Why I get my gas at Petro-Canada

Because for some weird reason, it's the only station I've found around here that allows me to pay at the pump. And the only station I've found that has that nifty latch that allows my tank to fill while I sit in my warm car. Considering that it's 9 F outside right now (-13 C), and that I am usually traveling with small children, Petro-Canada has my business for now!

*Edited to add a link to this article about why it's best not to sit in the car while the tank is filling. Now I will have to locate the gas stations where an attendant comes out and fills the tank for me!

Weekly Challenge #2: Read nothing but the Bible

Moose Jaw has a wonderful library! And if I want a book they don't have, I can get it quickly and free through interlibrary loan. I also enjoy the Briercrest library very much. So needless to say, I always have a big stack of fascinating books by my bedside. If it's not the latest novel for my book club, it's a variety of books about child development, the politics of breastfeeding, the effect of media on family life, or the cultural differences between the US and Canada. And so, my Bible reading often gets short shrift. So this week, I will read nothing but the Bible, with the exception of reading children's books to the kids.

I should have kept a blog in Scotland...

but alas, I didn't. However, several American expat friends of mine did! Check out:

Soteria: Josh and Deliverance also moved from Chicago to Edinburgh to study at the University of Edinburgh Divinity School. If you click on the link, it will take you to the page where their Scotland adventure started. They've been back in the US for a few months, and Deliverance has another blog about being a repat.

Kunkel Fam Adventures: Dust and Janette Kunkel and their two girls lived in the grad student family housing near us. They are working in Idaho now, but had many wonderful posts during their time in Scotland. I've also set their link to the page where their Scotland posts start.

Life with the Greens Chris and Rachel Green are a couple we knew at Trinity, and they are now living the adventure of doctoral work and parenthood in Aberdeen, Scotland.

April's Cozy Rant is written by an American expat friend of mine married to a Scottish optometrist, and raising two young dual citizen sons.

And Brett in Scotland writes about his many adventures living in Scotland with his Canadian wife and their cat.

No sugar update

Well, it was surprisingly easy to stay away from sugar this past week. I know there was a little in my coffee creamer, my salad dressing, etc. but for the most part, I stayed away from sweets! I didn't even really crave sugary things that much. I bought some fresh berries and oranges, and that seemed to satisfy. And taking control of my sugar intake made me feel more disciplined in my life overall. I thought this would be much harder than it was--so I think I'll continue it for another week! And look for another Weekly Challenge soon.

Saskatchewan wins Grey Cup!

The Saskatchewan Rough Riders won the 2007 Grey Cup against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers! The Grey Cup is the championship game of the Canadian Football League. I really don't care for football, and most of the time, I have no idea who is even playing in the Superbowl. Still, I feel a strange sense of pride that the province where I live won this important Canadian game!

The Christmas spirit

The lights are up all over town, the stores are playing Christmas music, and we will order our Christmas tree soon. But I don't know that I feel ready for the Christmas season. I like presents and lights and decorations, but I definitely feel like the true spirit of Christmas has been hijacked by the consumerist spirit of Christmas. And to resist this feels like paddling upstream.

It's not that I don't want to have presents and decorations and Christmas parties. It's just that when the Christmas season starts, I would like my initial response to be one of wonder, joy, worship and service. Instead, my initial feeling is often stress, as I wonder if I have allotted enough time and money for everything I feel I need to do at Christmastime. I want to read the book Unplugging the Christmas Machine sometime. Has anyone else read this or other books about simplifying Christmas?

I would like to make Christmastime a magical time for my kids, but I don't want that to overshadow the fact that we are celebrating the birth of Jesus. And is it unrealistic to think that I can raise them to ask, "Who can we reach out to this Christmas?" rather than to first think about what presents they hope to receive?

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving to all my American family and friends around the world! We are thankful for you!

Lap Babies

We borrowed the first season of the show "Lost" and have been enjoying it. But when they showed the scene where the airplane goes through extreme turbulence and then crashes, I thought, "Any lap babies wouldn't make it through that!" Don't get me wrong, I love not having to buy a ticket for a child under two, but is it safe?

Weekly Challenge 1: No Sugar

I've been thinking of doing weekly challenges, and writing about it on my blog, in an effort to become more disciplined. I figure I can do most anything for a week!

Well today, while Kate was in preschool, I was out shopping with Will, and started feeling hungry. I had told myself I was not going to get any unhealthy snacks while I was out, but did I resist the sugary, fruity, jelly candies that beckoned to me from the shelves? No, I bought them and ate a lot of them. And now my stomach feels yucky, and I feel undisciplined and gross. SO, I thought I would kick off my weekly challenge series with: NO SUGAR! I know there is sugar in things like canned spaghetti sauce, but I am not going to be picky like that. I'm talking about no candy, cake, ice cream, and no sugary tea or coffee. Wish me luck! And feel free to join me if you feel inspired!

10 months old!

Will turned 10 months old yesterday! We just love him more every day!

Born into Brothels

So when I heard that my newly formed Film Club was kicking off with a documentary called Born Into Brothels, I was expecting to be sobered. I wasn't expecting to be so inspired! It's about an American photographer who goes into a Calcutta brothel and gives cameras to the kids who live there. It's amazing to see how this ends up transforming the lives of most of them. This documentary won an Academy Award, and I really recommend it! There's also a companion book featuring the kids' photos.

Mysteries

*Why is it that despite giving my son a name I really love, I call him Budda-Wudda most of the time?

*Why is it that yesterday, rather than getting ready for preschool as she had said she would, my daughter decided she would rather pour Diet Coke into the sugar bowl?

No child the same

Will is 9 months old and already crawling and pulling up. Kate did not crawl until 10 1/2 months and didn't pull up until at least 11 months.

On the other hand, Will seems to be much slower at learning how to pick up finger foods or drink confidently from a sippy cup than Kate was.

I don't think I've done much different in raising them. That's why I don't get too concerned about developmental charts and milestones--kids just seem to have an inner time table!

Remembrance Day

Canada observes Remembrance Day today, to commemorate the sacrifices of members of the armed forces in times of war. People wear red poppies and it is a day off of work for many. Like many churches, ours included a time of silence in the service on Sunday. Remembrance Day is also observed in Australia and the UK. Malta and South Africa call it Poppy Day, while France and New Zealand call it Armistice Day.

Saskatchewan Science Centre

Kate and I had a wonderful time today at the Saskatchewan Science Centre in Regina. Eric was tired, and kept Will at home with him for the day, while Kate and I had some good one-on-one time. Since having Will, I get less focused time with Kate, AND I tend to expect more from her, so it was great for us to have a day together. Regina is only an hour east of here on the Trans-Canada Highway, and is the capital of Saskatchewan. It has lots of interesting festivals throughout the year, good restaurants, and several museums we think our kids might like. We will definitely return to the Science Centre though--Kate didn't want to leave! In addition to all the exhibits, there are shows throughout the day, such as the "Blood and Guts" show. Kate volunteered to walk a distance with a small intestine (made of cloth) so everyone could see how long it was. Then she got to drink a cup of "blood" (cherry Koolaid!).


Kate enjoyed the bobsled in the Olympics exhibit



She caught on fast to using a mouse for some age-appropriate computer games




There were lots of hands-on activities, such as coloring this trout picture




Relaxing and having a great time!




We ran into our friends from Caronport, the Davidsons, in the tooth exhibit!




Brookie, Kate, and Rosie




Kate and Mommy




Pulling on a rope in the bubbles exhibit

Help me be more creative!

I don't feel like a very creative mom. I'm not an artsy-craftsy person at all. I can't think of many fun games on my own. I don't really like building with blocks. We don't watch TV, and I don't want Kate watching a video every day. I enjoy pushing a child on a swing, going for a walk, or playing in a sandbox, but we can't do those things all day! Especially once we're in the middle of a Saskatchewan winter. Life in Edinburgh was easier for me in that way. I would be pushing Kate in the stroller to the shops, and take a detour to the Royal Museum of Scotland, where we would happily spend an hour exploring the mummies and the British animals. Or we would go visit Eric at the divinity school and take a short walk up to the castle while we were there. There were play groups every day at various church halls, and we did baby swim classes and toddler music classes. I guess it helped that I only had one child at that time too! And the Scottish weather was so mild all year round that I never felt stuck inside.

So I've realized that I need to capitalize on my own strengths and interests or risk that my children will be totally unstimulated! One of the mentoring moms at the Caronport Moms and Tots group said she used to do "theme dinners" with her kids. I did my first one last night and it went pretty well! We did an India theme. I made Chicken Korma with basmati rice, naan bread, and Kate helped me make a mango custard. We put the globe on the middle of the table and located India. I got a CD of Indian music from the library, along with some children's books set in India. I was totally excited about this, as it fit in with my interests in cooking, other cultures, books, and music. If we know of a person who lives in a certain country, such as a missionary, we could talk about them and pray for them.

So help me think of more themes! Country, menu, books, music. If you can, maybe help me think of an art project, costume, or table decorations to go with it. We wouldn't have to do everything in one day, but could spread the books/activities over several days. Help me be more creative please!

Temple Gardens Mineral Spa

Eric and I had a much needed date this past Saturday at the Temple Gardens Mineral Spa in Moose Jaw. It was so relaxing, and we actually got to talk for a couple hours uninterrupted! It's a warm mineral pool, mostly indoors, but with a small outdoor section as well. We'd like to go back sometime when we can look up at the stars! Hanging from the ceiling were the flags representing the nations of the spa visitors throughout the years. When you look at all those flags, it sure seems like an international destination! Come visit us in Saskatchewan, and we'll take you there!

The soaring loonie

Interesting article about the effects, both positive and negative, of the Canadian dollar becoming stronger than the American dollar. One negative consequence for Canada is that more people are doing their shopping in the US, since their money goes further. As the article says, many Canadian retailers are reducing their prices to counteract this. Just the other day, I was at a book shop in Moose Jaw and saw a sign saying the prices were now in line with US prices. I don't know enough about economics to understand all the implications, but it will be interesting to see how it plays out.

Voting from abroad

I need to get on the ball as far as the upcoming US elections go. I need to make sure my absentee ballots get sent here to Canada and not to our old address in Scotland. Here's a good guide for other American expats wanting to vote.

While I do read about the various candidates in the news magazines we get, I feel fairly uninformed. So, which candidates are you impressed with, and why? Do you know of any websites that give an unbiased summary of the candidates' views?

More fall photos!

Golfing at the Caronport Harvest Party




Pretty proud of herself!




Love that candy floss (cotton candy!)



We got to spend Halloween with an excited pink unicorn, and a tired little lion cub!




Kate by our Jack O'Lantern.




Hmmmm...roasted pumpkin seeds! Some salty, and some with cinnamon and sugar.



I persuaded Kate that the pumpkin wouldn't mind being the guardian of our compost pile.




Will can pull himself up!



He is great at army crawling, and is on the verge of real crawling!




That little monkey!



Kate often wants to do what Will does, especially when he's getting lots of attention!

Breastfeeding linked to reduced cancer risk in women

Breastfeeding isn't just good for babies--it's good for moms! A report released Wednesday by the American Institute for Cancer Research and the Britain-based World Cancer Research Fund included breastfeeding in their recommendations for reducing the risk of various cancers, with the greatest risk reduction for those who breastfeed longest. Since I have some risk factors for cancer (first child not born until I was over 30, etc.) I plan to nurse Will at least two years. I also find the other possible benefits of extended breastfeeding to be pretty compelling. Apparently, the fat content of human milk increases in the second year, so hopefully that will help me lose more weight, further reducing my cancer risk. Maybe it will also help put some more weight ON my skinny boy! :)