In the April 2010 issue of Real Simple, page 216, father and professor Dean Bakopoulos writes about an experience with his two-year-old daughter Lydia:

It was just spring and the concept of a stroller— which I employed to make every walk a speedy “workout”— became, to her, fascist. So I let her out; I let her set the pace.  And we went really, really slow. Toddlers do not speed-walk; they meander. They stop to look at rocks, bugs, and bottle caps. They talk to tied-up dogs and neighbors out gardening. They sing. And they notice everything.

I burned fewer calories that summer, by autumn I knew half the town: the hardware store staff, the cops, the artists drinking coffee outside their studios.

Although Sonya hasn’t started walking yet, I’ve found that she definitely sets the pace of life. I think it’s taken me a while to adjust from the hectic, fast-paced, running-down-the-corridor rhythm of hospital life as a pediatric resident.

Although, I admit feeling an initial letdown period from the adrenaline rush of being someone’s doctor, it’s been replaced with the endorphin rush of being Sonya’s mother.

And I feel more happy and more like myself than I’ve felt in years!

Just when the green park and warmer weather had started to inspire ideas of springtime and picnics, the week started with rain. I was staring out the living room window, feeling a little overcast, when the doorbell rang. A package had arrived from St. Louis!

If I had any remaining doubts about my sister-in-law Melissa’s awe-inspiring talent, they vanished with my gloomy mood. Delivered to our doorstep in Canada, this was (truly) happiness and love in a box.

It filled our entire afternoon.

Baby Sonya and I spent five hours incrementally discovering all the treasures that were sent for us.  Savoring it little by little. With amazement. With joy. With the warm feeling that we were cared for. There was candy and clothes and books and handmade hair bows and, of course, the incredible, unbelievable Easter basket inspired by Vanessa from V and co. Amazing and lovely.

This Easter basket took a lot of effort to make! Melissa wrapped pieces of rope with strips of fabric and sewed them by hand! The result of her hard work and wounded fingers is a sturdy, beautiful statement of her love and creativity. A painstaking and gorgeous handmade basket for Easter egg hunts to come, and a place for Miss Sonya to collect all her small treasures.

We went to a cabane à sucre, or sugar shack.  By “we” I mean eight adults and five children.  Let me be more specific: five children under the age of four. So naturally, although I was extremely excited to experience this springtime French-Canadian tradition, I expected bedlam.

Luckily, I was pleasantly surprised. We all sat down at a long wooden table inside the sugar shack for a typical cabane à sucre feast: cole slaw, beets, pea soup, baked beans, pickles, omelette, ham, meat pies, and assorted desserts.

Miss Sonya seemed to be unable to get enough of the pea soup. Which was odd, because she doesn’t like the pea soup I make at home.

So apparently I was wrong in assuming that Sonya doesn’t like pea soup.  She just doesn’t like my pea soup. What was the sugar shack’s secret ingredient? Well, it’s no secret: maple. maple. maple.

Unexpectedly, maple syrup tastes good on a variety of foods other than pancakes and waffles. For example, in pea soup. Really.

The waiter complimented the behavior of all the kids at the end of the meal.

Outside the cozy sugar shack, the maple trees have spouts in their trunks with metal buckets hanging from them to collect the sap. Apparently in the old days, huge barrels of this maple sap would be carted through the forest on horse-drawn sleds.

These were some horses, too! The picture doesn’t do these animals any justice.  My head only reached the top of the horse’s shoulders and these two pulled an impressive sled full of Canadians around the maple trees.

Every month, I look forward to getting my new issue of Real Simple magazine.  It usually contains a section called “New Uses for Old Things.” I love these ideas, and they inspire me to think of my own.

My new use for an old thing: use tall sugar cookie cutters to make fun shapes out of rice!  It’s a fun way to add seasonal flair. This is my touch of springtime at the dinner table: ordinary brown rice in the shape of a butterfly.

I wish I could make something like this.

It was made by Anh, who is inspirational to me, not just as a knitter, but as a human being. I think of her spirit infusing all of the garments she sends for baby Sonya. They are works of beauty.

On my next visit to Texas, Anh promised to show me how to knit this dress, which was designed by Tora Frøseth, a pattern called Little sister’s dress available for free download on ravelry.com

My birthday was fabulous, from start to finish.  The sun was shining, the grass was green. Drex and Sonya made buttermilk chocolate chip pancakes. I got to top them with lots of maple syrup and heaps of strawberries and blackberries.

Then Lauren, my friend from medical school, happened to be in town.  It was fun catching up! We walked to Old Montreal and she treated me to crepes. Miss Sonya behaved with extraordinary class, just like a lady out to lunch, with a large paper napkin tucked under her chin, eating a mashed up banana with a dessert spoon.

Then in the evening, we had a small party. We ate mesclun salad, Portuguese chicken, and Ferrero Rocher cake with vanilla ice cream. I went to bed feeling absolutely spoiled and thoroughly celebrated.

He spent many hours on it. Did you see the home page?! I love the design. I love everything about it. I feel grown-up.

Thank you, Drex.

I found this cute and simple pattern in the same book by Astrid LeProvost that inspired Sonya’s summer dress.  This pattern is called Le Chauffe-Coeur, which literally means, The Heart Warmer.  Well, it certainly warms my heart to see my daughter in it!  This is a great beginner’s project. It uses: basic knit stitch, basic increase (knit one front and back), and a decrease around the collar (knit two together).

My friend Chantal and I’ve been working on this project simultaneously. We’re making these heart warmers for our girls to wear this weekend for a special outing! Can’t wait to see hers! We got  our yarn three weeks ago at Tricot Quartier. I fell in love with the sunset colors. Every knitting project must begin with beautiful yarn that catches the eye and captures the imagination.

Really? Has it been that long? Really? I’ve already forgotten the miserable sleepless nights with Newborn Sonya.  Now my days with Baby Sonya are filled with joy and excitement.  More of her spunky, inquisitive personality emerges every day.

And I wonder how soon I’ll have to stop referring to her as Baby Sonya?

Last Thursday, I went for a tour of Montreal Children’s Hospital and three McGill residency interviews. Overall, I think it went well. The program director asked me several questions in French, and afterwards, complimented my conversational fluency. Whew!

On another positive note, I wore the same black suit I got my senior year of high school to do college interviews. Not only does it still fit, but the pants are even a bit loose! And I even put on a pair of black patent heels. We’re talking three inches. Figured I’d just work it out.

Keep my options open, blah blah blah. I don’t know what I’m doing. Maybe I won’t even get a second-year residency spot at McGill and the decision will be made for me. Or… I’ll actually get accepted. And then I’ll have to choose.

Later. Don’t want to think anymore about it now. I’m doing lots of projects! For example, I made Sonya a summer dress in time for her eighth month of life. I used leftover yarn and repurposed fabric, so it’s made from 100% recycled materials.  The skirt was cut out from a strapless dress that I bought at Super Target.

Later this week, my friend and I are actually going to start formal sewing classes, so the craftsmanship and durability of my garments will improve. I definitely want to make Sonya a special dress for her birthday in July.

I would like to thank Kelli for her comment on my previous post.  It has launched an intensive analysis of pink animal prints. I had falsely believed that Sonya’s glasses were faux leopard. But actually, they’re faux cheetah!