Tuesday, September 11, 2001 was a beautiful day in London, much like the beautiful day we're having today in Vancouver. When I got up that morning, I never, ever would have thought the day would end with such sadness.
I was off work that day and had gone into London with a friend who was getting ready to leave London, go on a trip through Europe and then head home to Mexico. I don't remember much of the morning, but sometime after lunch, around 1:30 or 2:00, we were in a tacky gift shop on the Strand. And over the chatter of the tourists in the shop, I heard something about a plane hitting the Empire State building.
And that was it. I didn't think much of it, in my mind it was a small, personal aircraft that must have made some kind of navigational error. The person reading the news was pretty calm and matter of fact and moved on to the next news story. Sad, but what do you do, right?
Not long after that we decided it was time to move on to our next destination - I'm not sure what it was, we never made it there. When we stepped out onto the street, something was wrong. It was quiet. Very quiet. It's never quiet like that on the Strand. And there was a lady on her cell phone in the middle of the street, sobbing. And a man next to her, who obviously knew her, but not well, awkwardly patting her on the shoulder.
As we walked through the streets, we could feel the mood thickening and the city getting quieter, but we didn't know why. I had forgotten the news report and didn't make that connection until later.
We decided that we were just going to go home. We didn't like the way London felt and we had tickets to the theatre that night, so we thought we'd go home, drop our purchases off, get changed, have dinner and come back.
The underground was eerily quiet. Everyone was very subdued. Every once in a while we'd see someone who had obviously been crying.
When we got back to Pax Lodge, it was a little crazy. We were hosting a seminar and there were American participants who were trying to connect with their relatives. We still weren't sure what was going on. Everyone crowded around the tv, but the news hadn't become huge yet...most stations were showing regular programming. The internet was nothing like it is today and in the entire building there were two computers (maybe four?) that were connected to the internet...nothing would load because the demand around the world was exceeding most sites' bandwidth allowance.
Eventually the UK caught on and all five stations that we got switched to newscasts. And it was devastating. There was huge concern about where terrorists might strike next. There was talk of shutting down the underground. The City was evacuated. All of our international guests and staff just wanted to go home. Of course, we knew that wasn't going to be possible.
Edna and I weren't sure if we should go to the show that night. We were scared that we'd get there and then the underground would shut down and we would have to walk all the way home. We waffled for hours about going and finally our boss told us just to go. That's what we needed to do, keep living and not let the terrorists scare us into staying home, even if we were terrified. She even offered to drive into London to get us if the underground did get shut down.
We went to the theatre and Oxford Street was almost empty. There was two minutes of silence at the beginning of the show and the theatre pretty much stayed quiet throughout the show. The show was great, but the collective sadness of the audience was so heavy. I have no idea how the actors managed to put on such a great performance.
My tv, which pretty much lived in a cabinet, came out of storage and for the next few days there was almost always someone in my room, even when I wasn't there, watching the coverage. I don't think I've ever cried so many tears. I don't think I've ever been so homesick either. Not that being home would have made the reality of it any less, but being home would at least give me the comfort of knowing my family was okay. I figured the world was ending.
The world didn't end.
My parents flew, very safely, to London a few weeks later to visit me and do some travelling. I flew to Finland and flew back to London with two pairs of scissors in my carry-on luggage and no one stopped me. I figured an armed guard would be waiting to arrest me when the plane touched down at Heathrow. Edna didn't get to go on her trip through Europe. Her mom was so concerned she asked her to come home right away.
Things changed. People seem to be more cautious. I need a passport to cross the 49th parallel. I can't carry a water bottle with me on the plane anymore. Thousands of people lost loved ones on September 11. Thousands more have lost loved ones in the years since in London, Iraq and Afghanistan and in other terrorist attacks. But the world has carried on.
This morning when I got up, my thoughts immediately went back to that day ten years ago. I hugged J a little tighter than usual. Then I turned the tv on and saw that the three year old from Sparwood had been returned to his family. And I hugged her again. She looked at me like I was crazy. Then she saw the tears glistening in my eyes and she gently patted my shoulder and told me "It will be okay, Mommy. I love you."
And I think she's right.
It will be okay. The world didn't end. It changed.
Showing posts with label pax lodge. Show all posts
Showing posts with label pax lodge. Show all posts
Sunday, September 11, 2011
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Happy Birthday Pax Lodge
I have a lot to say about Pax Lodge and what better day to say it than on the 20th birthday of that white building in Hampstead.
Well, there is going to be a better day because I need to go to bed instead of blogging.
So instead, a few thoughts and a few pictures. With promises of a few more stories and a few more pictures later. I have lots of pictures...just saying...
Thoughts:
Well, there is going to be a better day because I need to go to bed instead of blogging.
So instead, a few thoughts and a few pictures. With promises of a few more stories and a few more pictures later. I have lots of pictures...just saying...
Thoughts:
- Pax Lodge was my home during a few of the best years of my life (so far)
- Pax Lodge introduced me to many of the people I consider my closest friends
- Pax Lodge made me happy. Or maybe more, I was happy when I lived at Pax Lodge (that sounds like I'm not happy now...but that's not true either...it's just different)
- Pax Lodge taught me more than I learned during my four year degree
- I miss Pax Lodge. I miss my Pax Lodge ladies
- Look at the happy faces in these pictures...Pax Lodge is a happy place!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY PAX LODGE!
Thursday, March 03, 2011
My three lives of Guiding: The Nomadic Era [European Edition]
I hardly slept on the flight over to London. I was so excited. My plane was mostly empty and I had an entire row to myself. As in, the left, centre, and middle sections...three possible places to stretch out and sleep. Which I didn't.
When the place began its descent, I scrambled to the window on the left side and watched as the patchwork quilt country side slowly turned into a Metropolis. At the airport, a frazzled volunteer from South Korea, Ah Sook, was waiting for me. She was terrified she'd miss me even though she had a picture of me. She got to my gate over an hour before my place touched down, just so I couldn't squeeze past her.
She guided me down to the underground and we were off. I remember being in awe of my surroundings before the train dropped below ground. We stepped into the bright sunshine at Belsize Park and the first thing I noticed were the red brick buildings.
I don't remember the walk up the hill to Pax Lodge, but I do remember being greeted by all kinds of people. Just minutes after I made it to my room and closed my door to wash my face and unpack a few things, two girls knocked to see if I wanted to go RIGHT AWAY to Camden Town. I said no, but after that, I rarely said no to anything.
I made myself a promise that while I was having my once-in-a-lifetime experience I wouldn't say no to anything unless it was going to hurt me or someone else or was illegal or unethical.
It's a good promise to make. I went out when I probably should have been in bed. I spent a few dollars more than I probably should have to see some wonderful theatre and art. And it was worth it.
I had no idea when I walked into Pax Lodge that July that it would be just shy of three years before I settled down at home again. I was only supposed to be gone for a year.
I liked being a House Assistant (HA). It was hard work, no doubt about it, but it was fun too. I met all kinds of wonderful people. Guests, other HAs, volunteers on the World Board. It was amazing.
HAs worked hard, but they also played hard too. Many nights after a long day in the kitchen or doing housekeeping duties we would head out to the local pub or the Hampstead Heath and have some fun. Or we'd have a party on the balcony (weather permitting) or in the corridor once winter came. Or we'd squish into the Deputy's lounge or sprawl around the conference room and watch movies. Working and living in such close proximity we became quick and fast friends.
Every month we had a change over of staff - anywhere from one to four people. While we always heartily welcomed new staff, we mourned the loss of our friends...a real emotional roller coaster.
I spent a wonderful, exciting, marvellous six months at Pax Lodge. I loved it. I was happy there. Sure, I missed my friends and family, but I was having a blast. When my six months were up, I packed myself off to Denmark to visit TeamHardCore, who was there on Rotary Exchange and then hopped on a train down to Switzerland to hang out with my aunt, uncle, and now two cousins in Switzerland for five weeks.
Because, just before Christmas, I found out I was going to Our Chalet. My dream was coming true!
I was there for three glorious months and met some of the most wonderful people ever. I kept my promise to myself and by the end of my time there, I skied a black run. I was never, ever, ever again going to downhill ski after a disastrous day on the mountain when I was 16, but my promise made me do it. And I loved it.
My plane ticket was waiting for me in the Pax Lodge safe and in order to get it back, I had to go back to work there for four weeks. Okay, so not had, but I did go back for four weeks. They were short someone for one of the busiest months of the year, so I was happy to help out.
I boarded a plane on July 4th, returning home to Canada a different person. A person who had been bitten by the World Centre bug.
I went to Guide camp. I became a Guider leader. I got a real job. That paid well. That had benefits. That would become a career. And just before Christmas, I quit. So that at the beginning of January I could jump on a plane back to Pax Lodge for another year. This time in a paid position.
I had another wonderful year. I made so many friends. I did so many things. I travelled to so many places in Europe. I wanted to stay, but visa issues meant I had to go home. But I wasn't ready.
So I packed my stuff. Sadly waved goodbye to Pax Lodge. Got on a plane. Cried all the way home. And three weeks later I got on another plane and zoomed off to Australia, New Zealand, and Hawaii for 13 weeks.
On my first day there, I met up with another Canadian who I met at Pax Lodge and two Australian who had been there at different times...they ended up working together on the same Guides Australia Committee!
I had a great time roaming across the bottom of Australia, visiting all my marvellous friends from my time away.
My wonderful and amazing friend, Virginia, and I travelled up the east coast together and spent three days travelling through the outback to Uluru (Ayres Rock).
I was the maid of honour at a New Zealand wedding. My Pax Lodge friend from New Zealand married a boy scout from London who she met at Our Chalet. There's some Guiding connections for you!
By the time I got home, I was ready to be home. I missed my London life and home. I missed my wonderful friends. But I was ready for what ever was waiting for me next.
When the place began its descent, I scrambled to the window on the left side and watched as the patchwork quilt country side slowly turned into a Metropolis. At the airport, a frazzled volunteer from South Korea, Ah Sook, was waiting for me. She was terrified she'd miss me even though she had a picture of me. She got to my gate over an hour before my place touched down, just so I couldn't squeeze past her.
She guided me down to the underground and we were off. I remember being in awe of my surroundings before the train dropped below ground. We stepped into the bright sunshine at Belsize Park and the first thing I noticed were the red brick buildings.
I don't remember the walk up the hill to Pax Lodge, but I do remember being greeted by all kinds of people. Just minutes after I made it to my room and closed my door to wash my face and unpack a few things, two girls knocked to see if I wanted to go RIGHT AWAY to Camden Town. I said no, but after that, I rarely said no to anything.
I made myself a promise that while I was having my once-in-a-lifetime experience I wouldn't say no to anything unless it was going to hurt me or someone else or was illegal or unethical.
It's a good promise to make. I went out when I probably should have been in bed. I spent a few dollars more than I probably should have to see some wonderful theatre and art. And it was worth it.
I had no idea when I walked into Pax Lodge that July that it would be just shy of three years before I settled down at home again. I was only supposed to be gone for a year.
I liked being a House Assistant (HA). It was hard work, no doubt about it, but it was fun too. I met all kinds of wonderful people. Guests, other HAs, volunteers on the World Board. It was amazing.
HAs worked hard, but they also played hard too. Many nights after a long day in the kitchen or doing housekeeping duties we would head out to the local pub or the Hampstead Heath and have some fun. Or we'd have a party on the balcony (weather permitting) or in the corridor once winter came. Or we'd squish into the Deputy's lounge or sprawl around the conference room and watch movies. Working and living in such close proximity we became quick and fast friends.
Every month we had a change over of staff - anywhere from one to four people. While we always heartily welcomed new staff, we mourned the loss of our friends...a real emotional roller coaster.
I spent a wonderful, exciting, marvellous six months at Pax Lodge. I loved it. I was happy there. Sure, I missed my friends and family, but I was having a blast. When my six months were up, I packed myself off to Denmark to visit TeamHardCore, who was there on Rotary Exchange and then hopped on a train down to Switzerland to hang out with my aunt, uncle, and now two cousins in Switzerland for five weeks.
Because, just before Christmas, I found out I was going to Our Chalet. My dream was coming true!
I was there for three glorious months and met some of the most wonderful people ever. I kept my promise to myself and by the end of my time there, I skied a black run. I was never, ever, ever again going to downhill ski after a disastrous day on the mountain when I was 16, but my promise made me do it. And I loved it.
My plane ticket was waiting for me in the Pax Lodge safe and in order to get it back, I had to go back to work there for four weeks. Okay, so not had, but I did go back for four weeks. They were short someone for one of the busiest months of the year, so I was happy to help out.
I boarded a plane on July 4th, returning home to Canada a different person. A person who had been bitten by the World Centre bug.
I went to Guide camp. I became a Guider leader. I got a real job. That paid well. That had benefits. That would become a career. And just before Christmas, I quit. So that at the beginning of January I could jump on a plane back to Pax Lodge for another year. This time in a paid position.
I had another wonderful year. I made so many friends. I did so many things. I travelled to so many places in Europe. I wanted to stay, but visa issues meant I had to go home. But I wasn't ready.
So I packed my stuff. Sadly waved goodbye to Pax Lodge. Got on a plane. Cried all the way home. And three weeks later I got on another plane and zoomed off to Australia, New Zealand, and Hawaii for 13 weeks.
On my first day there, I met up with another Canadian who I met at Pax Lodge and two Australian who had been there at different times...they ended up working together on the same Guides Australia Committee!
I had a great time roaming across the bottom of Australia, visiting all my marvellous friends from my time away.
My wonderful and amazing friend, Virginia, and I travelled up the east coast together and spent three days travelling through the outback to Uluru (Ayres Rock).
I was the maid of honour at a New Zealand wedding. My Pax Lodge friend from New Zealand married a boy scout from London who she met at Our Chalet. There's some Guiding connections for you!
By the time I got home, I was ready to be home. I missed my London life and home. I missed my wonderful friends. But I was ready for what ever was waiting for me next.
Wednesday, March 02, 2011
My three lives of Guiding: The Nomadic Era [Canadian Edition]
Off I went to university...Guiding came with me.
I became a Sparks Leader. I might have been an adult, but I was still a girl...I was in a part of town where the leaders were a pretty even mix of 18-22 year old students and moms in their late 30s-50s. With the exception of a small few of the "older" leaders, most of them figured us young uns had no idea how to run a group, had no good ideas, were irresponsible, and couldn't be relied on. It went so far that the treasurer wouldn't let me keep the books for my unit, but oddly enough she let me and the other guiders in our group (who were the same age as me) buy things and write cheques to reimburse ourselves...
Anyway...frustrations aside, Guiding was important to me as a student. It was something I did for myself. Something I did that had no relation to my studies. Something I looked forward to every week, because no matter how tired I was or how busy I was or how many assignments I had, I got to leave it all behind for a couple of hours every week and have a blast with five year olds. And they know how to have fun!
I loved my Sparks...but they were only around until April when school ended and I went back to Kelowna. For two summers I helped in a Pathfinder group when I was home - the opposite end of the spectrum - 12-15 year olds. Who were a challenge and lots of fun, just different fun than Sparks.
As graduation approached and I still had no idea what I wanted to be when I grew up, I started thinking about what to do next. And I didn't know. I knew I was done with school for the time being. I knew I didn't really want to jump feet first into the work force and have a retail or office job that I didn't particularly enjoy. I figured there must be something out there that would give a challenge, that had purpose, that might even be fun.
That's when I remembered a promise I made to myself when I was 14.
When I was 14, my wonderful Mama decided I should accompany her to Switzerland when she went for her annual visit to see my aunt, uncle, and cousin who lived over there eight months (or so) of the year. I was thrilled. I had a blast. I decided I loved Europe and travelling. And I visited my first World Centre.
My aunt and uncle weren't far from Our Chalet, so we went. The only day we could go was a day that was actually a cleaning day - the staff spent the day scrubbing the building from top to bottom - and they were technically closed but they agreed that we could come up and go for a tour.
I had a great time. The snow was taller than me. We had a tour, given by a volunteer, Helen, from the UK. The people were all so nice and friendly. And I vowed I'd be back. I wanted to volunteer just like Helen did.
So, when I got stuck on what to do with my life after I finished university, I turned back to Guiding and did some research on World Centres. Based on the availability of volunteer jobs, the times of year and duration of those positions, and my vow to return to Our Chalet, I decide to apply there and also to Pax Lodge. I wanted to go back to Europe.
I applied at the end of my third year of university. I spent hours on my applications. Eight-seven people looked over my applications and made suggestions. I rewrote my cover letter so many times. And then I sent them off. And crossed my fingers.
And, on September 25, 1998, I got the letter I was waiting for from Pax Lodge. They had accepted my application to be a House Assistant. I was excited for days. I spent my last two semesters as a student dreaming about my six month stint in London.
Just before I left Vancouver in April of 1999, ready to have a great adventure, I received a surprising (and welcome) phone call from my District Commissioner (DC). My District had been very supportive of my adventure, even chipping in to buy me a new uniform and some gifts to take with me, but there was still an undercurrent of grouchiness towards younger guiders. My DC called to tell me that while she was still working to convince all of the "older" Guiders in our District, she knew the value of young Guiders and knew that her District wouldn't be able to have half the number of units it had without young Guiders. Her acknowledgment meant the world to me!
And so, I found myself on a plane in July, ready for the experience of a lifetime!
I became a Sparks Leader. I might have been an adult, but I was still a girl...I was in a part of town where the leaders were a pretty even mix of 18-22 year old students and moms in their late 30s-50s. With the exception of a small few of the "older" leaders, most of them figured us young uns had no idea how to run a group, had no good ideas, were irresponsible, and couldn't be relied on. It went so far that the treasurer wouldn't let me keep the books for my unit, but oddly enough she let me and the other guiders in our group (who were the same age as me) buy things and write cheques to reimburse ourselves...
Anyway...frustrations aside, Guiding was important to me as a student. It was something I did for myself. Something I did that had no relation to my studies. Something I looked forward to every week, because no matter how tired I was or how busy I was or how many assignments I had, I got to leave it all behind for a couple of hours every week and have a blast with five year olds. And they know how to have fun!
I loved my Sparks...but they were only around until April when school ended and I went back to Kelowna. For two summers I helped in a Pathfinder group when I was home - the opposite end of the spectrum - 12-15 year olds. Who were a challenge and lots of fun, just different fun than Sparks.
As graduation approached and I still had no idea what I wanted to be when I grew up, I started thinking about what to do next. And I didn't know. I knew I was done with school for the time being. I knew I didn't really want to jump feet first into the work force and have a retail or office job that I didn't particularly enjoy. I figured there must be something out there that would give a challenge, that had purpose, that might even be fun.
That's when I remembered a promise I made to myself when I was 14.
When I was 14, my wonderful Mama decided I should accompany her to Switzerland when she went for her annual visit to see my aunt, uncle, and cousin who lived over there eight months (or so) of the year. I was thrilled. I had a blast. I decided I loved Europe and travelling. And I visited my first World Centre.
My aunt and uncle weren't far from Our Chalet, so we went. The only day we could go was a day that was actually a cleaning day - the staff spent the day scrubbing the building from top to bottom - and they were technically closed but they agreed that we could come up and go for a tour.
I had a great time. The snow was taller than me. We had a tour, given by a volunteer, Helen, from the UK. The people were all so nice and friendly. And I vowed I'd be back. I wanted to volunteer just like Helen did.
So, when I got stuck on what to do with my life after I finished university, I turned back to Guiding and did some research on World Centres. Based on the availability of volunteer jobs, the times of year and duration of those positions, and my vow to return to Our Chalet, I decide to apply there and also to Pax Lodge. I wanted to go back to Europe.
I applied at the end of my third year of university. I spent hours on my applications. Eight-seven people looked over my applications and made suggestions. I rewrote my cover letter so many times. And then I sent them off. And crossed my fingers.
And, on September 25, 1998, I got the letter I was waiting for from Pax Lodge. They had accepted my application to be a House Assistant. I was excited for days. I spent my last two semesters as a student dreaming about my six month stint in London.
Just before I left Vancouver in April of 1999, ready to have a great adventure, I received a surprising (and welcome) phone call from my District Commissioner (DC). My District had been very supportive of my adventure, even chipping in to buy me a new uniform and some gifts to take with me, but there was still an undercurrent of grouchiness towards younger guiders. My DC called to tell me that while she was still working to convince all of the "older" Guiders in our District, she knew the value of young Guiders and knew that her District wouldn't be able to have half the number of units it had without young Guiders. Her acknowledgment meant the world to me!
And so, I found myself on a plane in July, ready for the experience of a lifetime!
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Thoughts on today
February 22
Birthday of Lord and Lady Baden-Powell
World Thinking Day
I spent a lot of time thinking today. Thinking about how Guiding has changed and shaped my life. Thinking about how the people I have met because of my involvement in Guiding have become part of my life. Thinking about how my life would be radically different if I'd never been involved in Guiding.
Today I spent some time, quietly reading my "book" and flipping through photos albums.
Today I am thankful for my Guiding friends and the fun we've had together.
Today I also spent a lot of time forming posts in my head.
So, for the next little while, there might be a lot of Guiding content on this blog...
Happy World Thinking Day to my wonderful friends here in Vancouver, across the province, across the country, across the continent, and across the globe. You have been (and are) very important people in my life. Thank you!
Birthday of Lord and Lady Baden-Powell
World Thinking Day
I spent a lot of time thinking today. Thinking about how Guiding has changed and shaped my life. Thinking about how the people I have met because of my involvement in Guiding have become part of my life. Thinking about how my life would be radically different if I'd never been involved in Guiding.
Today I spent some time, quietly reading my "book" and flipping through photos albums.
Today I am thankful for my Guiding friends and the fun we've had together.
Today I also spent a lot of time forming posts in my head.
So, for the next little while, there might be a lot of Guiding content on this blog...
Happy World Thinking Day to my wonderful friends here in Vancouver, across the province, across the country, across the continent, and across the globe. You have been (and are) very important people in my life. Thank you!
Monday, January 31, 2011
Pick up where you left off friendships
I've mentioned before that I lived in London for a long while and in Switzerland for a short while and that I worked at Pax Lodge and Our Chalet during that time.
Working at World Centre means that on a fairly regularly basis I said goodbye to some of the women I lived and worked with and hello to some new ones. And by fairly regularly, I mean at least once a month there was a staff changeover of between one and four people.
Now, these women were usually in three to six month volunteer positions, but long(er) term staff changed as well. We all lived, worked, slept, and ate in the same building. Because most of us weren't from London, we became travelling and site seeing companions and by default we often ended up as friends.
There are many women who were part of my experiences at Pax Lodge and Our Chalet that I still consider very good friends. And some of them are so very different from me and have such different lives than me that I can't imagine we would have necessarily met, let alone become friends, if it weren't for our common World Centre experience.
ANYWAY...all that rambling is because yesterday we hopped in the car after J had gymnastics to have lunch at the airport.
Yes. At the airport.
Actually at the Fairmont. Which is a lovely place to have lunch if you have a few dollars burning a whole in your pocket and you have three hours. We had a great time. For the second time in two weeks.
We met my friend Heather and her friend Maia at the arrivals area and trekked across the airport. Heather and I worked together at Pax Lodge and Maia currently works at Pax Lodge. And Heather worked there until last year.
And even though it's been about 15 months since I saw Heather, and even though we've been bad about keeping in touch because some of us had crazy things happen with our jobs and some of us got new jobs and some of us went travelling in Africa and some of us have two year olds and a husband, well we just picked up where we left off 15 months ago. The only differences were the addition of Maia, who fit right in, and J is now a walking, talking small person, not a baby. And when we saw Heather 15 months ago, well, we picked up where we had left off 20 months before that.
And I love friendship like that.
I need friendships like that. Because if you check out Heddy's blog, you'll see that I'm a bit of a hermit these days and being able to dive right it like no time has passed is important.
Yeah.
Sorry, no pictures. We were enjoying the company too much!
PS Hi to all my pick-up-where-we-left off friends...I know there are a few of you read my ramblings! Hope we can pick up where left off sometime soon!
Working at World Centre means that on a fairly regularly basis I said goodbye to some of the women I lived and worked with and hello to some new ones. And by fairly regularly, I mean at least once a month there was a staff changeover of between one and four people.
Now, these women were usually in three to six month volunteer positions, but long(er) term staff changed as well. We all lived, worked, slept, and ate in the same building. Because most of us weren't from London, we became travelling and site seeing companions and by default we often ended up as friends.
There are many women who were part of my experiences at Pax Lodge and Our Chalet that I still consider very good friends. And some of them are so very different from me and have such different lives than me that I can't imagine we would have necessarily met, let alone become friends, if it weren't for our common World Centre experience.
ANYWAY...all that rambling is because yesterday we hopped in the car after J had gymnastics to have lunch at the airport.
Yes. At the airport.
Actually at the Fairmont. Which is a lovely place to have lunch if you have a few dollars burning a whole in your pocket and you have three hours. We had a great time. For the second time in two weeks.
We met my friend Heather and her friend Maia at the arrivals area and trekked across the airport. Heather and I worked together at Pax Lodge and Maia currently works at Pax Lodge. And Heather worked there until last year.
And even though it's been about 15 months since I saw Heather, and even though we've been bad about keeping in touch because some of us had crazy things happen with our jobs and some of us got new jobs and some of us went travelling in Africa and some of us have two year olds and a husband, well we just picked up where we left off 15 months ago. The only differences were the addition of Maia, who fit right in, and J is now a walking, talking small person, not a baby. And when we saw Heather 15 months ago, well, we picked up where we had left off 20 months before that.
And I love friendship like that.
I need friendships like that. Because if you check out Heddy's blog, you'll see that I'm a bit of a hermit these days and being able to dive right it like no time has passed is important.
Yeah.
Sorry, no pictures. We were enjoying the company too much!
PS Hi to all my pick-up-where-we-left off friends...I know there are a few of you read my ramblings! Hope we can pick up where left off sometime soon!
Monday, November 29, 2010
For Sarah - London in Vancouver
Look what's sitting beside my desk... (yes, I know it might not be entirely geographically correct)
Thanks Sarah! I still love it and now I have a toddler-safe place to keep it.
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Whene'er you make a promise...
Whene'er you make a promise
Consider well its importance
And, when made, engrave it upon your heart
Yesterday was a huge day for Girlguiding UK - it was 201020102010...
At 20:10 on October 20, 2010, something like 500,000 members of Girlguiding UK renewed their promises, together. At 20:10 here in Vancouver I renewed my promise in my head. Because my kid wouldn't go to sleep...anyway...and I used the old promise because I'm a bad Girl Guide and I haven't learned the new one.
And all this happened not because of the cool date, but because Girlguiding UK and Girl Guides of Canada (and some other countries that I don't know off the top of my head) are all celebrating 100 years of Girl Guides this year. There will be more celebrations in 2011 and 2012 too...it took more than a year for Guiding to establish itself around the world! Heck, it's still establishing itself some places.
But it got me thinking (and it's not even World Thinking Day)...Alex always marvels at the friends I have in other countries. Real friends, not just people I've met at some point and now because of Facebook they're my "friends". He doesn't have that - mostly because I became friends with most of those people while living in another country and he's never had that opportunity.
But I think about how easily I became friends with some of these people (mostly women due to the nature of the organization) and it amazes me.
Because normally I'm slow to make friends. I make sure I really know and trust you before I decide that we can be friends. Because, especially before I went to Pax Lodge the first time, I am the person who sits at the edge of the group and observes and is anxious and nervous and not really at ease. FOR WEEKS. (I've become more extroverted and less wall flowery as I've gotten older!)
I swear that when I went to boarding school, the first year I had a few friends in the first few months and I didn't really have lots of friends until the last month or so of school. The second year was so much better...now, that's in hindsight and my 16 year old self might not have agreed. And I love how many of those friends I'm still in touch with and would still consider friends not "friends from high school" which is really just another way to say acquaintance...
But back to these very quick (and now lasting) friendships I made in Guiding...
I think it was easier for me to make friends quickly with these women because the thing that brought us together, the thing that we shared, gave us (gives us) a set of values that we try to live our lives by. That even though we came from different backgrounds, spoke different languages, ate different things for breakfast, we already had established that common ground to build our friendships on. Now, I didn't become really good friends with every one of the 80+ women I worked with over 2 1/2 years, because really, even with that same common foundation, there are bound to be people who just don't mesh. But...Alex and I sent over 60 Christmas cards last year. Some to family, some to friends, and many more to my (now our) Guiding family.
These women are an amazing bunch of ladies! I've laughed until I cried with them, I've cried openly with them - not just sympathy crying, and I've eaten (and maybe drank) too much with them...we shared all kinds of new experiences, travel, songs, and stories...we lived and worked together and really got to know each other. There were three or four of them at our wedding. I've been to at least two (maybe three) of their weddings and had to decline a number of other invitations. I've held their babies and played with their kids. They've held our baby. One of them even made me her daughter's godmother. Gifts and cards have been sent over oceans and across continents to celebrate marriage, birth, birthdays, Christmas, and each other. Sympathy and assistance has been extended in times of need, loss, sickness, and injury. I wouldn't hesitate to turn to my Guiding friends for anything - advice (I've done that), a laugh (done that too), or someone who will just listen (ditto!).
When I first made my promise when I was nine years old, there was no way I knew what a huge impact it was going to have on my life. So, as much as a nine year old could, I considered my promise and I made it for the first time. I've renewed my promise countless times since then and every single time I make, I hear that song in my head. I know it's important. Being part of this organization has made me who I am today. And much of what is going on in my life right now is because of Guiding - I started working where I work now because a Guiding friend recommended me to her boss as her maternity leave replacement (that was 5 1/2 years ago!). I met Alex because I became good friends with a woman I met through Guiding who worked with a good friend of Alex's from high school. And if I hadn't met Alex, well, I wouldn't have J, would I?!
I guess my promise (outdated words and all) *IS* engraved on my heart...
Consider well its importance
And, when made, engrave it upon your heart
Yesterday was a huge day for Girlguiding UK - it was 201020102010...
At 20:10 on October 20, 2010, something like 500,000 members of Girlguiding UK renewed their promises, together. At 20:10 here in Vancouver I renewed my promise in my head. Because my kid wouldn't go to sleep...anyway...and I used the old promise because I'm a bad Girl Guide and I haven't learned the new one.
And all this happened not because of the cool date, but because Girlguiding UK and Girl Guides of Canada (and some other countries that I don't know off the top of my head) are all celebrating 100 years of Girl Guides this year. There will be more celebrations in 2011 and 2012 too...it took more than a year for Guiding to establish itself around the world! Heck, it's still establishing itself some places.
But it got me thinking (and it's not even World Thinking Day)...Alex always marvels at the friends I have in other countries. Real friends, not just people I've met at some point and now because of Facebook they're my "friends". He doesn't have that - mostly because I became friends with most of those people while living in another country and he's never had that opportunity.
But I think about how easily I became friends with some of these people (mostly women due to the nature of the organization) and it amazes me.
Because normally I'm slow to make friends. I make sure I really know and trust you before I decide that we can be friends. Because, especially before I went to Pax Lodge the first time, I am the person who sits at the edge of the group and observes and is anxious and nervous and not really at ease. FOR WEEKS. (I've become more extroverted and less wall flowery as I've gotten older!)
I swear that when I went to boarding school, the first year I had a few friends in the first few months and I didn't really have lots of friends until the last month or so of school. The second year was so much better...now, that's in hindsight and my 16 year old self might not have agreed. And I love how many of those friends I'm still in touch with and would still consider friends not "friends from high school" which is really just another way to say acquaintance...
But back to these very quick (and now lasting) friendships I made in Guiding...
I think it was easier for me to make friends quickly with these women because the thing that brought us together, the thing that we shared, gave us (gives us) a set of values that we try to live our lives by. That even though we came from different backgrounds, spoke different languages, ate different things for breakfast, we already had established that common ground to build our friendships on. Now, I didn't become really good friends with every one of the 80+ women I worked with over 2 1/2 years, because really, even with that same common foundation, there are bound to be people who just don't mesh. But...Alex and I sent over 60 Christmas cards last year. Some to family, some to friends, and many more to my (now our) Guiding family.
These women are an amazing bunch of ladies! I've laughed until I cried with them, I've cried openly with them - not just sympathy crying, and I've eaten (and maybe drank) too much with them...we shared all kinds of new experiences, travel, songs, and stories...we lived and worked together and really got to know each other. There were three or four of them at our wedding. I've been to at least two (maybe three) of their weddings and had to decline a number of other invitations. I've held their babies and played with their kids. They've held our baby. One of them even made me her daughter's godmother. Gifts and cards have been sent over oceans and across continents to celebrate marriage, birth, birthdays, Christmas, and each other. Sympathy and assistance has been extended in times of need, loss, sickness, and injury. I wouldn't hesitate to turn to my Guiding friends for anything - advice (I've done that), a laugh (done that too), or someone who will just listen (ditto!).
When I first made my promise when I was nine years old, there was no way I knew what a huge impact it was going to have on my life. So, as much as a nine year old could, I considered my promise and I made it for the first time. I've renewed my promise countless times since then and every single time I make, I hear that song in my head. I know it's important. Being part of this organization has made me who I am today. And much of what is going on in my life right now is because of Guiding - I started working where I work now because a Guiding friend recommended me to her boss as her maternity leave replacement (that was 5 1/2 years ago!). I met Alex because I became good friends with a woman I met through Guiding who worked with a good friend of Alex's from high school. And if I hadn't met Alex, well, I wouldn't have J, would I?!
I guess my promise (outdated words and all) *IS* engraved on my heart...
Friday, October 08, 2010
The Kitchen Book - Section Two
Section Two looks small, but it's not...not really...and this is a big part of what needed some help in our lives.
Housework. Chores. Whatever you call it. I don't particularly enjoy doing it, but I like lists, so I'm happier to do it if I can cross it off a list.
At the front of this section is a list of all the jobs and when they need to be done. This is for easy reference. Because not all of the pages in this section live in the book.
As you can see, there's a note that says "charts inside cupboard." That's because we had tried it one way and that didn't work for us (but it might work for you so I've included it here) so we're trying it a different way that involved the cupboard.
We used to print a week's worth of these, three-hole punch them and put them in the binder. Then we'd check off our jobs as they got done. But we didn't always check them off. So sometimes things got done twice. Which isn't an issue except that it's a bit of a waste of time. The reason we wanted an easy to see visual is because Alex often works nights, so I can't just ask him if he already mopped the floor while we were at work and daycare. For example.
The nice thing about printing this every week was that we could modify it when Alex worked a different shift or if we were going away or one of us was going away or something.
But we're lazy/can't be bothered/too busy/always forgetting to open the book and tick things off.
So we've moved on to these two charts which are taped inside a kitchen cabinet and last for about a month. Extras (with new dates) are stored in a sheet protector after the list of chores.
This is the stuff we have to do everyday. Some of it should be obvious - like whether or not the beds get made, but some of it isn't always that clear. We have wooden floors and a toddler. The colour coding is just to give a visual break between morning, after work and after J goes to bed jobs. It doesn't mean that the dishes HAVE to be done before J goes to bed. Honestly, most nights it's easier to wait.
These are the weekly jobs (the ones that usually moved around with Alex's schedule, but whatever). In the old system if a job didn't get done, one of us just wrote it on the next day's sheet to remind us it to do it that day (if we remembered). There's no rewriting with this system, but it's pretty obviously when a job gets missed.
I think we're going to add a monthly list to - things like pulling out the stove and vacuuming behind it and washing down the sides or wiping the fronts of all the cabinets and flipping the mattress.
I got the idea for these charts from the charts that lived in the staff laundry room at Pax Lodge. We had weekly, monthly and quarterly jobs there and because there was a volunteer staff of seven with a change over of 1-3 people every month, they needed a system like this! Thanks Pax Lodge - you still influence my life on an almost daily basis!
Housework. Chores. Whatever you call it. I don't particularly enjoy doing it, but I like lists, so I'm happier to do it if I can cross it off a list.At the front of this section is a list of all the jobs and when they need to be done. This is for easy reference. Because not all of the pages in this section live in the book.
As you can see, there's a note that says "charts inside cupboard." That's because we had tried it one way and that didn't work for us (but it might work for you so I've included it here) so we're trying it a different way that involved the cupboard.
We used to print a week's worth of these, three-hole punch them and put them in the binder. Then we'd check off our jobs as they got done. But we didn't always check them off. So sometimes things got done twice. Which isn't an issue except that it's a bit of a waste of time. The reason we wanted an easy to see visual is because Alex often works nights, so I can't just ask him if he already mopped the floor while we were at work and daycare. For example.The nice thing about printing this every week was that we could modify it when Alex worked a different shift or if we were going away or one of us was going away or something.
But we're lazy/can't be bothered/too busy/always forgetting to open the book and tick things off.
So we've moved on to these two charts which are taped inside a kitchen cabinet and last for about a month. Extras (with new dates) are stored in a sheet protector after the list of chores.
This is the stuff we have to do everyday. Some of it should be obvious - like whether or not the beds get made, but some of it isn't always that clear. We have wooden floors and a toddler. The colour coding is just to give a visual break between morning, after work and after J goes to bed jobs. It doesn't mean that the dishes HAVE to be done before J goes to bed. Honestly, most nights it's easier to wait.
These are the weekly jobs (the ones that usually moved around with Alex's schedule, but whatever). In the old system if a job didn't get done, one of us just wrote it on the next day's sheet to remind us it to do it that day (if we remembered). There's no rewriting with this system, but it's pretty obviously when a job gets missed.I think we're going to add a monthly list to - things like pulling out the stove and vacuuming behind it and washing down the sides or wiping the fronts of all the cabinets and flipping the mattress.
I got the idea for these charts from the charts that lived in the staff laundry room at Pax Lodge. We had weekly, monthly and quarterly jobs there and because there was a volunteer staff of seven with a change over of 1-3 people every month, they needed a system like this! Thanks Pax Lodge - you still influence my life on an almost daily basis!
Monday, October 04, 2010
Announcing a new arrival
This post was originally published at Get Fit Chicks. It may refer to posts on Get Fit Chicks that no longer exist. Please email me if you run into any of those and I will break the links. More information about the reposting is available here
Our guest poster, Melynda, delivered a baby girl this morning at 1:24 am. Her name is Georgia Ruth and she weighs 7lbs 8 oz.
Congratulations Melynda!
Our guest poster, Melynda, delivered a baby girl this morning at 1:24 am. Her name is Georgia Ruth and she weighs 7lbs 8 oz.
Congratulations Melynda!
Friday, October 01, 2010
Such a silly girl...
For weeks I've been pining for London. I dream about London. I get giddy when I see London on TV. The topic of a trip to London keeps coming up (don't get excited, it's not happening for a long, long time! Life has seen to that!) I've been avoiding watching Love Actually, even though I really want to, because, well, I always want to go back to London after I see Love Actually.
And then. Then I checked my stats. And someone came here from Google. Because they'd put Pax Lodge and a handful of other things in the search. And that randomly sent them to me.
I'm naturally curious.
So I clicked the link that took me to their search. And found a couple of blogs (well, found one blog that led to a couple of other blogs) of current/recent Pax Lodge staff.
OH NO.
Sucked in.
So, I know life at Pax Lodge is very, very different than when I was there. I first arrived eleven summers ago and left for good in 2002. But I've been back three times since then to visit. And even though it was different, it still smelled the same. And there was that Pax Lodge-ness about it that made it still Pax Lodge even though it had changed sooooo much. And. Yeah. I miss it. A lot. And Hampstead and the Heath and Belsize Park and Trafalgar Square and Charing Cross Road and all the places I went occasionally, rarely, or often, they're all pretty much the same, just a few years older.
Last night, as I was doing the dishes, Alex was flipping through the channels trying to find something decent to watch. There wasn't much on. He settled on Law and Order: UK.
I saw the London I miss and love.
I said to Alex we should move to London.
I was only sort of kidding.
And then. Then I checked my stats. And someone came here from Google. Because they'd put Pax Lodge and a handful of other things in the search. And that randomly sent them to me.
I'm naturally curious.
So I clicked the link that took me to their search. And found a couple of blogs (well, found one blog that led to a couple of other blogs) of current/recent Pax Lodge staff.
OH NO.
Sucked in.
So, I know life at Pax Lodge is very, very different than when I was there. I first arrived eleven summers ago and left for good in 2002. But I've been back three times since then to visit. And even though it was different, it still smelled the same. And there was that Pax Lodge-ness about it that made it still Pax Lodge even though it had changed sooooo much. And. Yeah. I miss it. A lot. And Hampstead and the Heath and Belsize Park and Trafalgar Square and Charing Cross Road and all the places I went occasionally, rarely, or often, they're all pretty much the same, just a few years older.
Last night, as I was doing the dishes, Alex was flipping through the channels trying to find something decent to watch. There wasn't much on. He settled on Law and Order: UK.
I saw the London I miss and love.
I said to Alex we should move to London.
I was only sort of kidding.
Friday, September 10, 2010
Part Two: Up – A tale of 3 pregnancies and weightloss…err…gain.
This post was originally published at Get Fit Chicks. It may refer to posts on Get Fit Chicks that no longer exist. Please email me if you run into any of those and I will break the links. More information about the reposting is available here
More from Melynda:
Mike is 7 years older than me and because I want lots of kids, we decided to have our kids close together. We started trying in January and got pregnant with Zoe in March. It was funny, I took at test on Ally’s birthday. I was determined to not gain 70 lbs during the pregnancy because I didn’t want to keep 35 lbs on each time – that would be disastrous. I realized that pregnancy is not a free for all and that the weight didn’t just magically disappear after birth. I also knew that if I had a hard time fitting exercise in with one kid that it probably wouldn’t happen with two.
With Zoe’s pregnancy I was fairly sick for the first 8 weeks and that helped with my weight efforts. But after that I found that if I didn’t eat regularly that I would feel sick. I found that it really helped to focus on protein and vegetables and to try and stay away from my favourite carbs. I really focused on eating well and minimizing unnecessary calories. I also incorporated what I had learned from my diets. I think I was pretty lucky because I didn’t gain weight until about 12 weeks. I vaguely remember from my first pregnancy that by the end of the first trimester I was up about 10 – 15 lbs.
I didn’t starve myself or do anything crazy, I still wanted to grow a healthy baby. I just really cut down on Starbucks and hot cross buns….haha…those were my main indulgences from my first pregnancy. I also became wrapped up in having a VBAC (vaginal birth after c-section) and fixing my supply problems – I had a herb regimen that I followed. As my pregnancy progressed I relaxed about food a lot because I was getting tired and trying to parent my toddler. Oh! That reminds me of what I was doing that really helped my weight gain! I was still nursing Ally. I also would step on the scale every day and if I was up I would try and eat better that day. All in all I ended up gaining about 30 lbs…I am horrible and near the end I just stop weighing myself and I lie a bit to my midwife about the numbers on the scale.
Zoe was born December 1, 2008 and she was born at home in a birth pool. It was everything I wanted and more.
More from Melynda:
Mike is 7 years older than me and because I want lots of kids, we decided to have our kids close together. We started trying in January and got pregnant with Zoe in March. It was funny, I took at test on Ally’s birthday. I was determined to not gain 70 lbs during the pregnancy because I didn’t want to keep 35 lbs on each time – that would be disastrous. I realized that pregnancy is not a free for all and that the weight didn’t just magically disappear after birth. I also knew that if I had a hard time fitting exercise in with one kid that it probably wouldn’t happen with two.
With Zoe’s pregnancy I was fairly sick for the first 8 weeks and that helped with my weight efforts. But after that I found that if I didn’t eat regularly that I would feel sick. I found that it really helped to focus on protein and vegetables and to try and stay away from my favourite carbs. I really focused on eating well and minimizing unnecessary calories. I also incorporated what I had learned from my diets. I think I was pretty lucky because I didn’t gain weight until about 12 weeks. I vaguely remember from my first pregnancy that by the end of the first trimester I was up about 10 – 15 lbs.
I didn’t starve myself or do anything crazy, I still wanted to grow a healthy baby. I just really cut down on Starbucks and hot cross buns….haha…those were my main indulgences from my first pregnancy. I also became wrapped up in having a VBAC (vaginal birth after c-section) and fixing my supply problems – I had a herb regimen that I followed. As my pregnancy progressed I relaxed about food a lot because I was getting tired and trying to parent my toddler. Oh! That reminds me of what I was doing that really helped my weight gain! I was still nursing Ally. I also would step on the scale every day and if I was up I would try and eat better that day. All in all I ended up gaining about 30 lbs…I am horrible and near the end I just stop weighing myself and I lie a bit to my midwife about the numbers on the scale.
Zoe was born December 1, 2008 and she was born at home in a birth pool. It was everything I wanted and more.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Introduction and Part 1: Up – A tale of 3 pregnancies and weightloss…err…gain
This post was originally published at Get Fit Chicks. It may refer to posts on Get Fit Chicks that no longer exist. Please email me if you run into any of those and I will break the links. More information about the reposting is available here
I have been asked to be a guest blogger on this site and to talk about my pregnancies and my weight loss and gains. To do that properly I feel like I need to start from the beginning.
The beginning of my weight journey started the summer before my wedding, June 2005. Having a boyfriend, then fiancé and co-habitator really expanded my waistline. I had always been on the bigger side but I was active and worked in a fairly physical job. At the beginning of 2005 I noticed that my weight had slowly crept up to 200lbs. I was astonished because I felt and thought I looked pretty much the same. I like to think that I am fairly lucky that I gain weight and carry weight well. I didn’t like the 200 number at all and with the thought of my wedding less than a year away. I needed to do something.
My fiancé, now husband, Mike has done several diets and had done Weight Watchers before and liked it. So we joined and I slowly got most of my family to join. It actually was a lot of fun going to meetings together and we would usually celebrate with dinner afterwards…maybe not the smartest choice when on a diet but hey you need to have fun. I lost about 40 lbs and I looked and felt great!
After my wedding in February 2006 we decided to start trying for a baby. I got pregnant in June. (I actually just celebrated my 4 year anniversary of growing children.) I have been pregnant and or nursing for 4 years straight. I was so excited to be pregnant and as soon as I could I dove into the maternity clothes. They are just so comfy! I love being pregnant and with my first pregnancy I enjoyed the cravings and Mike was very indulgent. I was also working at the time and I travelled around the city all day and didn’t really have a lunch break so I ended up eating out a lot. I didn’t worry too much about my weight gain because I figured that I would have lots of time to work out and nursing would help me to lose the weight. And after just losing 40lbs so well I was confident in my ability to diet. My midwives weren’t too concerned but near the end they did caution me. I had no negative side effects from gaining the weight like gestational diabetes. By the end of my pregnancy I had gained about 70 lbs. Amazing!
I quickly realized that a newborn is hard work. I also had significant breast milk supply problems. Ally was born by c-section, but I had hoped she would be born at home. I was okay with the c-section because it was really needed. But the low supply really threw me for a loop and I became a bit obsessed with figuring out why.
Over about 6 months I saw and did everything to ‘fix’ my problem. I was on domperidone, and several weird diets to help with supply. One diet had me eating full fat everything and the other was no white flour or red meat.
I dabbled in going to Weight Watchers again but then something would set us back and I would quit dieting for my milk supply. In January 2008 I also did Body For Life and lost about 10lbs. I somehow managed to get down to 200lbs before thinking about getting pregnant again.
One of the things I’m supposed to be blogging about (when I actually remember to blog) is my journey to get fit(ter) again since the birth of my little girl almost two years ago (ACK!).
Anyway being a mom (or a mom-to-be) means you talk about all kinds of crazy things with other moms and moms-to-be. I won’t even start to tell you some of the things we talk about…just know that poop is on the tame side! A friend of mine, Melynda, is pregnant with her third baby and she has been working very hard to minimize her weight gain in this pregnancy. She has chronicled her journey in a four part guest post. She has promised to write an update or two as times allows (she will very soon be the mother of three, all aged three and under!). You can read more about Melynda and her pregnancy and life as a mom at It Doesn’t Fall Off.
- Shannon
Here’s Melynda:
Anyway being a mom (or a mom-to-be) means you talk about all kinds of crazy things with other moms and moms-to-be. I won’t even start to tell you some of the things we talk about…just know that poop is on the tame side! A friend of mine, Melynda, is pregnant with her third baby and she has been working very hard to minimize her weight gain in this pregnancy. She has chronicled her journey in a four part guest post. She has promised to write an update or two as times allows (she will very soon be the mother of three, all aged three and under!). You can read more about Melynda and her pregnancy and life as a mom at It Doesn’t Fall Off.
- Shannon
Here’s Melynda:
I have been asked to be a guest blogger on this site and to talk about my pregnancies and my weight loss and gains. To do that properly I feel like I need to start from the beginning.
The beginning of my weight journey started the summer before my wedding, June 2005. Having a boyfriend, then fiancé and co-habitator really expanded my waistline. I had always been on the bigger side but I was active and worked in a fairly physical job. At the beginning of 2005 I noticed that my weight had slowly crept up to 200lbs. I was astonished because I felt and thought I looked pretty much the same. I like to think that I am fairly lucky that I gain weight and carry weight well. I didn’t like the 200 number at all and with the thought of my wedding less than a year away. I needed to do something.
My fiancé, now husband, Mike has done several diets and had done Weight Watchers before and liked it. So we joined and I slowly got most of my family to join. It actually was a lot of fun going to meetings together and we would usually celebrate with dinner afterwards…maybe not the smartest choice when on a diet but hey you need to have fun. I lost about 40 lbs and I looked and felt great!
After my wedding in February 2006 we decided to start trying for a baby. I got pregnant in June. (I actually just celebrated my 4 year anniversary of growing children.) I have been pregnant and or nursing for 4 years straight. I was so excited to be pregnant and as soon as I could I dove into the maternity clothes. They are just so comfy! I love being pregnant and with my first pregnancy I enjoyed the cravings and Mike was very indulgent. I was also working at the time and I travelled around the city all day and didn’t really have a lunch break so I ended up eating out a lot. I didn’t worry too much about my weight gain because I figured that I would have lots of time to work out and nursing would help me to lose the weight. And after just losing 40lbs so well I was confident in my ability to diet. My midwives weren’t too concerned but near the end they did caution me. I had no negative side effects from gaining the weight like gestational diabetes. By the end of my pregnancy I had gained about 70 lbs. Amazing!
I quickly realized that a newborn is hard work. I also had significant breast milk supply problems. Ally was born by c-section, but I had hoped she would be born at home. I was okay with the c-section because it was really needed. But the low supply really threw me for a loop and I became a bit obsessed with figuring out why.
Over about 6 months I saw and did everything to ‘fix’ my problem. I was on domperidone, and several weird diets to help with supply. One diet had me eating full fat everything and the other was no white flour or red meat.
I dabbled in going to Weight Watchers again but then something would set us back and I would quit dieting for my milk supply. In January 2008 I also did Body For Life and lost about 10lbs. I somehow managed to get down to 200lbs before thinking about getting pregnant again.
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
You say goodbye and I say hello
We miss Paula.
She left town yesterday.
But at least it wasn't too sad...we picked Kelsey up just an hour and a half later.
Sad to see Paula go but oh so happy that Kelsey is home!
She left town yesterday.
But at least it wasn't too sad...we picked Kelsey up just an hour and a half later.
Sad to see Paula go but oh so happy that Kelsey is home!
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
She's here...
After months of talking about it (or years really), I picked Paula up at the airport yesterday afternoon. She's going to spend two weeks being J's roommate - good thing we got that sleeping thing sorted out and most nights J sleeps through the night now!
J is in heaven...not only is there someone else to play with, the new person reads to her too!
We're excited about all the adventures we're going to have in the next few days...and there's only three more work days before Christmas holidays! Yay!!!
J is in heaven...not only is there someone else to play with, the new person reads to her too!
We're excited about all the adventures we're going to have in the next few days...and there's only three more work days before Christmas holidays! Yay!!!
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Visit to Harpenden
After our busy morning in London, we hopped on a train out to Harpenden to visit my friend Kristine and her family. J and Martha were quite taken by each other, but J loved baby Beatrice. She wanted to sit in her seat with her and give her lots and lots of kisses. It was so nice to have a nice dinner with friends. I wish my friends lived closer to Vancouver (or I lived closer to them!)
Shannon and Beatrice
Alex and Beatrice
Kristine and Martha
J and Beatrice
Kristine, Shannon and J
I hope we get to see Kristine again soon. We saw her two years ago (much better than the seven or eight with some of our friends!), but so much has changed since then (like three babies between the two of us!)
Shannon and Beatrice
Alex and Beatrice
Kristine and Martha
J and Beatrice
Kristine, Shannon and JI hope we get to see Kristine again soon. We saw her two years ago (much better than the seven or eight with some of our friends!), but so much has changed since then (like three babies between the two of us!)
Saturday, November 21, 2009
Like a homecoming!
Coming back to London is always like coming home. It's not home anymore and it won't be home again, I'm pretty sure of that, but it is always going to be homelike...
Heather met us at the airport and came to the hotel with us and then off we went to Hampstead for dinner followed by crepes. J has never had crepes before, but look at the look on her face...she's pretty excited about it! (And I just noticed the name of the post I linked to! Amazing!)
mmmm crepes!
pinning the pin board
J, Shannon and Heather
Heather met us at the airport and came to the hotel with us and then off we went to Hampstead for dinner followed by crepes. J has never had crepes before, but look at the look on her face...she's pretty excited about it! (And I just noticed the name of the post I linked to! Amazing!)
mmmm crepes!
pinning the pin board
J, Shannon and HeatherFriday, February 27, 2009
How smart am I?
Apparently not very....
A few times a year I get "homesick" for London. No biggie. I usually pull out my "book" (former Pax Lodgers know what I mean) and I flip through it. Maybe I pull out my photos albums. Maybe I make a phone call, send an email, or chat with one of those Pax Lodgers and in a few days, I'm over it. London was a place I lived, oh, seven years ago, and it's a place I've visited a few times since and plan on visiting again in the future.
Yeah, so tonight, smarty pants that I am, I decided Google Earth was a good way to get my (woken up every 45 minutes to an hour last night) brain ready for bed. Why I thought Google Earth was better than pjs and brushing my teeth and actually getting into bed, I'm not sure. But it seemed like a good idea at the time. Famous last words.
Now I miss is even more. I would love to go for a walk on the Heath, eat some crepes, hang out with some friends, wander the city, visit Paperchase. You know, just be in London.
walk on the heath
eat crepes
hang out with some friends
hang out with some friends, some more
wander the city
Yeah, I miss it. And Google Earth made me miss it even more. Now, to find that bed I mentioned earlier....
A few times a year I get "homesick" for London. No biggie. I usually pull out my "book" (former Pax Lodgers know what I mean) and I flip through it. Maybe I pull out my photos albums. Maybe I make a phone call, send an email, or chat with one of those Pax Lodgers and in a few days, I'm over it. London was a place I lived, oh, seven years ago, and it's a place I've visited a few times since and plan on visiting again in the future.
Yeah, so tonight, smarty pants that I am, I decided Google Earth was a good way to get my (woken up every 45 minutes to an hour last night) brain ready for bed. Why I thought Google Earth was better than pjs and brushing my teeth and actually getting into bed, I'm not sure. But it seemed like a good idea at the time. Famous last words.
Now I miss is even more. I would love to go for a walk on the Heath, eat some crepes, hang out with some friends, wander the city, visit Paperchase. You know, just be in London.
walk on the heath
eat crepes
hang out with some friends
hang out with some friends, some more
wander the cityYeah, I miss it. And Google Earth made me miss it even more. Now, to find that bed I mentioned earlier....
Tuesday, February 03, 2009
Twenty-five random things about me
As posted on Facebook
25 Random Things About Me
1. I ignored this note thing until Minda harassed (okay, gently prodded) me about it!
2. I love staying at home with Baby J and would like to be able to do it all the time and never go back to work, but part of me is actually looking forward to going back to work...I may not feel the same way in September, but we'll see.
3. I have a serious book addiction. I have put myself on a book diet which means I am not allowed to buy books for myself unless someone gives me a gift card to the bookstore. I've been borrowing books from my aunt and uncle's collection instead. I tried to pare down my collection when we unpacked this time, but I only managed to find three books I could bear to part with.
4. I have a love-hate relationship with our new place. I'm hoping the hate part will go away once we paint and maybe get a couple of pieces of new furniture...
5. The smiles I get first thing in the morning from Baby J make getting out of bed worth it and bearable...even when she decides to wake up before 6:00 am.
6. I only lived in London for just over 1.5 years total. I've lived in Vancouver for 10+ of the last 13 years. London feels more like a second home than Vancouver. I still feel a bit transient in Vancouver. I have good friends and family in Vancouver, but I feel like many of the special people in my life are scattered around the world...probably because of the time I spent living in Hawaii, London and Switzerland!
7. When I'm working, I only get to see Alex for about an hour, maybe an hour and a half everyday - it's hard and we try to make up for it on weekends. That's part of the reason I'm enjoying maternity leave so much - now I get to see him for four or five hours a day and we even get to eat together!
8. I love going to bed early and getting up early, but I also like staying up late and sleeping in. I need 8-9 hours of sleep to function...unfortunately it usually works out that on the days I stay up late, I need to get up early. Not so good for the sleep quota.
9. I worked in an industry that required talent and skills that I know I don't possess. Thank goodness I was in administration not production, because I have those skills. When I told people where I worked, the looks of disbelief I got from the people who knew me were great. The looks of relief when they heard I was in administration were even better! They made me smile every time!
10. I have an irrational fear of birds. All birds. Alive birds, dead birds, stuffed birds, photographs of birds in books.
11. When I was a kid I thought there was a monster/bad guy/bird living under my bed. I'd turn the light off and take a running leap from the door to my bed so the monster/bad guy/bird couldn't grab my ankle. Good thing my bedroom was tiny.
12. We shared the Blue House with at least two ghosts.
13. I learned more about the Bible from my AP Lit class than I did from Sunday School.
14. When I was in high school, I used to go camping at least once a month. I miss it and I'm trying to convince Alex that camping is fun.
15. I don't like condiments, but our fridge is full of them because I married a condiment fiend.
16. I love that my family is large and that we enjoy spending time together.
17. I had my first migraine when I was ten or eleven. At the worst, they were coming every seven to ten days. My usual trigger is abrupt changes in barometric pressure or altitude. Sometimes lack of sleep, too much sleep, dehydration or food can also trigger them. They have varied in severity and frequency since I started getting them. One of the best side effects of being pregnant was the complete absence of migraines, even when the Vancouver weather was crazy!
18. When I was admitted to the hospital three weeks early to have Baby J, our coworkers knew, but we didn't tell our families until she had arrived safely.
19. I'm a pack rat. Really and truly a pack rat. It's mostly organized, but I know I don't need all that stuff. I'm trying to be more ruthless at getting rid of stuff. It's working better in some areas of my life than others (see #3 above and #20 below).
20. I also have an addiction to stationery and all things related to it. I have three drawers and a bread box full of stationery. I have more pens than I could possibly ever use. But certain types of paper demand certain types of pens. Too bad we're no longer a society that uses the postal service much. I'm kind of on a stationery diet too, but it's not working so well.
21. I have a big postcard collection that started when I was seven.
22. When I was at boarding school I got so much mail that they were surprised at the bookstore when there was nothing for me to pick up from my mailbox. Even when I lived in London I got lots of mail. Not so much now...but that's okay!
23. Maybe my addiction is to all things paper - books, stationery, postcards, letters? Hmmmm...
24. I love having an empty laundry basket but I hate doing laundry, in particular the folding, hanging and putting away part. I never iron, but when I lived in London, I found ironing sheets to be very relaxing and a good time to think!
25. Everyday I look at Alex and Baby J and I can't believe they're my family or how happy they make me! I think I'm pretty lucky to have both of them!
25 Random Things About Me
1. I ignored this note thing until Minda harassed (okay, gently prodded) me about it!
2. I love staying at home with Baby J and would like to be able to do it all the time and never go back to work, but part of me is actually looking forward to going back to work...I may not feel the same way in September, but we'll see.
3. I have a serious book addiction. I have put myself on a book diet which means I am not allowed to buy books for myself unless someone gives me a gift card to the bookstore. I've been borrowing books from my aunt and uncle's collection instead. I tried to pare down my collection when we unpacked this time, but I only managed to find three books I could bear to part with.
4. I have a love-hate relationship with our new place. I'm hoping the hate part will go away once we paint and maybe get a couple of pieces of new furniture...
5. The smiles I get first thing in the morning from Baby J make getting out of bed worth it and bearable...even when she decides to wake up before 6:00 am.
6. I only lived in London for just over 1.5 years total. I've lived in Vancouver for 10+ of the last 13 years. London feels more like a second home than Vancouver. I still feel a bit transient in Vancouver. I have good friends and family in Vancouver, but I feel like many of the special people in my life are scattered around the world...probably because of the time I spent living in Hawaii, London and Switzerland!
7. When I'm working, I only get to see Alex for about an hour, maybe an hour and a half everyday - it's hard and we try to make up for it on weekends. That's part of the reason I'm enjoying maternity leave so much - now I get to see him for four or five hours a day and we even get to eat together!
8. I love going to bed early and getting up early, but I also like staying up late and sleeping in. I need 8-9 hours of sleep to function...unfortunately it usually works out that on the days I stay up late, I need to get up early. Not so good for the sleep quota.
9. I worked in an industry that required talent and skills that I know I don't possess. Thank goodness I was in administration not production, because I have those skills. When I told people where I worked, the looks of disbelief I got from the people who knew me were great. The looks of relief when they heard I was in administration were even better! They made me smile every time!
10. I have an irrational fear of birds. All birds. Alive birds, dead birds, stuffed birds, photographs of birds in books.
11. When I was a kid I thought there was a monster/bad guy/bird living under my bed. I'd turn the light off and take a running leap from the door to my bed so the monster/bad guy/bird couldn't grab my ankle. Good thing my bedroom was tiny.
12. We shared the Blue House with at least two ghosts.
13. I learned more about the Bible from my AP Lit class than I did from Sunday School.
14. When I was in high school, I used to go camping at least once a month. I miss it and I'm trying to convince Alex that camping is fun.
15. I don't like condiments, but our fridge is full of them because I married a condiment fiend.
16. I love that my family is large and that we enjoy spending time together.
17. I had my first migraine when I was ten or eleven. At the worst, they were coming every seven to ten days. My usual trigger is abrupt changes in barometric pressure or altitude. Sometimes lack of sleep, too much sleep, dehydration or food can also trigger them. They have varied in severity and frequency since I started getting them. One of the best side effects of being pregnant was the complete absence of migraines, even when the Vancouver weather was crazy!
18. When I was admitted to the hospital three weeks early to have Baby J, our coworkers knew, but we didn't tell our families until she had arrived safely.
19. I'm a pack rat. Really and truly a pack rat. It's mostly organized, but I know I don't need all that stuff. I'm trying to be more ruthless at getting rid of stuff. It's working better in some areas of my life than others (see #3 above and #20 below).
20. I also have an addiction to stationery and all things related to it. I have three drawers and a bread box full of stationery. I have more pens than I could possibly ever use. But certain types of paper demand certain types of pens. Too bad we're no longer a society that uses the postal service much. I'm kind of on a stationery diet too, but it's not working so well.
21. I have a big postcard collection that started when I was seven.
22. When I was at boarding school I got so much mail that they were surprised at the bookstore when there was nothing for me to pick up from my mailbox. Even when I lived in London I got lots of mail. Not so much now...but that's okay!
23. Maybe my addiction is to all things paper - books, stationery, postcards, letters? Hmmmm...
24. I love having an empty laundry basket but I hate doing laundry, in particular the folding, hanging and putting away part. I never iron, but when I lived in London, I found ironing sheets to be very relaxing and a good time to think!
25. Everyday I look at Alex and Baby J and I can't believe they're my family or how happy they make me! I think I'm pretty lucky to have both of them!
Monday, June 02, 2008
Smells like Pax Lodge
You know how you can smell a smell and it immediately takes you to some other place or time? I know I've written about the Pax Lodge smell before and how it's one of the things I really like. I don't think I've ever smelled Pax Lodge outside of Pax Lodge before. I have smelled London outside of London, but not Pax Lodge.
Until today. Today I was in the little coffee area at work boiling some water and washing out a mug to make hot chocolate (because it's WINTER here again...what's up with THAT?) and the dish soap fairies bought a new brand of dish soap. It's some environmentally friendly something or other. And it did a nice job of cleaning out my mug.
And then, well then, I felt like I should be running Tilly and cleaning out Oscar and ironing to Classic FM and making endless beds and hoovering at 7:00 am and putting the flag up before breakfast and after putting in an hour and a half of work already and drinking wine on the Heath and vodka and tonic in the pubs and buying huge cans of beer, 3L bottles of Strongbow or individual Archers cooler drink things at the off license after last call. Yeah, if you lived or worked with me at Pax Lodge, you'll know what I mean.
Turns out, it was all because of that new dish soap.
Crazy.
And yes, yes I am procrastinating.
Until today. Today I was in the little coffee area at work boiling some water and washing out a mug to make hot chocolate (because it's WINTER here again...what's up with THAT?) and the dish soap fairies bought a new brand of dish soap. It's some environmentally friendly something or other. And it did a nice job of cleaning out my mug.
And then, well then, I felt like I should be running Tilly and cleaning out Oscar and ironing to Classic FM and making endless beds and hoovering at 7:00 am and putting the flag up before breakfast and after putting in an hour and a half of work already and drinking wine on the Heath and vodka and tonic in the pubs and buying huge cans of beer, 3L bottles of Strongbow or individual Archers cooler drink things at the off license after last call. Yeah, if you lived or worked with me at Pax Lodge, you'll know what I mean.
Turns out, it was all because of that new dish soap.
Crazy.
And yes, yes I am procrastinating.
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