The potty training is going surprisingly well (Famous last words). Sasha has not had an accident today, although I have her going to the potty every 30 minutes (as per J's instructions). Amazing what a bit of bribery can achieve. So for each potty she can either have a sticker, a lollipop of have one of her finger nails polished with either sparkly purple or strawberry nail polish. So far today she has opted for one nail being polished, a few stickers and a lollipop. The only problem is that I painted her middle finger on her right hand so when we were on the way to the hairdresser this afternoon, she kept flicking everyone we met along the way. My neigbours find it hilarious that Sash is giving them the bird.

I dont get it. D will without a blink of an eye give me a kidney or even half a liver, but God forbid that I use his razor to shave my armpits.

Believe it or not, in the last 6 months, D has only been on his own with Dylan a couple of times, and only for a few hours at that. Last Sunday was the first time he had the opportunity to watch the 2 kids at night and on Monday he was in charge of the kids until well over 6pm. We were in a town an hour away from TO so we spent the two days at a hotel. I had to give a seminar on Monday and so on Sunday I was taken out for dinner. We fed the kids before I left for my dinner appointment so D only had to feed himself during his dinner. Even then, the look of absolute relief on his face when I walked in the hotel room made me think that he definitely now has an idea of what I go through when he is at work. The next day my day started early and I finished meeting with students after 6pm so I was curious what the Unit had been up to all day. I arrived back at the hotel and was rather impressed with how D had handled the kids, considering he has only fed Dylan his solids once in his lifetime (I must add that D is a fabulous dad and is more often than not the one who wakes up for night feedings (the benefits of insomnia)...it is just the feeding of solid food that he has not had a chance to practice). Sash ran to me and told me all about her day..the museum being closed, the big girl slide she tried, the ice cream sundae with Smarties Daddy bought...she obviously had fun. D looked absolutely knackered. He was honest and told me that he would not have been able to survive without the hotel staff. They were so impressed that he was taking over babysitting that they helped him feed Dylan, helped Sash coulour during meal times, and even watched the kids while he went to the gents. I am thinking that they would never do this for me. His first question. How do you go potty with the kids? My answer. I dont.

I took Dylan for his 6 month check-up and shots. I opted to pay for his Hepatitis B shots and not wait for them to be provided free..which will be when Dylan is 13 I think. Pretty sure it is covered by D's insurance anyway. Dr F wants me to incorporate beef, lamb and chicken into his diet. I am thinking of whizzing poached chicken with baby spinach. Hopefully Dylan will find that agreeable.

I have 8 papers to review by 4 March. Busy, busy, busy.

Dylan Jedi is 6 months old

As I always say, the days are endless but the weeks fly by so fast. So very fast. Soon my little man will be crawling, walking, talking/talking back. So very fast

Crafty presents

Sasha and a couple of her buddies made their Daddies Valentines pressies. Sasha was really excited to present her present to her Daddy, although I am quite certain that it was the chocolates we wrapped along with the present that she was more excited to see. Along with the presents, Daddy received cards "signed" by the kids. I usually paint Sasha's hand and get her to stamp her "signature" on her cards. I figure it will be interesting to look at these cards 20 years from now and see how small their hands were once upon a time. For Dylan, I just traced an outline of his itty-bitty hand onto his card to Daddy.







Even Dylan seemed excited about the chocs.

J is back..

J is back and not a moment too soon. She is tanned as hell, although rather unimpressed with her first cruise. It was windy and Miami was rather cold. But she is glad to have experienced the Bahamas while we were all back here enjoying our snow.

With Sash back in her capable hands I am able to run all my errands, buy some gifts for a couple of newborns, mail them off and do some shopping for myself. I have been meaning to get a pair of jeans. Comfortable, cheap and cheerful jeans. When absolutely necessary I have been squeezing myself in the Sevens I bought just before, or probably during, my pregnancy with Dylan. I remember being very confused as the alteration seamstress was complaining about the fit as I was trying on my just altered jeans and my thinking she did a crap job. I was thinking "measure twice cut once dufus". A pregnancy test answered that question. I apologised to her telepathically. I still need to lose 10 pounds to fit into my Sevens comfortably so I figured I might as well put an end to the suffering and just head to Gap. One can only be seen in yoga pants so many times. With coupon for 20% off in hand, I left Dylan with D and went a-shoppin. Found a decent pair that still needs to be washed (as not pre-shrunk) before being sent to same alteration lady (hope she doesnt remember me). Now to look for a pair of black trousers....

During Dylan's nap I whizzed up some baby food. A weeks supply of avocado cubes, apple cubes, banana/blueberry cubes and sweet potato cubes. I find that he prefers his food with a touch of apple sauce (must be my sweet tooth) so extra apple cubes for him. He hates broccoli but loves avocado, again with a touch of apple sweetness. I cannot wait for Summer when I can try to add some peach and other summer fruits into his diet.

Day 7 and counting

One week to go. Of course thats when the sun will come out. It has been a rather warm, but rainy day so we are running riot at home. We have been finding ways to entertain ourselves though. Sasha is playing princess with Dylan. He is not too keen but as he cant escape her he is for today, Princess Dylan. We have had better days though.

Built a snowman on Sunday. That killed an hour.



Last Monday we thought to check out the AGO, finally. On the way there we stopped for some Sushi and Tempura. Good thing we did because the AGO is closed on Mondays. Lesson learned. Check opening times and never assume anything. It was fairly warm, as in -2 I think, so we walked off our lunch by walking to the ROM. Sasha was thrilled because she was able to visit her beloved Triceratops and Princess puppets. Yesterday, after her gymnastics, I told Sasha she could have a couple of friends over for crafts. So all 6 of us worked together to make 3 picture frames for the Daddies as Valentines presents. I took pic of the kids making their presents to be placed in the frames.









Now to teach her how to keep a secret...

Day 3

Have loads to do today. Doing the week's laundry and also the bedding. I dont see the need to have multiple sets of bedding as I dont see the point of spending good money on "spare" sheets when you can utilise that amount on a really, really good set of bedding for yourself (you do spend a huge portion of your life in bed and triple digit threadcounts can be addictive). Quite easy to and just wash, dry and remake bed. After all, it only takes a couple of hours to wash the bedding. I do of course have an extra set for the guest futon but for all intents and purposes, we have been using and reusing the same bedding for years. The same goes for Sasha's bed. Am doing this while Dylan is napping and Sasha is playing in the basement. A bit of vacuuming and when Dylan wakes up we are off to the shops to shop for tomorrows brunch. Having D's colleague over with their 2 year old daughter. Must find vegetarian sausages as am not sure of their dietary restrictions. Then usual lunch routine, play/read/play/change diaper, dinner, etc. Time flies.

Day 2

Sasha having breakfast with Dora

We were planning to check out the newly refurbished Art Gallery of Ontario but unfortunately D had to be downtown this afternoon. I could have gone without him but I figured it would be nice to check out the fresh new gallery together. Maybe next week. I took the kids to the ROM instead. I needed to renew our membership anyway. We go to the ROM at least 3 times a year so the membership makes sense. We also have the type that allows us to take in 2 guests which helps when out of town friends visit. Sometimes when you are on a budget a $40 museum entrance fee is hard to justify.

At the ROM, we of course had to take in the dinosaur exhibits first. While balancing..



Without fail Sash is always amazed at how large Dini really is...or was.



Then we have to do some excavating...



After lunch, we spend some time in the children's area playing dress up. Usually this is when the nannies take their charges to the museum so playmates aplenty..



I must say everytime I am at the ROM I wonder why we dont go there more often. It is only 5 subway stops away and a short walk on the best shopping strip in TO..so while I push my stroller I can gawk at the Chanel, Prada, and Tiffany window displays.
The beauty of it is that with 2 kids in tow it is impossible to shop so look is all I can do. I always tell myself that I should take Sash there more often. But I dont. But I must. After all, I have technically paid for 3 visits in advance.

Day 1 and counting

In view of both little terrors being home, D decided to work at the library instead of driving to work. Taking inspiration from Milla, I also dragged the two terrors to the library. We really havent been taking full advantage of the nearby library facilities. We have 2 equally well stocked libraries a few blocks south and north of us, and we have the library cards, but have we been going? No. I suppose we tend to just buy books for Sash (and now Dylan) as we do tend to read them over and over (and over and over) again. But hey, it was an outing right. So we spent an hour in the childrens section reading a bunch of princess and ballerina related books. While Sash looked out for more books to read (she didnt really get the concept apparently as she later asked where we had to pay for the books) I tried to read a bunch of easy "teach your child Math" books. I have decided that instead of forcing her to learn how to add/subtract or read by age 4, I will, by my little ole self, try and build a solid foundation of enjoyment in learning (much easier). Will leave the actual teaching to the experts, the teachers in her kindergarten. But I do want her to sort of absorb certain mathematical concepts and to understand that letters are not just letters but there is a connection phonetically. I know they do this in certain pre-schools (90% of her friends go to pre-school, and she really only has 10 friends) and we had toyed with the idea of sending her to pre-school on her days off from daycare, but we finally decided against it. Although pre-school is only 2 hours a day, and she would only be going twice a week, that would leave her no time for her gymnastics and ballet in the fall. To see the joy in her eyes and the sense of achievement as she swings off balance bars and does somersaults (it was twicky Mummy but Bella helped me but I bonked my head but I'm OK) is, to me, much more of a life experience than reading by the age of four. Of course I will probably regret my decision when she is voted class clown/dunce in kindergarten, but hell, if our experiment doesnt work we can always try again with Dylan. If we fail with the heir, we have the spare.

I wonder where J is? Probably sunning herself on some deck...sigh.

A few months ago J mentioned that her 40th birthday is in February and her family intended on sending her on a Caribbean cruise for 10 days as a birthday present. That meant that she would not be working for approximately 2 weeks. I was happy for her and put our conversation out of my mind. I am an excellent denialist. So although it wasnt a surprise, D and I had an Oh Shit moment when we were reminded that Sash would not be going to daycare tomorrow or the next week even. She will be home all day every day until the 18th. D is lying down with a sudden migraine and I have just poured myself a huge ass glass of wine. What on earth are we going to do? Lets see..the newly opened Art Gallery of Ontario, the ROM, a couple of playdates...I can do this...I can do this.

Randomness

If I could, I would Americano-me intravenously all day. Am that knackered. Last night, after putting Sash to bed at 9pm, D and I fell asleep in her bed. Usually I tend to do this (sometimes even before she does) but last night D didnt have that much work to do so he read Sash a couple of Princess themed books (her new passion). I discovered then that he has renamed all the Prince Charmings Prince Doug. I laughed so hard I nearly fell of the bed. No bloody wonder she has been calling the princes Doug. I figured it was a adoring daughter trait, not one imposed by Daddy. So around 11pm I woke up and instead of crawling over to my own bed as I tend to do, I decided to see what D was up to in the basement. I found him eating a bowl of Fruit Loops while checking email and watching CSI: NY. I joined him with a glass of wine and we stayed up chatting until 2am. Just as we were about to doze off Dylan woke up for what we thought was his usual feed. Unfortunately he didnt want his milk. He just wanted to cuddle and doze off with his mobile on. He did this on the hour every hour until 6am. He finally took a bottle at 6 and slept until 9am. The thing is for the past few days I have been trying to get him off his 3am feeding by giving him water instead of milk, as per the pediatrician's suggestion. By taking out the 3am feeding, we can then proceed to take out his midnight feeding and that will enable him to sleep from 8pm to about 6am. He had been doing well until last night. Although technically he did go without milk last night. So, which is the lesser of 2 evils? Midnight and 3am feedings, or waking up every hour but no feedings. Hmmm....must call the pediatrician. Will give it a few days though..so far Dylan has been doing well with routine (soooo unlike Sasha)...will keep on trying with the water. Some neighbours suggest that we Ferberize him but luckily for me my ped is in total agreement that the Cry-it-out method is not an option. I know that it has worked wonders for many others but I am more inclined to agree with the Australian and Harvard research re co-relation with nervousness and stress disorders. I am seriously relieved to hear that my pediatrician concurs as I thinsk I would have just caved in and tried it out but for his insistence that we dont even think about it. I dont think I could listen to him scream all night, even if it does only take a few nights.

Yesterday evening I decided to channel my inner-Martha and make homemade babyfood. Baked a couple of sweet potatoes, took out the blender, bunged a couple of bananas and a punnet of blueberries to make banana/blueberry mash for breakfast, and sweet potato mash for lunch and dinner. Froze the mixtures in 3 ice-cube trays and voila, a weeks worth of microwavable meals for the boy. It took more time to wash the ice cube trays than to whip up the food. I wondered why I never made such cubes for Sash and then I realised that when she was a baby we were living in suburban NY and we went grocery shopping once every couple of weeks so we didnt bother much with fresh produce as it would just go bad. Here I can just pop round the corner to get organic produce. Also organic baby food is so easily accessible that it would be silly to not take advantage of its availability. Funny how while I am much more relaxed with raising Dylan with it being the second time around, I am able to be more fussy with certain aspects like his food. Do I feel bad that he is eating organic while Sash ate god knows what? Yes I do. But then she hardly ate anyway so I dont feel that bad.

This morning while I was feeding Dylan Sash came up to us and asked me if Dylan vomited. I told her no, its just that he is such a messy eater that it just looks like he vomited all over himself, the high chair and me.

Finally...what do you do if your son insists on taking a poo during each meal. Do you interrupt his meal to change his diaper or just continue feeding him as he grunts away?

The local kitchen ware shop is having a sale. I went in there to get a pepper grinder and left with this espresso maker. Too good a deal to pass up. And we are loving it. Loving it I tell you. We used to wake up and look forward to seeing the kiddies. Now it is to say good morning to the new member of the family. It is just so easy to use. Just press a button and the beans are grinded and espresso and water mixed. I like milk in my Americano so I have to take the extra step of frothing my milk. I have no idea how I have lived this long without one of these to greet me every morning. Alas Starbucks, you are history.

Ordering in..

I may have mentioned that with the not-so-new baby, my workload hasn't doubled. It has increased exponentially. There isnt enough time for anything other than child rearing. AND Sash is in day care 3 days a week. I am not too fussed about the extra load of laundry every week (another reason to be grateful for non-9-to-5 jobs, waaaay less ironing of dress shirts), or the extra toys to pick up. Its the time spent feeding, putting to bed, playing, reading, poop cleaning etc/repeat for BOTH. Something has to give. I have decided that it is to be meals. D is the most easy going person ever and is quite happy to eat Korean instant noodles for lunch and grilled meat and a side for dinner every night. I, however, quite enjoy my food. Now, the chances of me learning to cook yummy interesting healthy dishes ready in 15 minutes is rather slim. So I have decided to try this new service where a very nice lady who cooks, well, cooks and freezes the meals and delivers them to my door. For the same price as pre-cooked frozen meals bought at the supermarket, or even getting the ingredients myself and spending precious minutes over a hot stove, I can get food made to order delivered to my door. Brilliant non? All I have to do is go online to her website, order my Sheppard's pie, Moroccan burgers, mushroom risotto, carrot and ginger soup etc, and I pay upon delivery. Delivery is free when I order more than 100 bucks worth of food and that's basically a weeks supply anyway (the downside of non-9-to-5 jobs...lunch is also eaten at home), which is also approximately what we spend on ingredients (the downside of marrying a mat salleh, more protein based meals than carbo rich ones). I will of course not eat these ready made meals every day because it is quite easy for me to whip up a salad, bake some potatoes and grill steak/fish/chicken or bung some meat in my all time fave Brahim instant curry mix. These meals are just for those days when a change is needed, a sort of pick me up for dinner. I am waiting for my first delivery, and have bought a deck of Go Fish cards in anticipation. While my meal defrosts in the oven D plans to teach Sash and I a few card games. I only know Blackjack and Gin Rummy so the lessons should be fun.

If you have been reading this blog, you know we have brunches over at ours quite often. While impromptu playdates are fun, sometimes it is nice to get the working dads involved. They tend to miss out on the "everyday" events, so a get together over the weekend lets them experience the chaos of playdates, while the mums enjoy their breakfast. And the kids have fun of course.





Yesterday, neighbour R called and asked S, D and I to pop by for a little play in the afternoon. She had cabin fever and to be honest I was going stir crazy myself. When we went over she immediately apologised for the mess in her house. I of course told her not to be silly, and that she should see my house. She made the funniest comment about how my home seemed to be spotless all the time. I swear I nearly spit up my wine. I told her that appearances can be deceiving. I sure as heck do not clean that often as I am as lazy as hell but what I do have is lots of storage/hiding room. When the mess gets a bit much, and by that it I mean there are too many toys laying about, I just stuff everything into the closet, built in cabinets, coffee table compartments..where ever. I dont even bother organising them as S, and soon D, will just be taking the toys out again. I do this so often that I can do it in minutes. Out of sight, out of mind. I try not to "clean up" too often though as I feel it is good to have some toys randomly laying about, for Sash to pick up anytime she feels the urge to play or use her imagination, because that what they are for. I just have to figure out where to stash Dylan's toys when the time comes...

I brought Dylan in to the pediatrician this morning because his congestion seemed to be lingering. Luckily, when we made the appointment yesterday the nurse recommended that we install a humidifier in his room, which seemed to work wonders. Who would have thought. Anyway, he was given the all clear but also two immunization shots. The boy was not happy. We have also been given the all clear to give him solids for each meal in view of his size. He is now 28.5 inches and 19.5 pounds. You kind of suspect that isnt really the normal growth projection when the doctor asks you how big his father is, and still seems perplexed when told 5'10". But when told that paternal grandfather is over 6' 2"...well, then he seemed satisfied. Apparently Dylan is the size of a 9 month old..hence the need to get more food into him especially iron rich cereal. This kid will be taller than me in a few years.

The pros of having Sasha in gymnastics:

She is learning how to take part in organised activities
She is learning how to interact and take direction from another adult
She is becoming more agile, more aware of her body's capabilities
She has loads of fun

The cons:

She has learned how to climb into her brother's crib. Where I found her this afternoon during/after Dylan's nap. The look of fear on his face..priceless. The look of achievement on hers..priceless too. Poor Dylan...his last line of defence..the crib...gone. His only hope is to learn how to run..fast.

What I want for you...

Excerpt from a letter by President-elect Barack Obama in Parade magazine
Publication Date: 01/14/2009

Next Tuesday, Barack Obama will be sworn in as our 44th President. On this historic occasion, PARADE asked the President-elect, who is also a devoted family man, to get personal and tell us what he wants for his children. Here, he shares his letter to them.


Dear Malia and Sasha,

I know that you've both had a lot of fun these last two years on the campaign trail, going to picnics and parades and state fairs, eating all sorts of junk food your mother and I probably shouldn't have let you have. But I also know that it hasn't always been easy for you and Mom, and that as excited as you both are about that new puppy, it doesn't make up for all the time we've been apart. I know how much I've missed these past two years, and today I want to tell you a little more about why I decided to take our family on this journey.

When I was a young man, I thought life was all about me-about how I'd make my way in the world, become successful, and get the things I want. But then the two of you came into my world with all your curiosity and mischief and those smiles that never fail to fill my heart and light up my day. And suddenly, all my big plans for myself didn't seem so important anymore. I soon found that the greatest joy in my life was the joy I saw in yours. And I realized that my own life wouldn't count for much unless I was able to ensure that you had every opportunity for happiness and fulfillment in yours. In the end, girls, that's why I ran for President: because of what I want for you and for every child in this nation.

I want all our children to go to schools worthy of their potential-schools that challenge them, inspire them, and instill in them a sense of wonder about the world around them. I want them to have the chance to go to college-even if their parents aren't rich. And I want them to get good jobs: jobs that pay well and give them benefits like health care, jobs that let them spend time with their own kids and retire with dignity.

I want us to push the boundaries of discovery so that you'll live to see new technologies and inventions that improve our lives and make our planet cleaner and safer. And I want us to push our own human boundaries to reach beyond the divides of race and region, gender and religion that keep us from seeing the best in each other.

I hope both of you will take up that work, righting the wrongs that you see and working to give others the chances you've had. Not just because you have an obligation to give something back to this country that has given our family so much-although you do have that obligation. But because you have an obligation to yourself. Because it is only when you hitch your wagon to something larger than yourself that you will realize your true potential.

These are the things I want for you-to grow up in a world with no limits on your dreams and no achievements beyond your reach, and to grow into compassionate, committed women who will help build that world. And I want every child to have the same chances to learn and dream and grow and thrive that you girls have. That's why I've taken our family on this great adventure.

I am so proud of both of you. I love you more than you can ever know. And I am grateful every day for your patience, poise, grace, and humor as we prepare to start our new life together in the White House.



Love, Dad


I love this man. God keep him safe for him to fulfill his dreams...

Dylan has a cold. He started coughing yesterday evening and his congestion just escalated to the point of concern last night. Funny how two kids can be derived from the same genetic material but be so totally different. When Sash was a baby she used to get colds quite often but they never really bothered her ie us. Dylan however becomes rather grumpy and needy. He is not drinking as much and he is unable to sleep due to his stuffed nose. He slept with me last night while D slept with Sash. I couldnt really sleep as he was just up every hour or more feeling frustrated and wanting to hold on to my pinky. He didnt want to drink his milk...he just wanted to snuggle. Cute initially, but less so by 2am...2.30am...and so on.

So instead of dragging him along to Sash's gym class I got D to postpone his lunch appointment and take Sash to her class while I stayed home with Dylan. It is -25 or something ridiculously close out there so perhaps it was best that Sash not be exposed too long in that weather. Against better judgement I also asked D to pick up some sausages and eggs for Saturday's brunch. So in the past 20 minutes I have received 5 phone calls from him regarding the shopping task. He has so far picked up 2 tubs of Hagaan Daz Ice Cream, some "fancy" cookies (No idea what he means...probably has sprinkles or are moose shaped...he is pretty easy to please in that regard), sushi for my lunch (sweet)and other snacks, but no sausages, or eggs. I remember now why I do all the shopping...

Make my day

So, this morning as I was changing Dylan's diaper, I had to turn away for one second to get a bunch of new ones from the bottom of his changing table. Next thing I know, he is spraying an impressive arc of pee into his own face. What made me totally crack up was the look on his face as he was vigorously shaking his head from side to side to avoid his own spray. It was this make it stop, make it stop look, combined with confusion and helplessness. I could have covered his little willy to make it stop..but I was otherwise occupied with laughing out loud. One day, when he is accepting his nobel prize in Stockholm, I will remember this morning when my baby boy peed in his own face. This and yesterday's incident when he discovered he had another thumb while he was sucking one already. The look of confusion, wonderment followed by absolute glee as he figures out that his other fist contains another thumb. Priceless I tell you.

I have been planning to head out to the shops round the corner to get myself one of those puffy jackets that will keep you warm hiking the Antararctic. Father in law gave me cash for Christmas (nice of him eh). I have been putting off getting "real" winter wear because I am still unconvinced we will be staying here permanently what with my inability to get a position and our track record of moving..and I really do have enough jackets. I usually use the shearling coat we bought in Milan in anticipation of our move to NY when weather gets bad but I find it too heavy (thing must weigh 10 pounds) and a draft seems to find its way in through the button closures. Not overly practical. But it is -19 outside. So I now have to figure out what to wear to enable me to buy something to wear in this weather.