First days of school

School so far has been a success. Lucy had her first day on Thursday, September 1st. She took the bus from day 1, although Momma did follow behind in the car (the whole way, with tears in my eyes!!) She was feeling a bit nervous so I asked her if she'd like me to follow behind (parents aren't allowed on the bus) and she said yes, and that way I was able to meet her when she got to the school. Lucy was very excited to start Kindergarten, but then the first few days she was sort of blase about the whole thing. Two times she told me she cried: once when she got in trouble for not sharing, and another time when the bus ride home took a long time (construction) and she missed me. For the first week they spent time with all 3 K teachers, and then they got assigned to their class. That's when she got more comfortable and her enthusiasm for school really took off!

Lucy was ecstatic to get Senorita Fuentes and absolutely loves her ("Mummy, Srta. Fuentes is like the most amazing teacher ever!! I just love her. She was singing a song in Spanish and it was so beautiful it made my eyes fill up with tears. But they were happy tears.") Lucy comes home from school singing & counting in Spanish, and is full of stories about her teacher and friends. It is a beautiful thing to see her blossom. Last night she put her hands together and said "Mum, open the gate. Now open the fridge. Now do you want fruit punch or a milk shake?" "Milkshake," I replied. "Ok, here's your milk and here's your shake," and proceeded to shake me!! LOL!! A classic and such a good one. We laughed and laughed.

First day & ready to go!

Excited to get on the bus

Ainsley also started preschool in September (I can't figure out how to get rid of the underlining, argh!!) She knew the preschool and teachers, as that's where Lucy went, and she'd been asking to go for some time so I thought it'd be a breeze. But the first day she cried and cried, and didn't want me to leave her. I spent some time with her and then left, while the lovely teachers comforted her. They said they'd call me if she cried longer than a few minutes, but fortunately she didn't. And she's never cried again since that first day. Sometimes she wears one of my bracelets so she can remember me (little love!) She goes 2 days a week and is really enjoying it - she especially loves the crafts, toys and singing.

Ainsley's first day of preschool

Alberta, Alberta

So it's been ONE WHOLE YEAR since we moved to Alberta, and oh what a year! So many changes, wow. It's been so long since I last wrote anything, that I feel overwhelmed with all there is to say and speechless at the same time. The summer was busy and a bit of a blur, but lots of fun. School started and the girls have adjusted well and are happy - that will be another post on it's own. This post is gonna be about me and my life in Calgary.

I love this city!! For one, the physical layout - it's so open and easy to get around. Rolling hills and then the Rocky mountains, set in the perfect place where you can see their beauty but don't feel trapped by them. Big wide roads with lots of lanes and minimal traffic. The proximity of shops - Sobeys (like Thrifty's) & Starbucks a 5 minute walk away, and bigger shops & the mall just a 10-15 minute drive. Rarely see a semi-truck on my routes (and ever since my car accident I've had a huge problem with them. The congestion on Hwy 17 between Ladner & Tsaw was really bugging me). Fantastic festivals (including a Latin-American one), concerts and events, tons of kids programs (Lu just started Irish dance), adult programs (Zumba, hot yoga, Neufeld courses, kayaking, ski hill 15 mins away - to name a few that appeal to me) great restaurants & pubs and trendy areas (Kensington, Stephen Ave, 17th Ave) - again, all really easy to get to. There are beautiful huge parks with trails, many along the Bow river. Last week we found fantastic hiking trails where we felt like we were in the middle of nowhere, and we were about a 10 minute drive from our house! Then there's a brand new provincial park that just opened about 1/2 hour from us, that the city spent 5 years developing. We haven't even seen it yet but it's supposed to be awesome. We discovered Canmore this year (love it!) and still have Banff & Jasper & Lake Louise to explore (1.5 hrs from us).

The Weather. Well I'm just gonna come out and say it: I like the weather. Really really like it. Prefer it to Vancouver (ack!) What??? Snow and sub-zero winters? Really?? I KNOW! For one there's the sunshine, and I love the sun. I feel so much more energized and positive and content doing my day to day things when it's sunny. And there are blue skies here most of the time. It rains, but usually only for a couple hours and then that's it. Just enough to keep the grass green. As far as the cold, I actually feel less cold here which I must admit sounds very very strange. The explanation for this (apparently) is that the damp cold can chill you to the core more so than the dry cold. I find that for most of last winter, as long as I had on my gloves and a hat and the right layers, I was fine. Albeit NOT when it went below -20 which it did do several times, but usually only for a few days. Then we stayed indoors as much as possible. But it didn't last long, and was apparently the coldest winter Calgary's had in a long time. The rest of the time we could go for snowy walks, outdoor ice skating and tobogganing. I like the snow - driving in it I don't like, but really it only dumps snow half a dozen times each winter. It just sticks for a long time. They clear the roads pretty quick, and then as far as I'm concerned, the white snow just makes the outdoors even brighter. So I'm ok with it.

Financially it's a lot cheaper here: lower housing costs and no provincial sales tax to name a couple.

I have met some really great people in Calgary. It seems it's a city full of "transplants" - lots of people who've moved here from somewhere else. That makes it a city full of people looking to make friends! I know I've had to be a lot friendlier then I was in Vancouver, so perhaps that's part of it too. But I've started some friendships with some lovely people and that has been a turning point. Feeling connected to people took some time and effort, but the connections are there and starting to grow. The kids have made some nice little friends too, and it's fantastic being close to my sister and her family.

A lovely bonus is that we don't get sick nearly as often here, and when we do, the colds are much milder. Fewer colds = much happier household. Those of you who know Jose well will especially understand how wonderful a thing this is!! ;)

Of course there are drawbacks... namely friends & family. And those are huge drawbacks. Huge! New friends are wonderful, but there's something about friends who've known you for a long time, know your family, have been through major life events with you... I have some really amazing friends and family in Vancouver who I miss daily. We've had lots of visitors over the year which we've loved, and has really helped fill the voids (keep coming!!). The other thing I miss is the ocean. I love the ocean... walking along the dyke, hanging out at the beach, crossing the bridges into Vancouver and seeing the water. Oh and the smell of the sea - would love to breath that in right now. And the last biggie is not being to work as a doula here. I don't have the childcare support (namely my parents) I need to do it, so I've had to put it on hold for a bit.

Will this 2 year stint turn into anything longer? Probably. I'm feeling settled here and very comfortable. Will Calgary become permanent? Don't know about that yet. We'll need to see how we feel after a second winter, what job opportunities open up for Jose, whether my parents move out (they're thinking about it!!) and ultimately, whether we can call this city Home.

Much love to whomever reads this. xoxo

Adios Adenoids

The day Lucy got her adenoids out was a pretty big day for us. First surgery for either our children. First time our child has a general anesthetic. Not the first time to a hospital, but returning with a child with bad memories of her prior visit there (when she sliced her forehead open and needed 15 stitches). High expectations held by Mum & Dad that the surgery was a good decision and would provide relief for Lucy (symptoms: unable to breath through nose, very disturbed sleep with apnea, very loud snoring, hypo-nasal voice). The doctor said he couldn't promise anything (great!).

We explained to Lucy that we'd be going to the hospital to get her adenoids "fixed". Not removed, as that would have led to a preponderance of questions, i.e. how will they take them out?? Didn't want to go there!! There was a photo tour on the Alberta Children's Hospital website that followed a child going in for day surgery, so we looked at the pictures. Lucy had lots of questions about the medical side of things (what's blood pressure?) and then became very excited about the prospect of watching a movie in the hospital and eating popsicles! Gotta love 4 year olds!!

Lucy was very brave, positive and cooperative the day of the surgery... on the car ride there, through the pre-op assessments, into the pre-op room and finally into the OR. Then she got a bit scared. There were about 5 OR staff and the room is pretty scary with the equipment and lights. They wanted her to lie down to breathe in the mask, but she wanted to sit up and hug me. So that's how we did it. She didn't like the smell of the mask and wouldn't breath at first. I tried to put my face next to hers to do it with her, but then worried that I would pass out. LOL! Can you imagine??!! Eventually she breathed enough in and her eyes got heavy and I laid her down. Then I had to leave, but my feet were firmly planted to the floor, eyes zoned in on my little girl. They told me a couple times I could leave now - I heard them, but I couldn't leave. Every fibre of my being told me not to leave her lying on this bed in this cold room with these strangers!!! Eventually a kind nurse managed to make eye contact with me and I broke out of my trance - logic kicked in and I left (with tears in my eyes). Even though it's a super easy & safe surgery, it's scary for momma.

I was a nervous wreck in the waiting room (where they have your child's name on a monitor and regularly post updates on where she's at in the process). A difficult experience for sure. Jose & I thought of our friends Darren & Hege, whose little boy Mattias has been through countless heart surgeries, and could imagine a smidgen of how they must feel. Hege if you read this - you are one strong momma!!

So finally the buzzer we are given goes off (just like the buzzer you get when you're waiting for a table at a restaurant - I wonder who those buzzers were initially designed for) which means Lucy's being brought back to the recovery room and we can go meet her there. From there on, things get a big hairy!

As Lucy comes to, she's totally out of it. She sits up and starts freaking out. Eyes wide, pupils small, little hands clutching her chest, she tells us in slow dramatic words, "I can't breathe"!! I of course freak out and look to the nurses who are totally nonchalant about the whole thing. Lucy's looking at me with terrified eyes and I seriously think she's going into cardiac arrest or something. I know, total overreaction. But she is a drama queen and if you'd seen her little face...

Jose and the nurses remain totally cool and help her through it. Just a side effect of the meds apparently, and the sensation of fluid in her nose & throat from the surgery. Lu soon calms down (apparently we were lucky... this can go on for 30-45 minutes!) and we distract her with watching the movie "Tangled". Next, the daunting task of getting her to drink the prescribed amount of fluids before we can go home. At first she refused, then she had a lick of a popsicle, then a few more licks and then a few more cries, and then a drink of juice. Physically she began to settle, but emotionally she was very upset and offended by the whole thing. Poor little love. We didn't really explain to her how it would feel after - for one, we didn't know and for two, we didn't want to scare her. She became angry and upset when the nurse had to take the IV out of her hand (which was wrapped up in a towel) and screamed "no" at the nurse. We managed to calm her with the promise of a wheelchair ride all the way to the car. We were able to go home about 3 hours after the surgery. The doctor said her adenoids were very large and that she should experience quite a bit of relief from the surgery, once things had healed.

My Mum was here to help, and we watched lots of movies and fed Lucy lots of popsicles (grand total of 5 post-op, day 1) and smoothies. The hard part was getting her to rest - she's an energetic little girl! Fortunately the TV saved us. Her nose remained very congested for a few days after surgery, and then she had a very bad smell in her nose & mouth (because they cauterize the skin where the adenoids were). This really disturbed her and she was pretty miserable. She told us she wished she'd never got her adenoids fixed. Fortunately, about a week after, things really started to turn around.

And now... Lucy can breath through her nose! She can eat slowly with her mouth closed (instead of rushing to chew & swallow and then gasping for air). She sleeps peacefully, without a sound and without kicking her blankets off in frustration. She seems more focused during the day, more content in her body. We made the right decision and are so happy to see the improvements its made for her. And best of all, she is full of pride to show us how she can breath through her nose, and even told us she is glad she got her adenoids fixed. Hooray!!

The Girls

Lucia Jane

Lucy enjoys preschool for the most part - some days she says she's bored of it, but she's usually happy to go. She really loves her teachers who have reported back that she's an absolute dream to have in the class (interesting because she can give me a really hard time some days!), is really good at colouring, and that she talks a lot and often corrects the teachers if they forget a rule!! Our little miss chatterbox / bossy boots. She's doing great at printing and starting to read. Recently they did a field trip to the space port, and she knows the names of all the planets. She is in ballet and tap and loves it - they're doing a recital in May which will be cute. She has also started a drama class - perfect for her exuberant personality!!

In April Lucy will be getting her adenoids out :( Poor little love. She struggles with sleep at night so much - stops breathing, gasps for air. And she almost always sounds stuffed up and has to breath through her mouth. So this will be good for her, and good to get done before kindergarten. We have no idea what we're going to tell her. She is very nervous about blood & hospitals since she sliced her forehead open a couple summers ago, and required stitches.

Speaking of kindergarten... we have registered Lucy in a Spanish Bilingual school for September! We went for a parent information night and were pretty impressed. The school system here is very diverse, lots of options: you can chose schools with different languages, schools for gifted children and Catholic schools - all free. Kindergarten is half-day here, and she will have to take the school bus as the school is not in Tuscany. She has a friend who is going to the same school, so hopefully they can sit together. The Spanish school has a big emphasis on music which is very cool, and learning a different language will be great for Lu, as she's very, um, linguistically inclined (lol!)

Favourite things. Colour: amarillo (yellow). Music: Mamma Mia, High School Musical, Katy Perry (it's always on the radio!). Food: pasta, rice, fruit - she's a good eater and will eat most foods even if she doesn't like them.

Ainsley Olivia

Ainsley is in Kindermusik which she loves! She loves music and dancing. Whenever she hears a slow song, she closes her eyes, gets up on her tippy toes, and slowly turns around in a circle with her arms over her head... until she gets dizzy and falls! She is also going to a 1 hour preschool class on Thursdays which she enjoys, now that she's comfortable with me leaving her. She is pretty much potty trained, apart from the occasional accident when she gets absorbed in playing and forgets. She is also chatting up a storm - her speech and language are amazing! Another chatterbox on my hands, except Ainsley will also sit and play by herself.

Favourite things. Colour: morado (purple). Music: Mamma Mia, Bruno Mars (Grenade), Kindermusik. Food: hummus (which she's eating in the photo), meatballs, perogies, avacado, sweets - she can be picky and is at a difficult age to try and encourage to eat something she doesn't like.

Both the girls ask regularly about their grandparents, cousins, aunts, uncles and friends. When Lucy heard we were selling our Ladner home, she started crying. She says she wants to live there again. I feel bad that they're missing out on time with all those people they love and love them. Thank goodness I have my sister and her family here.

March update

So I've been less since my last post, thanks to a day trip to Canmore with Jose (sans kids) and some visitors. My nephew Simon and his band came for a visit at the end of February. I haven't seen him for a couple of years, as he spent a year in Europe, at Bodenseehof (bible school) and travelling/working. He's grown up a lot (he's 19) and reminds me a lot of my brother. He and his band hung out for the afternoon, had dinner then went off to their gig at a trendy coffee shop. We went and saw them and wow, were blown away!! Simon sang a few songs by himself, just him and his guitar. Then he played the drums in the band. The music was awesome! They came back and spent the night in our basement. They really were a great group - super polite and grateful.

Then my friend Kathy and her daughter Shae (in the photos with Lucy) came to stay for the first weekend of March (while Jose took off on a ski trip with Gerry). It was so nice to connect with a good friend and fellow mum of 2 little girls!!! We didn't do much as I had a cold, but we did manage to take the girls skating at the Olympic Oval. As you can see, they had fun sledding in our backyard too!! Us Mommas enjoyed a few glasses of wine, caught up on girly TV shows ("Off the Map") and teen movies ("Twilight"), LOL. I appreciate my friends more than ever, now that I can't see them regularly. There is something really special about friends who've been in your life for a long time. And the good times continue as soon I'll have my lovely sister-in-law Fio here which will be awesome!!

Have had a few playdates which have been really good. Work also keeps me busy so I have less time to miss everyone & everything. Still, in the quiet moments I am often thinking of home - friends, family, places. Nostalgia settles in, but doesn't last long - Lucy & Ainsley usually do a good job of keeping me from dwelling :)

Home sick

Lately, all I can think about is home. It's one of the first things I think of in the morning, and the last thing as I'm falling asleep.

I miss my Mum & Dad.

I miss all my other family members.

I miss my wonderful friends, all so special to me.

I miss playdates.

I miss walks with friends.

I miss girls nights.

I miss Ladner.

I miss all the relationships Lucy & Ainsley have (and so do they).

Relationships mean so much to me, and I am blessed with such meaningful ones. I'm starting to wonder how I can do a year and a half more without everyone. This is hard and I'm feeling so sad.

A house doesn't make a home.

Fit for me

Well what's a new year without a post about weight & fitness??!! First, I must share my achievement of 2010: losing 15 lbs! I started in the summer by cutting out gluten completely, minimizing dairy and sugar, eating lots of fruits and veggies and sticking to a low-GI (glycemic index) diet. I also discovered Quinoa, which is a grain with protein and a low glycemic index. The dietary change was on the advice of Dr. Alda Ngo, an acupuncturist and doctor of chinese medicine I saw for my endometriosis - she advised that a change in diet would really help decrease the pains I was having. Well was she ever right!!! She did some acupuncture and gave me some gross-tasting herbs, and my endometriosis symptoms have been minimal for about 4 months now. (I sought out alternative medicine after my Gyn said my only option was to go on the birth control pill. Forever. Um, no thanks!) Such a relief to no longer be in pain so often. Not to mention 15 lbs of extra weight gone too :-) I have so much more energy and feel great.

Now, to my goals in 2011... sticking to my healthy eating and getting fit! Today I start the "30 Day Shred" DVD with a group of BC girls (33 and counting) who started a fitness support group on Facebook ("True to you 2011" if you want to join). I'm excited!! After telling Jose about it, he decided he wants to do the workout video too. It's a 30 minute workout that includes strength, cardio and abs, and you do it everyday - what a challenge! I love challenges :-) I'll start up my Zumba dance again next month, and my sister and I are going to try a weekly cycling class. I also want to try Bikram Yoga... now to fit it all in.

Here's to a fit & healthy 2011!

Christmas and 2011

Christmas was bitter sweet... it was great to have my parents and Jose's parents come out for Christmas day and stay for the week - made it feel much more normal. We had Christmas dinner (roast ham, scalloped potatoes, glazed carrots, pomegranate/feta/walnut salad, arabian rice and lots of baked goodies) at our place with the parents, my sister/Ger/Jess and Ashley/Gerald. Jose's parents stayed with us and he had the week off; we kept pretty busy with skating, tobogganing, pub nights (yes, plural), shopping, Christmas zoo lights and lots of yummy food. Christmas is still hard without my brother Mark, and I miss him dearly, especially on holidays and birthdays. The weeks leading up to Christmas were difficult, missing out on parties, girls night, friends and family. I was feeling pretty blue, although the Christmas party I hosted did help.

It feels good to be starting a new year, with Lucy back in preschool 3 mornings a week, as well as skating and ballet/tap. Ainsley and I are doing Kindermusik, she's on a waitlist for gymnastics and she's in a preschool class once a week for 1 hour a week. And tonight, Jose and I are off to a parent information night for a Spanish bilingual school for Lucy. It sounds really great! New year = new activities = new opportunities to make some more friends :-)