cabin cleaning

Why is it, that the more time you have, the less you seem to accomplish?
The opposite holds true as well.
For me the more I have on my plate, the more I seem to get done.
Once the wheels are in motion....
The past few weeks I've been trying to take advantage of the fact that for the first time in almost 6 months all of us are feeling healthy.
Me especially. Yay!
I've been trying to get as much spring cleaning done at home while the weather is still not great.
Because once the leaves turn green and the sun starts shining I don't plan on spending much time inside.
Not after this winter from hell. No-siree.
A major case of cabin fever set in during the month of Jan/Feb and now that I'm feeling like myself I want to purge everything in the house.
If I haven't used it in a year, sayonara.
So long junk.
So I've been on a mission to get rid of "stuff".
Where does it all come from?
Yeah yeah, I know I'm a big consumer...someone has to help keep the economy going strong...
And hey it's kind of part of my job.
Honest.
But seriously I have no idea why on earth I have so many glass vases?
I love fresh cut flowers but do I really need around 40 or so?
So I've edited it down to around 12ish..various sizes and shapes.
Much better.
And really, I love various types of olive oils and vinegar's, but things were really getting out of hand in the ol' condiment cupboard.
Do I really need 4 four different types of sesame oil?
Besides, that stuff does have an expiration date.
Hey...maybe that's why I've been feeling like crap all winter...
Damn that Pad Thai I made last September!
So I chucked a ton of half bottles etc.... and it feels so much more organized.
I think it had been at least four years (as in, when we moved in) since I cleaned out this particular cupboard.
And I always thought of myself as a neat freak.
Now when we have friends over I can say "come on in, can I get you a drink? hey check out the olive oil cupboard....."
Ah the life of a busy house wife.....have things really gotten that pathetic that cleaning out a kitchen cabinet or organizing a storage room makes my day??!
ah...yeah.
now what else can I organize?

chocolate for breakfast

Is there anything better than chocolate at 8 a.m.?
hope everyone is having a nice long weekend.
happy easter!

tip toe through the tulips

Oh how I wish this image was taken outdoors.
alas...it was not...
Unfortunately it's still cold as hell here and not a crocus, tulip or daffodil in sight, but hey, at least the sun is shining.
It can't be too much longer before things start to turn green.
Instead it was taken at The Canada Blooms Show last week.
It was so nice to be surrounded by so many different flowers and glorious green oxygen.
It was literally a breath of fresh air.
They had an indoor playground with a sandbox, slide, trees, hula hoops, music makers, planting station and Lulu's personal favourite, a "crafting" area.
Her term du jour for anything involving glue, felt, paint, chalk, and "scissoring."
Lulu loved the kid's area and is eagerly watching the seed that she planted blossom into a flower.
Or was it a bean?
She made a sweet terra cotta pot for her bean/flower that she is mighty proud of.
Anyhow really glad that we went and I am feeling %99 better, thanks to some great advice from a fellow blogger.
gotta love natural medicine.
Who knew that a concoction of Elder flower, Nettle, Golden Rod, Bayberry, Golden-seal, Wild Indigo, Acidiphilus, Wild deep sea fish oil and acupuncture could make a gal feel like her old self again?...
I only wish I had gone to this naturopath two months ago.
ah well..a good lesson learned.
sometimes the best medicine is growing in the ground right in front of you.

happiness is......

Despite the winter blues and the not feeling so great, nothing gives me more happiness than my little peanut.
Who really isn't so little anymore. sniff sniff.
When I watch her in action, any negative feelings seem to melt away.
She is so full of joy and sweetness.
Her obsession through-out the winter has been the Peanuts gang.
She lives for the movie "A Boy Named Charlie Brown" and sits quietly during the entire thing.
Totally mesmerized.
I love the Vince Guaraldi soundtrack and enjoy watching it with her.
It's a far cry from "Dora The Annoying" that's for sure.
It's amazing how it really does stand the test of time.
She has a bit of a crush on Schroeder and talks about him endlessly.
hmmm.. could this mean that she will have a thing for musicians down the road?
She did however, wake up the other night claiming that snoopy was in her room trying to lick her face.
good grief.

in sickness and in health

I remember a few years ago when big daddy had a bad back and it was all he seemed to talk about.
At first I was sympathetic but after a while I guess you could say I was getting a bit sick of hearing about it.
Eventually it improved.
But now I kind of know how he felt.
Instead of me having a bad back I just don't feel like myself.
It's been since mid January and I'm really not bouncing back from being sick.
My ears still hurt and are plugged, I'm tired, have frequent headaches am nauseous and always seem to have the chills.
And no I'm not pregnant.
I have been trying to carry on and be productive and positive-hoping that having a good attitude will help excellerate getting healthy again.
But I feel like I have hit the wall.
It's wonderful that we have the health care system that we do here in Canada, but honestly not being able to get an appointment with a specialist until May is a bit ridiculous.
We have been tempted to drive across the border and just pay to have someone look at my ears.But instead I decided to get a bit more proactive and get on the phone and call every ENT in the Toronto area and beg and plead for an appointment.
As luck should have it I managed to get in to see someone next week because of a cancellation.
In the mean time I'm off to see my family doc again today hoping that she will be able to give me some answers.
And peace of mind.
The moral of this story is well two things...
the promise "in sickness and in health" is probably one of the most important part of the vows that you take when you get married.
It's one if those things that you say but really don't think about at the time.
But now it holds new meaning to me.
And I really appreciate big daddy's patience over the past few months.
The second is when it comes to getting in to see a doctor you really have to get a bit aggressive.
I'm hoping that next week this doctor tells me that everything is normal and just taking time to heal.
But if not, at least I will know sooner rather than later.
as in May.
Because hopefully by then I will be soaking up the spring sunshine and listening to the sweet sound of all the birds that have returned for the season.
And it won't sound like like are singing under water.

look ma no cavities!

I'd love to say that this was Lulu's very first visit to the dentist, but unfortunately it was not.
I shudder when I recall that first visit when she was still just over a year and a half....
But today was a much more positive experience.
We waited until the last of the molars decided to show up (a couple of weeks ago) fashionably late.
so with a grand total of all 20 teeth I booked an appointment.
She was amazing and had no problem with the hygienist poking and prodding.
She even told her not to forget to brush her tongue.
I must say that Lulu takes her dental hygiene very seriously.
Alleluia!
But I got busted when she squealed on me and let the dentist know that yesterday we forgot to brush in the morning after breakfast because we were in a big hurry.
great...thanks Lulu.
She did cover for me though and reported that she brushed after lunch instead, and also that she likes to floss while in the bath each night.
bonus points for mommy.
Her Dentist is really great.
She took a liking to him right away and you can tell he really loves kids.
I guess you would have to to want to be a pediatric dentist.
Something tells me not every visit to the dentist when it involves kids is always pleasant and relaxed.
I personally love going to the dentist.
I feel so good afterwards and glad to have my teeth clean and plaque-free.
Well especially when there are no cavities involved.
Which up to this point, has been the case.
I have been pretty lucky when it comes to strong healthy teeth- albeit- once crowded and in need of braces.
I have had a few different dentists throughout the years.
My Orthodontist was arrested for attempted murder.
Tried to shoot his wife- who worked as a receptionist at the office.
Fortunately his brother took over the practice (when he went to jail) so I eventually got my braces off.
Seriously.
I also remember my regular dentist who's office was plastered of photos of himself.
Nothing like getting your teeth checked by some overly tanned egomaniac, while having to stare directly at a huge photograph of him shirtless and wearing those nut hugging running shorts covered in sweat, running across the finish line of some marathon that he ran.
He was always suspiciously tanned even in the middle of the winter.
I recall a time when he walked in, took a quick look at what the hygienist had just spent the past hour doing and non-segue proceeded to tell me how he just bought his daughter a horse...because it's the latest thing she seems to be interested in.
ummm okay.
thanks for the info doc.
After that I decided to switch dentists.
That cheese-ball was obviously charging too much.
I really like the one I see now.
Though it feels kind of strange that we are around the same age.
I always thought of dentists as older and wiser than me.
Just goes to show that I'm getting up there I guess.
My new dentist has an uber high tech office and loves all the new digital gadgets.
He also loves showing me giant digital images of each tooth and taking the time to described each tooth etc.
Though he always wants to chat while I have my mouth full of dental tools.
"Uhh ha ,aarggg arhhgg aa hhaaa ahhrraaa ahhh arrr aaahhhaa"
Is usually all I am able to contribute to the conversation.
The guy certainly is passionate about teeth.
He has a daughter the same age as Lulu and just had a second baby a few months ago.
And as far as I know he has yet to buy either one of them a pony.
At least not a live one.
And his wife occasionally works as a receptionist at the office, but from what I can tell they seem to be very happy and in love.
whew.
Anyone else have any crazy dentist stories?

will it ever end?

You know winter is dragging when your two year old wakes up looks outside and says
"I'm really sad.."
why sweetie? I ask.
"I don't want it to be snowing anymore, I want it to be summer."
I'm with you on that one Lulu.
oh yeah.
Nothing like record breaking amounts of snow mid march.
but seriously, is all this snow crazy or what?
please for the love of g-d let it end.
I am so over cozy fires, comfort food, layers of winter clothing, unflattering winter boots and my now pilling j-crew cashmere sweaters that have never seen so much action.
Definitely getting my money's worth this year.
How I long to just slip on a cute pair of ballet flats and walk out the door....
until then I'll be shovelling my driveway in my big fury man hat and clunky Pajar winter boots.
sigh.

mozartkugel

We have been looking for the perfect music box for Lulu since she was born.
And big daddy recently found this.
The Mozartkugel.
A turn of the elegantly shaped key magically produces one of Mozart's melodies from inside the solid wooden ball.
The 18 note chime plays whether the ball is rolling across the floor or standing on a table as an intriguing ornament.
The chime is mounted in premium quality wood that has been fashioned into a perfect sphere by village craftsmen on the edge of the Black Forest.
how cool is that?
Though the mechanism remains hidden, the music will always escape the bounds of the geometric form.
Wind it up and listen to Mozart’s ‘Voi che sapete’ from ‘Marriage of Figaro’.
It's designed by Adam und Harborth of Berlin.
All the best kids toys seem to come from Germany.
Most importantly, Lulu absolutely loves it.
She has been going down instantly every night, the minute we wind it up.
Getting her to sleep has never been so easy!
I only wish we had found this three years ago.

oh you can find it here.