spring cleaning: my insides!

April 10, 2012 by mama lola

i start a liver cleanse in a matter of hours. it’s going to be a tough 14 days, let me tell ya! i gave up my most special vice, coffee, last week in preparation for this cleanse. i have no shame in admitting that i love a good cuppa coffee first thing in the morning and will hold on to it as my vice for the rest of my life. i have some last minute cleanse shopping to do for myself tonight. luckily, the lovely expert who has developed this particular cleanse has also included a meal plan and a grocery shopping list, so getting ingredients will be easy. I’ve also thought about looking at a foot bath detox, I have heard that they can be beneficial for body cleansing so it might be a good idea to try! I’ll check it out with my doctor first to see what they say.

i am already a grump, though. no coffee makes me super cranky, which i didn’t know! i wonder what will happen after i cut our dairy, breads, fruits… oh, boy! look out family!

but, i think i really need to get my body balanced inside. i had strep throat five times this winter and the amount of antibiotics i consumed is ridiculous and kind of gross. plus, with all the surgeries and T3’s i was popping while pregnant with lion, i think is still just stuck in my organs jamming things up. i good liver cleanse is exactly what my body needs and deserves.
*******
had a frolick through the woods with good friends today. kids loved it, so did us mama’s!

*******
for tonight’s dinner i tried something new, rice paper wraps with veggies.

i took one tomato, one perfect avocado, asparagus, green onions and some left over green pepper, chopped them up stirred them around in my cast iron pan until warm.

then, i placed the veggies on the softened rice paper with a piece of seaweed and sprinkled some sesame seeds for good measure.

they were easy to make, but a bit time consuming and the texture wasn’t the kids’ favourite, but dear hubby and i loved them. i will definitely be making these again, since i can’t use wonton wraps anymore due to bear’s egg intolerance. we also had some quinoa-chick pea salad and sweet potato fries! yum!

ok, time to shower and binge on some fantastic treat once dear hubby gets back from the store!
i am so scared of this cleanse and worry that i will not have the discipline to follow it, although at the same time i feel like it’s exactly what i need.
wish me luck!

the easter bunny dropped by.

April 8, 2012 by mama lola

we had a great time in the big city for easter. we had a nice dinner with my parents and then dear hubby and i went to a movie, while the kids stayed with my folks. we saw an iranian movie called, a separation. it was incredible, powerful and heartbreaking. i would recommend it to everyone.

*******
then on saturday we headed to the famous st. lawrence market. the market was beautiful with shelves overflowing with bright fruits and veggies, with tanks crawling with lobsters and counters filled with yummy fresh, fish and various cuts of red meat. bear was very curious of the beat, since we’re vegetarian and never have meat in the house, seeing meat was so interesting for him.

the market not only had food, but lots of vendors selling colourful kitchens gadgets, wordly jewellery, and funky clothes. there was so much to see, but with the crowds and a four year old with a sudden case of spaghetti legs, it was difficult to navigate and take pictures!

then, it was off to the beach in the cities east end, where the outside space gave us lots of freedom and the earlier case of spaghetti legs suddenly disappeared!

the kiddo’s soaked up the warm spring sun, as they ran through the sand to the shoreline, where they threw stone after stone into the lake. it was so fun!

*******
today we had a wee egg hunt in our backyard. i dragged my butt out of bed before everyone else and secretly hid some eggs around the yard. after breakfast the kids went out and found the yummy treats; mini eggs and small jelly beans in wee plastic eggs and one kinder per kid.

a lovely easter closing with a lazy-bum-day at home with my family.

how was your easter? did the easter bunny drop by your house?

easter fun!

April 6, 2012 by mama lola

we’ve been busy getting ready for easter.

i purchased some wee chicks, tipuja, and set them out on our table and at breakfast the boys were so delighted to see them. i have tried to enforce the rule of “not for touching, but for admiring”, which bear has always seemed to understand. here’s hoping lion will too!

yesterday in the basement i found a carton of already-blown eggs (meaning the insides have literally been blown out by making two small holes at each end of the egg), so the boys decided to paint them. i was so scared they would break the eggs, but the painting project progressed without any smashes!

both, lion and bear painted with such focus and artistic flare; they will make their mummo so proud. she has painted perhaps about a 1000 blown eggs! here are some from our small collection my mom gave us. this year we couldn’t find any good pussy willows, so we hung a large branch from the ceiling and hung the eggs from there. bear and i added some of our own fancy decorations onto the branch to fancy it up some!

today we are baking egg-free sugar cookies. we found the super simple recipe here. bear has been asking questions about chocolate and whether or not they contain eggs, and if he can eat the chocolate eggs the easter bunny will leave. poor kid and his worries! i explained that i emailed the easter bunny and told him about the new egg allergies. that seemed to calm bear’s nerves a bit!

saturday first thing we’re heading to the st.lawrence market in the big city. it was recently names the best food market in the world by the national geographic! check out the top ten here and note that number 7 is kauppatori, helsinki! oh, this dual-citizen mama is bursting with national pride for both markets; how wonderful to have a good food source in one’s two hometowns.

we’ll have small easter egg hunt in our backyard on sunday, i think. i will sew quick pillow cases as gifts and i bought some funny little things and some chocolates as well. i’ll post pictures of the delight later!

HAPPY EASTER!!!
HIP–PA–TY–HOP!!!

where children sleep.

March 30, 2012 by mama lola

i saw this link on the internet. it is a photographic editorial about the different places children sleep on, all over the world. it was quite shocking, upsetting and heart breaking to be visually shown these dirty, dangerous and uncomfortable places a child was expected to sleep and dream and prepare for the following day.

i feel a tremendous sense of gratitude right now, after watching that slide show. although bear is struggling with his eczema and it is turning out to be a bumpy road, at least my kids are safe and comfy upstairs in their bunk beds, tucked in between freshly laundered sheets, in soft pj’s, in a house that is warm and will protect from weather, animals and other potential dangers. If we do get anything like bed bugs, all we have to do is make one call to someone like Olathe pest control and it’s sorted in the same day.

we are lucky.
fortunate.
for so much.

good night.
sleep tight.
don’t let the bed bugs bite…

barley depression.

March 29, 2012 by mama lola

i’m in a bit of a barley depression.

bear’s eczema was on fire, again today. his right elbow crease is the worst, but his left is flaring badly as well. it’s all raw and seepingfluid. plus, his belly is covered in spots. or polka dots as he called them.

[ source ]

i now think he’s coming down with a cold. last time he was sick with the sniffles and a cough he got all rashy and the eczema got really bad.

[ source ]

i emailed my naturopath’s office with a few concerns. they phoned back immediately and offered an 15 minute consult with another doctor, as ours is on holidays. how sweet and lovely! then tonight, i received an email from our naturopath with suggestions on how to manage the flare-ups!

i feel like we’re in good hands. she’s on holidays and emailing us. that’s unheard of.

bear is cared for.

what a wonderful feeling for me in all of this helplessness.

my friend suggested that maybe it would be a good idea to consider cannabis from suppliers similar to Bud Express Now (https://www.budexpressnow.ca) to help me to manage my negative emotions. it can be frustrating having to deal with all of these health conditions, so I will give it some thought. i know that you are now allowed to grow your own cannabis, but i wouldn’t have a clue what to grow them in or anything and i just know i would have so many questions like how big should my plants be after 2 weeks and how long should they grow for? i can see why so many people do it though, when you take the health benefits into account.

barley research continues and seems bleaker each passing day.

but….

[ source ]

just gotta get ‘er done.
figure what brands we can trust, where to buy them.

any suggestions?

barley, and it’s dirty little secrets.

March 25, 2012 by mama lola

i did not blog yesterday and missed a day for NaBloPoMo. but, i was so tired after a long day in the big city, that i decided rather than posting a terrible post, i would just skip posting anything.
*********
so, here we are a fresh new day… sunday. we are ending the week on a good note. or trying to anyhow. dear hubby is making the usual sunday feast. homemade pizza with dough from the bread maker! yum!

i have started my research into bear’s various allergies or sensitivities to be more accurate. it seems that egg, being a well known and potentially serious allergen is labelled clearly on packaged food items. although, things like bagels and pretzels may not contain egg, but they might instead be glazed with it, and so not sure if it then has to legally be marked. not sure where to find this information either…

but, barley…. oh boy! bear has a medium sensitivity to barley, which i didn’t really think much of, until i started to read labels and see that it is in everything. kind of like wheat or gluten. with my research i stumbled upon story after story of people, who thought they themselves or their kid had a gluten or wheat intolerance, but turned out to be barley! i nearly got him a gluten intolerance test but i’m pretty sure he’s just allergic to barley. that said, it might be worth doing a few tests with him just to be 100% sure of what’s causing his symptoms. a barley allergy presents commonly with skin rashes, eczema, head aches, stomach problems, diarrhea etc., just like so many other intolerances.

i had never even heard of a barley allergy before thursday. but, dear hubby and i have decided to make our household barley free, because bear will be exposed to it out there in the world, without us knowing. barley can be mixed into wheat flours and does not have to be labelled; malt is most commonly made from barley and can be found in all sorts of foods, like cereals. barley may also be found in bear’s fave soup, miso. oh, dear!

allergen labelling is tricky business and the government has laws to try to protect the general public, but the rules aren’t air tight and the gaps can be dangerous for some.

it’s time to put our homemaker aprons on and really get into the swing of making more of our own foods. with bear’s eczema it has become clear to me that we, as a family, have to take more control of what we eat. i have taken food for granted, assuming, all be it half-heartedly, that most foods are safe to eat. but, as evident by our govenrment, if manufacturers don’t actually have to include every single possible ingredient in their products, then there is potential for harm to my kid. luckily, luckily for him the reaction will not be dangerous or severe, but maybe one day it will develop into an anaphalactic allergy.
nobody knows anything really, when it comes to allergies it seems.

*********

GAME ON!

our boys got a surprise toy from my parents… a hockey net and hockey sticks! i guess that’s what happens when you’re family is finnish/ canadian! the weather was wet and dreary for our visit, bt we had fun. earlier in the day we went to the out of the cold art show, my folks have been volunteering at. both boys came home with some well chosen art!

hope you’ll be back tomorrow!

welcome baby M!

March 24, 2012 by mama lola

twenty five days ago i became an auntie for the third time! so exciting!

fresh and new.

i haven’t mentioned this joyous news on here, because i wanted to make sure i had her parents permission to share the wonderful news. missyM was born healthy and strong to her adoring parents on monday, february 27th. her arrival was long awaited, and we are anxiously looking forward to meeting her in may. dear hubby’s sister and her mister (and now missyM) live on the other side of the border for now, but are moving close to us for a few months.

a tired and proud mama looking at missyM.

when i showed lion pictures of baby missyM, he pointed, smiling and saying “baby, baby, baby”. it was so sweet and special. bear too was eager to see pictures of their newest and littlest cousin.

heartsy pants! missy looking like she has a bit of sass in her!

now, we are all counting down to may to when we get to meet the newest member of the family.

happy friday everyone. tonight was date night and dear hubby and i went to a restaurant called eggcetera dinner, since we are going to be an egg free home from now on!

thursday night quickie…

March 23, 2012 by mama lola

today we received bear’s blood work results from our naturopath and drum roll please… the kid is sensitive to eggs, the whole thing, and peas. he is disappointed he can’t eat eggs anymore, but that’s life, i guess. i am going to start researching what kinds of egg substitutes to use and for which recipes. i think it’s totally manageable for us to be egg free. there is incredible relief in me this evening as bear is not sensitive to a whole variety of foods; like gluten, dairy and eggs all together! whew!
the peas, um, well, it’s weird, right? we don’t eat a lot peas, but in the summer we’ll have to skip out on eating fresh peas straight out of the pods. so it goes!

here’s hoping that the tests were accurate and that eggs are the main culprit and we can get this terrible eczema off of his body. if anyone has any recipe book recommendations or websites, that would be great. the wealth of information out there is a bit overwhelming.

i love this boy so much.
look at his beautiful face, so easy to love.

anniversaries: some are harder than others.

March 22, 2012 by mama lola

anniversaries are tricky events. many anniversaries are occasions for remembering and celebrating achievements, family, love or whatever. dear hubby and i don’t really celebrate our wedding anniversary. not because it’s not special, but because february usually becomes about bear and his birthday. the two events are three days apart.

on our first wedding anniversary, when bear was three days old we were quarantined in the emergency department at the local hospital, because i developed a raging fever and on the advice of my midwives went to the hospital. dear hubby and bear had to join me, because i was nursing like every half hour or whatever. not the most romantic of anniversaries. in fact it was very stressful and i was quite down about the whole ordeal.

lilac out front budding. soon to be blooming. can’t wait!

some anniversaries are even harder.
it’s been just over a year since we put our sweet, squirrel loving roo down. his death is something that gets discussed a lot around here. bear will tell me he misses roo, just randomly when he sees other dogs. it shatters me when i hear him say stuff like that. i too have a huge hole in my heart for roo. i miss him so much, even though he was such a pain sometimes.
he barked and jumped around every where; hunted and killed squirrels; was very anxious in certain situations, but man, that dog loved us. i mean, he LOVED us. due to his anxiety and bounciness we always looked to calm him down with various CBD treats from the likes of this Pet treat manufacturer and others. he was always looking out for bear and then lion when he was wee.

he had had a rough life. moved from home to home to home to home. he just wanted to be loved. and we did just that.
we loved him. boy, did we ever LOVE him.
still do. so much.

on a happier note, this blog, my BEAR & LION will be celebrating a year of online success tomorrow!! i’m not sure how success is measured in the cyber-blog world, but i have acquired a following of faithful readers from all around the world, some who read out of obligation perhaps, others out of curiosity. i actually don’t care why people come by and read, i just love that you do.
my first entry was just a photograph, as i was too scared to write anything, in fear of judgement. now look at me, spilling my beans regularly!

i have found writing on my blog to be quite therapeutic in many ways. i started writing right after we put roo down, right after dear hubby lost his job and four months after my tumour was removed. it’s been a wonderful place for me to vent about some of life’s tough moments and share in some of the joys. i am grateful for my life, but it sure is harder than i ever could have imagined. and quite frankly, other people have it harder, much harder than me and i want to make sure i acknowledge that, but that does not take away from my hardships. i guess it’s like comparing apples and oranges; everyone’s life is hard to them and that’s what needs to be legitimized.
we’ve come a long way, baby!

anyhow, thanks for reading, please stick with me and my family to see what the future holds. as we all know far too well, we really have no idea what tomorrow may bring. that’s the point in life i guess.

xoxo,
lola

brothers :: veljekset.

March 19, 2012 by mama lola

they play school.
listen.
bear: i am the teacher. here is your hook (and hangs up lions little bag on a chair)
lion: smiles and tries to take the bag
bear: no, you can take it when school is done.
(this game mimicks the routine at bear’s pre-school where bags and coats are hung on hooks.)

these little imaginary worlds they create together and move through, cause my heart to ache. i’ve always wanted the boys to play together, but as the age difference is getting smaller, the games and roles they take on keep evolving. i am in awe of their camaraderie. often i will hear bear allowing lion to have a turn first, or do something that isn’t really a part of the game. they are always looking out for each other.

bear’s nickname for lion is “first friend”. i know right, too friggin’ cute!

the boys play together so well, i am worried about the day bear heads off to junior kindergarten in the fall, and lion is left alone with me. i am worried for both of them and their relationship. i realize some time apart will not hurt them, but all day, 5 days a week is a lot, and i quite frankly it breaks my heart to think my kids won’t get involved in their imaginary worlds together. there just aren’t hours in the day. i feel quite protective of their relationship and i know many people look at me with confusion and judgement. let them.

sometimes it feels like our capitalist society is hell bent on destroying the family unit, by separating us into day cares, schools and jobs.

bro’s.