NHL Playoffs

Seriously? Are Canadians not aware of the fact that other sports exist?

The NHL Playoffs are happening now and lucky us, we live down the road from Rogers Arena. Therefore, we're subject the crazies in the Royal Blue Canucks jerseys.  That part doesn't bother me as much as the fact EVERY bar, lounge, restaurant seems to have plasma TVs on each wall showing a hockey game!!....EVERY night (or so it feels).

I went out with a bunch of ladies I met on Saturday night and we went to a lounge that seemed to turn into a strange dance club after a certain hour. How weird was it that a hockey game was showing before the DJ took the stage? 

Random Note: The biggest difference between a baby boy and a baby girl (at least in my case) is that the boy is able to sleep perfectly fine in a poopy diaper, while the girl screams bloody murder to be changed ASAP.

Milestone Moments

It is incredible to believe that my sweet Amélie is turning ONE tomorrow! Her first year definitely went by way quicker than Julian's first year...Why?  I have no idea. Perhaps I savored the moments more with her knowing/thinking it'll be the "last time" I get to enjoy each "first" smile, clap, crawl, step, etc. Or, maybe it was because I was home with her and was able to appreciate each "present moment", rather than always being a frantic state trying to prepare food, clothes, bottles for the next day at daycare or for a trip away. Time works in mysterious ways...

Tomorrow, we'll be celebrating with a birthday party at the Woodwards Building in Gastown.  They have a cool indoor/outdoor rooftop lounge/deck area and it should be fun for the kids, as well as adults. We're expecting about 30 people, which is a good size and nowhere close to the 90 we had at Julian's 1st birthday!  Maybe that's why I haven't started cooking or preparing anything yet!

I should probably get started...

DQ

There is an Orange Julius / Dairy Queen store a block from our apartment building. When we first moved I didn't really blink twice when I saw it. I associate DQ with ghetto urban areas, in a Checkers and White Castle kind of way. Man, did I miss out in the first half of my year here!

Melvin finally twisted my arm and made me try a Blizzard and the creamy goodness just brought me back...back to I don't know where, but just brought me to a good place, I guess!  DQ has really reinvented itself here in Canada. You see a line out the door on a regular basis and it is not even summer yet. We do regular DQ runs, which is SO bad, but here's the best part....

MINI BLIZZARD

JUST ENOUGH TO SATISFY YOUR CRAVING!

It's wonderful...my favorite flavor right now is the Banana Split and Melvin's is the Double Fudge Cookie Dough.  Hmm, Hmm, Good!

TIDBIT: If you join the Blizzard Fan Club (and yes, we did), you get a 2 for 1 (any size, yes even the large) AND you get a free Blizzard on your birthday!!

Love Hate

My sis is engaged and I've been trying to help her figure out dates and venues in the NY region. I love that it is not even 8:00 AM PST and I'm able to correspond via email with 3 various venues and a caterer and am getting responses. This is how we get things done!  (obviously this is a trait that is lacking in Canadian culture)

Since we arrived, I've been venting that the barristas at Starbucks wouldn't survive a second in NYC!

This "sense of urgency" and world of blackberries, however, is one of the reasons I wanted to leave that rat race. I definitely do not miss the hum of my blackberry throughout the night or the post-it notes by my bedside table in case I remembered things for work (hey, I am a meeting planner).  I wonder where in the world we can find that balance?

Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival

This week flew by...the sun was shining so we were out and about all week. Wednesday, Melvin and I had a date night and took our bikes out on the seawall to enjoy the cherry blossoms blooming. It was also Vancouver's 125th birthday, so not realizing it was happening, we rode by the Olympic torches, which were lit up and the outdoor concert. What a great night to be out on the bike.


I FINALLY found a family we could babysit swap with, so my friend came over and insisted we stay out late so she could watch this movie she brought over.  No problem. They have 2 kids exactly the same age (in fact, their little one has the same birthday as Amelie) and having the same nap and bedtime schedules helped a ton. So, it is now Friday night and I'm sitting for them. 


They have no TV.


UGH


All good, free date nights are well worth this sacrifice.

March Madness

Last night a friend of mine had a March Madness Finals Party...

I haven't watched one game nor have kept track of who was winning, losing and so forth...


Who cares?


I love wine and cheese, home made cookies and adult interaction, so we dialed the babysitter and we were there! It would've been 10 times better if I had a bet riding on the game.


I rooted for UConn...Why?  Well, because Melvin and I had our first kiss at UConn...duh, why else? 


Melvin rooted for UConn too.  Why? Well, the best player was from the Bronx. Humph.


Winner?  UConn!

Summer is near...

After a week of GRAY, yesterday was sunny and glorious at about 75 degrees. It was wonderful and of course, everyone was out in their kayaks, paddle surfboards, bikes and skates. Julian met up with "his best buds" at the playground - two of them had scooters and one was on his walking bike (i.e. Strider).  It was hilarious as they were the kings of the playground, racing around on their wheels, and trying to make conversation with these 3 girls, who were about 8 years older than them...while the girls told them to go away. 

In other Julian news...his teachers had to separate him and his girlfriend, Alyssa, for 30 minutes yesterday. Turns out they are just stuck like glue, inseparable, and are not interacting with any of the other children. They found tremendous improvement in his "drawings" after they were separated...it went from scribble to nice circles and shapes. hahaha...I don't know what to think of all that.

I think we are going to have our hands full with him!

Glad it's over!

The 30-day challenge ended today...thank goodness! It was wonderful getting unlimited yoga, spinning and meditation classes, along with infrared sauna, but it was exhausting! Scheduling was a nightmare because I had to go before Melvin went to work (which means 6:00am) or after the kids were in bed, since Amelie is still nursing at night.  Whew!

I was pretty successful. I had to miss 2 days though...Why? Well, on Sunday, we had a birthday party to attend. Since I wear my sneakers all week long as a stay at home mom, I thought I would rock my new platform shoes.  Unfortunately, the driveway was as steep as it could get and my ankle gave out.  I was holding Amelie so my motherly instinct kept her completely safe while I tore up the first layer of skin on my right knee. I was fine, but my ego was a bit bruised and there was no way in hell I'd be able to do any "on the knee" type postures or go to a spinning class!  

Now that the 30-days have passed, I will have more time to blog.  What's happened this past month that I will need to catch up on?

* Amelie is now an avid walker...she is quite feisty these days

* Julian and I had our first dentist experiences outside of the U.S. 

* We booked our trip to Hawaii for our friend's wedding

* I bought 3 colon hydrotherapy sessions at a very discounted price on livingsocial.com

* I am volunteering to organize Yaletown Toddler Group's meetings

* I am starting to think about Julian's kindergarten future (crazy!), since I need to register in November and there are a lot of choices and wait lists and we are at a bit of a disadvantage since he was not born here (I think it's a disadvantage, if anything, it just creates an extra step).

More on everything later!

Surviving Spring Break

Julian's preschool follows the same schedule as the schools within Vancouver, so this past week was Spring Break.  There was no way I could survive a full week of him bouncing off the walls at home, so I enrolled him into Roundhouse Community Centre's Little Trekkers Spring Camp.  He had a blast. Each day, he came home with a project - potted plant, bird feeder, large bumble bee, underwater collage, etc. It surpassed our expectations and we were relieved he loved it, considering he had different teachers and different kids to deal with. We'll definitely be registering for future camps at the Roundhouse Community Centre.

Melvin and I realized how beneficial having something for himself every day was, so after deliberating back and forth, we decided to bump up his days at preschool next fall to 5 mornings.  He'll be getting ready for kindergarten next year and I think it'll be better for him.  We're (I'm) excited, but at the same time, I can't believe how fast he's grown. I also realized how much I missed out being at work full day and with my travel schedule. Time does fly!

With Julian being in camp this week, I had the time to prepare for the Kids Yoga Workshop I taught today for parents & preschoolers.  I was petrified and did some major preparation. It surprised me that I was more nervous than for adult classes, but children are SO unpredictable!  Anyway, I think it was a success and it was fun too. It certainly helped that I had a preschooler at home - it was easier to think of triggers to get their attention back and to relate to the kids.  Fun stuff!

Belgian Restaurant Week

Tomorrow starts Belgian Restaurant Week in NYC and my mouth is absolutely watering thinking about it. If you have never had a Liege Waffle in your life, you haven't lived. In my opinion, it surpasses the traditional Belgian (aka Brussels) Waffle BY FAR. Just enough crisp on the outside with pearl sugar balls throughout, caramelizing the chewy goodness within...YUM...WHO NEEDS SYRUP?

Someone please, please go to one of the Belgian Restaurant Week events in NYC and report back to me. I want to relive my moments in Bruges, Belgium!

Luckily, we have Patisserie Le Beau in Vancouver to satisfy my Liege Waffle cravings!

LIEGE WAFFLE

Rough Week

This week was a bit rough...It was Week 3 of my 30-day challenge and I'm EXHAUSTED...not to mention that just because I'm working out, I feel I can eat anything in sight and thus, gaining weight in the process.  In hindsight, 30-day challenge didn't do me much good, but I will finish it off...only a week and a half left!

On top of that, both kids had colds = broken sleep, whining, moaning, crying...

On top of that, I got another contract job so trying to work in between...

On top of that, attempting to wean Amelie from breastfeeding, so dealing with that change and emotional baggage tied to it...

I'm also volunteering for this mum-run toddler group in Yaletown. Each week, we bring in speakers from the community covering topics from will/estate planning to sleep training. I'm going out tonight with some of the mothers, so that is a good thing...I think they are normal people, but you can never tell unless you get to know them.  One of them told me that if she had two kids, she thinks she'd be an alcoholic.  You gotta really love that.  Made me feel a bit like superwoman, so I figured they were cool enough :)

...off to get my vino at UVA.

Hiroshima in the Morning

My friend told me all about this new book and the controversy it has stirred in the U.S. It's called Hiroshima in the Morning and is a memoir about a woman that received a 6-month fellowship in Japan and during her stay there, decided she did not want to be a mother (she has 2 children) anymore. She proceeded to get a divorce and the children stayed with their father, while she pursued her career.  I'm #7 on the waiting list at the library (I'm also #230 for Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother, but that is another blog story...hopefully I'll get to read it this year!).

My immediate impression, without reading the book, is that this woman identified WAY too much with motherhood. It's a constant struggle for mothers - finding, losing, finding, losing our identities - but I don't believe it is healthy to identify with motherhood solely or our careers solely. Mothers are not just mothers and professionals are not just professionals...not healthy.

...and seriously, if you "never wanted to be a mother", why did you have TWO children?  It's not a fad and it's not an accessory to have a child. Children are forever...if you don't want them, it's called birth control!  Again, I have not read the book, but just my immediate impression.

Satsang

Today, Melvin and I attended a Satsang.

Satsang (Sanskrit sat=true, sanga=company) is in Indian philosophy that involves (1) the company of the "highest truth," (2) the company of a guru, or (3) company with an assembly of persons who listen to, talk about, and assimilate the truth. This typically involves listening to or reading scriptures, reflecting on, discussing and assimilating their meaning, meditating on the source of these words, and bringing their meaning into one’s daily life. Contemporary spiritual teachers in the West frequently come from the East but can come from any part of the world.

(1) the "highest truth" was about Spiritual Intimacy...about relationships and the awareness of our actions in them and how we evolve with our partners.

(2) the "guru" was my very spiritual and amazing yoga teacher: Shakti Mhi

(3) the "company" comprised of gay, straight, women, men and one dog

We did, indeed, meditate for 10 minutes, didn't read any scriptures but as usual, enjoyed the enlightening words of my yoga teacher and her partner, Pepe Danza, an amazing musician and artist. It promoted wonderful dinner conversation for Melvin and I and hopefully a reminder to be aware of what is needed in our growing and ever-changing relationship.

Mantra = listen

Yantra = see

Tantra = feel

Before Kids...

A few weeks ago, I was cooking in the kitchen with one child hanging onto each leg and yelled out to Melvin asking him a question..."Hey! Do you remember what we used to do with our time before we had the kids?" His response, "I have no idea."


It's funny how kids consume your time. Even with all their naps and their 10-12 hours of sleep per night, how on Earth could we possibly still feel exhausted, right?  My response, "I have no idea!!"


Well, tonight, I was sifting through old pictures just because and I realized...Wow, we really traveled...thank goodness!!


Lesson of the Day: Travel and see the world before you have the kids!  It just gets more expensive and more difficult after they come along! 


Oh...and we used to work out and sleep a lot more, as well :) Love the little munchkins, but man, those were the days!

First Steps

Julian has been "coaching" Amelie on how to walk...his technique: pulling the front of their toy shopping cart while she struggles to keep up and "walk" by hanging onto back.  It's been really cute and fun watching them interact in this way.

Well, I guess all the "practice" paid off because Amelie took her first 5 steps yesterday!

Meanwhile, Julian gets home from his swim lesson today and we have this funny conversation.

Julian: Mommy, mommy, I put my head in the water!
Me: Really?  That's wonderful!  How long did you do it for?
Julian: 10 weeks!!!


My, how fast they are growing up!

Krispy Kreme "Beignets"

I was walking back from my Power Yoga class (4th day-check!) and stopped for a sandwich shop for lunch...Out of the corner of my eye, I see stacks and stacks of Krispy Kreme boxes at the shop across the way!

I ordered my sandwich and then made a beeline for the shop. Turns out they are fundraising for a local dance company and their upcoming tour. One dozen, please....

Then, I looked down at the box and it said "Product du Canada"....huh??  So I came home and googled it and turns out Krispy Kreme was created in North Carolina...Why did I think it was from NYC?  I guess I think everything started there...LOL

YRide

I started the YYoga's (Studio Chain in Vancouver) 30-day Challenge this month, which means I need to try and go to a class every day for the month of March. Just because I've been teaching yoga does not mean I've been diligent practicing it, so I figured this would be a great motivator for me (since I paid for it) to get back into it. I think Melvin is totally ecstatic because he knows when I'm in my "Yoga Zone", I'm in a better mood, more patient and don't fall asleep at 9:00pm every night, since I have more energy. Yoga really is amazing.

So my first class of the month was called YRide, which was a spinning class and a 15-min stretch at the end (weird for a yoga studio, I know). Mind you, I haven't taken a spinning class since pre-Amelie (or maybe pre-Julian), so my bum was like WTF. 

Luckily, I went back to my yoga teachings and remembered to: Just breathe...

When you separate yourself from the pain and recognize it is just "the moment", it passes really quick and it's like it was nothing.  Remember that next time you're at the gym...or in labor.

Home Buying Process

...in Vancouver / Canada is really different from the US!

- financing can happen in 3 days, instead of 40!
- "closing day" is really 15-30 minutes in the lawyer's office signing papers
- the lawyer really does all the work, so you actually feel good about the fee
- "picking up the keys" really means "picking up the keys"...simple as that
- a "final walk-thru" is not the norm here, we had to request it

Today, we got the apartment keys in our hands and I had 4 potential tenant appointments. Of course, a movie was being filmed in all of the common amenity areas, which meant I couldn't show the tenants the best part of the building....SO ANNOYING! No news yet on "that perfect tenant"; however, we are in no rush.  We're hoping to enjoy the views from the 42nd floor lounge this weekend.

Most Livable City in the World

For the 5th year in a row, Vancouver makes #1 again on the Economist Intelligence Unit list.

Our building is right behind that bridge!

Check out the article!

Vancouver took top spot with a score of 98 per cent based on rankings including health care, infrastructure, culture, environment and education. The Economist surveyed 140 cities.

After living here with 2 kids, I couldn't agree more!

Visitors

Our visitors from Philadelphia just left...waahhh...we love having visitors and showing people around our new city. It started off a bit rainy (big surprise), but was followed by 4 solid days of sunshine! As always, it was wonderful catching up and spending quality time with great friends. 

Whistler involved snowshoeing, snowboarding, grilling, spa-ing, hot-tubbing, shopping and of course, EATING.  Julian went to Whistler Kids Snow School, which is an AWESOME program. It runs from 8:30am-3:30am and includes lunch, 2 snacks and ski lesson!  It was tough leaving him and there were some tears during drop-off, but at the end of the day, he really enjoyed it and wants to do it again!

Vancouver involved sightseeing, walking, driving, boating, shopping and of course, EATING.  We also dined at a fabulous French bistro called Salade de Fruits Cafe.  It was actually a wonderful surprise, as I didn't expect much, but it was truly....FABULOUS. It is really hard to find an authentic French bistro, but this place was truly authentic, French server and all...the fries were awesome and the moules portion was huge!  We will be going back really soon.

We really hope our visitors enjoyed everything as much as we did!

Valentine's Day Lesson

...never eat 2 baskets of Chipotle Powdered Fry Bread...

...and then rub your eyes...

Here's to another yummy dinner at Gastown's Cobre!

Hmmm...Rugelach!

Wednesday night, Melvin and I went to that symposium about Camel's Milk, which I mentioned in a previous post has amazing benefits to the human body. I won't go too much into it, but I don't understand why this stuff is not in North America.  I know for sure that Julian would no longer be allergic to peanuts if we had him drinking this stuff for a week.  The studies that have been done since 2005 show this. Also, studies have shown that it'd cure or stabilize people's diabetes, since the milk naturally has insulin in it.  I will spare you of my insight and you can click on the link below if you're truly interested.

CAMEL MILK FOR HEALTH

Moving on, the point of this post is that the keynote speaker of the symposium was Professor Yagil of Ben Gurion University in Beer Sheva, Israel.  Naturally, the Jewish Community welcomed him to Vancouver and the symposium was hosted by the Congregation of Schara Tzedeck.  Well, all I have got to say is...

Man, do I miss Rugelach!!! 

Refreshments were served at the Temple during the symposium and I snagged a plateful of Chocolate Rugelach, ignored Melvin's face of embarrassment by the mound of goodness on my plate, and savored every minute.

Missing

me: julian, have you seen my watch

julian: julian & amelie threw it

me: can you tell me where? i won't get mad

julian: i don't know, somewhere over there; we can find it later

ARGH!! i still can't find it.

Bidding War

Woodwards Building

So it appears the Vancouver real estate market is still pretty hot, despite the post-Olympics era, as we just beat out 3 other offers on an apartment!  Yes, that's right, we are now a bit more vested in Canada and got an apartment, but not for us....it's a 1-bedroom unit, which we'll rent out and use as an investment property.  It is located in Gastown.

Rooftop Deck

Gastown is a warehouse district, similar to Meatpacking in NYC and Docklands in London. We're hoping it'll be an area that blows up and we can use this apartment as our own later on in life. If we play the cards right, it'll be one to choose from as we're traveling the world (haha, in our dreams, I know)...Or, if our children are good, we will let them use it :)

43rd Floor Fitness Centre

There were three other offers on it, so we were at the seller's mercy unfortunately ...however, as Melvin said, if you really want something, you gotta put your best foot forward and that's it...Take it or leave it.  There are still some outstanding steps before the keys are in our hands, but here's a glimpse.  Now we just have to look for tenants!!

Dim Sum in Vancouver

My search for NYC Chinatown quality Dim Sum in Vancouver lives on...

As usual, to celebrate Chinese New Year, we would out for Dim Sum and checked out Imperial Restaurant, which is located close to Canada Place in downtown Vancouver.  It was recommended to us by Chinese people, as "the best Dim Sum" in Vancouver, so you would figure it would be up to par with NYC Dim Sum at the very least.  Nope...it was fine, don't get me wrong, but I wouldn't say "the best".

Anyway, we might have to give in and venture out to Richmond, B.C. (close to Vancouver Airport) for some dim sum, as it is 45% Chinese. Maybe next year!

One dish that didn't disappoint was my all-time favorite Egg Tarts.  Yummmm!

Snowmaggedon

We had been considering Chicago as one of our cities to move to prior to finalizing Vancouver.

Lakeshore Drive - Chicago 2011 Blizzard

Let's just say we are SO glad we opted for Vancouver!!


On another note, Kung Hai Fat Choy or Happy New Year! 新年快樂
Let's see what this year of the Rabbit will bring us.  I know it will bring me some Dim Sum this weekend!!

Julian trying to be brown(er)...

So we found this wonderful babysitter that charges us $4 per hour for our date nights (which we totally pay her more, because that is so cheap it must be against the law)....she gets along so well with Julian, it has been great!  Last month, she taped one of their conversations (below).

Before you watch it, I should mention that she is an Indian girl and regularly tries to make Julian laugh by reprimanding him in an Indian accent.  Hilarious.

Winter Ride

Today, we had some glorious sunshine with temps in the 40s (Fahrenheit)...so we went for a "winter" bike ride on the seawall. Everyone was out with their dogs, kids, etc. which is most common once the sun shows itself during the winter. VITAMIN D rocks!


We rented one of those 2-seater kid trailers and it was the perfect solution...


...EXCEPT:
Amélie screamed most of the way (only child that doesn't like motion)
Julian kept saying he was hungry
Julian kept screaming, Stop! Amélie is crying!
I kept screaming, Julian share the Cheerios! Don't step on her feet!


We made it to English Bay and then headed back...


I think we'll be riding during nap time next time!

Camel Milk: A New Alternative Medicine

Last night, I met this amazing woman...Her 3rd child (she has 4) contracted a parasite when he was 19 years old, while traveling. It was confirmed to be a hydro parasite, so it must've happened through drinking water...no one knows.  He was hospitalized and his immune system complete shut down as a result of it. He started becoming allergic to food, one by one...He was only able to sustain himself by having a tablespoon of rice milk a day.  He had lost 45 lbs during his experience. They tried every type of medicine available - both Western & Eastern - and went to the best doctors in Vancouver. No one knew how to stop this parasite from completing taking the functions of his organs away.  She watched her son deteriorate and eventually, he was too weak to walk or talk.

During this time, her husband had to go to Israel. There, he heard of Professor Reuven Yagil, who was researching the benefits of Camel's Milk (it is not distributed in Israel or the Western Hemisphere at this time). Anyway, he spoke to her husband and it seemed that this may be something his son could benefit from. There were MAJOR hurdles getting Camel's Milk to Canada, but finally, the parents got the necessary permit to get it over here for their son.  Actually, each time they needed it over the years, they had to fly to Israel and bring 40 litres over for their supply, but a parent will do anything for their child, right? This is the first time it has ever been allowed in Vancouver - holistic and alternative medical physicians have not been able to get it, even for research.

After 2 days of drinking camel's milk, he walked up the stairs and said, "Mum, I feel good". She nearly fell to the ground and said she would never forget that moment.  Mind you, he was too weak to walk or talk for 6 weeks...after 4 days, he had a banana, and so forth until the foods he was allergic to was reintroduced to his diet.  He drank Camel's milk twice a day and eventually was able to eat normally again. He graduated from Univ of British Columbia not too long ago. His mother wanted to donate a camel to UBC for research, but the Candian government wouldn't allow it.

Anyway, Melvin and I are going to this symposium that is going to be held to talk about the benefits of Camel's Milk (it has been known to cure or help Diabetes, Chrohns, Autism and Allergies) and this Professor from Israel will be speak. Dr. Michael Mandl (one of the best clinical immunologists and allergists in Vancouver) and Dr. Brian Bressler from UBC will also be on the panel.  We need to get this stuff to North America.  It is now being researched in several countries, including the States and farmers are started to test and milk these "one humped" camels...I really believe this will do wonders for the next generation.

Warming Sock Treatment

Julian and Amélie have had a really healthy winter, so I'd really like to keep it that way. Well, this weekend and today, we were exposed to Julian's germ-infested friend from school and so a cough started...Julian has a weak respiratory system, even as an infant, so "the cough" always makes me cringe as I remember trips to the ER for wheezing and so forth.

Our Naturopathic Doctor recommended a Warming Sock Treatment for whenever any congestion or cold symptoms start.  I'm trying it right now and it seems to be working - no cough during his nap yet!  I wanted to share it, as it is natural and a great alternative to meds or nebulizer treatments. Oh, adults can try too :)

Cold Sock Congestion Treatment
(aka Warming Sock Treatment)

The Cold Sock Treatment is a simple hydrotherapy technique that is especially effective for relieving nasal congestion in bed at night (frequently better than medications and without the side effects). It also helps to stimulate the immune system in the upper respiratory tract and is relaxing for aches and chills, and helps bring on a more restful night’s sleep when sick. We find it helpful in such conditions as colds, "flu" (not the "stomach flu"), earaches, sore throats, and sinus infections. It is useful with people of any age from infants to the elderly. The Cold Sock Treatment is especially good to use with the nasal congestion of colds and influenza.


Preparations. In the evening before going to bed, prepare by having a pair of cotton socks and a pair of wool socks. They must be at least 90% cotton and 90% wool, respectively. Most sporting goods stores and some department stores carry wool socks. For small children you can use safety-pins to hold a wool sock on that is too large, or rap wool cloth around each foot.
Step 1. Soak the foot part of the cotton socks in cold tap water and wring them out thoroughly. Place the socks close to the basin or bathtub used in the next step. Note: If your feet are already warm (e.g., you have already been in bed) you can skip to Step 3.
Step 2. Put your feet into a basin or bathtub of hot water to warm up your feet. Soak them for a few minutes until they are hot and pink.
Step 3. Remove your feet from the hot water and quickly dry them off. Immediately put on the cold wet cotton socks, and then over them, put on the dry wool socks.
Step 4. Go directly to bed and keep the feet covered through the night. The therapy does not work if you or your feet are uncovered, such as when walking around or sitting in a chair uncovered.

When the Cold Sock Treatment procedure is followed correctly the feet will start warming up within a few minutes of getting covered in bed. The congestion will usually start to be relieved within 30 minutes. It will often work better than a decongestant or antihistamine to relieve congestion during sleep. In addition, it is not uncommon to see a small child or infant fall immediately to sleep (this is true!) after they are put to bed with the Cold Sock Treatment. After approximately four hours the socks should be totally dry, the feet warm, and the symptoms will be much improved (if not gone).

If necessary, the Cold Sock Treatment can be repeated through the night or used on consecutive nights. In repeating the treatment in the same night or if an illness starts during the night, it is not necessary to warm the feet in hot water since they will already be warm. Simply apply the wrung out cold wet socks and the dry wool socks and go back to bed.

Did you know...

- that Vancouver is a rain forest? Despite it being a "wet" city, it has lower avg. rainfall that Boston, MA...it can get quite gray in the winter though!


- that Vancouver has the mildest climate in all of Canada. It is usually 40 degrees here in the winter, so no, we do not get snow when New York does!


- that the 3 Fairmont Hotels in Vancouver only get their garbage picked up once a week?  Everything else is recycled or reused...amazing!


- that the city of Vancouver is trying to be the greenest city in the world by 2020?


- that all American citizens, even if living abroad, need to file their taxes EVERY YEAR?


- that American citizens get penalized severely (from a tax perspective) if they invest in mutual funds, while living outside the U.S?


- that B.C. is the 3rd largest producer of blueberries in the world?


- that a resident of Vancouver is called a Vancouverite?


- that the city of Vancouver has no highways downtown?


- that Pamela Anderson, Jason Priestley, Nelly Furtado and Michael J. Fox (among many others) are from the Vancouver area?


- that B.C. has a beautiful wine country, known as the "Napa Valley of the North"?

Who is WHO?

Yesterday, I had a mother tell me that the WHO recommends mothers breastfeed for 2 years.

I said, Who??

She said, The World Health Organization.

I wanted to throw up. That is just way too long in my opinion. I also feel it's virtually impossible for American mothers to even come close to this. The maternity leave is so short in the States (they get a YEAR paid in Canada and even more in other countries within Europe), that I cannot imagine it being possible. Actually, it is possible, but the mother would probably just be extremely miserable.

With Julian, I remember pumping in my office, on a teleconference, while writing an email. Talk about multi-tasking, right?...and my manager walks in on me. I was mortified, he was mortified...Needless to stay, I stopped not to long after that.

Just cuz I'm Filipina...

don't mean I'm the nanny!

can't keep up

I've finally recovered from my trip away, although in my typical fashion, my bag is still packed. I used to only unpack when it was time to pack for another one...in this case, that'll be a long while, so I should probably kick that habit soon!


I can't seem to keep up at home this week.


...laundry is piling up again
...toys everywhere
...messages from moms that want to have a play date (while nice, I need a bit of a break)
...kitchen and bathrooms need a cleaning (in the process of finding a cleaner for this task)
...met with our "cross border" accountant...left with a headache
...need to gather tax docs from US/Canada, etc.
...submitting business expenses and still finalizing reimbursements from my old job


Most of all, I cannot keep up with cooking for a family of 4!!  I finally succumbed to buying a slow cooker. Yes, it seems I'm the last one on the planet to have one, but I'm a bit of an old school cook. I like to chop everything by hand, I like to make everything from scratch with fresh this and fresh that, smell, stir and taste as my creation is brewing. 


Well, enough of that crap already...my fam's got to eat and my son and daughter have an appetite like their mama! I found a brand new Salton Multipot Slow Cooker on craigslist yesterday and immediately got it to see if it's something I can use to make my life easier. If anyone out there has any vegetarian or seafood slow cooker recipes, please email me!!

I'm making my first dish today...Vegetables and Halibut in Curry Sauce. Chopped everything up and threw it in there this morning.  The fact I don't have to cook before Julian's swim class this evening is a blissful feeling!! I'll update how it comes out!

United Airlines...

BLOWS!!!  We must all come together and take them down!


LAX is the worse airport on the planet (after Madrid)!


I hate pumping in public bathrooms and conference rooms!


BREEEAAATHE!!!

...this was all made better by...my Jenny McCathy sighting at LAX!!  I'm a HUGE fan!  She cracks me up and I think every pregnant woman on the planet should be required to read Belly Laughs.  I didn't have the balls to tell her though :(

Life on the road..

is not what it used to be.

It's been a full year and a month since I have had to travel for work. While I saw the "shift" back then, I didn't fully recognize it until now. As I sit in the 21st floor of my hotel room in sunny San Diego overlooking the marina and bay, I no longer see what I used to love in traveling for work.

...room service
...first class
...free (and good) food
...reading celebrity mags at the airport
...the quiet time on a plane, where no one can reach me
...exploring a new city by foot
...a break from my daily routine
...uninterrupted sleep


Instead, I find myself...


...annoyed at the long lines at the airport
...embarrassed to be pumping in a public bathroom at the airport
...lifting my heavy bags, that no one helps me with
...walking in heels, when I really want to be in flip flops
...wearing my uncomfortable suit
...laughing at the loud kids next door 
...laughing at the loud parents next door
...wishing my kids were the loud kids

Don't get me wrong, I've been loving the fact that I could eat a meal in peace. I even finished a 344 page library book and slept a straight 7 hours! I would've slept longer if I didn't have to pump! At the end of the day though, I miss the kids (and Melvin) more than anything and realized that while I still love to travel...I'd much rather be traveling with them. While I'm glad I've reached this realization, I'm still going to wallow in every minute of "me" time that I have for the rest of the day. Then, tomorrow morning, I'll welcome that 4:30am cry and gladly run to Amélie's room to feed her.


Absence DOES make the heart grow fonder!

SD

I have my first  post-Amélie business trip (San Diego) and am leaving tomorrow very early. It's an easy peasey luncheon at Roy's Restaurant. What more could I ask for in a contract job?

Even though I spend 24/7 with the kids, the mother's guilt never fails. To compensate, I'm doing as much preparation as I can, so it'll be smooth sailing for Melvin.

Every Ounce of Dirty Laundry: Check
Food in the Fridge: Check
Pumped Breast Milk in Freezer: Check (an absurd amount)
Prepared Foods in the Freezer: Check
Library Books for Julian: Check
Amélie's Nap/Food Schedule for Babysitter: Check

In the meantime, since I haven't been working full-time, I feel "slow". For example, I used to be able to pack in less that 5 minutes, even if it was for a 5 day trip. Not anymore! Also, I'm like, hmm, what do I need? Oh crap, I need MS Office on my laptop!  Melvin is working on that right now :)


Request for Melvin: Try to match the kids' clothes, when going out in public.

Ramen Search

I was a regular at NYC's midtown eastside's Menchanko-tei. It was at a perfect location to meet my friends from my old job.  There's nothing like a hot bowl of Shoyu Ramen to slurp up on a cold winter's day...with just the right amount of Ramen noodles in a hot broth, and of course that sliver of tender pork on top to tease the senses.  Totally got me through my pregnancy!

Well, my craving finally got the best of me, so Melvin and I went on a quest last night to find Vancouver's version of "Menchanko-tei".  Yelp stated that Kintaro was the place to go, so off we went! It was a total dive and...we LOVED it!! 

Menu was rather limited, but you could pick what kind of broth you wanted (Shoyu, Shio, Miso), whether you wanted it rich, medium or light AND you could pick whether you wanted your pork fatty or lean...of course, Melvin went with fatty (and woke up with a massive migraine this morning)!

Noodles: Kintaro
Menu Selection: Menchanko-tei (I like how they let you add fried chicken, fish balls, etc. to your soup)
Broth: Kintaro
Pork: Kintaro (I actually had the Veg version, but Menchanko-tei's pork is half the size)
Atmosphere: Kintaro - totally no frills

Looks like Kintaro wins!  We actually passed about 5 other Ramen dives downtown, so we'll be confirming which Vancouver spot really takes that the Ramen crown!

matt, liz and madeline

I started following this blog: matt, liz and madeline, shortly after Julian was born. It captured my attention immediately since I was a new mom at the time and the story was simply mind-blowing. Despite my tough pregnancy and labor/delivery, the blog gave me perspective and made me realize that I am one of the blessed ones.

Matt is the father, Liz the mother and Madeline, the baby.  Liz was on bed rest for 5 weeks, had low amniotic fluid and then had a c-section. Just as she was getting ready to see and hold Madeline for the first time, she collapsed on the ground as a result of a pulmonary embolism. The doctors weren't able to bring her back...The blog is Matt's story and how he got through this unimaginable situation. 

They seemed like such a wonderful couple and they loved to travel.  He took Madeline to a lot of the places he and Liz went to. One of the blog entries that touched my heart was when he took Madeline to the exact spot in India, where he had proposed to her mother.

It's an amazing story and I was excited to hear of his book coming out in April 2011, called Two Kisses for Maddy: A Memoir of Loss & Love.  I am so excited to read it...I'm sure it'll cleanse my tear ducts thoroughly!

the twins

Yesterday, my friend had to work, so we offered to watch her 3-yr old twins.  Julian had a blast and Amelie knows how to hold her own by now; however, it was madness!  Fun, but very nice to give them back at the end of the day. :)

4 kids = no thank you!