July 25, 2011 by Barbara.

We hosted a birthday party for Reid and her friends at 4Cats Hintonburg. It deserves a post of it’s own but on her birthday, Reid deserves to have a couple of pictures posted.

Happy Birthday, my precious child. You bring so much energy and joy with you wherever you are. You are a delight to have in my life.

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July 19, 2011 by Barbara.

I took Reid to Wheatley last Friday for two weeks of “Grandma Camp”, as she calls it. Reid cried a bit when we left Ken and told me that she was missing him a couple of times on Friday. Aunt Karin told me about a conversation that she had with Reid:

Aunt Karin: So, you’re not going to see your mother for fourteen days.
Reid: I know and I don’t care! 

I’m sure that she does care, at least a little bit, but not in a worried she’ll miss me kind of way. In any case, there were at least three points where I noticed that life would be better at Grandma Joyce’s. 
 

1. Grandma buys ultra-soft, super-deluxe toilet paper. Don’t think, “quilted”, think “duvet”. The first tme she touched it, Reid exclaimed, “Mom, it’s so soft!” and then she added, “it’s fresh.” (I didn’t understand that, really.) If Will and Kate use softer toilet paper, it’s made of actual cloth.
2. Grandma serves grilled cheese sandwiches on white bread. They’re golden brown, made with higher fat cheese and available on demand. Reid’s mama buys whole wheat bread and light cheese. She is boring.
3. Grandma’s world is populated with many teens and adults who have, between them, lots of time to dedicate to Reid. She loves adult attention and having a teen talk to you is like having a rockstar speak with y0ou, when you’re not-quite-seven.

Life is better at Grandma Joyce’s. I hope that Reid still believes this at the end of 14 days. It’ll be okay if she is at least a bit glad to see Ken and me when we arrive, though.

Posted in Food, Holidays, Vacation, Potty tales, Mama, Barbara's family | Print | 2 Comments »

March 31, 2011 by Barbara.

Ever since Reid was small, she has looked forward to “helping” Aunt Karin make pie dough and the pies themselves. I think that Reid may actually be lessening the work now. Aunt Karin says that she is investing the time so that she won’t always be the one who must be “rolling out the dough” (like that guy in Perfect Strangers).

To be sure that the knowledge lives on, I’m offering Aunt Karin’s pie crust recipe and a how-to video.

 Pie crust

• 5.5 cups all purpose flour (use 5.5 toothpicks to keep track of the flour as you put them in the bowl)
• 2 tsp salt
• 1/8 cup sugar
• 1 lb Tenderflake lard
• 1 tsp vinegar
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• cold water

1. Mix together flour, salt and sugar.
2. Cut in Tenderflake lard with pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture resembles coarse oatmeal.
3. In a 1 cup measure, combine vinegar and egg. Add water to make 1 cup. Gradually stir liquid into lard mixture. Add only enough water to make dough cling together.
4. Gather into a ball and divide into 6 portions. If desired, wrap unused portions and refrigerate or freeze.
5. Good tip: Aunt Karin freezes the dough in pie-size portions in sandwich bags.
6. Roll out each portion on lightly floured surface. If dough is sticking, chill 1 to 2 hours.
7. Transfer dough to pie plate. Trim and flute shells or crusts and bake according to filling directions.
8. For a perfect, golden crust, mix a bit of milk with coarse sugar and paint the crust carefully.

Here is a video of Reid demonstrating the most important steps.
 

Posted in How to, Holidays, Food, Barbara's family | Print | 1 Comment »

December 24, 2010 by Barbara.

Last year, Andrea at Peek Inside the Fishbowl posted a picture for each hour of Christmas Day. I must confess that I usually enjoy Christmas Eve more than Christmas Day. I love the anticipation and preparation. I’ve decided to try the picture an hour approach, with updates to this post as the day passes.

3:50 - Do I really have to wait until tomorrow to eat this?

2:54 - Poppa Howard’s memorial angel

1:45 - Skates off - Uncle Roger and Reid

12:50 - Skates on - Dylan and Brianna

11:56 - Browsing the toy aisle, I don’t know why

10:54 - On the way to get those last few things

9:50 - Watching Christmas specials

8:53 - Grandma and Reid watching Portable North Pole video message from Santa

7:51 - Aunt Karin and Reid at work on cherry pies

6:52 - pie dough waiting

Posted in Holidays, Barbara's family | Print | 1 Comment »

November 11, 2010 by Barbara.

When your husband is a military historian (but not in the military, let me be clear), you don’t remember soldiers only on Remembrance Day. You talk about them at the dinner table, you discuss Vimy Ridge Day and Battle of the Atlantic Sunday and so many other anniversaries. When there is an article in the newspaper, you follow along and listen to the context of the events presented. When the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is discussed, you are proud to know that your husband and his colleagues worked to bring the Unknown Soldier home, to represent all the soldiers  - named and unknown - who lie in graves on foreign soil. You are proud as well, that your husband has contributed to the identification of soldiers who were unknown for decades but through historical, genealogical and DNA research, have been restored their identity so long after their deaths.

 But on Remembrance Day, when everyone is remembering the armed forces personnel that have died and been injured in military conflicts, when your historian husband is in Kandahar working to gather the documents that will allow people decades from now to understand the history of the present conflict, you think of the families of those soldiers, sailors and armed forces personnel who were so worried for so long about the safety of their loved ones. You try not to imagine their sense of loss when they didn’t come back.

My husband is in a war zone. He is relatively safe. I know this. I know also that he has a helmet and flak vest to wear during rocket attacks. I know that he received training on gas attacks. I want him to come home. I am proud that he is committed to preserving the history of the sacrifices that our soldiers are making. I am sorry that there are so many family members of these soldiers who are mourning the loss or injury of their loved one and I want to say that my family will not forget - that my husband is working to ensure that our country will not forget.

 We remember.

Posted in Holidays, Daddy | Print | 5 Comments »

November 3, 2010 by Barbara.

View More Wordless Wednesday Participants, look at my previous Wordless Wednesday entries, or check out the cute babies and kids at 5 Minutes for Mom.

Posted in Holidays, Wordless Wednesday | Print | 1 Comment »

November 3, 2010 by Barbara.

Reid wore her costume to the Trick or Treat to a Wicked Beat concert at the National Arts Centre on Saturday. There were many other kids in costume and even most of the orchestra members were dressed in costumes. I restrained myself to a usual outfit plus a headband with witch’s hat and purple braids attached. On Sunday we went to a Kids in the Capital Halloween party at Boston Pizza and so I put my costume on to be a wizard to Reid’s witch. (For reasons not clear to me, Reid decided that a wizard was a witch’s helper and, since she is the star of the show - I.e. our life - I was the wizard.) A lovely lady named Julie took Reid’s picture and I’m hoping one turned out well. We arrived late (surprise) and so our food came later than the others. I had to coax Reid to eat a bit but her food looked good. The other kids were more interesting, though. After lunch, I called and invited Ben to see Opera Lyra Ottawa’s Hansel and Gretel with us. It was a good choice - just a bit scary - for Halloween afternoon. We drove straight to Melissa and Peter’s for supper.

After supper, Peter and I took the four kids out trick or treating while Melissa passed out candy. I hadn’t planned ahead well enough and was without boots on a night with snow on the ground and an icy wind. Fortunately, I was able to get my feet in Melissa’s boots or I’m sure I’d still be complaining ;+) The kids resisted staying in a group but threats of returning home convinced them that togetherness has its merits. The only real hiccup was that both Reid and Ben like to ring the doorbell and he is faster than her. She complained because, as an only child, ringing the bell is usually her prerogative. He resisted because, as the youngest in his family, ringing the bell is usually his prerogative. Turn-taking ensued (more or less smoothly). I learned, though, that witch hats aren’t practical for windy night. Reid’s kept blowing off and I was soon carrying it. About half-way through our trip, Reid said her wings were uncomfortable and I carried them, too. She was surprised that people asked her what she was, wearing only a purple and black tutu, wild colours in her hair and a snowsuit. She’d answer, “I’m a witch,” as though it were perfectly obvious. Sometimes I’d show the hat but mostly I didn’t.

Back at the house, Reid chose a treat to eat, had her picture taken a couple of times and then we headed for home. She fell asleep on the way - win! - and stayed that way while I carried her to bed. I resisted the urge to raid her treats bag.  Double win!

On Monday morning, I asked if Reid thought it would be okay if she took candy to school. She wasn’t sure and asked my opinion. I told her I think it’ll be okay this week. I hope the teacher agrees. Once supper was cleaned up, I suggested that Reid dump her treats on the table to see what she’d received. The treats in the big bag were even more impressive when they were spread out. We sorted them into chocolate, chewy (gum), sugary (most candies) and round (Swedish berries, Smarties, m&m’s) according to Reid’s direction. I suggested that she should be identifying candy that she could give away. Reid pointed at the entire chocolate pile and declared, “I don’t like that. I don’t like chocolate.” She even separated the round pile into candy and chocolate and put the chocolate-based candies in the giveaway pile. I pulled the plain chocolate bars out for fondue (because I’m cheap that way) and saved a sandwich bag-full of chocolate bars for Ken and me. The rest are destined for the Ottawa Food Bank. Okay, I should confess to having eaten a Coffee Crisp, a pack of Reece’s pieces and 2 mini marshmallow broom - my favourites.  I felt queasy by the end but I’m done eating Halloween candy and I enjoyed what I had.

There are so many types of candy that Reid has never eaten before. She took Starburst Chews for a treat today. She’d never had them but I like them enough for both of us. There are other gummy candies and gumdrops that she’s never had, too. It’s good that Halloween is a learning experience, even after it’s over.

I’ll close with a joke Sarah told me while we were out trick or treating:
Q: What do bloggers do on Halloween?
A: They trick or tweet.

(I suspect Peter had a hand in that but have no evidence.)

Posted in Holidays, Ben, Melissa and Peter | Print | 4 Comments »

October 14, 2010 by Barbara.

Grandma Joyce brought her old punch bowl for me when she came to visit recently. Reid loved unwrapping each of the small cups and hanging each on its hook around the rim of the bowl. Since we were having Melissa and her kids to supper on Saturday night, Reid asked to make punch. Grandma Joyce washed all of the pieces and Aunt Pam provided the recipe and supervised preparations. We set the tables with good china and fancy silverware (but plastic glasses, because they’re less tippy than wine glasses). Reid loves getting out the “good dishes”, as Grandma Joyce calls them. They make an ordinary meal a bit more
special.

When Melissa saw the punch bowl, she asked what special event I was planning. I told her that having dinner with her family *was* the special event. If your best friend’s family isn’t worth getting out your best dishes, who is?

Disclosure: Grandma Joyce taught me that one should use one’s good dishes despite the risk of breakage. rather than keeping them “safe” and unappreciated in a cupboard.

Aunt Pam’s punch recipe

4 cups sherbert - lime or rainbow, if you’re feeling fancy(1 litre)
4 cups ginger ale (1 litre)
4 cups pineapple juice (1 litre)
1 lime

Mix all these together. (Originally served for st pattys day, pretty green colour)

Posted in Holidays, Food, Melissa and Peter | Print | 1 Comment »

October 10, 2010 by Barbara.

Andrea over at Peak inside the Fishbowl inspired The 10photos Project. Throughout the day, I took a photo at the top of each hour for 10 hours, starting 7:00 am EST. The earliest photos are at the bottom. I’m also uploading to the 10Photos Project Flickr Group.

ETA - It seems I can’t count. This is actually a 10+1 photo project. I couldn’t bear to delete Reid’s cousin’s arrival pic. She, too, is a special kid.

 5:00 pm - Cousin arrives at Grandma Barb’s

4:00 pm - Walking in Brockville

3:00 pm - On the road to Grandma Barb’s

2:00 pm - In front of the Shenkman Arts Centre

1:00 pm - Making pumpkins in pottery class

12:00 pm - Finally, a shower

11:00 am - I’m no longer invited in

10:00 am - We fruitlessly searched for butterflies (we found them eventually but the line was too long)

9:00 am - On the run with my running group

8:00 am - Taking care of her pearly whites

7:00 am - Almost time to wake up

Posted in Holidays, Pastimes, Mama | Print | 4 Comments »

July 25, 2010 by Barbara.

Reid is at Grandma Joyce’s today, in the middle of an almost two week visit. I’m home alone and am remembering how much she has changed in her six (six!) years. I have to say that my collection of Reid’s birthday pictures doesn’t represent the best pics I’ve ever taken, may even show some of the worst ones, but here they are:

2004 - July 25ishReid seemed so tiny when she was born, despite being 8 pounds, 8 ounces.

For Reid’s 1st birthday, we had pizza (the proof is one her face). Her grin shows that she was eager to get her fingers into her cake.

 
The American Girl princess dress Reid received for her 2nd birthday was very well received.

These yellow boots with a firefighters’ emblem on them were the hit of Reid’s 3rd birthday.

We were in Toronto to send Ken off on his first Afghanistan mission for Reid’s 4th birthday.

Once Reid stopped playing in her cake, she decided she didn’t like it. Pie was on the menu for Reid’s 5th birthday.

This isn’t Reid’s 6th birthday picture but since I’m here and she is there, I’ll stare at this one a bit.

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