Florida

I'm in Fort Lauderdale right now for work (9 hour journey from Vancouver-ugh)...It's amazing how you don't know how to spend your time, after you've had children. I mean, I read a book, 2 magazines, had a nice dinner, took a walk and I still HAD time! So...I decided to get a massage last night after dinner....

While the masseuse was walking on my back (good stuff), we got to chatting. I was lamenting about missing my children and found out later she has not seen her 11-year old twins for THREE years!  Needless to say, I felt terrible.

She has been working 7 days a week to save up enough money to buy a house and bring them over from China and away from her evil in-laws, who have been poisoning their minds about her. Her husband had come to FL 5 years before her and when she got here, she found out he had found someone else!  Seriously, I felt horrible about bitchin' about being away from the kids for 3 days. I could see the pain while she was telling me this and my heart just went out to her....

Let's just say, I gave her a $40 tip....for an $80 massage. I hope she wasn't pulling my leg...

Empowerment

the feeling you get after lugging 2 toddlers on a double stroller onto the subway, filling out papers at our new doctor for the entire family, and then heading to Whole Foods. Then, with kids, stroller and groceries in hand (both hands), getting back on the subway, unloading groceries and cooking dinner, while talking on the phone.


What doesn't kill you makes you stronger.

Growth Spurt?

This is how we found Amelie in the morning....


These PJs fit her when I put her to bed...I SWEAR!!!

Good Friday...

is a bank holiday in Canada, so Melvin has the day off!

I think the weather has rounded its spring/summer corner because the sun has been shining all week, so I'm really looking forward to the summer now.

This morning, we ventured to North Vancouver and checked out Maplewood Farm.  What a super cute place!  They had mini tractors with pedals, so Julian loved those and we were able to visit with goats, rabbits, chickens, horses and all your typical farm animals. They really let you get up close and personal at this place! We brought carrots to feed the rabbits and then fed ourselves in the little gazebo with picnic tables at the farm.  

Julian is not crazy about animals, since we're not usually around them, so it was quite amusing watching him get upset when Amélie was walking around...he kept saying "Carry her! Protect her! The cow is going to eat her"!  

Disadvantage to working from home...

Typical conference call scenario:


Coleen chatting away....


CLICK


Coleen wondering, WTF?  Turns around to see Amélie's finger coming off the hang up button.

Cuba - the end of an era...

It has been my long desire to travel to Cuba...Melvin has not wanted to make the trek with me, as American Citizens...To read more on the US embargo against Cuba, click here.  Americans are banned from travelling to Cuba for the purpose of tourism, but there are ways around this, such as 1) travelling a 2-leg flight or 2) applying for a specific license for one of the following reasons:

Persons visiting immediate family in Cuba

Full-time graduate students conducting academic research to be counted toward a graduate degree

Undergraduate or graduate students participating in a study abroad program of at least 10 weeks in length

Professors/teachers employed at a US institution travelling to Cuba to teach

Persons engaging in religious activities

Freelance journalists

Persons engaging in humanitarian projects

Persons engaging in non-profit cultural exhibitions

 It is even possible for an individual with a credible background in, say, freelance journalism or academics, to craft a "mission" for their visit which successfully gets them a permit.  Anyway, we are clearly not journalists or humanitarians and Melvin was not keen on chancing a 2-leg flight and getting caught, so what do we do?

I was / am quite excited to apply for permanent residency and then citizenship, solely for the purpose of having a Canadian passport. Then, I can finally live out my dream of visiting Cuba!  I have met many Canadians that have been there multiple times and have only heard great things...

Today, I found out that Raul Castro succeeds Fidel as Communist Party Chief and it is in effect today.  I feel that this will bring a lot of change; hopefully all for the good, while retaining the unique things visitors are in awe of when the go there, like the architecture, old cars, paladares (locally owned restaurants in private homes) and safety (because it is Communist, there is low tolerance for violence/crime).

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!