Back in the Saddle

Well over a year since I've posted in this blog, and I'm totally alright with that! I'm not even going to summarize all of the things that have happened in that time, except to say that our family has a new member: little R born in the summer of 2014. He's now 9 months old and about as mobile as a baby can get without independently walking. He's crawling, standing, squatting, and cruising using furniture and even moldings on the walls! Today, both hubby and I noticed him standing independently for a few seconds at a time.

I made the decision, when I started this blog, not to share face pictures of my kids. I feel sometimes that it limits my ability to add visual interest to my posts, especially because they're so darn cute! I like to limit their online profile and let them dictate that for themselves when they're older.

Instead, you'll get cute pictures of them in action from behind, and pictures of my crafting. Speaking of crafting, I recently picked up two panels from the clearance section of Fabricland. They were the last two, and the surprise was I thought there was only one! Such a great surprise at the til, since I've got two boys. I've decided to make them each a lap blanket, for snuggling on the couch when they feel sleepy or sick, or for long car rides. They'll be identical, except for the backing and binding. I bought some bright green and saturated blue flannels (not as good a deal, unfortunately, but what can you do?) and I'm going to alternate them for the backing and the binding for contrast and to distinguish them. I'm even thinking of doing an applique of the first letter of their names on the back of each quilt. Should be fun! (famous last words... I'm sure I'll be swearing during the applique process).

Artsy picture from two years ago

While looking for appropriate fabric in my stash (I didn't find any), I came across a blanket of sorts that I started for Z during that year off. It's made from flannel receiving blankets that I got as a shower gift which were never really a good size to use as receiving blankets. So, I did what anyone would do, I hummed and ha-ed for an eternity and then cut them into strips and turned them into a blanket. Except, I made it a bit interesting (challenging) for myself by placing the strips slightly off kilter. I did this to maximize the size of the blanket (it's still quite small... maybe closest to a crib blanket).

The back

The front (standard bad cell phone pics)

Only a little bit left to go!

I think I originally thought Z could use it as a daycare blanket, but in true ME style, I got about 85% done and then put it aside because I was tired of it. That is so typical me when it comes to craft projects. I don't know what it is about the finish line, but I seem to like to avoid it, only to rush towards it with renewed vigor when I pick the project up again years later. Regardless, I was pretty happy to come across it and realize that I only had the two shorter sides of binding left to do, one of which was already machine sewn on one side and pinned and ready for hand stitching on the other. Woohoo!


Anyways, I finished the hand stitching on the pinned binding the other night while watching a Miss Marple murder mystery that I had PVRed. I already have the remaining piece of binding (I did each side as a separate piece), so I just need to machine stitch that and then watch another movie and it'll be done and all ready for R to enjoy!! Good thing I found it when I did, otherwise it would have had to be a baby shower gift for someone else (which would have been nice as well).

ETA: Just found my post about starting the above project... July 2012!!!! So, there you go... 2.5 years later and finally finishing it!

Grocery Fun!

Little Z is getting bigger and bigger and has now entered into a whole new stage: the Toddle Stage. He is walking, more than ever, tottering around with his hands waving to help keep him steady. He is oh so very cute, as all who spend time with him will attest. But, with this new stage has come the standard headstrong will. Now when we go grocery shopping, he does not want to sit in the cart (there's no action there!). No, he wants to walk, securely between mom and the grocery cart, pushing the cart around with such strength for such a little guy. We literally walk laps around the grocery store, me grabbing items from the shelves as we pace by, trying to keep him from running us into other patrons. Every once in a while when I need us to stop, I lodge him into a corner, which he has quickly adapted to by pulling the cart back and turning it a bit and then pushing again... repeat until that works! The alternative is me lodging my foot under the cart wheel so it can't go anywhere, which results in Z pushing with all his might (think practically horizontal baby) and crying out in frustration. Part of me thinks that he sees pushing the cart as his very important job in our grocery shopping endeavor. Unfortunately, he just doesn't know when to stop, and things always go south when we reach the check out line and the time for pushing has come to an end. Then, I'm stuck juggling pulling items out of the cart, while making sure Z doesn't shove the cart into the person in front of us, or while holding a squirming, very unhappy little boy. Yup, checkout cannot go fast enough. We may have reached the stage where little Z will have to stay home with one parent while the other shops... at least until he's old enough to run down the isle to fetch items for me - another adventure I'm sure. I must say though, it is pretty cute seeing him put all that effort into pushing the cart. So much gumption for such a little person!

Goodness, gracious!

Yes, that is all I can think to say. It has been QUITE the week! Last week marked my first one back to work after maternity leave, and Z's first week at daycare. Our little boy fared very well adjusting to daycare. He was quite tired the first day, came home with puffy eyes after only an hour's nap, but has progressively slept more and more and is now having a standard 2+hr nap (though was pretty much forced to drop the morning nap). For what it's worth, we're still keeping the morning nap at home during the weekends, and he seems okay with that!

Hubby and I are finding our groove, working together to get ourselves and the little one ready in the morning so that we can be out the door on time. I do find that I'm more consistently early for work than I have ever been, entirely because I drop Z off at daycare by a particular time. I've given myself over to focusing on making dinner and just hanging out and playing with the little guy until he's ready to go to bed. I'm coming to terms with not doing a great job at prepping and sometimes paying the consequence for it the next day. But, you know what? That's what happens when you get hired the day before you start teaching and you have absolutely no time before hand to prepare! I still find myself working 2-3 hours a night sometimes, marking and prepping, but even that I'm trying to balance. Today, I took up a teacher on an offer to just use his math notes for two of my classes instead of creating my own from scratch. I won't even know if I get to keep the job I'm covering until the postings are filled next week. Such is the life of a teacher.

me and my little guy at the Saanich Fair

My mind has been on my pension a lot lately. I know it sounds ridiculous to be thinking about such a thing when I'm not even 30 (soon!!), but there are so many implications with my profession to my pension; many of them I still need to figure out. I just don't want to find out I'm supremely screwed when I retire. First, my year off on maternity leave (for which I didn't even get top-up - bah!), I believe I need to pay into that year to make sure it isn't missed. Sure makes a case for not having too many kids! Second, every part-time contract I get only partially contributes to my pension, at least that's my understanding. Considering full time contracts are very hard to come by, even continuing contracts (when they become available) are usually part time. How in the heck do I go about figuring out where I'll be when I want to retire?

I've been driving my husband mental with these questions! I've promised him I'll hold off on freaking out with the need for answers until Christmas, when we have a bit of down time to look into things. It definitely makes me wonder though, how do all the momma's who stay home with their little ones manage when they get old? Hope that they stay with their husbands so there's that additional income to live off of? I've always thought that as a teacher I would love to only work part-time while my kiddies (plural one day) are little, have the flexibility to focus some of my efforts and energy on our home life. But, how much of an effect would this have on my security when I'm old? Hope I'm not freaking to many people out with my questions... I wonder if the google search count on pension related questions will go up!

On a much more pleasing note, I made spaghetti sauce tonight, and I used fresh tomatoes from my garden! The romas are especially prolific.

Because he loves me

I know, I know... if I've been married almost 9 years, then by now I should know for sure that my dear hubby loves me, and I do! But there's nothing like receiving a bouquet of flowers on the day of love from my hunny to help seal the deal, or at the very least make me feel special. I find myself looking at them every time I go into the kitchen, and thinking about my husband, how much I love him, and about the years we've been together so far. I love tulips; they're cost effective, and they remind me of Holland, the home of my ancestors. Plus, they come in so many beautiful colours and they signify spring.

It's been starting to feel more like spring out there. My husband asked me the other day if I thought it might still snow this winter. This is a typical topic of conversation for the people of Victoria. We don't get much snow, but we often get one or two "dumps" in a season, typically after Christmas, and usually when we least expect it (let's be honest, we rarely expect snow in Victoria). Then the whole city goes into practical lock down mode as we really don't have the infrastructure to deal with more than a couple of inches of the stuff.

But, why am I talking of snow??? It's beautifully bright and sunny out as I speak! I've managed to get out in the garden in the past few weeks, clearing away the dead and making room for all the new little shoots that are starting to pop up. On the crafting side of things, I've managed to finish this giant pink cardigan I've been knitting. I know it sounds atrocious, but it's really quite lovely, a pattern I've been meaning to knit for a number of years, and a project that I started back in June. Considering since then I've finished a school year, finished a pregnancy, and endured/enjoyed the first 6 months of my son's life, I think I've done fairly well! I'll take some pictures once I sew on the button (those who know me know that could take a while... ugh, finishing!). Since that project has been off the needles, I've been working on frogging (ripping out) a sweater I never wear to reclaim the wool.

You may recall, I held the yarn doubled for this project; that's a heck of a lot of yarn! I was hoping to hold off posting about this until I had the entire sweater frogged and the yarn re-balled.

So far, I have ripped out the entire sweater, but separating the yarn (since I had it held doubled), re-skeining, and then winding into balls has proven very labour intensive (aka huge pain in the ass). Suffice to say, I have about half of the sweater/yarn done and I already have five good sized balls! I think I should be able to get at least two sweaters out of this yarn.

For the record, I don't think it will snow again... bring on Spring!!

Mommyhood Monday

I love these chubby little arms!

This article was originally posted on http://ayeartoexpand.blogspot.com/ Any reproduction on any other site is prohibited and a violation of copyright laws.

That's how we roll

Well, it's been a looooong week. If you haven't gathered already, I have a little baby boy, just shy of 5 months old. We enjoyed a nice Christmas break with my husband home from work. All the momma's out there holla if you know what I mean when I say it is nice to have another adult body around when you're a SAHM! Even just to be able to put the little guy in the office with my hubby while I run errands (or write up a blog post) is quite nice, especially when I get to hear my little one make sounds and my hubby make them back to him. Warms my heart to hear my two favorite men "conversing"!

For many, this week was the first back to work, or back to school for the kiddies, and in our home it was no different. Hubby was back to his grueling construction job, and I was back to flying it solo with little Z. And what a week it was! Monday I got peed on, Tuesday I got pooped on, Wednesday I got peed on again, and Thursday I got epically spit up on while were we out no less :P Such are the trials and tribulations of motherhood, but I literally felt like I was being inaugurated all over again! To top it all off, little one's sleeping habits have been majorly shifting this week. We currently swaddle him, but he seems to be transitioning to not wanting to be swaddled... except, when he's not swaddled he still attacks himself with his arms or pulls out his pacifier and then gets upset about it. After two nights of really broken up sleep, things were finally a bit better last night. And, something else happened...

He ROLLED!!!

That's right people, we have rolling! It seems all it took was the perfect combination of arm tucked under and head cranking around. Hubby and I were kicking ourselves at the obviousness of the physics of it all - that is a HUGE head after all. It makes sense that where ever it goes, the body will follow! So far we only have rolling from front to back, but I'm sure it's only a matter of time before the back to front happens as well. Then, I will be in major trouble. Let's just say that phase 1 of baby-proofing is in the works!

This article was originally posted on http://ayeartoexpand.blogspot.com/ Any reproduction on any other site is prohibited and a violation of copyright laws.

Oliebollen!

It is Dutch tradition to ring in the new year with oliebollen, what I can only describe as homemade donut holes. My dad has often made oliebollen, buying the package at the Dutch Store and setting up a make-shift deep fryer (wok) in the carport. Not a bad place to get it done considering the resultant smell of oil. It's not a small job as the oliebollen have to be watched, turned and taken out before they get too brown. The result is delicious though, and takes me back to my childhood with every powdered sugared bite! I think it's a bit hilarious and fitting that we ring in the new year with so many calories!


Like many firsts, this New Year's Eve was the first with our little boy Z. He's just a baby, only 4 months old or so, and definitely not aware of the occasion. I "partied it up" this year at my parents place helping my mom in another long standing tradition... completing a crazy hard puzzle! To tell you the truth, it was the perfect New Year's Eve: hanging out with family all cozy, eating a few oliebollen, and making myself practically cross-eyed trying to figure out what piece went where. I am very much looking forward to this New Year and all it's continued experiences with my little boy. It seems like every week he's learned a new skill. My hubby and I (and our families) get a lot of joy from watching him and his little personality develop. I'm also really excited for all the projects I have planned for this year.

Gelukkig Nieuwjaar! (Happy New Year!)

This article was originally posted on http://ayeartoexpand.blogspot.com/ Any reproduction on any other site is prohibited and a violation of copyright laws.