Trout Lake

One of the reasons I agreed to move to the East Side was the proximity to Trout Lake.  I often take Baby around it, we stop at the swings, and say hello to the ducks. I've been noticing playgrounds way more since having a baby, knowing that I will probably spend a lot of time on them soon, and man, there are quite a few old, and rotten playgrounds around the city. Kids love these so much, it's sad to see how lame some are. I'm 37, and I can still remember my favorite childhood playgrounds. With the near completion of the new Trout Lake Community Center in 2012, I was hoping I could see a bit of the $22 Million allotted to a new playground. I don't see it anywhere on the plans..... hum.... I was fishing around on the Vancouver Park Board project website, and it looks like there are no plans for it in the near future. The new playground at Kits Beach cost 1/2 million dollars. HALF a MILLION dollars! I guess that's what it costs these days. AND it's really, really fun! You can tell the community loves it when you see 30 parents chatting with lattes in their hands and 40 kids freaking out on the new swings and spinning climbing ropes.  My only other hope so far is that Lord Selkirk School up the street will win the Aviva Community Fund and get a new playground! We find out on January 25th, 2011 if we win!! Cross my fingers! I want a new swing for Baby! (and me!)

Cultural Differences at Hillcrest Pool?

What a great pool! If you haven't been there yet, Hillcrest Pool is across from Nat Baily Stadium at the bottom of Queen Elizabeth Park. I've attended both the deep water and the shallow water aquafit classes and what a fun workout! You can really make it as intense as you like; but you have to follow the instructor, not other participants, most are very elderly and don't seem to be moving much. As a 37 year old new mother, I wanna move! Out of my way ladies, make some waves! :)

The facilities are excellent, the change rooms clean and easy to use. There is even a baby cot, so you can have your wee one with you while you change. After the class, I like to lounge in the hot tub, capacity 70 people! What a great way to soak the Mommy arm and back aches.

There are some funny cultural differences in public pool behavior that need some getting used to. I don't know about the men's changing room, but some Asian ladies like to put their leg up and scrub their privates very vigorously, which, to me looks a bit painful. Personally, I like to treat my lady parts with tender care, it's not like I'm out working the farms with no pants on. I don't know, it bothers me to see this. What ever happened to "When in Rome, do like Romans do."? I've never seen non-Asians do that. I don't really feel comfortable saying to the lady across from me in the showers, "Uh, would you mind scrubbing at home?". It would be funny if suddenly there was a sign on the wall with a sticklady with her leg up in the shower saying: "Please no vigorous scrubbing of vagina in public showers."

I've also noticed signs up asking swimmers not to spit in the water?!!! I don't remember ever seeing this before at public pools. Is this a new thing? Hoarking phlegm in the water, yum! Isn't it obvious that one should consider the others when cleaning the pipes? Do we need a sign to remind us? Scary-weird. I've had friends tell me that they don't go to certain pools because the spitting is too prevalent.

One day I arrived in the changing room and saw a lady sitting on the bench cutting her toenails. The nail bits were flying all over the floor. I couldn't handle it and whispered to her: "You're going to pick those up, right? There are people here walking around bare foot. Maybe you should do that at home." Now, she happens to be Asian as well. I've never been to public pools in Asia, so I don't know. Is that normal? Are pools there more like private bathrooms there? Would someone please enlighten me? Is this common practice or just bad behavior by a few?

Time Out

Baby is almost 1 year old. I'm finding myself being extra conscious of my time breastfeeding him, knowing that some day soon, he may not want to anymore. I've noticed that there's something so relaxing about sitting, Baby at my breast surrounded by peace and quiet. Like a mandatory time out several times a day. Like parents say to their kids: "Sit there and think about what you've done!" and I do. I sit there and admire my Baby. It makes me think about Muslim people who pray 5 times a day. I suppose we could do the same, Muslim or not, but there something nice about having someone, or something to "force" you a bit to stop. And a latte at Starbucks doesn't count. Maybe breastfeeding is part of the whole big amazing miracle of birth, not only to feed our babies, but to allow moms a moment of respite. Amazing, isn't it?

The Men are Out to Lunch

Literally!

Grandpa arrived from Brazil yesterday and my Awesome Husband has taken him and the Baby out for lunch while I wait here for my girlfriend to go out to eat! I haven't gone out with her since Baby was born! Thank you guys! Awesome Husband is sooo cute sometimes. He asked me 10 times about how much water to add to Baby's mushed up veggies to warm it up to perfection, and confirmed that yes, he would need to bring the diaper bag, just in case, and restaurant friendly toys and... and... and...then they left.

I don't remember the last time I was in my house, alone.

I feel like I should do something! Take advantage!

Put the stacks of photos in the family album- nah!
Switch the laundry-nah!
Clean the gunk at the bottom of the stove which smokes up every time we use it.-nah!
Fool around with the camera- Yes!

Christmas Eve Mass

Yup, I'm one of those "practicing" Catholics who occasionally go to mass. There were a lot of us at Christmas Eve Mass. Most of the time, I am conflicted about being Catholic, there is so much I disagree with and yet, I forget it all when I walk into church. There's something really magical about a packed church on Christmas Eve...

Last year, I was pregnant and about to have my son. I thought a lot about Mary, traveling on a donkey (she's must be blessed to suffer that) and having her baby in a pile of hay. How brave she was to have this child and trust that everything was going to be okay. So I sought comfort in that. That I could be brave and that my birth would be great. And it was!

This year, I thought about us, us on earth, children of God. I thought about my son, how much I love him, and then I knew how much God loves us. As his children, we can fall and make mistakes, and he will always love us. Isn't that comforting? That we are always loved?

God loves me, even if I only "practice" occasionally.

A Christmas Present to Myself

... Knives.... you know you have these your drawer, don't try to deny it!:

• The one that wobbles from side to side making your cheese slices more like cheese lumps.
• The one that feels like an axe, winding it up way above your head to get any cutting power.
• The one that feels like a saw, back and forth, pushing hard and working up a sweat just to get through the skin of a tomato.
• The one that gives you blisters! Blisters? Yes, blisters!
• The one that should be for cutting, but is only good for poking the toast out of the toaster
• The ones that are rusty, bent, and dented, the ones you grab out of a friend's hand, and say: "Oh, no don't use that one!"

So this year, as I notice that I spend a lot of time in the kitchen preparing meals for my family, I decided to splurge. Get the best tool of the trade, and drop the cash on the counter! $161 of pure joy! Presenting my new Henckels 8" Professional Chef's knife, all the way from Germany!

I came home and tested all the crappy knives on a potato. Then I pulled out "Henk" and massacred my potato with a giant smile on my face and what feels like butter in my hand. I've made a special place in the drawer for him with little "Henky" which we got as a wedding present. All the other knives have gone on to knife heaven.

I am definitely adding "Henk" to my previous post "Mommy Tools of the Trade" along with my slow cooker and our dishwasher!

Christmas Shopping is a Breeze!

Yup, I've decided that it's actually easier to shop for Christmas with a kid in a stroller. This means:

a. There is no time to browse- I had to know what I wanted and where it was before I left the house
b. Wherever my stroller got stuck, that's as far as I'd go. If I can't reach it, I don't buy it.
c. I didn't enter stores with crowds, line-ups or salespeople I couldn't identify from afar.
d. No easy parking? No shopping.
e. I used simple language: Man-need soap with man smell. Shirt-red-large.
f. I said no to stores with narrow aisles, breakable merchandise at stroller level, narrow doorways, and salespeople who followed me around.

Isn't it great? Knowing what I wanted before I left home and then choosing stores I knew I could push a stroller through made the whole thing so much easier! No more hours of browsing, humming and hawing about will so-and-so like it? or maybe I should get it elsewhere in case it's on sale etc....

As for wrapping? It was great! Baby sat with me, ripped and crumpled the paper, pulled the tape out of the dispenser in ultra long strips, mangled the ribbons and undid most of what I could manage to finish. I loved it!

So next year, if you need a good way to limit the shopping frenzy, take my kid along. I'll stay home and sip on eggnog. :)