Who Broke My Window: A trip down memory lane

Felicity and I were paying some bills tonight, and while trying to keep her smiling during the process, I started telling her stories from my childhood.

Granted, she’s heard ALL of them 10x or more (I always know when I’m repeating, when I see her trying to hide a smile).

Well, tonight I told her of my love for the old classic stories and songs from the MLM Brite Music - especially the Standin’ Tall Character Development series. C’mon, you know these songs:

I’m a V.I.P.
Who Broke My Window
No one Else Can Smile My Smile

Not ringing a bell? Have a listen:

Who Broke My Window

I discovered you could download the songs for a buck a piece over at the Brite Music site, here. Now, I’m not attributing all of my character strengths to these songs (not to sound arrogant, but it’s not as if I’m some psychotic deviant), but I will say that to this day I can croon you a dozen of my favorite tunes - just ask any of Felicity’s nephew’s or niece. Great teaching tool for babysitting - they already think I’m the gorfy/nerdy uncle - a little tune on sharing, sharing, that’s the thing to do isn’t going to wreck my image.

The whole set of books and tapes/cd’s will set you back nearly $200, and I don’t think my parents have the ones we grew up on still (greatest MLM purchase ever mom and dad, thanks. Who sold them to you anyway?).

Who said paying bills can’t be fun…

Spring ahead

One of the many things I miss living here in the desert is grass. Lush green yummy smelling grass to have picnics on, to lie down on and see what story the clouds are going to tell, to kick off my sandals and let my feet experience the sensation of the earth…there are so many wonderful memories that include grass.

(That could be perceived differently if one didn’t know that I’ve always “passed on grass”)

Because this is the desert, and because we are in a serious drought, it does not bother me in the least that there isn’t much grass around - but wait! The softball parks down the street! Forget the drought, bring on the turf - water it daily with the water that isn’t readily available! At least it’s recycled gray water. I may not have water to drink in a few years, but I’ll always be able to see green grass on my walk.

I digress.

Yes, there is a huge softball park near us - on our walking route - that has huge amounts of lush green grass. Although I was initially surprised that the city laid down “real” grass, I was excited to let Asher experience a new touch sensation on his little hands and feet.

Oooh, cushy! Anything beats sitting on hard concrete. This is great ma!

This sitting-on-my-own business is terrific. Now I can use all my energy in devouring items that I am not meant to devour.

A perfect venue to try out his newest trick - crawling! Although at home he still reverts to the GI-Joe routine of dragging himself across the floor - probably due to the aforementioned concrete under our measly excuse of a carpet, and therefore most likely hard on the poor knees - here on the grass he almost had it! (And whenever he face-planted I didn’t have to grimace)

Pondering the meaning of it all…

…and finding the answer…

Needless to say, I had great fun lying (alright, suntanning) on the grass watching my boy smile and gurgle with glee at this newest thing. Soon we will be finding the man with the sheep smoking his pipe in the wispy clouds above.

Ready to Travel the World…and other musings

So Asher and I ventured out to our local AAA yesterday to get his first passport picture taken. The ladies were very helpful and overly enthused at getting the right positioning, facial expression, head upright, etc. He was quite the good sport, and - as always - quite the character during all the photo fussing.

After many, many attempts, we finally got a winner - at least I hope the passport office doesn’t deny his application since his head is not quite straight ahead (there are a plethora of rules and regulations - whether US or Canada - for those of you who haven’t renewed your passport in a while).

Here is the outcome - what a mugshot!

The office was very busy, and of course we were attracting more than our fair share of unwanted attention. It is no small feat getting a 7 month old to stand on a chair without my hands showing holding him up, getting him not to smile, and to look straight ahead. Oh yes, and Asher, please don’t wiggle.

A note concerning the aforementioned unwanted attention (the other musing):

I’m slowly coming to terms with some of the more annoying “social” aspects of toting a cute child on my hip - everyone wants to be social with you. Personally, I like to mind my own business on outings. I am not the person who strikes up a conversation with anybody who is in line with me (at the post office, grocery store, airport, etc.) just because I notice it happens to be a long line and I feel compelled to state the obvious. Out loud. So everyone can hear.

It’s not so much like they’re talking to me, but instead like they’re fishing for someone, like them, who will reciprocate with equally useless chatter. It’s safe to say that I’m the person who rolls their eyes at that person who wants to strike up a conversation. (But in my defense, I roll my eyes in my imagination and not for real - well, most of the time).

To me, incessant public chatter is not necessary or beneficial to my well-being, especially when it’s chatter for chatters sake. Pre-Asher, the conversations would go something like this:

Sweat suit wearing lady: Can you believe this line?

Me: mmhmm

Old impatient, and sorta smelly guy: What the he#@’s wrong with these people?

Me: mmm

Too cool for school designer mom: I’m not in a hurry or anything! (gesticulated while on her bedazzled phone)

Me: *head nod*

Seemingly nice person: Hot day out there today.

Me: yep (thinking, - uh, ya, it’s July, and it’s Las Vegas. I hadn’t noticed it was hot out).

As you can perhaps imagine, it has been very challenging for me to smile sincerely at those who want to strike up a conversation with me whilst toting Asher - but at least the conversation is focused on something that I actually do care a great deal about.
Now the chatter is more like this:

Older lady: what a cutie!

Me: thanks

Much older lady: do you have a smile for me sweetie? do you? c’mon - smile for me!

Me: Smile for the nice lady Asher (a lot of the time he won’t respond - would you? I think he is wise beyond his months. He looks at me as if to say, “really, you’re going to make me play this game?”)

Nice person: how old is he?

Me: 7 months

Nice person: REALLY? he’s so big!

Me: yeah he’s a big guy

Nice (starting to annoy me) person: does he roll over? My grandson was rolling at 3 weeks. Does he sit up on his own? My first was sitting right out of the womb. Does he sleep through the night? Having a baby sure changes your life.

Me: mmhmm

Anyway, I’m getting better. I say “have a nice day” to the grocery clerk, and I smile more when I’m pestered with polite questions about my little guy. It’s easy to be proud of such a smiley little person, so I figure I can play the silly conversation game. For a little while anyway.

Photobooth: Why Everyone Should Own a Mac

I’ve always enjoyed Apple products, and I’m happy that they’ve been so successful as of late. In fact, I wish I had taken my own advice and bought some Apple stock 18 months ago. I’m sure many graduate theses are being written on the cultural significance of the iPod. i this, i that. i digress.

Earlier this evening, I was showing Felicity this wonderful program called photobooth, which lets you take photos and movies with your webcam. If you ever wonder what you might look like if parts of your face were just slightly re-aligned, or what you might look like as a Beatles poster, this program can get you sorted out. Good times.

Tanks, Tanks a lot.

Some Irish lingo for those that care:

For use in pubs or bars this St. Patrick’s Day:

When being carded at the door or asked your age: I’m Thirty Three = I’m tirty tree

Responding politely: Thanks, Thanks a lot = tanks, tanks alot

So I did - This is appropriate for use after describing something that has been done. For example: I went to the store, so I did. I went to the pub, so I did.

Hope you enjoyed the holiday. I didn’t wear green, didn’t get pinched, and wrote this post on the 18th, so I did.

And the winner is…

Despite what it looks like, it’s a pear and mango medley - not a cold!

Asher loves this pear/mango medley (and, as always, I tried it as well - I’m just so curious - and it is quite delicious). This is the first food we have tried that he opens right up for as soon as he gets a nibble. Very exciting. The open-mouthed bird is back. Now the veggies are promptly followed by his new favourite treat.

A close runner up is peaches. Sweet potatoes he is warming up to. Cereal he still gags on, but is now somewhat tolerable with a little bit of apple in front of the cereal on the spoon (thanks for the tip Grandma Hansen!). Tricky tricky parents.

One of our many tricky devices is to divert his attention from the impending food headed his way. In the beginning, this was usually accomplished with a cup or toy. He would smile, open his mouth in delight, and OOPS - in sneaks a spoon. A simple ruse. However, Asher is presently outwitting us and turns his face away in disgust as soon as he spots the veggie-laden spoon anywhere on his radar, no matter what we attempt to distract him with. This usually results with the food ending up smeared from the corner of his mouth to the lobe of his ear.

Currently, he is obsessed with my SIGG water bottle. He loves to put the whole opening into his mouth and gab away (the echo-y chamber of the aluminum bottle must be very alluring to his ears).

We shall have to get him one of his very own. Perhaps this cutie:

or this one:

Adorable? I think so. Thank you Switzerland, for introducing the SIGG family. Actually, thanks to Lucas for giving Nathaniel one last Christmas. He uses it every day - and now we have all become users.

And the mealtime dramas begin…

About a month ago, a few days after Asher’s 6th monther, we donned a brand new bib, placed him in a brand new high chair and broke out the baby spoons (we decided to be kind to his soft gums). The eating of “real foods” was about to commence.

Notice the excitement that is building in the PRE-feeding picture.

Now, because of the intensity in which Asher attacked his rice cereal mixed with mama’s milk a month earlier, we thought that this introduction of “human” food would be a piece of cake. Were we ever wrong.

I should probably mention that although Asher loved the rice cereal at first (see archival posts in early January), he had decided mid-January that he had had enough and whenever we attempted to get some in his mouth he would gag. So we bagged the rice cereal and we were waiting for the “right time” to start the solids.

When it comes to the question of what is the first food to introduce, we’ve heard it all. Bright veggies and fruits first, greens second, etc., etc. So, carrots seemed the logical first food - to me anyway. Here was my thought process: I drank carrot juice and ate carrots all through my pregnancy and, therefore, Asher’s wee tastebuds would be a little more accustomed to the strong taste. Right? Apparently not.

Hopefully your internet connections will allow you to witness what happened next by clicking here. [Please be patient - it's a big file. Nathaniel is currently working on getting it on to this site, instead of sending you over to his work site.]

Since this grand event, we’ve graduated to butternut squash, sweet potatoes, peas, apples, bananas, and pears. Asher has balked at every item we have introduced, probably from psychological damage he received while we forced him to eat carrots. Honestly, he won’t even open his mouth now - for anything. C’mon, who doesn’t love apples?

It’s a shame, really - the little guy was SO eager to try when we first got going, and that eagerness was promptly squelched. We have had to resort to trickery to get a spoonful into his mouth. Nathaniel is much better at this than I - and when trickery doesn’t work, he certainly doesn’t hesitate when it comes to prying open Asher’s mouth.

We hope that Asher’s palate will become less discriminating as the months roll by. In the meantime, we’ll enjoy his dramatic mealtime antics.

My visitors

January, February and the first part of March were busy months for visitors. Most of January was spent with my folks, Doug and Val, and it was fun to see Asher connect with them. They came back through Vegas last week on their way home to BC and we are now very sad to realize that we may not see them again for a long period of time.

Asher loved listening to Granddad Doug solfege his way through any song (and I mean any song), and enjoyed the rhymes and games Grandma Val played with him. Riding on Granddad’s shoulders was a blast too - one of Asher’s new favourite past-times!

This was Asher’s way of saying “Please don’t go - I will miss you so!” as they were packing up (the idea was implemented and carried out by Granddad):

We loved having you stay with us for so long! We will miss you!

Also in January my sister Jessica visited over a long weekend - she was there for my 31st birthday in premise…but we all know it was mostly a visit for Asher! We went hiking at Red Rock and ate good food. Got a little bit of shopping in too! It was still a bit chilly when Jess was here so I was able to try out Asher’s new warm-suit (I feel I can’t call it a snowsuit for obvious reasons). He looked adorable albeit slightly overdressed - but I had to get him in it at least once before the ridiculously short winter season ended.

Two months ago, Asher still enjoyed falling asleep in the great outdoors - doesn’t he look cozy? In his older age he has become more adept at staying awake and taking the great scenes in.

Jess came back in February for a quick visit to get her Asher-fix for the month.

We eagerly await another few months of visitors, starting in April with Grandma & Grandpa Hansen!

Am I really 6 Months Old?

You bet!

What have I been doing during this, my 6th month? Well, let me divulge:

I’ve been sitting on my own, rolling back and forth (haha ma, you can’t leave me alone on the bed anymore), eating “real” foods (if you can call it that - I have been dubbed “dramatticus finch” with my gagging and carrying on), making funny faces, razzing whenever I get the chance (it just feels so funny on my lips!), and laughing true belly laughs.

I still love to gnaw on hard objects - my ma prefers I go at it on my allocated rattle, and not on my books.

As an aside - thanks Judy for the Bumbo loaner, but I’m so over it. For about a month now I’ve been making the great Bumbo escape:

Like I said, forget about the Bumbo - that’s for babies. I’m a high chair kind of guy nowadays. I love to play with my links and drink water out of my cup and sit at the head of the table.

My true personality colours are starting to show - looks like I’ve got a LOT of both my folks in me. I’m trying to get up on my knees, getting frustrated that I can’t move anywhere on my own yet, making my ma and pa laugh out loud on a daily basis, and delighting audiences everywhere with my million dollar, 4000 watt smile.

I’m also completely enraptured with tags of all sizes on all items - from clothing to blankets to toys…toy? who cares about the toy - show me the tag! Made in China? - ni hao ma! I have discovered my voice in all its many forms - from high pitched whining (are you looking at me yet?) to fake crying (I am the master of disguise) to my adorable ah-goos and ma-mas and sighs. Yes, I have discovered my voice and I don’t think I’ll ever stop using it.

To sum up, this sixth month of mine has been one to remember - and my ma finally got around to digitally archiving it while I dictated almost 30 days of glory. What’s up with that leap year, hey?

Anyway, thanks for reading about me. Love you guys,

Asher xox

Music for awhile

Asher is a fan of music. Perhaps all babies love the rhythm and the noise of various types of music, but it is still fun to imagine that Asher really is aware of it. For example, he is completely happy and content when I strap him to me via the sling and vocalize for an hour. Totally chill during the scales (which drive his papa crazy) and smiling up at me when I hit those high notes. Is this normal?

Sit him in front of the piano and he will whack away at the keys with vigour. He has graduated now from his feet to his hands - the lessons are paying off.

And then of course, there are the Iron and Wine and Sarah moments. Two of my personal favourite mellow artists, but little did I know that Asher would ponder their melancholy tunes. I have two songs back to back on his iPod/Bose station and whenever they come on he stops what he is doing and becomes so still that I have checked on him to make sure he’s okay. That’s really still. And every time these 2 particular songs come on he does the same thing. I relish in the mellow moments.

I lead the choir for our church congregation and we have rehearsal every Sunday afternoon. Nathaniel sings in the choir and Asher sits beside him in his car-seat so that he is facing me while I direct. He can last almost the whole rehearsal just staring at whatever weird gestures his mama makes with her hands - and sometimes waving a hand along too.

There is some music that he absolutely cannot stand. Anytime I try to listen to a robust symphonic piece (Beethoven, Stravinsky, etc), Asher cranks up immediately. Nathaniel says he doesn’t blame him.

Anyway, music is my muse, and most certainly will not be forced on the lad - but I can’t help the fact that he will constantly be surrounded by it day in and day out. It’s what I do. If he picks up and runs with it - great! If not, that’s fine too - but he will know how to appreciate it. As long as he grows up to respect himself, respect women, loathes men who do not respect women, respects and cares for the environment, is firm in his own beliefs but not ignorant or indifferent to others’ religious beliefs, finds balance in his political views (for example: does not become a right-winged conservative) and does not choose to become a football star, then I will feel my job as a mother has been well done.

Too much to ask? Only time will tell.

Catch Up Posts Coming Soon!

We’ve taken an unintentional hiatus from blogging lately - much to the dismay of grandparents, cousins, and friends who don’t see Asher that often. No one cares about us anymore, just the wee man (a shift to which we’re still adjusting ). Anyway, Felicity and I have agreed that “this is the week” in which we will play catch up and post a fury of activities, the accomplishments, and the visitors we’ve had since the last post over a month ago! Yes, Asher will be 7 months old in less than a week.

Till then…

Be my Valentine?

5 Months and Counting - Will I make it to 10?

My, how time doth fly. I know older, wiser, more experienced parents are thinking “5 months…pfft, that’s nothing - what a noob!” but for me, this is a major milestone. Anyone who knows me well, knows that I’ve been insecure about my fathering abilities since Asher arrived on the scene. I’m not sure why especially considering that up until August 16th 2007, I thought I’d be a great dad. The moment he was born, I was forced to rethink my obviously lacking “father” skill-set.

It’s a milestone, Asher, because you’ve somehow managed to survive this long with me as your old man!

The First Day
I remember having an emotional breakdown on day 1 when, after fumbling through my first solo diaper change, I couldn’t get Asher wrapped back up like the taco bell burrito he’d been turned into by the on call nurse. The nurse obviously heard the racket I had caused and stormed into the room to assess the situation. She attempted to show me - but the “wrap” tutorial was in vain. She picked him up and gave him to me to rock back to sleep.

Calmed, and collected (me, not Asher), I proceeded to bounce up and down, sway back and forth, timidly holding this small crying baby. “Shhhhhh. Shhhhhhhh. SHHHHHHHHHHHH, it’s ok!!!!!!” Obviously not. After some sleepless coaching from Felicity across the room, I got Asher to sleep. Awesome - this dad thing is going to be A-OK.

But now what.

“Crap. My arm is asleep. I don’t think I can hold him much longer…I’m losing my grip…must…set…him…down…”

“This should be easy enough.” I thought. I head over to the crib thing they have set up for us, and I proceed to awkwardly lay him down - thump. “Crap. The head…always support the head!” He’s a resilient little fella, and the bump doesn’t even wake him. Phew. Who knew that 7 pounds could bring a man to his knees.

The Drive Home
I’m not talking about the drive from the birthing centre, but the 4 day drive back to Vegas from sleepy Southampton Ontario. We packed our belongings in the first week of September, when Asher was a whopping two weeks old. We needed to get back for work so we were a bit rushed, since he took his sweet time arriving (2 weeks late).

Note to self: Newborns eat a lot, and often - Lesson learned: don’t embark on cross country trip with newborn.

Asher, you survived 4 full days in your car seat, crossing most of the US and part of Canada. You endured a few good “discussions” (arguments sounds so negative). Good on ya, lad. I, on the other hand, almost did not. Somewhere in the middle of Nebraska, you decided you needed to eat, now, and that you’d had enough of your car seat. Not a problem. Problem - nowhere to exit.

**I need to back up - For whatever reason, Asher had a hard time learning to latch on to mom’s goods, so we were absolutely not going to give him a pacifier, and we hesitated giving him a finger to calm him down.**

I remember at one point during this great plains break down, not with any pride mind you, yelling so that felicity could hear me loud and clear: “GIVE HIM THE FINGER, GIVE HIM THE FINGER!” which, upon hearing (considering the stressfulness of the situation), broke the ice a bit and had us both laughing out loud.

You had to be there.

First Bath in Vegas
Asher absolutely loves bath-time, and for this we’re grateful. After arriving home, we decided to give wee Asher a much needed rinsing. We were on our own, and I was feeling especially experienced - I was no longer green. Everything was progressing well, when Felicity asked me to hold him in such a way so she could give his back a little scrub. “No problem - I’m practically a professional baby bather these days.” I gracefully pick Asher up, and with some skillful maneuvering position him in my right hand, with his head faced toward the water, tilted over with back and bum exposed.

Seriously, that wasn’t bad at all.

“Crap. Oh crap…he’s dipped his face in the water, how long has he been under?” I lift him up a bit, and I don’t hear anything. Then it comes. Sputter. Cough. Half gasp. Hack. Cough again. Wait for it….CRY.

Felicity has no idea what’s going on at this point, she’s been busy soaping his back - meanwhile, the idiot father has been drowning her son.

It doesn’t take long for her to figure it out - as soon as I lift him on to his back and set him down, it’s obvious he’s been under. His eyes well up, he starts to gasp again and Felicity has two choice words, and a gesture for me: (pointing to the door) GET (dramatic pause) OUT!

I hung my head in total shame - my worst fears had been confirmed - I was not fit for fatherly duties.

==

I’m feeling a bit better these days about my abilities. I know there will be many memories made, certainly more “discussions,” perhaps even gestures and sound bites that will resonate for years to come. In the end, I’ve convinced myself that this process is all about “becoming” a father. It’s about the journey Asher, and I have you to thank for this amazing ride.

Rice cereal anyone?

Asher has now decided that he wants to be a “big boy” and take part in our food. What…is my milk not good enough for you Ash?? I’m hurt, truly. He paws at our plates and opens his mouth whenever we take a bite or a drink. He knows that this is good stuff he is missing out on. Take, for example, the other day when we were eating some cookies. Asher practically lurched out of Nathaniel’s arms reaching into the “cookie jar.” Too cute.

Sooo…we decided it was time for the rice cereal debut. Now I’m a bit of a purist, so therefore found it very difficult to swallow that Asher might not quite be sufficiently satisfied with just his mommy milk anymore. I was determined to wait it out until the 6 month mark, BUT, he proved that he was definitely ready for the new taste.

Everyone told us that his first bite would be promptly spit out - but that was not the case with our hungry boy. He knew exactly what to do with that spoon as it came towards his mouth (and we used an adult one - couldn’t be bothered buying a baby spoon). From the first bite he was hooked. Now he eagerly awaits his nighttime feeding, and actually starts to get excited when he sees me preparing his food. And, I might add, he was a pro with the spoon. Like he’s been eating off it since day one.

I love the arms out at the sides bit that he does. Like a baby bird waiting for a worm with his beak wide open and wings flapping in eager anticipation. He now assumes that position every time he sees the mug of cereal headed his way.

Because I still hold to the purist ways, we’re limiting his rice cereal intake to just one feeding a day and it is only made with pumped milk. I tasted the concoction…it’s not bad. Nathaniel was thoroughly grossed out that I did that. I can’t wait for the day that he actually wipes a bit of food off Asher’s face and eats it - something he has sworn he will never do. I think it will happen in a moment of haste, not realizing what he’s doing. Let’s wait and see…

New Year and New Beginnings

 

Wow…incredible that it is 2008. Already, the new year has been a crazy one and it promises to continue as such! One of my goals is to keep this blog up to date, so stay tuned…

My folks have been visiting with us since New Year’s Eve and we are having a ball with them. I have to get in as much parent-time as possible before they go off gallivanting on their next adventure.

I’ve returned to work at the Music Academy for a few hours each day. I don’t think Asher even notices that I’m gone. He gets to go on long walks with his dad - while Nathaniel multi-tasks by catching up on business phone calls or meditating on his newest project. Actually, Nathaniel hasn’t had to take too much time out of work yet because Granddad Doug & Grandma Val keep Asher all to themselves! But they will be gone soon and the true daddy-time will begin.

I love being back at the Academy - Nathaniel noted that I seem to have a little extra energy after I get home from teaching, and a renewed excitement. I’m a woman who loves her son more than anything in the world and cherishes every moment we spend together…but I’m also a woman who needs the stimulation of contributing to the world via another venue. I’m fortunate that I have a profession where I can have both worlds.

Asher is nearing his 5 month mark and it is amazing how much he has matured and progressed in the first few weeks of this new year. He is so much fun right now - so far this is my favourite age! He is seriously the happiest little guy - all smiles for anyone who happens to glance his way. We had a rough 2 days in the first week of January when he received his 2nd round of vaccinations (seriously despise those visits), but he bounced back quickly once again. The upside to these visits is that we get to hear about his gleaming bill of health.

He is busy rolling both ways - all that tummy time finally started paying off about a month ago. He’s been rolling since before Christmas. Although he still enjoys tummy time, he would much rather be sitting up now. Our new favourite “baby must-have thing” is the Bumbo chair (thanks for the loaner Judy!). Such a cool invention and he loves loves loves to sit in it…except when he doesn’t and he tries to catapult himself out of it. Nathaniel doesn’t entirely trust the chair yet, and is certain that Asher is going to face plant one of these days.

He can now occupy himself by gnawing on a rattle (or a blanket, or a toy, or anything that he can wrap his adorable chubby fingers around) which is great fun to watch. He looks like an old man with no teeth the way he gums everything. His motor skills are all of sudden there - and it’s as if he is reciting in his mind: reach, grab, lift, gnaw, drop, repeat.

He is totally living up to his name (Asher is a Hebrew name meaning ‘happy’). Nathaniel can get him laughing so hard that it has me doubled over. The laugh is infectious and it makes you want to gobble him up even more. Nathaniel wants to take Asher into a recording studio and capture the laugh - then use it as his ring-tone. Trust Nathaniel to take action on that one…I’ll let you know how it goes.

A First Christmas

Our Christmas was amazing! The D&V Salmon clan was reunited, and we made the most of every minute together.

My siblings, sister-in-law, nephews and niece and my parents were able to journey from all corners of Canada to a resort in St George (southern Utah), where we enjoyed a week of hiking, eating, conversing, caroling, worshiping, swimming, hot tubbing, and just being together. This was the first Christmas we’ve been truly ALL together in a long time.

We hiked in Zion National Park and Snow Canyon State Park - both of which are majestic works of nature. We saw a live nativity performed at the beautiful Tuacahn Amphitheater.

On Christmas Eve we attended a carol singing performance at the St George Tabernacle - an historical building built between 1863 and 1876. We continued our own carol sing-along with Dad on the keyboard that we brought, Jess and Nathaniel on guitars, Cam on harmonica (who rocked, I might add) and Tim on percussion (the spoons). Amazingly, Dad was able to be just as raucous on a two and a half octave keyboard as he is on the piano!

Asher enjoyed the time with his Ontario cousins - or maybe I should say they enjoyed their time with Asher! His svelte 14 year old cousin Cam decided his little baby cousin was okay and delighted Asher with his bobble-head impression.

Grace (6) treated him like her very own baby (why do little girls do that, I wonder?). She was very content sitting on the couch holding Asher and reading books to him. Asher also received many drawings from the budding artist.

Ethan (9) laughed and laughed at Asher’s antics - when he could pull himself away from Star Wars. In fact, in this picture, Star Wars is indeed what they are both fixated on. Ethan felt it was necessary to introduce his cousin to the Jedi Force vs. the Dark Side at an early age. I must have been out of the room when my son was staring at a tv screen…

Uncle Tim and Aunt Tammy had lot’s of quality nephew time - but I don’t think it was enough to convince them to have another…

Asher had met everyone before with the exception of his Uncle Matthew. The introductory meeting was quite an event - complete with a big wet “open-mouthed” kiss between nephew and uncle. I think the nephew initiated that one. Unfortunately, I was not able to catch that moment digitally. It will forever be imprinted in my mind, however.

As always, Asher’s Auntie Jess brought him much joy, cuddling and singing/playing beautiful tunes with her guitar. Jess shared a room with Asher and I, and I think maybe that could have cured her of ever wanting a babe of her own (not sleeping in his own bed causes the wee man to wake up at night…aLOT). Meanwhile, Nathaniel was sharing a bed out in the tv room with Matthew…another story.

Granddad Doug and Grandma Val brought as much of “home” as they could fit into their car - complete with creches (nativity scenes), the advent wreath, candles, and delectable Canadian chocolate! All the things that have helped to create our traditions over the years they were able to recreate in this resort far from Vernon. They also packed down a box full of treasures for each of their kids. Mom had spent a couple of weeks organizing and putting together our baby books and school years. It was great fun to receive them and reminisce about our childhoods. It will be treasured - thanks Mom!

Tim & Tammy and their brood flew in and out of Las Vegas, so we were able to spend a few extra days on either end of the holiday with them. We hiked Red Rock Canyon, of course - one of the only things truly worth seeing in this town.

We feel so blessed to have such a family, and so fortunate that we all have the means to reunite in such a way. We miss everyone!! xxoo

Seasons Greetings ‘07

This year’s photo greeting(s) we sent to all friends and family en masse. E-Christmas cards are our little way of reducing paper waste - not to mention zero postage and the shear ease of it!

Asher’s Second First…

Asher celebrated his second first Thanksgiving on November 22nd (see previous post on Canadian Thanksgiving back in October). We journeyed up to Portland, Oregon to share the holiday with Nathaniel’s family. We had a wonderful time visiting with family members who had not yet met Asher, and he had a great time being the center of attention once again!

We’ve come to realize that we, as individuals with a child, are no longer interesting to others. Asher can take care of all the shining for us.

Fall Beauty

I love the seasons - and autumn is my absolute favourite. I miss the seasons so much! (My mother will be aghast to read that I actually miss the cold.)

We’ve been in Portland visiting with Nathaniel’s family for American Thanksgiving. The weather has been beautiful this trip - blue skies with a nip in the air. The air is so crisp I could just take a bite out of it. I love it.

We took a little walk around the neighbourhood - Asher’s first exposure to the elements other than the sun. Asher looked very cute with his winter gear on. I think the cold air took his breath away at first, but he seemed to enjoy all the trees. He would stare up at them with awe. A true outdoors man!

Nathaniel’s parent’s property backs up to a wildlife wetlands area. The view off their back porch is awesome. What a backyard to have!

We need to return to the Pacific Northwest. Oregon, Washington or British Columbia is where we belong. What is taking us so long to get there??

Photo Shoot

Nathaniel whipped out the big guns (his super nice camera) and did a spontaneous photo shoot of Asher. These pictures turned out so beautiful. Here are a few of our faves. Enjoy!