Category Archives: babeez

Counting up

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86. Dinner with my parents

87. A full grocery cart

88. Carrying sleeping children from the car to their beds (…although I did smack Kit-kat’s head on the door frame – ouch!)

89. Slow-cooker suppers that make the house smell so delicious!

90. Listening to them recite movie lines while they’re playing

91. Strawberries, blueberries, bananas, almond butter

92. Surprise kisses and hugs

93. Painting our nails together

94. Crazy, grown-up, complex statements coming out of little mouths :)

95. Fuzzy, wiggly puppy kisses

96. Reiki zen self-care time

97. Heartfelt conversations with my husband, being on the same page as each other

98. Hours-long text conversations with my mom :) And goofy dog names

99. Having him home for a couple of nights in a row, in the middle of a two-week single parenting stretch

100. A new puppy to love and learn with!

101. Long rays of afternoon sunshine

102. Cuddling together on the couch

103. Watching them try hard to set a good example for the puppy

104. When they stop being upset long enough to breathe, use words, and try to explain

105. A first night home with no crate accidents :)

106. Watching the sun rise between the trees outside our window

107. Weeknight dinners with mom & dad, and tasty homemade soup

108. Falling asleep between my two girls, texting my husband, with a puppy sleeping on the floor beside us and the furnace humming :)

Counting up

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With Leith back to “away” work, you might think it’s a bit harder to count the blessings in a day. I find it’s the opposite – I look harder, so that I can keep perspective in each day when things do get hard. Counting my blessings helps even the toughest times feel manageable :)

66. Family date night – a regular effort we make now when Leith is home, to spend time all together

67. Pull-through parking stalls

68. Waking up to the smell of chocolate chip pancakes

69. Rubbing her back when her tummy is upset

70. Listening to them chatter excitedly about their new babysitter

71. Snowman families and rosy cheeks

72. Speaker-phone calls at bedtime, watching them kiss and hug the phone goodnight

73. Sweaty blonde curls stuck to their foreheads while they sleep

74. Bubble baths

75. Walking through our forest trails

76. When they choose carrot and rep pepper sticks for snack; teaching them healthy habits from an early age

77. Free healthcare

78. Every single day that I get to spend with my bugz, instead of at a job

79. Glitter everywhere – evidence of their playtime ;)

80. Listening to their imaginations run wild all over the house

81. How C-boo “reads” her favourite stories out loud

82. Emails from Sku

83. Hot water

84. Injuries that heal themselves with stretching and movement

85. Mommy-daughters date days!

So that just happened

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Really?

My bugz go to sleep in their own room every night by 730pm. Sometime before midnight, both will come stumbling confusedly into my bed, half-asleep and missing me.

By 230am, they are sprawled, sweaty, and snoring, and I am sleeping horizontally across the foot of my own bed.

This early morning, C-boo whimpered to me that she was soooo hungry. “Mommy wake up! I HAVE to eat. My tummy is hungry.“

Not wanting a full-on tantrum to develop, I rolled out of bed and acquiesced by getting her half a banana. Of course, her twin sensed he victory, and within 5 minutes both were munching on their prize in my bed.

At 430am.

When they finished, C-boo looked at me and said, “I don’t want to e in your bed. I want to be in my bed. “

Okay kid, off you go. More room for me.

Then Kit-Kat looked at her sister and honest-to-goodness said, “Why are we even in here? Let’s go back to our room.“

They hopped out of my bed and left me here all alone.

Just like that.

After I grew and nursed and loved and nurtured them all these years.

Hmpf.

January: a month in review

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Detox 2012 already has one month in the bag! It’s been a good month, but it went by so quickly…I guess all my dreaming and wishing for Mexico has paid off ;)

  • I started running again – yay!
  • I registered for the Footstock 2012 half marathon in June
  • I went back to physio for some lovely IMS needles
  • I made it to 9 Bikram yoga classes!
  • I walked 15.5 hours –> that’s 54.25 miles!
  • I made it to 133lbs
  • I booked blood work to find out why I am so tired, instead of just ignoring it
  • I read Little Bee by Chris Cleave, How to Be an American Housewife by Margaret Dilloway, and started My Life in France by Julia Child (!!)
  • Spent a LOT less time yelling and more time breathing
  • We went on several family “dates” all together, since Leith was home until January 29 :)
  • I took care of myself first, so that I could give my family the best of me
  • I cooked and baked a myriad of tasty meals and snacks from scratch, exploring and expanding my creativity
  • I spent a weekend with my oldest, dearest friends celebrating milestones
  • I played outside with my bugz in this beautiful weather
  • I celebrated my mother-in-law’s birthday with our family
  • I enjoyed new tea flavours in my mug – a chance to unwind and reflect
  • I started counting all the things in my life that I am grateful for
  • I spent at least one day a week with friends, letting our kids run wild

And most importantly? I spent most of January as a very, very happy person :)

Counting up

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Another week gone by so quickly! While I try to pause for the little moments, I really am appreciating taking the time to actually write down the little things that make my life so full. Heather had a great quote on her blog this week, from Ann Voskamp’s book, One Thousand Gifts:
I discover that slapping a sloppy brush of thanksgiving over everything in my life leaves me deeply thankful for very few things in my life. A lifetime of sermons on “thanks in all things” and the shelves sagging with books on these things and I testify: life-changing gratitude does not fasten to a life unless nailed through with one very specific nail at a time.
It really made me think: it’s one thing to say you’re grateful, but it is another thing completely to be aware and focused on all the millions of tiny blessings that make up each day. There are so many that I miss while I am racing through my life that I am so grateful that I took the time to write down these special moments in my week:

24. How committed he is to putting his kids and family first, willingly, without complaint_uacct = “UA-4888259-1″;urchinTracker();

25. Weekly photo messages of Erin’s growing baby belly!!
26. Watching him taking care of his health, getting lots of exercise this winter, finally having time
27. Making a blanket tent in bed in the morning, and hearing their stories
28. A balanced cheque book, even between pay days
29. A roaring fire in the wood stove
30. When he gets home early, and I can make it to the last yoga class of the day
31. Sliding my wedding rings back on after class, and being so grateful for love
32. Letting them jump on the furniture!
33. Fresh orange zest
34. Hot baked oatmeal when the temperatures are frigid
35. Sun shining on a very, VERY cold day
36. That he knows the names of all their princesses :)
37. So much fresh water
38. How clean and white the road through our subdivision still is, even after the traffic has been through. No sand or dirt!
39. Finding them colouring quietly together
40. Seeing the seeds of their self-efficacy take root when their swimming teacher praises them
41. Peaceful drives home in the still darkness
42. Heated car seats on sore muscles

Warm the soul

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It’s freaking cold here._uacct = “UA-4888259-1″;urchinTracker();

-43 degrees Celcius. My poor, loving husband works outside. Every time you use your cell phone today, send him a little love and thanks.
When he wakes up in the dark of the morning, I can’t help but feel bad. Last night, I decided to put together a baked oatmeal recipe that I discovered on (where else?) Pinterest. I modified it a fair bit – the original is a combine-and-bake, whereas I let mine soak overnight. I used less sugar, different fruit, different spices…and put the bananas on top in the morning instead of before adding the milk.
It was perfect :) Almost cake-like, warm and sticky, perfect for a cold, cold, COLD winter morning. And my house smells heavenly!
The dry ingredients:
  • 2 cups porridge oats (or other cooking oats, rolled oats, whatever…just not instant oatmeal!)
  • 1/4c brown sugar
  • 1tsp baking powder
  • cinnamon, ground ginger, nutmeg – enough to make you swoon ;)
  • zest from one orange
Add:
  • 1-1/3c frozen berries of your choice – mine is a mix of blackberries, raspberries, strawberries and blueberries. 
  • half of 1/3c semi-sweet chocolate chips
Mix them all together and pour into a greased 10×7 baking dish.
Add to the top:
  • an additional 2/3c frozen berries
  • the remaining half of the 1/3c semi-sweet chocolate chips
Whisk:
  • 2c skim milk
  • 1tsp vanilla (I ran out of my fabulous Mexican vanilla extract. Sadness…)
  • 3tbsp melted butter
  • 1 egg
Lesson learned: let the butter cool for a minute before you add it to the milk. Mine curdled. It was gross…and weird. I’ve never had that happen before!

Pour the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients in the baking dish. Give the pan a good shake so that the milk is evenly distributed and you don’t get dry patches (yuck)
*very important tip from Inspired Taste’s original recipe!!
Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge overnight…or just cook it right away, assuming it isn’t 10:30pm!


In the morning:
  • Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F
  • Take the plastic wrap off
  • Slice 1 or 2 bananas over the top of the dish
  • Bake for 35-40 minutes
Serve:
  • a tablespoon of unsweetened almond milk
  • a drizzle of honey
  • coffee on the side ;)
YUM!
And if your kids hate oatmeal like mine do, tell them it’s breakfast cake. 
Done. Gone. Eaten. Energy to dress with wild abadon:

This n that

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  • Minus 20 and snow. I guess winter came back?
  • The bugz have been playing nicely by themselves for almost 2 hours. I’m not about to step in
  • Coffee. Yes, coffee :)
  • My yoga plans were derailed today because Leith is on call. We blame the weather for that one…
  • No yoga = 90 minutes on the treadmill. Not running though…
  • Two wood stoves means that our furnace isn’t blasting even though it’s frightful outside :)
  • My husband’s bacon pancakes rock.
  • I wish I was lazy enough to get groceries delivered…maybe we can make it a fun, family outing tonight, right??
  • I found a frozen banana in my freezer (obvious place) just when I was mourning how boring my lunch shake was going to be today!
  • I’m down 13lbs in my “What is fat, what is twin-skin” journey! I’m 7lbs from my goal weight, just in time for Mexico!! ¡Arriba!
  • I’m already planning my garden this year. Last year’s “put planted pots in the garden box” was pathetic, so this year I will be churning up a new plot and bringing in good soil and fertilizer! The old plot will become a flower garden…
  • C-boo found my old English riding hat somewhere in the basement. I’m surprised I still have it 18 years later, and wondering where she was that she shouldn’t have been…!
  • Leith went ice climbing yesterday with a stranger he met on the internet. True story. He came back alive and everything.
  • I reeeeeeally need to clean up my office again. There’s an avalanche waiting to happen.
  • Twitter. My tweeps save my sanity sometimes. I love you guys :) :) :)
  • I am slightly REALLY excited to road-trip with Cheryl next weekend to see SKU!!! 
That’s about it for now. Just killin’ time until I can make lunch. And avoid cleaning my house ;)

Counting up

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After a week of counting gratitudes, here is my first post on my way to One Thousand Gifts!_uacct = “UA-4888259-1″;urchinTracker();

thank you to Ann at www.aholyexperience.com
(even though it isn’t Monday…)
1. Sneaking back into bed for a half hour nap :)
2. Watching them perform “ballu-et” every day…not *just* ballet lol
3. A washing machine with a sanitize cycle when tummies are upset!
4. The hum of the furnace, lulling me back to sleep
5. Coconut oil – as a hair mask, face moisturizer, oil for cooking, spread on bread…
6. Hot tea
7. Bright blue skies and sunshine in January
8. Grocery shopping all. by. my. self.
9. Homemade guacamole
10. Fresh cinnamon biscuits, using Gramma’s biscuit recipe
11. Shirley Temples and sparkling princess gowns :)
12. Finding bed-bugz in my bed!
13. Hearing compliments about how well-behaved our little girls are
14. Early morning tickle fights
15. The chance to work out every day and feel strong
Bonus gratitude: that my parent’s 16-year old treadmill still works!
16. Listening to the songs they make up together
17. Their first dance class
18. Feeling waves of heat wash over my body in the yoga studio
19. Brushing their soft, blonde curls
20. Cafe O Play dates!
21. Watching movies on the couch with him
22. Listening to their excited voices carry across the pool while I watch
23. First swimming lessons

Ballerinas!!

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My beautiful bugz are at their very first dance class, all by themselves! I’m trying so hard to not peek through the curtains…it’s so hard!!

I can’t believe they are big enough for dance already! Wasn’t it just yesterday that they were sleeping in their carseats while I taught?