Lei's Kitchen

Moving Day

2010-08-28T03:02:00.000-04:00

Given that it has taken me a third of a year to post something new, there is not much to see, but check out my new digs!
As always, a work in progress.
Enjoy!

March Madness

2010-04-08T23:56:00.000-04:00

The first day of March starts a 5.5 week whirlwind in our home, with all three kids' birthdays being celebrated during that time. With my mind constantly busy with party plans, March Break and bad hair, please forgive that this is a summary in pictures of the month we had. Or, rather, the food we enjoyed last month.

My big girl turned twelve, and celebrated with a big girls/young ladies dinner party. Complete with younger siblings serving their meal. Caesar Salad ~ Four Cheese Tortellini with Pesto Cream Sauce ~ A mountain of cream puffs with strawberries and a birthday candle on top

The next day, four out of five of us sisters went on our traditional pre-labour girly date. (My sweet, sweet nephew Mr. D arrived two days later) A delicious dinner at one of my all-time favourite restaurants, Real Thailand.

The day the five of us rented and watched Food Inc. we enjoyed a nacho platter made with happy beef. It is absolutely true: you'll never look at dinner the same way.

The March Break was sweet and cold...

...and apparently tastes better in 3D.

And the home stretch was celebrated at good ol' Chuck E Cheese, with cheese pizza and a cake that unfortunately doesn't taste like it used to, but was still super festive.

With spring shaping up to be unusually mild, I predict the next food photo album to include some barbecue...

Dire Straights

2010-03-18T23:09:00.000-04:00

It's not looking good.

A few weeks ago, one side of my flat iron died, rendering the whole appliance useless. And my world a BIG, FAT, FUZZY MESS.

I don't think you understand. I am being held captive in a humid cave by what I believe are the evil cousins of Hungry: Thick, Coarse and Unruly. And I have had little success with ways to disguise my suffering.

After watching the Oscars last weekend, I thought perhaps my hair is in.

Maybe it's cool to stay with the half-pulled ponies (a la Ms. Watt, my faaaaavourite math teacher in high school), with the added baby hair mane flying freely along my entire hairline. (Can't pull the ponytail all the way out, or BAMM - ugly cotton candy thing following my head all day)

I have decided that NO it is not cool. I spent the majority of my life with my hair pulled back. So, in the last year or so, I decided to be a little more grown up and wear my hear down more often (time permitting). My little ol' iron, purchased for $40US in 2006, made me the woman I was two weeks ago. And now it's gone. And it costs a lo-ot these days to replace it with something I can trust. But when your front door deadbolt breaks, your 12 year-old daughter outgrows her pink-tassled Barbie bike, and another soccer season is around the corner (ie. registration fees are due soon), you need to start thinking of better ways to make the mop look deliberate for just a few weeks longer, while you save up for that worthy replacement. (I've even recently taken the bun off the Do Not 'Do list {did you see the high school reunion episode of King of Queens?} out of desperation.)

Because, too, when your Hubby is bald, he just won't understand that the $149 one will undoubtedly make you a better woman than the $25.99 one.

In the meantime here I am, waiting. And tying back.

Donor's Eye View

2010-03-01T23:51:00.000-05:00

Because 22 years ago this week my mom lost her battle with leukemia
Because in the last two months, 3 family members have needed blood
Because I'm giving thanks for my daughter's twelve years of life
It's just a nice thing to do for three people

Pick a reason, any reason. I had them all in mind when I went down to the Air Canada Centre this afternoon to join The Big Save, Toronto's largest donor clinic event this year. I took the above photo with my left hand while lying on the bed giving blood, right on the ACC floor. It was pretty cool, looking around from an angle I will likely never have again...following the walkways above the rafters, seeing that the Leafs have, in fact, not won a Stanley Cup since before man landed on the moon (the city is overlooking this for a few weeks, still riding the golden Team Canada high), and scanning the sections for Hubby's and my seats for next week's date with Alicia Augello Cook, aka..... The actual collection of my blood took only 7 minutes. The sweet nurse who worked with me, Rosario, said I filled the bag so quickly, because I'm small but juicy. **blushing**

This event drew a lot of first-timers (ahem, I've got two donations under my belt now), possibly because Maple Leaf Sports tossed in a few raffles and appearances by athletes, members of the Raptors Dance Pak and mascots. And this guy:

This is Carl Gunnarsson, a Maple Leaf. I only know this because I looked him up on the team website. I was the only soul at the recharge-snacks station who was not staring, getting autographs or trying to pose for a photo with him. In fact, all I did was call my sister to tell her I saw this NHL dude, and was so engrossed in my own world that I failed to notice the chick next to me at my snack table had keeled over onto the seat beside her. So, no, donating blood is not for everybody. (I suspect, in hindsight, that she was below the minimum weight of 110lbs. After a bit of commotion, and me feeling totally crappy for not seeing her faint, she woke up and I was assured she would be fine.) But, if you have ever contemplated giving blood, I highly recomment you look into it. Toronto uses more blood than it collects and has to import quite a bit from other provinces. No, you don`t get money for your donation. Instead, you will be thanked by every nurse and volunteer who comes within 10 feet of you during your visit for saving a few lives.

My foot twin

2010-02-24T21:35:00.000-05:00

My Big Girl is turning twelve in six days. And we now wear the same giant shoe size.

Today especially I have developed a silent hunger to crawl under a rock and stop time for just a wee bit. One blogging sister is in the final stretch of her waiting game and has talked about the hopes she has for herself as a mother. Another thinks she hasn't already figured it out, but I think she has, simply because of her crystal-clear awareness.

My reflections about parenthood this week are more in the past tense. Big Girl has long since passed those all-important first five years, so on some levels, I've done all I can to help form the woman she is going to be. But have I done enough? Have I equipped her with the right decision-making tools as she approaches independence? Has she learned from my example more often than my nagging (because I know that's what it is sometimes)? Have her dad and I given her the world without handing her everything? Will she turn to God in her times of both adversity and joy, which I have learned is a fail-proof life strategy?

Celebrating her twelfth birthday with her is a big deal for me because mine was my first celebrated without my own mom. It began a stage when I felt alone, too old and too young at the same time, and chose friends over family more often. And I know this is just part of the whole teenage thing, but as a parent, it is requiring immense effort for me to loosen my grip and let her step out that little bit farther than my arm's reach. I just don't want to miss a thing.

She is a good kid. She can see me as her greatest adversary sometimes, but she is also dangerously protective of me. She is respectful, she's a pretty dancer, she's artsy, she's mastered the long bang sweep, she is thoughtful, smart, funny, she still lets me kiss her on the lips (ooh, how embarrassing for her) and she can't wait to sit in the passenger seat on the way to school on Monday.

So let them be little,

'Cause they're only that way for a while.

Give 'em hope, give them praise,

Give them love every day.

Let 'em cry, let 'em giggle,

Let 'em sleep in the middle,

Oh, but let them be little.

- from 'Let Them Be Little', Billy Dean

Oh Canada

2010-02-16T21:39:00.001-05:00

Inspired by my lil' sister's and her friends' party theme, we rounded up some siblings and kiddies at our house to watch the Vancouver opening ceremonies on Friday. In recent years I stopped feeling un-Filipino and embraced my Canadian-ness - I am among a small fraction of my father's side born on foreign soil, and growing up I felt pretty crappy that I was so much the Anti-Filipina. Perhaps it was parenthood that did it - you figure out what is and isn't important - I became a firmly-proud Canadian (and I apologize for that also meant I was also a tad anti-others). I do not see myself ever moving from this country (unless for love, and my dude's from here so...), and you might as well shoot me right now if you're going to deny me Swiss Chalet sauce, maple dips from Tim Hortons, Smarties, 'favourite', project (pronounced prow-ject, not prah-ject), or my beloved and world-renowned "eh" from every sentence that emerges from my mouth.

And so, I outfitted my hands, Hubby and the kiddies with Vancouver 2010 gear, cooked up a few true north delights, and cheered on our home.

Oh my, aren't we so patriotic?

Team Festive: 2 Team Not-In-The-Mood: 1

My big girl and niece

Humpty Dumpty Ringolos

Lay's Ketchup Chips

Poutine = dinner, midnight snack and breakfast

The peameal bacon sammiches were so yummy I forgot to take pictures.

Gold medal treats

My big boy has temporarily set aside his Michael Jackson impressions and memorized Nacho Libre script in favour of Olympic themed activities.

Alexandre Bilodeau's gold medal-winning moguls run

Below: the Olympic torch

Brainsludge

2010-01-25T20:37:00.000-05:00

The last week was a roller coaster to say the least, but prayers work, my friends. Thank you. It seems, though, that this week my mind is only capable of some really random thoughts. Wanna hear 'em? Here they go:

Five nicknames I could have had:

Nora
Lily
CLLA (say it like "killah", like if I was in a gang)
Cece
C. Loner - Oh wait, I actually did have that one. Seriously. Boys can be so mean.

I'd love to have a really good staple gun.
I lost my fonduginity on Saturday. It was so good.
How does yeast work?
If I ever need eyeglasses, there has to be blue on the frames.
How many words end in -ject: inject; project; subject; interject; uh, uh, that's it.
Serendipity.
What do cool people wear these days?

Wrote a little something new on Marriage Write

New Everything

2010-01-11T22:55:00.000-05:00

We begin a new year at my house with our kitchen calendar so full that my white board marker cries its ink out by the 20th. There are no less than twenty birthdays in our network in January. So far we have four celebrations scheduled (one being split among three in my immediate family, one surprise party for a parental - shhh, one dipped in chocolate, and one that smells like girl power...and I suspect a couple of cocktails too). I can hardly catch my breath and it's only the 11th.

The year ahead is an exciting one and I'm happy to start it already. I can finally start fare-tracking for our much-needed summer vacation. Hubby and I are attending our first concert together (Alicia Keys! Woohoo!) since Janet Jackson's Velvet Rope tour over ten years ago. With my dear friend's wedding officially five months away tomorrow, I'm approaching the real part of my invitation-making timeline, where I'm actually printing and cutting things. And then there is, of course, the arrival of Lil' Sister's littler one, bringing the generation's count to 14 - a Filipino Baker's Dozen (because you need that extra one to offer the guest who walks in the door and then you say Don't be shy, just eat and eat). And that's just the first half of the year.

I used to do annual lists of what I learned each year, and I thought about doing it for 2009, but the year was pretty intense and I think it'll take me quite a while to put it together. So instead I shall amuse you with this:

Ten Things I Want to Learn in 2010:

To make a mean Sour Cream Pound Cake like my sister did using that ripped out magazine recipe
To bake ensaymada
To run 10k without stopping (Note to self: must start by actually running again)
To introduce more meatless meals into our home
Tagalog! I'm the only loser in the family who doesn't understand anything except foods
How to fix my blog - I still haven't put the darn title up there
Knit
To be a more patient, effective parent to each of my very different children
About world religions
To be more fricking organized

Butter, cheese, sugar and butter, baby!

November - December Photo Essay (aka I'm cheating)

2010-01-07T00:01:00.000-05:00

Hubby and I celebrating a dozen years into our sentence

My birthday celebration at home started with some successful culinary experiments and censored pictures, hiding the come as you are dress code.

Big Boy and I indulging in a little Purdy's (seriously - that's $6 of delicious evil we're holding)

The long-awaited tea with the ladies at Four Seasons. I highly recommend.

My birthday week was capped off with a sweet reunion and a beautiful wedding.

Got a little carried away with the Christmas decorating

Christmas party #1 - my teeth are crying as I look at this "gingerbread man" again

Christmas party #2 - Ugly competitive Lei returns - I seem to be the Xmas movie encyclopedia

I always love the annual themes and photo shoots

Christmas Eve at the mall before dropping Hubby off at work.

Big Girl's eyes were closed in the first takes so we took these to make her feel not so bad

Oh yes, dear Cake Plate, I'm coming to get you

The best Magic Mike ever - big it up for my cousin who rocked Sean Paul

No lumps of coal this year

Lil Sis transforming into a mama

My family is all about photo ops with props

Homemade pecan tarts made with love by Lil Sis - and enjoyed with passion by me

Boxing Day at Anthropologie

A close up of the fully recyclable window display.

A New Day

2009-12-31T00:09:00.000-05:00

Boxing Day this year found me lying on my sister's basement floor (quite comfortably - on layers of blankety goodness and a heater toasting my feet all night) until 7:45am. Major daylight-burning for me, waking up that late, but sleeping in like that (as opposed to the weekday 5:30 routine) was like a drug and I wanted more, more, more! Alas, the phone rang and it was one of the boys calling from Best Buy asking my sister for advice on a purchase and I couldn't go back to sleep after that. The guys woke up at 6am to go hunting. For electronics. And boy did some of them score quite the trophies...

By mid-afternoon it was the ladies' turn for some retail therapy. Happily, we were a hop and two skips away from our favourite store and since it's in such a posh mall, it wasn't be busy. We invited the two big girls (11 - my Big Girl - and 12 years old) to join us, thinking it might be a nice warm up to our customary pre-baby Girly Day in the coming months (which usually is exclusively the Sisters but will now include these two tweens).

As we all walked away from the parking garage, I instinctively reached for my Big Girl's hand. Hey, we were crossing the street, and when I go to the mall with my kids, I hold their hands.

The other hand is hesitant.

"Or is it sort of uncool to hold hands?"

"Ya."

For most of the excursion she gravitated towards her cousin as I tried my darnedest to focus on walking forward and not constantly turning my head back to check where she was. I found myself almost begging for her at the bookstore, coaxing her over to books or items I thought she and I would both be interested in. At one point she called me over to the finger puppets and I was squealing in excitement inside at discovering that she was still thinking of me. Finally at Anthropologie we walked around together (her cousin got hungry so stepped out with her mom to get a bite to eat), and she discovered the world of pretty-expensive things. And I bought her a hat which was a) a lesson to her in finding great deals: $38 to $10, or b) me buying my daughter's attention back. You decide.

I will be the first to admit that I am not ready to let my baby grow up.

Holiday Hugs to You

2009-12-22T00:18:00.000-05:00

With oodles of butter, flour and sugar waiting in the kitchen to marry into sweet little miracles (miracles is right - I burned 2 dozen cookies last night) and just the kids' presents left to be wrapped and re-hidden until Friday morning, I really don't think I'll be able to touch the computer until at least the weekend when I'm so hungover from feasting on potluck heaven that I won't have the energy to do much else.

So until then, from my bouncy little family to yours, have a wonderfully happy Christmas! Be safe on the roads and resist taking too many pictures vs. silently cherishing the moments.

Happy Birthday Jesus!

What's In A Name

2009-12-07T22:44:00.000-05:00

After months of ego-pinching searching, I finally found myself at a great job, at a great company. And you should see the washrooms...

I'm really enjoying myself, but there is one thing that I'm struggling with since starting the day after my birthday (oh ya, I turned 33 a couple of weeks ago! Will share more on that later). My identity crisis. If you don't already know, I was christened Cecilia Leonor and Leah/Lei is nowhere on any of my official documents. But for, like, ever, I have been going by Leah and at my last job I couldn't handle being addressed per my resume so after two weeks I told them to stop calling me Cecilia. They probably thought I was crazy. I think I am too. Cecilia's a pretty name. St. Cecilia is the patron saint of music. Cecilia is a catchy, foot-stomping, hand-slapping Simon and Garfunkel song (although she sounds like a bit of a tramp if you listen closely).

I've decided not to ask my co-workers to "just call me Leah" and get to know the me that my parents intended me to be. I sort of feel like I'm entering the witness protection plan because after over thirty years I'm letting people call me something else. Now if I could just recognize the sound of the name and connect it to myself when someone is talking to me...

Potty Lament

2009-11-20T00:01:00.002-05:00

As I've grown older, my gag reflex seems to get more and more sensitive. I think it started in my late teens when I was always getting bronchitis, so I would wring out my throat (with unladylike audio) to the point of obsession to keep the yuckies from clogging my precious, virgin respiratory system. Just ask Hubby; the guy watched childbirth thrice and nothing I do grosses him out more than the sound of incessant horking in the morning.

This gag reflex thing has come equipped with a superhuman sense of smell. The littlest peeps from food, distant trash cans, faint sweat marks now come screaming up my nostrils and I feel like I'm in that mid-pregnancy torture where even your baby-daddy stinks like hell.

Now, it's no longer a secret that I'm struggling to find the ideal work environment, but now on the list of criteria is a clean restroom. One that doesn't tempt you to bend over to hurl rather than sit down and take care of business. It's bad enough that my urinary system has chronic stage fright. Even when I gotta go bad, once my body feels the presence of another next door, everything clams up and the silence is deafening. She thinks I'm taking a crap. And so you apply enough force to coax out a tinkle but not enough to squeeze out a mortifying blurt that would support their suspicion.

It appears that the office that I work at (and the restrooms in them) is visited by cleaners only twice a week. So sometimes my senses are most unpleasantly surprised by evidence that you felt the need yesterday to sit way back on the seat before you wiped. Seriously, who does that? And who, my friends, doesn't do the triple check before re-opening the door, confirming that everything has in fact disappeared in the magical whirlpool? I can't even imagine taking care of the serious business at the workplace. At every job I had, I had a designated location in a separate building for emergencies (one of them invited me to immerse myself in European charm and so I did). Stall walls stop millimeters shy of your bare cheeks and, in my case this past summer, you do anything unbecoming of a lady and your 3-minute neighbour need only glance down and see your turquoise toenails to know who to snicker about in the lunchroom. Sometimes I even sit like I'm posing for a portrait, with my knees and toes angled away to avoid identification.

Clearly I'm developing a complex. Perhaps I should consider wearing diapers on the job like Lexie on Grey's Anatomy.

Best-Case Scenario

2009-11-02T17:46:00.000-05:00

Hubby and I celebrated twelve years of marriage at the movies (MJ's This Is It; it was going to be an amazing concert.), church and dinner. It was simple and even if we didn't go out, lying in bed this morning, drunk from daylight savings bliss and just talking was already enough.

I decided to use today to introduce my new blog, Marriage Write. It's supposed to be a play on words: Write, Rite, Right....it's about what I think might create a best-case scenario for all of us who, naturally, intend for the deal to last 'till death do us part.

It's a bit of an eyesore visually, but I intend to fix that soon. I hope you enjoy it.

"It is a new world!"

2009-10-21T21:31:00.000-04:00

Love knows nothing of rank or riverbank

It will spark between a queen and the poor vagabond who plays the king

And their love should be minded by each

For love denied blights the soul we owe to God.

In every online questionnaire and perhaps even on my yearbook blurb if there was a line for it, the favourite movie field always read The Princess Bride. I still love that movie and have had the entire script memorized for as long as I can remember, you miserable, vomitous mass...

I love it, but the one movie that always sweeps me off my feet, away from a crappy day (like yesterday) and make me all floaty and fluttery and in love with love is, well, Shakespeare In Love.

The film won, like, a gugillion awards, so the work itself is excellent. I love Gwyneth Paltrow, and this movie's got three of my favourite men I can't have (Rupert Everett - gay; Ben Affleck - married; Me - married; Joseph Fiennes - Grrrrmmmm, who cares).

Especially right now, where I'm feeling sort of stuck in routine and chaos, it's such a wonderful escape and fills in some gaps that the Coles notes didn't cover back when I was in high school. heh heh

Got any suggestions of other fabulous movies I should watch?

Me = Frank

2009-10-20T22:17:00.000-04:00

It's time for me to be frank.

Just as last summer brought about a lot of change in my life, this past shadow-of-a-summer did the same.
*inhale*
*exhale*

I went back to work.

Sometimes master plans don't work so good during recessions. And seven months after making some (more) big decisions, I'm finally writing about it.

The year I spent at home full-time was unforgettable. I was so heavily involved in the kids' school that my Little Girl was starting to ask, slightly annoyed, what I was doing there all the time. I took better care of myself, running anywhere from 4.4 to 7.0k every other day. I was baking a lot more.

It was wonderful. But other things started suffering and Hubby and I decided (decided meaning several weeks of me blubbering and him listening, reasoning and being much more rational than me) that me going back to work full-time was the best thing for our family. Fast forward seven months and this is where I'm at: I am working a long-term temporary assignment here in Markham, where location is my main motivation and I am silently chanting I am doing this for my family every hour*. The running thing is on hold for now, pending my next check-up - my knees have been bugging me since the late spring. I am doing what I can to stay on top of the goings-on in the school without being a member of the school council like I was last year. The baking and cooking thing - well perhaps I should think about a new name for my blog because the only newsworthy thing about my kitchen is that we painted it blue (woohoo blue!) last month. I'm drying our laundry more electrically than I was before - I'll be back, my beloved hang-dryer-thingies. The weird thing is, after 4.5 years as a Pampered Chef Consultant, I don't really miss my business. Let me rephrase: I don't miss the busy-ness. I do miss my peers and meeting new people everytime I went out for a Show. And I miss the positive energy that oozed out of everything from that company.

I spent (strike that - it's still present tense; I'm still working on it) a lot of time lamenting, as we chronic over-thinkers do, over past decisions, scolding myself for not knowing better and for not knowing the exact formula for being the perfect parent. I feel like a poster-child for the working mom's struggle. I voluntarily left stable full-time jobs twice in favour of being home full-time with my kids and once in between I resigned after a maternity leave. And here I am, one more time, faced with the ego-bruising mission of trying to get as good a job as I had before or hopefully better. I can't sugar-coat it; it's frickin' tough. But then I see that my children, who aren't so little and helpless as they used to be, are still thriving "without" me, and we're able to do things, give things without struggle, and then I don't feel so bad.

Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. Proverbs 3:5

*I'm working on fixing this.

In Love

2009-10-07T22:27:00.000-04:00

I'm in love, I'm in love, and I don't care who knows it!

I'm just drowning in warmth and fuzzies this week. And I already know that tomorrow's going to just suck me in for some more.

Would you like to sponsor me? Check out my Light the Night page!

This Is It

2009-09-30T20:51:00.000-04:00

Guess what we're doing for our 12th anniversary?

Michael Jackson's This Is It in HD

Big Boy's gonna love it. He's already asked for a Michael Jackson-themed birthday party and wears white socks and black dress shoes way too many times in public.

Under Construction

2009-09-21T20:20:00.002-04:00

Stay tuned...I'll figure this out eventually.

(Anybody got an HTML-English dictionary??)

Back to School Pics - Version 2.0

2009-09-19T16:51:00.000-04:00

Let me explain - or at least try

2009-09-14T22:04:00.005-04:00

I don't think I've kept it a secret that I pay close attention to my Little Girl-Who-Likes-Boy-Things, to ensure that the world she lives in is comfy and happy for her. She has a uniqueness that is sometimes threatened by insecurity and I always felt that part of my job was to do whatever I could to eliminate threats to her confidence and esteem.

This soccer season is a perfect example, with my rant on the whole All-Star team thing. I wanted her to have it and enjoy it all right away. How ignorant was I - I just read last night that Rep teams (oh yes, I was dreaming big) practice twice a week and then travel far and wide, like, all the time.

What is irresistible to me is not the toys or fancy clothes or concerts, etc. It is protecting them from uncomfortable situations, from pain, from rejection. I forget that adversity is what builds character and I catch myself dreaming of an undiscovered trick to implant values and life lessons into each of my children so that they don't have to "learn it the hard way".

My Little Girl needed to get cut from that All-Star team in her first year - because then she could focus on the fundamentals she was still learning about from one coach. And a fantastic one at that. And in the end, her house league team won the playoff championship, and she even scored some key goals throughout the week. This, however, only happened when Hubby and I shut up and stopped being backseat coaches. And like I said before, she didn't even care that she didn't make it to that All-Star team. I could learn something from that.

My heart is warm and fuzzy thinking about how badly Mom must have wanted to gift us with the In thing back then. After all, how easy is it to spend that kind of money in a month-and-a-half when you're raising six kids with a single income (bless you, Dad)?

Am I showing the parallel well enough? Ugh. I'm verbally constipated right now.

A lot of my friends and family who have kids are raising toddlers. The outlets at home are plugged, they hold table corners as the children pass, they feed them, and some of them still touch their poo. I think still being surrounded by that makes me forget that I'm already at the stage where my grip needs to be loosened on my own children, and shaping them is not so much about prevention anymore.

I just want to give the kiddies so much of all the right things. And to know how to get them.

The Watch

2009-09-14T18:22:00.002-04:00

A few weeks ago we were at Vaughan Mills and in true Austrians-in-the-mall fashion, we got separated and Hubby was nowhere to be found. So I browsed the Swatch kiosk - it would be hard to miss me if you were emerging from the Nike outlet and sought permission or advice on a pair of new kicks. Their stuff is still neat as ever.

Oh man, there was a time when my life was all about a Swatch watch. It just so happens that the birth order of us first four kids parallels the order of our birthdays on the calendar. So Big Sis 1 and Big Sis 2 (who share the same birthday) got Swatches for their big day - they were so cool, so cool. And then 8 days later, Big Sis 3 joined their club. A month of agony followed, as I wondered if Mom would consider me old enough, worthy enough to get one too. I had to be only ten or eleven that year, and a $50 watch today would be a stretch for my own kids, let alone a fourth in the mid-to-late eighties.

And then I got one.

I can still remember snapping open the long and thin, frosted plastic case (because only losers get Timex watches that are rolled and fastened in a plain old box. j/k I had a Timex watch later in life), the red and green and yellow - oooh there was nothing cooler.

And then....I scratched the face playing Red A** during recess. Don't tell her I told you.

All these years I thought about the whole fancy watch thing as a kid, but this weekend Big Sis 2 talked about how determined Mom was to get us those watches. And I appreciated the natural urge that we parents, my own included, have in wanting to indulge our children, treat them to the world, give them things that we didn't have.

This summer I took a course in controlling said urge. It was called Soccer Mom.

Air Mail

2009-09-03T22:35:00.003-04:00

While cleaning out the garage in the last couple of weeks (or, if you must, undoing a disaster five years in the making), I discovered a letter written to me perhaps eight or nine years ago from my beloved Lola (=grandmother). Memories from my childhood of her handwriting letters back home to audiences unknown using these blue, textured, long-lidded ballpoint pens returned to my as-of-late-hollow mind (must look into an herbal remedy - my forgetfulness is getting ridiculous). Finally, in my adulthood, I had received my own air mail from her - she even wrote jokingly on the corner of the envelope:

In it she explained regret that she wouldn't be able to do "what grandparents do" and hand out gifts to all of her grandchildren this Christmas. Her hearing had just started failing her and she had to save up for a hearing aid.

How sweet it was to read it again, knowing that she handwrote each copy she distributed that Christmas day, and that she explained that she was still gifting the younger, "jobless" of our bunch (some of my siblings and cousins were still teens at the time) with different envelopes.

My Lola is turning 100 years old in two weeks. There is no longer a need for that hearing aid; we are best heard by her close up, using our native tongue and our outside voices. She spends her days and nights in bed, sometimes "cooking", sometimes yawping for someone, anyone to get her some water....this stage that our family has found ourselves in - our grandmother has survived much and outlived our expectations - is a blessing above all things. That my children have met and kissed and talked with the Lola who helped raise me, scared the bejesus out of me, braided my hair good, lies beside a picture of me and my long, curly hair in a bubble bath, fed me the best food I ever ingested, is a recurring character of so many stories throughout my life, I am so happy.

Overflowing

2009-07-17T21:04:00.001-04:00

Life has been non-stop, crazy, up-and-down, upside-down...one of these days I'll collect my thoughts properly and fill you in. But in the meantime......

My heart is overflowing.

It's not the first time, of course. When dear ones have great moments, when it's quiet enough to think about how much I love my kids, when Hubby reminds me what a nice guy he is...stuff like that. You just feel all warm and fuzzy.

But in the last week it has overflowed with all kinds of love and, frankly, I had trouble sorting it out.

My aunt has finally returned to Toronto after spending the first month-and-a-half of her recovery from a stroke in Orlando. How sweet my uncle's sleep must have been that first night, in his own bed (soon to be even sweeter when his beloved is well enough to rest right beside him)...

One of my dearest friends got engaged the other day. "I am so happy for her" doesn't cut it. She is a beautiful person, inside and out, and it continues to be a delight to watch her life just get better and better.

An oldie-but-goodie friend and her husband buried their precious newborn baby girl CA this week. Hearing the news, seeing them grieve, and remembering loved ones who have walked along similar paths literally left me in a daze all week. As all funerals tend to do, this little angel's led to a lot of reflection about motherless daughters, childless mothers, what is and isn't truly important in life....

I really struggled with managing both ends of the spectrum, but in the end, as always, I left it up to Him and was reminded (in the evenings spent with the kiddies, while catching up with pals, amid the bursts of laughter shared with my siblings, in the kept promises of new opportunities) that He is good, all the time. (After all, He doesn't put us in front of mountains we can't climb...)

"Unfortunately..."

2009-06-25T11:41:00.005-04:00

After two weekends of tryouts in this first year of organized soccer since she was in kindergarten, my Little Girl didn't make the All-Star Soccer Team this season. Hubby forwarded me the "Unfortunately..."e-mail from the coach. Like a rabid mother hen, I ground my teeth smooth, thinking dark and stormy thoughts about the politics that MUST have been involved in this decision to cut my superstar. Hubby warned last weekend that many of the parents, including those whose children only attended one of the two mandatory tryouts, were noticeably chummy with the coaches. I got all "I SWEAR, if I see any of those kids on the team, I'm gonna be sooo pissed." (Seriously, can't you hear me saying those exact words?)

When Little Girl woke up, I lay on the bed with her, bracing myself for uncontrollable tears of rejection. I broke the news, my voice slightly shaking from my own emotion. She opened her mouth and whined out, Can I go downstairs now??

And so went the parenting lesson of the day.

SHE DID NOT CARE.

I fell prey to that monster that eats up so many parents who are afraid to see our children fail or be left out, or just aren't the best. This monster lurks around the schools, the studios, gyms and fields where our kids participate in extra-curricular activities, and even bites our asses when we're around our fellow-parent family members. It's that hyper-protective instinct that made me want to chew off the heads of those coaches (and perhaps some of the other girls who tried out too, I'm afraid) this morning. The reality is, it's her first year back and she does have much to learn in this sport that she loves.

Not making the team, the less-than-stellar grade on a test, not winning Musical Chairs at the party, perhaps not even being invited to the party - they can take it. And these things are just as important as sharing, manners, studying, chores, etc., in teaching our children to be appreciative, independent, persevering adults. Because I'm pretty sure we didn't win everything or get everything we wanted when we were kids, and most of us turned out pretty darn okay.

Got Milk?

2009-06-18T11:05:00.006-04:00

It's a great feeling when you know you have everything in your cupboards to make a recipe you're craving for. But there's nothing like the fever you get when you discover a new recipe and MUST. MAKE. IT. NOW.

I decided to try out a recipe that I'm hoping to work on in its entirety with all four of my sisters later this summer. There are three parts: the cake, the ganache, the frosting. I did just the cake yesterday. The recipe was designed to add junk to your trunk. No, seriously. The project as a whole already has a name, but I've decided to name the cake itself

NOBODY'S BUSINESS.

Don't even read the rest of this post if you can't handle a chocolate overdose.

The first ingredient is an entire box of unsweetened chocolate. Only had a tonne of cocoa and some chips at home - which is why I suggested to Big Boy we go on a biking excursion. *wink wink - but hey, he got a new bicycle bell out of it*

Everything was going fabulously. After all, it's always a great day when the use of my big fat mixer is required. And then I realized that I only have 8" round pans and not (I guess the standard) 9". Uh oh. That, and the fact that I had to scurry over to the school in time for dismissal (the bike excursion ran long, as you can see:

pushing the whole process down to finish at 3:28pm) resulted in this partial picture of the cake. I could show you the whole thing, but then I'd have to kill you.

Here's the finished product, with a generous helping of ooey gooey (= melted chocolate + condensed milk) on top. Not bad. Perfect with a big glass of milk (because ice cream with this may be over-the-top, even for me), a rainy day, and a big fork.

Waiting Game

2009-06-18T09:45:00.003-04:00

One can do a lot of waiting in one day.

Waiting for a phone call that, as it turns out, was dependent on an email that received no reply, and, so, has not come yet.

Waiting for a Big Boy to decide on the perfect bell for his bicycle.

Waiting for same Big Boy to stop being so lazy and ride back home on said bicycle.

Waiting for two pans of pure sin to finish baking (definitely more on that later).

Waiting for the gingling of keys to signal the arrival of a big hug and some take-out for dinner.

Waiting for just one little bolt of lightning so the ref could call the game and Little Girl wouldn't have to spend an hour in the cold wind and rain.

Waiting for her second sentence so I could confirm that the taunting "Unavailable" on the caller ID was, in fact, my Fave.

Well, it was her, we got through the whole game, had some good Chinese for dindin, there's a lot of evil chocolate on my counter right now, I pushed the bike home, we're putting the bell on this weekend....and I'm still waiting on that call, but I trust it's coming.

Bittersweet

2009-06-08T12:26:00.003-04:00

Good company + butter + sugar + cocoa = Cure for a tough Friday morning

Change - Part II

2009-06-04T12:58:00.001-04:00

If you are lucky enough, you have that one friend....

...who understands you , even to a spiritual depth

...whose interests are polar opposites from yours, but introduces them to you, and even surprises you by adopting some of yours

...shares your values

...is like a surrogate family member and invites you to be one in theirs

...who will be there, I mean really be there, when you need them

...who becomes an agent to even more good people to surround yourself with

...who loves your children as their own

...that, despite 4,276 kilometres spanning between the two of you, none of the real stuff will change.

An exciting new life awaits my best friend, her three daughters, and the husband who has been preparing their new home for the last year in California. We live in an age where long-distance communication is easy (summer shopping list includes a webcam); when Big Sister and family moved to Thailand, I didn't even have a personal e-mail address, and only dial-up internet service was available.

We will certainly miss having them just around the corner (I've often caught myself in recent months staring at the three girls, especially the little feet and hands of my 9-month old goddaughter), and only God knows how ugly my cry will be on Flyday. But this is a part of our life stories, and I promise to be brave and retain the lessons He is teaching us here.

**I wrote this post a few days ago - take-off is, now, about 22 hours away and I confess that I'm feeling a bit numb and dazed (you're thinking, Ok, so what's new?). I really proud of my Fave (or bff, if you must) and me for making weekly dates in the last few months. We really got a lot done, doing things and going places we'd never done/been to. Visits back up here will always be busy for them, so I don't expect we'd be able to squeeze that kind of QT in anymore, and the same probably goes for our trips down there. Feeling very much at peace about that...I think my lament is more about our kids. But maybe I should get a grip; I already have some beloved kiddies living in the States, and there's never a shortage of love and fond memories going back and forth across the border.

Kickin' It

2009-06-02T16:38:00.002-04:00

She didn't actually go on stage like this; we were just being silly.

Summer is officially here; I have taken off my Studio Chauffeuse (I made that up because I'm a girl) hat in exchange for the Pitch B*tch cap. After a three-year hiatus, I am again a soccer mom.

I took hula lessons for about 6 years in my youth, but it did nothing to prepare me for this world of dance. I am thankful that we live so close to such a reputable dance studio (the competitive troupe earned 500+ awards this year - say wha??) and that my Girl can dance. I swear. Well enough that Hubby and I are tempted to pursue that next leap up to competitive dance. Let me see how much I can get for my left kidney first. There are dancers who performed almost 10 times throughout last weekend's recital in different costumes. That's 4-digits right there. Don't get me started....

I did the full backstage mom thing for the first time this year and upon my entrance all I saw was a sea of curls and metallic fabric (I bet I know who invented the Bedazzler...). Oh, and oceans of poppy red lipstick and blue eyeshadow. What a catastrophe. Although you can't really tell from where the audience sits. Maybe that's a pro-trick that I should learn.

Something I did learn on Friday night was what makes a good young dancer - the ability to create the illusion of maturity. There are a couple of fifteen year old dancers who absolutely entrance me everytime they're on stage, moving with the expressions and passion of a woman who has already loved, lost, and all the crazy stuff in between. Oh, I hope, I hope my Big Girl adopts this gift. (Hubby just wants her to win everything she competes in. Men.)

Three cheers for my first born on an excellent job, both on her recital performances and the school talent show she squeezed in earlier the same day.

Change - Part I

2009-06-01T08:57:00.004-04:00

When crisis hits close to home, it often gets too busy for reflection. (This is me explaining the break in my almost daily posting)

My aunt (Mom's big sister) suffered a stroke last weekend while on vacay in Florida. Her daughters shot into action, taking the first flight down, leaving behind two spouses and three kids at home to hold down the fort in their absences. Two nights later, all the cousins came together to discuss ongoing care for our 99 year old grandmother, who has been living and cared for in Ninang's* home, thankfully for me, just down the street from me.

There is a switch that involuntarily gets flicked during a crisis. For the life of me, I can never finish a full laundry cycle in one day (in fact, I am typing instead of sorting at this very moment), but when something reeeeally needs to get done, somehow we find a way. When Big Boy was fifteen months old, a bacterial infection brought on a febrile seizure. It was 2am, when not many of us are very useful to anybody, but that switch flipped, I quickly stopped freaking out and became very calculated in figuring out what to do (try to wake and cool off Big Boy, wake Hubby, call 911, follow the instructions, try not to wake the other two kiddies, etc.). It really was involuntary; I didn't notice until HubbyMom shared her observations with me in the weeks that followed.

Ninang remains in Florida, and the journey back home, let alone the road to recovery, will be a long one that will be a test of patience and faith. The family is backed by an excellent support system of family and friends; they need never feel alone.

Change is inevitable; it's something we must teach ourselves to embrace, through trust. The dynamic of our family is already changing, but this change is also including an even tighter closeness than we already had. So, Christmas might have to be held at someone else's house this year, but perhaps this is the year we were meant to start new traditions.

*"Ninang" = Godmother...while she is technically the godmother of only one or two of the eleven nieces/nephew in our family, we all adopted that title for her, and on a more personal level, has been one of a small collection of women who cared for us as her own when Mom passed away in '88.

Mother exhales.

2009-05-21T21:39:00.000-04:00

In a stage where I have constantly found myself wondering if I* was instilling the right values in my children's hearts, my Big Boy's teacher called me back this afternoon to tell me that his gentleness and good will towards his special needs classmate today almost brought her to tears.

I am speechless.

*Hubby and I are very much a team in raising our kiddies, but as a woman, as a mother, the self-doubt always bites my a** more than his.

Nesting??

2009-05-20T21:58:00.000-04:00

Hubby has been home sick for two days (you're no good to anyone if your job involves talking to people all day long and you can't talk), granting me an all-access pass to the car. Day One I sort of became everybody's *itch, so that wasn't very fun. But this morning, as soon as I awoke to see my big baby still in bed, coughing his lungs out, I was on a mission. I started with two trips to the recycling depot to rid our poor garage of a gugillion pieces of cardboard and styrofoam we imprisoned there out of laziness. It was a beautiful day, but the novelty wears off somewhat when you're carrying things back and forth at a station built to collect waste. A bath was squeezed into the schedule after that. Then it was off to the bank to deposit another gugillion coins we had rolled a few weeks ago and then to Costco for a toilet paper, detergent and burger run. When I returned home, it was still too early to pick up the girls from school and my boys were napping. So I washed the car and watered the lawn.

I belong in this embarrassing category called Anal Procrastinators (get it? good.), but today I broke free of my lazy-chains and got stuff done.

Now, if you would excuse me, I'm going downstairs to loaf in front of the tv in my jammies with my friend Banana Split.

Me + TV

2009-05-15T18:56:00.000-04:00

Son of a Other! What a week of television!

On Monday I enjoyed watching my newly-married cousin and her hubby on The Agents, a show on W Network about the lives and work of real estate agents. Since my house was new construction, I was even educated about the resale home-buying process. And a very nice house too, I might add.

And then Wednesday came. The dreaded LOST season finale. Dreaded only because we Losties now have to wait until early 2010 for the beginning of the next and final season of the series. Otherwise it was confusing and shocking and fantastic. As always.

And then last night's Grey's Anatomy season finale was unbelievable. I screamed a few times. I probably cried too. Loved the soundtrack. And the ending was wonderful. I don't care that it was a bit of a media-induced cliffhanger. It was perfect. (And, if I may, Alex is a *ick. Grrr.)

What in the world will I do with myself next week?

Tea for Two

2009-05-15T18:24:00.000-04:00

My Fave and I had planned to try afternoon tea one day back in August, but the little yummy in her tummy decided to come into the world a month sooner than expected - on that same morning. She is forgiven; how could I be mad at a face like this???

Fast forward nine months (wow, we could have had another baby by now - jinx) and we thankfully fit in our long-awaited date before their big move. I had the blog all planned out...and then forgot my camera in my car, which was at work with Hubby. Let's decide that me painting a picture with words will keep our experience sacred {we'll laugh about it one day, just like Chaucer's, right?}.

We went to Windsor Arms' Tea Room, and chose a couch in the corner of the deep purple velvet half. Here's the tea I chose:

Passion & Envy
The Fresh Taste of Sencha Leaf
with the Sensuous Passion Fruit;
evocative of Moments and Energy
in Thought

No idea what that description was supposed to mean, but it tasted yummy. After OD'ing on devon cream, shrinking at the sight of the raisin-infested scone (the one thing we didn't touch), delighting in the very pretty rolled sandwiches (about the size of Maki - do we eat 'em whole? use our forks? cut 'em in pieces? I felt so ghetto not knowing....but when someone across the room is licking the inside of the preserves jar, I guess our etiquette issues weren't so bad), all I kept thinking was, I want to have a tea party! No, seriously. I have fancy tea cups (a perk of packing up a bought-out investment firm's office), but I think I might start looking for old teapots and tiered stands. And maybe some lace gloves and a hat.

First Communion - Part II - The Kid

2009-05-13T17:47:00.000-04:00

I think they're a little biased, but several of her aunts thought she had the best outfit out of all the kids that day. I thought she looked pretty darn cute myself. One of the days I had literally feared since she first assumed the gender of girl-that-likes-boy-things (we came up with that together in her first year of school) came and went happily and confidently. She was 100% pleased with our choice of outfit (much love and thanks to the West Side Goddess of our family for the beautiful raw silk and careful labour that together became the perfect lil' girl's suit), and so was I.

I've seen her take Communion three times now, and each time she is so careful and calculated - it's so cute. And it's so her. I call her military because she is the one out of my three who won't take one step away from her bed in the morning until it's made, her homework is #1 priority when she gets home, and she will FREAK OUT if she forgets something (One day I'll teach her that after the thousandth time, you don't need to sweat it).

So now that this scary moment for me as a mom of a unique, middle child has passed, the next one smacked me in the head last night:

"Mommy, I know where the baby grows in a mom's tummy - uterus."

Happy Mothers' Day

2009-05-10T21:38:00.001-04:00

My love, prayers and best wishes go out to all of you moms out there today!

Whether you're a seasoned parent of older kids, only-children, or armies of offspring...if you're a brand new mom, an expectant mom, or a mom whose brood is still a twinkle in your eye and a dream in your heart...if your babies already have babies...if your babies already have wings...and hey, if you don't have kids of your own but are an awesome aunt or great godmother.....

Cheers to you.

First Communion - Part I - The Food

2009-05-06T11:06:00.000-04:00

I think it all turned out quite nicely, don't you?

The kids were off from school on Friday so we all got our hands dirty and made cucumber and California rolls. It was fun, and the kids did a fantastic job - I bet you can't tell the difference between the ones I made and the ones they did.

And then there's the cupcakes. I actually didn't follow that 2-part 1M swirl instruction and just went for it. It worked! I hope you think it did too.....I forgot the milk in my first batch, so if any of the swirls look a bit haggard, that's why. Or it could be because Big Boy did more of a shove than a gently-place with the silver candy balls on top. I had so much fun, and it brought me back to the days when I would watch Mom and my aunt decorate the infamous Filipino mocha chiffon cakes.

And yes, you are seeing some skewered bbq happily marinating in the background of one of those pics. Unfortunately the finished products turned out a little bit dry (Hubby was so deflated come eating time), due to some miscommunication between me and HubbyMom which led to the oven being left on while we were at the church. It was on the lowest setting just to keep all the meat warm but boy oh boy did I ever pray hard during that drive home that the house wouldn't be on fire when we got home.

All the yummy, healthy fruit (must balance the pop I'm always forced to buy for parties with some produce) joined in the fun thanks to M.O.M. (My Other Mom)

Don't mind my eyebags in these pictures...but do take a look at my whimsical cake stand (i.e. I don't have a cake stand so I used the kids' lego) haha

Running woMan

2009-05-05T10:55:00.000-04:00

Thank goodness this post isn't scratch 'n sniff. I'm too excited to shower just yet.

Since the weather started creeping above the 0C mark I began once again taking advantage of Big Boy's school days (when all the kids are at school and I have the house and myself all to myself) to do my around-the-neighbourhood 5k run. Turns out it's only 4.4k, as calculated by MapMyRun.com. Hmpf. I'm still proud of myself for getting my heart pumping hard bi-daily, but 4.4 ain't 5.0. So I went back onto the site and tried to find a better, longer route. Weekday mornings are great for running because I can run on the actual streets (better for my whiny knees) since everyone's at work. But on the main, main streets (which, up here, have a maximum speed limit of 70km/hr), I like to keep to the sidewalks so as not to become sweaty roadkill. Unfortunately, in an still-ever-developing new neighbourhood, it's hard to tell where the sidewalks are. It actually took me 20 minutes on the site trying to figure out my new route. But I just got back from it, and I love it. I ventured into the older neighbourhood and admired the mature trees, excellently groomed landscaping and my daughter's (& cousins') old school for half my run. Once I got back to my own neighbourhood, I decided to just take a turn further in and see if I could handle adding a bit more distance. At the end of it, I'd covered 7.0k! I'm so happy. I know it's not remotely what a lot of my peers do regularly, and I'm quite slow by most standards, but for me, this is my longest distance ever, and it gives me confidence that I can definitely handle a 10k this year.

The funny thing is, right now my soundtrack of choice is Lily Allen's It's Not Me, It's You (I know that I hit about 4k when F*** You starts). Something about the mature subject matter that's not suitable for all audiences that keeps the energy going, I guess.

Prep Day

2009-05-01T11:16:00.000-04:00

The kids are home from school for a P.A. Day today and so far we haven't rung each other's necks. Yet. My Lil Girl's big day at church is tomorrow and I can't wait to see her in her little suit and two, yes, two ribbons tied in a bow in her hair. I feel so excited for her because a) she's excited, and b) days in the spotlight are always important for middle kiddles, as is some sense of control over the details. She either approved or selected all elements of her Communion outfit and the day's menu.

I decided that we wouldn't order any food for the party, so last night I started prepping for my homemade maki, pancit (shout-outs to my mom's side of the family who are firm believers that noodles are no good without bacon) and cupcakes. I got a few new supplies and am attempting the perfect 1M swirl. I pray for success, as I know I have some hardcore bakers and pro-cupcakers reading this and I plan to post photos of the finished products.

~

I'm trying to invent a word (because that's what I do) to sum up how I'm feeling today. Excitement because I love trying new things in the kitchen when I'm confident they'll turn out purrty good. I'm also feeling so happy for family and friends who recently welcomed new additions (count 'em - at least four just last week). But this week is also a sad one, as news of at least three deaths has emerged in the last couple of days. And while the kids' spring concert was a raving success last night, I think a few of us were secretly getting emotional about my kids and my Fave kids growing up apart come next month. It's making me really think about how our world is always changing, being reborn....our family is again approaching a stage of transition and as exciting as new beginnings are, there's still a bit of housekeeping that needs to be take care of.

Here's hoping that nothing will cure Scatterbrain Blues better than a bit of California rollin'.

Love your home

2009-04-28T15:46:00.000-04:00

With the countdown to my Faves' big move to California down to 5.5 weeks, my best friend and I have almost run out of things to do, places to go for our weekly QT dates. Or so we thought.

A day spent at Ikea is a day well spent. And potentially the contents of your wallet. I've fallen victim to the trick $1 breakfast before, leaving sometime after lunch with $200+ worth of merchandise. But where else can you dine on meatballs with lingonberry sauce while watching your rugrats tire themselves out at the wall of those bead/wire thingies (OMG I forgot what they're called) - or better yet, check them into the free daycare centre for a couple hours and save yourself the agony of peeling off 20 paper tape measures and grabbing 10 pencils just to keep them quiet. (Yikes, am I the only one who does that?)

I practiced some serious self-control today and came home with some kiddie utensils and a couple of toilet brushes. And enjoyed a frozen yogurt cone at the end of it all - after all, you can't leave without getting at least one of the lower level treats: cinnamon bun, frozen yogurt or a 50 cent hot dog!

I just have one question: WHAT IS IT ABOUT THOSE DOGGONE SHOPPING CARTS??? I swear I've developed blisters on the sides of my feet trying to make those things go straight. Someone please tell me the Swedish philosophy behind the full-swivel-rotating cart idea, because it's not as clear to me as the genius behind the giant Dyson ball...

Today's Three Coolest People I Don't Know

2009-04-23T11:31:00.000-04:00

1. Prince. Come on, now. You wear brightly-coloured skinny suits with heels for 25 years and people still think you're bad. That's cool.

2. Michael Pollan. Author of Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals and In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto. Yikes, my to-read list is growing....

3. Arthur Rubenstein. A very accomplished pianist, but today, this is for the brilliant quote that fell into my Inbox the other day:

I have found that if you love life…life will love you back.

Julie & Julia

2009-04-20T12:10:00.000-04:00

A movie called "Julie & Julia" is coming out in August and I definitely plan on watching it. This picture alone did it for me.

Meryl Streep is a genius. Look at her bad self, she can even act 6' 2".
The story involves cooking. Like that.
"Julie" is Julie Powell, the author of "Julie & Julia: My year of cooking dangerously". Here's the nutshell: Nearing 30 and trapped in a dead-end secretarial job, Julie Powell resolved to reclaim her life by cooking, in the span of a single year, every one of the 524 recipes in Julia Child's legendary Mastering the Art of French Cooking. Her unexpected reward: not just a newfound respect for calves' livers and aspic, but a new life--lived with gusto.
Hmmm, there's a second book: "Julie & Julia: 365 Days, 524 Recipes, 1 tiny apartment kitchen" Not sure what the difference is; must read both.
The name and sound of Julia Child take me back to my childhood when my big sisters used to do impressions of her in the kitchen. Best that I don't put into words the foolishness that I'm recalling in my head right now.

Change Up

2009-04-17T14:16:00.000-04:00

In honour of my dear, poor Rupert Everett who thought it would be a good idea to tinker with his already-handsome face, I'm changing things up in here.

There seem to be a few more gadgets here than I used to have, so I'll figure those out soon.

Hope you like it.

Post-post comment: Yikes, I don't even know how to sign in on here.

This bag has my name written all over it.

2009-04-16T12:06:00.000-04:00

You dirty little sons of *itches.....

Just when I reached my happy place and embraced that all the expensive purses I needed (and I use that term lightly), I already owned. I only have two. Basic black.

THIS BAG IS NAMED 'LEAH'.

Here's the large version in black. With bags these days getting a little further from my style, these ones are pretty cute. I have such a weakness for silly things like that..."my bag is named Leah"...and because my first name starts with a 'C', I always thought myself more worthy than the masses to sport any of the Signature print pieces. You don't know how disturbing it is for me, looking up at the window tab and seeing:

Coach :: Leah

I am seriously facing a moral dilemma.

And this summer might find me standing in front of my namesakes with the same two girlfriends who introduced me to my first Coach handbag. If they release a blue version, I'm gonna get in so much trouble.

Schmaby, Part I

2009-04-16T10:42:00.001-04:00

Me, glowing, c. 2001

I am quite satisfied with my fivesome family and am not planning to have any more babies, thank you very much.

I started my family young so, while my womb may seem ever-still-so-ripe to you, I am ready to move onto enjoying raising my 5-8-11s. One day I may find myself mistaken and sliding down the chute back to the beginning (I was always one of those Snakes and Ladders players who rolled herself straight onto those damn snakes, like, ten times), but that is His surprise to give.

Lately I have been loosely investigating the world that new moms now find themselves in and I have concluded that I am just not cool enough to have a baby again anyway.

There are now all these fantastically featherweight, super-mobile, one-tap-closing, imported strollers - Bertini, Bugaboo, Inglesina, Valco, Zooper...Where the eff did these guys come from? Peg Perego and Maclaren are soooo yesterday. Never mind that I started out with a mammoth Graco system that we practically needed to attach a hitch to the car for.

And then there are baby bags. An old friend of mine had the cutest little thing that actually made my ovaries tingle. I thought I was so cool when I had Big Boy 5 years ago, ordering a canvas tote with all my kiddies' names embroidered on it, but heck, last summer I saw a new mom sporting a white-on-white Coach brand diaper bag. Not only are the baby-mamas of today chic, but they're brave too.

Caring for your new bundle hands-free isn't as simple as it used to be either. There are carriers of all types...the classic Baby Bjorn is still going strong, but there are now slings, Asian-style carriers, wraps, pouches. I'm still a big supporter of "Honey, hold the baby, I have to load the dishwasher".

Take a look...

2009-04-14T19:43:00.000-04:00

...at this.

I won a poster contest in grade 4 for the Ontario Dental Association (a pair of bleacher tickets at a Jays game at Exhibition Stadium and a box of gum), but that's about it for my visual art accolades. All the magic went into this kid...Big Little Brother (the youngest of us six, but he's now the tallest, dwarfing his five horrible sisters). If you recall, he designed Lil Sis' wedding party group photo, making us all superheroes. His work just gets better and better....Good job, Brother...just be careful, don't fall in the swimming pool.......

Hungover

2009-04-13T09:45:00.000-04:00

I'd like to give a saucy shout-out to Lil Sis for bringing the beautifully-slowly-but-steadily (because that's how you win) cooked roast beef to our family celebration yesterday. By the way, we did actually try to drive around looking for Burger Kings on the way to my sister's house, but darnit, when you're looking, you never find them. (Thanks to our local expert who Messenger'ed us the locations of the two closest ones)

While all the food and company our family enjoyed was great all day, I have to say that the other highlight was arriving at Hubby's side's celebration to find three kinds of bbq grilling in the back yard. Yes people, it has begun! Chicken, Filipino skewers, and Korean beef ribs.

Don't get me wrong, I am not usually such a hyper-carnivore. I love me some veggies.

Okay, ya, whatever....it's time to make a date for a whopper and poutine with my fave.

Forget the eggs, and all the chocolate too.

2009-04-11T20:20:00.000-04:00

Happy Beefster! Oops, I meant "Easter".

Lent has come to an end and tomorrow will be a day full of praise for our True Hero, family QT, and yes, people, gooood food.

I don't know that I succeeded in being more patient over the Lenten season, I confess, my brothers and sisters. But with that promise, everyday is Lent. I did, however, manage to go beefless for forty days and thirty-nine nights (alas, there was that one day when I unknowingly purchased an M&M meat lasagna).

This was sort of my intro to my quest to eat better in general and, thankfully, avoiding beef wasn't so hard. I only had to refuse hubby-mama's delish nilaga (beef bone-based soup) once. And now that the warmer weather is officially upon us (because if I see any more snow, I'm going to write an extremely irate letter to Mother Nature), I can start checking our area for happy chicken farms (i.e. certified organic, the ones that have more space to run free and all that great old school farm jazz).

However. I have reviewed my parents' and siblings' emails from the past week about their potluck contributions for tomorrow's celebration and as yet, nobody's bringing beef. I just might drive thru for a Whopper on the way to the house.

It is finished.

2009-04-11T19:58:00.000-04:00

And so the 5.5 week birthday roller coaster has slowed to a halt.

I'm pooped.

It's actually not even done yet; we have a First Communion celebration in three weeks. But let's worry about that later. (and on that note, God bless Big Sister #3 as she begins her 3 consecutive weeks of happy chaos at her house...Easter/Birthday Party/First Communion)

Since the two younger kids have birthdays nine days apart, we did a party for them together. They each had five classmates over. And one other forgotten guest that always tags along. May Hem. My favourite line of the day: "I'm kind of a picky eater. Can I just have a glass of water?" My favourite horrifying moment of the day: finding out that my Big Boy brought his classmates up to our bedroom....where I "concealed" (or so I frickin' thought) some mess. Proudest moment: the kids responding "okay" without hesitation to the idea of asking their friends for food bank donations instead of presents. I was absolutely overwhelmed by the generosity of their friends and our family who accepted the offer (and sweetly, the kids still had quite a collection of gifts still to open). We collected about two plastic utility bins full of non-perishable food items and brought them to the local food bank this morning. They got to see the inside of the operation, with volunteers sorting their contributions, just in time for Easter too, and received a lot of kudos from the staff there for their good work.

Last but not least

2009-04-11T19:32:00.000-04:00

I always felt that the jump from 7 to 8 was big. "Eight" just sounds so much older than "seven". And now I've got a second one reaching that milestone. I didn't realize until the 9th that this was her "champagne birthday" (or in this case, she's underage so let's just call it "golden birthday").

I'm happy that my dear middle-child (and I know exactly what it's all about; I'm no. 4 of 6) and I have passed the seven-year-itch and we are both still in one piece. She has always been my lesson that every child is NOT the same and you must raise them all differently. I have always tried (maybe I should italicize "tried" too) to foster a love of her unique personality, a positive self-image, to focus on her strengths...and maybe this sounds corny, but if you know her, you know why I mention this.

She's got a cackly laugh that's got the same level of character as her dad's, she never leaves her bed unmade in the mornings, and boy, does she say the darnedest things:

(we're walking by the hanging roast pig at a Chinese BBQ booth) "*Gasp!* Mommy, is that a BEAR??"

(my grandmother is 99) "Mommy, when Jesus was born, was Lola Lola born too?"

Happy Birthday to my little girl...

Big Boy

2009-04-07T11:26:00.000-04:00

Talk about disobedient.

We had a deal. He promised he was going to try and stay 4. But last Monday came and went, and when I looked at him in bed, all tuckered out from a day full of fun and fries, he was no longer my Little Guy, but my Big Boy.

The day before, at one point during lunch, I found myself alone on one side of the table, facing my three fellow moms. One was cradling her 7-month old, one wrangled with her 1-year old as she entered the final week of maternity leave, and one revealing to us her ripening belly (not literally). And my youngest is now 5 years old. I feel like I've officially entered another stage of my life and motherhood...perhaps the stage of no-return: "Oh God, I hope they turn out okay." In truth, this stage feels more to me like I'm supposed to exhale and look forward (although I've been totally sentimental lately, reflecting on all my kids' younger days). And make sure they're not embarrassed to kiss their parents on the lips in front of their friends. Oh yes, people, I am that kind of mom.

Happy Birthday to my favourite little boy...

Synopsis

2009-04-01T09:15:00.001-04:00

Okay, I think today I have a bit of breathing room to catch up. Right now I'm incapable of forming full, grammatically-correct sentences. Good luck.

3/5/09 - Little guy enjoys a full cheering squad at basketball...and we see just how easily the kid gets distracted and breaks into a dance mid-drill. Dinner with the faves makes me so happy...and so other stuff.

3/7/09 - My cousin got married - suddenly she's not a "little cousin" anymore. Time flies. Good times, great food, beautifully done, amazing company. "Because here, at Furniture City......"

3/8/09 - Mom's 21st angel-birthday celebration. We're all running on fumes and love after Saturday's festivities. I thoroughly enjoy ODing on family time.

March Break - birthday parties, bbq, sleepovers, catching up with oldies-but-goodies, downtown galavant, Puzzle Day, *cough *cough (it got ugly...ODed on lozenges this time to get through my PC Show)

3/24/09 - First Communion retreat with 60 grade 2's.....VERY entertaining. Picked up my Lil' Girl's outfit; cute as a button (with a very discreetly etched flower on it).

3/27/09 - the first of many Countdown Dates - what a great idea!

3/28/09 - Earth Hour at my sister's home - Charades by candlelight and taste-testing the new President's Choice Loads of Mocha Almond Fudge ice cream make for a perfect night.

3/29/09 - Monthly lunch tradition continues - good food (me like Mango Chicken), good friends, exciting surprises!

So thankful for all the QT we/I enjoyed all month long. Boy, did I need it.

March Madness

2009-03-23T21:59:00.000-04:00

It's been a full month, and I'm sitting here having no idea where to start. I think the real blogging will have to wait at least another week. In the meantime, here's something my lil' girl brought home from school today (in the form of a St. Patrick's Day craft):

Irish Blessing

May the road rise up to meet you.

May the wind always be at your back.

May the sun shine warm upon your face and rains fall soft upon your fields.

And until we meet again,

May God hold you in the palm of His hand.

13 minus 2

2009-03-02T21:46:00.000-05:00

If birthday presents are any sort of indication where your child is at in her development, then Calgon, please take me away....

A pair of women's size 5 Pumas; a silver Camp Rock clutch purse with matching bangle; a TNA tote bag; a teen-y magazine; a necklace from The Loft.

I have found myself drowning in this horrible "she's not a baby anymore" lament these last few days. My only consolation after this point-of-no-return birthday weekend was her request for me to braid her hair for school on Tuesday.

It's a busy week....

2009-02-27T12:49:00.000-05:00

On Tuesday I volunteered at the kiddies' school making pancakes for Pancake Tuesday. If I don't see another pancake for two years, I'll be fine.
Wednesday marked the start of Lent. Giving up red meat and impatience; praying more.
My big sister, big sister-hubby and my goddaughter are coming in less than a week from WA. Feeling all warm and fuzzy as we count down.
It's official: four of my best girls can finally start packing for the big move to the new home and Sunshine that eagerly await them.
My big girl turns eleven on Sunday. We've already shared some clothes and her feet are size 5 women's. Tito, pass me a tissue.
We're having a big birthday sleepover on Saturday night with my nieces and nephews. Plus two cousins from QC are in town. In total there will be fifteen bodies in the house. Happy chaos:)
I just joined a blog community and have no idea how it works. I've become the anti-tech-saavy adult I used to giggle at in elementary school (remember when the teachers couldn't operate the movie projectors or VCRs?).

Brainstorming

2009-02-23T18:40:00.001-05:00

A fellow Consultant came up with a great idea at our last meeting: a pantry tasting party.

There's no denying that the economic slowdown is leaving a crappy taste in A LOT of mouths lately. But there's no way I am going to let it get the best of me, my business, and my customers' opportunity to have funtimes together with their friends. Got lemons? Call some friends over and squeeze some fresh lemonade together....Please read on and share your thoughts:

The Spring/Summer 09 catalogue has 3 whole pages of pantry items - seasoning mixes, rubs, spices, killer vanilla extract, blended and infused oils, grindable salt and peppercorns, sweet sprinkles, and now these unbelieveable sauces - one of which I will dip anything in. You could definitely fill in a whole evening sampling everything.

Hosting a Pantry Tasting (not Panty, that's a different direct sales company, I think) Party will be the easiest and I think the most inexpensive Pampered Chef Show you can host. What's on the grocery list? A stick of bread. Or how about a bag of plain pretzels? And water. To cleanse palates between tastings.

And even if everyone who came to your party just bought pantry items, guess what? It's groceries, so you need not fear that anybody's leaving with that imaginary home party hangover. On the same note, there's no PST or GST on any of our Pantry items. And you've still earned free and discounted products for your own kitchen.

I think this is right up there with the Power Cooking Theme Show - putting together 3 meals (1 to eat, 2 for the host to freeze).

Please, please let me know what you think...would you do this with your friends? at lunchtime at the office? Thanks!

Blogger of the Day

2009-02-19T14:11:00.000-05:00

While on my recently-daily blog browse, I found the #1 mom blog, as voted by momblog - my charming kids by MckMama. So I'm scrolling down, reading this mom's musings about her four mckids and noticed this photo:

The moral of this story: you're not a cool mom unless you bake on Pampered Chef stoneware.

HSM3

2009-02-18T11:29:00.000-05:00

To my children's utter delight, we got them the High School Musical 3 extended edition DVD yesterday, on release day. In the last 18 hours I think the movie's already played thrice.

Shoot me now. What was I thinking...

In The Motherhood - Remix

2009-02-18T11:24:00.000-05:00

The TV version of my beloved In The Motherhood web series is premiering on March 26th. Not sure how I feel about it. I loved the trio of Leah Remini, Chelsea Handler and Jenny McCarthy, and the sitcom cast is totally different. Perhaps I'll watch the first eppy and see what I think. But for the same reasons I would rather watch older episodes of Blue's Clues with Steve instead of hyper-schmyper Joe, I'll have to make a conscious effort to give this new show a chance.

Mmmmmm

2009-02-17T21:19:00.000-05:00

I love food.

I realized that today. Not "I love to eat" either. Well, ya, I love to eat too. But I think I had a bit of an epiphany over the last few days about food and what it should be, should do....

Growing up and living today in a developed country has been such a blessing because I have never been in such circumstance that I did not have food to eat every mealtime, every day. At the same time, food has, in a way, lost its value to many, as buying and eating local produce or eating "happy chickens" (aka organic aka not fed or injected with schtuff) is not the more easily attainable option for us.

Watching the cashier at the grocery store today broke my heart, as she scanned and bagged my purchase without the philosophy I (try to) apply to everything "doing things with love". To put it mildly. And then, as Hubby and I finished up our lunch, an employee, who was neither the hostess who seated us nor the waiter who served us, said thank you, and stole away with our bill and payment before we even turned to reach for our coats to indicate we were leaving. At least he said thanks though.

On the flip side...
I'm happy to have friends who are foodies, who love and appreciate the art of cooking, who see food as so beautiful that they can't stop photographing it, who share their gift of dissecting a recipe just by tasting the sauce. And especially at this time, when the cold winter months hinder efforts to visit farmers' markets and the like, I am so very happy that the heart of what I do in my business sends people home with at least two recipes, an idea, some new tips, and maybe some inspiration too.

Ooh, I totally feel like cooking right now.

Busy Weekend

2009-02-17T21:02:00.000-05:00

February 14th has always just been the 14th of February for us (at least since the late '90s), so aside from letting the kids indulge in some of their Valentine treats from classmates, Saturday started out like it always does. Hubby goes to work early in the morning and I assume the role of ballet class chauffeure. The kids enjoy a couple of hours of cartoons, and then I take control of the remote for the early afternoon and watch cooking shows on PBS.

Well wouldn't you know it, Hubby showed up with a couple of roses when he got home from work! Quite the amusing surprise; I couldn't help but burst out laughing when I opened the door.

Watching the NBA All-Star festivities with great friends was yummy...I mean fun. The Wild Wings and Dufflet masterpiece were definitely more memorable than the 3-point competition, but I did enjoy the rise of Krypto-Nate.

Sunday was spent at the mall. Excellent deals. So good, in fact, that I contemplated calculating my savings and posting the magic number on my blog.

Monday was Family Day, and that, it was. The five of us played board games and cards from morning until night and somewhere in the middle we all cuddled into bed together and watched Happy Feet on the portable DVD player which we sat on a pillow. Big fun - my little girl even started trash-talking like her father during an excited round of Monopoly.

"And we all just wanted to die"

2009-02-11T18:27:00.000-05:00

Having a home-based business doesn't strictly mean you use all the resources you have at home to conduct your, well, business. No matter the composition of your household, I recommend you use a separate phone line as your business line, but make sure you plug yourself on your home phone voice mail greeting.

I only started using my cell phone number as my business line about a year ago, after a few very painful experiences while using our home line as my contact number. Not only do I have a hubby and three young children potentially answering that incoming customer call, but also a hubby-mother (God love 'er) and hubby-brother living with us who may not necessarily know how to handle said call. For example, there was the time I was indisposed in the restroom....

H-M: LEI, ARE YOU IN THERE? (larger font means higher volume)
Me: Uh, ya?
H-M: WHAT ARE YOU DOING?
Me: Um, I'm going to the washroom.
H-M: OKAY. (now speaking into the phone to what I later learned was a host) SHE'S IN THE WASHROOM.

It took several months, but I think 95% of my business-related calls now come to my cell phone, and when I can't answer it, nobody does, and the call goes to my voice mail instead.

This afternoon, as I was preparing to take the shower I had waited so patiently for (taking it any earlier today would have left Little Guy unattended), I heard a yawp behind the door.

H-M: LEI, ARE YOU NAHKED YET?

Hence the title of today's entry. By the way, it turns out, it was just my hubby-brother on the other end of the phone that time, waiting for my take-out dinner order. Although that didn't really put me, in all my birthday glory, very much at ease.

What would you do

2009-02-10T12:14:00.000-05:00

As I was heading home from bringing the kiddies to school this morning, I heard a bang behind me. Whatever happened left a freaked-out mom of two (who were in the back)'s front bumper hanging on for dear life and the rest of the car getting intimate with a snowbank.

1. Thankfully it is relatively mild outside. A balmy 1C as opposed to -28C windchill barely a week ago.
2. My GOOP winter workout could wait until tomorrow.
3. I thought about the ABC show "What would you do" and knew that I, the same woman who would say something if a dude drugged a chick's drink at the bar, certainly couldn't not check if everyone was okay.

So I decided to stay with the woman and continually peek into the car at the kids to reassure them (sister was crying and said she was scared when I first got there). In her frustration, she tried speaking to me in Chinese a few times after I told her I didn't speak the language.

"You should learn.....because you are so nice!"

An amusing but much-appreciated compliment.

A good man

2009-02-04T11:22:00.000-05:00

My former co-worker passed away last month after an inspiring 15-month journey with pancreatic cancer. While our interaction was limited to daily greetings and me obtaining his signature on documents every few days, I enjoyed that he was surprisingly down-to-earth, even before being diagnosed, despite being at the top of the industry's food chain.

Today is one of those days when I am certain that God brings people into your world to teach you things, whether they are put into your inner circle, or just within your peripheral sight lines. I am thankful to have met such a gracious, kind, energizing, real man.

Special Delivery

2009-02-02T22:02:00.000-05:00

As a mom of three, I surrendered the concept of receiving gifts for Christmas and birthdays a long time ago.
Well, the box of Spring/Summer 09 products that I earned arrived this afternoon. I told my sisters I'd wait to open everything until I see them next, and I promise, the bottom right shot is as far as I've gotten.
How long would you last with an unopenable box containing $300+ worth of FREE toys?

*biting my fingers

Appreciation Celebration

2009-01-31T21:52:00.000-05:00

On Friday I hosted an open house which turned into a wonderfully fun night with some of my favourite women. And wouldn't you know it, I learned how to make bacon fly.

"Its true. I am alive."

2009-01-28T10:48:00.000-05:00

Back in the fall, the story of a young family of six turned upside down after the parents were badly injured and burnt in a plane crash prompted me to compile one of my "I'm Thankful For..." lists. While siblings and extended family cared for the four young children, Mom and Dad were being treated for burns, Mom sustaining them on 80% of her body.

I have been following Mom's blogs (nienie dialogues), where fans requested re-postings for the last four months, as well as the blog of her sister (cJane), who would provide updates on the progress of the whole family.

What a delight I enjoyed this morning when I saw that NieNie is blogging again. Her writing is so entertaining, and her love for God, her husband (aka Mr. Nielson) and children is intoxicating.

This happy ending and exciting new beginning just made my day.

Royal Blue, Sage Green and Burgundy...oh my.

2009-01-23T13:13:00.000-05:00

The five-and-a-half week rolling snowball, aka all my kids' birthdays, is approaching so the brainstorming for new ways to celebrate and gift ideas has already begun. In the back of my head, though, is this nagging fear that what my mother-in-law currently believes is outrageously ingenious and belongs in our household might end up on the gift table all wrapped up....including the free portable book lights.

Big Day

2009-01-19T20:42:00.000-05:00

Tomorrow is my sweet niece's birthday, as well as my hubby-mama's birthday, plus I volunteered for my big girl's field trip to...actually I can't remember where we're going...and I almost had a dentist appointment too. Oh ya, and I'm Canadian. So January 20th is a few more things for me than the first day of the rest of America's life. However, I am a fan of hope, so I look forward to hearing the new president's speech and seeing the faces in the crowd. I had hoped to watch the festivities live, though the condensed version every station will show in the evening and for the rest of the week will probably take up less time.

For your amusement, here's my tribute to the big day ahead: my last post-election afterglow pic from our trip to DC:

Anti-skirt rule

2009-01-18T20:58:00.000-05:00

When my darling middle child was in kindergarten, together we created a gender just for her: girl that likes boy things. Now in Grade 2, she remains a tomboy. She loves basketball, soccer, and most other sports. At the same time, she also fancies a headband some days and has been seen playing with a doll or two once in a while. But Heaven help you if you suggest she wear a dress.

Preparations have now officially begun for her First Communion. Outfit. After much, much negotiation, she agreed to wear a pantsuit in a style that I think is very fitting for a girl that likes boy things. I am so excited to see her in this yet-to-be-sewn outfit...secretly in part because that means we're back into warmer weather...but really because I'm so glad that she'll be totally comfortable being herself that day instead of worrying about how much she looks like a frilly marshmallow.

Double the Fun

2009-01-14T13:00:00.000-05:00

Happy Happy Birthday to my daddy and my Tito Daddy (no, seriously, that's what we call him).

This is the twins' first birthday together since before I was born; what a sweet celebration.

Date Night

2009-01-12T14:33:00.000-05:00

The bitterness of not attending this past weekend's Leadership Summit was sweetened up by a night out with Hubby to watch the Raptors play the Memphis Grizzlies. We grabbed a (big, big) bite at Chipotle by Dundas Square before the game, which was a real treat for me, since the brothers always steal away together to eat here, leaving us poor ladies at home. I was the champ of the night, finishing my chicken fajita burrito.

This was my first time watching the game live in several years, and the first of the season that I watched in its entirety, so thank goodness we won! For a slowly-becoming non-fan, I really enjoyed myself. We even found some friends on the jumbotron and earned some free pizza!

Pampered Chef How To's on YouTube

2009-01-09T15:06:00.000-05:00

How to use a Santoku Knife

How to use a Boning Knife

Sauteed Chicken with Mushroom Sauce Recipe

"Love you, Babe"..."Love you, Babe"

2009-01-05T22:02:00.000-05:00

After several years of living with basic satellite channels, I finally discovered the world of watching tv shows online. Enter my latest guilty pleasure: Tori & Dean - Home Sweet Hollywood. Although I remember pshawing it when I first heard that they were doing reality series, I have grown quite fond of them. This 10-eppy escape had everything for me: the chaos of a young, growing family (sans the platinum platters of her childhood), house hunting and home improvement, brutal honesty, and RuPaul.

Ooh, gotta go - I just found out that Jon & Kate Plus 8 is online too!

Heart Goals

2009-01-04T20:42:00.000-05:00

With all the depressing talk in the media about a grim 2009, I wanted to make sure I looked at the year ahead with positivity and determination to make it wildly fun and successful. And with news of four deaths in the last seven days (two were in their 20s and one is in the family), I've been sort of smacked in the head with a big wake-up call to waste no time living a happy, genuine, intentional and purposeful life.

Hubby and I sat down and worked on our goals for 2009. It was a fun and fruitful exercise. I recently listened to a call on value-based goal-setting (i.e. heart goals), so we looked at a huge list of values, picked out our top 10, and gradually narrowed them down to one. Then we came up with objectives and actions that were in line with these. I am so excited to get started and pray for continued inspiration in the months to come.

Saturday #1

2009-01-04T20:19:00.000-05:00

On Saturday morning our cluster had our 2009 Kick Off sales meeting. It was awesome. As intended (because I'm reuniting with the Universe again), I won a prize. I swear it's not always about the free stuff...

We joined forces with a sister cluster from northeast of us, which was nice because we don't often see other teams outside of Conferences. I learned a few things yesterday. #1 - our leadership structure changed on January 1st, as our Senior Director (aka my PC grandma) resigned from Pampered Chef. She has moved on to build an amazing business of her own and while I'll miss her, I am so happy for her. Easily one of the nicest, most sincere and authentic women I have ever met in my life. #2 - the 2009 incentive program was announced. The trip being rewarded for excellence in 2009 is....Walt Disney World for 4! Okay, so I had mixed feelings about this for about 5 seconds, since we just went there in May. And then I realized a few things. The kids are dying to go back ("I miss Disney World"; "Can we go back to Disney World"), and of course I wasn't planning on going back for at least another five years. Plus, this is a Pampered Chef trip. I have yet to experience one for myself, but I am told that PC trips aren't just vacations. Let me just copy what the brochure says of the Level 3 reward (out of 4, which I have set my target at):

3 nights at Disney's Contemporary Resort
Airfare and transfers for 4 (buy-in for additional children is of course available - my poor little Little Guy)
Daily group breakfast
Four 4-day Park Hopper passes
Exclusive Pampered Chef early morning hours at Magic Kingdom Park
Exclusive Pampered Chef evening with dinner at Disney's Animal Kingdom Theme Park (they are closing the park for our founder's birthday celebration)
Breakfast with your favourite Disney characters

What a sweet treat to dangle at my children for the next 12 months when I need them to behave so Mommy can make some evening calls........

Dinner was equally fun - our annual cousins holiday get-together in Whitby. It was almost the perfect Christmas miracle as we were ALMOST all present. Thanks to the yucky winter bug that's been plaguing everybody, a few sad souls had to stay home. Great food, lots of laughs and the promise of dedicating a specific date for future Christmas celebrations were shared by all.

Saturday #1, 2009

2009-01-03T07:47:00.000-05:00

I'm so excited for today. Can't wait to blog about it.

The end

A Gift For You...

2008-12-31T23:59:00.005-05:00

**photos will be posted after August 1st;)**

To our very favourite newlyweds to be:

As our gift to you, I'd like to offer to make the paper goods for your big day:)

Save the Dates
Invitations
Programs
Menu Cards

That is, if you aren't already committed to another supplier (this is me being sneaky and asking 5 days after The Proposal;)), and if the design you want doesn't require things like feathers or fur (not sure I can source that stuff...).

Simply show me what you want and I'll make it for you.

And just to assure you that you won't end up with construction paper, crayons and school glue, I will post a few pics of my work here on the same post in the coming days.

Looking for inspiration? One of my favourite sites (which is a good starting point to a whole pile of other sites) is http://www.stylemepretty.com/ .

Think about it...:)

Love you guys,

Lei=)

As promised...

2008-12-31T23:30:00.001-05:00

Forgot to include these in the video

A New Day

2008-12-31T19:34:00.000-05:00

"Your life is an occasion; rise to it."

- Mr. Magorium

A new day, a new year, a new beginning....it's no joke. Decide to live your life well and enjoy doing it.

Happy 2009.

Thanksgiving Day

2008-12-24T12:33:00.000-05:00

Okay, so it's Christmas Eve. I must confess that I've faced a lot of temptation today to gripe about how heavy the wet snow was to shovel, antsy kids begging to open gifts, undone items on my to do list......Thank you, God, for catching me before I let these things crap on my day.

I am so thankful for the greeting cards from friends and family that now bury the piano, for good friends and great times, that all the ingredients I needed for baking and holiday cooking were not out of stock, for windshield wipers that work well, for all the patience I had at the checkouts in the last two months, for the nice bus driver on Monday morning who let Little Guy ride for free, for giving us one more Christmas season to share with our favourite sunny surrogate family, for all the new babies this year (I can barely remember when my own kids smelt so good), for all the babies on the way, in moms' tummies or in couples' hearts, and the ones awaiting reunion in another place (they're all in my thoughts today especially), for the chestnuts that I love to hate, and for safe journey all week.

In Me to Give

2008-12-22T21:08:00.000-05:00

I finally donated blood for the first time this morning. And I took the kids to experience it with me too. My oldest is the age that I was when my mom was diagnosed with leukemia, and with us celebrating her 20th anniversary and now approaching Christmas, I thought this was a perfect time. Despite the boredom of waiting (we arrived 45 minutes before showtime), I think the kids did great. I made sure they watched as the pint-sized bag filled with life and understood that whatever pain I felt from the prick of the needle was nothing compared to the sufferings of the people I was now helping to heal. I'm sure the Oreos and Bits N Bites at the refreshment table helped them remain on their best behaviour too.

I was thanked so many times by all the Canadian Blood Services people who took care of me, perhaps on behalf of the three people who will soon benefit from my contribution. I'm just thankful for the opportunity to share.

My First Cheesecake

2008-12-19T17:08:00.000-05:00

For some reason I can bake a great holiday turkey, but I suck at Jell-O. My first try at Baklava was mistaken for lasagne. Some people love my cookies while some might remember the burnt mess that was supposed to be my first Fettucine Alfredo before I got married. In a nutshell, I'm hit-and-miss. I love that being a Pampered Chef Consultant at a Cooking Show is more like being the facilitator rather than the professional cook.

So after many, many years of fearing the ever-hallowed homemade cheesecake, I took the plunge. I used the highest-rated recipe on AllRecipes.com, followed some tips I found on other websites (and got from my sisters too!) and this is what happened:

Not bad, huh? It tasted pretty darn good too. And I actually don't eat too much cheesecake.

Peeping Lei

2008-12-14T08:39:00.000-05:00

I did my last Cooking Show for 2008 last night. But not before I drove across town four times and got lost looking for an entrance onto the 401. And took a peek into some really beautiful neighbourhoods. I've always said that one of the reasons I enjoy my business is that I love to see people's homes. I'm one of those people who, while walking or driving, will turn and glance into curtain-drawn windows for a glimpse of the decor and activity of the families inside. (I'm not a stalker) So when I get to spend a few hours in someone's home, I get to see the shiny, big appliances that my kitchen wants to have when it grows up, the handcrafted woodwork throughout the house made by a very, very handy husband, the hand-me-down furniture that was just supposed to fill in the space when they moved in 6 years ago, the little touches that personalize the home (framed schoolwork, the toy kitchen in the family room, the grand piano (ok not so little), portraits, and lately all the different styles of Christmas decor.

It really is an honour that so many women (and one man, so far) have liked me enough to invite me to make a mess in their homes. It's such a fun way to get to know the world outside my little bubble. I can't wait to do it all over again next year.

Downtown

2008-12-10T11:07:00.000-05:00

On Tuesday I ventured back to "the city" to say hello to my old co-workers and do lunch with my beloved former-boss-now-just-dear-friend. It was yucky outside so I joined the suits underground in the PATH aka rat maze. By instinct my pace picked up as soon as I entered Royal Bank Plaza. Disgusted with myself, I moved over to the side and sloooowed down.

When I reached the office, I was greeted by some familiar faces - it was nice, but eerily quiet, as several people had been let go since my departure. An investment firm can obviously not avoid harm from a market downturn...Lunch was great, as expected. And then I missed my bus back to Markham. It was horrible. I was running like the old days, wearing dress boots, chasing after the northbound bullet that split just 30 seconds before I reached the proper platform. How painful, watching it drive away....and then realizing that I wouldn't make it back to pick the kids up from school on time. And then my phone died right after I left a message notifying the school secretary.

Long story less long, the almost-calloused balls of my feet and my salt-stained dress pants are so happy to be back home where I belong. Oh, and I got the kids home safe and sound too.

Oh no you di'in't

2008-12-06T07:39:00.001-05:00

Here we go again.....

Biggie Biggie Biggie, Can't you see?

2008-12-04T15:57:00.000-05:00

This looks a bit like Where's Waldo....Let's call this photo "failed guesstimating". The decorating is a rough draft, as we have to back out to the store and get more ornaments to fill the tree. I love the shape, and I love him for being so disproportionate to the size of our room...it's like a giant pet St. Bernard who just can't help being ginormous.

My little guy named him Biggie...rightfully so.

Life's Good

2008-12-02T16:52:00.000-05:00

After over an hour at Best Buy, I got myself a new cell phone. Happily, my existing number has transferred over successfully. It was a tug of war between the good, frugal, sensible angel on my left shoulder and the naughty, flashy, impractical demon on my right. I almost got a Blackberry Curve, complete with a 3-year set of shackles (aka expensive voice&data contract). God bless the dude that helped me out - he was so patient with my indecisiveness and was honest with his recommendations and alternatives. It helped that he felt indebted to Hubby for hiring him several years ago;)

The angel is patting my back for staying true to my objective - buying a phone that places and receives calls.

Note to self: must call the store manager to recognize Dude for his great customer service. You don't come across that very often anymore.

Irthday Eats - Part I

2008-12-01T21:03:00.000-05:00

Caprese Pizza - p. 39 of the Fall/Winter 2008 catalogue or p. 48 of the 29 Minutes to Dinner cookbook. I could eat this all day.
Cinnamon Bites - a sweet treat made by a dear friend, fresh from my oven. The recipe is classified; I could tell you, but then I'd have to kill you.
Dufflet Chocolate Raspberry Truffle Cake - you can never have too much dessert. Thanks Girls:)

Giving Care

2008-12-01T12:07:00.000-05:00

I really was running in circles under a giant rock while I was working f/t. I just found out about 3 minutes ago that Martha Stewart's mother, Big (but little) Martha, who I enjoyed watching on the old Living show, passed away last November at 93. Martha's now in the middle of putting together a book about caregiving.

As a granddaughter to my 99 year old lola and a niece of my unbelievably generous aunt and uncle who are the main providers of her care, I am actually sitting here at loss for words, but just thought I'd say that I respect and wish strength to this sandwich generation who now find themselves finishing off raising their children but caring for their aging parents.

For the record

2008-12-01T11:42:00.000-05:00

I just closed the most successful sales month of my career! Great host/guest specials, strong hosts, and some quite tireless-slash-tiring weekends created the perfect storm, and now not only am I celebrating a great commission cheque in time for Christmas, but I'm eagerly awaiting the arrival of A LOT of free product. I still have to wait until January for the products to even be unveiled, but wow, I achieved the 3rd level (out of four) in free product earnings. And there's still more to be earned in December. *patting myself on the back*

Now if I could just figure out why Blogger freezes everytime I try to upload a pic, I'd promise some photos of me bathing in the new products next year (seriously, I'll do it). I'm still 2 blogs backed up because of the photos I'm trying to attach to them.

December begins on a high note, as I will bathe myself for the first time using my precious B&BW shower gel labelled with English AND French. Welcome to Canada, my friend. And happily, I am leaving behind my caveman brick phone (by 2008 standards) tomorrow and replacing it with something with a battery that won't die within three days. Please cross your fingers that I can keep my current number....or I'll have quite a few labels to reprint in the coming days....

Lots going on

2008-11-21T21:43:00.000-05:00

The last 1.5 weeks have been a blur. I managed a training session, three Cooking Shows, swimming classes for the kids and the TO Santa Claus Parade in three days - all of which were so fun, but I was toast by Sunday night.

Business is out-of-control-but-Good-Busy right now. I have another show tomorrow, and my family is coming over on Sunday for my birthday brunch.....I'm so excited to cook! I'll definitely take pictures and post them if the food looks good - heehee. This year I'm officially permitting Christmas decor before my birthday - we've already got a few things up, and Mama keeps coming home with more cool things to display. Plus I'm hosting the monthly lunch on Tuesday - again, I'll post pics, and perhaps even the recipes if they look good.

Oh, and today we had an excellent parent-teacher interview for my Little Guy. I'm so proud of him. Apparently he did something so cool with the blocks the other day that the teacher grabbed the school camera from the office to take a picture, and even called over some of the other teachers to look at it.

Sorry, so random today.

Goodtimes

2008-11-13T20:23:00.000-05:00

We drove down to Virginia for five days for Hubby's cousin's wedding. The driving was good, the shopping was great, the wedding itself was excellent, both visually and logistically (and if you know me, it takes a lot to get that rating!), but it was the company that made this trip most memorable.

I have been blessed to have married into a family that never makes me feel like "an in-law". I have grown close to cousins, aunts, uncles, nieces and nephews over the last thirteen years, and it's a wonderful thing to see Hubby re-connect with all these long-distance relatives without missing a beat, and to see them all shower me and our children with just as much affection. It makes me appreciate much more the abundance of family I have right outside my door.

On a side note, it was a riot being just outside DC three days after the US election. Having a connection on Capitol Hill, we were able to indulge in some Obamarama ourselves:

Enough already

2008-11-04T19:14:00.000-05:00

It's Election Day in the States and if I hear another word about it I am going to barf. The last few days have been overflowing with opponent-bashing commercials, Elisabeth Hasselbeck spewing whatever comes out of her head, Canadians pitching signs on their lawn (uh, you're in Canada.), and now today images of him voting, her voting, them in line, rock stars singing about voting.

Maybe I'm just jealous because Canada's so passive about their, well, everything.

And in three days I will be headed to none other than Washington D.C. This should be interesting.

It is done.

2008-11-02T21:36:00.000-05:00

It's been two days since Halloween and I am still recovering. Here are a few pictures of my finished projects.
Hubby = A Koodo mobile spokesman
#1 = Giselle from Enchanted
#2 = Luke Skywalker in X-Wing Fighter Pilot gear
#3 = SuperWhy, with the power to read
Me = olympic gymnast (can't see my costume, but I am eating candy sushi with lollichopsticks)

I'm proud to say that all of these costumes were no-sew projects. I'd like to give a big thanks to my dear friends Clearance Rack, Glue Gun, Adhesive Felt, and Craft Foam. Shout outs also go out to my new buddies Heat N Bond, Papier Mache and the 200-pack of safety pins. Two of the costumes even won Best Costume prizes at the Halloween fundraiser party we attended and my little Luke was admired by several nostalgic neighbours.

And then there's the pumpkin. I was insane on Friday afternoon, I don't know what got into me, but I knew the kids would love it. It took about three talk shows to complete all the carving. And happily, I made the flesh thin enough so that the candlelight glowed through. I'll be sad to see it rot away in the coming days.

Wow, that was fun! Next up - CHRISTMAS!!!! Well, among other things...

11/01

2008-11-01T22:10:00.000-04:00

If you ever wondered if there is such a thing as absolutely unconditional love, if adversity makes you stronger, if you'll still be you after switching to his toothpaste brand, if it will feel brand new eleven years down the road, if you can indeed laugh now about the past, if it's hard work, if you'll ever be able to block out the snoring, if it gets better every day...believe it.

Ding Dong Ditch

2008-10-30T17:30:00.000-04:00

AKA: Ding Dong Dash, Knock Door Run, Dolly Knock, Chappy, Chap Door Run, Knock Down Ginger, Ring and Run, Knick Knock Nanny, Buzz Buzz Book-it, Bombknocking, Knock off ginger Ring Bang Scoot, Triple D, and finally, Nicky Nicky Nine Door. Grrr.

At 4:49 this afternoon the doorbell rang fast and furiously and when I turned my head while sitting in the living room (watching Zac Efron on Ellen - wow, he cute), I saw a figure speed off the porch. I got to the door quickly enough to see a rotten little teenager gallop away to meet his walking friend about five houses down. I was so mad, I swear, if I had the car I would have followed them home to scare the crap out of them. Oh yes, kids, I will tell your mother what you did. I don't care if you're 10 or 18. Instead, in my immobile frustration, all I did was yell out "Foolish!" Lame, Leah, so lame.

Now you know that much of what I say at my Shows is not ad-libbed.

I remembered the time so that I can hopefully be on my porch watching them walk home tomorrow.

Doing Lunch

2008-10-27T17:51:00.000-04:00

I was blessed enough last spring to be invited to a WND = Wednesday Night Dinner. Every Wednesday (or as religiously as they can keep it), a small group of city-dwellers feast on usually homemade, themed cuisine made by the host of the given week. It's a wonderful tradition that I always hoped to bite off them one day. Given that I can barely keep the school lunches straight and every year turns me into more of a chauffeur mom, I was starting to get envious rather than inspired.

Well last week I think it happened. A small collection of girlfriends got together and enjoyed a homemade lunch and a few hours of each other's company. It started on the first day of school, and even some of the hubbies joined in, but now that we've met twice, I think it's official - we're actually doing something social on a regular basis. Wow, that sounds sad, but it's a big thing sometimes for burb-moms.

One more thing to add to my so-happy-to-be-home list.

Fashion Week + Me = ?????

2008-10-22T17:39:00.001-04:00

My Old Navy/H&M splendour and I ventured out of suburbia today to join my cousins-in-law at L'Oreal Fashion Week downtown. We watched Carlie Wong's spring/summer 2009 collection. I didn't watch Project Runway Canada, nor do I follow any trends (only the signs to the Clearance racks...), so I didn't know what to expect. I was impressed. Very nice, wearable designs.

We scored seats intended for members of the media - I was E-Talk's representative for today. Plus they had a free (ooh, there's that beautiful word) Schick Quattro for Women on each seat.

It was a fun, impulsive little escapade for us, and I was happy that I didn't feel as self-conscious as I thought I would, with my bottom of choice these days being track pants and sneakers, not sexy stuff and stilettos. Besides, the people behind us in line were talking about what they were going to wear at prom. And as a bonus, we got carded. It's a beautiful thing, when you're pushing your mid-30's.