Babies and Bulldogs

Just an update

2012-01-25T18:13:00.001-05:00

For those of you who may have missed it, we're moving back to New Brunswick on Saturday. Nick got posted to Oromocto which is about 20 minutes south of Fredericton and is the home of CFB Gagetown. We are thrilled to be within an hour of our families after being away for almost 7 years and are happy to have them be a bigger part of the boys lives. And what's almost better than the proximity to family? We've bought a house and I can finally have colored walls back in my life. So many colors to choose from.....

Today's the last day before the movers come and I had a list as log as my arm of things to get done. Most importantly, figuring out what we need to bring with us to get us started. We don't get any excess baggage at all so it all has to fit in 4-70lb bags.... Yes 4... 70lbs each.... I'm so thankful we're leaving on First Air and not Air Canada. I can't imagine trying to fit our lives in to 2-50lb bags. Yet another thing I'll miss about the north. Oh and the full service meals and the fresh baked chocolate chip cookie, and the free 'special' coffees. But I digress...

The last week has been spent organizing the house, selling what we can, throwing out junk and trying to keep Isaac happy. It was a great decision to leave Oliver at my mom's because it's been much easier just having Isaac to deal with while trying to do all that. O has apparently had quite a full calendar himself and doesn't seem to miss us at all. He actually cried the other night when my mom made him talk to Nick on the phone preferring to go eat his Smarties instead. At least I know he's happy and content. But that's Oliver. Nothing fazes that kid and that will stand him in good stead in the future.

I have to admit although I've miss Oliver I've really been enjoying my time alone with Isaac. He's at such a fun age right now and he is such a character that I laugh all day. He's also an amazing sleeper so we've been enjoying sleeping till about 930 every day which is a rare treat. I forgot how easy having one child is compared to having two and it's been a nice break.

Just three more sleeps in the north....

Bum in the water please....

2012-01-23T22:04:00.000-05:00

... my mantra for tub time. And this is why:

Nick is calling him Georges St. Pierre cause it looks like a fighting injury.

Last night Isaac took a header in the bathtub. He slipped and caught his face on the side of the tub and split his eye lid. It was a pretty gaping wound and I figured he'd need some stitches so off we went to the health center. When we got there the nurse told us we would have to medivac him to Iqaluit and have him sedated in order to actually stitch it so she used the glue instead. He was the perfect patient and with Nick and I holding him down, she had him fixed up in no time.

I was really dreading seeing him this morning because I thought he was going to wake up with it swollen shut or a huge shiner. It was a relief to see that the swelling isn't much worse than it was last night and although he does have a bit of a black eye but it's pretty subtle. If he wasn't as fair as he is I doubt you'd even really see it. I'm very thankful for that.

I don't dout this is just the first of many trips to a medical facility being the mother of two boys. Unfortunately I'm sure this is the last time I'll get to walk right in, have the whole center to ourselves and be out of there in an hour. I'm over all pretty critical of health care up here but there are undoubtedly some perks to the northern health system.

Why Canadians need heated seats

2012-01-22T23:15:00.000-05:00

My brother Ryan sent me this yesterday and I loved it. When I read Kara's blog today I thought it would be cute to post the video. This four legged Canuck is having his own Canadian right of passage. Too bad Kara's husband didn't have heated seats when poor Hunter had his.

Enjoy

The final countdown

2012-01-19T20:33:00.000-05:00

We arrived back in Pang yesterday. This is significant for a couple of reasons. One: We were able to get back all in one day.(shocking I know) And two: It's the last time I'll be doing that trip. How weird to think that. Flying (and often the lack of flying) has been such a staple in our lives for the last few years. I can't say that I'm disappointed though. If there is anything I won't miss about the north it's the long and unpredictable travel you have to endure to get here. Now that we're back I've gone from vacation mode to madly sorting, cleaning, throwing out and organizing mode. The packers come a week from today and there is so much to get done.

It's strange but when we landed, for the first time Pang didn't feel like home. I guess my brain moved south when we left on vacation in December and I kind of feel like these final 10 days are a technicality. I've spent the last few weeks buying furniture, decorating my new house (if only in my head) and working on my resume. I'm already stressing about finding a job and getting the kids in to daycare. Funny how you can just fall back in to the rat race after living a blissful, isolated, relaxing life. Not that being a stay at home mom is relaxing at the best of times but my life in the north is overall, pretty calm.

Over the last month I've been mulling over a decision on whether I should keep up the blog, start a new southern version or just stop all together. You may have noticed that when I'm down south I'm not exactly a great blogger. It's not that I don't have things to talk about it just seems hard to take the time to actually do it. Having said that, I've already decided that stopping is not the answer. That leaves sticking with this one or starting another one. The only reason for starting a new one is to separate the north and the south. I get many requests for 'moving north' advice and hope that I get to continue doing that. Leaving this one as a northern blog would make it easier for potential Nunavumiut to find me. On the other hand, this is way more of a mommy blog than a northern blog so north or south, the subject matter would be pretty much the same and the northern posts would still be there to find. Decisions, decisions.

9 more sleeps till we leave. 1657 things left to do.

Getting Creative

2012-01-09T22:46:00.001-05:00

This Christmas Nick and I decided to keep our gift exchange to a minimum. I followed the rules and bought him a video game, he bought me a house! Or at least that's what I tell people. In reality I asked Nick to get me a measuring cup which he did. He also got a little creative and gave me a card with this inside.

It's called VETO

Read here:

It gave us all a good laugh on Christmas Eve when we were opening gifts. I haven't used it yet but I'm hoping we make a stop at Ikea on our way back up to Pang next week.

The short version

2012-01-05T22:38:00.000-05:00

The last 3 weeks in a nutshell:

Landed in New Brunswick
Had a Morena day or shopping, nails and hair
Went house hunting
Found a house
Oliver and Erik's birthday party
Shopping
Lost the house
Started looking again
Went on a dirty weekend, in the middle of the week
Found a house
Christmas
Christmas
Christmas, because we were SPOILED
Bought a coffee table and a dining room set
New years
Quiet few days at the cottage
Got house offer finalized so I think we have a house, but shhhh don't jinx it
Heading into the weekend.....

Here are a few random shots of some of the above mentioned events.

At the Play Place for the big birthday party

The cake was super yummy

Isaac loved the balloons

Trying out his birthday gift with Opa.

Lovin' opening the loot.

Sporting their christmas outfits

Superhero's in training.

So there it is. The short version. I'm sure I'll elaborate later on some of these events but then again, maybe not. I have lots to say on so many subjects but just can't seem to find the time. I'm loving our vacation and am milking the last month long live in babysittiing situation I'm ever going to get.

Life is good. I'm very happy right now.

Happy Birthday Oliver v 3.0

2011-12-25T05:51:00.001-05:00

Dear Oliver,

Three years ago at this very moment you made your Dad and I in to a family. I can’t believe it's been three years already because it seems like yesterday that we brought you home. Seeing how you’ve changed and grown, it’s very obvious you’re not a baby anymore. You are an active, smart, and beautiful little boy. Truth be told, you are also infuriating, exhausting and frustrating. You’ve been making the most of the terrible twos which is exactly what you’re supposed to be doing. Add being two to that healthy dose of smart ass you got from your father and I'm sure you can’t always help yourself. You do make me crazy but then you say something hilarious and the love affair begins again.

Your personality is really developing and we are starting to see the person you are going to be. You have always been laid back and easy going and we are starting to see that trait in new ways. When we go for a walk we’d better not be in a hurry. You don't go anywhere quickly. You never walk in a straight line preferring to wind and weave and explore every rock and stick. You are so friendly that you have to stop to talk to everyone and you will repeat your greeting until they return your hellos. There is not a shy bone in your body and you certainly march to the beat of your own drum.

If I had to choose one word to describe you right now it would easily be Fearless. You jump in with both feet and it doesn’t take much convincing to get you to try anything new. In Florida you went on all the rides by yourself and asked to go again. At the beach you ran in to the water without hesitation. When you fell under, you popped up and said ‘I’m ok’ and was happily playing again before I could get up off the blanket to rescue you. This past year when you spent the summer with Erik, you were most often the ring leader even though he is a year older than you. As much as I love this side of you I can see that it will also be the thing that will scare me as you get older.

The second word I'd use for you is silly. You honk at me for no reason, you do little dances, and you say the most funny things. My favorite quote of the year came when you were going pee in the potty for the first time. You got up on the stool in front of the toilet and said:

COME ONE PENIS, LET'S - GET - PEEING!

Other memorable ones are:

-Jump and Squish

-My poo is enormous! Most enormous ever seen!!

-The pee is coming! The pee is coming!

-Good morning Isaac, did you have a good nap? -Every morning.

-On watching Erik pee in the potty: ‘It’s working!!! It’s working!!!’

-Oh Mommy, I love you sooooo much.

Things to know about yourself:

-I say it every year but you still give fantastic hugs.

-Driving is your favorite thing to do this year. At Disney you would have rather sat in the car and pretended you were driving it than go in and see Mickey Mouse.

-You seem to come up with names for all the different vehicles in your life. The RCMP trucks are the Silver Truck, JP’s Truck and the Other Truck. There was the Silver car (a rental that you talked about for months) and the Flag Car (another rental)

-Your favorite show is Toupy and Binoo

-Your favorite toy is Play-doh

-Your favorite food is Peanut Butter and Jam sandwiches

So here’s to you on your birthday little man. We love you so much and are so happy you are in our lives.

I love you

Akkuluuk

Sweet dreams

Nighty Night

See you in the morning

Have a good nap

Sleep tight

Don’t let the bugs bite

Love Mommy

Merry Christmas

2011-12-24T08:50:00.000-05:00

One of these days I'll get around to posting all about what's been going on here these last 11 days but I just don't have the time. Hopefully after the holiday things will slow down and I can dedicate some of my day to some much needed blogging catch up.

In the meantime, I wanted to wish all my readers and their families a very merry Christmas and a happy new year from Babies and Bulldogs.

Bliss is....

2011-12-21T13:05:00.001-05:00

I'm sitting in a hotel room at the Moncton Casino and am blissfully Facebooking while lounging on the king sized bed. In a few minutes I'm going to have wine and wear a plush robe before we go in for our couples massage. Tonight, we go to the Keg for dinner and then back to the casino to play blackjack.

Bad Blackberry photos but our room is wonderful

My husband surprised me with this trip as a belated birthday gift. By surprised me I mean that I didn't know where we were going till yesterday morning. I'm usually the planner in our family so to have him plan a whole 2 night getaway is a wonderful treat for me. We're having a great time but I will admit to missing the boys just the teeniest, tiniest bit.

It's been a crazy week since we've been home and I'll blog about all of that sooner or later. For now, I take these 2 kid free days and just enjoy. I think I said it best on my recent status update:

I'm sleeping in the middle of the night... My eye's pop open.
One of the kids is crying.
I listen, listen again, I hear it. It's Isaac.
I throw off my blankets and put my feet on the floor.
Carpet....That doesn't feel right...,,
... OH YEAH! I'M IN A HOTEL AND MY KIDS AREN'T HERE!.
Not sure what I was hearing but I just don't care.
Go back to sleep.
Snore..........

A Santa-rific day

2011-12-11T16:27:00.000-05:00

Yesterday Santa Clause took a little time off from his workshop in the north pole to make an appearance here in Pang. We felt honoured considering it's so close to the the big day and made a point to get out and see as much of him as we could. The day started out with the annual Pang Santa Clause Parade. Santa rode on a sleigh carried by a pick up truck and he and his elves threw candy out for the onlookers. This parade was unique in more ways than the usual. First Santa led the parade rather than follow along at the end as I'm used to. Since there aren't any floats, just a few decorated trucks and snowmobiles I guess that makes sense.

What was really unusual was the amount of observers this time around. Normally there are few watchers because everyone in town joins with whatever vehicle they have. This time there were groups of parents and kids lining the parade route waiting for Santa to come by.

Taken from the moving truck out the window. It was the best shot I got of Santa but that's not saying much.

Nick was driving us in the police truck back at the end of the line of cards. From our point of view is seemed that the parade was all over the place and perhaps that the cars at the end had lost track of the lead vehicles. What we quickly realised was that many of the vehicles weren't trying to be part of the parade at all. They were filled with people who had just watched Santa go by and were then trying to get ahead of Santa so they could be there when more candy was thrown in a different part of town. We noticed many of the same faces several times over the course of the parade. I do understand the want of more candy but with few 'alternate routes' to get around town it was causing parade chaos in the form of traffic jams at the intersections. That's sure something I've never seen here before.

In spite of the confusion, and probably a little because of it, I had a great time. I love a parade of any kind and the uniqueness of the northern parade will always have a place in my heart. The kids had fun too with Isaac waving out the window to the onlookers and Oliver working the lights and sirens and wishing everyone a Merry Christmas over the truck's loud speaker. I bet the brass won't let him do that when Nick pulls parade assignment down south.

The other Santa excitement was that after the parade, he went to the Northern to hear the wishes of the kids in town. I took the boys to sit on his lap and get the picture that I didn't get last year. If you remember we went and did the visit but never received the picture. They ran out of ink to print the photos and when I asked to have it emailed, it just never happened. I'm still disappointed not to have it since it was both boy's first time with Santa and as they say, you never get that time back. BUT ANYWAY....

The audience with Santa went as I thought it would. Oliver did great. Walked right up, said hello and hopped on his lap and had a chat. Isaac on the other hand was overtaken with panic as soon as I put him down and the result is this lovely picture.

David Kilibuk was taking the pictures. I scanned it so I could post it.

Isaac is going though his separation anxiety stage so it's exactly what I knew he would do. I was planning on leaving him home but Nick had to go in to work so that option was out the window. Since we were there I thought I'd inflict some mental anguish on my 14 month old. I know I'm not the only mom who does it so I don't feel that bad... maybe I should, but I don't.

Santa-rific day complete.

Reflections

2011-12-04T23:05:00.000-05:00

I am filled with emotions in regards to ending our time in the north and feel like I'm somewhat on a roller coaster at the moment. We planned to be here at least till the spring so to find out that it's happening so much sooner puts me in a bit of a tailspin. I'm a planner and sometimes the littlest change can throw me off. A change of this magnitude makes my brain go crazy with what's, where's and how's. Not that I can't roll with the punches but I do find myself awake at night remaking to do lists in my head over and over. In the end, it'll all get done, and what doesn't isn't all that important.

I couldn't be more pleased with Nick's new posting with it's proximity to our families. As fate would have it, only a few weeks ago Nick's mom took a new job in Oromocto and had joked that maybe we could move there. I guess maybe she new something we didn't. She plans to commute back and forth to Saint John everyday but I'm sure (and hope) there will be many stops at our place for dinner, or crashing with us when the weather makes that hour long drive too much. That's an open invitation Dale... Make sure you take us up on it. I'm also excited to have my nephew spend weekends with us so he and our boys can grow up being significant parts of each other lives.

We are very much looking forward to living in the world of malls, Costco and play places. Swimming lessons, photography courses and tennis clubs. Old friends and new friends, new jobs and new colleagues. Nick will be not be on call 24 hours a day 7 days a week like he is now. I will be looking for a job outside the house and the kids will be going to daycare. It's going to be a whole new world for us. But as much as I can't wait for all these things, I look at many of these perks with trepidation.

I'm going to be working!!! Yay, I get to go have adult conversations for 8 hours a day. I get to be a productive member of society doing something other than cleaning my house and playing with the kids. On the other hand, boooo, I'm going to be working. I'm going to be joining the ranks or working moms who try and find time to 'do it all', who never can and have guilt because they miss their kids. They miss milestones that their baby sitters get to tell them about. When I really hash out the pros and cons, the money I will bring in is a necessity for the family. I know there are people who do it with much less but there are sacrifices that go along with it that we are not interested in making at this point. And, in all honesty, I think I'm going to enjoy motherhood and my kids much more when I have something for myself outside the home to fill that part of me that's not just a mother.

I think that it's going to a huge adjustment getting used to all the choices and opportunities we're going to have. There is something comforting and relaxing about living in a tiny isolated town where you're options can be very limited. There is no keeping up with the Joneses. No rush hour. No over booked life. I enjoy the quiet life we have here. I love that a super busy weekend means getting the house ready for a Saturday night dinner with friends. I like wearing pajamas bottoms 90% of my waking hours and that getting all dolled up means jeans and a T-shirt. I think it's great that to Oliver, a drive to the dump is as exciting as a trip to Disney World. Most of all, I relish all the time we have to spend as a family. Nick coming home for lunch everyday. Family suppers every night and being there for hugs and kisses at bedtime. I'm sure it won't be long before we are caught up in the rat race and are striving to get back a glimps of the simple life.

I am going to miss the people of the north and how welcoming they can be. I'm going to miss the beautiful scenery I look out over every day although I am excited to have trees back in my life. I'm going to miss the weather in a way because I hate the heat and humidity but I'll be happy if I never see snow on Canada Day or a -40 windchill again. I'm really going to miss the 24 hours of daylight but I won't at all miss the long stretches of darkness. I'm going to miss my sealift room but look forward to the convenience of not having to cook every single meal. I look forward to having the mall close by but don't think I'll ever stop on-line shopping. I will miss having 30 day vacations but I won't miss having my travel plans at the mercy of mother nature's whims. I am excited to use a car again but I'm sad to trade in my amauti for a car seat.

The question I've been asked most over the last 3 and a half years is, "Do you like it up there?" Sometimes that can be a tough question. At times I've been able to answer with a resounding YES. Other times the things I like about Nunavut were overshaddowed by the challenges that can go along with northern living. Now that I'm reflecting on my time here, weighing the good and the bad, I can say overwhelmingly that yes, I do like it here. I am very happy to have had this chapter in my life, in our family's life and I wouldn't trade it for anything. And yes, I would do it all over again if I had to go back. I have learned an enormous amount about myself and my ability to adapt. I've heard it said that a northern posting can make or break a marriage for some couples. I'm happy to say that I think Nick and I have made it though happy and probably closer than we would ever have been had we not come here. I appreciate having had the opportunity to be home with my children which I would not have had down south. And finally, I am proud and honored to have experienced the beauty of the Inuit people, their culture and the land where they live. So few can say that and I'm glad to be one of them.

But now it's time to shed my northern parka and don the sou'wester of a martimer once again.

Short and to the point

2011-12-01T23:45:00.000-05:00

All good things must come to and end. And I guess our end has come. Monday, Nick got the paperwork for his transfer so in 90 days or less we'll be getting on a plane and leaving the north for the last time. I had planned to make this a long poetic announcement but honestly, I just don't have the time to sit down and write one. From the looks of things this is going to be a pretty quick move so there is just so much to do.

Where are we going?? A little town called Oromocto, New Brunswick. We're thrilled and happy that we got so lucky. It's a pretty small town but it's only about 20 minutes from Fredericton and only an hour from our home town of Saint John. The kids will see their grandparents often and I'll be able to see my BFF, my sister all the time.

So there's my announcement.... a longer more philosophical post when there's time.

Big Day

2011-11-29T16:49:00.000-05:00

Yesterday was a big day in our house. We FINALLY began potty training Oliver. I've been trying to get that started for close to a year now without success. He just wasn't ready and would fight the idea of even trying to sit on the pot. In the last few weeks he's been asking to read the Pirate Potty book we got from Jen and showing other signs so we jumped in with both feet.

Tools of the trade. The book comes with the cardboard pirate hat and stickers.

We're using the Bare Bum technique for now hoping that if he didn't have anything on, he'd be more likely to tell me rather than just pee in his pants. I'm filling him full of liquids so that he'll have to go more often and then I ask him every 10 minutes if he has to go. As for rewards, he gets to put a pirate sticker or two on his pirate hat (just like the pirate in the book) and he gets an m&m.

Day one was a huge success with 4 pees in the potty and only one accident. I did put a diaper on him for his nap but otherwise, he was bottom free all day. Day two has been going ok so far and he even did a poo! He got 5 m&m's for that one.

Unfortunately, I think the novelty and excitement is wearing off already. He's getting annoyed with me asking and doesn't want to sit but rather just play around in the bathroom. I'm humouring him as much as I can because I don't want to discourage him so early on in the process. And I guess it's just that. A process. Since we're talking about a kid that would sit in a poopy diaper all day if you let him, I know this isn't going to be easy.

Crown of success.

Impressive Stats

2011-11-21T21:07:00.000-05:00

A while back a flight attendant was telling Nick about these log books you can get for kids to keep track of all the flights they've taken. She told him you could get them at one of the airport gift shops in Toronto and he looked in every one. He didn't find them but couldn't shake the idea that this was something he wanted for the boys. After some research he found some from Aviation World.

This weekend we finally got around to filling out the books and I thought I'd share some stats with you.

Oliver-
-Number of flights: 59
-Number of kilometers travelled- 53,440
-Number of hours spent on a plane- Approx. 99 hours.

Not bad for an almost 3 year old. The circumference of the earth is just over 40 thousand kilometers so he could have gone all the way around the world and then some. And 99 hours, that's over 4 days.

Isaac-
-Number of flights- 20
-Number of kilometers travelled- 18,740
-Number of hours spent on a plane- Approx. 35 hours

Racking up these kinds of numbers is pretty easy when we take 8 planes round trip every time we go back to New Brunswick.

Now that we have the books I'm glad. There is a spot where you can make notes and I've jotted down where we were going or other things that could be of interest later. Like the time our Canadian North Dash 8 was replaced with a Twin Otter. And the couple of times we got to ride by ourselves on the RCMP plane.

I wish I had a list of all the flights I've ever taken in my life. I travelled quite a bit growing up and with working for Air Canada for as long as I did, I bet I've got some pretty impressive numbers myself. Once we move back down south there will be few plane rides as we will settle in to a regular life and will only get the normal amount of vacation time. We plan on taking up camping as our family vacation go to. The only problem with that, is once again our vacations will be plagued with weather issues. At least then it won't be snow causing the delays.

CBC Family night??

2011-11-13T23:52:00.000-05:00

Tonight I saw that Aladdin was playing on CBC starting at 7pm. Oh wait... on your channels it was probably at 5pm but we in Pang get our CBC feed from Edmonton so we are on Mountain time rather than Eastern as we should be. But anyway... Since Aladdin is my favorite Disney movie I thought I'd let Oliver stay up past bedtime so we could watch it together.

So, the movie began at 7. At 7:13 there was a 4 minute commercial break. (is it just me or is 4 minutes way too long?) The movie played again for 7 minutes and there was another 4 minute commercial. Then 10 minutes followed by 5 minutes of commercials this time. In total there was just a touch over 30 minutes of selling going on during a 90 minute movie.

Ok, I'm not oblivious to the fact that you should expect to be sold something while watching TV. The reason I'm blogging about this? CBC has the nerve to call it Family Sunday. A quote from commercial break number 2: "What you're watching might just bring your family closer together". I doubt it! How many young kids do you know easily sit through a 90 minute movie at the best of times? To expect them to sit through these overly long breaks after only a few minutes of the actual show is a formula for distraction and frustration on every one's part. It's a joke.

On top of having too many breaks, the same ads are played over and over and over again. Even outside of tonight, this has always been one of the most annoying things about watching CBC. If I'd ever thought of watching 'Heartland', seeing the trailer 8 times in the span of one movie is certain to change my mind. And how many times do I need to see that woman's thong on the 'In Security' trailer? Steven and Chris, Best Recipes Ever.... 8 times in two hours? I don't want to watch any of these shows now.

It should be no surprise that O lost interest quickly and ended up in bed at the usual time. And he's a kid that will usually sit through a movie. After the second commercial he asked where the show went and asked to go read a story instead. We did Tivo it so perhaps we'll try watching it next Sunday while they show Pocahontas. At least I'll be able to fast forward the commercials. Maybe then it will keep every one's interest and actually have a chance of bringing the family closer together. Thanks to Tivo, not CBC.

Much ado about nothing

2011-11-12T22:26:00.000-05:00

It turns out that the storm didn't amount to much. We're certainly getting our share of blowing but from what I saw the worst reading on the Environment Canada website was 71 km/h this morning sometime. The rest of the day hovered around 50 km/h which is still a good breeze. The wind is continuing this evening at about those same speeds and is expected to peter out overnight.

So we're good. Just wanted to let you know.

Batten down the hatches

2011-11-11T15:43:00.000-05:00

From the Environment Canada Website:

WIND WARNING IN EFFECT

Saturday

Cloudy. Light snow beginning early in the evening changing to periods of rain late in the evening.

Wind east 70 km/h gusting to 90 increasing to 100 gusting to 150 early in the afternoon then

diminishing to 30 gusting to 60. High plus 2.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Gusting up to 150 kilometers an hour.... Hurricane force winds start at 118 km/h.

The last time a storm like that happened here in Pang (Novemeber 17th, 2010), a truck was overturned, the roof was ripped off a couple of houses and there were several boats lost. We were lucky and only had some construction debris land around our house. We also had a few hours of lost power and no internet for about 36 hours. Not bad considering. And those winds were only 130km/h. But we live on the sheltered side of town.

The town is bustling around getting ready. The store was full of people picking up non perishables to eat if we lose power. The hamlet is setting up an emergency shelter at the school for people who are living on the windy side of town. I have all the flashlights charging, candles out and jugs of water at the ready.

I hope that when we wake up tomorrow and the warning was for nothing and we end up with nothing but an unseasonably warm day. On the other hand, I love a good storm and as long as nobody gets hurt or looses anything of value, I do love to see the power of nature at it's finest. I'll update you when it's all over but if you don't hear from me for a few days, you'll know it was a big one.

Hand me downs

2011-11-10T15:45:00.001-05:00

What's the worst thing about being a younger sibling?

Many of you would say having to wear hand me downs. I bet Isaac would have the same complaint. Much of what he's wearing is getting it's fourth time around since we got them for Oliver from my sister's little guy. She in turn got them from someone else. I have no complaints about having hand me down clothes. Why spend our money on clothes that kids grow out of so quickly if you don't have to? If they are still wearable... bring 'em on.

But at some point somethings got to give. In the last 3 days, Isaac has blown through the left knee of as many pairs of pants. It's hilarious that it's always the left knee. He does this crawl that only uses 3 limbs. The forth, his right leg, sticks out to the side like a peg leg. This of course means that only the left knee gets worn.

All good things must come to an end and I guess the gravy train on free clothes is too. My sister doesn't live near the people who were giving her all the clothes. Even if she did, Oliver is now the same size as my nephew so he couldn't use them anyway. But of course Isaac is still wearing hand me downs but soon they'll only be seconds and not fourths. I'm sure he's thrilled about that.

Side note: Notice that Isaac is sitting on a table. Please also notice the huge black bruise between his eyes. Table + a climbing baby = huge black bruise between said baby's eyes.

Now we're in trouble

2011-11-05T21:01:00.000-04:00

It's more like a drunken wobble or a 'make-your-bottom-half-go-faster-than-your-top-half-so-you-don't-fall-over' stumble but we're still calling it walking. Check it out.

R.I.P.

2011-11-02T15:46:00.000-04:00

Izzy and Zazu came to us 5 years ago from a nice lady that was just looking to find her kittens a good home. Right away we knew Izzy was the one with the personality. She was very cuddly and playful and loved just hanging out. Every night for the first few months she slept on my pillow. I ended up having to get a second pillow placed below hers because I kept getting paws in the face in the middle of the night.

She's the one on the top

As she got older she loved to get in things. Garbage pails, grocery bags, backpacks, boxes and under blankets. She also loved running water. Every night we had to let the water drip in the tub because she'd meow if we didn't. Nick started that and I always cursed him for it.

One night when I lived in Nova Scotia I was home alone and heard the toilet flush. I thought that was wierd but ignored it. Then it happened again. I went to investigate and sure enough, there was Izzy with her paw on the flush. She would do it over and over again just to watch the water go down. At one time I had an adorable video of this great feat but it got lost in a long ago computer meltdown. Unfortunately it was never recovered. I've always been sad that it was gone but never more so than now.

She would drink out of your beer glass if you left it unattended.

Izzy was found on Monday morning frozen to death in a sea can about 30 feet from our front door. I'm happy that she didn't meet with a terrifying end from a dog but I'm devastated that she was able to find her way back to the house only to die so close to home. As sad as we are, I will say I'm happy that we have the closure that comes with knowing for sure that's she's gone.

It hurts to know that when we leave the north it will be with one less family member. She is missed everyday but we have many fond memories. I'm sure she's up in pet heaven with Bear and Shogun (the dogs I grew up with) and they will show her the ropes of her new life. Because you know dogs and cats are best friends in heaven.

Rest in peace Izzy. We love you.

Halloween Recap

2011-11-01T14:01:00.000-04:00

It was Oliver's first time trick or treating door to door and he did very well. He wasn't shy going in the houses and said his line loud and clear. I'm proud to say he was very polite and said thank you at every door without prompting so I call that a success. I actually should say every door except at the one where he said, 'I want more candy' instead. Luckily the lady shelling thought that was the cutest thing she'd every heard (her words) and happily gave him some more.

Trick or Treat Jackpot!!! A can of pop.One can goes for anywhere from $2-$4 depending on the availability at the store so I'm surprise to see them being handed out for free.

Isaac didn't participate in trick or treating and stayed behind with Nick to pass out candy. He did however make a splash at the kids community party placing second in the Best Costume contest for his age group. His prize was $20 which we put in his piggy bank.

Awaiting the judging results

We finished off the day at the big community party at the high school. There were lots of very creative costumes vying for the $200 top prize. My favorite was the 'upside down guy' who did such an amazing job with his mannerisms that it was very hard to tell he wasn't actually walking on his hands. The 'Man dressed as woman' category was also memorable. Unfortunately I forgot my camera so I don't have any shots of the evening's events.

On top of Halloween, yesterday was Nick's Birthday. So one more Happy Birthday wish for your special day honey. Love you lots, even if you are old. I know, I'm older but aging doesn't bother me like it does you so I had to put in that little jab. X0X0X0X

I hope everyone had a safe Halloween.

Happy Halloween

2011-10-31T00:01:00.005-04:00

This year my kids will be doing a little off planet trick or treating.

These are 'genuine' NASA issue shuttle attire. We picked them up at the Kennedy Space Center when we were there in February. I've been so excited to have them wear them. I only wish I had one in my size.

Happy Halloween everyone!

Tools

2011-10-30T13:24:00.000-04:00

We had this Home Depot tool bench brought up on our sealift this year and was originally going to be Oliver's christmas gift. We have since decided to spend the holidays down south and were not going to drag it down there just to bring it back. We set it up the other night and it's been a huge hit. They've both been playing with it non stop.

Pumpkin Prose

2011-10-27T16:37:00.001-04:00

It was mid October and my hopes came to fruition,
Pumpkins! but the price would cut in to the kids future tuition.
I spent 18 dollars and could have spent more
but knew if I did I might be put out the door.
I waited and waited till just the right day
so the pumpkin would last till the thirty first day
but I shouldn't have waited, the perfect timing forgotten
when I took it down from the shelf to find it was rotten
But we carved it and lit it in spite of it's lean
To everyone, Have a Happy Halloween!

Ok, so I'm no Shakespear... or Dr. Seusse.

I was so excited about carving our pumpkin this year because I thought Oliver was old enough to really get in to it. Not only was the pumpkin rotten but I couldn't get O to touch anything but the stem. He's a boy! I thought he'd love to get his hands dirty but he wasn't having anything to do with it. I went ahead and carved it anyway so the kids could see it and had to prop it up because it was rotting from the bottom. That meant it was leaning forward on it's one good side so you couldn't see the face. Then I lit it, took a couple of photos and immediately dumped it in the garbage.

I hate that might as well have thrown the $18 in the garbage but I'm sure glad I didn't pay $29 dollars for one with two good sides!

A glimps at the future?

2011-10-25T14:53:00.000-04:00

Oliver came out of his room today while I was making lunch.

Oliver: Mommy? Can you please come to my bedroom with me?

Me: I can't right now O, I'm making your lunch.

Oliver: Come on Mommy... There's toys... there's lots of books.... there's ALL SORTS of fun things.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Quite the pitch. Maybe he'll be a salesman someday.

Outside / Inside

2011-10-24T15:33:00.000-04:00

Friday night there was a big hockey game being played out behind my house.

Saturday night there was a not so big game being played in our hallway.

Not that I'm rushing them but I look forward to the day when they are old enough to join that big game out back.

Second to last barge of the year

2011-10-20T15:07:00.000-04:00

Taken from my front step:

New Parkas

2011-10-18T14:50:00.000-04:00

The last few weeks I've been working on new parkas for the boys and they are finally done. Blue Jays themed of course.

They are also sporting their new mohawk hats from Fun and Funky Kids Hats. Northern bloggers out there will know her better as Lindsay from No Invitation Required. Lindsay makes a wide variety of hand made hats for kids, and adults too if you have a sense of fun. Her prices are great and she ships anywhere. Check out her site here.

A little of everything

2011-10-17T15:49:00.000-04:00

I've been a bad blogger lately. From the looks of my sidebar, I'm not alone. It seems the northern community is on a major slow down so I don't feel so bad. Maybe it's contagious... which one of you bloggers started it??

So in the interest of just getting something out there, here is a mish mash of stuff for you.

1. The days are getting shorter and we are rapidly heading in to the darkness. The sun barely comes up over the mountain now and you can really see the difference in what a sunny day looks like now compared to just a few weeks ago. The official sunset is 4:52 today and as we loose about 8 minutes a day, it won't be long before I can get out the glow sticks I've had stashed away for some fun in the dark afternoons.

2. Yesterday was a very sad day for me. I've decided that it's time to retire my amauti because Isaac is just to heavy. I realise some woman here carry their kids well past 2 and have heavier babies than mine but I just can't do it anymore. It's fine for a quick trip to the store but after a very short time by shoulders are aching and I'm constantly tugging on the front to pull him up. So, I put it up for sale.

I'd been having an internal tug of war on whether to keep it or not and I've decided that selling it is the right thing to do. Part of me wants to keep it as a souvenir of our time here and the joy I had carrying the boys in it. The other part of me knows that it will just end up in a box in the basement. I'll take it out, reminisce about how much I loved using it and it would go back in the box for another year or two. So, the practical part of me won out. I have lots of pictures of the boys in it and they will serve the same purpose for conjuring memories. I posted it on the Pangnirtung Swap and Sell site and to date I haven't had any bites. Being that I'm twice the size of the average Inuk lady it may be a hard sell. I may still get that box full of amauti after all.

3. I mentioned a while back that our cat Izzy was missing. She still hasn't been found and we're pretty sure she's not coming back. Over the first couple of weeks we heard about a few sightings that seemed pretty reliable but when we went to search we came up empty. We put out a reward for anyone who could return her and we searched several times day and night without any luck. We miss her alot and feel bad that it happened but we've moved on. My overly optimistic side hopes that someone has found her and has taken her in and she's living a nice warm life with another family.

4. As of Friday I reached my 5% weight loss goal. I've been having a relatively easy time keeping to my plan and am feeling good about my accomplishment. My one regret is that I could have reached the goal a couple of weeks sooner. My parents visit and Thanksgiving apple pie derailed me temporarily but I chose to jump off the wagon so I deserve the delay. I also deserve to enjoy a good feed of my mom's chicken balls and schnitzel and my favorite apple pie every once and a while. As long as I get back to it in a timely fashion I try not to feel too guilty about a delay on getting to my goal. Anyway, I've now set another 5% goal and am moving forward. Thank to everyone to the support I've received from my readers.

Well, I think that gets you all up to date on my life. Until next time.....

Scalped

2011-10-15T11:02:00.000-04:00

Isaac has been getting a little shaggy so I thought this morning was a good day to get out the clippers and take care of it. Apparently a #1 guard was not the way to go....

As any good big brother would, O wanted his done to match. We then went and looked in the mirror. His comment?... I'm all Daddied!

Nick shaves his head too.

Tailgator

2011-10-11T23:33:00.000-04:00

Who needs a back seat when you have a tailgate?

Isaac has taken to climbing up on the back while Oliver drives him around the house.

Shedding the negatives...

2011-10-10T15:22:00.000-04:00

I've been feeling negative lately about pretty much everything. Just a bit of the blues I'm sure. I thought since it IS thanksgiving maybe thinking about all I am thankful for will pull me out of my mini funk.

I'm thankful for:
My kids- They keep me laughing.
My husband- He's tought me about love, compromise and cooking with taste.
My Mom- She's instilled the value of always having a bit of wimsy in your life.
My Dad- He's taught me to be organized and thorough.
My Grandparents- not many 37 year olds still have 3 out of 4 left. Miss you Grandpa.
My health- I should be thinner and eat better but so far I've been healthy.
My In-Laws- I couldn't have asked for better people to have welcomed me into their family.
My truest friends- No matter how long we're away, we pick up where we left off.
My time in the north- I've learned about a new culture, got to see what many people don't.
My past travels- Horizons are expanded when you see other parts of the world.
My easy going personality- I don't get worked up about the little things cause stress isn't fun.
My perpetual to do list- Our life would be in shambles without it.
My sewing machine-
My computer-
My TV- All things that keep me sane in my spare time. Shallow, but hey, I like things. At least I appreciate them....
Chocolate- Need I say more?

I could go on but wow... I'm already starting to feel better. Think about what you're thankful for and the negatives seem a little less daunting.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone.

Up the Pang Pass

2011-10-05T17:17:00.000-04:00

To finish off our weekend of exploring what Pang has to offer we took a boat trip up to the entrance of Auyuittuq National Park. Here are a few highlights....

I call this my sausage costume. Not my best look but I was sure glad I had it on. It was a chilly day.

Our fearless leader, Peter.

There was already ice up the pass. Hopefully that means that the fiord will ice over before January this year.

A bunch of harp seals showed themselves on our way up.

I can't ever say it enough, it never gets old.

Thanks very much to Sarah for watching the kids for us so we could go out and enjoy the day with my parents. And a huge thank you to Peter Kilabuk at PEO Services for a fantastic experience. I highly recommend using him if you are ever in Pang and want an enjoyable and informative trip.

A view from the top

2011-10-04T15:21:00.000-04:00

When I got off the plane here in Pang for the first time I saw Mount Duval and said, "that’s my dad’s mountain". I said it because I could just picture him arriving here and saying that he wanted to climb it. He’s just that kind of guy. So when Mom and Dad arrived on Friday evening the first thing we had planned was to do just that.

It took us about 3 hours to reach the top which I’m pretty happy with. Considering we (my father excluded) are not in the best physical shape I wasn’t sure a successful climb would be possible. It was a tough climb with deep snow as we got closer to the top but still easier than I expected. Seeing the view of town and the Pang Pass from the top made it all worth while.

Taking a break.

Town from the top.

The tundra was very beautiful. So many different colors and textures and very spongy.

The Pang Pass in the background.

To see many more pictures of our day check out Sarah's photo's here.

Just in case I forget my name

2011-09-30T14:52:00.000-04:00

One of my grandfathers many talents is wood working and when I was born he made me a name plate for my bedroom door. I’ve had it up in every house I’ve ever lived in and will till the end of my days. Because my Opa made it. All the kids in my extended family have one and they are all different styles. When my babies were born I wanted to them to have one too and now they do.

On another note... my parents arrive today and I’m very excited. Tomorrow we are going to climb Mount Duval and Sunday we’ll be heading out on a boat trip into the park. We also plan to finally celebrate Isaac’s birthday. We wanted to wait for them to arrive so it’s a bit more of a party. It should be a busy few days.

Happy Birthday Isaac

2011-09-24T11:13:00.007-04:00

Dear Isaac,

One year ago right now (11:13am) you came in to the world. You were 4 days overdue but once you decided to come, you weren't wasting any time making your grand entrance in just under 3 and a half hours. I can't tell you how much I appreciate that you didn't take your time. You arrived big and beautiful weighing in at 9 lbs, 6.5 ounces and looking very much like me. Oma and Nana both said that holding you was just like having me in their arms again which brought on joyful tears. When I look back at pictures of myself as a baby, I think they are definitely right.

This time around we decided to find out if our new baby was going to be a boy or a girl. When the ultrasound tech said BOY I was so excited. Ok, I’ll admit, there was a little part of me that was hoping for a girl but I certainly wasn’t disappointed. I’ve always said I hoped for two boys when I finally had kids and with you that dream has been fulfilled. Oliver fell in love with you the moment he saw you (....Baby!!!) and that hasn't changed. I think the feeling is mutual because you can't get enough of him either. One of your strange quirks is that even though you are a very happy baby you rarely laugh or giggle out loud. The few times I've heard you in the throws of a good belly laugh have been when when O was entertaining you. I hope for you to be best buddies as kids and best friends as you get older. To always be there to for each other and for you to hang out because you like each other, not because you are related.

Like most parents I think I wondered how another baby was going to fit into our lives. How was I going to love another tiny human as much as I love the one we already had? Once you arrived I realised that loving a second baby was so much easier. Not that I loved you more but since I already understood that special bond between mom and baby I think finding that love again was like second nature. I also feel that knowing you were a boy and having chosen your name months before you were born made it seem like we'd known you for such a long time already.

A few things I want you to know:

-As a newborn you had the cutest cry I have ever heard. We called it The Lip cause you would stick out that bottom lip in a tiny pout every time.

-You are huge flirt and love to ham it up for the camera.

-If I had to choose 3 words to describe you, the first one hands down would be LOUD. You have a screech that would shatter glass if you really tried. The second would be headstrong. You have no problem at all telling us what you want and are even more obvious about what you don’t want. The third would be smiley.

-As an infant you could blow out a diaper like no baby I’ve ever seen. That may seem like a strange thing to mention in your birthday letter but trust me, your ability borders on legendary and needed to be acknowledged.

-Your dark blue eyes are going to break hearts someday.

Where has the year gone? I can't believe you are turning one already. You are becoming a vibrant and active little man who keeps us on our toes. You have made our little family complete and I'm so happy and proud to be your mom. Your dad and I love you always and forever.

Love Mommy
X0X0X0

Minutes Old

This is September 23rd.

2011-09-23T15:50:00.000-04:00

Guess what we woke up to today?? Happy first day of Fall....

Kraft Dinner Face

2011-09-22T21:24:00.000-04:00

It's a continuing challenge to get Isaac to move on to real people food from the puree's he seems to love so much. He will eat toast when he feels like it, dry cereal and cheese.
Anything else we've tried he will chew and spit out.

And then he tried Kraft Dinner and he fell in love. I don't think I've ever seen him eat so much at one sitting. He is truely his momma's boy.

Vote Fundy

2011-09-21T15:47:00.000-04:00

Have you heard about the New Seven Wonders of the world?? No? It's probably because they haven't been chosen yet. You can be a part of the process by voting and I hope you do.

Taken from the website:

The New7Wonders of Nature campaign highlights and celebrates the beauty of the planet, fostering greater respect for the earth's fragile natural equilibrium.

The New7Wonders Foundation started this contest on July 7th, 2007 with the election of sites from around the world.. It started out with 441 sites from 222 countries and they are now down to the final 28 wondrous things. Some of the sites you may have heard of include The Great Barrier Reef, Uluru (Ayers Rock if you know it by it's old name) and the Galapagos. I have to admit, I didn't know half of the places on the list so if nothing else, check them out and learn something about our world.

The reason I'm posting about this is because the Bay Of Fundy is the only site in Canada that made the final cut. I'm from Saint John New Brunswick and the 'Highest Tides in the World' where something I saw everyday. Why is it worthy of being one of the New7Wonders?

Highest Tides in the World
Bay of Fundy tides are 53 feet (16 metres), five to 10 times higher than any tide in the world. It takes six hours and 13 minutes for the tides to go from high to low and for 100 billion tonnes of seawater to flow in and out of the bay twice daily. More water moves through the Bay of Fundy in one cycle than the combined flow of all the world’s freshwater rivers. The amount of water in one tide cycle would fill and then empty the Grand Canyon.

Ecology
The Bay of Fundy has been compared in marine biodiversity to the Amazon Rainforest. Through ocean currents and its massive tides, it is biologically linked to the rest of the world by fish, bird, and marine mammal migrations.
WhalesThe Bay of Fundy hosts over 12 species of whales during their summer and fall feedings, including half the world’s population of rare and endangered Right whales.

Dinosaurs and Fossils
The Bay of Fundy has the world’s most complete fossil record of the “Coal Age” (300 million years ago). It is home to the world’s oldest reptiles and Canada’s oldest dinosaurs, and the site of one of the greatest extinctions the world has ever known — the Triassic/Jurassic extinction.

Green Tidal Energy
The Bay of Fundy has the potential to become one of the world’s greatest producers of tidal energy. The Bay is 10 times more powerful than any other site in North America and is already generating environmentally-sustainable electricity.

Culture
The area is rich in the culture and history of its original First Nations as well as European settlers who arrived in 1604 — before Canada was a country. Regional culture and history are celebrated at interpretation centres, historic sites, horticultural display gardens, and artisans’ studios.

Source

I have to admit I learned something by reading this information too. I always thought the tides where the only thing that made the Bay of Fundy so special. (Maybe I should be a tourist in my own home a bit more huh?) So how just how high are the highest tides in the world? Look for yourself:

Source

These are the Hopewell Rocks outside of Alma New Brunswick. In my opinion this is the most dramatic before and after view of the tides. I've walked on that part of the ocean floor and I've watched as the water rose. It's definitely something to see.

So I ask that you vote for our home town (home country) wonder and get the Bay of Fundy on the global map. And all you other bloggers and facebookers... please spread the world.

VOTE HERE

Testing, Testing

2011-09-18T21:16:00.003-04:00

I am yet again changing the look of the blog. Why? One: I like to shake things up every so often, I get bored easily. Two: I loved the last incarnation when I first changed it but realised quickly that it was too busy and the pictures where just too small.

So far I'm liking this new look but I'm trying to figure out the details. And by the way... this picture is here stricktly for testing purposes. Well, that and he's super cute!

Oh and just in case you were wondering (and seriously, as if you couldn't tell) Yes, Tank was photoshopped in to the new header. Getting a dog and two kids together for a picture is getting even more diffucult since Isaac is on the move. Thank god for Photoshop.

Splash

2011-09-16T21:22:00.003-04:00

Just a few shots from our family ATV outing last Sunday. As you can imagine Oliver and Nick needed a hot bath and some hot chocolate when we got back to our place. It was only about 3 degrees so those splashes made for a chilly ride home.

Izzy

2011-09-15T15:55:00.001-04:00

I write today with sad news for our family. One of our fur daughters, Izzy, is missing. My suspicion is that she fell out of our screenless bedroom window which is her favorite lounging spot. We're not exactly sure when it happened but we have heard she was seen outside our house on Monday night. I know for sure she was here Sunday but since it's not unusual for the cats to hide for days, we didn't realise she was gone till their food was practically untouched for two nights in a row. Another sign should have been how friendly her sister Zazu was over those first days. She's normally very standoff-ish but she'd been coming out to cuddle and meowing through the night which she never does. I'm sure in her own way she was trying to tell us that her twin was gone.

Izzy is the one on the right.

We've put out the word around town and have offered a $50 reward if someone can bring her home to us but so far no luck. I had hoped that someone had found her and taken her in but it since we haven't heard anything I can only assume that this isn't the case. She is a friendly cat but I don't know that she would go to a stranger especially if she's scared. We have a bowl of food out and I plan to do a late night walk about tonight to see if she's living up to her feline nature and hanging out after dark.

If I'm honest with myself I will admit that my hopes are probably futile. I would imagine she's met with a bad end at the hand of a dog or perhaps one of the eagle size ravens that live here. I will also say that I prefer that to the idea of her freezing to death out there. The temperature is falling and chilly is a favorable description of how it feels out there.

I hope she comes home soon, or at least we find out that she's really gone. Closure either way would be a comfort. I have a little hole in my heart where she should be and I'm devastated she's gone.

Akuluk

2011-09-12T22:22:00.000-04:00

After three years in the north we have accumulated quite a collection of Inuit art. The one thing that was missing was a print of some kind. Cape Dorset (where we lived before Pang) is the 'print capital' of the north and their annual print sale is world renowned. I've been to the sale and although there were quite a few pieces I would have loved to buy, the cost was just more than I was willing to pay. I'm not someone who buys art as an investment. If I like it and the price is right, I'll buy it. Even if there is no real value in it. I never found something that fit all my criteria so my search continued here.

Last time I was down at the Uqqurmiut Center for the Arts and Crafts I found what I was looking for. It's called Akuluk. An etching done my Andrew Qappik.

Even though I'll admit I've seen pieces that I like more than this one, when I saw it, it spoke to me for two reasons. One: Akuluk is a Inuit term of endearment that we use every day in our house. Two: The woman is wearing in amautiq. Being able to carry my babies in this traditional way will always be my favorite thing about living here.

I'm very happy that I finally have my 'wall art' to complete my collection. I really hope that means we're done buying because I suspect our collection already exceeds what we'll have room to display in our future home.

Where were you?

2011-09-10T22:41:00.000-04:00

My grandparents remember where they were the day JFK was assassinated. My mom would say for her it's the day John Lennon was killed. I will always remember where I was on September 11, 2001.

I was living in Edmonton at the time, working for Air Canada. The morning rush had just ended and the check-in line was empty. One of my colleagues came by with a paper that he'd printed out from one of those on-line news sites that said a plane had hit the World Trade Center. Because the paper had a random heading of 'Novelty Sports' at the top I dismissed it as a bad joke. Over the next little while, people coming up to my counter were talking about it so my thoughts went from it being a joke to thoughts that it was probably a small Cessna that had ran horribly off course.

It was only when curiosity got the best of me and I went to the lounge to check out the TV did I realise what had actually happened. At that point the air space hadn't been closed and our flight to Denver was going soon so I was asked to go to the gate and help rebook people. Many our our passengers were were connecting in Denver going on to New York. The US boarding lounge had a television and I watched as the second tower was hit. The rest of the morning was somewhat of a blurr as everyone in the airport was trying to soak in as much information about what happened as the TV could tell us. The one thing that stands out in my mind is the woman who was frantically dialing her cell phone while I worked on her file, trying to get in touch with family in New York. I could see the panic in her eyes when all she heard was a busy signal on the other end. It was a horrible feeling not knowing what to say. Knowing there was nothing you could do for her. Being thankful you were not in her place. After that I had a strong desire to call my mom, just to touch base and shed a few tears. Finding an available pay phone in the airport wasn't an easy task. I'm sure I wasn't the only one who needed to hear the voice of someone they loved.

We ended up with five planes in Edmonton when they shut down the air space and many of my co-workers stayed to help get everyone sorted out. I chose to head home and sit in front of my TV for hours and watch the towers fall over, and over, and over again. Looking back, I wish I had stayed to greet and help the passengers but in the moment I didn't think I could handle it. That was a very selfish choice and will go down as one of my greatest regrets.

Like the rest of the world, tomorrow I will remember.... remember the people who died in the towers and at The Pentagon, the first responders who risked their lives and the people on flight 93. May they never be forgotten.

And so it begins...

2011-09-09T16:34:00.000-04:00

I woke up to this today.

I snowed last week as well but it was only the on the tops of the very tallest mountains way off in the distance towards the park. Today, it was right outside my door. Of course, by noon it was melted and all was right in the world again. I've heard some other snow comments from around the north on Facebook and on other blogs so I know we're not alone.

Let winter begin.

Weighing In

2011-09-07T16:48:00.002-04:00

When I read the latest post from 'The Help' over at A Slice Of Deep Fried Awesome the first thing I thought was that I could have written that post. I have been a fat girl for most of my adult life and even though I know I should have made the changes years ago, I think I've always been in denial. I always joke that I have a reverse eating disorder: People with anorexia look in the mirror and see a themselves as fat when they are way too skinny. I look in the mirror and think it's not that bad when clearly, it's bad. It's mostly when I look at pictures of myself that I really understand what I've become. And when I walk up the stairs, when I bend over, when I feel my gut sitting on my legs when I sit down....

The last couple of months before I went on vacation in July I had started going to the gym and spending some quality time with the treadmill. I dutifully brought my gym clothes to New Brunswick saying that I would continue but of course, I didn't. I was very busy and active however so I managed not to gain any weight even though I was eating like I was on vacation. I kept telling myself that when I got back I would finally make a change. I just couldn't be in denial any longer. Luckily, Nick also made the same decision for himself, without my saying anything. I am pleased to announce that we are both on day two of our respective diets. The day two update is: I'm starving. But I'm committed so I'm going to suffer through. Maybe I'll go and eat a big bag of mini carrots to get me through to supper.

The irony of dieting for me is that these healthy changes means plan, plan, plan. All that planning means that I'm constantly thinking about food. How many points are in that? What foods can I eat the most of for the least amount of damage? What am I going to make Nick for dinner? Since he's doing a different plan we are eating completely opposite things. And then what do I feed the kids? Isaac is still eating baby style foods so there is alot of preparation required for him too. There is also the added difficulty of living in the north were fresh meat and veggies are sometimes hard to come by.

All of this are just excuses in the end because if I really want it, I'll make it happen. I have set a not so lofty goal of losing 5% of my total weight to start out but haven't set a time frame for it to happen. Once I get there, I'll work on another 5%. My ultimate goal is somewhere in the ballpark of 70 pounds but that number is just too daunting at the moment. Smaller goals mean more successes (hopefully) and success means staying motivated.

Just like The Help, I'm not going to make the blog a platform for my diet. I am however choosing to make a public announcement about my intentions in the hope that you all might keep me accountable. Even if it's only in head. Weight loss for me is mostly a mental game and I can use all the help I can get.

Summer Highlights

2011-09-02T16:52:00.002-04:00

We are back in Nunavut after a wonderful 6 weeks down south. I have to be honest, I didn't want to come back to a world without my family and friends close by but I am glad to be back in this beautiful place and our family's familiar routine. Lots happened up here while we were away and it seems most of it sad. There was a drowning here a few weeks ago, a suicide of a prominent member of our hamlet and the First Air crash in Resolute Bay. The crash was particularly disturbing for me since we rely so much on air travel up here. I joked with the flight attendant this time that Oliver has been on more planes in his short life than the average adult (38 flights if I have it right). I felt like it just hit way too close to home, I'm sure most Nunavummiut felt that way and mourn for the losses.

On a lighter note... the boys have changed alot since we left in July. Isaac is on the move graduating from pulling himself along his belly to all out speed crawling. He's developed quite a temper if he doesn't get what he wants, he's said his first word. "HI", strangely that was O's first word too. Oliver has changed too but not all for the better. My quiet, passive, laid back toddler has turned into whiny, temper tantrum throwing, never shuts up KID. For the positive he's learned to stand up for himself, is talking in crazy full thoughts and has developed a vivid imagination. It's crazy what they can learn in short time when they are around other kids 24/7.

As usual the best part about being down south is getting kid free time and Nick and I did get to enjoy some. We got away for a couple of nights and laughed ourselves silly with friends. Nick also started doing some research and made some contacts in preparation for our upcoming transfer back down south. There is no news on that front because we are just in the beginning stages of deciding on what we want and where we want to be. He spoke to people in a different types of policing and different provinces and will take that information under advisement.

All in all, it was a fantastic vacation. Probably the best one we've ever had. So without further ado, here is a glimpse of some of it. Enjoy!

Junior Jay

2011-08-29T01:17:00.000-04:00

Eating a hot dog at the ball park...

We head back to Nunavut tomorrow. Once I get my suitcases unpacked and the sealift open and put away I'll return to the blogging world. Talk soon!

This one is for you Clare

2011-08-18T22:31:00.000-04:00

I'm not a birder by any means but I couldn't help but be captivated by this majestic eagle. He (She?) lives somewhere on the cliff that my parents house sits on and we often see him flying around. The other day he perched himself on one of their trees and sat there for quite a while. I waited patiently to get a shot of him flying away but of course I wasn't quick enough when it finally happened.

Child labour

2011-08-15T09:22:00.000-04:00

Nick did some training with the kids when we were up at the cottage. Erik took the bottle out of the box...

Then he gave it to Oliver...

Then O put it in the fridge...

Isaac will be was training as Erik's understudy so he can take over once he's old enough.

SJ Ink

2011-08-10T21:50:00.001-04:00

When I was little my mom would buy me lick on tattoos because I always said I wanted a real one. I think she knew that I would eventually want to get one and was trying to delay the inevitable. I got my first one at 19 and I knew for sure I was a tattoo person. I have never posted pictures of my tattoos before because I feel they are pretty personal and didn't really want to put them out for criticism. Having said that, I'm feeling pretty stoked about this one so I thought I'd put it out there for the world to see.

If I was on one of those shows on TLC I would be explaining to Kat Von D or to Ami James that this piece is meant to be a tribute to the woman who have made me who I am today. From top to bottom: the daisy is my mom's favorite flower. The carnation is for Grandma (Dad's mom). The tulip is for my sister and the lily for my Oma. The gerbera is for me. It's my favorite flower and that one was done to copy of the flowers I carried at our wedding.

It was a tough sitting and was very painful. My leg is swollen and there are lots of bloody spots that need to heal but hey...It's kind of like childbirth, you really do forget how it actually feels. Otherwise nobody would ever do it twice. It must be true because this one brings my total up to 7. I have one more planned and then I think I'm done. But there is a fever that goes along with getting tattoos so I will never say never. Thank you very much to Mark Jeffry at High Tides Tattoo who designed it from the pictures I have him and did a great job of bringing it to life. It's better than what I had in my head sure. The shop has a great atmosphere too. A great experience over all.

Breaking all the rules.

2011-08-07T22:34:00.000-04:00

Just one of the fantastic activities we've done with the kids here in the land of warm weather.

There was only one negative on the fun scale for this one. They are too young to understand that painting the car is pretty high on the list of things I would normally kill them for. I can't wait to do this again when they can appreciate it.

In case you are wondering... It's Crayola Kids Paint. I mixed it with some dish detergent and let them go to it. It was quite a masterpiece when it was done. Afterwards we used sponges and a hose and washed the van. And the driveway, and the garage, and the patio, and the kids.... It came off easily and everyone had a soapy good time.

Where is everyone?

2011-07-30T13:45:00.001-04:00

July 30th has finally arrived. The day Maritimers have been waiting for for a very long time. U2 is playing Moncton tonight and I'm not going. It feels like I may be the only person left in Saint John today.

I would love to say that I'm devastated not to be there. I actually am quite bitter not to get to see U2 in concert since they are way up there on my -bands I want to see live- list. But as much as I want to see them play, I have zero interest in attending a concert that I have to stand/sit in a field with 80 thousand people. I'm short so I can't see over the people in front of me. Getting there and back would be a nightmare of traffic proportions. And to make it worse... It's POURING today!!

I guess this is as close to U2 as I'm going to get this time around....

If I'd known there was seating I may have reconsidered going. This was taken when we went to the zoo which is just down the road from the site.

I hope all my friends have a great time and you get your socks rocked off. I hope the break in the rain I'm looking at out the window is a sign of the night to come. And when they play 'One'

please sing REALLY loud so I can hear you. I'll sing along.

I'm being cyber-stalked.

2011-07-24T15:51:00.000-04:00

I thought it was a little creepy when Facebook started suggesting sites to me based on the words I had used in my status update. I'm pretty tolerant when it comes to these type of breaches of privacy because I just choose not to get worked up about the sliding level of what is accepted. Having said that, the FB suggestions where boarding on 'over the line', even for me.

Today something happened that makes that creepiness seem like nothing. I went shopping and bought a couple things at Old Navy. The cashier asked for my email address and I said no and that I didn't want to get ads or anything and she completed the sale. Then when I got home I checked my email. Sitting in my inbox was an email from Old Navy with a copy of my in-store receipt. The email says I requested this which of course I did not. Their computer obviously recognised my credit card number from previous website purchases and sent me the receipt as a way to get in touch. The email tells me that by receiving the email I have subscribed to get their email ads and promos too. They're sneaky. I now have to respond to the email if I want to get off their list. I can imagine they end up with quite a few new names on their mailing list by pulling this on people.

I'm thinking I may email them and make a complaint but I would bet that somewhere on my Old Navy Online Profile I've agreed to allow this type of thing. I didn't read the fine print so it really is my own fault. Even so, extremely creepy!

A beautiful sight

2011-07-23T11:15:00.000-04:00

This is the confirmation that it was a really great day.

Yesterday we took the kids to the zoo in Moncton. Everyone had a good time and despite the 20 minutes deluge we had to hide from mid day, it was a really nice day. The highlight was the pony rides.

The petting areas where also favorites.

Face painting is always fun, at least for the parents.

Isaac was a little overlooked on this trip since he's not really old enough to appreciate the zoo. He seemed happy enough to ride around in the buggy all day.

The end of the day. Too tired to walk, eating the rest of the lunch they were too excited to eat at lunch time

My favorite animal of the day.

Settling in

2011-07-18T22:45:00.001-04:00

We have been south for almost a week now and we are finally getting settled and feeling at home. We've been busy enjoying being with family and taking advantage of all the perks the south has to offer.

Oliver, true to form has just slid into the our new way of life as if nothing has happened. He's having an amazing time hanging out with Erik and they are like the best of buddies. He's learned so much from his older cousin in such a short time I think Nick is going to be shocked when he gets here, he's changed so much already. I love that every night he's asleep within minutes because he's so tired from his busy day. I love that he gets in the tub every night because he's dirty, not because it's part of our routine. This is the way he should be living.

Isaac is having a little bit harder time getting into the new routine. My normally very happy baby who never cries has cried more in the first 4 days than he has in his whole life. The last couple of days he seems to be getting back to his old self so things are looking up. He is also crawling on all fours (instead of on his belly) and has begun walking around furniture just a little bit.

As for me, I'm loving being here. I've almost peed myself laughing with my sister and I'm really enjoying watching Oliver play with his cousin. I've had a couple kid free evenings which were lovely and I'm going shopping tomorrow. I can't wait. One thing I find amusing is how little I've been near a computer in the last 5 days. Funny because if I lose my Internet connection for an hour in Pang I'm losing my mind. I love that I have so many better things to do. So I'll be out of touch some over the next few weeks but I'll do my best not to drop off the face of the earth.

I leave you with some pictures of O and Erik having tones of fun.

YUM!

2011-07-16T22:27:00.000-04:00

Oh fresh fruit how I missed you. Now this is breakfast!

Ready to go

2011-07-12T16:33:00.000-04:00

So you'll notice that there is only one square left without an X on it which means..... ONE SLEEP LEFT till the boys and I head out. I'm soooo excited. And strangely, I feel like I'm packed, everything is done and I don't need to have my usual frantic, panicked final 24 hours. So much so that we're actually going out to a barbecue tonight.

Other than the obvious reasons for wanting to be down south (warm weather, grandma's, kid free time, beaches, playgrounds, movie theaters, shopping.... ) I'm super excited to be spending the next 6 weeks with my BFF, my sister, Courtney. There is nobody in this world who I laugh with more and I miss hanging out with her so much. Court is my little sister by seven years but I always refer to her as my little big sister. She's the one that's always keeping things together when we're doing things. She's much more direct and decisive that I am, both qualities I wish I was better at. And she's just fun.

Taken by Jen last summer while I was prego.

To make things better, we have kids that are close in age so we have so many things planned for the next few weeks I hope we have time to do it all. She does have a job that she has to work around which really gets in the way of things. Anyway, I'll see you tomorrow night my sister! I can't wait. Love you.

Product Review

2011-07-11T16:37:00.000-04:00

Crayola Colored Bubbles

This is the commercial that they show on TV. Of course, the reality is a far cry from what they show here. Nick's mom sent some of these bubbles and I was very excited about them. I'd seen the commercial and they looked like so much fun. In my opinion, they are duds. The bubble solution is super thick and the bubbles don't blow easily. Then again, I'm not a very good bubble blower. Even trying to use the wind to blow them for you made a few little tiny ones but nothing worth getting excited about. I will say the colors are spectacular and the product is very washable which is good because they make a HUGE mess. I don't have a problem with mess when it's made having fun but the mess to fun ratio is not high enough for my liking.

Thumbs down.

Notice the solution on the steps because pouring it out was so much fun.
Tank walked through it and tracked it all over the house.

Build and destroy

2011-07-10T23:36:00.001-04:00

Rainy Saturday morning + the remaining TP from 3 sealifts ago + a bored 2 year old

= hours of destructive fun. Although as usual he got bored after about 45 minutes so the hours I thought we'd get didn't happen. O would have been just as happy stacking up 3 or 4 rolls and kicking them over since for him that was the fun part. We did manage to get a few good towers going before he knocked him over.

This was the most impressive attempt. The goal was to make it as tall as Daddy. And in case you're wondering... 105 rolls, 3 years and counting. Yeah, I WAY over bought.

The cupboard is bare

2011-07-08T16:10:00.000-04:00

It's getting to that time again where the shelves of our sealift room are getting very empty. I spent some time condensing everything in to one shelf in the other room and this is what we have left.

We did our own sealift this year when we were on our way back from Florida. We went over board on some things and we have of course realised since that there are things we completely forgot. I'm looking forward to all sorts of things like my new cookie sheets. Nick went a little crazy at Toys R Us so I think O is going to be a happy boy. I'm trying to convince him that we should save some of it for Christmas but we'll see if his excitement gets the better of him.

The boat is due to arrive the first few days of August so we'll have to wait till we get back from our vacation to enjoy all the stuff we have coming. I also made a big mistake by packing all the summer clothes we wore in Florida in the crates thinking that we would have them back long before the time for our vacation. In the crate is also my purse, sandals and bathing suit. I guess I have some shopping to do. Oh, poor me!

Sharing

2011-07-06T21:45:00.000-04:00

Tonight I caught Oliver sharing his yogurt with his Isaac. I love it when I catch them doing cute things like that. It warms my heart to see Oliver being so caring.

I guess he was still hungry.

I'm told by Kara that I should enjoy this while it lasts. Her boys are about the same number of months apart as mine are but her youngest is Oliver's age. They are fighting, wrestling, arguing, screaming, throwing dirt, generally torturing each other and causing chaos. Fun times to come. In the meantime I'll enjoy these little moments.

On a side note: for my family and others who've mentioned being annoyed with it...I have removed the word scramble from the comments page. You can now leave a comment without having to tax your eyes and brain trying to get the letters right. I've also added a Facebook 'Like' button to my posts. Not sure why but I saw you could do it and thought I'd give it a try. Feel free to use it if 'Like' what you read.

Get crackin'

2011-07-05T22:29:00.001-04:00

I have no idea if cracking eggs is something that all two year olds can do but I think it's pretty impressive. He rarely gets shells in the bowl and I can't say the same for my egg cracking skills.

Quote of the day.

2011-07-03T23:49:00.002-04:00

My biggest laugh of the day thanks to Oliver: When I went to change his diaper he told me...

My poop's EEE-NOR-MOUS. Most enormous ever seen.

The kid is too funny.

Question #13

2011-07-02T23:07:00.000-04:00

Favorite purchase ever made- My Enell Sports Bra

I know. It's a strange answer for this question. I'm sure you'd expect me to say something fancy like my camera right? If you are a large breasted woman who has ever gone jogging in a sports bra that you bought at Sears, then you get it. Trust me, this is the last work out bra you'll ever buy.

Oprah was on her show one day claiming that it was the one she wears. I figured if it worked for her I'd give it a try so I ordered one. It's UGLY to say the least and it has 11 hooks so it's a challenge to get in to. But let me tell you, it will hold the girls like nothing you've ever worn before.

Thanks Oprah!

Highlights from our Canada Day

2011-07-01T23:04:00.000-04:00

Raising the flag on the newly refurbished flag pole.
Much better than last year with Sebastian holding the flag above his head.

Jackpot! Isaac gets something from the candy toss.
We're not sure if someone gave it to him or if the stroller was in the
right spot to catch it as it fell.

My favorite part of the day as always: The Parade.
As usual there was maybe 20 people watching but there was lots of participation.
I heard it was about 50 cars and vehicles piled with people.

Junior and some of his friends joined us on the drive.

I love this shot. If you look closely you can see the long
line of cars behind us.

The boys hard at work flippin' burgers. The line was LONG.
I waited over an hour to get our lunch.

Oliver killed time by playing with the kids an he never once came
looking for me. I'm not sure if his independence is a good thing or a bad thing.

Some chose to have seal rather than burgers.

Festive little guy.

My filthy boy stops playing in the dirt and has a hot dog.

We had a really great day celebrating Canada's birthday. I hope you did too.

Happy Canada Day

2011-07-01T06:07:00.004-04:00

Old blubber for lunch

2011-06-28T23:47:00.000-04:00

The weather has been amazing here that last couple of days. We hit temperatures of a whopping 14 degrees today and with only a light wind it's been almost like summer. To take advantage of warmth we went out to have a family picnic. I packed up sandwiches and snacks, picked up Nick at the office and off we went to the Hudson Bay Old Blubber Station.

The blubber station was built in the mid 1920's by the Hudson Bay Company. It was, as the name suggests where the European whalers and the Inuit processed whale blubber. By processed I mean they boiled it, then put it in to barrels to be shipped and sold in foreign markets. You'll also notice the building looks all nice and shiny white because it was fixed up last year as a first step in a restoration project that will take a few years to finish. The building now houses two replica's of old whaling boats and is a historic tourist attraction. The spot where it sits is a really nice area overlooking the harbour and there is actually grass there so it's perfect for a picnic.

Oliver had a great time running around the rocks and 'the barn'. He also tried out his new bubble stick. If you look closely there are bubbles in this picture.

Isaac enjoyed eating the grass after he lost his cookie. And I was a neglectful mother and didn't think to bring any wipes so he went around with a very dirty face after his meal.

I took advantage of the beautiful surroundings to have Nick take a few pictures of me with the kids. I have so few of me with them since I'm always taking the pictures.

When Nick had to go back to work, the boys and walked up to the playground then back home for nap time. It was a fabulous day.

A more skilled look

2011-06-26T23:15:00.000-04:00

I have posted many pictures of my little town and it's surroundings since moving to Pangnirtung. Being that I'm a poor photographer at best, I know I haven't been doing this beautiful place any justice. If you're interested, I suggest you check out Qallunaat Corner for a skilled and impressive look at what I get to look at every day. There are many pros and cons to living here but the beauty of my surroundings are always high on the list of positives.

Question #12

2011-06-25T23:12:00.001-04:00

My favorite memory.

If you don't count the obvious things like the kids being born and my wedding day, one of my favorite memories is the night of Cindi's 16th birthday party. From the party getting shut down because we all showed up drunk to watching the sun rise over the water on Chuck's deck, it was a wonderfully, crazy night.

Looking back on it now that I'm a parent I cringe at the fact that we did that and that we got away with it. I would kill my kids if I found out they did the same. Even so, it was just one of those great nights that you have as a kid that you rememeber forever.

Help me win... or lose an argument

2011-06-24T16:47:00.002-04:00

I'm in an argument right now about whether or not chicken is meat. It seems pretty clear to me that poultry is the classification of meat. Like pork is a kind of meat.. beef is a kind of meat.

The other side is Chicken is not meat, it's poultry.

Let me know what you think by voting on the subject... over there... on the top, right of the blog.

Deja Vu

2011-06-23T16:15:00.003-04:00

Last night after Isaac's bath I left him to play in his crib while I went back to finish bathing Oliver. I went in to check on him a few minutes later and this is what I found.
.

Of course I ran for the camera since it was the first time he pulled himself to his feet so I was very excited. The funny thing about this little story is this:

This is Oliver's first time pulling himself up. I found him like this after leaving him in his crib to play after his bath... apparently bath time at our house gives my children the power to do new things.

Despite having the same story/photo for both kids, the big difference is that Oliver did this a week after he turned 7 months where Isaac will be 9 months tomorrow. He's consistent however. Pretty much every milestone he's met has been about one and a half to 2 months behind Oliver. I'm sure much of that can be contributed to the fact that he's so much bigger and heavier than Oliver ever was. I mean they're wearing the same size diapers right now! If this trend continues we'll have a reprieve from the chaos of having 2 running little boys till Isaac is about 14 moths. And we're VERY ok with that.

You can almost hear the snoring

2011-06-22T10:08:00.000-04:00

A moment from a sleepy Sunday afternoon...

Another use for FB

2011-06-21T15:46:00.001-04:00

Four weeks ago a random Facebook status update ended up being an impromptu on-line viewing party at 'Paula's place'. Since then I've looked forward to Monday nights as the one of the best parts of my week. It starts with a FB update invitation and about 100 comments later (150 is our record) we've talked all about how hot JP is, how we hate Ashley and laughed at whatever stupid situation ABC has dreamed up for this season of The Bachelorette. I've been enjoying it so much. It's just like the good old days when I used to spend my Thursday nights at Nicole's watching Survivor, only this time none of us are in the same room. I've missed watching my bad TV with people who can appreciate why I love watching it... which is because it's just so bad. Like a train wreck you know?

I don't get a lot of social contact around here because of being at home with the kids and having a husband that's on call most of the time. The mommy group I attend is on hold for the summer so my new Monday group is a wonderful distraction from my day to day life. I guess it's a like having a little piece of my former, single, non-mom life that a little piece of me will always miss.

Now, I know that maybe if I didn't spend so much time on FB I'd have a more active 'in person' social life. Even so, on Monday's I'd still be feeding my addiction to bad reality TV so it's great not to have to do it alone. Thanks ladies! See you next Monday.

Question #11

2011-06-20T15:58:00.000-04:00

A recent picture of yourself-

I'm usually behind the camera so I don't have anything recent of just me. You'll have to settle with this family picture taken a couple of weeks ago.

Little Monkey

2011-06-18T15:30:00.000-04:00

In our last few visits to the playground O has mastered climbing to the top. There are a few different ways to get up there and he's able to do them all but this is the one I'm most proud of. I just can't get over how quickly he's growing up.

Our wedding

2011-06-15T15:36:00.000-04:00

It was a casual affair in my parent's back yard, overlooking the Saint John River. We had a beautiful sunny day and it went off without a hitch. Well, almost. My sister, the maid of honor, forgot Nick's ring in the house and my brother had to run and get it as my Dad waited to give me away. It was just the type of little hiccup I had said earlier in the day that I was hoping would happen. Just a little comic relief. We shared the day with 40 of our closest friends and family and it was the wedding I always dreamed of.

Since Nick had a different vision for his ideal big day, we gave him what he wanted as well. The next night we had a huge party in a big field for everyone we'd ever met and even some we hadn't. We roasted a massive pig on a spit, we danced the night away to cheesy DJ dance music. There was a bonfire, a tent village for over-nighters and lots and lots of beer. Both nights where perfect and I wouldn't change a thing about our wedding weekend.

So Happy 4th Anniversary to my wonderful husband.

Wuboo forever. X0X0X0X0

Yet another countdown has begun

2011-06-14T15:54:00.000-04:00

28 days and counting....

It's that time again when we start getting ready for our next vacation out of Nunavut. We are not planning a big trip anywhere this time, we're just going back to our families in New Brunswick and hanging out. I am really looking forward to spending time with my sister and having my boys get time with their cousin Erik. The grandma's of course want their time and let's be honest, I plan to take advantage of that and have some great kid free time. The boys and I are actually leaving 2 weeks before Nick does so we'll get more time to experience southern summer and all that it has to offer. I'm dreading doing the 4 planes rides alone with 2 kids but if I want the extra time it has to be done.

When my mom was here she suggested we make an 'advent calender' of sorts to count down the days till Oliver gets to go on the plane to see Oma. I finally got around to making it today and we started with the first X. I did head it with, 'lets visit Oma' but in the fine print it says, 'And Opa, And Courtney, And Erik, And Grandma, And Meaghan, And Grandpa....' So nobody can think they are not important. Wouldn't want to offend anyone, we love you all.

So let the list making begin!

Question #10

2011-06-12T22:16:00.000-04:00

My Favorite Outfit-

The answer to that one means I have to admit a sad truth... my favorite outfit would be one of my many pairs of comfy pyjama pants and an oversize t-shirt. Since I hang out around the house more than anything else I just can't be bothered to put on my better clothes. They would only get puked on, covered in baby food and dog hair. Not to mention, putting on regular clothes (aka: Jeans) everyday makes me acutely aware of how out of shape I've become. It's much easier to be in denial about your weight while wearing baggy elastic waists and sports bras.

You'll understand that I don't have a picture with this post.

A View From Above

2011-06-10T16:40:00.000-04:00

Mom took these pictures from the plane on her arrival into town last week. I've said it before but that view never gets old.

...poke...

2011-06-08T21:43:00.001-04:00

A visit from Oma

2011-06-07T11:07:00.000-04:00

I've been out of touch for a while but it was for a very good reason. My mommy was in town! It was a great visit and we showed her all the sights and excitements Pang has to offer. Of course she soaked up tones of grand baby time and gave me much appreciated help around the house. Who doesn't love a visit from mom?

The best part about having Oma here is the chance for her to get to know the kids in their own home. Oliver has always been a little strange around my mom and would resist her efforts to hug him or give him any real attention. She is convinced that's because in the past, every time we've been around her Nick and I have left him there and disappeared. She has a point since she has been the primary baby sitter when ever we've been in NB. We even left him with she and my dad for 10 days when he was only 10 months old so we could go to to Hawaii. This time around things went much better. They had a wonderful time together doing crafts and making forts and there was lots of hugs and kisses to go around.

I've never been someone who thought it was overly important to have the grandparents live close by. I didn't have that growing up and I never felt like I was missing out. It kind of made it extra special when we did get to see them. Now having kids of my own, I feel like I'm cheating them out of something by being so far away from family. My sister lives just down the road from our parents and my mom babysits her son and I have to admit, I'm jealous of the time they have together. I know she has a first hand view of all those funny/cute/amazing/adorable things that Erik does and I desperately wanted her to get to know all of Oliver's 'specialness' in the same way. This week she's been able to part of Oliver's nightly dance party, heard how well he speaks, seen how gentle and loving he is with Isaac and has got to know how special he really is. She also got lots of uninterrupted cuddle time with Isaac which was nice since she'd only been around him for about 12 days total since he was born.

I know that the fact that we live far away from the family was our choice and it isn't going to change any time soon. Even when we leave the north we don't plan to be in the Maritimes but hopefully we'll get to have visitors much more often then we do now. For now we'll have to look forward to our next vacation. We only have 5 more weeks before the kids and I leave so we don't have a long wait.

Question #9

2011-05-30T23:03:00.002-04:00

Favorite Flower-

Gerbera Daisies

And Tiger Lilies

I've always loved tiger lilies because of the color. However, I hate the smell of all lilies so they are a favorite for looks only. Gerbera's are the flowers I carried at our wedding so they hold a special place in my heart.

You'd better watch your mouth

2011-05-29T16:11:00.001-04:00

Like most 2 year olds, O is a little parrot and it makes for some hilarious situations. There was the time that he jumped off the couch with too much forward trajectory and saved himself by rolling and bounding to his feet. The funny thing was, as he jumped up he yelled, 'Jesus!' in the way you do when you're happy to have made it out alive. I laughed for days about that one. Every once and a while I'll hear him say, "damn it!" when what he's doing goes wrong. The good news is that I haven't heard any serious swear words out of his mouth in a very long time. The bad news is, it seems that even though I'm doing well at not using the F word or other high end swears, I'm apparently not doing very well at completely cutting swearing out. (I say 'I' since I know it's me and not Nick that has that problem.)

If the swearing isn't bad enough, lately when I put him in time out he will start yelling, "Don't beat me!" or "Don't smack me!". These are both things I've threatened him with but never in that context. I have threatened to smack his bum if he's squirming too much during a diaper change for example, but tell that to social services when they hear him yelling from his naughty chair! And my personal favorite: when he gets angry at me and he starts wagging his finger and asking if I need to go to time out. Or when he gives me the big "NO! Do you understand me?"

I admit that it makes me cringe a little when I hear some of the things he says. It's not that I feel guilty, I don't think I'm saying anything really wrong. I don't think he's going to end up in therapy someday because of it and I'm sure I'm not alone in these kind of threats and expletives. But, the words sure do sound different coming out of that tiny, innocent mouth. But most times it just gives me a really good laugh.

Questions #8

2011-05-28T21:59:00.000-04:00

Question #8- A picture of your room.

I'm choosing to skip the photo on this one because frankly, my room us UGLY!!! There are many advantages to living in force housing but decor isn't one of them. The whole house is white. And not a nice creamy cloud white. It's more of a industrial grade, yellow tinged white. My room is actually a pink tinged white which is almost worse than the yellow. So you add the paint to the pink, green and yellow patchwork valence, the broken, wooden blinds and the ugliest lamps you've ever seen and it's just not something I want to have commemorated on my blog.

Many families who move into force housing choose to spend money on things to improve the looks of the houses but I just can't do it. I can't see spending money on things that most likely won't have any value to us when we move back down south. We've put things we've brought with us up on the walls but that's the extent of our interior designing. So my house is seriously ugly and I don't want to share it. On to the next question.

Spring-like

2011-05-26T23:00:00.000-04:00

It was a beautiful day with temperatures finally above zero. Only +1 but with no wind and warm sun, it was a perfect day to play outside. I think spring is finally coming. The snow and ice is melting quickly and we finaly have puddles to jump in so Oliver took advantage.

This one is for you Kara!

And there is open water at the end of the fiord. See that really thin blue line at the end of the ice? It's getting bigger, I swear it is.

My hope is that this year, spring will arrive before summer does. It would be really nice to celebrate Canada Day without our winter jackets. Despite the cool temperatures I'm happy that I live in the arctic at the moment. At least we have lots of sun. My family in New Brunswick have been rained on every day for what seems like a hundred days with no end in sight. I keep telling them mother nature is just getting all the rain out of the way so they'll have a spectacular summer. I hope that's true because I'll be there for 6 weeks in July/August and would love to have sun everyday.

Question #7

2011-05-24T22:41:00.000-04:00

My favorite TV Show-

I honestly don't think I can answer this one. As a long time TV fanatic I have so many favorites.... Favorite Drama of all time? The West Wing. Favorite Comedy? Seinfeld of course. Favorite current show? Grey's, Glee, Deadliest Catch, and all the Law and Orders. I guess if I was pressed to pick one show I guess I'd have to go with Friends. Even though I've seen every episode a million times I can still watch it and laugh.

The joy of reading

2011-05-23T23:22:00.000-04:00

I'm sure his work is old news to many parents but I just recently discovered Robert Munsch. I picked up a 3 pack of 'toddler versions' of his stories at Costco this summer and Oliver really liked them. He's never shown much interest in books so I read them to him as often as I could. A few weeks ago ordered a couple of his collection books that have 5 of his stories in one book and I'm having so much fun reading them. I try and do my best Munsch impression -minus the cocaine of course- and really get into reading them. Oliver has already memorised alot of the stories and is reading right along with me. I even hear him reading them to himself after I turn out the lights. We're having a great time and I'm so glad that O's seeing the enjoyment you can get out of reading. See O, reading isn't just a way to delay bedtime. Nick and I are both readers so we're hoping our kids will be too. I'm glad he's finally showing some interest.

His favorite is Angela's Airplane.

He too has uncontrollable urges

to push buttons.

Question #6

2011-05-22T22:54:00.000-04:00

Favorite Song-

This is the easiest question yet, no thought required. The answer is Try, by Blue Rodeo.

Pancake flops

2011-05-21T15:30:00.000-04:00

In the last couple of months, Saturdays have turned into pancake breakfast day. I've always thought I didn't like pancakes but then I was asked to make them for my boys and it turns out I actually like them alot. Unfortunately after the first perfect attempt, I haven't got it right since. I've forgotten the baking powder so they where just flat and heavy. Another time I undercooked them. I've made the batter too thin and I've burned them. Today I added tablespoons of baking powder instead of teaspoons. Honestly! It's like my brain is boycotting pancake making.

Despite the overkill on the baking powder (the batter blew up like a bubble) I added a little more milk and they turned out really well. Very thick, but fluffy so it was all good.

I don't know why I'm going to do this to myself but I'm looking for good recipe for pancakes made with whole wheat flour. If you have one I'd love to try it. And probably ruin it too.

On the move

2011-05-19T15:53:00.000-04:00

About a week or so ago Isaac started crawling. Actually commando crawling where he shuffles around on his belly. Of course we were so proud of his accomplishment and would gaze lovingly at him while he worked his way from one point of interest to the next. That warm and fuzzy feeling lasted about a day. While I'm still proud, his accomplishment represents the next step in the chaos that 2 mobile children brings to a household.

#1- I never know where he'll be when I leave the room. He's taken a liking the the corner behind the lazy boy chair so if I can't see him, that's the first place I'll check.

#2- He's now able to get to where Oliver is playing so we have begun having to deal with a little sibling rivalry. Sharing and taking turns are new lessons to be learned.

#3- We've had to start baby proofing when we have only recently got used to easy access to all our drawers and cupboards again.

#4- Isaac's mobility puts a bright shining light on my sad excuse for housekeeping. I'm embarrassed to see how dirty he can be only an hour after he gets dressed. I've been vacuuming and mopping more than I ever have but with the dog, the cats and the dust, I just can't stay ahead of it. He's like my very own mobile swiffer cloth.

He's such a cute swiffer though. I just can't enough of his chubby cheeks!

Spring Training

2011-05-18T21:38:00.002-04:00

Baseball has become an obsession in our house. Nick of course is a die hard fan and Oliver is taking right after him. He plays all day with his ball and bat and ever since he got it, he wants to wear his Jays shirt every day.

The snow has finally melted enough that I thought we should take the ball and bat outside so today was the first day of spring training. The game was almost called on account of wind and ice crystals that were pretty harsh on the face. It was a chilly one but the game must go on.

Getting ready for the first pitch

His best Bautista impression.

Home run Steeeeeeeeves! Running the bases.

In the end, it always turns into a golf game. But he still runs the bases!

Boobs, biting and bottles

2011-05-17T17:02:00.002-04:00

As of 8:56 last night Isaac is a bottle baby.

Breastfeeding is something that was a no-brainer for me. I would never have considered bottle feeding when the kids were born, nursing them was just what I was supposed to do... for 6 months. That was my cut off. They would get the benefit I thought was very important and then I'd get my body back. I stuck to my plan with Oliver weaning him completely just 6 days after the 6 month mark. There was also the added incentive that we wanted to start trying for another baby so I needed to get my system back in order.

With Isaac I knew right away that my self imposed 6 month cut off wouldn't happen. I was enjoying nursing and with no reason to stop (not trying for #3 I mean) I figured I'd just continue as long as it worked for us. Then he got teeth. The teeth changed his latch somehow and while he wasn't biting, I was getting raw and unbearably sore. I did my best to suffer through it while he figured it out. Then I got mastitis. At that point I'd had enough and I was glad that I had ordered formula on the last sealift. It took a while but he was finally happy to take bottles. Of course by then I was all healed and he was latching properly again so I went back to the idea of sticking with breastfeeding.

Then he got more teeth. A week ago he cut 4 teeth on the top and has been trying them out on anything he can get his mouth on. And here I am voluntarily giving him a chew toy made from my very sensitive body part. I let it go the first few times he bit me knowing he would soon figure it out. At 8:56 last night (I just happened to be looking at the clock) he gave me a huge chomp, broke the skin and actually drew blood. That was it. It's not working for me anymore and I'm done. It's much less convenient, it's more expensive but my nipples are precious to me and I'd like to keep them.

I'll miss nursing in many ways but mostly because it's yet another thing I'll never do again. I think that's one of the reasons I wanted to continue as long as I could. It's a way of holding on to baby time with a child that is rapidly growing out of his babyhood. And I'll miss moments like this:

Isaac is crying and fussing.
Oliver: What's wrong Isaac? Do you need boob? Mommy! Isaac wants boob.

So cute! Now O asks Isaac if he wants Cheerios. Time sure flies. On the other hand, I am happy to have my body back and not have my boobs dictate my schedule. I'm hoping that at some point in the near future I'll be able to fit back in to my pre-baby bras and I can finally burn my horrible, ill fitting nursing ones.

So I made it 8 days short of 8 months. Not bad I guess.

Question #5

2011-05-15T15:28:00.000-04:00

Favorite Food-

Wow, this is a tough one. Is chocolate considered a food? I know many of you out there would expect me to say McDonalds but as much as I love it, it's not my favorite. At least I won't let myself say it is.

So, I'm going to say pasta. A nice bowl of spaghetti has been a favorite meal since I was little. I make a great dish with chicken, sausage, peppers and fresh tortellini. Roland at Charlotte Lane, my favorite restaurant, has Spaghettini Gorgonzola that's to die for and I don't like blue cheese.

Pasta.... or maybe chicken fingers?

Question #4

2011-05-14T22:53:00.000-04:00

Favorite Book- River God by Wilbur Smith

I've read this book at least 3 times, maybe 4. Set in ancient Egypt, it has love, war, humor and great quests. If you happen to take my suggestion I will ask that you stick with it because I'll admit, the first 100 pages or so are a little slow. After that, I promise, you'll fall in love with Taita just like I did. The sequel, The Seventh Scroll is set in modern times and is actually a better book. I've read it just as many times but have a soft spot for the first. The next two in the series are not worth the read in my opinion so I wouldn't waste your time.

Cheerios

2011-05-13T15:13:00.001-04:00

Question #3

2011-05-10T15:27:00.000-04:00

My favorite musician.

Blue Rodeo-

This won't be a surprise to anyone who knows me. I've loved them for as long as I can remember. I've seen them live 8 times, Nick and I danced our first dance to them. They are my favorite 'sing at the top of your lungs in the car' music. They are the soundtrack to many great memories in my life. And they are Canadian!

Happy Mothers Day

2011-05-08T15:37:00.000-04:00

To all the Moms out there.......

M & M's

2011-05-07T23:37:00.001-04:00

Guess which are my favorite kind?

Golden Egg

2011-05-06T19:29:00.002-04:00

At the Northern the other day I saw they had their Easter candy all on for 75% off. Then I saw that they had Caramilk eggs and I couldn't resist. Do you know what I paid? 87 cents. The regular price... $3.49!

I thought I was immune to northern sticker shock but every once and a while they prove me wrong.