Yummy Dinner!

Arabella loves whole wheat pasta and she loves any type of beans. I try to not give her the same food over and over again, but sometimes she can be picky and will want the same food day in and day out. So that got me to thinking, what could I make that she would love that was different??? I've got it, I will go to an old family stand-by that my Aunt Rose used to make us for dinner. I can still see myself and Mike sitting at the kitchen table in the Beach house eating it for dinner, it was so simple, wholesome and we loved it. Past(a)-n-Beans! So I whipped up a batch and Arabella loves it! Last night she was jumping up and down saying "Pasta, Pasta" - my good little Italian girl!



To make it this yummy meal you need whole wheat elbow pasta, a can of chick peas, a can of tomato sauce, and fresh herbs of your choice. I used garlic, oregano and a little basil. After the pasta is boiled, you mix all of the ingredients together and you are ready to go!

Swim Lessons

We had a little hiccup with Arabella's swim lessons last week. For Session 1, I did a Mom & Tot swim class for her...she was way too advanced for it. Most of the tots in the class were infants and even her instructor said she should be in the Paddler's class based on her ability and age. So when Session 2 started last Monday, she was in a Paddler's class. However, she would not go near the pool or her instructor. Part of the issue was that her instructor was a male and I think she was afraid, even though he did look a little bit like her Uncle Mike. In her defense, the other 2 kids in her class were scared as well. So each day last week, we tried to get her into the pool with the instructor and each time, she hung on to me tighter and kept saying "No, No, No, No John (her instructor's name)" and pull me towards the baby pool. So on Wednesday, I gave up, I didn't want to, but I also didn't want her to be afraid of the water and the pool and I figured we would try again with the Paddler's for Session 3. I am also going to enroll her in classes either at the Y or in Pointe Claire for the Fall. So, imagine my glee, when the swim coordinator at the Club approached me on Wednesday last week to see if Arabella would like to do the Mom & Tot's class with a junior instructor! I was so happy, and Arabella was excited too. She has taken such a liking to Dominique and she loved every minute of the class. It was hard for me at first, letting go of her hand to let her go with someone else especially since she had such a hard time with John, but I knew it would be good for her. Her first class was great, and the next and the next! She is loving the lessons and has a smile on her face the whole time. It is wonderful to be able to watch her as she works on kicking and blowing bubbles. They also sing songs, play some games and jump into the water from the side of the pool. She even enjoyed her class today and she is feeling a little under the weather. Keep up the great work Little Bean!

Mastering The Kick Board

Arabella loves playing with the kick board in the pool. It is so cute to watch her swim around the pool with it. I love how she keeps it under control. Who knows, maybe she will be a swimmer as well as a gymnast!

Farmer's Market

On Saturday, we went to the farmer's market in Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue. It was not a huge market, but was just the right size and had everything that we were looking for and then some! It was so nice to be able to purchase fresh from the farm fruits, veggies and eggs. Everything tasted wonderful and was not too expensive. We purchased kale, red lettuce, tomatoes, potatoes, peppers, and blueberries. Jay and Arabella shared a fresh baked granola cookie and we also bought some cranberry chocolate bread, boy was it yummy! Jay even decided to try some duck eggs...I was not going to be the adventurous one, but he seemed to like them and said that there really wasn't too much of a difference in taste. They look like regular eggs, just a little bit larger and with a thicker shell. I cooked the potato's for dinner. All I did was cut them up, add some fresh garlic, herbs (from our garden) and a little olive oil and then baked them in the oven until they were a little crispy, Oh So Yummy!! After hitting the farmer's market, we walked along the canal and boardwalk. Arabella had fun checking out the boats that were tied up along the canal and also looking for the trains as the passed overhead. It was a beautiful day, a little warm, but was nice to walk along the canal. The canal links Saint Lawrence River/Lake Saint-Louis and Lake of Two Mountains at the mouth of the Ottawa River. Originally, the canal was an integral part of the Montreal-Ottawa-Kingston inland shipping route from its opening in 1843, however, today it is used mostly by pleasure boaters. It was fun to see how the canal and locks work.



Here is a video of the lock opening...it was really interesting to watch them fill the lock with water and then open the doors to let the boats out. It was also amazing how many boats they actually cram into the locks before they fill it up with water.



After walking along the canal, we had lunch at a little cafe. I had an amazing goat cheese and veggie sandwich, I think it may have been the best sandwich I have ever had. Jay had one with salmon and Arabella had breakfast for lunch...eggs, and she ate them all! After lunch, Arabella had some "cream" what she calls ice cream, she thoroughly enjoyed it!

What I Do All Day

Sometimes I am asked what I do all day now that I stay home with Arabella. It is sometimes hard to put into words and explain what encompasses our day so when I came across this article from Carolyn Hax at The Washington Post I thought I would share it with you. It puts into words what I can't.

Carolyn:
Best friend has child. Her: exhausted, busy, no time for self, no time for me, etc. Me (no kids): Wow. Sorry. What'd you do today? Her: Park, play group . . .
Okay. I've done Internet searches, I've talked to parents. I don't get it. What do stay-at-home moms do all day? Please no lists of library, grocery store, dry cleaners . . . I do all those things, too, and I don't do them EVERY DAY. I guess what I'm asking is: What is a typical day and why don't moms have time for a call or e-mail? I work and am away from home nine hours a day (plus a few late work events) and I manage to get it all done. I'm feeling like the kid is an excuse to relax and enjoy -- not a bad thing at all -- but if so, why won't my friend tell me the truth? Is this a peeing contest ("My life is so much harder than yours")? What's the deal? I've got friends with and without kids and all us child-free folks get the same story and have the same questions.

Relax and enjoy. You're funny.
Or you're lying about having friends with kids.
Or you're taking them at their word that they actually have kids, because you haven't personally been in the same room with them.
Internet searches?
I keep wavering between giving you a straight answer and giving my forehead some keyboard. To claim you want to understand, while in the same breath implying that the only logical conclusions are that your mom-friends are either lying or competing with you, is disingenuous indeed.
So, since it's validation you seem to want, the real answer is what you get. In list form. When you have young kids, your typical day is: constant attention, from getting them out of bed, fed, clean, dressed; to keeping them out of harm's way; to answering their coos, cries, questions; to having two arms and carrying one kid, one set of car keys, and supplies for even the quickest trips, including the latest-to-be-declared-essential piece of molded plastic gear; to keeping them from unshelving books at the library; to enforcing rest times; to staying one step ahead of them lest they get too hungry, tired or bored, any one of which produces the kind of checkout-line screaming that gets the checkout line shaking its head.
It's needing 45 minutes to do what takes others 15.
It's constant vigilance, constant touch, constant use of your voice, constant relegation of your needs to the second tier.
It's constant scrutiny and second-guessing from family and friends, well-meaning and otherwise. It's resisting constant temptation to seek short-term relief at everyone's long-term expense.
It's doing all this while concurrently teaching virtually everything -- language, manners, safety, resourcefulness, discipline, curiosity, creativity. Empathy. Everything.
It's also a choice, yes. And a joy. But if you spent all day, every day, with this brand of joy, and then, when you got your first 10 minutes to yourself, wanted to be alone with your thoughts instead of calling a good friend, a good friend wouldn't judge you, complain about you to mutual friends, or marvel how much more productively she uses her time. Either make a sincere effort to understand or keep your snit to yourself.

The whole article can be found here: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/22/AR2007052201554.html?referrer=emailarticle

Fabulous Finds

When Lori was here we spent a lot of time outside and by the pool. And this led to using a lot of sunscreen and we had to laugh because we both had Hawaiian Tropic sunscreen, just in different SPF levels, that squeaked each time we sprayed it. For the life of us, we couldn't figure out why it would squeak. Anyway, this led to a discussion about sunscreen and sun tan lotion and how we both desperately miss a sun tan lotion of the past - Bain de Soleil Orange Gelee. You used to be able to buy it anywhere and then probably 10 -12 years ago it just vanished. You couldn't find it anywhere. Lori thought she might be able to to find it here in Canada, but I already looked for it and haven't been able to find it. You should have seen us, we were so sad thinking about this sun tan lotion and our Summers from high school and college. It was so funny that we were pining over sun tan lotion. This is where drugstore.com came to the rescue. First we googled it and it sent us to Bain de Soleil's website, we were definitely on to something, then their website connected us to drugstore.com. Lo and behold, it was there, just like we remember, nothing had changed. Could it be true?? Yes, it could and even better, drugstore.com ships to Canada, YIPPEE!! So last week, I ordered a tube (and a few other things) and I received it today (I couldn't believe how quickly it got here)! I couldn't tear into the shipping box fast enough. Arabella thought I had gone mad and then when I got the tube open, Aah, the wonderful smell came rushing out! I am in heaven and so happy to have found a old favorite. Welcome Back Bain de Soleil Orange Gelee!

Green Thumb

Arabella has been helping me in the garden and in the yard with pulling weeds and trimming flowers. She loves to pull the weeds and is so helpful. I just love to be outside and spend time with her! She also loves to make sure the plants are watered and it looks like she has been taking really good care of the hibiscus plants...







I would have never thought such tropical plants would love the Summer in Montreal. Last night Arabella also tried the first cherry tomato of the season, she loved it!



And this morning we had fun working in the yard a little bit before swim lessons. We even cut some of the beautiful white hydrangeas that we have in the yard. I think we have at least a dozen bushes and they are all starting to bloom, just beautiful, no wonder they are a favorite flower of mine.