IS THIS FOR REAL?!

I thought watching Baby Einstein was supposed to make you SMARTER. Apparently that's not true for everyone. While Nory was admiring the simple figures that ruled the screen for way-too-long, I couldn't help but feel more and more like a senseless FOOL for not creating this program myself.  Had I have know it was THIS EASY and THIS UNCOMPLICATED to stimulate a baby and make millions, I would have done so years ago.  Alas, I missed the boat.  

Congratulations, Lady Who Created Baby Einstein Videos.  I salute YOU and the MILLIONS you've made.

Happy Birthday to the COUNTRY we call HOME!

That's CANADA, not AMERICA!  This post was started DAYS AGO but......you know how it is.  Apologies if I appear to be an anti-American fun-sucker on this day intended for our neighbors to the South (in fact, I'm SO SORRY that I used YOUR spelling for the word NEIGHBOUR).  I promise to take some darling "4th of July" pictures to make it up to you :)  For now, let's enjoy these darling "CANADA DAY" gems......

Nory's first CANADA DAY!!!  We're so happy she was in the country to experience it :)

Her first boat ride!  Clear Lake is a real beauty.

There are two things I love about this picture.  #1 -  Their genuine LOVE for each other.  #2 - Nory's cowlick blowing in the wind! 

Canada Day celebrations downtown Peterborough!  We had a picnic in the park with some other young families and soaked up the fresh air, musical entertainment, and oh-so-random, fire-twirling dancers. 

Simon/Simone also attended the event.  Can't leave home without the Parkinson family's most beloved bilingual.

I love watching men push strollers.  I didn't get a great shot of it, but I believe this crew has the potential to set up a fantastic Daddy Daycare.

See this sweet guy here?  After a sleep-less weekend in New York City, he drove all the way to Peterborough to see his sweet girl Eleanor for a couple of hours (HOURS!).  Yep.  He fought through exhaustion and long weekend traffic just for her.  Talk about GOD DADDY of THE YEAR.  We love you, Uncle Dain!!! XOXO

Cupcakes decorated by Dana and I.  Our love affair with this country is written ALL OVER THEM ;)

DATE NIGHT!

The other night, Nana and Grandpa offered to babysit Nory so we could have a night out.  Our last outing was in Kuwait, where we ended up at the shooting range after our Thai cooking class was cancelled without notice.  For this outing, we decided to do something a little less nerve-racking and a little more giggle-inducing.  I don't think 'guns' are considered appropriate on a date intended to celebrate three years of marriage and the purchase of your first house....

Check out what we did on our wild evening in Peterborough (besides checking the cell phone every five minutes and pondering whether or not to call home to check-in on Nory)!

First stop - the SOLD sign.  What first time homeowner doesn't take a picture of this?!  Exxxxxxciting! 

Next stop, let's take a "we're on a date" picture in the parking lot!!!  (I have the world's best hubby.  He's always a YES MAN.  Except for when it comes to a year-round celebration of Christmas....)

Dinner at my favourite restaurant!!!  I love me some HOT BELLY'S!!!!! 

One thing I adore about this restaurant - the princess elephant wearing GREEN beads.  How I wish I could pull a garden-gnome-trick on this sucker and keep her in my home, permanently. 

The Beer Sampler.  Five different kinds served in five little glasses.  A clever idea, yes?!

This meal has GOT TO BE award-winning.  The Caribbean Roti.  I dream of thee ALL SCHOOL-YEAR LONG!!!

Last stop, MONSTERS UNIVERSITY!!!!  A must-see this summer.  We were laughing throughout the whole thing. 

Date night was SPECTACULAR and, despite what we had imagined, Nory didn't scream the whole time we were gone!!!  Nana and Grandpa had a wonderful time granddaughter-sitting and they even offered to do it again.  HOORAY!  Another date night can exist in our future :)

THANKS, NANA & GRANDPA!!!!! 

See this pretty little thing right here? This cute-as-a-button dollhouse?

It's OURS!!!!!!!!!!  (Somebody pinch me!)

Our FIRST HOUSE is the PERFECT HOUSE for our family!  It's walking distance to everything in the charming village of Lakefield.  A minute away from Tim Horton's.  Has a washer and dryer steps away from where we sleep (Phil's DREAM!) and a heating lamp right outside the en suite shower (MY DREAM!).  The inside is beautifully renovated and the outside is beautifully landscaped.  It's a little "city" for me and a little "country" for Phillip.  I really believe that "perfect" may be an understatement ;)     

I see many tea-sipping mornings on the front porch rocker, many hours of Daddy-organized athletics in the backyard and much laughter while baking on the island in the Parkinson Kitchen!    

It all starts July 24th.  WE. CAN'T.  WAIT. 

P.S.  Before you get too thrilled, it's best I tell you this - for now, this home is just a summer home.  We will still be returning to Kuwait in August!

FLYING WITH A BABY.

We've only done it once so by no means are we experts (or anything close to it!).  However, I've been asked some questions regarding air travel with a baby and I'm willing to share our experience with you!

First of all, BABIES ARE PORTABLE.  We made it from the Middle East to Canada (20+ hours of travel) and nobody tried to stop us.  In a similar scenario, I don't think they would try to stop you either ;)  That being said, your passion for exploring the world?  And that desire you have for having a baby?  Well, they can happen simultaneously.  One doesn't haven't to stop for the other one to happen.  FACT.  (Ah-hem, I am referring to a few key people here.  YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE!)    

Second of all, YOU NEED TO RELAX.  Before we headed to the airport (I'm talking WEEKS before, not just hours), we were both a nervous wreck.  I think I blogged about this on our departure date, joking that we may just throw in the towel and spend our summer in the desert.  Well, all that worrying was useless.  Babies can sense tension like nobody else and all that unnecessary anxiety can make for an unhappy (and tired!) household.  It's true that things always work out - one way or another!   

Here we are before take-off.  You can see nerves are still a little high......

Third of all, YOU WILL BE A TRAVELING ROADSHOW.  ONE HUNDRED PERCENT.  People will stare at you funny as you struggle to carry everything to your gate and find a place for it all in the overhead compartment.  But, who cares?!  That's LIFE.  If it comes down to packing too much or too little, go for the former.  How many diapers will you need?  Onesies?  Sleepers?  Bottles?  Take extra!!!  Peace of mind is a good thing.  And don't forget an extra change of clothes for yourself, either.  It would be a terrible occurrence if you became a victim of reflux and had no way of ridding yourself of the smell.  

Lastly, you gotta just GO WITH THE FLOW, expect to encounter some inconveniences and embrace the experience for all that it is.  There will be times you want to throw the stroller against the wall (like when it won't collapse at boarding after many rehearsal hours earlier at home).  There could be times when you find yourself trapped inside a cloud of cigarette smoke (because the no smoking signs in the airport are mostly ignored) and you pay whatever you need to get into a smoke-free lounge with free wifi, comfy seating, and a buffet.  There will be times when you have to walk elbows-out to board the plane because people without children like to pretend they have children in order to get on the plane early.  Whatever the case may be, just go with it.  Take a deep breath.  Laugh it off.  And remember that drinks are always available at the back of the plane ;)  

Chilling in the Pearl Lounge.  The best money we've ever spent at an airport!

 Other Tidbits:

*  Although we requested a bassinet seat, Nory hated the thing.  It's small, situated right against the same wall as the toilets, and can only be used when the seat belt sign goes off.  As such, Nory couldn't sprawl out the way she likes and she woke up every time a passenger opened or closed the bathroom door.  We would still request the bassinet in the future, though, because it places you in a row with lots of leg space (or play space!) and the bassinet can be used to store all of the things you may need during the flight (going into and out of the hand luggage compartment is not fun).

*  Schipol airport in Amsterdam is AMAZING.  If you can book via this city, I would highly recommend it!  They have a quiet, dim-lit baby area that is free to all visitors.  Inside the room there are a series of private, curtain-contained cribs with enough seating room for the rest of the family.  There is also a microwave (where we sterilized all our bottles, mid-trip!), two changing stations, and two sinks big enough to bathe your little one!  It's also nice to bump into other families that you can share laughs, eye-rolls, and faces of exhaustion with ;)    

Our private & cozy "Schipol Pod".  THE BEST FIND.

*  Nory didn't have any problems during take-off but she did seem a bit bothered during the landings.  We aren't sure if this is because she hated being strapped to me in the seatbelt or if her ears were hurting her.  Either way, we did our best to sing to her softly and we gave her a toy, pacifier, or finger to chew on.  (Side Note:  We had never used a pacifier with Nory before the flight.  We assumed she would have a natural affinity for the thing but it turns out we were wrong.  She looked at us both like, "WHAT IN THE WORLD IS THIS?!!!" Luckily, she is at the stage where everything goes to the mouth.  When the pacifier failed, the toys worked A-OKAY!) 

*  The Ergo carrier is a savior.  I'm so happy we did all of that "Ergo Practice" before our flight!  Having two hands is certainly a pro when navigating the airport and on the plane we could eat, drink and be merry while Nory did some people watching or took a cat nap.  I don't know how we would have survived the flight without it! (Bring the stroller too.....it's free to check and makes an excellent trolley when not in use!)

*  Airplane bathrooms are SMALL.  In order to maximize our space in there while changing Nory, I had prepared five, ziplocked onesie/sleeper/bib/diaper combinations (matching, of course!) and a separate ziplocked bag for wipes/diaper cream/blanket/lotion, etc.  Whenever Nory needed to be changed, I grabbed Nory and the two ziplocks and we were good to go!  It was EASY PEEZY. 

So there you have it!  We survived Nory's first flight and we did a pretty good job of embracing it too.  People with horror stories of traveling with a baby could argue that we caught Nory on a good day.  Perhaps we had a streak of good luck?  Perhaps as she grows up she will develop some spontaneous hatred for all things airplane?  There could even be a time she turns into "THE NORNADO" at boarding and screams the duration of the flight.  But if she does.....and fellow passengers stare us down with those "how dare you ruin my travel experience by bringing your baby aboard this aircraft" eyes.......I would have no problem staring right back at them with my "she's the one acting her age!!!" eyes.

Anyways....now that I think of it.....traveling with Nory is WAY easier than traveling with Phil.  She gave me someone to smile and laugh with while the other one of us was busy sweating it out and trying his darnedest not to vomit.  If we managed to survive it with a worse-than-terrified flyer and a 4.5 month old, you can do it too!  Don't let your little one stop you.  Guaranteed, they will add to your adventure :)

HAPPY FLYING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Narrating the CAMERA ROLL....

Canada and pink outfits with poodles.  Both are great things.

This gal is BOAT-READY!  Check out her flashy new life jacket!

An afternoon stroll through the Lakefield Farmer's Market.  Props to Grandpa for suggesting a photo jump.  I LOVE IT!

Coco is such a loyal canine.  Gotta make sure Grandpa stays safe in the workshop!

I happened upon the pink collection in Home Hardware today (toolboxes, hammers, screwdrivers, etc.).  Had I have known about it before, I would have taken related activities much more seriously.

Some people discuss sunshine, flip flops, trips to the cottage, boat rides, ice cream cones and no school in reference to "THE SUMMER".  As for the Parkinson's, a new season of Big Brother is a sure sign of the season :)   

House inspections are exhausting.  Inspector Nory had a big day on the job.

Patches and Nory go to a concert!  Nothing beats rolling around on a fluffy pink blanket, listening to Grandpa jam on the guitar. 

They Named Her North West. "Nori" for Short.

In case y'all forget - we've got 4 months that prove it was our nickname first ;)

CANADA = TOPS!

She's a real cutie, EH?! And this country's a real good one, EH?! And I want this summer to go on FOREVER and EVER, EH!  Haha.

Today we took Girlie for a walk, did some Rubbermaid swimming, and survived the humidity by going diaper-only on the deck.  There were many smiles and giggles, although the Nornado made an appearance on our way to and our way home from the 'ole baby life jacket hunt'.  It seems Nory has a thing against extended car travel.  A bit of a big thing actually.  (These things are difficult to figure out when five minutes is all you need to get anywhere in Kuwait!)  Thankfully, Grandpa is patient and Nory is resilient.  Inshallah she gets the hang of long rides in her car seat.  INSHALLAH.  God, please.

Other than this excitement, we cannot forget that it's 6 months until Christmas Eve, 6 months and one sleep until Christmas, and ONE MORE SLEEP until our Anniversary (3 YEARS!!!).  SO GOOD.  

Sometimes you have perfectly good working interweb and you have no desire to use it......

(Of course that feeling fades........)

There have been over 100 page views today. There have been ZERO new posts. There have been many messages expressing disappointment regarding the lack of content. Well, guilt has got to me. I'm here now. You all deserve a little update!   (My apologies, dear readers). 

My two sweetie pies - enjoying life on the lake :)

The flight was long but good. We made it here safe and sound.  I'd say we're a little tired.  A little jet-lagged.  But all is swell and Canadian soil feels GOOD.

Nory's had many firsts in the last couple of days.  First flight.  First time being outside without sweating profusely or getting sand in her eyes.  First trip to Walmart.  First time at Tim Horton's.  First mosquito bite.  First time meeting Grandpa, Nana, Uncle Graeme, Aunt Dana and Uncle Dain.  First time seeing daylight past 6 pm.  First time seeing a dog.  First time "swimming" in a big girl tub.  I tell ya, if she wrote her own blog, she'd have material to last her for MONTHS! 
   
Today we went house hunting.  SERIOUS house hunting. Like......if you didn't think we were adults before, we totally are now.....HOUSE HUNTING.  It's nerve-racking and bounce-inducing and makes you happy you saved some pennies here and there.  Stay tuned. 

Tomorrow my course begins.  Once I videotape my well-rehearsed renditions of "Orange", "Yellow", "Green" and "Black", it's highly likely that I will be accelerated through the modules and granted an A+ on all preceding course work.  Excellent.

Okee dokee.  Back to the good life.  Chilling with the fam, having a glass of white and feeling that cool breeze sweep through the sunroom. 

XOXO

Rita Pierson: Every Kid Needs a Champion

School's finished and the last thing a teacher may be looking for is inspiration.  But, BY GOLLY, this video is such a GOOD ONE.  How many more days until school begins?

BAHA.  KIDDING!!!!!!  I'm not THAT much of a loser.