<friday february 28, 2003 - 8:00 a.m.>

We've learned one of the most valuable parenting rules: Always Be Careful What you Say Around Your Children.

The other day we had a huge snowfall. The entire family went outside to shovel the snow.

Down the road our neighbors fired up their snowblower. It filled the air with smoke and exhaust. Our neighborhood smelled like a racetrack.

Mark and I commented on the odour emanating from their industrial-sized machine. How all we wanted was a breath of fresh air and instead we're getting toxic fumes etc etc. We must have talked about it a lot because now it seems as though parts of our conversation have been embedded in our daughter's memory. Of course, it goes without saying that she's totally misinterpreted everything.

Right after we came in and shook the snow off our boots Emma made a comment about our stinky neighbors.

No, Emma, we explained. The neighbors aren't stinky, their snowblower was stinky, that's all.

I thought that was the end of it, but I was wrong. She made a comment as we drove past their house. Hey, that's where our stinky neighbors live!

I explained again, but I don't think it's getting through.

I can see it now. We meet our neighbors on the corner. Emma turns her attention towards them and says something like "my mummy said you were stinky" and then I die of mortification.

Tonight is Movie Night in our house. I got Japanese anime for Emma, and a variety of films for us. I went a little crazy at Blockbuster last night.

Reviews to come...

Have a good weekend everyone!

<thurs february 27, 2003 - 8:00 a.m.>

I'm drinking coffee again, attempting to limit myself to one a day. Sarah's been waking up at ungodly morning hours because of a cold.

This cuppa tastes pretty darn good right now.

If anyone finds me snoring underneath my desk today, you know why.

p.s. Thanks Melissa, for the kickass chickpea curry recipe. I brought some for lunch today! It's a sure keeper.

a.

<sunday february 23, 2003 - 10:30 p.m.>

Overall this was a fairly lousy weekend, as far as weekends go. Nothing happened, other than a lot of kicking around the house.

I need a mental boost, a zing of some kind.

Swim lessons on Saturday. Last time I went I was feeling self-conscious in a bathing suit, but this time it was Mark's turn to take Sarah and get in the pool with her. I went with Emma and sat in a lounge chair on the deck while she splashed around with her group.

Mark doesn't seem to think that being in a state of partial nudity puts you at a disadvantage. But I think otherwise. I had a good vantage point to observe the comings and goings of both the clothed and the unclothed.

Both women and men yanked at sticky wet misshapen bathing suits as they climbed out of the water, all the while trying to look more casual than mortified. I saw plenty of soft and very white skin that is best hidden underneath a T-shirt. In fact, I saw one father swimming in what looked like street clothes; a black T-shirt and shorts.

There is power in being dressed and dry among people in ill-fitting bathing suits. I could observe without being observed. The only remaining problem, I was still in dire need of a pedicure. Although this was remedied today with two coats of Far East Fuchsia, I was chagrined to be showing my feet in public.

Next week it's my turn again. I will try and not think about it so much.

The other day I mentioned by new anti-carb regime although I prefer to think of it as: Be Good to My Body and My Body will be Good to me.

I've been feeling so crappy and lethargic lately that I had to take drastic action. This fatigue, along with extreme irritability and general physical malaise were all signs to me. Changes had to be made to improve my quality of life. And so, without the consultation of a nutritionist or doctor I have decided to:

a) drop caffeine. Well, not drop it completely, but I am going to restrict myself to Only Really Good Coffee. I will not turn down a latte, no siree. I don't like being dependent on a substance.

b) drop the sugar. My stash of office candy is gone. Every day I have a bag of candy on the go. In the afternoons I stuff myself with the gummie du jour in order to fight the three o'clock crash. I think I was fueling the three o'clock crash. I don't like being dependent on a substance.

c) drop the extra carbs. White flour - I'm not touching it. The other night for dinner we had huge plates of pasta (which I love) and these freezer-to-oven garlic loaves (ohgod which I really love). I could eat one in a sitting, hell, I could eat two in a sitting. I was even loathe to share with my children. What is wrong with me?

With the extras slices of bread and bagels also goes the butter and marg. Gone gone. I don't miss it. Really, I don't like being dependent on a substance. :)

d) instead of the carbs I eat some lean meat or fruit or a pile of greens. I have been making mountains of salads and eating it all. This is not a problem for me, in fact, I really like vegetables. I had a kickass broccoli salad with bits of red cabbage, red onion, green onion, apple, with sierra mix and a light dressing over it all.

Thinking about it now I realize that I also haven't eaten any processed foods. I think that's probably a good thing.

Despite the half rice-krispie square that I couldn't bear to see go to waste I have been good and it hasn't been difficult.

My only problem was a day-long headache on my first day sans caffeine (this was my body screaming obscenities at my brain, I felt it) and an overstuffed tummy after last night's Greek salad. The words "way too much roughage" were circulating in my brain like a broken record. I felt sick thinking about the amount of greens I ate ... imagining them working their way though my intestinal tract.

My serving size would have easily fed a family of rabbits. Do rabbits ate feta cheese?

I just figured (correctly) that if I stuffed myself with enough healthy food that there wouldn't be room to snack later.

p.s. some new additions to the main page in case you missed them...

a.