hot hot hot

now now get your mind out of the gutter,
from the title of this blog it's not a continuation of the details of big D & my childless few days away.
tsk tsk..as if I would post about "that".
I'm talk'n about the weather.
Yes it's hot outside.
I get it people, but it's summer for god's sake!
Whenever you turn on the news all you hear about is how HOT it is (in a really negative way)
the weather "person" is always so dramatic, making it sound like you should just stay inside and hide in your basement because the world as we know it is coming to an end.
Okay, I do feel really bad for asthma sufferers, this heat & humidity must really suck.
but for the rest of us, I. REPEAT. IT'S SUMMER!
stop complaining, soon we'll be freezing our asses off and bitching about how damn cold it is.
Big D is one of the worst culprits when it comes to going on about the weather.
he checks the weather network constantly and we have one of those digital thermometers which he obsessively looks at.
Babe, just go outside...it's hot out.
wear some shorts and a light cotton tee and bring an umbrella "just in case"
duh...
the temperature is pretty much the same for two months, it usually somewhere between 26-34 degrees Celsius.
it's a no brainer.
stay in the shade during peak hours, pack lots of H2O and sunscreen and you're good to go.
Now I have to admit we do have A.C. which makes the summer so much more bearable, but hey, I'm glad it's hot out.
IT'S SUMMER!!!
Now if I could just convince big D to turn down the A.C. so I can stop wearing a sweater around the house...
Yes...he's one of "those people"......
I'm going outside to warm up.

R & R

we had a really nice "get away" this week.
Just big D and I.
Lulu stayed with my parents.
we dropped her off, then went directly to the O spa.
I have to admit I don't have much patience when it comes to spas.
I usually just want to get in and get out, maybe because I find it a bit weird walking around in a robe in front of complete strangers....who knows?
But as luck would have it, this spa is relatively new and not super busy yet. whew.
so it was just big D and I.
I had an 85 min massage called the aromasoul Mediterranean.
"it's a reflection of the energetic spirit and warmth of the Mediterranean cultures, enhanced with the essence of the ocean...fluid and relaxing strokes that dance like waves over the body and provide a feeling of renewal and peace..."
Not sure that I would have described it quite like that...however it was pretty freakin' awesome.
Though, I have to admit, lulu's sweet face kept popping into my mind while Irma was working her magic on my shoulders and back.. ah well.
afterwards big D and I chilled out in the worlds most comfortable sofa sipping the most fantastic tea...(beautiful silk tea bags)
we checked into our hotel, then went for a phenomenal dinner at Peller estate.
sadly, we couldn't sit outside over looking the vineyard as it was threatening to rain (it didn't after-all)
but we had such a good dinner despite the indoor table.
we started out with an amuse bouche- raw oyster w/ creme fresh
I had a chilled garden pea & mint soup w/ seared foie gras, poached quail egg and smoked tomato tartare.
then we had a Riesling frost palate refresher
I then had a seared sea scallop entree w/aged cheddar scone, duck prosciutto & foie gras hollandaise...that was so fantastic.
it looked like mini eggs benedict, gorgeous presentation.
dessert was some chocolate fabulousness...
Valrhon chocolate souffle w/ gewurtztraminer (say that ten times fast) creme anglaise and cherry coulis....
my mouth was a very happy place.
I'm not normally a big white wine lover, but Peller has some delicious whites.
especially the private reserve 2004 pinot grigio or the dry Riesling 2003...yum.
we bought several bottles to take home.
the next day we woke up early..6 a.m what can I say? Lulu has got us completely trained.
we had a nice breakfast and cycled along the Parkway (in Niagara) oohing and ahhing over all the beautiful homes overlooking the Niagara river or backing on to the orchards or vineyards.
I really love cycling, such a great way to see things and bonus that we worked off the decadent dessert from the night before.
we had a leisurely lunch accompanied by more wine...
then we went to see Arms and The Man at the Shaw theatre.
A Very funny love story...which was especially good because of Mike Shara who played Major Sergius Saranoff
He really was hilarious.
the entire time I kept thinking I know him from somewhere.....
then in act two it came to me....Queer as Folk..."Rage" this made things even funnier.
Originally I really wanted to see The Crucible by Arthur Miller but it wasn't playing on that day,
but I really enjoyed Arms and the Man..very light hearted and fun.
After the show we drove around to some more wineries and then went for another fab. dinner at Hillebrand.
yay! we got to sit outside over looking the vineyard.
the food was really good,
the standout dish for me was my first course which was a rabbit terrine with green apple reisling wine jelly, sweet and sour cherries w/ muesli toast...de-lish....
followed by an heirloom tomato, baby yellow beet salad w/ organic watercress & baco noir balsamic syrup.
(wasn't crazy about the syrup)
For my entree I had the atlantic Halibut w/ parmesan & chive gnocchi on chardonnay steamed clam broth.
Unfortunately we had a really horrible waitress which kind of spoiled the otherwise perfect dining experience.
oh well. All in all, another fantastic meal.
the next morning we jumped out of bed, inhaled breakfast and bee-lined it over to my parents.
we were in serious withdrawal.
we needed a lulu fix. bad.
It's just not the same without her.
Sure couples need "alone" time, but we have so much more fun when she's with us.
We had a really nice grown up time together but truth be told we couldn't wait to see our little sweet-pea.
She gave me a huge hug when we saw her and was thrilled to see us,
But I could tell she had a blast.
She calls my mom "bah-bah" her 15 month old version of grandma.
it could melt your heart.
she's been saying it ever since we got home, she has such a special bond with my mom.
Nothing could make me happier.
Including being pampered at a spa, fine dining, live theatre, staying in a beautiful hotel suite, cycling along the most beautiful wineries...
Okay that was all pretty kick-ass...
but I am so glad to be back home with my little lulu.
okay....and all the new bottles of wine.....

still on vacation..

little angel

lulu definitely got up on the right side of the crib this morning.
She has been quite the little charmer since the crack of dawn.
lots of kisses and hugs for both big daddy and me, snuggles galore, constant giggling,
a huge grin from ear to ear, to show off her new two top teeth. Way too cute.
she ate all her breakfast and lunch with absolutely no hassle.
No distractions necessary and no food everywhere.
She has been playing quietly by herself all day.
she even went down for her nap instantly.
No whining or insisting I pick her up every five minutes.
No pinching, no back arching, no grabbing my leg and not letting go.
No crying, no mini tantrums.
(This has been the "unfortunate" behaviour for the past several weeks)
I was hoping it was just the teething and not some new pattern of behaviour.
My prayers have been answered...alleluia!
My sweet child has been returned and the devil has left her tiny body..
Along with this small miracle, she has decided that today is the day she is ready to walk.
Sure, she has been taking the odd step here and there for the past month or so,
but as of today she can't seem to stop walking.
She keeps going from room to room, completely delighted with herself and her newly acquired skill.
All this is bitter sweet.
Tomorrow for the first time since she came into our lives,
big daddy and I have hotel reservations for a few much needed child free days away.
We are really looking forward to having some "alone" time.
We have a bunch of things planned for the next few days while my parents
a.k.a. the world's most enthusiastic grandparents
look after lulu. gulp...overnight...for three nights...gulp..
I don't actually feel guilty..but should I?
I have read other blogs where moms feel really guilty for leaving their nest and letting someone else mind her chick(s).
But I don't.
I think lulu is going to have a blast.
she's in good hands and bonus, they have a pool..whoopee!
they will be gushing all over her non-stop.
I doubt she'll even miss us. (though I secretly hope she does)
we'll all be much happier by the end of the week.
I just can't believe she is laying on the charm so much today...
I could melt when I look at her.
She is just the most delicious thing.
and now she is a walking delicious thing....
But I am glad that TODAY was the day she decided to walk and not tomorrow....now that would have really been bitter sweet.

variety is the spice of life

there is so much choice in life.
when you go for an ice-cream you could be there for hours trying to decide which flavour to order.
funny enough, I usually end up getting vanilla.
(or haagen dazs dulce de leche fat free at the grocery store)
speaking of the grocery store, there's another place you could be for hours tiring to decide what to get.
Tide, Gain, Cheer, Purex, ivory snow, no-name stuff......I mean, isn't it all just basically soap?
still, I stand there forever trying to decide what smells better.
Yeah that's me taking the lids off each bottle, smelling each laundry soap and squeezing the fabric softener boxes,
removing the caps of deodorant, and shampoo bottles.
Why don't they have testers anyhow?
I feel like a criminal when I do this in the grocery aisles.
"ATTENTION SHOPPERS IN AISLE FOUR WE HAVE A SNIFFER....."
could be worse, big daddy is usually lurking around the "free sample bins" as he likes to refer to the bulk food section....
But that's a whole other blog.
Choosing what formula, diapers, baby-food, creams, soaps, baby bottles is so overwhelming, especially in the beginning.
I do have my brands, we used to be a pampers swaddlers house hold, but we made the jump to huggies after an...unfortunate...incident...I won't bother with the details, let's just say it wasn't pretty.
I love Burt's Bees and Johnson's wipes.
I could practically eat lulu's soap it smells that good, L'l Chevre goat milk soap.
Is there anything sweeter than a freshly bathed babe?
Then there's the issue of what to eat.
(I can't remember how many times I've gone to the superstore, spent a few hundred dollars and barely purchased any food when I left)
Hmmm, dinner?
should we have Thai, Japanese, Indian, Mexican, Chinese, Ethiopian, Vegetarian, Korean, Vietnamese, Italian, Greek, Jamaican, French, Mongolian, American (aka Lick's veggie burgers), Mediterranean?....the options are endless.
Then once you decide what you want to eat, then you have to figure out which restaurant (or recipe) then there's the
novel/menus to choose from.
Hey don't get me wrong, I love that there is so much choice,
but wouldn't it be so much easier if you had the same thing everyday, no brain power necessary?
well maybe not, but it certainly would make life easier.
But what really got me thinking about all the choice we have, is all the kids programs.
There are sooooo many activities and children's centres these days.
It's pretty overwhelming.
lulu is only one and there are endless possibilities.
When she is older there is even more options.
Art camp, sports camp, dance camp, swim camp, religious camp, camp camp.....argh.
For now it's which splash pad to go to and which park to play in.
Though half the time we end up filling up the kiddie pool in the backyard and having a blast.
we are so lucky in this country to have so much choice when in so many other parts of the world
there is absolutely NO choice.
But at the same time I often find all these options exhausting and overwhelming.
so time for breakfast...
should I have a smoothie, toast and eggs, cereal, fruit and cottage cheese, waffles??...........
sigh.

orange

black

yellow

green

pink

silver

incidentally my favourite crayola colour.....

purple

brown

red

blue

white

on the mend

all was not lost last week.
although the last two posts may have sounded a bit dramatic,
I tend to be a bit of a drama queen.
Everything turned out fine just in time for the weekend.
Uncle p-diddy was visiting from L.A. for the weekend and he was the voice of reason for us parental novices.
(he has two daughters) so he reassured us about kids and getting sick.
It's all part of the joys of parenthood.
We had a pretty busy weekend,
A big house warming for some friends.
attending a first b-day party of lulu's girlfriend across the street.
driving north of the city for a wedding that same evening.
lulu was in prime form, trying to dance with two other little girls that were there.
Too cute, (would love to post the pics, but I don't like doing that without parent permission)
you'll have to take my word for it.
the following day we went to a friends cottage then spent the day on his boat...
gotta get me one of those...
Lulu was even cuter with her sea (lake) legs...wind in her hair.....
forgot to bring my camera...gasp...but it was adorable, especially seeing her all bright eyed and happy again.
what a trooper.
so all in all a pretty eventful week.
Glad to have my little girl back in fine form.
well...minus the pinching and refusing to eat part...other than that all is hunky dory.

little fish

everything was going swimmingly..
we were enjoying cooling off in the pool and splashing around.
My parents were in heaven.
me too.
I caught up on some reading, I managed to relax for the first time in what seems like a long while.
I even got a bit of sun on my pasty white legs, thankfully in the privacy in their backyard.
It's nice to ease your way into bathing suit season (though it's already July!)
I've been a bit hesitant...and surprise surprise, no pictures of me in my bathing suit on this blog.....ever.
Lulu was really having so much fun.
Then she started getting fussy. really fussy.
Hmm something was up, this wasn't just the usual teething irritability.
my mom noticed she had a bit of a fever.
I thought maybe it was just a bit of heat stroke or over-stimulation.
but it got worse.
She didn't sleep at all through the nights so I drove back home with her screaming most of the way...
poor little thing.
we immediately went to the doctor.
no ear infection or anything else to worry about.
but the fever persisted...for four days and nights....we called tele-health and gave them her temperature info.
It was around 39-40 C which I guess is they said we needed to go to the hospital immediately.
It was 2 a.m. on a Friday night, she finally fell asleep even though she was burning up we were hesitant to drag her there.
I can't ever remember being so scared.
what should we do?
we figured we would end up sitting in emergency for hours and then who knows?
kids get fevers all the time...maybe we were overreacting.
we decided to wait until the morning, but all night we sat up watching her closely using cool cloths on her forehead and holding her close.
This was the first time other than her shots that we have ever had to go to the doctor.
I know, I know, the first of many trips....
But when it's your first brush with a fever it's so scary.
She's had several colds but no fevers yet.
so after 5 days the fever finally broke. whew...I'm so relieved...
Still not sure what caused it,
but she's better now and that's all that matters.
In addition to being super grateful I was totally exhausted.
so much for feeling revived and rested after a mini break at my parents.
oh well.
At least lulu is happy and healthy, that's all that really matters.

red carpet

so last Monday I decided to go visit my parents for a few days.
Just lulu and I, a bit of a girls only trip.
We had a nice quiet drive down, with lulu snoozing the whole way.
we were off to a great start.
we arrived at my parents and they were practically waiting in the driveway.
Sans the red carpet, but might as well have had one laid out.
They were ecstatic when I told them we were coming.
we decided to go for lunch, which was great.
I don't normally have wine at lunch, but hey when you're in niagara-on-the-lake, Canada's largest wine region.
one must indulge.
I forgot how nice it is to enjoy a leisurely lunch (mostly) handsfree...grandma was all over lulu.
perfect. this is going to be a great week!
Incidentally we ate at a place called Zee's on queen st. in NOTL.
it's was really good.
most of NOTL is a bit of a tourist trap when it comes to food (though it is improving with some new restaurants opening)
I would definitely recommend this place if you want to sit on a veranda sipping a nice glass of wine on a hot summer day.
I had the lobster and grapefruit salad, really good.
we spent the rest of the afternoon driving around looking at the beautiful fruit farms and wineries.
I could see myself living in a rural setting...
well maybe not full time, but how nice would it be to have a country house somewhere surrounded by cherry trees or vineyards?
I could see it now, lulu running through our field picking daisies, me tending to my organic vegetable garden,
big daddy tinkering away on some project in the barn......
who am I kidding?
I barely do the gardening here at home and our garden is the size of a postage stamp,
and well, big daddy's philosophy is let's hire someone to do that stuff because he works so much that when he has any free time he wants to just relax...
Okay so maybe better in theory but it's nice to fantasize about alternative places to live.
who knows maybe some day?
but back to the visit.
my parents prepared a fabulous dinner,
they were treating me like royalty,
was it like this before lulu or are they perpetually buttering me up for more visits? hmmm.
I'm thinking this is like a slice of heaven...I really should visit more often....
not just because of the great setting and the delicious food and wine,
but it was so nice to see lulu with her grandparents, she really does adore them and I see them in such a different light now.
They really are the most enthusiastic and caring people...I'm a lucky girl to have them in my life.
It's hard to imagine I ever had any "issues" with them in the past.
They are certainly quirky but what family isn't?
In fact I'm probably one of the more quirky members of the family..
well maybe the most picky.
so things were going so well...ahhh I could get used to this....and then....

life is like a box of crayons

it's hard to believe only one week has gone by.
it has been the longest week of my life.
lulu still has no new teeth, and along with the teething, we have been through her first high fever,
which lasted four VERY long days and nights.
but more on that later.
picking up where I left off, at (Ikea)
slowly but surely the house is getting filled with "stuff" for lulu.
we have really tried to keep things to a minimum and not turn the place into lulu's own personal Gymboree.
Not that I wouldn't love to have the space to provide her with a huge playroom,
but we simply don't have a big house.
It's her home too, I know, but I'm trying to make things work for all of us.
so the mini table and chairs from Ikea were a hit.
big daddy painted them the same colour as the trim and the rest of the house-ben.moore HC cloud white.
so it blends in quite nicely and hey with the extra paint we can do some touch-ups.
But I'm so glad that crayola invented "washable" crayons.
genius.
although we provided a huge roll of paper for lulu to colour on she finds the walls so much more appealing.
but hey, not her fault that mommy painted her table the same colour as all the walls.
I did want it to "blend" in...so I can't complain when she wants to add a little "splash" of colour around here,
can I?
oh and big daddy got really got into things with a self-portrait.
though I must say he's a bit cuter in person.

swedish teethballs

okay so how annoying is it, when you write a nice long blog and you hit delete by accident right as you are about to finish it?
VERY.
this is what I just did.
so now I will begin again.
we are all in a sort of teething hell.
this child has gums of steel.
almost 15 months and still only two bottom teeth.
the top two are breaking through along with who knows how many others, I think they are all coming at the same time.
this must be pure agony. (for us too..no sleep for weeks/months)
Lulu is beside herself with frustration.
No amount of camellia, tempera, Tylenol, baby motrin, frozen washcloths, fruit popsicles, oragel, cuddling, rocking or just good ol' T.L.C. is doing the trick.
Time, unfortunately is probably the only remedy.
Her first tough life lesson.
I'm trying to keep her pretty busy and distracted during the days.
Today we had to go north of the city to check out a custom shed company.
On the way home we took the 407. such a nice fast way across the top of the city.
If I was a commuter (and thank-god I'm not) I would definitely be taking that kickass highway.
any-who.
en-route we spied an Ikea. somewhere around Jane st. I think.
It wasn't too busy, surprising for a Saturday.
I wanted to pick up a large seagrass mat for the back porch, but they had none left.
(poor lulu keeps getting splinters from the old deck.)
we ended up getting her some storage stuff and some cute wooden toys instead. can't leave there empty handed.
Ikea is so innovative when it comes to kids stuff, and SO cheap!
it was almost 3p.m. and we were starved, so we hesitantly decided to eat at Ikea.
(I should of brought a power bar.)
big daddy had steamed veggies with grilled chicken breast and I had their shrimp, dill and egg on rye.
we figured those were pretty safe choices.
nope.
I should have just had the $1 hotdog.
not exactly a gourmet experience.
But the upside, is that Lulu loved all the "play stations" and enjoyed seeing all the kids running around.
We could have been at disneyworld for all she knew.
she was in swedish heaven.
so for a few short hours, she forgot about her swollen gums.
I halsningar (love) Ikea.
well maybe not the food...

little italy

here's a few more snaps from the other night.
hard to believe only a couple of years ago I was on college practically every night.
before lulu that is.
The gym I worked out at was on college and Euclid (level 5 fitness)
I would be doing my spin class watching friends sitting at Kalander having cocktails from my bike seat.
I'd usually end up joining them, even though I would proclaim that I could only stay for ONE drink.
this almost never happened, I would end up cycling home in my sweaty spandex in a half cooked state.
so much for a nice healthy workout....
I worked at a studio in the same building so I would often be there during the days as well.
(minus the sweaty spandex.)
I lived just south of the 'hood.
In some ways it's really changed over the years,
restaurants come and go.
Though all my favourites are still hanging in there. (I still miss Ellipsis brunch)
the always boisterous Bar Itallia. the acoustics in that place are so loud.
great if you want to have a juicy conversation that you don't want anyone else to hear.
Kalander, THE best date place, or just a great place to hang out with friends.
Xaccutti a bit of a new comer, but is consistently good. check out Bird upstairs.
The Dip & John's Italian pizza. Always excellent for a late night nosh.
Tempo sushi is no longer-not that it would make it on my top 5 list, but they did make a killer lychee martini. yum.
for something a little more romantic I always enjoyed Gamelle (great patio in the back, and really great french bistro food)
or Bruyyea (sp) brothers west end of college. nice interior, cute waiters and pretty decent food.
something tells me they are moving to leslieville though (I thought I saw a sign some where, but I could be wrong, don't quote me)
big daddy loves motoretta, and keeps talking about getting a vespa. I'm all for it except for those damn street car tracks,
wouldn't make for a smooth ride, and I think secretly he fears helmet head.
the man is hardcore when it comes to his hair.
so I guess you could say I kind of miss the old neighbourhood.
But I don't think I would say that if I still lived down there during the world cup.
yeah, come to think of it, I really like my quiet new home.
But we always know where to go on our next date.
salute!

cracked the code

yippee! finally after about two years we finally went to a movie.
I used to go all the time (pre-baby)
but now when we finally get my parents to baby-sit,
we usually want to go for dinner & drinks.
why go to a movie when you can rent a dvd instead?
but we decided to check out a matinee the other day, and I'm so glad we did.
It felt like a real date.
holding hands, sharing popcorn, whispering in each other's ear.
like old times.
we almost had the entire theatre to ourselves...or so I thought.
top left corner was another couple (whom I didn't see) and I'm acting like a giddy school girl,
"cool we have the whole place to ourselves!" I announce.
then I hear the giggling and big daddy giving me the icks-neh symbol.
oops. uh, hi...I thought we were the only ones here.
L-O-S-E-R.
but it was pretty funny I have to admit.
so which movie did we go and see after such a long abstinence?
well it was either The devil Wears Prada or DaVinci Code.
we chose the latter.
Glad we did.
I wasn't expecting much, but we were pleasantly surprised.
it was actually a pretty good depiction of the book.
Tom Hanks wasn't too bad as Robert Langdon after all, aside from his bad hair that is.
we managed to also shop for books at a leisurely pace at indigo.
haven't done that in a while.
we went for cocktails on college at teatro sitting on the patio watching all the Italian flags go honking by.
kind of romantic.
we had dinner and walked around stopping at the magazine shop and soundscapes loading up on all our favourites.
we felt so free and relaxed (at long last)
and just knowing that lulu was in good hands made it all the more therapeutic.
all in all we had such a fun day, just the two of us...
I just hope we don't have to wait 3 months for a night out again,
or worse 2 years before we go to another movie...
the film festival is only a few months away after-all...

vodka guacamole

all I can say is vodka, a freshly sharpened global knife and avocados are not a good combination.
The crazy thing is that I just finished reading John Downs article in the globe and mail.
damn. and we are out of Band-Aids (cursed new summer sandals)
so this is my very bad wrap job, good thing I never went to med school..
it hurts like hell but I don't think a trip to emergency is necessary.
Still managed to enjoy a great dinner with friends,
though once the cocktails wore off the pain became quite a bit more obvious.
ouch.typing with one hand sucks.
big daddy doing all the dishes and cleaning up after the BBQ is a bonus.

happy canada day

speaking of feeling vulnerable (see previous post) I decided to go to the blogger get together on Friday at the park.
the day went something like this:
I arrive at the park with lulu at around 3ish.
I entertain lulu on the swing while peering out behind dark sunglasses searching for other blogger moms.
what exactly does a blogger mom look like anyhow?
oh, there's a woman who is looking around, kind of like me, no maybe she's just bored.
did she just smile at me?
should I approach?
"ummm....hi there...are you a blogger?"
A WHAT??
SECURITY!!!
I go running from the park completely mortified.
okay, that's not what actually happened, but it could have!
so I keep checking out the crowd looking for the blogger moms, all the while feeling really silly and coming really close to just bailing on the whole idea.
But lulu insisted on going into the newly opened wading pool fully clothed.
mommy didn't think to bring a swim suit...duh.
So there I am ankle deep in the kiddie pool trying to look cool, calm and collected, making sure that my child doesn't ingest too much public wading pool water and that I too don't get completely soaked (I really wasn't dressed in my kiddie wading pool gear-whatever that is)
still trying to find the blogger moms, but feeling more and more like a jack-ass.
But lulu was loving every minute of things, we will definitely have to go back to that park again.
so eventually I'm thinking I might as well throw in the towel (that is if I had actually thought to bring one...duh)
and just as we were about to leave I see a sign on the rec. centre's door
DUE TO WEATHER FORCAST-BLOGGER MOMS ARE MEETING AT WITH CHILD ON PAPE AVE.
fortunately I had thought to bring an extra change of clothes for lulu. At least I did something right.
we booked it over to the store, just in time to meet up with the blogger moms.
whew. glad I made it. dishevelled, sweaty and nervous as hell, but very glad that i did.
I'm glad I got to put a face to some of my favourite bloggers, I only wish I had more time to stay and chat a little longer.
maybe next time.
A really nice group of women, whose blogs I really love to read and am also inspired by
(some really fantastic and very funny writers out there)
so all in all it was totally worth feeling like a loser all afternoon.
Saturday we spent the day cycling along the belt line and hanging out in a park we found off of one of the trails.
I'm starting to feel like a bit of a kiddie park whore, looking for the most kick-ass slides or coolest water feature.
but there are really some great and not so great parks out there.
but variety is the spice of life right?
We finally found a bike helmet to fit lulu. yay!
I only wish we had gone to cycle path in the first place and not Canadian tire.
the first helmet we had would fall down into the front of her face like darth vador, poor little thing.
she would just sit there quietly waiting for us to pull over so we could fix it for her.
but her new one is perfect, she really loves it, in fact she likes wearing it around the house.
bonus that it's not plastered with barbie or Disney crap all over it.
she looks so adorable in it.
It's so much fun to be doing all the stuff we loved to do before lulu came into our lives.
biking around the city is definitely one of them.
It's even more fun with her with us.
happy Canada day and 4th of July too.

summer showers

you've gotta love a good summer thunder storm.
there's something really exciting yet humbling about the crack of lightning and the pounding of thunder.
summer weather can be so sporadic.
one minute it's beautiful and sunny, the next, the cotton candy clouds come rolling in and you've got a torrential rainstorm. Thursday we had a dandy.
power outage and all.
little lulu woke up from her nap from a huge clap of thunder. she didn't cry, but she could tell that something was up.
probably she sensed that mommy was a bit freaked out.
As much as I love watching the rain come pouring down and the white streaks of lightening light up the darkened sky,
I do get kind of nervous.
You feel so vulnerable.
mother nature is nothing to mess with.
last year around the same time several huge trees in the neighbourhood came down in a big storm.
I remember being at home with a new-born and feeling totally vulnerable, especially when the neighbour's beautiful old tree was snapped in half like a twig.
so lulu and I snuggled together and rode out the storm.
It was so comforting to feel her snuggled close to me.
who was comforting who??
then the storm clouds lifted, the rain stopped just as quickly as it had appeared and we looked for a rainbow.
sadly we didn't find one.
but that's okay, I'm sure we'll spot one in another summer storm.