Vancouver(ish) Tribe: October... the season of mists and mellow fruitfulnes.

[tooticky]

:D welcome lower mainland mamas! :D
(and mamas to be)

From John Keats' poem, To Autumn, 1820:

Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness,
Close bosom-friend of the maturing sun;
Conspiring with him how to load and bless
With fruit the vines that round the thatch-eves run;
To bend with apples the moss’d cottage-trees,
And fill all fruit with ripeness to the core;
To swell the gourd, and plump the hazel shells
With a sweet kernel; to set budding more,
And still more, later flowers for the bees,
Until they think warm days will never cease,
For Summer has o’er-brimm’d their clammy cells.



All local mamas are welcome here! Visitors are welcome to pop in too. We are brought together by our passion for conscious/thoughtful/attachment/respectful/wholistic/natural parenting, not always agreeing on the path but agreeing to respectfully discuss, share, and learn together. Feel free to join in the conversation and introduce yourself!

This is our thread for chatting online, discussing issues relevant to the Lower Mainland, and arranging meetings in real life. If you have issues and questions that are not specific to the Vancouver area, please start a new thread in the appropriate MDC forum (e.g. breastfeeding, discipline, health, etc.). You can also post a link to your topic in this thread if you are requesting input from your tribe members. This allows us to

1. adhere to MDC guidelines;
2. keep questions and responses organized; and
3. reduce thread traffic and allow readers more control over which discussions they engage in.

Meet-ups are sporadic and include gatherings at parks, Science World, and people's homes. Anyone is welcome to suggest a gathering time/place. Meet-ups are either announced in the meet-up thread in the Canada Forum or here.

Remember that to get email notification of new posts in this thread, you can post to this thread to subscribe or you can use 'thread tools' and click 'subscribe'.

Please note that our Vancouver(ish) Tribe has other threads in the Canada Forum (http://www.mothering.com/discussions/forumdisplay.php?f=94), including:

Vancouver(ish) Meet-up thread (http://www.mothering.com/discussions/showthread.php?p=10289652&posted=1#post10289652)

Knitting Group Thread: look in the Canada forum

Vancouver(ish) Doctors for Children (http://www.mothering.com/discussions/showthread.php?t=759755)

Vancouver(ish) Dental Resources for Children (http://www.mothering.com/discussions/showthread.php?t=759231)

FAQ: Greater Vancouver Area Liveability and Affordability (http://www.mothering.com/discussions/showthread.php?p=10043191#post10043191)

[beaner&tiegs]

Hey thanks Erin....yes, wow, the thread is rather quiet. I know I'm not up for posting much these days, but I miss hearing about everyone else - Ksenia, you're very quiet these days, what's going on in your neck of the woods? And Lisa, you're quiet too - good news, I hope?!! How's everyone else?

We're still trying to sell our house - chose the crappiest time EVER, but you know can't fill your life with "shoulda, woulda, coulda's"!!!! So we shoulder on, enjoying the extra time we have here and trying to stay positive! Ultimately, we're still going to make out well, so it feels silly to complain, but still, kind of unsettling to be in such a state of unknowns. Also, delicing the family and dealing with a brutal cold, so energy can be really low some days.... but the sun was out today and the air is crisp, gotta love fall!!!!

Anyways, hope everyone else is doing well this October!

[Ellp]

Subbing...(if I actually remember to click on the button on the bottom...)

Emma's class got cancelled this morning due to to illness so we took a day trip to Burlington for some outlet shopping.:D I haven't been in ages!

The lineup going south was actually only 10 minutes (having arrived there at 11:30am), and coming back as the same (4:30pm).

The kids survived the long drive, and it was actually nice for me to just sit in one spot and let my mind wander on the long highway. It was probably the longest I've spent sitting in months...:)

I spent about $45Cdn on a zippered cardigan and yoga pants. No problems with customs either...

Now I'm ready for dinner, and bed! Dh's gone to a council meeting so its just me and the kids...

[dawncayden]

subbing :)

more later, waiting for rice to finish so we can eat our stir fry :eat:

[Autumn Mama]

An email just came across our HLVan list for homelearners...so I'm forwarding it here. It's regarding the (possible) loss of the UBC farm! (http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/save-ubc-farm)Hope others are moved to sign the petition as I was...

They are aiming for 3000 signatures, so far they've got close to 2000! :treehugger:

[Len]

Thanks Tooticky for starting an October thread!
Not much happening around here.... settling into our fall routine and busy all around.
Just subscribing for now....

[kdtmom2be]

I just ran across an ad on Craigslist for this local company... hadn't seen it mentioned here before and thought others might be interested.

Organic Bedding (www.inbedorganics.com)

(She was looking for seamstresses, in case anyone was interested in that bit.)

[erynw]

I was wondering what "subbing" meant and now that I get it, I'm subbing too :)

[Alison's Mom]

An email just came across our HLVan list for homelearners...so I'm forwarding it here. It's regarding the (possible) loss of the UBC farm! (http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/save-ubc-farm)Hope others are moved to sign the petition as I was...

They are aiming for 3000 signatures, so far they've got close to 2000! :treehugger:
Thanks for the heads up on this!

Erin tooticky - where did you get the eczema medication you said worked well for your DD? Was it cliniderm or something? My DS's eczema looks worse today than it has the last few weeks, and I've been good about avoiding dairy. . . .

[widemouthedfrog]

subbing too. Things are busy around here, as per usual.

Today dd, age 3 1/3, decided that she wanted to go to the breastfeeding challenge. She thought that sounded way better than the pumpkin patch.

I told her that you know what they say, if you're old enough to ask to go to the breastfeeding challenge...you're too old :wink :p :o,

I told her she could go with someone else and I'd go to the pumpkin patch, but she informed me that she needed my nummies to be there, too.

Can't put one over on this kid, it seems. :wink

[dawncayden]

I was wondering what "subbing" meant and now that I get it, I'm subbing too :)

:w erinw

[artparent]

it really is october now :wink

erica, lice and a slumpy market sound miserable!! there's someone who wants your house right now, despite the market...i hope they find it very soon.

we're dying to get into our little house in london, but hanging out in birmingham for the moment, then pushing on..must book more places to live. i'm looking forward to no more suitcases and no more bookings, ready to settle! the sun is out today, so i'm hopeful, we've been rather cooped. i think we will head to spain in a while, for a conference...this is exciting but i think i'm so tired out, i'm not jumping around about it!!

the girls are well, though they are missing friends.

i've been doing yoga on youtube, there are some seriously challenging workouts on there!! so i'm feeling better about that, but i have dreams of running again as well. yoga i can do next to sleeping children at least.

i'm also relieved to find that muswell hill is similar to main street in that i can walk to library, swimming pools (1 outdoor even!), soccer fields, parks, organic food shops...and the recycling is amazing, they even compost for the city! it all makes it much easier to be so far from vancouver. now we're hunting for a great sofabed, so we can have visitors. you're coming for a visit, right?! :thumb

*

[tooticky]

Welcome, erynw!

Alison's Mom: I started using Cliniderm on dd and her eczema cleared up the next day. I had also been doing a pretty major elimination diet for a few weeks, so I'm not sure if it was a combination of the two that finally had such dramatic results.

I'm not crazy about Cliniderm because it's petroleum based, but it's the only cream I was able to find that was free of all of the allergens we are avoiding right now.

UBC Farm: I was pretty sad to hear about this too! I love the UBC farm... Gotta go sign the petition.

Elena: Are you really a moderator in training? Congratulations!

[robugmum]

Happy October Everyone!:joy:

[dawncayden]

Erica, I love your house! I sure wish WE could buy it :wink
hey and since you have so many people waiting for a bid to occur before they get involved, can't you just get a friend to make a bid? :mischief


Ksenia, did you find a mothers helper? How is this year with Wolfie's homeschooling/NWHL's?


Artparent, your journey sounds like a dream....going to Spain, staying in London :D gives me goose bumps to think about. Helena Bonham Carter :love is in London and she's into alternative stuff like Homeopathy, maybe if you bump into her, you can ask where her sources are :wink


Getting bigger over here, feeling lots of flutters :joy:

[Len]

Elena: Are you really a moderator in training? Congratulations!

I am, but for a *new* MDC board that will open soon, hopefully not as busy as this one!

[vancouverlori]

Congrats, Elena!


I told her she could go with someone else and I'd go to the pumpkin patch, but she informed me that she needed my nummies to be there, too.
:laugh: That's too cute!

We're settling in to Fall too - somehow everything takes more time than I'm expecting! Yesterday was our first "class" with Summit Learning Ctr, a Musical Theatre class in Coquitlam. Both kids were in it (not many activities like that!) but at first Calvin didn't want to join. So I told him he could just sit quietly in the corner and watch. The teacher was positively amazing - the kids were having so much fun running around playing games that Calvin finally joined right in. And now he can't wait until next week. They're doing a Frosty the Snowman production, so the kids are working on Christmas carols (no! NOOOOO! it's waaaay too early!!!). :eyesroll

Sadly, the Vice-Principal at Summit died in a car accident on Friday, so the Principal was at the class and she was pretty emotional about it. :gloomy:

Right now Calvin's watching a very questionable Hot Wheels movie from the library. I have a sneaking suspicion that it's going to accidentally get returned too early...

back to my usual "homeschooling with ADD woman"!

[Storm Bride]

A new thread - I missed it yesterday!

We're chugging along over here. I've been in a funk lately...probably brought on by the cold that will not die (been over two weeks, and I've thought I was kicking it twice, only to wake up feeling crappy), the feeling that the anniversary of Aaron's death is creeping up on me (think that's partly because I was labouring on Halloween, and the kids are talking about Halloween a lot), and the fact that we're on our third cycle of unsuccessfully ttc. DS2 has also been a major handful lately - he was actually beating on me with both fists today, because I tried to get him down for a nap.

I'm here almost every day, but not as much as before. I'm trying to cut back, so I can interact more with the kids, and that's going okay. DD has finally decided that she wants me to read Harry Potter to her. She resisted for a long time, but finally agreed...and the chapter a day has become at least two. She's loving it.

We attended "Fungus Among Us" at the Ecology Centre on Monday. That went pretty well, although dd burned the first few minutes freaking out about going into the room for circle time. It's not hard to tell whose daughter she is, and I'm now convinced that social anxiety and shyness is at least partly genetic. I wonder if she'll have my lifelong fear of walking through a closed door...

[vancouverlori]

I'm now convinced that social anxiety and shyness is at least partly genetic. I wonder if she'll have my lifelong fear of walking through a closed door...
Yeah, I think there's something too that genetic link. And I know someone who walked full-tilt into a glass door and broke her nose on her first day at a new job. Come to think of it, I once *ran* full tilt into a closed patio door, chasing some friends at someone's house in high school. It hurt a little, especially my pride, but it's none so bad. :wink At least everyone's pretty sympathetic. No, what's really awful is walking through the mall with the back of your skirt tucked into your undies. Yep, did that too (2 mos ago!). These sorts of fears are not unfounded, for some of us. Embarrassing stuff really does happen to us and not some others. You just have to hope that you don't wake up in the middle of the night reliving the embarrassment too often.

So what's everyone's kids being for Hallowe'en? Calvin wants to be either a guard robot or something he just mentioned yesterday that I can't remember right now, and Emily wants to be a pre-Christian Irishwoman again. I'll probably be a medieval princess or Laura Ingalls again. Not feelin' all that creative at this moment.

[Storm Bride]

DS2 said he wanted to be a bat for weeks, but told me a couple days ago that he actually wants to be Batman.

DS1 is going as the Joker - the Heath Ledger one. He's working with a friend of my mom's to make the costume. She's a very talented seamstress, who actually made him a Three Musketeers style hat a couple years ago. He's been quoting lines from the movie ever since he saw it, so I guess this is just his thing.

DD hasn't made up her mind. She usually wants to be a princess or fairy or something like that.

I buy their costumes, as I'm textile-challenged in a big way. I'll probably take them out this weekend.

[dawncayden]

Dh wanted us to go as Mario, Princess Toadstool and the Mushroom guy...but I've had no energy to make anything or find anything.

I think ds wants to be an elephant. We already have that costume, so that works for me :thumb

[sea island mama]

Ds wants to be a dead hockey player, but for some reason that involves buying a sword at Value Village :scratch??
Dd also wants a fairy angel or something from VV, but this year I don't want to spend $20-$40 on something they will wear once or twice...go figure!

We are heading to Science World shortly, if anyone wants to seek us out there. We'll probably be in White Spot around 1:00 for lunch.
Hope someone can make it!

[weliveintheforest]

I've always wanted to go as Popeye, Olive Oyl and Swee'pea but am not willing to put in the energy :lol I have no clue what the kids will go as, probably animals that I can create with minimal investment :thumb

[Len]

FYI: Avalon organic butter is on sale at Whole Foods for $6.99 ea. 454 gr. package. It is the may production, would that be as good as June??? ;)

DS1 will make himself a pirate costume, and I'll have grandma make a bee costume for the toddler, more to my liking than his, I guess! I'll take advantage of being in charge of choosing this year :lol

[widemouthedfrog]

the feeling that the anniversary of Aaron's death is creeping up on me (think that's partly because I was labouring on Halloween, and the kids are talking about Halloween a lot), and the fact that we're on our third cycle of unsuccessfully ttc.

:hug :dust

Dd is being a pig for Halloween. I took some felt and a headband and made ears. We got a really long footed pink sleeper and I painted "oink" and pig footprints on it, and I added a pipe cleaner tail. I'm going to make pig feet out of felt to go on top of her boots. She is finally getting Halloween this year, though I think we're really going to limit the number of houses (and therefore the candy intake).

I get stressed about Halloween costumes, so I try to do them early.

A pig is good because if you use softer paint (or silkscreening ink, like I did), you can reuse the sleeper as jammies, Sheila! Dd needed them anyway.

[tooticky]

Hugs to you, Stormbride... It must be a very difficult time of year.

Ds has cycled through a few costume ideas, so I'm kind of waiting it out. He either wants to be a ghost, a vampire, or batman.

I'm nostalgic for the years when his ideas were to be "an ostrich" or "a piece of cheese". :lol

I am thinking of trying to get dd up in a ladybug costume, cuz she's kind of our little ladybug! :p

[DevaMajka]

Hey all! We haven't decided on ds's costume yet. Well, actually he has it set out- a black and red t-shirt, a pair of blue pants, gray undies (very important, I guess), a magic mickey mouse hat (red and black), and his thomas the train candy bucket. He's really really sure it's a good costume. :lol

Oh, wait. I just asked, and now he's going to try to find all brown clothes to look like a bear. (he does not want a costume, just brown clothes).

I'm not sure whether I should try to talk him into something that's more of a "costume" (we have a bunch that fit him) or just let him wear his own creations. lol Ah well. lol.



On a different topic- anyone have a rec. for a good ob/gyn in the burnaby area? I'm willing to drive further to find a good FEMALE ob/gyn. Or a family doctor would be fine too.
It's somewhat related to my thread here (http://www.mothering.com/discussions/showthread.php?t=979779), in case anyone is feeling nosey ;)

Does it matter any that if I ever happen to get pg (see the thread for more on that), I would almost 100% certainly choose a midwife?

[beaner&tiegs]

Lisa, huge hugs to you, I realize that this time of year must be very difficult to you. The best of luck on the ttc-ing.

As for Halloween costumes, I too am feeling somewhat uninspired but usually do things at the last minute anyways. We thought we weren't even going to be here for Halloween, so now we're gearing our minds towards how much fun it is to be here around that time! Kea wants to be Little Fur, after a half elf/half troll character in her favourite book, so I may do a crow for Ryland and we're trying to convince Tiegan to be a cat or a fox - two of the companions of Little Fur. We'll see!

We're planning to go the Apple Barn out in Abbotsford tomorrow, for some U-Pick apples, the pumpkin patch and Kea's really excited about the bouncy trampoline! We'll be there in the morning, if anyone wants to meet us out there!!!!

[Autumn Mama]

Ds1 is pretty sure that he wants to be a frog, and I can usually do well finding costumes in great shape on Craigslist. TG for Craigslist!!! :o :lol

DS2 wants to be a frog too, so I'll hopefully score two costumes!

Maybe I'll make myself into a lilypad or something, and then I can feel like I actually *made* something, lol. We're going T'O'T-ing with our landowner and his daughter who shall be a pirate. :thumb

Halloween is pretty neutral around here, we don't focus on it at all, hence the more innocent costumes. I limit the house-hopping to 15 or so, and I think here in Fort Langley the houses shall all be done up creatively, so that part will be fun. This is literally the only time of year that they eat ANY candy, and in the past we empty the whole works onto the floor, then 7 things (with my OKay) are kept for the week, and the rest is thrown out. By keeping the house visits lower we don't waste too much.

I'm really not a Halloween person, so far the LO are not too interested either. :shrug I think Harvest themes are more my thing in the Fall.

[Autumn Mama]

Hey Erica, we cross-posted! This is a possibility as we're only 20 minutes or so away!

We've been wanting to commit to Hula Hoot, too, so I'd need to make an appearance there later, lol!!

I'll PM you later this evening, dinner-ish to let you know if it works. We've been there before, it's great!!! :D

Also DS2 has a little cold thing, does that pose an issue for you guys?? He's mostly on the recovery end I think...

[dawncayden]

Becky, for a doctor:
Mary Kagan in Burnaby. She's very sharp, very down to earth, and
very respectful. Last I heard she was still accepting new patients, but
you'll have to check with her office, if she is it was only if people didn't already have a family doctor and
were only going to walk-ins when they needed to. She wouldn't take
anyone who just wanted to switch doctors.

[kdtmom2be]

I've always wanted to go as Popeye, Olive Oyl and Swee'pea but am not willing to put in the energy :lol I have no clue what the kids will go as, probably animals that I can create with minimal investment :thumb

My mom surprised me with a box full of stuff when they moved and one of the things was my Olive Oyl costume from when I was about 5yrs... I was tiny at 5 yrs though so I'm curious if it'll fit DD this year. That would be cute, and free!

I have DD's skunk costume from last year if anyone would like to borrow it. It'll fit a small toddler (approx 30" tall?). I'll have to look, but it may be easy to alter for a taller child as well. I'd want it back when you're done with it (might need it again some day :wink) but no rush! PM me if you'd like it.

[robugmum]

Does anyone have something that would work for an Alice In Wonderland costume? Rose has her heart set on this! A blue dress and or a white pinafore are all I need but they are both proving to be difficult to find! I absolutely do not want to go to a Disney Store!

[niki_73]

Does anyone know if the helly hansen outlet in UBC is still there? I need a winter coat for dd.

[beaner&tiegs]

Hey Erica, we cross-posted! This is a possibility as we're only 20 minutes or so away!

We've been wanting to commit to Hula Hoot, too, so I'd need to make an appearance there later, lol!!

I'll PM you later this evening, dinner-ish to let you know if it works. We've been there before, it's great!!! :D

Also DS2 has a little cold thing, does that pose an issue for you guys?? He's mostly on the recovery end I think...

Oh great! Well, we're going for sure so if you end up going great, but if not, no worries. As for cold germs, no it doesn't matter to me at all - I notice Ryland coughing away so I'm sure he has a cold. I figure outdoors meetups are easier these days for not catching stuff!!!!!!!

[beaner&tiegs]

Oh, and I saw a dorothy costume at "Just Imagine" on Broadway - we got Tiegan some great costumes for her birthday there, I LOVE that store....though I'm sure they're still a bit pricey as it's so close to Halloween. It's not the Disney store, though........

[Alison's Mom]

Hugs to you stormbride. I can't even imagine.:hug

My DS is going to wear the pirate costume that his sister wore last year (my steering her toward gender neutral costumes is paying off!), and she will be a dragon. I am also textile challenged and don't even have a sewing machine, so get my costumes from Old Navy. Managed to find on that wasn't made in China this year, even! Also, they are good and warm - good for being outside on an Oct night.

I have a small pumpkin costume which is an orange sleeper (not onesie as previously mentioned) plus a hat in size 9 months if anyone is interested, and we're done having kids, so I wouldn't need it back!

[dawncayden]

We're planning to go the Apple Barn out in Abbotsford tomorrow, for some U-Pick apples, the pumpkin patch and Kea's really excited about the bouncy trampoline! We'll be there in the morning, if anyone wants to meet us out there!!!!
We are going too! I think we are leaving home around 9am, so we'll be there around 10am.

[kdtmom2be]

Does anyone have something that would work for an Alice In Wonderland costume? Rose has her heart set on this! A blue dress and or a white pinafore are all I need but they are both proving to be difficult to find! I absolutely do not want to go to a Disney Store!

I have two blue dresses, they appear to be size 3-5 or thereabouts... if that would work for you I can loan you one. Send me an email and I can send you pics.

[Storm Bride]

You all have some great ideas for kids. Erika, I like the crow for Ryland. My kids have all been a pumpkin at least once when they were little.

One I did for myself a few years ago is really easy. Get a big, clear garbage bag, and cut head and armholes in it. Put it over the person's head, stuff it with inflated balloons of different colours, then tuck the bottom into pants. If possible, add a small red cap, with a silver button (I wrapped tinfoil around the button on top of the cap). If you want, continue the circle pattern on your face with multi-coloured face paint. Instant gumball machine.

I jazzed mine up a little for a Halloween party by rigging up a cardboard and tinfoil thing as the knob and spout...then I pocketed a bag of gumballs and slipped one to anybody who turned the knob. The knob was just a bunch of pieces of cardboard stacked up and glued together, with a paper fastener through the bottom one, so that it would spin.

Thank you all for the kind thoughts. I'm just trying to keep busy.

[vancouverlori]

Brilliant ideas here! (love the gumball machine). Calvin's current costume idea is a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle, with a garbage can lid for a shell - he was very specific about that! (We sometimes let him watch a few episodes of what we watched as kids - wow we watched a lot of crap!)

I love Hallowe'en. My poor sister's husband is way over on the fundamental side - his parents were Jehovah's Witnesses - so their compromise was that they *would* celebrate Christmas but not Hallowe'en. My sister likes to console herself that her kids get to wear costumes all the time (they have a large collection which mostly gets strewn about). I still think she's missing out. :innocent We timed our last move specifically so we'd be able to meet our neighbours as soon as possible! To me, it's a children's costume festival, and nothing more. The origins are irrelevant. And an excuse to eat candy. I'm all over that. :wink Of course, with Calvin's allergies, it was a bit of a pain last year b/c the little ingrate kept saying, "no I can't eat that" - my plan was to trade him for candies I'd bought that he could have. This year I'm going to try to get Emily to help by having her go a few doors ahead and giving them a "safe" candy to give my little turtle when he shows up. Lindt 70% chocolate squares and Ouzo candies. Good thing he likes these. :eyesroll

[artparent]

i have to buy bedding here in england, what would you folks recommend? i'd love some natural stuff, but i'm not sure anymore where to begin!

*

[weliveintheforest]

I'm thinking of getting flannel sheet for us, I like the coziness in winter. I love getting new bedding, and dream about being able to buy some expensive organic hemp from rawganique.com some day!

Cassius spent the night coughing and now he's snotty, so we will be skiipping Hula Hoot again. I'm glad I took an Emergen-C yesterday. Looks like today will just be a day of tea and movie watching, which isn't all bad!

[Storm Bride]

I was planning to check out Hula Hoot today, but we're all sick again. I had two sniffling, stuffed up, coughing kids snuggling with my sniffling, stuffed up, coughing self this morning. It was wonderful cuddle time, but I'd really like everyone to start feeling better soon.

DS2 took a headfirst plunge off our dining table yesterday. *sigh*
No concussion, though - I was a bit worried at first, as he kept crying much longer than he usually does when he hurts himself.

[weliveintheforest]

Ouch! Sounds scary Lisa. i'm glad he's okay!

[Storm Bride]

It was scary. He was trying to jump off a cold pack (the freezer bag type that can be frozen or microwaved) and it slipped out from under his foot, so he went forward as he went down. He's got a pretty impressive goose-egg on his forehead, and a patch of carpet burn under his eye.

It hasn't slowed him down, though. Yesterday, my bff was here from Colorado. DS2 tore open some of my herbal teabags and dumped them on the carpet. I didn't deal with it because I didn't want to waste my time with my friend on vacuuming (she's only here for a couple weeks every year, and I have to share her with her family). Unfortunately, due to the already mentioned Cold that Will Not Die, I forgot about it. This morning, ds2 got the water pitcher, which was somehow overlooked when clearing the table last night (we're usually pretty fanatic about getting it off the table first) and dumped it on the floor...where it combined with the tea leaves to make cold wildberry tea on my carpet. *sigh*

Wish me luck. He's upstairs, and should be going to sleep in a few minutes...

[Piglet68]

Hi everybody!

I came down with a rotten cold last night so WE missed HULA Hoot today too! AND i have missed a running day which always gets me down. But I know now from experience that I will be able to make it up without too much effort (assuming I don't go too long without it). I'm totally addicted to running now! (dropping a couple of pant sizes doesn't hurt, either, lol)

Costumes: DD wants to be a bat, DS wants to be a ghost. Fairly easy, I think.

I was at Value Village yesterday and they are in FULL COSTUME MODE there, lol. I didn't look at them but picked up tons of fall and winter clothes for my two kids. I basically got them each a full wardrobe for a total cost of $75. I love that place!!!

Len: what's this new board?? Do tell!!

vancouverlori: glad to hear that homeschooling is going well so far!

sea island mama: how are YOU enjoying homeschooling?

[widemouthedfrog]

This morning, ds2 got the water pitcher, which was somehow overlooked when clearing the table last night (we're usually pretty fanatic about getting it off the table first) and dumped it on the floor...where it combined with the tea leaves to make cold wildberry tea on my carpet. *sigh*

I'm sorry, but I must :rotflmao :rotflmao

At times like that, I am very happy that we don't have carpet (although we have it in the basement now, where it acts as a magnet for cat naughtiness...sigh).

[Storm Bride]

I'm sure I'll find it hilarious in a couple of days...

I hate having a carpet in the dining area - hate it. I'm seriously considering ripping it up, even though we're not allowed to. After a couple of things that ds1 has done, plus a contribution or two from the little ones, it's not like we're going to get our damage deposit back, anyway. Carpet in the dining area in a "family friendly" rental complex - not the greatest brainwave.

[dawncayden]

:lol reminds me of the time when I was four and watered the shag carpet to make it grow. :D

[dawncayden]

Great to see you Erica at the farm. I think I saw you too Autumnmama :shy

It was really fun, although I could have lived without the pig biting me, youch! :irked:

[Storm Bride]

What farm were you guys at? The UBC one? It sounds fairly exciting...the pigs at Maplewood have never bitten any of us!

Dawn...was it you that told me about a school for physical performing arts or something like that? DS1 just dropped drama, due to some hassles with his teacher (he's doing choir, instead), and he's looking for something else to pursue along those lines...

[Ksenia]

:wave I'm still alive :wink but I haven't read any posts since I last popped in. Yes, I *will* be giving thanks on Sunday...especially since dh will be arriving home after being out of town for 2 weeks :coffee. Happy Thanksgiving everyone! :eat::joy:

[Autumn Mama]

Great to see you Erica at the farm. I think I saw you too Autumnmama :shy

It was really fun, although I could have lived without the pig biting me, youch! :irked:

Dawn, I was shown a passing glimpse of you too, and then I don't think our paths crossed after that, but it was SOOO busy!! :dizzy:

Beaner&tiegs, hope your showing today goes well, and brings the buyers ever closer to you guys :dust

It was fun to spend a little time with your family and your two friends yesterday. You are a very sweet family! We all enjoyed the trip, although the meltdowns were starting from the over stimulation and we packed up minutes after you all left. That is, after a few moments of panic when my nearly seven year old said, "I'm going over here" and promptly vanished into thin air full of throngs of kids and parents and tourist busses!!! In the blink of an eye he'd gone up into a barn with a hay maze upstairs, and because of the acoustics inside of it, couldn't hear me calling him. Haven't had THAT feeling for awhile!

:wave Ksenia, nice to hear you're alright. I am amazed whenever someone can parent their LO without a partner, especially for days on end. I'm afraid I'd collapse. I'm in awe. :bow

This weather is amazing!!! Yesterday we spent all afternoon in the garden, and really it was the darkness settling in that drove us back inside. Hope to be outside all day again, although the older one is pressing to hit the Fort in Fort Langley, whilst the touristy Cranberry Festival is in full swing, with extras planned for the Fort visitors. :dizzy: When I drove to the IGA in town (we're 5 min. ouside on the rural side) this morning for bread, the line-up to get into the Fort was a couple of blocks long! And there were police folk directing traffic around multiple road closures and this was only at 10:00 a.am!!! It gets a little over the top with tourists!!!

Where do they get the stamina? I just want to stay on our peaceful farm...

[dawncayden]

What farm were you guys at? The UBC one? It sounds fairly exciting...the pigs at Maplewood have never bitten any of us!

Dawn...was it you that told me about a school for physical performing arts or something like that? DS1 just dropped drama, due to some hassles with his teacher (he's doing choir, instead), and he's looking for something else to pursue along those lines...

Apple Farm in Abbotsford :wink I think it was close to feeding time and the pig thought my finger looked like a tasty carrot :eyesroll :lol hehe I can laugh now! :D


My school is Tooba (http://www.tooba.com) I'm not sure what age they start at. I've seen some 16 or 17 year olds before, but not usually younger. You'll have to ask Laura or Dean. I'm taking a comedy class presently with Gina...its really fun. They have trapeze 2 times a week, but I think it is during school hours.

[Storm Bride]

Thanks. I'll check that out. I'm not sure if we'll necessarily pursues trapeze right now or if he'll want to do something else. DS1 is interested in everything, so it's hard for him to pin down what he wants to pursue at any given moment.

So, Emma decided to do the gumball machine for Halloween. I hope she likes the end result.

I came here to post something in particular, saw Dawn's post about Tooba, and forgot what I wanted to say. *sigh*

[artparent]

ellp, what was it you were saying about wool pillows?

any issues with down aside from allergies?

found wool duvets :thumb

*

[tiffani]

Sadly, the Vice-Principal at Summit died in a car accident on Friday, so the Principal was at the class and she was pretty emotional about it. :gloomy:
oh no! who was the vice principal? we were with them two years ago... :(

we're all surviving hotel life here as well, waiting to be able to move into our house. we moved into a less "flash" hotel (serviced apartment, actually) today, since our two weeks on Weta's dime was up this morning. We got the flash hotel to give us a better rate, but we still couldn't justify spending $440 more than we had to for 11 days -- as it turns out, this place (the cheaper one we moved to) doesn't have laundry and is laid out really wierd, and we have to walk up several flights of stairs with all our luggage... we should have just stayed where we were!!! though now that we're settled in here, I'm really glad we're saving the $440, since we're just absolutely bleeding money right now... ah well, it's a renewable resource I guess... we can just eat rice and beans this week!

we did get our lease vehicle yesterday, a 97 honda odyssey, which is my favorite car I've ever had, actually. we were going to get a smaller, more fuel efficient car while we're here, but the ones this lease company had were really tiny -- we hope to get away with camping for most of our road trips all summer, and we couldn't have fit our stuff, so we went with the odyssey, and I'm so glad we did, it's a great car!! the lease company we went with has older cars, so it's less expensive, right up our alley! :thumb

we had a weekend of great weather here too! it was beautiful, and we spent most of the weekend outside wandering the waterfront. tomorrow we're spending the day at the beach/playground -- I need to get sunscreen already, as the sun here burns like crazy. It has the same burning sensation I remember from my youth in california, which I just never, ever felt in canada, even on the hottest days. this is the feeling that 10 minutes in the sun is sizzling you just a little... so which sunscreen did we all decide on? :wink I doubt we'll be able to avoid the sun enough here, and new zealand has the highest skin cancer rate anywhere, so I'll have to take our chances with nanoparticles! :wink

there isn't much for halloween here, sadly. a north american coworker of mark's is going to have a party for all the Weta kids, so we'll get to dress up and eat junk, but no trick-or-treating this year! :( the costumes are my favorite part, though!!

g'night!

[beaner&tiegs]

Hey Tiffani - it was Pattie (can't remember her last name right now - Corrin?!!), isn't that tragic? From the initial things I read it sounded like a single vehicle car accident, potentially precedented by a heart attack, but that may have changed by now. Rather shocking, she was always very nice and stuck me as quite young for this to happen to.

We too had a great time at the Apple Barn - nothing more refreshing than a day spent in the sunshine! And Erin, we always enjoy meeting up with your family too - Mathew is so enthusiastic, it's hard not to be happy when around his energy! And I'm VERY jealous of the life you guys are creating for yourselves on your beautiful property, outside all the time.......Dawn, hope your finger is healing up well!!!!!! Time for a meal of bacon, m'thinks!

Yesterday the girls were at a sleepover, so Jamie and I got up at the crack of dawn with Ryland and drove to Whistler. We took the gondola up with the idea of hiking but (duh!) there was tonnes of snow and most the trails were closed. However, we passed all the warning signs and took a well marked road up the the Symphony Bowl and enjoyed BEAUTIFUL views of Black Tusk and all the mountains - so incredible to be moving my legs, breathing fresh air and enjoying gorgeous views!!!!!!

And while we were gone, we had ANOTHER open house - almost 40 couples through again, a few twice and with inspectors, 4-5 couples returning today with inspectors......all good news, but until someone shows me the money I'm not getting excited!!!!!! AND now i'm kind of excited about the idea of spending a season skiing/snowshoeing/skating here - so either way it'll be all good. The only thing is it would SUCK to have Jamie go back to work more full time, AND the uncertainty kills me, so still hoping hopeful thoughts for this weekend!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!!!! :joy::joy::joy:

PS Ksenia - glad to hear you're still alive, two weeks of solo parenting sounds stressful! How's the homeschooling going?!

[tiffani]

oh, that's so sad! I always really liked Patti, she was a great part of that program...even when she kindly suggested we leave the program she was nice! :innocent

we had a lazy morning here with the disney channel for the kids and the laptop all to myself for me! we're off now to a beach/playground and to the grocery store for provisions! it's sunny but windy here today, and it does feel weird to suddenly be moving into spring instead of fall -- especially with halloween coming up... I'm not complaining though! :thumb

[tooticky]

Not sure if any of you are in the market for this right now, but a Stokke Tripp Trapp chair is on craigslist right now for $200: http://vancouver.en.craigslist.ca/bab/876773779.html

Maybe it's one of you selling it! :lol

[anna_2]

hi everyone!
ds's bday is on halloween and he wants to be spiderman. i made him a fabric sword and shield as a bday gift so maybe he will decide to be a knight instead. gone are the days of being wizards or fairies! ds2 will wear his bear sleeper.

has anyone heard about pigs feet increasing milk supply? my acupuncturtist/tcm recommended that i make a stock out of pigs feet today!

[Ellp]

ellp, what was it you were saying about wool pillows?

any issues with down aside from allergies?

found wool duvets :thumb

*

Umm..I can't remember what I was saying about wool pillows...:o

Just that they compress down a lot with use? I bought mine (an extra firm) from Birkland Bros. and within 2 months it had compressed down to about half its original loft. I was pretty irked about that since thats why I had bought the extra firm, so that it wouldn't compress that much, or so I thought.

[dawncayden]

I haven't heard that before Anna. Just oatmeal.

[dawncayden]

OT: 2 Female cats for adoption

Sorry to post this here but we are getting desperate.

We have 2 indoor female cats that are 8 and 9 years old. We have been trying to find a home for them for the last year through family or friends but no one has the room for them.

I used to be highly allergic to cats when I was younger but for some reason when I turned 18 cats were fine. So when I moved in with my now husband we adopted Dana, and then added Emily to our family. Now in the last year my allergies are getting worse again and I'm almost always congested. My doctor says its the cats.

They are wonderful cats, a black and white one with moustache named Dana, and a black one named Emily. Dana is VERY affectionate and loves to cuddle under the blankets, and Emily takes a little while to warm up, but once she does, your best friends for life.

They are healthy, have all their shots, and are fixed.

We are really sad to see them go, as they have been a big part of our family for so long.

Dawn

[widemouthedfrog]

Sorry to hear about your cats, dawn. It was hard when we were trying to find a new home for Sketch (we ended up keeping him, but it was his health issue, not mine).

I wish we could take them, but our female cat would be very mean to any new kitties. She is really territorial.

[tiffani]

no anna, I haven't heard that! and I've been around the increasing milk supply block, both with LLL and with relactating for adoption... it certainly can't hurt, and probably the marrow would be good for you in any case, but I'd also try oatmeal and fenugreek or something like these tinctures from motherlove (http://www.motherlove.com/products_extracts.php), though they're kind of pricey... in the relactation circles, though, they're highly touted. I tried to find an equivalent product at Gaia garden and never did, but you could probably have them mix you up something. I do think fenugreek is the most effective herb, if you're going to choose just one...

dawn, are you sure you aren't just congested because you're pregnant? I was always congested throughout my pregnancies... sucks, but might not be because of your cats... you could see if it goes away after you give birth...

[artparent]

i found fenugreek worked very well, but it is possible there is something specific to you in pig's feet that would work. are you allowed to roast them first? might be yummy? :p nice to see you here, anna!

happy thanksgiving! we were rushing around, back to london and sorting things about our flat-to-be. so we had take-our lebanese food, which my children were not impressed with, except the baklava for breakfast :eyesroll
i can't wait to settle in!!!

thanks ellp, that's what it was, compression. compression is not okay. we had some latex pillows, i think it was, from dream, and they went all lumpy and flat. awful! so---are there issues with goose down, duck down, aside from allergies then? anyone know? of course you'll be sleeping until just before i go and buy the pillows :p

good luck with finding a home for them, dawn.

i'm sorry to hear about patti c too, she was very kind.

*

[dawncayden]

dawn, are you sure you aren't just congested because you're pregnant? I was always congested throughout my pregnancies... sucks, but might not be because of your cats... you could see if it goes away after you give birth...

Well I've been congested for over a year and only pregnant for 13 weeks, so I don't think its just the pregnancy :wink


Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
I made my first pie ever! It's pumpkin, picked from the patch, and with spelt flour so ds can eat it. I made two pies because I was trying out two pie crust recipes and the one with no butter definatly doesn't have the right taste :duh but the one WITH butter (or butter replacement) is going to be AWESOME!

Dh freaked me out saying that making pies was hard, so I don't think he expected to come home to TWO PIES! :p

[tooticky]

:hug for you Dawn... I became allergic to cats (including the one we've had for 8 years!) when I got pregnant with dd.

There's an interesting poll on the allergy forum about how allergies can develop after having children.

Happy Thanksgiving to all of you!

[Autumn Mama]

HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE!

tiffani and artparent, the adventures sound great! The day to day excitement of setting up house in a new country must be tiring and invigorating all at the same time!


tiffani, your first pictures of New Zealand are so cool! I love the simplicity of the playground spaces, contrast with here where everything is so aesthetically un-natural looking! Plastic parts and primary colors and wood chips, and less imaginative. And the beaches!! :love You and your family are going to have a blast there, I'm sure!!! I said to DH, "Hmmm do you think we could find you work + a farmy home near the beach there?" I think I'm in love.:p

Okay, on closer inspection, I see bright colored playground stuff there, too, but it's just different!!! It fits in better with the wildness!

Congrats Dawn on the pie making! :eat:

I'm wondering if you can use any pumpkin for pies? We have one from our recent pumpkin patch trip that split, so I'm guessing I need to use it fairly soon, if I do use it, any thoughts or experience with using pumpkins? It's about a diameter of 10" and one of the darker, orangey-red varieties. I'm inspired to attempt my first ever pie!!!

[tooticky]

I think that sugar pumpkins work best for pies, but regular pumpkins make DELICIOUS soups! Try a white bean, pumpkin, leek soup... There is a tasty recipe for it in the Greens Cookbook.

[kdtmom2be]

I'm wondering if you can use any pumpkin for pies? We have one from our recent pumpkin patch trip that split, so I'm guessing I need to use it fairly soon, if I do use it, any thoughts or experience with using pumpkins? It's about a diameter of 10" and one of the darker, orangey-red varieties. I'm inspired to attempt my first ever pie!!!

I have found that I have two varieties of pumkin, one has a thicker, almosty barky skin than the other. But both make nice pies. cut it in half, scoop the seeds, bake in your oven at 350, inside UP with your fan on! until the "meat" is cooked. Good luck! The trick is to get enough moisture out so your pie isn't soupy, you will have to finish that on the stove.

[Storm Bride]

I make pumpkin pies with whatever kind of pumpkin one buys at the grocery store or picks at the pumpkin patch - a Jack-O-Lantern pumpkin. I've been told they're not the best for pies, but the pies are always good.

I cook the pumpkin on the stove, with just a tiny bit of water (just to prevent scorching until it starts to cook down). I cook it until soft, then puree it. My recipe has maple syrup, brown sugar, milk, eggs, a bit of flour and salt, ginger, mace, nutmeg, and cinnamon.

This year, I ended up using store bought pie crusts. I hate doing that, but our hedgehog caused us to move our china cabinet yesterday. (We've been thinking of doing it, anyway, and Pokey got in behind it yesterday, so we had to pull it out.) I spent my day cleaning and drying crystal and glass, instead of making pastry. I really didn't have time to make pastry (esp. since that would mean getting the counter clear enough to roll it out!) and make four pies (two pumpkin, two pecan) and a potato casserole. I'm sure looking forward to our dinner tonight, though.

[artparent]

easy as pie, right? i do spelt flour with coconut oil, yum!

you have to watch out with pumpkins that aren't for eating - they spray them a lot and they also supposedly absorb pesticides extra!

i also make pumpkin pies with yams or with other squash for variety ;)

looking forward to an oven! pie!!

*

[dawncayden]

I'm wondering if you can use any pumpkin for pies? We have one from our recent pumpkin patch trip that split, so I'm guessing I need to use it fairly soon, if I do use it, any thoughts or experience with using pumpkins? It's about a diameter of 10" and one of the darker, orangey-red varieties. I'm inspired to attempt my first ever pie!!!

I just use smaller pumpkins and if I'm picking them myself I pick the ones that are still attached to a vine so they are extra fresh.

I bake the pieces in 2 inches of water facing down for 45 min on 350'. I also make pumpkin muffins and loaf every year (check my blog for my fav recipe)

[tiffani]

i found fenugreek worked very well, but it is possible there is something specific to you in pig's feet that would work.
I was just thinking that too, anna, maybe it's more of a certain nutrient that your practitioner thinks would help you specifically. but if your only concern is milk production, I'd go for enough fenugreek to make you smell like maple syrup.


we had some latex pillows, i think it was, from dream, and they went all lumpy and flat.
really? that's so weird, we have latex pillows and I can't even imagine how they would compress -- ours are exactly the same as the day we bought them about...2.5 years ago? we love them so much we brought them all the way here! :love maybe it's a varying quality thing? we got ours from discount foam, but they are the natural latex variety, as opposed to synthetic latex, or so we were told...

Well I've been congested for over a year and only pregnant for 13 weeks, so I don't think its just the pregnancy :wink
ah yes, I guess that's probably not it then! it seems to me that you've been pregnant longer than that! :wink


I made my first pie ever!
Dh freaked me out saying that making pies was hard, so I don't think he expected to come home to TWO PIES! :p
congratulations!! making pie is so satisfying!! last fall I made apple pie and my neighbor had me all freaked out too -- I don't think it's that pie is so terribly HARD as it's just time consuming -- I'm with you Lisa, the biggest obstacle is the clean countertop! :wink but I guess it's not that hard to screw up the crust? I thought my crust was going to be terrible, and it was perfect, so maybe that's what is wierd about it, the lumpier and awful seeming the dough for the crust is, the better! :thumb


tiffani, your first pictures of New Zealand are so cool! I love the simplicity of the playground spaces, contrast with here where everything is so aesthetically un-natural looking! Plastic parts and primary colors and wood chips, and less imaginative. And the beaches!! :love You and your family are going to have a blast there, I'm sure!!! I said to DH, "Hmmm do you think we could find you work + a farmy home near the beach there?" I think I'm in love.:p

Okay, on closer inspection, I see bright colored playground stuff there, too, but it's just different!!! It fits in better with the wildness!


they do have all the usual playground stuff, but the playgrounds are landscaped in such a way that there are little bits of natural area all around the play area, so kids can hide in the bushes, walk along a dirt path, etc. I hadn't really noticed until you mentioned it, but I do think it has to do with the way it's landscaped (or not as landscaped?). they also have so many climbing structures, playground equipment, etc that would just NEVER fly in north america! not that it's old or broken (everything here is quite well taken care of) but just that it would be considered dangerous in north america...

The city is really nice, but I can't wait until we are in our house and can take off for the more rural areas, where the REAL scenery is! lots of farmy areas near beaches and such! :wink since there is such a thriving wool industry here, we're going to throw ourselves into wooly crafts this year (or that's the plan anyway...)

back to organizing hydro and phones and such...:eyesroll

[beaner&tiegs]

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!!!!

A day of multiple offers, one signed, subjects removed Fri.

Trying not to get too excited quite yet, we'll see what happens on Fri, but...:joy::joy::joy: yay! *IF* it all works out, we're driving out of here the end of Nov.

Roasting a turkey today, perhaps we'll make a pumpkin pie. For now I'm going to relax and hope that the hardest work is done!!!!!

[tiffani]

:jumpers:hooray mckays!!!!:jumpers:


...I don't really know about subjects and such, but the multiple offers thing sounds like a good thing! :thumb

[artparent]

:joy: fabulous erica! wishes for smooth sailing! you'll pass your inspection beautifully so just financing, i guess? keep us posted!

we ran into a friend from grimmett park, off vancouver's main street, today!!! at london's diana playground. seriously! the girls had a great play. it was pretty comforting. we talked about the playgrounds in europe, i totally agree tiffani, there's some great fun that wouldn't be allowed back home :p

*

[anna_2]

ya Erica! i hope all goes well.

artparent, that is pretty amazing that you would meet someone all the way over there! good to hear things are coming into place for you guys.

:thumb thanks i will try the fenugreek and pigs feet.

happy thanksgiving to everyone.

[Ellp]

Yay Erica! Hope the subjects get removed and the whole thing goes smoothly!

I'm in Courteney, on the Island visiting the ILs with a cranky teething, no need for sleep or eat, toddler and a kid who won't stop playing the annoying electronic toy piano. I just want to hide...

[Alison's Mom]

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Yes, I think pies are hard. I'm one of those people who don't follow recipes exactly, and have to watch myself with baking. Crusts are the toughest.

I spent Sat and yesterday making 3 pumpkin pies. I had to modify the recipe to make it egg and dairy free. The first two didn't 'set' enough, but were OK taste wise. The third one was better, but a tad spicy, according to my DH. My SIL and BIL both asked for a second slice, so I'm thinking it couldn't have been that bad!

[Autumn Mama]

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!!!!

A day of multiple offers, one signed, subjects removed Fri.

Trying not to get too excited quite yet, we'll see what happens on Fri, but...:joy::joy::joy: yay! *IF* it all works out, we're driving out of here the end of Nov.


:joy: Hurray for you guys!!! Fingers crossed for you.

Did you waft roasted turkey aromas through the air during the showing this weekend? :p


we ran into a friend from grimmett park, off vancouver's main street, today!!! at london's diana playground. seriously! the girls had a great play. it was pretty comforting. *


That is soooo amazing, but then, I often think it's interesting that some people's paths are so closely aligned to ours. Sounds like it was fun!!

Thanks all, for the input about pumpkins. I shall attempt a pie on Wednesday, now to find a crust. I think a butter crust sounds sooo divine. :eat:

[Len]

mmmmm pie! It's too tempting to live not too far from Savary Island Pie co. though :lol but I do have a box full of delicious apples that would work well on pie, or apple cobbler or something!

Erica, that's great news about your house, sad that you will be leaving so soon though! Tiffani has been in NZ for two weeks already? wow time is going fast!

[weliveintheforest]

I made an apple pie with aged cheddar in the crust 2 weeks ago and it was so yummy! I didn't use any sugar, so it was like a savory apple cheese pastry, but you could add sugar and it would be more dessert like.
For thanksgiving I did a cranberry and pear crumble and it was SO yummy. I never think to make cranberry desserts but i am going to stock up on cranberries now that they are on sale.

My kids have had colds since friday and I am getting lonely :lol

[Storm Bride]

My kids have had colds since friday and I am getting lonely :lol
This thing is awful. I have it (not helped by a severe bout of insomnia on Sunday night). DD has it. I think ds2 still has it. DS1 hasn't shaken his cough from 3-4 weeks ago. At mom's last night...my SIL has it. My sister has it. A couple of the nephews have just gotten over it.

I'm so sick of this thing. It's just dragging me down so much, and I may have to miss choir rehearsal tonight, after toughing it out the last couple of weeks. I'm so glad the local voting spot is right across the street.


re: pie crust. I struggle a lot with my pastry. I use a very traditional, basic recipe. A couple of years ago, I made a huge breakthrough. I no longer pay any attention to how my pastry looks. If it has holes in it, I patch it with another small piece of pastry. Sometimes, my pies look pretty rough around the edges...but I've been asked a couple of times for my recipe, so it tastes okay. If people don't know this tip, the other thing that helps a lot is to have really, really cold hands when handling the pastry. I run mine under cold water until they almost hurt, dry them and get to work. It makes a big difference.

[tiffani]

elisa that is crazy that you ran into someone from grimmet all the way in london!!! I keep looking up for familiar faces at the park, but for some reason I don't know anyone!! :wink

I'm finding that new zealanders are a feisty bunch. I have witnessed several screaming matches here already -- one was over a parking spot, and all the guys in the sidewalk pub right next to the coveted parking spot were cheering and yelling and egging them on -- not very canadian! :nono: dex was playing with a little boy yesterday whose playing consisted of hurling out insults the entire time -- he was only 4, so dex was easily encouraged to let it go, but this kid really wanted to play with dex, and they were blowing bubbles and chasing them together, and he kept throwing out really funny phrases like "shoo then, you cheeky boy!" and other things that I didn't hear, but had dex kind of upset to begin with, until I explained that on top of being 4 (and we all know how crazy 4 year olds are) he's also from new zealand, and that seems to be just how some people talk to their friends here. he accepted that and they had a great time, though dex did tell him "in canada we don't say mean things to our friends" -- I think that was met with a blank stare. :p I was starting to get worried that most kids would be like that, and my very sensitive kid would have a hard time here, but then he met a really nice boy, and my outlook on rude kiwis changed -- there are gentle souls everywhere, even in rugby, beer and fighting land. I remember my kiwi neighbor advising us that people here will get into a fight, beat the crap out of each other, and then go have a pint together and all is forgiven. :shrug I guess this will be a great learning experience for my super sensitive kid! or we'll be miserable the whole time!! :eyesroll

[Piglet68]

That's fantastic news, Erica. Fingers crossed for a sale!!!

Tiffani, wait until you celebrate Xmas in the middle of summer! I remember as a kid seeing traditional Xmas decorations (fake snow, evergreens, etc) while it was like 30 degrees out, nutso!

Ah, pumpkin pie. I was planning on making one this year but got too sick. I picked up one today at the store, lol!

Still, I'm so inspired to do more baking and soup-making. This weather is great for soups!

[Jacksmum8]

Hi everyone! I haven't posted in awhile, so busy with moving and business things.

Erica, I have my fingers crossed for you.

Dawncayden- so happy to hear of your pregnancy.

Lisa- Thinking of you at this time of year.

And everyone else...I miss you!

Happy Thanksgiving:eat:

[artparent]

that's funny tiffani. hopefully you can settle in to some gentle folk. culture shock can sometimes be hardest when it is a bit subtle. just before i saw our friends i was eavesdropping on a conversation between two toddler's mothers about how to get them into the right prep school - based on where they start out in nursery. oh.

i met some homelearners at their park day, really warm and welcoming, and all talking about the usual things - different ideas about health, dental, nutrition, culture. there were really easygoing about working out conflicts between children. a range of diets and a range of folks from pretty out there to pretty mainstream. it is so nice to feel at home with a new group, immediately, and lael + ni made some friends. we're going on a homelearning outing to the wetlands tomorrow, so we should meet more folks. instant community!

*

[tiffani]

there is a *really* organized homelearning community here that I need to send in my application to get involved with... it will be nice to meet up with some like-minded families! speaking of which, I need to get over to the kiwi tribe thread as well... they were really helpful with figuring out where in the city we wanted to be...

Hi everyone!
:wave hi brandee!!! where did/are you move/ing? how is business?


Tiffani, wait until you celebrate Xmas in the middle of summer! I remember as a kid seeing traditional Xmas decorations (fake snow, evergreens, etc) while it was like 30 degrees out, nutso!

Still, I'm so inspired to do more baking and soup-making. This weather is great for soups!

pumpkin and red curry are a match made in heaven... :eat:

That's right, I keep forgetting you lived here -- where did you live again? and for how long? I was a few kids' kiwi xmas books that I thought would be fun to have -- a different perspective for sure! we're going on a major camping road trip to the south island over the xmas holidays... which reminds me, I need to book a reservation on the ferry! :bolt

[dawncayden]

Can I just do a big :Puke:uhoh:scared:bawl:crap about the election.


:( blah

[tooticky]

I have to admit I expected different results! :(

[Autumn Mama]

Quoting the words of Briony Penn (http://www.briony.ca/about.html#top) this morning on CBC, "yeah, I am surprised"

Wishing much needed hope to the economy and the environment :dust

[tooticky]

Has anyone seen this for sale around vancouver? I'm thinking it might make life a bit more bearable around here! :lol

The alternative is to make it myself, but for that I would need to be able to find a non-dairy starter... So, if you haven't seen coconut milk yogurt, have you seen a non-dairy starter???

Thanks! :love

[artparent]

i haven't, tooticky, though i think i've seen ice cream...there certainly is here in london, cashew + coconut ice cream. still has sugar though. i did use coconut milk in all kinds of things, though! particularly desserts. i would use coconut milk for making vanilla pudding! i confess i found it a bit rich, though.

when i was really desperate for something i would mix coconut oil (virgin) with cocoa, throw in nuts + dried fruit, and stevia or agave...something like that..(i don't know what you can have) and put it in the freezer, break pieces off.

i guess you can't have goat or sheep milk or yogurt?

*

[anna_2]

pretty crazy about the election!!!

sorry tooticky, no idea about coconut milk yogurt but it sounds delightful!

[beaner&tiegs]

No suggestions about the yoghurt - haven't seen coconut yoghurt. My mom did buy me rice milk yoghurt from the States, definitely do not bother with that! blech. I found sheeps yoghurt once, enough to discover I LOVE it, then only to find that all the stores no longer seem to carry it - I've tried Choices, Capers, Meinhardt, Urban Fare, Granville Island and Mainly Organics.....even talked to the grocers. I gather it doesn't sell enough?! However, I have to admit, goats yoghurt is definitely growing on me, after eating it for so long - I like the Liberty brand, have found that most places and just need to add a bit of maple syrup to it!

Ya, the election is a bit depressing - first of all, I was hopeful for change (and now I'm just grateful to not have a majority) but secondly feel depressed about the huge waste of time, energy and money to hold this election. Ugh!


Off to finish up my turkey soup.......

[Jacksmum8]

:wave hi brandee!!! where did/are you move/ing? how is business?


Hi Tiffani! We moved in June to a great co-op in Steveston. I wasn't really prepared for the amount of work I needed to do when I moved though. What would possess anyone to spackle over top of foam letters?:eyesroll The business is almost ready to launch. I'm excited. It's been so long but I wasn't prepared for the many delays. I keep forgetting, I'm not just making two products, I'm doing two styles of bras in 22 sizes, which means pattern adjustments for 44 products. I'm pretty satisfied that I have a great product though, which is what I wanted. And I'm very proud to have kept all production in Canada. I'll post a link when the website is up. I'm doing product shoots tomorrow which has made everything more real.

Can I just do a big :Puke:uhoh:scared:bawl:crap about the election.


:( blah

Yeah, I'm pretty sad about it too, I was hoping for a change.

[tiffani]

wow, brandee that's so cool!!! I wish I were still in canada, I need a new bra! :wink

I have to admit that I'm completely in the dark about the canadian election :bag... I've been distracted by the larger spectacle of the US election, which I did not get my absentee ballot in time to vote for!!! :angry off to check the world wide web for election results!

[weliveintheforest]

I'm excited to buy one of your bras Brandy!:joy:

[artparent]

i didn't get my absentee in either :( he called it so quickly, and i was never anywhere long enough to exchange the mail :(:( i only home for a democrat in the states to balance canada's conservatism a little. they do say that in times of trouble folks get more conservative. very disappointing though. i worry for folks in need, i worry for the environment, i worry for the arts...

of course i haven't a clue who is in power over here :shrug

ksenia, i miss your voice in here, are you lost in it all?

brandee, that is so amazing!! let us know.

erica, i think i recently bought wonderful sheep or goat's yogurt at i.g.a on main street, it was SO GOOD and they couldn't keep it in. they had it at capers as well, but not as good a price.

*

[dido1]

Tiffani and Arparent, go to Democrat's Abroad website and I believe you can obtain an "emergeny ballet" if you didn't receive an absentee ballot (or is the deadline for mailing absentee ballot's passed?). I was so excited to find out that I can vote in the US elections. Mailing that ballot was the most exciting thing :-)

[artparent]

oh, mine was canadian. a bit complicated, i must say!!

*

[DevaMajka]

I have to admit that I'm completely in the dark about the canadian election :bag... I've been distracted by the larger spectacle of the US election, which I did not get my absentee ballot in time to vote for!!! :angry off to check the world wide web for election results!

Oh, darn! I was under the impression that it wasn't too late yet. That's what I get for not researching it enough. I am really really bummed. I'll check out that site that was posted upthread.
I'll be really really bummed if I can't vote :(


On a happier note, I thought I'd let you all know that I finally got my permanent resident status!! Yay! I get permanent health care, they can't deny me reentry to Canada (though I doubt they would anyway), and I'm allowed to work if I so choose. Yay!



eta:
I checked out the rules for absentee ballots in Ohio, and it says this:
2. An application by mail must be received by your county board of elections by noon on the third day before the election.
and
3. When you receive your ballot: If you return your ballot by mail, it must be postmarked* no later than the day before Election Day
and received by your county board of elections no later than 10 days after the election.
If you are a voter outside of the United States on Election Day, the ballot envelope must be signed or postmarked before the
close of polls and received by the board no later than 10 days after Election Day or 20 days after a presidential primary election.

Does this mean I still have a chance? Of course, I haven't actually gotten my ballot yet...

[tooticky]

Oh, thanks Dido1! I was just lamenting to dh today that I thought we had missed our chance to get absentee ballots.

I'll give it a try over there at Democrats Abroad...

[tiffani]

I had no idea there were so many americans here! I'm going to give it a try as well... we shall see...

[dido1]

I just got an email from Democrats Abroad on this very issue. Here is an excerpt that tells you where you can post (mods - Democrats Abroad approve of spreading this info around):

1. Get the FWAB: Go to www.VoteFromAbroad.org. Simply answer the six screens of questions and download and print the nine page document. You will receive (1) Instructions (where you will find the address to send the FWAB), (2) Electronic Transmission Sheet and Federal Postcard Application (which you do NOT need); (3) The Federal Write-in Absentee Ballot, which includes a Voter's Declaration/Affirmation, the Ballot and Instructions.

It's not too late to vote!!!!

[tiffani]

it depends on what state you lived in before moving away -- I was in california, and I have until 7 days before the election to get my voter registration card back to them and request my absentee ballot. I'm on it! :thumb

[dido1]

I voted in CA as well and you don't need to wait to get your voter registration card. Just fill out the online registration form, then print out the EMERGENCY BALLOT, complete it, then send it in. If you later receive the "official absentee ballot" in the mail, you filled that out and send it in as well. If you want, I can send you the Democrats abroad info about it...pm if you want it.

[tiffani]

thanks justine! I had read that bit, but didn't pay too much attention to it, as mark will print it all out at work for me to read over when he gets home. so I can vote for the president at the same time as I send in my voter registration, and then when the california ballot comes (with all of it's initiatives...) I am supposed to send that in as well. got it! :thumb

[tooticky]

Thanks for holding our hands through this, Justine!

[vancouverlori]

Brandee, that's sooo exciting - things are really moving along then! (And spackle over foam letters? I'm with you - that's crazy.)

Sigh. The election. :angry I did drag Calvin out to put in my irrelevant vote. (He got to put my ballot in the box.) Wes stayed home b/c he was sick and couldn't be bothered. Our green candidate in this riding sucked. Frankly, they all sucked except the incumbent. Especially the conservative candidate who got some kind of murky contract money after becoming a candidate. Stupid naughty Tories. Do they have no sense of honour? Argggghhh. (I can't believe the race was so close! Are people stupid?) And why don't people vote. Geez. It matters! And the whole difference between the vote by ridings and the popular vote - crazy! Especially Quebec. And the Green Party - what a heartbreaker and a loss for this country not to have Elizabeth May in Parliament.

And now on to municipal elections... more fun.

Tiffani - I'm really envying your being in a place that's going to get warmer over the next few months.

I think this "half hour of daily physical activity" thing is going to drive me mental during the rainy winter. :dizzy: :gloomy:

Ksenia - hope things are going well... :thumb

[weliveintheforest]

Aaaaargh our van's starter went this evening. A very inconvenient day for car trouble, as I have somewhere to be at 6 am and then am supposed to be in Vancouver at 6pm. I even won a free car check up at the breastfeeding challenge last week (along with a month of free bootcamp :love). I guess I should have gotten the car checked right away. The good thing is we will go for a nice long walk instead of driving to return videos tomorrow :thumb

Cora has an imaginary friend! I find it really amusing. Her friend has a baby just like our baby, and is named Courtney. I think she is the only Courtney we 'know', which is even more interesting.

[vancouverlori]

Sorry to hear about your van, Sheila!

Cora has an imaginary friend! I find it really amusing. Her friend has a baby just like our baby, and is named Courtney. I think she is the only Courtney we 'know', which is even more interesting.

Isn't that fun! Calvin has an imaginary uncle named Fred. But don't even think of saying that Fred's not real in front of Calvin. He doesn't talk about him much anymore, but he used to talk about him daily, from the time he was about 3. Apparently, he looks like the pharmacist at a new pharmacy that opened a few years ago (we got a flyer and Calvin said "hey, that's Uncle Fred!"). And whatever you're talking about in front of Calvin, Fred has one or has done that too. I think that was Fred's primary purpose - getting into conversations. He lives in a castle on the moon. ;)

And here I was supposed to be submitting Calvin's assignments. Oops. :eyesroll

[tooticky]

I do love the imaginary friends....

Ben had one that he talked about and to all the time from about 3 to 4. She is named Gassie. I thought he had forgotten about her, but yesterday he mentioned her again.

One time we were hiking on the trails near our house and suddenly he would not continue because he had left Gassie on the rock we had rested on. We had to go back for her.

He does seem to have a new friend which he calls Little Spider. He carries her around, or she rides on top of his head! :D

[dido1]

I'm a wee bit obsessed with the US election, LOL. I don't get to talk about it in my house because DH is a conservative who says he would vote Republican if he lived in the US, which fills me with rage and makes me question his intelligence, so we don't discuss US politics. I love him like crazy, but not so much his blind allegience to anything labeled "conservative", which is weird for a man who is happily unmarried, with a child out of wedlock, who supports gay marriage. He's complicated. Anyhoo, I'm rambling!

The Canadian election frustrated me, particularly the lack of people who voted. I am in favour of fining people who don't vote, like in Australia. No change will happen in this country if only 1/2 the people vote. Argh. I'm firmly in the camp of "if you don't vote, don't complain". I consider voting not only my duty but my homage to the women who fought so hard for my RIGHT to vote. Oops sorry, still on my soapbox there.

DS is just starting to have imaginary friends. No one in particular just yet, but it's only recently that he's been playing with imaginary people. He is also starting to read, so he spends a lot of time pouring over books looking for words he recognizes. The developing mind is an amazing thing. He keeps bringing scraps of paper and miscellaneous objects that have writing on them over to me and pointing out the words he can read. The other day he said "You'd better watch out what you leave lying around now 'cause I can read pretty good Mommy!". LOL.

[weliveintheforest]

The other day he said "You'd better watch out what you leave lying around now 'cause I can read pretty good Mommy!". LOL.
:lol You've been warned!

I don't know if I'd want non voters to get fined but the low voter turn out really bugs me too :(

[Piglet68]

Hey, everybody!

Becky: congrats on your status!!! Welcome to cheap healthcare and high income taxes, lol! It's a long way from Cleveland, girlfriend!! ;-)

Brandee: that's exciting news about the business. Turns out one of our local LLL leaders (Maple Ridge) owns Tiny Fingers, Tiny Toes which of course sells nursing bras. She had heard of your designs, I think. Small world!

I'm FINALLY getting over the cold that knocked me out over the weekend. I'm going to try a run today (I'm anticipating pain, lol). Not a great day for it but if I don't start now it will only get harder!

I must say, I am really enjoying this weather, lol. There is something so cozy about it, and I've been making some yummy soups and stuff too! I never did bake a pumpkin pie, but I'm going to make winter squash cake tomorrow (need to get some corn meal first). Yum!

I'm also crafting again, too! I finished my cotton vest that I started last spring. Just need to block it and crochet around the armholes and I'm done. I've also started crocheting granny squares from all my wool scraps. I'm hoping it won't be too "mish mash" because I'd like to put them together to make a blanket. I suppose even if it does end up tacky I'll still love it because I made it, right? lol

Oh, and I want to make a "blocking board". My idea is to get a large corkboard and cover it with some kind of absorbant, easy dry fabric (Flannel maybe?) then I can block items on it using pins. I can even measure points so that my granny squares, for example, will all be exactly the same size. Anybody have any tips on this?

[Storm Bride]

Any suggestions for yummy soups in a family who doesn't like squash? I like them okay (loved the butternut squash soup after Aaron - yummy), but nobody else in the family does. This time of year, I always see all the squashes around, and try to figure out what I can do with them...and get zilch.

I do want to try more soups this year, though.

[anna_2]

stormbride - why don't you try a squash pie? personally i like squash baked/roasted with salt + pepper. a carrot/squash soup is yummy too though.

sorry about the car troubles sheila, that is always a bummer/hassle.

glad you are feeling better mariah! totally impressed that you are running, wish i could too.

thanks for the tips about fenureek, i had totally forgot about it and it really increased my milk.

[widemouthedfrog]

Lisa, are you looking for soup recipes in general, or ones with squash? I do squash/apple soup with milk and butter and spices. That goes over well.

I also have a good pinto bean and pepperoni soup. Get about 4-5 sticks pepperoni (any kind), 2 tablespoons vinegar, 2 cans salsa (or one can salsa and one large diced and fried onion), 1 can tomato sauce (or fresh tomatoes) and about 4 cups+ cooked pinto beans. Put together, let them cook until the vinegar brings out the flavour of the pepperoni. It's good because you can use fresh or canned ingredients, depending on what is on hand - and the vinegar makes it taste fairly tart and interesting.

Lauren has had an imaginary friend for a while. Her name is Carla, and she is Lauren's sister. Sometimes she has two sisters and a baby, but I think that they are all named Carla. They vary in age, but they are always doing what she wants to do. :wink

[Storm Bride]

Lisa, are you looking for soup recipes in general, or ones with squash? I do squash/apple soup with milk and butter and spices. That goes over well.

I also have a good pinto bean and pepperoni soup.
Ah-ha! Now I know who that came from. :) It was tasty.

Get about 4-5 sticks pepperoni (any kind), 2 tablespoons vinegar, 2 cans salsa (or one can salsa and one large diced and fried onion), 1 can tomato sauce (or fresh tomatoes) and about 4 cups+ cooked pinto beans. Put together, let them cook until the vinegar brings out the flavour of the pepperoni. It's good because you can use fresh or canned ingredients, depending on what is on hand - and the vinegar makes it taste fairly tart and interesting.
I'll keep this in mind, and also Anna's suggestion about a squash pie. The kids love pumpkin pie, so maybe I can work from there. DH won't touch it in any form...

Lauren has had an imaginary friend for a while. Her name is Carla, and she is Lauren's sister. Sometimes she has two sisters and a baby, but I think that they are all named Carla. They vary in age, but they are always doing what she wants to do. :wink
No imaginary friends here, but that may be partly because dd and ds2 have each other to play with, yk?

[tiffani]

when I was a kid (only child) I had 5 imaginary friends, named Main, June, Sets, Eleven, and Julie. It was complicated. Lucy had Mimi for a while, and I just asked Dexter if he had any imaginary friends and he told me that he has Diego and Renaldo (who I had never heard of before, and he said he just created him a few weeks ago)...Renaldo is pretty big, apparently. Diego, on the other hand, is small, has no legs, can make more of himself, and is blue. Dexter wants me to tell you that he also has a girl chicken named Hatch.

Mark just added that he sometimes has imaginary friends during intimacy. :p

I gotta go make saturday morning pancakes!

[widemouthedfrog]

Ah-ha! Now I know who that came from. :) It was tasty.

:o

Tiffani, I envy you those pancakes. Mmmm, pancakes. Maybe Friday night dinner?

[Autumn Mama]

I need to share this, forgive me for jumping in with this news during a lively topic about nourishing food and imaginary friends.

My dear Dad, who turned 87 two weeks ago, died at home in his sleep between the night of October 15th and 16th. Sadly it was my Mom's 84th Bday on the 16th, the day she discovered he had died. :(

She had been getting ready for an appointmenrt with her hairdresser, noticed my Dad seemingly still asleep, and called herself a cab to take her to the salon. She checked him quickly before she left in the morning, and since he'd had a difficult week keeping warm and complaining of feeling "shivery" she thought it kind to allow him to sleep. I called as she was rushing out the door to wish her a "Happy Birthday" and I'm glad I got to wish her that while it still felt like a"normal" day for her. She hadn't yet realized that he had passed. :(

She arrived home later, noticed the house was quiet and checked on my Dad. He hadn't moved, so she callled him, "Jack, Jack, wake up." She shook him gently and when there was no response and she couldn't feel his breath, she called my sister on her cell. Then she called 911, and paramedics came and two police officers (standard when one dies at home), then my other sister, who'd been on the way over anyways with birthday flowers for Mom. A short while the coroner came and they assessed that he had died in his sleep. They all commented that he looked so peaceful, so at rest, no signs of any movement or struggle. I'm glad for that, because his last months with emphysema were tortuous for him. He couldn't breathe as freely as you or I. It was like breathing through a straw, all of the time. My sister got to see him before they transferred him to VGH to await closure with our (vacationing now) family doctor. Then he will be moved to a funeral home in Delta, where I'll be able to visit him before his cremation.

I spent the afternoon and evening with my sisters at Mom and Dad's, just filling up the quiet with our sadness together. My poor Mom, is in shock I think, her partner and friend of 64+ years just gone. :loss Photos of him are all round the house, from his RCAF days, and hockey days, to pictures with various kids, grandkids and great-grandkids, to recent photos from family weddings. I spent some time alone in his room, noticing things, touching his clothes, hugging his pillow. :gloomy:

He died three days shy of six months after my brother died. I think his grief about his son dying contributed greatly to his own death. Your kids are just not supposed to go before you, YK? I'm still trying to process Cam's death, too.

Today I am kind of floating through it, crying, numb, curious about strange details, back and forth.

He seemed to know he was close to dying because all pertinent documents were carefully itemized and laid out on the dining room table, including their wills, in clear view. Somehow, Mom didn't notice these things out. I keep agonizing over whether he was afraid, and could feel himself shutting down, and just couldn't bear to tell her, or his daughters, or what...? So he made sure everything was out for us to access, and didn't or couldn't say anything further. He was really struggling with cognitive function, forgetful, very tired, very weak. He had actually asked my Mom to make him oatmeal on election day, because he said to her " I forget how to." :(

I guess I'm rambling, thanks for listening if you've made it this far. I'm really sad, memories are flooding me and I didn't sleep much last night. I so wish I could have just one more chance to hug, say "I love you" (even though he had a hard time replying) or just quietly watching him talk to my boys as they showed him Lego towers on their kitchen floor. Just one more anything would be so comforting. I miss him terribly. On his birthday two weeks ago he had said to DH that he wanted to come out to the farm to see it. They didn't like to drive far anymore, very tiring for him. Still, I'm sad that I didn't arrange to get him and Mom here to watch the boys, scaling fences, catching frogs, and running freely through the fresh mown hay. Dad always loved hearing about their adventures, reminded him of his boyhood in Canmore, I think. I hope he's watching us and sees it now, but of course, I can't really know that for sure. But it's comforting, a little to imagine his spirit all around us, even if he wasn't a religious person.

[dido1]

Oh Autumn Mama. Many, many hugs to you and your family. I'm so very sorry.

[weliveintheforest]

:hug I'm so sorry for your loss.

[dutchgal]

:hug Autumn Mama...

[Ellp]

Oh Autumn Mama, I'm so sorry. My thoughts are with you and your family..:hug

[dawncayden]

:( Autumnmama, I'm so sorry :hug

[artparent]

autumn, love to you and your family x


*

[beaner&tiegs]

Many many hugs to you and your family Erin. It sounds to me like he died peacefully and was somewhat prepared for it, though I hear you in that you're just never quite ready. I'm so sorry that there's been so much death in your family so close together, you're in my thoughts. xo

[megansar]

:hug mama, that was a beautiful post.

[Piglet68]

Oh, hugs to you, Erin. It sounds like he had a peaceful passing, but it sure doesn't make it easier on you, I know. Lots of peace and light to you and your family. :candle


and on a lighter note...Lisa I have a big sweet tooth and I love squash roasted with brown sugar and a bit of butter. My kids won't eat it because they have total veggie-phobia, but if anybody in your family has a sweet tooth it's a great way to eat it. Just cut the squash in half, scoop out the seeds, place them cut side up and put a tbsp of butter (or less if it's a small squash) in the scooped out part and a tbsp of brown sugar. Broil until the stuff has melted then occasionally brush it around the top part of the squash. YUMMY!

[anna_2]

autumn mama, i am so sorry for your loss. my thoughts are with you and your family.

[Alison's Mom]

:hug to you AutumnMama. I'm so sorry for your loss.

[Alison's Mom]

I consider voting not only my duty but my homage to the women who fought so hard for my RIGHT to vote. Oops sorry, still on my soapbox there.
I totally agree. I just read recently about the sufferage movement in the US where the women were jailed and tortured for protesting at the White House. Horrifying.

[Autumn Mama]

Thank you so much, all of you who posted, I'm imagining everyone's wishes holding me up a bit, cause I'm sure not doing it of my own accord right now. I'm a bit of a mess I'm afraid. :loss

We all hung out with my Mom again, and I think her shock is wearing off bit by bit. She's amazingly grounded, knows what she needs to attend to, what groceries are running out, when to meet with their doctor etc. My Dad was just so prepared. They have three cats, and they have separate dietary needs, and he had even written down carefully on a sheet of paper what each cat ate and how much! Always his job at night to feed them and "put them to bed". Upstairs in his office, many more stacks and rows of papers, receipts, all clearly paid out in full, showing 0 balances. He took such pride in managing their finances, and has made things so easy for Mom, and us girls to sort through.

The boys came too, and played well, brightened things up a little for her I guess. I'm flat out tired, and off to sleep deeply, I hope.

Thanks again, it means so much to me.

[vancouverlori]

:hug Erin/Autumnmama - your father sounds like an amazing man...

I guess I better call my dad tomorrow... thanks for the reminder. :Rainbow

But first... :zzz

[tiffani]

:hug wow, erin, that's amazing... I'm so, so very sorry for the loss that you and your family is going through, but it does sound like he had not only the ability to get everything in order before he passed (mark's mom took a lot of comfort from doing that as well) but his actual passing seems very peaceful and calm. For those left behind, it can be hard to not have such a special person in your life anymore, but it sounds like you can take a little bit of consolation in the fact that he had as peaceful a death as anyone could hope for. you're in my thoughts...:hug

[mamaana]

autumn mama :hug

That was a beautiful post.

[tooticky]

:hug Autumn Mama... It sounds like your father was a wonderful man.

[Jacksmum8]

:candle:1praying: Thinking of you and your family Erin.

[robugmum]

Erin, your father sounds like he was a wonderful man who lived a long and fruitful life. Sending you hugs and warmth as you and your family say goodbye.:Hug

[Len]

:hug Autumn Mama... It sounds like your father was a wonderful man.

:yeah::candle

[dawncayden]

Does anyone need a dbl boxspring (no mattress)
it's free
PM me.

[anna_2]

did anyone go to the highlands church bazar today in edgemont village? i meant to post about it last night. i got some great fabrics, an old school bike for ds1 and a great ravensburger puzzle.

[tooticky]

Oh darn, Anna... I wish I'd gone. I think I remember missing this last year as well.

We went to the Apple Festival today, and I have to say that it was a bit of a bust for us. Long lines for everything, high prices for treats, just too crowded. Maybe because it was such a beautiful day.

We had more fun just wandering around in the Botanical Gardens. I love that place! So many fun little paths to explore....

I hope you all enjoyed the sunshine today!

[sea island mama]

:hug Erin. I'll be keeping you & your family in my thoughts :candle.

[sweetpmc]

Hello?
New to the group...from Abbotsford BC...been having a bit of a peruse while on my break here at work...would love to join in...

Terrible about your dad Autumn Mama...looks like you have a lot of support here...good friends can help one cope with such a loss...

As for Stormbride's request for soup recipes...I have just recently discovered the most amazing butternut squash soup recipe!!! Have made it twice in the last 2 weeks..can't get enough...it goes something like this...
Cleaned-seeded/peeled butternut squash cut into chunks and tossed in the slow cooker. Saute a chopped onion in 1/4 c butter and throw it in. Add some dried marjoram (1/2 tsp?) and salt/pepper to your taste. Can add a dash of cayenne pepper if you like the heat (not so much for my 3 yr old, but oh so delicious) Add 3 cups chicken stock (I add mine hot) and simmer it on low 6-8 or high 3-4hrs. About 30 min before the end of cook time, stick a hand blender in and puree it. Add a block of cream cheese cut into chunks and whisk together as it melts. Might need to thicken it a bit with 1 tblsp corn starch in 1/4 cup water.
Amazingly easy and incredibly tasty. Your kids won't even recognize the squash!

[Ellp]

That sounds like a great recipe! Any tips on how to cut and peel the squash though? Thats always been what keeps me from trying out squash, I'm scared of cutting halfway through it and getting stuck!

[dawncayden]

Welcome sweetpmc :flowersforyou:

Sounds like a great recipe. I wonder if one could use soy cream cheese or goat yogurt instead of the cow dairy. My son can't have dairy or wheat so I have to swap stuff out.

[mamaana]

My big little boy is 6 today!

I sung happy Birthday to him and started crying. I'm such a suck :p.

[mamaana]

Oh, and you're all invited to my thread http://www.mothering.com/discussions/showthread.php?t=985173

[kdtmom2be]

Pumpkin Soup Recipe

This is out of the Soup Bible, edited by Debra Mayhew. It is one of the most fabulous cookbooks that I've ever bought.

1 tbsp sunflower oil (I use olive oil)
2 tbsp butter
1 large onion, sliced
1-1/2lb pumpkin cut into large chunks (skin off, I just use a veggie peeler)
1 lb potato, sliced
2-1/2 cups veggie stock
pinch fresh grated nutmeg (I often leave this out, I'm not a nutmeg fan)
1 tsp fresh chopped tarragon (I leave this out because I never have any)
2-1/2 cups milk (soy milk should be fine but I haven't tried it)
1 tsp lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste

Then I also add in a 1/4tsp of cumin instead of the other herbs and it makes a fantastic curry/pumpkin/potato soup.

Saute onion in oil and butter until soft. Add pumpkin and potato and sweat over low heat for 10 min, stir occasionaly to keep everything from sticking. Stir in stock, spices. Bring to boil, simmer 10 min. Allow to cool, blend with food processor (I use one of those hand blenders that you can stick right in the pot). Add milk. stir. Add lemon juice, stir, season to taste, Serve!

[Jacksmum8]

We went to the Apple Festival today, and I have to say that it was a bit of a bust for us. Long lines for everything, high prices for treats, just too crowded. Maybe because it was such a beautiful day.

We had more fun just wandering around in the Botanical Gardens. I love that place! So many fun little paths to explore....

I hope you all enjoyed the sunshine today!

We were there too! It was such a beautiful day. We managed to get quite a few apples and Jack had fun at the kids area, although he was a bit freaked out by the clown making balloon animals. I guess fear of clowns runs in the family.

Hello?
New to the group...from Abbotsford BC...been having a bit of a peruse while on my break here at work...would love to join in...

Terrible about your dad Autumn Mama...looks like you have a lot of support here...good friends can help one cope with such a loss...

As for Stormbride's request for soup recipes...I have just recently discovered the most amazing butternut squash soup recipe!!! Have made it twice in the last 2 weeks..can't get enough...it goes something like this...
Cleaned-seeded/peeled butternut squash cut into chunks and tossed in the slow cooker. Saute a chopped onion in 1/4 c butter and throw it in. Add some dried marjoram (1/2 tsp?) and salt/pepper to your taste. Can add a dash of cayenne pepper if you like the heat (not so much for my 3 yr old, but oh so delicious) Add 3 cups chicken stock (I add mine hot) and simmer it on low 6-8 or high 3-4hrs. About 30 min before the end of cook time, stick a hand blender in and puree it. Add a block of cream cheese cut into chunks and whisk together as it melts. Might need to thicken it a bit with 1 tblsp corn starch in 1/4 cup water.
Amazingly easy and incredibly tasty. Your kids won't even recognize the squash!

Welcome!:w:w

My big little boy is 6 today!

I sung happy Birthday to him and started crying. I'm such a suck :p.


:birthday::birthday::birthday:

I cry at every one of Jack's birthday's too. I'm all for joining a suck club:)

[widemouthedfrog]

hugs to you, autumn mama.

we went to the apple festival too! I enjoyed it - I'd set a budget of $20 max and we were fine with that. We got our bag of apples for next week, went on the trolley to and from the parkade (I think that was dd's favourite part :eyesroll), did the apple tasting, had a hot cider and pie, listened to the music and did crafts at the kids area. The only grumpy one was me - I had a busy day presenting at a conference yesterday, and I felt really stressed by the lineups at the children's area. Aside from me having my one grumpy fit, I think we enjoyed ourselves - and we came away with a great list of apples we like.

We did come at 10:30 (before it opened) and it was a lot quieter at the beginning. When I looked at the lineup later, it was insane!

Is anyone else here getting freaked out by all of the banks melting down? I am keen on massive social change, but now that it might be coming...I'm a bit on edge. It doesn't help that I have a mortgage and a health condition - without those I think that I would feel a lot better about things.

[Jacksmum8]

hugs to you, autumn mama.

we went to the apple festival too! I enjoyed it - I'd set a budget of $20 max and we were fine with that. We got our bag of apples for next week, went on the trolley to and from the parkade (I think that was dd