maureen's blog

Shocking!

2011-05-01T07:31:00.000-07:00

Never would have guessed there were this many addidtives...

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kristin-wartman/food-additives_b_853751.html

"Based on the anecdotal information I see in my client's food journals, people eating processed and packaged foods are taking in exorbitant amounts of artificial ingredients and additives. Typically, a client will say something like, "I eat a bowl of cereal with low-fat milk, have yogurt for a snack, and a Subway sandwich for lunch." While this sounds relatively harmless, here's what it might actually look like based on some popular "health food" items:

One serving of Kellogg's Fiber Plus Antioxidants Berry Yogurt Crunch contains more than 13 different additives, preservatives, and food dyes, including Red 40 and Blue 1, which are known to cause allergic reactions in some people and mutations leading to cancer in lab animals. It also contains BHT, monoglycerides, and cellulose gum. In addition, conventional milk often contains residues of artificial bovine growth hormones, known endocrine disruptors as well as antibiotics used in industrial milk production.

Dannon Light & Fit Peach yogurt contains more than 11 different additives including Red 40, aspartame, potassium sorbate, sucralose, and acesulfame potassium.

A Subway sandwich of turkey and cheese on nine-grain bread with fat-free honey mustard, peppers, and pickles contains more than 40 different additives, preservatives, and dyes. The pickles and peppers have yellow 5 and polysorbate 80, the bread has ten different additives including dough conditioners, DATEM, and sodium stearoyl lactylate, and the turkey contains ten additives as well.

The person in this example has consumed more than 60 food additives eating breakfast, a small snack, and lunch alone, to say nothing of dinner, dessert, further snacking and drinks. Consumers Union's Dr. Hansen told me, "I wouldn't be surprised if it were up to 100 additives or more that people are taking in on a daily basis.""

What we're reading...

2011-04-25T09:54:00.000-07:00

DOG LOVES BOOKS by Louise Yates

THE PENCIL by Allan Ahlberg and Bruce Ingman

Recycling VHS tapes

2011-04-18T09:44:00.000-07:00

Here is a great article in Metro News from a great column by Queen of Green, Lindsay Coulter. I actually wrote in with this question. No, I haven't moved to Port Moody. Not sure why she thought I lived there as I had said "Vancouver". Anyhow, here is the scoop: http://www.metronews.ca/toronto/comment/article/835130--what-to-do-with-those-old-vhs-tapes

Our current favorite author...

2011-04-14T21:08:00.000-07:00

http://www.cressidacowell.co.uk

mls addict

2011-04-14T20:50:00.000-07:00

When I have more important things to do, like my taxes, I love to browse on mls. We could be living in a mansion near Burnaby Lake for just over 1 million. It seems like a lot of money to someone in Leduc, AB or Halifax, Nova Scotia but if you saw what neighbour's house looks like and she sold it for 1. 255 you will understand my disbelief. A part of me thinks, sell your shack and upgrade. You'll still be living by water. It won't be the ocean but lakes are nice too. Then I think, of gawd, how long would it take to clean a house that is 4,408 sqft? How much additional furniture and things would I need to aquire to fill that vacuous space. Imagine all the DUSTING! I could just see Coco sitting in her room, listening to "How To Train Your Dragon" on CD (It is awesome!) for hours on end and I wouldn't see her all day. Hazel would be off in the west wing, trying on everything in her closet and I would be dusting in the east wing. Weird.

Very interesting

2011-04-14T20:11:00.000-07:00

I love politics but I think I might love psychology more and definitely sociology.

I thought it was pretty fascinating that everyone forgot that Premiere Gordon Campbell was a convicted DRUNK DRIVER and voted him in for one more term.

This taken from wikipedia "In January 2003, Campbell was arrested and pled no contest for driving under the influence of alcohol while vacationing in Hawaii. According to court records Campbell's blood-alcohol level was more than twice the legal limit. In Hawaii, drunk driving is only a misdeamour, in Canada it is a Criminal Code offence. As is customary in the United States, Campbell's mugshot was provided to the media by Hawaiian police. The image has proved to be a lasting personal embarrassment, frequently used by detractors and opponents. Campbell was fined $913 (US) and the court ordered him to take part in a substance abuse program, and to be assessed for alcoholism. A national anti-drinking and driving group, Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) Canada called for Campbell to resign."

Now we are having another election in Canada and everyone has really forgotten about the sponsorship scandal under the Liberals. Basically, advertising agencies supporting the Liberal Party received grossly inflated commissions for their services. We spent a lot of money on a commission to basically ascertain that advertising agencies supporting the Liberal Party received grossly inflated commissions for their services. I guess to say the Liberal party is corrupt is a very controversial thing. That was then, this is now.

Sunday = Birthday party

2011-04-09T11:39:00.000-07:00

Bizarrely we just got invited to another Sunday afternoon birthday party which will make 4 in a row for Coco and Hazel was invited to three of them. My friend is doing an echoage party. http://www.echoage.com/.

Check it out. You donate money to a charity and half goes to the kids birthday gift which they pick out. No shopping, etc.

What we're reading...

2011-03-27T20:05:00.000-07:00

ME, ALL ALONE AT THE END OF THE WORLD. By M.T. Anderson, Illustrated by Kevin Hawkes
- The message in this book is truly great and very simple. I just loved it and I think Coco got it. Who needs Constantine Shimmer's Galvano-Magical End of the World Tours. Fun all the time!" when you have nature. Will definitely be tracking down more books by this author.

MY PENGUIN OSBERT By Elizabeth Cody Kimmel, illustrated by H.B. Lewis
- I loved the writing in this book. Top notch illustrations.

What we're reading...

2011-03-19T08:30:00.000-07:00

STAND TALL MOLLY LOU MELON by Patty Lovell, illustrated by David Gatrow.
* adorable little girl who gets some excellent advice from her Grandma and stands up to a bully

DAYS LIKE THIS, A COLLECTION OF SMALL POEMS
by Simon James
* Love the illustrations!

WE WERE TIRED OF LIVING IN A HOUSE
By Liesel Muak Skorpen, illustrated by Jow Cepeda
* came recommended from a friend. it really is a good one on relationships, poignant ending

We are searching for My Many Colored Days, another recommendation

2011-03-18T20:35:00.001-07:00

Went to the COSTCO in Richmond the other day. It was shocking. They have way more stuff than the one in downtown Vancouver. But what was really bizarre was the massive jar of "Dried Pork Fluff" from Taiwan. It sounds kinda not appetizing and believe me it looked really unconsumable. I am now wondering what it is used for and if I have consumed it before, unknowingly.

Hazel's music class at West Point Grey Community Center is over. It was an okay class but no one really sang except me and the teacher. I knew a lot fo the songs but I'm English speaking so that helps. The teacher didn't give out song sheets which could have been beneficial. I recommend Music Together because you get CDs of the music and singing is encouraged.

Spring break!

2011-03-18T20:33:00.000-07:00

We're on Spring Break! Two weeks. We are hoping to do a lot so we'll see what happens. Plans so far are a trip to the Vancouver Art Gallery, two skating lessons to go, one ballet lesson and a trip to the UBC Botanical Gardens.

2011-03-18T20:30:00.000-07:00

Lindsay Coulter writes a great column for the Metro News. I have a question for her on recycling VHS tapes so I've been checking her column. Came across this interesting column on formaldehyde in no-iron shirts. I sort of knew there was something wrong with them (and no iron sheets). This confirms it!

http://www.metronews.ca/toronto/comment/article/801310--a-nasty-ingredient-in-no-iron-shirts

Great speaker

2011-03-11T20:27:00.000-08:00

H does parent participation preschool (there are actually four near us! ) and what is great (which I didn't think I would like) is the speakers. Every month at our meetings a speaker comes in to talk about preschool children.

This month we had the author of the book "It's Not A Plot To Drive You Crazy".

She suggested creating a badge for your child to wear that reads "I Dressed Myself Today" if your child's weird colour combination choices drive you crazy.

She says "Parenting is about building a fantastic relationship with your child". Very true.

She says if your kids are fighting you can say "You've shown me that you can't play well together" so you can discipline them with a separation until they are ready to get along. She says "timeouts" don't work as there is no discipline. It is just a punishment. She is very big on discipline. You could also say something like "You've shown me that today is not a good day for crayons" if he/she was writing on the wall or something. Then take the crayons away until the next day.

She also suggests putting a sign on your fridge that says "In this family we are kind and gentle" and having a meeting to discuss this then pointing to sign for reference when things go wrong. We often say to the girls "In this family we share", which seems to work often.

She says don't put "okays" and "alrights" at the end of sentences (a thing we can do sometimes) as it sounds like the child gets a choice. When you think about, this one is very true!

Use eye contact for POSITIVE MESSAGES. Your child needs attention so they will fill their "bucket" up however they can get it.

She also says children (esp 2 year olds) are not naughty. They are just exploring their world.

I'd like to try this but...

2011-02-28T21:09:00.000-08:00

There is a house a few blocks away that, rumour has it, contains no plastic toys.

The two children play with toys. They just have toys made out of other things such as wood or cotton. Toys you would be proud to pass on to your friend's kids, your nephews, the salvation army, .

Alas, we have My Little Pony and My Little Pet Shop to name a few. The girls like them.

In an ideal world, they too would only have wooden toys and cotton dolls and wool balls. I would have to rip birthday party loot bags out of their hands which I have been tempted to do.

The girls also like their wooden cash register. So I am striving for more natural, less plastic. Can we do it?

Here is a great website for natural toys: http://www.naturalpod.com

Quick raspberry and banana ice cream

2011-02-28T13:15:00.000-08:00

I want to try this recipe:

2 cups frozen raspberries
2 bananas, chopped and frozen
1 cup vanilla pudding (from instant pudding mix)

Place in bowl and food process until smooth.
serve immediately with fresh raspberries.

kale chips

2011-02-28T13:09:00.000-08:00

The kids weren't crazy about these but Bruce and I loved them.

Break kale into bite-sized pieces, sprinkle with olive oil and bake for 10 mins at 375 F.

grrrrrrrrr....

2011-02-20T13:38:00.000-08:00

We are about to be living next to a construction site. Let's just hope the people have some taste. Not like the massive, ugly, lot hogging house across the street. Let's not build a garage and instead make the house massive and barn-like. Hey let's even paint it barn red.

Anyway, enough about the uninspiring renovation across the street. My neighbour sold her house. It went for $67,000 above what she was asking. It is a cute, one story with basement. I like it that way as we get some of the southern light in our kitchen and living room.

I am hoping our new neighbours will build something that is small and cute. Please neighbours. Small is beautiful. Grass is wonderful. Birds like tress. Bees like flowers not glass blocks.

Books we enjoyed recently

2011-02-17T20:53:00.000-08:00

LINNEA IN MONET'S GARDEN By Christina Bjork and Lean Anderson
+ Pretty pictures and interesting facts about Monet told as a story

FRANKIE STEIN by Loa M. Schaefer, Illustrated by Kevan Atteberry
+ Loved the pictures and the ending is hysterical

WINNIE FLIES AGAIN by Korky Paul and Valerie Thomas
+ All Winnie books have wonderful pictures and fun stories

THE HOUND FROM THE POUND By Jessica Swaim and Jill McElmurray
+ This story was so cute, especially for dog lovers

Zuzu pets

2011-02-12T20:37:00.000-08:00

Coco chose to buy her friend Audrey a Zuzu pet accessory for her birthday party tomorrow. Are you sure that is what she would like? "Yes! She is really into Zuzu pets." Cringe. I bought it.

At home Coco made this very cool wrapping paper. She has drawn all the pets on the back of the box and printed their names beside them. Very sweet.

We seem to have been invited to a lot of February birthdays - Willa-Marie, Christopher, Amelia, Audrey and Max. The kids love it.

the chart

2011-02-12T20:30:00.000-08:00

Coco drew this chart and made up what it is about. She and Hazel get points for doing nice things. For example, Coco gave herself a point for helping Hazel put on her jacket. I gave them a point for being good in the grocery store. When the chart is full, Coco wants to register in a science class. She wants to do Cammy's Science Class at Dunbar again but I was thinking of trying one at Aberthau. In Cammy's class they watch Bill Nye the science guy dvds and do colouring sheets mostly. Coco is really into science these days so hopefully the chart will be full by April 1st when the Spring classes start. Hazel has not decided what her reward will be yet. Probably a donut or candy of some sort. We'll see.

What we're reading.

2011-02-12T20:16:00.001-08:00

Ivy and Bean Book 7 - finished
Ivy and Bean Book 6 - we listened to the CD
The Little Prince by Antoine De Saint-Exupéry - we listened to the CD and are going to watch a DVD, a BBC production.

Ivy and Bean Book 5 - on page 40

Next up - James and The Giant Peach.

Just going to check the library site to put a hold on Ivy and Bean book 8. Gotta love the library!

I'm still in love... with craigslist!

2011-02-12T20:15:00.001-08:00

The zooper stroller is gone. Confident the double futon frame and the MEC back pack won't be far behind.

Re-posting...

2011-02-10T20:43:00.000-08:00

I think this is the longest it has ever taken me to get rid of something on craigslist. So I reposted the futon, MEC packpack and Zooper stroller tonight. We found the rain cover for the backpack since the last posting. Bizarrely I could have sold it had we remembered there was a rain cover. Anyway, c'est la vie.

I did donate a lot of clothes and books to a friend who had a baby girl. I also consigned and sold a fancy dress I was pretty sure I would never want to wear again. I am glad someone else is enjoying it.

Always looking to get rid of stuff around here!

Growth-mindset kids

2011-02-01T20:13:00.000-08:00

"You have to apply yourself each day to becoming a little better. By applying yourself to the task of becoming a little better each and every day over a period of time, you will become a lot better." as quoted from Coach John Wooden, who led the UCLA basketball to the NCAA Championship 10 times.

"To create growth-mindset kids, we need to repeatedly communicate: "I expect effort; I do NOT expect achievement." quoted from Christine Carter, happiness expert.

Do things because you enjoy doing them, learn something and become a better person rather than doing things solely because you are going to win and be the best.

what we're reading

2011-02-01T10:01:00.000-08:00

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

Little Girls Can Be Mean - Four Steps to Bully-Proof Girls in the Early Grades by Michelle Anthony and Reyna Lindert

Up Next:

Book 3 in the Ivy & Bean Series

Queen Bees and Wannabes by Rosalind Wiseman

crazy messy

2011-01-30T07:33:00.000-08:00

Days go by and I just can't find the time or more aptly, make the time, to clean the girl's room. That is when toys get stacked upon toys. Laundry on the bed needs folding too! For those craving a visual, this is what it looks like.

Dirty dozen ingredients to avoid in your cosmetics

2011-01-25T20:13:00.000-08:00

http://www.davidsuzuki.org/publications/downloads/2010/whats-inside-shoppers-guide.pdf

I found this link to be very helpful. Luckily Choices is near my house and they are very knowledgable about and carry generally non-toxic cosmetics, shampoos, etc.

Science World

2011-01-14T20:27:00.000-08:00

Coco was thrilled today to be a volunteer on stage at Science World doing a static electricity chain.

gotta love body science talk

2011-01-14T20:07:00.000-08:00

Mommy: We should trim your hair. It could just use a little trim.

Coco: No. I can do what I want to do with my own body. You control your body. I want to grow my hair as long as Rapunsel.

And thank you to the movie "Tangled"

Two talented rapper/hip hoppers

2011-01-13T20:39:00.000-08:00

This video defies description. So I'll just let it speak for itself.

We're on a roll over here...

2011-01-11T21:09:00.000-08:00

Just recycled 2 queen size mattresses that had seen better days. Bruce arranged - yeah Bruce.
Just listed a stroller and rolling bed frame on craigslist so they should be gone in 2 - 3 days.
Gave away the washing machine that needed fixing. Yeah Bruce for arranging.

Tomorrow I am listing a double futon frame that is cluttering the laundry room and our mec kids hiking backpack.

I have a few hand me downs for a very sweet baby girl that will be dropped off next month.

January is starting with a bang!

The Missing Key to Satisfaction: Effort

2011-01-07T20:28:00.000-08:00

Another good blog...

http://www.dontmissyourlife.net/category/blog/

Just skimmed his posts but plan to read them very soon.

Simple Living

2011-01-07T20:17:00.000-08:00

I am currently exploring a long held belief (by some) that more happiness is derived from experiences rather than material goods.

This article even argues that you should book your Caribbean Cruise well in advance so you can really savour the experience. Last minute deals just don't have the same effect.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/08/business/08consume.html?pagewanted=4&_r=1

The NY Times' article talks about this blogger.... http://Rowdykittens.com/

She tries to live with only 100 possessions. I'd love to be that minimalistic!

We are listing a few things on craigslist... mec baby backpack, double futon frame, metal rolling bed frame.

Happy New Year

2011-01-03T08:50:00.000-08:00

Bruce took some wonderful pics at the 12 dishes, a Ukranian celebration for Christmas Eve.

Travel alert

2010-11-17T10:11:00.000-08:00

I just set up a fare tracker at bing.com/travel to see if Christmas fares to Edmonton will go up or down. We'll see if this site lives up to the hype.

The search is over...

2010-11-06T20:09:00.000-07:00

We found a nice bunk bed for the girl's room. It will be ready for pick up in 4 - 6 weeks as it is coming from the Winnipeg warehouse.

http://www.westcoastkids.ca/Dutailier---Felix-Bunk-Bed

Oil in gum?!

2010-11-02T20:20:00.000-07:00

This was a very interesting article on oil use in products we consume (buy) such as chewing gum, crayons and candles. A few good suggestions!

http://rcbc.bc.ca/files/u6/Tip_of_the_Month_-_Aug_2010.pdf

Recycle your running shoes...

2010-11-02T20:16:00.000-07:00

Now you don't have to throw out your worn out running shoes, you can take them to the Nike store near you so that they can be recycled into tennis courts.

http://www.nikereuseashoe.com/

Letter to Santa

2010-10-29T18:47:00.000-07:00

One week before Halloween and Coco has already written her letter to Santa. I love this time of year because anything the kids want (they always want something) can be a gift from Santa. They soon forget.

We were at Opus and Coco saw these Elmer glue glazes, all shiny and sparkly. "Ask Santa". So she has.

Boo!

2010-10-29T18:46:00.001-07:00

New jackets

2010-10-29T18:41:00.000-07:00

Searched a few "lost and founds" and did not find Hazel's jacket. They are sad and scary boxes, with mouldy, wet hats and gloves, dirty hoodies and even sadder, beautiful winter jackets. At least ours was well worn, bitten and fixed many times over at the collar. Coco went through a biting-jacket-collar phase.

I had trudged the kids around to a few consignment stores, falling short on warm coats or even affordable, stylish ones. So, I went to Superstore Main Street.

Voila. Done. And now, we are going to find the lost one. Murphy's Law.

How do these things happen?!

2010-10-26T18:09:00.000-07:00

Seems I have LOST Hazel's winter jacket, a pink, puffy hand-me-down from Coco. I am wracking my brain. Left at the skating rink? Seems the only explanation as it hasn't been winter jacket weather until today really. Anyway, it is super ANNOYING!

Plus, I can not find a navy and white Gap summer dress that Coco was wearing. A really cool find at our local consignment store. Where that went missing, I have NO idea.

Please universe, do not let me loose more things... for a long while anyway.

Busy week!

2010-10-25T19:50:00.000-07:00

With the 2 year old in preschool and the 5 year old in Kindergarten, I thought I'd have some free time. It hasn't really worked out that way. I do 2 duty days a month at the preschool and have had lots of family visits this Fall. I can't complain though, I go to the gym one day a week and yoga one day on the weekend. It is busy, busy, busy!

This week looks like this...

Monday: Duty Day at Preschool
Tuesday: Gym
Wed: Help at preschool with Halloween Party
Thurs: Morning skate with 2 year old
Friday: Volunteer at Kindergarten

Crib has left the house...

2010-10-24T08:57:00.000-07:00

I love craigslist. Just sold the crib within 24 hours. Got $200.

A few weeks ago I sold all the cloth diapers.

Watch out... we are on a selling roll over here. Hang on to your tooth brushes.

Interesting website...

2010-07-30T22:35:00.000-07:00

This website has some cool stuff about living in small spaces and the advantages they offer... less space to clean, less "stuff" to manage. Hurray for small space living. http://www.hiddenabundance.com/

Art!

2010-07-21T19:33:00.000-07:00

We've been making art.

The bird's nest was done at Arts Umbrella but the other stuff is home projects. Hint: salt was used in two.

Beach Day

2010-07-03T21:11:00.000-07:00

Lovely day so we took Lucky and the girls to the beach. Collected some rocks, Coco balanced on a log with the help of Bruce. Lucky balanced on the log too. Oh and Coco got her hair cut yesterday. Trés chic.

We can breathe a sigh of relief...

2010-07-03T21:02:00.000-07:00

Hazel is 2 1/2 years old now. She doesn't put small toys in her mouth... usually.

However the other day, she must have had an urge to feel the smooth texture of a shiny glass marble type rock (the girls refer to this rock as their "globe" and they have three) against the inside of her mouth. The rock was in her mouth. She swallowed it.

That's right! It is round about the size of a quarter and as thick in the widest part as about 1 mm. She scared herself. She cried.

I googled "My kid swallowed a marble". We surmised she would likely poo it out. Not as bad as swallowing a pointy object. Hopefully surgery would not be required.

Two days later, she did poo it out. We are very happy. It is now in the garbage!

Drawing

2010-06-27T21:21:00.001-07:00

Hazel's first face and Coco's funny little people.

Chauldecott water park

2010-06-27T21:16:00.000-07:00

Sunny summer days were here briefly. We went to the water park. Coco got into a water "war"... boys vs girls. She made many new friends and could not stop taking about their "secret plans", "hideout" and "safe zone" for days after. Hazel was very content running under the freezing cold water for ages.

Greek Days

2010-06-27T21:08:00.000-07:00

Every year, the Greeks have a big party on a street near my house. They close down 4 lanes of traffic for 5 or 6 city blocks. It is packed! Big stage with traditional Greek dancing. A lot of lined up food kiosks. We ventured in with the double stroller and ventured out after a short time.

Double stroller + crowded street + smoky meat barbeques + loud music = head ache.

We did see a fun street performer ride a very high unicycle while juggling three basket balls. He looked like he might have been Greek.

Ballet recital

2010-06-22T22:16:00.000-07:00

Fun!

Beach barbeque

2010-06-22T20:59:00.000-07:00

Hey - I'm peeing in the ocean!

Beach barbeques can be a lot of work... packing everything, forgetting matches (thank goodness Asian men in their early twenties still carry lighters), forgetting plates, having your dog throw up salt water then having disgusting runny poo to pick up, then having your kids and consequently your car and house covered in sand BUT THEY ARE WORTH IT. We had fun with our friends and hope to do it more this summer.

Summer fun.

2010-06-19T18:22:00.000-07:00

The girls managed to empty out a thing of bubble mix onto themselves and the back deck then squirt each other with these fun water guns from their Great Aunt Joan. I.t was straight into the sink for a rinse for Hazel.

Sky Lights half done

2010-06-19T18:19:00.000-07:00

The outside work is complete. The inside drywall has been cut (Thank you Bruce!!!!). Now the finishing on the inside needs to be completed. But, man, they rock! They really open up the two small rooms upstairs. Every time i look at them, I think it was money well spent. No buyer's remorse here.

Front closet

2010-06-13T09:16:00.001-07:00

One more step closer to getting finished.

The farm is open for the season.

2010-06-13T09:07:00.000-07:00

Love, love, love the UBC Farm. From now until the Fall, it is open on Saturdays for the farmer's market. We saw the chickens, two cows, a super zydeco trio, and lots of plants. In one pic, Hazel is giving the band a twoonie. In another pic, Coco is showing her doll's bum. She asked me to take a pic. Easier to say "yes" than argue with a 4 year old about whether a doll's bum is photo-worthy.

What is funny about these pics is A) Hazel is wearing her pjamas (she didn't want to get dressed) B) Coco is wearing Hazel's 2 year old dress!

Too cute

2010-06-13T09:05:00.000-07:00

Hazel loves her daddy, even though she and Coco attacked him in a backyard, plastic bubble wand sword fight last night. It was hilarious.

Chile

2010-06-13T09:00:00.000-07:00

Full domestication reached... Bruce made a delicious bean chile stew from a recipe he found in Canadian Living magazine. We have leftovers if you'd like to come over for a bowl.

They can dance.

2010-06-08T21:32:00.000-07:00

Coco and Hazel dancing to the tunes on the roof. Rock was blaring all day on account of the roofers.

More space, please

2010-06-08T21:27:00.000-07:00

Bruce is totally redoing the front entrance so we can have some space to put our ever growing collection of skates, helmets, sun hats, mittens, tennis gear, rain coats, rubber boots... you get the picture. Should be SWEET when completed. Will post more as it happens.

Baptism was fun

2010-06-08T21:18:00.000-07:00

We had a ton of fun at our friend's baptism on Sunday afternoon. The priest was funny. We reflected on family and what that means. I am very thankful for my family and their love.

Then, we noshed on sushi and an assortment of canopies while sipping champagne and a lovely sauvignon blanc from New Zealand, back at the family home. I parked and walked the block over there so as not to have to drive under the influence.

New roof, new roof, new roof!

2010-06-08T21:14:00.000-07:00

I feel VERY grownup, having a new roof put on the house! Also, getting two sky lights put on the side that faces the street. Should be finished tomorrow.

Music to my ears!

2010-06-05T09:21:00.000-07:00

I was upstairs, doing stuff on my computer. The girls were being very quiet downstairs, so I thought I'd better go see what they were up to... I found them snuggled in bed and Coco was reading stories to Hazel. This made me feel very warm inside, on par with a "vegetable plate" request! The story is a Dr. Seus one..

Cruising to catastrophe

2010-06-04T07:40:00.000-07:00

Thinking of cruising? It is very important to investigate a cruise ship companies environmental policies before giving that company your business because there are many companies out there that dump untreated food waste, etc into the oceans. So, ironically, what you are cruising to see, ie. pristine water and sea life, might not be there any longer due to cruise ships.

Oil gushing into the ocean doesn't help either.

Made in China?

2010-06-04T07:37:00.000-07:00

Millions of the 16-ounce glasses sold by McDonald's found to contain cadmium, a known carcinogen

Coco has an admirer

2010-06-02T20:16:00.000-07:00

I dropped Coco and Hazel off at the Dunbar playroom so I could go to the Dunbar gym for 1 hour.

When I returned, Coco showed me 5 pictures a little boy had drawn for her.

He came over and said to her "These are for you lovely".

Coco turned to me and whispered "I think I'm in love".

Little Miss Helpful

2010-06-02T20:11:00.000-07:00

Hazel is quite independent these days... her favorite four words... I CAN DO IT! She stacked her bowl into the dishwasher the other day. She regularly empties her potty into the toilet (I cringe). She likes to climb into her car seat (I try to leave 5 minutes earlier to allow for this).

My favorite conversation...

"Hazel, please put on your jacket."

"No"

"It is actually very cold outside"

"No, thank you."

Craft day!

2010-06-02T09:10:00.000-07:00

We attempted paper maché again. The girls had fun. Let's just say... it got a little messy!!!!!

Baptism part two

2010-06-02T09:07:00.000-07:00

The twins came over the other day for a play. Their baptism is this Sunday. We are looking forward to this great celebration. I created sterling silver cross necklaces for them (from the bead shop) and found pretty boxes to put them in (Pier 1 Imports) and for fun we also got them sticker books and a bead making kit.

Dining Al Fresco

2010-06-02T09:05:00.000-07:00

The sun came out briefly the other day so the girls had supper on the deck. More sun please.

We laughed.

2010-05-25T20:39:00.000-07:00

Today we were sitting in the big red chair, just hanging out. Hazel said "Coco, get a book." To which Coco replied, "Hazel, I don't work for you." We laughed so hard.

Then Hazel asked, "Where's daddy?". To which I replied, "Daddy's at work". Then Coco added "Daddy's at poo poo" then Hazel added, "Daddy's at fart". We laughed some more.

No shortage of "poo" and "fart" comments around here these days.

The dress...

2010-05-19T21:41:00.000-07:00

I was feeling flush so I splurged on a Lili Gaufrette dress for Coco. Of course Hazel will wear it too. Then it will go to consignment, which is where I have been buying most of the girl's things lately. Skates, rain jackets, rubber boots, ballet slippers, tutus, etc. The dress is lovely. The picture does not do it justice. You just need to touch the soft cotton fabric to really appreciate this made in France garment.

Sunny days

2010-05-19T21:34:00.000-07:00

We had an amazing morning walking around Granville Island then had a picnic lunch by the duck pond. Love, love, love Granville Island.

Coco singing...

2010-05-19T21:27:00.000-07:00

I am hoping this little video I took of Coco and Sally (the dog) singing at her "Musical Expressions" class works out. Here goes...

Baptism invite

2010-05-17T22:18:00.000-07:00

I am so excited as Coco and Hazel were friends of choice for our twin neighbours' baptism. They are 2 very sweet 5 yr old girls who we see a lot of. They and their 7 year old brother are getting baptised in June. Each child gets to invite 3 friends. Now I am wracking my brain for baptism gifts. Any suggestions.

Hazel

2010-05-14T19:18:00.000-07:00

Hazel loves to wear wacky things like rubber crocodile boots with a pretty pink butterfly dress. She also loves body paint with the help of Coco. The other day Coco wrote with markers all over Hazel's back.

Hazel is also a smart alec. She used to say "Sari Coco" (for sorry) then it was "Sari Coco Prentice" and now itis "Sari Coco Poo Poo".

Jericho Sailing Club Galley

2010-05-14T19:15:00.000-07:00

Love the restaurant at Jericho Sailing Club. We had burgers then walked along the beach. Perfect weather though a little windy. Coco loved dipping her feet into the ocean.

Pjama Day at Gymnastics

2010-05-14T19:12:00.000-07:00

Coco got to wear her pj's to gymnastics this week and take her favorite stuffy. She took Sally, a pink poodle who lives in a little purse. It was the smallest stuffy there. Thanks Liz for picking the perfect gift!

Fabulous cook

2010-05-14T19:09:00.001-07:00

Here's Bruce with a mouth-watering frittata creation, one of his many wonderful concoctions in the kitchen.

Reducing plastic

2010-05-09T21:29:00.000-07:00

This company makes eco-refills... http://www.naturecleanliving.com

Plus their products are better for the environment. NO ANTIBACTERIAL SOAPS HERE. THEY ARE EVIL AND APPARENTLY, DO NOT EVEN WORK. They are extremely harmful to marine life.

I also recently learned that a lot of kids PJ's have flame retardents (by law) but snug fitting ones may not (check the labal). I am searching out some merino wool pjs for a good winter option.

Love craigslist...

2010-04-28T22:35:00.000-07:00

Bruce replaced the hand rail on our back deck ages ago as it was not child friendly. Big gaps between the aluminum rails. It was a "marine style" deck rail. I tried to sell it for $50 on craigslist. No takers. Listed it in the free section... it was gone within about 12 hours! Seriously. At least we didn't have to transport it to the dump or Habitat for Humanity Re-use store.

Hawaiian Coco

2010-04-24T10:29:00.000-07:00

Coco is really into Hawaiian dancing at the moment. We made a real flower necklace - ???Lea????. She has an instructional video that she got out of the library to watch and practice her moves. Adorable.

Sat morning crafts day

2010-04-24T10:27:00.000-07:00

Everyone busy working on their projects...

Fine Arts Certificate

2010-04-24T10:23:00.000-07:00

Last class os last course complete!

Really happy with my final project entitled "18 Cellphones". Inspired by the work of Andy Warhol.

Also did a really cool hand mould. Might be a hat hook. We'll see.

Plastics

2010-04-19T18:51:00.000-07:00

Wouldn't it be great if we could get some plastic out of our life...

Came across this blog when I was looking at a link to glass drinking straws.

http://fakeplasticfish.com/

Will post more on my efforts to reduce plastics in my life...

The latest from Coco

2010-04-18T22:24:00.000-07:00

Coco has been trying out a few new words and concepts...

She says (about her toy person) "He's an animal researcher. He blogs about animals. He buys wild animal movies".

In her Super Science class, they watch a movies or documentaries or episodes about science stuff. Not exactly what you want to be paying a teacher to do, but Coco loves it and she is learning and it is only once per week.

Art

2010-04-17T16:02:00.000-07:00

My final art project is about mutiples and/or ready made. Very difficult to create something which isn't too simplistic or obvious. This is pretty obvious so I'm digging deeper this week. The project is due on Thursday so I better get the synapses firing.

cool scrabble game

2010-04-17T16:00:00.000-07:00

Hazel, Coco, Bruce and I played this fun Dora/Diego scrabble game. Hazel mostly got in the way but we actually played one game and Coco won.

Pic of the deck

2010-04-17T15:58:00.000-07:00

This kid at the park...

2010-04-17T15:47:00.000-07:00

There is this kid at my local park. I've seen him there twice with his nanny. The first time he threw a metal car and hit my 4 year old in the head. The second time, he would not stop walking in front of the swings and then proceeded to violently rip the hair out of my dog when he "pet" her. His nanny was wonderful. "No gentle", she said. And luckily my dog is super or I wouldn't bring her to the park in the first place. I showed him the proper way to pet a dog but he just did not get it. The boy was around 2 I'm guessing.

I think he may have been autistic or something. I only say that as I was recently at a birthday party where there was an autistic child. The parents had to monitor that kid all party. He was very hyper and inappropriate behaviour. At first, I thought he was just an active kid then later my friend explained.

So all this leads me to say... When you are at the park, you need to watch your own kids but you also have to keep an eye on other kids too.

This little boy may pulled Hazel off the thing she was climbing. I'll never know, but his behaviour leads me to believe that he is capable of doing it.

I appreciate any thoughts on this touchy subject. Anyone had any similar experiences?

My fave book

2010-04-17T15:44:00.000-07:00

"The Good Food Book For Families" by Brenda Bradshaw and Cheryl Mutch. Apologies if I have posted about this book before. No, I am not making royalties off the sales. I just find the recipes easy and nutritious and they speak a lot about nutrition in easy to read format. I just learnt that glucose fuels the brain and little kids need 3 meals and 3 small snacks a day for brain energy. Luckily I have been doing this. Whew.

Lots of stuff happening...

2010-04-17T15:32:00.000-07:00

The cherry blossoms are out in full force.

Bruce made our deck low maintenance so hopefully this will be the last time, for a while, that he'll have to spend time on it. Old design required lifted the boards off to clean under the deck twice a year. New design just needs sweeping of the leaves.

Hazel said "yuck, that's disgusting" about onions or something and then later, "I'm eating a booger" which really is disgusting.

Coco's new thing is "I need more research books" and "I'm feeling guilty". A new concept which a 4 year old doesn't quite get. We aren't Catholic either. She just heard this word and is trying it out in relation to her neck injury, which possibly resulted from head butting with Kieren or just sleeping on it funny.

We saw a marvelous play today called 'A Year With Frog and Toad". I bought tickets back in November to the preview show. It is a musical. Hazel had a chair but sat on my lap, as the chair was folding her up. Anyway, she didn't move for the entire 55 min. play and clapped at the appropriate times. She's 2 years, 4 months. I wasn't sure if she was ready for live theatre but obviously she is! Coco and Bruce loved it too.

will post pics later.

Some funny things

2010-04-15T07:46:00.000-07:00

At least three times a day, Hazel says "frogit?" and smiles sweetly. It always catches me by surprise. She means CHOCOLATE. Once I made her an egg for breakfast. Oh, she cried when I put it on the table in front of her. She had meant a chocolate egg!

Hazel also likes to say "boy pants" and "boy jacket". We got some hand me downs from a boy. Sometimes she will wear pink or a dress. Oh well, everything is stained anyway.

Smoothie gone wrong

2010-04-11T20:54:00.000-07:00

Coco and Hazel were enjoying their smoothies at the table then I turned around...

Coco calls this "Hazel's pink princess paint".

Painting project

2010-04-11T20:48:00.000-07:00

I made these cool bird moulds in my art class. They are plaster. My 2 little artists had a blast painting them. Hazel got a little over zealous with the paint brush... as usual.

Hazel's leg

2010-04-11T20:42:00.000-07:00

Hazel broke her leg. I am not a helicopter parent but I am starting to think I have to pay a bit more attention to Hazel as she climbs around the park which means less time for Lucky. I was throwing the ball for Lucky when the accident happened. Lucky is almost 9 and needs less exercise. Hazel is 2 and climbs everything.

She is doing really well with her cast. And is so cute when she explains to everyone that she "went to the hospital" and "fell at the park".

Last class

2010-04-11T20:31:00.000-07:00

I am 2 classes away from finishing my last course at Emily Carr to complete my Certificate in Fine Art Techniques. It is "Materials and Media in Fine Art Practice".

It is a lot of fun as we are doing plastic modelling, wire sculpture, and this other cool moulding with a sea weed material and plaster. Here are a few things so far. Stay posted for more.

Hazel

2010-04-11T20:29:00.000-07:00

Today Hazel said "I'm not real mama. Just fake"

Le French

2010-04-05T12:37:00.000-07:00

Seems the French are giving the Greeks a run for their money in my neighbourhood. First there was a perfect little pastry shop beside the 7 11, then there was my favourite cafe, Coco et Olive, then there was Simply French on 10th near Classy Kids and now a bakery called something Baguette, opposite the Block Buster on Broadway. Must try that one soon.

We also have a Vietnemese resturant called Gold Train Express. It is on Broadway near the Block Buster. Love it.

We also have a store devoted to all things knitting. That is by the dog washing place on Broadway.

Can you tell, I LOVE BROADWAY!