Latest mommy challenge-Vegetarianism (sort of)

You might remember my interest in vegan eating last year. I tried and adopted a few recipes, which is more than I can say for other family members (namely the youngest, pickiest one), so I kind of let the whole idea slide somewhat even if I have continued to educate myself in the blogosphere. For the past couple months, biggirl has been leaving most if not all meat in her plate. It has been frustrating. To some extent, I understand. On the other hand, I am wondering just how much of all this is just about making a statement and showing that she is the boss of her... you know, mild teenage rebellion. Anyways, I have had it with wasting money to put meat on her plate. I have a love-hate relationship with meat. I can't see myself ever giving up filet mignon, but the last time I cooked a whole chicken, I thought taking it apart was pretty gross. Okay really, really gross. Soooo, I have promised to try and cook vegetarian meals 3-5 times a week, just to see if her plate will get emptied. So far, so good. The problem is that I have to serve up meat for hubby and babygirl and, most of the time, babygirl won't even try the vegetarian preparation. This week, we've had brie, spinach, and walnut bowtie pasta and a lentil mushroom gratin. They were both good, not great. A little dry to tell the truth. But both recipes have potential. Funny thing is that it's not that babygirl isn't into vegetables, she just likes plain, no-fuss, raw vegetables. She will devour those like most would eat up a bowl of chips. Bottom line, it's going to take some adjusting. However, I must say that I feel great after eating a vegetarian meal. Join us on this semi-vegetarian adventure and don't hesitate to provide any tricks, suggestions, or recipes you many have to keep us on track!

And then she was 9

A Friday night fondue supper, a kid-based shopping spree, and supper at my mother's completed b-day celebrations for our now 9-year old. Hopefully, the start of her 10th year of life will be smoother than the last couple days. The parties, excitement, and late nights have turned our normally intense babygirl into an impatient firecracker. Of course, it doesn't help that I am having her participate more in little, tiny tasks that can make a difference in our home... and for ME! I know it's my fault, I've always been the kind of mom to put the girls' dishes away for them, same goes for their coats when they get home, and putting their socks in their sock drawer and so many more small yet time-consuming things when you add it all up. Now that they are 9 and almost 13, I want to turn things around a little. We've been working on this for quite some time (we're talking years really...) with biggirl and I still have to tell her to do it or put up with her dirty dishes, boots, and coat lying around (among other things). So, I guess I feel I should get a head start with babygirl and if I'm lucky they'll both get it at the same time and it'll be a done deal. (ha!) The problem is that it's just so much quicker for me to do it for them and it really does require a lot less energy versus having to hassle them about it and then be on the receiving end of their pre-teen and teen attitude. Oh my the attitude! Now there is one thing I cannot stand. At. All. What's a mom to do? It's unacceptable, rude, horrible, frustrating, and insulting. It drives me absolutely crazy. I sooooo don't deserve it. One day, they'll get it. Right?

A spa in my kitchen

I went all out this year and purchased babygirl's bday party. What I got: 2 hours of nail painting, makeup, and hairstyling for eight, yes eight 9-10 year olds. It was great and I am so glad that my investment saved me 2 hours of entertaining, because the 90 minutes in which this task relied solely on me were l-o-n-g. To keep them busy, I had planned a juice bar, a sundae bar, and cake pops. What I hadn't planned on is how many glasses they would go through : one for juice, one for milk, and then one for water...that's 24 glasses in very little time, which equals a countertop full of glasses to wash at the end of the day. Thankfully, that was how hubby decided to participate. Bless him! I guess he felt guilty when he saw how tired I was when they all went home and he had spent the afternoon watching TV (being a dad is so easy sometimes!). Note to self to purchase disposable glasses next time I am inclined to host a party involving kiddos who can't for the life of them keep track of their glasses.

Babygirl was happy and probably just as tired as I was at the end of the day. Mission accomplished for phase 1 of her bday. More celebrating to come later in the week...

Sweet sixteen

Of course, I am twenty (almost twenty one) years past being sixteen, but last week I celebrated an even sweeter occasion. My man and I have been together for sixteen whole years. I don’t know many couples nowadays who met when they were twenty who are still together and going strong like us. Our secret: laughter. Not a day goes by without laughing together. Most of the time, we are laughing about our daily life, something the kids said or did, something we heard, watched, saw... It really doesn’t matter what it is, but in the past sixteen years there hasn’t been a day we didn’t laugh together, even if it has been over the phone a lot when he was away on business. Even when we disagree (because we don’t argue), it often ends in laughter. It’s how we get our point across, it’s how we keep things light and simple, it’s who we are... it’s what we are. We celebrated with our weekly Friday night date at home. Good food, good wine, and, of course, laughter. Earlier in the day, we went shopping. No, not the clothes and shoes kind, the toaster oven and lighting kind, the kind which can actually be done in a hardware store. When I couldn’t find what I was looking for, I asked hubby if he was willing to go to that other store that I love but that he cannot stand. You know, the one that starts with a W, ends with a T, and rolls back prices like crazy... His answer: “Okay”. Wow! When I stated that he must be in a very good mood to accept so willingly he told me that he’s been in a really good mood for sixteen years now. I know. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh... How sweet! Happy sweet sixteen to us!

Excited about veggies

I have been contemplating joining a family farmers network for a few years and this year, we've taken the plunge. I am sooooo excited! I truly cannot wait for June 20th to get our first look at how this goes down every week. For 18 weeks, we will meet with our family farmer at a local drop-off location situated just 5 minutes from our house every Wednesday afternoon. Apparently, they set up much like a mini market and we get our pick of the veggies available that week. The website even states that they provide recipes for vegetables which may be new to us. Yum! Best of all, it's all organically grown. Double yum!
Between this weekly catch and the tomatoes and herbs in our own garden, I'm betting my vegan wannabe crusade will be on the road to success, at least in the summer months. Although, I probaby will never be 100% vegan, I hope to integrate more and more vegan meals in my diet and there's nothing like fresh produce to give a girl a push in the right direction.
I'm hoping to get the girls excited about this too. So far, my enthusiasm hasn't rubbed off on them, they just don't get it. Like it or not, I plan on insisting they join me and get up close and personal with our family farmer. The way I see it, it's all about appreciation of good, natural food. Hopefully, our family farmer will become a strong ally in getting them interested in healthy eating. One day, I hope they will be as excited as I am in front of a colorful, vegetable-packed plate.

Mother Nature... quit playing around!

By now, you've probably understood the fact that I am a summer girl. Warm weather, sunny skies, and driving with the windows down all bring out the best in me. Yesterday, it was once again nearly 30 degrees (Celsius that is), today it was barely 15 degrees and by the weekend we will be back to a possibility of snowflakes.

You gotta love Quebec weather. Or not.

Can you guess where I stand on that one?

Of course you can, it's a no-brainer.

What's up with all the taunting Mother Nature? Make up your mind!

And I am warning you. Don't you dare send more snow our way than the girls' trampoline can handle. Bad enough you ruined our gazebo for the 3rd or 4th time last year, that trampoline is off limits! It's the only thing that can keep the girls outdoors and active for hours. It even has the power to keep them away from the Family Channel not to mention the fact it's an absolute magnet for friends. All they have to do is bounce up and down once and wham! the neighbourhood comes running (or bouncing) along providing plenty of conflict management opportunities (wow, aren't I in a very positive state of mind tonight...).

Seriously, a trampoline is really a constant block party which means tons of fresh air and a fun cardio workout for all with the added bonus of simplified bedtimes.

So hands off the trampoline! It is desperately needed... at least until pool season starts.

How I humiliated biggirl...

and made her proud all at the same time. You see, when she started grade 6, her backpack was still in pretty good shape. So, I convinced her to wait on purchasing a new one, knowing they would all be on sale just a few weeks after school started. Of course, I was right... but by then she had forgotten all about wanting a new backpack. In all my early Christmas planning due to our trip to Florida, my mother picked up the backpack and matching lunchbox she had yearned for in October and tucked them away, crossing one Xmas present off her list. We were so proud!

Then, when Christmas came along (beginning of December in our house), biggirl was thrilled to receive the perfectly high school worthy kit. Come January, we had to do a lot of convincing to get her to use it right away. She wanted to keep it looking brand new for high school... I finally got her to use it before her old one tore open. When I stated that arriving with brand smacking new gear on your first day of high school is uncool, I knew I could rest my case. Sometimes, parenting pushes you to provide extreme explanations I guess...

Just one month later, the inside pocket was completely torn, providing me with a new mission: to get this replaced, free of charge. Now, I am not normally one to return merchandise or cause trouble, but this was probably the most expensive backpack she had ever had and it really was supposed to carry her through at least her first year of high school too. Since, after just one month of use it was damaged, I went to the store, with the girls and the backpack (plus the lunchbox tucked inside), determined to get this business taken care of.

Having worked in retail myself, I know very well that it wasn't the poor manager's fault, but it all didn't go down very well. You see, she started by telling me that there was a 60-day guarantee. Do the math. It was purchased in October, received as a gift in December, and only used as of mid-January...way beyond the 60-day mark. But, I strongly expressed the fact that the bag had not been used for 60 days and that we should not be penalized for Xmas shopping early. I also voiced the fact that this was a pretty expensive kit and that I was very disappointed of the quality. The manager then inspected the bag as I looked on red-faced and exasperated. When she told me that the backpack had obviously been torn by books...I lost it! Of course there were books in it. I mean come on lady, it's a school bag. Then, as I explained that I needed the lunchbox exchanged too since we had paid for a matching kit to begin with because that is what we wanted, I really felt as if we were out of luck. She finally asked me for my phone number and promised to call after she had checked with her supervisor.

Throughout this scene, I could feel the girls' eyes on me, I could tell they were uncomfortable, and I even had time to think of what kind of example I was setting... talk about multi-tasking!

When we left the store, biggirl told me she was a little bit embarassed about how I insisted...but also very proud. As I said, when we pay a lot for things, we expect them to fulfill the purpose we spent money for. I also told them that if the bag were mine I probably would not have done anything, but when it comes to my girls, I will fight no matter what! I also insisted on the fact that I remained polite with the manager. There was no name-calling involved in all my attempts to prove my point.

I don't know how many times I replayed the scene in my head.

Can you guess the final outcome?

A few days later we walked out of the store with a new backpack.

And

A new lunchbox picked out by biggirl. She was happy. I was happy. The manager probably wasn't.

Hopefully the lesson learned is not : get angry and get what you want, but more along the lines of stand up for yourself and make a wrong right.

One thing is certain, the girls know their mom is not a pushover. And I am definitely proud of that!

A little shopping goes a long way...

I have always loved to shop. I still do. I always will. However, my shopping techniques and methods have changed drastically in the past years due to the endless possibilities online shopping provides. As I grow older and wiser, I love taking advantage of discounts, 30% off being a minimum I aim for and often patiently (well okay impatiently) wait for. So when I got an email saying that a local boutique was offering 30% off its entire store for one day only, I was on a mission. A t-shirt mission. The pretty, flattering, feeling-good-about-my-look kind of t-shirt mission. At first I planned to go with the girls after school, but then decided to play hooky and go alone on my lunch break. This is what I call shopping success:



And yes, there are also jeans in there. When you can take an extra 30% off brand jeans long enough for my legs that are already on sale (notice those beautiful little orange price tags), I am not one to resist!

So in under an hour, mission accomplished. And with my iphone I was even able to check my emails between trying the items on to make sure no urgent messages were waiting for me at work... How efficient is that? Hooray for playing hooky!

Of course, the unprecedented March heat wave we enjoyed all week is now over... so although I have great new t-shirts, I will have to wait to wear them. Come back warm weather, come back!!!!!!!

Our ongoing war against germs

Spring break is almost over and this year, it has been highly demanding on the homefront. The girls have been sick... the coughing all night (and day), no energy at all, on and off fever kind. Naturally, this has meant they have practically spent the entire week lying on the couch in front of the television bundled up in layer upon layer of blankets. For some reason, just seeing them like that seems to drain me of energy and joy.

So much for the cooking and spring cleaning projects I meant to enjoy with them. So much for fresh air, shopping sprees, and movie theatre outings. That alone has been hard on my morale, but nothing compared to the fact that yesterday I began feeling an achiness in my fingers, toes, legs, back, neck... Yup! I guess it's only natural that I am the next target of this bug. After all, even with my intense germ phobia, even if I have avoided touching my eyes, nose, and face all week, even if I have washed my hands so much they are cracked and dry... as a mother you can only be coughed on so many times before becoming a coughing germ-infested victim yourself.

I am determined to give this bug the cold shoulder. I will not let it get the best of me! I don't need to curl up on the couch or blankets or medicine... right?

Wish me luck.

Once my fingers quit being so grumpy (achy), I will be back to share how I made a scene, both humiliating and making biggirl proud all at the same time.

Babygirl is 8

Okay, so it's Valentine's Day and, naturally, hubby is away on business. Over the course of our almost 16-year relationship, let's just say we haven't spent that many V-days together. I am okay with that. Really, I am. After all, it's not as if we love each other one day per year. We love each other every day of every year and we celebrate that love every Friday night. That's our official date night and we wouldn't miss it for anything short of a fortuitous event (doesn't that word sound oh so serious?).
When you really think of it, I am not really a fan of many special days and holidays. I mean, we basically escape Xmas and New Year's Day altogether by going to Florida, and Easter, V-day, birthdays and so many other little things just don't seem very important in my book as I grow older.
However, when you're turning 8, all these days and so many more are utterly important. That's why Babygirl's birthday was celebrated not once, but four times this year. It was really like the birthday that wouldn't end... we had a party with family members the weekend before her birthday, we went out for supper on her actual birthday, she invited our neighbor over for supper one evening (because he so would not have enjoyed the girly party we planned for the following weekend), and then we had the ultimate scrapbooking/jewellery making/dancing party 10 days after her birthday. We sang Happy Birthday so many times it feels like she's 18 for crying out loud!
Oh, and I do take pretty much all the credit for the girly party since hubby's participation was limited to blowing up balloons (which looked great by the way). He basically spent the entire party in his office catching up on work and wearing noise cancelling headphones (for those who don't know, little girls can be very, very loud). I really should borrow those sometimes...

Silent blog posts

Guess what, I have successfully limited my grumpiness since our return to snow-covered lawns and freezing temps. The way I see it, if I want to go back to Florida, I have to do my time up North! After all, Florida may be the sunshine state but sunshine doesn't come cheap if you know what I mean!

White sand beach jogs have been replaced with treadmill runs. There's something about staring at the wall for 45 minutes three times a week... it's led to many silent blog posts. You know, the ones which perfectly describe my endorphin-enduced state of mind, the ones in which the hustle and bustle of morning prep for school vanish with wise words only to be replaced by serenity.

Well. They were just that. Silent posts. They were good, heck some were even pretty darn great, but sadly, I never got around to actually typing them for y'all (pardon the lingering southern influence).

Indeed, time seems to be running ahead of me in 2012. I am constantly trying to catch up. But I will.

If only I could figure out a way to type while I jog... the posts would blow you away!

The end is near...

So basically, this is how I've been walking around today... soaking in every single last bit of sun I can.
Although our trip will end with a slight cold spell in Florida, I choose to hold on to those wonderful warm days which were much more frequent and appreciated. They are the ones which will get me through the cold Quebec winter, the ones which energized me so!
Everyone who knows me is bracing for my grumpiness and moodiness upon our return, I just don't do well with gray skies and snow... I promise to make an effort though! I'll give it my all and look at our vacation photos frequently to remain in the zone! The beach zone that is!
We're off tomorrow morning. That's when the nostalgia will most likely set in. My heart will most likely linger on Estero Island... but we're coming home.

XXX on the beach

Come on, you know me better than that. Of course, that was RUN on the beach!

It's all I thought it would be and then some. First of all, let's get things straight, it's difficult! I have been running maybe one or two songs less than at home. I blame this on a few things : the heat and red wine (and maybe a couple glasses of rhum). I have been extra careful about what goes into my body, especially the nights which precede a run (every other day that is), but still, I have to keep repeating my mantra over and over again : "I don't stop when I'm tired, I stop when I'm done!"

One thing is certain, running on the beach is great motivation. Let me explain. My ego has been crushed and rebuilt more times I can count since we've reached sunny Florida. The crushing part usually involves being passed by another runner and not for the life of me being able to latch on to him/her. Luckily this hasn't happened too much and when it has I could easily justify it by the fact that the ones who passed me were most definitely high school track and field stars (at least that's what was written across the back of their teeny tiny shorts more often than not). Then there were those who didn't seem sweaty or even remotely hot regardless of the very hot early morning sun. This, I am sure, is explained by the fact that they surely must live here based on their supertanned bodies which I am almost certain have never experienced the sunburns I am trying to avoid myself. On the other hand, my ego was rebuilt when I passed fellow runners myself with the wind in my hair. Sorry guys, I know how it feels, but I must say that it felt good!

But nothing beats the motivation which comes from seeing 50, 60, and maybe even a few 70-year olds running on the beach. Hats off to them! They are my running inspiration. High school track and field stars have nothing on them... they rock!!! Biggirl commented on one elderly running lady today stating that she was pretty old to jog. Heck yeah, but she was doing great and I hope I will continue running long enough for someone to say that about me one day...

A little taste of our current paradise

So here are a few pics just to keep you dreaming. They should provide at least a momentary escape from the snow, sleet, and rain present up north. Yes, we are feeling pretty darn lucky to be here. Temps have remained pretty much between 25 and 33 since we've arrived. Tomorrow, we're expecting a mere 22 degrees... hey, it's still flip-flop weather right? As you can see, I'm not the only one enjoying the sun and sand!
For those who are wondering, biggirl and hubby are absent from the pics since they were off exploring the surrounding islands on yet another motorcycle ride. Apparently there are plenty of wonderful sights, but I'm content right here on Estero Island, my favorite home away from home.

Hot, hot, hot!

We made it to the west coast of Florida. After spending four days in Cape Canaveral, we are now in Fort Myers Beach. The west coast is definitely the way to go. I truly believe you haven't really experienced Florida until you've seen the west coast. There is just something more tropical, more exotic about everything. I haven't gotten around to downloading the pics but I will...

This is by far the warmest Florida Xmas we've experienced yet. Hip, hip, hooray! Just what we were looking for.

There is a fire station right at the end of the campground. Tonight, Santa Claus left in a fire truck, off to deliver toys... he surprised babygirl with super cool gifts. How nice and so very unexpected! We're talking Barbie dolls here... couldn't help but hope that these weren't originally meant for needy children though... This did also complicate things. He's already been to the campground, does babygirl expect him to return tomorrow night too? I think she does. And he will. Somehow. Some way...

Until my next post, I will let you imagine just how wonderful west coast Florida can be... If you can picture white sand and gorgeous palm trees, you won't be surprised! Go ahead, dream on!

Red like a...

I am a big Ricardo fan. I turn to his website whenever I'm looking for a recipe, especially during the Holidays... When hubby's family was here for an early Christmas dinner, I was all excited about trying this original macaroni salad. It's really easy to make and tastes pretty good too. Best of all, it's a great way to add some color to traditional holiday meals. Let's face it, turkey (or pork tenderloin in our case) needs a little pizazz. A wow factor.

Can you guess what gives the macaroni it's festive color?

Come on, play along!

No one at our Christmas table guessed the answer. That would be because I totally forgot to take it out of the fridge.

I only realized my mistake once everyone had gone home, content with their nearly colorless meal. Yup, all that work went to waste.

That meant plenty of macaroni salad for lunches for the kiddos. Only one problem. When I proudly showed them my salad the next morning, it was greeted with, "Yuck! Macaroni isn't supposed to be red!"

So much for wanting to be original huh?

A for effort... at least I get to share it with all of you!

The secret ingredient is...

Beet juice. Which is surprisingly quite good and expensive. Especially if you forget it in the fridge!

O Christmas Tree?

So here's the deal. For the fifth year in a row, we're going South for Xmas. The first three years, we decorated our full-size artificial tree only for the cat to climb halfway up and destroy its festive look one decoration at a time. Last year, I plopped a 3-foot tree on a coffee table and the end result was the same. So... this year, I decided I needed to find an original, sleek, and simple tree for the few gatherings which were to take place in our home prior to our departure. This is what I came up with.

O Christmas tree!




Or not... maybe the exclamation point was going a little overboard there huh?

Biggirl actually told me that she thought it was our best tree yet. Well, not sure about that one, but the good news is that it was cat-proof, but that's not to say he didn't give it his best shot!

Tonight though, Babygirl shared that her teacher had them write about their Christmas tree. I immediately felt a pang of guilt. She informed her teacher that she didn't have a Christmas tree... so, so sad...

I remember literally sitting in front of our Xmas tree as a kid, just admiring all the beauty of the lights and decorations. I feel terrible that she won't have that memory.

But, she will have white sand and golden Christmas Eve sunset memories, lots of them. That must count for something!

Right?

Santa Claus is coming to town...

I loved this song when I was little, and I still do. Babygirl gets frustrated every time she practices this song for the Christmas pageant she won't be singing in since we'll be in sunny Florida by then... she hates that I can't seem to not sing along. Forgive me sweetie!

Luckily her teacher sent the lyrics home because I could not convince her that I had the correct words. According to her, Santa was making a list and "shaking it twice". Why in the world Santa would be shaking his list (or anything else for that matter) is beyond me. Then again, Santa may be shaking in his boots since he can't figure out when or where he is going to deliver babygirl's gifts this year. Does he deliver them early, before we go south for Xmas, or does he visit us in Florida...

I thought I had eliminated Santa's trip to our house or home away from home when I graciously told babygirl the truth about Santa for logistics due to our trip (gasp, I know!). However, she decided that in spite of my down to business speech, she still believed in Santa and wanted to receive a gift from him anyways. Ahem... um, OK, sure... so it seems he may have to join us on our upcoming RVing adventure, at least momentarily.

I guess I should include him on my "do not forget to bring" list which I will be sure to make and check twice!

Pink!

Last weekend was the start of babygirl's room makeover. Unlike myself, she was dying to participate and she did so beautifully... we were quite surprised with her patience, hard work, and perseverance on this project. Funny though how we take for granted that everyone just knows how to paint a wall... it wasn't long before I heard hubby saying "no, no, No!"... Worried, I ran to see what was the matter, expecting a mess to clean up. Babygirl was rubbing her paintbrush on the wall in every direction causing the fibers of the brush to, shall we say... tangle. But, she's a quick learner and once the task explained, she was a real pro! Not once did she even come close to stepping in the pan, an art which I mastered so well in my painting days that I am no longer expected to help out (yeah for me and I promise that's not what I was aiming for)!
Slowly but surely the room turned pink! As pink as its painters' cheeks!





The next day, when we put everything back, it was declared pinkalicious!

It's so cotton candy pink. Bubble gum pink.

Wait... I know what it is,


it's definitely babygirl pink.

Time

You may not believe my post since it has taken me three days to sit down and write it, but I really gained an hour over the weekend... Let me explain.

We all knew that we were supposed to turn back the clocks before going to bed on Saturday night but, somehow, we totally forgot. Sunday morning, babygirl came into our room to check the clock as usual because the TV is not to go on before 8 a.m. on weekends. A little while later, I got up, made our famous Sunday morning pancakes, got dressed, and went for a jog.

I love Sunday morning jogs. Everything is quiet. There is barely any traffic to worry about... and I can extend my run if I'm feeling up to it, and was I ever! Upon returning, I wondered why hubby wasn't watching his usual Sunday morning show, but never did I think I was an hour too fast!

After my shower, I started nagging the girls to get dressed so we could get some homework done... hated doing that since they were playing soooo well together, but heck, I thought it was almost time for lunch by then!

That's when I saw hubby walking around the house changing clocks. I must have looked like someone who had just won the lottery... I was ecstatic! I had just won a whole hour in my day. For the first time in like forever, I was precisely one full hour ahead of schedule. Love it!

So what did I do with my hour once the girls' homework was done?

I cleaned. Sounds boring right? I emptied the kitchen cabinets, washed the shelves, threw things away, reorganized... and that felt good. Sure, it's not a bubble bath, it's not watching a great television show, it's not a good glass of wine, but having the chance to clean something that's been bugging me for a while felt darn good!

Then, I moved on to babygirl's room. We filled 5, yes 5, garbage bags with junk. I mean papers, stickers, catalogues, crafts, and so much more. Ahhhhhhhhhh, it just felt fantastic, liberating!

Next weekend, we will be thinking pink since hubby will be painting her ever so clean room in her chosen "exotic pink"... she even convinced him to paint all four walls... pictures to come! Guess who'll be wishing for an extra hour this weekend???