location location location

Two years ago Chris and I did something that has affected our lives so completely, and I'm only just now realizing this. No, not conceiving a baby. We moved! I lived in St. Boniface for at least five years and had a tough time deciding to leave and settle into a new community. But we had a small one bedroom crammed full of stuff after Chris moved in with me. After dealing with that for over a year, we couldn't hold off any longer and started looking for another rental. I loved StB so much, the small shops, corner movie store, hearing families speaking French in the supermarket or on the streets.... We wanted a house with a yard on a limited budget and just couldn't find one in the area although I looked and looked. Spent months combing the classifieds and kijiji, checking out properties and finding perfect homes that rented for more than we could afford. I was looking at other central areas as well - walking distance is important to me and I can't see myself living in the suburbs, forced to drive for everything.

our old apartment

Can you tell I was in love with the balcony?

Finally, I was delighted to find this little house on Jessie Avenue - massive yard, minutes from Confusion Corner, easy bus routes and in the centre of shopping, bars, grocery stores. Not to mention the fantastic 50s-style kitchen with breakfast nook and the option of sub-renting the upstairs to a tenant of our choosing! It was PERFECT!

The only problem - I missed the community, the sense of knowing neighbors and shop owners that I felt in St. Boniface. Corydon and Osborne seemed populated with young, hipsters who thought they were so cool to live here, crowding out the remaining elders and families who mainly kept to themselves.

I was sad for over a year, grudgingly admitting the nice things about my neighborhood while picking out all the negatives. I wanted the Safeway cashiers to recognize me when I shopped, I wanted people to smile at me on the streets. Oh, I'm sure there were more that I can't even remember now.

Something came to me today. A revelation of how much my life has changed in these past years. I had a baby, which naturally includes me into different groups and gave me opportunities to meet lots of people I would have never otherwise. And I have met amazing people who are great friends and sources of support, information, resources. I feel so incredibly blessed to know people who inspire me to do more and have such strengths that they are willing to share. I've learned how to bake bread (thanks Christel) and been inspired to do it alone with a baby (Cindy!). I am planting a garden despite killing houseplants and couldn't do it without all the tips and help from Kate, James, Christel and likely many more. I attended the nurse-in at Pan Am Pool last Friday and was surprised how many moms there were women I had only met in recent months, all from this area and holding similar viewpoints and open to activism if needed (Mikki, Erin and April stand out, although I know there were more). Mikaela has encouraged me to play the piano more publicly and use my strengths while through yoga with Amanda I've learned so many grounding and releasing techniques that I use every single day without being conscious of it.

While I've been growing and changing inwardly, the people I've met and befriended lately all have ties to this area of the city. I chose a yoga studio based on closeness and cost and in it found an amazing group of women and a leader who always knows what we need to stretch and release depending on season, moon cycle and just a general intuition. I have attended the mom and baby group since Jude was 6 weeks old and have met further fantastic women through this. I feel like many of the connections made this past year will continue on for a lifetime and were I not living here, at this time, that connection may not have been forged at all.

I guess I'm torn between feeling that the path we tread is so tenuous and such a small decision can have a major, unknown impact on your life, or considering that our path is loosely foretold and in all my possible lives I would find myself here in this place. I'll be pondering that for a while I'm sure. Regardless I really couldn't be happier. I say that knowing that my life is not perfect and I am far from a perfect partner or mother myself, that I have days where everything seems to go wrong and days where everything feels terrible. And yet, my life is perfect. I have everything I could want and am terribly terribly blessed.

THANK YOU

trying

 I am trying
Trying hard, to stay in the moment to escape getting lost in the future. Looking towards my return to work which creeps closer every day, too easy to get buried with lists of must-dos and preparations. I've slowed down each day. Stayed home instead of running from group to swimming to playdates like usual. Enjoying each moment, attending to the house, the garden, the weeding, the laundry, reading books, eating flowers, dancing wildly, snuggling thoroughly.

I am fighting to stay grounded in this moment, not ignoring what's coming but rather acknowledging it's eventuality but refusing to let it affect my time left at home. I am waiting to bump in near the beginning of June and will try to leave June 8th on Celindy (and hopefully my) crew.

We aren't waiting, we're living. Each day new wonders - our crab apple tree was in full bloom as we returned, spilling fragrant petals into the yard. Lazing in sunlit kiddie pools, laundry to hang on the line, summer has arrived.

It was great to watch Jude's face when we got home. All smiles for papa, grasping onto his hand and chattering away in the car. When we entered the house his eyes widened, taking in familiar sights, recognizing his home, his toys, feeling completely at ease. He has been happy with both of us these last few days but when we are all together as a family, his joy practically explodes out of him. We could be doing nothing, just laying on the floor watching him play and he will crawl over to touch and grin at us, joyous to have both his parents together loving him.

Tomorrow the soil gets delivered and planting will take place this week. Hope for nice weather :)

montreal

Yet another travel to log in for Jude's first year. He's travelled by plane, train and automobile (ha) and proudly bears a passport. Without going into the ridiculous, he doesn't have many modes of travel left to try other than boat. We did come up with submarine, hot air balloon and kite board.... who knows he may become a daredevil traveler later on in life!

Was a great trip by train, using my via connections to get on the train early and put Jude to bed. Regardless he woke up at 10 and was just too excited to go back to sleep. A new place, new sounds and grandpa here? What's this all about?? Dad and I shared a bottle of red wine to toast our departure and once we started moving, we turned off the lights and cuddled bebe as the lights of the city retreated. He became heavier and heavier until finally we moved back and drifted off together.

This new (or new to me) train schedule means we really only spend one day on the train so it passed so quickly. Including a two hour nap in the afternoon, I felt like we ate all day and spent the rest exploring the train and visiting with friends. My super good friend Celindy was serving the dining car - even though we were supposed to eat in the front we switched to her diner once we got on.

A quick transfer to the Montreal train and first class meant free booze and meals. Initially we weren't sat together for lack of seats - I thought it wouldn't be a problem to switch aisle for aisle seat until we got on and I found out that I had been sat in a four seater, with three young poker playing boozers. Great! What a match. Before we had even pulled out from the station they were pooring vodka into their juices under the table. Thank goodness there were no-shows and the SM moved us into some better seats.

Soon we pulled into Montreal station and my dad's cousin was ready to pick us up. In the last four days we've hit up the metro every day to visit my grandpa, uncle and aunt, play in the park, walk Rue St-Catherines, shop Eaton's Centre, eat at Dilallo's Burgers and La Banquise (poutine mecca), stroll my dad's old neighbourhood and take in the Bodies Exhibition.

Bodies was incredible, fascinating, informative and unexpected. No cameras allowed and part of that allows you to be totally surprised by what they show you (why I don't want to say too much). But my dad, at 54 years old, said he learned so much about our bodies that he never knew and I can admit the same.

Tomorrow we will go to Vieux Montreal and see Totem, the newest Cirque du Soleil show. All the Montrealers are raving about it which tells me something, since they are always able to take in shows. It's not like Winnipeg where we've only started to host the traveling shows and are easily impressed. Hopefully Jude will have a good nap during the day, and not be too scared by the noise.

A demain!

on our way

Montreal here we come... I'm mostly packed with the essentials (holy cow there are so many!) for me and the babe and now we wait for the train to come in tomorrow night and whisk us off onto adventure.

Thank goodness my dad is coming along for the trip. I really wanted company, not relishing the thought of traveling alone with baby, switching trains and handling luggage/stroller/baby by myself. Now we've decided not to bring a stroller at all since my cousin Diane has one for us in Montreal. That'll leave me stroller-less in Toronto for three days but when I considered trying to navigate the subway with a roller suitcase and a stroller I balked. We'll make do with a mei-tei wrap (thanks Mikki!) and a ring sling (thanks April!).

We've been really using our mom connections lately to avoid buying more stuff that'll only be used for a few months. Such a great way to share and consume less, as well as a money saver.

Anyhow, this'll be a short post. I still have things to pack and double check, have been dealing with lots of emotions around my return to work this past week and I seemed to be on edge with everything (and everyone. Sorry my loves). I need to relax and just enjoy these next few weeks without worry, stroll the streets and snack on delicious lebanese food and poutine, show off my perfect adorable child and breathe.

Wish me luck!

too much

These last few days I've been alternatively running around like crazy getting things done and laying horizontal staring depressingly around, no energy to complete the simplest task. Something like manic-depression but not as extreme and on a much quicker scale (think hours instead of days).

Three more days until we leave for Montreal. Apart from the gigantic to-do list involving everything from packing and organizing to soil ordering and taxes, I'm struggling to deal with my last month on maternity leave. Decided to finally calculate how many weeks I have left last night and then spent the evening in tears after realizing I have one week less than I thought.

I know, one week. It's not the end of the world, logically. And yet. It feels like such an abrupt ending to my time at home. I expected to return from Montreal and have three weeks left before returning to work and now I find out I only have two.

Now this means I'll have to start weaning while we're away because two weeks to cut out 4-5 feeds daily is not enough. But I'm mostly just upset that this year is over already and I have to work at all. I'm not ready, although I don't know when I'll ever be ready. Logically I know going back to VIA is the best thing and the way I'll get to spend the most time with my baby. But the heart doesn't work logically and traveling away from him goes against every part of my being.

I remember asking moms' who had gone back on the train how they did it and never receiving a clear answer. Last night I realized there is no way to do it. You just do. You force one foot in front of the other and keep moving.

I will be a wreck. The only question is for how long. Will it last one trip, two or perhaps all season? Last night I bawled into Chris' shoulder all night and today was hardly better, moping around stuffing my face with chocolate, candy and potato wedges. I hope I can distance myself from all this worry and actually enjoy the time I have left with my babe.

I'll leave you with some yummy strawberry eating shots :)

And my other love

Goof    :)

niqab wars

I've been wanting to write about this for weeks now, nearly every time I see an article about the potential banning of the niqab going on in Quebec and also in various European countries. I kept putting it off partially because it has nothing to do with what my blog is usually about and yet... every time I see another piece about it I'm set on edge about the direction our country and the world is taking.

For those of you who aren't familiar with it, the niqab is the full head covering that some Muslim women wear that only allows the eyes to peek out. The burqua, which is also facing opposition, is the full body covering.

Quebec is trying to introduce a law that would ban women from wearing the niqab while accessing public services. These services include everything from hospitals to libraries, language classes, etc... The reasoning goes that these women are not integrated into society and for security, identification and communication they must uncover their faces while using public services or working for the public sector. Jean Charest has said even public sector employees who don't work with the public would be forbidden from wearing the head covering.

Now why would this be such a major issue as to require a bill passed when it's estimated only a few dozen women in all of Quebec choose to wear the head covering? The rhetoric continues to be that these are caged, oppressed women forced to cover up by their husbands or fathers. Even though it's not stated in the official bill, Christine St-Pierre (QCs Minister for the Status of Women) called the niqab an "ambulatory prison". Not only are we freeing them by banning the head covering but it also makes us more comfortable that we can see their faces while communicating.


But is this in the best interest of women who choose to wear the head covering for reasons of piety or personal choice?? I would be surprised if the people who are making regulations know any Muslim women who wear the niqab and are simply making assumptions based on their own ideals. We cannot say that all women wearing head coverings are forced there and not doing it by choice. So the issue then becomes Quebec banning an article of clothing because it makes them uncomfortable. 90% of Quebecers support the ban and so do 83% of Canadians!!!!


In this country we have immigrants from many different cultures and we have made accommodations for all sorts of issues and manners of dress. I can't believe our country is becoming so intolerant of certain cultures. What will become of the handful of niqab-wearing women in that province? They will either decide to stop wearing the niqab in certain situations (or at all), move elsewhere or be restricted in their movements and services they can access. Such a blatant move against the niqab will surely stoke the anger of people who already have prejudices against Muslim dress and I imagine at least some Quebecers will think nothing of approaching women to voice their negative opinions.


We have no other bans on clothing and there are ways around the security aspect. This is a government led issue (initially triggered when a niqab-wearing woman was expelled from a language class after a visit from the QC immigration minister) CBC article here
But with such widespread support nationwide and across the globe (bans proposed in Belgium, France and others) this seems destined to further drive a wedge between this small group and the rest of the world. To what end remains to be seen.

growing up

A recent realization I've had about myself is that I'm grown up... And not only that, but I also know who I am.

The moment things switched came and passed without notice. It may have been years ago but I wasn't exactly paying attention, rather living my life. I remember moving out initially when it felt like I was playing house, pretending to be grown up. Of course I would have never admitted that at the time. At 17 I was totally grown up and knew everything (doesn't every teenager?). It took years to build my home, first amassing stuff then purging with equal rigor. It took just as long to build myself...

I don't know if anybody really knows who they are during teenage and early 20s but I always felt drawn to others who had such a clear vision of themselves. I was more fluid, questioning aspects of my personality, trying to change and match what I thought I should be like. Feeling like I didn't quite fit in since I wasn't like anyone else I knew yet not realizing the beauty in just being me.

Lately I've realized I'm content. I know exactly who I am, my values and interests valid because they belong to me. Happy to admit when I don't know how to do something and asking to be taught. I still have a hard time disagreeing with others at times, even when I feel strongly in my opinion. Sometimes I find it difficult to explain why I feel a certain way so I prefer not to engage in a debate over my opinions, although my reasoning is usually quite sound I'm just unable to access it quickly enough.

There was a point I realized I'm not just playing house anymore. I am grown up, this is my life being lived every day. I could have never imagined it at age 12 or 16 or even 21. Yet here it is.

The hard work has paid off   :)