guys want to join forces and celebrate Thanksgiving?", it doesn't take long for us to say yes.

So this past Monday we had a colleague of John's and his family up for Thanksgiving.

Yes, Thanksgiving dinner above and below the border is the same.

This year's holiday was definitely different, though, as it was 80 degrees! This was definitely the first turkey meal I've ever eaten while wearing shorts.

We kept trying to get a good photo of Helena on her first Thanksgiving but she's a rambunctious little girl - doesn't stay still for long!

One thing we're incredibly thankful for is Helena's health. There were so many potential problems that arose while I was pregnant but she was born perfectly healthy. Praise the Lord!

Crock Pot #3, 4, 5 & 6: Salsa Chicken & Black Bean Soup

2011-10-13T17:23:00.000-07:00

Remember that Crock Pot challenge I had going? It's been awhile since any activity has been reported but it's still underway albeit slowly.

Crock Pot #3 was a beef vegetable stew that came from my head and the freezer that needed to be emptied before we moved. No recipe was used and it turned out great. Crock Pot #4 & #5 were made out of necessity - only one burner on our stove worked until today - and they were tried and true recipes. Tomato Soup and Moroccan Chicken. The Moroccan Chicken recipe was given to me by Erinn at a bridal shower, and five years later it's still one of our favorites.

Tonight's dinner was #6 - Salsa, Chicken & Black Bean Soup. YUMMY! We all had seconds of this - yes, that means Helena too (but without the mushrooms & sour cream).

One of the great aspects of this recipe is that it uses dried black beans. All you have to do is soak them overnight and then dump them in the bottom of the Crock Pot! Now I want to figure out how to do beans in the Crock Pot for non-Crock Pot recipes - anybody know how? It's probably really easy.

A bit behind

2011-10-13T16:53:00.000-07:00

I've always heard moms say they are behind in lots of things; I haven't felt overwhelmed with that feeling until the move. Our bedroom is a disaster zone and will remain that way until Helena moves into her own room (hopefully next week). The living room is clean and then a mess and then clean and then a mess and then...you get the picture. Most dinners lately have been started 20 minutes before it's time to eat. Emails and telephone calls are getting responded to at a rate of slower than slow. Then there's the blog, which I have neglected because the feeling of "where do I even begin?" is so prevalent.

So I'm starting to catch up tonight.

John's mom visited us before, during and after the move, and her help was much appreciated. Here are some photos from her time in Toronto:

Grandma brought lots of fun toys for Helena!

They explored the apartment while Helena walked with help from Grandma's feet.

John & his mom escaped one night and took part in Nuit Blanche, an all-night art extravaganza in Toronto. This was a piece that you physically experienced: walked in the pristine waters of Canadian rivers, walked through the rain, and then walked on the logs that the loggers put in those rivers - all inside a mall!

Millie's deep in thought about these strange structures.

Thanks for coming Mom/Millie/Grandma! We sure appreciate all your help!

Our New View

2011-10-09T18:54:00.000-07:00

Here's what we see through our windows now:

John likes to say it's avant-garde. It makes me feel like we're smack-dab downtown, which we are.

Perhaps the best part is the wee bit of foliage you can see on the right from a certain angle. It's a bit of natural beauty amongst everything else.

And we're in.

2011-10-06T16:42:00.000-07:00

With only a few boxes and crates left to sift through, I think it can be said that we're moved into our new home. And the verdict is...(drumroll please)

IT'S WONDERFUL!

I am thankful that we experienced a year in a tiny apartment, as we learned a lot. But at the moment, I feel like I'm high on our new place. Here are some illustrations of how life has changed in the last six days:

1) We now make announcements of where we will be when leaving a room. Unnecessary before.
2) Helena is scooting everywhere! We're amazed at how fast she is and how often she's on the move. Our old place didn't really allow for that much moving; plus there was nowhere to go.
3) Our refrigerator door opens completely; the old was partially blocked by the radiator.
4) The old apartment pushed us out, which was great as we were in the best neighborhood. The new invites us to stay, kick back, and relax.
5) Helena has room to play. We have room to play.
6) We have more time together as John walks 5 to 15 minutes instead of commuting for 30 to 45 minutes on public transportation.
7) We had HUGE windows in our last place, and it's hard to believe but our new windows are even bigger.
8) I have a real kitchen.
9) We can sit on the ground with Helena and not have to be contortionists.
10) John's books are unpacked and on our big bookshelf. Most of the books and the bookshelf were formerly in storage.

There is more I could say about our amazing new home but instead I'm going to go spend some downtime with my hubby. There hasn't been much of that lately - he's a busy yet wonderful man!

For those Helena fans out there, here's a fun video from when John was assembling the big bookshelf.

Moving

2011-09-29T17:51:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow's the day. We leave our cozy little abode for a larger suite high in the sky.

Sigh.

I've always been bad with change. The night before we left my childhood home (I was 9), I ran into my parents' room and made them write down everything that was stored in each individual kitchen cupboard. Why? Because I was going to move back into that house someday and I wanted everything to be in the same place it was when I was a kid. For Christmas I asked for a dollhouse with the same layout as our old house.

Tonight I put Helena down to sleep, and everything just came rushing back. That wall was full of boxes until Little Critter was a few months away from coming. Next, John & I spent one Saturday morning putting together the crib. Then we brought home our Burrito Baby and she was TINY in her bed. Now she's so big that she's waving (new today) and we're leaving.

Tomorrow is not going to be easy. But can you imagine what it's going to be like to leave our new place in four years???

The Firm - the third time around

2011-09-22T20:37:00.000-07:00

Have you read Grisham's book The Firm? My family listened to it on tape during a road trip to Florida when I was ten or so. We became very involved with the book. Strange story - on the way to FL we stopped to tour the Vanderbilt house. Six hours of driving later, we stopped at a fast food restaurant for dinner and a couple that had been in the tour was at the same restaurant. We were being followed, just like the main character Mitch! It was eerie.

Then there's the movie. I saw part of it on one of those nights that was spent aimlessly flipping through the channels.

Did you know they're making a TV show out of it? It's supposed to be about Mitch ten years after the book's events. And guess where they were filming part of it today?

IN FRONT AND INSIDE OF OUR APARTMENT BUILDING!

There was no Tom Cruise but there were lots of people and TONS of equipment. Above is the scene Helena & I watched from our window. Three "journalists" snapped lots of pictures and tried to get the person in the back of the squad car to talk. I'm pretty sure the cameras were rolling for less than 20 seconds but it took at least 20 minutes to set up the scene, get everyone's make-up on correctly, and to get the camera to work!

We walked through preparations of other scenes but weren't there for any of the other calls of "Cameras rolling!" But you can bet we'll be trying to watch this show with the hopes of seeing our home!

Our Current Goings-on

2011-09-19T19:59:00.000-07:00

School started for John last week, Helena is teething, we're moving in 10 1/2 days, and we have two people visiting before the move! (Well, John's mom should maybe only be counted as half visiting since most of her visit will be after the move.) Here are some snapshots of life recently:

What happens when your daddy dresses you in the morning? He figures out a way to make you look like a baseball player!

We went to the park and realized we all had hooded sweatshirts on, so of course Mommy wanted to take a picture. But then Mom & Dad forgot to take their hoods down for at least 15 minutes. Now we understand the looks we were getting!

Our neighborhood hosted the annual Polish Festival this past weekend. We thoroughly enjoyed walking up and down the street, taking it all in. Above is the beginning of the parade. I felt bad for the motorcyclist, as he had this great motorcycle but had to walk it (while sitting on it!) for the entire parade because behind him were two girls who were holding onto streamers that were attached to it.

Helena's first balloon - she preferred the ribbon!

We don't see people dressed in the traditional Polish clothing very often but our neighborhood is home to two Polish newspapers, 5 Polish restaurants, a Polish radio station, a library that has an entire room dedicated to Polish literature, and the largest religious credit union in North America, which is - you got it - run by the Poles!

Pierogies. We ate them from two different stands. So delicious when freshly made and so not when from the frozen department of the grocery store.

Helena's also been busy playing soccer!

We're super excited to move to a larger apartment, but we're mourning the loss of our neighborhood. It has been such a great place for us. The scene above is one that has occurred every Saturday - John spending $2 at the local Polish bakery & deli for a HUGE Polish sausage.

Crock Pot Recipe #2: Slow Cooker Enchiladas

2011-09-16T04:02:00.000-07:00

Source: I recently did a cookbook swap with a friend, so now I'm exploring the pages of Simply in Season. This recipe is for the summer, and since it was 83F at dinnertime on Tuesday, I'd say we were in season!

Recipe:
Slow Cooker Enchiladas
serves 6-8

1 lb. ground beef, turkey or venison
1 cup onion, chopped
1/2 cup green pepper, chopped
Cook together in a large skillet until meet is browned and vegetables are tender. Drain off fat.

2 cups cooked pinto or kidney beans
2 cups cooked black beans
2 cups tomatoes, chopped
1/3 cup water (1/4 if using summer squash)
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp pepper
1 cup summer squash or carrots, grated (opt.)
1 cup corn (opt.)
ground red pepper to taste
Add and bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10 minutes.

2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese or Monterey Jack cheese or a mix of the two
7 flour tortillas 6-7 inches

In a slow cooker layer about 1 cup meat-bean mix, one tortilla and 1/3 cup cheese. (In my 6-quart oval slow cooker, I did 2 cups, 2 tortillas, and 2/3 cup cheese, using a total of 6 tortillas.) Repeat to use all ingredients.

Cover and cook on low for 5-7 hours or until heated through.
****Here's why I disagree with the recipe! 5-7 hours on low seemed like a very long time to heat up a mixture that was already completely cooked. So I planned on 5 hours on warm, it ended up being 6, and it was a tiny bit dry. If I make it again, I'll probably do 3-4 on warm.

Verdict: John really liked this; I thought it was okay. We added salsa on top. If I were looking for a hot meal to have in the summer that did not require the oven to be turned on, I may turn to this recipe. If I do, I will at least double the spices.

And one more...

2011-09-14T16:14:00.001-07:00

We don't have too many pictures of Helena crying, but I did find one from when we were trying to take a family picture at Mackinac. Enjoy, BBS!

The Many Expressions of Helena

2011-09-13T16:55:00.000-07:00

A room of my own.

Hmmm...

Oooh!

This plastic container tastes good!

Right, Mom. These leaves were green before. Whatever you say.

Isn't my new hairstyle great? And check out this paper!

Ugh, water. Why do they make me drink this stuff?

Peaches & rice cereal - now that's worth eating.

***raspberry noises***

You make me so happy.

Simply dreaming...

The Longboat Toronto Island Run

2011-09-12T19:56:00.000-07:00

This Sunday held the much awaited event of the summer - John's running debut. We ran the Longboat Toronto Island 5K, and it was so much fun. Helena was part of the action too, as she rode along in our jogging stroller.

(stretching with Mommy)

The following consists of interviews with John taken before and after the race.

BEFORE:

What have you been doing to train for this race? I've been running every few days with my wife and daughter. My wife is my trainer and coach; she's good at pushing me to the limit. It's been a grueling 4 months but in this last week I've started to enjoy it.

What's your goal for the race? My goal is to finish under 30 minutes and to not throw up.

(Helena insisted that ballet slipper socks would be better than Keds for the race)

We finished with a time of 28:20! John was quite hot at the end, but after a half-dozen glasses of Gatorade, he was feeling fine.

AFTER:

How was the race for you? It was great. I had a blast. I can't believe I just did that. My wife is awesome; she pushed Helena in the stroller the whole way and still it was hard for me to keep up with her pace.

Will this be your debut AND your finale? Well, my season is over for this year but I'll be back next year. I definitely want to do the Toronto Island Run again.

Do you have any goals for next year? Yes. In next year's race I want to run 7 minute miles; if I do this, that would put me in the top three for my age range. By the way, this would also put Charlotte in the #1 spot for the females. Next year we are going to dominate!

(a running family)

I'm not sure about the whole domination idea, but on our way home John did say that Sunday was the highlight of his summer. Looks like we will be racing again next year!

9/11

2011-09-11T07:00:00.000-07:00

Most Americans remember where they were when they heard about the planes hitting the Twin Towers, but since memories fade, I thought I'd write down my experience here.

It was the first day that the National Honors Society was going to meet in my senior year, and I was running late. I flipped to a different radio station every time an advertisement came on. As I reached the left turning lane to enter the school parking lot, the news came on. "It seems an airplane just hit one of the World Trade Center towers."

I remember thinking, "Not interested in news" and flicking the radio off. All of a sudden, the meaning of the wavelength words came back to me and the radio was immediately back on.

But it didn't ring as truth.

That is, until I walked into Mr. Munson's office. My fellow peers and teachers were sitting on the desks, with eyes on the TV. While smoke billowed out of the tower, we watched as the reporters had little news.

Eventually it was time for school to start, so we all went to our first hour classes, and watched the TVs. There was no talk about Brit Lit that day; rather, Mr. Strasser talked to us about how this was a momentous event in American history. Then the second tower was struck.

The rest of the day was spent either watching the TVs or trying to do schoolwork while the muted TVs glared in the background. I remember some students in the hallway making light of what was happening, and thinking "They just don't get it."

I don't think any of us got it that day. I sure didn't.

Here she is!

2011-09-08T17:58:00.000-07:00

video taken August 30, 2011

Question for my fellow bloggers: How do you upload videos and have them clear? Our videos are very clear on our computer but always fuzzy here! Thanks.

My Little Love

2011-09-06T20:10:00.000-07:00

Helena. I haven't blogged about her lately. Whatever I write just doesn't seem to do her any justice but I'll try.

She gives hugs and kisses. She reaches for us when someone else is holding her. She talks in a quiet voice. She laughs. She knows when we're going outside. She's eager to touch anything and everything anytime and all the time. She loves the microwave lights, the EXIT sign lights, the camera light. Just this morning, after being pulled into bed with us at 5 a.m., she kept raising her head to look over John's head to see the clock - those beautiful green lit-up numbers - to then have it fall down because she was tired. Next thing I know, I have a little hand touching my cheek. I open my eyes and there's my daughter smiling at me. "7:30, Mom, it's time to get up," just may have been her thoughts. She scoots. She seems to have decided that the kitchen table makes a great fort. She loves shoes and purses because they have long string-like things that are fun to hold. She must feed herself some food before one of her parents feeds her anything. She still makes the face of "what is this disgusting thing in my mouth" whenever she eats avocado, all three bites of it. She loves to jump in someone's arms. The look on her face shows that she can't imagine anything better. She has got to be the stillest baby when her diaper is being taken off and the squirmiest when a new one is supposed to be going on. She is fascinated with her mom's hair when wet and comforted by it when dry. She gets a huge smile on her face when she hears her dad's voice on the phone, and then immediately moves her head to confusedly look at the phone. She likes to hold her mom's thumb when nursing or her mom's leg when jumping in the Jolly Jumper. She does not like hats on her head and will typically have them off within 10 seconds of their being put on. She loves bath time. She re-found her thumb within 24 hours of her soother being taken away. She loves to be sung to when eating. She sits and sits and sits and sits and suddenly, bang, she's down. She could read Brown Bear, Brown Bear or The Fire Engine Book or Cuddly Kittens twenty times a day and still want to read them again. She smiles.

Oh, Helena, how I love your smile, your voice, your hugs. I am so glad you're mine.

Crockpot Recipe #1 - Vietnamese Roasted Chicken

2011-09-04T15:41:00.000-07:00

While searching for crockpot recipes, I've come across the blog A Year of Slow Cooking. Think Julie & Julia, but this lady decided to cook with the crockpot for a year and many of the recipes are her own.

One of the recipes she recommends is Vietnamese Roasted Chicken. Yeah, yeah, roasted chicken recipe two weeks ago too - but I had another chicken in the freezer and we're moving in a month so it's time to empty that thing!

Well, sadly, we would not recommend it. The fish sauce seemed odd with chicken and only chicken. It was incredibly juicy, but this chicken was cooked an hour less than the last one, so I'll be amending that recipe.

Mackinac Island - Again!

2011-09-02T16:16:00.000-07:00

The regular family vacation spot during John's childhood was Mackinac Island. He's guessing he's been there over 15 times. We went last week and joined his family - now much larger than before :) - for the last vacation of the summer. Our activities followed tradition:

1) Ferrying

2)Kite-flying

3) Biking

and Burleying

4) Fudge

5) Enjoying Lake Huron - Helena's 3rd Great Lake

6) Carriage Ride - I know the angle makes the horse look huge, but that's exactly what he was. His height was equal to the height of the surrey.

7) Eating

8) Reading - Thanks to everyone who recommended The Help and to Anika for letting me borrow it.

9) Enjoying Horses

10) Taking in some history at Fort Mackinac

11) East Bluff Sunrise - This is where we got engaged six years ago. It was fun to have another person along with us to celebrate this time!

12) And one new activity - Tandem Bicycling

Living the -less life!

2011-09-01T10:10:00.000-07:00

As of today, we are car-less, soother-less, and TV-less.

We said goodbye to good old Tammy the Car on Monday. After living in the city for a year, we realized that we don't use the car very often. Next month we're moving to the smack-dab center of downtown, so then we really won't need a car!

Helena has now gone two full days without a soother (aka pacifier). She was doing really well until last night. Here's for hoping that today will go better.

Toronto has gone all-digital for TVs, so using my grandparents' old television with our antennae is no longer an option. For the month of September we're going to live without a TV and see what we think. I'm expecting long quiet nap periods at home with no TV and no computer but maybe I'll get lots of reading in.

What are you living without?

Roasted Chicken in a CrockPot

2011-08-22T15:37:00.000-07:00

This past week's challenge was for an entree. I wanted a recipe for something that was easy and that would be used over & over again. How about roasting a chicken in the CrockPot? It turned out beautifully; the meat fell off the bones as I was lifting the chicken out! If you're interested, click here for more info.

Using this recipe has inspired me to challenge myself in a new way. I've really been missing my Monthly Menus but have been wanting to do something different. And since our CrockPot does take up a bit of room in our little kitchen...

I'm going to use the slow cooker for one meal a week until the end of 2011. Hopefully I'll end up with some delicious easy meals. If you have any recipes to share, I'd love them. Check back in if you are interested in using your own CrockPot more too!

The Village of St. Jacobs

2011-08-21T14:17:00.000-07:00

With our days of owning a car dwindling down to just a few, a fellow mom & I decided to take a road trip to a town that is heavily Amish and that has an amazing market.

So we packed up the girls and drove an hour and a half to St. Jacobs County. As soon as we drove into the village, we saw two horse-drawn carriages with Amish families inside. Now I love my life but sometimes a life like that does look quite appealing.

Anyways, the market was SO impressive. Stand after stand had beautiful products that I wanted to buy.

Since we're only two adults, I limited my purchases to peaches, corn on the cob, cantaloupe, cabbage, green onions (that were a foot-and-a-half long), and bread. I wish I could have bought tomatoes, nectarines, cherries, homemade caramel rolls, green beans, watermelon, yellow plums (anybody had them before?), patty pan squash, and about a gazillion other things. Sometimes I just wish I could eat all day long!

French Toast Waffles

2011-08-20T18:09:00.000-07:00

Looking for a new twist on breakfast for dinner? How about French Toast Waffles? I found the idea in the JOY of Cooking and it was delicious and easy. Mix up your french toast mix as usual, dip your bread, and then put it in the waffle maker rather than on the griddle!

This is definitely going into my new recipe file for simple family meals!

Presqu'ile Provincial Park

2011-08-16T10:00:00.000-07:00

This past weekend we went camping with friends from church. The campground was very unlike what John & I typically go for. Instead of hiking trails that rise and fall with the landscape, we had the sandy beaches of Lake Ontario.

Earlier this summer I was amazed with the beach of Lake Michigan. There was a good ten feet of nice sand before you got to the lake. But check this out!

Unfortunately, we had a sick little babe with us. So, laying on the beach consisted of this:

Despite Helena being sick for some of the time, we had a really nice weekend. Helena had a playmate for when she was feeling good:

And we had nice conversations with friends. A campfire is usually good for that, isn't it?

Spinach-and-Artichoke Dip

2011-08-15T06:21:00.000-07:00

Another week has gone by, and this week's challenge was an appetizer. We had Spinach-and-Artichoke Dip. I wouldn't really recommend the recipe I used, but still wanted to put the post on this blog for my own record-keeping sake.

Room

2011-08-12T05:17:00.000-07:00

I've found that the Toronto library has LONG wait lists for books. So, instead of reading I've been listening to the book "Room". It's a fun activity - makes me think of the days when listening to the radio was an evening event. Plus, the book is really good. It's a story of a boy who spent the first five years of his life held captive in a 11x11 foot room with his mom. Sad but good. I recommend it!

Sitting & Smiling

2011-08-10T13:38:00.000-07:00

Can you tell from our comments that this is a new activity of hers?

Toronto IS on the way!

2011-08-08T15:54:00.000-07:00

Since we're a 16-20 hour drive away from our immediate extended family (What are we supposed to call our siblings and parents now? What does that make our aunts, uncles and cousins?), one would think we don't get many just-passing-through visitors. Which is true, kind of. However, we are blessed with a large international airport and friends & family that travel! So we saw friends last August & December, my sister Katie in June while she was on a layover to Rome and on Saturday we saw my cousin Rev on his way back from Germany.

Isn't he TALL? He was the youngest cousin for a long time, so when you haven't seen him for 4 1/2 years, you just don't expect to need to stand on your tippie toes in order to give him a hug! We had a nice afternoon together - it was fun to teach him how to hold a baby and then to hear him talking to Helena in German.

Rev, you kept thanking us for spending our Saturday with you. There's no other way we would have rather spent it! If you ever fly through again - or if any of you blog readers fly through - please let us know. We'll show you around or at least feed you meal!

Monthly Challenges

2011-08-07T15:29:00.001-07:00

A few friends of mine & I have been having monthly challenges for the last three months. It's been really fun to have a project going on with other people while I'm a stay-at-home mom life. Provides a strange sense of community.

The first month required us to take 30 photographs, one each day, of our children. The type of photograph was specified, such as a close-up, one featuring the eyes, one using bokeh, etc. It helped me to learn more about our camera, as well as get some good (and some bad) photos of Helena. Oh, and the grandparents LOVED seeing a new photo of her everyday.

Memorizing Philippians 3 was the challenge for July. I made it through verse 6.

August's challenge is right up my alley - trying four new recipes and then sharing our thoughts on them. It's great! If anyone is interested, the category for this week was a beverage and we tried Luscious Slush Punch.

Click here if you want to read the blog post about it. Also, let me know if any of you moms want to join us in the challenges!

Half a Year???

2011-08-05T15:51:00.001-07:00

This little girl is 6 months old.

Let me tell you, she's letting us know she's 6 months too! She's curiously scooting all over the place. Today she discovered cords - which I immediately took away from her, told her "No", and moved her away from - then printer paper - which I took away and then moved her to the other side of the rug - and then the VCR - which I moved her away from and put a pillow in front of to hide it. The funny thing is that the entire scenario above took place in less than 2 minutes.

As a mother, I was feeling quite pleased that I had escaped vomit in the first 6 months. Well, wouldn't you know, on the day she turned 6 months we go to a wedding. We're walking into the wedding, which happens to be the wedding of my closest university friend, and which also happens to be starting in 4 minutes, and suddenly I am covered. Inside my dress, outside my dress, all over Helena's dress, everywhere. So, my perfume for the wedding was rice cereal with a trace of avocado. Ah, a mother's true scent.

Since then avocado has been out. Helena gets upset if it comes close to her face. But peas are good in small quantities. Pears, bananas, sweet potatoes, rice cereal - bring them on!

John & I are thrilled to see Helena feeling the different textures in "read & feel" books. We've been trying for months to get her to feel them with our help but she wanted no part of it. Today she was reaching for the dog's and rabbit's fur with no prompting, and she definitely didn't want the page turned. For some reason this seems like a really big jump in development to us. Her favorite book is "The Fire Engine Book." She grins through the entire thing and has twice started to cry when it was over but she could still see it.

It sure feels like she's growing up fast but we're enjoying every minute of it.

The Rest of SV 2011

2011-08-03T16:27:00.000-07:00

So three days of vacation blogged so far. I've come to the conclusion that it would take me weeks to keep doing blogs for parts of our trip, so here are the rest of our events in one large picture-filled blog.

The humid heat was effectively fought off one afternoon in the kiddie pool!

Fun with Uncle Rob

Helena was introduced to Indy racing. You've got to start early, right?

Check out those muscles!

My mom may not have those huge muscles, but she can lift 90 pounds!

Helena was babysat by Kayla, who I babysat for starting when she was 2 months old.

Papa got to take his little Smooch'ems (yes, that's his nickname for Helena!) on a few bike rides.

Her chariot was so comfortable she fell asleep!

We don't have a rocking chair at home. It didn't take me long to learn how wonderful it is to rock my baby to sleep. Plus, Helena was having a hard time falling asleep in all the new places. So we changed her sleep routine so that we put her down already asleep. By the time we were visiting John's family, it was taking a very long time to get her down for naps or for bed. So, lesson learned.

Picking flowers with Grandma

Learning about Bubba Sam the Cat

A wonderful part of seeing John's family was spending time with our nephew Jack. He's been sick during our last few visits but this time he was a spunky little boy!

Swimming with the cousins is definitely going to be a tradition.

We were fortunate to be in MN for two important weddings, the first being that of John's cousin Rachael.

Four generations! Helena has now met her three living great-grandmothers.

The other wedding we attended was our good friend Sonia's. I still can't believe she's married!

Last stop was at my Fufu's. Fufu is Bengali for paternal aunt, and since Aunt Connie came to Bangladesh when we were there, it has become an appropriate nickname.

All in all we had a great trip. Helena is more than ready to be out of her car seat for a LONG LONG time, and we're glad to be home.

Mickey Lu's

2011-07-28T14:35:00.000-07:00

a.k.a. Summer Vacation 2011: Part 2
By featured guest blogger, John

While we were in Marinette, WI, we went to the best hamburger joint ever: Mickey Lu's. It's been open since 1942, and little has changed since then (except the prices, with inflation).

They still use an open flame grill, with no utensils (just hands). Yowsers!

Mmmmm. Tasty!

As you can see, I was extremely happy to be at Mickey Lu's. Charlotte was happy that I was happy. And Helena, well, she's almost always happy.

Helena enjoyed the people bustling about in Mickey Lu's, though she's not old enough yet to enjoy a hamburger! Here she is with her Great Grandma Helen and Great Grandpa Fran (who treated). Thanks for the burgers, brats, and ice-cream, Grandpa and Grandma!

Summer Vacation 2011: Part 1

2011-07-27T14:11:00.000-07:00

We are on vacation! It's been wonderful. Plus, Helena has been doing quite well with all the driving - a real blessing for sure.

So what have we been up to? Well, the first stop was Lake Michigan.

Our car parked on the side of the road like those above, and we headed to the beach. It's true. Lake Michigan has gorgeous GoRgEoUs GORGEOUS sand. It's what I expect the best beaches in Hawaii are like.

We only stopped for 20 minutes, but we've put it on the must-stop list for any future travels.

The next stop was Helena's great-grandparents. We arrived and Helena was whisked out of our arms! As you can tell from the above pic, Helena likes her namesake - Great Grandma Helen.

She also likes her Great Grandpa Fran.

And if I may say so, I think her great-grandfather took quite a liking to her. At least we've never seen him on the floor before!

It was quite a treat to also see John's aunt, uncle and cousin. Thanks for playing with Helena, J.J.!

Part 2 coming soon and it will feature a place that is dear to John's heart...

Baby Feet

2011-07-14T05:41:00.000-07:00

Why is it that adult feet are something you wouldn't share with others?

And you definitely wouldn't stick them in your mouth!

But on a baby those actions are completely irresistible!

Camping in Algonquin

2011-07-10T17:14:00.000-07:00

To celebrate our five years of marriage, our family left Toronto to go camping up north in Algonquin Provincial Park.

It was remarkable how similar the drive was to the drive from Minneapolis to Bemidji. City to suburbs to small towns & beautiful trees.

We saw our first moose a few minutes after entering the park!

Helena is such a helper. In the city, she's helped me hold an umbrella, beat eggs, and hold a lunch tray at IKEA. Here she is helping me carry chairs over to the campfire.

Not exactly sure how she managed it but Helena got bit by some kind of bug only moments after I put her down in the tent for tummy time. After I squished whatever the bug was, she started to bleed and bleed. It didn't affect her emotions but we were a bit worried for a few minutes.

That was her only encounter with bugs. Not sure how she did it since she wore no bug spray and her parents were covered with it, but the trip ended with parents itchy and bumpy all over! Here we are taking a walk through Spruce Bog; the lovely head adornments are there in an attempt to keep the deer flies and horse flies at bay.

As you may have seen before on this blog, typical J&C camping trips have been full of long hikes and little downtime. Not so now that H has joined us! Booth's Rock Trail was the only real hike we made it on, but it was gorgeous. Check out the view of the diaper changing station!

A wade in the lake was definitely in order after a hot afternoon of hiking.

It was a great first camping trip for our family.

A surprising find

2011-07-09T12:20:00.000-07:00

The waste system in Toronto is amazing. There are brown bins, blue bins, and green bins. The brown are for garbage - simple enough. The blue are for recyclables, and there are so many things you can recycle in that blue bin. If it has a recycle symbol on it, put it in the bin - easy. The green for compost. (Sadly apartment buildings do not have compost bins due to sanitation laws.) Plus, you are supposed to be able to put disposable diapers in the compost! Whoa.

Isn't that amazing? The city pays (yes, taxes pay) to pick up all that stuff.

But that's not all! If someone in a home doesn't want something that could still be used anymore, they put it on the edge of the yard close to the sidewalk. Then if you walk by and want it, its yours for the taking. It seems like if the items aren't taken within a few days, they're put in the trash.

The things I typically see are shoes, books, chairs, old mattresses...but check out what I came across today:

An eastern toilet, affectionately known as a squatty potty.

And it wasn't new. I say this not because it was disgusting because it wasn't. I say it because we live in an OLD neighborhood that has been heavily populated by Eastern Europeans for many decades and yet a house that is now being renovated had one of these inside. It's been said that Toronto is the most diverse city in the world and now I believe it.

Anniversary

2011-07-08T18:28:00.000-07:00

Five Years of Marriage:

4 apartments
6 languages studied for J
9 jobs for C
1 degree earned
1 degree still being pursued
13 countries
24 international flights
5 summited mountain tops
300 blog posts
1 kid
plus a whole bunch of dishes, tons of laughs, and a gazillion mosquito bites

Whew, we've really packed a lot in.

(It's been awhile since we took a photo of just the 2 of us!)

Happy Fourth of July!

2011-07-04T06:00:00.000-07:00

A different kind of potato salad

2011-07-03T04:37:00.000-07:00

Moosewood's Simple Suppers has been my go-to cookbook since March. I counted this morning and I've made 55 recipes from it! This exercise of cooking through a cookbook has been fun; a lot of the food has been good, plus crossing off or highlighting recipes gives me such a sense of satisfaction. It's like getting a job done and crossing it off your list!

The one recipe that I have made over and over and over again is Indian Potato Salad. It's not your typical potato salad at all, but it's really good. I recommend you try it.

4 cups cubed potatoes (1-inch cubes)
3 TBSP vegetable oil
2 tsp whole cumin seeds
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp curry powder or garam masala (I use the latter)
pinch of cayenne or a splash of Tabasco or other hot sauce
2 or 3 scallions, sliced
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the potatoes in the hot until under tender but not falling apart, about 5 minutes after water is boiling again. While they cook, warm the oil in a pan on medium heat. Sizzle the cumin seeds for a few seconds and then stir in the salt, garam masala, and cayenne. Remove from heat. Drain the potatoes and place them in a bowl. Pour the hot seasoned oil over the potatoes and add the scallions, bell pepper and cilantro. Stir gently. Best eaten warm or at room temperature.

Thoughts on My Life

2011-07-01T17:36:00.000-07:00

Dry is how I'd describe this blog as of lately. I don't want to bore my few readers with details of life as a stay-at-home mom, yet that's a huge chunk of what goes on in this neck of the woods. Plus, how can I be celebrating today and every day if I ignore the biggest part of my life? So, the long and short of it is expect more blog posts on Helena & being a mom.

Now that that's off my mind, let me restart this stream-of-consciousness blog post.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

5 months. FIVE MONTHS. How has time gone by so quickly? When she arrived, she was 20.25 inches; she is now 26.5 inches. She used to do nothing but relax in our arms; now she likes our arms to help her stand up or jump up and down. She used to sleep so well; now she doesn't.

Speaking of sleep, we just spent the last two hours getting her to sleep. Yikes. However tonight we decided to enjoy the extra necessary cuddles and have some quality family time while resting on our bed.

Tomorrow we're going to give her rice cereal for the first time, as that may help her get up only two times a night, rather than the regular three. As John said today, "I thought we'd be getting up multiple times in the night in March, not June." Plus, it would be good for her to gain a little extra weight and the doctor says rice cereal should help with that.

She's rolling over often now. She did it a bit in May and then it stopped. But over the last few days it has begun again. She's rolled over multiple times tummy to back but she's begun doing it back to tummy as well.

Our normal routine in the morning has been for me to take a quick shower while Helena plays on her back on her play mat outside the open bathroom door. This is where she was after my five-minute shower yesterday:

Again, she started on her back in the middle of the play mat five minutes earlier. Needless to say, our routine is going to change.

Becoming a mother really changes your life. You can't just sit down and read a book for four hours. You can't leave the house with nothing but keys & a wallet. You can't lie on the couch all day when you're feeling ill.

Yet those are the negatives and they're really quite small. Here are some of the things I celebrate in motherhood:

1) smiles coming my way the moment I wake up
2) a cooking companion

3) being offered a thumb to suck
4) the joy found in reading children's books
5) lounging in a pool rather than swimming laps
6) how things I've taken for granted have suddenly become fascinating - like grass

7) having a clean kitchen
8) cuddling with a little someone in the middle of the night
9) a husband who gets up at 5:30 a.m. to play with Helena so I can keep sleeping
10) and let's be honest all you moms out there - being someone's favorite person

Okay, my mind is blank. Thanks for sticking with me.

Visitors from New Jersey

2011-06-29T17:56:00.000-07:00

This past weekend our friends Mandy Kay Sue Joan and Adam came up to Toronto. We had such a wonderful time together. Helena really liked Mandy. She was smiling at Mandy within the first few seconds of seeing her, a first for our little girl. Plus, every time Mandy said "sweet pea" to her, a big grin followed.

The idea for Sunday was to take a ferry out to the Toronto Islands and enjoy the day. When we arrived at the ticket kiosks, however, this is what we saw:

So, plans changed. Instead we meandered through the city and introduced M & A to many important things in Toronto, like the CN tower.

Check out this rippling sidewalk. On the right you can see Mandy climbing up using all fours. It was steep!

We came across a dog show that featured French breeds of dogs.

Poutine in front of City Hall.

Did you know that there's an Indy race held in Toronto each year? Oh yeah! (The pic is for you, Dad.)

No visit to Canada is complete without a stop at Tim's!

Best of all, we were able to teach them Acquire and they loved it.

Mandy and Adam, thanks for celebrating your second anniversary with us. We're so glad you did!

Happy Father's Day!

2011-06-19T07:03:00.000-07:00

It's such a privilege to see John in his new role. Not only does he really enjoy being a Dad, he's also really good at it. Here are a few snapshots of him at work over the last week:

playing with Helena before bathtime

dancing with Helena to the Glenn Miller Orchestra*

*The GMO is coming to Toronto in a few weeks. John actually tried to talk me into buying tickets
for him and Helena since Helena enjoys dancing to them so much!

lying down with her to help her fall asleep

John, I have the best partner in parenthood.
Happy Father's Day!

Recommendations

2011-06-17T05:04:00.000-07:00

I love it when people recommend books or movies. Otherwise I go to the library, randomly pick something off the shelf, and half the time don't read/watch it. So since I've enjoyed some good ones lately, I thought I'd share.

About World War II
1) Sarah's Key - this book was recommended here by a friend. Check out what she said - it made me interested!
2) Katyn - In 1940 the Soviets took 12,000+ Polish officers and killed them despite not being at war with Poland. The Soviets refused to admit it happened until the 1990s. This movie tells this tragic story from the perspective of those left behind. (note: the movie is in Polish with English subtitles)

About Geisha
1) Memoirs of a Geisha - if you haven't read this book yet, you really need to. It provides a peek into the world of a Geisha through incredible writing. My older brother actually recommended this to me years ago!

2) Memoirs of a Geisha - maybe the book doesn't interest you but the movie does. This is one of the most beautiful movies I've ever seen. The costumes, the sets, the cinematography - wow.
3) Geisha, A Life - this biography tells the true story of the best geisha in the 1960s. Not only does this book tell of the immense work it takes to be a geisha but it also corrects many of the incorrect beliefs of what being a geisha is all about.

Do you have any to recommend to me?

15 games won, not the needed 16

2011-06-15T17:27:00.000-07:00

So the Canucks lost. I could write about my frustration with some of the events of the Finals but my husband says I shouldn't. So instead I will share two things about hockey that don't make me angry.

During the Stanley Cup Finals, most Boston Pizza restaurants in British Columbia changed their signs to this:

I don't know why but every time I think of that, I just smile.

As far as I can tell, the face of Hockey Night in Canada is Don Cherry. He is a former hockey player and coach. Besides his good predictions and explanations during the games, he's known for his suit coats. The craziness of the one below is pretty typical.

His suit coats are what first caught my attention when flipping through the channels many Hockey Nights in Canada ago. Then it was weird. Now it makes me laugh.

Well, Vancouver did not win the Stanley Cup in 2011 but I'll be cheering for them to win in 2012. Go Canucks!

30 Days of Photography

2011-06-14T18:49:00.000-07:00

I'm involved in a Photography Challenge with a good friend in British Columbia. It's been a lot of fun. We have a designated photo of our kids that we're supposed to take each day in June. I'm learning more about our camera and capturing moments of Helena's life that wouldn't have been photographed otherwise.

The number of photos I take everyday, however, has skyrocketed. I'm on a mission to get one good picture that meets the day's specifications but of course lots of other cute ones get taken...so here are a few for you to enjoy.

a picture featuring an outfit

black & white
(doesn't she kind of look like an old man watching the nightly news?)

a photo taken from a high angle
(no, we did not purchase the sunglasses)

a photo taken from a distance

a photo edited with the camera (Color Accent used)

a photo that was supposed to be focused on the eyes

What do you do to pare down the digital photos you keep of your children?

A snack from Simple Suppers

2011-06-13T19:02:00.000-07:00

We've tried five new recipes so far from Moosewood's Simple Suppers.

Some have been okay, some have been good, and these are great:

Sweet & Spicy Nuts

We're enjoying them right now as we watch the sixth game of the Stanley Cup Finals. In case any of you are planning on watching the Canucks win the seventh game, I thought I'd share the recipe:

1/3 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. ground cardamom
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
pinch of cayenne (optional)
3 cups shelled nuts

Preheat oven to 350. Oil baking sheet. In saucepan on medium-high heat, stir together the first six ingredients and 1/4 cup water. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to simmer and stir until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat, add nuts, and stir until nuts are coated. Spread nuts on baking sheet. Bake until browned, 10 to 15 minutes, stirring once after 6 minutes. Stir again to break any clusters when they're taken out of the oven. Allow nuts to cool. Enjoy!

She was here and then she was gone!

2011-06-11T20:44:00.000-07:00

My sis scheduled a two-day layover in Toronto on her way to Rome. Those two days were busy!

We all took Helena for her first swim. The first fifteen minutes were full of us trying to get a reaction from her and her face simply not changing. But then the tugboat came along and she was suddenly quite interested.

She also liked being a pool babe, hanging out on the side.

Auntie Katie proved to be just as entertaining in reading Brown Bear, Brown Bear as Helena's parents.

An afternoon was spent in downtown Toronto, complete with a walk through U of T and cold drinks - bubble tea for Katie and fresh squeezed sugar cane juice for John. We all liked the bubble tea more.

The two sisters in Toronto had to Skype with their mom & her sister in Bemidji!

High Park rightfully claimed one morning, as the sun was shining and a slight breeze was blowing.

We ended the trip with a memorable eat at Mitzi's, a popular local restaurant. It was memorable for three reasons:
1) a quick count of our money before we ordered because of the priorly unknown rule of "Cash Only"
2) speedy consumption of food, as it took awhile for the food to be prepared and we only had 8 minutes to eat before we needed to jet
3) and good food!

Our apartment was lonely when we got back, Katie. We miss you!

Signs in Toronto

2011-06-10T12:15:00.000-07:00

These always make us smile.

Auntie Katie is here!

2011-06-08T18:45:00.000-07:00

Good morning!

2011-06-07T05:18:00.000-07:00

The Red Rocket

2011-06-03T10:09:00.000-07:00

Toronto has the largest streetcar network in all of North America, and we ride them regularly.

Last weekend tours were being given of one of the stations, so we went.

The tour included a trip through the streetcar wash and a visit into the streetcar garage.

The first Toronto streetcar, a.k.a. Red Rocket! It was beautiful inside with woodwork everywhere.

Inside a streetcar from the 50s. Again, beautiful inside and plush seats.

One of the current Red Rockets. Come visit if you want to ride one!

The unbelievable has happened.

2011-06-02T05:13:00.000-07:00

Watch the video and I'll explain below.

But first, before the explanation, let me tell you a little story. One day during our first year of marriage, John called me at work to say he'd gotten free tickets for a surprise activity that night. He wouldn't tell me what it was but he'd let me guess later. That night we started the drive to downtown St. Paul and the guesses started pouring out: a movie, a musical, a concert, figure skating, etc. At one point I said, "It's not a hockey game, is it? Please, if it's a hockey game I'd rather sit in the car and do my schoolwork." As John wasn't saying yes or no to any of my guesses, it passed. When we arrived at the Xcel Center, I was sure it was figure skating as the jumbotron outside was showing just that. But when we walked in, it was none other than a pro hockey game. That night I occupied myself with people watching.

Back to the video. The video was taken during a game in which the Vancouver Canucks scored in the last few seconds, allowing for an overtime. What you heard was the city's reaction. Now the team has made it to the Stanley Cup finals!

How do the story and video go together? I now call myself a hockey fan, a Vancouver Canucks hockey fan. The unbelievable has happened.

Menus are back!

2011-06-01T07:15:00.000-07:00

Monthly menus haven't been around for awhile. But that doesn't mean we've been eating the same thing over and over again, as the cook of the house would be bored with that.

Instead of monthly themes, I've been working on cooking through a few cookbooks. The main one is Simple Suppers, a relatively new cookbook put out by the famous mostly vegetarian restaurant Moosewood.

This month I'm going to cook at least ten recipes from this cookbook. I'll share the best and keep the worst to myself :)

HUGE

2011-05-31T11:54:00.000-07:00

Check out that carrot! There's a huge barrel of this size carrots at my green grocer. We cut it up and had boiled carrots for dinner - made four large servings!

The circus was in town!

2011-05-30T11:25:00.000-07:00

I'm starting to really enjoy living in a huge city. There are all kinds of free events and festivals going on now that it's summer, and it's simply delightful. We went and saw the circus a couple weekends ago.

Most impressive balloon animal we've ever seen!

The black shirt you see the woman wearing above started on the man at the bottom.

While Helena took a nap, John & I watched the circus troupe above stretch and practice before the big show. Seeing them practice actually made us appreciate their stunts more because we saw how careful & focused they were when the crowd wasn't around. Amazing how those smiles really make the work seem effortless.

He eventually had that ring spinning with his nose about four inches from the floor.

Juggling 5 balls by bouncing them on the floor 10 feet below where he's standing.

The most impressive act was this juggler. At one point he walked up and down the stairs juggling seven - SEVEN - balls by bouncing them on the stairs.

Helena was more interested/bewildered with all the people than with the circus acts. But she'll really enjoy it in a few years!

A Favorite Time of the Day

2011-05-27T18:14:00.000-07:00

Helena's crib is about a foot and a half from my side of the bed. I wouldn't want it any other way, especially in the morning. Here's the current morning routine.

1. I wake up to the sound of suck, suck, suck, suck, suck...

2. As I reach for my glasses, the sucking is interrupted with a pause here and there.

3. I put on my glasses and see someone staring intently at me:

4. I smile - who wouldn't?

5. Helena either smiles back or continues to suck her thumb.

6. As I get out of bed I hear a short shriek and little feet pounding on a mattress.

7. A sweet girl with big grins greets me from the crib.

HOW COULD MORNINGS BE ANY BETTER?

Living in a Small Place

2011-05-23T19:27:00.000-07:00

As you saw here, our home is not what you'd call large. There are times when we really struggle with this, like tonight. The kitchen is overflowing with dirty dishes. The refrigerator door doesn't open all the way due to the radiator being in its way, causing the fridge to be packed to the gills because I can't get very much inside the fruits & veggie drawer. The living room floor, all 10 square feet of it, is covered with baby things. The couch is full of papers & such that used to be on the kitchen table but were removed from there so we could eat dinner. Sigh.

But perspective is everything, right? So I'm going to practice seeing the glass half full and share all the positives of living in a small space.

1) It takes very little time to clean. John & I can have the place spic & span in less than 45 minutes. That's going from the description above to an apartment that has everything put away, swept floors, a clean kitchen and a clean bathroom.

2) It helps us to be content with what we have. Knowing that you'll have to literally find a space to put anything that you buy prevents you from purchasing new things.

3) Not only does it help you be content but it also shows you that you don't need as much as you think. When deciding what would go in our storage unit and what would stay in the apartment, I very carefully packed some boxes to stay in the apartment to be used as an extra counter for the kitchen. We have gotten into those boxes once in the last eight months - to find the clippers for a haircut for John. We've not been in the storage unit at all.

4) It's gotten us closer to the living arrangements of so many others in the world. Closer, yet not there. We're still better off.

Tummy Time Gone Awry

2011-05-22T18:07:00.000-07:00

Helena was having some tummy time today when she spat up. John quickly wiped off the blanket and then thought he should wipe off her chin as well. This is what he found when he picked her up:

Now let it be known that she was perfectly happy with her messy face (otherwise we would not have taken the above photo). It wasn't until John tried to wipe it off that she began to fuss.

She has found it.

2011-05-19T17:06:00.000-07:00

That's right, ladies and gentlemen,
the thumb has been truly discovered.

Salted vs. Unsalted

2011-05-17T18:55:00.000-07:00

As if we weren’t getting enough sodium in our diet already, John has begun to salt his cookies.

Why is he salting the cookies you ask? His wife made cookies last night and used unsalted butter rather than salted. A little thing, you might think, but if that is what you thought, you’d be wrong.

The cookies’ texture looked different immediately and the dough wasn’t as good, but we explained it away with the fact that we hadn’t had them for awhile. But then the first pan came out, we of course sampled, and something had to be done.

Did you know a stick of butter contains 3/4 teaspoon salt? So we did the math, added some salt to the rest of the dough, and presto, Anzacs were delicious again.

High Park in Bloom

2011-05-14T05:05:00.000-07:00

We're blessed to live in a wonderful neighborhood with High Park just blocks away. High Park is the largest park entirely within the city of Toronto, and it's wonderful. We're regulars, if there is such a thing for a park, and lately it's been beautiful.

In the late 1950s, Japan gave the city of Toronto 2,000 Japanese Cherry Blossom trees which were then planted in High Park. When spring (finally) arrives, the park is covered with blossoms above and photographers below!

Our fam went on Mother's Day and then my Mom's Group visited on Wednesday.

Wish you could be here to enjoy the beauty!

A Reminder of Venice

2011-05-12T17:36:00.000-07:00

St. Mark's Square in Venice had one thing that really intrigued me.

It wasn't the beautiful architecture of the Byzantine Basilica.

It wasn't the fact that in certain areas everyone walked on raised walkways due to flooding.

No, it was the sheer number of pigeons. I can honestly say that the pigeon is one animal I wish did not exist. They're simply gross. And what was crazy in St. Mark's was some people covered themselves in bread crumbs (I'm guessing there) and then would walk into the pigeons. The birds would then land ALL OVER THEM and then pictures would be taken. No, these people were not paid to do this; they were tourists. And they wanted a picture of themselves covered in pigeons. SO DISGUSTING.

Well, I got pooped on by a pigeon today. Yuck.

Mother's Day

2011-05-10T17:19:00.000-07:00

I really liked Mother's Day.

Not because of the delicious parfait that I was served in bed.
And not because we got this photo of Helena's sweet little smile.

Not because John & Helena both gave me "tulips" (or so John thought...).

Not because of the beautiful cherry blossom trees in High Park.
And not because I got to introduce Helena to their texture.

Not because of the delicious green mango salad that I got to eat.

But because I'm a mom and I have the most wonderful daughter.

Tummy Time

2011-05-04T17:09:00.000-07:00

Helena had not been fond of tummy time.
So we had to really bribe her.

But she's doing better now.

As a matter of fact, she's doing so well now that
she gets to face forward in the Snugli.

There are so many more reasons to stay awake
when you can see the world!

Scarborough Bluffs

2011-05-01T16:56:00.000-07:00

We went on a bit of a hiatus but now we're officially back into exploring Toronto and the surrounding area! First adventure with Helena - Scarborough Bluffs.

The erosion of the bluffs is extremely obvious but we stuck to safe places and enjoyed the view.

But after five minutes, the cold wind got to us so we left. But how does one rectify a trip across the city for just five minutes of fun?

Make a stop at the local donut shop. As you can tell, Helena thought it was all worthwhile.

Maybe you all have a life...

2011-05-01T13:07:00.000-07:00

...or I must have really fooled all of you, since no one made a guess as to what the flat stuff is on John's sandwich. (Thanks to Erinn, though, for her comment!)

Anyways, the current sandwich of choice for John is one that includes smoked tofu. That's right. TOFU. We've been eating it for awhile in stir-fries. But last week we went to a farmer's market where gourmet tofu was being sold. Many of you are probably thinking - gourmet tofu? How can anything like that be gourmet? But this stuff is different than what you buy at the grocery store.

(Ignore this paragraph if you have no interest in tofu.) Legend goes that tofu was accidentally made when a Chinese cook was seasoning pureed soybean with sea salt. Sea salt contains Nigari, a coagulant, and the Nigari made the soybean turn into a flavorful curd - tofu! Tofu became a staple in Chinese diets. But when tofu began to be made by machines rather than by hand, calcium sulphate and calcium chloride were replaced for the Nigari.

We can say firsthand that this gourmet tofu is SO MUCH BETTER! We got some that was marinated in sweet & sour sauce and had it in a stir-fry. Delicious. John also chose the smoked tofu variety, which has the taste of bacon. In his opinion, it's better fried than not. Below is his current favorite: the TST - Tofu, spinach, & tomato sandwich.

In my opinion, if I'm going to eat something that tastes like meat, might as well eat meat. So I'm avoiding the smoked tofu and eating one of my favorite sandwiches, a grilled cheese on cinnamon raisin bread.

Care to make a guess?

2011-04-29T16:31:00.000-07:00

As summer approaches, our appetite for good sandwiches increases. We'll share two delicious sandwiches on Sunday, but first, does anyone want to make a guess for what is on this sandwich, a current favorite of John's?

Bending the rules???

2011-04-28T16:42:00.000-07:00

My husband is always game for a good deal.

When he was a kid, the Twins had the deal that children were free; children were defined as ones who were carried in to the stadium, not by an age limit. John let his dad carry him in until he was 10!

So last night we went to Baskin-Robbins to partake in their 31-cent scoop night. While John & Helena waited in line, I had decided to get one Pralines & Cream scoop and one Jamocha Almond Fudge scoop. Then we parents switched spots.

John had been planning on getting three scoops, but when his wife told him to read the fine print (limit of two), he came up with a plan. He'd get vanilla and chocolate, and Helena would get Brownie Madness and Cookies & Cream.

Yes, he bought Helena, a near three-month old, her first ice cream last night.

Did she enjoy the ice cream?

You be the judge.

Old McDonald had a Zoo

2011-04-27T08:03:00.000-07:00

And in that zoo he had a lion, E-I-E-I-O!

(remember to turn up your volume)

What a great reaction, huh?

Whose glass is whose?

2011-04-26T15:53:00.000-07:00

We don't have a dishwasher, so we try to minimize dishes. But there's the ever-present question:

Is this your glass or mine?

There are all kinds of solutions out there that you can purchase, but may I make a suggestion? Rubber bands! My mother-in-law came up with this while visiting in March, and it has been working great. So get out those rubber bands and save on those dishes!

Happy Easter!

2011-04-24T17:34:00.000-07:00

It's interesting how having a child causes you to read the Bible differently. I've always thought about how hard it was for Jesus to have his Father not answer him when he called out on the cross. But on this Good Friday I was struck with how hard it was for God to not answer him.

God saw Jesus's disciples fall asleep, even though Jesus had asked them to pray because he was "sorrowful to the point of death." Then a disciple turned him in for money, all the other disciples abandoned him, and then the crowds that cheered a week earlier called for his murder. And then He, Jesus's Father, had to not answer when Jesus called out in wonder "Why have you forsaken me?"

I have a hard enough time not picking up Helena from the crib when she first whimpers! God's action, or perhaps better put lack of action, really shows the importance of what was happening and His love for us.

Two Questions

2011-04-21T19:38:00.000-07:00

Question #1: When will it end?

It = this weather. This cold, damp, windy weather. We were on the University of Toronto's campus today and everyone was wearing warm coats, hats, mittens, scarves, etc. Winter clothes. So strange to think that school is over for the summer when it feels and looks like the fall!

Question #2: Do you have this problem?

Plain yogurt. I can only find it in large containers in the grocery store, but I buy it anyways because it makes such a delicious addition to certain Indian recipes. But then there is all the extra that I never know what to do with it.

With the help of allrecipes.com, I now have the answer:

Strawberry Smoothies.

We discovered the recipe on one of 2011's two glorious 70 degree days. Now we're enjoying the smoothies when we pretend that it's wonderful outside.

Fat Rob Burger

2011-04-18T04:53:00.000-07:00

There's been talk that the Skinny Pukeko might need a partner restaurant in order to attract everyone. Skinny Pukeko would attract the more health-conscious and less meat-conscious customers while the other restaurant would do the opposite. So far no partnership has been made, but we have discovered what would be one of the specials on his menu.

The Fat Rob Burger: A beef burger with bacon inside, along with bacon and the delicious addition of a sautéed Granny Smith apple on top.

The future restauranteur's father's review: This is one of the most delicious burgers I've ever had, and I don't say that lightly.

The Events of Helena's First Vacation

2011-04-15T15:01:00.000-07:00

Helena had an extremely exciting two-month birthday with her first long car trip, first trip to a different country, first airplane ride, and first time meeting some of her Minnesota family. But that was just the beginning of the fun!

Her cousins threw a tea party in honor of Helena.

Her Grandpa and Nana Lynni met her.

She played with her closest girl cousin, Mary Elise (6 months).

Helena reconnected with her Grandma.

Her cousins compared their big feet with Helena's little feet.

Her cousin Sophia gave Helena the cutest hat which she had made by herself! Helena really does wear it happily, unlike most of her other hats!

She took naps with her Uncle Rob.

Helena made a visit to her Papa's office.

She was introduced to and lovingly held by her great-grandmother Mutti.

Helena was thoroughly entertained with her Uncle Rob's antics.

Believe it or not, her Papa dressed her and even changed her diaper multiple times!

Helena modeled the bonnet her Nani wore when she was a baby.

It was a great first vacation!

It's good to be back.

2011-04-14T16:49:00.000-07:00

What a great vacation we had. Helena met all kinds of people and did a great job traveling.

But one person was missing - her daddy. We had nine long days without him. But now we're back, and the fun that goes with being around John has begun again. Like listening to stand-up comedy jokes from Lila the Lamb :)

A photo-filled post of the trip coming soon...

My Favorite Canadian

2011-03-29T17:13:00.000-07:00

Just in case I ruffled anyone's feathers, remember that I've got a Canadian to look out for now!