The joy of cooking

I remember learning to cook at a really young age. My mom and I took part in a "kinder-cooking" class at the school by our house when I was about four years old. I actually still have the mimeographed cookbooks from those classes and I still remember stirring the concoction that would become quiche Lorraine. I also remember dumping that concoction all over the table, but hey, I was only four!

A few weeks ago I decided to introduce Abner to the joys of baking. I got everything prepared and measured out ahead of time (smart idea) and stood her up on a chair next to me at the counter to make my all-time favorite: cheddar dill muffins.

The pictures you see below capture the roughly 30 seconds that Abner was actually in to the whole thing. Once we had the dry ingredients blended, she was done. I only got to teach her half of the muffin method - she missed mixing all the wet ingredients separately and adding them to the dry ingredients! Still so much to learn!

The muffins turned out great in the end. Maybe next time we'll get to those wet ingredients.

Fun at the P-L-A-Y-G-R-O-U-N-D

We spell a lot of things around here these days - it's the only way to talk without Abner figuring out what we're talking about. Even if she hears the P-word, she goes on and on about "paygound" for ages! Here are a few pics from recent stops at some local paygounds.

One scary holiday, two silly costumes

As a raging sugar fan, I absolutely love Halloween. As much as I loved the holiday as a kid, I am now convinced that it is even better as an adult - especially as an adult with a small child who is too young to eat her own candy!

After the cuteness of Abner's first Halloween, I was really looking forward to dressing her up this year. I picked up adorable costume #1 from a colleague at work. It didn't last long, but while she was in it, Abner was a very cute little singing frog.

Apparently after about 10 minutes at daycare, she got tired of wearing it and ripped the thing off - destroying the zipper in the process....which brings us to adorable costume #2...a bee (ha!)

Check out the cutie-pitutie stinger!

We opted to join our neighbours and head to the nearby mall for our first taste of trick-or-treating. Let me tell you, we won't be doing that again. Take the madness of Boxing Day shopping, shrink everyone down to knee level, jack them up on candy and you pretty much have a picture of what it's like to be at the mall on Halloween. Crowded and crazy though it was, it was still a blast. The girls were adorable.

After the mall, I joined up with some other friends for some more traditional trick-or-treating around their neighbourhood. Little Abner got so much loot her bag was overflowing and I had to stuff treats into my pockets and use the sling I'd brought along to carry her in to stash all the bags of potato chips!

And now, here we are two days later and most of the candy is gone. I am already looking forward to next year.

A budding romance perhaps?

Cole: "Hiya Abner!"
Abner: "Oh hi Cole. Funny bumping into you here. You're looking rather dashing standing there right by that stick."

Abner: "Here Cole, there's a little something in your eye...let me just lean in here and get that for you."

Abner: "Now how about a little hug for my troubles?!"

Cole: "I'm sorry Abner, I just don't feel that way about you. Back off! I need my own space."

Cole: "Moooommmmyyyyy, Abner touched me!!!"
Abner: "What? Did I do it wrong?"

The rules of walking

Before having kids, a store one block away could easily be reached in a couple of minutes. Heck, if you really hustled, you could probably make it in under one. It was easy to budget your time to get from point A to point B back when the only feet that mattered were your own.

Now that kids are in the picture, all bets are off. That five minute stroll could take ten minutes. It could take 30. It all depends on what fascinating obstacles lie in your path.

Abner loves to get out for a good stroll so I am learning very quickly about the unwritten rules that seem to apply to one-year-olds out for a walk:

1. All leaves must be picked up and inspected. If deemed worthy, said leaf will be carried for an indeterminate amount of time.
   
   


2. It doesn't matter if your parents are walking in one direction, you must run in the opposite direction at any cost.
3. Whenever your parents try to put you in the stroller, you must scream at the top of your lungs and be as stiff as a board (at least until they give you a Mum-Mum - then you may go back to your usual pleasant self)
4. The bigger hurry your parents are in, the slower you must walk.
   
   


5. You must stoop down and point out each and every single scrap of garbage along the way.
6. It is not enough to simply point out particularly special scraps of garbage; those must be picked up and handed to mommy or daddy.
7. Take pleasure in holding mommy or daddy's hand whenever possible, unless you are approaching a busy street. Then, you must avoid holding hands at all cost.
8. If your parents bring along your stroller, you must insist on walking. However, if your parents do not bring the stroller, you must refuse to walk and insist that they carry you instead.
   
   


9. Memorize every single playground in your neighbourhood and be sure to let your parents know if you are even remotely near one of them when you're out for a walk.
10. If there is a puddle near your path, or any other body of water for that matter, you simply must indulge in a little splashing.

Some words about words

Abner is becoming quite the talker. She must be up at about 40 words by now. I have no idea if this is a lot for her age, but it seems quite a lot to me. Each word she adds to her rapidly expanding repertoire brings a smile to my lips. Mono-syllabic or otherwise, each one is an accomplishment worthy of a little cheer.

To date these are the ones she's mastered: bee, bum, shoes, hi, mum, mama, dada, done, baby, knee, up, down, again, back pack, coco (cookie), bed, phone, sit down, apple, nana (banana), cheese, gramma, grampa, me, dat (that), table, bumbo, milk, more, out, soo-soo (soother), car, house, hot, pee-pee, chair, pea, bye-bye, go, ball, boat, book, and a bunch of names (her cousins, daycare lady and a few friends' names).

What amazes me most is how few of these are true baby talk. She doesn't just shorten regular words or just use the first letter instead of the whole word. For the most part, she's able to enunciate and clearly state the word she's saying. But perhaps that's just my Mommy Interpreter kicking in.

Last weekend, she learned the best word yet - her own name.

We'd been working on it for ages and she could handle each part of it on its own, but stubbornly refused to connect the two. All of a sudden the light bulb went on the other day while she was in the bath and she put the pieces together all by herself --"Ah-bee".

Seriously, there's nothing cuter than hearing your child say her own name for the first time.

I ♥ Pt. Roberts

I have a special place in my heart for Pt. Roberts, Washington. Our extended family owns a cottage there and is kind enough to let us use it on a regular basis.

Why do I love it so much though? Well, I vaguely remember going there as a kid, it was the first place Abner ever slept through the night, and many an afternoon has been spent with family and friends playing games out on the lawn or huddled in the, how shall we say, "vintage" trailer enjoying delicious meals.

It's also a handy little place to go for a weekend getaway, which is exactly what we did for Labour Day weekend.

Part of the beauty of the place is that there is not much to do. Just sit, relax, re-read the stack of Reader's Digests that have been in the cottage since 1970 or so, and throw a few stones in the ocean. With not a lot of toys to play with or any of our usual entertainment items from home, we had to get crafty to keep Abner entertained and out of trouble. Thankfully, our trusty picnic blankets did the trick.

Place baby on blanket. Wrap up and grab all four corners. Commence spinning.

Can't even begin to describe how much Abner enjoyed this game. She actually began squealing with delight.

Even though the weather report was calling for rain and the sky looked rather ominous, we lucked out and managed to stay dry the whole weekend. We did come prepared for the worst though...

Abner is not such a fan of rain boots but is oh so adorable in her rain suit. N'est-ce pas?

Not quite so lame-o buffet anymore

Remember this buffet? Yeah. Okay. It was so boring and plain, you probably forgot about it. It's okay. I understand.

With it looming in my face every day, I couldn't forget about it. After months of talking about fixing it up, I finally went at it with a spray can of chalkboard paint. Fifteen minutes later...voila!

Super quick. Super easy. Super fun.

If you want to try this yourself, I recommend against spray paint - though very easy to apply (cramped up claw hand aside) I think a brushed on finish would look a bit more like a real chalkboard. This stuff came out quite glossy and made me feel like I'd just painted my cupboard with plain old boring black paint.

Also very important is starting with a very smooth surface. I neglected to do any sanding before I started and the result is a slightly rough chalkboard that eats chalkboard brushes in no time flat. It's a bit better now that we've used it a bit and worn down the roughness, but it's probably better to start with a smooth surface in the first place.

I still plan to paint the rest of it, change out the feet and find new knobs. For now, I am simply enjoying having a place to doodle. Abner is enjoying having a place to rub her hands all over and then wipe them on her clothes.

Lessons learned from recent vacation

We're just back from a vacation in the West Kootney region of BC (that'd be almost the south east corner of the province if you're wondering). It really was an amazing trip. The weather was beautiful, we saw lots of wildlife, hung out with plenty of great family and met some great new folks as well. Here are a few important lessons from our trip I thought I'd share with you all:

1. Always check your chosen restaurant's washroom to ensure suitable baby changing facilities. Failure to do so may result in your meal being interrupted in order to change your baby on the bathroom floor in the handicap stall right between the toilet and -- even better -- the toilet brush. To make matters even more interesting, your baby may decide to stick her foot/shoe right into her freshly removed poopy diaper.


2. While enjoying the scenic walks in your chosen vacation spot, ensure your child is adequately restrained in their stroller. The footrest portion of your stroller does not provide adequate restraint. Allowing your child to ride there may result in them taking a face-first header to the ground. Fortunately, you will not easily forget this rule since the resulting forehead and nose scabs will remind you on a daily basis for approximately the next week.



3. Allowing your child to climb stairs is a fantastic way to keep them entertained while exploring your chosen destination spot. However, you may want to stop them at some point before their knees turn bloody.



4. Kids swimming naked in a creek is cute. Cleaning the sand from their butt afterward...much less so.



5. Simply driving past a Dairy Queen is not a good excuse to consume a large cherry milkshake every day. Sorry to be the bearer of such sad news.


6. Driving most of the way across the province is a great way to share the beauty of your country with your child. The impact is lessened if they sleep 3/4 of the way.

Abner's first brain freeze

During the recent heat wave that blanketed our region for far too long recently, Abner got a taste of her first popsicle. Hilarity and cuteness ensued...

Riiiiiip

Oh my. My never-ending quilt project has taken a turn for the worst. Actually, it took a turn for the worse about six months ago, I just never got around to mentioning it to you all.

My approach was to sew all of my fabric into one long strip, cut even lengths and then sew those together to make up the main quilt. Unfortunately, that is not exactly what I did and the resulting mess has been sitting neglected across the back of a couch ever since.

The lengths of strips I cut were all different lengths so the edges of the quilt are completely uneven - by about eight inches from one side to the other.

To make it even worse, I sewed each strip together in exactly the same direction and somehow the resulting quilt now curves quite noticeably.

Bottom line is, I can no longer ignore this quilting catastrophe. The magic quilting fairies will not be showing up anytime soon to fix my mistakes. So as of this evening - I'm ripping the strips apart to start all over again.

Yesterday was a VERY big day 'round here

Much of this blog has been dedicated to the accomplishments of the smallest member of the family: the first step, the first word, first attempts at sitting up, first...you get the idea. Well, yesterday it was Daddy's turn to do something remarkable, out of the ordinary and truly monumental. Yesterday was Thesis Defense Day.

That's right folks: Six years of reading, writing, editing, transcribing, case studying, and drinking far too much coffee have come to an end. TDSH is now Dr. TDSH! Has a nice ring to it, don't you think?

For those of you not familiar with the finer points of a thesis defense, the event starts with a 20-minute presentation by the candidate, two rounds of questioning by the committee (in this case, five people who took 15 minutes each for the first round and then five minutes each for the second), and questions from the audience (it's open to the public - just to add another layer of cruelty to the event) before the candidate and audience are kicked out of the room for deliberations. After that, only the candidate is invited back to hear the verdict.

At first I wasn't going to join in the fun, opting instead to take the day off work and spend the morning biting my nails from the comfort of my own couch. But when TDSH specifically asked me to be there, I couldn't say no.

I'd have to say that this is probably as close as I'll get to experiencing the helpless feeling that fathers must get while watching their wives go through labour.

He did a fantastic job of the presentation and handled what I thought were rather challenging questions with ease. To say that I am proud of him is a complete understatement.

I managed to snap a few pics of the lovely thesis defense room before everything got started.

We're both so glad the experience is over. All that's left to do is make some minor revisions and submit the thing to the library (which I hear some students find more difficult to accomplish than the defense itself!)

So, know of anyone looking to hire a recent graduate with expertise in sustainable community development? If you do, please post their contact info in the comments section ;-)

DIY: Up-cycled t-shirt skirt

See this cute little skirt? Believe it or not, it used to be one of my t-shirts. Now, it's a cutie-pitutie little skirt that Abner loves!

I've had a stack of old t-shirts languishing in my craft cupboard for months without any ideas about what to do with them. It always seems such a waste to get rid of t-shirts that are in perfectly good shape, but just don't seem to fit right. I'm proud to say I thought this pattern up all on my own and sat down the other evening to whip one up after work.

Ten whole minutes later, I had this cute little skirt on this cute little girl...

Front view:

Back/side view:

If you wish to make one for your little sweetie, here are the super simple steps...

1. Figure out how long the skirt needs to be; either measure your child or use an existing skirt as a guide.
2. Take that measurement and add approximately 1.5 inches for the waistband.
3. Measuring up from the finished hem of your previously-loved t-shirt, mark your measurement.
4. Cut the t-shirt at the line you just marked. [I found it helpful to fold the t-shirt vertically a few times before cutting. Knit material is a pain to work with, so making a shorter cut is easier than trying to stay in line for a longer cut.]
5. Fold the unfinished edge in about .5 inches and then about 1 inch again to make a channel for the elastic waistband, pinning in place as you go.
6. With the wrong side out, sew the bottom edge of the channel being sure to leave about 1 inch open in order to feed in the elastic later on.
7. Make a second line of stitching just along the top edge of the waistband channel (i.e. about 1-2 mm from the top of the skirt). For whatever reason, that stitching will ensure the elastic won't fold over down the road.
8. Measure your child around the waist and add about 1.5 inches to your measurement. Cut your elastic to length and attach a safety pin to one end and feed it through the channel. [I used 1-inch elastic for this skirt.]
9. Overlap the ends of the elastic and stitch securely together.
10. Even out the gathering on the waistband and stitch up the opening you left earlier.

That's it! You're done. Pretty easy, eh?

Bad day? Not anymore...

Ten things no newish parent should be without

For some time now, I've wanted to do a post about items that, as a newish parent, I can't live without. I'm not talking about doing a post along the lines of "I don't know what I'd do without my Ergo Baby Carrier!" or "No parent should be without a BOB Revolution stroller" [Though both those statements are true in my opinion] or the typical "Before baby arrives lists" (i.e. you'll need to get 10 onsies, 3 pairs of socks, 4 hats...) Lists like that are a dime a dozen on the Internet.

No, I want to write a post about all those indispensible little items that get you through the day as a parent, but no one thought to give you at your baby shower. So without further ado, here are my...

TEN THINGS NO NEWISH PARENT SHOULD BE WITHOUT (in no particular order [though if I had to pick, I'd say number 1, 8 and 10 are pretty important])

1. OxiClean Baby: Babies pooh lots. It leaks. 'nuf said.
2. IKEA washcloths: Babies make messes out the other end too. These come in a pack of ten -- buy two. Also useful for milk sprayage, so buy three.
3. Internet access: Keeps you sane through those early days and is very helpful for keeping relatives abreast of the latest developments. YouTube can also be good for entertaining particularly fussy babies ['cause watching the computer isn't nearly as bad as sitting them infront of the TV now is it?]
4. A phone: Not for the reason you'd think. Yes, it's also useful for keeping relatives abreast of the latest developments, but it makes an even better toy. Extra points if your phone will play music instead of just beep when you press the buttons.
5. Pampered Chef prep bowls: Once your child starts eating solid foods, you learn the frustration that is a toddler's appetite. In my experience, meals get started, but rarely finished so the containers come in handy for the eight million leftovers that continually cycle through the fridge.
6. Remote control: 'cause I've never met a baby who didn't love 'em.
7. Baby Tylenol: We swore we'd never use the stuff...then Abner had her first fever.
8. Soap: Lots and lots of soap. I've never washed my hands more than since becoming a parent. Seriously considering investing in Lever.
9. Straws: Useful for making rehydration a little easier in those early days of breastfeeding when it was really a hands-on affair. Also good for hours of entertainment for the little one - it's helpful that they are so easy to find (try any Starbucks) when you're out and about and realize that your child just dropped the only toy you brought along for the day about six blocks back.
10. Bathroom scale: Not so you can obsess over those last 10 pounds of baby weight, but so you can toss it in front of the baby and, ahem, 'do your business' in peace. Digital scales are particularly good since they have numbers that light up for added entertainment value. Be sure to store the scale within arms reach of the toilet or it will be no good to you!

There you have it. All you new parents out there can thank me later.

Hairdresser, you ain't!

Daycare Lady makes us pull Abner's hair back every day. So each morning Abner and I sit down on the couch and she watches a few moments of TV while I get the job done.

A few weeks ago, TDSH kindly offered to give it a try and as you can see from the photo - Abner was as horrified as I was at the thought.

It started out so promising...she sat still for the most part...

Even had a smile on her face as TSDH tugged at her hair, mumbling something about getting the clippers under his breath.

Sadly, our worst fears were confirmed...an almost-PhD in Geography does not prepare one to do hair.

More wonderful outings

I have been quite remiss in posting about our family's outings lately. Please bare with me while I play a bit of catch-up here...

Back in mid-June we went on a little jaunt to Maplewood Farm in North Van. This is the kind of place that is so well hidden, you wouldn't even know existed if you didn't have kids of your own. They have all kinds of farm animals to look at including miniature horses - they're Abner's size! You probably can't tell from these photos, but we decked Abner out in her best farmer outfit just for the occasion: overalls and her farm shirt from H&M.

You can even get right in the enclosure with the goats - just be sure your shirt is tucked in or it'll be lunch for one of the goats.

Abner really liked petting this little one. She kept working her hands into the soft fur [for those of you who are cringing at the thought of all the germs, there are handwashing stations set up throughout the farm].

We probably spent about two hours there in total, including a stop to feed Abner and a rather informative milking demonstration with Farmer Jim [very surreal to watch a milking demonstration when you are a breastfeeding mother who pumps on occasion].

After the farm, we popped over to the Seymour Golf Club for a friendly game of minigolf. Even though I haven't played minigolf in many, many years, and had a 22 lb baby strapped to my back, I still managed to kick TDSH's butt...by one stroke.

Note to other parents who are considering mini golf with a baby on their backs - make sure you get a putter with a very long handle, otherwise you'll ruin your back.

We also recently took Abner on her first real hike. We picked a rather tame one to start out with: Minnekada Regional Park in PoCo. We chose a route that would take less than two hours: long enough to feel like we accomplished something, but short enough that we could motor back if need be.

In addition to the wonderful scenery, we saw lots of snakes, toads and quite a bit of bear scat. There are signs up in the area warning of bears, but we had our very own little bear bell: Abner was rather fussy and skwaked most of the way.

I'm very pround to say I managed the whole thing with Abner on my back! We got lots of comments from fellow hikers who were always surprised to see a baby on the trail. We did let Abner down at one point to do a bit of walking herself, but she would have none of it.

At the end of the trail we sat down in the parking lot to have a bit of lunch before getting back in the car. Now that we know she can handle a few hours on the trail, I'm sure we'll be heading to the mountains a lot more.

Mommy's little stripper

Abner was so proud of herself the other day when she figured out how to take her own shirt off...

No matter how many times I look at that last shot, I still crack up laughing. Oh...and you'll notice she's walking on her own in these shots! She finally started doing it in mid-June.