Ah! Roseola....

This is what I saw tonight in the bath. A rash. I then had the ah-ha moment, roseola.

Roseola , also kown as sixth disease, is a viral infection that affects infants, usually between the ages of six months to a year. Starts off with a runny nose (check), high fever (yup we got there 40C/104F), fever then dissipates and the rash appears! Yup, there is the rash! It starts in the middle of the body and then spreads outward. Well, he is irritable and clingy but this is one viral infection under his belt, and generally once you have it you usually don't get it again.Yeah for natural immunity!

I ♥ Breastfeeding

Kai had his first real sickness. Some virus. He has been very hot, tired and cranky. I'm not sure what women do that don't breastfeed. It is simply the best way to "nurse" a baby back to health. Kai has been well hydrated, comforted, soothed and he gets so many amazing immune boosting properties from the breast milk. It is simply amazing. This has been us since Sunday. Hopefully the fever breaks tomorrow....

4/52

"A portrait of my children, once a week, every week, in 2013."

with http://cheandfidel.blogspot.com/2013/01/452.html#more

aidan: my wildly long lashed boy
bella: oh, girly she is. her last week of being 4. i keep asking her to stay 4 but she insists on being 5.
kai: how is this last baby of mine, so wonderful and round? a and b were so thin and expected this one to follow. they truly are each their own.

3/52

"A portrait of my children, once a week, every week, in 2013."

aidan: snow ninja

bella: sitting and watching the snow fall

kai: bipedal and happy (still)

Turquoise

I love this bedroom (I might just want a few more hints of turquoise)

I love this blog House of Turquoise. It is simply pictures of beautiful rooms all with some aspect of blue/turquoise. I am slowly incorporating this colour to our house (only if I had more time or a personal decorator). In Chinese Medicine, this blue spectrum is connected to the Liver. The Liver ensures the smooth flow of Qi, or energy, through the body and decreases internal stagnation. Stagnation can be seen with breast tenderness, menstrual cramps, headaches and emotionally with an increase in anger or frustration. The liver also governs the eyes, nails and tendons, stores the blood and regulates bile secretion. Remember a few years back when I wrote about Aidan and his love for red? He still loves it!
Maybe I like this colour as it helps to move my energy and keep me calm. I don't know but one thing I do know is, I like it!  What colour do you gravitate to??

Meal of the week

I made this lunch for some friends that came by this past week. It was so delicious. I was inspired by Fresh's rice bowls, http://www.freshrestaurants.ca/
The base was quinoa, topped with beans, roasted brussel sprouts, steamed chard, grated carrots, chopped cilantro, sesame seeds and chopped peanuts.
I made this delicious tahini dressing. I free poured tahini (maybe 1/2 cup) with a handful of cilantro, 1/2 lemon and some garlic. I used my new braun hand blender (which I LOVE) and blended it up. The thing with tahini is it thickens so you need to slowly add water until you get the consistency you want. I could eat this everyday it is so good.
It was a big hit and we ate variations of it all week!
Other topping ideas can be using rice, chicken, tofu, grated beets, fresh parsley. Anything really!
Oh, those cute napkins you see, were made by my beautiful sister in law as a christmas gift. Love them! 
Try it out and tell me what you think.

2/52

"A portrait of my children, once a week, every week, in 2013."

Aidan: in awe with the stingrays

Bella: in love with baby Ariel 

Kai: happy with all things round

Vanity Insanity....or is it?

I once saw this show years ago called Vanity Insanity and they featured facial acupuncture. I laughed. Facial acupuncture is considered crazy but botox and facelifts are not. When at CCNM http://www.ccnm.edu/ I took some additional training in Facial Rejuvenation Acupuncture and have been using it regularly since then. It helps to bring blood flow and Qi (energy) to the face, is able to lift jowels, cheekbones and eyes, tightens the skin, reduces fine lines by promoting collagen production, evens the skin tone and decreases blemishes. It really helps to invigorate the face and bring a healthy glow to the skin. It's subtle and it works. Here is my mama, poolside in Florida, enjoying her treatment. She's one of my regulars :-)

1/52

I follow this sweet blog called che and fidel http://cheandfidel.blogspot.com/2013/01/152.html#more. It is well written and her photographs are really inspiring. She started a "portrait of my children, once a week, every week, in 2013" and I decided I am going to get on board. I had tried doing something similar a few years ago now, and it is a blog called "a day in the life of A and B" (i guess now it would be A, B and K!) http://adayinthelifeofaandb.blogspot.ca/ (it is cute to go back now and see the ones I did post) Life seemed to get in the way back in 2011 and I stopped posting but I am hoping to get it going again and will post it here, once a week.  So here is week 1 (already a few days late as I was in Florida and could not post....hope this is not representative of my project!)

"A portrait of my children, once a week, every week, in 2013."

Aidan: his love of lego continues

Bella: all things girly

Kai: happy happy