Happy Family Literacy Day!

To Keep? Are You Sure?

We're home! Our flying experience was so much better this time around. I decided to go ahead and walk up and down the aisles with Frank until someone said something. I was too nervous to try this on the way there but since we'd already cycled through our toys and rice treats before the plane even took off I was desperate. No one said anything. Except how cute she was and this not having to sit still kept her giddy for the first hour. She slept most of the second hour setting her up for renewed contentment on our final short flight.

We arrived safe and sound and on time in Sydney. Unfortunately, our luggage (including car seat) did not. Fortunately, it wasn't the first time I landed without luggage and so was actually comforted by their claim that ninety-five percent of missing luggage is returned within twenty-four hours. Also fortunately, its now airline policy to give customers with babies and missing car seats new car seats ... to keep!

Frank was just a little chub and a few inches away from outgrowing her first car seat. Before she was born, we researched our travel system options and chose a stroller and car seat package where the car seat was supposed to last her until she was twenty-two pounds. She just hit fifteen pounds and its a struggle every time to buckle her in. Grumble. I can't imagine a twenty-two pound baby in it. Enter our very fancy new rear and forward facing car seat that should accommodate her until she is sixty-five pounds - basically until she no longer needs a car seat. Given that all of our luggage arrived in tact as promised this was most definitely an airline win.

A few photos from our last days away:

Reading with smart Uncle Matt

With lovely lovely Liz

With silly Uncle Josh

With pretty Aunt Jill

And ... no more baby bath tub!

Splish Splash

Baby's first swim! It took her a little while to feel comfortable in the pool (and to accept that there were so many other people in the great big bright bath with her) but I think it was a success.

(Photo by Grandma)

Our crafty afternoon. We made the tall fella on the right.

For the last three days Frances has fallen asleep in the car and then stayed asleep for two sometimes three hours. This never never happens at home. Maybe its the teething or all the newness of our trip but I think we're going to start going for a lot more long drowsy drives when we're back.

Thanks for the beautiful wool Beth!

A late day walk at Marsland Landing.

(Photo by Grandma)

Puppy Love

We're having such a lovely time in Ontario. Today warmed up and so we packed up and headed to Stratford for the afternoon. We took the back way so that the bug would sleep a little longer. As soon as we hit the edge of the city it was old stone farm house after old stone farm house. Happy sigh. When I was here in the summer and everything was in bloom I was in awe of the endless fields and fresh produce. Even buried in snow its hard not to be taken by how agricultural southern Ontario really is. Especially, if you're visiting from somewhere extra rocky.

Frankie has been having a rough few days waiting and waiting for one of her top teeth to poke through. She didn't get much sleep last night and was a little grumpy today. This translated into three and a half minutes of patience for each shop we stopped in before her little ostrich yelps began. It's also possible that her da programmed her anti-shopping alarm before we left for our trip. 

Puppy love.

Face shake.

Dorothy and her red shoes.

Baby Its Cold Outside

It's minus eighteen degrees here. Minus twenty-seven with the windchill. So we're staying in, watching the brave ones in their parkas from the warmth of our livingroom and day dreaming of the sunny summer days to come. 

With bees and super-bunny cape.

Look! I'm going to stand! No really watch this.

Deep thought. 

With my so smart cousin Kenzie.

I heart string.

Lessons Learned

BF (Before Frances) days spent flying felt like they didn't exist because you were neither here nor there. Yesterday existed. In fact I think it may have existed four times over. With minutes moving like hours we learned many things:

1. Flying with a seven month old is way different than with a three week old.

2. Toys that entertain for 5 minutes on land entertain for 2 minutes in the air.

3. When your baby won't sleep and won't eat and won't sit and won't play you will let them stand and chew on the back of the seat in front of you. Even if they might get tuberculosis. 

4. When you do finally get your baby to sleep the flight attendant with the loudest voice you've ever heard will come by to offer you and everyone around you a bag of peanuts. 

5. Thankfully babies have terrible reputations on planes. This means that if your baby is only moderately bad everyone at the end of the flight will tell you she's wonderful. 

6. You will make it. Probably. 

All settled and ready for hunting and/or shopping

(Photo by Grandma)

Frankie Phone Home

When she's eight and asks for a cell phone this is what we'll offer her.

She will probably cringe at its size and inability to give directions and recognize her voice. She will probably be indignant that we would offer her something so clearly uncool.

She will definitely wonder if technology that old is even safe to use.

Monday Monday

Doing the crawl-shuffle

Taste testing the suitcase

Baby pajama party

Oh long week.

In honour of your departure a video of a tiny girl taking great big steps.

Let There Be Light

This year for Christmas I got the best present I never knew I needed. A very very fancy camera flash. Before the flash I thought everyone took thirty photos in an attempt to get two clear ones. I also thought maybe I just had a really fast baby. 

Tonight we settled in for our first winter blizzard of the year and pulled out the flash (it took me this long and two trips to the mall to realize that I already had batteries that would fit). Love it! Love it! Love it!

Also tonight, we had soup. With the weather about to turn cold and white and with Rob battling a nasty bug it seemed fitting. But it wasn’t just any soup. It was the easiest soup I’ve ever made and it was delicious. 

For me soup is kind of like baking – I think more is always better (more blueberries in the muffins and more curry in the broth) and I am almost always wrong. But this soup? This soup was comfortable with improvisation. I glanced at the recipe a few times and in less than ten minutes we had a crock pot of soon-to-be-supper. 

Sausage with Kale and Potatoes 

1 1/2 bunches kale 

3/4 lb reduced-fat kielbasa or other smoked sausage 

1 large yellow onion, chopped 

1 clove garlic, minced 

2 large baking potatoes, peeled and sliced 1/4 inch 

2 cups homemade or low-sodium canned chicken broth 

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar 

1 tsp salt (optional) 

1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper 

1 large can of whole tomatoes with liquid 

Pour chicken stock and tomatoes in crock pot. I used diced tomatoes instead of whole tomatoes because we had them in the fridge (see what I mean about it being comfortable with improvisations). I also added a half a cup of salsa for a little extra flavour. 

I steamed the potatoes a bit (until they were about half way cooked since I wasn’t sure if they’d have enough time to cook all the way through in the soup) and added them to the crock pot. We had some sausages in the freezer left over from the summer so I thawed and cut up and added three of these. It was the perfect amount and even though they weren’t smoked or kielbasa they were delicious. I sautéed the garlic and onion and added these to the crock pot too before setting it to high and leaving it to simmer for about three hours. 

Just before serving I diced up a bunch of red swiss chard and tossed that in. I’m not sure if I like kale because I can never find it at the grocery store but I do know that I love love love swiss chard. I forgot to add the salt, pepper and balsamic vinegar altogether. Oops.

The original recipe is from a great site by nutritionist Leslie Beck that has hundreds of mouth-watering and healthy recipes: www.lesliebeck.com (under the Healthy Cooking tab).

Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow!

Live Action Baby

I'm pretty sure this little peanut is going to be crawling by the end of the weekend. Pretty sure. There have been a few semi-coordinated thrusts forward but so far they've all still ended in defeat: on her head or in her sky-diver pose (on her belly with arms and legs up in the air like the force of falling through the sky is pushing them that way). 

She's been moving backwards on her own for a month or so but this usually results in great frustration since she ends up further from the toy she set out to capture. A few times I've come back into the living room to see what is causing the upset and found her wedged under the couch. I probably shouldn't laugh but its always kinda funny at the time.

In advance of crawlapoloza we've begun baby proofing. If you ever want to feel like you live in a danger den read a baby proofing book. They're important and informative but are they ever anxiety-inducing. After accepting that wrapping Frank in bubble wrap for the next six months was not an effective approach I made a list of some of the things we'd need: outlet covers, cupboard clamps, non-slip bath matt and baby gates for starters. Our outlets are now covered and cupboards clamped. I almost killed myself on the non-slip bath matt this morning when it and I slid halfway across the tub so its going back. Who makes this crap stuff? 

We still have to pick out and install baby gates. We have two long hard staircases and I'd like to have a spare so that I can isolate the bug in the kitchen or bedroom with me. I've read that for staircases the gates that affix with screws to the walls are best. While the suction gates might be more convenient they won't always stop a determined toddler from busting through and then tumbling down. I've also read this:

Put a gate three steps up from the bottom so that baby can practice going up and down under safe conditions. Children who know how to go up and down stairs are much safer should they happen upon an unprotected stairway, which every child does now and then. 

And that's why they make baby books. So people like me can reflect in awe at their ever impressive yet simple genius.   

Her Father's Daughter

There's been a bit of a debate since Frances was born about who she looks most like - baby me or baby Rob. Up until now she seemed to switch back and forth depending on the day and the angle and the light that you were using to make the comparison. 

Here she is with baby Rob in the middle:

Holy.
Debate over. 

Surprise Snaps

Every so often when I plug my camera into my computer I find I'm not the only one who has been taking pictures. Once when I came back from Ontario there were twenty different shots of fur brother antics. This time a perfect picture of Frances trying to eat her ball-monster in the sunlight. What a lucky girl to have such a great photographer as a papa. 

Happy 2011

Happy International Year of Forests!

We're pretty excited to be on the tip of another year of adventures and adventuring and perhaps maybe (oh please) a little more rest. 

We had a wonderful time with some wonderful company ushering in the second decade of the millennium. And although it was the third time we were out without Frankie it was the first time we were on our own just for fun. Her nanna and granddad offered to come by after she was asleep and sit with her while we went to celebrate. Despite my certainty that her spidey senses would tingle the minute we left she stayed exactly as she was for the three hours we were gone. 

Did I mention we had a wonderful time? The bands were at their best and it was so lovely to see other grown ups. Still it felt odd not having Frank there with us. I kept expecting to look behind me and see her in R's arms mesmerized by all the lights and people and music. Maybe next year. 

The Yarnells: one of the super fine NYE bands.

New Years day in Sydney was really nice. So nice we jumped in the car and headed to the coast for a hike. But then we got to the coast and were almost blown into the ocean. FYI: its much windier at the coast than it is in the city. We did get to see a beached whale which I'd never seen before and which was attracting a lot of attention. It was huge and neat and sad all at once. 

Pretty but windy