Are We There Yet?

Love Is in the Air

Funny how a cheesy little Hallmark holiday can cause such a stir!  Making Valentines, treats for the party, a little something for the kids, finding the right shade of red to wear, the perfect card for my hubby, it goes on and on, but oh such fun! 

This Valentine’s was full of wonderful little surprises and funny little moments to remember.  It started with a grand gesture from our principal.  She bought us all a red t-shirt that read, “My Boss Thinks I am Kind of a Big Deal”.  Karin, our principal, is a riot and a boss like no other.    It was hilarious to see us all walking the halls today wearing our same red shirt.  The kids thought it was great.  Too funny!

I was lucky enough to end up with one of my most favourite people as my Secret Valentine at work over the last few days.  Notice the keyword, “secret” ….however Kristin is a bit of a open book and couldn’t keep it under wraps.  She spoiled me with the most perfect little gifts.  Magnetic bookmarks for the booklover.  A yummy loose tea from Teavana for the tealover.  Partylite spicy scented candles for the pumpkin lover. And a precious little notepad to use as notes in the kids’ lunches.  She knows me oh so well!!  A big shout out to my “secret” valentine!!

My little girl surprised me with the most amazing birthday/valentine’s gift.  Her most recent pottery creation was wrapped up just for mom and couldn’t have been more adorable and perfect.  Thanks sweet girl!

Blaine and I have never been into big, elaborate Valentine’s gifts.  My husband is sweet, affectionate and generous.  He tells me how much he loves me everyday.  Jewelry and expensive flowers on Feb. 14^th don’t hold a candle to all of that.  Thankfully, he is also the first guy to drive out late at night when I have an ice cream craving.  We exchanged our usual thoughtful cards and he brought home a fantastic bottle of red wine we will enjoy together sometime this weekend when we aren’t competing with curling and hockey, as we are this evening.  Love you, hon!

And to top it off my most comical Valentine’s moment came when a new grade 2 girl at school, funny enough with the name “Shawna” ,gave me a Valentine that was addressed to, “the lady with the books”.  So cute…made my day!

Happy Valentine’s everyone…I hope yours has been as fun, heartwarming and filled with love as mine!

Crafty Katie

I've never really thought of myself as a "crafty" person.  I know I have the ability to be creative, but crafting has never been my passion. Like my sister, lately I have found myself endlessly browsing Pinterest looking at the incredible DIY projects that are really easy and really cute.

I bought these wood letters at Michael's a long time ago. At our old house I painted the IVY pink and hung them over her crib to add a little something to her wall (kind of boring).  They have been sitting in her closet since we moved so I decided to add additional letters to fill up a bigger space and to make my first attempt at Mod Podging (is that a word??)

Here is my before picture and tomorrow I'll post my after. While I know this isn't the hardest project in the world, it's a small way of putting a special touch in my little Ives room. Wish me luck!!

The Cost of Colour

Back in December Nate and I went to Perkins for brunch. While we waited for Blaine and Sarah to join us, we did the activities on the placemat that most restaurants offer. Nate was really into the word searches, the tic tac toe and all of the other activities. He was engaged, calm and happy as can be. Nate sipped his coveted drink as Blaine and Sarah arrived. For our two, pop is a treat reserved for special occasions and restaurants. Therefore, Nate had excitedly chosen a “wild cherry” sweet treat as his beverage of choice. Can you see where this is going? By the time our food arrived my sweet, well behaved and calm Nathan was colouring on his face with the crayons and crawling under the table. He was spinning.

I can’t say I have never seen this not so agreeable side of Nate before. On occasion, we have seen this difficult to manage, hyper side of Nate in the past, and had come to refer to it as “Sugar Nate”. For that reason we are always very cautious about the amount of sugar he eats. That day the quick transition in him was uncanny. We managed to reign him back in and enjoy the rest of our lunch, but as we headed home, something didn’t sit right with me.

Call it mother’s intuition but somehow I knew there was more going on here. My gut told me it wasn’t the sugar in the drink that was the problem….it was the colour. That afternoon I spent hours on the Net researching food dyes. This was a topic I knew a little about, but what I found out that afternoon blew my mind. I read countless websites and reports. General themes that seemed to be mentioned throughout were; food dyes are BAD! I know this is not news to many of us, but I am not sure I realized just how bad they really are. Food dyes are banned in many European countries. When tested in rats and other animals, they often cause cancer. Food dyes are made from petroleum. There are links to hyperactivity and behavior problems in children. There is tons of debate on this one, but for me after reading all of the blogs and anecdotal feedback offered by parents, and witnessing the changes in my own kid after eating red or yellow food dye, I am a believer.

Here is a direct quote from an article that really spoke to me, “During the past 50 years, the amount of chemical dye used in foods has increased by a whopping 500%. Could it be one of the causes of the alarming rise in child behavioral problems, aggression and ADHD? Studies show it’s a definite possibility.” To read the rest of the article click here.  

It seems that children with learning disabilities, attentional difficulties and other issues can have a heightened sensitivity to food dyes. Nate’s link to PANDAS makes him a likely candidate to be more sensitive than others. After experimenting with the colour thing a couple of times there is no doubt in my mind Nate is sensitive to food dyes. We now try to limit his exposure to colour as much as possible, within reason.

I am a label reader because of Sarah’s peanut allergy but the amount of label reading we now do has increased even more so since that day. “Colour” is listed as an ingredient on many things, in many cases surprising things. I now try to avoid it as much as humanly possible, particularly, red and yellow (tartrazine). The first time I sent Blaine out shopping after our enlightenment he was gone for three hours. But like anything, it gets easier.

I don’t want Nate to resent this shift in his diet so we make sure there are still options for treats he can enjoy. Really, candy and ice cream are the toughest ones to get around. However, there are some fruit gummies (Real Fruit Minis) that are ok, as well as Florida’s Natural Nuggets. Smarties are made with natural colours and most chocolate is still good to go. Nate has been great about choosing plain chips over ketchup or 7 Up over Orange Crush. He made it through the holidays without missing a candy cane too much and we made Imperial Cookies instead of sugar cookies with dyed icing, this Christmas. For Valentine’s Day I will add raspberry jam to our icing for our cupcakes. It is a great and tasty alternative!

I encourage anyone with a remote interest in this topic to spend 20 minutes researching it on the Internet. The amount of information out there is frightening, but I am so relieved to have made the connection for my colour sensivite boy.  Unfortuenately, there is a lot of food out there today with a lot of crap in it.  

Around here we are going to try and avoid the food dyes when we can and  I will continue to enjoy my sweet, calm, loving, and a little less "colourful" boy.

Here are a few of the websites I found most interesting but truly, there are too many to list. http://www.cspinet.org/new/200806022.html

http://cspinet.org/fooddyes/testimony.html

http://www.mamasagainstdrama.com/2011/08/one-dye-at-a-time/

http://inspirationgreen.com/food-dyes-linked-to-behavior-problems.html

http://raisingnaturalkids.com/2012/11/05/a-look-at-food-dye-sensitivity/

The Incredible Two's

My first baby is turning three this year and I literally shake my head in disbelief every single day when I think about where the time has gone. My once only child is now a big sister and is growing up in front of my eyes.  My big blue eyed blondie is one of two bright shining lights in my life that make every single day worth living for.

My little "Bibes" is many things- most noteably beautiful, inside and out.  Every moment of every day she surprises me with something that is laugh out loud funny or so sweet that my heart breaks just to hear it again. Her language and speech is beyond incredible for a two and a half year old and her wit and sense of humor are out of this world. She knows exactly how to use phrases and jokes in context and blows us away when she pulls a one liner fit for an adult. She keeps me on my toes and can make me smile in even the most trying moment.

When I look at her I see parts of both me and Jared. From her dad, an energy that just doesn't quit along with the Dueck family tooth gap, from me, a headstrong attitude that even I am prone to give into. When I glance at her quickly I see so much of my mom, a beauty not to be forgotten.

Two and a half, while very challenging, is by far the funnest age.  If I could freeze time, I would be thrilled to keep her exactly as she is right at this very moment. Since I can't, I am taking in every minute of it and remembering how incredibly blessed I am to have this little monkey in my life.

Countdown to Christmas

December is a whirlwind for all of us.  Life is busy enough and when you throw in extra parties, concerts, shopping, wrapping, baking and a variety of other functions, there are very few spare moments.  For us, the busyness tends to fall in the first few weeks of December and then we enjoy a little lull before the real “big day”.  So yes… this week is a little quieter for us and we can breathe again. 

Yesterday, we hosted the annual kids’ book exchange at our house.  Our group has been meeting around this time for years.  The number of children involved has grown over time and this year reached an all time high of 16 kiddies ranging in age from 2 months to 9 years old.  The kids have become pretty independent and these days we barely see them as they play in the basement while the adults have a chance to catch up upstairs.

Other traditions continue around here.  The Elf on the Shelf has returned once again with new tricks up his sleeve.  He has shown up in the most peculiar of places and sometimes comes with a witty holiday joke tucked under his arm to share.  One morning we even found him with a stick trying to roast a marshmallow beside our gas fireplace.  Trickster!

We have been filling our few spare moments with our daily Christmas stories and regular viewings of our favourite holiday movies and specials.  If you haven’t heard yet, Scaredy Squirrel has a new book out called, “Scaredy Squirrel Prepares for Christmas”.  This is a sure winner under the tree.

I went a different route with our Advent Calendar this December. Each season I struggle to find a peanut free chocolate one, which is okay in light of the fact the chocolate in those tastes like plastic.  This year my countdown plans came from Pinterest. 

Each day the kids have an envelope to open that has some holiday/winter/family activity in it.  These include;

• Tobogganing
• Christmas craft
• Movie night
• Making Christmas cards
• Write letter to Santa
• Singing carols
• Board game
• Card game
• Gingerbread house
• Baking cookies
• Going to see Christmas lights
• Ice skating
• Hot Chocolate for no reason
• Snuggle, popcorn and tv time in front of the fire

Some are repeated and for the super busy days when we can’t fit in any extras, I have the old stand by “This Kiss is for you” and chocolate saves the day!

The kids have loved this year’s Advent festivities and I think this format may become an annual thing around here.

One of my favourite holiday moments is when the kids receive their video message from Santa.  Nate’s eyes were as big as saucers this afternoon as he held his breath waiting for Santa to declare whether he had made the “nice list”.  He was so relieved and hung on every word Santa had to say.  Be sure to make your way to the Portable Northpole Website if you haven’t been there already!

With only a week to go the countdown really is on!  Enjoy every minute… 

Welcome Here

You may remember me from a while ago.  I was the third blogger on this wonderful little corner of the world wide web, sister to Katie and friend to Shauna.  I love being in the company of these 2, I love the truth that is read in these posts and I love being able to write the story of my own little family for me to remember and for you to share.  Then, life got busy.  That's it.  Life got busy and every day for the last couple of months I have thought about sitting down to be here and then I just didn't.  It felt like I had little to share that was new or even exciting.  Our lives are like most, we work all week and then on the weekend we try live as much life as we can scheduled around the countless kid commitments.  It's a great life...the best but hard to imagine how my story is one to read.  Then my dear, dear old friend reminded me that this blog was never meant as a story for others, it was meant as a story to share with my own children in time, a story I am so priveleged to tell.  So, thank you, Luci for bringing me back and reminding me.

Christmas is in full swing here around this house, as it has been for a couple of months.  You may remember that I am all about tradtion. TRADITION.  To me, it is what makes the holidays so warm and so reminiscent of what I remember from  growing up.  It is in my tree that is decked out with ornaments that mean something, every single one.  There are kitchen gadgets, ladies in purple, angels, coffee cups, and canoes.  They each have a story of who they came from and why, what corner of the world they were bought in and when.  The decorating of that tree is a walk down memory lane that the kids now take with me and it makes me feel like my mom is right here with us.  She was as much a lover of the season as we are and having her presence on that tree  makes us all a little warmer. Some people find the holidays harder because of their loved ones absence.  For me, the season means welcoming her spirit in.  I can see her in my dad's white sweat shirt wrapping gifts on the counter with Alabama or Kenny and Dolly to keep her company.  The house smelled sweet and rich, with baking and gourmet celebrations that I miss with a hunger I can never satisfy.  Her traditions are mine, never questioned, never altered, the christmas eve pajamas, the cornflake cookies, the mimosas on Christmas morning.  I love this season.  I love the tradition.  I love having her here. 

Thank you, Luci.  It feels good to be here.

Material Girls

Last Friday, five of my favourite ladies from work, and myself headed down south to see Madonna in concert.  It was a whirlwind of a trip full of a million laughs, a ton of shopping and a big show that did not disappoint.   As we headed to Fargo the first night, a little snowstorm could not slow us down as we made our way to our first night’s destination and ended the day with a margarita, some Mexican grub and some late night shopping at Target. 

Saturday morning we were right on schedule, as you would expect from 6 teachers, and we headed out bright and early to Albertville for some outlet shopping.  We spent a number of hours there before heading to Maple Grove and then on to our final destination… the Crowne Plaza in St. Paul, Minnesota, a five-minute walk from the concert. 

I have been a Madonna fan for as along as I can remember and seeing her in concert was a dream come true for me.  She was amazing!  Controversial, daring, fun, beautiful, outrageous, political, and above all….beyond talented.  It was an excellent show filled with the right mix of both classics and her new stuff.  I loved every minute of it!

The next morning (despite the previous’ nights festivities), we were up bright and early once again to continue on with our shopping adventures.  As we headed back to Fargo, the Madonna tunes continued to play as we reminisced about the concert and the girl talk and laughs raged on.   iHop and Q’doba did not disappoint and we did not leave a store unturned.  It was a long day of shopping and as we rolled into Winnipeg very late at night the Yukon was filled to the top with our white plastic bags.

 I am not sure when the last time was I laughed so hard and had so much fun.  There is something about a road trip, a little girl talk and a bit of retail therapy that is good for the soul!  Thanks to my girls for an unforgettable weekend!!!

Welcome to the World Baby!!

I am so excited to let everyone know that last Wednesday, we welcomed an absolutely gorgeous little girl to our expanding family! Baby Ruby made her grand entrance on October 24th at 9:53am weighing in at 8 pounds even.  Of course we are over the moon about adding another girlie to our family!

My experience with bringing her into the world was so different this time round due to the fact that she was a planned c-section. It was an incredibly odd feeling waking up the morning of and knowing that he/she would be born in just a few short hours. It was a completely different feeling not to have labored for thirty hours and then have an emergency section called.  While still in quite a bit of pain and being nauseated from the drugs, my energy and general mood for the remainder of my hospital stay was like night and day from the first time round with Ivy. 

We got to bring her home on Friday afternoon and just like that, life has changed drastically.  Ivy was a tad unsure of and a wee bit jealous on the first day. She insisted that she lie next to Ruby across my stomach as I fed her- very comfy for a new mom fresh out of surgery!!  Here we are on day 5 of being home and it's like she's been part of our world forever.  I still fee a little shell shocked at the thought of being a parent of two, but unfortunately there is no gradual lead in when it comes to parenthood. One minute they're safe and sound tucked away inside you, the next, you're a mom again. 

While it would have been so fantastic to have a little boy, I am so grateful that my little Ives and Rubes will have each other as sisters.  Clearly my sister and I were meant to have all of these girls and I absolutely love it (plus, it makes our little Ty just that more special). While we are doing so well with the feeding and sleeping, there are always new baby challenges as you get to know the habits of their tiny minds and bodies.     

I have been brought to tears on multiple occasions over the past week as I look at my two girls.  They are so gorgeous and bring so much happiness to my life.  I am one ecstatic momma and am so thankful for a happy, healthy little family!!

Good Old Fashioned Fun

We are a board game family.  We have always played them with the kid.  These include Chutes and Ladders, Candyland,  Guess Who, and Trouble to name a few.  And as the kids have grown and matured so has our repertoire of family games.  Most recently we have added 3 classics to our list of favourites…. Scrabble, Yahtzee and Monopoly. 

Board games can be such powerful tools for learning.  Many of them reinforce important math and reading skills.  Subitizing or being able to recognize instantly how many objects you see, without counting can be practiced at an early age using dice patterns.  Board games promote taking turns, following rules, co-operative play and good sportsmanship. 

My kids LOVE to play board games.  We don’t have a regular night of the week like some families do, but each week we try to set aside some sacred family board game time.  And sometimes our group gets even bigger when we get my mom and dad in on the fun. In Florida, the six of us had so much fun playing Yahtzee on our evenings off.  Today I came home from an appointment after school to find my dad deep into a game of Monopoly with the kids.  “Poppy” had many hotels on the board but the kids took the whooping well!

With the technology-based world we live in today we need to ensure that we cherish age-old traditions such as playing board games with our kids.  Around here we will continue to value the moments we share around the dining room table.

What is your family’s favourite board game?

The Magic of it All..the final chapter in our “Days at Disney”

Our days spent at Magic Kingdom were like bookends on our trip.  We spent two days there…..our first day at Disney and our last.  I don’t think one day is enough for MK.  It is big, full of tons to do and the nighttime show cannot be missed.  MK is broken down into five different parks in addition to Main St USA.

Adventureland

In this cool jungle atmosphere the must-sees are Jungle Cruise and Pirates of the Carribean.  They can be busy so plan for them.  These were two rides that my mom could join us on, so this area was great for us.  If you are traveling with someone in a wheelchair or with special needs, be sure to be aware of how to enter each attraction.  In many cases we went in a separate entrance for guests in wheelchairs and we had special seating right alongside my mom at the front for many shows.  Disney above all else treats their guests very well. The Enchanted Tiki Room, although old-school is worth a visit if you have the time, along with the Swiss Family  Treehouse.

Frontierland

This area is the home to two of MK’s most famous rides…Splash Mountain and Thundermountain.  These two cannot be missed and they can get very lined up.   The first day we were at MK was the only busy one we had on our trip and it was kind of crazy.  But we did manage to do these two rides that day with strategic use of fast passes.  However, our second day at MK the kids went on these rides repeatedly.  Disney is so much more enjoyable without the crowds!!! 

 The Country Bear Jamboree is another oldie but goodie that should not be missed.  It is one my dad’s favourites. 

 Liberty Square

This area is a bit smaller and pretty low key but it also houses one of the kid’s faves…The Haunted Mansion.  This fun-loving, spooky but fairly tame ride was one we went back to and my mom was able to enjoy as well.  It is a hoot!

 

Tomorrowland

Home of the infamous Space Mountain, Tomorrowland was a highlight.  The kids loved SM and found time to ride it repeatedly.  The Transit Authority People Mover was also kind of cool and I really enjoyed the Carousel of Progress.  The others thought it was pretty creepy but it was a great place to take a long air-conditioned break.  The show Monster’s Inc Laugh Floor was hilarious.  Be sure to make the time to go there.  Buzz Lightyear’s Spin was just okay and Stitch’s Great Escape was the only ride in all of Disney I would say SKIP!!  It was really weird, quite frightening and kind of evil really.  Not a fan!!

Fantasyland

This area is definitely on the tamer side and includes a number of the classics.  We all enjoyed Peter Pan’s Flight, it’s a small world, Winie the Pooh and the Carousel.  Sarah and Nate were a bit old for some of the other rides in this area.  The show Mickey’s PhilarMagic was very good and well worth a watch!  Fantasyland Forest, the new addition to this area is set to open by the end of the year and promises to be fantastic.

The Grand Finale

I liked Magic Kingdom a lot but nothing could prepare me for the nighttime spectacular .  The Electrical Parade is a MUST SEE.  Check showtimes in advance as it does not happen every night.  Also, be sure to get a spot near the curb early, as it does get crowded, and we were there on a slow day!  Once again, if you are traveling with someone in a wheelchair, note that there are always areas set aside and marked off for you and your party.  The parade is so special.  Don’t miss it!

Following the parade, is the show, “The Magic, the Memories and You” which uses photographs taken at the park throughout each day and projects them onto Cinderella's Castle, set to music.  Very lovely!  And then to end with a bang is the amazing fireworks display, “Wishes” staged above the castle to Disney classic songs.  It brought me to tears and was the perfect way to end our time at Disney.

As we left the Magic Kingdom on our final night the Park, my little girl was close to tears and frankly so was I. Disneyworld is something every family should experience.  There truly is nothing else like it and we will cherish the memories we made there for a lifetime.  Our family vacation was an absolute pleasure filled with tons of fun, fabulous family time and ….magic!