sage girl

{why yes that is candy corn on my sweater}

How was your Thanksgiving?

Ours was great, nothing beats a long weekend, but now I have a nasty head cold. I have loads of pictures to share with you but this is all I could muster in an Advil Cold and Sinus induced fog.

One thing I realized this weekend, although it has been a long time coming, is that Violet really is a big girl. She is in no way, shape or form a baby and she knows it.

I'm not sure how early you got up yesterday, but since it was a holiday I'll assume you missed the early morning rainstorm. It poured. When Violet and I arrived at the playground a few hours later the swings were still damp. No matter, Vi used her sweater to mop up the water and had a grand old time swinging away. After a few minutes a little boy, who was maybe two years old, came and sat in the swing next to Violet. It was so cute hearing her talk to him. She told him not to go too high and she called him silly when he said he saw a plane (she argued it was a seagull -- they were looking at two different things). She knew she was older than this little boy and I am pretty sure she thought she was smarter. She obviously loved it. She is always the littlest at our house, so she delighted in her new role.

When the little boy got off the swing he said to his mum, "my bum is wet."

Violet looked at him, took a deep breath and nodded, "it's a wet world", she said.

The two kids paused. The little boy looked at Violet for half a second, almost like he was acknowledging, "that was deep". Then he ran off and sat in a puddle.

Violet kept swinging, thrilled with her little-but-getting-bigger philosopher self.

It is a wet world? That might be my favourite Violetism yet! 

xo

Em

{we live next to one of the only construction sites on the peninsula -- lucky us...}

{she finds herself really funny}

summer fare?

{salmon burger with Lou's guacamole}

I am up to my eye balls in grading, but I want to ask you a quick question: are burgers summer fare? Jeff and I have differing opinions on the subject.

I tend to associate burgers with summer -- probably the BBQ connection. He thinks they can, nay should, be eaten year round.

Despite my embrace of all things fall (namely making everything with pumpkin), we have had burgers twice this week (turkey on Monday, salmon tonight). Even though both were delicious (if I do say so myself) it feels wrong. We should be eating butternut squash and hearty soups this time of year not eating raw veggies and meat in a bun.

I may have tested Jeff's love for all things burger tonight. I think what he means by "I love burgers" is "I love meat." He seemed unimpressed I had ground up our beautiful salmon fillets into fish burgers.

Maybe he'll forgive me by next year, when it is appropriate to start eating burgers again.

xo

em

ps - Brooklyn Burgers are excluded from the opinions expressed above.

the thankful tree

{what I am thankful for}

Violet came home with the cutest craft today. With the help of a very special teacher she had made a thankful tree. Her little handprints hung from a branch like leaves. On each handprint Susie had written something Violet was thankful for.

I immediately scanned for my name and then assessed the positioning of my leaf (I wish I was kidding).

The craft reminded me of Thanksgiving when I was a teenager. We always went to the South Shore with my mum's best friend's family. Every year we froze, but I have lots of good memories now that enough time has passed for me to forget my numb toes and the hours I spent in a small car with cranky adolescent siblings. (I can say that because I admit I was the crankiest sibling.)

Every year my mum's friend's dad asked us the same question, "what are you thankful for?" Personally I preferred his less esoteric questions (e.g., name your three favourite pies), but it was a nice reminder to count your blessings.

I have lots to be thankful for, but my health and the health of my family feel particularly precious this year.

When Violet was showing off her art to her Auntie Lou she looked at the tree and said, without a hint of sarcasm, "I really should have put my own name up there."

And I was worried about her confidence.

xo

Em

girlfriends

{besties}

 

Jeff is studying for the CFA which means his evenings and weekends are full of practice problems and tonnes and tonnes of reading (poor dear). While I miss my husband and literally dream about how much time we will have once all this studying is behind him, in his absence I took the opportunity to enjoy some serious girl time this past weekend.

Husbands are great, but you really can't beat a good girlfriend.

I forgot how much I missed hanging out with girls. Growing up I was never one of those girls who hung out with boys. Don't get me wrong I had boyfriends, but they were boyfriends (plug your ears Jeff ) we kissed and that just ruins a friendship. Outside romantic relationships I think I prefer the company of women. Can I even say that?! I'm pretty sure only women read my blog (all blogs?) so I am probably in safe company. I don't think of myself as a really girly girl, but I am a girl's girl (is that even an expression. You heard it here first.)

This weekend I was reminded how insular our lives can become and how important it is to carve out time to nurture relationships outside our immediate families. I know that probably sounds completely exhausting to an already exhausted segment of the population, but I've personally found it so worth it. A day hanging out just mums & babes, an early morning run with a mentor and a dinner with a work-friend turned friend-friend each reminded me how I need to make time to hang out with my ladyfriends. I felt a little like my old pre-mum/wife self.

If you follow my blog (bless your heart) then you know how much I love my little family. We do almost everything together and I love every minute of it (I don't love every minute, that is a lie, but you know what I mean!) I guess I just forgot how much I also love just being me.

Tomorrow I am meeting another girlfriend for coffee, and then this weekend I have an all women's bookclub to go to and I cannot wait for either.

Since I was born in the 80s and came of age (what a weird expression that is) in the 90s I really want to say something about girl power, but I won't.

xo

Em

good and bad

{new umbrella on a rainy day}

Should I start with the good or the bad?

The bad?

I swore in front of Violet today. It was a really bad word.

We were driving home in the pouring rain and someone pulled out right in front of us. It scared me. I swore.

As we continued home I asked Violet if she had heard what I said. She said no, but I wasn't convinced. I tried to justify myself to her by saying that I only use words like that when I am really scared. This seemed to make sense to her.

When we pulled in the driveway I was still worried that she had heard what I said so I asked her what the worst word she knew was.

"Stupid," she said, without a pause and then, in the exact tone I used when I explained my misstep to her she said, " but don't worry mummy, I only use that word when someone is really stupid."

This weekend I inadvertently taught Violet how to justify saying bad words.

And now for the good.

Violet participated in dance class! We practiced every night last week (hello stage mum) and it really paid off. Half an hour goes so much faster when your child is not hyperventilating.

I attribute the progress to our practicing, but it could have been all of the bribes I tried to entice her with. You see that umbrella? That is the direct result of being a "big girl" during dance class. I promised a number of other things too so I guess I can't really nail down what worked. All I know is stage mum tendencies + bribery = success.

Feel free to try out that recipe for parenting on your own children, so far so good over here.

xo

Em

damsel in distress

 


You know those nights where you come home, get into comfy clothes, eat pizza and you're so tired you could either laugh or cry so you do both at the drop of a hat? If you answered yes, I should introduce you to Violet because that is totally her M.O. on Friday nights.


It was the best of times, it was the worst of times -- within the same minute. I get like this when I am tired too. From the outside looking in, I have to admit it is kind of crazy and a little teeny bit scary.

Being dramatic is obviously exhausting; Violet fell into bed like a damsel in distress. 

Seriously, who sleeps like that (and is not named Aurora)?

I am almost ready to do the same, you?

Happy Friday everyone. Batten down the hatches Haligonians, it is going to be a wet one. 

xo

Em

self-love

 

It all started with an attempt to add warmth to our front entrance. I've been admiring photo rails online for a while now and I thought our very own would make the perfect addition to our basic foyer (it is laughable to refer to our front hall as a foyer, but that won't stop me). 

While we were in Ontario a few weeks ago we did as all Nova Scotians "abroad" do -- we went to Ikea. We went for two things, just two I swear, but somehow a photo rail and an inordinate number of picture frames ended up in that cursed blue bag. Everything is so cheap -- I couldn't help myself. 

Anyhow, Jeff put up the rail and I printed a few photos at Blacks. We still have some empty frames to fill, but I have to say I am not digging the look. I feel like I have created a veritable shrine to Violet. We only have one kid and I'd rather have a shrine to her than a shrine to myself or Jeff, but I have a feeling it will be bordering on creepy for all who dare to enter.

Welcome to our home, we hope you love us as much as we love ourselves. Look how good looking our child is -- more is more, we always say. 

I'd be freaked out.

I'm hoping if I add a few older pictures, say of my grandparents wedding or engagement or even childhood pictures of my parents the effect will be more what I was going for. 

Why is nothing as easy as it looks on Pinterest?

xo

Em

ps -- as always advice is welcome (especially if you have exceptional taste -- come on, you know you do)