Darfur...doctor's pictures

My family doctor works at a small, warm clinic in Longueuil (Clinique Ste-Catherine). The owner, a doctor named Yolande Leduc, went on a mission to give some of her services.  Her travels brought her to Darfur.The walls of the clinic are a testimony to what she has witnessed. Beautifully framed photographs of War Soldiers not older than fifteen years of age, little underprivileged children,  families still bonded despite an obvious scarcity of ressources: this is what we can see. The photographs are absolutely beautiful. The emotions conveyed in the faces of the subjects can't be missed, or ignored at that. Some of the photographs are joined with explanatory notes that can't do anything but break your heart. Can you imagine having been trained in war, to kill when you were merely 12... or imagine your own children???!!! Even after being saved from this life, what kind of scars do these individuals suffer from? Is there any refuge for them?

There is this one photograph, ''The Girl in Red''... It is stunning. It depicts a little girl in the middle of a dirt road. The entire scenery is drab, dirty, poor. This little girl however, despite her situation, is wearing bright red. It seems to represent that there is still a glimmer of hope of a brighter future for this girl, and others like her.

Christmas Baking, and I'm new at this! (Oreo Truffles, and Holiday Kisses, Chocolate Bark shortbread cookies

I'm 28, and I've discovered that I LOVE cooking and Baking! I also discovered that through blogs and Twitter posts, one can find amazing food ideas and recipes.

I just wanted to share my most recent cookie experience:

First, The FABULOUS Oreo Truffles:

SO, so so EASY: All you need to make 3 dozens:  1-pkg cream cheese, 1 pkg Oreo cookies, Chocolate to melt (I used one package of Baker's semi sweet and about 4 pieces of Toblerone Chocolate), and something to coat ( I used grated  Holiday Hershey's kisses), but you could use Coconut, more cookie crumbs, other chocolate, oh! Even crushed candy cane pieces:

Welcome 2010!

What are your New Year's resolutions? Do you have any? Do I have any? Are you saying goodbye to 2009 satisfied or are you anxious to put it behind you welcoming 2010?

One more day to go and I'm not sure what my resolutions are yet. Correction: I'm not sure what the resolutions that I actually plan on keeping are. Sure there are the usual '' eat better, exercise more, yadiyadiyadah'' resolutions, but, they're a given. I know that I want some change in my life for 2010... where to start?

First, I have to decide what I think of 2009 overall. What's happened? I started to work from home. Love it or Hate it? That's easy. I adore working from home and only having to go downtown to the office once a month or so. I save on transit time (2.5 hours +). I save on a bus pass (105$ +). I get to see my son every morning (he used to get up around seven thirty, eight-ish... and I left at 06h50...Now, I go in my home office at 8h20... I see him EVERY morning! I can either start a load of laundry at my break or shower, start preparring supper at my other break.... jump in the pool during lunch..... lots of perks!

Realisation... I wasn't going to be a lawyer

I used to read fairly regularly. School had never been an obstacle to this as I pretty much always found it easy (minus math the last 2 years)... but then in college, there was so much more reading to do. ( I was in Liberal Arts). I enjoyed it, but I think that's pretty much when I stopped reading for the sheer pleasure of it. Even if I enjoyed what I was reading (learning)... and I learned a lot (!)... Something changed. I skimmed books. I was always last minute. I remember opening Shakespeare's Othello the night before I had an exam on it... (I confess, I rented the movie.. and then skimmed the book). We had weekly quizzes in Humanities and Philosophy on various (long) chapters from our course material... and again... I don't remember an instance when I did not read that stuff horizontally. I to this day, never finished Wuthering Heights, or this other book from English class by this German author. . I started research and writing essays 48 hours before they were due. I'd get away with it, always with an average ranging between 85-95% I was perhaps lazy. No, I was definitely lazy... but I think I was more than lazy. I was cocky, and I didn't like the sentiment of obligation. Now, if there was something I was really into (like cadets), I would devote countless hours towards that...  What  a mess of contradictions I was!

Mouche Bebe

What in the blue.... is this!?!?! This my friends, is a God send. This makes nights so much more bearable. This makes my little Logi happy.... and mommy relieved! 

This little object is called a ''Mouche Bébé''. (http://hydrasense.com/fr/product/) I have no clue what it`s called in English, so mouche bébé it is.  This object is used when babies (or toddlers, or even kids who don`t know how to blow their noses) need to have that nose emptied. There`s nothing worse than a baby who can`t sleep, or nurse, or feed because he or she is so congested with the fluids of a bad cold or flu.

Forgotten Scrapooking

Were you one of those kids in High School who just COULDN'T keep your school agenda intact, untouched, clean, almost as if it  was never used? ...Well, I was.

My agenda was a canvas. Decorated with collages of the ocean, of Brad Pitt, Keanu Reeves, Jonathan Brandis (no laughing as my husband did while reading over my shoulder (!) )... It had famous quotes that meant something to me at the time, sketches, and other personalisations. I was still an organisationtal nut even then with color coded post-its for the things that needed to be done... but, my artistic side was clearly visible in my agenda.

I miss my toddler... or do I?,,,

Okay, I have this little list of ideas I want to blog about. At the time I made the list, Logan was in a major growth spurt, and so I was basically spending ALL my time nursing him. Meanwhile, Dan was taking care of Noah in the basement, outside, running errands, you name it.

I was tired.... no, exhausted, hormonal and emotional and I was just looking forward to spending some time with Noah. As luck would have it, Logan always had his daily fit (meaning, once a day, he was hungry and he had to eat NOW!).. right when it was Noah's bed time ritual: bath or shower, teeth, stories, music, songs). Dan and I usually take turns with the stories and songs, but lately, I've had to forfeit my turn to feed my little Logi.

Dan started working again this week. He doesn't have what you'd call a regular 9-5 schedule being a cop. His shift this week however, was Wednesday to Friday, day shift. We decided that I would keep Noah (gulp) instead of bringing him to day care (seeing that I don't yet drive ((I have my learner's only))... and that it costs about 30$ a day to and fro the daycare in a cab).... Although it was the first time I was spending an entire day alone with both boys, I was a little nervous, but mostly anxious to spend some time with my rascal.

AH1N1

this post is 2 weeks late... ouups!


Who hasn't had it yet? Who isn't tired of being bombarded with desired and not so desired information about this infamous flu? Information overload anyone?(!)

Almost 400 dead in a week... ok, but doesn't the seasonal flu cause as much havoc? Doesn't the seasonal flu kill as many? Perhaps, however, this flu seems to be causing more panic, and, differently from the seasonal flu, AH1N1 attacks healthy, vibrant individuals, it kills perfectly healthy 13 year old hockey players. It causes more complications and it is more easily transmitted.... so then why are so many hesitant about getting vaccinated?

Halloween 2009

It all started with a book about Halloween... Noah met "Fripouille la citrouille"... and literally became obsessed with pumpkins...

It started with a small pumpkin... which had a tragic end... Noah didn't quite understand that pumpkins weren't balls he could just throw...

So we bought a bigger pumpkin, put it up higher... but again, Noah found a way to make it fall... and it cracked opened.

I'm back since Logan is Here!

Ok, so I haven't been very assidous posting on this blog lately... but things are about to change (hopefully)...




For starters, I'm no longer pregnant (Yay for me!), and so far (knock on wood), I've been blessed with a dream baby, Logan.


Logan arrived on October 9th, 2009. Of course being pregnant, and in pain, I had to go pass my due date That's how Murphy's Law goes)... My AMAZING doctor, Doctor Elsa Leblanc, scheduled me for an ultrasound and monitoring 5 days after my due date... Monitoring was normal, my baby was still pretty active. The ultrasound also indicated that there was nothing to worry about... other than the weight of the baby. Initially, I had been told that the baby should weigh no more than 8 pounds... suffice to say, the doctor who perfomed the last ultrasound predicted a 9 pound baby!!! OUCH... ! I was just thankful for my projected epidural....

Organisational Freak, or Nesting???

Something is wrong. Something must be wrong. Ok, I've always had some sort of obsessive compulsive behaviour, I'll admit, where, my budget is made a year in advance for all my accounts... but The last few days have been consecrated to planning and organising everything and anything that CAN be organised. I bought a binder with plastic folders and separators and highlighters and pens (I went shop-happy with some retail therapy at Bureau en Gros).... and that's when it started.

I've created my very own organization guide. It has everything in there that Dan could ever possibly dream of needing should anything happen to me. From all utility bill account names, numbers, passwords, online accesses, contact information, payment methods and frequency, to a succession guide, to insurance claim information to Mat leave preparation with relevant documentation... everything is there!.. and then some! (Note to self: buy a safe to store it in)...

Hating Pregnancy

You know what... I really, really dislike, (being polite, not to say "hate")- being pregnant. You'll probably see this one a lot in the next few weeks... possibly more than once a day.

I don't enjoy the kicking and punching. I don't enjoy the enlarged belly. I certainly could do without being tired (I'm ALREADY tired, I have a 2 yr old, extremely active BOY!!!)... and don't get me started on the heartburn. But these are the little pains....

Blog Virgin

I've decided to take on Blogging by the horns... Actually, I'm thinking that this might be somewhat therapeutic... just what I need. I'm a first time blogger, and I'm not really writing for anyone else but myself...and or whomever decides to sneak a peek... I've got ideas and thoughts, questions and projects all wanting to come to life, with no medium, so I figured, this blank slate is just the tool to make it happen!



About me:

I'm Kathryn, 27, mother of a toddler (noah , 2), expecting a second son (Oct 2009), married to Dan (together 7 yrs), we have shared custody of his daughter (Alexina 8). We live in our first house in Chambly since 2007. Studied in law, working in finance. Always expecting to study anew... when I have the time. I was born in Montreal, lived on the south shore of Montreal for most of my life (minus a 5 year time span from my early to mid 20s, where I resided in various locations in Montreal). I love the city, but wouldn't be a homeowner anywhere else but the shore. We used to have a pet-filled house, and for the first time in 6 years... nothing.. (kids are enough... no seriously, it's allergies mainly)...