Christmas 2012

Merry Christmas to all our friends, family and fans and all the best in 2013.

These past few months have been filled with firsts for Furia and Anomantia both, the changes in Gurneyland have been huge and I feel like life has been passing me by.  I have missed several developmental steps for my girls because my job has been so demanding.  I have so little time with my family I had to sacrifice a few little things in order to spend more time with my girls and L. 
This year we kept Christmas small because with all the Stuff we are slowly losing sight of the real meaning of Christmas and feeling like the walls are closing in on our small home.  So we kept things manageable this year.  My house is slowly becoming more and more girlie with 2 tea party sets and way too many fairies and pink and purple wings and tutus everywhere. 
For 2013 we will be giving the gift of experiences for our girls to try to veer away from the materialism that most holidays are leaning towards. We are looking forward to seeing and doing as much as we can in the next year and hope to discover some new traditions in the wake. 
All the best to you all,
The Gurney Clan.

Halloween

This year we all dressed up as pirates for the holiday.  It was way too cold out so we only managed to trick-or-treat at 13 houses.  The weather was cold and snowing with a nasty north wind. 

The atypical morning.

I have come come to really appreciate the mornings at home.  My alarm goes off at 4 am.  On work days, this is when I get up and get ready to go for work.  I have to be out the door around 5 am on those mornings.  Today is a holiday and I get to enjoy my morning.  So far I have turned on the lizard lights, turned on the kettle, and sat down with my book but decided to blog while pumping excess breastmilk for Furia.  The girls are both still sleeping and Furia has slept from 9:30pm last night and she probably won't wake until close to 10 am.  Anomantia however will be up within the hour.  I still haven't made curtains for her room but light doesn't seem to bother her when it comes to napping or bed time. 
So here I am in the living room sitting in my usual corner with my current knitting WIP next to me calling for my attention.  I am thinking of activities that we can do as a family and still keeping in mind I have two terrariums to clean out today, plus the usual laundry, dishes and vacuuming.  And to top it all off, I have to get the girls clothes laid out for tomorrow afternoon.  We have another funeral to attend tomorrow.
Now I am feeling rather discouraged!  After pumping for twenty minutes I only got a measly 60 mL of milk.  My supply has taken a huge hit and I am no longer producing enough for Furia.  I am just glad that I have frozen stocks for while I try everything to get it back up.
Well to end this these are updated photos of the girls from this weekend.  Anomantia now calls herself Ano-ta and has figured out her last name too.  Furia is still a growler and has taken the nickname monster by all of us.  Anomantia is still the beast so for now the beast and monster are both still caged but will be released soon.

Long gone

Today is the tenth anniversary of my mum's death. Over ten years, I have lived my life and changed my course several times knowing that I have to keep moving to keep myself going. My memories have faded but I still wake with the nightmare replaying over and over in my mind.  I was not ready to have her die but she was ready to go.  I can't remember her laugh, but I remember her aura, warmth and unconditional love.  I remember the sound of her kettle whistle and her brown teapot.  I remember the sound of her running shoes on the living room floor as she got ready for a run.  I remember her excitement for spring and the flowers and gardening plans she had in mind.  I remember her hugs and the way she tucked her hair behind one ear.  Her voice has faded from my memory but her lessons remain.  I miss her more today than I did ten years ago but time does not heal everything.  If I could go back and say two things, it would be thank you and I love you. 
She gave me life and with her memory, I live it and try to be the best parent I can be to my own daughters.  I will love her forever and miss her more by the day.

Beat the heat (SBC#53)

What I do to beat the summer heat is hang out in our back yard pool and avoid the public chaos that occurs when temperatures exceed 25 degrees Celsius.

Best Gardening tip (SBC#52)

It is simply fertilize! We used raw chicken poop this year. We covered the garden in it at the end of last harvest season and left it to sit over the winter and turned it in by hand as soon as the snow melted.  Our vegetables are three times larger and have already noticed a larger yield.  It works awesome!

Freebee fun with mini-me (SBC#51)

A fun free activity I like to do with Anomantia is a toss up between two things. 
The first is the toddler activity time at our local library from September to June.  It gives her the opportunity to interact with other kids her own age. They listen to stories and do crafts and it is all funded by our local Rotary and Kinsmen Clubs.
And secondly the Kinsmen Club also sponsors a wonderful outdoor area called Discovery Canyon.  They diverged a section of the river to create a mini tube run for kids shaded by trees and away from the city's hustle and bustle it is a little oasis from the concrete jungle where we live.

If I won the lottery... (SBC#50)

If I won the lottery, I wouldn't change a thing.  I would pay off any outstanding debt and invest the remainder of the money.  I would enjoy my family more and cut back my hours at work but other than that, I would live just the same as I am now.  I would use the interest to do all the little extras that we have been postponing because we just don't have them in the budget now but other than that I would still be me.

If I were in charge (SBC#49)

If I were prime minister for a day what would I change?
I think I would revamp the manufacturing sectors export legislation and the legislation on the export of raw materials would be changed too. 
I would allow for more finished products to be exported and ban the export of our raw materials and in turn boosting the manufacturing sector and reinforcing the national economy.

5 things to do in the dark (SBC#48)

5 things to do when the power goes out:
1. Play flashlight tag in the house or yard depending on number of players and weather.
2. Light candles and tell stories.
3. Take a bath using glow in the dark bubble bath (only if your hot water heater is not heated using electricity).
4. Do a puzzle by lamp light.
And if all else fails
5. Go to bed and have a slumber party.

Random Act of Kindness (SBC#47)

Right now the only random act of kindness I can think of is from our neighbour John who just passed away.
It was a Thursday morning, Laurence was expecting a load of drywall to be delivered that morning.  We had made arrangements for a friend to help us bring it all into the house but at the last minute he bailed on us.  I was too pregnant to help Laurence pack it all into the house, and when the delivery arrived so did the black rain clouds.  John noticed that we were trying to get the drywall moved and postponed his morning work to help us bring it into the house.  Bringing it in included going down two flights of stairs and he even went slow to be considerate about Laurence's leg.  When they had finished, we thanked John profusely for the help and we all went on with our day.  The next day, we were busy with appointments but Saturday, we had planned to start putting the drywall up.  Saturday morning, there was a knock at the door and there was John ready to help put the drywall up.  Between Laurence, John and our other neighbour Duane, the drywall was up and ready for mud by the end of that weekend. 
John was diagnosed with cancer last October and just passed away a couple weeks ago.  John was really a selfless person and was a great friend. 

Favourite space (SBC#46)

My favourite space in my house is the kitchen.  Our house is a four level split style house with the entry into the main living room, dining room and kitchen.  I have a love-hate relationship with my kitchen.  It definitely needs an upgrade.  But I love how it truly is the heart of our home.  My whole life, I always wanted a room with black walls, but my mum would never allow it or we lived in a rental where the landlords wouldn't allow it.  Finally the year Laurence and I were married, we bought our first house together and decided to paint the kitchen walls black.  It has white cabinets and doors with a hideous section of rose coloured textured wall on the bottom in one corner with white chair rail around it.  I would like to see it gone but that costs money and seeing as I am still on leave from work, it will be a little while before I can afford to rip it apart.  I will document every second of destroying the last of the previous owner's pink walls in our house (insert creepy muahahaha laugh here).  Laurence and I both love to cook (and I love to bake in the winter) so our kitchen is never lacking in dirty dishes but we did finally get our dishwasher fixed.  We have all black appliances and our dishes are mostly blue with a few of mix and match of whatever we have from when we first met.  I like to hang out in my kitchen with my girls and listen to music, my mum used to kitchen dance with us when I was younger too.  It just makes me happy to have my space in the house.

Beauty (SBC#45)

As I have previously posted, I don't wear make up very often.  The content of my make up bag is one small container of eye shadow. The last time I wore any was on the last date Laurence and I had without the kids and that was in May.
So my advice is that true beauty comes from within.  If you portray how you feel the inner beauty will shine through.  The cosmetics will just age you faster. 

Advice (SBC#44)

The piece of advice that I will pass along to my children when they get older will be:

1. Be yourself. Don't try to be anything for anyone because you will always resort back to yourself and things tend to fall apart.

2. Build relationships on a foundation of truth and honesty.  They will last longer than those built upon lies and deception.

And

3. Simply love.

Before and After (SBC#43)

My Wedding Day September 1st 2007

34 weeks pregnant with Anomantia (October 2009)

Same photo shoot as above but some fun pictures of Laurence and I

Comparing Belly Size

Being Ridiculous!

My mum's memorial bench at Croteau Beach July 2010

Nursing on the ferry to Victoria July 2010

Making dessert a very pregnant December 2011

Sleep Deprived with a baby (May 2012)

May 2012

I can't find any more recent photos and my old ones are on disk somewhere in this house... but here are a few that I can find.  I haven't really changed much over the years aside from the occasional hair colouring and a few rogue greys that are now present and the drastic hair cuts I give myself every few years, I am still the same, slightly aged but still me.  Crazy and all!

Passing...

This afternoon I am attending the funeral of a neighbour and a friend. 
John was one pf the best neighbours we've ever had.  He helped us renovate our basement and drywall Laurence's office. 
He was young, too young to die (under 40 years old).  He has left behind his wife and two children (10 and 8 years old).  Since hearing of his death, I wish there was something I could do to help but it is just too soon.  I remember after my dad died, everyone rallied around us to help ease the pain but over time everyone dissipated.  Then when you really needed someone there was no one.  I am guessing that come fall things will have settled down and I will once again be able to offer my help and have it accepted.
Rest in peace John B. Rest in peace.

Holidays (SBC#42)

The best holiday I ever had would be my honeymoon back in 2007.  Laurence and I were married on Vancouver Island at his parents' acreage.  After a couple of days, we left in our car and camped in our tent through the Rocky Mountains.  We went to Radium Hot Springs, Golden and after getting snowed on, we finally drove home to Gurneyland.  We spent one night at home and decided to go to the West Edmonton Mall and we stayed a couple nights at the Fantasyland Hotel in the mall itself.  We went to the Watermark one day and Galaxyland the next.  It was lots of fun, but I only had three weeks of holidays and they were over so we drove back to Gurneyland and I returned to work the next day. 
We love camping and roughing it in the wild.  What is your favourite holiday ever taken?

webby-favs (SBC#41)

I have a few websites that I absolutely love and wish I could live on their sites!

1. The Offbeat Empire: Offbeat Mama, Offbeat Bride and Offbeat Home.  I don't necessarily follow the beaten path, so these offer support and information on all aspects of the not so conformist lifestyle.
http://offbeathome.com/
http://offbeatmama.com/
http://offbeatbride.com/

2. Punchfork is my go to recipe site... YUMMY (need I say more?)!
http://punchfork.com/

3. A Beautiful Mess... I lust about this site!  It is all sorts of wonderful!
http://abeautifulmess.typepad.com/my_weblog/

4.One Sheepish Girl.  I love her post on the 5 stages of knitting regret.  Makes me rethink my own patterns.
http://onesheepishgirl.blogspot.com/

and

5. Knitty and Ravelry:  my go to for knitting pattern ideas.  Ravelry is more mainstream and Knitty is far more abstract.
http://www.ravelry.com/
http://www.knitty.com/

Life Challenges (SBC #40)

I have overcome several challenges in my thirty years of life.  Some have been huge and others not so big in comparison to the ones my husband has overcome.  I have survived losing both my parents at the worst possible times in a girl's life.  I was thirteen and in the midst of puberty when my dad died.  It was sudden and shocking when I was just coming to grips with the fact that he had some serious demons that plagued his life.  So I researched and turned to myself and my family to get through.  The whole scenario made me closer to my mum and made our relationship stronger.  

I was eighteen when my mum was diagnosed with advanced rectal-adeno carcinoma (better known as colorectal and lymphatic cancers).  I was living in France at the time of her diagnosis and so my understanding of the whole situation was vague until I got a call from my older sister with the whole prognosis.  They gave her a 6 month life sentence.  My mum was a fighter and she was determined to see my younger sister graduate from secondary school (Danica still had two years to go).  I came home from France in October for my older sister and brother-in-law's wedding.  I lived at the house but only for a brief time as the rules imposed on me were ridiculous.  I had already been living on my own for the better part of a year and then to have a curfew again was strange and made having a social life impossible (not to mention the presence of my mum's husband who tried to control every aspect of our lives).  So I got a bachelor suite just down the street from my mum's house.  She fought hard and she successfully completed 36 out of the 64kms of the Great Walk in June of 2001.  I spent as much time as I could with her while she was ailing, but at the same time I needed to figure out how to take care of myself and maintain a relationship with my sisters.  August 24th, 2002, my mum died, two years and one month to the day from her diagnosis.  She made it to my Danica's graduation from school and she died one week and three days before my first day of college.  I had made her a promise that I would go back to school and take general studies until I decided on which career path I would take.  

My husband and I have made it through the amputation of his right leg (BK) and the accidents leading up to the eventual amputation.  

I have also overcome the gender issues in my trade.  When I started my welding career in 2005, there were still fairly few women in the trade.  Today it is much more common to find women in the shops and in the field but when starting jobs, I was given a hard time and really had to prove myself in my profession even to men less qualified than myself.  I am a fully certified, red-seal welder and I am hoping to go for my pressure tickets early in the new year.  But I have been working for the same company here in the Halliburton Highlands since May 2008 and have had two maternity leaves (the most recent one ends on July 30th and I am looking forward to going back to work).

My life is no walk in the park and has been riddled with grief and dealing with family demons but I am strong and I will survive.

ARG! (SBC#39)

My two major pet peeves are having open cupboards in the kitchen and having empty toilet paper dispensers.  I am only 63" tall so the open cupboards tend to hit me in the head if I turn around too fast and well the toilet paper is self explanatory.

Music (SBC#38)

I have several songs that the lyrics really call to me, but out of them all, I love Angel from Montgomery by John Prine (My favourite rendition is performed by John Prine and Bonnie Raitt).  The song really reminds me of my mum more than anything as it was played at her memorial service. 

The chorus is:

Make me an angel
That flies from Montgomery
Make me a poster of an old rodeo
Just give a me one thing that I can hold on to
To believe in this living is just a hard way to go.

Attempt without Failure (SBC#37)

I have tried to really think about this one... I usually jump in and fight my way through everything that I really want.  So I really don't have anything that I 'wish' I could attempt to do without failure.  I love the challenge of overcoming failure and succeeding at things that others may have doubted my capability.  I have a mantra that I live by, it is posted on my pantry door so I see it every morning.

Success is 

never final

and

Failure is 

never fatal

it is 

courage 

that

counts!

Banana pie smoothies

For breakfast this morning I made Banana pie Smoothies.  A huge hit according to Anomantia who keeps on asking for more Nana-pie.  After making it, I thought it would taste good with vanilla ice cream or maybe as a float!?!

Here is my recipe for Banana pie Smoothies:

In a blender combine:

2 ripe bananas (starting to get brown spots)
1/2 cup milk (could be soy or almond or plain old cow's)
1/4 cup ice cubes
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

And blend on high speed until you get a smooth texture then serve.

For thicker Smoothies add more banana or decrease amount of milk. The applesauce could be swapped out for fresh peeled apples but I was trying to use up the last of my homemade applesauce from last summer.

Halloween Traditions (SBC#36)

Laurence and I are in the process of establishing some traditions for us as a family with our two daughters.  Anomantia displayed a fear of Santa Claus at Christmas time, so we decided to not include the fictional characters such as Santa, the Easter Bunny and such.

Our big holiday that we make a big deal out of every year, would be Halloween!  We decorate the house, the yard and ourselves.  We try to make our house the scary house on the block by adding something different every year and constantly changing it up.  We spend the month planning it all out and try to spend as little money as possible on the whole project.  Our record low cost was $4.00 a couple years ago.  We use materials from around the house and re-purpose them into decorations.  Last year, we made Anomantia a Batmobile for going trick-or-treating rather than walking that way she was able to go to a few more houses with the neighbour kids. It was made out of a couple garbage bags, an empty margarine container, a couple empty fruit salad cups and some clear packing tape.  I cut the logo out of craft foam and we assembled the entire thing in our kitchen. (See picture above) I also made her costume from scratch out of some left over material from my yoga pants and some fleece my mother in law sent me from one of her projects.  With every step, it was a family project from collecting the materials to assembly, we all put a lot of effort and creativity into making it the best holiday for all of us.

Fears (SBC #35)

Like I have said in previous posts, I have a minor fear of spiders.  It isn't that bad anymore, they just kinda creep me out.  Since adopting a couple tarantulas this spring, it is like my house has become a magnet for spiders.  The whole south side of the house was covered in them when the spiders were kept in a room on that side of the house.  Now they have moved to a converted walk in closet/storage area in the basement and it seems that every spider in the vicinity gravitates towards them (shudder).

I also have a fear of solitude.  I dislike being alone, I need ambient noise all the time.  My husband is my polar opposite and loves being alone in quiet empty spaces.  Growing up in a house with lots of kids and people constantly coming and going, I got used to the constant buzz of life compared to silence.  I hated living by myself, I have always preferred living with people. 

I am not really afraid of much else, I have faced several of my other fears already and I chose to live my life and not run away from dumb little things that really aren't significant enough to matter.  I try to live my life fully and happily and when death comes for me, I will be ready and I do not fear it.  Otherwise life really wouldn't be worth living if I lived in fear of what might come.

Freedom (SBC#34)

free·dom/ˈfrēdəm/

Noun:	The power or right to act, speak, or think as one wants without hindrance or restraint. Absence of subjection to foreign domination or despotic government.
Synonyms:	liberty - independence

Liberté, libertà, liberdade, libertad, freiheit, frihed, vapaus, svoboda, saoirse are the translation of freedom in french, italian, portuguese, spanish, german, danish, finnish, czech and irish.  Some have similarities grammatically but they all have the same definition. 

Yesterday, we decided on a random camping trip.  On our way to the lake, we drove through the worst storm this year.  We had hail the size of golf balls and this morning on our drive back home, we heard that 4 or 5 tornados had touched down just north east of where we stayed.  Seeing as we all still have head colds, we decided to come home and go swimming at the pool instead of braving another night of close to freezing temperatures.   So for today, I guess I am going to just wish all of our friends south of the border a Happy Independence day!  And with that I am going to sip my tea and head to bed.

Summer 2012 (SBC#33)

Summer 2012-  I have made a point of never posting about holidays before they happen because I have known people who made huge announcements and came home to their places being broken into.

 My official plan is my return to work starting back on the 30th of July.   Laurence works from home, so I don't have to worry about daycare for the girls.  As for the month of August, it will consist of adapting to working again after being off for almost a year (Thank you Canadian maternity leave!). 

I do however post after holidays are over to share photos and stories of our adventures like I have in the past.

Until then... it is a mystery as to what I am doing and besides, we like to randomly go places with little to no planning before hand.  It keeps everything quite spontaneous here.  I hope everyone else enjoys their holidays!

say what??

Kids say the strangest things...

This evening Anomantia went into the garage to talk to her dad.

A: Dad?
L: Yes?
A: Dad, I got dick-lip and I like it!
L: You got what??
A: dick-lip! (puckering lips!)
L: Oh, you mean lipstick!
A: yeah, dick-lip!
L: (laughs)

Then Laurence came into the house to tell me all about it!  I couldn't help but laugh at Dick-lip!

Poetic Nonsense (SBC#32)

My favourite poem growing up was always Alfred, Lord Tennyson's Lady of Shalott. I carried it with me in my book, but as I got older, other pieces influenced my writing style and I grew to love several others to the point where I would have to carry textbooks around with me in order to have them on me all the time.  So I memorized a few and kept them in my heart and on my mind.  The others all reside on my book shelves at home.  As an adult, I really appreciate pieces that I can relate to, things from my childhood and things that make me really think.  Poetry runs in my family.  My dad wrote poetry and loved to share his somewhat crude insights into the joys (and downfalls) of the commercial fishing industry off the coast of British Columbia.  My sisters and I, we all dabble a little into poetic nonsense.  With that I leave you one of my favourites:


The Human Being

one tongue
to lick with
kiss with
crush words
spit em out with
two hands
to knit with
fix with
count ten
fingers    toes
only one nose
to run with
couple of eyes
to wink with
plead with
climb a mountain
swim the sea with
oh these legs
to jog with
twist a knee
come and go with
as you please with
six thousand billion cells
to be born with
divide    die and be
replaced with
a brain
a brain
to think with
make my hands
pour a drink with
a memory
to grow a fear with
forget a story
learn a lie with
and never be
alone again with
the human being

The three 'R's (SBC#31)

I try to keep Gurneyland as self-sufficient as possible through recycling, re-purposing and re-using as much as possible.  We have a large garden for the size of lot that we have, we also have a greenhouse and several planters that all require watering several times each day during the spring and summer months.  A few years ago, we decided to switch our watering system from the city water to collected rain water and installed water barrels to collect the rain.  In doing so, we have reduced our water bill to save money and conserve energy by using rain water to water our plants.  This year, Environment Canada declared that our area is in a drought and that water should be conserved.  So we have stopped watering our lawn (which I would like to dig out and put in more sustainable gardens) and have watered our plants exclusively using rain water.  Since doing our conversion, several of our friends and neighbours have also switched to rain barrels.  We have made our garden fertile using compost from our home and yard.  This year, we have planted Snow and Snap Peas, purple Pole Beans, Corn, Acorn Squash, Big Beef, Early Girl and Roma Tomatoes, Purple Haze Carrots, strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, dill, radishes, lettuce, watermelon, sweet million cherry tomatoes, onions and stringless green bush beans.  I am hoping to have enough to can, blanch and freeze and have fresh to last us until the spring.  We also have an indoor garden with more dill, lemon basil, Genovese basil, Globular basil, oregano and thyme.  I am hoping to expand the indoor garden this coming winter to include some bell peppers and cucumbers but I haven't found the right strains of plants for that yet. 

HAPPY CANADA DAY  for those in Canada!  Enjoy the holiday weekend!

Stylin' My Way! (SBC#30)

My Wedding Day Rocking the whole bathtub in a field look. I love my wedding shoes... just not too practical for everyday wear.

My usual, yoga or track pants with a fleece hoodie. *Note: Date is wrong on this photo, this photo was taken in May of 2008.

Jeans and hoodie for my everyday look (when not working). *Note: date is wrong on photo, this photo was taken in May of 2008.

My extreme special occasion, pre-kids get up.  (it takes too long to put together for my liking but it is very me!)

I love stripes and polka dots but stripes more.  My style is relaxed and casual.  I'd post a picture of me in my work gear, but I don't have any that I can find.  For work, I wear a beanie or bandana to cover my hair, a long sleeved shirt (usually a denim button up one) with a t-shirt underneath and a tank top under that so I can take layers off.  Then I wear a pair of thin stretchy pants (in the summer), long underwear (in the winter) and cover it all up with my favourite Carhartt double knee Dungaree fit pants (*Note: pants=slacks for the British, I know underwear are called Pants in England).
I don't think I would change my style, I like several vintage pieces that I mix in with my general jeans and shirt looks and I love scarves and bandanas.

How To... (SBC#29)

How to Dress a two and a half year old...

1. Get her out of bed.
(Mine usually calls for me to get her out of her room or she will be standing on her bed waiting for the door to be opened as she has yet to master turning door knobs.)

2. Convince her she needs to take her nighttime diaper off.
(insert whining here)

3. Wrestle her to the floor and remove pee soaked nighttime diaper.
(insert screaming here.  Somedays it takes both me and DH to get her to stay still enough to remove the diaper.)

4. Try to catch half naked child making a break for the door who escaped while I tried to put dirty diaper in the diaper pail. 
(insert squeal of joy here)

5. Catch child half way down the stairs and carry back upstairs and put on clean diaper.
("Oh, its a Owl, its a green!  NO, I want its a ORANGE!" So the orange diaper gets put on, she freaks out because it isn't the owl diaper, insert more whining here.)

6. Convince kiddo to pick out some clothes for the day.
(insert evil laugh as she runs out the door and heads for the stairs again.)

7. Choose some clothes from the clean hamper (to be put away this afternoon... if I get to it!)

8. Chase after child and try to put clothes on, as she is stripping off her remaining shirt from overnight.
(insert squeal of joy for being mostly naked.)

9. Catch up with child in living room while she is trying to turn on the TV.
(negotiate TV channel in exchange for clothes... answered by a big fat NO!)

10. Try to wrestle some clothes onto child just to have her fight it.
(insert more screaming and No's and a stop!)

11. Give up, let child be mostly naked... It's not like I have anywhere important to go today anyways.
(and if I did, a bribe might work!)

Squirbo in her Happy Heinys "Owl" diaper.

12. Have a cup of tea and think about the workout I am getting doing this 6 out of 7 mornings each week.

Now to try to get her to brush her hair... now that is a whole other war in itself.

Mount Washmore (SBC#28)

Laundry... the never ending cycle of sort, wash, dry, fold, put away and repeat.  I love doing laundry!  As crazy as it sounds, I have always loved doing laundry. 

My laundry routine consists of gathering the laundry from the strangest places throughout the house.  Sorting into piles of colours, whites, reds/pinks (there is way too much pink in the house now that we have 2 girls), towels and bedding.  Then I get started with the washing process.  With my HE machine each load takes about 33minutes on the wash cycle. Then so long as it isn't raining out or snowing, the laundry gets hung on the line to dry.  I usually do four to six loads each week with diapers getting washed every second day and they are a whole different washing process (but that is a whole post on its own).  Once dry, the laundry then gets piled in hampers until it starts to fall over, then I finally get to folding and putting it away but not before half of it gets worn and washed again.  At the moment, we don't have anywhere for Furia's clothes to be stored, so they stay in the laundry baskets and bins until Anomantia gets moved into her new room. 

For soap I use Tide free for regular stuff and Dr. Bonner's castile soap for diapers and things that need to be extra cleaned or sanitized.  Nothing special... I really want to try soap nuts but Laurence's skin and nose is quite sensitive to changes and scents. 

I guess my laundry tip is to avoid it until it is a giant pile then do several loads consecutively to tackle the mountain.  I then feel a sense of accomplishment seeing the ginormous pile disappear.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gvu5Vdk26XA&feature=results_main&playnext=1&list=PL7574AF4DE2CAD79

I remember this from when I was a child... I saw her perform it live at the Vancouver Children's Festival. 

Best Gift Ever (SBC#27)

The best gift I have ever received was just last week when my husband decided to spend his birthday money and the family fun funds to purchase a bike trailer to tow our girls around.  I love the freedom it has given us.  I wanted to get one last year but it didn't happen.  I researched them tons and finally found a used one that would meet our needs.  It is a Burley D'Lite trailer that is compatible with one or two children and has enough storage space that I could do my groceries and have the girls in tow.  It also converts to a jogging stroller and regular stroller too.  I am looking at the winter attachments right now and I was thinking about getting some skis for it for the winter months.  Have this trailer will allow us as a family to make new memories and enjoy the time being outdoors no matter the weather conditions.  I am so excited to see what adventures we can go on with our bikes now.  The possibilities are endless.

Squirbo and Squirmy trying it on for size when we first bought it.

weak in the knees (SBC#26)

Summer Blog Challenge June 26th Prompt: What does your Significant Other do that makes your heart melt...

This prompt has my mind going... what does he do that makes my heart melt?? I was totally baffled until I actually asked his opinion on what goes on.  Laurence's reply was take it another direction!  So here it goes:

Laurence is far from a romantic, he never gives me flowers (only once in eight, yes 8, years have I ever been given flowers from him), they only die and he is terribly allergic to pollens.  We don't exchange gifts for our birthdays or Valentine's day.  Mother's day and Father's day aren't usually observed as we try to teach our children that we should cherish our parents daily and treat them in the way that they want to be treated (a little difficult for a toddler and a baby to grasp but with time I am sure it will take).  The number of times I have done the grocery shopping and running errands without him since 2008, I can count on both hands.  He is always there and we do everything together as a family.  The one thing he does do that kind of makes me shake my head is when he sings AC-DC's Thunderstruck, off key and really loud, just to make me smile and laugh at his self humiliation.  It usually ends in both of us playing air guitar and laughing til we cry.  But the most sexy thing my husband does is the dishes.  I don't know what it is but seeing him wash the dishes makes me weak in the knees.  He loves his girls and would do anything for us anytime of the year.  And for that I wish I could eradicate all the cottonwood trees in Gurneyland and vicinity just for him.  

Anomantia's 2nd Birthday/Christmas Party hosed at our neighbours' house because I was 37-ish weeks pregnant with Furia (December 16th 2011)

Banff Trip (February 16th 2010)

I am so grateful that he has chosen to work from home so that he is there for his daughters and enable me to have smoother transitions back to work after maternity leave.  34 days left until I return to work full time again.  I am dreading it but not as much as I was after Anomantia. 

I love you Pants!

I wish... (SBC#25)

My Ideal day of "Me Time" would consist of an early morning rise with a work out followed by copious amounts of Earl Grey tea with a splash of milk (without having to boil the kettle several times before actually getting the boiled water to the cup).  I would then take a shower ALONE!  Hot water without any little busy bodies telling me to move when I am trying to rinse my hair.  No banging on the door just me and the water.  The afternoon would consist of sitting in the yard gardening or reading or knitting or a combination of all three.  Some quality time with my girls cuddling or playing with them is a necessity to let them know that they are loved.  I would love to have lunch with my sisters at the beach (if only teleportation worked in real life, sigh...) and then spend the evening at home with my girls and husband, maybe take a walk or bike ride with my family before getting ready for bed.

It's not easy being Green! (SBC#24)

Here is Gurneyland, we have a very good recycling (blue box) program with the city.  My favourite Eco-Friendly thing to do would be my laundry.  I love doing laundry!  I have a HE machine (hate it for washing diapers but otherwise is totally awesome) that I wash in and every chance I get even in the winter when there is over a foot of snow on the ground and in sub-zero (degrees Celcius) temperatures, I still dry my clothes on the clothesline.  We also cloth diaper our girls (I'm not addicted to buying diapers, I actually prefer plain prefolds or a fitted with snaps (for Squirbo) with a wool cover.  We also compost and grow a large garden to reduce our Carbon footprint.  I was reading on the most eco-friendly household options at the library last year and one source said that staying married is the best for the environment because you keep one footprint instead of splitting it into two.

My favourite Blog Post (SBC#23)

http://gurneyland.blogspot.ca/2012/02/this-morning-step-by-step.html

It was written by Laurence and I together... we had a really rough few days when Furia was cluster feeding all night long.  It is a step by step view of our morning (and afternoon). 

Either that or the post before it which is Furia's birth story (quite graphic).  It is so hard to choose just one post.

When I grow up... (SBC#22)

As a child, I could never decide on one thing to be when I grew up.  I wanted to be a doctor, a teacher, a marine biologist, etc... it changed weekly (and it still does).  The only thing that I knew I wanted to be was a mum.  The week before my mum died, she told me to never settle, always dream and then she said that she never did decide what to be when she grew up but that being a mum to us girls was the best job in the world.

I am teaching my girls the same thing.  Right now, Anomantia wants to be a princess-batman (those are her words).  There are days she wears her Batman costume around town.  I have no intention of making her conform to any standard especially when it comes to character building choices. And there are days when she is a mad scientist too.

words of wisdom (SBC#21)

The most recent words of wisdom that stuck with me were " Be you, for you.  Don't try to change for anyone, it'll all fall apart."

All that came about in my struggle to figure out who I am and how I want to live my life with my identities of mum, wife and welder all mashed in with being me.

Retro Photo (SBC #20)

This is me.  The photo was taken in June 1985... I was 3 and 1/2 years old. 

SBC #19

Blog Prompt: Something you are proud of from the last few days.

I am proud of the level of communication I have with my husband.  This is what makes our marriage work.  We talk about everything and anything.  This week, I have been suffering with who I am as a person.  I feel like my identity has been completely overrun with being a mother that I have lost sight in who I am.  I have always identified who I am with what I am but now more than ever feel like that is a mistake and somewhere inside me there is an individual screaming to get out.  I am the welder, the mum, the wife but I am also ME.  I am proud that I have  his advice and support in all that I do.

01 September 2007

Summer Blog Challenge Day 18- Food

Today's challenge is to post a recipe that I love.  That is a hard one for me because I have a few that I keep in regular rotation at home and then there is the special occasion recipes that require more prep time.  So I decided to give the following:

Carlee's version of Jamaican Jerk Chicken (very Spicy)

• 1 Tbsp Ground Allspice (15mL)
• 1 Tbsp Dried Thyme (15mL)
• 1 1/2 tsp Cayenne Pepper (20mL)
• 1 1/2 tsp Freshly Ground Black Pepper (20mL)
• 1 1/2 tsp Ground Sage (20mL)
• 3/4 tsp Ground Nutmeg (7mL)
• 3/4 tsp Ground Cinnamon (7mL)
• 2 Tbsp Garlic Powder or Freshly minced (30mL)
• 1 Tbsp Sugar * (15mL)
• 1/4 cup Olive Oil (60mL)
• 1/4 cup Soy Sauce (60mL)
• 3/4 cup White Vinegar (185mL)
• 1/2 cup Orange Juice (125mL)
• 1 lime - juice only
• 1 Scotch Bonnet Pepper (habañero) or 3 Thai Bird Chilies - finely chopped
• 3 Green Onions - finely chopped
• 1 cup Onion - finely chopped (250mL)
• 4 to 6 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts

In a large bowl combine all the dry ingredients (to the *) then using a whisk slowly add the olive oil, soy sauce, vinegar, orange juice and lime juice.  Mix well.  Then add the Scotch bonnet peppers, onions and mix well.
Take the Chicken Breasts and "Jerk*" them.
Add chicken breasts to the mixture and let marinate at least one hour if not more (I usually marinate for 8-12 hours).  Grill or bake chicken until done.  If grilling, baste chicken with the marinade.
Bring leftover marinade to a boil and serve on the side for dipping.
Goes well with grilled vegetables and rice.  I have also diced the breasts and added veggies to make jerk kabobs which were a hit as well.

* Jerk means take a sharp object and make holes.  In this case, I use a fork and and make holes all over on both sides.


This recipe is my husband's favourite.  I make it so rarely because it takes a lot of prep time but have never had any issues with it.  I will save my other recipes for another day.

Enjoy,
Carlee

I am ME (SBC #17)

Today's Summer Blog Challenge topic is a difficult one for me... Identify the 3 personality traits that I am proud of.   When it comes to analyzing my own personality, I avoid it at all costs.  I am able to write about other people and things but when it comes to me, I run and hide.  I can write my feelings but not about personality very well.  So, I try to put it off as long as possible but inevitably I have to face the fact that I like to be the one heard but not seen .  I like to live in the shadows and put forth my two bits then disappear again.  Now on to my personality.

1.  I am easy going and go with the flow.  I hate confrontation and being put on the spot and avoid it at all costs.

2. I am independent.  I have always pulled my own weight and can get by on my own.  I don't need my husband but I want him, it makes our relationship healthier because I know I can get by without him if need be.

3. I am virtuous.  I think that sums up the loyal, trustworthy and honest bits.  I am incapable of lying, I have never been able to lie and I can't even bend the truth.  My husband says that I avoid conversations sometimes because I have information that he wants and I don't always want to divulge everything... it takes away the mysteriousness. 

AND

4. I am quirky.  I hate conforming to the norm, I dance to the tune in my head and quite often dance instead of walk and will burst into song at the most random moments.  And that is why I am me.  The not so typical, off beat and unique. 

This is me, Jenn (my midwife) and Anomantia yesterday afternoon

us being serious! HA!

the girls are...

... Getting Bigger!  The last two weeks have been crazy!  Someone did a hit and run on our Jeep (had both car seats in it) and damaged the rear end.  Ironically enough, I was in the insurance company paying my premiums for the next year when it happened.  Then there was the challenge of replacing the car seats. We decided to upgrade so we wouldn't have to buy more seats in the next few years unless we have another baby (I am hoping for a bigger age gap between Furia and the next one).  We had to take the two hour drive to the city to get the new seats as no one in our small-ish city (~100,000 people) carried the seat we wanted and they told us that to order it, it would be mid-July before it got here (no way am I waiting that long for safety things for the girls!).

June began with Miss Furia getting her first tooth, followed by a second four days later.  It looks like it will be awhile before another tooth breaks through, but she is still drooling as much as Hooch from the movie Turner and Hooch (my leg is currently soaked with drool). She has discovered her feet and every time she is on her back, she is grabbing at them, kicking or rocking holding on to her feet.  She never stops moving.  I mean NEVER!  Not even when she is sleeping, she is still moving or kicking.  She is definitely my squirmy.

Furia Eevul Obsidian at 5 months old

And then there is Anomantia who is exactly two years and six months old today!  I can hardly believe that my first born is six months away from being three.  We are finally getting 'real' words out of Anomantia.  Late last month we took her for a speech assessment at the health unit's Speech Pathology department.  She has troubles with pronunciation and was only saying the first syllables of words instead of the whole thing.  She has improved drastically in the last few weeks and is getting better with the overall communication process.  She has started telling us when she needs a diaper change and I have my fingers crossed that she will soon start to communicate when she needs to go, that way the toilet training might be less of a fight like it has been until now.  Today, I have been unsuccessful in getting her dressed, so she has been walking around in her stylish pocket diapers (mostly Bum Genius and Happy Heinys).  Other than that she has developed a LOVE for our bathtub.  She asks to take a bath about four or five times a day.  I try to let her have one or two a day but all she wants to do is be in the bath.  She is meticulous when it comes to food or dirt on her hands, clothes or anything, she has to have them washed right away otherwise it is the end of the world.  She loves wearing dresses (she doesn't get this from me) and anything pink, purple, flowers, butterflies or sparkly (again NOT from me).  She loves her bracelets and purses that she fills with pink golf balls or beads and other miscellaneous toys and topping it all off with her cell phone (my old dead motorolla flip phone from when we first moved out here).  She is very loving and gentle when she wants to be, but a force to be reckoned with when mad. 

Anomantia Soleil Mowton at 2.5 years old

These girls are growing so fast and time feels like it is passing me by.  Today, we want to wish The fantastic D-wiggle a Schmaffy 28th Murfday!  I love you sister! 

Summer blog challenge Day#16

Fitness Guru or Couch Potato??

BOTH!  I love being able to veg with my family, but I also love working out.  One of my guilty pleasures is ZUMBA, but before I had my girls (and in between pregnancies), I trained in Muay Thai Kickboxing three days a week, and the other four I would run or do weights or a kettlebell workout.  Now that I have my girls and going to the gym isn't always feasible, I use free weights and do a cardio routine as often as I can.  I am trying to recondition my post baby body to prepare for my return to work (at the beginning of August maybe?).  Being a trades person, we are required to maintain a certain capability for lifting and pushing and moving into awkward positions, I have been off work since August 2011 and need to be prepared so I don't injure myself when going back to work.  When I was in my early 20's, I trained A LOT, I practically lived at the gym.  I was a group fitness leader (aerobics instructor), a personal trainer and trained to compete in fitness competitions.  I have a huge love for Yoga and studied at the Yasodhara Ashram from the time I was 13 years old.  I would go to the Ashram for a 2 week program until I was 16 when I moved there for a 2 month intensive program.  I learned so much about myself and was the healthiest I had been in my life to that point.  I continued with my yoga studies through Radha Houses (affiliates of the Ashram) until I was 21 and my life took me in other directions. 

For now my exercise routine consists of Zumba in the mornings when I get the chance and playing with my girls.  With the occasional trip to the pool to go swimming. When I started working out post baby, my sister sent me the following video... so funny!

Enjoy!

Summer Blog Challenge Day 15

I love the contrast from the mountains and water in this photo, it reminds me of my dad.

Summer Blog Challenge Day 15: Post a Picture that you took and are proud of.

This awesome house is build entirely out of glass embalming fluid bottles.  The guy that built it was an undertaker (and an artist by the looks of it).  It is in the Kootenay region of BC.

I love the contrast of soft mush of the Red Jelly Fish on the hard Rocks.

I know the challenge called for only one photo but these three really stood out for me.  It is all about contrast, colour and texture.  I love the way each photo has a very unique subject that stands out because of its surroundings.

15 tips for LIFE! (SBC day 14)

15 Tips for Life

1.  It something is broken... try to fix it before you toss it.

2. Smile, Often and lots, smiles lead to happiness.

3. Come up with a life mantra, I have two one for good days and one for the not so great days.
for good days: Smile till your face hurts
for not so great days: If you can't eat it, or hump it, Piss on it and walk away (at the worst of times, it becomes JUST BREATHE!)

4. Be mysterious, leave a little to the imagination.

5. Do what you LOVE!

6. Cut the Crap... in other words SIMPLIFY!  It makes everything easier.

7. Keep your promises.  If you say you're going to do something, DO IT!

8. Read lots, question everything, remain skeptical and debate often.

9. Think Deeply (think before you speak, everything is deeper when thought through first).

10. Speak gently (if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all!)

11. Love much (hug with an open heart, it changes everything)

12. laugh aloud (don't forget to share the joke)

13. work hard (and leave work at work)

14. Give freely (give 'till it hurts, then give a little more)

15. Be kind (treat others as you wish to be treated)

SBC Day 13- Year End

How do I see myself by the end of the year?  I am still trying to figure out how I will see myself by the end of the summer.  I will probably be working again and hopefully have a few more renovations finished around the house.  I don't have any weight loss goals, I am happy where I am at and I hope to have Anomantia potty trained (we are still working on her communication, it is still choppy and she isn't really sure what her body is doing so it is a slow process).  I hope to have finished a few of my knitting WIP's that are ongoing, but mostly, I hope to be able to spend lots of time with my girls and my husband.

My worst Injury (SBC Day 12)

My worst injury, would have to be the c-section I had with Anomantia.  Recovery sucked!  4:30pm, December 15th, 2009  I went into labour naturally (I thought I was 37weeks 1 day pregnant, but was probably closer to 36weeks).  I laboured at home until 2:30am on the 16th when we moved the labour party (me, Laurence and my friend Elise) to the hospital.  I was excited that I was going to finally meet my baby.  I got to the hospital and was stuck in the assessment room on a bed to be checked and see that all was good.  I had been to see my doctor on the morning of the 15th and he had said that all was looking good, the head was down and labour should start on its own within the next couple of weeks.  In the assessment room, the nurses kept on whispering and going out to the nurses station and bringing other nurses in and in total, I was checked by 6 different nurses!  I was 4 cm when I came in and by the time they figured out that there was a bum and a foot instead of the head, I was 6cm.  By the time the OB on call came in with the ultrasound machine, I was 8cm.  By the time I was wheeled to the OR, I was 9cm... No drugs yet.  I got to the OR and was ready to push by the time the spinal block was in and I was cut open, I was so mad, I was vibrating!  I had hoped for a drug free labour and delivery and my doctor messed that up for me.  Needless to say I was very skeptical of his judgement after that.  When I confirmed my second pregnancy, I sought other care and other options.  I had the worst experience with my first birth and that is my worst injury ever.  The spinal caused permanent damage to a nerve in my back and I had a constant pins and needles feeling in my back and down the right side of my body that are still present today.  I have since realised that I NEVER want to be cut open again, and definitely no more needles or anything in my back.

Summer Blog Challenge Day 11- Best Day

The best day of my life, is hard for me to pin point.  My life has been a rough road, but even though I have had several good days, the best day, would have to be the day my Journeyman ticket arrived in the mail.  I did it, against all the odds, made it through in my trade. 

A close second would be the fishing trip I took with my family as a young child when the dog got sick, the seas were rough, and we caught a 10 foot long six gill mud shark on a salmon hook. 

And tied for third place are: 01 September 2007, 16 December 2009 and 08 January 2012.  Which are my wedding date, Anomantia's birthday and Furia's birthday.

Summer Blog Challenge Day 10- ART

Cost Aside, the famous art piece that I would have in my home is a hard one for me.  I love European art!  But I would take the entire collection, or any part of it, from Centre Pompidou, Musée D'Art Moderne, in Paris in a heartbeat.  The year 2000, I spent every spare moment in museums and seeing the countries in Western Europe.  I had year long memberships at the Centre Pompidou, The Louvre, Musée Rodin and a couple of other art galleries.  But I also loved Rodin's work, particularly the sitting room in his house, the sketches and sculptures. 

Summer Blog Challenge Day 9

Now to play catch up for a crazy weekend of net being able to be online.

Day 9: Worst Cooking disaster

My worst cooking disaster happened this winter, I was making Chicken Cordon Swiss (from scratch) and everything was going great and all the side dishes were going to be ready at the same time as the chicken should be pulled from the oven, but with 10 minutes left in the oven, the pyrex dish I was using to cook the chicken exploded and the chicken fell on the element sparking and burning the crust (combination of ground cornflakes, spices and rice flour with xanthan gum) making a giant mess of the oven and completely making the chicken inedible.  Needless to say, we ended up eating take-out that night.  I was less than impressed but at least I have an awesome husband who cleaned the oven mess for me (I was very pregnant at the time and the whole ordeal made me cry).

My Favourite Guilty Pleasures...Blog Challenge#8

 These are my guilty pleasures, they are the things that I treasure the most in my life and I wouldn't change them for the world.  This entry made me really think, guilty pleasures... are we talking about food or are we talking about life?  So I went with what felt right for me... LIFE!  Yes, I love food too, but not as much as some of the little things that I truly appreciate when I get to experience them.  Some come weekly, others rarely but they are what I really love.  

Well, I have four that were all tied for the number one spot!

A. I totally love the sound of a clean tipped Oxy-Acetylene cutting torch... yes the sound it makes gives me goosebumps (I love what I do!).

B. Getting up early and doing an hour of ZUMBA before anyone wakes up.  It is great to have time for myself at the beginning of the day. Followed by my daily cup of decaf earl grey tea. (I have been banned from drinking coffee because I am already high strung enough and I start vibrating and bouncing off the walls when I get caffeine into my system... it can be quite funny to see but if you are not a morning person BEWARE!)

C. Sitting down and watching TV or a movie with the biggest glass of ice water (more ice than water), and my knitting with Laurence after the kids are asleep (doesn't happen very often that they sleep at the same time).  We have been watching series on DVD lately.  We just watched ROME a couple months back and now have started in on Season 1 of Sons of Anarchy.  We love watching Discovery or History Channel documentaries that the kids would totally be bored with. 

and

D. Standing knee deep in the ocean during a storm and letting the huge swells hit me as they break on the beach (best is usually in October or November) and just having the salt water splash all over and the salty air in the wind hitting my face.  (I grew up on the coast and loved doing this but since we moved inland six years ago, I have only done this twice and I miss it a lot.)

Summer Blog Challenge Day 7

These three smiling faces make my world spin.  They are my everything.  They are also the ones that make me the happiest... yet drive me the craziest!  My Squirmy, Squirbo and Pants.

Summer Blog Challenge Day 6

Nicknames and Why I have them:

#1.  Mum or Mami
I get called this by my 2 year old.  Mum when she is saying something serious and Mami when she is trying to be cute and get my attention or wants something.

#2. Wonderwoman
I get called this by DH almost daily.  He is still in awe at the things I am capable of doing and how I can pull random tricks out of my hat with no notice and can save the day when all hell breaks loose (which is almost daily here).

#3. Sister or Other Sister
My sisters and I always seem to refer to one another as sister or as in "have you heard from the other sister lately?" when talking to one another.

and last but not least

#4. Whaaaaa
I get called Whaaaa by Furia, my 5 month old.  When she needs me, I am Whaaaa. :)


I am not really sure if these are all classified as nicknames, but they are what I am frequently called.