Find Your Source

Is my daughter the only one who loves the new Source commercial? Sing the words "Strawberry Chantilly...that's what I looooovvve" and she is grinning ear to ear!

Odd child she is.

Of course it came on tonight as we were eating dinner. The world must stop so she can focus all of her attention on the TV, and we were having such a good dinner too! She was even eating her peas!

When I say she doesn't like peas, I really mean she doesn't like peas. You can hide them anywhere and she will find them, suck any sauce or other agreeable food off of it, then spit the pea right out. Here I thought I could hide them in a tuna casserole, stuck inside the shell noodles. HA!

The dish that did the unbelievable today... chicken pot pie. It's such an easy recipe and you can use up any veggies that may or may not be on the verge of growing their own eco systems in your crisper drawer.

My problem always came with the pastry. I am HORRIBLE with pastry. It never turns out. I have warm hands. That's my reason and I'm sticking to it! But I did find a fantastic solution to this problem in the Kraft What's Cooking magazine. They said to use crescent roll pastry as the cover. No crust making required! Unfortunately the store was sold out when I went... everybody must have read the What's Cooking recipe! Alas, I had some pastry left over from a batch I begged my grandmother to make. She has cold hands.

I don't really have a recipe. This is what I did.... hmm, here's an open can of corn and peas that have been sitting in the fridge for, oh, at least a week now. I have some beans, carrots, and a pepper that's only moldy on one half. And a chicken leg I can cook up. All the veggies went into a pot with about 2 cups of chicken stock, chicken was cooked and cut up and went for a swim with the veggies. Now here's the hard part.

First you take the egg... (does anybody remember that commercial? No...just me eh?)

Take a little frying pan put 1 tbs of butter or marg in to melt add about 1-2 tbs of flour stir for about 30-45 sec. Then pour in some of your stock so that the butter flour mixture isn't too thick then add it to your boiling stock. It's important that you bring your stock veggie chicken medley up to a boil or else the rue (yes, that's the butter flour mixture you just made) won't thicken. Then pour it all into a baking dish, top with your crescent roll dough and VOILA! You're done. It goes in the oven for 30-40 minutes or until it's nice and golden brown.

I got creative and wrote N + K = C with a little ♥ on the top of ours.... cause I'm just cute that way.

If anybody's interested in Kraft What's Cooking magazine click HERE

Really me,
The mommy/chef
Nik

Classical Conditioning

Yes, as in Pavlov and the salivating dogs.

Yesterday after I made rice krispie squares, I must have stepped on one and it stuck to the bottom of my sock. C has a tendency to tickle feet these days. Yesterday she started to tickle my foot but noticed this piece of rice cereal stuck to the bottom of my sock. She noticed it. I noticed it. I was too lazy to sit up and pull it off. She wanted to eat it. So as she reached her little finger to touch the rice cereal I moved my foot and said "buahh!"

You all know where this is going.... tears. Now before you go calling CPS I can assure you that I didn't think I'd scare her that bad!

Anyways, it couldn't have been too terrible because she tried again. And again I moved my foot and said "buahh!" This time she retreated into daddy's open arms.

Conditional stimulus + unconditioned stimulus = conditioned response
Sock + scary noise = not fun... run away

I have one smart kid!

She must be lucky because she experienced some more classical conditional that must have become extinct in her mind. She was playing with the buttons on the TV (as she usually does). This time she hit the wrong button and sent the TV to a static channel, with the volume way up high!

We are evil parents. We laughed as she dove away from the TV getting tangled in her long abandoned play mat, eventually freeing herself and scampering away looking very guilty. This time she did not cry.

Do you think a airhorn could be used in place of a firm "no"? I think it would be more effective! lol

Decisions Decisons

I haven't written lately because I've been too busy thinking. I hate thinking! If somebody could do all the thinking for me, I think I would be a much happier person. If somebody just came out and told me what to do, I'd do it. Ok, ya, that's probably not true.

I'll give you the long and short of it. The short story is that K and I have been on EI since before C was born. If anybody's counting, that's 14 months ago today. Needless to say money is really tight, and despite our efforts we still haven't found anything.

The long of it is that a good friend of the family works for a small but growing company that would be a great place to work. I think the company is perfect for me, and I dare say I'm perfect for the company. I had a meeting with them on Tuesday and it went really well. They would like me to come back and see the co-founder next week. Great! You say. Yes, great. And not so great. Not so great because traveling to the office would take 1.5 hours each way. Leaving the office at 5pm probably wouldn't have me home until 7ish because of the GO train schedule, and with C going to bed at 7:30 I would only have 30mins with her. Ugh. But with the way finances are, I hardly feel like a have a choice in the matter. As my friend says, "pull on your big girl panties" right? Right, so that's what I'll do. If they offer me the position, I'll take it. It's all about what's best for the family right? Paying our mortgage and bills is the most important thing right? Then why have I had a headache and been nauseous for the past 2 days?

I really don't know what to do.... somebody tell me what I should do! What would you do?

How Many Brides Does it Take...

This is a long one folks, but there is a product review mixed in! =)

* for those of you who don't live in Toronto. TTC stands for Toronto Transit Commission (in other words, over priced public transport. ;) *

Yesterday I had a get together with the ladies from my bridal forum. Because we're all so spread out, we decided to meet in Downtown Toronto. We live in Ajax, and I don't drive... which means, public transit! So two of the lovely girls offered to meet me at Union station and help me with the subway. (Thanks again J and K!) K dropped C and I off at the Go train station in Ajax, which was fine. The station has elevators to get you to the platform, and they also have accessibility cars with ramps, operated by some eye candy (at least they were yesterday), so you can get in and out of the train. BUT the TTC isn't so nice.

I don't really understand how a public transit system as big as Toronto's still doesn't have accessibility at all of their stations, and the accessibility that they do have leaves something to be desired. Didn't they just increase fares to $3.00 for adults! I really don't know where this money is going because I saw no changes to anything after not using the TTC in almost 2 years. Anyways, C and I get to Union GO station which is attached to Union TTC station. I meet up with my girls, and we head off to catch the subway. Our first challenge is a flight of about, oh, 5-6 stairs to get to the collector booths. Being independent (read stubborn) I decided to use the elevator. It took the three of us reading the directions to figure out how to work the damn thing! First you have to press the call button.

Collector "How can I help you"
Me "Umm, can you make the elevator work?"
Collector "Press and hold the black button"

In I go to this tiny... I don't even know what to call it. Really it was a platform on hydrolics that barely fit me and the stroller. I get in, the door closes, I press the black button. Nothing happens. Great! I press a bunch of the other buttons. Nothing. I look down, (by this time J and K are already down there looking up at me) and there's another lady there mouthing 'press the black button'. I am pressing the black button lady, settle down! Turns out the door didn't latch properly behind me, I had to open it again and let it shut all the way.

Obstacle 1 overcome. The elevator finally works, and we're down to the collector's booth... Here comes obstacle 2. There's a huge line at the booth, and not much room to navigate with the stroller because I would have to pay the money, then back out of the line and go over to the accessible entrance. So J suggests that I buy a token and do it that way... well the token part is out of service! (Good job TTC!) Then J says why don't we take the token for you and you wait here, we'll get the guy to unlock the gate. Well the line isn't moving. Option three. J hands me her metropass and says flag down the guy, show him the pass then maybe he'll let you through. After all of that we finally get his attention, and he unlocks the gate! Yay!

Don't stop reading now, it gets better! Off we go to College station. Problem 4, (I don't know 4, 5, I've lost count) College only has an escalator. Yes, I know this is doable, but really I don't think it's the safest thing to take a stroller on an escalator. I've been on them when some idiot presses the emergency stop, it's definitely not fun, and I've seen people fall due to the abruptness of the stop. But again, I'm an independent woman right?! Fine, up the escalator (backwards I might add), through the little gate (which has a sign that reads "please close the gate after use!" Thanks again TTC!!) Almost there now, except for the 4 stairs on one side or the gazillion on the other that I have to manage in order to get out of the station.

Now here's where I get mad at Graco. I have a Graco glider travel system. The first time I used it on public transit C nearly fell down the stairs. The streetcar driver who was helping me grabbed the footrest to help me out of the streetcar, just as we were lifting it down the stairs the footrest flew off! Thankfully I was holding the top of the stroller, and we were only a few inches off the step, otherwise the stroller would have gone all the way down. So I get home and e-mail Graco immediately like a good little consumer to let them know there's a fatal flaw in their design. I relay the story, and what is the response I get? (after 7 days I might add):

"Sorry for the delay in responding to you, I have not been at my desk.

When you do to go up and down stairs or street cars; it is recommended in the manual to remove child and fold it to transport the stroller. If you do leave the child in stroller to carry it up or down stairs there is a bar underneath child’s footrest, on your model of stroller (the one that is removable) you should hold it by the bar or on the side of the stroller frame, but the best and safest way to transport your stroller is to follow the manual."

What?! You mean the bar that is halfway under the footrest, the footrest that has the sharp plastic edge that digs into your forearm (ask J)... and you're supposed to explain that to a complete stranger, who may or may not speak english, trying to help you up some stairs? Oh, so you mean take my child out, carry her in one arm, fold the stroller up, somehow manage to also throw the diaper bag on one shoulder, the cup in the cup rest into your coat pocket (and hope it doesn't spill) and carry the 20lbs stroller, the 20lbs kid and the rest of the stuff up the stairs?! Are you kidding me? That's safer??? Never again will I buy a Graco. NEVER!

Anyways, J helps me up the stairs and we finally make it to our get together. The rest of the day went off without much of a hitch. Conversation was great. C even decided that she would stand for the first time on her own in front of the ladies! My little show off! lol Service was a little less than good, but the company was definitely the important part. We need to do it again soon... but next time I'm leaving the stroller at home! Heck, next time I'm leaving C at home too, and let's get some drinks!!

Really me,
The forever bride
Nik

Begin With the End in Mind

This post is dedicated to our friends J and E who are expecting their first baby in February. *applause* But any time now would be good, right J? lol They had little cards to write advice on at their shower, but I neglected to do so. I'm trying to make up for it now. :)

The best advice that I can impart on any first time parent is this simple phrase; Begin with the end in mind. Take a couple of minutes to sit with your partner and talk about how you see life after baby. There are so many different parenting techniques/models/styles. So talk with your spouse or partner and figure out what is important to you.

Do you want baby to sleep in bed with you or in their crib in their own room? Do you want to carry them around in a sling? Do you want them to play well on their own? Do you want to teach them about healthy eating? Do you want them to be able to sleep through the noise of a party? Do you want to rock them to sleep every night? Do you want them to have a pacifier or not? Do you want to teach them that reading is important?

I'll give you an example. K and I always said that we wanted to make sure that C would sleep through anything. When people first came to the house to visit they would whisper if she was asleep. We quickly told them not to worry, speak normally, in fact, speak loudly. The dog would bark, the phone would ring, and C would sleep right through it because she was used to the noise. On the flip side I heard of a couple who would turn the phone off when their kids slept, and any little peep would wake them up.

There are of course things that will come up that you didn't anticipate. K and I said that we didn't want to give C a pacifier, well, she had a really strong suck reflex, so really the paci was something that turned out to be beneficial for the first bit. That is, until she started waking up from sleep because she had spit it out. We realized, after a couple of restless nights, that we would have to go back to our original plan of no paci. It took another few restless nights to break her of the habit, but she slept much better after that. It's much easier to avoid developing a habit, than it is to break one, but that's not always possible.

Now you might think that some of these issues won't arise until they are much older, but I would argue that that is not the case. Everything you do as a parent develops attitudes, personality traits, habits and values in your child right from the start. If eating healthy is important to you, then you as a parent need to lead by example, maybe even think about making their baby food. If you want them to love reading, then maybe a book before bed every night is the way to go. I'm not trying to say what is right or wrong or even if there is a right or wrong. What I am saying is you need to decide what is important to YOU which means acting in a way that will lead to your goal.

Really me,
The mommy
Nik

Word to the Wise

Never, I repeat NEVER sign up for anything at your door. I know there are probably articles all over the net about companies like Direct Energy, Just Energy, National Home Services (recently acquired by Just Energy), Universal Energy Corp. and a host of many other companies. But I wanted to put it out there once again and warn all my readers.

When K and I bought the house we were first time owners and I'll say it, we were dumb! Somebody from Direct Energy came to the door the day we moved in. My father answered told them we were busy, so the lady came back about a week later. I answered the door and she told me she was from our gas company (Enbridge). She had a gas bill from Enbridge and an ID card from them as well. She told me that she wanted to make sure that we were on the savings plan and that everybody in the neighborhood was being switched over to this service. She made it sound like it was inevitable, that we'd eventually have to do it, so she wanted to make sure we were setup. I was very skeptical. I continued to ask who exactly she worked for. Long story short, she called into the call center so I could confirm that I wanted to switch our service. Again I was skeptical with the person I spoke to on the phone. About a week later we figured out what the heck was going on when we got a letter from Direct Energy. Well let me tell you, I was none too pleased. I called the office immediately, asked them to pull my call because I was certain they never said they were Direct Energy, and I wanted them to send me the copy of the contract I signed. Luckily for us, they were not able to pull the call (they probably realized I was right) and they couldn't find my contract, so we got out of the deal.

This is not the case for my parents. Once again shady sales tactics were used, agents did not identify themselves as working for X company, instead they flat out said, or insinuated that they were with the power or gas company. My parents got signed up with Just Energy and now their electricity bill is almost $200 dollars more than ours, and we use more electricity! Their gas bill is also significantly higher. We're talking $455 every 3 months! And they are now locked in for 5 years!

So here are some pointers to make sure you don't get yourself into the same situation.

1. Don't talk to people at the door. You just never know these days.

2. Do not EVER show anybody your bill for ANY REASON! If they really do work for the company they would know what you were paying.

3. Specifically ask them who they are working for. "DO you work for Endbridge?" "Who do you work for?" and be careful because these sales people are sneaky!

4. If you realize that you've been signed up with one of these companies call and cancel immediately. According to the laws you only have a 10 day cooling off period, so time is of the essence.

For information about Gas prices click HERE
For information about Energy prices click HERE

CBC's Market Place ran a show about The Power of High-Pressure Sales you can watch it HERE they interviewed two former employees of Direct Energy who explain how they are trained and taught to approach and lie to home owners.

Really me,
The reporter
Nik

One of Those Moments

When K and I bought our house we walked around for months feeling like we were renting the place. Every once in a while one of us would get one of those "OMG we own this" moments. It was so surreal. It must have taken a good six months to a year to get it through our thick skulls! lol

Tonight we went to my parent's for dinner. I was feeding C, who was of course getting food all over the place, and something to the effect of "Food goes in our mouth, not on the floor" came out of my mouth... then I had one of those moments. 'Holy crap, I'm a mommy!' Really now, who's bright idea was it to let ME have a baby!? I felt the same way when we were driving home from the hospital. I am responsible for this little person. WHAT?! How could that possibly be? I am the one who is going to have to teach her right from wrong. I'd better learn the difference fast! I'm going to have to provide advice about boys, life, education etc etc etc. Who's going to give me that advice? I'm going to have to feed her, clothe her, do her hair, make sure she brushes her teeth and eventually send her off to university or college. Wow, what a revelation to have over dinner! How can I be responsible for a whole human being?!

But tonight when I put her to bed, we hugged Night Night Bear, and she kissed me goodnight, everything felt exactly right. We'll learn together. She'll learn how to be the best daughter she can be, and I'll learn how to be the best mom I can be. And hopefully, if we're lucky, we'll meet somewhere in the middle. Anything after that is just gravy.

Really me,
The philosopher
Nik