A, B, C, D, E, F, G....

I am an alphabetizing maniac. My CDs are organized alphabetically, and I would do the same with my books, except that I like to separate hardcover from soft, fiction from non-fiction and arrange them by height. Maybe I should stop confessing in case it's starting to sound a little compulsive. Okay, it IS a little compulsive, and I seem to be unable to keep my uptight paws off of the girls' bookshelves now (Chirp magazines together, Little Golden Books together, Phoebe Gilman books together....you get the idea).

When I have trouble falling asleep at night, I alphabetize. Some nights it's trying to name all of the states alphabetically (I rarely remember to include Rhode Island). This is no small feat for a Canadian girl! Other nights I try to think of, say, a country, an international city, a Canadian city and a BC city for each letter of the alphabet. Still others require a band, a musician's first name and a musician's last name that begin with each letter. Again, that's starting to sound a bit strange.

I thought I'd share my taste in music with you alphabetically (of course!)

A - Jann Arden
B - Jimmy Buffett, The Band
C - Crash Test Dummies, Cat Stevens, Holly Cole, Harry Connick Jr.
D - Dixie Chicks
E - Melissa Etheridge
F - Stephen Fearing
G - Great Big Sea
H - Hard Rock Miners, Housemartins
I - Indigo Girls
J - Norah Jones, Jack Johnson
K - Diana King
L - Gordon Lightfoot, David Lindley, Amos Lee
M - Matchbox 20, Van Morrison, Chiharu Matsuyama
N - Anna Nalick, Willie Nelson, Paolo Nutini
O - Oak Ridge Boys
P - Prince
R - Rankin Family
S - Spirit of the West, Michelle Shocked, Paul Simon, Sting
T - Trooper, KT Tunstall, James Taylor
U - U2 (old, not new)
V - Violent Femmes
W - David Wilcox
Y - Neil Young

Growing up...a bit at a time

I've discovered that 6 is the magic age of imbalance. Want to be big, but want to be little. Staying up late is fine, but morning is he** on wheels. Can do everything myself, but need your help with so much. Able to debate like a democratic candidate, but need to be carried screaming irrationally to my room every now and then (perhaps also like a democratic candidate!).

The fights have been coming faster than I am equipped to deal with them these days and I despise each and every second of our time spent at each others' throats. It saddens me that my sweet little girl, brimming with kindess and empathy can be so ANGRY sometimes. I don't like chalking it up to age & stage, but the more I talk to other parents, the more it becomes apparent that it is what it is. We just need to come out whole and somewhat adjusted on the other side, I guess.

I've found, though, that giving J really important BIG jobs to do is key to her happiness. She doesn't want to clean her room, or put away her laundry; however, she will gladly load the dishwasher, cut vegetables, or cook at the stove. Yes, I've taken off my "Captain Safety" badge and let her cook at the stove this past week. Supervised (heavily), of course, but mostly on her own. Last weekend it was blueberry sauce for waffles. This weekend it was pancakes. She read the recipe, measured with complete Type-A accuracy, stirred, poured, flipped and served. She even ate at the counter as she cooked, just like Mom. If she starts pouring her own coffee, though, I'll be worried. And hey, with a cute new flipper like this, who wouldn't volunteer to make breakfast??

MMMMM....Muffins & Moomins

I adore muffins. Now I've said it and come out of the baked goods closet, as it were!

I love making muffins, eating them with coffee, quick-breakfasting my kids, feeding them to my friends....love 'em!

Looking at the sad bowl of untouched bananas on the counter this evening, I decided to root about for one of my all time favourite muffin recipes. "Zachary's Favourite Muffins" are named for Mike's former colleague's son (you guessed it) Zachary. They are super healthful, super easy and super delicious!! Here is the recipe:



1 cup quick cooking oats

1/2 cup all purpose flour

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 to 1/2 cup wheat germ

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

5 - 6 mashed ripe bananas

1 egg

1/4 cup canola oil

a splash of vanilla

1 cup frozen (or fresh) blueberries



Preheat oven to 375 and prepare about 16 muffin cups (silicone or paper-lined).

Whisk the dry stuff together. Whisk the wet stuff together. Mix it all together and fold in the blueberries. Bake for 23 - 25 minutes. Cool on wire rack 10 minutes before removing from the tins. YUMMY!

Moomins - how can you resist?? Finnish in origin, I met the Moomintroll family while living in Japan. In their quest for all things cute, the Japanese have "adopted" these little critters and they adorn everything from pocket tissue to backpacks, t-shirts to fine china (as the mug behind the muffin). I miss them, though, and wish I could find Moominstuff here (not expecting to find anything in Trail, but somewhere in Canada would suffice!). My former student and good friend was kind enough to bring some Moomin goodies to the girls when she visited in 2006 and I am near to asking her to send some more!

A little heart from the heart...

The formula for a relaxing eye pillow (made with a friend for some other friends) + some great silky soft fleece = a snuggly sleepy pillow for the girls.

This little "sleepy pillow" is about the size of your two hands put together side by side and is filled with flax seed and lavender buds.

Maya sleeps with hers right on her cheek and Jordan stashes hers farther away from her in her bed so that it doesn't make her cough....ah well...it was the thought that counts!