The end is nigh... the end of diapers in our house! About a month ago, Solanne started to poo exclusively in the toilet. Don't worry: I'll spare you the details. And we've been experimenting with underwear. Since I'm the one doing most of the potty work with Solanne, she has adopted the French term for underwear, which is "culottes." It's funny because most of what she says is in English, but then she'll throw in a "culottes" out of the blue.
In any case, two weeks ago, I put the culottes on Solanne and whisked her off to the bathroom every half hour or so. At a certain point in the morning, I got to my house-cleaning, including vacuuming. I guess I lost track of time, because Solanne came running into the office where I was cleaning, and she had a bare bum! She promptly told me she had peed, wiped herself, and flushed the toilet. "And I did't talk to you," she said, meaning she hadn't told me ahead of time.
So now she's in culottes most of the time, except for naps and at night and for long trips. She can and does go all by herself. I'm so proud! And our diaper laundry has been cut by a fair margin. I guess not having babies in the house has its advantages...
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
Monday, March 26, 2007
Yippy yi-yay!
Some of you have been pestering me, wondering why I haven't posted a blog entry in a while. Well, I have a good excuse.
I am happy to tell you all that I will have an article published in a real-life magazine. Published. Yay!
My article, dealing with so-called natural products, harmful ingredients, and new labelling legislation, will be published in an upcoming edition of Briarpatch Magazine.
In the mean time, I hope you're all sufficiently appeased by the three other entries posted here this evening.
I am happy to tell you all that I will have an article published in a real-life magazine. Published. Yay!
My article, dealing with so-called natural products, harmful ingredients, and new labelling legislation, will be published in an upcoming edition of Briarpatch Magazine.
In the mean time, I hope you're all sufficiently appeased by the three other entries posted here this evening.
My disco girls
Right up front, I have to make a confession: I love disco. It's my secret, guilty pleasure. I owe it to being born in 1977, at disco's apex. Well, I think it was the only year that disco was popular... In any case, I love it. And I will not tolerate being teased about it. Now on with the blog entry.
Once upon a time, "my disco girls" referred to my highschool girl friends. On special occasions we would get dolled up in our disco gear and go out for a night on the town (or in someone's basement). Now "my disco girls" refers to Maïa and Solanne. I am happy to report that they both enjoy dancing to disco music (especially the Bee Gees). This makes me tremendously happy.
Here is Maïa dancing, using the moves I've taught her.
By the way, in case you're wondering what she's wearing... it's her brand new raincoat and spring hat. I bought them today, she's been wearing them all afternoon and evening.
And here is Solanne. The music is in the background, so listen carefully for it. These are her very own moves, which we've dubbed the "Alligator Dance" (check out the moves with her hands: it looks like an alligator's chomping jaws).
Once upon a time, "my disco girls" referred to my highschool girl friends. On special occasions we would get dolled up in our disco gear and go out for a night on the town (or in someone's basement). Now "my disco girls" refers to Maïa and Solanne. I am happy to report that they both enjoy dancing to disco music (especially the Bee Gees). This makes me tremendously happy.
Here is Maïa dancing, using the moves I've taught her.
By the way, in case you're wondering what she's wearing... it's her brand new raincoat and spring hat. I bought them today, she's been wearing them all afternoon and evening.
And here is Solanne. The music is in the background, so listen carefully for it. These are her very own moves, which we've dubbed the "Alligator Dance" (check out the moves with her hands: it looks like an alligator's chomping jaws).
The Pink Party
Today is Election Day in Quebec. Last night, Derek was bemoaning the fact that he didn't know who to vote for. The two main parties, the Liberal party and the Parti québécois, do not represent our stances, in one way or another. So I started naming off our other options: le Parti Québec solidaire, the Green Party...
"Party" seems to be one of those words that kids pick up on. But Maïa and Solanne preferred the idea of a Pink Party. I asked them what their platform would be (I had to explain what a platform is). Here are some highlights of their new party:
Everyone would have the right to the following:
cake and ice cream
disco
breakfast
bracelet-making
drawing
play
sleeping well at night
Solanne, on her part, clarified:
pink cake
ice cream & fruit
food
necklaces
crayons
So on this election, let us all take a moment to consider how much of a better place this would be if we only let our kids make some of the decisions.
"Party" seems to be one of those words that kids pick up on. But Maïa and Solanne preferred the idea of a Pink Party. I asked them what their platform would be (I had to explain what a platform is). Here are some highlights of their new party:
Everyone would have the right to the following:
Solanne, on her part, clarified:
So on this election, let us all take a moment to consider how much of a better place this would be if we only let our kids make some of the decisions.
My first name is Mommy
Solanne has been getting used to the fact that Derek and I have other names besides Daddy and Mommy. She was naming everyone in our family: "Daddy is Derek, I'm Solanne, Maïa is Maïa, and Mommy is..." She had forgotten. Then Maïa tried to remember, but she could only come up with "Katrina," the name of one of her friends. She knew it was wrong, so she asked me, "Momma, what's your second name?"
It sent me into thinking about the radical identity transformation I have gone through since Maïa was born.
Last week I spent two whole days with a friend who has a three-week old baby. She's just beginning to reel from the reality of it. I remember feeling utterly useless and strange and completely out of touch with everyone I knew.
Watching my friend, I realised, for the first time, what I had gone through. I had lost myself. Truly lost Cristina. My roles as friend, daughter, wife were all a distant second to my new role of mother. And I didn't feel like a mom. I didn't think I was acting like a mom. I felt like I was some sort of imposter (I had no idea what I was doing). And at the same time, I felt like I would never again be those other things: wife, friend, daughter, person. I was in a strange identity limbo. I was nothing. It was devastating. For months, it was devastating.
And now, I laugh at the idea that Maïa thinks that my second name is Cristina. She'll likely not know I'm a person until she's into her twenties. But that's okay; I know I'm a person, a wife, a friend, a daugther. It's all okay now.
It sent me into thinking about the radical identity transformation I have gone through since Maïa was born.
Last week I spent two whole days with a friend who has a three-week old baby. She's just beginning to reel from the reality of it. I remember feeling utterly useless and strange and completely out of touch with everyone I knew.
Watching my friend, I realised, for the first time, what I had gone through. I had lost myself. Truly lost Cristina. My roles as friend, daughter, wife were all a distant second to my new role of mother. And I didn't feel like a mom. I didn't think I was acting like a mom. I felt like I was some sort of imposter (I had no idea what I was doing). And at the same time, I felt like I would never again be those other things: wife, friend, daughter, person. I was in a strange identity limbo. I was nothing. It was devastating. For months, it was devastating.
And now, I laugh at the idea that Maïa thinks that my second name is Cristina. She'll likely not know I'm a person until she's into her twenties. But that's okay; I know I'm a person, a wife, a friend, a daugther. It's all okay now.
Thursday, March 08, 2007
Things I love about Montreal
in no particular order:
Montrealers/les montréalais
a great, affordable daycare
the fact that there are three used book stores within a fifteen minute walk from my house
there are two mommy-n-me cafés within the same radius
the multicultural aspect
driving for 10 minutes from downtown and still being in downtown
an awesome public transit system
recognizing no one, anywhere
relatively frequent family meals with Ken, Sandie, Gramma, Grampa, Mike, Robin, Jeff, Steve (and Chris, when he's there)
cheap rent
having friends visit for a weekend; it's a totally different dynamic than coffee
innumerable fantastic restaurants
the fact that (almost) everyone has a fashion sense
Akhavan Food Market
the Korean/Japanese food store
the natural products store
the Iraqi grocer
having an awesome sitter who lives next door
knowing there's great music out there to listen to (hey, with two kids, who has the time or the money?)
the urban feel
being surrounded by people who speak French
the sheer amount of snow (do we get more here, or is the city just not very efficient at removing it?)
how friendly people are
NDG park, even though you can hear the traffic on Sherbrooke
the architecture
the Biodome, Botanical Gardens, Insectarium
the recycling program
the cool factor
Things I miss about Ottawa
in no particular order:
my mom
getting together with my girlfriends
the ByTowne Cinemas and All Books, next door
my extended family at Ascension
skating on the Rideau canal
driving for 10 minutes from downtown and being in the country
walking to church
recognizing people I know everywhere I go
relatively frequent family meals with Ken, Sandie, Pat, Julie, Naomi (and Nick, when he's there)
Sunday Bike Days
green space, lots and lots of green space
watching my friends' kids grow up
pancake supper, Seder supper, Christmas pageant, coffee hour at Ascension
not worrying about what I'm wearing when I leave the house
the Byward Fruit Market, especially Isaac and Miriam, the owners
seeing old friends often instead of next-to-never
Beaver Tails
the fact that there's only one major highway cutting up the city
Canada Day
other Franco-ontarians ("no, I'm not québécoise... really, people do speak French outside Quebec")
knowing how to get to any part of the city from any other part
an excellent school board
the Hammerheads!
Strathcona Park, on the Rideau River
our family doctor
the National Gallery
walking along the Ottawa River, below Parliament Hill, at night
Confederation Park
the fact that I feel at home there
Friday, March 02, 2007
Welcome, baby Eva!
I just found out that my good friend Sandra had her little baby girl on Tuesday. Mom and baby are doing well, I am pleased to know.
I'm tremendously happy that one of my oldest friends can now share the joys (and hardships!) of motherhood with me. Since "matante" Sandra has a baby, I guess my girls now have a new little "cousin"!
Congrats, Sandra, on the arrival of your baby and on the very hard work it has taken to get you both here. You're a hero.
I'm tremendously happy that one of my oldest friends can now share the joys (and hardships!) of motherhood with me. Since "matante" Sandra has a baby, I guess my girls now have a new little "cousin"!
Congrats, Sandra, on the arrival of your baby and on the very hard work it has taken to get you both here. You're a hero.
Thursday, March 01, 2007
On turning 30
I turned 30 a few weeks ago. And it's been good.
Around the time I turned 28, and was feeling down in the dumps about getting older, I made a decision. I was not going to worry about aging. In fact, I was going to love my thirties. So I started getting ready for the big Three-Oh, by getting excited about it. And it worked.
I won't expound on what I've learned over the course of the decade of my twenties... not now. But I will brag about what great people I have in my life. First and foremost, my best friend and hubby, Derek. My beautiful kids. My best girlfriends from highschool. My wonderful friends from university, work, and beyond... And we all (except the kids and my friends with kids) got together to celebrate my coming of age.
It was a big bash that started out in Wakefield, at my friend Sarah's house. She prepared an Italian meal, specifically from the region my dad was born in: Emilia-Romagna. She should know the cuisine: she spent a year there studying food! And it was delish, as Sarah would say. Check it out here. Present were my highschool girlfriends: Sarah, Katherine, Gen with partner J-F, Louise, and me. Absent was a very pregnant Sandra.
When we had our birthday tiramisù and quickly opened a few cards, we dashed off to Ottawa to meet up with friends at The Collection, a martini bar in Ottawa's Byward market. I was surrounded by friends who were all there to celebrate me, some of whom had travelled a few hours to join in the festivities! I feel incredibly blessed to know them all. Maybe we should do this every year!!
Here's a taste (from Sarah's camera):
Around the time I turned 28, and was feeling down in the dumps about getting older, I made a decision. I was not going to worry about aging. In fact, I was going to love my thirties. So I started getting ready for the big Three-Oh, by getting excited about it. And it worked.
I won't expound on what I've learned over the course of the decade of my twenties... not now. But I will brag about what great people I have in my life. First and foremost, my best friend and hubby, Derek. My beautiful kids. My best girlfriends from highschool. My wonderful friends from university, work, and beyond... And we all (except the kids and my friends with kids) got together to celebrate my coming of age.
It was a big bash that started out in Wakefield, at my friend Sarah's house. She prepared an Italian meal, specifically from the region my dad was born in: Emilia-Romagna. She should know the cuisine: she spent a year there studying food! And it was delish, as Sarah would say. Check it out here. Present were my highschool girlfriends: Sarah, Katherine, Gen with partner J-F, Louise, and me. Absent was a very pregnant Sandra.
When we had our birthday tiramisù and quickly opened a few cards, we dashed off to Ottawa to meet up with friends at The Collection, a martini bar in Ottawa's Byward market. I was surrounded by friends who were all there to celebrate me, some of whom had travelled a few hours to join in the festivities! I feel incredibly blessed to know them all. Maybe we should do this every year!!
Here's a taste (from Sarah's camera):
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