Hubby-isms (1st installment)

When it comes to home repairs, financial operations, and general tinkering, my husband is quite the pro. But when it comes to language, the results can be hilarious. Here are a few examples:

While cleaning up the garage:

"Why did you write 'PLUM' on that box?"
"It's short form."
"For what?"
"Plumbing."

General comments:

"That sticks out like a sore eye-thumb."

And my favourite...

"It worked like a glove."

Rock-A-Bye Baby

After a recent trip to the library, I found a couple of really interesting CD's that piqued my interest. Lullabies played using twinkly sounding glockenspiel, vibraphone, mellontron and other instruments, playing popular tunes by Metallica and Green Day.

Having two kids named after rock stars, I thought this would just be PERFECT for them until I actually listened to "Enter Sandman" on what sounded like an xylophone. Creeeeeeepy.

"Basketcase" on the other hand, was cutesy but it all gets sickening after a few minutes. There's even Nine Inch Nails. Wow.

Lesson learned: If you want to rock. Rock hard.

New Motherhood Discoveries!

I found something that is ACTUALLY more disgusting than vomit, pee, poo, snot and saliva.

It's MOULDY vomit, pee, poo, snot and saliva!

Thank you John Sr. for taking our garbage to the dump.

Birthday gifts

Last Father's Day, I wanted to get something for the hubby that he would want AND enjoy. After much thought, I ran out at the first opportunity and got him a tera-byte external hard drive AND UFC: Undisputed for the PS3. I figured if he liked both, great. If he didn't like one as much, I'll return the other. As it turned out, he said they were both nice but they were too expensive and he would actually prefer this ladder he saw in an ad. So, I returned both gifts and went with him to buy the ladder only to find the ladder didn't meet his expectations.

So no gift and here is his birthday looming before me and I am back to square one. Here are my new thoughts:
A GPS: He mentioned it passingly and we get lost often.
A cutting tool kit: On sale for half the price and he mentioned it.
The elusive ladder: I could try.
Planter and plant: He'd like one for the front of the house though it's a risk.
Shiny new house numbers: He mentioned it long ago. I know he doesn't like our current ones.

Any ideas are welcome. Wish me luck!

Toddler antics

Here's an update on some of my two year old's antics:

* After walking one block to the playground, she says: "Too far. I lazy!"

* She gives her brother a playful pat on the bum then scrunches up her nose: "Ewww. Stanky! Pee pee diaper!"

* I walk by and notice she is delicately slicing away at a stuffed animal with a butter knife and placing imaginary bits into a teacup: "What are you doing?" I ask. "Shhhh. Piggy is sick." And she continues the operation. When done, she picks him up, tucks it into bed. "There. Better."

Restaurant Review: Collingwood's 3 Guys and a Stove vs. The Stuffed Peasant

The hubby and I have just returned from a 3 day vacation from the kids. We decided to go to Collingwood as it has a few enjoyable activities (Treetop excursion-zip lines- Scenic Caves and the awesome Scandinave Spa). Far too cold for Wasaga Beach unfortunately, and visiting Midland, Ontario was a huge dissappointment. Food-wise, we found two places worthy of discussion:

Our first proper dinner was at Three Guys and a Stove in the Village at Blue Mountain (a make-believe village that I liken to Disneyland for skiiers). The tag line of the restaurant is: "For People with Great Taste," reassuring the diner that they have made a sage decision to eat there. Friendly staff and a casual interior bedecked by framed photos of food taken from the cookbook of Jeff Suddaby. I thought this was kinda weird and tacky, almost like a take-out counter menu, it only lacked the prices. The menu looked promising. We started with a Risotto cake atop a seasoned, fried tomato. It was drizzled with what I can only describe as hot sauce and then adorned with a pickled onion chutney. We agreed that the intention and creativity was there but it lacked proper balance and execution. Too sour, too hot, too fried. If the chutney was replaced with fresh green grapes and the hot sauce with say, a balsamic vinegar drizzle, this dish would have greater harmony. Lamb meatballs on couscous and mushroom risotto with lamb had similar issues of discord. Again, great ideas...poor execution.

The next night, we went into the downtown strip of Collingwood to The Stuffed Peasant. A small but pleasant space, we chose this location because it was one of the few places that was open at 9:30 p.m. We started with grilled calamari on a bed of sauteed cabbage. It was so simple but so perfectly cooked. The calamari was fresh and whole and cooked til just tender and drizzled with oil, lemon, salt and pepper. Ballontine chicken with rapini and lentils and my dish, liver with beets and mashed potatoes were also perfectly cooked and properly seasoned. And thought we were full to bursting, we ended with Frangelico creme brulee because we wanted to know if this chef's skill extended to his desserts. It did.

It is so true what they say. Eat where the locals eat.

Hot Men: Anthony Wiggle

A sure sign I'm watching too many children's programs...Anthony Field, aka Anthony Wiggle of "The Wiggles" is very handsome. I must be very specific here, as he looked awful in the earlier years of the Wiggles (see left pic), but is now sophisticated and refined looking with his light blue eyes and graying temples. Of all the Wiggles, he seems always to be slightly (deliberately?) out of step and genuinely enthusiastic in their videos. Something I find very endearing.

Alarmingly, I am not the only one. I just came across an article, Who's the Hottest Wiggle? Good god. It's a mommy thing.

First Words

This evening while I was feeding my 10 month old son some mango, I heard his first word. Not "mama" or "dada" or "baba" as the hubby and I have been expecting and betting on. His first words were, "Mum-mum" which basically means "Food!" in a Cantonese baby-talk. Yes, he's not a mama's boy or daddy's boy. I gave birth to a foodie like me.