Our Trip to Jasper Part 1

Jasper had long been on my must see list so when my cousin told me he was getting married there this year I was super excited! I love getting together with the Roche side of the family, they all live in Alberta and Ontario so we don't see each other nearly enough! I got to meet my newest little cousin Chloe, and although she gave us all her nasty cold....the snuggles were worth it!

Jasper is everything you would expect it to be. It is magnificent!!!! Such raw, natural beauty...it's breath taking! Here are some IPhone snaps that Ryan and I took while we were there. Part 2 will have our fancy-dancy camera photos of the wedding.

Claire Bear: A Photo Update

Claire has been enjoying the dog days of summer, laying about in the grass and sun watching the birds and the clouds. She loves nature

Officially not a "baby" anymore, attention folks we have a toddler on our hands!

Claire has discovered that she LOVES watermelon, she would eat an entire melon if I let her

Resently she has started giving hugs and kisses, this makes mommy VERY happy

She has also started giving me little gifts like flowers, rocks, and twigs. I treasure each and every one

PASTAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!

This week was also Claire's first day of daycare. I couldn't stop taking pictures of my big girl! Clearly she was less then impressed. It was only 1 day for 5 hours, but it felt like FOREVER! I was so excited to pick her up!

The other day we went for a train ride at Bear Creek Park here in Surrey. This is her eagerly awaiting the train and having a snack, she kept saying CHOO CHOO with a mouth full of food

And finally the choo choo came, she was SO excited!!!!

After our train ride we went out for a dinner date and someone got a special Pirate Pack. She wore half of her dinner home with her that night. My heart SWELLED to 10 ties its size watching her sit there like a big girl, chattering away to me in her funny baby talk.

BoHo in the City

This is the first post in what I hope to make a regular series on this blog: BoHo in the City. I dream of living on a farm in a small town, preferably the Sunshine Coast, but alas that cannot be for us (at least not right now) so I make the most out of where I live. Where do I live? In Surrey, BC, Canada, a HUGE city. I am from North Vancouver which is a fair sized city but it is quiet and full of nature. The home we lived in prior to this move was beneath the mountains, surrounded by parks and trees, and we had regular visits from deer, raccoons, skunks, bears, and lots of birds. It was a lot easier to escape into nature there. Here in Surrey, its a bit more of a challenge but thankfully there are lots of parks, lots of farms, and lots of time for Claire and I to wander and explore together.

You can't escape nature, she is everywhere. Even here in the big city! Surrey may be a mega-city but it is also surrounded by farmland, kind of ironic but I am thankful for it! Claire and I go for regular adventures and yesterday we went blackberry picking! My new neighborhood is full of blackberry bushes. Claire sat in her stroler in the sun, babbling away to me and the sunshine, while I picked us those deliciously dark little berries. When I got home my hands smelled liked berries, dirt, and sunshine.

That smell reminds me so much of being a child and picking berries to make jam with my grandmother. Isn't it amazing how powerful smell is to trigger memories? Soon after my house was full of the smell of baking blackberries, I made a cobbler! YUM! Tastes even better when you have picked the fruit yourself.

On Being a BoHo Mommy

I am a bit of an odd ball mom. I borrow from many different parenting styles and create my own form of motherhood...one that involves no shoes, lots of bare bums, letting my child climb things that "aren't safe" and generaly just trying to not stress about Claire's development. I'm a BoHo Mom. Or at least that is what I have dubbed myself. Some may say I follow "attachment parenting" but in fact I don't really. I don't co-sleep, and have dabbled in some sleep training (I'm sorry but waking EVERY HOUR on the HOUR was making me mental). I just don't like how black and white parenting has become. Or breastfeeding for that matter. You HAVE to do it this way or you are failing as a parent. Puh-lease. Life doesn't work that way. Life is full of COLORS, life is a rainbow; and parenting is an adventure. Why does motherhood have to be an all or nothing scenario?

I am currently typing this as I sit with a cold glass of wine (ooooohhhhh bad mommy) as I watch Claire play naked, totaly bucky. She has already peed on the floor once, no biggie. We got her potty and I put it down beside her. I watch her for cue's and when I think she needs to go we hop on the potty. It's a loose version of Elimination Communication and it works well for us. She goes potty 2-3 times a day and is barely 14 months old. I have been told "it's too early" I am going to "damage her kidneys" that I am "rushing her". All I care about is her having a positive association with the potty...not if I am following what some book says I should be doing.

Shoes. Don't even get me started on shoes. I am a firm believer that shoes hinder a childs ability to learn how to walk, to learn at their own pace that is. Children all over the world learn to walk without shoes, and they do just fine. What is it with our obsession about SHOES on a babies feet??? WHY? When a child takes those initial steps without shoes they can use there toes and flex their arches, finding their own balance. A child should feel the earth beneath their feet, the grass between their toes. Yes, there are times when it is not safe to be barefoot. But I get flak ALL THE TIME for this. Claire is doing just fine with her barefoot tootsies thank you very much! Daddy and I go barefoot all summer long, it's a family affair.

Claire's face is often messy, I let her choose her own clothes (yes at 13.5 months she has preferences) and I let her climb things that would make some moms faint. I watch her of course!!!!!! I do the climbing with her, she gets stuck, learns she cant get down, but I DONT do it for her. I let her solve her own problems. I feel she will learn what she is and isn't capable of, she will learn problem solving and cause and affect.

The process of becoming a mother, raising a child, watching her thrive, and learning to let her explore and grow on her own has also changed ME! It has given me the courage to let my true self out to play. My bohemian, laid back, low maintenance, hippy dippy self. I make more art, I follow the moon again, I am learning all about the healing powers of gemstones, I'm eating healthier food, I breathe, dance, smile, sing, and let my inner child out to play more. Or at least I try. Having the courage to let my child explore has given me the courage to explore my own life.

peace, love, and pickles

1 is so Much Fun: Photo Post

Everyday this kid just get's funnier and funnier. Lately she has started laughing at her own farts. Yup, my kid...the fart joke kid. I couldn't be prouder (sniff, sniff....they grow up so fast!) Claire is hilarious! She is full of life, love and positive energy. She makes my life so much fuller and brighter. Here are some of my favorite shots of her that I have taken in the past week or so.

Someone is Turning 1 Soon!

I can't believe it, even as I am typing this, but this Thursday my Claire Bear will turn ONE! Unbelievable! A whole year has gone by in the blink of an eye. It seems like just yesterday she was this tiny little pink think in an incubator in neo-natal intensive care. All I could do was put my finger into her tiny little hand and marvel at the perfection of her finger nails. This year has been full of exciting firsts and fun adventures. Watching Claire learn and grow brings me a joy that I never knew was possible. Rolling over, learning to crawl, clapping her hands, blowing kisses, and using baby sign language...my girl is SMART! When I see her master a new skill I want to throw a parade, yell at the top of my lungs, spread the joy to everyone! Some moms have asked me if I feel sad that she is entering her toddler years, that the baby time is slipping away. Sad? No I am not sad. I am proud. I am awed. I am loving every minute of watching her grow, change, learn. She makes me so proud

Birthday Party Brainstorming

WOW! You guys can you believe that in just over two weeks from now Claire will be ONE!?!?! The bug, the bug will be a whole year old! I am just floored. What a magical journey this has been so far. I feel like I have grown so much, learned so much, and matured so much. Claire has made me a better person. I can't imagine my life without her in it! We are about to leave for our family vacation to SAN DIEGO to celebrate her birthday just as a little family, but I am planning a party for when we get back. CIRCUS THEMED! Minus the clowns, because I mean really...who really likes clowns anyways. OK dont answer that. But they scare the shit out of me! LOL! At any rate here are some pinterest finds that have inspired me so far:

Vaccation Countdown!

In t-minus 5 days Claire and I will be leaving for a big adventure....our first solo plane ride together! The hubz is working down in LA next week and Claire and I are flying down to meet him! We are spending a couple nights in LA as he finishes up work, then heading out to SAN DIEGO for family vacation fun! I am so excited, but also super nervous!! Flying with Claire now will be a far cry from when she was 2 months old and slept all the time. This kids never stops. EVER. She is on the go, all the time, and I can't find her off switch. Her new thing now is to pant, yes pant like a dog, while crawling around at lightning speed. She woke up yesterday so full of beans she DESTROYED our living room in about 60 seconds, and didn't stop all day long. I took her to the children's section of the local library and let her crawl around all ape shit...the librarian hates me now.

At any rate how the hell am I going to keep her happy for 3 hours? I don't want to be "that mom" oi vey! Here are some of the ideas I have so far: 1) I stocked up on all of her favorite snacks and bought a spill proof snack cup. Bribe my child with food? Of course I do 2) I pulled some of her favorite (small) toys about a week ago and hid them in our suitcase. That way when I show them to her on the plane I can be all like "WOW! Claire look at this awesome thing-a-ma-gig". Use the short attention span/memory of a child to my advantage? Check 3)I downloaded some Curious George to my laptap as a last resort. Claire doesn't watch much TV, but she does love her some Curious George. God bless that little monkey I know all about the whole breastfeeding/sucking during take off and landing for their ears. I am more concerned about cabin fever setting in at 50,000 feet in the air. Any tips fellow traveling moms?