The Gang's All Here
Can you spot the new bobblehead friend that I got as part of my Valentine's gift? Yep. Welcome President Barack Obama to the gang :)
(Yes, Margaret. That's Chuck Woolery at the end of the line.)
Labels: Nothing Important
Friday Smile
What happens when Geoff gets bored and there's a baby, a blanket, and a camera nearby... Check out the glorious, gorgeous rolls of baby chubbiness :)
Labels: Briony, Friday Smile, Photos, The Boy
Our Trip
I always struggle with summarizing our trips out west. It's funny because - as much as we enjoy going there - it doesn't feel like a vacation because we're spending most of our time with such comfortable friends and family. Each time, I come home kicking myself for not blogging about it or taking very many pictures. It just doesn't cross my mind to take pictures when it feels like we're doing normal stuff. I suppose that's a good thing :)
Tuesday, February 17We left early in the morning, which seemed like a good idea at the time we were booking our tickets... And probably still was. Briony wasn't very impressed with us for waking her up in the dark, but she fell asleep again promptly after she was fed, dressed, and buckled into her car seat. We managed to fit all our stuff + the three of us into a taxi (a fact that still impresses me) and made it to the airport with no hiccups at all. Briony slept through the ride, through check-in and security, through boarding and take-off, and woke up happy once we were well-established at altitude. AWESOME. She was awake and playing for virtually the entire flight, and fell asleep again just in time for the descent. Maybe three minutes of fussing total. What an answer to prayer. Marilyn (Geoff's mom) met us at the airport in Vancouver and Briony was doing so well that we decided to spend a little bit of time in Richmond before heading out to Abbotsford. We had breakfast, walked around Ikea (this is when we filmed the now-infamous panda bear video), and checked out a few of Geoff's favourite stores in the area. By midafternoon, we drove to Abbotsford and spent the rest of the day at Geoff's parents' place. His sister Carole stopped by briefly, otherwise it was a quiet evening - except for my phone call to MTS to complain about the fact that my BlackBerry wasn't working.
Briony's first airplane tripWednesday, February 18Sunshine! We woke up to +14 weather, so the day's main activity was a very easy decision. Geoff, Marilyn, and I packed up Briony in her stroller and spent almost four hours walking around outside. It was glorious. I was so happy to have Briony outside in the fresh air, even though she slept through - seriously - the ENTIRE THING. I made another call to MTS, and their tech support people explained that there was curently no data coverage for MTS customers in BC, Alberta, or the Northwest Territories but that they were working hard to try to fix it. Grrr. In the evening, we headed into Vancouver to visit with my friends Jason & Amy. Jason and I became online friends a few years ago, and then real-life friends when I flew into Vancouver to meet him in 2005 (has it been that long?!). Since then, he met and married Amy - we flew out for their wedding in May 2007, just a few days after our engagement - and they've become very special friends to both Geoff and I. Wednesday just happened to be Jason's last day at his job, the day they *finally* found renters for their current condo, the last day they had to pack up that condo before moving to their new place, and the day before they left on a three-week vacation... And they still managed to find a couple of hours to visit with us. We sat among their boxes eating pizza and it was just fun and normal and good.
Outside at Mill Lake in AbbotsfordThursday, February 19We decided that Thursday would be Road Trip Day, and Briony's first official trip across the border (she visited the US twice while I was pregnant). Marilyn came along and we did a little bit of shopping - nothing crazy, just a few summer outfits for Briony, a couple of books for Briony, and a bunch of Bath & Body Works products for Briony's mommy. Oh, and some crappy American cereal and candy for Geoff. We made it there and back without incident, and were happily surprised when the folks at customs waved us through without having to pay duty on our purchases that added up to more than our daily limit. We were back in Abbotsford by dinner time and spent another quiet evening in. (Today was also my sister's birthday. And the third day in a row that I had to call MTS about my lack of a functioning BlackBerry. Not that I'm bitter or anything.)
Briony's first road trip to the US (she's clearly loving every minute of it)
Hanging out at the mall with 'Grammy'Friday, February 20We had big plans for Friday, but tossed them all when we woke up tired. Geoff opted to stay in bed all morning, and I opted to pack up Briony in her stroller and go for a walk around the neighbourhood (Marilyn joined us). In the afternoon, we headed into Vancouver to see Rob & Vicky and their new baby girl Ava who is less than a month older than Briony. Rob and Geoff have been friends since childhood, and were each others' best man (best men?) in May and September 2007. (Rob & Vicky and Jason & Amy got married one week apart in Vancouver that spring, so we were able to attend both events - and Geoff proposed in between. Kind of a ridiculously romantic and important week in all our lives. So strange how the universe works.) We had dinner at their place and spent time visiting - another great, fun, normal, good evening with friends. Oh, and I called MTS - who basically told me to stop calling, because they had little hope that the problem would be fixed before we were back in Winnipeg anyway.
Rob & Ava and Geoff & Briony - notice how much these girls look like their daddies!
Briony and Ava 'playing' togetherSaturday, February 21In the morning, we finally managed to schedule in a proper visit with Geoff's sister Carole, her husband Ray, and their kids - Justin, Cheyenne, Niles, and Sean. They were completely enamoured with Briony, and we spent some time with them just kind of catching up. After our visit, we dropped off Briony with Geoff's mom and - are you ready for this? - Geoff and I went on our first 'date' since Briony was born. We've left her with a babysitter before, but always when Geoff has been working and I've had plans, never when the two of us could have non-baby time together. It was great. We spent the afternoon in downtown Vancouver, shopping and eating sushi. And then we went to go see Coraline in 3D, which was pretty cool. We drove back in time to have a late dinner with Geoff's parents and put Briony to bed.
Meeting her Auntie CaroleSunday, February 22Day One of our Kamloops mini-trip. Geoff, Briony, and I packed up, said a temporary goodbye to Alan and Marilyn, and headed out to Kamloops to see his sister Joanne, her husband Al, and their kids - Hannah, Ruth, Elizabeth, and David. We got there in time to hang out, introduce them to Briony, see the pictures from their recent family vacation to Egypt and the UK, and have dinner together. After dinner, Briony and I curled up on the couch with the rest of the girls and watched the Oscars and The Amazing Race while Geoff, Al, and David did boy stuff on the computer.
Ruth & Briony spend some snuggle time together before bedMonday, February 23Kamloops Day Two. Geoff got up early with Briony and then Joanne watched her while he drove Ruth, Libby, and David to school. I woke up while they were gone. Joanne had put Briony down for a nap and Geoff was just walking in the front door with a cup of Starbucks for me. Talk about a perfect way to start a Monday morning... Lucky me. We spent the day with Joanne and Hannah, going out for lunch and hanging around Kamloops. Around 3 pm, the chaos of a family with four kids began - Hannah needed to go to work, David needed to go to piano lessons, Libby needed to go to her dance class... And Ruth just needed to be picked up from school, so she came with Geoff, Briony, and I and we got to spend some time with her (and I had my second Starbucks of the day - always a sign that I'm having a good day, hehe). We regrouped for dinner at Al & Joanne's and spent a 'quiet' evening at home with them - as quiet as their family is capable of being :)
Hanging out at Starbucks...
...and MELTDOWN! :)Tuesday, February 24After saying goodbye to Al and the kids, and spending the morning with Joanne, we headed back to Abbotsford - with Hannah in tow. The roads were a little bit slushy, so it was a bit of a slow trip back, and it was *great* to have Hannah in the backseat to entertain Briony. We got 'home' just in time for dinner, and then Carole, Cheyenne, and Sean stopped by for one last look at Briony - and I ran to the store to pick up more sinus medication for Geoff, who'd started feeling sick and was dreading the flight home the next day. After they left, Hannah and I crashed on the couch downstairs to watch some brainless reality television, and then we all went to bed.
Wednesday, February 25I woke up to a functioning BlackBerry today. YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME. I'm trying to let it go, especially because MTS is refunding my data charges for the month. Not that it really fixes anything, but whatever. On to more important things... It always sucks to say goodbye. Our visits out to BC are typically around a week or a week-and-a-half long, but they always fly by - probably because we keep ourselves pretty busy. But there are always people we didn't quite manage to see, and we're always wishing that we'd had more time with the people we saw. It's especially hard to say goodbye to Geoff's family. And it was harder than usual because I could see how painful it was for them to have Briony flying back to Manitoba. After everyone was awake, Geoff, Briony, Marilyn, Hannah, and I went out for tea and scones before coming back to the house to pack. In the afternoon, Marilyn and Hannah drove us into Vancouver to catch our flight back home. It was snowing outside, and I was convinced that our flight was going to be delayed... I kept on calling, and they kept on telling me that it was on schedule - so we got to the airport in plenty of time and got to our gate and onto the plane without a hitch. We began to taxi to the runway. And then we stopped. Apparently, the snow was going to delay our takeoff. And it did - by nearly an hour and a half. I have to say, Briony was a real trooper. Our time on the plane was nearly two hours longer than we'd anticipated - and therefore, our arrival in Winnipeg was ridiculously late. By just after 2 am, we were home and we crashed into bed pretty quickly. Briony was kind enough to sleep through until just before 11 am...
And it's back to our Manitoba life again. With a new panda bear in tow :)
We seriously cannot get a decent family picture for the life of us... We'll keep trying!Labels: Briony, Family, Jason and Amy, Rob and Vicky, The Boy, Travel
Worrying About Today
Please say a prayer or send some positivity our way today if you think of it. We're flying home this evening - our plane leaves at 18.45 from Vancouver and lands in Winnipeg at 23.30. We've had a great trip, but in the last 24 hours it looks like all three of us have caught a slight cold/flu bug. I'm managing okay, but Geoff feels miserable - and Briony is all stuffed up. I need for Geoff to stay healthy enough to help with her lots because I can't hold her for hours on the plane. And I need for Briony to stay healthy enough that she'll do a great job flying again. Thanks so much!
Labels: Briony, The Boy, Travel
Friday Smile
Geoff, Marilyn, Briony, and I were at Ikea the other day and Marilyn was showing Briony a stuffed panda bear. She liked it. A lot.
PS - We are not dead, merely taking a little break out in Vancouver with family and friends. I'll catch you up on everything after we're home next week. Have a great weekend!
Labels: Friday Smile
Monday Secret
Labels: Monday Secret
Visiting My Parents (and Jessica & Chloe)
Labels: Briony, Family, Jessimica, Photos
Trip to Assiniboine Park
Labels: Briony, Family, Photos, The Boy
Friday Smile
A little late because I was visiting my mom yesterday, but here it is nonetheless. I bring you...
SPOILER INTERRUPTUS! It's a special primer on keeping your fellow workers from spoiling all the movies you haven't yet seen.
Labels: Friday Smile, Video
Recipe: Easy Beef Stew
Did you hear? It's Slow Cooker Week here at RunLindsayRun. All week, I'll be testing recipes for your culinary enjoyment.-
The Recipe:EASY BEEF STEW
*Modified rom Crockpot365.blogspot.com
12 potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 c carrots, chopped
1 c celery, chopped
1/2 onion, chopped
1 can corn
1/2 can water or beef broth
2 lb stewing beef
2 tsp salt
2 pkg onion soup mix
Stir ingredients together in a slow cooker. Cook on HIGH for 1 hour, then turn to LOW and cook an additional 4-5 hours.
The Evidence:The photo is on my camera. Will add it here soon. Trust me, it just looks like beef stew :)
The Review:Stew is pretty easy to make. Let me tell you, it is even easier in a slow cooker. It was easy peasy, other than peeling all those potatoes.
I felt kind of obligated to try a beef stew recipe as part of slow cooker week, because it's one of those classic slow cooker meals. I have a recipe I've used before, but I thought I'd try something new - in search of a *perfect* stew recipe.
This wasn't it. But it was still pretty good. I wasn't the biggest fan of dumping in all the sodium and junk in the onion soup mix, but it was a super-easy way to add lots of flavour to this recipe without putting any effort in at all (plus it's something I often have on hand). I'd make this again because it had a really good stew texture and consistency, but I'd play around with the seasoning.
The Verdict:No boy ever complains about beef stew. Geoff liked it. And my parents liked the leftovers that I brought along with me the next day.
I need to play with this one a bit before I'm happy with it, but it was a good start. I'd make it again, but not exactly the same way. If you're a little less picky about preservatives and all of that fun stuff, then by all means - give this one a try, and let me know what you think.
What's still on my list, you ask? Lemon Chicken. African Peanut Soup. And Creme Brulee (which will either end in brilliance or giggles - there's no middle ground on that one, I'm pretty sure).
Labels: Recipe, Slow Cooker Recipes
PS I Hate Your Stupid Bison Ads
Okay, so I think I was pretty clear about my hatred of MTS and my hesitation to switch to them again for wireless service after some of my past experiences. But I decided that people - and companies - can change, and so I signed a three-year contract with them last week.
My first bill arrived today. Nearly $145 worth of mistakes and phantom charges. I kid you not. Please do your best to imagine the phone call that was made and the email that was sent expressing my... displeasure.
Something I really, truly hate being right.
Labels: Bitching About Nothing
Recipe: Beef Stroganoff
Did you hear? It's Slow Cooker Week here at RunLindsayRun. All week, I'll be testing recipes for your culinary enjoyment.-
The Recipe:SLOW COOKER BEEF STROGANOFF
*Modified from a Kraft recipe
2 lb stewing beef
2 c mushrooms, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 c beef broth
1 tsp salt
1 c sour cream*
2 tbsp flour
1 tbsp Dijon mustard*
Place meat, mushrooms, onion, and garlic in slow cooker. Add broth, paprika, and salt. Cover and cook on LOW for 7-8 hours. Mix sour cream, flour, and mustard. Add to slow cooker and stir until blended. Cover and cook an additional 15-30 minutes. Serve over hot egg noddles with a sprinkle of fresh parsley.
*If you're feeling extra lazy, you can substitute a tub of Herb & Garlic Light Cream Cheese for the sour cream and dijon mustard.
The Evidence:No picture available, so you'll just have to make it yourself and then you'll know exactly what it looks like :)
The Review:Full disclosure: I wasn't home for dinner tonight, so I pulled out this recipe from a couple of months ago.I'm always looking for lazy ways to make comfort food. Enter the slow cooker. And enter a simple Beef Stroganoff recipe.
There is nothing special about this, but it's a delicious smell to come home to - and it's one of those recipes that's super-easy to freeze and enjoy as leftovers later.
The Verdict:Geoff complained about the mushrooms, of course. But he still eats it whenever I make it. (I'll admit to putting extra mushrooms in... It's my favourite part of this dish.) And everyone else I know who's tried it loves it.
This is in my recipe book, and I will be making it again. It's foolproof.
Labels: Recipe, Slow Cooker Recipes
Recipe: Cranberry Apple Pork
Did you hear? It's Slow Cooker Week here at RunLindsayRun. All week, I'll be testing recipes for your culinary enjoyment.-
The Recipe:CRANBERRY APPLE PORK
*Modified from a recipe I found at JustSlowCooking.com
2 apples, chopped into cubes
2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped into cubes
2 tbsp honey (or brown sugar)
6 to 8 pork chops or cutlets
1 can whole cranberry sauce
Salt
Black pepper
Place apple and sweet potato cubes in the bottom of your slow cooker. Drizzle with honey and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place pork chops on top. Lightly sprinkle pork with salt and pepper. Spoon cranberry sauce over pork. Cover and cook on LOW for 7 to 9 hours.
The Evidence:No picture available, so you'll just have to make it yourself and then you'll know exactly what it looks like :)
The Review:Full disclosure: It's so beautiful outside again today that Geoff *really* wanted to fire up the barbecue... So no slow cooker dinner tonight. I pulled out this recipe that I tried for the first time last week.I was really excited to try this one because I like sweet potatoes but don't always know what to make with them beyond mashing them or baking them as fries. Plus anything with cranberry sauce is usually awesome. Geoff really likes pork but it's not my favourite - so this looked like a way that both of us could be happy.
It wasn't awesome, but it was really good. I was a little too light on the salt for the bottom layer of apples and sweet potatoes - when I added some more later, it was definitely better. I'd add more next time. And I think I'd consider a few onions too, just to make the flavour a little more interesting.
The only real surprise for me was that the cranberry sauce did NOTHING while it sat on top of the pork. I guess I was expecting it to 'melt' and spread out, and it didn't. At all. Next time, I'd spread it over the meat more thoroughly instead of just spooning a clump onto each chop.
The Verdict:Geoff wasn't super-psyched about the texture of the sweet potatoes. But he still ate half of the leftovers the next day :)
I would definitely make this one again. This is one of those recipes that is basically good, and once I've tried it once or twice and tweaked / perfected it, it's going to be great.
Labels: Recipe, Slow Cooker Recipes
Recipe: Crockpot Indian Curry
Did you hear? It's Slow Cooker Week here at RunLindsayRun. All week, I'll be testing recipes for your culinary enjoyment.-
The Recipe:CROCKPOT INDIAN CURRY
*Modified from Crockpot365.blogspot.com and Rachael Ray
1 can coconut milk (unsweetened)
1 can garbonzo beans
1 tbsp tomato paste
2 tbsp curry powder
1 tbsp coriander
1 tbsp cumin
ginger, garlic, and hot sauce to taste
4-6 chicken thighs
*I used 12 small ones, so that we'd have leftovers
1 onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
1/2 eggplant, chopped
1 sweet potato, chopped
Mix sauce ingredients together in slow cooker. Add chicken pieces and toss to coat. Add chopped vegetables on top. Cover and cook on LOW for 7-9 hours (or HIGH for 4-6 hours). Stir gently and serve over rice.
The Evidence:
Wow. That doesn't actually look very appetizing, does it? Well, it tasted better than it looked :)
The Review:Big shock, but this nice little Mennonite girl has never attempted to make curry before... This seemed like a pretty safe way to experiment. I've always enjoyed these types of dishes, but was too intimidated to try it at home. Turns out, this was the easiest thing EVER.
It was really good. Next time, I wouldn't be as cautious with the hot sauce - without enough of it, this recipe is very flavourful but a little flat. We added some after the fact, and it was yummy.
I was a little surprised at how much liquid was left in the curry once it was all finished cooking, because it seemed very dry when I was mixing up all the ingredients. When I started the rice, I cranked up the slow cooker to HIGH and took off the lid in hopes of evaporating some of it. Next time, I'd let it cook like that just a little bit longer. Not a big deal, just something to note.
Oh, and the best part of cooking with eggplant is chopping it up. Seriously. There's just something about the texture that makes me want to cut it. (Don't judge me. At least not until you've gone to the store, purchased an eggplant, and tried it for yourself.)
The Verdict:Geoff and I both liked this recipe. He complained about the eggplant a little bit (I left it in big, easy-to-remove chunks - notice a pattern here? hehe) and he added the hot sauce pretty liberally, which I took as a bad sign - but he went straight back for seconds.
Another one to add to my recipe collection. Though I'm also planning to try
this Thai curry recipe someday soon - and I'm curious to compare the two.
Labels: Recipe, Slow Cooker Recipes
Monday Secret
Labels: Monday Secret
An Outdoor Adventure
Today, Geoff and I took Briony for her first-ever outdoor adventure. It was a balmy -4 here, so we put her into her snowsuit, unpacked the stroller, and walked up and down Wellington Crescent this afternoon.
It was awesome to get out of the house and get some exercise, and it was so beautiful outside... The whole time I was pregnant, I was looking forward to understated little family times *exactly* like today. I'll admit that I teared up a little bit. It was just so very good for my heart.
And Briony slept through the whole thing :)
Labels: Briony, Photos, The Boy
Recipe: Pizza Soup
Did you hear? It's Slow Cooker Week here at RunLindsayRun. All week, I'll be testing recipes for your culinary enjoyment.-
The Recipe:PIZZA SOUP
*From Crockpot365.blogspot.com
1 jar pizza sauce
3 jars water
1 green pepper, chopped
1/2 onion, chopped
1 c mushrooms, chopped
1 can diced tomatoes, drained
2-3 italian sausages, cooked and chopped
1 c pepperoni, chopped
basil
oregano
1/2 c dry pasta
cheese (for garnish)
Combine all ingredients (except the pasta and cheese) in a large slow cooker. Cover and cook on LOW for 6 to 7 hours. 30 minutes before serving, stir in the pasta and switch to HIGH. Serve with a sprinkle of cheese on top.
The Evidence:
The Review:I was totally intrigued by this recipe because pizza = yummy, but carbs = eternal baby fat. And this recipe was *exactly* what it promised to be: pizza in soup form. I realized later that once I added the pasta and served it with bread (a new cheese and onion ciabatta bread from Safeway that was ridiculously good), I may as well have had the crust. Oh well.
I didn't have pizza sauce on hand, but I used a jar of pasta sauce and it was great. And I replaced the basil with some Italian flavour Mrs Dash. (I couldn't find mine... What the heck?)
This soup was super-easy to make and impossible to screw up, because everything was pre-cooked (I microwaved the sausage for a couple of minutes - easy peasy). You're basically just slow cooking it to warm it up and let the flavours mingle. And it will make your house smell sooo good.
The Verdict:Geoff whined about the mushrooms, but I left them in huge chunks so that they were easy to pick out. Sigh. But we both really liked it. It's not fancy at all, but it really fills you up - and it had a lot more flavour than I thought it would.
I will definitely make this one again. And I suspect that it will be an awesome way to sneak veggies into a skeptical toddler... Seriously, it's called PIZZA SOUP. The kid in all of us is automatically kind of excited about it.
Labels: Recipe, Slow Cooker Recipes
Hours of Fun
I've been playing with
this all day.
Labels: Stuff I Found Online
Slow Cooker Week
Is this blog getting *way* too nerdy for you?
I have declared this week Slow Cooker Week at the Wright household. I've been trying to use mine once a week this winter, and it's been great - but I have a list of recipes that I want to try, and so I've decided to use mine every night this week.
I chose five *new* recipes and we went shopping this afternoon - so we're good to go. Stay tuned for reviews of this week's dinners. In addition to this, I'm planning to post two recipes that I tried earlier this month, so it will be a full week of slow cooker recipe reviews here at RunLindsayRun (because a recipe's really no good if you don't know what to expect). If you have a few goodies of your own, please share them in the comments.
Are you excited? I don't really care, because I am currently excited enough for *all* of us :)
Labels: Recipe, Slow Cooker Recipes
Friday Smile
My brother Aaron posted the full story of last weekend's epic 24 Day
here. Read and enjoy!
Labels: Aaron, Caitlin, Family, Friday Smile
$50.01
In case anyone is wondering, that is the precise and exact cost of one (1) soul belonging to Lindsay M Wright.
Well, previously belonging to me :)
I switched over to a BlackBerry today. And that's not the soul-selling part of the adventure. I switched over to a BlackBerry WITH MTS.
I know what you're thinking. "But Lindsay, you swore up and down and backwards and inside out and every other way that you would NEVER do business with them again!" Apparently, you should never say never. Because one day, your *other* cellular provider will annoy you to the point where you don't want to do business with anymore. And you'll start looking around, and you'll discover that the *evil* cellular provider offers:
- An unlimited data plan (my previous plan had NO data, and I could only choose a 500MB add-on but for significantly more money)
- 200 more daytime minutes than I previously had
- Unlimited evenings and weekends that begin 4 hours earlier than I previously had
AND they offered me $100 to switch from the provider that I currently hate quite a lot. (Oh, and did I mention that the actual monthly cost of my plan isn't changing at all? Because it's totally the same.) Subtract the $49.99 for a BlackBerry on a three-year contract, and there you have it.
I'm happy with the decision so far, but highly skeptical of cell companies in general. Who knows. Maybe MTS will end up impressing me. (Insert sarcastic laughter here.) In the meantime, UNLIMITED DATA makes Lindsay happy.
Now if only I could figure out how to work this darn thing.
Labels: Nothing Important
Book Party!
My friend Kari-Ann is selling Usborne books for kids, and I've volunteered to host a party on Monday, March 2. I'm not one for home parties, but a BOOK PARTY?! That is something *entirely* different :)
If you're interested in coming, please let me know and I'll email you the details. You can preview a partial catalogue
here.
Labels: Kari-Ann
Stressing
Yeah, so I've been in a total funk for the last week. I'm totally edgy and I'm not sleeping well and I know that I'm snapping too easily. I don't know why my mom's *final* surgery is stressing me out so much, but it is - and I'm not the only one. Please send lots of positive energy our way tomorrow.
UPDATE FEB 04.09 @ 15.30: My mom is back at home, and it sounds like everything went well. I'm still really weepy, though. So strange. I haven't had much time to dwell on it, because Briony picked today (of course) to be fussier than usual. Maybe that's a blessing :)
Labels: Family, The C Word
Crime Doesn't Pay
...but religion sure as heck can! :)
I've been making one or two phone calls every couple of weeks since my second trimester, in an effort to find a day care spot for Briony. Most of the time, those phone calls end with (a) Lindsay throwing something across the room, or (b) Lindsay crying. Usually both, because I'm super-frustrated about waiting lists of 400+ children. And the idea of dropping off Briony ANYWHERE makes me feel physically ill.
I know that we have until October to figure this all out, but the child care situation in Winnipeg right now is beyond stupid and I know that I'm already late to be making these phone calls. I refuse to find ourselves in a place where I have to leave my baby girl somewhere I don't feel 100% good about when it's time for mommy to go back to work. And so, I make these phone calls...
Today, I finally hit pay dirt when I got the contact info for a day care that is loosely affiliated with Geoff's church. Turns out that - despite the fact that they currently have a waiting list of over 150 children - Geoff's church membership gives us priority. Basically, Briony magically moves to Spot #1 as soon as she turns two, so the worst case scenario would be that we might need to wait for the next available opening at that point. And she'd be in day care with some of the same kids that she goes to church with. But you read the catch... They don't accept children until they turn two. ARGH.
So I have a *great* place for her to go as soon as she's two years old. Now, what to do in the meantime? I've figured out that - with Geoff's work schedule - the most childcare we'd actually require in a month is between five and ten days total. Really, we could make due very well with some kind of a casual arrangement with a stay-at-home mom or someone who wanted to come to our house. It would be complicated, but I think we could probably make it work - at least for the year between when I go back to work and when Briony can get into day care.
Isn't it incredible how quickly life can go from 'normal' to diapers and drool and day care? And, perhaps more interestingly, how quickly those things become a new kind of 'normal'? :)
Labels: Back to Work, Briony, Mommy Stuff
Monday Smile
Yeah, ANOTHER 'smile' post on a Monday. My life is just too happy these days - hehe.
Geoff and I were clicking through this site tonight and are laughing so hard that we're crying, my stomach hurts, and I have required one emergency trip to the bathroom already. I couldn't wait until Friday to share... And so... Enjoy!
Check out
Cake Wrecks. In a nutshell, it's a collection of photos of cakes gone horribly, horribly wrong.
Here's a sneak peek:
Labels: Friday Smile, Stuff I Found Online
Monday Secret
Labels: Monday Secret
Congratulations, Aaron & Caitlin!
Yup, it's official. My brother Aaron proposed to his girlfriend last night, at the end of a ridiculously complicated day... It basically involved convincing Cait that they were helping to prank a friend of a friend - but Cait was the real victim, and ended up (unknowingly) carrying around a 'mystery package' all day that actually contained her own engagement ring, and delivering it to a 'mystery location' in the evening that ended up being a room full of candles and roses. In the end, he proposed and she said yes.
Congrats! So very happy for both of you, and excited for Cait to officially become a sister :)
Labels: Aaron, Caitlin, Family
Briony's first airplane trip
Outside at Mill Lake in Abbotsford
Briony's first road trip to the US (she's clearly loving every minute of it)
Hanging out at the mall with 'Grammy'
Rob & Ava and Geoff & Briony - notice how much these girls look like their daddies!
Briony and Ava 'playing' together
Meeting her Auntie Carole
Ruth & Briony spend some snuggle time together before bed
Hanging out at Starbucks...
...and MELTDOWN! :)
We seriously cannot get a decent family picture for the life of us... We'll keep trying!
