Power Outage

Today's post is a bit different and really long. I don't want to ruin the surprise but the power was out all day (shoot, did I just ruin it?) so I wrote today's post by hand (what horror).

Below are pictures of the pages (I couldn't scan them because our new printer isn't connected). Remember, if you click on the picture, they get bigger. However, if you can't read my handwriting and/or don't want to strain your eyes, scroll down, I've typed everything out (I had to so that I could add it to my personal electronic journal) and continued on with today's news that I thankfully didn't have to write out.

As for romance, it's for people who don't get hand cramps.






START OF HAND WRITTEN JOURNAL

April 27, 2011
Power Outage
(is “outage” even spelt correctly?
I can’t check on dictionary.com…)

The power has been out since
11am (it’s now 1pm). I’ve done
everything humanly possible
without power (read: nap)

Since I am unable to surf I am
car (lost my train of thought,
new paragraph).

I’ve had to resort to writing out
todays journal entry as the battery
on my laptop is pooched. It sounds
kind of romantic but remains to be
Seen.

Thankfully, I spent all of last night
(well 7 hours), pricing, unpacking,
hanging, cleaning and organizing
everything for our “Mexican party”
this evening. Should be interesting
if the power doesn’t come back…

Seeing as I have all the time in
the world, I thought that I would
bore entertain you with a typical
daily menu (for the kids, because)
I know that you’re itching to know!).

1½ cups of Cheerios
12-16 oz of breast milk (plus water)
1 cup of baby cereal (fortified with vitamins)
1 banana
1 pear/apple
1 orange or 1 cup of strawberries
2-3 pickles
3-4 oz of cheese
1½ cups of yogurt
1 piece of toast or 1 cup of pasta
1 cup of pureed carrot/squash/s. potato
1 large jar of a green vegetable
(note: they don’t like anything
green that I make them!?)
2 eggs
1-2 cups of chicken/pork/tuna/salmon
3-4 cookies
1 avocado (sometimes ½)
2 dose of Vitamin D

Just to clarify, this is what the kids
eat total (not each). Regardless,
I think that they eat a good
amount and their weight gain
proves this.

Do you remember when you last
Sat down and put “pen to paper”,
enough to fill 2 pages? I can’t
Remember when I last did,
However, I’m sure my Aunt
Sally knows as she has a pen pal
In Japan (they’ve been corresponding
For years, and years, and years…
(sorry Aunt Sally but I have to
fill up the large, empty white
space somehow).

Bet you can’t tell that I just took
a break (hand cramp), ate lunch
and played with the kids.

Luckily (?), Ed forgot the cell phone
this morning (he’s in Ottawa on
business) because otherwise I
wouldn’t have a phone (we use
VOIP, Vonage) so it needs power
(and the internet) to function.
Ah, modern technology. This is the face
of progress people.

Back to the “Food List”, I forgot to
mention that we’ve been giving
them more peanut butter it’s just
so messy. Before you go and say
“when you were young, we gave
you peanut butter all the time
and it wasn’t messy!”. I remind
you, that was the time with
linoleum floors, vinyl chairs and
plastic tables (read: hose downable
if completely covered in sticky
fingerprints). For those of you
worried about us giving them
peanut butter, like so many other
recommendations (liver comes to mind)
the “people who know” changed
their minds.

To continue on with the (almost)
everything food post, the kids pretty
much eat all the day. They just ate
half of my chicken sandwich, some
coleslaw and a couple of kalamata olives.

Apparently they are still hungry
(or bored or just being kids) because
they are picking off bits of my rattan
chairs and eating them. Maybe
they just need a little more fibre?

END OF HAND WRITTEN JOURNAL

When I woke up from my second nap (in the afternoon), I noticed that one (of several) Webster Dictionaries was in our bookshelf. Thankfully, I spelt “outage” correctly.

At 5:40pm, the power came back on.

Since we live in the middle of nowhere, we don’t have city water and/or sewar. Without electricity, we are at the mercy of the elements. For whatever reason, even after almost 7 hours, our basement didn’t flood (we use a sump pump), however, our neighbours on both sides did!?). Also, without power, we don’t have pressure in our pipes (we have a well). No pressure = No water. Needless to say, I didn’t really enjoy myself today. Ed and I are currently in negotiations to buy a generator (I want one, he has better ways to spend $1,200).

In the evening, we held our “Mexican Extravaganza Party”. Here are some pictures of the garb. Unfortunately, my camera battery died (isn’t that always the case), right before everyone got here. There is SO much more stuff! Everyone was so excited about all the stuff and we raised enough money to spay two females. One dog at a time…





A few people missed the event due to flooded basements and conflicts. In turn, we will be hosting another Extravaganza in the next few weeks.

Yesterday we went on a walk and took the kids in one of their many forms of transportation; the green wagon (not to be confused with the Zoomobile or red, white and blue wagon otherwise known as the "USA Mobile" that has yet to make an appearance). We're thinking of getting the dogs harnesses... Ed's shirt reads: Vegetarian, An Old Indian Word for Poor Hunter.



P.S. I couldn't come up with anything... the tv stays. There, I said it.

There's been a Hitch

Remember the "Toddler Action Songs" VHS tape that I was so happy about? The tape that single handedly caused the Historic Day post. The one where after 10+ years (yes, YEARS people) caused us to find a place in our house for a tv (we don't do that for every thing that needs a home, unless of course it's furry, then we MAKE room). Well, let's just say that it's not our cup of tea. What ever happened to Row, row, row your boat. Or the one with all the men in a bathtub (a baker and some other guys). I mean, at least no one was seriously injured in the process.

So, I'm sure you're wondering (well, if you're not, too bad, I'm going to tell you anyways, besides, if you're not really wondering, what are you reading the blog for anyways, the kids? kids... shmids, anyways, back to my train of thought) what we're going to do with the tv. Will it spend another decade, alone, with no one to lose it's remote... again (speaking of which, Uncle Andrew, do you know where it is)?

I will save my thoughts for another post as I want to try and come up with something funny to say besides, "the tv stays" I have to maintain my readership in order to keep all my lucrative sponsorship deals.

Here are some pictures from this morning, the sun is shining, it's supposed to be 18 degrees outside and it's nice and warm in the window. I'm not sure who was here first (this shot was not set-up, we always never do that) but even the cat wants to get in on the action (even if it means sharing some space and losing tufts of fur).




(In pictures) It looks like they have so much hair. They both have mullets going on (Max also has a top of the head mullet) but not much else.


Yah, spring is finally here. Hey, who owns those funny, hairy legs (in the top right hand corner)? I hope that I got my mother's legs...


Artemis is wearing this Winnie the Pooh (brown) dress (size 0-3months) as a shirt. Her pants are size 6 months and they're baggy on her.

Yesterday was the first day since December 11, 2009 that I didn't pump (that makes it 499 days or 16 months, 13 days, in case you're keeping track).

In turn, yesterday was the first day that the kids were on frozen breast milk. While it doesn’t have my anti-bodies (they are killed in the freezing process), it still contains all the (other) nutrients that they need. An independent taste test was conducted and although the breast milk was heavily favoured, they drank the homogenized milk with no complaint. This gives me great relief because I know that for some mothers, the transition is not easy.

I have 55 bags of breast milk in (Uncle Eric's) deep freeze. That totals about 560oz. I am defrosting one bag a day (8oz in their sippy, 2oz for cereal). The rest of their liquids are in the form of water and/or homogenized milk. The reason why I don't defrost two bags a day is that the frozen is not as "robust" as fresh breast milk and can only be kept for 24 hours (fresh can be kept for 48 hours). If they didn't drink it all, I would have to throw it out (what horror!).

There you have it, everything you ever wanted to know (or didn't) about Bessie. That's the last you'll have to hear about it because...

Bessie's gone to pasture.

  Besos, The Zoo

Uncle Eric's Birthday Party

On Saturday, the whole family was invited to Uncle Eric’s birthday party (at his son’s house). Dinner was a barbeque extraordinaire; ribs, wings, burgers, salads, rolls, shrimp (our contribution), salsa, guacamole and of course cake. The party was held in their ginormous double car garage complete with pinball machine, professional mechanical car hoist, fridge, 42" plasma flat screen tv, sound system, wood stove, picnic tables, and a bathroom. Told you it was big!

The kids had a blast. Thankfully there were lots of people to help keep them from getting hurt and playing with the; oil pan, chainsaws, snow blower, lawnmower tractor, wood pile (yep, all that stuff was in there too!). The kids were on their best behaviour and got us invited back to their annual fish fry in August.

We are so fortunate to have such great neighbours family! Here are a couple of pictures.






Today, while in the portable getting our tv (yes, you read correctly, read my second post for today titled "Historic Day" for details), we came across some toys that we’d bought before the kids were born. One of which being a “Fisher Price Corn Popper”. What a hit, they love it. Every kid should have one. Now for our next Public Service Announcement...

Historic Day

Today is a historic day. One that my family thought would never happen (although they were hopeful).

After 10 years, 3 months (less one day), Ed and I now have a tv in our house.

Now, don’t get all crazy on us and think that we went out and bought a new one. No, this is Uncle Andrew’s hand me down that we’ve had for several years.

We haven't even tried to plug the thing in and it's already proving to be a problem. Where will we put it (so that the kids can't break it or climb on it)? What will we put it on (that fits in the room, that works with the ambiance, that the kids can't knock it off of)? How can we keep the cord away from them (they like to suck on it)?

The reason for this change of heart (although not really because we knew that we’d eventually use it) was to let the kids watch some educational sing/dance-a-long VHS tapes that I got for a steal (tell me you're not surprised). What, you didn’t think that we’d buy a DVD player did you?

I'm sure that they'll be a hit as the kids love to dance. So much so that I can hum or sing (only if no one’s around) any old song and they will dance.

We will post pictures soon of the zombies kids enjoying their new toy.

Ivy League or Juvenile Hall?

Today the kids were in the kitchen debating the upcoming election fighting over this:



when Artemis finally let Max have it and went into the living room to scheme for quiet reflection. Shortly thereafter, she returned with Max’s (current) favourite toy:



which she handed to him. I thought wow, I’ll have to blog about this “first sharing episode”... NOT.

The second he dropped the first toy, she grabbed it and headed for the hills but not before giving me her “I am so much smarter than he” smile.

So, Ivy League or Juvenile Hall?

In case you sometimes think that I’ve forgotten about you (how could I possibly forget about you?), don’t worry, Ed checks the blog regularly to see what I’ve written about him to ensure that I feed the voracious appetite of my loyal followers.

Happy Easter.

P.S. Today, I’m loving strikethroughs!

Being (Almost) Naked and Other Birthday Pictures

Don't worry, I'm not the (almost) naked one. It's Max.


For the second year, Ed has asked me what I wanted for my birthday and I told him a Betty Crocker Soft Moist Chocolate Cake with a tub of Icing (on top). Once again, I was not disappointed. Ed's skills in the cake decorating department are somewhat lacking but it sure tasted amazing!

The Cake


The Critics




Speaking of birthdays, Happy Birthday to you Uncle Eric the "Sheriff"!

First Outside Venture... Alone

I have a confession to make, I don't get out much with the kids alone... at all... ever.

In fact, I get hives just thinking about taking the kids out alone. Not that they don't behave (because they do, especially for 16 month olds) it's that they're mobile and I can't be in two places at the same time. There are so many things that I'd rather do (root canal comes to mind).

The kids have been on playdates before (at our house and others) it's just that I've always had another adult to help me look after them.

Today, we (I) tried something different. We spent 1.5 hours at our local community early care facility... ALONE.

The kids were awestruck by all the other kids so they didn't try to; escape, cling to my leg and/or scream bloody murder. After a bit, Max got into the fun of things and played cars near some of the other kids. Artemis pulled an "Artemis" and stood with her back up against the wall, holding a measuring cup and watched everyone suspiciously... for 1.5 hours. She's just like her Daddy.

All in all, we had a great time and I think that we'll try it again soon...

Ed says that since I don't have any pictures, it didn't happen. You'll just have to trust me that it did.

Happy Birthday to Me!

Thanks for all the well wishes, gifts and peanut butter cookies (yum).

My brother asked me if I was 35 today (did I mention how much I LOVE my brother). While technically impossible (as that would make him older than me), I love him all the same.

Here's hoping your day is as happy as mine.

Doctor's Appointment

Today the kids went to the doctor and got a clean bill of health and a couple of shots. They met all the milestones on the Nippissing Developmental Milestone Checklist (for 15 months).

As previously mentioned, I was most interested in their weight (for some weird reason). Max weighs 9.93kg (21lbs, 12oz) and is in the 25% (50% adjusted). That is a gain of 2lbs, 1oz in 4 months. Artemis weighs 8.49kg (18lbs, 11oz) and is just below the curve (10% adjusted). That is a gain of 2lbs, 9oz in 4 months. The doctor is pleased with their progress and that they are gaining/growing with the curve.

We don't have to see her again until their 18 month check-up.

To My Surprise...

Well not really. Let's be real, if you spent one minute in this house you'd realize that nothing really surprises us anymore.

After another lull in the chatter, I looked in the living room to see this. Note that I was sitting within eyeshot of them but I "might" have been on the computer, "maybe" updating my blog...


Yep, book and all. I did not set this up (although I did buckle him in like a responsible adult BEFORE I went to get my camera). However, I did set up the next picture.


Unfortunately, like with (almost) every other toy, they don't use them for their intended purpose; xylophone becomes stepping stool, chair becomes thing we stand on and tip over backwards even when Mommy is sitting 2 inches away. In turn, the chairs have been put away with the boxes, xylophone, laundry basket, large toys...


The kids love the bath. Unfortunately, they also love to stand up, slip slide around and throw their toys out of the tub (and into my lap). I don't know how people bathe two kids at the same time... alone. Around here, it's a family affair.



Another thing that I've been meaning to tell you is that Artemis dances like Elaine (from Seinfeld). Poor girl.

Anyone know how to compress a video file? The latest one that I want to post is 102MB!?

Notice the Resemblance?

Remember Astro Boy?

Astro Boy


and Astro Girl (who didn't really exist but she does now!)

Where did 16 Months Go? Nipissing Development Update.

Today marks the kids 16 month birthday.

They have a doctors appointment on Friday (their first since December 13).

Other than that, they meet all of their milestones on the "Nippissing Developmental Milestone Checklist" for 15 months (adjusted).

While preparing lunch today, I noticed that there was a lull in the normally endless chatter (never good!). I poke my head around the corner to see this. Yes, I ran and got my camera so as not to lose a photo op. Note that the hockey bags have NOT been moved. Artemis just moved the blue xylophone (in the picture) and used that to climb into the chair.

Remember Uncle Andrew's red lederhosen (I like writing lederhosen). Well, Nanna also kept my first bear Cuddles.

Note that unfortunately, Nanna does not have Uncle Andrew's first bear "TeeTee" because I hid it in the haypile at our farm and then wouldn't tell anyone where it was. To this day, I can't remember myself.

Now this could be a whole other post in itself but I'd rather not remember my horribleness.

RIP TeeTee.


Back to Cuddles. Cuddles now spends her time riding around in the shopping cart (as we call it). Artemis can even put Cuddles in the chair herself. I will post a video (once I learn how).

Note that on December 13, Max weighed 19lbs, 11oz and Artemis weighed 16lbs, 2oz.

After being in Edmonton (on business) for six sleeps, Ed comes home tonight, yah!

Check out our other Nipissing Developmental Checklist posts.

They Grow Up So Fast!

  Besos, The Zoo

In, On, Under

I have so many post ideas in the works but never get/have time to get the necessary picture. In addition, I'm hating the pictures that our Canon Elph takes (I'm a Nikon girl). We have a Nikon D70 but it's only seen the light of day a few times since we bought it (in 2005!). I must get Ed to show me how to use it.

Today was day two of no afternoon naps. Except for a little breakdown at 4:30pm (see picture), Max got his second wind and was fine until bedtime (7:30ish). Artemis is a night hawk like her Dad and technically never needs to sleep.

The newest activity is to climb on, in and under anything and everything. So as to minimize their ability to throw themselves off the top of high things, I have removed all boxes, bags, stools, and large toys. Did I mention how smart our kids were. Note that I do not have any pictures of them standing on poorly constructed, about to collapse cardboard boxes (although I thought about it...).



You have no idea how much fun it is to spend half the day under here. Seriously, you should try it. Note that I removed her several times but she just kept going back under so I left her.




During


and After (The Meltdown)