THE GOODS BLOG: Erika's Precious Little Life - November Edition

This is a few days late and that’s because I had too many other things on the go this week. So. The USA is a giant scary mess. The pandemic is worse than ever. And Christmas is less than two months away! You kinda just have to laugh at this point.

Right now in Edmonton there is 0.18% of the population with known active cases of Covid. This has gone up since last month and seems to be getting worse. The school that Archie’s preschool is in still has not had any cases. I remain vigilant in following all of the recommended precautions... And I also do my very best to stay calm and not get sucked into irrational fears. (CBD helps!!) A weird “plus side” is that I already lived through very high numbers in Toronto in the spring. So in a way, I already feel seasoned at living under these conditions and it somehow helps things not to spiral.

Basically the first thing that we did at the beginning of October was to run away to the mountains. Always the correct choice. We stayed in our favourite little river-side chalets, the weather was beautiful, we chased waterfalls, and it was just generally a nice time away for the three of us. The mountains will never, ever get old.

October was the month where I buckled down and got us all set up with all of our new doctors. We now have a new Dentist, Pediatric Dentist, Optometrist, Family Doctor, and Pediatrician. (Plus we all got flu shots.) All of them are located close to our house, which is nice, and I really like them all. It feels good to have everything in place and established. (Getting all of this sorted out is always one of the most annoying parts of moving.)

We also had our annual family photography done! I think that it turned out well but I haven’t gotten the photos back yet. I look forward to being able to share! One of the best parts is that I took the opportunity to do a little self-care and got my hair done at a salon (which I never do - I hadn’t been in three years) and it was truly wonderful to feel like the best version of myself and the “real” me.

I’ve also gotten into a really good yoga groove where I go to practice at my studio three times per week and then do one class per week in my at-home studio. This gives me four classes per week, which I think is my sweet spot at the moment.

We took Archie to Jurassic Forest since he has recently gotten way into dinosaurs. It’s literally the perfect place to take a dino-loving kid!! (The dinosaurs are life-sized and they move and make sounds.) Next we really want to take him to the Royal Tyrrell Museum in Drumheller. Hopefully in the summer! Alberta really is the perfect place to be if your kid likes dinosaurs.

Thanksgiving was quite wonderful, even though it was pretty low-key. We went all-in and made a glorious turkey feast! I wore maternity pants because they’re Thanksgiving pants now.

We had Girls Night! These nights still make me emotional, just getting to sit at a table with my three best friends. I definitely don’t take it for granted. I know what it’s like not to have this and it means so much to me. ♥

It SNOWED on October 16th!! Thankfully it didn’t stay.

Tim and I celebrated his birthday by going out to dinner to a restaurant called Biera. It was fantastic!! Not only was the food incredible but we got to enjoy it without our child, which made it extra special. We haven’t been able to have a proper date night since the pandemic began. (The biggest thank-you goes to Nicole for watching Archie for us!) Biera is probably my new favourite restaurant in Edmonton now. Come visit and let’s go there. ;)

There were plenty more nature adventures to be had and our general Golem shenanigans continued...

Halloween was really, really great. We filled the day with fun and went out trick or treating for about an hour. It all felt very safe.

It was a good month. It felt like we got established even more back into Edmonton. And we made the most of the various holidays without letting the pandemic ruin anything.

Life with Archie:

Archie is absolutely LOVING preschool and I can see how it is helping him thrive. He had his first-ever school photo taken!

He got to hang out with his little friends!

He met a stegosaurus! (His favourite dinosaur.)

He was stoked about snow for the first time this season!

He did this tree pose!

And he dressed up as a werewolf for Halloween and had a wonderful party at school along with a great time trick or treating.

We’ve made a lot of effort to keep Archie’s life as “normal” as possible while remaining responsible and safe at the same time. I look forward to the day when everything is easier and far less stressful!

November is crazy to me because I feel like as soon as November hits we roll straight into Christmas mode. How are we already here?? HOW?! As you guys are probably aware, I have a lot of traditions around the Christmas season and they all begin to kick off in mid-November when we put up our Christmas tree.

Apart from that, the month is pretty quiet without anything too major going on. I look forward to getting ready for Christmas, staying cozy, no longer living above Trump’s America, and not catching the coronavirus. :P

THIS MONTH’S SHOUT-OUTS!: November 9th is Erin Anderson’s 33rd birthday!

I hope that you have a fabulous day and are able to have a great celebration like you always do! I’ve really been missing Vancouver lately and look forward to coming to visit once the stupid world is less stupid. Also, can you believe that we became friends sixteen years ago?! You’re a special person with a wonderful heart and I miss you. Love you! ♥

November 10th is Sarah Swalm’s 38th birthday!

I hope that your boys truly spoil you on your special day!! I miss your face and we really need to catch up super soon! I miss the days when we used to be able to hang out without adult responsibilities. You’ve always been a wonderful friend to me! Love you! ♥

November 20th is Carrie Schill’s 32nd birthday!

I’m glad that you’re safely tucked away where no virus can get you!! You’ve been working SO HARD these past few years and I have been so proud of you. Once this world is normal you and I are going to a yoga retreat, damn it!!! We’ve earned this! You’re an incredibly special person in my life and I am so grateful for you. Love you! ♥