Category — Family

I had high hopes of launching a little onesie/kids’ tee company late last fall but our garment provider neglected to come through in time for Christmas (sorry Zee Spot, you dropped the ball.) I was, however, able to pull together a little sample for my new nephew Benjamin. Here he is sporting the very first Badge of Honour onesie.

Oh, and here is the little logo I designed.

Maybe I’ll get things rolling later this year…

I am one of seven children.

There are numerous blessings being part of such an enormous clan. Like never being bored. Always having a playmate. Epic Christmases. Camping under the stars lined in sleeping bags like sardines. Unforgettable van rides with resident seat buddies. Always having someone to call (the phone list never runs out.) Learning stuff from big brothers. Teaching stuff to little sisters. Performing full-blown musicals with dancers, singers, choreographer and back-up. Being portioned toast and jello squares by toss from the head of the table. Filling an entire pew at church (for some reason this gave me an enormous sense of pride as a kid, like this is our row.)

In the last week and a half I have had the opportunity to twice visit with five of my six siblings (save for my sister in Australia, we miss you Lynn!), plus parents, spouses, nephews and nieces. It is a rare occurrence these days (which I am still coming to terms with) and times together are filled with good conversation, much affection and heaps of hilarity.

Like when my sister Kristen, up visiting from Las Vegas with her husband PJ and their adorable little boy Ben, says: “This might not be a real memory, this might be one of my made-up memories, but let’s just check…” before beginning a story. We all burst into side-splitting laughter. This is coming from the sister who created imaginary holidays to foreign lands and told them to her teachers while her own mother was, helpfully, one of the teachers on staff. Things usually got sorted out pretty quick. It’s moments like these that make me ache to spend time as a whole family as often as possible.

My whole life I have been focused on the good of having 6 siblings and 4 parents. And there is SO MUCH GOOD. But there are also down sides. And they seem to be growing with time.

There are more regrets. More missed moments. More misunderstanding. And more people to keep up-to-date than seems humanly possible.

I am trying to make concerted efforts to share more with my family. To call them just because. To send out emails with exciting/important news. Share more pictures. Share more of myself. But it’s hard. Even though it’s my immediate family, with so many I can feel like I am spreading myself thin. My husband has one sister and two parents, his circle is small and I am sometimes jealous of the simplicity of his arrangement. But I would never change things in my family. Never in a million years. Because we love so much. Because we Groot clan are a beautiful mess. Because we go on trying to care for each other as best as we can. And in the end that is all that matters.

Dad, Grace, Mom, Chester, Mike, Heidi, Rueben, Jesse Fin, Sloane, David, James, Jocelyn, Judah, Kristen, PJ, Ben, Michael, Madeleine, Matthew, Lynn, Barney — I love you.

Michael and Madeleine, January 2011

My most recent contribution to Sweetmama.ca:

Bowen Island Day Trip

A short ferry ride from Horseshoe Bay, or a water taxi from Granville Island, will land you and your little ones at the mouth of Snug Cove — the start of your day’s exploration of quaint, artsy Bowen Island.

Best Lunch Spot:  Artisan Eats Café & Fine Foods
For a nutritious and reasonably-priced kids’ menu that includes a free range mini-burger, cheesy noodles and yam fries ($5-7), head to this European-inspired market.
39 Artisan Ln.; 604-947-0190; www.artisaneats.ca

Best Shopping for All: Phoenix
Browse through books, toys and crafts at Phoenix, while tables of Playmobil entertain your children.
209 Village Sq.; 604-947-2793; www.phoenixonbowen.com

Best Splurges: Wren Boutique
From Dagg & Stacey and Granted knits, to select children’s pieces from Cielo and Hunter boots, owner Erin Norgan’s handpicked eco-offerings surpass the mainland’s best.
569 Artisan Ln.; 604-947-0050; www.wrenboutique.com

Best Treats: Cocoa West
Indulge in a luxurious hot chocolate, an “Unbelievably Good Egg” or a scoop of Mario’s Gelato at this Bowen institution.
581 Artisan Ln.; 604-947-2996; www.cocoawest.com

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Boy do they ever keep these pieces snappy. I think they cut over 50 words from my already ultra-tight submission. Either way, I’m happy to have profiled my favourite island!

We regain our selves, our humanity, our wholeness

Seeing your words in print never gets old, particularly when it’s in a stellar publication like Geez. Editor Aiden Enns ran my words at the opening of the third chapter of their feature section: “newtopia.” I consider it a great honour. Thank you, Aiden.

You can read more about Geez Magazine here.

Our little island made national newswires:

“Canada hosts some impressive community Halloween celebrations, such as that in the village of Snug Cove on British Columbia’s Bowen Island, where hundreds of islanders and tourists watch fireworks and see Morris Dancing performances.”

- Agence France-Presse

We just got home from the 20-minute fireworks display at The Lagoon complete with free hot chocolate, mini marshmallows, pumpkin cookies, and glow sticks on our way out. Plus earlier in the week the island hosted a little kids trick-or-treat time during the day in Artisan Square where local businesses chip in an give away all sorts of goodies to the toddlers. Amazing!

Enjoy this little video of Miss Madeleine dressed as an elephant for her first Halloween (aka Daddy’s birthday.)

How we live matters. What we eat. How we dress. The company we keep. The things we say.

For the past three years I’ve written for Comment Magazine, almost exclusively on the topic of fashion. It’s forced me to think about clothes theologically. My most recent article, appearing in their next print issue, is about just that: a faithful approach to fashion. I struggled with this piece. So much so that I had to rewrite it. My first major rewrite ever. And I am thankful editor Gideon Strauss sent me back to the drawing board. I had to dig into the Bible, asking: What does it say about clothes? What does it say about humanity? I searched for the bigger picture — the story God is telling through humanity and the story he is telling individually through our lives.

I interviewed Teresa Smed, a Vancouver-based jewelry designer (and single mom) whose vintage line, Dotted Loop, has been featured in fashion magazines worldwide.

“I definitely think what we wear matters to God,” says Smed. “I like to think about where everything comes from. Everything has a price. If your shoes are made by a child in a sweatshop in China — that has a cost. If I can clothe me and my kids with recycled clothing — it matters. I love fashion. I love accessories. People would call me ‘fashion forward.’ It’s about self-expression, and that’s okay. But where your treasure is your heart will be also.”

I also spoke with Dr. John Stackhouse, professor of Theology and Culture at Regent College, and designer Paul Hardy, who is currently concentrating his efforts in Africa with the Reversal of Fortune initiative.

“It can go either way. In fashion, as in any other creative field, imagination can be used as an expression of edification or can prey on the insecurities of others.” - Paul Hardy

Thinking deeply about clothing has challenged me to concentrate on other areas of my life as well. Right now I am thinking a lot about food. My new friend Victoria is a vegan. When she takes care of Madeleine she eats the same. Michael and I have been wanting to limit the amount of meat we eat for some time, in an effort to eat only free range, and as local as possible. Bowen Island is affording us this opportunity. I am learning new vegan recipes from Victoria, allowing us to invest in better local meat, raised right down the road. Watching (the fictional, but enormously affecting) Fast Food Nation this fall has also had me rethinking meat.

I am a Christian. That means I follow Jesus. He’s not physically in front of me but His words are written down to help me follow. I’m trying to dig in to the truth. I want it to show in the way I live.

Sitting down to write, here at the dinner table, the Pacific laid out before me, sipping tea while baby sleeps and indulging in a slice of carrot cake from Whole Foods reminds me of the way I felt during my first days working on the second floor at the CBC. Awe. Am I really here? Somebody pinch me.

Our dream really has come true.

The days so far have been filled with mother meet-ups and visiting with the Cowper family. We’ve sipped tea outside Daniel’s handmade house and entertained around our dining table.

Matthew comes by for a swing on a porch every day or two. We borrow their hammock.

I wandered into the Bowen Island Family Place last Tuesday and was enveloped in this intimate island community. This is one of my greatest joys as a mother: the instant community that forms around children. Two days at Family Place, a dozen introductions later, and a lovely mom named Victoria invited me to her mom’s group. I got thoroughly lost on my way there. Luckily Madeleine napped as I crisscrossed the island, finally making my way to Caroline and her daughter Katie’s beautiful home. Caroline, a former campaign finance lawyer from Washington, DC, bare-faced and effortlessly beautiful, welcomed me at the door. Her husband John, who owns an amazing travel company, came in to say Hi.

Bit by bit I am piecing together people’s stories. I’m hungry to know why people live here, where they’ve come from, how they make it work, what other roles these devoted mothers fill. One, a recent transplant from New York, left a career as a social worker and is writing copy so she can stay home with her little one. Another a forestry worker, another a teacher. Some from Toronto, Vancouver, many new to Bowen, just like me.

I plan to get back into the writing saddle while we’re here and have connected with three potential part-time nannies for Madeleine. One a student hopeful for a career in childhood education, one a composer/musician recently moved from Brooklyn, and one a mom with a daughter two months older than Madeleine. We’re taking the week to decide. I can’t wait to have two solid days to sit with my books, pen and MacBook and create.

It feels right in every single way that we’re here. Everything is flowing. A friend of mine, a deeply spiritual person, gave me this advice many years ago: Follow the way of peace. Now, not every part of of our life at present is peaceful (we’re unpacking boxes while the three of us nurse colds and we’re cranky, oh, and I killed the largest spider I have ever seen this morning) but at every turn peace is meeting us.

It’s like I can hear God saying “Yes.”

I’ve lived in a city all my life. The year I turned 27 the love turned off. I yearned for somewhere small. Somewhere to let my hair down. A place to meander under hundred year oaks and trip down the lane. That place came in the form of Bowen Island, in a tiny bay where the Anastasiou family has owned land since the 1930s.

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On our way into town I popped into the Ruddy Potato, the resident organic grocery, to pick up a British Butcher Steak and Guinness pie. I told the cashier we’d just moved to the island — right that moment — and her face erupted into a smile. “Welcome!” she said, her tattooed frame loosening into friendly ease. In an instant I’d transformed from shopper to neighbour and it showed. I asked if the pie, a family favourite, was always available. She thought so but offered the store number so I could call ahead just in case. With that, I was out the door with dinner in hand. The house was waiting.

We broke in. Not really, the side door was left unlocked. This is the island after all. Thirty boxes later we sat down around the kitchen table and filled our empty bodies full. The first night was not without its hiccups. We forgot two small pieces of Madeleine’s crib making it unsecure. A little brainstorming and we came up with a solution: we flipped the crib upside-down. She slept soundly all night.

With the baby tucked in we cracked a small bottle of champagne, a gift from our friends’ Ashleah and Jen’s wedding. Sitting on our bedroom porch staring at the blackened Pacific, our mouths nursed half-full glasses, the lap of ocean and crickets our symphony.

We have arrived.