I love the winter weather

I had two weeks off for the Christmas break (or the winter break as it is referred to here) and we packed the kid up and headed back to Edmonton. This is my third year of going home for Christmas and I've found that in the past I build up a mental list before the break of all the things I want to do but never write them down so by the time I get home I've forgotten half of them and accomplish even fewer of them. So this year I went home with a list in hand.

1. Bless Bridget




This was the soonest I could do it back in Edmonton with all of my family so Bridget was about five months old at the time and a little bigger then the typical baby being blessed, but at least she didn't walk up to the front by herself. I did have to make sure I kept my eyes closed during the blessing because she likes to smile and laugh when I make eye contact with her and I would have started laughing if she did.



(Bridget playing with her cousins. She looks so big in that doll stroller)



2. Start Canadianizing Bridget

This originally meant starting the process of applying for Bridget's Canadian citizenship, however, that didn't happen so I adapted it to mean getting her accustomed to the snow and cold. By doing that I was able to say I accomplished this one and it helped me check of other items on my list.



We started changing her diapers right in front of the sliding door to the back yard. Every time the door opened to let Harley out Bridget would get a blast of cold winter air. At first I don't think she knew what to make of it but after a while she just got used to it. Canadianization: check.





Showing off her new favourite trick of pulling out her soother and jamming her hand in her mouth.



3. Take Bridget skating on the lake at Hawrelak Park


It was cold most of the time I was in Edmonton but there were a few nice days that were prefect for skating and other outdoor winter activities. We didn't go skating on one of the nice days. By the time Kate decided not to be sick anymore (she was in bed for two days straight) all the nice days were gone and we were going skating in the cold. It was -20C (that's -4F for my metricly challenged readers). Obviously Bridget was not going to be out very long in those conditions but we wrapped her up well, threw her in a wagon and went for it. The ice was in rough shape. It was like there were marbles embedded in the ice, not to mention the huge cracks in it. We managed to skate for about 15 minutes until I felt satisfied I deserved to check it off the list.



(We kept her covered the whole time and only uncovered her to take pictures.)

4. Go Sledding

Another cold day but that didn't stop us from taking her out of the sled and playing with her in the snow.

(In her snow chair showing how deep the snow is)

Dropping Bridget into the snow in her snow suit, not on the original list (I didn't know she had a snow suit)

With all that checking things off my list I almost forgot that Christmas was in there too. For the last couple of years my family has tried to take a family picture on Christmas eve. Then of course after the real picture we take a not so serious picture. This year it was mustaches if you couldn't tell.

The family tradition is that Santa brings you one big present that isn't wrapped and is just on the couch. Kate and I didn't want to have to haul something back to NJ so Bridget just wasn't going to get a big Santa present but we hadn't thought that her cousins might get suspicious. This was pointed out to on Christmas morning so we had to come up with a Santa present fast. I think we came up with a pretty good one; a pineapple. I think I smell a new Christmas tradition for our kids' 1st Christmas.

(Bridget inspecting her Christmas present and approving. We ate it later that day)


(Bridget having a good time with Grandpa)

Christmas Crafts - A Post by Kate!!

Pocket Advent Calendars

My friend Tamara and I recently got together to make these super cute advent calendars for some of our friends and family. In theory they would be really easy and fast to make but with 3 young kids between the two of us it took us 2 afternoons to make 5 each. I gave one to Jason to take to school and impress his friends with his Christmas spirit. They were so much fun to make I think they will become part of my Christmas tradition.

Tile Coasters

When I was in Edmonton in October Southgate Ward was having their Super Saturday and I was so sad I wasn't going to be around to make this fabulous and easy Christmas craft. I really wanted an excuse to make them so when my friend invited me to her annual Homemade Christmas Craft Exchange I already knew exactly what I was going to make. I found some really cute rub-ons that I thought worked really well with the snowflake paper but they turned out to be a total pain because they didn't stick very well on tile. I didn't know what they did on the bottom but I stuck a square of adhesive backed felt on it and it worked really well. I also made a set for myself.

Because Jason and I aren't going to be around for Christmas there is no point setting up a Christmas tree but it would be really depressing to go through almost the entire month of December without any decorations. Ever since I walked through the $1 section at Target and saw a package of 8 sparkly ornaments I have been trying to figure out what I could do with them and this is what I came up with:

You can't really tell but I found some silver and crystal monogram ornaments for the whole family (in order left to right "J", "B", "K").

And because no post is complete without a picture of Bridget...

My "Superbowl" Sunday

Somebody forgot to tell Bridget about daylight savings, so she woke up around 6:30am on Sunday morning and didn't want to go back to sleep. I took her downstairs to play for a little bit then put her back to sleep. I have to admit I wasn't very put out about getting up because she is always so happy in the morning. That day in particular I was excited about getting up because it was marathon Sunday and I wanted to watch the pre-race coverage on the local news.

I had already gotten into the marathon spirit by volunteering at a race on Saturday in Central Park handing out cinnamon-raisin bagels for 45 minutes to ~7000 runners as they crossed what would be the marathon finish line. This run was a marathon warm-up run that took runners from the UN to Central Park. Most of the runners had come from other countries to run the marathon, with lots of runners from France, Germany, Japan, and the Netherlands. The park was buzzing with runners and people setting up for the marathon.

Runners on 1st ave

Although we hadn't planned on going to watch the marathon, I realized that next year at this time I'll be out on Staten Island waiting to start to run myself and will problably never see the marathon in person. Neither of us wanted to miss this opportunity so we rushed to get ready and out the door just as the first wave of men crossed the starting line.
Blockng the wind from Bridget's face


We didn't wait around to see if the rest of the band was behind him

The trains were filled with people going to cheer on the runners. It was fun to hear everyone on the trains talk about running so openly and the best place to watch and seeing the signs they'd made.

Our first stop was 1st ave at about the 18 mile mark but we missed the frontrunners. We then walked over closer to the finish line, stopping on 5th ave and actually saw some of the same people that ran past us on 1st ave. Random people were handing out bananas and licorice to any runner that wanted some. There was constant noise, cheering, and bells/horns.

There is just something so exciting about marathons that every time I watch one I forget about all the training needed and can't wait to run one. Knowing that I'll be running this one next year made this even more exciting. Next year I won't just be watching "the Superbowl of running", I'll be in it.

Home again

Kate and Bridget are back from their trip to Edmonton for Canadian Thanksgiving. Most people (meaning everyone besides Kate and Bridget) don't know that the true way to celebrate Canadian Thanksgiving is with 2+ Thanksgiving dinners, and maybe a Thanksgiving lunch if you can sneak it in, followed by a 2 and a half week vacation. I was in complete support of giving Bridget the true Thanksgiving experience. While there Bridget met lots of new people and family members for the first time.

Bridget and her cousin Preston

Bonding with Auntie Lissa. (She's the one with all the fun toys Bridget)

Kate's side of the family all together for an elusive family picture

This last weekend we decided to go out leafing. We drove just into New York state to Bear Mountain State Park. It was really nice to get out of the city and see some Fall colours. It was the first time Bridget was out in the cold for a long time and she held up pretty well. We need to make sure she's fully Canadianized before our trip home at Christmas.

Look at those beautiful trees!

(Brace yourself for the onslaught of family pictures)

This background looks like one of those that they pull down at Sears or at school picture day. I really wanted the bookcase or the laser background.

Where's the lasers?

I finished my last run to complete the nine needed to qualify for next year's marathon. All I have left to do is to do my volunteering and I'm doing it this next weekend. Registration is now open for anyone who wants to join me next year!

Grunting to Cooing

This past week we went out on a picnic at the park by our house. I walk through this park every day on my way to school and see people with their kids and have always wanted to take my kid to the park too. Bridget had a good time even if Kate couldn't resist picking at her cradle cap.

Bridget had her two month check up the other day and has almost doubled her birth weight. She's in the 67th percentile for weight and slightly under average height, so she's a short fatty. Just what every girl wants to be. She's traded most of her newborn grunting for cooing, making her more babylike and less badger-like. When I have late clinic and have the mornings off I am able to be there when she gets up in the morning. She smiles when I get her out of bed and loves talking to me.

She also loves bath time, spashing all the time. It's become a fun part of her otherwise grumpy bedtime routine.

Holding up her head during tummy time

I started this blog when I first came out to school here with the intent to keep family, including Kate, back at home apprised of my activities and to prove that I was still alive. Writing not being one of my strong suits I pushed Kate to take over the blog when she first came out. Needless to say that didn't happen and I'm still the main author. However, she proof-reads, edits (I don't always make sense in the first draft) and sets background and layout (I often complain that the backgrounds she picks are too girly). I bring this up because I've started to notice that of all the other blogs that I follow there are not that many guys writing family blogs.

(Note from Kate: He actually only continues doing it because he loves getting comments so please please say something or else I'll get stuck with the blogging responsibilities and then you'll only get annual updates at best)

Road Trip

At the end of my extensive two week summer vacation my parents came out here to see Bridget. I still had a couple of days till school started up again and they wanted to go on a trip so we headed down to Washington D.C. for the Labour day long weekend. This was Bridget's first road trip and she did really well. It was a four hour drive down there and she slept almost the entire way except for the last 10 minutes when she cried uncontrollably.

Pillow mint

It was nice to have someone else there to take pictures of all three of us

The first night we were there we walked to the monuments and lucked out with a great sunset. Bridget had her diaper changed on the grass at the Washington monument.

You'll see more of him later.

So we saw all the monuments, took a tour of the Capital, went to the library of Congress, went to a couple of the Smithsonian museums and went to the Arlington cemetary and then we were out of DC. But not before stopping at the DC temple.

We left DC and headed into Pennsylvania to Gettysburg. We checked out the battlefield and walked around the town that still has buildings with bullet damage in them from the battle. Maybe in 150 years people will come to Jersey City and be impressed by the buildings here too.

Our next and final stop of our trip was at Hershey Pennsylvania. We toured their faux factory and the city that was built around the factory. There was lots of chocolate but no oompa-loompas, I looked. All of that chocolate was lost on Bridget and she could have cared less.

My dad and I did a run in Central Park. I always have a good time doing these runs and I think my Dad was pretty excited to do one too.

Bridget was there to cheer us on.

Waiting in Filene's Basement (which obviously isn't a basement at all) overlooking Union Square's farmers' market.

Every year on the evening of Sept. 11th the city puts up these lights to remind the terrorists that Batman still watches over Gotham City