Amberism

One Local Summer::Week 4

I know I said I was going to jump outside my box and put together a meal a little more blog-worthy. I lie. Each week I do a little more research and bring a little more local food into the house, but with a newborn, time is still pretty rare to do things like cook a meal that takes longer than say, 10 minutes. And I can cook fish and beans in about 10 minutes so fish and beans it was. With some peppers because I love me some peppers.

I thought about titling this entry One Local Summer::Local-washing. You know, like brain-washing or green-washing but instead we're being tricked into thinking we're eating locally when "local" could mean "Western Canada". And Western Canada? A pretty big place, I'm not exactly "local" to Regina, you know what I'm saying?

I walked into my local big-box grocery the other day (Save-On Foods) and noticed all these lovely signs next to equally lovely produce declaring them to be "local". Some of them even had the farm name. Jack pot! Could it be? Could I be able to one-stop shop and eat locally? The hardest part of the this challenge for me so far is getting out of the house. Nevermind stopping at several shops for specific ingredients. I piled my cart high with local foods, beaming with pride and the thought of the all the time I just saved and how I didn't have to endure the sounds of an unhappy baby and toddler.

Then I was lying in bed and thought to myself how that was far too easy. Even though local eating SHOULD be easy, the truth is, it isn't. The next morning I did some investigating and sure enough "local" could be anywhere in Western Canada. While this is an improvement on say, California or Mexico, it isn't really my definition of local.

Yesterday I went out to Coombs to pick up some truly local honey, which I hope to incorporate as the new sweetner of choice in the house, and took a look at their "local" eggs. Again we have a pretty hazy definition of local. There is a division of a larger corporation called Island Eggs where eggs are graded. The eggs are not produced on the island, but in Ontario. It is pretty easy to get local eggs where I live, but the idea of calling an egg that is graded here local bothers me. Nevermind the extensive amount of research that has to happen just to determine that.

On that note, I thought I'd post a picture of our hard-core little locavore. It doesn't get more local than breastmilk, does it?! :)

The First Three Hours

One Local Summer::Week 3

This week will look a lot like Week 1, except with a different fish, and differnt side. So it really doesn't look anything like Week 1. But its fish, which is likely going to be theme because we eat a lot of fish and conveniently live next to an ocean.

What we have here is Halibut from the French Creek Fish Market, that I did on the BBQ, wrapped in tinfoil. It was marinated in soy sauce, brown sugar, basil and oregano so not one ounce of the sauce was local. It motivated me to look into local sources of sugar and yeah. No such thing, although Alberta does grow sugar beets, you just can't tell which bag of sugar is made from sugar beets and which from sugar cane. Any thoughts on an alternative to sugar that would be local? Maybe applesauce? But wouldn't applesauce leave behind the taste of, say, apple, more than just straight-up sweetness?

I didn't even make an effort to find local soy sauce.

The potatoes were a fabulous find this week. A friend tipped me off that my local tourist market, Coombs, is now selling mostly local foods. Those little nugget potatoes were fabulous even if they were a tad crispy, and I also picked up cucumber, tomatos, peppers that were grown on Rage's Farm in Port Alberni, and avocados (which are clearly not local, but organic, and yum! I love avocados!).

Next week I'm aiming to make something a bit more challenging instead of the fish-veggie-starch kick I've been on. I'm not yet sure what that something is.

Hign Maintenance

PAY ATTENTION TO ME NOOOOOWWWWWWW! WHERE ARE YOU?

oh! There you are!

When I tell you to be here, you get your ass here ASAP. None of this dilly-dallying you do. You hear?

My Dog

Like I previously mentioned in the Father's Day Post, my dog bit the neighbour. Really bit him with puncture wounds and oozing blood.

Vegas is a high maintenance dog that Steve and I have managed over the years. Its been a lot of work and a lot of recognizing that we don't have "that" dog. Our dog can't come with us most places, and when visitors come over, there is either a serious introduction routine (and Steve HAS to be here) or he's put in the garage where he feels safe and secure. Although I am making him out to be a scary dog, he's not, he has fear aggression. The best thing is to be introduced to the dog properly and then the next time you come over, he'll accept you just fine.

This was not Vegas' fault. In fact, it was an honest mistake. My neighbour was in the yard working on the pump that broke down last week. Vegas was itching to get outside to pee, so when the neighbour had vacated the pump house, I let Vegas out for pee.

Unfortunately, the neighbour was still in the yard, just out of my peripheral view from my living room window so I didn't see him when I checked.

Vegas charged, full throttle and began snapping and barking at the neighbour. Snapped at his hand, and bit him. Vegas was pulling at his jeans, the whole nine yards.

I was relatively calm because I didn't realize the extent in which Vegas was reacting. I thought he was just circling and barking and when I got there, he came to me on demand, sat, went into a down-stay and was obedient. Then I realized that the neighbour was sporting one hell of a bite wound.

My neighbour is an exceptionally nice guy. He took it in stride, and doesn't blame the dog. In fact, he's glad that we have a guard dog because he feels that Vegas is guarding both homes.

Thing is, I never signed on for a guard dog. And if I am being completely honest, biting someone crosses my line. I am not that person. My dog does not sit on a pedastal, he is not my "baby", he is a dog. A wonderful, loyal, protective beast that I don't mind sharing my home and life with but still a dog.

I am not sure I want a dog I can't trust. I have two children and I am not sure I could live with myself if Vegas bit my kids. Sure, we can go on and on about how Vegas would NEVER bite our kids. Not our kids, oh no, he'd protect them. Personally I think that's not being realistic because he's a dog, and an unpredictable dog at that.

Even if he would never bite my kids, what if he bit my friend's kids? I am super anal about the dog when my friends' kids are here. He is either in the yard, or locked in the garage. When you have a dog with fear aggression, you just don't take the risk. But you know what? An honest mistake can happen again. Callum could open the garage door...

We started researching what the training options are, even though the intensity and time committment required is not likely a feasible option. And it is serious training with no promising results. The statistics are that most of the time the dog is put down.

This has to be dealt with, but death? Is death the answer? Vegas' history and genetics have made him the high maintenance dog that he is, not one ounce of this is his fault.

I just don't know what to do. I plan to call a trainer this week, and will likely call the SPCA and my vet. At this point, I'm even scared to take him to the vet for fear he'll now bite.

The good thing is that by not removing Vegas from the situation, and the fact that my neighbour and I stood and spoke to each other for several minutes afterward, I did something right. When attempting to control fear aggression you don't want the dog to think that if he bites someone they go away because that is what they want to happen.

One Local Summer::Week 2

I was completely uninspired and too busy with the kids and getting ready for our second boating adventure (overnight!) that I may have copped out a little this week.

For breakfast Saturday morning I had a Monteray Jill Cheese Omlette, with a slice of homemade rye bread. As mentioned in my first week's post, the eggs are from a local farm, and the cheese from Qualicum Cheeseworks.

The rye bread is from this fabulous book, and I adore making the bread recipes and feeling all clever and home-baked in no time. However, none of the ingredients are local. It did inspire me to look for local flour, and I could buy locally made bread in Cowichan Bay at the True Grain Bakery or at least, locally milled flour to make my own bread. I am going to attempt to get to Cowichan Bay before the end of the challenge and get both the flour and the bread.

The apple is a B.C. Tree Fruit (or so my local supermarket claims) so I'm guessing it's from the Okanagon. Not within the 100 miles, but the picture needed some color and I love me some fruit. I have a feeling this was picked in the fall and stored because apples are certainly not in season right now. Strawberries are, but I haven't seen any local sellers.

The coffee doesn't even come close to meeting ANY requirements of the challenge, just the requirements of a Mama of a 2 mth old and a 20 mth old. It did motivate me to look for some more local options and I found Creekmore Coffee which is very close to my house and offers organic, fair trade coffee. We may never get local coffee, but I guess this is the next best thing! Will certainly be changing my coffee-buying habits from here on out.

If this challenge is doing anything for me, its forcing me to do the research I've been putting off for years.

Fathers

This has been the Week from Hell* and I could go on and on about the injustices and annoyances and how bitter and angry and sad I've felt numerous times over the course of the week. I could complain about the pump dying and being without water with two little ones since Tuesday night. About missing out on my much anticipated "Amber's Night". About being pulled over and realizing my insurance was expired. About my dog biting (yes BITING) the neighbour.

I want to. I want to just gripe and moan and feel downright sorry for myself.

Then I realized that this weekend is Father's Day. After a week where a rather big part of me would like to give Steve a huge slap upside the head (and he deserves it, trust me), I really wasn't in the mood to celebrate the man. Then I thought, hell, let it go girl.

Steve is a lot of things. He has the ability to procrastinate like no one else I know. He won't, and probably never will, win the award for Most Considerate Man. He needs to be told, in Capital Letters, how I want to be appreciated and what I want for my birthday. Seriously, if I don't actually say "Tonight you will go to this store and buy me this purchase for my birthday" I will get nothing. Not even a card (I used to get a card, but now he's decided they're environmentally unfriendly).

That said, he is also a great man. He prides himself in the work he does at his job, and has worked really hard to get to where he is right now and he's good at it. He is gentle and patient and accepts me for the person I am, annoying faults and all. He will drive 45 minutes back to Nanaimo to pick up my purse, sunglasses or wallet because I left them somewhere, with no more than a joking jibe in my direction. He'll let me give birth at home even though he was more than a little apprehensive. He'll let me feed him natural peanut butter, and stop buying cheese. He'll let me throw out all the plastic toys and bottles and not think I've lost my mind.

And he is an incredible father. Its been a joy to watch him with his children. He is attentive and protective, moreso than I could ever be and he makes me want to be the best Mama I can be. In the evenings when he is putting Callum in bed and the monitor is on I can hear him gently reading to our son, and then hear them throwing kisses to each other after he tucks Callum in bed. He'll curl up next to his little girl and quietly talk to her, and her eyes light up with pure joy. If we're out with friends, he gladly follows Callum around for hours, without complaining that he hasn't had a chance to sit around and chat or drink a beer. He gets Callum out of bed in the mornings and gives him breakfast because he knows that if I have a chance to get dressed and showered first thing, I can take the kids to the park or go for a walk and we're all a little happier. He always calls to let me know if he'll be a little late and checks that its ok because he knows that the dinner hour can get a little crazy.

Even after a week where I just want to curl up in my bed, knit, and pretend the world doesn't exist, I feel honored to be his wife and the mother of his children. So, a warm and loving Happy Father's Day to the man in my life, and Happy Father's Day to all the Dads out there!

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*The one sunny part of this week is that I finally got to meet the adorable Miss Gwen for the first time, which was a real delight. She was perfect and all smiles and coos the entire time I visited. There is talk that she can scream like no other, but I feel her parents lie. There was not even whimper the entire time I was there, even though Claire had two fits. Even if Laura refuses to call it crying ;)

One Local Summer::Week One

So, my One Local Summer participating got off to a rocky start, I'm already two days late with this post (and the meal, even). But I did it, and I'm proud dammit. Really proud considering both my children screamed during the preparation of this meal and Claire hasn't stopped yet. She's still screaming while I type.

We had salmon patties from the French Creek Fisk Market, mixed salad greens and a sauted pepper from Nanoose Edibles, with some Monterary Jill Cheese from Qualicum Cheeseworks for an extra something special. The salmon patties were simple - the salmon and an egg (a local farm egg, of course!).

I also made rice for Steve and Callum, although I skipped the rice and found the meal to be pretty satisfying on its own. California rice, at least, so it didn't get here from India, even if it wasn't in the 100 mile radius.

I also cheated just an itty-bitty bit and mixed mayo and dill and put it on my patties. I suppose I could have made my own mayo - is vinegar exempt? Can you buy vinegar locally?

A little perspective. Please.

"man, my nipples are killing me after my run in the rain"

"You're complaining to me? Seriously?"

"I'm just sayin'."

"Don't."

Our First Boating Adventure

I love boating!

I'm having the best time!

yay! Boating!

It was fun. No. Really.

yowzers

You know, I didn't even know what a bleb* was until Laura mentioned it on her blog a week or so ago and now? Now I HAVE ONE.

Son-of-a-bitch.

Why do I keep doing this? I have no idea. I think its because I know that it improves vastly in a few more weeks and I want to offer Claire what Callum had. We'll see how much longer I actually last.

*like a pimple, but its a clogged milk duck blister thing on your precious girly parts. oh, and if you get curious and go online looking for what this might look like, let me just say that MY nipples? Do not look like the majority of nipples out there. Being pale means everything is pale. For some reason, looking at the other nipples makes me want to share that information with the internet. I can't explain these things. I'm hormonal.

Mommy Update

Claire is 8 weeks old. 8 weeks! Can you believe it?!

I'm in the midst of a baby boom amoungst my friends over here, so its pretty much all-baby-all-the-time for me. I try to bring other things into my life, but to be honest, right now it's mostly baby with some visiting and some crafting thrown in when it fits.

Since it is all about the babes, there is a lot of talk about what this baby and that baby is up to, and what these parents and those parents are doing. Lately there has been a lot of talk of babies moving into their own room. Every time I hear of another baby moving into his own room I wonder if I'm being judged for not even attempting to move my sweet little girl out.

I've never been an advocate for co-sleeping, mostly because it scares me and for someone like me, I would feel like I was being suffocated by children. I'm not against it, it just isn't for my family. Besides, have you ever tried to sleep with a toddler in your bed? It's torture. They move violently in the night which often ends with someone being kicked in the head. That said, I did want both my babies close to me when they were born. I wanted to be able to check on them often, and for it to be easy to feed them in the middle of night. For us, we have a cradle and glider at the end of the bed, a set up that has been ideal for our family.

Callum often would fall asleep on mine or Steve's chest and then we'd transfer him to his cradle. During the day, Callum and I would nap together, him all snuggled like a bug on my chest. In the early evenings he snuggled with his Papa. This isn't something we have been able to do with Claire because when she's asleep, Callum is not, so her daytime naps are in the swing or playpen and in the early evenings she's either awake talking to Papa or well, crying.

So at night, if she's fussy, I just crawl back into bed, snuggle her up under my chin and drift off. She sleeps a good hour longer when she's snuggled in with us, and we're all happier getting more sleep. She seems so small and frail, the thought of her sleeping in that gigantic crib is still not on my agenda. Right now our sleep routine is a combination of Claire sleeping on my chest or in the cradle, and we're slowly working our way up to more cradle time but if we regress one night, so be it.

(Photo by: Fearthainn)

We had our last midwife appointment on Tuesday and Claire weighed just over 10 lbs! I was impressed! Then was told that is a fabulous weight for a 6 week old...

eh, she's 8 weeks.

Still, she's gaining, she's pink, she's alert. She's FINE. I, on the other hand, have been suffering with painful boobs the past 8 weeks. I'm almost certain I have some sort of breast infection and nearing the end of my appointment it was clear that my midwives had no intention to do anything about it. They kept saying "they have never heard of that", so I requested some cream that my sister-in-law spoke of. We have to try SOMETHING because I am tired of being in pain (low grade, but still pain) all the time.

Speaking of breastfeeding, yesterday in Toys-R-Us I fed Claire while walking around (with an appropriate cover, of course). I am SUPER MOMMY. We've come a long way, baby.

Steve and I are in some sort of silent showdown with respect to giving her formula. It's like neither of us wants to be the first and then get blamed for whatever negative side effect that might happen so she's still solely on breastmilk. I'm borrowing a pump this week, so we'll see if I can maybe, just maybe, pump enough milk now (I doubt it).

All in all, things are getting easier everyday, and I'm really looking forward to summer showing her pretty little face. She can come out of hiding any day now.

Stranded

I awoke yesterday morning to a very flat tire. This resulted in an irritated husband who had to change said tire. All of that has resulted in a stranded Amber who has no car because her husband refuses to put that little tire on it for fear she'll drive the car. He's right, I would drive the car. Isn't that what that baby tire is for? I decided that putting the baby tire on was not worth the marital tension it would create, so I'm staying home and hoping said husband brings me a shiney, new tire tonight.

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I really should be doing the countless tasks assigned to me by my volunteer group, but instead I'm updating my blog. This is a very rare moment, both my children are sleeping. AT THE SAME TIME. I should knit. Or something.

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I did a marathon shopping trip the other day and came home with much goodness that included this knitting book (courtesy of Steve for Mother's Day), boxes, clothes for tots, beach bag and umbrella and some necessities that aren't fun. I will be staining and putting together a mini train toy box for Callum's room this week, and when that is done, and some hooks are hung I'll take pictures. Then maybe I'll download said pictures. Then maybe I'll upload them. Then maybe I'll post them and you too, can see the room. It's ok. Not fabulous, but Callum likes it.

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We bought a boat. I bet now everyone will comment and want to be my friend.

The Link to The Boat

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My water tank is very quickly depleting itself of water. I'm beginning to dream of slinking out into the night and tapping into my neighbours well. I prefer to dream about sunshine and lollipops.

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