Spring? What spring? It went straight from winter to summer here in about a week. I'm not complaining! The boy and I have been going for long walks and playing in the park - well, to be more accurate, we've been sitting in the park. My beautiful little non-walker has issues with touching both the grass and the sand which he has yet to get over. I guess I should count my blessings - in time I'm sure I'll wish he would stay in one spot for even a few seconds!
Anyway, this warm weather has finally brought the return of yet another wonderful summer event - the organic farmers' market.
Granted, ours is a year-round market, but unfortunately I've been car-less this winter (my husband takes our car to work on Saturdays) and just couldn't convince myself to make the cold trip by bus. So I slightly shame-facedly started shopping at our local grocery store again, still buying organic and avoiding processed foods whenever possible.
Did our grocery bill ever jump! Apparently I am an impulse shopper and am not safe anywhere that offers more than the farmers' market does. What's that, lemon meringue pie? Why, don't mind if I do! Brownies? Toss 'em in! Sugar-filled juices and iced tea? Heck yes!
Well, today I decided that it's warm now, I have no excuse not to take the bus to the farmer's market each Saturday. I kinda-sorta-justalittlebit hoped it would rain, but alas, it's another beautiful day.
After making a mad dash to the ATM to pick up cash, we caught the first bus, my son cuddled on my front in a mei tai and my denim bag loaded with plastic bags. We got off one stop too late, ending up on the wrong side of the road...and missed our transfer by a few incredibly irritating seconds.
Harumph.
We walked part of the way, then sat at a bus stop and waited so as not to miss the next bus too. Finally we made it to the nearest intersection and walked the rest of the way, stopping on a patch of gorgeously green grass to move the boy from my front to my back.
First stop, the fish the lady. She remembered us! She commented on how big the boy is now, then sold us our usual salmon. We worked our way through the market - raw crackers for munching, sprouts for wraps and fake sushi, kale for green smoothies, apples, potatoes, and soup - then went to get the rest of the meat (yes, we're still very happy meat-eaters, and my husband just reminded me the other day that he fully intends to stay that way).
The beef man and lady remembered us! We picked up a few different cuts of beef along with the obligatory whole wheat cinnamon bun.
The chicken man remembered us! We picked up chicken breast and pork chops.
I felt so loved.
And I forgot what a great atmosphere the farmers' market is! Everyone offering to help you with this or with that, grinning at your kid instead of giving you a weird look for wearing him, smiling and talking cheerfully - and all sorts of guilt-free deliciousness just waiting to be snatched up!
After downing a glass of delicious green juice, we headed back to wait for the bus. All in all, a very successful trip and for about half the price we'd been spending at the grocery store all winter. Going by bus turned out to be no problem at all - looks like we'll be resuming our weekly trip to the farmers' market. Ah, summer. How I love thee.
Saturday, 26 April 2008
Saturday, 19 April 2008
Not a good day for soup
I found the most delicious soup recently.
I randomly noticed Baxters soups at a trip to our grocery store. The butternut squash and red pepper soup jumped out at me and quickly made its way into the cart. It just looked so good - and, to top it off, I actually recognized all of the ingredients in the ingredient list. No garbage, just food.
Well, the boy and I shared this delicious soup for lunch one day and had to grab another can next time we were out. This time we tried the winter squash and carrot soup.
I was all set to eat it for lunch the next day. I opened the can. I tried to get the lid out. And then I tried some more. And some more.
Well.
The lid finally came out.
Along with half the can of soup.
Head to toe, I was covered in orange winter squash and carrot soup. The kitchen looked as though a pumpkin had exploded. The stove was covered. The floor was covered. By some miracle, though, the little man crouching on the floor beside me was completely soup-free. I was glad he was the only witness to my new orange wardrobe.
But there was still half a can of this delicious veggie goodness, so into the pot it went while I cleaned up myself and the kitchen. When it was ready, I plunked the little man into his highchair and greedily sat down to enjoy what was left, along with some toast. It was as delicious as the first can was.
Ah, and if only that could be the end of the story. But no, there's more. As I went to brush the toast crumbs into the empty bowl, my sweet darling perfect innocent little son kicked the bowl right out of my hands. Sadly, the bowl did not survive the fall.
Le sigh.
As I cleaned up the second big mess of the night, I had to ask myself: As delicious as that soup was, was it really worth all this trouble??
(Oh, who am I kidding. You know I'll be tossing another can into my cart next time I'm out.)
I randomly noticed Baxters soups at a trip to our grocery store. The butternut squash and red pepper soup jumped out at me and quickly made its way into the cart. It just looked so good - and, to top it off, I actually recognized all of the ingredients in the ingredient list. No garbage, just food.
Well, the boy and I shared this delicious soup for lunch one day and had to grab another can next time we were out. This time we tried the winter squash and carrot soup.
I was all set to eat it for lunch the next day. I opened the can. I tried to get the lid out. And then I tried some more. And some more.
Well.
The lid finally came out.
Along with half the can of soup.
Head to toe, I was covered in orange winter squash and carrot soup. The kitchen looked as though a pumpkin had exploded. The stove was covered. The floor was covered. By some miracle, though, the little man crouching on the floor beside me was completely soup-free. I was glad he was the only witness to my new orange wardrobe.
But there was still half a can of this delicious veggie goodness, so into the pot it went while I cleaned up myself and the kitchen. When it was ready, I plunked the little man into his highchair and greedily sat down to enjoy what was left, along with some toast. It was as delicious as the first can was.
Ah, and if only that could be the end of the story. But no, there's more. As I went to brush the toast crumbs into the empty bowl, my sweet darling perfect innocent little son kicked the bowl right out of my hands. Sadly, the bowl did not survive the fall.
Le sigh.
As I cleaned up the second big mess of the night, I had to ask myself: As delicious as that soup was, was it really worth all this trouble??
(Oh, who am I kidding. You know I'll be tossing another can into my cart next time I'm out.)
Thursday, 17 April 2008
Happy Birthday, Baby
My baby turned one yesterday.
He's practically all growed up.
We had a wonderful day. We started the day with the usual - books. Some mornings I don't even get so much as a good-morning smile, just a yawn and a stretch and a roll over to the bassinet to grab a book and start looking at it.
That's okay. I'm a big girl, I can handle it.
After a shower, Crazy Mommy got Baby all dressed up just so she could plop him down in front of the microwave and start snapping pictures. Exactly one year ago - to the minute! - my baby was born. (Okay, you can't tell, but the microwave says 11:03.)
He weighed 8 lbs 9 oz and was 20 inches long. Now he weighs 20 lbs 10 oz and is 31 inches long. He went from floppy little newborn to this...
...in practically no time at all.
After Crazy Mommy took pictures of Baby sitting in front of the microwave, we headed outside to enjoy the beautiful weather. Since it was his birthday, we decided to take his throne (okay, his stroller) for only the third time since he was born. We had a few things to pick up at the mall, including tape (to wrap his last present after we ran out last night), potatoes (for stew that evening), and an Anne Murray CD (to be included in my mom's Mother's Day gift parcel). We had such a nice walk and, for part of the way, a nice nap for the boy.
Then we came home, and Mommy grabbed the camera. Dun-dun-duh!
I totally made this 1. I has mad crafting skillz.
"Here Mom!"
"Okay, I'll keep it!"
My boy is just too cute.
And oh-so-serious.
We're done being serious now.
Eventually I decided that probably I had enough pictures. Time to get stew cooking in the crock pot and make a birthday cake! It was his nap time, so up on Mommy's back he went.
That took the rest of the afternoon. My little boy napped, then we played until Daddy got home. Present time!
Present opening is Very Serious Business.
The baby crayons were a big hit.
Here's Daddy "helping" the little man get a present out of a gift bag...
...and here's the little man diving out of the way before it fell on him.
Oh yes, and here's the little man in the bag.
Watching Daddy cut into a present from Great-Uncle.
Daddy specifically went out to buy this book for the little guy's birthday. I thought it was really sweet. It was one of his favourite books as a child so he wanted his son to have it too. Here he is telling Baby all about the awesomeness of the Pickle Truck.
Presents!
We got him a set of wooden blocks, baby crayons, a Kleen Kanteen sippy cup and several books. My parents got him a praying stuffed rabbit, three sets of books, and a Moody Bear cloth book. My in-laws got him a sweater (knitted by my MIL) and a few books. He got the plush balls from his Great-Uncle, the plush picnic basket from my sister, and a cheque from his Great-Oma.
Lots of new books!
"Mom. Seriously. It's time to cut my hair."
And then!! The birthday boy stood!! By himself!!
But stoopid Mommy was too busy squealing like a girl over the fact that her son stood up by himself to remember that hey, I've got a camera in my hands, maybe I should take a picture! By the time I managed to think that and get the camera up, this is all I caught:
Daddy was cheering for Baby and laughing at me. The boy was like "whatever guys. I got blocks."
Then it was cake time. Turns out I'd never make it as a cake decorator.
This was a carrot cake with a no-sugar cream cheese frosting. It tasted better than it looks.
I love this picture. It looks like Daddy's stressing out about his son reaching for candle. In reality, though, he was trying to show the boy how to blow out the candle. The boy wasn't paying any attention, as you can see.
He wasn't so sure about the cake.
In fact, he thought the candle looked more appetizing.
Eventually he gave in and tried some cake.
"Mom! Mom! Let me slime you with my gross hand!"
"Dude. That cake was gross. I totally dropped it on the floor."
Funny, he wouldn't stop pestering me for some of mine at lunch today! We shared a big piece. It's full of carrots and applesauce and apple juice (just pretend that's healthy) and raisins and wheat germ (I didn't even know what wheat germ was before now) and no sugar, so I didn't mind him eating it.
After cake it was time to settle down for the evening. Mommy looked terrible but wanted a picture with the Birthday Boy:
Daddy and I watched a movie (Juno!) while the birthday boy crawled around the bed and eventually went to sleep. And so ended my son's 1st birthday.
I loved being pregnant with him. I loved seeing him on the ultrasound, sucking his thumb and bouncing up and down. I loved feeling his kicks. I wasn't so fond of his incessant hiccoughs, but I loved watching my stomach move. I was convinced he was a boy before he was born, but I kept reminding myself that he could be a girl so often that when it turned out he really was a boy, I was almost surprised. I had a hard time at first feeling like the baby that had been inside me and the baby they handed me were one in the same, but wow, did I ever love him. I loved his first smiles at 3 weeks, his first time briefly sitting at 6 weeks, and his first laugh at 8 weeks. I was so excited the day he rolled over at 9 weeks. I loved watching him admire his hands at 12 weeks and I grinned myself silly after his first long belly laugh that same week. I startled him with my clapping when he figured out how to pull his hanging musical toy at 15 weeks. It was so neat to see him really learn to sit by himself at 19 weeks. We had so much fun at his first swim classes and storytimes, and less fun during his first cold and fever. When his first tooth came through at 23 weeks, I had no idea six more would come through over the next 10 weeks. He pushed up onto his hands and knees at 26 weeks and was crawling a month later. I grinned like a fool the first time he reached up for me at 29 weeks. At 35 weeks he could pull himself to standing and started cruising along the furniture. I loved watching him learn new things - waving bye-bye at 42 weeks, pointing to things and telling "stories" about them, opening drawers and cupboards at 43 weeks, turning lightswitches off with ease by 44 weeks, clapping at 47 weeks, briefly standing alone at 48 weeks, saying "uh-oh!" at 49 weeks, taking lids off and on at 51 weeks, and signing "milk", dropping the circle in the shape sorter and handing things to people when asked all by 52 weeks. It's been so much fun watching him learn and grow. I've learned so much myself since his birth.
Happy Birthday, Little Man.
He's practically all growed up.
We had a wonderful day. We started the day with the usual - books. Some mornings I don't even get so much as a good-morning smile, just a yawn and a stretch and a roll over to the bassinet to grab a book and start looking at it.
That's okay. I'm a big girl, I can handle it.
After a shower, Crazy Mommy got Baby all dressed up just so she could plop him down in front of the microwave and start snapping pictures. Exactly one year ago - to the minute! - my baby was born. (Okay, you can't tell, but the microwave says 11:03.)
He weighed 8 lbs 9 oz and was 20 inches long. Now he weighs 20 lbs 10 oz and is 31 inches long. He went from floppy little newborn to this...
...in practically no time at all.
After Crazy Mommy took pictures of Baby sitting in front of the microwave, we headed outside to enjoy the beautiful weather. Since it was his birthday, we decided to take his throne (okay, his stroller) for only the third time since he was born. We had a few things to pick up at the mall, including tape (to wrap his last present after we ran out last night), potatoes (for stew that evening), and an Anne Murray CD (to be included in my mom's Mother's Day gift parcel). We had such a nice walk and, for part of the way, a nice nap for the boy.
Then we came home, and Mommy grabbed the camera. Dun-dun-duh!
I totally made this 1. I has mad crafting skillz.
"Here Mom!"
"Okay, I'll keep it!"
My boy is just too cute.
And oh-so-serious.
We're done being serious now.
Eventually I decided that probably I had enough pictures. Time to get stew cooking in the crock pot and make a birthday cake! It was his nap time, so up on Mommy's back he went.
That took the rest of the afternoon. My little boy napped, then we played until Daddy got home. Present time!
Present opening is Very Serious Business.
The baby crayons were a big hit.
Here's Daddy "helping" the little man get a present out of a gift bag...
...and here's the little man diving out of the way before it fell on him.
Oh yes, and here's the little man in the bag.
Watching Daddy cut into a present from Great-Uncle.
Daddy specifically went out to buy this book for the little guy's birthday. I thought it was really sweet. It was one of his favourite books as a child so he wanted his son to have it too. Here he is telling Baby all about the awesomeness of the Pickle Truck.
Presents!
We got him a set of wooden blocks, baby crayons, a Kleen Kanteen sippy cup and several books. My parents got him a praying stuffed rabbit, three sets of books, and a Moody Bear cloth book. My in-laws got him a sweater (knitted by my MIL) and a few books. He got the plush balls from his Great-Uncle, the plush picnic basket from my sister, and a cheque from his Great-Oma.
Lots of new books!
"Mom. Seriously. It's time to cut my hair."
And then!! The birthday boy stood!! By himself!!
But stoopid Mommy was too busy squealing like a girl over the fact that her son stood up by himself to remember that hey, I've got a camera in my hands, maybe I should take a picture! By the time I managed to think that and get the camera up, this is all I caught:
Daddy was cheering for Baby and laughing at me. The boy was like "whatever guys. I got blocks."
Then it was cake time. Turns out I'd never make it as a cake decorator.
This was a carrot cake with a no-sugar cream cheese frosting. It tasted better than it looks.
I love this picture. It looks like Daddy's stressing out about his son reaching for candle. In reality, though, he was trying to show the boy how to blow out the candle. The boy wasn't paying any attention, as you can see.
He wasn't so sure about the cake.
In fact, he thought the candle looked more appetizing.
Eventually he gave in and tried some cake.
"Mom! Mom! Let me slime you with my gross hand!"
"Dude. That cake was gross. I totally dropped it on the floor."
Funny, he wouldn't stop pestering me for some of mine at lunch today! We shared a big piece. It's full of carrots and applesauce and apple juice (just pretend that's healthy) and raisins and wheat germ (I didn't even know what wheat germ was before now) and no sugar, so I didn't mind him eating it.
After cake it was time to settle down for the evening. Mommy looked terrible but wanted a picture with the Birthday Boy:
Daddy and I watched a movie (Juno!) while the birthday boy crawled around the bed and eventually went to sleep. And so ended my son's 1st birthday.
I loved being pregnant with him. I loved seeing him on the ultrasound, sucking his thumb and bouncing up and down. I loved feeling his kicks. I wasn't so fond of his incessant hiccoughs, but I loved watching my stomach move. I was convinced he was a boy before he was born, but I kept reminding myself that he could be a girl so often that when it turned out he really was a boy, I was almost surprised. I had a hard time at first feeling like the baby that had been inside me and the baby they handed me were one in the same, but wow, did I ever love him. I loved his first smiles at 3 weeks, his first time briefly sitting at 6 weeks, and his first laugh at 8 weeks. I was so excited the day he rolled over at 9 weeks. I loved watching him admire his hands at 12 weeks and I grinned myself silly after his first long belly laugh that same week. I startled him with my clapping when he figured out how to pull his hanging musical toy at 15 weeks. It was so neat to see him really learn to sit by himself at 19 weeks. We had so much fun at his first swim classes and storytimes, and less fun during his first cold and fever. When his first tooth came through at 23 weeks, I had no idea six more would come through over the next 10 weeks. He pushed up onto his hands and knees at 26 weeks and was crawling a month later. I grinned like a fool the first time he reached up for me at 29 weeks. At 35 weeks he could pull himself to standing and started cruising along the furniture. I loved watching him learn new things - waving bye-bye at 42 weeks, pointing to things and telling "stories" about them, opening drawers and cupboards at 43 weeks, turning lightswitches off with ease by 44 weeks, clapping at 47 weeks, briefly standing alone at 48 weeks, saying "uh-oh!" at 49 weeks, taking lids off and on at 51 weeks, and signing "milk", dropping the circle in the shape sorter and handing things to people when asked all by 52 weeks. It's been so much fun watching him learn and grow. I've learned so much myself since his birth.
Happy Birthday, Little Man.