So many reasons not to....

There's an opportunity to add a puppy to our family.  A very tempting opportunity.  It's from family, I know the parents of the puppy, I've seen the litter grow, they're very adorable (as most puppies tend to be).

There are oh-so-many reasons not to get this puppy right now; (indulge me as I list what's on my mind)
-It's the wrong time of the year.  It's winter, and I once had a puppy in the winter (another spontaneous family addition).  It's so hard training, and I have vivid memories of standing outside in my housecoat in -25 degree weather willing a reluctant puppy to pee.
-I have a 3 year old that does not pick up her own toys on a regular basis.  Not even semi-regular.  Said toys are often perfect size for teething puppies to chew and gnaw.
-Puppies cost a lot to care for; the purchase amount of the puppy might not be an issue, but there's supplies, vet visits, grooming, etc. to take into account.
-It's not a breed I thought I would add to my family.  It's not that I have anything against a Shih Tzu, I just always pictured a medium-size breed of dog; don't know why, just was always thinking that way.
-The work involved.  Let's face it, it's adding another baby into the family.  Another child that will need attention in the mornings (when there's so little time to give), and more in the evenings.
-There's the factor of the 3 year-old herself.  Erika loves dogs, but still is an unpredictable toddler that puppies often have a hard time handling.  Erika is a "mild" kind of child, but she has her moments.
-Rick and I haven't had much luck with a family pet.  In our time together, we've had 2 dogs (Druss and Buddy), 4 lovebirds (Arthur, Gwen, Phoebe and Belle), and 1 rabbit (Honey Bunny).  Both dogs were given away in months of having them due to size surprise and unadaptability (our fault), 2 of the lovebirds exchanged because of noise together (apartment rules that were not read by us, oops), 1 lovebird deceased (not our fault, a runt that did not "thrive"), and the rabbit that was the impulse purchase that we shall not speak of and did not last a month.  We do still have 1 lovebird, Belle, who is still with us and doing well; albeit a little senile in her elderly years.

Then there's the main reason to get the puppy:

That smile.

Undecided. Will keep you posted.

As the weather gets warmer...

Last week was cold. Not shake-in-your-downfilled-coat cold, but some pretty typical winter weather.  The kind that makes you plug in the car and run said plugged-in car for a good 15 minutes before you leave the house.  It also keep a lot of things indoors, like recess.
Oh, indoor recess, how I loathe you.
Loathe is a strong word, one I do not use lightly.  Indoor recess makes restless, unfocussed students out of the most diligent.  It makes a long winter teaching day feel like it lasts a week.  The students are antsy, goofy, and think less; students CANNOT "play" for 15 min, then turn around and learn in the same physical place they played in.  It doesn't work well at all for any party involved.

Anyways, I digress... that was last week, and I'm glad it's over!  The temperatures have returned to above-normal, with highs in the plusses for tomorrow.  Enjoying such beautiful temperatures this past weekend encouraged our family to try sledding for the 1st time.  We pass by a small hill often,and just recently Erika has asked what was going on, and if she could try.  We tried!
The small hill is very close to us (2 blocks), so we walked.  We don't have a plastic sled that you would normally take sledding, so we took the wooden toddler sled given to us by a friend.  It was perfect for the walk there and back.

(Yup, Elmo came too)

Rick did most of the pulling (ok, all of it) with Erika calling "faster, faster!!" the whole time, there and back.  Rick even managed short sprints on the way home to amuse her further.  :)
The walk was fun, and the sledding went well too.  I wasn't sure how Erika would feel going down the hill on her own, (as the sled we have is not in any way adult-friendly) but she was very brave!!   I'm not sure if we're ready for anything bigger yet, though.  Elmo came with us, and she insisted that every 2nd run was Elmo's turn.  Seriously.  So, after trudging up the hill, Erika would slide down, we would climb hill once again, and Elmo (on his own) would slide down the hill.  Oh, the looks we got!!  So funny.  I think it was the same kind of thing as kids wanting to push the shopping cart as opposed to ride in it.  She wanted to push Elmo down the hill like we pushed her. 

Erika pulling Elmo & sled up the hill herself.  (She insisted!)

This was the last run of the day, and I think we'll go back; maybe even attempt something bigger with a plastic sled one of us can join her in.

Good family fun!!

January blahs?

It's January, and the most potential "blah" time of the year for me.  I remember during the years I subbed, January/February was always the busiest time; teachers feel the let-down of the holiday season, have a hard time getting out of bed during the cold temperatures, and those nasty flu/cold bugs set in.  There are a lot of people away from work right now with sickness and injury, and transitioning with my new boss is tough.  I can't quite read him yet, and I think my acceptance of him and his ways are yet clouded by missing my old principal. 
 
However, there are upsides.  I am happy that we went back to school already 1 and a half weeks into January, and it's ALREADY the 16th.  I am planning ahead for Science fair time, which begins in February.  (Our 1st planning meeting is tomorrow.)  I signed up for judging at the Divisional Science Fair in March.  I want to use up another spa visit gifted from Rick for my past birthday (Yup, I got 2 spa visits for my birthday; spoiled girl!!), I'm enjoying all the new TV on now in the evenings, I bought my 1st ticket to go to a social in FOREVER, I want to go this weekend and spend more quality time with my sis, her husband and niece and nephew.  I find looking ahead and planning for things to come stops me from wallowing in "January blahs".  Keeping busy, right?
Things are just kind of steady at home now too.  The cold weather setting in keeps us inside, but dance class for Erika started back up, and she was really excited about that. Cookie baking is planned for this weekend (don't fear, at my sister's place; I am not foolish enough to attempt after the rice crispy fiasco), and lots of evening activities before that.  (Including Gymbuck redemption & quality coffee time...YAY!) 
So, to sum it up, I'm busy but not a lot to write about!  Will keep you posted on what keeps us busy whilst avoiding those January blahs. 

In parting, I'll share some choice shots of our trip to the Children's Museum over the break.  It was so much fun and Erika had a blast at every station she explored. She was braver than I thought she would be, and she's growing more and more into a little girl each day!

She loved the tunnels!

The water station was her favorite.  She came back two or three times to do the activities again and again. 

It was so fun to watch her giggle as the ping-pong ball was guided by the currents and through water tornadoes!

The crane is a carry-over from the museum before it was remodeled. 

It's a favorite for most kids.  :)

Tech-savvy 3 year old

I am just amazed at what Erika picks up, when she has the inclination to.  When we were on our family trip to the States this past summer, we purchased a portable DVD player.  We thought this would be useful in the car on long trips (i.e. the ride home) and at home occasionally as well.
It sits on the side table, and when Rick and I are into a longer show, or a movie, Erika asks to watch her "little TV".  This past week, she asked, and steadfastly refused help to set it up.  I watched, and took photos instead:

She picked out a DVD to watch out of her "suitcase" of DVDs.  "I watch this one?" she asks me. 

Moved the DVD into place, opened it, then she pushed the "open" button, and put the DVD in.

Asked me, "Triangle button, Mommy?" (the play button) and pushed it.

Then, most amazing of all, without prompting, found the "skip" button and fast-forwarded through all the previews like I always do for her.  What a little sponge.

Of course, with knowledge comes power, and we're finding now when we say no to her watching her "little TV", she'll try and do it anyways on her own.  Unplugging the power cord from it does the trick now, as she hasn't figured the whole "electricity" part out yet.  :)

Helpless.

I'm sure I've blogged about this before, for I've thought/felt it many, many times.  It's that helpless feeling a parent feels when they've done all they can and their sick/suffering child is not getting any better.
No, before anyone worries too much, I'm not talking about a serious illness, I'm just speaking of the coughing that Erika is so prone to and plagued with so often.
I suppose that many children have something that they are susceptible to; Erika's is coughing.  She got her 1st cold then cough when she was 2 weeks old.  It was the most terrifying sight to have a 6lb baby cough when she lacks any neck control!  From that point on, any bit of cold turned into a cough, and that cough into ear infections (20+ of them over 2.5 years) and twice into pneumonia.  Sleepless nights were common, solutions actively seeked.
We've tried humidifiers (cold and warm air), elevating the bed, elevating with pillows, vapo-rub on chest and feet, homeopathic cough syrup, warm honey, Advil, vapo-rub plug-in vapors, sips of water available in bed, any combo of the before listed remedies, and probably others I can't remember.  Some help sometimes, some help all the time, some never, and that changes. *sigh*
In short, I suppose, we do all we can, yet I'm left with that feeling that I CAN'T FIX IT. I can't help her fall asleep any faster, I can't cough and clear her throat for her.  Tonight, after trying all remedies listed above, I listed to my poor little one cough for 3 hours and a bit before falling asleep.  Heartbreaking.
She handles the cough so well.  She is in good spirits, doesn't whine, and it rarely gets out of hand and moves that scary step to a gag.  She's had lots of practice coughing, and she's good at it.

I'm hoping that we're moving forward.  The cold for Erika has been less frequent as of the last 6ish months, and coughing even rarer.  We haven't had an ear infection for a bit longer than that.  Hopefully, even though we'll still get the silly cough inevitably when we get a cold, it'll be much less often this year.  It should, Erika's had more than enough of her fair share.
 

2011 in Retrospect

2011 was a whirlwind.  Some years you think you'd rather forget, some are spectacular, others mediocre.  This year was a year of so many new things, so many changes yet with comfortable stability at the same time.  Jobs in the household stayed the same (generally), housing didn't change, "major" life events didn't happen.  It was a very memorable year regardless. I'm sure that I will forget some things that should be included here, but I could go on and on. In sections, my retrospect of 2011:

Triumphs:
*This year was such a changing year for everything involving Erika.  2011 brought the end of diapers, the move from crib to toddler bed to single bed due to space issues, the language development from concrete to abstract.  The most significant change in Erika, however, is the emergence of a confident little girl willing to take risks.  The 2 year old I knew in Jan/Feb was nervous and enjoyed hiding behind Mama, the latter half of the year brought a self-assurance I wasn't sure that I was going to see.  This included joining and very much enjoying a dance class she takes with me not in the room.  This is not to say Erika is bounding into uncertain situations, but there's a way about her that I am really enjoying.
*A family vacation was attempted for the first time where we slept away from home.  We spent a couple days in Grand Forks, and a awesome time was had. 
*A weekend getaway for Rick and I (on our own) since Erika was born was taken this year too; and what a great time.
*Watching as a family a new robin nest and family emerge in a bush in front of the house was spectacular.
*We renovated our bathroom.  It was a necessary endeavour, but we did a few cosmetic changes that were needed too, and made it look so nice.  This even should go in the challenge section too, as renos are not my forte.
*Erika getting out of her constant cold-turn-ear infection stage was a large leap for the family this year.  Other health issues replaced, of course, but progress is good!

Challenges:
*I broke a bone in my foot in late August.  It was a hard road to get ready for school, and I was faced with many things all of a sudden difficult to me. 
*My job held a few interesting challenges this year, self-imposed changes to improve myself and keep current.   I attended the Union AGM, I implemented a new literacy program in my classroom, I moved rooms (With help!) to a new location within the building.  Even the regular aspects of my job were a exercise in patience this year;  June craziness,  CAP,  and September rush were hard, yet successful.
*My little girl went through some health challenges this year, nothing major but hard for her and us.  We had lots of skin issues; rashes and diaper irritations. 

Lessons learned:
*Support in your life when you really need it is amazing. Wether it's your spouse to pull out out of a wallowing hole, or friends and family to offer a helping hand, you need it, and you're lucky to have it.
*You can be happy for others and still be sad for yourself.  Lots of lovely people I work with left my school or are working separately from me this year.  I am happy for their moves/successes/choices, but miss and am sad for what I have lost with their absence.
*What is difficult is usually most rewarding. This can be said for a new implementation in the classroom, a home reno, or anything that brings you out of your comfort zone.

Overall, it's been a crazy ride.  Since starting this blog in early March, I find myself more thoughtful about my life events than I ever have before.  I like sharing my triumphs, challenges and lessons in an informal setting.  I see how many views I get for each posting, and am humbled by the number of people that visit and read.
Being curious about my audience, I can appreciate how difficult it is to comment in this blog (you must register, log in, etc). If you feel able, could you send me a quick e-mail or Facebook comment letting me know you follow? That would be much appreciated and I would enjoy to know to whom I often speak to.  I am looking forward to doing a complete year blogging of life events, and would recommend it to those thinking of it. 

Happy New Year to all my friends, family and colleagues.  I appreciate the support my circle of people give me, and an appreciative to have everyone in my life.  I wish a very good 2012 to everyone and many new and memorable life experiences to all.

Ringing in the new year in STYLE

Rick flexed his culinary muscles last night and created a 5 course amazing meal for ourselves and another couple.  The meal took 5 hours and incorporated matched cocktails/beer with each course as well. 
Many thanks to our dinner guests for stepping up to the challenge and coming out with a book full of proper pairings and information about the drinks they matched with each course.  Mixed drinks for Michelle and I, beers for Lonnie and Rick.  They did their homework, and they did it very well!!

Inspired by a visit to Sydneys in the fall, it was so much good food and good company.  Here's the night's fares course by course:
To begin, we had a Stuffed Baked Potato Soup with a selection of garnish including crispy prosciutto, crumbled asiago, roasted red peppers, and caramelized onions. Flavourful and texture-rich, this soup gave the choice of what lovely toppings to add...such a great start! 
It was paired with a "Dreamer Special" cocktail (Vodka, raspberry liquor, peach schnapps and juices) and a Schwarzer Abt Fruit beer.  Mmmmm.

Course two was a tasty and light Tomato and Goat Cheese salad with Basil Vinaigrette.  The little coins of goat cheese were soft and creamy, the dressing flavourful and complicated.  The salad was topped with red onion and toasted sliced almonds.
Paired with it was a tasty Sangria with apples, oranges, raspberries, grapes and blackberries.  (I still have some in my fridge for later!!!) The fellas had a Dark Island Scottish Ale.  (no pic) So good.

Course three was the show-stopper.  The Amuse Bouche (appetizer) featured a trio of; Salmon, Scallop and shrimp Neptune with champagne sabayon, Stuffed Pasta on fresh marinara, and Crispy Cheese Toast with Cashew Pesto.

Wow.  The Salmon had a crisp finish while falling-apart tender, the pasta a spicy finish, and the breaded old cheddar was done crispy on a garlic toasted baguette.

Paired with this course was a Lime Margarita (I had two) and Broeder Jacob Bruin dark beer (no pic).

I could have stopped there, I was so full!   Yet to come, however, was the main course. Featured was Chicken en Papillote with Julienne Vegetables and Rice Pilaf.  Steamed in parchment paper, the carrots, celery root, parsnips and leeks were so tender and chicken very flavourful! 

Paired with this part of the meal was a very tasty pink, girly Mai Tai and a Skull Splitter heavy beer for the guys.

The dessert course, served at about 1:00 in the morning, was a triumph of chocolate.  A Dessert Trio Chocolate Fondue; Amaretto Milk Chocolate, Grand Marnier Dark Chocolate, and Mocha Kahlua Chocolate with a selection of dip-able sweets. The selection of treats to dip consisted of marshmallows, pretzels, fresh fruit, cookies, macaroons, and brownies. The only thing that would have made it better would be for me to be able to eat more!

My favorite part was the garnish choice for after dipping in chocolate.  :)  You dip the chosen item in the chocolate flavour of your choice, then you can coat the chocolate in skor bits, crushed cashews or toasted coconut.  Pictured below is a marshmallow dipped in Amaretto Milk Chocolate, then coated in toasted coconut.  It was amazing!  As I said, I just wish I could have eaten more. 

So, as the fifth course came about, there was a distinct lack of cutlery and choices for forks was limited.  Lonnie chose wisely for the fondue:

A wonderful warm cocktail was to be served with this, but another drink at this time was just not possible.  It will be saved for another gathering, as will the games we planned to play!  Great classic 80s/90s music videos finished off the evening.  Never before have I eaten and drank for 5 hours straight, and it was an experience I'll not soon forget.  Waking up after 7 hours sleep, I was still full! 

Off to finish another load of dishes...

the dishwasher will run no less than 5 times today catching up on it all. 

All worth it.  Happy New Year!