jakobjabber

I'm Revealing a Secret...

2011-03-26T22:10:00.008-04:00

I am about to divulge a secret that may not be earth-shattering to those who know me but for some (those who would never read this blog probably), it may be revolutionary.

I have..... never voted Conservative. It's true. I guess I've always had a soft spot for social justice and social justice doesn't usually fit well with the Conservative agenda. Maybe it's the type of education I had and issues I chose to research while in university. Maybe it's because I've always had an eye cast around the world - keeping track of genocides, intra-state conflict and things like that. When I was in highschool, I kept every newspaper clipping I could find related to the Rwandan war/genocide. This might be considered odd or morbid by many but I haven't yet been able to throw them out even though I know it's probably accessible on the internet somewhere.

I respect everyone's right to make their choice and even announce their choice to others. Heck, I'm joining the bandwagon right now! (Sort of...) My political leanings are something of a secret because I don't usually discuss politics with family or friends. I dislike it. I suppose it's a good thing for people to feel passionate but I'm not always comfortable with the type of passion I encounter. This is usually when I draw back and make a decision not to discuss how I really feel about the political discussion at the table. I like to be informed. I like to know about things before I try to convince everyone else that I really do know what I'm talking about. Perhaps another word to describe this is cautious. Perhaps cowardice.

Two things are troubling me - firstly, the amount of falsehoods projected as accepted truths. Please be informed prior to declaring facts (or views) that you've probably heard from someone you might consider reliable. It almost pains me to read facebook statuses full of misconceptions and falsehoods coupled with the zeal of the converted. I want so much to comment and say - 'Actually, there is no coalition. Actually, the Liberals were more fiscally responsible throughout the 90s, eliminated the deficit and laid the regulatory groundwork for the banking system (However flawed it may be.).' But I won't. I won't say it because I don't like confrontation so much. I feel like many of the political opinions expressed lately have been more aggressive than necessary. There is a way to discuss politics without speaking in absolutes. There is a way to listen to each other even though most people would rather be heard. (Btw - I feel hypocritical writing this in a blog where I am the one being heard.)

So, happy campaigning my friends. Please remember to consider your arguments before passing it off as fact, understanding that we all make mistakes now and then. Also, please be civil and kind. We all have reasons for choosing to vote the way we do - one may think about their pension, another their tax credit. Or maybe it's the war in Afghanistan. Have your reasons, have your passion and be nice.

I love my food.

2011-03-24T16:06:00.002-04:00

Has anyone else ever noticed that the cost of food in the US is unsustainably low?

I noticed the ridiculously low cost of food while travelling through the US recently. Food should not be this cheap in restaurants. It was approximately half the price of an equivalent meal here (this is a very unscientific study completed by me at the Cracker Barrel, Burger King and a local pizza joint. Maybe it's not the most comprehensive study but it was really difficult to find notable restaurants within sight of the interstate in NY, NJ, Pennsylvania.).

People wonder why Americans are gaining weight and eating processed food? Ummm... because it's too cheap not to buy the processed, hormone-laden food due to subsidization and lobbying. Nowhere else in the world is the cost of mass-produced food kept at such a low level. The caveat is - I suspect that local, organic or sustainably produced food is not nearly as affordable, even in the US. I live in Canada and travelled to Africa, Europe and Caribbean. Some of these countries do not have access to the American dream of having thousands of products to choose from at the supermarket but are they any less healthy?

Many societies still rely on a fairly traditional diet. They eat a lot of lamb, chicken, root vegetables, couscous and dried fruit in Morocco. You could probably find all the fast food trappings in Europe but many still value artisan cheeses, breads and meats. Europe also limits the amount of genetically modified food available in the marketplace. There is nothing like a traditional French meal. I was lucky enough to enjoy this with some friends - meal begins at 8pm on the front lawn and ends at 11pm. Homemade foie gras, salads, meat, charcuterie. Cousins, neighbours and friends coming to the meal and contributing a dish or two. Honestly, this is still done. I'm not kidding! We also visited my husband's family in Germany and they did a very similar thing. The tables are permanently set up outside and there is a continual trail of meats, radish, cheese from the house to the table under the castana tree. It sounds very romantic and I doubt every day is such a celebration but it is beautiful to enjoy good food with friends and family. Life is rich. Eating a traditional diet is not such a bad thing, really.

Eating well has costs. It is more expensive to eat clean or well in North America. I wish real food (unprocessed, fruits, veggies, etc) was more affordable for everyone and that processed food reflected the true costs, including health costs. Personally, I have made the decision to spend a greater part of our budget on integrating as many organic or local/sustainable food into our home. I make most of our meals from original ingredients but sometimes... I still stop at McDonald's to give my kids lunch. Sometimes, I grab a pizza from the freezer. It's certainly not perfection. Now, only if they could create a healthy alternative fast-food chain with drive-thru windows for minivans full of children.

Inklings

2010-01-09T08:37:00.002-05:00

I find it very difficult to blog about our family. There's just too much to fit into a blog entry. The boys are always busy. The baby is adorable - a true sweetheart and a joy (He has slept better than the other two did). Perhaps my new laptop is inspiring me to blog again??? Typing was impossibly frustrating on my old one. So, here it is!

First topic - 3 IDIOTS

I went to see a great movie the other night. '3 Idiots'. It's a Hindi movie just released a couple weeks ago and I loved it! So much more interesting than the usual Hollywood staple meted out. It was colourful, funny and even touching. I recommend this movie to anyone. It's about following your dreams and living your life while having peace that 'all izzz well'. There's also a little bit of Bollywood dancing and singing thrown in there for good measure.

http://idiotsacademy.zapak.com/idiotsmain.php

Second Topic - Harper's Proroguement of Parliament

Is this really necessary? As if you cannot work in Parliament while preparing a new economic plan to suit 2010. 2010 is already here. If you don't have an economic plan yet, you're a bit late. If I were managing this lot, I would be disappointed in their performance. Besides, is it not easier to develop an economic strategy while people are working? When you can work collaboratively across party lines to develop something useful?

I have an inkling that this is not the principle reason for proroguing parliament. I must enter a disclaimer here - I am not currently a professional political analyst. I am currently quelling a raging diaper rash on the baby and negotiating schedules to allow jiu-jitsiu, swimming, yoga, gym, piano lessons. Back to the principle reason for Harper's decision to prorogue parliament. I sense that he wants to avoid concluding the inquiry into the torturing of Afghan detainees once Canadian military handed them over the Afghan counterparts. Is it outlandish to surmise that this possibility could be reality? Wouldn't it be better to listen to all claims and acknowledge what truth there is and work forward? Admit when mistakes are made. The boys were asking me if there are mistakes. On Kung Fu Panda, Master Shifu says that there are no mistakes. I explained (to a 4 and 6 yr old) that we should live our lives with intention - thinking about things before we do them. And there are mistakes made - we all make mistakes BUT the real question is whether we learn from these mistakes. If we are learning and progress, the mistake wasn't all bad. If a government cannot learn from mistakes and make changes to protect people from torture, then there is no progress.

All for now.

Ottawa is the city of Brotherly Love

2009-05-12T07:11:00.002-04:00

A lot has happened since the last post - we have a new baby but that is not what this post will be about.

Konrad loves Pokemon. Anyone who knows him, knows this. His obsession has lasted for about 6 months. We even had a Pokemon-themed birthday party recently for his 6th birthday. Eric drew a larger than life Pikachu for a 'Pin the tail on the Pikachu' game and it still graces our living room wall. Konrad's love of Pokemon is an important detail to remember while reading the following story.

Lots of changes have happened since the baby (Ezra) was born. Anders is no longer the baby and the once nearly-perfect boy is now exploring boundaries within the family. There's a lot more bickering and fighting between Anders and Konrad. They're okay while outside in the open but once inside the house, there is teasing, arguments over their favourite colour, kicking and punching. It sorta drives me crazy.

Konrad is currently in piano lessons. In order to motivate the students, the teacher gives them a score each week. Their score depends on whether they've practiced, listened during lesson time, etc. After 4 weeks, he has a score out of a hundred. So far, Konrad has always scored the 'best prize' which has been renting a movie and Anders chooses the snack. Konrad has been saving money earned from his birthday, occasional allowance and his most recent 'piano prize' to purchase some Pokemon cards. Lastnight, we went to Wal-Mart so he could choose some cards. Anders was a little sad because he did not have money to buy his own Pokemon cards. He was even crying a little because we couldn't find any packs cheaper than $13.

After getting home, Konrad and Daddy stayed in the car a bit longer. Eric explained that Anders is a little sad because he felt left out. Usually, when we rent the move, we allow Anders to pick the treat and he feels pretty happy about that but when Konrad chooses Pokemon cards, Anders cannot share them and it makes him sad. Eric told me that Konrad's eyes became huge with understanding. Konrad came into the house and held his new Pokemon cards. He sat down with Anders and dealt the cards - one for Konrad, one for Anders, one for Konrad, one for Anders... Konrad did not even look to make sure he was giving Anders the lower-point cards. Some of the cards were very good. I was amazed that Konrad gave half of his new booty to his little brother.

Despite the bickering and teasing, I think they truly do love each other. It is so nice to see a glimmer of this once in a while. It makes me happy. As I write this, they are beside me in my bed kicking and wrestling. I think I'm developing claustrophobia....

I found some photos from last summer!!!

2009-02-26T21:53:00.012-05:00

Here are some photos I've found from last summer. We spent some time at the lake with friends ... fishing of course. The boys LOVE fishing. It began with Konrad and Anders has quickly picked up the obsession. They can name and identify more fish native to our lakes and rivers than most adults.

Eric set up our tent-trailer at the lake this summer to appease me. I wasn't so keen on sleeping in a tent repeatedly. I must admit that I loved having a tent trailer. We were safe from the mosquitos and fairly comfortable. Yay Eric!

Jeremy Stevenson with Nicole and Reuben catching a small perch.

Victoria and Adele catching their perch.

Konrad catching a perch. This picture was taken in June. By August, he began using lures. He caught a pike one day and started screaming with surprise. Once he felt that pull, he has never looked back. Now, he has his own tackle box complete with various lures.

The fishing doesn't end at the lake. We had LOTS of water in our front ditch this summer and the kids actually found minnows.

This summer, we went on a little road trip through Ontario and New York. We stopped to see the Chaggares family in Newmarket and Jen is looking as great as ever!

After visiting family, it was onward to Palmyra. It was wonderful travelling with toilet-trained kids this summer but Anders surprised us a little. After crossing the border, we stopped to get a drink. Anders went to the bathroom at the rest stop. As we were reaching our car, he nearly peed his pants and had to pee on the tire of the car. Within the next 30 minutes, we had to stop FOUR TIMES on the side of the highway. I don't know how this child was producing so much urine!

Anyhow, we made it to Palmyra and visited all the sites. Here's Konrad between the Sacred Grove and the Smith home.

Eric also had a small mission reunion in Palmyra. We met at a local park and had a great BBQ. Eric will have to explain who these people are in the picture because I really don't have too much to add. Perhaps he'll comment on this blog post if he ever reads it.

There was a huge thunderstorm rolling through during our picnic and the kids had fun running around in the rain. An older woman at a nearby picnic table was appalled that my son's pants were hanging low since they were soaked through.

So, that's it for now. Perhaps I'll add more photos soon. I finally downloaded some photos this morning.

Umm... No photos

2009-01-10T09:34:00.002-05:00

Hey everyone. What's a blog posting without any photos? Well, this is one. I had a few minutes and I thought I would write a little update.

Since April (the last time I blogged!) too much has happened. We spent some time up at the lake this summer. Eric got a great tent-trailer for us so I am better protected from the noises I hear at night. The kids did really well, considering the water and steep dropoff into the lake. It was a cool summer but we got some swimming and fishing in. Anders turned 3 in July. He had his first real birthday party with two little friends. It was very cute and he was so excited.

This fall has been busy. I can't remember why right now, but I've been working a lot and been tired. We're expecting a baby boy February 26th. We've had lots of firsts. First thefts, first piano recital, .... We have another nanny with us right now. Her name is Casey and she is from New Mexico, USA. The boys like her a lot and they also enjoy her fiance Francois. Yup, she's getting married March 20th. By then, I should have had our baby and be home again. We've had tenants in our basement since August which has been fun for the boys (there are 3 boys close to their age). We've learned a lot through this experience.

Konrad is enjoying French Immersion this year and learning a lot more French!!! Very exciting because now he understands some things we say around the house. He's also able to read. I catch him studying his multiplication table posted beside his bed before I turn out the lights. And he's learning piano. He's also starting jiu-jitsu this winter. Anders is learning to be an avid fisherman as well, LOVES his books and animals, is very affectionate and can stay in the lines while colouring. These things are important to kids. Actually, Anders knows the notes on the piano almost as well as Konrad since he's present for daily practices.

We had a busy Christmas. I worked through the holidays so there wasn't much 'down-time'. Actually, it nearly killed me. There's also been the transit strike in Ottawa for over a month which means I need to leave half an hour earlier (6:45) to avoid spending 1.5 to 2 hours on the way to work. It's been inconvenient for us but I really feel for all the people whose livelihood is threatened by the lack of transit. Urghhh.....

Friends came over on Christmas Eve and we ate lots of good stuff (thanks to the Lee Wen family and Kaicy!), sang carols and played music. We were to host the Jakob Family Christmas but Grandpa Jakob broke his leg mid-December so Eric's parents weren't able to make it. Everyone else came, including my parents. Once the dinner was over, things were relaxed. On the Saturday, we took the boys ice-fishing up at the lake. They each caught a prize trout which we enjoyed for dinner the next day. New Year's was a bit quieter than usual - we had some friends over for a relaxed evening. No one else was working over the holidays so I was trying to be social in the evenings and effective at work during the day. Not something I can manage very long.

Right now, we're at Eric's parents place for a couple days while Eric worked in the area. Ken and Wendy had a baby girl Thursday and we're hoping to catch a glimpse of the baby before we leave town to return to Ottawa. Congrats Ken and Wendy!!!

April Happenigs

2008-06-08T16:35:00.009-04:00

I usually feel the urge to blog when I've finally down/uploaded photos (I forget if it's downloading or uploading). Here's some from April.

Konrad's Fifth Birthday

Konrad turned 5. We had a lovely birthday party with some boys. They made some crafty fish, played a couple fishing games and ate a fish cake (or a cake decorated like a fish). It was a fun day.

THE RACE

And then... what do most families do with their children on a Friday night? Hmm.... rent a movie, perhaps a bike ride, play a game, have a BBQ. We introduced our children to horse racing. Our horse -Noble Robin, won!!!

This was actually my first time at the horsetrack, too. My co-worker, Susan (in the pink sweater) owns Noble Robin and her boyfriend, Guy Gravelle, trains harness racers. In the spirit of 'pink', I wore a pink shirt, too. The horse was pretty wired after the race and the kids were afraid to get too close for a picture. We also had a picture taken with the professional photographer and there was fear in the children's faces. It was fun... and she won!

THE TREE

I love our pine tree. It is beautiful but it is also half dead. So, Eric decided to have some treeclimbers come and take it down. Sad, but it had to be done. Konrad was in the mix of course, helping Daddy stack the wood and clean up.

His sunglasses are a nice touch.

The End of the Day

The Boys are are Good

2008-06-08T08:01:00.002-04:00

I might start blogging again - we'll see. I took the boys to their annual check-up two weeks ago. We missed last year's check-up so it had been a LONG time since they've seen a doctor.

Konrad is 44.5 inches tall and 44 lbs.

Anders is 39 inches tall and 36 lbs.

In every way, they are normal and developing well. Anders has continued along his growth curve consistently - big.

They each had immunization shots. Since I am soooo far behind in those, they each had two shots. They were amazing!!! Konrad scrunched up his face after the second one because it stings once it gets in and Anders didn't do much of anything. The nurse praised them and they each got 5 stickers.

My boys are brave!

I Think Winter Might be Ending...

2008-04-07T21:51:00.008-04:00

This has been the longest winter ever. I remember getting my winter tires on in November after we'd already had 2 or 3 snowstorms. I think my tires need replacing next year from all the wear on snow and ice this year. For those who haven't had the joy of living in Ottawa this year - we have had well over 400cm of snow this winter. I think we're 12 cm from the all-time record. That sounds impressive and I can report that I drove to work every day - even the days when I had to check the traffic on the road at the end of our street, back up 20 metres and 'giv-ur' (Canadian slang for accelerating as quickly as possible so I don't get stuck). I took it all in stride but there were some moments. We were lucky. We live outside the city so we had a big yard to dump our snow. The streets throughout the city was a whole different story. The streets were barely wide enough for one car, let alone 2 cars and pedestrians (since clearing the sidewalks was abandoned long ago). The city of Gatineau publicly stated that they wouldn't clear sidewalks and would instead focus on clearing lanes of major streets that had been snowbanks. Many 4 lane streets became 2 lane streets. On the night of the BIG snow in March, a friend of ours who is a firefighter was working. Unlucky him. Since the ambulances couldn't go down most streets or roads, the firefighters had to carry people on stretchers through knee-deep snow to meet the ambulance on major roads. That must have been exhausting. I know, because I went out to play with the kids and had to walk through hip-deep snow. It's not an easy thing.

This is Anders in our back yard. Good thing the water in the pool is frozen or I'm afraid it wouldn't meet code. Note how Anders didn't sink into the snow.

This is Konrad playing in the backyard. This is my kitchen window above the sink so that is one big pile of snow he's sitting on.

Eric even got our snowblower stuck. Seriously. He had to dig it out with a shovel.

Eric braving new paths. What fun this winter has been.

And here are my boys in front of the sliding door. Good thing Anders doesn't sink through the snow because I fear he would have been lost forever!

And now I think winter might be ending. We can actually see grass in some places - like over the septic bed. Mind you, I think we will have snow on our back deck well into May. Perhaps it will melt just in time for Eric's birthday BBQ.

'Why Doesn't Jennifer Blog More Often' - Here's Why

2008-01-03T21:44:00.001-05:00

In response to Laura's blog entry - I will raise my voice, speaking out for infrequent bloggers everywhere.

Why I haven't blogged for over a month - I've been busy. Lots has happened - believe me - plenty enough but I have been too tired to write about it. AND - work has been terribly depressing. PLUS - we've misplaced our camera again. What's a good blog entry without pictures? Luckily, other people take pictures. So, I might be using some of them.

Christmas was eventful. Ward Christmas Dinners, school concert for Konrad, baking cookies with the kids and visiting others. We particularly visited an elderly couple in a retirement home nearby - the Greenfields. It was fun. She doesn't hear very well so she would speak over her husband while he was speaking to us. Neither would stop talking so Eric and I looked at each other - not knowing which way to look. We tag teamed it - He listened to her and I listened to him. The kids had fun. They ate one of the muffins we brought for the Greenfield's and also managed to score one of their apples.

We also had a dinner party at the Bondarchuk home. They've just moved to Ottawa and wanted to thank those that helped them move into their home. Here's a couple pictures from the evening:

Christmas - there was a Christmas Eve that we hosted for a few friends - food, singing, A Christmas Story, gingerbread houses.

On Christmas Day we drove to Cambridge to enjoy the Jakob Family festivities. Food. Turkey dinner, pies, crepes the next morning, turkey soup, homemade turkey alfredo pizza, french toast. My stomach was in complete shock. I felt so gross lastweek but who can not enjoy the wonderful food? Konrad played the Wii and Anders... pretended to play the Wii.

Then on to the McCartney Family Christmas - more turkey with all the trimmings and fabuous pies. It was nice to see everyone - it's been a long time since we've all been together (except for Laura of course).

Braden was baptized Dec 27th. A very busy and family-filled week.

I'm Not a Geek!

2007-11-24T08:57:00.001-05:00

20% Geek

Surprise! Well, I had my suspicions. I know that I'm not very geeky.

Adventures in Babysitting

2007-10-17T21:41:00.001-04:00

Child care has been ... varied since I returned to work in August. We found a nice lady nearby for 3 weeks and then their Aunt Eiryn came to watch them for about a month. I think that they had fun. Erin also likes to take photos... and who can resist wonderful photos of the boys?

Yes, Anders is peeking through luncheon meat - the kind with macaroni and cheese in it. I didn't buy it - it was leftover from Isabelle's reception.

Be prepared. The following photos may cause heart palpitations. That was my reaction when I walked in.

Where to Start?

2007-10-14T08:49:00.001-04:00

How do you catch up on 2 months of happenings at the Jakob household?
Konrad loved playing soccer this summer. He loved to be a goalie and LOVED scoring goals. It was a lot of fun. During their 'Family Fun' year-end tournament, Konrad quickly abandoned his position on the field when he saw a parent eating rice chips. He darted straight for the bag and begged a snack. One boy on his team professed his love on the field. He kissed one of the girls on the team and then ran victory laps. They also made 'grass angels'. It was a fun day.

AND my boy started school. He was nervous about getting on the bus alone but I advised him to grab onto the railing and walk up the stairs. Everything else would be fine. I guess it went fine because he has loved the past month of school.

2007-09-02T17:37:00.001-04:00

Konrad is a very social boy. Our neighbours know him well. If he sees Ben, the boy across the street, he yells out from the house, 'Ben! Ben! Ben!...' (and so on) until Konrad can make his way outside. If Konrad sees our neighbour Fritz, he shouts, 'Fritz! Fritz! Fritz!'. Konrad will go to the fence daily and negotiate with Fritz for his daily vegetable ration. Konrad has managed to receive 4 cucumbers, tomatoes, carrots and rhubarb.

One day, Konrad was inside the house doing what boys do... when he spotted Fritz walking down the road. Fritz does a daily walk down to the mailbox at around 3:30. Konrad ran outside to greet him but was too late. I suggested to Konrad that he talk to Fritz when he returns from the mailbox. Konrad flipped the recycling bin over and waited......

If you look closely enough, Fritz is in the distance returning from the mailbox. My son is social ... and tenacious.

He's Got Wheels...Two of Them.

2007-08-28T21:18:00.001-04:00

Can you believe it? Konrad is riding a bike without training wheels. He's already been on hour-long bike rides since then. He was so excited... can you see the smile on his face? There never was a prouder boy than Konrad.

Anders Birthday! (from July 18th - A delayed post)

2007-08-26T22:28:00.000-04:00

Anders birthday was in July but I hadn't downloaded the photos until yesterday. Anders turned two and we spent a day at the Toronto Metro Zoo. Isn't that what every family does in the summer? The kids had a blast.

Anders loves animals right now. He's all about the animals. Elephants are one of his very favourite animals so we had to take a photo!

I was getting a few requests for proof that I had actually made the most amazing raspberry lemon cream cake ever. Here it is. The cake that I will never make again.

And the end to a great birthday for a 2 year old - swimming with Grandpa Jakob. It was a great day.

Jakob-Binch Family Reunion in Elk Lake

2007-08-07T22:09:00.000-04:00

I know that I have a lot of other things to catch up on BUT I actually have photos for this event so I will document it. We arrived Thursday night with two large bass in our cooler. Yum-yum. Eric's Uncle Karl and Aunt Patsy hosted the reunion at their home in Elk Lake. Nearby, at their local landfill site, the bears feast on garbage. Sometimes there are more than 8 bears. I think it's sad but the bears are particularly hungry this year since the blueberries aren't as plentiful. Anders and Konrad had so much fun. There was a trampoline, lots of fishing, boat rides, fireworks and lots of cousins to play with. I should probably explain Eric's family to those of you whom do not belong to the clan. Grandma Christa Binch came to Canada from Germany with Eric Jakob and had Eleanor, Karl, Klaus, Martin, and Erica. After her husband died, she remarried Henry Binch. Then she had more children - Wally, Johnny and Ray. That's a lot of kids and there are MANY grandchildren who have followed. There's much more to this story and I am new in the Jakob clan so I don't know a part of it.

This is a photo of Grandma Binch at the beach with the family. She loves the water.

Here's Uncle Martin with their new speedboat. It was a lot of fun EXCEPT when you tried to speak to someone next you. The spit and drool would then fly out of your mouth. Speed.

Here's a great photo of some of Grandma Binch's grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

We had a great time. Eric and I took the boys out fishing Saturday evening and we caught several small perch, pickerel and pike. The kids were pretty excited about that. I read a short history of Elk Lake and it was very interesting. Ojibway peoples claim that there were elk and caribou here. There is a long history of mining silver and logging. There was a notable logging baron, J.R. Booth . He logged the Montreal River and sent the logs downstream toward Lake Temiskaming, then the Ottawa River. His lumber mills were in Ottawa. Like many small towns in northern Ontario, Elk Lake was once a hubbub of activity when mining was at its peak. I can vouch for the fact that it's pretty sleepy these days.

Happy Birthday Anders!

2007-07-23T14:50:00.000-04:00

Unfortunately, I can only give a written account of this past week's festivities as Eric has ALL of the photos. Sorry! What fun is a blog entry without photos?

Last week we went to the Toronto Metro Zoo to celebrate Anders' second birthday. We had lots of fun and the boys particularly enjoyed the seal, elephants, hippos and giraffes. Afterwards, we had dinner at the Chaggares home in Newmarket. It was nice to see Jen. She's due to have a baby in a week or so but she is oh-so-lucky. Her belly is probably less than half the size of mine towards the end. Ah well.

We also enjoyed a couple days at Grandpa and Grandma Jakob's home. I spent 4 hours making a birthday cake. It was a Raspberry Lemon Cream Cake - absolutely delicious. The eggs needed to be whipped for 10 minutes, bake the cake for an hour, prepare the cream on the stove for 20 minutes, cool for an hour, then mix the cream with whipped cream and assemble the cake. THEN it was supposed to set for 4 hours in the fridge. I will never make this cake again.

During our road trip back home on Thursday, we raced the monsoon blowing in from the west. We stopped at several warehouses to visit Eric's clients (actually, we were in the car while Eric visited), ate lunch at Frankie Tomato's and visited Viceroy Homes in Port Hope. Meanwhile, the monsoon was gaining ground on us. In Port Hope, it overtook us and due to a pit stop in Kingston we didn't regain the lead until we were nearly in Ottawa. Ah well. It rained for a good 24 hours on Friday anyway.

A Delayed Tag ... But I'm not Passing it On.

2007-07-23T14:38:00.000-04:00

Places I worked...
1. Babysitter Extraordinaire
2. Chinchilla Farm
3. McDonald's
4. The Arthritis Society

Movies I can watch over and over...
1. I do like Pride and Prejudice...
2. I
3. don't
4. know.

Places I've lived...
1. Codrington
2. Toronto
3. Hamilton
4. Ottawa

Favourite TV shows...
1. So You Think You Can Dance!
2. Grey's Anatomy
3. Lost
4. The Office

Places I've been...
1. St. Charles bridge in Prague
2. bull fight in Nimes
3. cabin on Galliano Island
4. green, leather couch in a hostel in Utah.

Favourite foods...
1. sushi
2. good salads
3. fresh veggies and berries
4. chocolate.

Majors I've considered...
1. law
2. engineering
3. international development
4. peace and conflict studies

Places I'd rather be...
1. asleep in my bed
2. in a clean house
3. in my garden
4. Morocco

There! I don't think this information is very revealing, though. Random information that most people would guess to be true anyway. I won't be challenging anyone to do this. I make it a point to NEVER forward chain emails... or anything like that. Instead of bringing bad luck on myself, I feel I am improving the world by de-cluttering e-mail inboxes.

Does God Live Further Than Space?

2007-07-15T10:37:00.000-04:00

I haven't done the 'Question from Konrad' segment for many months. Here's another question from the mouth of Konrad. Does God Live Farther Than Space? and within the same breath, he told me that God's mother is older than him. This kid is intense! I do know some things but - how do you explain the precise domicile of God without making some part up? And how much can a 4 year old really grasp? Obviously a lot.

The French Conclusion...Really.

2007-07-03T10:57:00.000-04:00

And THEN we rented a car in Monaco and drove all over France. Really. We drove to Bourges (where the cleanest public toilets were - the smell of bleach was strong and it was super-clean), visited some Chateaux Chambord

and Chenonceau,

then drove to LeMans to stay for the night. THEN we drove to Mont St-Michel,

visited the monastery,

drove to Caen and stayed for the night. THEN we visited Juno Beach Centre along the Normandy Beaches. That's where we lost Eric's camera - very sad. Thank goodness we didn't lose many pictures. From Normandy, we drove to Paris in record time. The speed limit is 130 km/h and we were pushing it to make the deadline to hand in our rental car at Place des Invalides in Paris. Anyone who knows where Place des Invalides is, knows that we also had to drive through Paris. If we were in the Amazing Race, we would've come in first place. With Jessica's directions and my driving, we made it on time. I was actually quite proud of myself - I drove like a true Parisienne. It was a fun challenge. We spent the weekend with Sister Janet Stone who was the most hospitable hostess. We truly felt like we were at home. We shopped for... 6 or 7 hours. I bought some nice shoes. We went on a touristy boat ride and took lots of funny pictures of other tourists falling asleep.

We had lots of fun, lots of good food and lots of good memories. Thanks Jessica for being a great travel partner. I appreciated your calm when I had a few moments of anxiety (ie. lost camera, lost Bed and Breakfast in Bourges). And then I came home and was in a car accident within half an hour. Bummer.

France Part II

2007-06-19T21:37:00.000-04:00

I ended the last entry in Avignon, a nice city. We attended an interesting event Friday night - a bull fight in a Roman coliseum where gladiators fought to the death. I was expecting to leave quickly after the first bullfight (is it one word or two?) BUT I came to appreciate it for what it is. I don't know very much about the history of bullfighting but there is a lot of tradition and pageantry. I was reminded that this tradition originated in a day when life was dirty and nasty. People died all the time simply because they didn't brush their teeth.. (abcesses...) Anyway, if we were to imagine ourselves ranching in a hot, dry place 200 years ago, perhaps a bullfight held significance other than what we may consider today. It was actually interesting. The crowd loved the second ranked bullfighter in the region (or perhaps the world, for all I know). People were wildly jumping with excitement during the 'fight' and threw shirts, hats, flowers and other varied objects into the ring. I noticed a system - if the audience was happy with the round they waved white handkerchiefs. When people were unhappy about the bull suffering or whatever, they'd whistle and yell.

The next stop was Marseille. We visited Notre Dame de la Garde on the highest point in the city.

Everywhere we went, there were celebrations and parties. Feria Whitsuntide in Nimes, league title soccer match in Marseille, Grand Prix in Monaco, D-Day Anniversary in Normandy (well, we were a couple days early) and the French Open in Paris. It made finding accomodation difficult. In Marseille, we were lucky to get the last 2 rooms in a hotel downtown for a reasonable price since our previous B&B hostess (Andree Roustan) knew the hotel's owner's parents. (Did that make sense to you?) The rooms were small - not much bigger than my bathroom. BUT at least we had a place to stay. For the second time, I could not visit Chateau D'If off the coast of Marseille. It was too windy. How many times do I need to visit Marseille before I can actually get to this island? Chateau D'If was a place to hold prisoners - The Count of Monte Cristo was written/supposed to be there. I did do something in Marseille that I'd missed out on last time - eating bouillabaise. Here it is -

YUMMY!!!

Next stop was ... Menton. Menton is past Monaco-Monte Carlo but just before the Italian border. It is a beautiful town without as many of the flashy cars. The first night, our waiter actually poured us shots. After much protesting, I challenged him to drink it (I wasn't going to). We went to an Italian restaurant the second night and I had the best gnocchi of my life!!! After eating it, I wondered why we hadn't thought of making time to take a train into Italy for a day. Ah well, another time. Menton was beautiful, though. Monaco was good too.

Ok. That's all I can write tonight. Thanks to Grandpa Jakob for stopping by tonight to eat ice cream. Happy Father's Day to my dad. I don't have his new phone number yet which probably sounds horrible but it isn't really. Oh - and for those who heard of my plight in the garden (well, one of many), I don't think that I have marijuana growing after all. I'm not sure whether it will end up being cherry tomatoes but at least I'm not raising illegal cash crops in my back yard.

France, In Retrospect

2007-06-13T22:33:00.000-04:00

So, here's a rundown. I travelled with a friend of mine, Jessica Lee Wen. We actually travelled really well together and are still good friends. We flew into Paris on separate flights, met up, and travelled by train to visit with Angelina Luigi Booth's family in Castelnau Montratier (near Cahors, near Toulouse). Jessica got a kick out of the idea that you need to PAY to use the toilets in Europe. We arrived in Cahors where Henri (Angelina's mom's boyfriend) came to pick us up. They live in a beautiful part of France, surrounded by forest and farms. We had a great meal at their home - charcuterie, pate and cheese.

We spent the next day lazing about and eating great food. I loved the fresh cherries everywhere. Eric would've been in heaven, picking fresh fruit from the trees and eating it. We had such a feast that night. More family came bringing quiche, more homemade pate and we contributed with a flan and tarte aux pommes for dessert. We left the table at 11:30pm.

We travelled to Nimes and Avignon the next day (Thursday). We stayed at a fabulous Bed and Breakfast 'Beaupertuis' where Andree Roustan welcomed us and helped us plan some of our trip. On Friday, we explored more of Avignon. It's a beautiful city. We toured the Palais des Papes and the Pont Benezet (or more commonly known 'Pont d'Avignon'). We danced on the bridge at the request of Jessica's kids. We danced and we sang... I felt a bid self-conscious but we did it.

Welcome Home!

2007-06-07T15:50:00.001-04:00

For those who are anticipating fabulous pictures or stories of the food in France, you'll be waiting. After travelling for a loooong time on Monday, I finally made it home to the Ottawa airport. On the drive home, we were in a car accident. The kids were fine, Eric was fine. I was turned looking at the kids when Eric slammed on the brakes so I have some soreness and bruising across the neck, chest, etc. I'll be in physio 3 times per week until it's better. I've generally been feeling pretty tired and spacy - whether it's from jet lag or after-effects from the accident, I'm not sure.

Not to worry though, you'll see photos in a couple of days.

Happy Birthday Eric!

2007-05-19T18:35:00.000-04:00

Eric turns 30 on Monday. Since I'm flying out on his birthday, we decided to celebrate it today. Although I didn't plan his Birthday BBQ in advance, lots of good friends made it out to our house for a good time. There was meat... and salads and cookies and mosquitos. Oh! - there was also the hockey game. We were all in the living room when the Ottawa Senators won the game, thereby winning the Eastern Conference. On they go to the Stanley Cup. Thanks to everyone who came out today - whether it was golfing or eating. It was reminiscent of last year's Canada Day BBQ. Last year, everyone watched the World Cup - this year it was hockey. The kids were remarkably well behaved - lots of little ones running in and out, playing soccer, riding bikes, eating hot dogs. I even got to hold Scott Wride for the first time ever. He fell asleep on me despite the children crawling on me and the shouts when the Senators won the game. He's sweet.

Congrats to Eric for living the first 30 years of your life. I've been there for... 8 1/2 of them - the best ones, right? I hope so. Happy Birthday! and there is more... I just can't divulge the rest of the birthday secrets yet.

Depressing Season Finales

2007-05-19T09:00:00.000-04:00

So, what's the deal with depressing season finales? First, Grey's Anatomy. I am totally tired of George and Izzy's moping. It's painful to watch. And what's the deal with Meredith not wanting McDreamy? And THEN the show was topped off by Burke leaving Christina at the altar. These people are not normal. I know it's a show and must be entertaining but this goes beyond entertaining - this is just depressing. I can't believe that I anticipate watching this show every week - am I sadistic?

After Grey's Anatomy, I watched ER. Another depressing show. I don't remember all of the character's names but one guy has his legs amputated and then Neela gets trampled at a war demonstration. This was a sad ending to a sad night of TV but ER has had crazier storylines in the past. Someone's arm being severed by a helicopter, then a couple seasons later, a helicopter lands on this same individual. Helicopters had it out for this guy.

Should I stop watching. Probably. Will I? Hmmm...

He's a Boy - and he's Four!

2007-05-15T21:43:00.000-04:00

He's our boy - and he's four. His proper birth date is April 23, 2003. His entry into this world was difficult and he was a difficut baby as well. After he became a year old, things seemed to get easier and easier. He's energetic and intense but these are positive characteristics if we can have the patience it requires. Answering the fiftieth question before 7am is difficult some days. And don't think that these are siimple questions - these are scientific, philosophical questions. Anyhow - his birthday. I let Konrad decide what to eat for his 'birthday dinner' and he chose Daddy's lasagna. Daddy's lasagna has chopped broccoli, carrots, etc and meat. Konrad agreed that he wanted this meal despite the beef. Daddy wasn't there to make the lasagna but I tried my best to replicate the dish. Konrad helped me make fresh bread, lasagna and his chocolate birthday cake that day. He's a lovely boy. He's become a wonderful boy. I know... every child is special. But this is when I get to speak about my Konrad - it's his birthday. He loves math, numbers and learning about all sorts of things. He has everyone's age memorized in his 'filing cabinet brain'. We love him. He loves to keep his room tidy and he is the best big brother to Anders. We can't wait to see him learn and grow even more.

The Saturday following his birthday, we had a party for him at the MFRC. It was a joint party with a little boy named Lucas from his nursery school class. We had Tom from 'Reptiles Rock' come in and it was a great time. Yes, that's a tarantula on Konrad's hand and a boa constrictor on Eric. I've never held so many snakes in my life. Eric tried to smash the pinata but it just fell to the floor where ERic repeatedly beat it with a bat until it finally opened. That was the toughest pinata I've ever seen. Thanks to all the friends who made the day special.

2007-05-10T22:09:00.000-04:00

I just spent 40 minutes writing a great blog entry. I'm a little unhappy that it has disappeared. Sorry guys, but you're going to have to wait a little longer. I will blog soon about the eventful month we've had.

Today, I accompanied Konrad on his school's field trip on the O-Train. It was a long trip... and I DO have photos... one day. BUT not tonight... SORRY!!!

Lovely Night, Girls

2007-04-15T22:23:00.001-04:00

Lastnight was great. Tiana was in town for just a day or two before a short course and another deployment with the US Navy. I am so glad we could all meet up for sushi at Festival Japan. It's been 4.5 years since she left, but it's as if no time has passed when we get together. We were also out celebrating Jessica's birthday. Girls, we must do something other than sushi next time. We must diversify our palate. I so wish that I had browner skin. The flash is bouncing off of my white skin. Ick. You are blessed, Tiana.

Otherwise, the week has been slow. Eric was out of town for a while and I got a head cold. Oh - and the laundry pump broke and flooded our basement. Thank goodness for good friends who helped me out in a pinch. I hate breathing through my mouth while I sleep. BIG pet peeve. The boys are good. We went to see the Ottawa Puppeteers Group yesterday. They performed 'Stone Soup' and a few other fables. My parents bought the old farmhouse on Manitoulin Island lastweek. They'll be moving at the end of next month - probably. AND we are finally painting and updating the house a little. It's about time. Nina tore the wallpaper off my front hall last fall. The plans are there - we just have to get it done.

So much to say...

2007-04-09T21:21:00.000-04:00

Easter Weekend is over. Here's the recap. We all drove up to Barrie Thursday afternoon. When we got out of the car along the 400, we could not believe how cold the wind was. And then there's the snow. Barrie is known for snow, but it didn't stop for days. We hadn't had such a snowfall in Ottawa this entire winter. Unfortunately, I didn't plan for blizzards. No boots, mittens, or hats. Oops. We got to spend some time with the in-laws and a lovely visit with Jen C. and the kids at her mom's home in Barrie. She's becoming larger with child and due to have another babe in...??? (I don't remember).

Eric and I got a night away. Yes, just the two of us. This is an event worthy of record-books. We had a wonderful time. We checked into the Westin Trillium House at Blue Mountain village. It was nice and they still have ski runs open. Can you believe it? Skiing or snowboarding on Easter Weekend. Not I, though. This was a spur of the moment thing and I was not equipped for a ski weekend. We didn't ski, but we certainly spent some time in the outdoors at 'Le Scandinave'.

The baths were excellent. I loved the hot pools, the Norwegian steam room but did not love getting into the cold pools of water. Eric was crazy and got into the 51 degrees Fahrenheit pool. Yikes. It was great sitting in the hot pools of water with snow falling on your face. Lots of fun. It reminded us of Sorenson's cabin on Lake Temiskaming where DW introduced us to the tradition of 'Russian slapping'. There was absolutely no slapping going on this weekend.

The next day, we travelled from Blue Mountain to Cambridge to see Jason and Julie's new home AND to eat an Easter dinner, of course. Plus, Grandma and Poppa Jakob had our children so there were many reasons to hook up in Cambridge. Eric and I stopped at a small teahouse in the village of Hillsburgh. It was great. I had a cucumber sandwich with butternut squash soup. Classic tearoom fare.

We had a fabulous day at Julie and Jason's home. The kids had an Easter Egg hunt outside and then the traditional Easter meal of steak. The night was pretty rough. Konrad vomited at 3am (too much chocolate, too little food).

THEN we travelled to Dundas to visit my sister Lisa and family. We had a nice visit and ate the more traditional meal of turkey(the most traditional being ham or lamb, I suppose). The dinner was fabulous... altogether yummy. The best part was... I think we'll be buying a new dining table soon. Our table is something of a hazard. I apologize to my friends before sitting to eat, just in case the table spontaneously collapses onto their kids. Once Eric saw Lisa's table, he decided it's time to buy a new Mennonite-made STURDY table from St. Jacob's. Let's hope we get this table in the house before there's an accident.

THEN, we drove home. We made it from Dundas to Ottawa in less than 5 hours. The kids were asleep within the first 5 minutes. Eric and I talked most of the way home - we even argued for about 45 minutes. At least it helped the time pass - even arguments are welcome if they pass the time.

Happy Easter to all!!!

Happy Fool's Day!

2007-04-01T08:46:00.000-04:00

I haven't updated for two whole weeks, I think. Not much happens, though. Eric's parents were in the Honduras. They had a great time - Klaus did some zip-lines that were super-long. Heather enjoyed being pain-free for the week. Eric's in Florida right now golfing. Nice for him. I'm here with the kids all weekend. We're starting to get bored. We have routine during the week but the weekend can be a little long. I'm glad that Tandice and Jessica came over Friday night. We're getting pretty excited about France. Speaking of France, Angelina is in Paris this weekend with Cecile Mines. An impromptu trip to paint Cecile's friend's new apartment in Paris. The perks of being an esthetician, I suppose. Reminding me, that Eric went winter camping last weekend in Val-des-Bois. They all had a great time and there was still lots of ice and snow for skiing around the lake. My biggest concern was their toilet situation. I don't want to go up there next month and find treats underfoot.

I just found out that 12,000 people wrote the exams for the foreign service recruitment. That's crazy. I can hope for the best but I have absolutely no expectations. I've been working with a new trainer the last couple of weeks. We're doing hour-long sessions and she is kickin' my body. Afterwards, I am sore for 2-3 days (but loving it). I meet wth her every Monday morning - I tried to do some push-ups Wed morning but my chest was still pretty sore so I gave up. My weight is still decreasing BUT I must remain vigilant. I need to keep calorie-counting just as a measure to ensure that I'm not overeating (or eating the wrong foods). Food can be very deceiving but yummy.

The kids are enjoying their swim classes. Dovercourt is a wonderful recreation facility. They are both enjoying playing outdoors again. There's only so much one can do in the wintertime. Now that the snow is gone, they can pretend to fish in the ditch, play basketball, ride their trikes, play hockey and golf. It's great. I'm loving it. I can't wait until I can start gardening.

And the winner is...

2007-03-19T22:38:00.000-04:00

For all the poker players out there, here's an entry for you. I've never played poker ... before last Friday night. Eric and I went out to the Stevenson's, not knowing we were in for a poker showdown. Of the six playing, only one had ever played poker before. I can understand how people want to keep playing just one more round, hoping that the next hand will be fabulous. And the winner was.... ME!!! Well, technically I won but realistically I'll let Jeremy hold the trophy. He was dominating the game until the very last hand when we put everything in - all or nothing. I won the hand so therefore I technically won the game. I wouldn't want to brag on a technicality, though.

More on the games - Eric is doing an NCAA basketball pool. So far, Brant Caughill is in the lead but I'm faring well considering I absolutely do NOT follow college basketball. OTHER than the Carleton Ravens who just won their 5th straight national title. They're a good team. The only game we went to this season was their game against an NCAA team in the pre-season. It was close.

Otherwise, the RS Ensemble performed Saturday night without the violin (hope you're better, Jess!) AND I think that we did alright. We were a quartet and the piece repeated without giving me more than a beat's rest. This was problematic the second time through when the spit build-up started affecting the positioning of my mouth on the flute. We did well, though. The RS Anniversary Dinner went well, even if I nearly had a meltdown moment. Once the meal was served and we had performed, all was well.

Here are the pics of the day. I think that kids could live in laundry hampers. The boys read books together, make forts out of them. We even found Anders nearly asleep in one.

Here's a lovely picture of Konrad last Sunday. We were in Wal-Mart looking for a belt. Sounds easy, but I'm not a lover of Wal-Mart and I quickly give up searching. As we were walking down the aisle, Konrad starts blurting out indistinguishable sounds to a male employee. Apparently, Konrad was trying to yell out 'Belt - I need a belt' to the employee. Konrad explained that he needs a belt to keep his pants up. The employee was so nice - he took Konrad to the boys department and helped him choose a belt, a tie, and a shirt. Those other items were not on our shopping list, but that's okay. While Konrad was dressing Sunday morning, he was so proud. He took extra care to comb his hair properly and strutted around the house like a preening peacock.

Bring on the Ketchup!

2007-03-12T20:44:00.000-04:00

Dinner. We need to eat it. Some people prefer the grab'n'go, for some it is a sensory feast. Recently, I was eating dinner at a friend's house. She had made a wonderful stew the night before and it tasted wonderful. It had such great flavour and was delicious. The kids were eating something else and partway through the meal, the kids wanted ketchup on their dinner. Ok, I know that kids like ketchup. (We usually reserve ketchup for grilled cheese.) Then, both adults proceeded to squeeze ketchup all over their stew. I couldn't believe it. I then pronounced them the official 'Ketchup Family' (or 'famille de ketchup'). I had never seen anyone put ketchup in their beef stew before. Perhaps there is another family out there who squeezes ketchup on meals such as stew???

Another dinner. The stew was so good at the 'House of Ketchup' that I decided to make it. We invited some neighbours to enjoy dinner with us. The guy told me that his wife wouldn't be home for awhile but he and his son would love to join us at 6:00. I also invited their son over to play for a bit prior to dinner. As soon as his son comes over to play, I notice him driving away. He calls me from his cell phone at 5:45 reporting that he needed to run an errand and to start dinner without him if he was late. Dinner with the neighbours began to unravel in my mind. An acceptance to our dinner invitation was looking much more like we were being 'stood up'. All's well that ends well. Both he and she came at 6:30, we ate dinner, and had some good conversation. Although, I don't think that my stew tasted as nice as the 'Ketchup Family' 's stew.

We're Healthy! - I Think.

2007-03-08T22:00:00.000-05:00

I think we're healthy. Konrad hasn't had a fever all day today although he is tired. As for myself, I'm feeling much better. The doctor prescribed some sort of medication for a bacterial sinus infection (my head killed!). Firstly, the pills were huge. Once I saw how big they were, I called the pharmacy for a change. My parents can attest to the fact that I have always had trouble swallowing pills. Some of the most traumatic memories from childhood include ingesting medication. Methods my mother tried was ... mixing it with jam, mixing it in a strawberry milkshake. Any way you mix it, it's always gross. After having both my legs surgically broken and realigned, I stopped taking pain killers 7 days after the surgery. I think that my mother felt sorry for me when I couldn't sleep because it hurt so much. That surgery really was painful - I had morphine shots every couple hours for 3 or 5 days (I can't remember much from that time). That's how reluctant I was to take pills.

Back to the present - I returned to pick up my smaller pills later that same night. All was well until a couple hours later. I laid in bed with intense gastro pain and nausea. Apparently these pills have side effects. I'm coping. It's better than having a terrible headache.

We're on the mend.

Updates

2007-03-04T21:48:00.000-05:00

So, here are a few updates and photos.

Konrad is growing taller every day and doesn't have very many pj's so I decided to sew him some flannel pj pants. I made a matching pair for Anders. They're actually pretty simple to make - good thing for me!!! As for the other photos - Konrad loves his Leapster from G-ma and Poppa Jakob. We had to set time limits for a couple months but he's starting to diversify. The poor boy is sick right now. He hasn't eaten for 2 days, has a fever and brings up anything he tries to eat or drink - even the tylenol or advil I give him. Don't worry though, we're taking good care of him. The picture below shows Anders doing something he absolutely loves right now. He loves playing with animals. He'll do it for a LONG time.

You may have noticed the new items along the tab on the right. I've included a meal section. Since I am trying to cook lower calorie meals and am actually cooking good quality meals much of the time I thought I'd share. I like the recipes from the 'Crazy Plates' cookbook.

Oh - and in response to D's blog, my movie is Easy Rider and my leader is Mother Teresa.

Wish us health!

Oscars and the Glamorous Life

2007-02-26T17:03:00.000-05:00

Lastnight, Angelina and JLW came over to watch the Oscars. I can't believe how late they run!!! Eeeks. The Gosling family were there - Mandi, mom (forget her name - oops), and Ryan. (Mandi - if you somehow read this blog, call me. It's been a long time since we've talked.) The girl hasn't called me back yet, so I am employing all methods of communication. Lastnight, we saw the glamorous. Today, while I spent 2 hours scrubbing and scraping my floors, I thought of this. My life didn't seem very glamorous this afternoon. Probably the opposite. My kids are always throwing food around so there were lots of remnants stuck to the floor - strawberry, cucumber, marker, and the gooey sticky bits that can no longer be traced to a specific food.

I talked to Eiryn last week. She thought it was interesting to note that a married mother of two young children is travelling to France with a girlfriend this Spring. It gave her hope that life does not end with marriage and children. I suppose we all have a hand in creating the life we live. I don't mind leaving my little ones with Dad and the Grandparents for a couple weeks. Eric has left me with the kids for a week nearly every month since Konrad's birth. BUT I have accepted many 'un-glamorous' changes in my life. That's okay, because it was my decision and who really wants to mess up your kids? I'd spend the rest of eternity hearing about it or feeling guilty about it. Besides, my window of opportunity is small - I am not pregnant or nursing a baby right now. Time to go to FRANCE!

'Ur Ine' Trouble!

2007-02-18T22:40:00.000-05:00

What's with the title? Well, tonight we had a notable event. Eric was putting Konrad to bed tonight while I folded some clothes in the living room. I hear Konrad crying, and crying - crying loud. After awhile, I decide to check on the situation. I go in the bathroom to inquire - 'What's going on?' Eric tells me - 'I peed on Konrad's head." How does this happen? Who does that? Eric explained that they were both urinating in the toilet at the same time. All was well until Konrad slipped and nearly fell into the toilet THUS the urine on the head. Poor Konrad was traumatized. Truly.

About the pictures -kids love playing in boxes and yes, my shirt is on backwards.

We had the sushi feast of Queens on Friday night. More sushi than my eyes have ever seen! And the cake made by Michelle and ... (French people who own Sucre et Sale) was absolutely yummy! Happy Birthday Angelina!!

I helped out with a 'Tarde Latina' lastnight. It was great fun. We had food from Colombia, Mexico and more. It was fun using my limited Spanish to cmmunicate with others. I love doing that. I only wish Adriana was still around to enjoy Tarde Latina! (miss you!)

For those who read, feel free to comment if you wish!

Valentine's Day - a non-Holiday?

2007-02-16T11:03:00.000-05:00

We celebrated Valentine's Day this week. Maybe I'm just not in the mood right now, but Valentine's Day seems to be a manufactured holiday. What are we really celebrating? Being in love with someone? Familial love? The idea of being in love or being loved? What happens if there isn't a romantic love in your life? Does that make you feel lame? I hope not, because people ought not to feel lame just because they aren't in a relationship. I remember the days prior to marriage - I did not have a boyfriend most years. I actually broke up with guys the week or two before the day of 'love'. Since marriage, some V-days have been ok. Eric was out of town for a couple years in a row so we didn't even see each other on V-Day. This year, the kids and I picked out a beautiful bouquet of flowers for Eric. Then we went out into the snow to eat big bowls of Vietnamese soup (pho). It's Eric's new obsession. He ate it twice so far this week. It was nice to go out together but not terribly romantic. Besides, if my mate truly cares for me, I would expect the dishes to be done and demonstrations of true love on more than just one day a year. I guess our notion of 'romance' changes as our lives change. As we grow older, the true and effectual things matter more than infrequent big productions to prove our love to each other. What will romance be when I am 73? Someone who will bear with me as I develop Alzheimers. That's love, true love.

Besides the non-event of Valentine's Day, life is good. Konrad is growing super-fast. He often rushes around the house cleaning everything he can find. At times, he has this inner need to clean everything up and cannot go to bed or watch a movie before everything is picked up. Even in my bedroom. You'll se him carrying laundry to the basket, moving shoes, coats, bags and toys to their rightful places. He is also obsessed with numbers. He can play with a calculator forever. He needs to know everyone's age and compare everyone's age, counting to 200 or rattling on about being 41 inches high... I thought it was weird at first, but it's probably a phase and I should nourish it just in case he ends up being a mathematical genius.

Anders is lovely. He's starting to speak and can understand complex instructions. I wrote exams for the entire day last Saturday - not fun. AND I did book my flight to Paris as well. I read your blog, JLW and I agree - if we can live with our husbands for this long, we can remain friends after 2 weeks of travel. It's gonna be great. I can't imagine what it'll be like to be without children for 2 weeks but Im sure I'll make every minute count. I already have plans to read a book on the plane, study metro maps, ooohhh, springtime in France. Can't wait.

p.s. The picture above is where I'd rather be right now. It's been freezing cold for too long and I am in serious sunlight deprivation. The picture is from our holiday a couple years ago when we rented a place on the ocean in Mexico. It was gorgeous, peaceful and WARM.

Spelling Errors

2007-02-05T12:57:00.000-05:00

I am so embarrassed by spelling errors. I, who received certificates forbeing the Queen Spelling Bee of 155 Huron St. Yes, I see that in the previous post I used 'their' instead of 'there'. I can't imagine why I would do something like that. Sorry, folks. I've let a whole nation of believers down.

Another remembrance. I was mentioning that I am currently counting every calorie going in my mouth. Well, I called Eric on Friday to find out when he'd be coming home and to report on my eating habits. He was stuck in Cobourg with the madness that followed the fiery inferno on the 401. In order to keep himself from falling asleep, he started munching. (History - Eric's mom is very entrepeneurial and bought 20 cases of Christmas gingerbread cookies for nearly nothing and claims to be re-selling them. Knowing my mother-in-law, she is probably giving everyone within a block radius enough cookies for the whole year.) Eric starts eating these cookies to cope with being stuck for hours in Cobourg. In the spirit of counting, he decided to count the calories - he had already eaten 5000 calories worth of gingerbread cookies. His daily total - no idea, since he was still hours from being home. Gotta love gingerbread!!!

I Can See It Now...

2007-02-04T21:08:00.000-05:00

We have purchased a property in Val-des-Bois. It's a lovely piece of land on a small, private lake. It's beautiful. This year, we'll be enjoying the space for swimming and camping while we prepare for building. The building will probably be done over a period of a year or two. We're trying to find plans for a medium-sized cottage/cabin for our own use and for a rental. It'll be really nice to spend time their with the boys - fishing, swimming, hiking. Just down the road, there's a tubing hill as well. It's pretty close to Mont Blanc and a few other ski hills. When we went to sign some papers a couple weeks ago, the local restaurant, gas station and convenience store had not one car in the parking lots. All snow machines (commonly referred to as 'skidoos') or ATVs. I made Eric sell his 4-wheeler last summer so we could purchase a nice snowblower. A good switch if you ask me.

We hope to share this nice place with our friends and family (that means you, of course - no one else would look at this blog). Right now, it'll be a campout but one day I hope to have all the comforts of home (washing machine, internet hookup).

Ok - nothing to do with this entry BUT I just have to say that Eric put me in charge of taping the SuperBowl so he can have a midnight Superbowl Party at our house. This event usually causes me anxiety since I know that I'll probably be awake most of the night listening to men scarf down meaty sandwiches while watching football. Anyway, we're nearing the end of the second tape and I decided to edit the commercials. Only, I got carried away with this blog and kinda forgot to record once the game started. I remembered, jumped to record and not two minutes later a huge touchdown was scored. Whew! I would have suffered much wrath had I not recorded that touchdown. There would have been many groans in my house at 2:00am.

The Simple Life

2007-02-03T21:03:00.000-05:00

Who woud have ever thought that I would succomb to the simple(r) life? I do believe it has happened, though. A friend called me this week and asked, 'what's up' or new, at least. Of course I said, 'not much'. I thought about this. My calendar is full and I am usually tired - and what's up. Well, this is my life in between exercising 4-5 times a week, the calling, the kids, the dishes, the laundry. All too domestic for my liking but I have succombed. I've discovered that living in a mess stresses me out too much. Life goes along a lot smoother now - perhaps this is because Anders is finally sleeping through the night occasionally. I haven't lost as many pounds as I would expect given my trainer's intense need to punish SO - I am counting calories. Everything that enters my mouth is counted. I haven't gone out to eat yet - which will be interesting because who knows how many calories would be in the yummy sauces. If my goal caloric intake is 1200-1300, I'd probably have to starve all day in order to eat the yummy saucy dinner. It's been going really well the last 3 days - I've chosen yummy meals full of goodness and even had a couple homemade cookies after tallying the totals at the end of the day (of course I counted those calories, too) AND Eric and I have decided to be more fiscally responsible. Not only am I counting the calories, we're counting every dollar and cent. Let's hope that these experiments give results!

p.s. Sorry about the boring post but once again, this is my life - the simple(r) life.

Do meat-eaters go to jail?

2007-01-22T14:43:00.000-05:00

This is Konrad's question of the day. I made my boy a lovely wrap for lunch filled with ham, lettuce, tomato, cukes and cheese. He asked me if there was animal meat in his sandwich. "Yes." Konrad replied, "What kind of animal?" I told him, "pig". Of course I had to pick all of the meat out of his wrap. We then had the talk about omnivores and carnivores. People are omnivores because we eat both plants and meat. Konrad asked me, "Do meat-eaters go to jail?" I explained that people who eat meat and people who eat veggies go to jail - not because of what they eat but because they've broken a law. The verdict is - no. Meat-eaters don't go to jail.

Who is Older? Jesus, The Prophet or Santa

2007-01-17T21:26:00.000-05:00

Hola everyone. Today Konrad's question was - who is older - Jesus, the Prophet or Santa. I decided that Jesus is definitely older. Then follows the question - how old is Santa? Hmmm... I said about 150 years old. I'm not sure when Saint Nicolas lived or where the name Klaus came from but 150 sounded good.

My rant of the day - What's the deal with public service employees who are on leave (moi) not having access to internal job postings. I called the public service commission, publiservice, searched the internet. Nope. Not happening. I don't really like the idea of asking people to take time out of their busy day to send me emails, either. What a conundrum. I may go back to work this year but am dreading going back to the same position I had before leaving. I know that I cannot be the only government employee (on leave) wanting access to these postings. Ugh....

Otherwise, Eric's around this week so things are a little more relaxed around here. I had some nasty but necessary doctor's appointments. Further details are not suitable for the world wide web. It's all part of reforming my body - fixing it up before it completely implodes. Our TV busted lastnight. That really sucks. The technician won't be out until Friday morning. We've had it less than a year and it is under warranty, so let's hope for the best. I kinda like having theTV on at night after the kids are in bed and I'm updating my blog on my computer. Even if I'm only watching re-runs of Alias and The National. It's finally freezing here. I'm not a lover of the cold, though. I don't like winter sports due to th fact that I have been cold my entire life and I find it difficult to do anything when my hands and feet are numb, ready to fall off. ANders' molar is FINALLY poking through. This tooth has taken a month of pain, swelling like I've never seen before inside a mouth, and general grumpiness. I am so glad the end of the terrible teething is nearly over. And lastly, I got a wonderful, huge hug from Konrad today. It's rare that he wants to sit on my lap and hugme for so long but I loved it entirely. Yay for the great parenting moments!

Which is Stronger - a Door or a Skidoo?

2007-01-07T20:12:00.000-05:00

Christmas was good. It's always so busy with travelling and the dinners. We left on the 23rd of December and celebrated Christmas at the Jakob homestead. The boys loved everything about it - the cookies, the fun gifts, and then more cookies. Specifically, the gingerbread people and reindeer. Konrad helped Grandma make these cookies the previous weekend and would sneak into the front room alone so he could nibble on their limbs. One time G-pa Jakob walked into the room seeing two little feet sticking out from under the chair. When G-pa asked whose feet were sticking out, Konrad replied 'They're not Konrad's'. Upon inspection of the tree, Konrad had eaten a little bit from every gingerbread cookie.

When driving to the McCartney Christmas gathering Konrad asked which is stronger - a skidoo or a door. I decided that a skidoo was stronger since a skidoo could go through a door at top-speed. Mi madre made the fabulous plum pudding which I took home with me. Ken made the pies this year. Yummy. Everything went really smoothly and nothing crazy happened with all the kids being together. I guess that's because the Laughlin kids are getting older and watching out for the little ones. Missed the Radcliffe family, though. It was the last McCartney Christmas in Codrington. Next year will be much different. So those were the holidays. We had some nice dinners with friends, a very lovely wedding reception, 2 hours shopping for underwear at The Bay and saw 'Night at the Museum'. A good movie for kids of all ages. And a great NYE party at Nina's. Pate and foie gras for all!!! (Happy Belated Birthday)

Diamonds and Carolers

2006-12-19T20:56:00.000-05:00

Eric and I went to see Blood Diamond last Thursday night after a work Christmas Dinner. I am familiar with the smuggling of diamonds from Sierra Leone to Liberia by the rebels. In 2000 I attended a lecture organized by the Cdn Institute of Int'l Affairs about this subject. The author had written a report on the effect of diamond smuggling on the war in Sierra Leone. After watching the movie, I felt stupid that I hadn't abandoned everyday life and become involved in helping those who have suffered in some way. But, I suppose that if these victims had the chance to raise little ones in peace, they would leap. Anyhow - the movie. Well, I'm not sure whether I can recommend everyone go to see 'Blood Diamond'. I was sobbing through parts of the movie. I have seen documentaries and movies about genocide - seen terrible things, but I felt that if people are enduring these things, I should be able to witness what is happening. If everyone turns their head, it will never end. Maybe I was emotional because I am a mother now and view the world a little differently. The use of child soldiers was the most troubling part for me, I think. These kids grow into adults and will remain broken forever. One interesting point in the movie was when the rebel commander begged for 'the' way to get out of the country - that he had already been in hell long enough. Even the perpetrators were sick of their existence. Bottom-line - the movie was good and worth seeing if it prompts one to be more aware.

On a much lighter note - We had bathed and dressed the kids for bed when a mass of 40 people carrying lanterns came to our door. No, they weren't coming to chase us out of the neighbourhood - they were ... carolers! It was amazing. They filled our driveway and the road.
This picture isn't that great but it was amazing. Lots of fun and Christmas spirit.

Here's also another photo of our nightly routine. I tuck Konrad into his bed and as soon as we're out of sight he sneaks into our bed. Problem is, he doesn't come alone. He brings his bear, puppy, baby, teletubbie, drink, books to read, pillow. He sets himself up completely. So, everyone night I come to bed and find a sweaty little body in it. We move everything back to his bed and repeat the entire procedure the next night. He's so cute when he's sleeping, though, isn't he?

Parties Galore!

2006-12-11T21:03:00.000-05:00

Before I get into the parties for little ones, here's a phot of the Jakob family at the Nativity Pageant. That's Konrad on a real live donkey. Both he and Anders loved the sheep, goats and other animals. That's why I go out in the cold to watch the Nativity - the animals!

The first party (for kids) - As payback to Angelina for hanging out with my Konrad so much, I invited she and kids over for dinner. It was a nice evening. Dinner, stories, and dancing! The Putamayo African Playground album is great for some true dancing. Good times.

Second party (for kids) was Konrad's Christmas Party for little boys today. We had a great lunch, watched the Polar Express and made Christmas cards. Our Christmas miracle was - no fights. Five children and no fighting or yelling. Lots of fun playing. Can you imagine? They all sat on the same couch without incident. Miracles.

Damon and Konrad were MIA so I went up to the bedrooms to look for them. They had turned off the light in Anders room (dark, dark room), were both underneath Anders bed and were playing with a flashlight.

Surprise!!! Wicked photos!!!

2006-12-11T20:46:00.000-05:00

Thanks Cairine for the great photos. I didn't want to leave anyone out so I've posted a ton of photos. Enjoy!!!

Of Toilets and Popcorn

2006-12-04T08:43:00.000-05:00

Firstly - I don't think I'm going to get any Wicked pictures, so - here's the rundown. We all had a great time watching the fabulous show, then we ate great thai food (a first for Lisa). It was great to see family and friends and I think we may do this more often (not difficult since this was the first time). J LW had to hobble around a bit and I'm sure the car ride back to Ottawa was not easy but we made it.

Once back home, I woke up Thursday morning to a blocked-up toilet. Eric was on his way out for a trade show in Montreal lasting until Sunday night so he was not very helpful. I didn't even bother calling in a plumber because I wasn't home during for any length of time (We do have 2 other toilets in the house). Days go by, Eric comes back - we decide to call a plumber. He comes in and spends an hour trying to clear the toilet, takes the toilet off, shakes it around - everything. He tells us we'll have to get a new toilet. Who knew? He came back a day later to install the the new toilet. He smashed the old one to see what the stubborn block was and it was.... a cap for a baby bottle. It was never budging. I wouldn't have believed that one would have to buy new toilets because kids stick things in them but now I know. Now I know that kids have hidden costs.

A week ago, Eric and I went out to dinner and a movie with some friends. Eric was in Montreal but he sat down just in time to eat the steak medallions I'd ordered for him. Nice dinner, other than my friend, AR coughing up a fish bone. Eric got me a big popcorn at the movies (actually, it was a medium but it really was rather large). I enjoyed it for awhile then passed it to Eric or put it down - I can't remember. Later, I looked around for the popcorn to munch on it and it was gone. Not a trace. Someone took my popcorn and ate it. They must have. We looked in the entiresection - no big bag of popcorn. I thought this was pretty funny. Someone wanted popcorn so bad that they snatched it - ok with me because I had eaten my fill and there was LOTS left.

A week has passed since then but I honestly don't remember anything happening. We got cold weather finally. A little severe on Friday. The wind was crazy. We brought the kids to see the Nativity pageant with live animals and a creche display. Very nice. Christmas is around the corner!!!

Mime in training

2006-11-21T22:36:00.000-05:00

Hi there, everyone. Last week I had a fabulous time going to see Wicked and eating great Thai food BUT I am waiting for photos to do a proper posting. Send me the photos!!! In the meantime, another photo of my kids. Sorry, can't help it. I see them every day, all day - and kids are funny.

A week and a bit ago, we went to the Museum of Nature with Bev and Adam Collins. Great British folk recently moved here to Ottawa.
The boys dressed up as animals. I think Konrad's a wolf (he ran around yowling for 5 minutes) and Adam is a... deer maybe. Anders didn't quite get the dress-up thing, but he is pretty cute.

Otherwise, the past week was crazy. Christmas crafts with lots of ladies, hanging with the boys, loss of patience once in a while. That's okay, though because I know that I've got company. Nina, Angelina - they can relate at least. I know there's more moms out there with their husbands MIW (not quite MIA because we know where they are - they're just always working away from home). A couple days with Eric around is a mental relief for me. I was born at 11:58 a.m. thirty years ago - today's the big 3-0 (Yee-haw). Last week was the real party (details yet to come), but today was nice. Had meetings, lunch, and a suspiciously quiet Anders in the living room. When I walked in to check on him, this is what I found.
Yes, there's a mime in our house. He got into the Penaten and decided it was better on his face than his behind. Gotta love him. This afternoon, Konrad 'secretly' went to the local gas station to find me a gift. Apparently his first choice was a box of condoms but Eric convinced him that maybe something else would be better. I received a chocolate bar and chapstick from Konrad. I was supposed to be resting in my room for a bit while Konrad and Anders helped Eric make a fabulous cake. It really was fabulous - angel food cake with coconut pudding, whip topping and berries of all sorts. Lovely. Thirty doesn't feel too old yet, unless I've been up with the kids all night. (Warning - kids can temporarily age you. I think it all works out though, since kids generally have a mellowing effect eventually. We give up on all sorts of stuff we thought was important - but isn't.) I just have to remind myself to embrace each stage of life because before we know it, we'll be on to something else. Oh - and I finally got the red ipod. Even if I am thirty, I can still be trendy.

This and That

2006-11-09T21:58:00.000-05:00

So, it's been a few days again. I nearly forgot I had a blog. A few thoughts after my super-relaxing yoga class (the lady beside me was snoring for 10 minutes during the relaxation period). I was thinking about old friends and remembering the reunion from September. It prompted me to begin contacting some neglected friends from the past. I called an old friend in Ottawa whom I hadn't spoken to for ..hmm.. 3-4 years. Anyhow, Garry had kidney failure a year and a half ago and does dialysis at home every night until he can get a transplant. That was a shocker.

Halloween was fun. Anders was an owl and Konrad was Curious George. As soon as Anders put on the owl costume, he started quacking or making noises like a bird. He can't talk but he does communicate. The candy was crazy, though. Too much for a 3 year old kid. The morning after Halloween, Konrad woke up at 5am, broke into the stash. For hours, he was Krazy-Konrad. That's when I decided to lock it up.

And yes, I am exercising 5 days a week. Training twice, yoga once, and cardio the rest. It's great - I'm stronger and I have more endurance, but the results have been slow in coming along. Two months into this and I'm sticking with it. I have to remind myself that regardless of the weight change, I need to keep improving my physical health.

Today we signed up with World Vision to sponsor a child. We don't have the details on the child yet, but we've been planning on doing this for awhile. Konrad likes to collect money in his piggy bank that Grandma Jakob gave him and we discussed what should be done with the money. We all decided that it was a good idea to help a child somewhere in the world who is not as blessed as our children are - and so we are. A small contribution to the worldwide problem of poverty, hunger, HIV/AIDS, terrible regimes taking power from the people.

Saturday is Remembrance Day and I hope everyone takes a couple moments to think about those who have and are serving others and sacrificing time with their families. Remembrance Day always makes me cry. I interviewed a WWII vet for an article I wrote a couple years ago. I love all of the stories. It's a time that changes one's perspective, I suppose. Anyhow, war is sad. It is always sad.

Children are a gold mine!

2006-10-29T21:42:00.000-05:00

Here is a website that will bring you to tears. It'll make you laugh so hard you are crying. If not you'll cry when you realize its not a joke!

http://www.landoverbaptist.org/news0203/childpurchase.html

Their slogan.... "We buy children"

Here is a christian group that is supposed to be strengthening families and instead it is tearing them apart. It sounds like their motive is to help families in financial trouble.....wow! thats fantastic. But if so then why would they take the child after doing so? How could someones elses child be an asset to a stranger? Do they need labour in manufactory? Maybe someone to bail hay in the fields? No.... I would suggest that they are doing their duty to God by indoctrinating children. As they say "when your child arrives they get their own bed and a bible"

I have many thoughts on this.

1. They are taking the responsibility and the privelege of raising children properly, from the parents.

2. A childs worth to his parents is far greater than the worth of that same child to another. Therefore, it is as if I were to sell my contact lens to someone who wants to see better. It will never have more value for someone else since it is a different perscription.

3. Is this comparable to the church encouraging adoption for teen mothers giving birth? I don't think it is. Firstly the family has not yet grown together and fused together. The child has not learned to grow and trust the parents. Also, adoption would give the child another family, not "a crib and a bible".

4. ......I've just read more. I'm starting to think that this url isn't even worth mentioning. Its sick. They talk about how they have worked out the worth of children according to the scriptures. Girls and Boys are worth different amounts and "coloured" are worth MUCH LESS! Unbelievable! The reason for this is (as they say) because "some races and sexes are of lesser value to God"

The prices range from $1150 US to $18000.

5. They blame the hard economic times which will lead to such heavy decisions on the part of the parents on Bill Clinton. If this is some sort shameless public support for the Republicans it failed. Everything in the reading that follows this statement would make a level minded reader tend away from an administration with such supporters. Not to say that being a republican is wrong (although south of the boarder I find myself sympathizing with the left more than up here) since one cant always chose ones supporters.

I would hope that people could talk about this website as a farce, even though it is not. I would hope that people would hear about it as a farce, so they would never want anything to do with it. Am I wrong in this? perhaps I'm missing something, but I will tell you that my heart sunk when I read it. I also know that if someone wants to keep their kids in America they can. My mom's family had 16 kids with no money, isolated in a northern Ontario community, with fewer social assistance programs than there are now, and they made things work.

Thats it for now. Read the article.

Eric

La Ferme Rouge

2006-10-28T20:41:00.000-04:00

Lastnight, Eric and I went to a grand spectacle - La Ferme Rouge. We joined the Visser clan (nearly the entire clan, which is to say something). They specialize in steak and seafood. I ordered filet mignon and lobster tails. Deee-licious. Eric ordered filet mignon and snow crab. Yummy. Manny did the seafood buffet. Looked great. After dinner, the waiters and waitresses sang and danced. Dancefloor was a bit small but the place was jumpin'. Note to the population of dancers - please cover up unsightly flesh. It's never a good idea however attractively one might feel they are presenting themselves. The spectacle was something indeed - a nice piece of Canadiana. Actually, I've never been to a dinner theatre in Canada so it was a fun experience. The evening was topped off with a ferry ride across the Ottawa River at Masson Angers. Nice.

Catching Up...

2006-10-28T20:27:00.000-04:00

I know. I haven't updated in a while. Ooops. In the meantime, Anders surfed for the first time during swimming lessons, Eric and I celebrated our 7th anniversary and the usual other stuff.

On Thursday, I tried to be the great and creative mom by having an 'art/creative' time with the kids. I gave Anders a bit of green finger paint to mess with while Konrad and I made snails. Unfortunately, Anders puts everything in his mouth - including cheap finger paint that I bought at the dollar store. I couldn't help but take a picture. While I was doing the photo shoot, Anders was gagging himself - and then we have the next picture. Not that you want to look terribly close, but Anders brought up his lunch (He's looking at it). So, the great mother moment took a turn for the worse when I continued to take photos instead of cleaning it up immediately. Then, for some reason, I decided it was time to trim Anders hair for the first time. Inexplicable. Anway, here's the result. A day in the life.

jakobjabber: She's okay.

2006-10-16T08:50:00.000-04:00

jakobjabber: She's okay.

She's okay.

2006-10-16T08:30:00.000-04:00

Yesterday, there was a big earthquake in Hawaii - and she's OK. I don't have her number memorized and I'm lazy like that, so I called the mom to see how things were in Hawaii. The earthquake was pretty scary, I hear. She was in bed when it happened. They felt the fist aftershock as well. E's on Oahu, though and the earthquake was on the Big Island. She still did not have power last night but things are ok.

I lost my kid.

2006-10-14T16:48:00.000-04:00

Yup. I lost Anders yesterday. We were at the Museum of Science and Tech with some friends and Anders is super-fast on his feet. He doesn't care where he's going, he just wants to run. I was chasing him for a while, always picking him up and carrying him back to the group. I turned for a minute to check on Konrad and when I turned around, Anders was gone. The museum has twists and turns everywhere so you can't see 5 feet in front of you. Three of us searched the entire section and couldn't find him so we told the employees with walkie-talkies. After about one minute, I got a little concerned - imagining some weirdo picking up a cute little blond kid. Eeekk!!! But he was found. He was at the trains - not even near us. All in all, it was less than 5 minutes but it was horrible. When I met him at the trains, I saw the faces of the other women around - wondering, how did you lose your 1 year old? Honestly, the kid runs like a madman. It was a scary time but I'm glad that he was safe and sound.

Applefest Reunion

2006-10-12T10:52:00.000-04:00

It has been 11 years and most of us were able to get together and see how our lives have changed since highschool... we're multiplying! Everyone either has a child or are with child and no one has really changed that much.

You guys all look fantastic and it seems as though we're all pretty happy with things in our lives. It was great to see everybody and I really hope that I'll be able to communicate more often (that won't be hard since it's been 11 years since I've spoken to most of you).

I have more photos that I am going to email to everyone since this site is taking way toooooo long to upload the photos. Please share the photos with those whom I don't have email addresses for - thanks!

Thanks Beth Ann for the organization and hosting and thanks to all who made it. I find it difficult to keep in touch with everyone so this event was great for me. I hope to see you sooner than the next 11 years.

My Helper

2006-10-12T10:47:00.000-04:00

My son Konrad is growing up. Yesterday, he was very helpful. He helped carry laundry downstairs to the basement, carried bags in from the car, found wipes when I was changing Anders' diaper, guarded the attractively coloured buttons in the elevator when Anders was trying to push them. we were doing puzzles downstairs when Konrad took a break and started doing the downward dog and exercises. I asked him what he was doing and he replied ' I need to do exercises to get strong so I can carry boxes'. Very cute. He continued doing his exercises for awhile and then returned to finish the puzzle with me.

Thanksgiving Dinner There

2006-10-11T23:16:00.000-04:00

Here is a picture of my parents' home in Codrington. It's the bungalow with the coniferous tree out front. They've lived there longer than I've been alive. A long, long, long time. Their offer on another home on Manitoulin Island has been tentatively accepted so they'll be leaving their home and moving on to the farmhouse in the other photo. They're very excited about this move - they have exciting plans and they will be living near friends. Yay!!

We went to my parents home for Thanksgiving Dinner after visiting the others. Ken and Wendy made it, as well as Chris and her friend Betty Lou. Oh - there's also Molly. Dinner was lovely, of course. My mom went contrary to tradition and cooked a stuffed pork loin. Very nice. And of course the pies were there again. This time lemon, pumpkin and apple. Perfect. We discovered during this visit that a friend is actually growing kiwis outside of his home - here in Ontario. Crazy. We all wanted to see this marvel vut we couldn't make it over. Perhaps one day Eric will be successful in his attempt to try all fruits from bushes/plants. This takes some explanation, I suppose. While travelling, Eric will pick fruit off of any tree and try it - eat it. While walking down the boulevard in Monaco, he tried to pull the oranges and lemons off of the trees. While walking through a neighbourhood in Marseilles, he plucked some kind of berry off of someone's tree. This berry stained everything so there was no way Eric could proclaim innocence if a mad Frenchman ran out of his house shaking his hand or a stick at Eric. Yes, if there is any fruit of good report, he seeks after these fruits - including kiwis.

Thanksgiving Dinners Here and There

2006-10-08T08:46:00.000-04:00

Yo. Yesterday was the Jakob Family Feast. Eric's mom has been cooking and baking all week in preparation for the event. Six pies, squash, turnip, stuffing, 2 turkeys, potatoes, carrots. I fared well until the pies came out later in the evening. They were YUMMY!!! Pumpkin, apple and berry. No one could resist. It was a good time - we got to see Jason and Julie and the kids. We all went to see 'Open Season' with the kids. I have never seen so many trailers before a movie - there were 7 at least.

Crazy Boat Rides

2006-10-05T08:38:00.000-04:00

Yesterday we made the trek to Barrie. The kids surprised me - Anders sat in his seat for 6 hours straight without a break. I didn't get out to pee for 6 hours straight, either. Quite a feat - I think that's a first for me.

We went out on a boat to visit someone's cottage on Georgian Bay lastnight. The day was not ideal. There was a pretty big rainstorm going through the region and it was very windy therefore the waves were very choppy. The waters were very rough for about half an hour. I'm not accustomed to boats so I was a little nervous at times - the kids looked kinda green. It was fun, though. A little cold, but fun. I have no particular rants today. I'm sure Eric would. Something about getting up in the morning with the kids or something like it - not that he actually got up. He just dislikes the thought.

Can house be organised with 2 young boys

2006-10-01T18:40:00.000-04:00

Okay I think the short answer to this is yes. However, this is somewhat of an ignorant answer or at least in our case, not the best answer.

I was at Denny's last night (the post Gen. conference priesthood session ritual) with the boys and I put this question out to the gents. A member of the stake presidency started to say that it happened for them when his wife decided to stay home from work. I responded that Jenn has been home for a year and a half. Dont worry, I was sure to add that she is not the problem since it wouldn't be fair to expect the responsibility to be souly hers. I continued that she cleans and I clean often when I'm at home but that our house still looks like a disaster. He then admitted that he didn't have 2 boys so close together and offered that as the answer to our problem. I have to agree with him.

When I asked the question, I was looking for solutions to the problem rather than excuses to have a messy home but unless our efforts start producing some positive results, I'm going to have to believe its just not meant to be. Not meant to be that is unless we were to give up some of the peripheral responsibilities such as home teaching, preparing things for our callings at church, being diligent with employment responsibilities, forfeiting some of my leisure activities (this would be harder for Jenn since her leisure time seems to be even more limited) and above all, we would have to give up just spending good clean wrestling and gardening time with the kids.

So the long answer, I think is "sometimes" and would be qualified by adding that sometimes it is possible to keep a clean house with 2 little hellians running around but most of the time the cost is too great.

Eric

Yard Sales

2006-09-30T17:16:00.000-04:00

I like yard sales. Today we went to a couple yard sales nearby. Sometimes you can find great stuff. Today I scored some Tupperware, a bathroom mat, some plastic thing Anders can ride on the driveway, placemats and some puzzles for the kids. Sometimes the stuff is mostly junk that should be recycled or incinerated. My pet peeve about some yard sales is when people charge a lot of money for their junk. $7 for a cassette tape, $100 for a kid's plastic bed, $50 for an exosaucer. When I do a yard sale, I have no intention of bringing the items back into my house. We'll give it away to unsuspecting kids, drop it off at Goodwill - anything but bring it back into my house.

Random Photo

2006-09-29T17:34:00.000-04:00

THis is me on the day of Anders reck'nin

(Eric wrote that.) I found this entry that Eric had drafted. Here's Anders and I on the day of his birth. He's such a wee guy there. He was born July 18, 2005 at about 4:30 a.m. 9lb 12oz and 22 inches long. He has grown to a little boy by now. Running around, squealing. This is the only photo we have of Anders when he was born because Eric lost his 'cool' phone/computer a few days later. Bummer.

Jenn on B day

This is dad and K

Konrad and guitar

Road Trip

2006-09-29T17:22:00.000-04:00

The road trip begins with a stop at Katherine and John Burns' home to visit with Leah and 'Mr. Snake'. Apparently this snake only comes out of his hole when Konrad is around. Snakes are supposed to have great smell so perhaps my son has a very distinctive and strong scent. Good times, anyhow. Good times.

Second stop was the Chaggares' new home in Newmarket. It was wonderful to visit with Rob and Jen - and the kids played really well together. The ice cream truck hit the jackpot when it found this street!

This is the mid-point in the ice-cream eating/body painting. Noah and Anders have only begun.

Anders is diving for more.

I think he's done for. Can he get up? I'm sure the ice cream was worth every stomach cramp.

So, that's it for now. Our road trip did not end here but I haven't anymore photos. We did go to Hamilton to visit Lisa and Ken's new home. There was a sizeable gathering of McCartney folk there for a bbq - the Laughlin clan, Ken and Wendy, myself and the kids were all there.

Then on to T.O. where I hooked up with Morticia and Chris for lunch. I'm cheating - this picture was not taken on the road trip. This is a picture from Peter Mills' wedding. That was the first time I had met Chris. The road trip was the second time I met Chris. Unfortunately, I could not attend their wedding as I was about to birth a boy named Anders.

We also had a nice visit with Cairine. We hung out in her hot apartment, went for walks in the rain and had fabulous sushi around the corner from her home. After all that visiting, we hung out with the grandparents for a day, headed back to Rob and Jen's for another night. Jen and I tried to go yard-saling in Newmarket but apparently no one in Newmarket wants to sell junk. The entire city was devoid of yard sales. Sad. Then, I trudged onward to ... my parents house maybe. Honestly, I can't remember if I did. I probably did - just to give the kids a break from the car. Eventually, we came home after a crazy week. Upon my arrival, Laura was in the driveway waiting for me to come home so she could stay for a couple days. I love summer.

Peck Family Visits Ottawa!

2006-09-29T16:56:00.001-04:00

Why am I posting this now? I just downloaded my photos. The Pecks came to town and we were busy, busy, busy. We went to the park, the Farm, Children's Museum and Upper Canada Village. Verrry busy. The kids were all very tired at the end of the day. The kids are all chasing some piggies on the loose here. Run, piggies, run!!! Run for your lives! You don't know what these kids are capable of doing!

Here, the Peck family minus Ken are mauling a calf.

Konrad is chasing down a tasty morsel for lunch. Here piggy, piggy, piggy.

Kristen enjoying the theatre at the Children's Museum.

Our Wanderings into Cyberspace

2006-09-29T12:56:00.000-04:00

I've succombed to the trend. I love reading everyone else's blog so I've decided that our family ought to have one as well. I imagine that I'll be the primary contributor, though. So, bookmark this page and I'll be posting photos and general rants, 'jabber', or updates.