Amberism

A Little Blue.

I haven't been feeling very inspired to post. There is a lot I could post about, I suppose, but beyond just telling you the this and the that I really can't think of much to say.

So here is the this and the that.

I've started a Learn to Run clinic. Running is hard. I kinda hate running. But I'm proud of myself for doing it, and for doing the actual running required each week (including the "training" runs).

Claire is still sleeping in our room because I'd have to go out to the shop to get an allen wrench to move the crib bed to the appropriate height for her. And you know. The shop. So far. All the way across the yard.

We finished painting the deck, and set it up all nice so we're spending a fair bit of time out there enjoying it. I really should take a picture because its simply fabulous. When I get rich I'm buying some outdoor living room furniture and that will finish it up really nicely. Next I plan to start digging some trenches for water lines out to the garden so next year I can do the "zero mile diet". heh.

My baby girl can now roll front-to-back and back-to-front. This is really exceptional to me because I provide zero floor time for her. How she's managed to learn this is a mystery. She's also trying really hard to sit up. She's also very demanding. And sleeps in my bed for half the night. Have I mentioned that? It's a bit much. Especially now that the Happy Mommy Hormones have dwindled and where I could be all chipper and perky on 3 hours of sleep before now I am just all tired and cranky. I need me some sleep.

At least she's ridiculously adorable. Not that I'm biased.

One Local Summer::Week 8

I know I missed a week, although right now every meal is about 70% local as our markets are exploding with all sorts of lovely vegetables.

This week I busted out of the local-food rut I was in and made a curry of peppers, prawns, potatoes, and squash. The curry spice itself wasn't local, nor was the quinoa, but everything else came from Silver Meadows Farm close to my house, and the French Creek Fish Market.

I need to find a local alternative to rice, which I suspect is going to be a challenge.

In the meantime, even though I didn't post a local meal for week 7 I have been very busy making jams, and freezing the local vegetables I've bought. This is seriously not cost-effective and that is a rather depressing point. It cost me $5.00 to get a small ziplock of peas whereas I can buy a large bag at the grocery store for about $2.00. My peas will surely taste better in January than that big bag would, right?

I also tracked down a pectin that allows you to use honey instead of sugar when making jams and jellies - Pomonas Universal Pectin. I promptly made myself apricot and cherry jam using honey instead of sugar. A truly local jam! Especially considering even the pectin is shipped from Parksville in Canada and I conveniently live 15 minutes away. I plan to make blueberry jam this week and when the blackberries ripen, pick and jam those, too. I'm on a jam kick, I must have been inspired by Callum's current favorite book - Jamberry!.

The Perils of Sleep

Over the weekend we moved Callum out of the nursery and into his own room, and the toddler bed. Over the long weekend his Auntie brought the bedrail that fits on the bed, so the move has gone smoothly. I don't think he realizes that he can get out of the bed on his own. I won't tell him if you don't.

We finally got around to doing this not because we realized that we were exceptionally lazy parents and the child should have been in his own bed and room before his sister was born, or because we thought that Callum is suddenly older and wiser and ready for the toddler bed. We did this because in the last couple of weeks we've realized that Claire needs to get out of our room. At some point during the night she will end up in our bed. Every night. This is because at some point during the night my own sleep becomes more important than any attempts I can make to get her to go back into the damn cradle. I know she should self-sooth. I know that I'm likely creating a very bad habit. I know that ultimately I probably sleep better when she's not in my bed. I am weak. I like sleep. Or at least, I like to lie down and pretend to be sleeping, even if I'm not really sleeping.

I also like sex, which I'm guessing will pick up if there isn't a baby in the bed. It will also likely pick up when Steve's back heals from the severe sunburn he got last weekend. Idiot. No, seriously, the man is an idiot. You should see his back, it's COVERED in blisters. Every time I have to look at it I cringe. I haven't seen a sunburn that bad on anyone since we all learned that getting sunburns that bad can lead to skin cancer. In this day and age, when we're painting the deck on the hottest day of the year we put on sunscreen or if someone isn't around to apply the sunscreen to our backs, we wear a shirt.

Idiot.

Anyway, what was I talking about? oh, right. Sleep. That's what I'm going to go and do right now.

One Local Summer::Week 6

This week I went all crazy and with my fish I had stuffed peppers! We're growing as a cook.

The peppers (which look burnt but really weren't) were fabulous. They are stuffed with kale, onion, zucchini, tomatoes, garlic fronds, and feta. The kale and onion was from last year's CSA box that I had froze, the zucchini and tomato from the local market at Coombs, the garlic fronds from Silver Meadow Farm that is very close to my house, and the feta from Qualicum Cheese Works. Seriously, these peppers rocked, if I do say so myself.

The salad is from the local market at Coombs, and the snapper was caught by Steve last summer and frozen. It was horrible and thankfully the only piece left, but at least it was local.

I also bought a whole schwack of strawberries from Silver Meadows Farm and made some no-cook strawberry jam. The first time I've ever made jam! I hope it works out ok!

My little jam-making helper dropped by after getting 1/4 of his hair cut. He was fine with it for the first couple of buzzes then freaked out. Since I was in the middle of the jam-making process and he wouldn't leave my side, there he sat until they were all in their jars.

He did eventually get all his hair cut.

Holiday Hiatus

We were over-run with family and friends the last couple of weeks and I just haven't had a chance to get to the computer. The weather was fabulous, the people were fabulous and the beaches were fabulous. Can you ask for more? I don't think you can.

I'm totally exhausted now, though, and need a vacation to recover from the vacationing.

We spent the July Long weekend camping on Sproat Lake with Steve's family, and that was a lot of fun.

It was super hot, too, so being on the lake was the best place to be. The only thing that would have made it better would have been if the boat was more reliable.

(Photo by Auntie San)

Then Michelle flew in with Big Bad B and we hit Newcastle Island for a couple of nights, and then shopped ourselves silly. My credit card will never be the same and Callum has become more of a little boy after a week of hero-worshipping Mr. B.

I miss Mr. B. As they were walking through security at the airport the little guy turned around and blew me a kiss.

Be still my beating heart.

One Local Summer::Week 5

Even though I was out of town camping by a gorgeous lake and away from the computer, I still made a local meal last week! This time, instead of having my salmon, potatoes, and peppers seperately, I put them in tinfoil and cooked them on the fire. Yes, I'm crazy like that. It was surprisingly tasty.

I also learned that you don't make bread on a hot day. It gets all yeasty tasting and that isn't nice.