Peach jam

One of the things that I often get sent up to me is peach jam. The two local grocery stores do not carry any (and no, apricot is NOT the same!) So my Mom and Sisters have sent me a few jars, my good friend Frances has brought me some back from her occasional trip 'out'. The problem is, the only jars available in 'the world' are tiny and last Peekaboo and I about a week and a half (yes, she shares my addiction). So yesterday, when I noticed peaches at our local NorthMart, I thought "Hmmmmm, I could make my own peach jam....couldn't I?"

Today I bought a dozen peaches, some pectin and a large bag of sugar (which happened to be on sale-yippee!) and set to work. Tim had some 1 L mason jars left over from some strange project or other-so I was set.

Well, licking the spoon-the jam tastes great. I did something wrong, however, as my fruit is all floating. Now, I don't particularly mind that the fruit is on top and all the delicious jelly goodness is on the bottom-something to look forward too! But, I admit to periodically shaking the jars-trying to 'mix it up'!!

Fantastic photos...in my opinion!

Aren't these great!

New Camera!

Yahoo! Tim traded a gun for a new Canon EOS Digital SLR camera!! I think that I will get a lot more use out of the camera...It is awesome! I actually get the picture I am trying to take, not the picture 3 seconds later, it has 2 lenses, takes super-sharp photos...I love it!

To sleep, or not to sleep...?

Well, there are no pictures of the banana bread....I guess that speaks for itself!! Thanks for the recipe Kara!

We have surpassed the 3 month mark with Ezra. He is almost 15 pounds already-he's a big boy! We continue to have sleep issues...but it could be worse. We start our evening routine at 6:30pm with baths-both kids. Up until recently Ezra had his in his little tubby in the sink, Peekaboo in the big tub. This past week Ezra started having a bath with is big sister! When I take him out, I put more water in for her while I dress and feed him. At 7pm I read him a story and then try to put him to bed....ugh! He falls asleep long enough for me to get Peekaboo out of the bathtub, dressed, teeth brushed and stories. I put her to bed and close the door just in time to hear Ezra's first '"ech, ech...." I go in, replace soother, hold his tiny hand for a minute... This continues every 5-10 minutes for the next hour or so. By 8:30 pm, most nights, he is (finally) asleep for a few hours. He wakes at midnight to eat, and again around 5, then is up for the day by 8:00am....

Just shows how 2 kids can be sooooo different. When Peekaboo was his age, she went to bed much later (9-10 pm) but I fed her, put her in her bassinet and left the room. I wouldn't hear from her again until 2-3 am for a feed, and then she would just as easily go back to sleep after that until 7-8 am.

Now, I know there are parents out there who would kill for the apparent ease with which he goes to sleep, but I can't help but wonder....Should I can the soother? I am going in to replace it, maybe he needs to 'learn' to do without? On the other hand, parenting does not stop at 8 pm. These poor, little, helpless souls depend on us for comfort and soothing, reassurance and calming. The advocates of 'cry-it-out' must not be able to put themselves in the place of a tiny infant waking alone and sad in the dark and silence, just wanting the reassuring presence of the person they care about most in the world. And so, I will continue to run into the bedroom 45 times a night, replacing a soother, holding a hand, knowing that I can ease the mind and comfort the soul of this precious little guy.

Banana bread

We decided to do something with the bananas that are quickly ripening on our counter. I had remembered my friend, Kara-the self proclaimed Queen of Baking Banana Bread, had recently posted her recipe on her blog. We are trying it out. Check back for results, as it is currently in the oven!
(Nothing like baking on a day when it is 28 degrees out! What was I thinking?!?)

Contact from the South

Anyone who lives about the 60th knows what it is like to try and shop here. You become a pro at the online purchase of just about anything. We are lucky to have my Mom and 2 sisters in Ontario who periodically send us fantastic packages in the mail. We received one such package today-yahoo!

After battling to get Peekaboo using the toilet, successfully, it is frustrating to not be able to get her any 'big girl panties' in town:(

Ezra has outgrown every teeny, tiny pair of socks we had-thank goodness it has been 24 degrees, and he hasn't needed socks! I cannot get something as simple as Peach Jam for my breaky at either of the local grocery stores, ugh!

Previous packages had included awesome shoelaces....with no shoes, for Peekaboo. She was very confused by this, why one would come without the other. This package-new shoes!!

Our package was loaded with items we needed-thank you Gramma B and Aunties-and items we may not have needed, but things that certainly brightened our day!! I mean, who doesn't need a pink, Disney Princesses, storybook, fleece pillow?

Thanks!

3 Month-old growing pains

So, Ezra. He is adorable, smiley, kind of goofy....and driving me crazy between the hours of 7-9 pm. We were doing great for a while. My good friend, and Public Health Nurse, Frances suggested swaddling at the 4 week mark when he would cry for an hour at 9pm. Once he got a bit bigger, and wigglier, we stopped that. Then came the suggestion that he was going to bed too late, so we started his routine at 6:30 to have him in bed by 7:30. For weeks it worked. I gave him a bath, read him a story, nursed him and put him in his crib almost asleep. There was a night that I actually didn't hear from him for 7 hours!
Now, he cries. He cries and he cries and he cries. I put him in his crib sleepy, within 20 minutes he cries. I give him his soother, he cries, I swaddle him, he cries. He is now not going to sleep for the night until 9 or 9:30- even though he is in bed by 7:30. He cries, on and off, for almost 2 hours.
I really hope this is just a phase or a milestone or a something...

Summertime fun!

It has been absolutely lovely here for the last few weeks. Sunny, warm and the bugs have been blessedly absent....knock on wood. Yesterday and today, rain, rain and more rain. We do need it, but we don't want it!!

Last weekend the local SPCA put on a fundraiser, Dawg Day. It took place at a local business, The Woodshed. Peekaboo and I baked some dog cookies for them to sell, she was a great help (and the dogs don't mind so much if she licks her fingers while making their cookies!!)

We took NeWT to the Kid's Animal Parade, and we won "Happiest Dog"! Anyone who has met NeWT knows that this title is well earned! Peekaboo posed for a picture with the certificate that she won, and it appeared in this weeks paper.

This past week Peekaboo took part in a Scavenger Hunt at the park. She was given a piece of paper with pictures of the things she was to find, great idea for those non-readers!! It was lots of fun, and at the end she got a prize!