Tag Archives: mom

Community Garden Experiment: Seeds Sprouting!

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This is the 3rd installment of My Community Garden Experiment.

Holy smoke!  I can hardly contain myself!

But I have managed to contain some pretty little seedlings!  As you can see from the picture, I have teeny weeny little plants sprouting! Basil and pepper plants that is.  My set up must be the bomb! And in only 5 days! Wow, I better get a move on with the rest of the sprouting experiment. Basil and Pepper Seed Sprouts

In truth I’ll need to set things up a bit differently. As you can see, it’s a situation that could only be temporary.  Now I need to figure out how to keep these babies alive and well.  I have a tray that can hold 72 plants!  So this situation has gotta improve.

But I am hopeful and excited!

Stay tuned for more exciting sprouting news from over here!

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Thanks for reading.

Dogs are Not a Walk in the Park

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Have you ever heard someone say, ‘Now that the children are grown and moved out, we’re gonna get a dog.’ Or, ‘We decided not to have children, so we got dogs?  Do they say it like dogs are a lot less work than kids?  Ya, don’t think so.

Here are some big reasons that may make them rethink the idea dogs are a walk in the park.

Forever Fed

While it’s certainly true that pet moms and dads don’t have to do midnight feedings and change diapers, it is also true that dogs always have to be fed, unless they’ve figured out how to get into the fridge, for the rest of their lives. Dogs can live 18 years, right? Children learn very quickly how to feed themselves. I was making my own breakfast at 5 years old.

Toilet Duty

Dogs, unlike children require their moms or dads to go with them for the 3x daily walk and pees, every day. It is not enough to let the dog out in the yard, they need to get out in the world, meet other dogs, mark their territory etc. I’ve never heard of a toilet-trained dog. I did try to toilet-train my cat, but that’s a whole other story.

Karma

Doggie moms and dads will always have to pick up Fluffy’s poop. Unless they are ‘those’ people who don’t. Karma has a nice way of getting those people back though. It’s a bitch.

Earning Their Keep

Dogs, especially the urban dwelling kind will have to be given baths and groomed their entire lives. Children learn to clean themselves, brush their own teeth, help around the house. Earn their keep basically. If yours don’t, well I can’t help you with that, (my son is 16 months old and does squat right now). We’re working on that.

Run Spot Run

Dogs and kids need to be run. No ifs, and or buts. A good run equals a good nap. I think it’s a tie here., love

Cha-ching!

Pets are expensive too! While it’s true that dogs don’t have to wear clothes, really they don’t, there are some certainly sporting the bling. People spend too much on their dogs in this town. But when you don’t have kids…

Vet bills can be astronomical. And dogs can’t tell you what’s the matter. In this great country of ours we have medical. And we speak the same language.

Love, Love, Love

All in all, kids and dogs require a lot of work. And a lot of love. And, a lot of work. But, whichever way you go, the responsibility is massive to raise happy kidlets and doggies.

I wish you the best in the raising of yours.

Did you choose to raise dogs instead of kids or vise versa? Do you have both? Would you like to share your compares for fun?

Career Choices for Baby

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I’ve been wondering what kind of career my son will want when he grows up.  He is always looks for an exit wherever we go and as an infant he could bust his way out of any swaddle.  It got me thinking that maybe our 16 month old little man is a regular Houdini.  Any day he will figure out how to escape his crib.  We are certainly doomed then as my mom was when I was his age.  Eeek!

I’m not so sure that being Houdini reincarnate is a solid career choice so I’ve made a list of the things he might want to consider.  Or not.

Here’s a few other things I’ve noticed that he gravitates towards.

He know how to turn the TV and DVD player on and off.

Knows how to operate the automatic door openers for wheelchair access.

Knows where all the exits are and tries to open windows or gates.

(TV Repair Guy or Electrical Engineer?)

Makes the craziest funny faces.  Like his Dad.

(Circus Clown? Class Clown)

Is fascinated with:  remote controls, IPhones, helicopters and airplanes, ceiling fans.

(Aeronautic Mechanic? Pilot?)

Loves hats of any kind, he doesn’t like to wear them, just put them on and take them off again and again.

(Chorus Line Dancer? Mad Hatter?)

Loves his music classses and turns any surface into a drum!

(The next Raffee? Taiko Drummer?)

Fascinated with water.

Turns taps on and off.

Loves his bath and will stick his head in the water to drink it.

(Jacques Cousteau-like TV Host?)

He loves to wiggle into small spaces.

He climbs on anything possible, gets down and repeats over and over.

He could climb onto the sofa before he could even walk.

(Professional Sherpa or Andes Rock Climbing Guide?)

Loves books, dinosaurs, rhinos, ducks, dogs, cats, birds and books with all these animals in them.

(Veterinarian? Librarian?)

I’m sure the the list could go on, but rather than me go on, I’d love to hear from you.

Did your child show special talents or interests at an early age that became part of his or her career path?

Thanks for reading.

Pleeb blow my nobe

Namaste

Being a Mom Requires Wine Sometimes

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You know how it is.

You’ve been up since 6 am feeding, changing and chasing the babe. When he naps you have to decide between a nap yourself, catching up on emails, or reinventing yourself and your wardrobe for that dream job you plan on getting one day, or reorganizing the cupboards. Then dinner and, oh you don’t have the critical ingredient because it got spilled all over the floor this morning so off to the store, grab a coffee and realize you forgot your wallet so back home you go.  You decide that a casserole with whatever you have will do just fine rather than go back to the store and then before you know it, you’ve done it all and it’s 8.30 in the p.m. and whew! Can you say freakin’ frazzled?

Come to Mamma

The Cab is calling your name. And I’m not talking about the taxi kind. ‘Come to Mamma!’ you say as you pour yourself a glass. After all, being a mom requires wine sometimes, right? Don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone.

Lately, I’ve been enjoying Jackson Triggs Cabernet Sauvignon, vintage 2008.  It’s very drinkable and suitable for many dishes. I’m no sommelier but I know a smooth non-fussy wine when I taste one. For under 16 dollars, it’s a nice a.k.a. cheap companion after a busy day.

A Cheap Date

Sounds like the path to addiction? Nah…at best I can handle one, maybe two glasses without the headache that is inevitable in the morning. I’m so pooped after dinner, it’s all I can manage. Makes me a cheap date? My partner Eric doesn’t seem to mind.

Olympic Village Peeps

The staff at Legacy Liquor Store in our lovely Olympic Village were very helpful and knowledgeable  when it came to making my final selection.  If you have questions about anything liquor related then they’re your peeps.

Thanks for reading.

Namaste

Superpower Blunders or Coincidence

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I have this thing I do, I’m told.  My partner calls it my ‘superpower’.  That is, if I blurt out something I don’t want to happen, it almost always does.  He says, “Leeanne you need to harness that power, to make it work for you, not against you. ”

Only When I Blurt it Out

For example, while watching the Vancouver Canucks play, I’ll blurt out ‘Luongo is going to get a shut out!’ Or ‘Oh baby S has walked so far and he hasn’t fallen!’ And then, well you know what happens next.  It seems to work only when I blurt it out.  And it’s happened too many times to count.  It’s like something takes over me and I can’t help myself. And I always feel guilty that somehow, Eric’s right.  I guess I sort of believe it myself.

Greatest American (Canadian) Hero?

But now things have taken a turn for the worst I think.  It seems that perhaps this so-called superpower has manifested into something beyond my control.  It seems that if I think about something happening enough times it’s going to happen.  I’m not talking about goal setting or meditation.  More like ‘The Greatest American Hero’ from back in the day, I seem to have a problem getting my superpower suit under control.  I didn’t think this ‘power’ influenced other people directly, but in this case, oh shit, maybe it does.

You see, yesterday afternoon I was in the middle of changing baby S, when there is a knock on my door.  My babysitter and her mom were there, who live in the building, looking quite stressed as they explained how their keys dropped down the elevator shaft.  Now why did they knock on my door?  The Lord only knows.

What freaks me out about this situation is every time I go into the elevator with my keys in hand, I worry that I will drop them and they will go down the elevator shaft. I’ve never done it.  But a friend of mine has.  And now it’s happened to them.

Anyway, I invited them in for tea while they were trying to figure out what to do.  Eric came home a bit later and as we explained the situation.   He assured them we could get the keys ourselves.  No need to pay the elevator people on a holiday.

Long story short, we knocked on several of the neighbors doors before a true McGyver solution was had.

A retractable tape measure, an S hooked taped to the end.  And a flashlight.  Worked like a charm!

Thanks neighbor!

Moral of the story?  I’m sure there are several. Let’s just say that I don’t believe in coincidences.  Too much weird crap like this happens to me all the time.

Perhaps it’s the Power of Suggestion at Work?  The Law of Attraction?

Cool!  I will be the queen of the blogosphere and make a million dollars!  Giddyup.

More Superheros Out There?

Do you have a superpower that you’d like to harness too?  Surely I can’t be the only blundering superhero out there. Or just a funny story to share? I’d love to hear about it!

Thanks for reading.

Namaste