Blogging Against Disablism Day

Tomorrow is Blogging Against Disablism Day. I won't be blogging tomorrow, due to moving into our house, so I'm posting today instead!

When I was pregnant with Kate, we had a blood test done, and the results showed that for this particular pregnancy, our chances of having a baby with Down Syndrome were much higher than they should have been for my age. There was still a 99% chance everything was OK, but because we fell in the "high risk" group, we were offered a detailed ultrasound and an amniocentesis. We had the ultrasound, but declined the amniocentesis due to the small miscarriage risk associated with the procedure. So we waited 4 more months until Kate was born, not knowing anything for sure, grappling with what it would mean if she did indeed have Down Syndrome. Through reading books, message boards, and blogs, I came to the reassuring conclusion that should my child have a disability, there would likely be shock/anger/depression but the journey would end in acceptance and joy. I highly recommend you read this blog, Lovely and Amazing, for an inside look at such a journey.

If you only read one post, read this one.

If you want to be inspired more, read this post.

Vitamin D for cancer prevention?

This was front page news in The Globe and Mail today--makes me wonder if we should be taking Vitamin D supplements, Canada being at such a northern latitude.

Vitamin D casts cancer prevention in new light
MARTIN MITTELSTAEDT

For decades, researchers have puzzled over why rich northern countries have cancer rates many times higher than those in developing countries — and many have laid the blame on dangerous pollutants spewed out by industry.

But research into vitamin D is suggesting both a plausible answer to this medical puzzle and a heretical notion: that cancers and other disorders in rich countries aren't caused mainly by pollutants but by a vitamin deficiency known to be less acute or even non-existent in poor nations.

Here's the full story:

Story from The Globe and Mail

Crescent Park

We finally have warm weather! The winters in Scotland were definitely easier than the ones in Saskatchewan, but the summers were usually a bit of a downer. It just never got warm enough! Here we will have what I consider to be a proper summer. Now watch, it will snow again this spring!

Here are some photos of us at Crescent Park in Moose Jaw.


Our favorite baby boy!



Our favorite little girl!



Feeding the ducks



Kate looking for more ducks



War memorial

Not in Kansas anymore..

Sometimes it's easy to forget we live in Canada. After all, we drive on the right side of the road, the Canadian accent is only a bit different, and we are back to four distinct seasons. But as I walk around Caronport, here are the things that remind me I'm in Canada;

*The bilingual labels on the products at the convenience store.
*The gas prices are per litre, not per gallon.
*People talking about the weather in celsius rather than fahrenheit (I usually just smile and nod because I can't convert very quickly in my head).
*The money. There are no dollar bills, but rather a dollar coin called a loonie, and a two dollar coin. And the money is colorful!
*The different spellings. Centre, cheque, and in the sentence above, it would be colourful!
*In conversations with people about summer plans, they are usually planning to go somewhere in Canada and I'm quickly learning where to place cities like Kelowna, Hamilton, and Edmonton.
*The Canadian flag. And there's even a British flag near the entrance to the school.
*Soon after turning onto the Trans-Canada Highway, there's a sign telling me how many kilometers it is to Moose Jaw.

Fund free mammograms

Here's a website where you can click on a link to fund free mammograms for poor women in the US. That's all you need to do--advertisers fund the rest. They are having trouble getting enough people to click.

You know, after living in countries with national healthcare for almost 4 years now, the fact that this sort of thing is needed seems increasingly strange...and sad. But that's another post.

A Visit to Mortlach

Mortlach is a small town a few kilometers west of Caronport on the Trans-Canada Highway. We took a little drive out there today and snapped some pictures.




Curling is played on ice by two teams with four players each. People slide heavy granite stones toward a target called the house. Scottish emigrants brought the game to Canada.





Grain elevators are a common sight on the prairies. Saskatchewan grows 45% of Canada's grain.




Wagons West Cookhouse, home of the famous deep-fried cheesecake! We celebrated our 5th anniversary here last summer.





After driving through Mortlach, we stopped off at the dairy farm across the highway from Caronport. Kate really enjoyed seeing the cows, including one baby calf born just this morning! We also picked up some eggs while we were there.

Expat blogs

This is a neat website listing blogs written by expats around the world. You may find one by an American in Scotland, a Brit in China, or a Norwegian in South Africa. If you are an expat with a blog, go ahead and submit it for the listings!

Expat Blog site

Need ideas for more fun things to do

There are lots of fun things to do in Caronport. We go visit Daddy at his office, play at Moms and Tots group, enjoy the slide and swings at the Tot Lot, read at the Briercrest bookstore or the college library, walk on the prairie road of course, visit the Subway or the Starbucks, go get our mail from the tiny Caronport post office, listen to the musicians practicing in the worship department, join Daddy at seminary chapel, etc! At home we do playdoh, sing songs, read books, and all those typical toddler activities. Sometimes, however, we run out of ideas!

So, please share fun activities that can be done with an almost 3 year old, either inside or outside! What do you do with your kids? Or what did you enjoy as a kid?

Academics in Canada

Although the American and Canadian educational systems are similar in many respects, there are notable differences. Here's a list of Canadian educational terms, followed by their American equivalents:

*Write a test= Take a test

*Supply teacher= Substitute teacher

*At university= In college

*Bursary= A tuition grant, given to students in need

*Drama is pronounced to rhyme with Grandma

*The Catholic school system is government funded

*French immersion schooling is an option in many places.

*Canadians don't use the terms "freshman," "sophomore," "junior," or "senior," for high school or college students. What Americans would call "juniors in high school" are "grade elevens." University students are referred to according to what year they're in: an American junior would be a third-year in Canada.

*Some prominent universities:
Newfoundland Memorial University of Newfoundland
Nova Scotia Acadia University, Dalhousie University
New Brunswick Mount Allison University, University of New Brunswick
Prince Edward Island University of Prince Edward Island
Québec Concordia University, McGill University, Université de Montréal
Ontario Carleton University, University of Toronto, York University, University of Guelph, McMaster University, University of Waterloo, Wilfrid Laurier University
Manitoba Brandon University, University of Manitoba, University of Winnipeg
Saskatchewan University of Saskatchewan, University of Regina
Alberta University of Alberta, University of Calgary, University of Lethbridge
British Columbia University of British Columbia, Simon Fraser University

Why not study at Briercrest Seminary?

Briercrest makes education accessible to people who can't leave their jobs and homes to relocate for seminary. The classes are week-long intensive modulars, with coursework to do before and after. You can check out the future course schedule here. For some reason, all the headings say 2007 but halfway down, the listings are for 2008. Perhaps you'd like to come take one of the classes? It would be a great excuse to come see us!

Why I like cloth diapers

Will is big enough now to fit into the cloth diapers! Yea! I probably never would have tried cloth except the City of Edinburgh Council had an incentive program, and I got some free from them. It saved the Council money on trash removal. I didn't have anything to lose so I tried them. Why did I stick with them and buy even more? Because:

*They're not that difficult or time consuming. Especially now that I actually have a dryer! The new designs have snaps or velcro, so no folding or pins required! No soaking either--I just throw them in the pail and wash when it's full.
*They seem like they would be so comfortable for the babies, especially those that are fleece-lined or with fleece liners inserted.
*It saves a lot of money, especially when using the same diapers on subsequent children.
*With a diaper and a wrap, there are two lines of defense! ;)
*I can use cloth wipes as well and just throw them in with the diapers.
*I'd rather do laundry than take out the trash.

Any others who prefer cloth?

My kind of shopping

Caronport is a great place for someone who likes simple living! I believe that very few things in life need to be bought new. Well, with the exception of things like toothbrushes and underwear! Caronport has a great little secondhand shop called The Clothes Closet. It is mostly clothes, and even has separate rooms for men, women and children. You also might find children's toys, household items, games, or books. And everything is only 25 cents! I once saw they even had a baby changing table in there--again, for only 25 cents. This week they even had a 2 for 1 sale--so I got a whole pile of clothes and the bill came to $1.75. Definitely my kind of shopping!

Virginia Tech

I grew up in Virginia. I have friends who went to Virginia Tech--one who lived in that very dorm where 2 people died. So sad. :(

A walk on the prairie road

If someone had asked me where I would ideally like to live, I probably would not have picked a small town in the middle of the Saskatchewan prairies. But the longer we're here, the more we see that this area is full of beauty, interesting history, and fun things to do. You just have to search a little harder, but it is unmistakably here! Speaking of Kathleen Norris, I've been rereading her book Dakota: A Spiritual Geography, since I think so much of what she writes about western Dakota could apply to southern Saskatchewan! Here are a couple quotes I like:

"The High Plains, the beginning of the desert West, often acts as a crucible for those who inhabit them. Like Jacob's angel, the region requires that you wrestle with it before it bestows a blessing."

"A person is forced inward by the sparseness of what is outward and visible in all this land and sky. The beauty of the Plains is like that of an icon; it does not give an inch to sentiment or romance. The flow of the land, with its odd twists and buttes, is like the flow of Gregorian chant that rises and falls beyond melody, beyond reason or human expectation, but perfectly."

Here are some photos of us enjoying the warm weather on the prairie road which marks the north end of the town.

Quote from Kathleen Norris

From Amazing Grace: A Vocabulary of Faith:

"[M]odern believers tend to trust in therapy more than in mystery, a fact that tends to manifest itself in worship that employs the bland speech of pop psychology and self-help rather than language resonant with poetic meaning--for example, a call to worship that begins: "Use this hour, Lord, to get our perspective straight again." Rather than express awe, let alone those negative feelings, fear and trembling, as we come into the presence of God, crying, "Holy, Holy, Holy," we focus totally on ourselves, and arrogantly issue an imperative to God. Use this hour, because we're busy later; just send us a bill, as any therapist would, and we'll zip off a check in the mail. But the mystery of worship, which is God's presence and our response to it, does not work that way."

Quote . . .

"With his shovel."
-Kate, upon hearing about how God helped the three men in the fiery funace in the book of Daniel, and upon being told the story and then asked how God helped the three men.

"Lions are scary, but pigs are nice and friendly."
-Kate, upon hearing the story of Daniel in the lion's den.

"But the problem is . . . I want one."
-Kate, in her best lawyerly tone, upon being told she couldn't have any more green peppers.

You know you're from Canada if...

*You understand the phrase, "Could you pass me a serviette, I just dropped my poutine on the chesterfield."
*You eat chocolate bars, not candy bars.
*You don't care about the fuss with Cuba. It's a cheap place to go for your holidays, with good cigars.
*You know that a pike is a type of fish, not part of a highway.
*You have Canadian Tire money in your kitchen drawers.
*You know that Casey and Finnegan were not part of a Celtic musical group.
*You get excited whenever an American television show mentions Canada.
*You brag to Americans that: Shania Twain, Jim Carrey, Celine Dion and many more are Canadians.
*You know that the C.E.O. of American Airlines is a Canadian!
*You know what a touque is.
*You know that the last letter of the English alphabet is always pronounced "Zed" not "Zee".
*You understand the Labatt Blue commercials.
*You know how to pronounce and spell "Saskatchewan."
*You perk up when you hear the theme song from "Hockey Night in Canada."
*You were in grade 12, not the 12th grade.
*Winter. Whenever you want it. And then some.
*There's German food, Italian food, Chinese food, Armenian food, American food, but NO Canadian food.
*You like the Americans a little because they don't want Quebec either.
*Contests run by anyone other than the government have "skill-testing questions" that winners must answer correctly before they can claim a prize.

Of course, I just copied this list from somewhere--not sure if it applies to all Canadians!

What European city do you belong in?

You Belong in Amsterdam

A little old fashioned, a little modern - you're the best of both worlds. And so is Amsterdam. Whether you want to be a squatter graffiti artist or a great novelist, Amsterdam has all that you want in Europe (in one small city).

What European City Do You Belong In?

Why is my daddy so interested in cows? Kate's journal, #2

My daddy seems to think cows are really interesting for some reason. Yesterday he was joking with me and told me not to have a cow. I just turned to him and asked, "Do I have cows?" I guess he thought I said something funny, because he laughed pretty hard, but I didn't get it.

-Kate

Sibs

Favorite Recipes

Here's one of our favorite meals--we got these recipes from friends in Scotland. Everybody seems to really like this! Thanks Darren and Elisabeth!

CHICKEN SATAY

Mix together: 1 T peanut butter, 1/4 cup soy sauce, 1/4 cup lemon juice, 1 1/2 tsp. curry powder, 1/2 tsp. hot pepper sauce (I usually omit this) and 1 minced garlic clove. Pour over 8 pieces of chicken and marinate several hours or overnight, turning once to coat. Grill in broiler pan under moderate high heat, until golden brown on both sides, turning every so often.

MOROCCAN VEGETABLE STEW

Saute 1 chopped onion in 2 T olive oil for 3-5 minutes until translucent. Add 3 cloves minced garlic and saute briefly. Add 1 tsp. ground ginger, 1 tsp. turmeric, 2 tsp. cumin, 2 tsp. cinnamon, and 1/2 tsp. chili powder and saute 1 minute. Add 1 can diced tomatoes, 1 can drained chickpeas, 1/2 cup dried currants or raisins, 2 sliced zucchini, 2 sliced carrots, 1 cup water, and salt and pepper if desired (I don't add). Bring to a boil then simmer until vegetables are tender (40 minutes should do it but longer is even better). Serve over couscous.

COUSCOUS

Stir 1 cup couscous (we try to use whole wheat) into 1 1/2 cups boiling chicken broth. Cover, let sit 5 minutes off the heat, fluff with a fork, and serve. You can also saute a handful of pine nuts in a little olive oil until golden and mix them in before serving.

We usually also make some warmed pita bread or naan bread, and hummus.

Snowing again

Where is spring????

Canadian Politics

We have a subscription to MacLean's magazine (www.macleans.ca), which is Canada's main news magazine. Slowly but surely, I am learning about Canadian politics. It seems to be set up much more like the UK than like the US. For example, there is a Parliament instead of a Congress, and the Prime Minister is the head of the party in power (Canadians, please correct me if I am screwing this up!). Unlike the US, where elections are held at predictable times, elections can be held in Canada whenever the party in power wants to call one. A few more facts:

*The capital of Canada is Ottawa, Ontario.
*Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth is Canada's Head of State and the Queen of Canada. Her representative in Canada is the Governor General
*Parliament is divided into two chambers, the Senate and the House of Commons. Everyone in the Senate is appointed. Everyone in the House of Commons is elected.
*The head of the majority party in Commons is the nation's prime minister and the Head of Government (currently Stephen Harper, of the Conservative party).
*There are several major political parties, the biggest of which are as follows:
Liberal Party of Canada
Conservative Party of Canada
New Democratic Party of Canada
Bloc Québecois (a separatist party present only in Québec)

Pilot Confusion

Kate and I went to the Caronport Tot Lot yesterday. We were sitting on a bench, and she wanted to pretend we were on an airplane. I said, "OK, you be the pilot."

Kate: "No, Pilate was at church with Jesus!"

I remember thinking the same when I was a kid. Why was this guy in the Bible named Pilate? I mean, they didn't even have airplanes back then!

The Long Arm of the IRS

Well, we've filed our Canadian taxes, but we're not done. We still need to file our US taxes. You might wonder why this is. After all, our only income in 2006 was my Scottish income from my part-time job there, and Eric's Canadian income, both of which were taxed already by the respective foreign governments. No US income at all, except for a small amount of interest from a savings account.

Well, as US citizens, our world income is subject to US income tax no matter where we are living. Due to the foreign earned income exclusion, and the foreign tax credit, most US expats don't end up actually paying anything to the IRS. But we still need to report it. Not sure what happens to folks who fail to do this, but I have heard stories of being hassled by US immigration, or even being audited. Even if the IRS doesn't catch it now, it's likely to come to their attention if a US expat gains an inheritance, applies to collect Social Security benefits, etc. I'd rather have the hassle of filing every year rather than having to file years of back taxes someday.

Seder

Every Thursday, the kids and I join Eric at the Briercrest Seminary chapel. Usually, there is a chapel service followed by a soup lunch. It's a great way to join with the community, and get to know students and staff. This week, they did a special Christian seder. Jews celebrate the seder to remember Passover, and Christians who celebrate a seder also remember Christ's death. Seder means "order" because the meal and service are done in a prescribed sequence. This included: lighting the candles, 4 cups of juice, washing of each other's hands, eating bitter herbs (to symbolize what life would be like without the daily love and grace of Christ), the breaking of bread, and ending with a meal together. Scripture was read, and songs were sung. Eric read several verses in Hebrew throughout the seder, and also spoke about the significance of the plagues. It was a very meaningful time which brought us closer to God.

Kate came away with the realization that "God made juice."

Kate's journal, #1

Dear Diary,

As an inquisitive two-year old, with a healthy respect for God's creation, I feel it is important to begin my education early by conducting a number of simple science experiments around the home, using every-day household materials. For instance, yesterday I poured most of my baby shampoo in the toilet to see what would happen! It was amazing - bubbles everywhere! My daddy came to see what I was doing, and he must have been pretty excited too, because he started jumping up and down, slapping his forehead, and saying my name over and over. It made me feel very proud that I got such a reaction out of that big guy!

Next week: particle physics. Like, what happens when I throw yogurt against the wall at velocities approaching the speed of light?

Parenting as Boat Building?

In an age where parents seem to get little support and respect, and childcare workers rarely make more than minimum wage, it's important to remember just how crucial this task of caring for our children is. I like this analogy from Jan Hunt:

"Compassionate early parenting is like a well-built boat, protecting the child from the sea of all subsequent disappointments, temptations, frustrations, and sorrows. Blaming teenage crime on peer pressure (or video games, movies, music, clothing, the Internet, the media, or anything else in current culture), is like blaming a storm for overturning a child's poorly-built boat. We know that there will always be storms in our children's lives. There will always be temptations, disappointments, sorrows, even tragedies. Their ability to cope with these events is what really matters. Do they have a strong enough boat, or do they have a boat with holes? Do they have any boat at all, or have they been put to sea without any protection? And when they drown, do we blame the wind and the rain, the wake of passing motorboats, and the clutching hands of their boatless peers, or do we start building better boats for all of our children?"

As I spend my days reading stories, changing diapers, cleaning up spilled yogurt on the floor, empathizing with all kinds of emotions, disciplining, sharing my faith and values, trying to stimulate these little brains, I hope I am building two strong boats for these kids!

Babywearing

I got my first sling when Kate was about 3 months old and I wish I'd had it earlier! It was especially invaluable on the buses in Scotland! We didn't have a car in Edinburgh, and bringing a stroller on the bus was generally a real pain. And now that I have two children, despite having a car again, I don't know what I'd do without it! I can attend to Kate without having to put a crying baby down, and it's easy to get Will to fall asleep in the sling. In the grocery store, I can wear Will and put Kate in the cart seat.

Here's a good article from The Natural Child Project called "Ten Reasons to Wear Your Baby." Apparently, it is quite good for babies to be carried as much as possible, especially in the first few months when they are transitioning from womb to world.
http://www.naturalchild.org/guest/laura_simeon.html

Book Club

I am currently reading The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd, for my book club. Other books we've read this year are:

Lilith by George MacDonald
Haroun and the Sea of Stories by Salman Rushdie
A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson
My Name is Asher Lev by Chaim Potok
The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

It will be my turn to pick a book soon. Does anyone have any suggestions?