I don't get a chance to watch too much TV, but one of my must-see shows is Grey's Anatomy.

Tonight, I wasn't sure if I was watching Grey's or Glee with all the singing going on.  Some may not like the surgeons and ER doctors breaking out in song, but I have to say that I kind of liked it.  It's not like they're going to do this every episode.  It was well done and the storyline made me reach for the Kleenex box several times! This episode had me crying so much that I was shaking.


**Spoiler Alert!** Please do not read any further if you have not  watched tonight's episode yet.
Just after Arizona asks Callie to marry her, the couple get into a horrific car accident.  Callie is in critical condition and her baby's life is on the line as well. Why all the singing? Callie's injuries cause her out of body experience. From the trauma, it appears that everyone sings as her life is hanging by a thread.

The reason this episode made me bawl my eyes out was because though the circumstances were very different from ours, just seeing Callie's 1 lb, 1 oz baby (I think she was a 23 weeker) brought back a flood of memories of our own time in the NICU.

Little One was born at 2 lbs, 3 oz and at 28 weeks. That was two years ago, and yet tonight's episode of Grey's just triggered all the memories. I wasn't expecting to react that way.  When I saw that tiny body being worked on, I thought "Oh, my gosh. Little One was that tiny when she was born". Now, look at her! She's here and she's happy and healthy.

Sometimes I wonder how on earth I survived those scary, rocky first days, weeks, and months in the NICU.  I was chatting with another parent of a preemie who said the said. We both commented on how going through all of that made us stronger people. I agree. If we could survive those early (and scary!) days then we can survive anything.  I learned that I'm a lot stronger than I give myself credit for...and that my daughter is such an amazing and strong fighter. She is a miracle.



Now, I'm kind of half-scared to see what the next episode of Grey's will bring!

I have to say that I'm a bit of an educational toy snob. Being a teacher, I am particularly choosy about what toys Little One plays with.  I'm not a big fan of loud, noisy toys with flashy lights. They give me a headache and I purposefully seemingly manage to always misplace the batteries for said toys.

Little One prefers creative play toys anyway. She loves puzzles, toy food, and even just a pad of paper and a bunch of markers! I'm telling you, she spends hours doodling and drawing pictures. She spends hours "cutting" up her fruits and veggies. She also enjoys "baking" brownies and then serving them to her stuffed animals for tea time.

Thankfully for us, there's a company that makes all of Little One's favourite things! Have you guessed yet? It's Melissa & Doug!

A friend of mine introduced us to Melissa & Doug on Little One's first birthday. She gave Little One the

Melissa & Doug Spill and Fill Purse.
Little One loves that purse. She totes it around, counts the coins (which she calls "money"), looks at herself in the compact, talks on her cell phone, etc. That was the start of Little One's Melissa and Doug collection.







Bollie Kickball - Little One received this as an Easter present last year. Bollie is a really cute ladybug ball that is great for outdoor and even indoor play. Bollie is made of durable rubber and is still soft enough that if Little One accidentally gets bonked on the head, it doesn't hurt so much. Ummm...not that Mommy has ever accidentally bonked her toddler on the head. No. Never!
Wooden Puzzles - She has tons of wooden puzzles that are all age appropriate. She is only 2 years old, so the puzzles she has don't have too many pieces. She loves them though. The puzzles teach her shape recognition and she gets to practice her fine motor, hand-eye coordination, and memory skills. This peg puzzle with the cats and dogs is her favourite puzzle at the moment.

Bake and Serve Brownies - Excellent for teaching shapes, counting, problem solving...and just so much fun! Little One loves this so much that we got her cousins a set and one of her friends a set too! We cleaned the store out of these brownie sets! LOVE THEM!

Playtime Produce Farm Fresh Fruit - I was given a gift certificate for one of the freelance gigs I had and I used it to get Little One her first set of play fruit. This was one of the best play sets I could have given her. We were teaching her the names of fruits and vegetables, but these durable plastic fruits were instrumental in Little One learning the names of fruit and learning how to count. She learned her colours from the fruit as well! These are fantastic for grocery and kitchen play.

Little One loves the toys, but Mommy loves the quality! Oh, okay. I love playing with Little One's Melissa & Doug toys too! Melissa & Doug makes thousands of educational toys for tiny tots to school-aged kids. They make classic toys, musical toys, outdoor toys, magnetic activities, puzzles, arts and crafts items, classroom supplies, learning mats, and a whole lot more! If you're a parent, grandparent, daycare operator, babysitter, or even if you just have a special kid in your life, check out Melissa & Doug.

Visit the Melissa & Doug website to see all the products they sell. Also find them on Twitter and Facebook!

I don't know what possessed me, but I have been craving curry like you wouldn't believe.  Living on "the Island", ethnic cuisine is hard to come by...unless you make it yourself.  Coming from Toronto, this is both a good and bad thing for me.  Bad because I'm used to eating at Japanese, Thai, Vietnamese, Greek, or Indian restaurants whenever I want.  Good because it means I don't eat out often.  This said, whenever I'm in "the city", I make sure to stock  up on all my Japanese, Indian, Korean, Thai, Chinese ingredients.

This afternoon, I whipped up a curried vegetable dish, chickpea Channa and doubles, a chicken curry, and a Japanese curry. With all that food and just Hubby, The Student, Little One and myself to eat it, I decided to have an impromptu dinner party.  I invited my parents, a few friends and their kids, and we feasted on all that delicious curry.

Since I'm feeling generous, I'll share one of my curry recipes with you :) This one is my favourite! I love how all the senses are awakened by the contrasting flavours of the curry and spices, the refreshing zing of the lemon, and the sweetness of the coconut milk.


Ingredients
2 medium onions, chopped
Lots of garlic, chopped
3-4 heaping spoonfuls of curry powder
2 Tbsp. cumin
1 Tbsp. cinnamon
Grated ginger
cayenne powder
paprika
1 Tbsp. tomato paste
The juice of 1 lemon
Salt and Black pepper to taste
4 chicken breasts, cut into bite sized pieces
Coconut milk (I used creamed coconut milk in the bar form and added boiling water to thin it out a bit)
Olive oil to saute with

1. In a heavy pan, heat oil. I used my dutch oven (just because I LOVE using it!). Saute onions until translucent. Add garlic and spices. Stir for a few minutes. This is when everything starts to smell delicious!

2. Add chicken to pan. Add coconut milk and tomato paste. Bring everything to a boil.

3. Reduce heat and simmer for about 30 minutes. Add lemon juice and simmer for a few more minutes.

4. Serve over bed of Basmati rice. I served vegetable curry to accompany this dish. Altogether, there were 4 different types of curries I made.

One of my friends brought some red wine, homemade guacamole and multi-grain tortilla chips, and a yummy dessert. Yeah, the wine, guac and chips, and dessert didn't really go with the Indian curry theme, but were a welcomed addition. I guess it wasn't entirely Indian themed, since we had Japanese curry and Caribbean chickpeas and doubles! :)

Everyone had a great time! For me, the best way to spend an evening is to share good company, good conversation, and good food!






**The chicken curry photo is not mine. Sadly, there were no leftovers of this dish!  I found the image here.

 Perhaps not quite narcoleptic, but Little One has the uncanny ability to fall asleep anywhere and everywhere.

Many of you  know that I am an ESL teacher and that we also run a homestay program for students from other countries. Unfamiliar with what a  homestay is? Basically, we provide room and board to students from other countries who are studying English here in Canada.

We currently have one homestay student from South Korea and another one coming soon. We just received news that we were to have a Chinese student stay with us for four months. I was thrilled, since we haven't had any Chinese students stay with us before.

The mother, Meifeng Cheng found me via one of the ESL boards I belong to and am registered with. She sent me this message:

Thanks for your respond. Kindly let me know what your price is like for 2 meals [Breakfast and Dinner], my main worry is for her to stay with a lovely good home. I hope your home will provide her the kind of atmosphere she need.

She will be coming on the 12th of March and leave on the 12th of July, 2011. Also we are going to pay up front, I don't what Lui to have money problems when she is with you Mr.Tom Park will handle the payment for us since he reside in Canada. Mr.Park is a long time friend of my family I contacted him about Mei moving to Canada for her studies and he said is a nice idea and promised to help us out with the payment.

God has help me to rise Lui up in His way so she is a nice young girl and you will love her I promise you. She will be going to a language school and have two schools which she's talking with but I have also asked her that am going to ask you to advice us on any good school close to your home, Can you help her to enroll when she comes over? Please note that her English speaking is very slow and for this I allowed her to visit my step-sister in England, I want her English to improve a bite before coming to your home. She will move from England to Canada I pray you will assist her.

Lui is 19 year. Here in China if you can speak and write English you will have a very good job as the economy is growing everyday I want Lui to be ready I want to give her my best now after I found her.

Let me hear from you.

Regards,

Meifeng.

We e-mailed back and forth over the course of the next few days. It struck me as odd that she never answered my questions and that she kept asking me for information that was evident, had she read my work website. All the information was there, yet she kept asking me things that she should have known.

Things didn't add up, and they just got more mysterious. She told me that Tom Park would be Lui's contact in Canada and that he would be handling her homestay arrangements and everything required to get her here. Tom Park did call me and he sent me a company cheque for $4000.

I like to give people the benefit of the doubt and I am a pretty trusting person, but this felt wrong for some reason. A few days later, I received this:

How are you and your family? Am so glad that my Lui will be staying with a good home and you are going to be a nice mom to her. I have told Lui a lot about your family and she's very please and cannot wait to meet with her new family.

I just came in now and will be out again after sending you this e-mail. There's a lot for me to do regarding grammar's burial which I want it to come up on the 26th of March if possible. Am the only person doing all the arrangements for the burial. Grammar have only two children my Mom and his brother Bojing which we have not heard from over 9years now so am just alone.

I got an e-mail from Mr.Park about the overage which is $890. Our agreed price was $840 per month which is $3,360 for the 4 months. I have asked Park to loan me the money which he has agreed to, you can call him to confirm. Though in his last e-mail he told me he will be going on vacation.

Lui told me she have no money on her at all and I have no money to send to her right now as I have a lot to do here that involve money for grammar's burial, and I spent a lot on grammar's hospital bills. I told her I will talk to you. I am wondering if you can send her $3,000 from the amount Mr.Park sent to you so she can pay some bills, flight ticket, do some shopping and have some cash on her to move around with when she comes over till I settle down after the burial, I promise you I will make up the balance within her first month with you. Her welcome is over stayed in UK , I know what am talking about.

Kindly send to me the nearest airport she will land for easy pick up and the airline you think will be fine for her to fly with. I will get back to you later today when I hear from her.

Have a lovely day. Please am counting on you to take care of my Lui. I will give you her flight details once I get it from her. I have asked her to make sure her flight will land in the evening say around 6pm or 7pm your local time so you will be chance to pick her up. Or what do you think?

Meifeng.

Yes she will do her ESL with you I thought we have agreed on this before now. What I don't know is if the 840$ covers the ESL fees if not kindly let me know but my main worry now is for Lui to move and be under your roof that's when I will be happy and relax here.

I was a bit confused, as we never "agreed" on a price. My prices for homestay do not include ESL lessons. It was all a bit weird. Of course, the asking me to send her daughter $3000 sent red flags up. Why would I have to send her daughter money to get her plane ticket?

I e-mailed Meifeng and Mr. Park and told them that we would love to host Lui, but not unless all her arrangements have been sorted out first. I told them that all of my ESL students have always ensured that they had adequate funds and all their visa, plane ticket, insurance, and everything else sorted first. I also found it weird that Meifeng did not sign the contract or waiver form that I e-mailed to her for Lui.

Like I said, I'm generally not a suspicious person, but I'm glad I was this time.

Feeling an odd sensation in the pit of my stomach, I Googled the names "Meifeng Cheng", "Lui Cheng", and "Tom Park". To my horror, it was confirmed that this was indeed a scam! There were tons and tons of homestay families on one of the ESL community boards who were victims of this scam. Fortunately for me, I listened to my gut feeling.

Since the last e-mail where I told "Meifeng" and "Tom" that I would not deposit the cheque and I would not pick up "Lui" at the airport, I  haven't heard a single word from them.

To think, I was so close to getting scammed out of a few thousand dollars! It is so sad that anyone could be so low as to prey on good people like this. I feel sad for all the homestay families who have been scammed by "Meifeng"/"Tom. This was an elaborate scam! A lot of effort went into planning this. E-mail correspondence, phone calls, a cheque (again, weird that Tom used a "company" cheque from Toronto instead of a certified cheque or money order)...and Meifeng even e-mailed me a photo of Lui Cheng!

I wonder if we should notify the police of this scam? I would hate for anyone to be a victim of this.

*Disclaimer: Please be aware that this joke is not a "G" Rated joke and may be offensive to some. Please do not read any further if you are easily offended.*

One of my favourite Tweeps needed some laughs today, so I racked my brain for some jokes I could tell her. I'm the kind of person who has that "delayed reaction" thing going on whenever someone tells me a joke. Then I laugh about the punch line for days. I'm also the kind of person who messes up jokes whenever I try to retell them.

My friend, FunMommy told a bunch of us this joke at one of our International Dinner parties. I still laugh about this one. It only took me about ten minutes to finally "get it" (the joke, I mean)!

Here you go, Nugglemama!

One thing  you should know about me is that I absolutely looooooooove beautiful fabric and paper. When I was teaching and living in Japan, I fell in love with the stunning material that was used in making kimonos and yukatas. I also fell in love with Japanese paper. Some friends thought it was funny that I'd just go shopping for stationery or origami paper. I couldn't help it!

What an art to create something so beautiful!


This fetish--obsession love of beautiful fabric has been carried on and even my toddler is now obsessed with pretty fabric and designs.

When I "met" KIOKKO Baby Couture, I  knew it was a friendship made in Heaven. Awesome Mommy+Lover of beautiful fabric and all things for baby=My soul sista! I don't even know how we "met"! The internet is an amazing thing! I mean, if you think of all the millions of blogs and sites online, it's amazing how we meet the people we meet.

Anyway, back to my obsession. I have won an amazing blanket from KIOKKO. KIOKKO's blankets are super soft and over-sized. There are tons of prints/designs to choose from. Each blanket features premium designer cotton and is lined with super soft minky fabric to make this a very cozy blanket for your baby. They're great for in the car, on the go, for snuggling, for swaddling...

I also entered a KIOKKO contest where fans got to name a pacifier clip from KIOKKO's line of linen pacifier clips.
These clips are made with imported Japanese ribbon. The clasps are made with lead-free metal. My suggestion for one of the names was chosen!! I called that particular pacifier clip "Tomodachi", which means "Friend" in Japanese. Can you spot the clip I named? Pretty cute, don't you think?

Little One received some beautiful washcloths from KIOKKO. I know that probably sounds odd calling washcloths beautiful! They are sooooooo beautiful!
What I love about KIOKKO Eco-washcloths is that they are so thick! All the other washcloths that Little One has are so thin and so tiny. These Eco-Washcloths and Eco-Mini Washcloths  are super thick and super soft! Perfect for washing your baby's delicate skin! On one side, there is premium designer cotton, and on the other, thick, absorbent terry cloth. These washcloths are super strong, durable...and, did I mention pretty???

Like I said, my toddler LOVES her washcloths. Too funny. Yes, we're cultivating a new generation of fabric lovers. She goes around the house with her washcloths and says, "Ooooh! Pretty!"
I got a new mommy some washcloths and a super cool bib for her baby shower. KIOKKO has so many beautiful items that it's so hard to choose!

One last KIOKKO item I am absolutely crazy for is the mitten clip. Well, I should say *clips* because they come in twos! The mitten clips are similar to the pacifier clips, but are shorter and come in pairs. These are the most fabulous things ever created! The problem with mittens is that they get lost so easily. The toddler has a way of taking off her mitts all the time. We had mittens with the string that runs through each sleeve of her coat, but that really freaked me out. All I could think of was "Safety Hazard" or "Accidental Strangulation"! I know, pretty grim. Hey, it's a reality though. Those things can happen! Kids can get stuck and strangled by those old school mitten strings. This is the same reason I don't let me toddler wear a scarf. Maybe I'm a little paranoid, but I'm just saying that these mitten clips are a great alternative!

The mitten clips are made with beautiful high quality grosgrain ribbon. The clasps are lead-free rounded metal clasps with a plastic insert so that they are gentle on clothing. Have I told you how much I LOVE these mitten clips?

Everyone comments on how gorgeous Little One's mitten clips are and ask where I got them. KIOKKO Baby Couture, of course!

Do you want a pair of mitten clips for your little one? How about a bib? Blanket? Set of washcloths? Well, you are in luck. KIOKKO Baby Couture is giving one of my lucky readers a $25 e-gift certificate! How cool is that?

To Enter:
Go over to KIOKKO Baby Couture and let me know in a comment here which item you absolutely love! (4 entries)

*For each entry, please leave a separate comment. Also, please include your e-mail address in each entry so I can contact you if you win).

Additional Entries:

1. "Like" KIOKKO Baby Couture on Facebook and let them know I sent  you! (2 entries)
2. Follow KIOKKO on Twitter and let them know I told you to say hello! (2 entries)
3. Tweet this giveaway (1 entry per tweet, 1 tweet per day)
4. "Like" Random Thoughts and Musings on the Island REVIEWS on Facebook (2 entries)
5. Follow me on Twitter @chancesmommy (2 entries)
6. Follow me via Google Friend Connect (1 entry)
7. Grab my button and leave me the link for where I can find it (1 entry)
8. Follow via NetworkedBlogs (1 entry)

Contest open to residents of Canada and the U.S.  Ends March 31, 2011!

A friend of mine always jokes that she worries whether her son will be alive by the age of five since he's a daredevil. He's a very active little guy who has no fear.

I often wonder if I'll be alive by the time Little One turns five.

Why?

The kid is so rambunctious, full of energy, and has no fear. Okay, she's two. According to most parents I have spoken to, toddlers at the age of two are much like Little One. She's always into everything, she's non-stop go-go-go, full of energy, etc, etc, etc.

How on earth do parents live past the toddler years? Turn your back for two seconds, and this kind of stuff happens...




Yup! Little One found her butt paste and smeared zinc oxide ALL OVER my kitchen, kitchen appliances, and HERSELF! Of course, this was after she had demolished my kitchen and turned it upside down.

I almost had a heart attack. I'm sure in a million years, I'll be able to look back at this moment and laugh. Again, how can you get mad at someone who looks this cute?

P.S. I have learned am learning that I need to take a chill pill every time Little One does something that stresses me out. I need to learn to laugh more and let things go. I need to remind myself that we are so blessed that she is here with us and can even do all those things that stress me out. She is our little miracle. I have to keep reminding myself of that...especially when she looks at me with a diaper cream covered face and butt paste smeared all over the fridge and stove.

I am always on the lookout for healthy, wholesome, great tasting snacks. Now, I don't feel as guilty about giving her snacks like crackers or biscuits. They're also a lifesaver in the van. They're not too messy and she can help herself to her snack bag. I am still very careful about what we feed her. I worry about the amount of sodium, sugar and all the "extras" that "convenient" food contains.

There's also a history of nut allergies on Hubby's side of the family, so I want to avoid exposing Little One to nuts (although, I have a sneaky suspicion that she has been introduced to nuts already). This said, I am very careful about what goes into Little One's body. Not only that, but many products are made in facilities that are not nut-free. Many foods can contain traces of nuts and nut products.

When I was asked to sample Dare Bear Paws kids' crackers, I was excited to see how they tasted and what ingredients were used to make them. Dare has been a company that I trust, as it is Canadian-owned and operated, and has been giving Canadians quality products for the past 119 years! I feel comfortable knowing that if I don't have time to make Little One's treats, at least I can count on Dare to offer wholesome snacks.
I'm even happier knowing that Dare's Bear Paws and all Dare products are made in nut-free facilities. Did you know that Dare became one of Canada's first peanut-free food manufacturers back in 2004?
For reviewing purposes, we were sent a box of each of the Bear Paws kids' cracker flavours: Cheddar Cheese, Vegetable, and Original. Our package also contained the Dare bear colouring pages, stickers, and Crayons for Little One. I cannot tell you how excited my toddler was to receive this package!

She excitedly yelled, "CRACKER! CRACKER!" and wanted to try the snacks out immediately! She enjoyed all of the flavours, but her favourite was the Cheddar Cheese. That didn't surprise me, since Little One loves cheese! Hubby really likes the Original flavour, and I am quite partial to the Vegetable flavour. It's a good thing we got to try out all three flavours!
The Bear Paws kids' crackers are the perfect bite-sized snack to bring to daycare, grandparents' house, school, trips, car rides, etc. They are the perfect size for kids and fit nicely in little containers in lunchboxes and snack bags.

Not only are the crackers peanut-free, but they are:
- Low in saturated fat
- Good source of folate
- Source of vitamin B3 (niacin)
- Source of vitamin B1 (thiamine)
- No trans fat
- No artificial flavours

They retail for around $2.49 at grocery stores and mass merchandise stores across Canada.

Disclosure- I received Cheddar Cheese, Vegetable, and Original flavour Bear Paws kids' crackers on behalf of Dare Foods for reviewing purposes. All the opinions and ideas on this blog are my own.

Happy Friday, everyone!

We've been snowed in today (we couldn't even get out of our lane). It hasn't really stopped snowing, but I guess if we want to put things into perspective, we have nothing to complain about. Watching the news of the earthquake and tsunami that hit Japan really made my heart sink. We're thinking of all our friends living in Japan. I've been frantically trying to contact all our loved ones in Japan.

Times like this makes me realize how fortunate we are to have our family, friends, and health. Speaking of health...
Some of you have been waiting to hear who the Saving Women's Hearts Giveaway winner is. Without further ado, a winner has been chosen via Random.Org.

The winner is...
#12!

~Crazy 4 Daizies~ said... 12

~I am a 40 yr old mother of 4 living sons, 2 predeceased--I know all about stress and what it can do to your body and health!!

Congratulations, Crazy 4 Daizies! Please e-mail me so we can get that prize to you!


Disclosure - I participated in the Saving Women’s Hearts program by Mom Central on behalf of Wiley Publishing. I received a copy of the book to review and gift card as a thank you for my participation. The opinions on this blog are my own.

Many of you know that I teach ESL (English as a Second Language) and the students live with us on our farm. Having a toddler and a house full of people all the time can prove to be very *interesting* at times.

Last night, Hubby and The Student were assembling some new furniture for me when Little One saw them crouched on the floor, working hard at putting things together. She ran to her room, grabbed a diaper, and hurried back to the living room. She rather earnestly tried to put the diaper on The Student while he was on all fours! It was the funniest thing! He kept telling her, "Oh, no! I don't need a diaper! No thank  you!"
On the weekend, I was madly trying to clean my stove and oven. Little One was *helping* me. I was using an old toothbrush to get into the corners of the oven. All of a sudden, Little One yelled, "SPIT!" when she saw the toothbrush...and then she spat on my oven.
 My parents and my mother-in-law take turns taking care of Little One when I'm teaching. MIL has her on Mondays and my parents have her the rest of the week.
When I came home from work on Monday, Little One ran  up to the front door and was so excited to see me! She then started waving to my MIL and said, "Bye-Bye Grandma! Bye-Bye! Go now, Grandma." My poor MIL! I hadn't even taken my boots off and Little One was rushing her out the door! I was so embarrassed!
A few days ago, Little One ran up to me and said
"[The Student's real name] HARD-ON!"
She kept repeating "Hard on! Hard on! Hard on, Mama!" while pointing at The Student. I was mortified! It just so happened that The Student had a heart sticker stuck to his jeans! Little One was trying to tell us that he had a "heart on"!
Little One has an obsession with stickers now (thanks to my friend, BakingMomma). For some reason, Little One prefers putting stickers on her face, hands, arms...and anywhere just as long as it's not on paper. I find stickers in random, obscure places (like on my socks or on The Student's jeans).

Ah! Gotta love toddlers! They make life anything but boring!

Thank you to everyone who entered our Designs by Dani Giveaway! A winner has been chosen via Random.Org.

Are you ready for it?

Drum roll please...

Lise said... 56

Like them on FB#4

March 3, 2011 9:20 PM