Potty Post Number 2

See what I did there?  Number 2?  Yeah, I thought of it myself.

Okay. 

We have a new toilet!  The last one was fine, but never really flushed properly.  It was the normal size toilet. It looked like this:

This is not a picture of our toilet.  It's just one like it.  I just wanted to be clear on that.

The new toilet is in the bathroom right next to Graedy's room.  In fact, you might even call it Graedon's bathroom.  With the small toilet, Graedy would just get up at 2 am, do his business and be back in bed before he really awoke.  Now, our new toilet looks like this:

It's a very tall toilet.  It causes vertigo.  In fact, if we were to measure the distance from the floor to the rim of the bowl, it would be exactly the distance from Graedon's soles to his groin area...plus a half inch.  Just enough to cause problems, if you catch my drift.  I got him a stool, but I guess it's hard enough for a three year old to concentrate on aim without adding balance to the mix.

Now, Graedon has to run upstairs to use our other toilet.  The exercise is good for him, but slightly inconvenient in the middle of the night.

Our new toilet is tall....and if you were to measure it's height and compare it to the normal 29 year old female's shin length, you would immediately see that there is a problem.  It looks like this:

These are not my feet.  I think these are Jessica Simpson's feet.

I feel like a five year old in a waiting room.  I also tend to use the upstairs bathroom.

I've been searching for a solution to the problem, and I think I've got it.  They do it in Asia (and you know how smart and practical the Japanese are).  It's called the Squatty Potty.  It looks like this:

This is not me.  And, please note, she has her pants on.  You're welcome.

I kid you not, there has been research into this kind of thing.  Squatting to do your business is healthier because it helps avoid bloating, constipation, hemmorhoids and colon cancer as it promotes a more efficient and complete elimination.  Squatting in general is excellent for your pelvic floor and leg muscles.  And, it makes you happy.  I mean, just look at that girl.  She's ecstatic!

You might think I'm kidding, but check my bathroom next time you come over.  I am this close to convincing Richard to order one...and by this close, I mean the distance between the floor and the rim of the tall toilet. 

Blue Potatoes

I bought some blue potatoes the other day.  Check 'em out!

They're blue all the way through, and not just on the skin.  I mixed them with normal, white potatoes to make them go further. 

They were scrumptious served with asparagus wrapped proschiutto.

Looking Closer

I got this plant (it's fake - I can't kill it) at a yard sale. It hangs out at my front door and welcomes people. Look closely...can you see it?



Closer. Closer still.



There!



Proof that my house has indeed been turned into a zoo.

Time Conflicts

May has been the mother of all months, as far as scheduling. I have cut down drastically on the activities I'm involved with since starting this pregnancy. Rich has tried not to be on the road quite as much for work, and I've let go of many of quite a few commitments I used to have. Still, there isn't time and energy for everything - which doesn't make it any easier to miss out on important events.

Every weekend and evening seems to be booked up this month - some things for months in advance. So far, I've had to miss out on family get togethers, school events for the kids, church services, alone time with Richard (Date? What's a date?), and many many other things. It's been a long time since we've been able to visit family in Quebec. The way things are, it will probably be next year before we can make the trip.

This weekend will see me in Moncton - a doula conference that has been paid and planned for months. Next weekend we'll be in Sussex - again, planned and paid for months.

Sometimes I wish I could clone myself so that I could do everything I'm expected to do. One Emilie-clone to do housework, one Emilie-clone to care for the kids, one Emilie-clone to be with Rich, one Emilie-clone to run errands and attend meetings and conferences and all that other "outside" stuff.

June looks pretty empty for now - and I'm LOVING that.

The Green Family

Here's an article on large families that made me smile this morning. Though we're not Catholic the article still applied since we do try to live "green" where we can - being a large family is a great way to do that.

The Breakfast Project

I'd like to be an expert on something. I don't care what, I just want to have something that I am really, really good at doing. There are lots of things that I'm good at, but no one area at which I excel. So, a while ago, I put on my thinking cap , turned it on (if you were my kids, you'd press your nose and say, "Beep beep!") and I decided: Breakfast!

I LOVE breakfast. More importantly, breakfast loves me. If I skip breakfast, the whole day is shot. So, since I have to eat, and I love to eat, and breakfast makes me happy, it was a pretty easy decision.

I'm going to try different recipes, and perfect the art of breakfast food in my home. Here's my first breakfast experiment (and I won't catalogue them all...just the awesome or awful ones):


Crepes. So good, so versatile, so breakfast! I stuffed these with fresh strawberries that I had cut up, sprinkled with sugar and left overnight to "juice". I also spread strawberry jam on the crepe because I was afraid the berries would be too sour. Add a bit of whip cream, chocolate sauce and YUM! Next time, though, the batter needs to be more liquid. The crepes were a mite thick.


Orange juice always looks better in a wine glass - especially with a slice of orange.


Graedon gave it two thumbs up!

Get Ready for Summer Day

We've had some unusually nice weather this week. The temperature rose to 22 degrees! It was wonderful, and we took full advantage of it.

The girls discovered some new friends under some old planks on the lawn. It wasn't long before they had a half dozen slow swirlies scooped into a jar. Wondering what they are?


Here's a closer look - snails! Tiny, cute snails. Then, they discovered a slug and that was the end of that. Slugs, even though they are really only shell-less snails, are not at all the cute critters snails are. Slugs are gross. So we found a new adventure.


I put the kiddos to work at planting seeds for the garden. I've been wanting to start from seed for a while, but always missed the "deadline". I think I may have started early enough this year. They had a blast scooping dirt, poking holes, counting seeds and watering them.


Even Graedon helped. Here's hoping for some tomatoes, cucumbers, oregano, chives, basil, marjoram and parsley.


Coming soon to a post near you, Maddie and Eva's Plant Journal!

A Welcoming Home

There are homes you visit that seem straight from a magazine. The lighting is set just right to create the appropriate mood, scented candles are flickering behind stained glass votives, fresh flowers adorn the matching dining table set while fresh baked cheesecake is being pulled out of the oven by the lady of the house who is having no trouble keeping the conversation flowing.

In contrast, what you might experience at my house is something like this: the candles are stashed securely out of reach from the kids, the curtains are hanging slightly askew, you step over (or kick) toys on your way from the door to the kitchen where I am standing peering into the fridge in a panic wondering what to feed you on your visit. If, by malchance, you need to use the washroom, you may have to use the cheap, plain unscented bar soap - simply because the kids have a crazy annoying habit of playing "melt the soap in the sink while Mommy isn't looking".

I don't lead a magazine life.

I could chalk it up to just having a non-hospitality kind of personality...and that's okay. We're not all meant to be Martha Stewarts. It's true, too. When I shop with a girlfriend, I stand clueless in the home decor aisles and then make a beeline to the clearance shelf in the book or stationary aisle. Pretty paper and historical novels are more my thing. However, as much as it isn't my natural tendency to be Susie Q housewife, I must be honest with myself. I lack organizational skills. Peering into the fridge in a panic is not caused by lack of hospitality skills - it's caused by a mix of lazy and not-think-aheadedness.

I made that last word up. Another of my talents, along with picking out cute stationary.

Anyway, I've decided to be more proactive in my hostess skills. It won't be a big change. I think I'll start with baking some cookies and stashing them in the freezer where the kids and husband won't find them. At a moment's notice, I could just pull them out, warm them in the oven, and serve them. I might pick up some fun teas, too. Perhaps I'll invest in a couple pretty serving trays. I'd like to stay on top of my visible housework, maybe doing my dishes right away instead of all at once. I know it sounds like a no-brainer, but like I said, these things don't come naturally to me.

Heck, I might even vaccuum under the sofa cushions.

Putting the Kids to Work!

I'm a stay-at-home-mom, and because I'm a SAHM I often fall into the trap of feeling sorry for myself and the mountain of housework I do everyday. The problem isn't even so much the amount I do, but that the kids go behind me and un-do all the work. After all, cleaning my house while the kids are small is like shoveling the walk before it stops snowing.

But then I realized that I was doing it wrong. I wasn't using all the natural resources I have in my home. What natural resources, you ask? My children! Children are, after all, our nation's most precious resource. So I'm learning to delegate.

For example, you don't have to be big to help around the house. My two year old is a fantastic picker-upper. Toddlers can easily handle throwing their toys into a basket, and all they need as a reward is lots of cheering and hand clapping.

They're also great at throwing things into the garbage....scraps of food, wrappers, cell phones, etc. Careful with this one!

Kids love to help in the kitchen. Depending on the age and maturity of your kids, you can show them how to peel veggies (with a peeler). If you trust your kid to be responsible, you can even show them how to use a paring knife. Obviously, some kids are ready for this and some aren't. If your 5 year old can't sit still and has a habit of waving his hands when he talks, then cutting veggies isn't the chore for him. In Maddie's case, she can handle that. Eva, not so much. Graedy, definetly NOT!!

YOU MUST TAKE THE TIME TO TEACH THE SAFETY RULES AND NOT TO WIMP OUT ABOUT ENFORCING THEM!!!! THIS IS A ZERO-TOLERANCE FOR NONSENSE CHORE!!!



If they aren't quite to the peeling and cutting chore, they will definetly enjoy stirring and cleaning up icing bowls.



Kids love this next chore. All you need is a sock and non-breakable items. Show them how to run your socked hand over tabletops, windowsills, TV screens and you'll have the dusting done in no time. You might have to do the higher furniture and photo frames but it keeps them busy and they'll gradually get taller.



I showed Maddie (almost 6) how to do laundry. She loves it! It's a multi-step chore, but fairly simple. The first step is explaining that you need to separate the clothes by colour. It helps if you have this kind of gadget:



Then, you show how to load the washer by colour, adjust the settings, pour in the soap and ta-da! Clean clothes! If you have a lot of delicates or dry-clean only clothing, then you'll need to be extra diligent.

Obviously, use your common sense. Some things kids can handle, and some things they can't.

Good kid chores = sock dusting, folding facecloths and towels, watering plants, clearing their spot at the table, feeding the cat, sweeping the deck, etc.

Bad kid chores = stocking the furnace, chopping wood, bathing the baby alone, changing the oil in the car, washing knives, etc.

Chores that need extra help and supervision (and you MUST USE YOUR JUDGEMENT DEPENDING ON THE KID) = cutting soft fruits and veggies, peeling veggies, loading dishwasher, doing dishes (glass, knives, food poisoning, etc), cooking, babysitting, etc.

Good luck and use those resources!

Baby Sock Sushi

Bro R and SIL N are expecting their baby in 6 weeks. 6 weeks! That's hardly enough time to blink! My mom, sister, Maddie, Eva and I were able to make a very quick trip to Québec for the shower.

I tried really hard to think of something for the baby that would really suit my bro and SIL. And then, I saw it on Little Bit Funky. Baby Sock Sushi! Perfect!



I got together a little take-out container, 2 chopsticks, little white baby socks, black felt, black hair elastics and little squares of orange felt. I'm not going to give a tutorial because I'll let Little Bit Funky do that.


In no time, I had Baby Sock Sushi!


Then, because he's my brother and she's my sister-in-law, I didn't feel that 4 pairs of socks were quite a big enough gift. So, I taped together some bills to make a square and I origamied a crane! Depending on how cheap you are, you could do this with 5 dollar bills, 10s, 20s or even 50s. If it's my shower, try to go for 100 dollar bills, though.




It was fun, different, and it was a great conversation prompter. Try it sometime!

Slowing Down

I'm taking the first 3 weeks of September off from my electrolysis job (except the 12th, where I'll be playing catch up for the desperate). I started working from home before Eva was born and I haven't taken much time off since. Even when the babies were born, I was back in the saddle - or white esthetician chair - within a couple weeks. Looking back, I don't think I'd do that again.

It feels so liberating to go about my business at home without worrying about whether or not I'll have all my housework done by 6 pm. Supper dishes not cleaned up? No worries, we can sit at the table and chat a bit. Didn't get my hair done right this morning? 'Tsokay, and may as well keep the comfy clothes on. Graedy throwing a fit on the floor of the waiting area? No clients looking slightly embarrassed and uncomfortable.

It feels a little strange, too. I'm so used to rushing and trying to see my home through a stranger's eyes. It will take some getting used to being so laissez-faire.

I could definetly get used to this.

My mom asked me this morning if I was enjoying my children. No one ever asked me that before. I thought about it, and I've realized that yes, I am. Still, because I work from home, I spend a lot of my time getting ready for receiving my clients. I'd much rather be reading a book with the kids or colouring. Every so often they hit a milestone and I realize that months, years have gone by without my taking particular notice of the individual days. I've been trying very hard lately to make more time for them, not to worry about reaching some status quo in my activities, lifestyle or home.

I know so many mothers who participate in every activity they can with their children. I admire their energy, courage and scheduling abilities. It's not for me, though. There was a time when I tried to cram in Library StoryTime, Cubbies, Gymnastics, Play Group, Play Dates, Moms Night Out, Volunteering, Women's Bible Study and frankly, IT DROVE ME NUTS!! Any of those things are wonderful, but all of them are a sure and certain path toward my mental breakdown.

So, we pick and choose. I believe in volunteering, and so that stays. The kids love Cubbies, so that stays. The occasional play date, one activity per child at a time and as many cuddles, under cover story telling, and impromptu nature walks as we can fit in. It's not fancy, but it's how we love each other.

Decorating Dilemma

Me and decorating, we don't do so well together. It takes me forever to figure out how to make my home aesthetically pleasing, and then it doesn't even look quite right. So, dear blogger friends, this is where you come in.

Check it out.
I bought some little cacti (I've heard they're impossible to kill. We'll see 'bout that.), a shallow bowl and some scented seashells. I know what you're thinking. I bought shells? They're free at the shore! Yup, I could drive the 3 hours to the beach, spend hours picking and sorting, and end up with fishey smelling shells.

So I bought them. On sale. There!

Right, here's a picture of the result.

And another one, from a different angle.

Yay or nay? Do you like, or am I off the mark? Leave a comment :)

The Project

Check out our newest project! I'm trying to get the kids organized in the morning so that it's less bedlam to get everyone dressed/washed/fed & schooled. Enter: The Project. I call it The Project because I don't know what to call it. Maybe something like Manequin Mini Me, or Silly Silhouette, or Model Me Outfits...comment with your ideas, wouldja?
Here is the finished product. We took some rolled paper and traced the girls' silhouettes. They then coloured them to resemble themselves. There has been some creative license, as you can see. Mad doesn't really have glasses or green hair, but she does regularly have Band-Aids on her knees.
Here's a close-up of the pet cat Maddie drew.
Ta-da! Every evening, we pick out their outfits and hang them on The Projects. In the morning, there's no fighting or dilly dallying over what outfits to wear...easy, breezy!

Cat Dish Woes

We have a problem at my house. It's about the cat. Richard is in charge of feeding and watering Tigger, but for some reason, he likes to put the cat's water dish in the corner of the kitchen. The corner of the kitchen where the breakfast foods and coffee pot are placed. You know - the corner of the kitchen that I stumble into in the wee hours of the morning before I've had my daily dose of caffeine.

The result is usually the same - I kick over the water dish. My socks get wet (ew, cat spit), the floor is a mess, Graedon splatters it throughout the kitchen, or drinks it (ew, ew, cat spit). So, I fixed THAT problem.

There. And, I *do* aim to use the paddle.

While the Husband's Away...

I've been single-momming it for the last couple days. Rich is gone to Miramichi to repair and set up buildings. Summertime is the busy season for Rich. The frost is gone from in the ground, travel is good, and the days are long. Often, he'll be gone for the weekend, sometimes the week, to put up tarp garages.

I don't know what it is about his extended absence, but it makes me feel incredible industrious! As I am waving goodbye to him from the doorway, I am mentally making lists of all the projects I need to complete while he is away. I like the motivation of having a deadline. I like the excitement and satisfaction of finishing a task before he gets home, just so that he'll be surprised.

Last summer, there was such a business trip that ended with newly painted cupboards, complete with replaced hardware. This time, the list was as such:

*buy and set up a bookshelf in the girls' room (their books are in piles right now for lack of space)

*dig up and replant the flowerbed in the front yard using the plants in the flowerbed that is going to be destroyed when we replace the draintile

*paint the hall upstairs

*clear off the couch in the living room (no easy task, since it's my catchall/laundry area)

So far, I've painted, and cleared the couch. Unfortunately, it's rained the whole time Rich has been gone, so the flowerbed will have to wait. In the meantime, I think I might organize the pantry...

I Have No Time to Eat Bonbons

I came across a post my friend wrote about Doing Less. The idea is to simplify, do your best and not stress about doing everything for everyone. The post suggested keeping a running list of what you do in a day, rather than what you should get done.

Here's my list for the day:

6:31 Maddie wakes me up demanding breakfast.
*take a few minutes to wake up.
*chart my BT
*start the washer that I loaded last night
*send Rich off to work after a healthy dose of flirting to get him through the morning
*make breakfast and feed 3 kids & myself
*made brownies for church concert tonight
*clean up from breakfast
*check e-mail
*check Facebook
*comfort Graedy
(at this point it's 7:48 am)
*e-mail client
*do school with kids. This means: sing O Canada in english & french, sing songs (4), mini french greeting lesson, devotions, read picture book, read 2 chapters of Magic Tree House book, calendar time, puzzles, 2 pages in workbook each, french lesson, Canadian geography (during all this I brushed my teeth and frosted brownies, put ham in the oven)
*collected garbage
*check e-mail
*do another load of laundry
*shower
*call Dr to discuss Graedon's weight
*do exercises

At this point I stopped keeping track because my paper was all filled up. It was 9:45 am.

It's no wonder I'm so tired.

Procrastinator

Everyday, I look at my house and make a mental checklist of what needs to be done. Then, I grab a pen and write it all down. Then, I lose the paper.

This weekend, though, I finally got to some stuff that needed to be done. Here are some examples of what makes me a procrastinator:

1) I finally took down the pink butterflies and lanterns in Graedon's room. He moved in there over a year ago, after Eva moved out. Everytime I changed his diaper, I'd look around and declare, "Graedon! I declare, it's time to make this into a little boy's room." Finally, that's on it's way.

2) I put away all of my clothes. The stacks on the dresser were driving me crazy. I also put away Rich's clothes. I know, that should be his job, but he was busy being busy for the greater good, so I did it for him. I emptied his drawers, re-folded everything and organized according to sleeve length. Highlight of my job? Finding an old love letter I'd sent him years ago when we were newlyweds. It was nestled in nice and snug between his tube socks and unmentionables. Sweet :)

Next, I'm going to tackle my sewing box. Scary!!

What have you been putting off?

Tears and Tantrums

There's been much drama at the Patterson household of late. Crying, shrieking, tantrums, tears....and that's just me!

There's been a lot of this:

And a fair bit of this:

And even some of this:

Don't worry, though. We'll soon be back to this:

Hope your day is more like the bottom photo than the first three!

Go Green Tip #5

The fifth and final Go Green Tip!

5) Yard sales! You've got all sorts of greenery going on here - you save money, reuse items so less factory gunk, cheap entertainment, build relationships with vendors, hone your bargaining skills and plus it's just plain ol' fun! If you hold your own, you will also be able to clear out clutter from your home and make a little extra cash.

Here's an example: Buying a new snowsuit will cost you over $50 (for kids). At a yard sale, you could easily save 90% of that!

Of course, it takes more time than going to Walmart, and there are no guarantees. However, what were you going to do on Saturday morning anyway? Watch SpongeBob? I rest my case.

Go Green Tip #4

We all know the old tip about turning the tap off when we brush our teeth. It saves gallons of water! I noticed a while back that whenever we get a glass of water, we always run the water for what seems like forever just to get the water cold. I'd probably die of shame if I calculated how much water was wasted just from this habit alone. So, on to...

Go Green Tip #3 - Keep a pitcher of water in the fridge. Always cold, always handy! It'll save you water, it will save you time and best of all, it will serve as a reminder to drink those 8 glasses per day.

Another water saving tip - don't shower or bathe. Ever. LOL, just kidding. Please practice good hygiene :)

Happy Day After Earth Day!