the finger

Apparently, one of K's classmates was getting into trouble for brandishing the finger at school.  She was quite expressive about the finger so now N has picked up on it too.  It has been one of the main topics of conversation during supper-hour, snack-time and during bedtime rituals.  I reinforced that the finger was rude and using the finger would result in consequences (ie: potential loss of allowances to the finger-toll and/or loss of tv privileges).

Four-year old N was quite curious about the finger at bedtime.  She methodically went through the various finger combinations identifying and confirming which ones would get her into trouble.  I warned her not to use the finger at school or that she could find herself in the Principal's office.  "And you know what that means?", I asked.  Big-eyed, she nodded her head.  "Trouble", I replied.

N asked, "Does Mrs. J [preschool teacher] know what the finger means?" (and keep in mind that N sounds like a New Englander with her inability to pronounce her "r"s).  I assured her Mrs J did.

Six-year old K and N don't know what the finger means, just that it is verboten.  They know it is rude and not acceptable.  I told N that using the finger shows that a person lacks language skills to express his feelings and thoughts.

The excitement over the finger this evening has caused me to reflect on other incidents with the finger that have occurred during my life.  For example, I recall my mother driving (with me as passenger) in the 1980s when someone drove past her in annoyance and flipped her the bird.  She didn't react at all because she didn't know what the bird meant.  When I told her what it meant, she immediately reacted by throwing her index finger up in the air and shaking it in reply to the offender.  My mother had the darndest time figuring out which was the finger.

Another time, my younger sister was driving in Los Angeles (with me as passenger) and we were getting horribly lost.  She was annoyed with me and the crappy map that we had of LA.  Someone honked the horn behind her.  She flipped the bird.  I expected to die at that moment from gunshot wounds.  I slouched down in my seat for a little while after that incident.

How about you?  Any favorite incidents you'd like to share about the finger?

clash of cultures or differences of generations?

I made a quick trip to my hometown on Friday to visit Dr C., a Chinese acupuncturist.  It was an experience; somewhat a clash of cultures?

Dr C gave me a questionnaire to complete upon my arrival.  I faithfully complied by filling out all my aches and pains and history.  He kept returning to see me laboriously fill it out and finally gave up waiting for me and hustled me into the treatment room!

In the treatment room, he tugged at my jacket and swished at my skirt.  It was apparent that he spoke English as his second language as I removed my jacket.  He poked at my skirt.  Apparently, he had no time for modesty.  During my examination, he prodded my Gluteus Maximus and identified the common source of my back pain.  He clucked to the effect that my back pain was caused by making me move too soon following child birth.  He inquired whether I considered having a third child because then the muscle would likely return to proper place.  I told him having child #3 would require a choice between back pain and my sanity; I'd have to choose sanity.

This conversation rang a bell.  In fact, a couple weeks ago, a Vietnamese friend made a similar comment: when she came to Canada, her family was astonished how quickly Canadian women were released from hospitals following labour/delivery.  In Vietnam, new mothers are nurtured following birth.

These comments have made me reflect on how my grandmother and mother described their post-delivery experiences.  My grandmother gave birth to 2 of her 3 children at the farm where the doctor attended along with the mid-wife.  She described the mid-wife staying with her for about 10 days before/after the birth of her first son to assist in her settling into her new duty as mother in 1936.  My grandfather had to sleep in the barn as there was no room for him to sleep in the house.

My mother described post-delivery as, in effect, one big party (between 1959 to 1971).  She described the women having a grand time in the shared hospital rooms and fondly describes ordering double orders of all the food on the menu for her meals.  She stayed in hospital (following natural births) for about 1 week each time.

In contrast, I think I was generally out of the hospital with the baby in around 24 hours following natural birth, even though K's birth included induction, forceps and vacuum; N's birth was completely natural.  With my first daughter, K, I recall the frustration of trying to breastfeed a child; and the frustration of trying to get K to sleep in my room because I was so sleep deprived due to the lengthy induction, labour and delivery.  I was so grateful that I was able to take her to a nursery for about 4 hours that first night before she was returned to my room at 4 a.m..  (I recall that there was subsequent discussion about eliminating the hospital's nursery but I don't know whether this has occurred yet).

I couldn't help but wonder whether this conversation with Dr C reflected a clash of cultures or whether the conversation is lamenting what used to be more readily available in the dominant culture?  Are we as a community adequately supporting new mothers?  I don't have a particular position either supporting or opposing hospital births versus at-home births.  I can't help but wonder either way whether our post-delivery care has improved or is it a step back from where we were 40 or more years ago?  Any thoughts?

don't ask me to do a cartwheel either

K and N have been begging to take gymnastics.  They don't seem to realize that they don't come from "gymnast" stock.

In grade 3, I took gymnastics.  My mother volunteered (as required) one evening.  The teacher observed me trying to get over the vaulting horse, shook her head and commented to the effect, "Look at that one".  My mother nodded wisely and admitted, "That one's mine".

In grade 10 (mandatory) gym class, I was determined to get over the vaulting horse again.  The gym teacher promised to spot me.  I took the first run at the springboard but I was too long.  The second run, I was too short.  I decided I'd give it one more try.  Meanwhile, the teacher prepared to spot me.  I cleared the horse, knocking both of us onto the mat.

Of gymnast stock?  Not me.  So far, neither K nor N seem promising gymnasts but they are determined.  (Apparently, their determination has been inherited from me).

Perhaps I should introduce them to the Ross Sisters?  Perhaps they would understand then?

for the birds

Another week has passed.  Tomorrow I will drink my last 6 oz cup of java for the next while.  I haven't had any corn based products; no nuts or shellfish.  I've cheated by having a few strawberries and the hardest thing to rid of is gluten (possibly because there is so much temptation surrounding me).  I've polished off a bag of raisins and sunflower seeds. I have identified dried apricots as an alternate fruit source (contrast to Cranraisins which contain sugar and therefore are eliminated as a fruit source).

My ears are feeling better.  The degree of fluctuation of "pluggedness" isn't as severe this week; I have heard "popping" sounds in my ears.  It is evident that my hearing is best in the morning when I wake up until I rise for the day; when I bend my head forward, the plugging increases.  There are times when my hearing in my left ear seems almost 100% before it plugs; I take comfort from this because it means that there's a chance for recovery of hearing in my left ear.

I plug on with the wacky naturopathic diet.

the audibly frustrated Carb Queen

I've been spending a lot of time making Chinese herbal tea.  I brew a new packet of herbs three times a day for 20, 25 and 30 minutes.  I've been doing this for over 1 month.  I have received significant relief from the herbs but my hearing varies on a minute by minute basis, completely unpredictable.  (I'll be visiting a different acupuncturist in my hometown in a couple weeks for a second opinion).

Looking for a different alternative to improve my hearing, I visited a naturopath (for the first time ever) last week.  That was a different (ahem) experience. Not surprisingly, he wanted to modify my diet by reducing/eliminating for at least 1 month or longer:

• gluten products
• corn
• caffeine
• sugars except for small quantities of honey or maple syrup
• red meats and shellfish
• tropical fruits, citrus fruits and strawberries  (in effect, I'm supposed to eat fruits available from this continent which are effectively apples, pears and peaches ~ peaches are out of season)
• cow dairy products
• soy products (ie: tofu)
• nuts

I've not been a happy camper.  My food groups have been decimated.  I'm not opposed to eliminating caffeine or reducing sugars or carbs.  Modification of my diet is probably good for me.  I am more concerned about eliminating dairy and many of its substitutes (ie: almonds, nuts generally) and reducing fruit options.

It is incredibly difficult finding gluten-free products that don't have corn as a substitute.  Even Quaker's Oatmeal has gluten.  I went shopping for a "seed butter" and came across sunflower seed butter which, of course, has been processed in a factory so it may have some peanuts in it.

I've cheated by eating Quaker's Oatmeal for breakfast with a swish of maple syrup.  I ran out of skim milk on the weekend so ventured into rice milk (as soy milk isn't a substitute).  I poured it on my oatmeal this morning and decided I'll pass on the rice milk tomorrow so that I'd just have oatmeal with some maple syrup.  I've significantly reduced my consumption of gluten products, caffeine, sugar but also fruits (because I'm discouraged from eating kiwis, bananas, mangos, any citrus, any melons, strawberries ~ so much for eating the colours of the rainbow).

I'm at the brink of throwing in the towel on the naturopath methods.

Meanwhile, I visited the Ears/Nose/Throat specialist last week to inquire about why I am experiencing hearing problems with my left ear (since the end of January).  He confirmed my suspicion that it might be that otosclerosis has commenced in that ear as well.  I was quite surprised to learn that he couldn't actually see the otosclerosis in either ear but made a presumption based upon my audio-test results.  I was shocked that I could undergo laser surgery on my inner ears based upon an educated guess.

Never mind.  I'm just being grouchy.  Would you mind eating a few carbs for me?

the end is near!

I'm on the countdown: the demolition of our kitchen starts May 10!  It has felt like it is approaching.  It isn't very common to find a dishwasher sitting in our livingroom but it's been here since the end of February!  Our salesperson has been fabulous and has saved us lots of money on our appliances!

I've started baking like crazy knowing that I'll be oven-less for 5 weeks.  N has her birthday in June and I am contemplating making a cake to send with her for daycare so that I can be certain that it is nut-free and permitted at daycare!  (I draw the line on gluten-free baking: I'd have to hunt for and test-try to try to locate a decent recipe!)  I just have to stock up with some cooking for freezing and we are set to go!  (Except we hope to make strawberry jam this weekend and the list seems to grow!)

We purchased the cabinet hardware from Rejuvenation ( ~ swoon ~ it is so fortunate that I don't live close to that store!) in February when there was a sale on shipping/handling.  There was a sale on period lighting in March so we purchased our main kitchen light fixtures there too.  I can hardly wait to see this all pulled together!

We I've also been working on the final details.  Having lived with the paint samples and pressing my little flooring, counter-top and fabric samples beside them, I have finally determined the colour.

I've started cleaning up the basement laundry vanity as the laundryroom will become our kitchen very soon.  We will be purchasing an electric 2-burner stovetop for cooking purposes.  I will have to start packing up the kitchen as well!  The end is near!!

Easter prep

This place is abuzz with Easter excitement.  We decorated eggs yesterday:

As I felt guilty that I ran out of time to use my bunny cookie-cutter to make cookies this Lent season, I decided to make little bread treats for K and N this morning.  I even contemplated mixing cream cheese with strawberry jam as a topping for the bunnies and to make them pink.  Good thing I didn't take that extra step.  When N entered the kitchen and spied the bunnies, she announced, "I'm not going to eat that"!  I coaxed her to eat the bread and butter with a little peanut butter!  I used the bread crust/remnants to make eggs in a nest for my dh and me for breakfast! *

We had our first "Almost Sleepover" last evening where both K and N had a friend each over for the evening.  We played outside for a bit, came inside and made a craft, then the girls got into their pjs and had popcorn and a soda float while getting their fingernails polished.  After brushing of teeth and washing up, they then voted on which Disney cartoon to watch and managed to get a few minutes in watching it before their parents arrived to pick them up.  That's my kinda sleepover!!

K and N are very excited that the Easter Bunny is coming tomorrow.  You may recall that I tried to debunk the myth last year to failed effect so I didn't bother to try this year.  K is convinced that she heard the Easter Bunny bounding around the house last year and is trying to entice me and N to sleep in her room tonight so that we can listen for the Bunny.  N found a hare in our front yard yesterday afternoon and she's convinced it is somehow in cahoots with the Easter Bunny.

Happy Easter!!

*Egg in a nest is a recipe where you butter both sides of a slice of bread, cut a hole in the centre of the bread and place it in a frying pan.  Add an egg in the hole in the bread and fry the bread and egg.