While in the backyard we noticed another addition to our zoo. We have a pigeon nesting with two chicks. The girls have been feeding her guinea pig food. We imagine they will fly off soon.
Friday, July 26, 2013
Another Pet
While in the backyard we noticed another addition to our zoo. We have a pigeon nesting with two chicks. The girls have been feeding her guinea pig food. We imagine they will fly off soon.
Friday, July 19, 2013
Gluten Free Gratitude
A few weeks ago we were telling some friends that here, gluten free shopping is like a never ending treasure hunt. You're never sure what you're searching for, where you should be looking or what you'll end up finding.
For example, a couple of weeks ago J & I were on a shopping date when we came across GF Bisquick for $2 a box. We had never used it before so we only bought three boxes. Big mistake!! We should have bought ten or so as it turned out to be a great find as we could make pizza dough, pancakes and even waffles with it. Unfortunately the store is an hour or more from our house so by the time we get back there it will be all gone.
Yesterday we were at a nearby grocery store when we came across a whole section of GF foods from Germany. It wasn't there a few weeks ago and once word gets out everything will be snapped up quickly. A few months ago we found GF rice crackers in the same store and we bought fifteen boxes. We haven't seen them there since.
As difficult as it is to find GF food, our greatest joy is that we have been blessed with the ability to buy it for our little Celiac! We are so thankful for that provision (and for those of you that have sent us GF food from Canada different times in the past year!). GF food is typically outrageously priced (the Bisquick was a crazy exception). GF crackers are $8 a box, pasta is $10 and Chex are $12-15. In Canada the GF options were endless and the prices were reasonable. Here the options are limited and the prices are exorbitant. I would never dream of spending $15 on a box of cereal in Canada. The majority of people here would never have the option of buying GF even when it does pop up. We have yet to meet a local Celiac, but I am sure they exist.
May we never take this special provision for our daughter for granted.
Gratitude
I once heard a speaker claim that most of our destructive choices can be traced back to one line of thought,
We can fill in the blank with just about anything. I'll be happy when I have a bigger house, a newer car, a better job, I lose ten pounds, I have the iphone 5 ... the list goes on. I've certainly been guilty of these thoughts, especially the last one : )
The speaker went on to say that one of the best tools to defeat this line of thought is having an attitude of gratitude.
We find everyday here is an exercise in sanctification as we find another thing to be grateful for.
I have a friend who has been parking cars on our street for the past thirty three years. After high school he needed a job so he began parking, washing and guarding cars on our street. On average he receives $0.50 - $1 for every car. He thought it would be a temporary gig, and thirty three years later he is still here.
Last week I asked how he was and he said he was as happy as he's ever been. Why? He was going to send his family on a vacation to the nearby sea. When was he leaving? Then he laughed, no he wasn't leaving, he couldn't leave his work, he was sending his kids, wife, parents and in laws on a vacation by themselves while he continued to park cars. He said he would never take a vacation ... ever.
We have three doormen at our building. They guard, clean and provide services such as getting us water and paying our utility bills. They even free us from the elevator when the power goes off. They are also great language helpers for us. They work on average 12 hours a day, seven days a week, with one day off a month and no holidays. When someone is sick the other two work an extra six hours.
When I ask anyone what they are doing for the summer they look at me somewhat surprised and reply, 'Working of course.' What are their children doing for the summer? Watching tv and sleeping all day while they wait for their parents to come home (some of those left at home alone are preschoolers). That is, those that have parents or have parents that have work to go to so they don't have to beg on the streets.
The other day we were visiting with some of our friends that live on the street. J noticed that one of the ladies only had her young son with her and her six year old daughter was absent. Upon inquiring where she was, her mom said she was 'working' in front of a store down the road. It was the first time that these friends, who beg on our street daily, referred to the begging of the children as 'working'. It broke our hearts.
Just having a job is a privilege here and having a weekend off is a privilege that few receive.
Every day gives us another opportunity to be grateful!
"I'll be happy when ..."
We can fill in the blank with just about anything. I'll be happy when I have a bigger house, a newer car, a better job, I lose ten pounds, I have the iphone 5 ... the list goes on. I've certainly been guilty of these thoughts, especially the last one : )
The speaker went on to say that one of the best tools to defeat this line of thought is having an attitude of gratitude.
We find everyday here is an exercise in sanctification as we find another thing to be grateful for.
I have a friend who has been parking cars on our street for the past thirty three years. After high school he needed a job so he began parking, washing and guarding cars on our street. On average he receives $0.50 - $1 for every car. He thought it would be a temporary gig, and thirty three years later he is still here.
Last week I asked how he was and he said he was as happy as he's ever been. Why? He was going to send his family on a vacation to the nearby sea. When was he leaving? Then he laughed, no he wasn't leaving, he couldn't leave his work, he was sending his kids, wife, parents and in laws on a vacation by themselves while he continued to park cars. He said he would never take a vacation ... ever.
We have three doormen at our building. They guard, clean and provide services such as getting us water and paying our utility bills. They even free us from the elevator when the power goes off. They are also great language helpers for us. They work on average 12 hours a day, seven days a week, with one day off a month and no holidays. When someone is sick the other two work an extra six hours.
When I ask anyone what they are doing for the summer they look at me somewhat surprised and reply, 'Working of course.' What are their children doing for the summer? Watching tv and sleeping all day while they wait for their parents to come home (some of those left at home alone are preschoolers). That is, those that have parents or have parents that have work to go to so they don't have to beg on the streets.
The other day we were visiting with some of our friends that live on the street. J noticed that one of the ladies only had her young son with her and her six year old daughter was absent. Upon inquiring where she was, her mom said she was 'working' in front of a store down the road. It was the first time that these friends, who beg on our street daily, referred to the begging of the children as 'working'. It broke our hearts.
Just having a job is a privilege here and having a weekend off is a privilege that few receive.
Every day gives us another opportunity to be grateful!
Zoo Update
This summer we've had the privilege of villa and pet sitting while some friends went to their homeland of England for the summer. WE LOVE the outdoor space, trampoline, kiddie pool and the freedom it has brought us. We also love how our zoo has expanded. We moved in with our three hamsters (that we are pet sitting for two additional families who are away for the summer) and two turtles (our fish remained behind at our apartment which we still visit weekly).
Our ferocious cat, Scar, or Scarf as Iz calls her.
She often terrorizes the girls by chasing them around and biting their toes.
Our loyal guard dog, Polly.
She is incredibly gentle with the girls.
Our guinea pigs, Flower Pot and Mrs. Jam.
Actually we forgot their names so Iz renamed them.
Unfortunately one of our hamsters didn't adjust well to the new home and passed away a few days after our arrival. So far everyone else is liking the new place.
So just to recap that would be one dog, one cat, one fish, two turtles, two guinea pigs and two hamsters. And we didn't think we were animal people!
Wednesday, July 10, 2013
Proud Canadians
A couple of weeks ago we needed to go to the Canadian Embassy to get a letter stamped for one step in the multi-step process of getting our local driver's licence. We were pretty excited about going to the embassy. Would they have Tim Hortons brewing and Anne of Green Gables on the big screen? Mountie costumes for the kids to try on? A little Celine Dion softly playing in the background? Maple candy, plaid shirts, duct tape and all sizes of Canadian flags for purchase?
You can imagine our disappointment when all we saw as we walked through security was a simple, small waiting room devoid of much pomp and circumstance save three pictures on the wall of the Prime Minister, the Governor General and the Queen. We were surprised to see our first ever blue bin here. It was, of course, being used for garbage, but still a sight for sore eyes. I realized the other day that I am still very Canadian. I still often reach for the seat belt when I hop in a taxi and as I walk through the trash filled streets I insist that the girls hold onto their garbage at least until we find a fair size heap of garbage to toss it on top of. For some reason this seems like an acceptable option in my mind when there are no bins!
The embassy also had another surprise, a small drinking fountain. As Izzy had a doctor's appointment near the embassy she was on the only one of our girls with us at the time. Once she locked her baby blues on that fountain there was no stopping her.
'What is that?' she asked. 'It is a fountain' I answered, still nursing my disappointment over the lack of Tim Hortons. She then proceeded to walk over to it, press the button and stick her hands in. I gently reminded her it was for drinking. "For drinking?" she exclaimed (quite loudly as her ears were plugged with a cold) "Where are the cups?". "There are no cups, just put your mouth in." I calmly responded. Her look switched from utter confusion to pure joy as she stuck her little face into the stream of water (which I still kind of doubt was potable). For the rest of our wait she repeatedly came up to me and asked if she could try 'that water thing' again!
Aside from our trip to the embassy, we also had a chance to show our Canadian pride as we celebrated Canada Day this year. We had an unexpected day off class that day so we used it as an excuse to party! We taught the girls 'O Canada', made red and white, gluten free cupcakes, played pin the maple leaf of the Canadian flag and watched last year's fireworks projected on our wall while eating popcorn.
As we raise our TCK (third culture kids), we are continually looking for a balance between establishing an identity of some sort with their birth country and yet encouraging them to be immersed in the culture within in which they live. We know some pretty cool adult TCK's. Any of you have any tips for us?!?!
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You can imagine our disappointment when all we saw as we walked through security was a simple, small waiting room devoid of much pomp and circumstance save three pictures on the wall of the Prime Minister, the Governor General and the Queen. We were surprised to see our first ever blue bin here. It was, of course, being used for garbage, but still a sight for sore eyes. I realized the other day that I am still very Canadian. I still often reach for the seat belt when I hop in a taxi and as I walk through the trash filled streets I insist that the girls hold onto their garbage at least until we find a fair size heap of garbage to toss it on top of. For some reason this seems like an acceptable option in my mind when there are no bins!
The embassy also had another surprise, a small drinking fountain. As Izzy had a doctor's appointment near the embassy she was on the only one of our girls with us at the time. Once she locked her baby blues on that fountain there was no stopping her.
'What is that?' she asked. 'It is a fountain' I answered, still nursing my disappointment over the lack of Tim Hortons. She then proceeded to walk over to it, press the button and stick her hands in. I gently reminded her it was for drinking. "For drinking?" she exclaimed (quite loudly as her ears were plugged with a cold) "Where are the cups?". "There are no cups, just put your mouth in." I calmly responded. Her look switched from utter confusion to pure joy as she stuck her little face into the stream of water (which I still kind of doubt was potable). For the rest of our wait she repeatedly came up to me and asked if she could try 'that water thing' again!
Aside from our trip to the embassy, we also had a chance to show our Canadian pride as we celebrated Canada Day this year. We had an unexpected day off class that day so we used it as an excuse to party! We taught the girls 'O Canada', made red and white, gluten free cupcakes, played pin the maple leaf of the Canadian flag and watched last year's fireworks projected on our wall while eating popcorn.
As we raise our TCK (third culture kids), we are continually looking for a balance between establishing an identity of some sort with their birth country and yet encouraging them to be immersed in the culture within in which they live. We know some pretty cool adult TCK's. Any of you have any tips for us?!?!
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Saturday, June 1, 2013
International Day
Daughter #1 attends kindergarten at a nearby international school and this week they celebrated their international flavour with a potluck lunch where each student was asked to bring a dish that represented their home country. Here is the million dollar question - what exactly is a truly Canadian dish? We thought of three possibilities; poutine, maple fudge or Canada Dry Ginger Ale (the specialty markets sell Canada Dry for about $2 a can) ... We settled on making maple fudge (thanks to J's mom for bringing maple flavouring back in February).
Neither J nor I are known for our culinary skills so as you can imagine it didn't quite go as planned. The first batch was more of a syrup than fudge. The second attempt was a lot more successful but unfortunately it didn't have time to fully set before I had to take it to the school (even the fridge isn't much help when the kitchen is 45 degrees). Nonetheless, the fudge was a big hit. After all, how can you go wrong with pure butter and sugar?
Neither J nor I are known for our culinary skills so as you can imagine it didn't quite go as planned. The first batch was more of a syrup than fudge. The second attempt was a lot more successful but unfortunately it didn't have time to fully set before I had to take it to the school (even the fridge isn't much help when the kitchen is 45 degrees). Nonetheless, the fudge was a big hit. After all, how can you go wrong with pure butter and sugar?
Tuesday, May 28, 2013
LLO #4 - Always carry a flashlight
As summer approaches electricity blackouts are becoming more and more common. Typically 3-5 times a day for up to an hour each time. The girls are pros, as soon as the lights go out they run for our stash of headlamps. If its really dark everyone freezes until the person nearest a cell phone or flashlight can "rescue" everyone else. Unfortunately we live on the 7th floor and no electricity means no elevator and our stairwell receives very little natural light hence the need for a readily available flashlight.
There is nothing quite as fun as coming home late from somewhere with hot, tired & grumpy kids (& parents) only to discover we need to climb seven flights of stairs with only the faint glow of a cellphone.
It's amazing how much we've come to rely on electricity. No electricity means no lights, fans or air conditioners in 40C temperature. No Internet. No rice cooker (we DO like our rice cooker :) ). No electronic ignition for our stove. No oven. No checkout to the supermarket (they shut down until the power is back on, we try not to think of the refrigeration issue). No gas pumps at the gas station (and LONG line-ups when the power is back on).
We invested in a fantastic emergency light that kicks on when the power goes out. It also makes studying possible. Now if we could find a battery operated fan!
As annoying as it is to go a few hours without our fans or light fixtures, these momentary interruptions remind us of an even greater dependence ... upon an eternal source of light.
When the lights are on and the fans are humming it is all too easy to take such privileges for granted, forgetting that most of the world must suffer with expensive, unreliable and inaccessible electricity. How much more do we take for granted that inexhaustible, always accessible, never ending source of eternal light that we've been given?
Certainly we've been reminded and we hope you have too.
It's amazing how much we've come to rely on electricity. No electricity means no lights, fans or air conditioners in 40C temperature. No Internet. No rice cooker (we DO like our rice cooker :) ). No electronic ignition for our stove. No oven. No checkout to the supermarket (they shut down until the power is back on, we try not to think of the refrigeration issue). No gas pumps at the gas station (and LONG line-ups when the power is back on).
We invested in a fantastic emergency light that kicks on when the power goes out. It also makes studying possible. Now if we could find a battery operated fan!
When the lights are on and the fans are humming it is all too easy to take such privileges for granted, forgetting that most of the world must suffer with expensive, unreliable and inaccessible electricity. How much more do we take for granted that inexhaustible, always accessible, never ending source of eternal light that we've been given?
Certainly we've been reminded and we hope you have too.