Life on Lee Avenue

Five on Friday

 

I have been spending a lot of time in the garden these past two weeks. After Rowan goes to bed, I head out to the backyard to weed and prune. I don't have much of a green thumb, so I hope all this effort will pay off.   

 

I loved listening to Toni Morrison on Q yesterday. Incredibly articulate and private, I enjoyed hearing her perspective on life and being a writer. Perhaps, her new book, Home, will be one of the three books I decide to read this summer. 

 

This week, Rowan has graduated to lying on the floor instead of sitting in the bouncy chair when I am showering. In a matter of 3 minutes she turns herself 360 degrees. Crawling is in her near future....and we are in so much trouble! 

 

Reality show confession: I missed the American Idol finale. Yup, both episodes !?! Instead of watching Phil Phillips win,  I was catching up on Project Life. Maybe subconsciously, I was protesting the fact that Josh was voted off. I still get goosebumps when he sings this song.   

 

 

 

Today, I am headed to Ikea. The plan: to add some sparkle to our patio with these lights. Also, plan#2, avoid the crowds at all costs. Baby + Crowded Ikea does not make for a happy Mama!

 

Have a great weekend!

Five on Friday

1. This sweet girl has taken to rolling all over her crib all the time. It has shaken up our nap and bedtime routines. Oh my!

2. Today I am wishing my dear friend / sista / fellow scrapbooker, Megan, a very happy birthday!

3. I am looking forward to buying and downloading the new Cold Specks album on Tuesday. There song Blank Maps is stuck in my head and is hauntingly beautiful.  I am super excited to see them open for Great Lake Swimmers in June. 

4. Hello Grilling Season!  This week we used the BBQ for the first time since last summer. We ate grilled sausages with kale. Next up, I would love to make these skewars. 

5. I am looking forward to spending the Victoria Day long weekend with my family. The plans: celebrating a 60th birthday, drinks with friends on a patio and working in the garden.  

To all my Canadian friends, Happy Safe Long Weekend!

Five on Friday

1. This sweet girl, my niece, turns 5 years old today. Five !?! Where did the time go? It seems like just yesterday, Aaron and I were driving to the hospital on the sunny Saturday morning to meet her when she was just one day old. 

2. Yesterday I saw The Avengers. It's a solid superhero action movie with funny moments scattered through out. I enjoyed it as Rowan slept through most of it. Apparently, it is on track to be the highest grossing film of all time. Given that I am a new mama, I'm just happy I saw it. For now, I guess you could say I am still "with it" :)  

3. I was sadden to hear about the passing of Adam Yauch aka MCA from the Beastie Boys. This week I have enjoyed reading and listening to heartfelt tributes to him on the fan website, Fresh Air and Q. Songs like Sabotage and Intergalatic will forever be apart of the soundtrack of my youth.   

4.Tomorrow we are having friends over for dinner. The last six months feel like we have been in hibernation and it will be nice to have some adult conversation and maybe a friendly round of boardgames.  The plan is to order in Indian food. I will make mango lassi's and this dessert.  

5. This weekend I will be celebrating my first Mother's Day. I don't know what Rowan will have in store for me but I am a little bit excited to now be apart of the club. If you are a mama, I hope you are celebrated and loved the way you should be!

Happy Weekend!

Five on Friday

1. Yesterday we went to the AGO to see the new Picasso exhibit. The collection is on loan from the Musee National Picasso in Paris. I was excited to say the least. As our strollers approached the line up the other patrons had one of two reactions: excitment to see babies or fear that we would be following them. Overall we had a great afternoon. I held Rowan most of the time and she was happy to be having a new experience. 

2. My heart has been aching this week. Tuesday I went into to work for a brief meeting. As always it is great to see my coworkers; but, suddenly without warning I now feel like two different people. This sudden realization came when I distracted by the fact that it was Rowan's feeding time and I had to answer a work question. I have yet to merge the mama and social worker roles of my life and I have no idea how I am going to do it come November. I know working mother's have had to deal with this same struggle for years and in 6 months, I too will have my turn to try to find a balance. If the married childless girl from two years ago could only see me now. Sigh.

3. I have started to read, Best Baby Food book. It is an really excellent guide on what to feed your baby at every stage. I would highly recommend it. 

4. This week, Dan Savage was on Q. I really enjoyed hearing about his parenting perspective on how he talked about sex with his son. It's nice to hear that the "sex expert" made a few mistakes when talking about the birds and the bees to his child. It gives the rest of us hope. 

5. Saturday is National Scrapbook Day. I will be spending some much need time with my computer, finishing up Week In the Life and visiting Everyday Storyteller. What are you going to do to celebrate? What ever you do, I hope you have fun! 

Have a great weekend!

Five on Friday

1. Two days and a thousand pieces later, it seems that this exersaucer was a huge success! Rowan-girl made many "oohs" and "ahhs".

2. Dear Gordon Pinsent, I think I'm in love. I couldn't get enough of you, Greg Keelor and Travis Good  on Q yesterday morning. Your poetry, set to music = awesome.

3. We are preparing for a busy two weeks. Aaron is leaving for two, out-of-counrty, business trips. Rowan and I are packing out bags and heading north to spend a few days with my parents. Hello quality grandparent time!

4. Confession: after seeing The Hunger Games, I immediately went out and bought the books. I read them in 5 days. You could say I'm a little obsessed.  Catching Fire, the second movie will not be release until November 2013. Seriously, I don't know if I can wait that long! 

5.  On Sunday, we are attending a child's  birthday party for one of Rowan's friends. How soon our lives have changed! From date nights to play dates. 

Happy Weekend!

Five on Friday

1. The weather in Toronto has been amazing this past week. In fact, it has been so warm that I have started to wear my Birkenstock sandals. I love wearing my Birkenstock sandals.  A furry someone in our household is also enjoying the warm weather. He loves it so much that he does not want to leave the dog park. The above photo is one of the many standoffs we encountered this week.

2. I am super excited for latest Great Lake Swimmers album, New Wild Everywhere. I bought a ticket to their upcoming show in Toronto in June and look forward to seeing them live. Hello baby free evening for me!

3. Speaking of babies, I am pretty keen on listening to Pamela Druckerman talk about her new book, Bringing Up Bebe. This morning she is being interviewed on The Current. I am 50 pages into her book and so far, it is interesting and entertaining. 

4. Wednesday I went to see the movie, Friends with Kids. I really really really wanted to like this movie. The first half was polished and well put together. The second half was a little lack luster and seem to drag on. I am interested to see what Jennifer Westfeldt does in the future as she wrote, directed and starred in the film. It was also fun to see Maya Rudolph and Kristen Wiig team up together again after their roles in Bridesmaids.

5. April is turning out to be a busy month. Aaron has two works trips scheduled back to back. He will be gone during Week In the Life. I am wondering if I should go ahead and document the week without him or do this project another time when he is home. Thoughts, anyone?

Happy Weekend! And Happy St.Patrick's Day!

Five on Friday

1. I made the above layout for a Simple Scrapper assignment. I love this photo of Rowan and the fact that the page came together so quickly. Funny, four months ago I would have taken days to finish a layout. Having a baby has totally changed my scrapping process. 

2. Tuesday, I hosted my moms group at my house and everyone showed up. That's right,  ten mamas and ten babies were in my small space. My house was packed to the brim like clowns in a clown car. I am still recovering. Also I forgot to take pictures...boo!

3. Although I kinda look like a sausage, I am now fitting into most of my pre-pregnancy jeans! Hooray! I am  working towards fitting back into these.

4. I am counting down the days til Mad Men returns! When the last show that aired, I had  just turned 30 and Aaron and I were trying to start our wee family. It feels like too long since we've seen Don Draper in action!

5. I have signed up for the spring and summer league of beach volleyball. Before I got pregnant, I played on a team of 6's. This season, I am on a team of 4's. Although it is currently snowing in Toronto, I am ready for the sun and sand. Bring on spring and summer! 

Happy Weekend!

Five on Friday

1. This handsome fellow and I have a hot date on tomorrow night. I'm looking forward to some "couple time" together sans bebe. The plan is to go to the movies to see Safe House. At this point, I don't care what we see, I just want to spend time with my guy.I even bought a new outfit for the occasion! Oh la la!

2. The furry boy in the above picture is getting a hair cut today. I love his shaggy locks; but, the weather is getting warmer  in Toronto and he is hiding half the beach in his coat.

3. I am  listening and loving the new album Young & Old from the band Tennis. 

4. I devoured season 2 of Downtown Abbey. I finished watching the Christmas Special last night. So  freakin good. A third season has been added - I can't believe I have to wait until January 2013 for my next fix! Anyone else hooked?

5. Rowan has learned to scream. Whether she is happy or sad, she loves to use her lungs. Lucky us.

Happy Weekend! 

Five on Friday

1. Seriously, what did I do before Instagram?  I snapped this purdy pic of Rowan-girl on our afternoon walk yesterday. It is the first picture that I can see some resemblance. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE that she looks like her daddy 99% of the time. However, I am adopted and the fact the she kinda looked like me for a split second makes my heart skip a beat. 

2. I signed up for this Alt Summit course yesterday and I am super excited to see what Nicole has to say. 

3. After devouring/watching the first six episodes in season 1 of Downton Abbey, I am stuck. I don't want the first season to end. I am in the middle of the last episode and I am a little afarid of what is going to happen to Mary, Anna and Mr. Bates. Damn you Downton Abbey, damn you, for making me love you so much!

4. I have a hot date this weekend. It's with Oscar, you may know him. We're pretty close. Or at least I hope we are close enough so I can win the Oscar pool at my work.   

5. Forecasters predict that 47 inches of snow are going to fall on Toronto today. This may be my last post I write for a while. Good thing I've stocked up on adhesive :) 

Until Monday, Happy Weekend!

Five on Friday

1. I bought the above lovelies at my office supply store on Monday. I love using them in my Project Life Album. I am starting to save for my addiction now. Look for updates on my Project Life Album next week, starting Monday.

2. Rowan and I went to see two movies this week! How extravagant are we? Wednesday we saw The Vow; Thursday we saw the Artist. Bottom line: I loved The Artist; I wanted to like The Vow more.

3. I am proud to say that I've consistently gone to the gym these past two weeks. I have lost all the baby weight, but now I'm focusing on toning my body. Things are more squishy than I remember them to be!

4. Valentines Day came and went for us this year. It was a quiet night in, just what the doctor order. We ate sushi and watched tv.

5. Monday is a holiday in Ontario. I'm excited to have Aaron at home and to have more family time together.

Happy Weekend!

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