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Behind the Scenes

DAILY SNACK

They were running

Around and around and around

The common space of the suburban bungalow.

Through the kitchen and around the corner,

Weaving this way or that around the Thanksgiving table,

Tearing through the living room and vestibule

And back into the kitchen.

Two boys, two cousins,

Two years apart.

Finally old enough to be friends.

I may be calling out to,

“Watch the vase!”

But I am really smiling.

?

Horoscopes Thursday October 15, 2009.

Aries (March 21-April 19)

When you take inspiration from the runways of fashion week, it won’t be the clothes you focus on. Instead marvel at the delicate balance that’s struck between cutting edge designs and celebrity egos. There might be some elbow jabs and snide comments, but the truth is that they need each other. Swallow your own pride this week and admit to your dependencies.

Taurus (April 20 – May 20)
Wow, you’re really into health and fitness these days, aren’t you? A focus on feeling better is for sure a good thing, but maybe leave the micro minis on the tennis court. And nobody really needs that much spandex in their everyday life either.

Gemini (May 21-June 20)

You might feel like you’re walking on egg shells today, Gemini, but it could be worse. At least you’re not trying to navigate the fragile ego of your family and coworkers in the ten-inch stiletto hooves that Alexander McQueen sent down the Paris runway last week.


Cancer (June 21-July 22)
Your funny side is showing, Cancer. Some days are just not meant for contemplating the heavy stuff and zingers are rolling off your tongue before you know it. This is, of course, basically a good thing. Just steer clear of serious people dealing with important issues today because you will be sure to offend.


Leo (July 23-Aug 22)

Math is everywhere this week. From the sheer volume of emails you’ve had to wade through to the geographic lines and patterns featured on the runway. Calculate the number of hours you have to yourself less the sleep deprivation quotient of any given day to find your happiness score.


Virgo (Aug 23-Sept 22)
Times are tough. That’s the cold, bare truth that has been ricocheting around your head for months now — and you are sick of it. Drink at the font of glamour and luxury that is Toronto Fashion Week and hope to get enough pizzas to carry you through the rest of the recession.


Libra (Sept 23 – Oct 22)

Stop right now and put down that print. Step away from the garment and take another look. Would you hang that print on your wall? Then why are you going to wrap it around your chest? Or plaster your ass with it? C’mon.


Scorpio (Oct 23-Nov 21)
Everything old is new again. This holds as true in your life this week as it does on the runway. Look for retro themes and tired old gimmicks to surface in both arenas. Underwear as outerwear? I don’t think you want to revisit that one, Scorpio.


Sagittarius (Nov 22-Dec 21)

You’re all business this week, Sagittarius, and you should definitely dress the part. Think intimation via glamour and confidence clothed in well-tailored separates. You know the cliche, “Dress for the job you want, not the one you have.”


Capricorn (Dec 22-Jan 19)

You are in a in a philosophic mind set this week. Is a reality-show-winning fashion designer as legit as the others? Will Project Runway and Top Model eventually populate the entire fashion world? Or are these glorified contest winners really the laughing stocks you think they are? One thing’s for sure, you won’t be cutting any corners this week.


Aquarius (Jan 20 – Feb 19)

You woke up and suddenly realized your whole wardrobe is nothing but uniforms. Jeans and tee weekend wear, business casual throughout the week and the latest trends after dark. Where is the real you? Have fun finding your one-of-a-kind self this week — and don’t rush it.


Pisces (Feb 20-March 20)

Expect to find fifty percent more ruffles in your life this week. Also, one hundred percent more romance. Soft fabrics and flirtatious frill abound when a certain someone is around. Sometimes the clothes speak louder than words.

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The Kid Hid

DAILY SNACK

I was trying to prepare dinner the other night

When Colum offered to put away the package of toilet paper sitting in the hallway.

Cool. The kid’s finally picking up his slack.

I continued chopping onions

Until I realized that Irene was no longer in the kitchen.

She had crawled into the bathroom.

But WHERE was Colum?

bathroom cupboardCute.

For the first ten minutes anyway.

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Putting the Crap Back into Craptacular

DailySnackTextI have never minded changing diapers,

And I have even washed my own cloth diapers.

(On occasion. I mean I used to. At least once. Shut up.)

I even subscribed to the just-put-him-in-underwear-’till-he-learns school of toilet training.

I am intimately familiar with my kids

Various bodily excrements,

In short.

But it has never really bothered me.

UNTIL TODAY.

Suffice it to say that they both have diarrhea.

So even though Colum is fully toilet trained

And made it to the toilet in time

There was still a little pre-leakage that had to be washed out of his underwear.

And even though he made it to the toilet again

While I was washing said underwear

There were still a couple droplets lost to the living room floor.

Which I discovered when I stepped in them.

That was just before I went to change Irene

And discovered that she had managed to poo

Into her jeans and onto the outside of her shirt and undershirt

Even though she was wearing a diaper

And there wasn’t even that much poo.

Then, while I was changing her, she stepped in it.

And I finally thought,

I have had enough of this crap.

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Recognition

DailySnackTextI’ve waited all my life to hear,

“How did you make this great meal, Mom?

Now we can all dig in.”

Note that the meal was

Hummus on pita bread,

And steamed broccoli with grated cheddar cheese.

Years of training, Colum,

Years of training.

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A Spoonful or Two

DailySnackTextI got Colum to eat his soup yesterday

By guessing how many more bites it would take.

He counted every mouthful.

29

This was a nutritionally sound ploy,

But I worry about the OCD factor.

The boy likes to count things.

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Feeding the Birds

DAILY SNACK

The other day I stepped out onto the deck and wondered if I should close the patio umbrella.

Then I saw this:

bread in umbrella

So obviously I went and got my camera,

And then Irene started screaming,

And Colum was climbing onto the kitchen counters

And lunch was burning.

Or something like that, I assume.

Because this morning Ed asked,

“Oh, did you make a bird feeder out of the patio umbrella?”

He thought I was actually trying to teach the children something.

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It’s Not Just a Stage

DailySnackText“Okay, Colum, it’s time to go now.”

“No. I’m not ready yet.”

“No, honey, I gave a warning and now it’s time to put the animals away and get our jacket on.”

“I won’t.”

A well-meaning woman with a toddler smiled.

“I guess it’s just those terrible twos.”

“Except he’s three.”

“Oh well, the tail end then.”

“He’s three and a half.

He just likes a battle of the wills. “

You wouldn’t have wanted to see him at two.

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Miss Steps

DAILY SNACK

Irene will take a step or two now
Before careening into the outstretched arms of a loving relative.
Or into a piece of furniture.
She is not walking yet,
But will be soon.
Her first step, though,
Her very first step
I have already forgotten.
I simply can’t remember when or where it was.
I will just have to say that she took her first steps around 11 months of age
Just like Colum took his at 10 months,
And hope I can at least muster up a blurry recollection of some of those early steps.
Oh wait. Video technology.
I’ll get on that.

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Global Breastfeeding Challenge is ON!

I like to breastfeed and I like a good challenge. And I really, really like to win. So when I heard about the Global Breastfeeding Challenge taking place next Saturday I was all tell me more.

It turns out that a British Columbia-based non profit called the Quintessence Foundation has been organizing this breastfeeding awareness celebration since 2001. This year there are 234 sites registered to participate worldwide including Toronto.

Toronto Public Health and the Chinese/Vietnamese Breastfeeding Network have  joined forces to organize door prizes, information sessions, lunch and more.

How do you participate? Just go to the Rosedale School of Arts at 711 Bloor Street East (Castle Frank Subway) next Saturday, October 3, 2009. The challenge takes place between 10:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m but you need to show up early to register between 9:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.

Why bother? It’s a fun way to celebrate breastfeeding and to connect with breastfeeding women around the globe, for one. More importantly, though, it’s a chance to be on a winning team. Toronto came in sixth place last year with 199 women feeding 200 babies, but I think we can do better than that! And did I mention the free lunch? And door prizes?

I plan on going and would love some company. If you are interested in joining me please let me know so we can meet up. Or just look for me there.

Of course, you can find out where your closest site is no matter where you live. This is not a Toronto-only event. But if too many of you do that Toronto might not win and I really, really want to win. So maybe spread out, k?

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Fall Veg Fallout

I lost a squash out of the stroller basket yesterday,

And decided to retrace our steps for a couple blocks,

To see if we could find it.

Colum and I stopped in at the bakery we had just been to,

And asked the woman behind the counter if she found a squash rolling around.

No squash.

Colum then wanted look in a small pharmacy,

Even though we hadn’t been there at all.

I called to him from the sidewalk,

And then followed him into the store.

A woman was saying to him,

“First of all, I don’t even work here.”

Then she looked up at me and continued,

“And he’s in the wrong store — he’s looking for a squash.”

It was all I could do to keep from laughing.

Lady, you do realize that he’s three, right?

(Image courtesy of moria on Flickr.)