A well-stocked larder / closet

Ever since we moved to Nairobi and had a huge larder, it's given me great joy to be well-stocked when it comes to food. In France, our kitchen cupboard isn't that big but it is deep. Plus, I love the fact that we leave it semi-full, so that there is a meal ready for anyone who shows up. Here in Saint John, we have a walk-in pantry with shelves up to the ceiling, and while we haven't re-organised it from Michelle & Bojan's set-up, we have continued to stock pile all sorts of yummies.

Well, the desire to have lots of food for the drop-in visitors or whims (and we are ever so fortunate here in Canada) or snowy days (like today) has influenced our approach to clothing our kids ... What with hand-me-downs (including some vintage Wedge & Crawley items); 2nd hand bargain hunting in the blood; birthday and Christmas and plain any old time gift-givers for grandparents; and our adoration of a French vide grenier/communal garage sale (I mean where else can you shop for brand-name clothes that have been barely worn and carry a glass of wine?!), we have oodles of clothes for the kids. I do, however, draw the line at on-line purchases; besides, it's not as much fun, though I guess you could do it with a glass of wine in your hand.

There are always holes in the shopping; it's difficult to get decent pyjamas 2nd hand and trousers are getting harder to find. We never go for 2nd hand shoes either, so that knocks a big hole in the clothing budget every 6 months.

My guilty housewife secret is that I take perverse satisfaction in carefully sorting and labelling the boxes for different ages and stages. I get them out from time to time to make sure I haven't mis-labelled something that a child is going to outgrow before wearing. I even photographed the clothes that we left in France for next summer, so that I wouldn't get carried away here and double/triple buy (see photos). Adage: a bargain's not a bargain if you don't need it.

Why can't there be more colour in our lives? This comes from someone who fell for a guy whose pants are officially described as "drab" in the store catalogue. I kid you not. We nicknamed them "Blah". I am happy to say that he wears a bit more colour now.

Ring our bell!

I don't have photo or video evidence of this, but Sebastian got to ring the city market bell on Saturday. For those who don't know our fair town, the city market is the oldest continuing food market in the country (1876 and survived the massive fire that burnt down much of the city the following year) and the heart of "uptown". http://www.sjcitymarket.ca/index.html A covered market, it has been physically preserved and has a great vibe, even if it is not a farmers/organic/boho market. Plus you can get fresh Montreal bagels there every Thursday from noon on. On Saturdays, there are deli stalls (Iranian, Ecuadorian, Jamaican, organic pizza, etc) staffed by some the chattiest people in town, who happen to make very tasty foods). It is the site of the annual CBC radio remote in mid-December - a highly fun and sucessful event on the social calendar (when Seb can stare at his favourite CBC personality - Rachel Cave-Bauer - while she works).

Once the weather turns cold (say October 1!), we walk through the market to get to just about anywhere (library, pool, post office, etc). So we are fairly well-known; I think we are well-liked too- at least we were until I started bringing in the SUV of a stroller this winter...). The famous Java Moose http://www.javamoose.com/is a frequent stop and I often oggle the yarns at Cricket Cove. We like to chat with the greengrocers (while checking out their discount table to come up with a supper idea or getting nostalgic about their British goods shelf - Branston Pickle anyone?) and check in on the live lobster tank (though no touching 'cus of allergies...). You can't not bump into someone you know as you pass through.

So it was somewhat of a surprise to find a new angle to the market this weekend. We were searching for "market money" (gift certificates to give to Seb's daycare worker) and were directed to the "crow's nest". It's the market manager's office, a glass box perched high above the market and with great views on the architecture, decorations and people! It also has a beautiful, new staircase. Maureen - the market production manager - was thrilled to have a 4 year old visitor and invited Seb to come in and ring the historic bell (which she tolls "whenever I feel like it"). First, she made an anouncement on the PA, then he rang the bell, and finally he flung a "Merry Christmas" out of the open window to the cheering masses (well, one guy applauded). What a thrill!

Then on the way down said staircase, we played that we were on a pirate ship. Swash-buckling costumes and dramatic sword fights, plus some enemy ship spied through the telescope while the sharks lurk in the dangerous waters below. It was a wonderful moment to be in Saint John.

So anytime you want, we'll meet you in the Market!

You have got it good on Christmas Eve when:

1- your landlady arrives with baked goods for you and gifts the children!
2- your parents-in-law take your kids out "visiting" leaving you free to madly finish off all the last minutes tasks (like knit a scarf from cast-on...)
3- you find an extra $20 in your sock drawer
4 - you figure you have enough cash to buy the gourmet tapenade instead of labouring 4 hours to pit olives yourself

For those who are celebrating tonight, tomorrow and/or Boxing Day, we hope that your festivities bring great cheer and that the generosity of spirit that counts you amongst our friends, is repaid in its own way to you this season.

No longer a crawley

We are all agreed that Sophie is no longer a "crawley" as she prefers to go about on 2 feet now. If she stumbles over - which is still a common occurence - she will right herself. She no longer needs to crawl over to an object and pull herself up either; her strong and ever stronger thigh muscles do the work. It's true that she wibbles and wobbles a lot but oh boy, is she ever determined and gleeful.

So if she is no longer a crawley, the question remains as to whether she is a wedge. None of my relatives wrote to assuage my fear that one needs to eat cheese to be part of the family!

Sophie's update

I had promised to do a 12 month update for Sophie - and lo and behold, she's already 13 months (evidence #1 of 2nd child syndrome...). Well, girlfriend is no longer our easy-going houseplant and hasn't been for a couple of months. She can be determined when she wants something or someone (refer to previous blog on climbing 16 stairs unsupervised). She has a temper, which is usually demonstrated against her brother (or is that "bother" ? b/c it tends to be when he is sitting on her or got his face in her face that she lets out a high pitch bellow) or the item she is not allowed to have. One of my terms of endearment for both kids is poppet and when they have a bit of temper, that's a strop (or being "stroppy"). Occasionally, I have had to refer to Soph as a stroppet (not to be confused with "strumpet").

Sophie has always known who has the working breasts in the family. But since she turned one, she now can get herself to them and by tugging on the top of my shirt, make it plain what she wants and when. Now! Turtlenecks frustrate her to no end.

On the physical side, she is petite, weighing in at 19 lbs and change at her birthday. She had a pretty healthy first year, all things considered. She weathered the chickenpox bravely but has been left with a few scars on the forehead. Her food allergies are the main concern as there are so many; we don't know the severity; and she is so fast at getting to something and putting it in her mouth - plus, let's be honest, our housekeeping is far from pristine. She has one chronic spot of eczema. Her eyes have remained a gorgous blue (looks great in denim) and strangers often comment on how big they are. Her hair is still gingery but I believe that its days are numbered. And she has the cheekiest, most gleeful smile going.

She doesn't have a favourite toy or thing to hold. She enjoys looking at books and just started to become interested in pens and crayons. Like all babies, she loves to make a beeline for whatever enters her sphere of reaching that is usually off limits - like my agenda or the phone. Oh, I forgot, she loves bedside tables - just her height and loads of "don't touch"es.

She walks but it's been a completely different progress to Seb, who stumbled along one day (for cheese) and then within 2 weeks was pivoting and almost running. Sophie took stutter steps a couple of days after her birthday and then has spent the next 4 weeks getting to "walking" - 16 steps at once. But it's officially a go, now. (Ok, evidence #2 of 2nd child syndrome, as we didn't call any grandparents to announce the news...)

She has too many clothes to cram into a set of drawers and every pair of white tights has already turned to grey. But she looks delightful in each and every outfit.

She has 8 teeth and might have a word (evidence #3 of 2nd child syndrome - we were so proud with Seb that we would have been telling everyone by now that he was "speaking"). She sometimes waves goodbye and makes a "baaah" noise, which she only makes at those times. Good enough for us.

In fact, she is extra good enough for lucky us.

The ups and downs of having a big brother (or sister)

Yesterday, Sebastian was showing Sophie a rolicking good time by bouncing away on their parents' bed and hiding under the duvet (under it this time). We then all trekked downstairs to see how the gingerbread cookies were cooling.

A few minutes (I estimate 3), I realise Sophie is not in the kitchen and that I don't hear her, so I ask big bro to go and check on what she is up to. 10 seconds later, I hear "She gone upstairs, Mum". Mad dash to and up the 16 - SIXTEEN!! - stairs, while scanning downstairs rooms, I find her back in our bedroom looking for the party that her brother started.

So, girlfriend at 12 months knows how to climb stairs, Seb, though usually excellent at closing the stairs gate, is still 4, and me, I have to close the kitchen door.

Eccentric? Our Seb?

Last night played out as they do these days/evenings. I kissed Seb goodnight and told him I was turning off the light. He then proceeded to wish me goodnight again as he meandered to the toilet to fetch his stool and then turn the light back on. Afterward, it was over to the clock radio to turn on CBC (boring enough to fall asleep to?). But then, he decided to grab his stuffed animal (a musical mouse - don't ask) and bury himself in the duvet cover. That's right, between the cover and the duvet itself. There, he promptly fell asleep (and got all sweaty).

Santa smokes?

It was just a quick trip to the jeweller's to drop off my malfunctioning watch. But it became oh so much more when in one of the display cases, Sebby spotted a Santa figure smoking a pipe. "He's blowing cigarettes" he told me solemnly. "Mmm" I replied vaguely. "What happens when Santa dies?" he queried.

Quick thinking mum, I replied: "One of his kids would take over the route" (Santa and the Mrs do have kids, right? I have never heard mention of them; I guess it spoils the image of Santa when you have to acknowledge the fact that by pulling a global all-nighter, he probably isn't in great shape to be jolly with his own kids on Christmas morning).

I am fairly certain that young master's concern comes not from sadness for the Claus family or worry for all the children who have no other source of Christmas gifts, but for the weight and size of his own stocking on Christmas morning. But have no fear Seb, Nana always starts every New Year by hitting the sales for items to stuff into the ever-growing stocking (but that's another blog) some 11 months and 25 days later!

Can one be a Wedge without cheese?

Just when you were getting the hang of what our family could eat, there are a new set of challenges. And even more severe.


Based on Seb's allergist's advice, I nursed Sophie exclusively for 6 months, we introduced new food one at a time, we delayed high allergens such as egg and milk. But with limited - if any - success.

The way you "challenge" someone who you suspect is allergic to a food is a) put a small amount of it on a patch of skin, if no reaction then b) place it on the lower lip, then c) on the tip of the tongue, d) eat a small amount e) eat a normal portion, and finally f) eat it in moderate doses for a week.


Well, poor wee Sophie fell at the first hurdle. Milk was up for grabs when she turned 1 and her skin patch turned bright red and bumpy within 5 minutes. So yesterday, we had her into the allergist for her own set of tests - imperfect as they are. The good news is that the fish they tested were fine and she seems ok on meat. They told us to be very careful with legumes/pulses - i.e. chickpeas, kidney beans, etc. However, she tested positive for dairy, egg whites and yolks, and soy. They didn't even bother to test for peanuts and shellfish at this moment.

I think we are going to become the vegans who eat meat. I'll be posting the Wedgley food guide in the New Year - in case, anyone is still willing to invite us for a meal or a visit.

The moderately good news - it's relative at this stage - is that 90% of infants outgrow a dairy allergy, even a severe one. But 10% don't. Also the severity of her skin reaction doesn't necessarily corrolate to severity of a reaction if any amount of dairy product were ingested. But we don't want to test that research finding. Also, Seb was allergic to eggs at this age and he outgrew that.

The allergist suggested that we "challenge" Sophie every 6 months. But it's going to be a hard time for feeding Soph and keeping her safe from crumbs (while this make us clean and tidy????) and other toddlers' finger foods. But there is hope that it will improve. (See, my outlook is improving, I could't have said that yesterday).

Radiohead

Couple of days ago, Seb mosied (?) over to the stereo and said "lets see what's on the radio" and then flicked it on. He's only 4 and initiates listening to Sheila or Anna Maria. Scary.

Yesterday he was given/allocated his very own alarm clock. It's a digital and it was presented in the hope that he will wait until the 7 appears (as the FIRST digit) before waking up Mum & Dad. Today he bounced in with a "your clock says 7!!!!!" He claims that he had been lying in bed for "ages" waiting for his 7 to appear.

The alarm clock is a clock radio and he immediately wanted to learn how to turn on the radio and keep CBC on while he plays. Super bonus was that Dad was talking about GARBAGE - a favourite topic - on the news today.

First family meal

I did it! We had our first family meal tonight. Baked sole with a tiny bit of olive oil, side of broccoli for Sophie and mixed veg for us. I even managed to make a honey mustard sauce for myself. Topped off with eggless, dairy-less chocolate cake to celebrate Norwan's birthday from afar (which Sophie could have had but didn't).

And I pulled it off "single parenting" tonight. Pat right there on the back.

ribs and all

I just updated the lead photo (that might be "lede" in journo lingo. Good thing we do radio now where spelling doesn't count so much). Lovely shot of Sophie learning how to tickle her big brother. I just wanted to reassure everyone that we do indeed feed our son, at least we try to. As his ribs denote, he's not a big eater at the moment. The pjs he got for his birthday (the ones he is sporting in the snapshot) constantly slip off his waist. He runs round the house holding them up with one hand.

What's even more amazing is that Sophie weighs even less than Seb did at her age.

The triple whammy

You know the feeling of the day after the night when you just really wanted to finish that book - so you stayed up late (oh, say 11 pm), and then the wee poppet decided that that night's the night that she is going to grow, grow, grow so she nurses on and off for what seems like hours and wiggles in bed in between (until finally she is turfed out to go and eat some cereal with her dad), and then the big lovebug's body clock is on the early setting, so just an hour later he appears at the side of the bed asking for breakfast and playtime...

That's the triple whammy. I am sure that one day we will miss the physicality of raising young children, but right now, I would love an extra hour of sleep!

Catch up on some pics.

Seb & the curtain is him sitting on the rad in the dining room, watching "our" construction crew - best seat in the house b/c it was warm!

One of Seb checking out his "blue&red", who survived his first water change yesterday.

And the one of Sophie is for my mum, as girlfriend is wearing a very recognisable circa 1968 dress that my sister and I wore too. Those eyes sure are big and blue, aren't they!

Who does this guy think he is?

Sophie met Santa today at a party with her great-grandmother, and the photo says it all.

Meanwhile, Seb made his stage debut and surprise, surprise, loved it. We will try to get the footage of the daycare Christmas show up today. He told his neighbour that he was doing the wrong gestures, belted out the tune, and then got stood up for the dance. Guess no one wants to dance with a bossy, out of tune classmate!

They didn't in "my day" either...

Quiet in the house

Ah, "quiet time". That's our new term for what used to be nap time. It involves Seb going into a room with a door and just "being" for an hour. Optimally, it is timed for Sophie's nap. Hopefully, it is not spent doing laundry or dishes.

Somehow, it vanishes in what seems like 10 minutes. But it is my time to surf the net, read an article, write to a friend, and well, do some laundry.

Today, it has been enforced because we are heading to the city tree lighting ceremony and family story time at 7. Seb is excited that CBC's very own Rachel Cave-Bauer will be reading. Me, I hope to slip away and do a grocery run.

Gotta go. Sophie has decided that quiet time is done.

Bliss is...

At the end of a long, hot bubble bath, having your 1 year old pad over to the tub and proceed to learn how to blow bubbles.

Feed the fish

Seb had wished for a fish for his birthday or Christmas, and Auntie Cathy made that wish come true last weekend. We are now the custodians of “red & blue fish”. That’s its name. Nothing seems to be able to sway Seb toward another moniker. We always remark at how creative this boy is and the tales he can tell and the stories he inhabits, but seemingly not when it comes to naming pets. I have also noticed that when we build certain things; to him - at the moment - they have to look like the picture on the packet or they are Wrong. That’s with a capital W. I think we should ask former Saint Johner and 3 year old, Henry, to come up with a cool name as he seems to have a great talent for excellent band names.

Well, as parents all over Canada could have warned us. It is the adults who are changing the water, feeding the fish and even remembering to feed the fish. 3 out of the last 7 nights, one of us has remembered during final ablutions (amazing what one thinks of while brushing one's teeth, isn't it) or jumping - finally - into bed. It doesn’t help that he (it’s a male Betta) is stuck high up on a shelf in the kitchen (an open shelf in case you were wondering). But the floors slope in all the rooms and the shelf seemed more level. Plus we realised that the kids’ bedroom was too cold for a tropical fish!

But red&blue has made it through he tricky first 48 hours (and the only ones guaranteed by the pet shop). So let’s hope he is with us until next year; I mean that’s not asking too much; it's only 5 weeks away, right?

A dream come true

I was supposed to do a day of paid work today and while the child care came through (as always), the work itself didn't yet. So it's time to sweep the floor and wipe the coffee table and do all the small tasks that never get done around here. It's also time to update the blog, which devotees know is a rare event too these days.

We haven't downloaded photos of the Shamu/Sea World adventure. Besides, everyone who wants to see them was in Florida doing the Shamu wave anyway. I am putting up a lovely snap of Sophie with her dad and Seb figuring out how he too can ride the new-to-us sports-buggy (i.e. big wheel machine for snow drifts that thankfully have yet to appear).

It's day 3 of a crew tearing up the pavement along our street for a gas line. We have a great view from the apartment and all the action thrills Sophie and her brother - jack hammers (muted somehow), diggers, back hoes, dump truck and more. Yesterday, we returned home at 5.40 and they were still at work with the equipment's lights all on. I commented how late it was to be working and that perhaps we should offer them a cup of tea given how cold it was. Ever the sweet tooth, Seb suggested cookies instead.

So we took out the box of baked goods and he told the foreman that "You are working late and hard, would you like a cookie?". Of course, he was a terrific hit. And when they all asked him if he had helped to make them with his mum, he replied that no, his dad had made them alone. Needless to say, Seb got his cookie too.

This morning, the team let him sit in a digger! What goes around...

What we are learning in Seb's absence

1. that we do really like 9 hours of sleep and that we would naturally sleep in till 8:15 or so
2. that Sophie's favourite place in the apartment is the pots & pans cupboard; unfortunately, that's right underneath the only chopping counter and next to the larder, so there are constant bottle-necks
3. that when Seb phones home, it's to talk to Soph...
4. that a one-course meal isn't "supposed" to last 40 minutes
5. that we aren't misplacing as much stuff around the house
6. but that we are missing him.

and the winner was...

A few weeks back, I asked friends to send us some suggestions for family board games to buy as there is such a range and at $20-30 (or more) a pop, we don't want too many duds. Have to admit that I didn't get much of a response. And what I did get was mostly negative - for the record, Jr. Clue was rated badly, "Diego" was considered "ok", Archrival was found at a dump and thoroughly enjoyed (one person's garbage is another's wasted childhood) and the good ol' classics (snakes & ladders - which is surprisingly hard to find un-branded/charactered!, Sorry, cards, etc). Ros maintains that board games are a parent's nightmare as until the kids are 10 or so, you always end up picking up the pieces and if you lose one, the game can be useless.

The only game that got a couple of thumbs-up was Apples to Apples, but it will be several years until the kids are old enough for it. Strangely enough, it was recommended by one friend Wendy but given to us 5 years ago by another friend Wendy.

So, we just ordered a junior set of chess that describes each player as its medieval equivalent. Did you know that the knight moves in the L-formation b/c he carried a shield to one side? That kind of thing.

Seb's update

Well, there are 2 aspects to Seb's update. The first is that he saw Shamu. For those of you not yet in the loop, our big boy is in Florida for a week with his grandparents as his birthday present (or perhaps it was their present to me b/c it sure is easier with just a baby!). They are spending a day at Sea World and a day at Busch Gardens (not drinking alcoholic pee water). At the former, Seb and the gang "dined" with Shamu the orca and saw him do some pretty amazing tricks (great lighting and pump up the volume music help). Seb reported that other highlights were when Gramps fed "stinky fish" to the seals and when he got to let loose the water cannons on a pirate ship.

The 2nd aspect to the update is to take stock as Seb enters his 5th year. His Nana dug out his dad's baby book and it appears that our young man might be even skinnier than his dad (where did my genes go?). Sopping wet, he might weigh 33 1/2 lbs. His Nana maintains that he is 41" but that seems a tad tall to me, so we will have to double check next week. He is still severely allergic to peanuts and shellfish, but coping well with it. His eczema is under-control, except in Issigeac where we have to wage a battle with the water. The brush this summer with asthma seems to have been a false alarm. The dentist says every tooth is perfectly aligned (how did that happen?!) And I am thrilled to say that he doesn't yet need glasses. His dad figures that he' ll have them by 8.

More importantly, he remains an incredibly chatty, creative fellow. We hoped for a verbal child and we got verbose as well!!!! He loves books and anything theatrical. His interest in knights/medieval ages/castles/dragons/weaponry is still going strong. He likes his train set, though is a bit over-focused on the know-every character-of-Thomas aspect of it. He was just thrilled by the tree dollhouse that we gave him and especially loves the pulleys and ladders, so he may be ready for meccano in '08. He is proud to be "bilingual", though I think his French is slipping as we don't use it every day.

I can't say that he loves daycare/school. He likes it some days and tolerates it on others. We often have to use strong persuasion to get him to go. Often, he just wants to stay home and play with his toys. He claims to like baking but in reality, he does it for a few minutes and then wanders away till it's time to clean out the bowl and/or eat the goods. He has a couple of friends here - a boy and a girl both 4. Each is a 5-10 minute walk away but it's amazing how even as a mostly "stay-at home mum" we have to schedule to see them.

He saves his worst behaviour for his parents (and occasionally his sister). His anger has been something terrible over the past year. He seems to have matured some in the past 2 months, certainly helped by returning to the city. He isn't hitting, though he still storms off, loves a good door-bang, and can scream till someone might think to call 911... He calls us "mean' several times a week, which usually leads to some larger melt-down (mine or his). While at the library this weekend, we checked out "how to parent your strong-willed child" books. We noticed that his ability to play by himself has really suffered in the past 6 months. That might be the fact that parents were always available over our parental leave and that he has some insecurity about the last move. He is perturbed by the fact that we are only subletting and weekly asks where we will live next. Perhaps the next move will be our last for awhile. I hope so!

I'll upload some photos soon, especially of the groovy treehouse. Plus his dad will set about editing "Seb - the 4th year" video any day. Expect it in all your stockings.

Sophie's update will be found here next week after she turns the big ONE. I'll save you all my birthday update, though I am happy to say that I weigh the same as I did 5 years and 2 children ago. Not quite the same shape though...

Back off, hyenas - get your own $80 diaper

ONCE AGAIN, I AM GRATEFUL TO ANGE FOR PASSING ALONG SEB'S FATTY BUM-BUM DIAPERS AND ERIN FOR VIRTUALLY ALL OF SOPHIE'S! I EVEN HAVE THE NEXT SIZE UP WAITING FOR SOPHIE TO SWITCH INTO ANY WEEK NOW.

ADRIANA BARTON
From Tuesday's Globe and Mail

VANCOUVER — They lurk. They pounce. They cackle with glee after seizing their prey.
In the cyber-jungle, they're the hyenas - diapering moms who prowl online boutiques to snatch limited-edition cloth diapers before others get a chance.

Their hunger for the latest in baby-bottom fashions is insatiable, according to Kendell Schafer, a Calgary-based mother and seamstress who gained a cult following with her Freshies line of flannel, fleece and wool-knit "dipes" (diapers to the rest of us).
Her vividly coloured designs are in such demand that Ms. Schafer took a two-year break from her sewing machine and "all that hyena business," she writes in an e-mail. "It's exhausting being stalked."

For earthy moms with money to spare, cloth diapers aren't just a greener alternative to disposables - they're wearable art. Diaper connoisseurs pay up to $80 (U.S.) for a single diaper that's been handmade, embroidered or appliquéd by a work-at-home mom.
Diapers have fetched staggering prices at online auction sites such as HyenaCart.com and eBay.com (until it banned the sale of diapers earlier this year, stating hygiene concerns).
One creation by designer Ann Hall sold at auction for $150. Bids for other diapers have reached $300.

Working from her home in Denver, Ms. Hall is famous for her Righteous Baby designs embroidered with animals - there's even a hyena - and stitched portraits of her clients' infants.
Equally coveted diaper lines include Muttaqin Baby, Daisy Doodles, BeccaBottoms and Bizzy B Hive.

Playful diapers with tie-dyed, plaid, camouflage or planetary motifs have become such status symbols that many parents allow their children to wear them only after a poop to avoid spoiling the fabric art.

Some mothers don't even use them. "I've been told by people that they were going to frame my diapers and put them on the walls instead," Ms. Hall says.

For the hyena set, cloth diapering is both a pastime and a competitive sport.

"It's a collector thing," says Inge Brunner of Moylan, Pa., who sells several dozen brands from her online store at DiaperWare.com.

The cloth diaper craze is an extension of fashion, she adds. "If you're got a little girl with a lovely diaper showing under her dress, it looks really cute," Ms. Brunner says. And for mothers who change a zillion diapers a day, "it's a lot more fun putting a pretty diaper on."
Diapers with lace frills are de rigueur, as are natural dyes and fibres such as bamboo.
Whereas the cotton diapers of the 1950s "wouldn't hold a nose blow, let alone a full wetting," Ms. Brunner says, today's cloth diapers are made of ultra-absorbent wool, hemp and other fibres.
They come in a mind-boggling array of styles - from prefolds to contoured, fitted and all-in-ones - the merits of which spark impassioned debates on sites such as Mothering.com.

Unlike disposables, high-end cloth diapers can be resold for 60 to 80 per cent of their original price on sites such as DiaperSwappers.com. "Some people see them as an investment," Ms. Brunner says.

Mothers who pad their diaper stashes don't mind being compared to carnivorous beasts, she adds. "Most of the hyenas are proud to be hyenas - they enjoy their hobby."

one down

November is the big celebration month in our household. Seb, Sophie, me, big one for my mum this year, a big anniversary for my in-laws as well, and just squeaking into December, my mother-in law's birthday. We started it all off with a family-only joint party for the kids on Sunday. Gen & Cathy pulled out all the stops with a lovely castle cake for Seb that came complete with edible towers, drawbridge and playmobil knight. Sophie has her first bite of cake (eggless chocolate) and loved it... She got to wear her party dress that I specifically requested from Erin when I saw it on baby Jane 9 months ago... Thanks Erin!

There weren't many kids - as sadly, custody issues abound at the moment in our generation of the family. But the most recent cousin, Hannah, was able to make it and seemed to enjoy herself. Seb didn't mind and Sophie was oblivious (did I mention that she liked the cake?!).

Pops had been on a training course on Saturday, then got called in to work overnight to cover the storm/leftover hurricane. With 4 hours sleep, he was out jousting with Seb and being a great dad. Then yesterday, after only another 4 hours sleep (he covered city council on Monday), he slipped into "great dad" form again for Seb's birthday. He was up making breakfast and playing with knights and cars and going to a movement/dance workshop with Seb, followed by family hot chocolate at Java Moose and a game of junior (very jr) chess - all before heading in to work. What a guy!

Seb had a great day - dad home for the morning, dance with friends, hot chocolate, presents, phone calls, cards, play time, etc! While he didn't jump up and down about his up-coming trip to Florida with his grandparents (like he did when Deb gave him knee socks...!!), over the course of the day he did realise that it was a big and exciting deal. It was the first thing that he told his dad after work. On Sat, they are all flying to Florida for 6 days of sun and sand (and various chores for Lorraine). (If Mona is reading this, just stop here and call me instead) But the highlight is 2 days at Sea World and Busch gardens (we vetoed Disney). Not only does he do the tour and some rides but he is being taken to dinner with Shamu (the orca) and then gets to meet the trainers and others back stage. There will be sharks to see and penguins to pat. Dolphins and octopus and turtles to wonder at. I can only imagine how thrilled he will be.

On the down side, the poor guy at 4 was overloaded with books and clothes and not many toys. That was made more apparent by our gift of a tree dollhouse not arriving in time and G&L's gift being the trip and not a "thing". But he handled it very well and thanked everyone. Once he went to the loo with his dad, he said in a quiet and sad voice "but clothes weren't on my wish list". Sweet. It's all part of growing up.

Catching up on October

Our camera has been acting up so I haven't posted anything for 2 weeks+. But with 3 birthdays in the next 2 weeks, I figured I had better get something up on the site; otherwise, I will be really really behind.

So 1st off are the Hallowe'en/October shots. You can see Seb's complete knightly costume. You can see his dad's handiwork onn the fine shield. The theme continues with his family birthday party which we had yesterday (you see how far behind I am...). He got loads of loot but we were left with tons of candy too as we only had 8 kids. But I had "wisely" bought stuff that we all wanted to eat - nut-free cookies & chocolate bars, and twizzlers.

Then there is Sophie in a gorgeous summer dress - just 2 weeks ago. That's how warm it was here. Now, we need mitts and hats and I am in the process of buying a 2ndhand MEC "toaster" snowsuit for our little girlfriend.

Medieval Days (Part IV and finally final)

Today was a big day in Seb's life. After about 2 months or so, the "Council of Elders" finally met and decided to knight him. We (well, his parents) felt that his behaviour had come a long way from the gloomy days of June & July (not to mention January and April and...). As you might recall, the 4 key qualities of a "good" knight are: bravery (going to sleep alone), honesty (always telling the truth, playing fair, etc), cooperation (being a team member, having listening ears open), and respect (not hitting when one gets angry).

He must have wanted it badly because he agreed to the traditional bath that a page takes the night before he is knighted, as well as the traditional period of reflection that one has on the eve of the ceremony (his was only 5 minutes and he kept calling out that he had forgotten what he was supposed to be thinking about). He didn't have to swear undying loyalty to his parents; he does that already by solemnly telling me that he is never ever going to leave any of us. Very sweet; gives me a lump in my throat every time.

His full regalia is comprised of:


- silver foam sword


- silver helmet with visor (made by doting grandparents who spray-painted a firefighter's helmet and to which mum will add his insignia - see below)


- chain mail under-helmet (doting nana knit it)


- white & blue tunic (which should fit till he is 8!)


- Hi-ho Henry - his hobbyhorse


- forthcoming Canadian Shield (the master shieldmaker must make a Canadian version of the stunning purple & orange job that he did in France; Seb has yet to decide on his Canadian insignia - though horses, lions and "orks?" have been mentioned)

Plus, Zia Elena and Andras bought him a foam skull-basher (one of those ball with protruding nails that swings off a chain!) that he will get when next in France.



Seb was reflecting on how it all started with a paper suit of armour and helmet. He feels like he has come up in the world. He was a happy boy and wanted to show the sword to everyone. Sophie was pleasantly amused, and pleased to hear that she never has to play the fairy princess or damsel in distress roles.



So tonight it was "Nighty night, dear knight" and off to dreamland he went.

Our first pit stop: southern England

We were able to spend a lovely week in the UK en route home. M was around for the first few days before heading back to Canada to re-start work and get the sub-let apartment set up for us. We had lovely morning on Brighton beach with Babush and young Ben - looks like those pebbles make for a comfy bed. We saw my sis a couple of times; she had the terrific idea of taking Seb to the science museum which was very hands-on. We went up to Aldborough to see some of the family (separate post), including our newest 2nd cousin.

But some of the best moments were spent with my cousin's family, with whom we stayed in Brighton. Ever generous with their time and space, they just heaped attention on Sebbie and Sophie. Not many 14 year olds would be happy to have a 3 year old cuddle up on them while they watched the footie. Seb would camp outside the bathroom waiting for their 11 yr old daughter to finish her ablutions... We're hoping that our two will look and learn from two wonderful role models; M & I have been observing and learning from their parents for many years now.

Never met an apple I didn't like

One of my/our goals on the return to Canada was to make the most of this country's beautiful nature - and Saint John is well placed to do so: farmland, ocean, forests and the country's largest urban park. So weekend # 1 and we opted to go apple-picking. Through the extensive family network that living where my other 1/2's family grew up and remained provides, we were able to visit the small commercial orchard of the family's retired dentist. He and his wife have 600 trees and 23 varieties.

We thought we would just be left to pick till we got cold. Instead, we were offered a full-on tour and accompaniment that ended with feeding apples to their horse. Sadly, climate change is rearing its ugly head and this is their 2nd bad harvest in a row, plus apples not "sizing up" and coming too early/late. It's not even worth picking apples for apple cider since they are only paid a penny a pound. But we came home happy and with 2 buckets of beauties. Mike hadn't brought his sound equipment but wished that he had.

Sophie adored every apple tossed her way - check out the shark attack! Next week will likely be a visit to the pumpkin patch. Till then, it is apple sauce and cake and pie and just plain old raw!

Pit stop in Montreal

So we are back in Saint John and to its credit, the town now boasts a bookstore on the main street “uptown”. There are even 2 books in its window that I want to read. We landed back here on Monday to join Mike who was already back earning the tofu. Seb jumped straight into drama and daycare and tickets to Peter Pan and a sleep over at Gramps & Nana’s. He is very happy to be back and settling into life super fast as we had predicted.

Sophie is ever flexible and doesn’t seem to mind which bed she wakes up in. She loves the space of our temporary home (we have a sublet for 5 months). Unfortunately, she finally succumbed to the cold/virus that had Seb feverish/exhausted/hacking - take your pick - for 8 of the 12 days we were travelling. He is still hacking and she got a mild case of croup which seems to have passed. If anyone knows of anything we can do to ease the small chickenpox scars she has on her forehead, let me know. Sophie is waving and cheering on request. She stands unsteadily and loves to walk along holding your hand. She can go for hallways and hallways.

Montreal was terrific, made all the better by staying right in Old Montreal with its cobblestones and restaurants. The highlight for Seb was undoubtedly the caleche ride we took with my parents on the last day, though Westmount Park rated highly (where Seb commandeered a water gun and sprayed his Grandad). My highlight was welcoming 12 year old Norwan on her 2nd solo trip to see us. How grown up - and helpful - she is! We drank delicious hot chocolate in a trendy neighbourhood café, we went to a costume shop just around the corner, we visited with my friend Deb and her 2 boys aged same as our pair, we found a delightful independent bookshop, we “researched” a number of local delis, we rode the metro, and got the big -but manageable - city vibe.
We did a houseswap and the first part went well (our co-exchangers are going to Issigeac in 2 weeks). We had a gorgeous condo in one of Montreal's oldest residential buildings. The steep stairs up were a problem for all of us but we coped. Seb took over the dressing room as his little bedroom. I managed to baby-proof the place - tho Sophie loved dipping her hands into the soil of the potted plants.
I should get going to bed as the nights are often interrupted by coughing, but just wanted to post a note and some photos. (I actually put this up the next morning - after we were woken 3 times btw the 2 kids...).

Big, busy and beautiful: Bordeaux

We wanted to do one more family adventure, so on Friday we took the train to Bordeaux. It was a gorgeous September day. It must have hit 27 or 28 degrees in the late afternoon. We wandered around the centre of town, had Middle Eastern take-away, enjoyed the public gardens, had drinks in a central cafe on the "place" and wandered around some more. All in all a lovely city. The architecture along the river is beautiful (though UNESCO designations are being handed out left, right and centre it seems).

The public transit system is focused on the Bombardier electric trams. All very stream-lined and "whooshy". They also have tiny buses (perhaps 8 seats, 12 passengers) that dart about.

I love the shot of Sophie (on her first swing - poor girl, already 10 months...); it's as if she is saying "It's a long way down, dad" - though she was gleeful throughout the experience. She also had her 1st train ride that day.

Mike ended the day on a happy note: by tasting and buying some wine! I got an early birthday present of a mosaic ring.

6 and counting

Sophie has another tooth on the bottom. Fitful sleep, some cries of pain and voila! The real question is how the ones on the top are going to come in next to the centre gappy teeth.

I am going to post about Bordeaux and then sign off for the next couple of weeks as we head to the UK tomorrow; Mike's back to Saint John and work on the 1st; the rest of us head to Montreal on the 3rd and SJ on the 8th. Seb's behaviour has become extremely challenging again, so we may be in for rough travel.

Sophie loves to cruise around the kitchen

Here are couple of shots from a few days back. As with her brother at the same age, Soph loves to watch the washing spin around. She also enjoys good dig in the bottom drawer of the chest of drawers that have been with the Wedges for so many years.

Her spots are drying up and she is in good spirits. I can hear her on the top floor crawling around and banging things together. It's rainy day - after stunning weather yesterday. So I think we may be upstairs a lot. Seb also has to practice for more busking at tomorrow's market!

They are way ahead in France - 2 months in fact

Michel and Marite desperately wanted to celebrate Seb's birthday while we were still here. Seb invited them to come to Canada in Nov, but they politely declined. So on Wednesdy night, we trooped over to their place and had dinner with them and our neighbours, Russ and Isabelle - whose son David was actually celebrating his 6th birthday that day.

I am attaching a shot of the whole gang of celebrants. It was fine evening of good food, wine (and more wine), and high spirits. For the boys, it was an evening of chips, fries, cake and presents!!! Michel made Seb a cool t-shirt by "pop-arting" a photo of Seb on the accordion. Plus they both got these wacky balloons. But the highlight was a (huge) remote control car... Un/fortunately, its battery charger doesn't work in North America, but look at Seb's face.

The strangest places

Sophie is a determined crawler. Every move seems quite an effort but she gets where she wants to go - and perhaps other places too. Here, she is under her travel cot looking for ants or dustbunnies or something. I am sure she found them...

She seems much happier, though last night she was up 3 times - once to nurse, once to have a meal and once to have her diaper changed. At 5.30 or so, when she was squirming away merrily in our bed (so I could at least lie down), I reminded Mike that before we had Seb, we had agreed that he would do as much of "nights" as possible. Parental leave is great! Besides I am working a few days this week.

The family is out on an adventure (it might well include a toy shop, shoe shop and hairdresser). So I should get back to work.

Better than any minimum wage we know

All you have to do is be three almost four and dress up in a clown suit for 16.25 Euro/hour. No talent but lots brazenness needed. The rest of the day was spent with friend Peter and his family at Castelnaud - touring the vide grenier, visiting the medieval fortress, playing in the Dordogne, having a horse and wagon ride and picknicking. Sophie kept a respectful distance from all crowds.

Seb is very maturely saving his sous for a big toy - probably more playmobil bits & bobs.

And we thought Sebby had it bad...

Here she is, poor poppet. We can't count how many spots she has. Her scalp feels like a pommander it's so bumpy. She has virulent pussy ones on her face and angry ones all over her tummy and back. She has some right on her lower lip and on her eyelid by the lashes. They are starting to spread to her arms and legs, so I imagine that she will be contagious for another 3 or even 4 days.

It must be bad because her demeanour is understandably suffering. Our little Soph is glum and tetchy; Seb has even learnt the word "fractious". She is sleeping well-enough at night, but hardly at all in the day. She is off her food but on her milk. And she goes through periods of just swatting endlessly and fairly fruitlessly at her itchy bits and so we have her on anti-histimines.

I've included a pre-pox shot of her. She loves to crawl over to the root vegetable basket and rummage around. She is wearing a very sweet ensemble of clothes donated by everyone else - right down to her nappy. So thanks Aunties Erin, Kelly, Deb & Nell!