Magic for Little Bums

During the entire three-and-a-half years that I dealt with my first two kids being in diapers I can only recall one instance of diaper rash. Poor Trevor. I had my m-i-l watching him while I played nine holes of golf. He had Raisin Bran for breakfast. She had an aversion to poopy diapers. The result: a bleeding, raw diaper rash that made both of us cry. It was easily resolved in a couple of days with lots of bare bum in the fresh air (it was summertime so that was pretty easy) and some Vaseline at night.

Fast forward to January 2010...upon our return from Mexico where I had bought some disposable Huggies and Huggies wipes (with the slightest bit of fragrance in them). After two days in these diapers, Gavin had a horrendous red rash. It looked like blistering little pimples and they were rapidly getting worse. In the past, I've used Vaseline for sore-looking baby bums, or zinc oxide if it looked really on the verge of getting rashy...but my usual arse-nal (groan) didn't even make a dent in this rash.

I remembered hearing someone raving about Bum Bum Balm, made by Dimpleskins Naturals and resolved to give it a try. There is a company store down in Sapperton where the owner/founder, Jen Casey, first started out in 2001. I sent Dave out to try there first, but he must have caught them on a coffee break...this rash would not wait! He then hit Choices at the Crest where I can only imagine Dave asking a clerk for "Bum Bum Balm," (lmao!). He gulped at the $12 price tag for the 30 gram tin, but dutifully bought it and brought it home.

Let me tell you this stuff is MAGIC! Within a day I noticed a marked improvement and in two days the rash was pretty much gone. The product is 100% natural and smells great. Also, I tried putting some on a nasty little patch of irritated skin in the folds of his neck and it cleared that up, too.

Buy some for your little one's bum. It works like a hot damn and you'll be supporting a local business. :-)

Indulge a Proud Mommy

On Friday night, Trevor got to go to GM Place to participate in Canucks First Strides. There were REAL Canucks there: Kyle Wellwood,

Andrew Raycroft, Tanner Glass and Fin. Trevor's in the third row in the middle of the gray jerseys.

Hard to believe he did Preschool IcePuppy (or whatever that level is) three times before he finally passed.


That's Andrew Raycroft and Trevor's at the front of the line for a passing/shooting drill (he got the pass from Fin!).

I was super impressed by the whole evening and the education component they offered for the parents - GO CANUCKS GO!

Butt-Kicker

I hired myself a butt-kicker.

Like many people, I struggle with my weight and (lack of) fitness. There are gazillion excuses too numerous to list here. Over the years I've joined gyms, bought exercise dvd's, joined Weight Watchers, etc. etc. I start out great for the first two or three weeks, but I have never been able to make it an integral part of my life.

So I hired my friend, Patti, to kick my butt. Not literally, but it sure feels like she did when I'm done with my squats. Also, she wants to see a food log from me every couple of days. This is a cornerstone of the Weight Watchers program, but I always gave up because no-one cared if I actually tracked or not. It's amazing, though, how much more inclined I am to write down what I eat when I know someone else cares if I've done so. And believe me, I'd better have a damn good reason if it's not done!

I've been at it for a few days and am feeling more energetic and just generally better than I have in a long while. Sore butt and all.

As Heard from the Back of my Minivan

Amy: Mommy, do you know what we're made of?

Me: Ummm, are you asking me or do you already know?

Amy: I already know! Bones, and dreams, and blood.

Me: not sure I heard correctly...Bones and what?

Amy: Dreams! Like in your head.

Me: Oh yeah...how did you figure that out.

Amy: I just know.

Five Cool Things

1. My next door neighbour has fashioned a display of Olympic rings out of hula hoops and Christmas lights (don't tell VANOC). Pictures to come when I find my camera...

2. Amy beat me fair and square the first time we played Scrabble Junior and I was actually really and truly playing. She was even strategizing ahead on how to not leave spots for me to score. Shark.

3. Trevor got chosen to do the Vancouver Canucks First Strides program at GM Place this week! Many many pictures are sure to follow...

4. Gavin has a favourite book. Night, Night, Little Pookie by Sandra Boynton. He laughs as soon as he sees the cover!

5. It's mid-January and my kids were out riding their bikes today. I love living here!

I Luv New West

I've been meaning to sit down and pen a heartfelt tribute to my city for quite some time. New Westminster is an amazing place; everything in a city but with a small town feel. When we moved here I had no idea how quickly and deeply I would feel a sense of finally being at home.

I came across this on my FB news feed; fellow New West'rs Marty Benson and Peter Birovchak have written and performed this song about our fair city on the occasion of the upcoming Olympic relay. They did a much more moving tribute musically than I ever could in my clumsy prose. Enjoy!



p.s. Those are some darn cute kids!

Wear Your Helmet

Some of us just have to learn the hard way, I guess.

Tuesday night, adult skating lessons at Moody Park Arena. I'm a decent skater, I can skate forward, I can stop and turn in control, I can even skate backwards. I took lessons as a kid (no helmets required), but I'd like to be a better skater (especially backwards and edges).

I was tired having been up with Gavin and his cold the night before. I probably should have turned in early, but I really wanted to hit the adult skating lessons. So I went. About 20 minutes into the lesson, I bailed. Hard.

I wasn't even doing anything difficult, just a simple glide and one-foot stop which I've been able to do since I was 6. But I caught an edge and lost my balance and fell backwards. I imagine the sound my head made when it hit the ice was a sickening thwack. I'm not sure, though, because the next thing I remember is some darkness and trying to sit up but feeling very woozy. I literally saw a ring of stars when I tried to focus my vision on anything for three hours afterward.

I split the back of my scalp, got blood all over my clothes, and was diagnosed with a pretty good concussion. I couldn't drive home, my hubby had to wake me up every two hours that night, I still felt like crap today as I caught the bus back to the arena lugging Gavin in the car seat to pick up the van.

As I tried to fall asleep last night, I couldn't stop thinking about Natasha Richardson and what an idiot I was for not wearing a helmet. What a stupid risk to take! I'd never let my kids skate without a helmet. It's the same sort of mentality that many in my generation used to share about wearing bike helmets; great for the kids, but we've been fine so far so we don't really need them. It wasn't until it became the law that helmets were worn widely by cyclists. I'd like to look up some data on head injuries in cyclists before and after that law was enacted, but my head hurts and I need to lie down again.

Even if you're an awesome skater, who's to say some out of control beginner flailing around isn't going to come careening at you from behind and take your feet out?

I will forevermore wear a helmet when skating. I urge you to do the same. And, in my opinion, parks and rec should require everyone (not just children) to wear helmets during public skating sessions.

Where's my ice pack?

All You Need is Love

Spotted this on Bacon is My Enemy. Brilliant. Pass it on.

What's for Dinner

One of my resolutions for this year is to bring some new recipes into my repertoire of dinners. I'm a decent cook, but after a while it's easy to fall into a rut of buying the same old ingredients each week and then when you try to make something new and interesting it ends up tasting the same anyway.



This week I sat down with my new cookbook, Crazy Plates, planned out dinners for the week, and made a shopping list from my plan. I love this cookbook because the recipes are low fat with accurate nutritional information, and it's really funny! So far we have had Chicken and Mango Tango (a warm chicken salad), Obi Wonton Kenobi Soup (who knew I could make my own wontons?!), and Piled-High Veggie Pot Pie (meh, would have been better with chicken). Tonight we are having Lanky Noodle Dandy. I'm having fun making new things - and eating them - and so far everything has met with good reviews from the dinner table. Except for one.



Amy, my famously picky eater, has soldiered through my culinary adventures this week with only the occasional slightly rude comment about how gross everything is. She actually nibbled on a tiny - and I do mean tiny - corner of a lettuce leaf on Monday, and once I convinced her the wontons weren't actually brains and picked out all the carrots and bok choy, she ate her soup on Tuesday. But yesterday was the last straw. Faced with a bowl full of vegetables and a biscuit crust polluted with sweet potatoes, she wrinkled her brow and demanded, "Why can't we just have plain food?! Like a cheese bun or tacos?" Tacos? Really? Since when are tacos plain? She eventually choked down some of the biscuit topping so as not to completely starve herself, frowning all the while. Trevor, on the other hand, had two helpings. Even Gavin ate some.

Do you have a picky eater in your life? Any tips aside of serving them bread and butter until they're old enough to fend for themselves?

Why I Can Never Find a Soother When I Need It...

Turns out I don't just have mommybrain...Gavin has a secret stash of soothers going up against the wall (sorry for the weird camera angle). I found them when I went to change his sheet the other day.

The problem is that it's so secret he doesn't even know where it is!

Hola! or what I did on my vacation

Feliz Anonuevo (I think)!

Don't hate me, but we were in Puerto Vallarta for Christmas this year!

It was amazing. We stayed at a beautiful resort with a gorgeous beach and pool areas, no-one in our group got sick, and we actually relaxed. On the third day of our trip I turned to Dave as we splashed in the waves with our kids and boogie boards, "This is the pace that life should be."

I can't wait to go back!