TRUMPED BY MY 9 YEAR OLD NIECE

Before I get on with the story you need to know three things:

1.)  I have a nine year old niece, Lenne,  - the up and coming queen of gymnastics. According to my parents this girl is made of jello.  If you believe the proud grandparents this girl can put the most talented member of Cirque du Soleil to shame.

2.) We currently live 9ooo km apart from each other, my niece, my parents and I.
Thanks to modern communication we stay in touch with random phone calls full of sweet nothingness.
If my niece is the princess of gym apparatus, my mom is the undefeated queen of random jibber jabber!

3.) There are two items on my bucket list I am horrified to do! That's why they are on the list; I strategically postponed these two actions successfully for 40 years. One of them is to do a back dive into the pool!

 "What, that's it?"
Easy for you to say! We all have our own personal fears and shortcomings to overcome - and the back dive is mine!

 Last week, out of the blue, I decided to take the plunge- literally. Don't ask me why, I just wanted to do it ! Who am I to encourage, motivate and inspire to Just do it if I am not doing it myself?

A plain and simple, straight backwards back dive is all I ever wanted to complete and experience since I am about 8 years old!

Why haven't I done it?
 I am afraid! I am afraid to break my back and to hit my head somewhere. I am afraid of not being flexible enough. Letting go, falling backwards into the big unknown freaks me out! Until last Tuesday that is!

Here is the abbreviated version of how it went:  Y E S, I did it! HURRAH - I let myself go - and survived!

As you can read, this back dive is a pretty huge accomplishment in my life! For good measure I did the dive six times; to make sure I am not a one-hit-diver!


A few days later our long distance line was busy with my mom's desperate attempt to figure out her yearly pre- Christmas- dilemma:
 What can she send whom and how for the holy season? In between my non -helpful suggestions (just send some sweets, we have everything) my mother kept on asking:
 "So tell me, what is new?"

Regardless of how many times I answer this question in general, she keeps on asking the same thing, over and over again; as if she is hoping something spectacular is going to happen while she is on the line!

I don't know if my parents ever knew about this personal absession of mine. Regardless, I told them. I told them about my personal victory, about how I conquered my fear diving backwards into a pool!
After I finished with "I did it!" there was nothing, just (stunned????) silence on their end!

This was mom's reaction to one of my most courageous, personal challenges so far:
 "You should see what Lenne can do!  It is unbelievable how this girl can bend herself into a pretzel!"

Isn't it funny?
 Some things mean the world to you- but they mean little or nothing to others; personal or business accomplishments mean nothing if we brag about them to the wrong audience!

HOT, WET & STICKY vs COOL, DRY & COLOURFUL

As immigrants living in Vancouver we get the best of both world: Expensive Canada and cheaper America.
We get to celebrate Canada Day on July 1 and Independence Day on July 4th! Remember, we live just a skip, jump and roll down from the US border.
Canada Day was a sticky affair to say the least: We had over 30 degrees Celsius here in our neck of the woods.

Our plan was to be tourists in our new country and join the festivities at the annual Steveston Salmon Festival. Hurrah, our family plus 50.000 other fish loving, entertainment seeking families I might add. Were our boys excited about our planned event? To get pushed around, being hot, sweaty and sticky for the longest time?   Oh well, we as parents want to fit into the "awesome' category of our boys. Therefore, we decided doing what the boys rather wanted:

Here we are getting ready for our annual family tubing event down the Alouette river!






Skip three days and we are at Independence Day. The border was clear and Dominic and I set off to watch the fireworks  we missed during Canada Day. Here we are in BLAINE, literally 5 minutes across the Canadian border.

Upon arrival, we saw this:

Oops, that isn't a good sign, is it? Nevertheless, we are here now, we

 eat some delicious ice cream (check out their flavours),

hung out with the crowd,

enjoyed the sunset over White Rock

and watched some seriously amazing FIREWORKS!

As I just said, we are spoilt. The next big twosome will be in October and November:
Here in Canada we will celebrate Thanksgiving on the first Monday in October, 5 minutes across the border the same day is celebrated on the last Thursday in November! Go figure- we are in, one way or the other!

FROM SEXTET to QUINTET

Ten months ago a leap of faith granted me one of my early teenage wishes:
I became a mother of my fourth boy! The arrival of our new 'son' had more to do with an ad on our letter boxes than the careless, random act of natural desire! (After three boys we didn't want to push our luck anymore- and do I need to tell you, I am not getting any younger)!

Our fourth boy was delivered to us courtesy of the flourishing Korean Exchange Student Program.

This boy needed a roof over his head - and without much thought we jumped right into our newest adventure in our new country. We have the roof, the space plus three other boys who shared our enthusiasm!
What started off with excitement, ended up with a sigh of relief. At least on my part that is.
A few days ago we waved good- bye to our home stay, Joey; he is back into the arms of his real parents and our family is back to life as we know it.

Do I miss him? It would be a lie if I said yes. Do the boys miss him? I don't think so.
It is so nice to be in command of my own crew again after
 - 10 months of constant reminding (we don't eat in the men den),
-  asking (pick up your dirty towels),
- refilling our pantry (this boy loves to eat; especially sweets, cookies and KIMCHI noodles),
- yelling (due to his ear phones on full blast),
 - being angry (the computer is for all of you),
-  being pissed off (midnight showers, lasting for over 30 minutes),
- being worried (forgot to tell me he went out with his Korean friends for the day)
-  shop till I drop (sorry, I already told you,  this boy eats for three) and last not least, -  being really nonchalance about him (after I realised he prefers the company of his electronic devices more than ours).

Not to mention, our boys don't slurp during dinner time; nor do they eat with their mouths open - that must be a cultural thing from Korea.
There is also less pressure to cook something grand every night. Joey's parents paid us to feed their son and I took it as my challenge to create a varied menu for all of us. Cooking healthy is one thing, cooking varied is another.  I am no Masterchef;  cooking for me is a chore, not a pleasure!

Today on the other hand,  I can send my own boys to bed with a tummy full of baked beans on toast.
We went from quintet to sextet - only to get back to quintet again.
Yes, it is good to be our own family again!
.

SELF IMPOSED WRITERS CHALLENGE

Just for the heck of it! For the next 22 days I will force myself to blast out daily tidbits, updates, comments, opinionated jibber jabber or whatever you want to call it from the top of our hill here in the Greater Vancouver area on the West Coast of Canada.

My coaching buddy Gail reminded me of the 21 day rule to establish a new routine: In order to create a new habit in our life we have to do this one thing for at least 21 days in a row. If you miss one day, you have to start all over again! For good measure I added one extra day - to make sure I really got it!

I love writing! Unfortunately, I am not regular enough - if you know what I mean. This personal challenge will force me to get the creative juices flowing day in and day out.  Nothing like a good challenge.to prove a scientific(?) point!

This challenge doesn't serve anybody but myself and may turn into torture for my highly apprecited, much loved followers to find yet another extraordinary post in their inbox! Oh well, just ignore me if you want. I will be back the next day anyway, and the next and next...

What standard of entertainment can you expect during the next 22 days?

It can be anything,; anything from the sophisticated wit coming out of a kids' mouth:

[caption id="attachment_675" align="alignnone" width="300"] Pull your mouth apart and say "puck" C. Waschko[/caption]

to a classy game of chess! Let me surprise you!

[caption id="attachment_676" align="alignnone" width="300"] The boys are on it! C.Waschko[/caption]

My only rules are: Anything goes, no repetition and I HAVE to post EVERY day!

For the good of my family I should have signed up for the "A different meal per day challenge. How to create nutritious, delicious meals for feed and fill up three growing teenagers, a half teen, a husband and his wife!"

This is way too scary! Chances are, I might skip a day cooking due to writing and have to start all over again- with all new recipes. Ghee, what a great provider I am - I never said I am a great cook!  By all means, if you feel sorry or are worried about the well being of my family, please share your quick and easy recipes with me!

So, that's it for now! It is still a gorgeous day out here - I am about to start the BBQ to feed the hungry ones! See ya' tomorrow!

 

 

ROADTRIP to Mt. BAKER

Part of our European spring break was going skiing in Austria. We invested our time, energy (!) and money to make our boys fall in love with snow covered mountains and the equipment to get downhill safe and fast - or better, fast and furious!

During this spring break we decided to drive across the border for some serious skiing on the other side. Mt. Baker is only a skip and jump (110 km)  from our front door; which makes it even closer than driving to Whistler.



Upon arrival we picked up the key to our rented condo.  Our friendly, local agent warned us about the coming weekend: "Tomorrow will be very busy, we are having our annual Easter egg hunt on the mountain, and everybody wants to find the golden egg!"

Yeah, great!



Skiing in Austria during school holidays can leave a somewhat bitter taste in your mouth. It goes something like this: 10 minutes to get down the hill, 25 minutes waiting time at the bottom of the lift to get back up again! It is crazy busy with anybody and everybody who can afford a lift ticket. If you find yourself stuck in the midst of other parents, there is only one thing to do,- in Germany we call it "huettenschwung"!

In good old English it translates to skiing from hut to hut to drown your frustration with a gluewein (mulled wine) or jagertea (tea plus rum) and hope for a clear run all the way home! You will never get where you want to ski without stopping. During your time on the slopes you are in active danger of being run into, or worse, run over by some random boarder who hasn't discovered his break on his snowboard. yet. Yes, skiing in Austria during the height of the season can seriously damage your body!



Anyway, small, free standing refueling stations (huts) can be found everywhere, on every mountain, in every region across Austria.  They make part of the Austrian charm. They welcome you with loud brass music and a wide selection of hot and cold beverages. Their drinks make you forget your sorrows and most of all, your inhibitions. In regards to your skiing ability it translates into starting off as a beginner and makes you finish in a league of your own. Forget about looking good, after two gluewein all you want to do is 'let it rip'.

With memories of crowds and massive queues to wait in line with, it was no wonder we were slightly peed off about the egg hunt.

Wonder oh wonder! The busiest day of the season is upon us and we had no problem finding a parking spot. Wait, it gets even better: No line in front of the ticket booth either! Believe it or not, the coast was clear all day long! The longest we had to wait for at the bottom of any lift were five guys in front of us. If this is what the locals call busy, I want to ski here during their  quiet days. No awkward turnstiles either to check your lift pass. It was wide, open slopes as far as the eye can see!



The huts on American soil are function build, they are good for eating and drinking,not for cosiness. And, one beer allowed per ID only. I am not much of a beer drinker, and gluewein can't be found anywhere.. But then, you don't really need gluewein or schnaps here.

There is no immediate danger of being run over and I found my inner goddess on the wide, open slopes!

How amazing is skiing here in Washington State. No wonder the guy at Glaciers Ski Rental swore me to secrecy - I should keep my mouth shut about this gem!  But if I do,  how will he make money with his ski rentals? How will the condo owners rent out their homes if nobody knows about them?

But even with my post out there I don't believe it would make a difference. Back at the apartment I found a guidebook, published in 1979. Everything written then still applies today- Mt. Baker, Washington's best kept secret? A place where time stood still?

HELP! I NEED ANOTHER HUSBAND

Only dairy farmers or bakers need to apply!

The successful candidate must be able to supply an endless amount of dairy products - preferable milk - and baked goods; staked high to satisfy the on going hunger of four teenage boys.



I honestly thought buying nappies, formula milk or baby food in jars was bad enough. Years later I get a rude awakening: Our children changed from the cute, chubby, helpless little creatures into independent, strong willed, still cute (but different cute) young men, with a huge appetite!

Our new house came with one fridge and skinny freezer only. The boys empty them at a faster rate than I can restock them!



These days you can find me either on the way to the grocery store, in the grocery store or on my way home. Once at home I get ready to bake muffins, cookies, brownies or pancakes. I even took up yogurt making.

Joey, our Korean exchange student, can eat for three! Furthermore, he literally drinks our ketchup bottles empty; he fears Heinz will stop producing them shortly.  At first I thought he doesn't like my cooking because he puts the sauce on everything. But even I have to admit,  my cooking isn't that bad either;  Joey simply loves the taste of ketchup.

The two most common questions I have to answer on a regular basis are: "When are we eating dinner?" and "What are we eating later on?"  Of course, there is nothing wrong with being asked these questions, it's just very frustrating to answer them right after the boys wolfed down their afternoon meal of French toast or toasties (melted cheese).

If Dominic agrees to change our marital status from 'couple' to 'quadruple', I will search for a legitimate religious order which allows women to have three men. If the google search will be unsuccessful I need to settle this matter once and for all: I am sure there will be another mid-term sale coming up soon and I will get myself a bread maker, a waffle iron, an ice-cream maker, a second fridge and freezer, big sacks of flour and a cow for the backyard.

Right now a song pops into my head. The one where Marilyn Monroe sings about "Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend". Easy for her to sing, she never had children....

CRAZY DOG PEOPLE

In a far away country, a very long time ago, I promissed our boys "to get a dog when you are older, when mom isn't working any more, when we have a big backyard, when we have lots of nature around us and, when we move to Canada."  All these things happened and I am running out of excuses. But still, no dog yet. But our friend Jaci bought one recently.   Here is her  written attempt to lure me into the -extra-ordinary- world of (crazy) dog people:

My husband and I swore we would not get a dog with three young kids already in tow. Yet here we are, with our zoo (ages 3,6 and 8) and a 5 month old girl puppy-dog whom we adore. We are still keeping it real in our household. She doesn't sleep in our bed and I don't let her lick me on the lips, but I must admit that she is a worthy addition to our family. I like to think the reasons were simple, but the truth is, we discussed it, researched it and tried to talk ourselves out of it all summer. What really inspired me was meeting a dog in the neighbourhood that I really liked; it was this particular breed that drew us in.



I like most dogs, but I wouldn't want to own many of them. Drooly, shedding, stinky, yappy ones do not really appeal to me. That is why we got ourselves a designer dog. She is none of those things, so she fits in perfectly! We found a great Goldendoodle breeder on Vancouver Island, dropped some ridiculous, but so worth it - money and never looked back!



The week the kids went back to school I went with my 3 year old daughter to pick her up at the airport and we started our journey as a family of 6. It was a special day for all of us. My husband ended up feeling as though the void he always felt over the missing (undetermined) fourth baby was finally filled. He crawled in her crate and fall in love right away. As for myself, I have vowed to never be a crazy dog lady. Instead, I resisted the urge to swaddle her in a blankie and focused on crate training. I fell quickly into the usual mom routine - eat-sleep-poop- repeat. It felt like I had another baby, but only for a week or so.



Aside from the expected puppy antics, Sparrow (named after Jack Sparrow, not the bird) is a good dog. We think. She rarely gets into mischief aside from attacking the recycling bin in the pantry, stealing ham out of the kid's sandwiches, or knocking over the odd menstruated garbage bin. House training was kind of a breeze, considering this is what scared me the most.

Now that we are five months in, life with a dog couldn't be better.We are all outside more and much more active as a family. We don't expect our kids to do all that much for the dog, but we hope they learn this over time as they become older and more capable. The work part is up to us and we have to love it. For parents, it is natural to want to satisfy our children's burning desires to have a dog and to then expect them to carry a large part of the responsibility.



My kids are pretty smitten with their dog but that doesn't mean they are ready to hit the backyard with a pooper scooper in tow. Sometimes my son walks her for 4 minutes, but they both come back with a smile, so that is enough in itself. The poop piles in the back yard are multiplying rapidly, and I am not going to lie, it is a chore that none of us have really owned as of yet. I think it is a man job, yes?

Are we good dog owners? Nah. We recently made a New Year's resolution for 2013 that we will finally get that cream 'on her parts' as this is an area that can become irritated in furry dogs (the vet gave it to us 3 months ago). One of these days I will muster up the courage to do it. It has become a bit of a maritial dispute around here. Nobody really wants to touch it!

Jaci Botterman

RECOMMENDED CHARACTER TRAITS

for SUCCESSFUL IMMIGRATION INTO CANADA



A new year is about to start. Will it become a year to start a new life in a new country? If your goal is to immigrate to Canada, if your intention is to make a fresh, extra-ordinary start here in British Columbia and you want  to make this transition as smooth as possible, please take a minute to read through this compilation of character traits - you never know, it might helpI If you don't want to immigrate, no harm in reading further either.

The successful candidate

- Must be loaded in order to participate in the great outdoors (e.g. skiing in winter, zip-lining, golfing or sailing in summer).



- Should be a lover and admirer of casual wildlife found in their own backyard. We are talking bears, cougars, squirrels or deer. Needless to say, this doesn't apply to you folks in downtown Vancouver.

- A Master's degree in household economics and accountancy is required. Household and school excursion bills arrive on a regular, irregular basis. You need to stay on top of the situation and pay them on a regular, irregular basis.

- Can be deaf, or at least display a high threshold for beeping household appliances. I swear to you, every household item in our house beeps, rings or makes noise in one way or another. It beeps to let me know it's time to get up, to let me know the coffee is ready, the laundry is done or dry, the oven has reached its temperature or the microwave popcorn is ready. One word of warning, stay away from the singing egg timer! You will never hear the end of it! This egg starts singing after 5 minutes in boiling water and doesn't stop- even after you take it out of the water!

-  Can have a short attention span and a weak bladder when it comes to watching tv or going to the movies!  Leave it to program makers to interrupt any nail biting scenes to air commercials to tempt, educate, scare and annoy you! But of course, this is the perfect opportunity to hit the washroom (WC, toilet).

I have the sneaky suspicion movie theatres aren't worried about our bladder. All they care about is how much popcorn and coke they can sell to us during a break in an 80 minute long movie!  I might be wrong, just saying...

- Needs to redefine the European definition of cosy (England), gemuetlich (Germany) or gezellig (.Holland). Here, a cosy pub is situated within a purpose built building, displays an open fire safely tucked behind a glass wall and has several tv screens(?) running! (Exceptions are the rule)

- Should know exactly what one needs and hold a tight grip on the wallet. Temptation is all around us: "Deal of the week, Specials of the day, Groups of 4 Deal, January clearance sale, pre-sale, end-of-line-sale, liquidation sale, stock clearance sale, pre-Christmas sale, Boxing Day sale, Boxing week sale, summer sale, midweek sale, pre-Easter bargain, Halloween specials..."

On the other hand, it is your choice to be part of the consumer driven society or not!

- Doesn't necessarily need to speak fluent English. Mandarin or Punjabi will do just fine!

If you posses any of these characteristics, I highly recommend you pack your bags and come on over If you don't,  pack your bags.anyway. Regardless of what you just read and how it sounds like, our whole family loves it here in Beautiful British Columbia and we are looking forward to our next, extra-ordinary chapter her.

Whoever you are, wherever you might be, - whatever your decisions will be for the NEW YEAR, I wish you a HEALTHY, adventurous and prosperous 2013!



I am looking forward to connect to many more of you wonderful blogging and reading individuals. Warm wishes,

Christina

 

HAPPY FIRST ANNIVERSARY

Today, exactly one year ago, we arrived in Canada: Two adventurous parents and their three apprehensive children!

We had no job waiting for us, no network of friends to guide us, no family to support us, to colleagues to teach us. All we had was each other, five suitcases filled with clothes, five backpacks full of memories and the burning desire to make it 'happen 'in an English speaking country!
It was a year long effort to create our new life, to make new friends, to build a support network and to create our own job opportunity! Twelve months down the road I can raise my glass and say: "We made the transition, the first part of our mission is accomplished! All five of us are happy and settled. HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!"

What are the extra-ordinary ingredients for a smooth transition from old to new?

For us it was / is a healthy dose of common sense, an open ear, being friendly, being open minded and most of all, the willingness to reach out and let everybody know we have arrived! Nobody will knock on your door! YOU have to go out there and knock on many different doors, to let everybody know the new girl / boy in town is here!
It is up to you to MAKE IT HAPPEN!
To stick to the Christmas theme, I let these two photos speak for themselves to demonstrate our transition from
"Just ARRIVED":



to "HAPPILY SETTLED:"



P.S. Vegetarians, please forgive me!

GIMME GIMME GIMME

6,30 am: I just dropped off our teenage son for a(nother) fun day out snowboarding in Whistler - as part of the BC school curriculum.



7.10 am: Our youngest son got up crumpy because we didn't wake him up earlier, i.e. deprived him of some serious pre-school gaming activity on the x-box (yes, we let him, it's the last week of school before the holiday). Furthermore, he is pissy because we told him our Secret Santa is only allowed to spend $ 10.00 on a present. His comment: "You can't buy anything good for $ 10.00!"

7.30 am: Our middle son shuffled in from up his man-den. After a thorough inspection of our cabinet (filled with pop tarts, bread, peanut butter, syrup. oats and honey), our breakfast shelf in the pantry (cereal boxes of all shapes, sizes and colours, nuts, granola), the fruit bowl and the freezer (waffles, ice-cream, fries, garlic shrimps) he shrugged and complained: "We never have anything good to eat."

8.20 am: I time our school run so I can listen to the 'sleeze "on Virgin Radio - my daily dose of gossip,Today, the breakfast team skipped my beloved feature. Instead, I listened to a heartfelt story of goodwill here in the Vancouver area. The radio team was on location to bring Christmas Cheers to a family in need. In their case it was a single father with four children. According to the report this family didn't have enough food items in the house to feed a mouse, they don't have proper beds or bedding, no propper winter jackets or extravagent toys - i.e. electronic devices for entertainment. With the help of money and food donations of a major super market, a furniture institution and volunteers Virgin Radio was ready to offer this family a Christmas to remember.

At this point it hit me: We live in British Columbia, named after the Goddess of Wealth. BC, the Canadian province of wealth (timber, water and minerals)! This province offers one of the most varied landscapes in the world, consequently, the outdoor opportunities for sport, fun and recreation are as varied and fantastic as nowhere else in the world. (Please correct me if I am wrong)!



It is the province of plenty - plenty for some, but not all. To live in this extra-ordinary part of the world doesn't mean its residents live the wealthy lifestyle.

Awareness for the less fortunate is all around us. Newspapers and schools are bringing us up-to-date on how to bring relief for somebody in need. I am baffled by the extra-ordinary efforts institutions, stores, sport clubs and individuals are taking to collect toys or food. We are talking strip-athons, bra auctions, free train rides, tossing teddy bears on the ice after the first goal is scored at a major hockey game, fundraisers or good old money donations.

Yes, love and awareness is all around us and we are doing our best to let it show. Mysteriously, our emergency dinner supply - canned soups and pasta- disappears on a regular basis only to be found back as a donation for the Foodbank!



Our children may not be aware-ye t- of their fortunate situation in life, but it starts with awareness and hopefully will end with appreciation!

12.45 pm: Back at school to help selling raffle tickets before our Christmas concert. We were selling tickets to help our school to purchase playground equipment; we were selling cookies to help 'Bring Water to Kenya'.

We were ready to sell, our parents were ready to buy. We sold the lot! It was fantastic!

This is the real wealth of British Columbia: The willingness of many to create a difference in the lives of others either here or around the world.

TOO MUCH TIME

 RANDOM & (EXTRA-) ORDIONARY THOUGHTS during a bus ride

From Coquitlam to Burnaby[/caption]

                                                                                                                                                       To fully appreciate Justin Bieber you need to be a teenage girl! Our male dominated household is a “Bieber-Fever - Free Zone!”

Blame it on my ears:  Katie Perry, Kelly Clarkson & Carly Rae Jepsen sound like one to me!

The movie”JACKASS” should be renamed into ‘Dumb Asses”.  Honestly, who comes up with this dangerous, disgusting stuff? Men?                                                                        While I am thinking about movies:  I don’t see the attraction of ‘The Walking Dead” either

 On the other hand, I think Peter Griffin is cool!  “Family Guy” beats “South Park” any day!

 What is it with men and their obsession with black socks?

 Forget about reading “50 Shades of Grey”. See what 50 shades of black socks do to your libido when you try to match them back together!

Best invention in the sock department: The ones with the names of the week printed on.    Or buy hiking socks.   They make it even easier to get the right foot into the right sock: They have the letters written on them!  This is a wonderful no-brainer for early in the morning.

The best invention for homemakers who are in charge of the laundry: Colour catchers! These sheets of paper changed my life! They save so much time and deliver what they promise!

Is it too late to teach our boys home etiquette? They need some fine tuning! Why can't they compliment me on a job well done when I present a new dish? Instead they are yelling: "Don't like it".

Joey's mom in Korea, (he is our exchange student) you did something right here: Your son would NEVER, EVER say something like that to me.  If he doesn't agree with the new dish he quietly reaches for the ketchup bottle! He is a clever one.

 Mom was right when she told me fewer, but thicker rolls of toilet paper last longer than single sheet rolls.

Please anti-wrinkle cream - manufacturers, tell the truth, are your creams really working? I have reached the age where I want to believe your promises!

What happened, can't “multi-task” anymore!.  I was able to read an e-mail, respond to it, answer the phone, watch TV and talk to Dominic – all at the same time!  Now I need quiet and peace to do one or the other! BUT, I am still able to make yoghurt and crunchy flakes at the same time!

Blueberries and pumpkin spiced lattes are an acquired taste.

Why should you drive with 16 and drink with 19? The other way around makes so much more sense to me..                                                                                                                                                                            Drink when you are 16, get shit faced many times over, puke and get it over with. Then become a responsible driver with 18. You won’t have any desire to drink anymore (or at least not so much).

I wonder where I will find Cruz's well hidden birthday present. Probably at my next spring cleaning.

It was brilliant how Brando cracked the combination lock of our new suitcase. He watched YouTube got on with it. Scarry what teenagers know and learn from their downloads. But in this case, very helpful indeed - and easier than you think!

Wouldn't it be nice to become Penny's roommate and hang out with Sheldon, Leonard, Howard and Raj? Would love to meet Howard's mother ...

Don’t know whom I am talking about? It’s the Big Bang Theory!

Would you like to add to this random rambling?  Please let me know!

DAVID BECKHAM COVER(S) UP

I know I promised you “Fright Night”, a haunted house filled with blood thirsty creatures roaming around during full moon, causing goose bumps, palpation and sweaty palms to every living soul. 

Unfortunately, this has to wait till the next time!  Something else came up and I need to get the following off my chest first. I am a woman- changing my mind / my script / or my intention is part of the gender description!

What or who spooked me? My de-railing comes in the form of Mr. Eye Candy, David Beckham.

Personally, I like his looks and I love the idea of him being a devoted (?), progressive father. Anyway, I spotted his latest picture in his undies for the H&M campaign (you’ve seen the one, taken by tourists in the tour bus?). This alone caused my housewife brain to go into overdrive.  Then I picked up a dated edition of “Hello’ magazine during my holy hour at the library! Here he is again, Mr. Handsome, besotted father with his daughter in his arms. I can’t remember the quote exactly, but it went something like this:

“Now that I have a daughter I can’t run around half dressed anymore”

Or did he actually say “naked”? Or was it “...in my boxer shorts anymore”?

Is he joking? Or does a prude lurk inside this well chiselled, well camouflaged body of his?

If this is the truth can I make the assumption that his three boys have never seen Victoria in her Eve costume? (This should read “Adams costume” actually. But you will only get this pun if you know her maiden name)!  

For Goodness sake David, get real! Your daughter has three brothers. Sooner or later, at one occasion or another, she will find out what that dangly thingy is you guys have and we girls don’t.

Of course, it is your own business how to bring up your children!  But wouldn’t you agree that it is much easier to let it all ‘hang out’ or simply grin and bear it - at least in your own home?  Confined to your own four walls? Let’s face it: If you can’t run around naked within your own four walls, where else can you?  And if you do, look what happened to the future Queen of England.

 If your children won’t see their own parents naked - how else will they learn about the small differences?  Where else should their see it or learn from? At their friends house (I hope not!), on TV (most likely), at a peep-show (Holy C.., better late than never?), on the beach (you have some explaining to do right there and then) or in some books and magazines (probably the safest bet).

As for me, I whole heartedly support the ‘no secret’ policy! -  That’s what we did (and still do?) in Germany.

My three boys know how I look like.  I never made a big deal about it. And the result?  They don’t really care about this whole subject on being nude!

 Do you agree? Is this part of being extra-ordinary? To me it is!

On this note, I wonder what is going on in Madonna’s house!

Happy to hear from you!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

HIGH FASHION

[caption id="attachment_25" align="alignleft" width="225"] Most Popular Female Outfit[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_26" align="alignleft" width="225"] Forest Gump[/caption]

First things first::

I decided to save my immigration fund and hit the road of pre-promotion for the book alone! With all the information at hand I figure, How hard can it be? Honestly, I don't believe in short cuts: I have to put the hours in, make mistakes and figure out which way suits me best!

On the shrinking waistline? It is definitely not shrinking yet! Last week the bike was my best friend: Just going down to the grocery store equals a mini "Tour-de Maple Ridge!" It is all mountain terrain! The thighs are becoming more muscley but the love handles found their spot on my body they really like.....to be continued!

Our chosen country is a melting pot of different nationalities!  Immigrants from all over the world are calling Canada their new home! Which is cool, because it is all about globalization! We are all part of one big family, regardless of colour, accent or upbringing. One of the major differences between here and let's say Germany (where I grew up) or The Netherlands (where we lived for 12 years) is the attitude towards being different!

Here ONE CELEBRATES DIFFERENCES, whereas  in the two European countries,

YOU NEED TO FIT in to be accepted!

Let me elaborate. Among the many acquaintances we met along the way and friends we made I am definitely not known as a fashionista! Far from it! I never know what is in fashion, I only know what feels comfy and what not to wear if you have short legs, a no bra size and.-now- wobbly upper arms.

Where we lived in our little village in Holland, the ladies look fabulous!!! They spent lots of money on the items displayed - and it showed! Name brands, the newest styles, well-groomed from tip to top!  Believe it or not, these ladies know how to cycle in their high heels,  how to balance their grocery bags and their kids on the front and rear seats of their bike AND still look good!   It was a pleasure to watch, but put on a lot of pressure to "fit in!"  Personally I believe as long as it is clean and not torn, put it on! Oh well, it is easier said than done! Especially there! Germany is the same. Even if people don't mean to, you are being judged and looked up and down upon if you don't display some sort of style! But this was then, this is now:

Imagine our relief when we heard on the radio that Vancouver still ranks among the top 5 places in the world to live, but is named "most unfashionable city in the world" by the people who should know!

One of the items Dominic (the "fashionable" husband) was stressed out upon arrival, was the added expense to buy a brand new wardrobe for our new life here in Vancouver!  Actually, we live in Maple Ridge,a still undiscovered gem in high fashion circles, ignored by any species slightly in tune with fashion!

Maple Ridge is a mecca for horse lovers, it is the rainforest of BC, the area of choice to bring up your children. Considering these facts one finds  residents displaying their flip-flops, rain boots or track suit bottoms more than anything else! Judging by the amount of sports wear seen in the street, one can come to the conclusion that the locals are  among the fittest, healthiest, most active  people anywhere (don't know if this is true or not)!

Dominic is in heaven, he can finally live out his honest summer style, inspired by Forest Gump, and nobody gives him a second look! I am in heaven, because there is no need to buy any new clothes whatsoever!

Either way of living and attitude towards fashion is just fine. You have to decide how to deal with it on a personal level.! But here is the dilemma I am facing:

It is too easy to fall into the trap of "no-fashion". It is too easy to put on the loose-fitting bottoms, crocs and hit the road. And the best thing is: Nobody cares! In order to keep some personal pride and get a sense of being " extra-ordinary" I make sure to put on my European outfits every day (if they still fit over the expanding waist) and get fabulous compliments!

Impulsive Decisions, write a book and shrink my waist

One of my personal characteristics is being impulsive!

Our first month in our new home was spent completing tedious tasks about our old home. Skype was our medium of choice! Due to the nine hour time difference we had to be up, alert and  business-like in the  early hours of dawn – or sometimes drag out our days past midnight.

After most things were organized my brain went into “let’s do something crazy –over drive- mood”.  It was the first Sunday in February!  I woke up with the determination to write a book.  The blueprint was in my head!  Straight after our breakfast I planted myself behind this little PC.  It was neither tedious, strenuous nor a boring task.  The fingers were dancing over the keypad! It was fun and refreshing to put down the story of Strawberry Lounge.  It took two months to complete “Very Berry Extra-Ordinary “and another month to rewrite the first draft. In total I rewrote the book three times until I was happy and before it was sent off to the editor in Tenn. USA.

The editing is done, the waiting game has begun! The manuscript has been sent back via train, truck and automobile plus with the possibility to be held back at the border!

The saying goes: Patience is a virtue! This is one characteristic I have struggled with for the last 40 years. That’s why it is presented to me again and again, in various forms, shapes and situations.

We are not talking about major time pressure or deadlines-yet! What is being tested is my own impatience and a compromise of the promises I made to all individuals involved. My plan is / was to get “Very Berry Extra-Ordinary” published by the end of this summer!

If learning to be patient isn’t bad enough, I discovered another shortcoming. This one not related to my character but to physical appearance: Middle age- love handles on the mid-section and flabby upper arms have set in!  Since the age of 27 I always had a 6-pack and nicely shaped upper arms. Not anymore! What happened?

For the first time in over six years I have the time to sit down to eat in quiet and peace. No rushing around, nothing to organize, no last minute shopping trips for the coffee lounge, no need for taxiing our boys around to their various activities yet.   Years of ownership saw me running around like crazy, too busy to keep the pounds on. Now life is so much more relaxed - perhaps a bit too relaxed...

Anyway, to revive me from personal misery I decided on a plan of action: Activities to Lose my unwanted extras and to Gain publicity for the book.

Here is what I am doing:

No more crunches. For 30 years my abdominals performed the same old same old! Enough is enough- they are bored to death. Hand me weights, let’s do Pilates and yoga exercises for a reshape of this body part!

During the weekly swimming session I happily mingled with the ladies in the medium lane: It was for sheer enjoyment and to be happy to move the body!

Not anymore!  The next time you can find me in the fast lane again for some serious free styling. Still for enjoyment, but with the goal to shape and reshape!

Next on the list:

30 push-ups every second day!  And, no more late night ice-creams or cookie attacks while watching yet another useless romantic comedy!

To get in depth information on how to promote a book I follow the Jack of all trades, Jack Canfield. So far I watched his videos, watched a live broadcast and listened to a call-in show.  One of the best ideas I heard is to attach a charity to the book.

I am currently searching for a suitable group that I could support with my book on "mother-preneurialship”.

Furthermore, I am researching various magazines on the Dutch, US, English and Canadian market to find out about their target group. Which one is most suitable to promote my book?

Another plan is to do presentations at various locations at various venues, e.g. local churches, Universities, Lady Circles or Chamber of Commerce. After a few phone calls and personal conversations I received prices for various rooms and locations.

Further, I am on a mission to get in touch with the editor of our local newspaper. I've got some funny articles to offer him as filler for the summer period. Not much to report yet! A personal visit was unsuccessful, a follow-up phone call and e-mail hasn’t been answered yet!

The most important thing is: I know what to do! And I am doing it!

I just have to find out HOW TO DO IT! But that is the fun bit...

The alternative is to call Jack- or to enrol in one of his courses – but, this would obviously shrink my First-Year-Canada-Fund. Thinking about it more closely, he wouldn’t help me personally. His business partner would! In the form of a detailed course program which reveals tried and tested methods by authors who made it to the New York Times Bestsellers List.

Let me think about this...to be continued!

The Move

(Warning, this is a long one, but it is the introduction for everything that will follow...)

Our whole family recently moved from The Netherlands to Maple Ridge, BC, Canada.

Our family includes the American husband, our teenage son (15 years of age) our pre-teen (12 years) the youngest one (9) plus my German self. Reason for the change in scenery was our search for adventure, more space, wild nature and the language. And frankly speaking, after 12 years in the Flatlands of Europe, we just learned everything there is to know about the Dutch-Way-of-Life. Prior to our departure we both operated successful businesses- my husband as a self employed business coach and trainer, me as the proud owner of Strawberry Lounge.

What you are about to read is not an account of the vast differences in Dutch vs. Canadian attitudes or culture. Far from it- I am going to de-mystify the belief that

“You can only move countries, (or continents in this matter) prior to the arrival of your children or when your children are younger than elementary school age”.

We heard about this as well. Unconvinced about this wives tale we were more worried about the following two scenarios.  First, love would strike any of the boys and second, our own increased age would label us “unsuitable to be of any valid contribution to the country”. If we wanted to make the move, we had to move now.  We didn’t have any family, friends or business connections to rely on. It was up to us to make it happen!

On arrival to Canada we explained to our children they had one of two choices to make. To either live in the past or to give it an honest shot here in Maple Ridge. The Netherlands was the past, Canada is the present and will be our future.

Six months down the road we figured it out.

Our kids are happily settled in their Elementary or High School respectively. Each of them took their time to adjust to their new life. Unsurprisingly, our youngest son had the least trouble. Only two days after arrival he found his soul mate just two doors down the road. The middle son took his time and spent a couple of weeks on facebook, posting openly his mistrust and hate about his new home.  But let me tell you, after spending a birthday party with his new class mates it is all easy going with him. He happily mingles with his new mates on his way home, turned into an enthusiastic street hockey player and entertains the whole street in our den. And our teenager? God knows- he is a young man of few words.  But what we can gather from his tidbits, he thinks it is cool here. He also joined the neighbourhood street hockey team. To earn some money he scored himself a baby - sitting job, earned himself a cool mountain-trail bike doing chores for an elderly gentleman and made friends with other like minded souls.  He is good! When our boys talk about their previous life and their friends left behind, they sound fine. We can’t hear regret or sadness in their voices.

Let me share with you what helped make our transition so easy:

All of us speak English. Due to our back grounds we brought up the children tri-lingual. Daily life is easy with the same lingo. Watching TV, reading books or mingling doesn’t cause a problem. The school system is fabulous: The Canadians don’t believe in holding a child back. If any problems are encountered they get help along the way as much as possible. Both younger boys get extra help twice a week with their writing and grammar skills. Brando, the oldest, actually excels in every given subject! If you decide to move countries, make sure you are familiar with the new language.

Find a house and neighbourhood for the whole family.

Our original plan was to live in isolation, to live with as much space as possible. We lived like sardines in The Netherlands. Canada is the second biggest country in the world. Why should we cramp our style here? For some strange leap of faith we decided to buy a house along a totally different spectrum. We both fell in love with our new residency, situated in the heart of a neighbourhood.  Honestly, this is the best thing we have ever done!  Our new neighbourhood swarms with children and their parents are extremely nice and entertaining too. Thankfullywe have more boys than girls on top of our ridge and the ages range from seven to 14 years of age.  Each of our boys found the right match.

Our street is a cul-de-sac.  In the afternoon and early evening hockey nets are spread across the street to slow any traffic down. During hot afternoons our yards are transformed into battle grounds for water gun fights, they serve as backdrops for movie making, for hide and seek games or any other creative gimmick to pop into the heads of the boys. If the weather god plays tricks on us we have Plan B. All the houses have an entertainment system in their basements.

All parents have an unspoken agreement: We feed whomever we find in our house. Due to this arrangement our kids discovered KRAFT DINNERS and fell in love with MACCARONI & CHEESE. Because all our neighbours are so nice we often find ourselves sitting on someone else’s terrace having margaritas or drinking beer. Or, everybody else finds themselves on our deck outside. Quite often we throw our goods together for an impromptu BBQ. To make good things even better, one of the neighbours owns a swimming pool with the sign “open to all” attached to it!

Just a short, but very steep bike ride down the hill you can find the HOT ROCKS, three big rocks in the middle of a river.  This local swimming hole is ideal when it gets hot and for anybody brave enough to brace glacier water. Brrr, it is freezing, but refreshing.

Talk and talk some more! 

Find out where to find the deals!  Moving is expensive, especially when you make the plunge across the big ocean. All big electronic household items are rendered useless coming from Europe.  We could save cash by simply asking what item to buy from which shop. On a food related basis, I interviewed every female I came in contact with to share her secret shop for purchasing fresh produce and general survival items.  Everybody pointed me to the Superstore and the Farmers Market. Acting upon their recommendations I got a free savers card from each store to take advantage of their weekly specials.

 Watch what you are buying

North American food tastes different than Dutch and German food. God knows what they put in their bread, canned soups or drinks. Actually, I don’t want to know. All I know is that it takes time to adjust to the new cuisine. Bottom line is, adapt or start spending BIG for the flavours you are used to from Europe.

But, as I just mentioned, every EU import is very expensive. The Knorr and Maggi sachets have to wait for a special day, e.g. Canada Day.  A cheaper option would be to send a stress call to family or friends in the old country and ask for a care package.

Instead of spending big money on food one can opt to split the budget and shop big for clothes instead.  All the famous US labels like Ralph Lauren, T.Hilfiger, The Gap, Lands End or Banana Republic have Outlet stores – everything can be purchased for a fraction of the Euro. These shops also offer discount coupons on line when you purchase for the first time in their store.              Another good money saver is a Garage Sale. Dominic ( my husband) found us a “Broiler King” state of the art BBQ, a sturdy oak outdoor garden set, various chairs for our terraces, hockey equipment and a Nerf gun- all this for the tiny fraction of the retail price.

As a recap, these are our tried and tested recipes for establishing ourselves in the new country:

Talk and talk some more.  Let everybody know you have arrived. Open up your house for visitors. Canadians take their volunteer work seriously. I joined the ranks. So far I volunteered for school projects and for a two day community event. Both occasions are fabulous to meet and mingle with mothers, get to know the school and make new local acquaintances. Dominic and myself network at various events to get to know the movers and shakers of the business world and we visit lots of free social events to get to know as many individuals as possible.

We obviously have to put in the effort.  But we are more than happy and willing to do so.  You have to make the first step, the first commitment and the rest will follow automatically. The Canadians make it surely easy for everybody. They are welcoming, friendly, open minded, honest and easy going. Step by step we are building our new circle of friends and acquaintances here. It is effortless, fun and rewarding.

Somebody said: ‘”Home is where the heart is”.

Dominic and myself believe this. Accordingly, we pass the following message on to the boys:                      We are happy wherever we are, because we want to be!