Choosing what we eat.

On the solstice's eve we put some brie cheese and blueberry in the fairy garden. To Mariann's delight, most of it was gone (it's not worse then making her believe in Santa, is it?). She loves playing with it when I hang our cloths to dry.

As my fridge is currently on no-grocery-shopping-before-moving-empty mode, I found out I'm doing really great without cow milk in it.

Oh, cow milk. It's such a big deal in our province.

The government pushes it so much. It's terrible. They're selling it like it was a magic potion, really. The Dairy industry is everywhere in pubs, they financed the nutritional chart, etc...

Even more, most health care professionals were in denial. It's starting to change. They are speaking of changing the word "intolerance" for "stage 4 allergies" So people take it seriously. But... as many things, people don't want to change. It really is a base for cooking. Most people don't feel good if there's no milk in their fridge, should it only be to poor some in their coffee in the morning.

Here we are eating mama-made Popsicle made out of honey melon, rice mylk, pears and soft dessert toffu (banana flavored, if I recall correctly). Pops on a hot solstice day is the way to go!

But still, I'm amazed on how little interested people are about the food they put in theirs and their children's mouth! And on how little effort they are willing to provide so they could eat wholesome, healthy food everyday!

Don't get me wrong, we have those days (like, pops and bagels for souper day) were I don't feel like making much for mealtime. But for some it's like that everyday. And when they open their freezer, they don't reach for healthy pops; instead, frozen half-cooked meat, frozen full of sodium pastas, over processed food...Pogos! Ew!

I can't wait to make some groceries and refurnish our cupboard... With no quinoa, couscous, rice, beans left.... It's starting to get trickier each day! But I think I have a good milestone made; I will skip the cow milk aisle when we go. I learned other ways to cook.

The Day before Litha (Midsummer)

If you've read me for a while now you know how much I love Litha (or midsummer). I relate this day to freedom, joy and happiness. So what are we doing to celebrate Litha this year?

We've made a fairy garden! I was really looking forward doing this with my big girl.

Mariann loves it, and she played with all day long.

The plants come from my mom's garden and my FIL's greenhouse. The "house" was an oil burner. We also found some shiny glass rocks in my mom's craft drawer.

...Those are the pots from last year that I didn't take care of.... And chamomille and thyme and clover is growing back, yay! Last year was a desaster ... I had all those herbs, but no time to harvest!

The day was sunny and windy... Perfect to dry a load of cloth nappies.

After going for a walk on the morning, Mariann proposed we'd go to our neighbour who has a girl a little younger, and they were outdoor, playing with lilacs, she gave us this:

I found it very appropriate for the mood we are in, and I can't wait to move back to put this little gift at the bottom of a tree from the forest we have in our backyard.

more fairy garden play :)

I found a ton of wooden rings last week, Mariann loves them. I plan on keeping some loose for her and Merrick (such a great teething toy) and turn some into doll slings.

Mariann took some pictures

and I wanted to share the fabric goodness I found at the thrift store (along with the rings)

We made bread

...and when we came back from our super (we were invited) Papa had already ate the half of one.

So tomorrow I will go to a formation about breastfeeding problems, the same formation they give to the neonatal nurses. Hope it'll be interesting.

Then we will make cupcakes, a sun shaped bread maybe, and we will see for the rest of the evening.

Have a very Blessed Midsummer day, my friends!

This moment: We will miss the place....

Breaking the rule;

We will miss the plce where we made so many friends!

About choosing to stay at home

I was thinking of my post yesterday and reading your comments, and I realized my post want totally another way of what I envisioned when thinking about writing a post on the matter. So today I offer you my thoughts about the benefits from staying home, and why we choose to do so (as opposed to rant about those who don't). You also get a bonus; I made a dress for Mariann this morning, while Merrick slept 2 hours in a row a naptime!

Happy with the new dress

When I first confessed (yes, confessed) to Papa that I wanted to stay home I was scared to be judge as lazy. A huge weight was lift from my shoulder when Papa said he never went to daycare and hoped I'd stay home too. Phew!

In around a half of century, woman from Québec passed from submissive religious being to (imho) submissive working being. They wanted, oh so badly to get out of the kitchen and work. Be able to become independent. Free. They won; they work... But they spent a long time working and taking care of the house as well, leaving them burned and surely not free. Because the man of the house surely didn't want to do any "woman things", as he worked so hard during the day... Fortunately mind have changed and man are doing their share...most of them.

But they really, really wanted to work, those women. They made their place in the government and voted law for the family. Subventioned daycare, better maternity leave (up to a year now), paternity leave as well. Then, let's all go back to work.

I love my new trick for making backs. I found I disliked making button holes.

My [very personal belief] is that children, in most situations, are better raised with their parents, one of them at home (because dads at home rock too!) It holds many advantages for both parties; I personally don't know when I'd find the time to do house chores if I had a job. I tend to leave this part of my mommy at home tasks last; when my children are fed and asleep in their beds, when I actually had some "me" time, or now that they both get older I found I can wash the dishes or fold some cloths here and there while they play together without needing me.

I just can't picture myself only spending daytime with them on the weekend. We go out on weekdays... And we only meet old ladies (that find me awesome hehe) or mom with a tiny baby in a stroller. I'm being told I'm so brave for going out with both; I get weird look from lunching in restaurants in the middle of all the bureaucrats (that have half an hour to lunch) with two kids, on my own. We go in parks that are unfortunately empty most of the time. We get one ingredient for dinner when there's nobody in the whole supermarket. We live the day instead of living after 5 o'clock.

I think that black and white polka dot with multicolor stripes looks great, when you're almost 3.

Socialization? We're always out. I don't know who decided that in order to socialized you had to be placed with a bunch of kid the same age and systematically learn some skill. Let me object; I don't really find it sane. This is not the type of socialization I envision for my children. No learning to be the meanest or wanting the coolest newest thing. More learning to share and act with persons of any group of age. Hey, my 3 year old already know that in order to make any type of muffin you need to put egg first, then oil, then brown sugar and lastly flour, a little bit at a time. She also greases the mold while I stir all she threw in the bowl, without me asking. But sorry she doesn't recognize all the shapes yet, neither she can count to 10.

sorry for all the blurriness. I need to get my lens some cleaning too...

I'm raising a happy toddler that once in public isn't scare to go do her thing knowing I'm not too far. I'm raising a baby boy that will, at his own pace, while he might not look independent at all in comparison to those babies that already go to daycare, will become as independent, knowing that when he'll need me I'll be there. Near.

And they'll remember that. That I was there.