I Heart Valentine's?

Valentine's Day in our household has always been a second-tier holiday. I think we put more effort into celebrating St. Patrick's Day than we do in Love Day. (In fact, I know we do. For St. Patrick's Day, we make Guinness stew, dress in green, attend parades, put green food colouring in the mashed potatoes and milk, wear shamrocks--the whole kit 'n kaboodle. What can I say--I'm Irish, love stew, love green and kinda hope to meet a leprechaun one day.)

For me, there is no real prejudice against Valentine's Day. I'm all for telling those around you that you love them or reminding them why they are so special to you, but I'm not really into the whole 'spend money because it shows you care' thing. I don't like the idea of Hubby paying ridiculous sums of money for flowers just because a date on the calendar says he should.

I much prefer getting an unexpected bouquet ''simply because'' or cause ''I saw 'em and thought you'd like 'em.'' That, to me, is true romance. And, the fact that he sometimes gets me green flowers (never roses or carnations, as he knows I'm not fans of them) on St. Patrick's Day shows that he pays attention! ;)

That said, beyond an exchange of actual valentines (cards, I mean--and yes, I have kept every one over the years. I cherish those little things, as you well know!), we don't do anything too special on that day. We don't get all dolled up to go out to candlelit, champagne-and-lobster restaurants or spend boatloads on hotels and couples massages and babysitters for the night. We don't exchange satin-covered candy boxes or shower each other with jewelry or expensive gifts. And we don't--although perhaps we should 'cause this could be fun!--hire troubadours to serenade one another with Shakespearean sonnets.

And it's not to say that we don't deserve or wouldn't appreciate the massages and the night away from the kids--and I'm sure parents everywhere would agree that we could all use more romantic time together--but it's just not our style. Instead, we usually spend the night with a nice, quiet dinner at home, followed by a movie and a bowl of popcorn.

However, when Brooke came into the world, we started the tradition of giving her little treats on Valentine's Day morning. (I'm certain most parents do--I know my mom and dad always did. We'd find new hair elastics and candy jujubes beside our pillows and little packages of conversation or cinnamon hearts beside our cereal bowls. That kinda thing.) I think that's a natural transition for any parent.

We also started decorating the house a little bit. Nothing major--just a few strings of red heart beads and a heart-shaped wall-hanging. As Brooke's interest in arts grew, we started making more and more craft projects--homemade valentines, little mailboxes, paper chains, etc. (Now, Brooke wants to make a project every day...some days have me scouring the Web in search of more preschool-aged craft ideas because I am just tapped. But, that's a post for another day.)

Besides the cards and little treats (which, this year, take the shape of chocolates, bubble bath, a Valentine's Day wood-bead necklace kit and a dollar-store baton for Brooke and heart-printed rubber duckies for Avie), I am trying to come up with something special for the girls to celebrate the holiday.

Hubby is the pancake king. Whenever the Grants are staying over, he likes to whip up a batch of his homemade pancakes, which have evolved over the years into different shapes with whorls of food colouring swirled in for the fun effect. The kids love it.

So, this year, I think we'll make up a batch of pink and red heart-shaped pancakes, which we can doll up with whipped cream and strawberries. (After all, strawberries have a natural 'heart' shape, right?) Since Valentine's Day falls on a Monday--which is often a hellishly chaotic morning--I think we'll make the pancakes the night before, so that all we have to do is heat them up and present them to Brooke and Avie the next morning. B will get such a kick out of it!

I also think we'll have a little Heart Hunt. Just a little game to play. I'll cut out a dozen or so paper hearts and hide them around the house. Maybe after dinner (so Daddy can partake), I'll hand B her little mailbox and send her on her scavenger hunt. Maybe minicupcakes for the game-winning prize?

And, if Sunday turns out to be a great day and the kids are up for it, maybe we'll go for a Valentine's Day skate at the arena or maybe even the Rideau Canal.

I'm always looking for new ideas. So, tell me how are you celebrating Valentine's with the ones you love? Do you make homemade valentines for classmates or family members? Do you decorate heart-shaped cookies with the kids? Do you treat your special someone to breakfast in bed? Or leave love-notes taped to the bathroom mirror or tucked into lunchboxes? Do you take a limo out to go dancing or order in take-out and enjoy a bottle of merlot at home?

Well, anyway you slice it, here's to hoping you have a love-filled weekend!

Gastro 4, Us 0.

Stomach flu reigned supreme in our household this weekend. I fell to the bug first, Hubby was next to succumb, followed by B and then by our holdout, Avie. As usual, Hubby was fine within 24 hours and Brooke (who, out of the four of us, probably spent the most time with a bucket in her hands) followed her daddy shortly thereafter.

Although for the most part, I'm fine, my stomach occasionally seems to disagree. I only threw up the first day, but the nausea seems neverending. On the plus side? I lost five pounds. Gotta look at things with a positive attitude, right?

Poor Avie has been the one who seems to be suffering the most--more likely the result of some teeth coming in at the same time. She seems to be over the gastro, but the poor thing is exhausted. She's on her third nap of the day (and she only ever has two!) and it's not even 2pm. No fever, no vomitting, no diapers filled with out-of-the-ordinary nastiness. Just cranky crying and falling asleep in my mama's lap. So, I'm guessing she is just wiped out from the weekend and is taking longer than the rest of us to recover.

Before gastro struck, we were able to get some Valentine's prep done. We made 'stained glass hearts' for the window (out of cardboard, tissue paper and a clear plastic project sleeve) and chocolate chip cookies with pink icing and red sprinkles, which we promptly ate (okay, wasn't just us--the Grants came over that night and the kids devoured most of 'em. At least, I hope so!). And, the girls got all dolled up for a photo shoot we staged in honour of the lovey-dovey holiday.

The idea was that I was going to work on the pics, print some off and turn them into Valentines for Daddy and the grandparents. The girls would decorate them (okay, Brooke would decorate them--Avie would just eat the sequins) and we'd drop 'em in the mail for Cupid to deliver in time for Love Day, but gastro turned that idea on it's pretty lace-and-sequins head. Guess, we'll have to settle for virtual cards instead. :)

In the meantime, enjoy some love from my own little valentines.

Best January face....

Another I Heart Faces photo challenge today. This week's theme? Best Face in January.

I scrolled through the pics and came up with this one. Not traditionally beautiful in the sense that Aviecakes is smiling up at the camera, all adorable in frills and lace. Definitely not a sweet baby portrait most people would have matted and framed. Instead, she's devouring her lunch in a don't-come-between-me-and-my-tourtière kinda way. But her eyes!

The midday light from the window just made her eyes sparkle--like two little blue gems staring out from a sea of mushed up potatoes, corn and ground pork pie. That's love right there, folks.

Either we have a future gourmande on our hands or a little girl with a VERY healthy appetite. One way or the other, 15 years from now, she will hardly be impressed that I published this pic....

It's People's Choice Award, so anything goes. Keep your fingers crossed that I get a vote, peeps! (And, if you want to vote for my pic, head on over to I Heart Faces. Mine is #439.) Got feedback? I'd love to hear it.

Happy Monday, folks.

Hockey meets Marvel Comix?

Last post of the night. Promise.

Just saw this on MSN and had to share before I forget about it. Apparently, NHL teamed up with some animators to develop a series of team superheroes that they have just unveiled. Each superhero takes on the likeness of it's team icon, with traits and attributes tailored to the individual team's strengths and weaknesses. Twenty-three new superheroes, sporting the team colours, for comic book fans everywhere to wilt over.

It's like every 12-year-old Canadian boy's dream come true! (And, probably a good number of the 30-year-old boys, too.)

I post this in honour of them.

BenGy: Besides being a neat addition to any adolescent boy's poster collection, what's the point of these NHL superheroes, anyways?!

Midnight money musing

Before I sign off for the night, I just read about a little money-saving tip in ''Today's Parent'' magazine (can't recall which issue, I'm afraid, and too lazy to go back to the bathroom to find it--think it was new?) that I had to share with everyone. If you're hoping to start 2011 off on a more budget-savvy foot or trying to save up some cash for a trip down south, RRSP contribution, new car or what-have-you, here's a little suggestion.

If you are like me (a person who simply can't stand banks), then you probably do most of your banking online. Well, everytime you go online to pay a bill, round out your accounts by transferring the odd amount and change to a savings account.

So, if your chequing account reads $586.27, transfer $6.27 to your savings account. It's not a big enough sum that it will matter much to your chequing account--you won't even miss the six bucks--but the gradual accumulation of these small transfers (especially if you e-bank once or twice a week) can easily save you a couple hundred bucks a year.

Something to think about.

Just sayin'. ;)

A weekend earned

Another short post--really just want to share some random pics before we head out. Will be leaving after B's swim lessons tomorrow morning for a weekend in Tremblant with my sister's troop and another set of friends.

It won't be a long vacay--more like 24 hours, really--but a well-earned rest, I think. We're going to stay at a cottage on a frozen lake with an indoor pool and an outdoor jacuzzi. Tramping through the snowy village by day and cozying up by the fire, wine bottles and nachos by night.

There will be 14 of us in all--6 weary adults, 6 wild kids (one of whom is celebrating a birthday--Happy Day, Masyn!) and 2 teething babies. Should be a good time. (And, I don't write that in my usual sarcastic tone. I really think it will be a good time.)

Anyways, I snapped these today because I just loved Brooke's outfit. Santa brought those fuzzy leg warmers for her (courtesy of Dollarama) in her stocking and she wanted to wear them today. Still, it's a little chilly to be running around the house in a miniskirt, so we opted for some grey leggings under the skirt and beneath the leg warmers. We're Canadian, so we dress in layers, right?

What I didn't notice until after I had downloaded the photos is that I had also captured some of Brooke's writings on the floor. Yup--my kid just turned 3 and she can already read and print her name with absolutely no prompting whatsoever from me.

Not only does she know how to spell her own name (and can type it on the computer, too!), but she knows the first letter to Hubby's name, Avie's, Dave's, Grace's and mine. She's that smart. Natch. (Brushing knuckles on lapels.) We clearly have another brilliant writer in the family.

I especially love how she writes her 'B.' It's like she has already taken ownership of her initial and that just warms me inside. She always makes a curly loop between the first and second bumps--a really cursive, beautiful 'B.' (Just like her.) I love it--and I love her.

Anyways, after she 'wrote her list,' we went to wrap Masyn's gift and make her a birthday card. Brooke even signed it by herself. Adorable. I almost don't want to give the card to Masyn--even after Brooke worked diligently at decorating it with all of the stickers (and I do mean, ALL) to bedazzle it in Masyn's honour.

Another pic of Brooke ballerina-ing it in the living room, while Avie watches Caillou. And, yes, you'll note that the room looks a little like a toy typhoon blew through it--and you wouldn't necessarily be wrong. (Hey, at least the tree is gone. Took me almost a month to get everything packed up again. The Xmas boxes are still sitting in the dining room awaiting to be returned to the garage.) And, if you'll note--heart garland over the window. Getting ready for HappyHeartsDay! :)

I wanted to do a proper photo shoot today with the girls all dolled up in sweet little sugary dresses, but I just couldn't be bothered to clean up the destruction left behind the typhoon. (You should see the tiny terrorized faces frozen upon the forever-staring eyes of the dolls. To know the things they know! To see the things they've seen! The horror!) I'll have a go at it next week. Promise.

And, check out Avie's hair. My little sugarbee's hair was all over the place après nap. Love that flyaway baby hair. I swear, I'm not cutting that hair until she's well into her toddlerhood, either. Give her some glitter and a guitar and you could call my little punkrocker MiniPink. Too damn cute!

Okay, final photos. B in her own little winter wonderland.

Look at the expression on her face. Enjoy as she does.

Innocent Wonder -- I Heart Faces Photo Challenge

Happy belated birthday, SnapHappy! A year and nearly a month after beginning this blog and I find myself reflecting on its purpose.

Originally, this little venture into the World Wide Web was an attempt at chronicling my journey into motherhood for a second time. I was going to spend 365 days photographing life at home with my young girls, documenting their childhood and the special moments that make up our memories. I was going to share my photos and my thoughts with my audience with the aim to amuse and entertain. I was going to research and compile and publish articles and how-tos on all things mommy, like where to find local water play parks or how to make pinwheel pencil crafts.

Silly and fun, thought-provoking and profound, the blog postings were going to be printed and bound, souvenirs of a mother's unconditional love for her crazy, kooky kids.

Unfortunately, that is not what the universe had in store for me. This summer, the blog became a vehicle with which to inform family and friends about the recent goings-on of Brooke's diagnosis and subsequent cancer treatment.

A valuable tool--the blog allowed me to convey the innermost workings of my mind to my loved ones without my having to say a word. After repeating the story 101 times to various doctors and family members, I was mentally exhausted--and the blog became my retreat.

Writing--and photography, for that matter--has always comforted me. So, it was natural that I took to the blogosphere to heal from the shock and the ordeal that we endured this summer and fall. Thank you, SnapHappy, for allowing me to pour out my heart to you. And, thank you, readers, for continuing to tune in. I apologize that SnapHappy did not live up to its purpose, but hopefully, one day I will get back to my simple plan and chronicle that mommyhood journey.

And, to that end, I recently stumbled upon a website I am sure to follow obsessively called I Heart Faces. It's a photography website for amateurs. A whole community of snaphappy folks gather there to be inspired, improve their photo-taking skills and share their talents behind the lens. The site also hosts a weekly photo challenge with themed entries.

It's a long shot, as I am in no way a professional, but I thought I would take a stab at contributing to this week's photo challenge, if for no other reason than to force me to sit down in front of Picasa and sort through the images that have haunted my SD cards for months now.

This week's theme is 'Innocent Wonder,' which as you can imagine, is about as broad a theme as you can perceive. I figured my entry would be a photo I took this summer before all the hoopla began.

My 'Innocent Wonder' entry is a photo of my daughter enjoying the first fruits of the season--teeny, tiny strawberries that were as tart as they were delicious. I like this photo because of the expression on my country girl's little face. Thoughtful and delighted. I can only imagine what wonders she was mulling over.

Wander over to I Heart Faces challenge and let me know what you think. A chance in hell? Hardly, but inspiring nonetheless. Enjoy!