What would Jesus buy?
May 16, 2009 Uncategorized
I watched this movie a while ago but keep forgetting to talk about it. It’s worth watching, though. This documentary, produced by Morgan Spurlock (Supersize Me), follows Reverend Billy and the Church of Stop Shopping Gospel Choir on a tour of the United States. It is a brilliant criticism of the extreme commercialism that we almost all fall victims too, especially around Christmas. Reverend Billy doesn’t take himself or his church seriously; they don’t preach any religion but simply try to make people realize how ridiculous things are getting when it comes to materialism. He wants to make people stop and think, buy less and spend more quality time with their family instead. In order to do that, they invade malls, exorcise Wallmart signs and make a lot of people uneasy in the process. The movie is interspersed with sickening stats about how much we overspend and scenes of over-spoiled brats complaining that they received only ONE miniature Hummer for Christmas instead of two (plus a whole pile of other stuff). It’s definitely worth watching if you can find it; our local repertoire video store has it.
I need that!
Apr 20, 2009 Uncategorized
In the category “Annoying things my son learned to say and shouldn’t have”, the first one was “Mine!”, what seems like eons ago. Fortunately, it didn’t last. The new one, which surprised us this weekend, is “I need that!”, accompanied by some pointing to an object that you or someone else is holding.
He probably got it from the same child who was responsible for the first annoying habit, a bad example all around. We are hoping this phase doesn’t last any longer than the first because it really gets on our nerves.
As for another annoying habit my son picked up this weekend (and this one, really, I don’t know where he got it from!), he decided to pretend that food was soap and to “wash his hands” with it at meal times. Yesterday, it was with sweet potato puree. This morning, it was with applesauce. It wouldn’t be so bad (after all, pretend play is good for his development) if he didn’t also want to wash his face with it, then his hair.
Apart from that, all is well. He’s still charming, even with a sweet potato facial. I just won’t give him the “big hug” he always asks for 
18 months
Feb 12, 2009 Uncategorized
DS turned 18 months last week and it occureds to me that I haven’t given an update on his growth and development in a long, long while. So here it is. According to the doctor, his head now has a circumference of 49 cm, he is 82,5 cm tall and weighs somewhere between 11 and 12 kg (I already forgot, but I know it’s just over 25 pounds). He is, therefore, in the 75th percentile for head circumference and height, and in the 50th percentile for weight. He has received his last vaccines until age 5, he can now run (although still slower than mommy and daddy, thank God!) and he is speaking more and more.
I come back from work every day to one or several new words that he has just started saying. He now puts more than one together, too. For instance, at supper time, I always ask him to say thank you to his dad for cooking a good supper. The other day, totally unprompted, he said “thank you papa souper”. Well, he still says “you’re welcome” instead of thank you, so it was more like “co-come papa souper”, but still! He regularly puts two words together, like “bike baby” to talk about his bike or “grrr papa” when he wants his dad to chase him while pretending he’s a bear or some other wild beast.
Oh, and he has tantrums, too, did I mention it? When we ask him to do something he doesn’t want to do, he lies on his back on the ground (even if we’re in the middle of the street) and starts screaming. Luckily, so far it hasn’t happened too often or lasted for too long and we have just waited him out, but it is definitely not an enjoyable part of parenting a toddler. The other day, he threw something at his dad and hurt him. We insisted on him apologizing (which means giving him a cuddle in a kiss, since “I’m sorry” is not yet part of his vocabulary) and he stubbornly refused for at least 15 minutes, during which he was doing his best to climb up on me to get a hug from me while I was refusing to pay him any attention until he apologized. He finally gave up and our life resumed normally.
But it did make me think of my poor mother who apparently, when my sister was just a little bit older, would sometimes have to wait for hours and then give in because the stubborn little thing just wouldn’t do what asked of her. I am crossing my fingers and my toes and knocking on all the wood around me in hope that DS won’t take after his aunt!
DS
Feb 9, 2009 Uncategorized
You may have noticed it by now, but I have been trying not to use my son’s name in this blog. I don’t know why I hesitate that much. I guess I tremendously value my privacy, and whereas Zak and I have chosen to divulge our first name on this blog, even knowing that anyone around the world can read it, my son cannot make such a decision yet. Not too long ago I read an interesting article about this new blog tendency, where parents talk about their children’s every pee and coo, and it raised the interesting question of the privacy of people who cannot give consent. So although I understand that everyone who knows me knows who my son is, I figure that by not naming him I can – somewhat – preserve his privacy from complete strangers.
But logistically, this sucks. I don’t know how many times I had to erase his name to replace it with “my son” or “my baby” or “my boy”, because I naturally tend to use his name. So I decided that I should find a permanent solution that can shorten my search for synonyms, something that I could get used to and that would become second nature. I don’t think I could get used to a randomly-picked fake name, so instead I found a solution in the parenting forums I visit somewhat regularly.
In these forum, posters refer to their children as DD (dear daughter) or DS (dear son). So from now on, whenever I talk about my baby, he will be called DS.
You are all warned!
Another milestone!
Feb 9, 2009 Uncategorized
Saturday we went to Ikea to buy some shelving to try and contain as much as possible the mess created by our baby’s toys. Of course, it didn’t really work since our boy decided that emptying the plastic bins on the floor is the most wonderful game ever. But I digress. What I wanted to say is that while at Ikea, we decided to splurge on a $4 potty.
We are not planning on potty-training our 18-month-old just yet, but he has shown interest on sitting on the toilet before, and when Zak babysat our neighbour he saw her use the potty and wanted to use it too, so we figured it couldn’t hurt to have one on hand. When we came back home, he pulled it out of the bag and asked to sit on it, which of course I let him do. I even convinced him to remove his pants and diaper, since he needed a change anyway. He sat back on the potty naked and, lo and behold, he peed!
I am deeply convinced that this was a coincidence – he was just at the right place at the right time -, but still, he peed on a potty! He – obviously – received plenty of praise for his success and – obviously again – didn’t repeat the feat since, despite sitting on the potty naked several more time. But it did give me something to write in his baby book!
Mothers take pride in the most insignificant things…
Vancouver in the snow
Dec 26, 2008 Uncategorized
Here are a few photos of Vancouver in the last few days, a city that usually doesn’t get more than one or two centimeters of snow that barely sticks, and this time got a ton more that stayed for two weeks! I always thought that there is nothing more beautiful than the beach covered in snow. Thanks to Zak for the photos!
Merry Christmas
Dec 25, 2008 Uncategorized
… And a big thanks to Skype!
Last night, I was able to talk on camera with most of my immediate family in Quebec City. Elliot even opened his grandma’s present in front of her, and I opened the present my sister sent me. Then later on, my cousin (who I’m very close to) managed to install the Webcam that we bought her family for Christmas, so we were able to have a chat with them too. And this morning we talked to my best friend in Quebec, I called my aunt’s phone line with Skype… All that for (almost) free.
We are enjoying a nice, quiet day for Christmas. Elliot is napping after playing with his bike until he couldn’t stand straight anymore, and the adults are gorging and preparing more awesome food to gorge on. Good old Christmas fun!
Here are three photos: our son with his wrapped present (which has been his favorite toy ever since it came out of the closet), then halfway through unwrapping it, then unwrapped and ready to go.
