2015

New Year's Eve always makes me feel so nervous, like there is an unbelievable pressure to make the coming year the best one you've ever lived. This is the year we have to win Oscars and Pulitzers and Nobel Peace Prizes. Plural. The only year I didn't feel this way was the end of 2012 and I was (supposedly, but he was 9 days late) a week away from delivering Small Human. There was no pressure because I knew exactly what I had in store for me for 2013 and to some extent, 2014.

2015 seems heavier. First, 15 is one of my lucky numbers so I have high expectations, and second I had wanted to expand our family this year though our first attempt didn't go as planned. Heavy. However, no matter what way you spin it, it's a new beginning and those are always welcome blessings.

We decided to start Small Human's 2015 with a fresh new haircut! He is two and a half weeks away from turning two and still barely has enough hair to cover his cute little noggin. He was starting to look like Beetlejuice in the back so we had it trimmed, and it doesn't look too different just more polished. He had a great time at the hair salon though, and really didn't want to leave! The back is shorter but we kept his "bangs" aka comb over.

Happy New Year friends and family! May 2015 bring you heaps of awesome! xoxo See you on the other side.

Toddler Bed Chronicles: Part Two

A couple posts back I told you all about the exciting new toddler bed and the high jinks Small Human gets up to when waking up in the morning. Well, this weekend's story takes the cake and I don't think anything can compare to it so far.

We didn't put the baby gate up on his door on Saturday night, a mistake we will never repeat. At first I awoke to a baby turning on the Xbox and playing with the controller. He even managed to load a game, which I guess shouldn't be surprising since his daddy makes and plays video games. While drifting in and out of consciousness, I thought I heard him open up the Skype app and call somebody. (We later found out that he had in fact, called his Nonna and Papa!)

The next part though, I didn't wake up for originally, Brendan did. He shot out of bed and ran to the kitchen because he heard the microwave turn on. This is when the shocked exclaiming woke me up. In our kitchen was our son, with the refrigerator door wide open, various items from inside the fridge strewn across the kitchen floor, which happened to be covered in egg yolks and goopy egg whites. Over half a carton of eggs, gone.

Naturally we freaked out and Small Human got sent to his room where he sulked for awhile. The weirdest thing was that there were no egg shells anywhere. You know where they were? In the garbage. He actually attempted to clean up after himself! All of this transpired at 6:45am. Maybe he was trying to make us breakfast, cause the bacon was out too.

My life is most certainly 100% more exciting and lively than it was pre-baby. No contest.

Happy last Monday of 2014! xoxo

Merry Christmas!

Small Human and I want to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! We spent Christmas Eve morning in downtown Seattle looking at the big Christmas trees everywhere, and all the pretty lights and cool Christmas teddy bears! We were going to see the gingerbread city of Seattle but I think everyone and their mother had the same idea as us, so the line was 2 hours long! Then we were going to get on the Carousel but that line was epic too, so we settled on mini donuts and running around like lunatics until nap time.

Be safe everybody, and don't forget to love and cherish the ones you love! No presents necessary.

xoxo Lilibeth and Small Human

Courtesy of his Auntie Natalie :)

Toddler Bed Chronicles

We transitioned Small Human to a toddler bed two weeks ago. We hadn't planned on even thinking about a toddler bed until he was at least two and a half, but he kept climbing out of his crib every morning. He of course thinks it's the best arrangement of life, but his dad and I would have to disagree with him. From this we have learned that our almost two year old is quite tall and can reach everything, which is bad for someone who doesn't quite understand right from wrong yet, and that he enjoys waking us up.

Here are a few of the ways in which we have been awoken by Small Human now that he is in a toddler bed:

• To someone saying, "Mommy, mommy, mommy, mommy" and then booped on the nose. Sometimes with a finger, sometimes with an iPhone, which hurts a lot.

• To someone closing our bedroom door and knocking like a solicitor that won't go away.

• Or to, "Daddy, daddy, dad, dad, dada, da-da-da-da-daddy, dad, dad".

• Or thinking I'm getting kisses but am really getting my face wiped with snot like I was a "shishue" (tissue).

The best one to date has been waking up to a rustling sound in the hallway near the kitchen, kinda like a raccoon had gotten in the house. Only it wasn't a raccoon it was our son, at 6 o'clock in the morning on a Saturday, rifling through the garbage and spilling our take-out sushi detritus all over the hall carpet, soy sauce and all. 6 o'clock in the morning and old sushi. OMG

The trade off is that we don't have to worry about Small Human breaking his neck climbing out of his crib every morning, so it's clearly worth it, it's just something we need to get used to. So now we put the baby gate on his door and let him wake us from down the hall in the safety of his bedroom. So far, so good.

Reluctantly letting me take his photo

Ugh Sick

Le Small Human has had a cold since Monday, and as of yesterday I am sick too. I'm feeling a little cloudy in the brains department but not deathly ill. It still royally sucks though. There has been a lot of tv watching, couch snuggles, and we've gone through two boxes of tissues and a whole pack of grape Boogie Wipes so far.

The Little is doing much better today, but I am still battling. It's pretty cute cause he keeps dancing for me and just being a ham. Even better though, is that right now he is quietly sitting on the couch reading by himself, with a bottle of water and bopping his head to some music. THIS NEVER HAPPENS, I need it so badly, thank you!

But then your life gets even better because a friend drops by to bring you latkes. Day. Made. Excuse me while I do my latke dance and stuff my face. Happy Thursday!

Thank you Shira & Aziza!

Dr. Small Human and Mr. Hyde

My son has two different personalities. There's my sweet, rambunctious and happy boy during the week, and the whiny, mommy-hating boy on the weekends. I can't begin to tell you how frustrating this is for me. On the weekends, Small Human has his Daddy, so mommy automatically becomes chopped liver. Daddy is cooler, can reach higher things, and is far more rare than hanging out with that Momie lady again.

Not only does my son hate me on the weekends, but he turns into a whiner. If you have children, you know that whining is probably the most soul sucking, awful, energy draining thing your child can do to you. We don't understand it, but we just wish it would stop. Telling him to stop doesn't work; placating him doesn't work; and distracting him kinda works for a bit, unless he's hellbent on whining some more. This of course, confuses my husband. Where is the funny boy he reads about in all the emails I send him while he's at work? Where's the cute son who poses for Momie's iPhone photo shoots?

During the week we have a bit of a routine, and I think that might be part of the problem over the weekends. Monday to Friday he's usually a pretty regular toddler. He's happy, curious, and energetic, he gets cranky when he's tired or hungry. It's pretty easy really. We go on outings and play dates, we go for walks, we run errands, and there is very little whining going on. The best is when I get hugs and kisses, or when he pretends to eat my cheeks while we read (because I do that to him!).

Obviously, there are times when he misbehaves or deliberately refuses to listen to me, but that's a lot like every work environment really. You deal with it and you move on. The big difference is that it really hurts my feelings when it's my son! We're best friends during the week and frenemies on the weekends. This is certainly something nobody warned me about. It's a good thing there's a lot of laundry, vacuuming, organizing and wrapping of presents to do to really dwell on it too much.

Happy Monday!

My hilarious boy, inspecting his sippy cup for leaks cause of the mess he left on the hall bench.

Sunday Thoughts

I am very thankful for all the beautiful, positive people in my life who always help to pick me back up when I'm feeling low. Just because life feels hard, it doesn't mean life is bad. At least I get to wake up for another day and see my healthy son learn a little more and grow up a little more. I get to squeeze him and kiss him, and play with him. I have the most wonderful friends a girl could ask for, and a family who loves me more than I deserve.

Life happens on its own terms, and while some people like to do their best to hurry it along or fit it into a neat little box, it doesn't always work that way. I've never been a Polyanna Sunshine, I've always leaned a bit more towards Debbie Downer, but I do my best to recognize the truly amazing things I have been blessed with.

I hate that it's so easy for me to see all the ways my life isn't perfect, but so difficult for me to see the ways in which it is actually a pretty wonderful life. I'm working on it. Please always remember that no matter how perfect other people's lives seem, we all have our struggles. Just focus on the good in your own life, and try to spread the joy.

Happy Sunday, beautiful people.

The Christmas Cookie Project

I lucked out in the mommy friend department because they are the kind of people who have fun ideas and most importantly, execution of ideas, for the kids. Today was a Christmas cookie decorating play date that I think was a total success. We thought for sure that the toddlers wouldn't get it, but get it they did! Granted there were sprinkles and crumbs all over the house but that's what vacuums are for.

Everyone was on a major sugar high and it was a fun, adorable time. I found melted sugar crystals stuck to my ankle just now, and a son who refuses to nap, but it's all in the name of Christmas cheer. Thanks friends for a fun morning, even though I was kinda tired and cranky. (Sorry!)

Weird Ass Things My Toddler Makes Me Do

I think I might know what it's like to be a rock star's assistant. Toddlers are notorious for being picky, crazy people and I know now that all the stories are true. Here are just a few things Small Human needs in order to be happy:

• His chicken nuggets taste better as leftovers, but he needs them to be heated in the microwave one at a time. If you give him four or even two at once, he won't eat them all because they won't be the temperature he likes them to be at.

• If he feels like his hands are dirty, he won't stop shrieking at you until you wipe them or wash them, even if it's imaginary dirt that only he sees.

• He likes toast with peanut butter but will only eat it if it's sliced into strips with very minimal crust. It's also fancy organic toast with equally fancy seeds.

• He won't eat the part of the bread that he has held with his fingers. That is reserved for throwing across the room or feeding to daddy (not mommy).

• When he asks for something, that doesn't mean that is what he wants. That would be too easy. ie. "Cheese! Cheese! Cheese! Cheese!" (gives him cheese) "Noooooo blechhhh."

• He makes me kiss an owie until he deems it all better (this one is pretty adorable).

• When we leave the house he needs at least one or two things from the house to bring with him. Sometimes it's something handy like a hat of his choosing, other times it's a spatula, or very breakable water glass, or an unbelievably enormous toy that I have to negotiate with him to leave at home.  It always ends up tossed aside for something outside anyway.

• He makes me peel oranges for him but only so he can watch. He gags if I try to give him a piece.

Toddlers are so weird. These are just the things that I can recall off the top of my head, but there are a few strange things I've missed for sure. If you don't want to be a parent, don't because I wanted it more than anything and I just barely have the patience to get through a day. There's a lot of frustration, a lot of love, a lot of anger, a lot of laughter, but above all you need patience. You really need to take a step back sometimes and oh, I don't know, maybe write a blog post about the cute little human you created and are raising. I find that really helps me not see him as a crazy, eccentric coworker who likes to whine, throw things and writhe on the floor when he's tired or doesn't get his way. Oh man, motherhood.

Santa Claus Village

Last year by happenstance, we ended up seeing the kitschy Space Needle Santa Claus for Small Human's first Santa photo, and what with it being our little Seattleite's first Christmas it seemed fitting. This year we went with a more classic Santa. One of our pretty outdoor malls here features a little Santa house and a Santa that has a real beard! (Woah) So a few of us mama friends trucked our toddlers over to meet him and get a picture with the famous big guy in red.

Small Human wasn't into Santa at all. He definitely did better than I ever did, but he refused to be distracted or made to smile, and one thing was for certain: He wasn't about to let go of Momie or his Goldfish crackers. So here we are together in his second Santa photo of life. Look at how terrified he looks! After this though, while I chose a photo and paid for it, he and Santa played with cars on the floor and he liked that very much. I gotta say that I really appreciate how this Santa seemed to genuinely like children.

For you Seattle mamas, The U-Village Santa was $38.95 plus tax for one digital high resolution file. There are printed photo options available as well.

Look mommy & daddy, my first picture with Santa! (only took 35 years) 

Saturday Night

On Saturday night, we were actually that sickeningly adorable family who did stuff like play with snow and slip around on ice; hung out at the toy store to play; got takeout on a freezing cold winter night; had dinner together and watched Home Alone; made fudge and had tickle fights and read books until the baby fell asleep. That actually happened. No one was crabby or angry, there was no whining, I didn't ruin the fudge, and then I had some hot apple cider and read a book. I guess sometimes great things do happen, and I'm glad I was able to recognize it and enjoy it.

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend and stayed warm and toasty and happy too. I will leave you now with a delicious fudge recipe:

2 cups of semi sweet chocolate chips
1 cup of milk chocolate chips
(or you can use 3 cups of semi sweet chips)
1 14oz can of sweet condensed milk
1/4 cup of softened butter
1/4 tsp of sea salt
1 tsp of vanilla

Combine the chocolate chips, condensed milk and butter. Microwave for 30 seconds to 1 minute. (don't overheat it or it will be grainy!) Stir. Add the sea salt and vanilla. Pour into an 8" pan lined with foil. Chill and set in the fridge for as long as you can hold out, or about 1.5 hours. Cut into squares and enjoy!

I added coloured sprinkles to mine :)

The Talking Thing

I can't believe how worried I was about Small Human's verbal skills, and I think that was largely because most of his friends that he sees on a regular basis are toddler girls. Boys tend to master the more physical things while girls start to get excellent with language. Small Human walked at 9.5 months and has ridiculously amazing finger dexterity and general physical precision, but didn't speak real words for what felt like forever.

It certainly isn't because we don't talk to him constantly, or sing and read to him. Momie is a blabber mouth and a half, and we have 80 million books, and it has finally paid off. He went from speaking gibberish to trying sentences. The words he does speak aren't just him mimicking us, he actually knows what they mean! I am completely flabbergasted. It also feels good to stop worrying for once. Plus it takes out a lot of the guesswork now. Having him communicate, "Mum-mum, kakaaaa!" or "Eat smoothie!" or "Wash hands!" makes my life so much easier. It is also super hilarious when he burps and turns to me to announce, "Burp!".

Have a happy Thanksgiving everyone! Or happy Wednesday and Thursday to the Canadians! xoxo

Eliza Truitt Photography

Eliza Truitt Photography

Wilson Family Portrait

After a lot of thought, I decided to go ahead and have a family photo shoot taken by our wonderful and talented friend Eliza of Eliza Truitt Photography. I was a bit reluctant to do them because of our loss at the end of the summer. I was supposed to have a little baby bump in our family photos this year but it didn't work out the way we had planned, and frankly, it made me really sad.

Life goes on though, the baby that I do have is growing up quickly and really no longer a baby, and I still wanted to capture his smallness. You never get any days back after you have lived them, so you really do have to remember to cherish the blessings that you have been given.

It was really cold the weekend we had our session with Eliza, so we figured that an indoor shoot would be best. Cold days are usually sunny days in Seattle, which meant really great morning light. The Small Human was not cooperative at all, but Eliza is so good that she was able to capture some fantastic moments anyway. I can almost erase all the crankiness of that day in my memory and replace them with the beautiful pictures! 

Here is a sneak peek:

Germy & Beautiful Motherhood

I just wanted to wish you all a very happy weekend and tell you a funny story that happened today. Small Human woke up from his nap after an hour, quite upset, so I took him into the big bed to sleep (and so momie could sneak in a nap too!). Well, that did the trick and when he woke up he said happily, "Good nap!" and pointed to his nose. I asked him if he had boogers in his nose and he nodded. Then without any warning whatsoever he proceeded to blow his nose all over my face with all his little might. He definitely had lots of boogers.

Happy Friday, have a great weekend!

Christmas Gifts

Parents, do you set a limit on how many presents and how much you spend on your kids for the holidays? I think we are getting Small Human five Christmas presents, which I feel is a lot since his birthday is just three weeks later. However, I always promised myself not to hold back for either celebration simply because of the Christmas to Birthday proximity. I just checked the tally and we're under $85 so that's pretty awesome I guess.

I've been pretty good about packing away the toys that he doesn't play with anymore, but as a result I feel like our house sucks the most when I host play dates cause we have so few toys. Small Human seems to be more into his books though, and toys are a flash in the pan usually. Anyway, I'll share my Christmas toy list with you:

1. Elmo Flashlight

He loves Elmo and flashlights, so this is the perfect present for him.

2. Yellow Construction Hat

I have no idea if he'll like this, but since he loves his fire chief helmet so much, I think it will be safe to say he'll get a kick out of another hat to add to his dress up bin.

3. LeapFrog Fridge Phonics Magnetic Letter Set

I'm hoping to get him started on his alphabet and then reading as soon as possible. I don't want to push it, I just want it to come organically and I think this cool toy will help him along. If it's fun, it won't be a chore.

4. Playskool Sesame Street Let's Imagine Elmo

This thing has great reviews on Amazon, so I thought we'd give it a whirl. He may lose his marbles when he realizes that this Elmo can talk right in front of him though.

5. Ruby's Rainy Day and Max's Bedtime books

I just have to add to his Max & Ruby collection. They are some of his favourite books right now and I have to confess that I love to see his face light up when I read these to him.

We are trying to stay away from the large toys because we simply don't have room, but I think it's a pretty sweet haul for a kid under two! I don't think he really understands Christmas yet, so it will be a very nice surprise, and hopefully not too overwhelming. We will also be donating toys to local charities and will continue to do so for as long as we are able to.

22 Month Favourites

Holy bananas, my son is almost two. I have no idea how that went by so quickly. He was in my body and then he came out, a bunch of stuff happened and we were tired, and then he turned one and now somehow almost two. WHAT? He's almost at the point where he will start to have his very earliest memories. No pressure or anything.

Here are just a few of Small Human's current favourite things as a boy of almost two:

Fire Chief Hat

This is the best $5 I ever spent on my kid. We were checking out the new Goodwill here in our neighbourhood when I spotted a cool Fireman's helmet. It was just before Halloween so we got lucky. Small Human almost never takes this thing off. At this point it is basically held together with half a roll of clear packing tape. I bought a backup one just in case because I know how much he loves it.

Hatley Yellow Rain Boots

Sadly, his cute blue Crocs rain boots are much too small for him now. He wore them every day and it broke my heart when he would get frustrated at not being able to get his feet into them anymore. I tried buying new ones in a bigger size but I missed the buy-1-get-1 half off memo and they all sold out just as he outgrew his old ones. It's alright though because I found these super adorable Hatley rain boots for 20% off on Amazon and he loves them. I guess boots are boots.

Leslie Patricelli Books

If you have a toddler, you're probably familiar with these books featuring a cute little bald baby and simple text. I thought they were really silly and boring but they somehow really appeal to the two and under set. They're actually really great because they teach toddlers what sort of behaviour is appropriate in the life they know and live.

Max & Ruby Books

I'm not sure if Small Human likes these books because they are about a little boy rabbit and girl rabbit, and we used to have a boy and girl rabbit in our house, but he loves them! We inherited our first one from some friends back home and I have since gotten him two more. The stories are very simple and hilarious, and I don't mind reading them to him when he comes up to me and says, "Here! Read please, Mumum!" about 27 times a day.

Next time around I think I will post an updated fall/winter Lilibeth's Favourites List, because lists appeal to my sense of organization. Happy Hump Day!

Winter Coats: Buttons Are Dumb

I've got this gorgeous, classic navy blue J. Crew pea coat that I adore. It is so pretty that I wait all year to be able to wear it again. However I don't recommend that you buy one if you have a toddler. In just one weekend, I had two buttons pop off it from having to pick up and carry the Small Human. Who in the world has the time to sew buttons (plural) on a coat? And who has the time to find a button in a sea of leaves or snow while wrangling a child? Please, just stay away from coats with buttons to save your sanity, at least until the kids are older.

As for Small Human's winter wear this year, I decided to take advantage of a big sale at the end of the summer and was able to score his awesome coat for 40% off on the Carter's website. I am so impressed with it so far, I'm pretty sure it would keep him warm even through a Quebec winter, so it's certainly more than he needs for a Seattle one.

I purchased the 4-In-1 Heavyweight System Jacket for him from Carter's in the grey. It is so warm and really adorably stylish. You can just wear the outer heavy parka which is pretty warm, but you can also add the microfleece inner jacket that zips and velcros into it to make it extra cozy on the days you need heavy duty warmth. The inner jacket is reversible and can also be worn by itself as a fall shell. The hood is roomy enough for my son's big noggin', and stays put cause the zipper zips up super high if necessary.

I honestly can't say enough good things about this coat. It's the perfect coat for toddlers who like to play outside!

No Plans!

There are very few things that I don't truly delight in nowadays. Something as simple as my husband fixing the "H" key on my laptop ranks very highly on making my day great. A calm toddler, happily playing with toys at home while listening to music is another one. I'm sure every mother can relate, especially those with the hyper, untamed, feral beast types of children like mine can be.

One of my most favourite things in the world now is to see is a completely empty day on my calendar. Life is always full of toddler activities, play dates, walks, post office visits, dry cleaning pick-ups, grocery runs, drug store searches, shopping trips, playing in the park, toddler gyms, library time, museums, aquariums, and lunch dates and coffee dates.

I love it, but it gets exhausting. So when I get a day like today with nothing whatsoever on the docket, I feel like prancing around the house like a pony. No commitments, no schedule, just spontaneous fun.

What's even better is that Brendan and I both get our Me time tonight, him outside the house and me inside. I'm going to put Small Human to bed early and get as wild as one can with a toddler sleeping in the other room, which probably means some Grimm and Doctor Who and pedicure action. Maybe with a cup of tea and Christmas Tree Reese's Peanut Butter Cups? I am in heaven already. Happy Thursday!

Singles Movie Remake Starring Small Human

Just kidding, he's still a bit young, but maybe in 25 years! I did, however, discover that the building where they filmed the movie is a mere five blocks from our apartment, and we've only passed by it hundreds of times without realizing it. So naturally, we went to go see it and took a few pictures.

He is way cuter than Matt Dillon in my opinion.

Singles 1992

Since the building was across the street from a park (and the community centre where I learned to drive), we set Small Human loose there to burn off some of his endless toddler energy.

In my son's hat with a giant, well deserved latte

On Sunday I was able to thoroughly clean the house and do all our laundry for the week, so we treated ourselves to a big fried chicken Wilson dinner at Hi-Life in Ballard. Yes, we actually have good friends in Seattle who are also Wilsons with a toddler, what are the chances?! We had a lovely time where everyone understood that sometimes toddlers order hamburgers and don't eat them, or take their shoes and socks off at the dinner table just because. We followed that delicious meal up with some seriously decadent dessert at Hot Cakes. I ordered the molten s'mores cake with a side of vanilla ice cream. OMG stop it, it was so good, I still dream about it.

It was a great weekend, and I am already looking forward to the next one. This has been a kinda hard week for me but I'm getting through it, and everyone's alive and healthy, so there's that. Almost there.

Burned Out

I haven't done the groceries, my fridge is mostly empty, my hair is dirty, my head has been throbbing since Sunday, and I am wearing a fluffy, shapeless bathrobe. It's one of those weeks. There are definitely good things like sun, activities, and a clean house and clothes, but the negatives are still overtaking the positives. I'm just tired, feeling burned out and seeing how thankless motherhood can be sometimes.

Small Human is in a major daddy phase right now, so all he does is call for his dad. He calls him Daddy now and no longer Dada, by the way. My days are spent making this child's life awesome. I clean his dirty butt, wash his clothes, make sure he's warm enough, dry enough, and has eaten enough. I read everything he wants me to read to him, play with every toy, sing songs, and visit the city of Seattle and its sights with him every day. Every. Day.

Yet somehow after all this, he still just wants his Daddy. Yes, I realize that I am being irrational, and that it doesn't mean my kid doesn't love me, he's probably missing his dad and practicing saying the new word "Daddy", but it can get to you if you are already feeling kinda shitty.

Writing usually makes me feel better, but right now it's making me feel like a procrastinator. I will get around to my post about our fun weekend eventually, probably tomorrow. Right now I need to take care of business, cause my business is Motherhood and Housekeeper and no one is going to do it for me. Enjoy your week, lovelies.

Running away from me and into the toy store of course.

Whiny Happy

Despite all my complaining about yucky weather, annoying people, and not enough Me time, I realize that I am actually a pretty happy person. Nobody can be perfectly content 100% of the time, no matter what your Instagram newsfeed suggests. The fact is, every mother deals with disgusting bodily explusions in all states of matter, exhaustion, and the pressure to be the best mom/woman/person/wife you can be. So much expectation, even though you are mainly subsisting on your kid's food scraps and lukewarm coffee.

The Small Human and I got caught in the rain yesterday morning before nap. It started out as the usual light, yet somehow drenching Seattle mist, and quickly turned into a solid downpour. Had I been wearing my brand new suede booties, I may have been less amiable, but I wasn't. Small Human was in full rain gear so we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves, running back to our house and giggling hysterically. He loves it when mommy shrieks, so I kept yelling, "Eeee we're getting wet!" which made him throw his little head back, laughing the hugest toddler belly laughs!

As a parent, all we want is for our children to be healthy, happy, and be allowed to reach their full potential. There's no secret recipe for happiness or perfection, you just have to be ok with living life the best way you know how. Also, I highly recommend getting soaked in the pouring rain with your loves. It was literally and figuratively cleansing.

Have a lovely weekend.

Today's a sunny fall day, though.

True Seattleite: Rain Wear

I don't think I can be a real Seattleite until I own a raincoat. I have been holding off on a raincoat purchase because 1. I don't want to buy a rain coat 2. I find them too expensive for what they are 3. This means this Seattle thing is for real.

The fact is, we get rain instead of snow in the winter here, and rain gets you a thousand times wetter than snow ever would. I also have a little boy who doesn't understand why we can't stay outside for as long as he wants. As a result, we go outside anyway, and I have to wrestle with an umbrella while keeping up with my son, whose favourite thing to do is dart out into the street.

Wool coats were a great idea on the east coast, but are a soggy woggy pain in the Pacific Northwest. All signs point to a raincoat/rain jacket purchase by the week's end. I have never regretted my Hunter rain boot purchase back in 2009, now it's just a matter of finding its quality equivalent in a jacket.

So far, the contenders are practical, basic, and reasonably priced. Which will be the One?

Columbia Arcadia II $65

L.L. Bean Discovery Rain Jacket $54.95

North Face Venture Jacket $99

Happy Birthday To My Sister

Today is my big sister's birthday. She's kind of a big deal. She's a diplomat for the Canadian government, and basically taught me everything I know about being a girly girl. This woman is incredible, she can pack in three plates of food without batting an eye and then chase it down with dessert. Oh and did I mention she's like 110 lbs? Incredible, I tell ya.

There is kind of a large age gap between us, so to her I was probably the annoying and bratty little girl who followed her around everywhere, but to me she was the coolest person in the whole world. She didn't just listen to Madonna and dress like her, she was Madonna in my eyes. I was cool just by association, and among my friends I was the only girl with the sophisticated older sister. I knew all the words to Hall & Oates songs, got to go to movies without my parents, was sometimes (very rarely) allowed to wear her funky 80s earrings and headbands, and had access to Shiseido makeup.

We have had the most fun times as sisters should and since we love each other so fiercely, we fought just as fiercely, as sisters do. We share so many of the same quirks and idiosyncrasies, know our parents like no one else on earth, have all the same family memories and inside jokes, and will always have an inexplicable bond whether we like it or not.

Ate Joy, you are the best big sister a girl could ask for. Your influence and example have shaped me, and I am very grateful for it. I hope you have the most wonderful day today, and may your life be full of ridiculously happy days forever. I love you.