Ten Thought Tuesday: June 13th

1. Aaaaand I’m back…again.  Sorry for the hiatus, but there was some stuff going on in my life including not sleeping and having two thirds of my kids on antibiotics.  Yay.  The good news is that things have finally gotten back to crazy normal.  I’m going to try to play catch-up on the posts I’ve missed, but I don’t think I’ll be able to read all of them :(.
2. In other news, my sewing machine is now repaired (which, to be totally honest, is another reason I’ve been away).  I’m working on a post for tomorrow about what was wrong with it, my completed works and my WIPs.
3. I’m starting to bring Elliot to daycare for short periods of time.  He already knows everyone because he’s always with me when I drop off and pick up the kids, but this morning, I left him there for an hour and went for some one-on-one mommy Charles time at the nearby park.  Charles was happy and Elliot was too.  Next time, I’m planning on leaving him for the whole morning (up until lunchtime).
4. Elliot is going to be a year old in a week (what!?!).  I’m planning on making a mirror cake for his birthday because they look so pretty!
5. I went for a run this morning and for the first time in months I felt no pain, not even the slightest little hint of it.  The progressive program, PT exercises I do at home and treatments I’ve been getting are finally yielding some very real results!
6. I had a bout of nostalgia yesterday and decided to check if two of the shows I watched when I was younger were on Netflix.  They are!  I’ll be watching Goosebumps and Are You Afraid of the Dark in the coming weeks.  Please tell me I’m not the only 80s child who has fond memories of watching those.
7. We’re finally going to be getting our windows replaced. I got a call from the company and they’re coming on Monday.
8. I started learning Japanese with Duolingo last week.  I’ve developed an interest in the language over the years from watching anime.  It.  Is.  Hard!  But, it’s so fun and interesting.
9. Our plants are growing.  The chives, thym and cilantro are doing great.  The spinach that Charles sowed has taken nicely.  Our string beans, lettuce and carrots have poked through the soil and our blueberry and raspberry bushes as well as our apple tree are showing signs of fruit production!
   

   

   
10. Speaking of gardening, I found a really interesting book on Amazon.  It’s titled: The Year-Round Vegetable Gardener and it it written by a Canadian who has managed to have fresh veggies all year-round at low cost.  This is great as we’re slowly working our way to being more self-reliant.

What’s on your mind this Tuesday?

 

Ten Thought Tuesday: (I Know, It’s Actually Thursday…)

1. Hey!  I feel like I should apologize.  I’ve been a very crappy blogger lately.  I haven’t really been on WordPress for over a week so I haven’t read many posts, have commented on even fewer and have barely replied to comments.  I can’t say I’ve been super busy or haven’t had any inspiration or anything, I think I’m just overwhelmed by all the posts that pile up in my reader every day and am sad that I can’t give each one of them the attention it deserves.  *Sigh*, I need a pause button.
2. After trying many methods (too many to count), I have finally mastered the art of poaching eggs and can even poach more than one at a time.  This is what Elliot and I ate for lunch on Tuesday (or was it Monday?) and it was delicious!

   

   This was all sorts of yummy!

3. I’ve gotten so many things done today.  I managed to find a place that can repair my sewing machine, I finally have a date for the window installation, I went to see my physical therapist and booked my next appointment, I also called the arborist that came last week to give him my email address (he wrote a letter for me to give to the electricity company after coming close to being electrocuted when branches from my huge maple tree came into contact with the power lines and created sparks).  My father-in-law also showed me how to connect the wires to our pool ozonator (at my request).  It’s super easy to do.
4. I’m finally starting to see some real progress with regards to running and after a couple of weeks of discouragement, I think I’ve regained my motivation.  I’m also planning on restarting my Sunday Runday posts because they were really helping keep me on track with regards to fitness.
5. The apple tree that my husband bought me for Mother’s Day last year is in bloom!  It will produce (in a couple of years, hopefully) five varieties of apples: Winesap (have never heard of these), Cortland, Red McIntosh, Yellow Delicious and Summerred (which is also new to me).
   

   
6. Spring is definitely here.  Besides the apple blossoms, our little lilac is in bloom and there are some cute little flowers speckling my grass among the party of dandelions (does anyone else here NOT hate dandelions?  I think they’re pretty and their bright yellow color always puts me in a good mood).
   

   

   
7. After wanting one for over two years, I’ve finally bought and received a SSC so that I can back carry more easily and so that my husband can do some babywearing.  I already have stretchy wrap, a ring sling and a woven but my husband has never been keen on the learning curve that comes with wraps, so this is a fantastic option for him.  I’m planning on doing a review soon, but right now, all I have is praise for the carrier.

   

   Isn’t it beautiful?

8. Lately, I’ve been watching three series.  My husband and I have gotten a Crunchyroll subscription so that we can finish the Naruto Shippuden (I know, I know, we’re total geeks).  I also started watching The Office, which…just wow.  My brother aptly describes it as “cringe humour”.  I describe it as a mix of morbid curiosity and a train wreck waiting to happen.  Finally, I’m three episodes in to The Crown.  I’m finding myself surprisingly interested in the series even though I generally don’t care for things that revolve around politics.
9. Elliot is becoming more confident on his feet.  He’s usually standing with only one hand for support and has started letting go once in a while.  It usually results in him falling promptly on his bum and crying out of frustration, but hey, that’s all part of the game.
10. Speaking of milestones, besides an approximation of “maman” and “papa”, I’ve recently realized that Elliot has been saying his name for a couple of months!  Plus, I think he’s teething again (first molars *dun-Dun-DUN!*) because we’ve been getting some pretty crappy nights recently.

What’s on your mind this Thursday?

Ten Thought Tuesday: May 16th 2017

1. I decided it was time to change my TTT image.  What do you think?
2. Today is a beautiful day so I decided to make myself an iced matcha this morning in the mug I made a couple of weekends ago when I went to a ceramic cafe with my friends.  #awesome
3. You might have noticed that I haven’t posted a Sunday Runday post in two weeks.  I’m not sure what happened, but I need to get a grip.  I know that if I start running again, the rest will follow.  Send me some good vibes, ok?
4. Yesterday was Elliot’s second appointment with our osteopath.  She’s working on helping him deal with colds better so that they don’t drag on or turn into ear infections anymore.  His third and last treatment is in a few weeks.

   

   Just chillin’ in the waiting room.

5. I recently discovered the @vibrantandpure Instagram account and I’ve been finding myself drooling uncontrollably ever since.  I decided to try her technique out and perk up the cream cheese for the kids’ bagels this morning.  Here’s how things came out.  Needless to say, the kids were very impressed when they saw their breakfast.

   

   From top to bottom: matcha, maqui powder, acai powder, paprika & curry powder

6. Because I like to try new things, I decided to set up my late grandmother’s old (according to the instruction manual 1971) sewing machine and learn how to sew.  I figured I would try to make a doll mei tai for my daughter.  I was surprised by how much I liked sewing and by the fact that the things I was making were relatively decent.  I made oodles of mistakes, but they have allowed me to learn a great deal, so all in all, it’s a good thing.  The problem is that once I was halfway through the headrest, the machine stopped working.  Namely, the needle isn’t picking up the thread from the bobbin anymore.  Urgh!  At first, I thought the bobbin had emptied itself, but it hadn’t.  I re-threaded the whole thing, but it didn’t work.  Any tips before I bring it to get serviced?
   
   

   

   
7. Did everyone have a good Mother’s Day?  I was spoiled with a massage, a lovely bouquet of tulips (my favourite flower) and we had a really lovely raclette supper.
8. This morning, I brought Elliot out in the front yard.  He’s not a fan of the grass, but at least, he doesn’t cry when he’s sitting in it (he just doesn’t move haha!).
9. Elliot has pretty much dropped his morning nap.  He can generally stay awake for the full hour it takes me to drop the kids at daycare and get back home in the morning.  If he sleeps, it’s generally a mere 5-10 minutes, then he’s happy as a clam once we get out of the minivan.  Amélie and Charles had dropped their morning nap at about the same age.
10. Amélie is officially out of training pants for nights.  As for Charles, he wakes up dry about one day per week.  I noticed that when he ends up going to bed around 8 rather than 7:30, he almost always wakes up dry.  I don’t want to make a habit of getting him to bed that late, so I might have to move up supper instead.

What’s on your mind this Tuesday?

Ten Thought Tuesday: May 9th 2017

1. I am so behind in my blog reading!  I really need to find some time to catch up.
2. We’ve been dealing with the consequences of floods caused by the unrelenting rain around here.  At our house, we’re fine, but a few blocks away, roads are closed because of flooding.  One of the two bridges that lead to the island of Montreal is closed so traffic is horrendous.  Luckily, the road I take to drive the kids to daycare isn’t affected.
3. Today is supposed to be the worst day and water levels are supposed to start receding starting tomorrow.  It’s hard to believe, though as this is what is forecasted for the next week.
   

   
4. Despite the crappy weather, we managed to get some time outside when it was nice out (meaning just super cloudy).  The kids went to the park and had some fun.
   

   
5. We had a really busy but super fun weekend.  On Friday, my husband and I managed to go to the restaurant just the two of us.  Then, on Saturday, we went to see our friends to celebrate their son’s birthday party.  Charles, Amélie and Elliot had a blast.    Finally, on Sunday, after going to the pool (Charles and Elliot) and gymnastics (Amélie) classes, we went to my parents’ house for a lovely family brunch.  Afterwards, I went to a ceramic cafe with my two friends for some girls-only time together and they all stayed for supper.
6. The neon noodles I made last week turned out wonderfully!  My kids gobbled them up.  Well, except Elliot.  He wasn’t impressed and just threw them on the floor.  I just tossed them in garlic butter and served them with sweet and sour chicken and steamed broccoli.
7. I’ve recently discovered a love for matcha tea.  I went to David’s tea about a week ago and bought some peach matcha.  It is so delicious!  It’s great as a hot latte, just plain hot and is amazing as iced tea (not that I’m drinking much iced tea these days).  I’ve yet to try it as an iced latte, but I’m certain it will be awesome.
8. I recently read an article on the Dirty Dozen on the David Suzuki website.  I checked through my makeup and realized that everything I own (not that I own much) contains at least one ingredient from the dirty dozen.  Since I’ve been wanting to wear makeup more often, I started researching brands that don’t contain any of the offending ingredients, but I keep coming up short.  I think I’ll just give up and go back to my au naturel look.
9. I haven’t gone out for a run, or a swim, or done any type of physical activity since last Thursday when I played some squash with my husband.  I am going totally nuts, but I’ve been feeling under the weather recently (thank you dear children and husband for kindly sharing your colds with me) and have been faced with rain and cold temps outside (did I mention that yesterday, it snowed!).
10. Tonight, I’m planning on making some oven-baked crispy skinned chicken thighs with steamed green beans, pearled barley and an acorn squash puree.  It’s going to be yummy!  What are you eating tonight?

What’s on your mind this Tuesday?

 

Ten Thought Tuesday: May 2nd 2017

1. We have been having absolutely horrible weather (complete with flooding and the like) around here.  It’s cold and windy and rainy and grey.  Bleh… On the bright side, the grass is green.
2. On Saturday, we made the most of the beautiful day (despite the 50km/h winds) and went to the park in the afternoon.  Then kids then decided that they wanted to take a walk and so Amélie and Charles took turns pulling the wagon while Elliot tried desperately to touch the turning wheel despite being securely strapped in.
   

   

   
3. I decided to take a play from Elizabeth’s book and make some neon spaghetti noodles.  The plan was to eat them yesterday evening, but we ended up stuck in some horrible traffic because a streetlight was out of commission, so I ordered some pizza instead.  We are going to have it tonight instead.  Look at how awesome the noodles look though!

   

   The kids are going to go nuts once I plate this tonight.

4. Sunday we had our movie night.  I made some brown sugar & sriracha chicken wings, homemade oven-baked fries and some popcorn shrimp.  We decided to watch Brave.  I found it entertaining, but it’s not the best (animation) movie I’ve seen.  The music was absolutely amazing though.
5. Charles is getting really good at MarioKart Wii.  He races at 50cc, but he’s almost always placing top 5 now.
6. I’m really happy because I’ve started playing the flute again.  I hadn’t realized how much I was missing it.  Oh boy, though, my mouth gets sore really quickly, I have to relearn to loosen up my lips and right hand a bit.
7. I went swimming on Sunday and it went really well…except my butterfly lap.  It’s hard to believe that when I was a teen it was my favourite stroke!  Oh well, I definitely have something to work towards!
8. I’ve finally finished the mesh for my crocheted scarf.  Now, I have to get working on the chains to weave through the mesh.  I’m planning on doing that while I watch my daily tv show with my husband as it’s not something that requires a lot of concentration.
9. I recently discovered the joys of audiobooks!  I listened to The Chemist last month and it was pretty good.  I started listening to The Fifth Season recently and was wowed by the imagery.  The description and vocabulary used are really wonderful.  However, this book is definitely more complex that The Chemist and I’m having a lot of trouble following what is happening.  I might have to read it instead.
10. INCOME TAX SEASON IS FINALLY OVER!!!!!  And I finally get my husband back *woot*woot*!

What’s on your mind this Tuesday?

Ten Thought Tuesday: April 25th 2017

1. The kids all seem to be over their colds (yay!) and Elliot two lower lateral incisors cut over the week (because why not cut teeth while nursing a virus?) so we’re all back to our usual cheery selves.
2. The last week has been quite intense.  Last Thursday, I saw my physical therapist for the first time.  On Saturday, I had to go to the dentist with the kids to get one of Amélie’s teeth checked (her upper left central incisor is darkening because of a fall that happened a couple of weeks ago).  Yesterday, I saw my osteopath and had my second appointment with my physical therapist and tomorrow I have an appointment for Elliot with my osteopath.  Phew!  Jam packed!
3. I’m super excited!  Because of my visits to the PT and the exercises that I’m diligently doing every day, I can finally start running again (albeit very progressively).  I’m planning on going out tomorrow for my first run.  Woot woot!
4. I’ve started to play the flute again and it feels great…
5. …Unfortunately, this means that I have to reevaluate how I’m going to adequately juggle my responsibilities and hobbies (yes, that includes blogging) from now on.
6. Despite getting the house treated against an invasion of carpenter ants last year, they’re back again this year *sigh*.  So we have to get in touch with an exterminator again…
7. Right now, it smells absolutely delicious in the house.  I’m roasting some garlic for tonight’s supper: a pasta bake with a sun-dried tomato and roasted garlic alfredo sauce and chicken & bacon.  It’s going to be decadent!
8. This week, I finally received the new Bluetooth headphones I ordered via Kickstarter a few months ago.  I’m so excited to try them out so it’s a very good thing that I can start running again!  Look out for a post on them in the coming weeks.
9. Last weekend, I was rudely awoken by a sharp pain indicative of an ear infection in my left ear.  The pain has since subsided (I don’t need pain medication to deal with the pain anymore), but my ear still feels blocked.  It’s totally weird because it’s not like I’ve had a stuffy nose or anything.  I’m crossing my fingers for it to resolve itself: I’m really hoping it’s not a bacterial infection that would require the use of antibiotics.
10. My one and only cardigan decided to kick the bucket yesterday after very many years of good service.  I’ve found myself needing to replace it.  In keeping with my desire to only purchase eco-responsable clothing from now on, I bought one from Ten Tree Apparel.  I’m probably going to post about them as well  in the very near future.  But if you want to learn more about them, I encourage you to check them out.

What’s on your mind this Tuesday?

Ten Thought Tuesday: April 18th 2017

1. Yesterday was a rough night.  Amélie and Elliot spent the night engaged in what sounded like a coughing competition.  As for Charles, he decided to forgo the Pull-Ups.  So I ended up changing him in the middle of the night.
2. I’m so over sore throats, coughing, fever and runny noses.
3. Thanks to the fun little app Plant Nanny, I’ve managed to increase my water intake over the past few days.  Big shout out to Maggie for talking about it on her blog recently.
4. My husband and I are getting better at squash and had quite a few really nice exchanges yesterday evening.  I’m kind of bummed though as I burned a hole through my favourite pair of leggings by sliding to hit a ball.
5. I decided to dive into a role-playing server on WoW yesterday.  I’ve been meaning to try for a long time, but have always been afraid to.
6. To celebrate Easter and my father-in-law’s birthday on Sunday,  my MIL reserved the chef that came to my house for my wedding.  We ate some freakishly delicious short ribs.
7. Yesterday, I ordered some yarn online “by accident”.  Ha!  It’s 100% cotton yarn so that I can crochet some little octos for the maternity ward of a local hospital.
8.   Today’s going to be a beautiful, albeit cold, day.  It’s a welcome change from all the rain we’ve been getting.  Now, if it could get consistently warmer, I’d be very happy!  The kids don’t mind though, so it’s all good.
9. Charles went to the hairdresser with his dad over the weekend for a much needed haircut.  He looks so handsome now.
10. My husband and I played bowling on the Wii with Charles a couple of days ago.  Despite our best efforts, he beat us.  Beginners luck, I suppose.

What’s on your mind thi

Ten Thought Tuesday: April 11th 2017

1. We had an absolutely beautiful last couple of days.  Yesterday was warm enough to go out without a coat.  Elliot also got to explore the balcony for the first time.

   

   And my sister-in-law wonders why I nickname this one “chubby face”.  Just look at those cheeks!

2. Unfortunately, my shins haven’t gotten any better.  Yesterday, my husband and I had to stop our squash game after half an hour because it felt like if I tried to run one more time, my tibia would snap.  I’m so frustrated!  I sent an email to my doctor’s office this morning and I’m planning on calling my osteopath for an appointment to see if she can do something to help while I wait for my doctor to be able to see me.
3. I finished the beanie that I was working on for Charles last week.  I’ll be posting a picture of it in tomorrow’s WIP post.
4. Elliot has gotten really good at standing up.  He’s often letting go of one hand, he’s been using various toys and boxes as walkers and he has started cruising by holding onto the couch.
5. I super excited to tell you that I will be sharing a guest post with you on Thursday!
6. Income tax season is almost over.  I’ll finally stop being a temporary single mom soon!
7. We went to see some friends over the weekend and I finally got to meet my friend’s 6 week old!  Oh gosh, baby fever came washing right over me again!
8. This week, we’ve got slow-cooker baby back ribs, club sandwiches and homemade falafel on the menu.  Deeeeee-licious!
9. Today’s going to be a pretty difficult day.  Charles and Amélie decided to keep themselves awake yesterday evening so they are super tired today.
10. After keeping it at bay for a few weeks, the cold that everyone’s gotten in the house except me has finally caught up with me.  *Sigh* Oh well, with water, rest and sinus rinse, it shouldn’t be too bad overall.

What’s on your mind this Tuesday?  Feel free to link up in the comments section!

Ten Thought Tuesday: April 4th 2017

1. Elliot is doing much better.  We’re halfway through his antibiotics and his breathing is a lot better.  This is probably why his body decided it would be a good time to start teething again.  Because…why not?
2. Yesterday, my husband and I got out of the house to play some squash.  Once all three kids were in bed, we left.  This is one of the perks of having my brother live with us.  We’re thinking of making this a weekly thing.
3. Today is supposed to be a run day, but I’m going to skip it.  I started having some shin pain on Sunday after my run and playing squash probably didn’t help as I’m still tender today.  I’m thinking of dropping a run altogether and replacing it with some swimming to give my legs more rest between runs and try to avoid injuring myself.
4. Giving the kids their bath is now quite a sport.  Elliot is just so excited in the tub and keeps moving around.  Plus, now that he’s pulling up consistently, he does it in the tub as well.
5. For the next week, we’re supposed to get rain, rain and more rain.  Yup, Spring is definitely coming!
6. I haven’t had time to look at my reader all weekend.  I’m planning on trying to catch up today.
7. Since Charles and Amélie are always arguing over who will get to wear the pig beanie, I decided to crochet a second one.  I’m hoping to finish it today.
8. So, yeah, I started playing WoW again.  In an effort to not get to intense and play for hours and hours (and not have time for anything else I like to do), I’ve decided to limit my playing time to half an hour per day.  That’s what I did yesterday and it worked well.
9. Charles is such a tattle tale, he is driving me nuts!  Are all 4 year olds this way?
10. Sunday evening, we had some homemade fried chicken for the first time.  It was pretty good.  Do you have a favourite fried chicken recipe?  Care to share?

What’s on your mind this Tuesday?  Feel free to link up in the comments section!

Ten Thought Tuesday: March 28th

1. Do you take a look at the posts people read via your stats sometimes?  Last Sunday I noticed that someone had read my post from 2 years ago on Biaxin.  Some poor soul out there is desperately trying to find a way to get their toddler to down the darned medication.  If you’re reading this, best of luck!
2. After practicing getting into baby bear mode for the past week, Elliot managed to pull up on his own yesterday.  He was so proud!
   

   Baby bear

   

   Pulling up
3. I realized yesterday that my contact me page sends people to an email that I don’t use anymore.  I found four email that had been sent over the past year to me via the contact form.  I’m bummed because I missed out on four guest post requests that would have been really interesting.  Now, I only have to figure out how to change the address.  Does anyone have an idea how?  At worst, I’ll just contact someone at live chat.  I hear they’re life-savers.
4. Yesterday, I finished going through all of my clothing.  I’m planning on writing a separate post on the process, but I will say this: I never thought of myself as having a lot of clothing, but oh boy, the process put things into perspective!
5. Saturday was our weekly movie night.  We watched Moana together (am I the only one who loves this movie and who can’t seem to get the music out of her head?).  I’d seen it once before when I went to the movies with Charles and still enjoyed it thoroughly, as did everyone else!

   

   Everyone is enjoying the movie.

6. It never ceases to amaze me how quickly the human body adapts.  After suffering from really sore calves for three days after doing my first transition run I haven’t had any soreness since – this despite doubling my run time to 2 min run/ 1 min walk.  I also had significantly less trouble with my breathing.
7. The weather seems to be on a warming trend (finally!).  For the next week, the highs are forcasted to be on the plus side even dipping into the double digits near the start of next week.  P.s.: I’m doing a happy dance right now.
8. Tonight we’re eating some chili.  Yummy!  I’m planning on trying to cook the beans in my slow-cooker, because each time I make red kidney beans, they always seem to turn out crunchy.
9. I saw that Star Trek Beyond has come out on Netflix.  I’m eager to find some time to watch it.
10. I received the steam mop I ordered last week.  I felt like a kid who’d just received a much coveted gift and I couldn’t wait to try it.  I am super happy with it.  I love how easy it it to clean my floors now!

What’s on your mind this Tuesday?  Feel free to comment of link up to a random thought post of your own!