G's half birthday by the numbers

18: months old today

11: teeth cut so far. Soon to be 12, as one bottom molar seems hours away from poking through the gums

4: months he's been walking

79, 715, 538: current total of views of Feist's 1234 video for Sesame Street; I'm pretty sure most of those were G's. He asks for it by saying "bock bock bock bock?" and pointing at my laptop or Hubby's phone.

50, 10, 5: words he knows in French, English, and sign language, respectively. I've been trying to speak to him in French most of the time, and he's pretty responsive. I always regretted abandoning that with the girls, so this is my do-over. As a bonus, the girls understand nearly everything I say in French, and Hubby is picking up on it, too.

7: visits to CHEO so far. One to the ER for a urinary tract infection, and rest were kidney-related.

4: cars, trucks, and train sets we had before G came along

12+: cars, trucks, and train sets we have now. One train set is particularly meaningful. One of its carriages belonged to my father-in-law when he was G's age, and his brother Paul recently found it. Paul made two other carriages to match, and an engine, onto which my father-in-law carved G's name. It's been a big hit so far, not only with G, but also his sisters, and any kids who come to visit.

at least 5: nicknames, including G-bird, G-bones, Senor Gav-gage, Bonhomme, Gavocado, and probably others I can't remember.

90: percentage of G's clothes that are hand-me-downs from his cousin Linky (who is 5 months older)

1: percentage of G's clothes that are hand-me-downs from his sisters

2.5: years that G has left at home before he starts school. They aren't kidding when they say it goes by fast, and you never get those years back. Although, to be fair, I don't know that I'd want much back from those early years. It is hard, hard work to parent a baby/toddler/preschool. It's nice to look back at pictures and videos, but as for reliving those years? Maybe I'll change my tune when all my kids are grown.

Dapper little dude

Check out those chicken legs!

This is the face we are treated to so often!

Pretending to read is exhausting

I still get a little thrill whenever I get to say "my son", even a year and a half on. G is still such a sweetheart, and loves to smile and giggle. He is starting to growl (which he learned from the girls) and throw tantrums, just to remind us that he is not perfect. He lets me choose his clothes (even the occasional bow tie) and is starting to keep hats and mittens on. He's a huge fan of climbing, and is learning to leverage chairs to get up onto the table or counter. He adores his big sisters, both sets of grandparents, and his delightful assemblage of aunts, uncles, and cousins. He can even say many of their names. And if he hears the telltale Skype ringtone, he will run towards the source saying "Poppa! Poppa!"

The final tally

We had what was hopefully our last heat wave of the year last week, so it seems like a good time to post an update of how our summer without AC went. We turned it on about 7 times, 6 of which were during a heat advisory (when the temperature was 30 degrees or above for 3 days in a row), and one of which was when we had company over. During those times, we ran it for a few hours at most. I didn't keep track of our dryer usage, but I would guess it was less than 7 times as well over the course of the summer.

Overall, it was a great experiment, and I will definitely try to do the same thing in the summers to come. I feel like our bodies got used to the heat, and the coping strategies we used were effective. I didn't love nursing a sweaty baby before putting him to bed, but it wasn't so bad with the fan on. And the basement was a great place to hang out in the afternoon when the kids had their quiet time. They didn't seem to notice the lack of AC at all, interestingly enough. They would still go to bed with full pyjamas on and the covers pulled up to their necks! They'd even have their blankets on for naps.

The grand total of savings for the summer was 221.51$. I'm pretty happy with that. So is this guy, who learned to walk last week.

Next challenge: hanging laundry indoors to minimize hydro costs in the winter. But I might still have a good couple of weeks left with the outdoor clothesline.

Heat wave

We're still under a heat warning here, and the past two nights we turned the AC on for a bit. The indoor temperature hit our agreed-upon threshold, so we decided to cool things down to about 25 degrees overnight. Plus baby G had a fever from his one-year-old shots this week. Can you imagine being a baby with a fever during a heat wave? Poor guy. The fever only lasted a day, and the heat wave is expected to break sometime tonight. We had some lovely rain last night and early this morning, which helped temporarily. We'll be off to the cottage soon, where it is much cooler, and where we can jump in the lake if it gets too hot!

Daytime strategies that we used this week:
-kiddie pool (even we grown-ups enjoyed having our feet in the cold water)
-BBQing dinner most nights (sausages, hot dogs, and hamburgers were on the menu this week; tonight is chicken & rice casserole in the oven, and it was a bad idea)
-heading to the basement in the afternoon to cool off

Outdoor play has been scarce this week on account of the heat wave and D's day camp, which has been in the mornings and has required me to stay in that end of town for the duration rather than drive back and forth twice. We tried going to a park on Monday and lasted less than an hour before we bailed and went to Chapters. We've done errands or enjoyed playtime with friends in the area, so it's been pretty nice.

How it is without AC

The summer weather has not been too hot until the last two weeks, which I'm sure was irksome to many, but it was a blessing to us! My favourite outdoor temp is 25 degrees, and there have been plenty of days like that. We've made it through a few hot spells now, and they've been manageable. We still keep the windows open at night, when it drops down to 18 or 19 degrees (C) at most, and the blinds and windows closed during the day. Hubby and I have re-negotiated our maximum temperature allowance, so if it hits 85 degrees (F) in the house, we'll turn on the AC just long enough to get the temp down to a more manageable 80.

As a point of comparison, I looked at our bills from one year ago and one month ago. The savings weren't huge (81.67$ last year to 68.68$ this year- 12.99$ that is better off in my pocket than the company's), but I think our next bill should be the kicker. Last August (for the billing period of July, when I was wrapping up my pregnancy), our hydro bill was an incredible 187.60$. We're on track to have a bill at least 100$ less than that this month. I do appreciate the weekly updates our hydro company sends.

On Saturday, we brought out G's birthday present of a kiddie pool early, and the girls had a great time splashing around in it. We're still trying to spend a lot of time outside, at parks and splash pads and the front and back yards. In the house, the basement continues to be an excellent, cool refuge, and I avoid the top floor as much as possible until the end of the day.

Some unexpected drawbacks to higher temperatures in the house: the air gets a stale feeling and an indescribable smell, there are a lot more bugs and flies indoors (due to gaps and holes in screen doors), and our tempers flare much more quickly. The girls have been sleeping fine, wearing regular pyjamas and pulling their blankets as tightly around them as ever, but G has been waking up more often. It could be that he's teething, but it could also be that the heat is getting to him. Tonight I think we'll try setting up his pack and play in the basement and sleeping down there ourselves.

Fixing up our fixed costs

Living on one income is not for the faint of heart. This spring we've been taking a closer look at our finances and seeing where we can cut costs. It's easy to fall into a pattern of spending without really thinking about it, and deciding that things just cost whatever they cost. We found two places that we're trying to change, and both of them happen to be fixed-cost items on the budget.

Hubby switched his cell phone plan to a different provider which offered a similar package to what he had, but at a lower monthly rate. I'm still on a 10$ pay-as-you-go. We toyed with the idea of getting rid of the home phone, which we may still do at some point. It's not very expensive though, and we use Skype for anything long-distance.

The second fixed cost that we're attempting to bring down is the hydro bill. I get weekly estimates of what our bill will be based on energy consumption on a certain day, and I'm trying to let that guide the household usage. We already try to limit using the washing machine and dishwasher at off-peak times. Hubby was saying that the two main contributors to a high bill were using the dryer and the air conditioner. With the sunny weather, we're not using the dryer much at all, but in the past that savings was virtually eliminated by turning on the A/C. So, at the end of April, we decided that we're not going to use the air conditioning this summer.

It seems like a ridiculous thing to blog about, given that most of the world doesn't have air conditioning, and our climate only gets hot for a couple of months out of the year. Still, it's going to be a sacrifice for us. Some coping strategies we're using:

-keeping bread and other baked goods in the fridge to prevent them from going moldy
-drinking lots of water
-closing the blinds when the sun is out
-opening the windows at night
-running the overhead fans in our bedrooms (with the doors open) most of the day to keep the air circulating
-using the basement for playtime or rest when it's just too hot upstairs
-spending time outdoors (especially now that we have a backyard fence!) so that when we come inside, it feels cooler

We have discussed the idea of a cut-off, in the event of a heat wave, or if sleep is compromised. If the house temperature gets into the high eighties, we'll turn on the A/C at night just enough to bring it down a few degrees. (Btw, I don't naturally think in Fahrenheit, but we use it in the house because there are more degrees to play around with.) None of this would have been possible last summer, what with my being great with child, and then having a tiny baby around. But the tiny baby is a good size now, and quite resilient, as are his sisters, and hopefully his parents. So here's to a less expensive summer!

Food Basics Flyer Meals

On the radio today, there was a call-in show about what happens when kids don't learn to cook, which of course also delved into issues around fast-paced lives, fast food, obesity, and the lack of knowledge or ability to plan ahead. One caller mentioned that if there was a list at the grocery store of what to buy and how to cook it, a lot more people would be cooking at home. I think we all know what it's like to hit 4pm and start frantically searching cooking websites, as well as our own pantries and freezers, to figure out something healthy and hearty to cook!

I think "mania" might better describe the state of my house than that of their prices, but I digress.

Meal planning can be this easy: take a look at your grocery store's weekly flyer, see what's on special, and decide what meals you want to make from those sale items. Taking the advice of that caller, I'm going to make it a few steps easier today by providing five meal ideas, ingredient lists, and recipes. I've also tried to structure the list around the store's layout. I'm working off the Food Basics flyer for April 9th-15th (yes, Thursday-Wednesday sales are the hot new trend now), concentrating on loss leaders (the front and back page of the flyer) and this formula.

Sale items + non-sale/at-home items + recipes = meals

When buying sale items, do check other brands (especially the store's home brand, in this case Selection or Irresistibles) to see if its price beats the sale price of a given brand name product.

Also, the fruits aren't listed in the recipes, but are intended for delicious snacks/desserts.

Sale items

Cauliflower, 1.97
Sweet assorted peppers, 1.97
Romaine hearts, 1.97
Cucumber, 88 cents
Russet potatoes 5 lb bag, 3$/2
Strawberries, 454g, 5$/2
Large navel oranges, 99 cents/lb
Whole seedless watermelon
Fresh boneless, skinless chicken breasts 3.44$/lb
Outside round roast, 6.99$/lb

Dempster's 7" tortillas, 2.49$

Kraft BBQ sauce 455 ml, 99 cents

Catelli healthy harvest macaroni 375g, 1.25

Danone Activia or Silhouette yogurt 650g [preferably plain], 1.97$
Selection cheese 400-450g, 3.97
Natrel fine-filtered white milk 4L, 4.99$

Non-sale or at-home items
Garlic
Onions
Carrots
Sweet potatoes (if you get tired of regular potatoes)
Aluminum foil
Parchment paper
Cooking spray
Oil (vegetable, olive, canola- your choice)
Vinegar
Ketchup (optional, for mac & cheese)
White flour
Cornstarch
Shortening
Sugar
Salt
Pepper
Oregano

Beef bouillon
Canned corn
28 ounce can diced tomatoes
Salsa
Butter
Eggs
Frozen peas

Recipes

Meal 1: Oven roast with mashed potatoes
http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2015/02/oven-braised-beef-with-tomatoes-and-garlic/
Serve this tender roast with mashed potatoes.
Prep tip: It's rather long on cooking time, so either make it on a weekend or take the do-ahead-and-reheat suggestion in the recipe.

Mashed potatoes: Put a large pot of water on to boil. Peel (or just wash) and quarter 4-5 potatoes. Place carefully in boiling water, reduce temperature to medium-high, and boil for 20-25 minutes, until a fork can be easily inserted and removed from a potato quarter. Remove from heat, drain potatoes, mash, and stir in about 1/2 cup of milk and 1/4 cup of butter (adjust these to suit your taste).

Meal 2: Meat pie with roasted vegetables
http://operationstayhome.blogspot.ca/2014/09/marvellous-meat-pie.html
Use the leftovers to make my favourite meat pie, with roasted potatoes and carrots on the side.
Prep tip: since the vegetables take longer to cook, put them in the oven first, and then make the pie.

Roasted potatoes: Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Wash 4 or 5 potatoes and chop into approximate eighths. Peel carrots and chop into approximately the same size as the potatoes. Toss in large bowl with 2 Tbsp oil. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, spread vegetables out in a single layer and sprinkle with a few pinches of oregano. Roast for 30 minutes, then flip veggies over and cook for another ten minutes. Remember to put the pie in the oven during the last 20 minutes of cooking.

Meal 3: BBQ chicken and potatoes, with carrots and peas
Chicken breasts
BBQ sauce
4 potatoes, sweet potatoes or a mix of the two
Aluminum foil
Cooking spray
Salt
Pepper
2-3 carrots
About 1 cup of peas

Brush 4 chicken breasts lightly with BBQ sauce, then cook on BBQ until juices run clear, flipping once halfway through.
Prep tip: while you've got the barbecue going, cook up 3 or 4 chicken breasts for tomorrow night's fajitas as well.

Baked potatoes or sweet potatoes: poke on each side 3-4 times with a fork, then place on a plate and microwave for 4 min (5 min for sweet potatoes). While the potatoes are in the microwave, peel and chop 2 or 3 carrots. Carefully turn potatoes over and microwave for another 4 min (5 min for sweet potatoes). During this time, start boiling water for the carrots. Tear one piece of aluminum foil for each potato, large enough to wrap it. Place potato on foil square, spray with cooking oil, and season with salt and pepper. Wrap and repeat with remaining potatoes. Place potatoes on BBQ while chicken is cooking. They're pretty much done cooking by this point, this is just to crisp them up and infuse with the spices. While the chicken and potatoes are on the BBQ, boil the carrots for 10 minutes, then add desired amount of peas to the pot and cook for another 3-5 minutes.

Meal 4: Chicken fajitas with onions, peppers, grated cheese, salsa, yogurt
Oil
Chicken breasts
2 peppers
1-2 onions
Cheese
Tortillas
Salsa
Plain yogurt

If you didn't BBQ the chicken yesterday, either do that now, or cook it on the stovetop as follows: Heat 1 Tbsp oil over medium-high heat and add chicken breasts. Cook until juices run clear, flipping once halfway through. While chicken is cooking, slice two bell peppers and an onion or two. Remove chicken breasts from pan and reduce heat to medium. Add another Tbsp of oil and saute peppers and onion for a few minutes, as desired. Grate cheese. Warm tortillas, if that's what you like. Assemble fajitas to your liking.

Meal 5: Whole wheat mac and cheese with cauliflower and cut veggies
Cauliflower
Macaroni
Butter
White flour
Milk
Cheese
Peppers
Cucumber
Ketchup

Steam cauliflower: chop up entire cauliflower, including the stem. Set in a steamer basket over boiling water for about 8-10 minutes. Remove from heat and puree in a food processor or mash with a potato masher.
While cauliflower is cooking, set a large pot of water to boil. Once it's boiling, add 3 cups macaroni, reduce heat and cook for 8-10 minutes.
While pasta is cooking, start the cheese sauce. Melt 1/4 cup of butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add 1/4 cup white flour and cook for one minute. Stir in 2 cups of milk and whisk regularly, until sauce is thickened and bubbly. Cook for a few more minutes, then remove from heat. Stir in 2 cups grated cheese and 1 cup mashed cauliflower.
Drain cooked pasta and stir in cheese sauce. Serve with sliced peppers and cucumbers. Ketchup optional.

My companion while writing. I bored him to literal tears, and now he's upstairs napping.

Checking in

Here's how 2015 is going so far:
-Hubby is frantically but diligently working away at THREE courses as he wraps up his parental leave

-D is halfway through senior kindergarten, and we are tremendously thankful for dear neighbours who walk her to the bus stop in the morning so that we don't have to!

-M has officially been registered to start kindergarten in September; and just as I was worried about sending her to school in diapers, she spontaneously started going to the bathroom on her own a couple of weeks ago. It finally clicked for her, and I couldn't be more thrilled! She hasn't had an accident in a few days, which is amazing. And it only took us six months to get to this point.

-G is almost six months old, rolling all around, almost sitting up, and still the happiest baby. He'll be starting solids pretty soon, but I remember all too well how long it takes babies to get the hang of eating, and I'm in no rush.

Oh hai!

The past few weeks have been intermittently difficult for our family. We've had some car trouble (our van, specifically the sliding doors and the battery, would seem to despise winter as much as Hubby does), a disappointing school result, and then a follow-up ultrasound on G's kidneys. We knew from the many, many ultrasounds that I had during my pregnancy, that his right kidney was smaller than his left, and that this would require follow-up after he was born. He screamed through his first ultrasound at just a month of age, and had another diagnostic test a few weeks later (called a cytoscopy) to determine kidney function. Both of these revealed what we already knew: his right kidney is smaller, but the left one is working fine.

Last week he had what I had hoped would be his last ultrasound for awhile. However, in the intervening weeks, his right kidney has developed two small cysts. Now we are awaiting a referral from the pediatrician to a nephrologist to continue monitoring, and to determine whether the kidney will need to be removed at some point in the future, a point which I am trying not to focus on. Many families have to deal with much worse than this. It's a concern, but we have access to excellent medical care, and besides that we know that our Lord is sovereign over this. This circumstance is not good from our perspective, but God is good. We once again put our trust in him to use the situation for his glory.