Bargains galore!

I had always heard that the annual Great Glebe Garage Sale was an event not to be missed. But in all my years living here, I've never gone. Until today, that is. I went with $15 in my wallet and came home with $10 in change even though I bought: a toy dinosaur and a huge bag full of clothes for the little guy (MEC fleece pants, rubber boots, 2 pairs of summer pjs, a pair of shorts, and two REALLY nice button up shirts. Not bad!

Of course we had to wade through a lot of junk before making these finds....But it was so much fun. The whole neighbourhood goes all out for the event. There were bands playing music, people selling homade hot dogs, lemonade, and baked goods on their driveways. The idea is to donate 10% of the proceeds to charity -- and I'm sure most people give more.

The best part of my day

I have a stressful job and, at times, a stressful life. The best stress buster I've found to date is a trip to our local park. Now that the weather is warm, the little guy and I stop there every day on our way home. And, every day, the same flock of kids, parents and caregivers descend upon the park at about the same time as well -- like geese around a pond.

When I open the park's gate, I leave all of my stress on the other side of the fence. Park time is play time. It is our time to run, jump, and climb; to dig in the sand; to chase birds and squirrels; to visit with our friends; and, to eat snacks on the park bench.

Best of all, park time is about spending quality time with my son after a long day at the office. I know he looks forward to it as much as I do.

When it's time to go home for dinner, it's reassuring to know that it will all happen again tomorrow at the same time, and same place. I guess you could say that my park is my sanctuary.

The things that make me wonder

Every morning, driven hopelessly by my caffeine addiction, I stop at Starbucks on my way to work. And almost every morning I see "Jesus guy" sitting on a bench in the corner. This guy is always robed in clear plastic bags, with a sign on his back that says "Jesus is power." He doesn't wear shoes, but rather ties cardboard boxes around his feet. Sometimes I see him walking around downtown. Every time I look down at the cardboard under his feet I think of clown shoes. People always veer away from him on the sidewalk, as is nature to do when someone appears a bit "crazy."

Most mornings I see him sitting at Starbucks, often chanting his prayers aloud. I'm not sure what language he is speaking -- my guess is that he is from an African country. He is obviously quite devoted to his beliefs. But every time I see him, I note the coffee cup on the table in front of him. I always wonder if, like me, he is a coffee addict. Or maybe he drinks tea or water. I am dying to know what this guy -- who swears off shoes -- drinks in the morning. Does he spend $1.75 or more on a cup 'o joe or do the friendly Starbucks employees give him freebies when he stop by?

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Other things that make we wonder:

- why some men comb-over bald spots. Just shave it off already!
- why people will wait in a 10 car line-up with engines running to save a few cents on gas
- why not everyone loves Turkish delight as much as I do
- why the reality television craze continues
- why do we work 5-day work weeks? Shouldn't the world be set up to maximize time away from the office?
- why do women who live/work in close quarters menstruate at the same time
- why do people rush through the Louvre to see the Mona Lisa and ignore all the other artwork along the way
- why do people think running marathons is fun

We're on a roll

First we got the house painted from top to bottom. Then we did a mini bathroom reno with a funky "round" look - round mirror, round lighting fixture, round patterned bath matt, very cool faucet with round handles. The only thing I wish wasn't round was my reflection in the mirror...:-) Man am I out of shape right now!

Now that we are on a roll with the renos, we want to keep up the momentum. Next on the list: back splash for the kitchen, modern carpeting on the stairs and upper floors. After that we want to hire a carpenter to build shelving and drawers in baby boy's room
(which he still doesn't live in!)

Once we're done, we may never want to move! Or at least maybe not for another few years...

Probiotics rock!

Thank you Dr. Sears for introducing me to the wonderful world of probiotics! Baby boy's wicked case of diarrhea (12 + times a day!!!) has cleared up thanks to a few doses of bacteria filled yogurt. Doesn't sound too appetizing, but it actually doesn't taste that bad. Probiotic yogurt is recommended for stomach viruses and all sorts of other ailments. But, like all things in life, buyer beware. Not all probiotic milk products are created equally. I did some research and came across this article on CBC Marketplace.

Probiotics (also available in tablet form) are also great for nursing mothers -- especially ones who are prone to yeast problems.

Natural healing

Although no one ever says it straight to my face, I know a lot of people think it's odd and even "unnatural" that I still breastfeed my 17-month old son. My mother is a perfect example. Every single time I speak to her on the phone she asks me if I'm still breastfeeding. When I say "yes" she never utters any words of encouragement. She simply says "uh-huh" and then proceeds to tell me stories that have a "pro-weening" slant.

I know that there is gossip behind my back. Jokes about how I'll probably keep breastfeeding him until he's nine. Ha Ha... Go ahead and gossip and laugh if you really think that it's funny that I'm so interested in my son's health and well-being. Breast milk is full of antibodies that help to strengthen his immune system. I know that there are lots of healthy babies and toddlers out there who aren't breastfed. That's great. But this isn't about them. It's about me and my son and what is best for us.

This weekend, my breast milk kept my son out of the hospital. He vomited all day on Saturday and was weak, listless and dehydrated. He refused to eat or drink anything but breast milk. In between nursing sessions, I had to drop feed him water and electrolyte fluids. He was so sick that I called telehealth and spoke to a nurse. When she found out that I was still nursing she said "Good, keeping doing it. Breast milk is easy for him to digest and will prevent him from getting seriously dehydrated."

On Sunday, he was still weak. The vomiting had stopped, but he had a fever, headache, mild diarrhea, and was still somewhat dehydrated. He wouldn't stand up, and was like a limp noodle. All he wanted to do was sleep. We managed to get him to eat a bit of food. But, again, the only thing I could get him to drink in any quantity was breast milk. I called telehealth a second time because I was worried about his excessive limpness and sleepiness. Again a nurse reinforced that I should continue to breastfeed.

Today, he is gaining his strength back. He is tired but cheerful, and not nearly as dehydrated.

At times like this, I'm really glad that he still chooses to breastfeed - "choose" being the operative word. It won't be long until he weens himself -- he's already starting to head in that direction. But I'm going to let him make the decision.