| You're Invited |
to the new blog. I'm switching over. Please email me - aimeeodegard(at)gmail(dot)com (oh, and I don't really know why I did the "at" and "dot' that way, but I've seen other computer savvy people do it, and thought maybe it has to do with spam, and I don't want spam) to let me know if you want to keep reading - of course if you've already responded to the invitation earlier then you're good to go. If you have emailed me and didn't get your official invite, please try again, I'm not the most organized person and probably lost you in the inbox. It is important that you don't just respond in the comments because I need your email address to send you the invite. So come on over! www.hummingbirdsong1.blogspot.com --okay, okay I know, not original at all. When I set it up I thought I'd change it later, but now it's set, so oh well.
See you there.
Aimee |
|
|
|
| gather up the fragments |
I've been inspired by all the entries Mama Squirrel (Dewey's Treehouse) makes about using what you have in your pantry. Looking ahead to our move (which is coming towards us on the calendar at breakneck speed) I have been trying to use up what we have. The breakfast cookies, which I made another variation of today, are great for using up ends of dry good - today I added a multigrain oatmeal type cereal and they tasted great. I am also trying to get better at using up leftover food. Lance is not a fan of leftovers, so sometimes I'll eat the same thing for three/four meals in a row. But, if I can reinvent the leftovers they go down a lot easier for everyone.
Last week Odegards and McHan's came over and we had some delicious roasted (BBQed) potatoes with red peppers and carrots. There were a lot leftover so the next night (having recently got this idea from linking to a blog through Merchant Ships) I made a frittata. It was delicious - actually the best I've made, and no recipe needed.
Last night we had what I jokingly called "Steak scrap Fajitas" - which is really what they were. I had saved steak from nights where we couldn't polish it all off, frozen it, and was waiting for a brainwave for how to use it. So fajitas it was. Now we have more leftovers, I had panfried peppers, onions and the steak, so now I have this veggie/meat mixture...so tonight, frittata again!
Lots more to write, but naptime is approaching, and we ALL need it.
aimee |
|
|
|
| connectedness |
“I’ve come to believe that the consumer culture is like a virus- it enters where the bonds of community have been broken. Needs are perceived as reasons to consume rather than as reasons to connect with others. Money becomes the glue holding together a society that has lost its integrity. Assumptions of solidarity, equity and cooperation are becoming as quaint as the horse and buggy. Material downshifting, then, can make room for “upshifting” connectedness. Frugality isn’t the end goal, it’s the means. One by-product of simplifying is having the time to engage in the arts of caring- communication, meals together, touch, having good parties, remembering birthdays, clearing up misunderstandings, empathy, patience, and on and on- and this is the biggest antidote to overspending. So consciously building nourishing relationships… is a way to unwind the ropes that entangle you in debt, insecurity, job boredom and fear of the economy.”
from the preface of “Your Money Or Your Life,” by Joe Dominguez & Vicki Robin
This quote was recently discussed on Frugal Hacks. I think the authors are really on to something. Check out the Frugal Hacks post for practical ways to emphasize connection over consuming.
What are your thoughts? Any other ways to connect rather than consume? |
|
|
|
| warm cookies |
right now I'm enjoying a fresh from the oven "Breakfast Cookie". I adapted a Canadian living recipe that Mama Squirrel at Dewey's Treehouse also adapted. Delicious. I used Apple Juice concentrate instead of honey. Less fruit - just dates and raisins. Almonds instead of walnuts. Considered adding pumpkin seeds, but upon tasting them it was clear they have lingered in my pantry far too long. Same goes for the Muslix cereal I thought would go well in these cookies...yuck, not a long shelf life there, must mean not many preservatives, that's good, I'll remember for next time. Also we only had multigrain Cheerios so the cookies are a little sweeter because of it - a treat for me.
Lance and I just enjoyed the film - "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly". It's French with subtitles. It's stunningly beautiful. Extremely creative. Humorous, honest and hopeful. Based on a memoir written by a man with "locked-in" syndrome. Only able to blink one eye, yet completely coherent and intelligent. You can search for reviews if you'd like, just know it comes highly recommended from us.
Packing has begun and we alternate between thinking the job is not too big and wondering how we'll get it done.
Haven't got the pictures off the camera yet so birthday posts will wait.
Potty training is going REALLY well. Yesterday Eva wore the same panties ALL DAY! She even asked to go potty a couple times and waited till we made it there before going. I think she is catching on. I still find it stressful to be on guard watching for signs of pre-peeing and constantly (it seems) asking her to come to the potty. Elijah has sat on the potty a couple times, nothing yet, and we're not planning on starting with him in earnest any time soon. But if he wants to sit now and again that's fine.
Well I have a little girl who is looking at me saying, "You all done? You all done." So I think I better go.
Hope you are all well.
Aimee
ps. I have granola in the oven. This is a big day for me. I have been needing to restock the granola supply for a week and wanting to make the cookies for even longer. Thanks to Franklin and his animated friends I had some time to finally get these recipes made today. |
|
|
|
| Thanks |
Hey guys, thanks for all the advice and kind thoughts and prayers. I really appreciate. Quick update, I'm on my way to have a nap (after cleaning up a little girl who likes to strip). We tried the inside out sleeper and I was all ready to report that it was a success. Until I found her naked this morning. Shoot. Will probably keep trying that since it did seem to slow her down. Also trying overalls. Yeah, doesn't really sound comfy, but she doesn't seem bothered. Potty training is going good I guess. There are lots of times she says "Potty" while simultaneously peeing, but I consider that hopefully. Today she said potty and then sat on the potty for quite awhile before pooping and peeing - too much detail for you? I was very excited as it seems that she is learning what it feels like BEFORE she pees/poops. I am finding it stressful though. Hoping it won't be a super long process, actually hoping it will be super short!
We are coming off a week of intense socialization. I think we've had some sort of gathering 6 out of 8 nights and sometimes things during the days too. It has all been good, but I think a little too concentrated. We are trying to reclaim our home (not to mention PACKING!) I have mountains of laundry - both clean and dirty - to deal with.
Rain. It has been raining and thundershowering for days. And we had a wild hailstorm on Saturday. My perennial garden is ravaged. Pictures of the hail and my husband in it to follow.
Birthdays. Mine - details to come. Twins - details to come. In short both were great. Good friends, good food, special gifts.
Baby. This is one wiggly baby. I am enjoying feeling this little one's movements.
That's all for now. goodnight.
aimee |
|
|
|
| Wit's Beginning? Wit's start? |
Is there such a thing? I've spent so long at the end that I can't remember there being a beginning.
There are FIVE crib sheets, one mattress pad and multiple blankets in the washing machine right now. To make do in the meantime a twin sheet has been wrapped around Eva's crib mattress and a thick blanket laid overtop Elijah's wet sheet from last night (he keeps his diaper on, but wets so heavily that it leaks). Have I mentioned how much I hate changing sheets? I would rather wash toilets... well I did that today too and it's not much better.
I couldn't find the duct tape to keep that diaper on. So I'm just gonna leave her and she can remove it at will, could she have any more pee left? I need a rest. Already cleaned up a pooped on sheet this morning...hoping she's out of that too.
There will be a post to come about the fact that it is Elijah and Eva's second birthday today. And though there have been many lovely parts of today already - and more to come - I'm not exactly in that space right now. And today I'm not laughing about it either.
Prayers appreciated. aimee |
|
|
|
| Diaper Dilemma |
As a rule - with the occasional exception - Eva Grace removes her clothes and diaper each nap and bedtime. Tonight I went in to check on her (after a while of her chattering we go in to check for two things, clothing removal or poopy diaper, if we don't remedy either situation she will go on talking forever, well, we haven't let her go forever, but over an hour of happy talking seems like a bit long, and usually when we check at that point we discover one of the previously mentioned situations)
back to tonight.
I went in to check on her and found her completely naked, having removed her sleep suit, jammies, diaper and the crib sheet, tossing everything overboard. She was standing naked in a puddle of pee. As soon as I opened the door she said, "I need a baff, peed". This has happened a couple times previously and resulted in an immediate bath, but it wasn't pee that made me hold my breath and rush her to the tub. So tonight the cleanup was relatively easy - I didn't even have to wash the sheets since she'd stripped them prior to peeing.
So I redressed her, redid bedtime routine and left. More talking. 20 minutes later check again. Sheets and blankets still intact. "No diaper" she says to me. Yes, I can see that. Naked little girl just laying there talking. I try to redress her, she says, "No diaper, just jammies". No way little lady. But I can see her train of thought...
I have been forced in beginning potty training. I had no intention of starting yet, but my persistent little girl will have it no other way - and I guess that's a good thing. Not only does she take her diaper off in her crib, but constantly throughout the day. So today I decided to go for it. She just wore pants - we've got to get some panties asap. Peed twice in them, but simultaneously told me she needed to use the potty so I think she's got the idea. So tonight she was hoping for just jammies...
So any advice folks? On keeping the diaper/clothes on. And on toilet training? My current plan is just to put her in panties and encourage her to tell me when she needs to use the potty - has that worked for you?
She's still talking. I better go check on my little nudist.
Hope you are well and that your children are clothed and sleeping and that atleast YOU are laughing about the fact that my daughter is not sleeping and probably naked again.
Aimee (who is laughing a little bit, but wishing Lance was home this evening to do some of the redressing...) |
|
|
|
| moving company? |
Hi folks. We are in the process of choosing movers. Do any of you have recommendations for reputable Canadian movers? Personal experiences? Heresay?
Garage Sale Update:
Our garage sale was a big success. Jena and Heidi came over the night before and helped get things set up. There was lots of chatting and laughing. Then the next day Brent came and helped Lance make and put out signs. I put the kids down for their nap and went out to the garage to eat my lunch while doing some last minute pricing...the sale was SUPPOSED to start in 2 hours... but, as soon as the signs were up people started showing up in droves. I had a number of 20s in my pocket by the time the guys came back from putting up the signs and grabbing lunch. That evening we had a potluck BBQ and enjoyed lots of friends company - while still making sales till 8pm. Next day Jena came over to help sell, and boy was she good. Approaching customers and offering deals, "Here, fill a bag for a dollar". She was great to target the men and was single handedly responsible for the sale of the tools. I kept the sale open longer than the official 2pm close since I had computer work to do anyway and the kids were napping, so we probably closed around 4pm. Some highlights were being able to pass on some baby nighties that my mom made, to a lady who sends collects sleepers and sends them to a hospital near Nanimo where mothers often take their babies home in pillow cases, because they have NO CLOTHES for them. When I heard her story I ran into the house to grab these nighties that I had been saving to give to MCC or some other organization so they could give them to someone who really needed them. I think these pillow case babies needed them. I got tears in my eyes just thinking about it. This lady - Marcie, probably in her late sixties - came with a young man who may have had some developmental delays. He fancied a pair of shoes and loudly asked Marcie for a loan. He excitedly shouted out, "Hey Marcie, Marcie, they'll fit too. I'm a size ten and they're a size 11 so they'll fit!!" Marcie agreed, but on one condition, that he leave his shoes for our dumpster. He had a better idea and left them with the other shoes we had for sale, in case someone maybe wanted them (no one did, but I had my eye on those sneakers the rest of the day and would've chuckled had someone bought them). These two folks then stuck around for about half an hour going through our free bins and trying on clothes. They were quite the pair and brightened my day. Another amusing customer was a college aged guy who arrived with a grocery bag of wine that a friend had just given him. He was very talkative and bought pretty much anything I commented on. Did he really want "The ABCs of Greenhouse Gardening", a vintage book I had picked up used somewhere since I like the green cover and the topic interested me? Did he need a typewriter? Well, I didn't really care, Darfur thanks him for his impulsive buying! Through sales and some donations $1000 was raised for relief work in Darfur, Sudan.
Part of my donation to Darfur was two naps. It was a full weekend. But really fun. I would do it again. We got rid of a lot of stuff, raised some money and got to have the garage sale experience.
Now a confession. Lance and I went garage saleing last weekend. I know I know what were we thinking? I can proudly say we bought very reasonable items. Paid $1 for 5 tomato cages (to support tomatoes as they grow). And $6 for an Oilers jersey for Elijah. It's way to big for now, but he loves it. And it was a steal, didn't even offer lower it was so reasonably priced.
Planning the twins 2nd birthday party for this weekend. If you're around keep Sunday afternoon free. Probably do bubbles again, they were such a hit last year, and I don't mind repeating myself.
This weekend Lance plays at Camrose's street festival, "Jaywalkers Jamboree". He plays at 3:30 on Friday on the "folk" stage by Merchants. See you there.
Okay better head towards bed.
Hope you are well.
Aimee |
|
|
|
|
|
posted by Aimee at