I think it has been apparent that my blogging has taken a back seat. As much as I would like to keep this up in a more regular basis than a monthly posts (purely not intentional), I just couldn’t carve the time to do so. However, tonight is the night… (as rare as it is) that I can put my feet up, listen to a playlist of Norah Jones while my fingers hungrily type away my thoughts.
Where do I begin?
When in doubt, it’s best to start from the beginning. So let me share with you some of the highlights of this month.
WEEK ONE.- I had my 3rd craft show at Klages Mill and Garden in Chesley.
It was a beautiful place! The venue is actually used for wedding receptions among other functions, therefore it was tastefully decorated. There were roughly about 20-25 vendors. Our tables were 3 x 8 feet long. One of my favourite parts of going to craft shows is setting up. I put a lot of thought into where I should put each item and how I can better display them. We had a regular flow of people that came in, and I must say… I did very well. I can see myself doing this again next year if I get invited again. I think the highlight of this event for me, more than just making sales, was connecting with people I wouldn’t have otherwise met if I had not participated. Our toddler, Mira, who is normally reserved especially among strangers, bonded instantly with one of the vendors she just met! She actually took Krysta’s hand and asked her to look at some of the toys that other vendors were selling. This lovely lady left her booth and gladly obliged. They were inseparable! My heart exploded to see such a sight! Krysta’s table was just across from my table to the right and she runs Krysta Bleumer Photography and takes amazing photos. With the connection my toddler made with her, I can’t wait to have a family photo session with her before our 3rd one is born!
Another wonderful lady I met was Nancy. She was browsing my items, and asked if I make personalized bracelets. I didn’t have this service advertised on my booth, but I actually have done personalized name bracelets for friends and family in the past. So I said yes. I showed her some pictures of them, and right away she ordered 2. She didn’t even asked me how much they cost. She was just happy to know I can have them ready in a few days. She told me they are for a one year old baby and a toddler, and that the toddler’s favourite colour was pink.
WEEK TWO:- God’s intervention through a bracelet order.
I worked on Nancy’s orders right away. When I was done, I wrapped them individually in coloured tissue papers, and enclosed them in pretty organza bags with a Christmas tag on it. When she came and picked them up, I opened it for her so she could see what they look like. When Nancy saw the name bracelet I have made for the toddler with an angel charm, she shed some tears. She told me she’s her angel. Apparently, the little girl’s dad took his own life, and this has been a very hard experience for their entire family. I’ve lost loved ones myself so I know what it means to lose someone, but I can only imagine what it’s like to be in her shoes. As we talked standing in my foyer, my vision got blurry. My chest got heavy. I don’t even remember if I asked her if it’s okay for me to give her a hug. I just did. And we embraced. I knew then, that our paths crossed for this reason. It is moments like this that take my crafting to a whole new level… If my creation can touch even just one single heart the way it did Nancy’s, then I have achieved the purpose of why I do what I do. Blessed her heart! I hope someday we can exchange more stories over tea.
- Meeting Baby Vela.
Baby Vela’s mom (Julie) and I worked together at a chiropractic clinic before. We kept in touch even after I left the clinic to be a stay-at-home mom. I hosted Julie’s baby shower held at Elk and Finch restaurant in Southampton few months before Vela was born. I made up some games for us to play with, but I think the Baby Jeopardy game I put together was the biggest hit! At that time, we didn’t know if Julie’s having a boy or a girl. I was delighted to finally meet her and hold her in my arms! It was precious!
WEEK THREE.- A trip to the city!
My husband had a work conference in Toronto. We stayed at Chelsea Hotel where we have been staying every time he has his COG (Candu Owner’s Group) meetings. Our toddler who’s used to travelling with us did not complain at all even when she had to haul her own luggage at 10 in the evening. It was a little bit hard for her younger sister to not sleep in her own crib so bed time and nap time was a challenge. After staying in Toronto for a few days, we packed our babes to drive to Niagara Falls and had a mini vacation at Americana Waterpark.
It was our first time to stay there and the girls loved it! Morning and afternoon we stayed at the pool until our hands and feet were wrinkly like prunes. The high level of chlorine in the water, to keep the bacteria from forming, made my skin itchy for days. But it was all worth it seeing our kiddos having so much fun! I almost did the spa on the day we left, but the 4 hour drive home didn’t make it feasible for us. Perhaps another time.
- We attended a Filipino Christmas Party at Tiverton.
There were probably about 150-200 people that came, including kids. This was our first time to come to this event, but we heard that this was their 12th year. Let me tell you this… when Filipinos get together, there’s always LOTS of food! They also had an open mic and karaoke set- up, which is a usual past time among Filipinos. There were some line dancing, and ballroom dancing too! Our toddler, who is naturally reserved, shyly went on the dance floor, and then danced her heart away! Her more social younger sister went around the place like a proper host making sure she doesn’t missed a table. Haha! We brought some gifts for our kids to open and they were pretty excited about that!
It was a pot luck so to contribute to the food, I brought with us 2 serving dishes of my famous pork BBQ skewers that were completely empty by the time we made it through the line; and a few plates of various Filipino kakanin (desserts) that also went quickly.
- Blood work.
I had my glucose testing done, which is a prerequisite when you’re pregnant. I received a phone call from the midwife on the day I had my blood test done, and found out my blood sugar was elevated (just as it was with my first 2 pregnancies). They asked me to go back to retake the test, and do a 12 hr fasting. The second screening was almost a 3 hour test. I was starving by the time I was done. The nurse that did my blood work said that my midwives will get the result the same day. I waited for a phone call, but received none. They say no news is good news. So I tried to look at it that way.
- Grand Opening of our Christmas pop up store.
A group of 32 local artisans put their items together to rent a store for a month. Jackie Humphrey, the organizer of this amazing group of creative people, leased a vacant store in downtown Walkerton and decorated the place and put all our items on display. Our grand opening was during the town’s shopper’s night so the store was actually open till 9:30. We were there just before 7pm and there was still a good flow of people coming in.
- Play date at Southampton.
I took my girls to the Jubilee Park in Southampton (about 15 min drive from our house) and met with 2 other families and their boys for a play date. Despite the cold morning, we managed to stay outdoors and play for about an hour and a half. Our girls enjoyed going up and down the slides endlessly, and being pushed in the swings. If I wasn’t meeting some ladies at a restaurant in our town for lunch, we would have stayed longer at the park.
- Pea Pod luncheon in Port Elgin.
Our Pea Pod experience was quite unique. I wasn’t sure when the restaurant opened in town, but it was our first time to dine in there. The place was so cozy, with little chairs for little kids. They have sofas, and swivel chairs, and a bright blue bookshelf with books. My kids felt so at home! The food was great! I didn’t care much for the pea soup I ordered, but the wrap and the white bean dip with chips were divine!
- Appreciation Party in Kincardine.
My husband and I were invited to an appreciation party that his co-worker threw for those who had helped him when he was starting his job, and helped his wife and family settle in their new environment. The majority of the people at the party are East Indian so we had an East Indian feast. The food was amazing! I love eating Indian food and learned so many other food that night that I wished to recreate myself. My favourite was the Mung Dal, which is very similar to Mung Bean Stew, a Filipino dish I grew up eating with steamed white rice. There was so much food left over that they actually asked us to bring some home. So we did! The Mung Dal was the first one to go. It was all gone when I got to the table with my plastic container that the host brought for his guests to take. So we brought home our other favourites – Kadhai Paneer, Spicy Chicken with peppers in a curry sauce (not sure what it’s called though), and Naan bread. It was a treat!
WEEK FIVE:- Story telling with Santa/Tea Party and Treats.
My girls and I went to our town’s library for some story time. It was different than their usual Tuesday storytelling. This time, it was a tea party. There was some Christmas cookies, and tea. And then an old guy in Santa Claus costume came and read the book Twas The Night Before Christmas. After that, he handed treats to the kids. My husband and I are not big fan of taking pictures with Santa. This was actually our kids’ first time to sit on Santa’s lap and our oldest will be turning 3 in February. She only wanted to get in the line because Santa was handing treats to the kids that came to him. If not for that, I don’t think she would have went at all. I tried to put her younger sister on Santa’s lap, but she didn’t like it. She didn’t get a treat bag, but I’m sure one treat bag is plenty for them to share.
My husband and I don’t want our kids to believe in Santa Claus.. that if they are nice, they will get presents from him on Christmas Day. The reason why we pack Christmas shoeboxes as a yearly tradition is so that our kids will learn to share their blessings with others who are not as fortunate as they are. We don’t want them to be more concerned with receiving gifts, instead we want them to be generous givers.
- Midwife and ultrasound appointments.
Our kids are so used to going to the midwives’ office now that they felt at home during our last visits. Mira and Diane were both chattering in the background while the midwife was talking to me and my husband. But as soon as she took the fetal doppler out to listen to the baby’s heartbeat, the room fell silent. We all listened attentively. The heartbeat was strong and fast. It was music to my ears!
A fax from the hospital about my glucose testing came in just as I was about to leave. I told myself if the result comes out negative, I will eat a chocolate fudge when we get home. I had TWO! And it was delicious!
The following day, I had my ultrasound appointment, which has been a family trip right from the get-go. It doesn’t matter what time of day it is, my husband has tried to be with me in all of them except for 2 (the first one because he didn’t know I was pregnant with our 2nd baby and I wanted to give him the ultrasound photo as a Christmas gift; and the second was with our 3rd baby when he had a conference call that unfortunately he couldn’t move to a different time and day). Now that our kids are starting to understand momma has a baby in her growing tummy, they were as excited as we were to see the baby (again!). They sat on their daddy’s lap while the technician moved the transducer probe on my belly. They both kept saying “baby” and pointing at the screen. Mira who can communicate more would say what she thinks she’s seeing on the monitor.
I think we are having a boy, but my husband thinks it’s another girl. In 3 more months we will soon find out! I can hardly wait! My belly keeps jiggling as I type. It’s actually happening a lot lately. It’s a different sensation for sure compared to when the baby kicks or punches or does somersaults. It’s like the baby is laughing inside, which makes me laugh with it too. Can anybody relate to that? (Comment below if you do! I love to hear from you!).
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