the Joy of Baking for Baby

A baker I am not. I used to be back in those glorious days when my mother looked after all the other housework, God bless her. Then I had time to bake, but now when its a choice of dinner or cookies, I make dinner (Greg wants to know what is wrong with cookies for dinner?). But the other day actually found me in the kitchen, be-floured and be-aproned! The special occasion? William's first birthday. If anything bring out the Betty Crocker in a Mommy it is that first birthday cake.

The cookie eater wanted to know why we couldn't just buy William a chocolate cake, budabing, budaboom? Funnily enough there are few birthday cakes for sale in Paris. I'm not sure what their birthday tradition is (I should ask) but it ain't cake. Plus William is only 1 and chocolate is still on the no no list according to baby authorities, ditto for all his little friends. So I got inspired and found a recipe for chocolate banana cupcakes....a little something for both my boys.

Not being an accomplished baker I figured I better give these cupcakes a trial run, hence the aforementioned baking day. And it was really fun. While sifting and stirring in my tiny kitchen, my soon to be one year old baby toddling at my feet, I had a moment of pure contentment. These moments are surprise gifts, happening when we're 'busy making other plans'. It had something to do with how yummy those banana cupcakes turned out to be, and showing William how to mix and stir, and peeking into the oven with him to watch them turn golden brown. But it also had something to do with reflecting on the past year with William. How life has changed with him in so many happy ways. Something too, about how he can get me doing things I haven't done in years, like baking, and how these are things that I want to do more of with him because they are good, wholesome, fun things to do.

I hope to do more baking with my boy. I hope one day he will want to do it with me. I hope his birthday cupcakes turn out just as well on the big day and that we laugh, and play and have a wonderful day. I hope he grows up strong, and true, and well. I also hope he doesn't grow up too fast. But no matter how old he gets, I hope he still likes doing things with his Mama, cause his Mama loves doing things with him.

11 Months Old..oi oi oi!

Every day with William is a revelation. I had no idea that being a Mommy could be so much fun (or so messy!)

The biggest news at 11 months is that William is walking! He has taken up to 5 steps at a time. When Greg and I get all excited, he looks at us as if to say "What? I've been working on this a long time!". He loves the increased independence and novelty of walking so much that rather than crawling down the hall to his bedroom, he inches along the wall, commando style! It's very cute. He has also become very verbal in a babbly, baby talk way, although I have deciphered a few words: 'Mama' and 'Papa', of course but also 'hot' in reference to my coffee mug, 'ghakoo' which I think is thank you, '"nana" for bananas, and 'bye bye'. Decipherable or not, he talks up a bluestreak pointing at things, raising his eyebrows and yelling or shrieking of he gets excited (not so cool, this part. We are learning about appropriate times and places to use his "outside voice"). He adores going to the playground, and holds his own really well with the older kids. He continues to have an amazing appetite, eating almost everything. The only thing he sometimes refuses is his pureed food in favor of more mature fare that he can feed himself. He is getting really good at using his own spoon, and often feeds Mom or Dad while we are feeding him. William loves being read to, his current favorite being a Peter Rabbit finger puppet book or anything by Sandra Boynton. He has 2 bottom teeth, and two more coming in on top. He is into everything and I spend a lot of time tidying up behind him. He is bright as a button, friendly and flirty, and just so yummy I could eat him up! Oh, he has also gotten very into French kissing so watch out if you ask for a kiss!

William and I entertain ourselves at home very well. He loves to 'dance' with Mommy: he goes in his jolly jumper to jump and spin while I boogie beside him. It is a lot of fun and great exercise. We also go to playgroup twice per month where the other babies are finally getting old enough to be interesting (we joined the 2011 group so he would be the oldest, not youngest). We do yoga almost every day and William now does some of the moves himself, particularly pattycake and kissy feet. He is in love with the vacuum cleaner so I can count on him following me around when I vacuum. The dishwasher and pot drawers are endless sources of fascination, as is the clothespeg bucket where he takes all the pegs out....then puts them all back in...then takes them all out again. He adores the swimming pool, splash splashing and chewing on a pool noodle!

On his 11 month birthday we had an interview at the local daycare, called 'garderie' here, where William will be starting 2 times per week in January. My heart clutches at the thought of someone else having the joy and privilege of caring for William, but I also recognize that it is good for him and me. For me, I hope to get some French lessons in and for William a chance to interact with other kids. It will also accustomize him to daycare before we go back to Canada and I head back to work( I hope...lots of cutbacks I hear). Of course, these rationalizations will all be for naught that first day I drop him off.....you'll be able to hear the boo hooing everywhere. However, I like the garderie as is very bright and clean, and the staff seem caring. It is just in our building so I have been able to observe them for a year as I walked to and fro, and I get good vibes.

As a family we did a littel travelling this month. William and I accompanied Greg on his biannual business trip to the South. It was fun, but the disruptions to William's sleep when we travel is almost becoming not worth it. However we had a better time on our first ever cruise (see seperate post) where William actually slept through the night....once in a row!

I can't believe that tiny little dark haired monkey that we brought home has been with us nearly a year. He was such a shock to us when he first arrived, but now we can't imagine life without him. My Mom told us that's how it would be, and of course Moms are always right!

Cruisin'....

I wrote this some time ago, but hadn't it posted yet. I find it so interesting to read again following the tragic Costa Concordia accident. This accident doesn't change my opinion of our cruise, and I must say all the staff did their utmost to make us feel safe. True, our emergency orientation did not happen until the second day of our cruise, but it is difficult to scedule as people are constantly embarking and disembarking the ship. It still remains a safe and fun vacation, relatively speaking (and probably cheap now too!).

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I can't wait to tell you all about our first cruise! We were not sure what to expect -reviews of the ship were mixed- as well as wondering if crusing with a baby would leave us feeling left out. No captain's dinners for us! But it was an absolutely fabulous expereince for all of us!

Our trip began with a fast train ride down to Marseilles which was a fun start as William loves the train. He went up and down the aisles making friends with everyone, and hung out with Papa in the bar cart. Mama got to sit and read a book....what luxury!

We got on the ship, the Costa Serena, in the afternoon and set off immediately to explore. The ship's staff looked after getting our luggage aboard so already we had not a care in the world. Our room was much larger than we expected and there was a comfy cot set up for William. The decor of the ship was opulent, outrageous, and over the top....very Italian! There were many, many amenities and we did our best to use them all. Greg loved the well equipped gym and went every day. I went to a morning stretch class and finally got my hair cut and a pedicure....all things that are difficult to fit into our daily rounds! We took advantage of the 'breakfast in bed' (although we were never in bed with a fella who wakes up around 6 a.m.) and went to the fulsome buffet for lunch. Dinner was in one of the 4 restaraunts. This made us a bit nervous as getting William to sit through a meal is getting tougher and tougher (and would be impossible without Cheerios) but we were sat with another family with a small child (the delightful Flore, who was the picture of Cindy Lou Who) and so they were most tolerant of his moods. Our favorite dinner was Italian Night, where the staff got us all up dancing and they brought in an opera singer to fete us at dessert.

As William was too little for the babysitting, Greg and I took turns doing other things. I got a wonderful tour of Pompeii which was so impressive. It is an entire city replete with evidence of the availability of fast food, brothels and spas; I had to keep reminding myself that all this existed in 79 AD!! Greg really enjoyed his tour to Mount Etna, where he got a fanstastic view of the area. Mount Etna still erupts regularly, but is a slow flowing lava volcano, so it is safe to get right up to the crater. Overall we didn't mind switching off care of William, but this was perhaps our one regret from the trip: no romantic dinner for two! ( Next time.....).

William was the star of the ship. All the staff couldn't resist pinching his cheeks or stroking his hair. Many of them have left their families at home and so are itching to interact with a baby again. William loved all this attention and showed them all his tricks: waving bye bye, clapping his hands and giving them his megawatt smile. He also loved the baby pool -lots of splashing- and all the buttons the elevator.

Our stops included Savona (very quiet as it was Sunday), Napoli (where I went to Pompeii), Catania (in Sicily), Palma de Majorca (where we enjoyed a long walk in the sunshine), and Barcelona (such amazing architecture!). We also spent one day at sea, which we loved as it gave us time to do all the activities we wanted .It's really something to look out and see nothing but ocean...it makes you feel small and insignificant, but also contained and self reliant in your ship-world.

We loved cruising and hope to do it again soon.

9 months old!

Ok, I'm a little late.....but could not miss the chance to note for me, you and posterity the changes in William at 9 months.


William is just so cute! His hair is getting thicker and blonder and people seem to think he is looking more like his Mum. His eyes are still an indeterminate green-grey-hazel and very beautiful. His smile is heartbreaking and you cannot help but chuckle when he laughs. (If one could bottle the sound of a baby's laugh I think no one would need Prozac ever again). He couch cruises, and has started to stagger behind his walking toy (like a walker but cuter) always looking for applause once he has gone for a stretch. As a result he has gotten quite good at clapping his own hands! He eats incredibly well: he had his first spaghetti sauce the other day and pronounced it "Mmmm!" This has become his all purpose sound now for "I want"! It usually works, but I am trying to encourage "please" and "thank you" as well. Its never too early.....


His current favorite pastime is to watch the washing machine spin, and to play with the settings on the machine (much to Mummy's chagrin!). His favorite toy is an empty water bottle which he chases around the apartment. He is also in love with his reflection, and gives himself affectionate kisses every morning. He has started to climb, using his teddy bear as leverage (what I call teddy bear road kill!) and has even stood alone for a few seconds. This intrepid movement did lead to an accident where my favorite blue ceramic umbrella stand got smashed....it sure won't be the last accident we have. He has also been quite a little rascal at bath time, pooing in the bath water for 4 consecutive nights.....the tub is now VERY clean!


As a family we travelled to Portugal to see our dear former neighbors, the Almeida's. They welcomed us and daughter Eva with a huge family party, at least 100 people (and I thought the Moore shindigs were big!) It was great fun, but William found the exuberant pass-the-baby a little much, so we had quiet playtime inside, away from the throng. I hope he copes better by Xmastime, at our own family do.


While in Portugal it was warm enough to spend a day at the beach. Daddy eagerly took his boy down to the water to play, but William was having none of it. I guess the waves were a little large and loud for him. Anyway, I set him down standing by me, holding my hand, thinking he would enjoy the sand. No way! He was turned around headed away from the water as fast as his fat little legs could carry him. It was very cute.


All of us, including William, did love all the fruit in Baltazar's property, and Maria's delicious Portugese cooking....good food and lots of it! It made us miss our old neighborhood and neighbors. Who knows, maybe we'll move back?

Eight Months Old and Everything Else

Hello again! It's time, already, for another update on our lives with Little Man. I still tell people that William is 6 months old, and have to jog my own memory. Will this happen when he is 18 too? Probably.......

William is just so cute these days. He crawls around the apartment in a very stately, lord of the manner style, surveying his domain. And lets face it, he is lord of the manor! He has quite methodically explored every room, bookcase, and closet in the house. He's not destructive at all (yet) but really curious. My approach has been to permit him to check things out under my supervision in the hopes that he will lose interest after having a good look. I'll let you know if it works! He also pulls himself to standing quite confidently now, and is starting to move between pieces of furniture...not quite 'cruising' yet, but getting there. He can carefully lower himself from standing to pick something up, then stand again. He has started to let go of what he is holding with one hand (while holding tight with the other) and raises his arm in a circus performance style 'ta-da'! So of course we oblige him with big ta-das and a round of applause. No wonder he has also learned to clap his hands! However in learning all these things he has taken many tumbles, and has the bruises to prove it. When he falls, or is tired, or bored, he calls out for "Mamamamaaaa!". My doctor asked me if my heart melted hearing this and I said no 'cause he is usually screaming his head off :) But yes, I love it that his first word was for me!

Our normally healthy boy has had a few health issues this month. We have been noticing that his right eye is a bit lazy, so we took him to an opthamologist. She thinks it is nothing serious, but has given us some eye exercises to do with him and will have us follow up with her colleague to check for an astigmatism. We notice that a lot of little French kids have Harry Potter style glasses on (so cute) and she told me that the French are very proactive with eye care in youth, so fewer people need glasses later. If William does need glasses it seems we are in experienced hands.

The other incident happened at Ikea where I was using the baby change room to change his diaper. The sink was conveniently located right beside the change table, so William of course stuck his hands into the sink area (we call him the tuna cause he is like a beached fish when you are changing his diaper, flip flip flip!). All of a sudden he screamed and I pulled him away. Thinking he was scared, I showed him how Mommy washes her hands only to realize that the water was scalding hot! I whipped William up to the cafeteria to put ice on his little red hands and fumingly told the friend we were with that I would ask Greg to call after work to give the store heck in French. Then I thought, no darn it, I'm here and I'm ticked, so off I went and did it myself! All in French, ha ha! They said they would fix it right away so we will see.......

And finally William had his first illness: roseola infantum. Apparently it is a very common mild version of the measles. As it started simply with a mild fever I thought he was teething, and as a result didn't panic. Then the rash came out! Thankfully a friend had told me about it as it did look pretty scary! William is back to his old self now. First illness: another milestone passed for Mommy and baby.

On a happier note we took a nice family vacation to Aubeterre sur Dronne, located in the south of France, in late July. Sadly the weather was really dreary for the first bit, but this time we were in a little village so there were things to do. We watched movies, shopped for pottery, and drove to nearby Brantome for lunch. When the weather improved, we swam in the river and Greg got to do some fishing.....but no catching! Overall it was a nice trip. Our accomadations were great and the local people extremely friendly. But I think one of my favorite parts was having a dryer again! We went home with every stitch we'd brought fluffed and folded! Ah, soft towels again.....

We are enjoying Paris quiet and peaceful with everyone gone en vacances......I don't understand why Parisians all go on holiday at the same time and to the same place, but I am grateful for the respite from the hurly burly! But they will be back, and so will I with further updates on our intrepid adventures!

My Paris

Sometime last year, a savvy-travellin' friend of mine who was visiting said she wanted to visit 'my Paris', meaning the little out of the way places that only an insider would know about, or those just special to me. I had to tell her "I don't have a Paris.....yet!". A year later I realize that I do have my Paris, and here it is:

First time visitors are funny: they all have a list as long as your arm of the places they want to see, usually involving all of Paris and half of the countryside "if there is time". Every single one of them plans to hit the ground running and every single one of them underestimates the jet lag. So my first suggestion is this: sleep. When you wake up take a shower and then we'll have a stroll down to the local boulangerie. It is so fun for me to watch people in a boulangerie for the first time, trying to decide which delectable treat to have and trying out their rusty French. We'll then take a gentle walk around the local park (which boasts a vineyard and apiary and really is very interesting). Then we'll go to the grocery store and pick out some yummy food for the next week or two and you can compare notes to grocery stores at home (pretty much the same but with better cheeses and the odd whole duck). We'll then go back to the boulangerie for round 2 (ding ding!) and to pick up something for dessert. Then home, dinner, wine and more sleep.

The rest of the visit is up to you but here is what I suggest: the 'big' monuments are all worth a look, but for the creative (or cheap) there are options! Rather than go up the Eiffel Tower (which is truly astounding and I never get tired of looking at it) go up Tour Montparnasse. It is one of the only ugly buildings in Paris, but is very high so if you take the elevator up it then you have a fantastic view that includes theEeiffel Tower! Since it is off the tourist track there is hardly ever a lineup and there is a descent cafe for a cuppa while you're uppa.

My favorite Monument Day starts in the Latin Quarter where we wander the antique alleys searching for a crepe, followed by a browse in the uncomparable Shakespeare and Company, a must for bibliophiles. Across the street from this is Notre Dame. To me the prettiest part of the church is its setting so a walk around it is nice and great for photo ops. Behind Notre Dame is the little known but haunting Jewish Holocaust Memorial. It is free and far more spiritually sobering than the oversubscribed church next door. If you have frisky feet, we can walk rue de Rivoli (great shops) for a look at the Louvre and its pyramid, then stop for lunch in the Tuileries Garden (Marie Antoinette's last home was once here). From here we can walk up the Champs Elysees (which is a dirty, noisy, strip mall in my opinion) to the Arc de Triomphe which is well worth climbing up to witness the crazy traffic rond point below.

Paris is, of course, an art lovers dream. The Louvre tops most people's list but I must fess up and tell you that I have only been once...its just too daunting! The Mona Lisa is completely over-rated: she is just a tiny, weird looking lady hanging on a big wall with way too many tourists around her. Winged Victory is pretty. But consider instead a visit to the Petit Palais, a gorgeous jewel box of a museum only a few blocks further down the Seine and free! It holds, as Rick Steeves sneers, the 'second rate art' but they are all the same big names as in the Louvre. It features a lovely painted ceiling, pretty garden, clean bathroom (good luck finding that in the Louvre) and a nice cafe: thumbs up in my book! Similar good value can be hd for modern art lovers at the Musee d'art Moderne, which turned me into a modern art appreciator, something that the Pompidou cannot claim.

The Orsay is a different story. It is an accesible collection in an architecturally interesting setting. You can see most of it without killing yourself, then have a great lunch in the swanky restaraunt.....or push it and go across the Seine to see Monet's enormous waterlily canvasses at the Orangerie: totally worth it if you are a fan. One day soon I want to go see Renoir's ubiquitous painting le Moulin de la Gallette and then go to the Moulin de la Gallette restaraunt in Montmartre...it still exists!

Speaking of Montmartre I really love it there. It has retained some of its bohemian spirit despite the throngs of tourists. Sacre Coeur is worth a look but mostly its just fun to wander. Have your portrait done by a starving artist, check out Picasso's former atelier and witness the last windmills that speak of a bygone era. One of my favorite things to see in Montmartre is its graveyard...you heard me! French graveyards are so interesting, like little villages of monuments. You can celebrity hunt for famous dead people (Monpartre graveyard holds Degas, Nijinsky and Dumas for starters) or just enjoy the peaceful atmosphere. I think it would be a great place for a picnic!

If you still have time, and energy, getting out of Paris is a refreshing change of pace. The French countryside is truly beautiful. Giverny is popular, but really pretty. I went on a bike tour there, a very fun way to see the area. Auvers sur Oise, resting place of of van Gogh is worth a visit as is Senlis, former seat of the King of France. Versailles palace is really over the top, but the gardens are free and very pretty. We once spent a pleasant afternoon wandering painter Gustave Caillebotte's former estate, where you can rent canoes and fish. Chantilly and Provins are still on my list....I'll let you know what they are like!

An offbeat thing to see is Basilica St. Denis, burial place of kings. Marie Antoinette and Louis 16th were eventually buried there, amongst their peers in the peerage. It is up in the North end of Paris, which is like visiting a different city in itself: we got there on market day and it felt as if we'd gotten off the Metro in Marrakech! The sarcophagies in the Basilica are really interesting, and there is a great audioguide to explain what you see. We rounded out the day with lunch at the Roi de Coucous, where the owner told us he would be buried in the Basilica one day too!

So far, that's my Paris, at least from a touring perspective. One of the nicest things about this city is just sitting back in one of the many cafes and people watching, or wandering the quiet back streets in search of hidden neighborhoods. Who knows, you may just find your Paris while you are here!

Seven Months and other Stuff

Hello! Am I here again already? Wasn't it just last week that I wrote about William at 6 months? We must be having fun 'cause time is sure flying!

I just re-read the 6 month update, and am awed anew at how much further William has progressed since then, a mere few weeks ago. I wrote that he was very nearly crawling and now he is, finally figuring out how to move forward! He isn't too quick yet, thank God. We can still keep up with him....barely. However I suspect he won't be crawling long as he is already pulling himself up and standing unassisted (but attended). His dad walked at 9 months apparently, and William seems bent on following in his footsteps, quite literally! We have had to lower his crib and figured out how to still use our beautiful handmade bumper set which was only a few weeks old (and still necessary for all the crashing and bashing that goes with learning to walk).

As a family we enjoyed a relaxing vacation in Tuscany. We rented a villa in the hills about a half hour from Florence so it was quiet and bucolic. The weather was great, so we introduced William to the swimming pool which he loved. He was a little warier of the ocean....those waves made a big scary noise! But he did dip his toes in: his first ocean swim.

We also enjoyed spending time in Paris with friends big and small. We took a picnic with William's girlfriend Samira and her Mum and Dad and the babies were so cute together. Both are at an age where they are more socially aware, and seemed pleased to see there are other small peoploe in the world! Later, the three of us took a historical walk 'in the footsteps of Hemingway'. Touristy, but cool as we are fans of his work.

We hosted a Bastille Day party on July 14th as we have a wonderful view of the fireworks from out balconey. It went a lot like Canada Day: cook burgers, hang out with friends, watch fireworks....the major difference is we watched fireworks whilst drinking champagne! That is a tradition I think we should import back home!

Greg was particulary happy to attend an international track meet here in Paris. We had booked the tickets when William was about 2 months old and slept nearly anywhere. Silly new parents didn't realize that by 7 months he needs and wants an early bedtime in his bed. However, William managed well taking a dodo in his carrier at the track meet and sleeping very well the next day to make up for it. We did get to watch Ussain Bolt run as well as hosts of other excellent atheletes. It was a real thrill.

Speaking of sleep, the sleep training has paid off and William now goes down at night with hardly a peep. He is still waking at night, but usually only once. This has given Greg and I more time at night, and a less fragmented sleep. Progress indeed!