Asher’s birthday is in less than 2 weeks. We have some family coming to town (YAY!) and decided to have a few people over to celebrate. So…if you are around a week from Saturday come on by!
I’m not promising much but there will be cake.
2 comments July 13th, 2010
Well surprise, surprise. The lazy man’s way to discipline your child is proven to be a bad idea.
“a new study published in Pediatrics, researchers at Tulane University provide the strongest evidence yet that children’s short-term response to spanking may make them act out more in the long run…The reason for this may be that spanking sets up a loop of bad behavior. Corporal punishment instills fear rather than understanding. Even if children stop tantrums when spanked, that doesn’t mean they get why they shouldn’t have been acting up in the first place. What’s more, spanking sets a bad example, teaching children that aggressive behavior is a solution to their parents’ problems.”
The article is worth a read although honestly, this is not news. Parents spank because it is easier than arguing. It relieves frustration in the moment, and teaches the child nothing except that it is ok to hit someone else when one is frustrated. We have all seen Supernanny. It can take a parent HOURS to deal with a disobedient child without spanking them. I would think any child is worth the effort it takes to communicate about consequences and personal responsibility at a level they can understand.
Add comment June 27th, 2010
I cannot stop laughing at catalog living today.
You should definitely check it out, here’s an example
“Hi Nancy, it’s Elaine. I’m going to be a little late for lunch. I can’t find my hat or my back-up hat.”
2 comments June 25th, 2010
Scene: Costco, on a Sunday afternoon
We went for paper towels but there were raspberries, lots and lots of beautiful raspberries.
“Lets make some jam” he says “I think I’ll buy a case. Make that two”
2 cases = $50 = a shit ton of raspberries but that is what you need to make jam.
On the way home we realize the canning jars are in storage so we go pick up new ones. $10
“$60 is a lot for some jam” I say. “How much jam do we get for $60?”
“We must consult the old family recipe, passed down from generation to generation.”
“On the back of the Certo box.”
Certo boxes in hand we head home and get to work.
“Its a hard job but someone has to do it”
The box says we will have 7 pints of jam. Kind of a crap deal for $60 if you ask me.
After measuring and mushing up the berries and putting them in a pot with water and sugar we realize we have a bit more than we bargained for.
Matthew siphons 1/4 the mixture into a smaller pot and adds the certo when it boils.
Once its complete he fills 5 of the 12 pint jars. “Hmm” I say, because I am very good at math, and also stating the obvious. “If 1/4 of the recipe is 5 pints we will need 20 pints.”
WE HAVE 12 PINT JARS. its 8pm on Sunday night and we are covered in raspberries.
After some minor freaking out that 3/4 of a pot of jam will be thrown right in the trash he realizes we haven’t yet put in the certo and the big pot is only raspberries and sugar so we take it off the stove and let it cool down.
The next day I buy every single jar at the overpriced fancy kitchen store and we heat up the raspberries again, add the certo and do the canning thing.
The verdict: $50 will be more than enough to cover your jam needs for the next few decades.
4 comments June 19th, 2010
We took a ride up to Montreal this weekend to visit my sister-in-law Theresa and her family. As always, we had an awesome time just hanging out, laughing, eating good food and staying up too late. It was especially fun since it was the first time the kids were old enough to acknowledge each other. I can honestly say I do not know which one of the two were more excited to see the other in the morning.
Our weekend was filled with screams of “ASH-AY!” from my niece Liliane who turns 3 in October. Lucky for her they are coming to see us next month…Or should I say lucky for Theresa and her husband Stephane. Asher had a blast playing with her toys and flashing his cheesy new grin at her.
There is a wading pool a short walk from their apartment so we headed over for a dip. Unfortunately I imagined a much smaller pool that Asher could sort of crawl in and out of and neither Matthew or I were prepared for the soaking that ensued. Matthew especially wasn’t prepared to fall while stepping into it, and I sadly wasn’t prepared with my video camera in hand.
Much time was spent in PJs and it took a bit of juggling to manage 2 nap and sleep schedules (a nice lesson for all)
On the last day I tried to get a great picture to cherish for years to come. Instead I got these:
and my fave:
5 comments June 18th, 2010
first day in infant car seat
last day in infant car seat
first day in big boy car seat
We finally got Asher a convertible car seat! The first one we had goes up to 32lbs/32″ (I highly, highly recommend this seat!) so technically we have a little time but we knew we needed an upgrade so we finally bit the bullet last week. After much research and debate we went with the Britax Boulevard for a number of reasons, one being the footprint is slimmer than other options. Since we weren’t sure what seat would fit in our tiny car I contacted Alisa “the car seat lady” and it was the best decision we could have made. Her fee is small compared to the amount of information she gave us. She recommends car seats in your price range that will fit best in your car (or really fit your needs as people I know have used her without even owning cars) Then you go to her house and she shows you how to install the seat PROPERLY. Now, I watched her do it, then watched Matthew do it and I still didn’t do it perfectly when it was my turn so I guarantee most people do not have their car seat installed correctly. She determined that even though we have the latch system it is not rated for the center seat in our car so she installed it with the belt. She also recommended a seat for traveling, and for my parents car AND told us how to install it. It was all around awesome and Asher seems pretty comfy in his new ride. What’s not to love? its so SHINY and PRETTY and SOFT.
Then 2 days later we drove to Montreal and he barfed all over it. There’s a lesson here. I’m just not sure what it is.
1 comment June 17th, 2010
Pediped shoes for infants. Asher has been pulling himself up so he needs something on those feet in the park and playground. These are easy to put on and stay there, he can’t get them off. Plus super cute and doc approved.
GAP Farmer’s Market. Asher and I go every Saturday and pick up eggs, fish, bread, fruits, veggies and sometimes the occasional donut. A FARM donut!
Royal Pains season 2. Love this show.
My nook. And the gift card my aunt gave me for my bday that is still going strong.
1 comment June 8th, 2010
Last month we did a photoshoot with the adorable Efrain and Jenn at J’adore Love Photography. They are wedding photographers trying to build up their baby portfolio and we were happy to help! Here are some of the teasers, we are really looking forward to seeing the rest.
5 comments June 7th, 2010
We are loving the fresh peas from the farmers market this week.
Steamed with a bit of butter, they go really nicely with baked flounder (also from the market). We’ve had that exact meal 2 Sundays in a row.
Add comment June 7th, 2010
