.Tales from our crib ... Jennerific

goodbye and farewell

2012-01-20T14:34:00.000-06:00

I'm officially retiring the blog and this will be my last entry. Thanks for over 5 years of continued readership <3 I hope you all have very happy and very fulfilled lives. All the best in 2012!!

Love Jenny & Alice xo

pretty awesome

2012-01-06T12:48:00.000-06:00

...

2011-11-29T13:30:00.002-06:00

Oh but I love this season!

To address the comment on my last post:

For a really long time I wrote about my kids. Now I don't feel like doing that anymore. I'll probably stop posting to this blog soon. I don't know. It just doesn't hold the same fascination for me that it used to. in a lot of ways, this blog was a boost to my morale when I needed one pretty badly. The nice comments about my kids or the agreements with my opinions made me feel good about myself and I was excited about the comments I got and I really did click back to read about my readers. For a long time, the network with MomLogic was important to me. It made me feel important.

Then somewhere along the way the external stuff stopped being important... and I realized that my relationship is happy, my kids are wonderful, I'm fulfilled as a person and there isn't a lot I feel like sharing and I'm not sure why.

Lately I'm living in this happy bubble with the ones I love and enjoying keeping my life private. It's peaceful. There's nothing I want or need, there's nothing I have to prove to anyone outside of my bubble and there isn't really any advice I have to impart on this blog that doesn't make me feel like I'm imposing myself on other people.

There was a time this blog was a really important part of my life and that time has passed... I'm at peace with it. It is what it is.

Zen Self-Mastery

2011-11-18T09:50:00.001-06:00

Along with my bible studies, daily devotional readings and constant parenting best-practices research, I've also been studying Zen, specifically Dick Sutphen's "Self Mastery". As a world leader in Personal Development, he's imparted some amazing advice. I have learned to accept the things that I can't change and to accept the things that I spent years wasting my time on - like changing circumstances, events, and people. His teachings have taught me that 90% of what happens we can't do anything about. When we try to alter what is inalterable we become miserable trying to fight it or trying to change it. When we accept that what is - IS - we find inner peace. As one of the parables he quotes in the book says:

"Hot is hot. Cold is cold."

How powerful is that?!

He's not advocating acceptance of all circumstances, just the ones that are inalterable. If you have it within your power to change it, by all means - have at! But if you are trying to change another person (like your partner), or a circumstance (like we all work on Friday's) or an event (like we all have to pay taxes) then you might be able to force the change, for a little while, but eventually it will revert to it's default. Accept it now. Let it go.

Another power concept is how he addresses guilt. It's teaching me that what has happened has happened, and there is nothing I can do about it now. I can't do anything about the future either, so there is no point feeling guilty for things that might happen or worrying about what might happen; it may not even come to pass. The only thing I have any control over is what happens right now.

it's the funny things

2011-11-17T09:46:00.002-06:00

This website ALWAYS cracks me up. No matter what mood I'm in, no matter what kind of day I'm having, it's kind of like prayer for my funny bone. Enjoy.

http://www.hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.com/

"Where are you trying to go, sad legs? There's nothing over there. Do you even know what you're doing?"

Can't stop laughing.

10 minutes well spent

2011-11-17T08:10:00.000-06:00

How to address your child's whining in 10 mintues. We can all spare 10 little minutes, can't we?

http://www.ahaparenting.com/BlogRetrieve.aspx?PostID=144015&A=SearchResult&SearchID=3075638&ObjectID=144015&ObjectType=55

giving begets giving

2011-11-14T09:26:00.001-06:00

Another power sermon in our church* this week, and I was so moved by it that I'm still reeling with its complexities.

We watched a clip from 20/20 about the Red Paperclip guy. You know, that man that started out by trading one red paper clip and eventually traded himself into a brand new house (for free!). It was tied to the parable of the mustard seed.

Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field; Which indeed is the least of all seeds: but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof. (Matthew 13:31-32)

This visionary man admits that what started out as a desire to end up with a free house - became, along the way - a quest filled with granting wishes. Wishes for a piano or years free rent, or recording time, or to meet a celebrity, or to obtain a collectors edition of a Kiss snowglobe, etc.

Then, something remarkable. Our minister called out to our congregation "who among you has something you would trade?" and the response was immediate "a single wine cooler!" Lots of laughter and the wine cooler was traded for a pillow (I believe) and as each trade grew in complexity from free baby sitting time, to a designer scarf, to an elegant dinner for 6, to a weekend at a cottage in the Laurentians, and finally culminated by a trade for a brand new ceramic top stove, I was totally and completely blown away how a single wine cooler became a brand new stove.

I see the message in the mustard seed. The smalled seed (the red paperclip) becomes the biggest tree (a new and free house) and one person can and does make a difference. Down to the very smallest things we do every single day.

Our challenge this week was to perform one act of kindness a day and to expect nothing in return. I am keeping my eyes and ears open for my act of kindness today.

*United Church, the faith I was baptised and confirmed in.

wow

2011-11-08T14:29:00.000-06:00

"When I was about twenty years old, I met an old pastor's wife who told me that when she was young and had her first child, she didn't believe in striking children, although spanking kids with a switch pulled from a tree was standard punishment at the time.

"But one day when her son was four or five, he did something that she felt warranted a spanking--the first in his life. And she told him he ...would have to go outside and find a switch for her to hit him with. The boy was gone a long time. And when he came back in, he was crying.

"He said to her, 'Mama, I couldn't find a switch, but here's a rock you can throw at me.' All of the sudden a mother understood how the situation felt from the child's point of view: that if my mother wants to hurt me, it makes no difference what she does it with; she might as well do it with a stone.

"The mother took the boy onto her lap and they both cried. Then she laid the rock on a shelf in the kitchen to remind herself forever: never violence. Because violence begins in the nursery--one can raise children into violence."

~From a peace prize acceptance speech given by Astrid Lindgren, author of Pippi Longstocking

** I believe this holds true for violence in video games as well, whether the child sees it, or hears it at night while they cry in their crib with their blankets pulled over their heads and their fingers stuffed in their ears.

you can't take it with you

2011-11-08T10:58:00.000-06:00

Something to consider. Those who crave money, crave objects, and crave things, remember: you can't take it with you when you die. You can't take it with you when you die.

When you come to God, at the gates of Heaven, what will you have to show Him for your time on this earth? Do you think that God will be impressed with your wide-screen TV, or your car, or your bank account? Do you think that God will care that you amassed great fortunes to leave to your children?

Prayer has shown me that God will not care about those things. God will be more moved by how much you loved your children, not by how much you left them in the bank.

At the gates of Heaven I honestly believe God will ask: What is in your spirital bank? And when He asks you this, what will your spirital bank balance be?

The only investment that matters is the investment you make in your family and in your children and your community and the investment you make in loving your enemies and loving those who have done you wrong and all of these things will make you rich in spirit and you will feel peace.

You cannot take it with you when you die. So why are you giving it power now?

remember

2011-11-07T07:14:00.002-06:00

Yesterday during our church service, while Alice was playing in the nursery and Liam was in Sunday School learning about Joseph and his coat, my church family showed a slide show of the men that we have lost in the war; only five were shown.

As the portraits were shown on the wide screen and we observed their faces in silence I felt my heart swell and my eyes filled with tears.

These were men that died and they were cherished sons, adored brothers, beloved husbands, joyful grandchildren. I felt myself sympathizing with their families and feeling their loss, really appreciating how hard it must be to be living a military lifestyle. Having your husband gone for months at a time. How hard it would be to be a child and have your Father gone for so long. Then to get the call that this beloved man, who was so needed in his families life, had died and his family had lost him.

I am so lucky. My life is so, so blessed. I came home to a clean house, a happy fiance, lunch for the kids on the table with paper and crayons for coloring. I came home to love and warmth and genuine affection and I appreciated it.

I appreciate the partner I have in this life and I appreciate that others have lost theirs.

And this week I will remember that there are so many families who made the biggest sacrifice in the world for us.

And I will ask myself: What can I give, in solidarity. What can I give back?

love this

2011-11-02T14:23:00.001-05:00

positive outlooks

2011-10-28T10:26:00.001-05:00

forgiveness

2011-10-26T07:33:00.003-05:00

In life, it is so very easy to get caught up in right and wrong. The sense that someone did us wrong, the sense that we are always right, the inability to look objectively at your actions and see them for what they are, and to see them through someone else's eyes. It is so easy to hang on to old hurts, to relive them over and over again. But in doing so, we hold those hurts close to our hearts. We coddle them. We feed them. They fester deep inside of us. They become our "one ring" just like in the Lord of the Rings. The pain is burden we carry, a burden we hate, but a burden that we simply cannot let go of, that we don't want to let go of, that we are desparate to hold on to. We are just so desparate to be right and it is so easy to blame someone else for being wrong and for hurting us.

Today, I come online, where I'm accountable for my own words. I pray to forgive others and release myself from the burden that I carry. I pray to no longer dwell on past hurts, to accept that I have a role to play in those hurts, to forgive myself the mistakes I made and to move forward. I pray for the strength and guidance to thoroughly clean out my spiritual closet and sweep away the cobwebs and throw the pain in the garabage. I choose that every day will be a fresh start and every day I will forgive him and hope for forgivness from him. I will continually pray for the strength to endure the fighting and bickering. I will never stop trying to reach common ground. I will continue to put my children first, above all else. I will continue to communicate, even when doing so feels pointless and I feel helpless to ever solve or resolve our problems. Every day I will pray for these things and everday I will hope that my prayers be answered.

So the next time someone does me a 'wrong' I will turn the other cheek. I will match their anger with kindness. I will forgive them. Over and over again, for the rest of my days and I will never stop hoping that things will get better.

‎"Do not look forward to what may happen tomorrow; the same everlasting Father who cares for you today will take care of you tomorrow and every day. Either He will shield you from suffering, or He will give you unfailing strength to bear it."

a little context to my previous post

2011-10-25T08:01:00.000-05:00

overhear this morning

2011-10-24T13:46:00.000-05:00

"Hey Jacob! What did you do yesterday? I carved a pumpkin with my Dad and made a rainbow with my Mom. Then we lit the pumpkin on fire!"

my blog is almost 5 years old

2011-10-21T13:02:00.000-05:00

Its amazing to see that I've had over 50,000 visitors in the past 5 years.
Thanks for reading my boring crap.

weightloss

2011-10-21T09:49:00.001-05:00

127 pounds, into size 6 jeans again. Woohoo!

inspiration

2011-10-21T09:43:00.000-05:00

So we're moving in a month and a half. Eeeek! Haven't really started packing and so much to do, like pick out paint colors, design our kids rooms and did I mention, pack?

Inspiration for Under the Stairs

http://www.home-designing.com/2008/09/ideas-for-that-space-under-the-stairs

We have a very large under the stairs nook that's adjacent to our children's play room. We've shown the room to Liam and he went nuts over it. It has a 'door way' we'll hide with drapery or Value Village tablecloth finds and a "hallway" leading under the stairs which we can line with carpet and fairy lights. We can throw a bunch of beanbag chairs, line the walls with shelves, more fairy lights, some streamers, posters of forests and rivers and mossy places. It's going to be the perfect nook for the kids to hide out in.

Inspiration for Liam's room:

http://www.ohdeedoh.com/ohdeedoh/tours/judes-small-shrewd-bedroom-spacekids-room-tour-157227

Liam's bedroom is absolutely huge and has a really adorable shelf built into the wall under a big window. Getting a loft bed would allow us to put a loveseat in his room, which we can use to snuggle up on and read books before bed. Still, 3 years later, I miss Liam's very first nursery. I wouldn't mind using those same colors again with a more big-boy feel.

http://www.ohdeedoh.com/ohdeedoh/small-kids-big-color-2010/where-will-we-go-school-map-inspired-roomsmall-kids-big-color-entry-36-132204

Its a bit BRIGHT, but with a muted tonal map and punchy walls, I can see this being perfect for a little boy.

Inspiration for Alice's room:

http://www.ohdeedoh.com/ohdeedoh/small-kids-big-color-2010/audreys-big-girl-roomsmall-kids-big-color-entry-58-132758

The thing I love most about this room is the bed and the vibrant red color. It would be so easy to do with a vintage bedroom set off kijiji or usedottawa.com. We want something different for Alice's room that she can really grow with and were thinking of using pink, dark gray and dove gray as colors. But this room has me inspired to really splash out with color!

http://www.ohdeedoh.com/ohdeedoh/small-kids-big-color-2010/wrens-natural-habitatsmall-kids-big-color-entry-48-132653

Okay wow this is gorgeous. A cool 'Alice in Wonderland' print from Etsy and some 70% discount sheet sets from Winners and a refurbished bed, and VOILA! Gorgeous and thrifty.

happy take strangers from total candy day

2011-10-19T15:03:00.003-05:00

occupy what now?

2011-10-19T15:03:00.000-05:00

... the words that make me strong

2011-10-13T07:08:00.001-05:00

twitter

2011-10-11T09:25:00.000-05:00

Twitter is so 2006.
Using Twitter makes you look like a self-obsessed moron.
Get a life people!

why things aren't always what they seem

2011-10-06T12:06:00.000-05:00

When I was very young, probably 6 or 7, we had a playdate at our house with a girl I was friends with since pratically birth. My younger sister and her younger sister were a year apart in age, and our parent's got along very well, so these "dates" were win/win for everyone.

Usually I enjoyed these sessions very much and eagerly waited by the window for my friend to come over. I know my Mom enjoyed having coffee and grown-up time with her friend. Usually we stayed out of our Mom's hair and did our own thing. Playing in the backyard, riding bikes, making up silly games.

One day though, I just couldn't get into it. All I wanted to do was be with my Mom. I didn't know why. I approached her time and time again and just wanted to be near her. Each time she gently encouraged me to go play with my friend and so I left... I *wanted to play with my friend* and I wanted to want to be with my friend... but something was compelling me to seek out and stay with my Mom. Since I couldn't, I did the closest thing I could think of and that was to sit by myself on the stairs between our living room and dining room and rest my head on the wall.

Later that night, after everyone left, my sister and I were watching TV. Out of the blue, I was sick all over the place. I don't even remember feeling sick... but I suddenly just threw up.

That's it. That's my memory.

So why is this significant?

It is important because I look back on it often. Whenever either of my children has a melt-down for no apparent reason (that I can think of... I'm sure they have their own reasons and they are good and valid), whenever my kids are clingly, whenever they want to be with me, on me, crawl back inside me. I think back to this memory and I remember how badly I wanted to be close to my Mom and I didn't know why...

... So maybe stop tring to figure out what is "wrong" with our kids and when they need to be close to you, just let them. Hold them. Really be there with them. Chances are, they need you because something is going on inside them that they just can't figure out or describe. For me, it was because I was coming down with the flu. What might it be for your little one? Won't you feel better when that ugly 'reason' rears its ugly head and you know that you didn't push them away - you held them close. And now you know why and you are grateful you responded the way you did. Even if it's really hard in the moment.

lifestyle changes

2011-10-06T08:36:00.000-05:00

How I lost 10 pounds in one month.

Cut out coffee. The first week was hard. The second week was easier. Now I don't even miss it.
Make my lunch every day and pack in the protein. Avocados, Spice-crusted Tofu in a wrap, Original Oatmeal (I'm going to share a secret here, you can save 20-60 calories in your breakfast by eating Original instead of flavored. Use 1 packet of instant sweetner, and bam - low fat, high fiber, high protein breakfast that will totally fill you up for 2 hours), with 1/4 cup of All Bran (another secret, All Bran has more fiber than any other all bran product and is 50% cheapter than their Bran Buds with Extra Fiber product - more fiber, 50% cheaper, don't be fooled by the packaging), lean chicken, left-over turkey meatloaf in a wrap with BBQ sauce, Vegetable frittata (which made 4 servings, and Alice ate the whole thing)... so many options.
Before snacks and meals drink 500 ml of water, then eat slowly.
Two snacks a day, two healthy meals and one super-yummy meal replacement bar. The best I've found is Jamieson. They have the highest protein, highest fiber and lowest calorie advantages over any other bar I've found on the market in Canada.
Snack on baked Kale Chips (at first I was really sceptical, but each time I make it they get better and the last time I made them I ate the WHOLE BATCH), Celery with salsa (really loving salsa lately and there are so many options, Mango, Cherry, Green-Veggies, Plum, Pomegrante and they are all in the 20-40 calorie range with at least 1 gram protein...), low-fat butter-free popcorn, mushrooms (low calorie, high protein), raw broccoli, raw cherry tomatoes. All of this can be dipped in easy Guacamole (1/2 avocado with 1 tbsp salsa... there's that salsa again) or Curried Carrott Spread (which makes a great sandwich spread as well and 2 tbsp are super low in calories and high in protein).
Park as far away from the stairs in the parking lot and then walk up the stairs every morning (4 or 5 flights depending on where I can find a spot).
And sometimes, if I know I won't be able to be active at night, I'll walk the 12 stories up to my work, walk back down again, then take the elevator back up.
Mainly I stay busy from the time I get home till about 9 at night. Cooking, cleaning, laundry, some of these activites burn as much in 1 hour as doing 1/2 hour of pilates. It's amazing how much you can find to do around the house to keep yourself busy.

And there you have it.

lighter

2011-10-05T09:15:00.000-05:00

Today I am 10 pounds lighter than I was a month ago. Thanks to Everydayhealth food journal calorie counter and some life-style changes. The next pound I lose puts me in the 120 range. So awesome.

Please vote for my friend to win fertility treatments

2011-10-03T10:38:00.002-05:00

Dear readers,

I normally don’t participate in things like this, but I personally know a couple who made it to the Top 5 to Win Fertility Treatments with Hot 89.9, a local radio station.

If you could please click the link below and vote “C” it would really help a friend of mine J J

http://www.hot899.com/inside.asp?id=6134&mn=10&cc=1

Thanks everybody! Feel free to send this on to anyone you know. Every click helps.

~ Jenny xo

birthday parties

2011-09-27T07:19:00.000-05:00

We've had a massive amount of parties lately.

You're going to see me posting less to my blog. Mainly because I just don't want to do it anymore. We're in a custody dispute with Liam's Dad and I'm tired of the information going only one way. So there you have it.

love this

2011-09-20T11:12:00.000-05:00

Single Dad Laughing

“The thing that is really hard, and really amazing, is giving up on being perfect and beginning the work of becoming yourself.” ~Anna Quindlen

So beautiful and profound. An inspirational quote for sure.

let's see

2011-09-19T07:34:00.001-05:00

It's been a little while since I've updated. Liam's snacksak from Etsy came on Thursday night and he freaked out over it. He helped me open the mailbox and carried it in the house and we all sat in a circle while I cut the envelope open and he took it out. He is so happy with it!

Liam has been coming home from school with some pretty awesome stuff including this adorable hand-print card. Its hanging on the fridge right now where I look at it every day that he's gone, and place my palm on his and miss him. This is one for Liam's memory box for sure.

His printing below also has to go straight into the memory box before more goop gets spilled on it (thanks Alice! not everyone wants your runny yogurt all over their art projects girl).

And, because I'm a super-mom, I spent all weekend making healthy low-fat, low calorie meals for my family to enjoy. This included a gorgeous recipe for Butternut Squash and Carmelized Onion soup. Oh. My. Yum. It was so easy too. I also made Brown Rice and Cheddar stuffed Peppers as a side. I found them really yummy, but Chris didn't like them because they were brown rice and not white. What is with men and their proprensity for 'white' everything... bread.. rice.. buns... etc. all they seem to want to eat is white. HA HA eating white buns. Ha ha. Anyway, Chris was so happy to come home from work to a home-cooked meal which we ate, just the two of us. Bliss.

Sunday I made Broccoli, White Bean and Cheddar Cheese soup. I substituted Canelli beans for White Kidney beans because I couldn't find them anywhere. While that was simmering, I made Goat Cheese Pesto to use as a sandwich spread in Chris's wraps. Then I made Oatmeal loaf (just put it in a baking dish or loaf pan, lower the temperature and cook for a while longer - you have to play with it a bit to find what works best) and cut that into 8 hearty pieces setting aside 4 and freezing 4 - these work great as breakfast for Alice to eat in the car on the commute in the morning. As well, I got a recipe from a friend at work and tried my hand at Campbell's Beef Taco Bake which turned out really well and tasted like Lasgna with a quarter of the calories and fat!
I've been diligently using a program called the Calorie Counter and keeping an online Food Diary every day for the last 2 weeks and am thrilled to say that I'm down to the weight I was in January. My goal is to lose 20 pounds in 2 months and so far I've lost 6.5 pounds in 2 weeks. This has been surprisingly easy compared to how hard it was to get the baby weight off last time. Mainly my problem area is the tummy and excess poundage that just seems to hang out there. Everything else looks skinny, but my belly. When I hit the scale at 140 - the heaviest I've ever been NOT pregnant - I knew I had to make a change.

The biggest change I made was starting to eat a healthy, high fiber, high protein breakfast and cutting out the large triple-triple's from Tim Hortons. That first week without coffee was horrible. I was tired, sluggish, missing my daily sugar/caffine fix. Once I made it through the first week it's been smooth sailing. I've really adjusted to the Green Tea in the morning and find that I'm starting to bounce out of bed with more energy and happiness. I'm thrilled with how my body is starting to look and motivated to keep going. Bikram on Sunday mornings has been a huge escape for me and its refreshing to get some "me time" and just unwind.

Everything is coming up Jenny lately. It's just been good new after good news all week and its funny, but when you know you have "right" on your side, you really can't go wrong. My positive mental attitude is carrying me forward into a fresh new chapter.

...

2011-09-13T10:51:00.002-05:00

After years and Years and YEars and YEARS of trying, sometimes it's just a little too late.

Don't you think?

pesticides linked to adhd

2011-09-12T10:42:00.001-05:00

Children with substantially higher levels of a breakdown product of neurotoxic organophosphate pesticides were twice as likely to be diagnosed with ADHD. The university researchers conclude that parents should buy organic for their kids. Numerous other researchers stress the importance of women eating organic at least six months before conception and throughout pregnancy, too.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/44260583/ns/health-childrens_health/

Which begs the question: If you can't afford Organic Food are you being a negligent parent by knowingly contributing to the increased likelihood that your child will develop a learning disability?

Further, this puts "rich kids" at a much higher advantage acedemically than "poor kids" where those parents with lower incomes already struggle to save money and put their kids through school. Add the extra cost of Organic Food to their already stretched budgets and now there isn't enough money for other things - like saving to send their kids to post-secondary school. Student loans not withstanding, evidence does support that children from lower income families are less likely to attend or graduate from College or University.

A good study, but now, knowing this, what will the Government do to help these lower income families? Maybe ALL families should be able to apply for a tax break if they buy Organic Food, submitting their receipts in the same fashion that persons with Celiac Disease or Chron's submit their receipts ... After all, if we have less incidence of ADHD in the classroom, the Government will realize decreases in already growing financial burdens (in terms of supporting ADHD children with alternative learning, testing, therapy, etc.) and while this might put some people out of a job, these children would have a better future and there's no price point we can put on that.

It would be very interesting to know who supported and paid for this study, because it certainly isn't the big pill-production industry giants... if it's the little bity Orangic Farmers who paid of the study, is it any less valid? Why don't they *ever* publish that information? It's lack of identification is very suspect... hmmm....my brain is whirling along and coming up with more holes in the study...

... to say this is food for thought is an obvious - yet appropriate - pun. .

liam's first day of school

2011-09-12T07:02:00.001-05:00

My little boy started school today and he was so excited. So was I!! So was Chris, and Alice was bouncing off the walls ha ha. We had a great weekend getting him ready. We practiced a lot with the zipper on his lunch bag and opening and closing containers that hold fruit. I sent him with half a sandwich because I know how hungry he gets after he's been playing. We also practiced opening and closing his pencil case. There were SO MANY things to buy and get ready, shopping + groceries took over 2 hours with him on Saturday. But here we are and he's all ready and dropping him off this morning I thought I would cry but I was just very, very proud of how big and special he is. Even thought I'm not a fan of his school (at all) I hope he has a wonderful first day and that he enjoys this new experience.

hitting my stride

2011-09-09T10:07:00.000-05:00

Lately I've really felt like I'm finally hitting my stride. Chris is finally at work full-time after being on training for 3 months and we've had two full weeks of him working these 12-14 hour days and I finally feel like I can do it all. Just like superwoman. Along the way I've learned a few tricks and it's good for me to write them down in case I start slipping. Like having a reminder list handy to keep myself on track.

Prep
Invest in lots of good quality zip lock bags of many different sizes. When freezing food, they take up less room than containers, they don't leak and they don't warp. There are no lids to get stuck so its an easy toss into a pot of boiling water or the microwave.

Dinners
Plans meals out for the week on Friday, doubling recipes if possible. Friday determine if there is anything I can pick up on my lunch, usually spices, canned foods, etc. and do just that. On Saturday shop for dairy, meat, deli and frozen groceries. Saturday night once the kids are in bed, chop all the veggies, grate the cheese, do whatever you can to prep for cook day. Spend Sunday cooking as many of the meals as possible. That means usually having the crock-pot, oven, microwave and stove going at the same time. Divide meals into zip lock baggies. Freeze. This will yeild at least 2 sized "main meals" a batch. Every night, take out a meal for the next day.

Lunches
Sunday night I start lunch-week prep. That means determining portion sizes and placing berries, crackers, rice cakes, carrots/celery, etc. into small ziplock bags. Do this x 10 for each snack food. Place small ziplock baggies of the same type of snack into a large ziplock bag.

This way you can literally reach your hand into a large ziplock bag and pull out a small bag of your snack, already portioned out, washed, dried and ready for consumption.

Prepare sandwiches and salads, the "mains" of the lunch. Chris gets 3x turkey, ham, chicken or roast beef with cheddar, swiss or brie and horseradish, relish, cucumbers, red pepper paste, BBQ sause, whatever will make it yummy for him. I always take a variation on a salad.

Breakfast
Hardboil 6 eggs, cut them in half, scoop out the middle and cut up 2 whites, put them in a bowl for Alice, who will eat them on the commute in the morning. Prepare a sandwich for Liam, of turkey or ham or chicken, which he eats on the commute as well. Grab 2 yogurt drinks and cut straws to fit. Set aside in fridge. Do this every night.

Every night I take stock of what I will need tomorrow. That means preparing for the commute.

Commute

I check my snack box and replenish it (try to keep this for emergencies only as they are pretty high in carbs and we want them to still be hungry for dinner). Grab 2 frozen juice boxes out of the freezer, which will be thawed by the time my kids need it on the drive home. Cut up fresh fruit and put it in 2 containers and toss that into my lunch bag. Voila! My kids snack on the fruit and drink either water or juice and that's the first course for dinner time.

Nights look a bit different now that both kids are older and each need their own Mommy time. After dinner I give Alice her bath usually while Liam helps me fold laundry or put laundry away or clean the bathroom that Alice is having her bath in. After her bath I put on a video for Liam and then read Alice stories and put her to bed. Once she's asleep, I grab the baby monitor and head outside with Liam where we play in the backyard or he rides his bike. If its raining, we finger pain inside, or play-doh or cut and glue stuff. Then he has a snack and milk and gets ready for bed. Once his stories are done and songs are sung and he's asleep I change into my gear and work out for 45-hour. Usually doing Pilates or Windsor Pilates videos from u-tube. After I've had my "me" time I start making the lunches are preparing for the next day.

And that's how things are looking these days. Wow, we are one busy family.

grateful'ness

2011-09-09T08:24:00.000-05:00

Let us rise up and be thankful, for if we didn't learn a lot today, at least we learned a little, and if we didn't learn a little, at least we didn't get sick, and if we got sick, at least we didn't die; so, let us all be thankful. ~Buddha

Today I am grateful that I have a memory box for each of my kids. That the box is filled with pictures, drawings, bibs that are meaningful, booties, tiny socks, onesies that I just loved dressing them in. Today I am grateful that I have two beautiful, smart, healthy little babies to love and to love me back.

I cannot wait to see Liam tonight. Can. Not. Wait.

school

2011-09-02T09:00:00.000-05:00

Well, we are busily getting Liam ready to start school and I've sorted out his bus schedule and ensured he's got a spot. I also contacted the school about the "no child left behind" project to ensure he gets on the MedicAlert compain because of his peanut allergy.

In preparation for school we needed a couple of little items and I had a lot of fun shopping for them on Etsy.

Here is the lunch/snack sack I ordered. Fully insulated with his name on the front. So cute, and a steal at under $20!

And arriving sometime this week (I hope!) his interim MedicAlert bracelet with his allergy on the front and my contact information on the back with instructions to use the EpiPen. Got it with a black cord. The great thing about this is that it won't tarnish and he can wear it anywhere (even in the water) and nothing will happen to it. Gotta love leather!

We've been reading a lot of books with him to help his transition into a more 'structured' enivronment. The YMCA staff have been telling me that his school is a lot more "old school" than the YMCA, who follow Montessori methods. I've heard - and am NOT pleased - that at ESPC they place a child in time-out for punishment with nothing to occupy them; right in the class. I think that this shames and humilates children and am disgusted at the archaic practice. I pray that Liam will never have to endure this form of punishment and plan on speaking to his teacher during our meet and greet to relay that we won't support this form of discipline.

So anyway, the YMCA recommended a few books and I bought them and we've been reading them every night and then talking about their contents.

Go to School is all about starting school and learning to play in teams; share; be kind; listen to your teacher.

The Golden Rule has little biblical slant and teaches kids the importance of treating everyone with kindness and respect; of including others in shared activities and touches on bullying.

I remember Strangers from when I was a kid and found it really helpful in explaining to Liam how you can't tell by looking at a person what they are like inside. Also talks about never getting in cars with strangers or accepting candy and at the end, briefly touches on "bad touch" and how we all have a right to privacy for our bodies.

All about Forgiveness and how forgiving makes the world a better place.

Kindness Counts is really very touching and teaches an important lesson: What goes around comes back around. Wisdom people, wisdom!

We Share Everything by Robert Munsch is fantastic as the two main characters go to school on their first day and learn that nothing belongs to anyone and everything belongs to everyone. The main reason I love Robert Munsch books as teaching tools is because the stories are so outlandish they get the kids laughing at the serious topics. Humour is a great aid in dispelling agression and so the kids don't feel like they're being "lectured" when being read books on specific topics; they more feel like they're part of a fun new adventure.

And finally, Love you Forever makes me cry. Every. Single. Time. It's just so sweet and so sad and truly shows the depth of a Mother's love. Thank goodness Liam doesn't notice my tears AT ALL. He's too engrossed in the fact that the Mother rocks the boy, teenager, then grown-up man... he actually scoffs. "But Mommy, that's not a baby. Why does her call him a baby when he's a big man?" CUTE CUTE

All in all we are getting ready for school. I think I'm just as excited as Liam. Nervous for him. Scared that he'll spaz and end up in time-out; but mainly really proud of the smart, strong little boy he is and just so very excited to start this new phase of our lives together.

.

2011-08-31T20:02:00.000-05:00

It's been 3 days since Alice & I BF. She doing pretty well, considering she was so obsessed. The only time she asks for it now are mornings on weekends and every bedtime. We're talking a lot about how its time for boobies to go bye-bye and its sad, but its also time.

It has been ages since I felt a let down.

My goal was two years, so I'm feeling a bit like I let her down. I also know that "extended" BF'ing gives her the best start, with lower risk for breast cancer and a higher IQ. Health Canada recommends a minimum of two years... so yeah, I feel sort of like I let down Alice. And myself in a way.

But it is SOoooo time.

Bitter sweet.

...

2011-08-30T13:09:00.001-05:00

Dear Liam,

You are 4 years old today and the absolute light of my life. Seeing your bright sunshine smiling face in the morning is the very best part of my day. You always have the silliest bed-head, and still love to climb into bed with Chris and I on mornings that you wake with the sun. We love having your little body curled up next to us, all long legs and skinny arms, with big blue eyes blinking inches from my face. I don't know what I did to deserve such a great kid, but I am so lucky to have one in you.

Like most 4 year olds, you are questioning everything. You talk non-stop and make up silly stories to entertain us. On our long commute home, you play with Alice and make her laugh by pretending that toys in the car dance along with your music (you call this your music, and it is; it's children's music that we play for you in the car and we all sing along). You love to play in the bath, laying down side-by-side with Alice, laughing at each other as the water covers your ears. You make each other laugh just by looking at each other. You are so in sych with your sister. It's amazing to watch.

Sunday night there was a rainbow in the sky. You'd been up a few times since I put you to bed, claiming "but I'm not tired Mommy... just one more story..." and when we saw the rainbow I knew you had to see it too. I picked you up, jammies and all, wrapped in your blanket, and brought you outside where Chris was waiting. The 3 of us hugged and looked at the rainbow and talked about it. You were in awe. It was truly a miracle to see - we saw the bottom of the rainbow on both sides and all the way around the top. You couldn't believe how high up it went. When I put you back in bed you were all questions. "What's at the end of the rainbow? Are there pillows at the end? And my blanket? How high up is it? Can planes touch it? It is scary to slide down it?"

Liam you are starting to understand empathy and it's amazing to see this quality emerge in your personality. You saw a bump on Alice's head the other day (she had tripped over a hula-hoop at daycare) and you were so concerned for her, asking if she was okay and could you kiss it (and you did). You watch what other children are doing and you want to be just like them. You love to color and paint and draw and use play-doh and ride your bike and swim in our pool and wash the car and go to the park and slide and swing and run and dance - you are a very, very good dancer with an excellent sense of rhythm. You are starting to get more and more interested in your clothes and choosing what you will wear and are getting *very* opinionated in what you do not want to wear.

Your favorite color is purple. Your favorite shirt has a Dinosaur on it. Your favorite shoes are blue and green and match your Shark Tooth bike helmut. Your favorite movie is Winnie the Pooh and you also really like Cinderella. You genuinely feel bad for Cinderella and told me the other day that you don't think you'd like to have a wicked step sister ha ha ha... your favorite food is hot-dogs, hamburgers and Jane's Chicken Strips. For breakfast you really like Alphabets. You will always eat grilled cheese, yogurt and berries. Your favorite is strawberry but you enjoy frozen blueberries a lot, like peaches and plums and LOVE watermelon. You like bacon, but not eggs. You love waffles and will eat pancakes but don't like them as much as waffles. You really don't like melted cheese (unless its grilled cheese) so you aren't a huge pizza fan (although you love the crust) and you really DO NOT like chunks of tomatoes, although you will eat a tomotoe sauce if you absolutely have to.

You still very much like stuffed animals and cuddle toys. You like cuddle blankets and building pillow forts. You love to play hide-and-seek and prefer to be the hider rather than the seeker. Hungry hungry hippo is pretty popular in our house right now; as is your new remote control car. You will sit for hours and read books, alone by yourself or with others. If you have no one to read to you, you will look at the pages and make up stories to entertain yourself or Alice. This has been a huge source of pride and amusement for Chris and I.

You have strong relationships with Aunt Bex and Nanny and Poppy. You are very, very attached to Chris and while you still prefer me to put you to bed at night, you frequently ask for him to come sing you the Rainbow Song and tuck you in. So cute. You remember my parents, your Gran and Grandad, although we don't see them often you ask about them a lot. You also know my sister Kim through photographs, although we see her even less, which is sad for me because I had hoped you would grow close to both my sisters. Your favorite friend to play with is Rachel, Carole and Rick's daughter. She is 1 month younger than you and you both get along very well. You are very close with your Aunt Meg and Uncle Astar and call their daughter Theia "my other baby sister".

I am just so very, very proud of you Liam, for the amazing boy you have become. You are starting school in such a short time and it makes me sad to say goodbye to your "babyhood" so soon. You are ready though, excited, can't wait to start this new phase of your life. I know you are ready to make new friends and that we are going to see an explosion of understanding, knowledge and change in such a very short time.

The love I feel for you is so vast I can't put words into describing it. As we frequently say to each other "I love you to the world and back" and I do. I really, really do.

Happy 4th Birthday sweetie.
- Your Mom.

Liam's 4th birthday party

2011-08-29T09:11:00.001-05:00

What a weekend! On Saturday we celebrated Liam's 4th birthday and on Sunday we attended a birthday party for the child of one of Chris's friends. It was a crazy whirlwind and we all had so much fun! There were so many friends and family to celebrate with us and the kids just had such a blast.

I decorated everything the night before, so Liam woke up on the day of his party to a fully decorated house. He was totally blown away.

The pictures below are all taken by my sister Bex who was awesome at being the photographer. Thanks Becky!!

The kids woke from their naps super excited. So to pass the time we looked at pictures of Liam as a baby and growing up. We watched videos. We talked about all the fun stuff we've done over the years. It really got us in a celebratory mood :)

My sister Bex started snapping shots of the decorations. We hopefully got everything between the two of us. Below are some of the foods on the snack table.

The banner I made and the table ready for the partiers.

The very cool party hats I made the night before using a template I found online.

Below, I attached crayons on ribbons to the underside of the island and the kids really enjoying scribbling on the blue paper as they walked by.

The balloon string garland was so easy to make. Blow up a bunch of balloons and then tie them together a couple of inches apart. It was a big hit with the kids.

The Pinata was a Bulk Barn find. We ended the party by bashing it. Thankfully no one got hurt. The kids LOVED the chocolate loonies and toonies and all shrieked "money!!" when they started falling out.

The party pretty much went into full swing just-like-that. Everyone arrived at once and arrived hungry. Luckily we had a TON of food so everyone left full and happy. Below, Alice is trying out the chocolate Killer Whales I made.

Here is Liam and his friend Rachel decorating their Killer Whale tales. I just LOVE how little kids "smile" for the camera. Always comes out looking so funny!

Spinning Rachel, who got to go first because she was our guest.

Spinning Liam who was so excited he whirled and twirled and tried to pin the Killer Whale tail on my shirt.

Finally got it so he hit the board.

Alice really wanted to do whatever the "big kids" were doing so we gave her a shot too.

Best friends Alice and Theia really enjoyed the Toddler craft table, and coloring with crayons and playing with glitter glue.

I didn't get a chance to get a picture of the Octodogs, but they were a HUGE HIT. I split the hotdogs half-way through by 4 and Chris BBQ'd them standing up so the "legs" curled up. The kids LOVED putting the Octodogs to "bed" in their buns and eating them before they got out of bed.

Here is the super amazing cake my sister Becky made for Liam's birthday. She is getting so stellar at making cakes and I think she should start a side-business.

Here she is bringing out the cake. Go Becky!!

Liam was a little embarassed and shy being the center of attention but he really LOVED having everyone sing the Happy Birthday song to him. Chris and I enjoyed sitting beside and sharing the joy he felt when he saw his cake. Hopefully someone got a picture of his face, because it was priceless.

Rachel was so excited for the cake that she jumped on my lap ha ha. I got up shortly after to cut and distribute. Everyone ate so much we only had 2 little slices left and the kids polished them off last night after dinner for desert.

Then it was time for presents and my little man went crazy ripping into the paper and flinging open boxes. He got so many cool new toys that he's still not sure what to play with first.

Becky got him an amazing shark tooth helmut. He didn't even notice that it was a bike helmut, he was just really excited to dress up like a shark ha ha.

Alice got him these 2 little plush dinosaurs. They are so real looking, with soft spikes and tails. Liam was really happy to open them and has been sleeping with them at night.

My parents got him an Elmo Wii game. Although it's really adorable I'm not sure we're going to keep it. We don't have time to use the Wii and have been thinking of selling it. We'll see, maybe its sometimes we could play with him on rainy days.

He's not quite sure what's going on in this photo. I think he's just overwhelmed. It was a bit crazy.

And then THE PRESENT came out. I held my hands over his eyes so he would be really surprised and when he saw his bike he freaked out and jumped up right on it. Then we all went outside while Chris taught him how to ride it and the kids played with toy cars and balance bikes, running off all that sugar they ate.

Overall we couldn't have asked for a better birthday for our little guy. All you really want for your kids is to have a good time and I can honestly say, I think he did. He hasn't stopped talking about it and just seeing his face light up makes me so happy. I'll be posting shortly the letter to Liam on his birthday, but for now, it's pleasure enough knowing that we really outdid ourselves this year.

Happy Birthday Liam!!!!

beautiful

2011-08-25T15:05:00.000-05:00

My little angel <3 She is just getting so. stinking. big. 20 months on saturday! These were all taken at the Lumiere festival we went to last weekend with my bestie. You can see Alice kissing HER bestie Theia (my bestie's baby) near the end of this post. They were adorable together.

4th birthday prep - part 3

2011-08-25T15:02:00.002-05:00

Only 2 days left until the big 4th birthday and we are in full-on decorate and finish things mode. It literally looks like a whale bomb exploded in our house. That sounds gross, but you know what I mean.

4th birthday prep - part 2

2011-08-23T10:32:00.000-05:00

Last night I finally finished all the chocolates for Liam's party and almost finished Pin the Whale on the Tail.

I've got to run these over to Staples to get them printed during my lunch... what do you think? Super cute, right? I'll finish the banner tonight. Cut each flag out and string together with ribbon on staples...

Then cut each of these for the grab bags.

I still have to work on the balloon octopus garlands, start and finish the ocean snack (chocolate rock pebbles, blue jello, white "sea foam" whipping cream and a gummy shark to top if off), scoop blue ice cream into muffin cups and freeze, and figure out the filling for our fish sandwiches (super cute fish-shaped cutter found at Bulk Barn) and that should be just about it!

Oh yeah and purchase and put together Liam's present. Whew! This week has been so busy but I'm loving every second of pulling this together.

the best part of my day

2011-08-23T08:34:00.000-05:00

The best part of my day this morning was running into Liam and having him hug me and sit on my lap cuddled up like a baby, kissing my face and telling me that he missed me and wants to come home. So sweet and sad at the same time. "But Mommy, I just need to come home!" and "Why isn't it your day yet? I miss you so much".

Awe <3

It was an amazing and equally sad way to start my day. One day he'll know just how much we want him to come home too.

101 things to do with your toddler

2011-08-22T14:56:00.001-05:00

What an adorable site and some really cute ideas!

http://counting-on-me.blogspot.com/2011/05/101-things-to-do-with-your-toddler.html

Birthday Party - Killer Whale Theme - do it yourself!

2011-08-22T11:00:00.000-05:00

LOVE IS:
... making Killer Whale chocolates by hand because my little boy wants a Killer Whale birthday party...

(You will need: Dark chocolate, white chocolate and blue chocolate, dolphin mold. Wash mold well. Dry thoroughly. Melt blue and white chocolate in micro-wave safe bowl. Use clean paint brush to paint eyes and white spots. Let dry 15 minutes or until hard. Melt dark chocolate. Fill half-way, add sticks. Spoon in the rest, fully cover the sticks. Put in fridge for 15 minutes. Gently pop out. Voila!)

LOVE IS:

... spending a saturday afternoon (during nap time) wrestling through the crowd at the dollar store to get all the components to hand-make birthday party treat bags for the kids...

(You will need: Bags, black and light blue craft paper, sparkle glue. Find Killer Whale template. Cut out tales. Cut out waves. Glue tail, then waves to the bags. Using sparkle glue, write kids names on the tales. Decorate waves with more sparkle glue)

LOVE IS:
... Staying up until 10pm free-handing a Killer Whale, then painting him, only to cut him into pieces for "Pin the Tale on the Killer Whale"... (not yet finished)

(You will need: Black construction paper (2 for $1 at Dollar Store), purple and white paint and chalk or white crayon, white pipe-cleaner, glue. Find Killer Whale photo online. With white crayon on chalk, free-hand using a "grid" concept for each body part. Take your time, use big strokes and don't worry about making a mess, you will paint over most of your lines anyway. Once you are happy with your whale, use purple paint on the body. Let dry. Use white paint on the spots. Let dry. Roll the whie pipe-cleaner into a circle, glue where the eye would go... the rest of this craft isn't finished yet...)

LOVE IS:

... Patiently sitting at the breakfast-nook table, coloring icing light blue, painting each cookie and hand-dipping them in bulk-bought brown sugar to make "beachy vanilla cookies" for his party ....

(You will need: Vanilla creame cookies or sugar cookies, white icing, blue food coloring and brown sugar, tray to hold the cookies and freezer space. 1 dish for the icing to mix the dye in and 1 small plate for the sugar. Dye the icing to your favorite shade of blue. Pour the sugar over the plate. Spread icing on each cookie, let it be messy and gloppy. Dip each cookie into the sugar on the plate. Play on tray. Once done all cookies put in freezer with sign to Finace that says "Don't eat! That means YOU!)

LOVE IS:

.... Digging through the sand-box, then washing and straining the sand to create ocean-themed center pieces, then printing Killer-Whale pictures, cutting them out by hand and gluing them to the bottles ... (not finished yet)

(You will need: 2 mason jars or carafs, water, blue food dye, glitter, sea shells, marine animal toys, sand, vegetable oil, parsley. Wash and rinse carafs. Wash and rinse sand. Put sand in bottom of carafs. Add sea shells and marine animal toys. Add water. Add blue food coloring. Add vegetable oil. Add glitter. Add parsley. Shake it all up a bit... the rest of this craft isn't finished yet...)

LOVE IS:
... Doing everything in my power to create the best Killer-Whale themed birthday party in the whole world when there are absolutely NO Killer-Whale themes in any stores in the entire city. Thank you internet!

Up next: Fish-shaped Sandwiches; Ice-berg "ocean" Punch; Sea Life Mural; and Killer Whale Beanbag Toss and the rest of the Killer-Whale themed decorations, Part-2.

heart this

2011-08-19T15:13:00.002-05:00

"Be it critics. Be it haters. Let them do what they do. It doesn't matter what they say, but what you respond to. If you're going to talk trash, at least spell my name right and give me a link."
~Jasmine Star

Seriously.

pirate adventures & tea party day

2011-08-19T15:10:00.000-05:00

Today was Tea Party day at Liam's school and we were told for them to wear "something special" I wish I had a picture of it because Liam went through is closet and picked out - get this - a short sleeve button up shirt and a SWEATER VEST. ha ha ha It was something like 30+ degree here today. Too funny. He looked like such the little man today too, wearing his vest and drinking his milk..

Yesterday they went on Pirate Adventures and he came home looking like this:

So I said "make a serious face!" and he did this:

Isn't that adorable?

Earlier this week we went for a check-up at the doctors and had an hour to kill in the morning so I took him out for a "special breakfast with Mommy" which he loved. He ate 4 HUGE pancakes and a ton of bacon.

I'm so glad we could spend some alone time together. He's such a cutie and the light of my life.

you can't always get what you want

2011-08-17T09:38:00.000-05:00

Such a hard lesson to teach little ones. So hard to learn for ourselves as adults. Dissapointment is a very real, very normal, very healthy part of life. If we all got what we wanted, as soon as we wanted it, life would get pretty boring pretty fast. We would never learn how to be patient, how to wait for something we want. We would never learn the value of earning what we want through hard work and self-esteem boost that comes along with that. We would never learn to be happy with what we have. We would always be looking for the next best thing. We would never learn that happiness comes from inside, not from external sources.

Yesterday on the drive home Liam loudly and emphatically stated that he wanted a donut and he wanted a donut NOW! Since he has become accustomed to getting what he wants in certain situations when he is not in our home and under our parental direction, he does not understand that "wishes" and "wants" does not equal "gets" - as in, just because he wants something or wishes he has something, it does not mean he will always get it. This is life.

So we are in the car and he wants a donut. I can't give him that. It is already 5 pm. We are stuck in traffic. We are on our way home. Everyone has had a snack and juice box and now they are both ready for more. Clearly they are very hungry. I know that if I don't manage this situation quickly and give him the impression that he is getting what he wants, without actually giving it to him, that this is going to escalate into a tantrum.

How can I give him what he wants without actually giving it to him?

What CAN I give to him instead?

Imagination. So I say:

"The rule is, no donuts before dinner. I know you're dissapointed. I wish I could have a donut too. We are on our way for dinner right now and we are going to eat as soon as we get in the house. Lets imagine that the car is full of donuts. Right up to the roof. There are donuts everywhere. All around us. Do you see them? Look! Here is a cherry donut! (scoop a pretend donut out of the air) Would you like to have this cherry donut? Here you go. Yummy, right? Look, here is a huge birthday cake donut! Let me grab it for you. How does it taste? I know, its sweet and gooey. Look at all the donuts!"

I can't believe how well this game worked. It kept the kids busy for over 25 mintues and took almost no effort at all from me. I stayed engaged with them while we played and came up with silly donut flavors for them to try and they came up with some pretty clever donut flavors too.

My favorite donut flavor? Pancakes and bacon.

healthy attachment

2011-08-17T09:18:00.000-05:00

Kids who feel their moms can be depended on to comfort them and empathize with their feelings usually run to their mom for comfort when she arrives.They may burst into tears from the effort of keeping it together all day in her absence, but they certainly don't ignore her or act angry. That's healthy attachment. ~ AhaParenting.com

The reason I pasted that paragraph into the above is to address Alice's transition to daycare. It's been smooth if we consider that she's never, ever been in a daycare setting before and started the transition when she was 18 months old. It's been hard for us in that she literally burts into tears when she sees me at the end of the day and immediately demands to nurse (right there, in public, she often tugs at my shirt and has even been able to pull it down!). It is NICE to read that her reaction is normal and healthy and indicates a secure attachment to me. Whew. One less thing to worry about ;)

one month till school!

2011-08-05T15:00:00.000-05:00

You heard that right, only 1 month until school starts and boy is it going to be a busy month!

I've already started researching cool lunch and snack ideas and, or course, looking at ways to make this transition easier on my little guy. This means reading a lot of books before bed about kids that are starting school, pretend play that he going to school (he really loves this) and talking a lot about what is going to happen at school.

(here's a cute fun fact. the word Kindergarten dervies from the german word for 'garden for children' - cute, right? like a little garden is wee ones. i love it)

Need some lunch packing ideas? Check these out!
http://lunchinabox.net/
http://chickinthekitchen.com/2009/05/07/packing-lunch-for-kindergarten/
http://www.kitchendaily.com/2010/07/13/month-of-school-lunches/
http://www.goforyourlife.vic.gov.au/hav/articles.nsf/pages/Healthy_eating_and_play_for_kindergarten_children?OpenDocument

this weekend

2011-08-02T08:47:00.000-05:00

My parents were (are) in town this weekend visiting and we went to Mont Cascades water park on Monday, had a big BBQ on Sunday and on Saturday we visited Aunt Becky's boyfriend Pat's Fire Station. It was a busy, busy weekend and so much fun!!

sad face

2011-08-02T08:44:00.000-05:00

We are having some serious challenges with Liam since he came back from his Father's. He was involved in some mature things these past few weeks that we've done everything we can to keep him from being aware of, but unfortunately we can't control what happens at his Father's house and he now has an idea that something is wrong. I can't get into details because of what is going on, but we DO NOT talk to him about his Father or what is happening in our adult lives or, basically, anything at all to do with our current situation and, if anything, we constantly reinforce that his Father loves him and that he is a very good little boy and can talk to us about anything at anytime and he will never get in trouble for being honest.

Sunday he peed on the floor in his room. He knew it was wrong, but he told us about it and when asked why he did it, he said "I don't know". We had him clean it up and we didn't make a big deal about it. Monday he did it again, this time it was on Daweski's side of the bed. Again we asked him what was wrong and why he did it and again he said "I don't know".

Its so sad. If it continues I'll have to take him to the doctors or to a child psychologst to find out why he is acting out this way.

In the mean time, this article helped a little to explain what was going on.

http://www.ahaparenting.com/_webapp_773666/Four_Year_Old_Pees_All_Over_The_House

Specifically the following paragraph spoke to me and how it jumped out as "BINGO" in my mind. I know he's feeling stressed - his crying when he came home substantiates this.

However, most little boys don't pee in random places inside their houses, particularly when they discover that it bothers their parents. The relationship with their parents is too important to them.
Usually this kind of behavior is seen when a child is feeling stressed, unfairly disciplined, overlooked, or over-controlled. It seems to be a kind of secretive rebellion, a way of "marking territory."

It's a difficult, hard road that Daweski and I have chosen to take but we know we are doing the right thing for Liam and his future development. All we want is for him to stay innocent for as long as possible and to grow up to be a well-adjusted, productive member of society, who is socially and emotionally balanced. It's all anyparent wants, right? So we are going to do whatever it takes to ensure that happens - for now and for always.

BTW we've found that the very best way to quell tantrums or sadness or anything of the sort is a big, prolonged hug or, as we call them, a family cuddle-puddle.

cottage 2011

2011-07-27T15:37:00.000-05:00

So as with every. single. year for like the past 10 years, we went to Meg and Astar's cottage for the day a few weeks ago and had A BLAST. Our friends Rick and Carole were there with their little girl, who is Liam's age and the kids had so much fun! There are a lot of baby-nudie shots I can't share, so enjoy the snippets provided below :) xo

Liam is wearing a snorkle haha he didn't want to take it off, but when he started using it as a gun it was time to say bye-bye to it. He spent most of his time fishing with Daweski (below)

Aren't they adorable? Awe <3 They actually caught a fish too, but it escaped before they could reel it in

This isn't from the cottage, but it IS of Liam having a blast with a giant work out ball we have in our backyard. Love this kid!!

And here we have Miss Alice with Miss Theia (Meg & Astar's baby girl) her BFF OBVIOUSLY. So cute!

didn't see that one coming

2011-07-27T15:30:00.003-05:00

Links to ADHD and second-hand smoke? Why am I not surprised.

Researchers found that of more than 55,000 U.S. children younger than 12 years, six percent lived with a smoker. And those kids were more likely to have attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), a learning disability or "conduct disorder" than children in smoke-free homes.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/43742023/ns/health-kids_and_parenting/

Now if only irresponsible parents would stop smoking in cars and houses, maybe we'd have some healthier kids!

blueberry muckery

2011-07-15T07:01:00.000-05:00

18 months already... where does the time go?

Still nursing, still very addicted to nursing (not me, her! I'm pretty much ready to give it up anytime, but she is very into it still and doesn't seem to show signs of slowing down).

Weight: 24 pounds - 50th %
Height: ?? - 115th % (she is just so tall and so skinny...)

Development: Says 2-3 word sentances, counts to 10, knows most of the A,B,C song, sings AC/DC "Thunder Struck" when it's raining outside (Liam taught her this). One nap a day for 1.5-2 hours. In bed by 7-7:30 and sleeps till 6:30-7 (awesome). Funny kid, she loves to spin in circles, jump on the couch or of the bed, "sing" really loud, give kisses, get butterfly kisses, be tickled (and tickle others), swing, slide, build with sand, play in the pool and pet dogs. She is adorable. I can't believe how big she is getting.

some cuties to tide you over

2011-07-11T15:13:00.001-05:00

stuggles and solutions

2011-07-05T12:48:00.001-05:00

I remember being a kid and being very afraid that water would get in my eyes and somehow leak into my brain. I was so afraid that I didn't want to put my head under water or have my hair washed or swim in a pool or a lake or blow bubbles in the bath. On reflection, I realize my Mom helped me through this fear by letting me experiment with water in our backyard. She also let me wash her hair and wash my younger sister's hair. Also, she let us explore this fear through imaginative role-play where I washed my doll's hair in the bath or outside in the pool. It's funny how sometimes it takes articles like this to remind me that I have the skills to be a compassionate mom when things get tough; its just finding a way to allow myself to slow-down.

http://www.ahaparenting.com/_webapp_3885939/Toddler_hates_having_hair_washed

Our son has been throwing temper tantrums again. This week he started something new and alarming - hitting himself in the face when he's angry. He will announce, very loudly, "I'm hitting my face!" or "I'm so mad I'm going to hit my face" ... now the thing is, we don't hit him and Alice doesn't him him and I'm positive he's not being hit at daycare, so where is this coming from?

http://gratitudeandgaiety.blogspot.com/2011/07/positive-parenting-in-action-tantrums.html

It's so hard sometimes, isn't it? To decide what to do in the face of tantrums or defiance. To give myself permission to feel MY OWN big emotions and learn to let them "go" so I can be the role-model my kids deserve. Instead of running the other way, I step in and give them a big hug and we hug and hug and hug until it gets better and the tantrum subsides.

And reflecting back to my own childhood, those things are EXACTLY what my own mom did. When I freaked out, she held me close or sat beside me and she talked to me in a gentle voice. When Becky and I were fighting (and, oh boy did we fight!) she let us work it out (as long as we weren't hurting ourselves or each other).

It's hard to take a step back. It's hard to look at a situation from all angles. It's hard to remain objective when the first instinct is to step in, force resolution to the problem and wash your hands of it, so you can get back to doing to the dishes or whatever "important" thing you were doing.

I need to learn to give myself permission to serve apples and cheese for dinner if it means spending quality, focused-time with my kids.

I need to learn to give myself permission to wait 30 seconds, or a mintue before I react.

I need to learn how to slow down and enjoy this time, instead of stressing over dinners, baths, chasing naked babies who are peeing on the floor... because it won't be long before they're gone and grown up and they don't need me anymore.

its my duty to document this stuff

2011-06-23T09:07:00.000-05:00

Alice has started saying "I love you" and "Bubie, where are you?" when she looses her lovie. She's also started doing this really high pitched, ear ringing, earth shattering scream when she doesn't get what she wants? And instead of throwing herself on the floor and sobbing like Liam used to when he was having a tantrum, she physically forces herself onto me by trying to climb up my leg or pushing me away from the counter with both hands on my legs, or .. when she's really upset... just dramatically laying across my feet and clutching my ankles.

Liam: Hey! What's HE doing with a Princess dress on? (in reference to Poppy, who answered the door in his bathrobe)

Liam: I am a hooker! I am a hooker!! Me: "What? Liam: See? I got a big hooker Mommy! I'm going to hook you bad guys with my special hooker part. Nom nom.

please sign this online petition to reunite a mother and her baby

2011-06-17T09:40:00.001-05:00

I don't normally do things like this - mass petition my readership - but it would take only 5 seconds of your time and could make a world of diference to a Mother who had her child taken away from her in a horrific violation of human rights, simply because she was practicing attachment parenting. Read on for an overview of this sad situation ... ps. I don't consider myself to be an activist, but I DO consider myself to a HUMANIST and as such, I am begging you to please take 5 seconds, click on the link below and lend a voice to this movement. Thanks - Jenny

http://www.change.org/petitions/worldwide-mothers-support-habiba-immf-give-her-baby-back

On May 30, 2011, the Minor and Family Institute of Madrid, Spain (IMMF - Instituto Madrileño del Menor y la Familia) took a child away from her mother because she would not comply with their demand that she abruptly wean her daughter using medication to dry her milk supply. The child was removed to a different shelter without explanation or notice, and the mother was evicted from the shelter. The IMMF claims that Habiba’s parenting practices (which included on-cue breastfeeding, co-sleeping, and “being affectionate”) were chaotic and harmful to her child.

No legal procedure was or has been followed to separate this mother from her daughter. She was not allowed to say goodbye to her daughter and she was not told where they were taking the child, provoking feelings of severe helplessness.

Habiba was thrown to the streets in the same moment that her daughter was taken, she was told there was no longer a place for her as the residence was for mothers and she did not have a daughter anymore. A humanitarian aid foundation has given her protection, shelter, sustenance and legal aid.

We consider the case of Habiba and her daughter to be a severe violation of Human Rights and Children’s Rights. The damage is already done, but if mother and daughter can reunite it can be healed. We demand the immediate release of the child to her mother.

liamisms

2011-06-09T14:05:00.003-05:00

Liam: Mommy there's a bug in you hair!

Me: What? Where?

Liam: Right there!

Me; Oh ha ha that's not a bug ha ha ha

Liam: It's a monster?

Me: No ha ha it's a hair clip :)

****************************

Me: Liam what are you playing with?

Liam: A robot. Look, it makes noise and wiggles.

Me: Wiggles? What do you---- AGGGGHHHHH Give me that!

Liam: Why Mommy? Why? It's my robot!! WHY MOMMY WHY????!!!!

Me: Because you just shouldn't be playing with that!
(because it's mommy's... um... vibrator)

summer love

2011-06-09T08:03:00.000-05:00

As requested, pictures of our beautiful garden. Above is the Tomato plant. We took this picture before we put a stake in for support and before it bloomed with 12 blooms! 12 tomatoes! How lovely :)

Our french Lilac. Felt a little silly to be planting her right before we were moving, but we MIGHT dig her up and take her with us. We've since trimmed the shoots at the bottom and she is really filling in on top. We got 1 gorgeous Lilac flower bunch and a whole lot more that were going to flower, but died in the super cold spring weather we had this year.

The chives cut down short right after we harvested them... from the left we have Lettuce, Thyme, Chocolate Mint (also harvested that and enjoyed a cuppa tea with mint and a glorious chit chat on the porch while people watching. Love summer!), Parsley and two box hedge bushes.

and the Chive harvest! Beautiful! We;ve been able to sneak Chives into almost everything we are eating the kids don't even notice them. In fact, Liam was munching on a whole Chive stalk just the other day. He looked like a mini farmer LOL

Alice enjoying the hot weather this weekend...

As Meghan pointed out "This is totally a Liam face" and she's right. She looks A LOT like Liam lately.

The kids playing quiety together. It was so amazing I had to document it.

The first 3 Strawberries from our garden. The top two were edible and the kids enjoyed one each. The bottom was the "hairy bum" Strawberry from a previous post and the little guy was too mushy to eat we composted him.

Isn't his ADORABLE? Daweski carved a piece of Cantelope into a heart for Liam and he loved it. Then he ate it.

The Broccoli.. now I have to say this: since this phot was taken about a week ago, the Broccoli has doubled in size, if not tripled. It is HUGE. We had no idea this veggie would take to the clay packed soil so well and now we have plans to have at least 15 plants growing next summer. Why buy when we can grow?

An up close of the heart.

Ah the summer and the sprinkler. I didn't have it in me to blow up the pool yesterday so I threw on the sprinkler. Since Daweski has recently started his shift work he is working 10 hours day (blarg) and I drop him off in the morning after dropping off the kids. Anyway, all of this to say, he gets home around 8 at night and keeping the kids entertained while I try and cook something for dinner has been um.. challenging? So I make A LOT of use of the sprinkler - which they LOVE, so its win win!

Liam: We're having a pool party!

Alice: Mommy! Water! Mouth!

things i loved about this week

2011-06-03T06:54:00.000-05:00

Alice helping me with the laundry
Seeing our Broccoli grow bigger every day and the Strawberries go from green to red
Breaking out my favorite flowy summer top to wear over jeans on casual friday
Getting our new Tillandsia's in the mail and arranging them around the house
Spending time with Daweski in the gazebo in our backyard after Alice was in bed
Having a glass of wine and chatting with our new neighbors on the corner
Nursing Alice every day I got home and having her *finally* understand when I asked her not to kick me in the face or twist my other nipple :) :) :)
The close feeling I have with Daweski right now
Seeing the progress on our new house. Basement is all poured, they're starting the frame!

garden

2011-05-31T09:12:00.001-05:00

there are strawberries, broccoli and tomatoes growing in our garden.

one of the strawberries is shaped like a hairy bum.

Alice's favorite words

2011-05-30T08:19:00.000-05:00

poon = spoon
up you = pick me up
brudar = brother
nap = i'm tired
peese = please
tancho = thank you
help = i want to help you
lawny = laundry
pay = play
outshie = outside
nink = stink
poo = put me on the potty
bath = i'm dirty, please clean me up
pin = spinning
milf = milk (breast milk)

fall down
boots
shoes
sweater
coat
mine
liam
not now

all the names of her family members
dada has become Daddy
mama has become Mommy

she is a happy, happy baby who sleeps really well (during the night, not so much during the day) and who adores her brother. she really loves him so much and talks about him all day, every day. just chatter and its hard to figure out what she means, but most of the time we get that she's pointing out stuff that 'belongs' to him, like is coat or shoes or toys or bed or his favorite dinosaur towel. she understands now that there are times he isn't with us. she'll say 'liam daddy' so she knows liam has a different daddy and when we tell her he's coming home she will freak out and wait by the door and then, when he comes running in, they hug each other and he kisses her and says "awe my sister. she's so cute!" and then she'll run in circles around him. wherever he goes, she follows him. she think's he hung the moon. and so do i. i miss my little man this week. miss him a lot.

liam the comedian

2011-05-30T08:11:00.000-05:00

Becky: I'm just not that sure I'm into him like I should be.

Me: Well do you love him?

Becky: I'm not sure.. I don't think so... I wish I did...

Me: I think that pretty much sums it up.

Becky: Besides we'd never see each other anyway and he never talks about his feelings...

Liam: Awkward!

stink the first

2011-05-26T08:15:00.001-05:00

It was sad to realize on Thurdsay week last that Stink, our beloved Betta fish, drowned in a horrible sea-shell accident. It appeared that the shell fell on him, pinning him against the side bottom of the tank. Since Betta's are surface breathers, he drowned :(

We thought long and hard about how to approach the issue with Liam. My first instinct was telling me to dispose of the body before he came home, tell him about it and then go get a new fish. As the day wore on and I was able to think about it more, I realized that this isn't the right way to go about it. God had given us the chance to introduce death in a very real, healthy way and while Liam is still so young (just shy of 4 years old) he's not too little to begin learning about the circle of life, the wheel of time, and how things like this work. So we held on to the little body.

When I picked him up from daycare I told him what had happened. He stared crying in the car so I pulled over and comforted him. We talked about getting a new fish on the way home and that seemed to cheer him up. It's not meant to replace Stink, but it did give him something positive to look forward to.

So we picked out a new fish, one that looks different from Stink and we brought him home with a new plant, one that looked different from Stink's plant.

We got home and he asked to see Stink. He looked long and hard at the body for a while and then asked why his eyes were grey. Daweski said it was because he was sleeping and had died. He asked a few other questions and then we gave him the choice - bury Stink in the garden or flush him down the toilet. Liam chose the toilet.

We all went upstairs to the kids bathroom and Daweski helped him put Stink in the toilet bowl. We all looked at him for a minute, said our goodbyes and then Liam flushed him away. For a second it looked like Stink wasn't going to go down the pipes and my heart lurched, but he did. Thank goodness.

We then went about setting up the new tank and getting the new fish ready.

Liam decided to name him "Stink the Second"

So, without further ado, here is Stink the Second and his buddy Moob the snail hanging out, getting their water changed on the weekend. They seem to get along well together and Stink the Second is a LOT different than Stink the First. For starters, Stink 2 is really agressive. He gets his fighter fin up for no reason at all, often charging the plant or the rocks in the bottom (no more sea shells in the tank!) and then swimming around all proud of himself. He's not shy and lets Liam or me pet him whenever we want. And Moob? He's really come out of shell so to speak. Yesterday it looked like his shell was going to come all the way off, he was that far out of it.

So this weekend was pretty eventful. We started building the privacy fence in our backyard.

With some help from good friends...

The kids thought it was pretty amazing and fun...

It was a very, very messy weekend....

But we enjoyed ourselves TONS... we watched some Blue Planet ...

Ate some ice cream...

And made some kick ass crafts including a cheerio necklace which Liam ate before I was able to take a picture of it.

And, of course, we cleaned Stink 2 and Moobs tank and everyone bonded with our newest pet :)

kindergarten.. sniff... sniff...

2011-05-19T06:56:00.001-05:00

Last night was orientation for pre-kindergarten at Liam's new school. It was so interesting and looking around the room I couldn't help but realize that eventually I would know most of the other parents and their kids and wonder, who is Liam going to be friends with? Who will he end up loving? Hating? What mysterious things is he going to bring home from these kids? Who will bully him? Who will he bully? Who will be the first girl he kisses? The first boy he punches in the face? Or who will punch him? What will his first speech be on? When will I get the call that he threw up in class? Or hurt his leg? Or ... oh... a thousand other things.

It was really a very sweet and sad moment. Sort of like when you start eating your favorite chocolate bar and then realize you're almost at the end. Liam's baby-hood was like my favorite chocolate bar. I am so close to the end of it. Only 3 months to go until he is 4 years old and then 4 months to go until he starts school.

It is happening way too fast. Can't we slow down the clock? Somehow?

way to go Georgia! (insert sarcasm button here)

2011-05-18T11:44:00.002-05:00

WOW. Georgia has the ninth lowest breastfeeding rates in the US and now a new ordinance makes it ILLEGAL to breastfeed a child who is older than 2 years in public. How in the world is this constitutional? Since when is breastfeeding SEXUAL? Is breastfeeding really public nudity? REALLY?
Come on. Its 2012. Let's all pull head from ass and grow up just a little bit. Boobs are for babies. Say it with me: Boobies are for babies.

http://www.wsbtv.com/news/27920007/detail.html

new house

2011-05-17T08:54:00.001-05:00

We've been talking to the kids A LOT about the new house and we make an effort to drive by the site as much as we can with Liam to help prepare him for the move. Liam has been talking A LOT about how he wants his room to look and he's mentioned a few times that he wants something a) pink and b) dinosaurs.

It's moments like that which make me sad to remember his first and only "real" nursery. I put so much love and work into it and it was so beautiful and he'll never remember anything about it.

I'm just very grateful that its saved on the OhDeeDoh website so that I'll never forget and one day he'll be able to show see his first, original, beautiful, dinosaur room that I lovingly hand painted while I felt him kick and move in my belly.

http://www.ohdeedoh.com/ohdeedoh/smaller-cooler-2009/smaller-cooler-2009-liams-dino-spot--083688

Daweski Post

2011-05-12T11:42:00.000-05:00

Alice just said the first three word sentence I have ever heard her say. Here is how the conversation went:

Me: "I love you"
Alice: "I Love Mommy"

Ultra cute. A bit of a burn on me but cute nonetheless :)

great weekends

2011-05-11T13:20:00.000-05:00

Mother's Day was pretty amazing this year.

Alice is too cool for her own good (at the Tulip Festival)

We had brunch at our house with the inlaws Sunday morning. Then packed the monkeys into the car and drove down to the Tulip Festival in the market.

Alice playing among the Tulip art.

We ran among the flowers and Liam got a huge lollipop which he promptly broke.

So he cried, and we bought him a new one (of course we did, we're not monsters!).

See the giant lollipop? This was numero 2.

They both played in the lego village and we went into a tee-pee and then ran all around the park.

Lego village.

More Lego village.

Topped it off with lunch at Zak's and they both fell asleep in the car on the way home.

Daweski and Alice at the festival.

After putting them to bed, we laid down for a nap ourselves. Got maybe half an hour before they woke up. Took the kids to the park, played in the garden in our front yard and the sandbox in the back. My sister came over and we had a plasticine party, then Daweski BBQ'd sirloin burgers and we pigged out.

My sweet plasticine food. L-R: Macaroni and Cheese; Fried Egg; Chicken Nuggest; French Fries; Hamburger (its stacked 3 high you just can't see it); Easter Eggs AND a Hot Dog (which you must admit, is pretty pimp)

After dinner we got our cuddle fest on and watched the new Yogi Bear movie. It was a GREAT day. Oh, and my future MIL got me an amazing gardening set as a gift, I love it! Liam made me a super cute card at daycare and Daweski ordered me an awesome family necklace with charms off of Etsy and I can't wait for it to come.

Bliss. I love my life.

Aunt Becky and Liam being all creative.

One last picture of my littlest monkey. Skirt over pants is always a good look!

...

2011-05-05T12:03:00.001-05:00

House phone rings... Alice: "Phone. Mama. Phone. Ring ring! Ring ring!"

first sentances

2011-05-03T11:46:00.000-05:00

On Sunday Alice was using a playphone and Daweski asked her "who are you calling angel?" and she looked at him and said, clear as a bell, "My Nana"!!!!!
- 16 months protegy.

"they're just my spots"

2011-04-27T12:44:00.002-05:00

Liam: Those are your baby teeth Mommy?
Me: No, those are my adult teeth.
Liam: Where did your baby teeth go?
Me: They fell out when I was 6 years old and my adult teeth grew in. When you are bigger your baby teeth will fall out and your adult teeth will grow in.
Liam: No Mommy. That's silly. I don't want adult teeth, I just want dinosaur teeth.

Me: We need to go to the dr so he can look at your spots.
Liam: Why Mommy? They're just my spots. (shrugs)
Me: Because we don't know what they are.
Liam: I told you! They're just my spots! Ugh!

Me: Do you want to help me look for turkey's on the way home? (we have a lot of wild turkey's on our drive)
Liam: Nope! I just want to look for dinosaurs.

Liam: Mommy! What's that?!
Me: It's my cell phone case.
Liam: Where did you get it?
Me: eBay.
Liam: Mommy your phone is beautiful. It's beautiful. I like eBays.

Liam: Come here Alice so I can tickle you!
Alice: Nonononono
Liam: Don't say no! Come here. I'm going to get you!
Alice: Giggling jibberish
Liam: Oh Alice, why you say that to me? It's funny.

awesome

2011-04-25T19:50:00.000-05:00

Liam might have Chicken Pox. Like I said, awesome.

You know what else is awesome? This exchange that just happened while I wrote the above.

Daweski: Do you know where the Baking Soda is?

Me: Cupboard top shelf.

Daweski: You know what else is top shelf? You.

Also... Liam might have Chicken Pox :( :( :(

(insert a million sad faces)

I am so, so bummed. Poor little man, I hope its a mild case because with his Dermatographic skin he is at risk for getting 3x's the 'normal' amount of Pox. If and when he gets them. Please don't let him have them.

some cutie smiles

2011-04-21T06:59:00.000-05:00

he asked. i said yes.

2011-04-20T09:41:00.000-05:00

i'm not a parenting expert

2011-04-15T12:37:00.002-05:00

Shocking I know. But I'm not a parenting expert. Not even close. Every day that I live and breathe a parent, I learn new skills, I learn new things about myself, I can identify patterns of behavior that I would like to change and I get a chance to be a better person through owning my actions. Every single day. It's a choice, isn't it? You choose to wake up and be happy or to wake up and be sad. You choose to let something small and insignifant ruin your day, or you choose to laugh and let it go and look for the next smiling moment.

When I was a child my parents approached parenting very differently from my peers. They did a lot of things that I now, as a parent myself, agree with. They also did a lot of things that I disagree with. Ultimately, they raised three daughters who all graduated from post-secondary school, all have fulfilling careers and enjoy their day to day lives and who all are active memebers of society who are able to maintain relationships with peers and close, loving relationships with each other and members of our extended families. What parent could honest ask for more?

Praise in public, scold in private. It sounds so simple, but the fact that my parents gave me public praise and respected my feelings enough to not humilate me in public by punishing me in front of other people taught me that I was worthy of their respect. There were, of course, many times where they were unable to speak with me about an undesirable behavior in private, but they did try to uphold that directive whenver they could and I always appreciated it.
Never get mad for asking questions. No matter how many times I asked the same question or a different question over and over and no matter how tired my Mom was, her response was always patient, kind and thoughtful. She would pause and actually think before she answered me and from a very early age I knew that my questions were important to her, which made me feel important to her.
Encourage freedom of expression. My parents weren't always the best at upholding this, but they also weren't the worst either. They encouraged emotional expression - always; but they discouraged physical expression. I was never punished for crying too loudly or too long and I was always encouraged to talk about my feelings and to "open up" but it was vehemently discouraged if I wanted to dye my hair or cut it in a way that was too "modern" or to wear certain clothes or styles. So while I always felt like my feelings were valid, I rarely felt I was able to express myself in any other way than verbally. This is something I hope to discourage in my family and I hope to foster freedom of expression - ALL forms of expression.
Encourage active participation throughout discipline. That sounds crazy, but one of the best things my parents did for me was to ask for my input and opinion as far as discipline was concerned. There was no time in my life, that I can remember, where I wasn't involved in determining my own punishment. My parents didn't always apply my suggestions, but they always took those suggestions into consideration. This taught me that a) my input was valuable, b) that I was responsible for my actions - ALL OF THEM - and that I was also responsible for my punishments (which, as an aside, made me re-think my actions on more than one occasion because I was able to come up with the consequence of the action before it had even been carried out) and c) that we could (and would) work together as a team even if the subject itself was unpleasant. One of the big surprises of my life was finding out that I was harder on myself than my parents would have been. My Mom once confessed that... "You gave yourself punishments we never dreamed of. You were very creative and often paid more time for the 'crime' than we would have given you" which is very interesting as an adult to look back on. It signifies to me that even at a very young age I was able to understand that I had done something wrong and I knew, inherently it seems, that the punishment should fit the crime.
Tell your children that you love them and really mean it. When my parents told me they loved me I knew that they meant it because they looked right into my eyes and they said it with kindness and respect. My Mom told me she loved with me almost every single breath, my Dad less so, but when he did it was genuine and I believed him. Lately Liam has been very curious about "love" and seems to have the mistaken idea that discipline means a withdrawal of love. It breaks my heart when we correct him for a negative behavior and he says to me "You don't love me anymore Mommy?". It literally kills me inside. When he says this I know that its a cry for attention, a cry for a snuggle, a cry for a cuddle and some reassurance. I get down to his level and make eye contact and tell him that I will always love him, no matter what he does, no matter where he is, no matter if he's been naughty or is being punished or if he is at his Dad's house. I say "I will always love you, no matter what. I can be angry with something you did, but I still love you. I will love you forever" and then end it with a big hug.
Encourage your children to talk to you about anything and everything. No subject was taboo in my family. Birth control. Sex. Religion. Politics. Anything and everything was open for discussion and we had many interesting and lengthy family dinners where we talked about things that I know my peers were not talking about with their parents. This made me feel like my opinions mattered, it made me feel like I was important enough to listen to. It made me feel like all topics were open for exploration and that I could (and would) form opinions without fear of humiliation or recriminiation.
Have a family routine, not a family schedule. This is one of the best things you can do for your family. A routine is an order of events, a sequence if you will, that determine what comes next. Children love structure and they thrive on routine. They like knowing that after dinner comes bath and after bath comes snuggles and books and after books comes brushing teeth and then comes bed. What they don't like is to be rudely led from one event to another because the family has "gone off schedule". A schedule is an order of events that is centered around "time" and the concept of following time and being on time. It is bedtime because it is 7pm is an example of a schedule. The problem with schedules is - in my opinion - that they are all about control. They are rigid and inflexible and they absolutley ooze selfishness because of the need for the person upholding those schedules to be in complete control. My parents gave us routine, not schedules and for that reason we knew that if we were having an interesting conversation or actively enjoying a challenging game that we wouldn't have to end it pre-maturely just because it became 7pm. After all, if everyone is calmly enjoying watching a video together and it is hurting no one and no one is over tired and everyone is happy does it really matter that its 7:10 when you the kids go to bed and not 7:00? Will it matter in a few months? Or a few years? Is it really worth having a big power stuggle over? I think not... I hope not... at least I don't want it to be in my house :)
Eliminate "Because I said so" from your vocabulary. Just the words themselves, "because I said so", are so incredibly ignorant and arrogant. My parents always took the time, even if they were frustrated, even if they were tired, to explain to my little 5 year old self the reason "why" behind a decision. They explained in many different ways sometimes, over and over again, patiently helping me to understand cause and effect. It made me feel like my questions were important. It made me feel like I MYSELF was important because I wasn't stupid, I knew they had other things they should be doing, I understood that I was monopolizing their time, but I also wanted to know, to learn, to grasp, to understand and they let me. They taught me. They challenged me. They turned it around and said "why do you think?" and "what do you know about ....?" and they let me be a PART, an active participant, in my learning experiences. "Because I said so" is hard to hear, for anybody. It's rude, it's disrespectful and it implys authority that simply isn't there. You are not your child's warden. You are not your child's jailer. They should be allowed to question. They should be allowed to *want* to know why and how and what and where. This kind of questioning should be allowed and even encouraged. It is a sign of a healthy, active, curious little mind! It is an indication that your child *wants* to understand. That he *craves* to know why you, the parent, make the choices you make and why you set the limits you set. Your child will, after these discussions, be much more likely to comply with your requests because they will possess the "understanding" behind them.

That's it for now! I've got a lot more and am working on a few posts along this vein. I sincerely hope you are able pull from this post something, anything, that will be useful for your family and your experience as a parent. I am not trying to lecture anyone and this post is not aimed at anyone, it is simply a manifestion of months and months of thinking about what I loved about my childhood and what I would have liked to change now in hindsight. To be honest, I am one of the lucky ones. My parents are amazing and my childhood was happy and warm and nurturing. I couldn't have asked for better parents.

out of the mouths of babes...

2011-04-15T08:24:00.002-05:00

Liam: Mommy I have a secret! Daweski has a special ring for you... and you're going to get married and you're going to have two more babies and one of those babies is going to be big. Older. He's going to be my older brother and I'm going to play with him. Right Mommy? Right?

little artists

2011-04-14T07:41:00.002-05:00

Alice - 15 months

Liam - 3.5 years

teach through love

2011-04-13T08:58:00.000-05:00

Adapted from the "Teach Through Love" facebook page, representing the TTL website - one of my 'go to' resources for support, questions and answers and feedback.

As often as possible, try to model the responses you wish your child to emulate. Their brains are recording every interaction and reaction - it's up us to decide which pattern wins - negative or positive. ♥
"Don't wait till you die to see this. Recognize that your imagination and your thinking and your sense perception are reed canes that children cut and pretend are horsies." ~ Rumi
FOCUS ON SOLUTIONS: Let go of your parental agenda. Keep your goal focused on finding solutions and you will be less likely to criticize. When you are focused on positive outcomes, it is easier to stay present without letting fear influence your reaction
Empathy is what allows us to connect. When we are connected we can disagree but remain friends. When we use verbal aggression, threats, taunts etc. - we can't get to the heart of what's really going on, because we're too busy judging the other person which builds a wall of disconnection. Open up. Be curious. Stay kind.♥
Sometimes, all you can do is EMPATHIZE. You can't make it better, the feelings go away or the disappointment disappear but you can hold your child's pain in your heart-space until it dissolves on its own, leaving him/her resilient and empowered. ♥
Have you ever demanded that your child do something and then when he refused - proclaimed him uncooperative? Maybe you left out the "CO" in cooperate...

overheard

2011-04-12T06:47:00.000-05:00

Liam: When I grow up I'm going to be a Dinosaur and Alice is going to be an Olympic Champion.

Alice: No no no no no no Mama!

recents

2011-04-11T11:56:00.000-05:00

First pair of rain boots.

Yogurt bath.

New plot of land aka: the big dirty hole.

My artist at work drawing a monster.

before I forget

2011-04-07T13:10:00.000-05:00

Alice loves coloring. She will happily spend half an hour or more coloring page after page, using color after color.
Liam loves choosing his own clothing. He LIVES in his Senators jersey. He gets very frustrated when it is not clean and he has to wear something else.
Alice gives kisses. Big, open-mouthed, with lots of tongue kisses.
Liam is obsessed with sand and water. Making sand castles, mashing them up, driving cars through them. He can't get enough!
Alice has just started to understand puddles and enjoys splashing in them. She gets the word "splash" mixed up with the word "clap".
Liam likes to wash his own hair, put on his own clothes and brush his own teeth. We got him an electronic Diego toothbruth this week and I'm so excited to give it to him!
Alice points to and identifies a LOT of her own (and other people's) body parts correctly.
Liam is very interested in boy parts and how they are different from girl parts. He is also very interested in the differences between being a "grown up" and being a "kid" and he asked me the other day if we would have 2 more babies. Yikes. Yeah right!
Alice has been taking 1-2 naps a day for a while and seems more and more ready to drop to 1 nap.
Liam, on the other hand, seems ready to completely drop his nap. I dread the day!
They are both incredibly attached to me and I find myself pulled in many different directions on weekends and during the nights after work.
Alice is still breastfeeding, although I'm not sure she's doing it for nourishment anymore than for comfort and feeling close to me. I haven't let down more than once a day in weeks. But at least she's getting that morning let down still.
Liam is very interested in the breastfeeding relationship I share with Alice and asks a lot of questions about the milk and why she drinks it and where it comes from.

life moves at full speed

2011-04-07T07:38:00.000-05:00

When we were kids we always heard "the older you get the faster time flies" and, like most things you hear about being an adult when you're a kid, you don't really believe it. Not that you think people are lying to you. No, no. It's more like you just don't think it can be quite like what people say... sort of like trying to understand the sleep deprivation of having a new born when you've never had one. There is just no way to 'get it'.

So, that said, this is my pre-amble to excuse why - once again - I'm having to post in bullet form. The fact that I'm even posting at all is a miracle.

We are moving in November! An opportunity came up to purchase a Park Place model (now called a Mullberryy) in a new development closer to Daweski's parents. The house is a modified end unit with a den - there are only 11 other homes built like it in Ottawa currently. Its approx. 2300 square feet, 4 bedrooms, 3 baths, oversize backyard and the best part? It faces a huge pond/lake and greenspace that is classified as being within the Ottawa Greenbelt. This means the area will never be developed. We will never have neighbors across from us. Our kids will always have a huge forest to play in. The development is small, less than 100 homes, and close to parks, schools, buses and recreation. It's also about 10 minutes closer to the city, which should knock a fair bit of time off my drive.
Alice is talking like crazy. She says:

Mama
Dada
Hi
Bye
No
More
Down
Up
Brother
Nana
Papa
Baby
Dog
Duck
Tickle-Tickle
Knee
Hair
Book
Brush... the list goes on; I really can't remember all her words because she spits out new ones every day without fail.

Alice dances, runs, sings (!!), colors, plays kitchen, loves to read books and - we hope - will grow up barely knowing what TV is. Yay.
Alice is wearing 24 month clothes. No idea how much she weighs or how tall she is; but she is very skinny, very long (she has the longest legs!) and is, simply, adorable.
Liam is a hand-ful to say the least. He is 3.5 years old going on 15. Liam is wearing 5-6 toddler clothes, has been fully potty-learned since just after his 3rd birthday, doesn't wear pull-ups to bed anymore... he is very afraid of the dark at our house. I'm not sure why. We gave him a big nighlight, check his closet before bed every night and even pretent to "lock it" and put the key in my pocket ... he sleeps with a bunch of stuffed animals we call Bubies and a flashlight he calls "Squibby" and his nighlight and, and, and he is STILL afraid. To be fair though, I was afraid of the dark until I had children of my own (I know!) and sometimes, I am still scared to walk in the basement without the light on.
Liam is doing very well at daycare. He has learned to be gentle. Because he is so much bigger than other children his age, he is very capable of hurting them by accident. We've had to spend a lot of time on "gentling" his play. This means that I play with him in a way that is very un-agressive and if he is rough with his toys (dinosaur biting dog, but dinosaur actually hitting my hand by accident) then I stop him and show him how to play more gently. This means manouvering toys so they are interacting. So the dinosaur is actually using his mouth to "bite" the dog instead of just slamming the head of the dinosaur in the direction of the dog. I know this is all normal developmental stuff... but I don't think it matters how normal it is that he's playing like this. He understands now that because of his size he will always have be careful around his peers and gentle in a way that other children might not have to worry about being... he is so amazing, my little man. I'm so very proud of him.
Liam loves to do all the things that little people love. He enjoys helping around the house, cooking and cleaning and doing laundry (which he's really good at!). He loves the park. My sister Bex bought the kids a white board easel and he loves coloring on it or playing underneath it, pretending its a space ship. He loves books and will try to get us to read to him any time we're attempting to sit down. He plays, so hard, every day. Outside is where he really shines. Our backyard is perfect for him and he runs around playing soccer or pretending to golf or mucking around in the dirty sand-box (which is half full of water from the melted snow). He is a JOY in my life. He brings us so much love and affection. He is so curious about everything and never stops talking. Chat, chat, chat - all the time. What a sweetheart. The things he says are so funny.
Liam gives the best kisses and hugs ever.

Children Do Remember....

2011-03-29T07:22:00.000-05:00

As this amazing article shows, our earliest experiences really *do* create lasting impressions on us that carry our emotional health and well being far into adulthood.

http://www.our-emotional-health.com/articles/ChildRemembers2.pdf

...

2011-03-14T14:50:00.002-05:00

"I know you think you know what I said, but what you don't know is that what you think I said is not what I meant." Author unknown

SO TRUE

Birthday parties

2011-03-12T10:11:00.000-06:00

- my BFF megs baby is having her 1st birthday party today
- my sweet boy got his hair cut and he looks so old!
- Alice says "hi" a million times a day
- Liam asked me yesterday if I grew him and how I put on his head
- My aunt gave us my Nanas wedding ring to use as our own wedding band
- I love my job. Love it. Even though all my former co-workers keep trying to poach me
- I think I've finally lost 5 pounds
- I get to go shopping for an evening gown for a charity event I'm attending in 2 weeks (so excited!)
- my aunt is being baptized today and I'm so proud of her
- I still have a lot A LOT of growing up to do

milkstone

2011-03-08T11:27:00.001-06:00

We just celebrated our 14 month Milkstone at the end of February and my personal breastfeeding goal was to make it to the 2-year mark, as recommended by Health Canada.

This hasn't been easy. Working full time in a high-stress, deadline oriented field; being a Mom to two little monkey's under four years old; being a psudo-wife, sister, daughter, niece, friend... being successful with breastfeeding has had it's challenges indeed.

This weekend marked a new milestone though; the first where my milk began to dry up on it's own. After talking with a bunch of my friends, we determined that nursing 2-3 times a day just isn't enough to sustain a good supply.

So Sunday we had a nursing vacation. We lazed around all day, drinking water and juice and nursing on demand and had an, overall, great weekend.

My supply is steadily coming back up. I was able to let down both last night and this morning; which is amazing considering I let down once every 24 hours or so since Friday.

What surprised me the most, wasn't that my milk was drying up, but my reaction to HOW I felt with my milk drying up. I was - to put it mildly - devestated. I am not AT ALL ready to end our nursing relationship. After all this time, all this effort, I thought that I would have to wean Alice at 2 years old with a big fat struggle; never did I anticipate that she might begin to self-wean before 2 years old. I also didn't expect to feel so strongly about it. To be so sad. To dread the end of our breastfeeding relationship.

Its no surprise that life is complicated. One of the things I have cherished this past 14 months is our uncomplicated our nursing relationship became. If nothing else, I will always value having given her my milk for 14 solid months. Even if this is the end, it's only the beginning of a new phase of our lives.

my life has been a bumpy road

2011-03-04T09:18:00.001-06:00

Since Liam was very little we play this game called Bumpy Road I learned from my good friend Shannon. It goes like this:

A bumpy road, a bumpy road, a bumpy road, a bumpy road
A smooth road, a smooth road, a smooth road, a smooth road
A bumpy road, a bumpy road, a bumpy road, a bumpy road
A hole!
The child sits on your knees and you alternate between jostling them up and down, smoothly gliding them side to side and then, ultimately, dropping them between your legs (obviously using your arms to catch them).

Lately it feels like my life has been nothing but a bumpy road. I know that the smooth road is coming, but I also know that after that smooth road is another bumpy road and that no matter how many holes I hit, I keep coming back to the bumpy road, smooth road ups and downs in life.

This game is just very symbolic of how things are right now. That's all.

look at these smiles

2011-03-03T09:53:00.000-06:00

Twitter

2011-02-25T09:45:00.001-06:00

I deleted my twitter account last night after reading an @ message from a "friend" (follower) who consistently misinterprets what I write and @ replies me with the most negative, disrespectful things, conjecture about my personal relationships not based on any sort of fact or knowledge because there has been no immediate information sharing.

Why people feel the need to pose their own personal issues onto other people is beyond me, but just because you may or may not be pre-disposed to thinking a certain way about situations does not mean that every single person you meet feels the same way.

In truth, I have asked this person to stop replying to me on numerous occasions and have gone so far as to threaten to block them. I didn't block them out of respect for our mutual mommy-blogging relationship.

That was then. Now? I'm just sick of it all. I'm sick of the games. I'm sick of how easy it is to misinterpret, to 'read in to' and to assume that you know how someone feels or what they truly want just because they wrote a statement into 140 characters.

Twitter is the stupidest waste of time on the planet and I'm so glad to wash my hands of it. Why I haven't done it sooner is a mystery.

Good riddance to bad rubbish.

Just when you stop expecting it...

2011-02-22T06:53:00.000-06:00

... the perfect day falls into my lap. Twice in a row.

My mom gave me amazing advice a couple of weeks ago that went something like "Stop expecting to have the 'Perfect Day' because it's not going to happen and you are going to be constantly disappointed. Just be grateful for all the little 'great' moments in your day and then - when the perfect day *does* happen - you will recognize that it's happening and appreciate it all the more" and she was so right!

Further, my Aunt, the last time she visited, said "The problem with perfection is that we have no idea who defines it. Who says what's perfect? Who tells you when you've reached 'Perfect' level? It's an impossible standard to parent by".

When I stopped waiting for "The Perfect Day" it happen. Twice. This past weekend can't be described as anything but PERFECT.

loving feelings

2011-02-17T10:31:00.000-06:00

When Liam was born I didn't think it was possible to love another child as much as I love him. I didn't understand how parents can love more than one child with the same intensity. I didn't think that any new child I might have would find a place in my heart in quite the same way that Liam did.

I was so wrong. It's amazing how much love one little heart is capable of feeling. It's amazing how the heart grows bigger, expands, makes room, moves over, accepts the new little bundle and immediately overflows with loving feelings. Its amazing that the love for the first child isn't dimished; it just grows and grows and grows.

I stand in awe of my own heart. I stand humbled by the love that I feel for my children. I stand today a mother of two, a partner, a sister, a daughter, an aunt. I stand today a woman who knows what love is.

Liamisms

2011-02-15T14:52:00.000-06:00

Me: What kind of pet should we get?
Liam: A dinosaur!

Me: Do you want some soya sauce?
Liam: No Mommy, I don't like toys sauces.

Liam: Look I can pee without holding my penis!
Daweski: Be careful buddy, you're peeing all over the place.
Liam: Don't worry. Okay? Don't worry.

Liam: Mommy do you love me?
Me: Of course I love you angel. I love you more than anyone in the whole world.
Liam: Good. That's what I thought.

Baby Led Weaning: The Essential Guide to Introducing Solid Foods

2011-02-04T10:00:00.000-06:00

Baby Led Weaning sure isn't for everybody and with the controversy surrounding Baby Led Weaning (won't babies choke? what about allergies? what about the mess?) I should have been hesitant to try the approach... I should have been... but I wasn't, so when I was contacted about reviewing this book Baby Led Weaning: The Essential Guide to Introducing Solid Foods, I was very excited :)

This book is amazing! I was sent it to review and honestly I just gobbled it up. Pun very much intended. I read it in about a weekend and, even though this was about 6 months ago, we still refer to it occassionally for menu suggestions and guidance about how to introduce a certain food or beverage.

Since I went ahead and applied Baby Led Weaning before reading this book, the information contained within it would have been VERY USEFUL to me had I read it before my baby turned 6 months and I introduced solids. I wish I had read this book at the very beginning of implemeting Baby Led Weaning; had I done so I would have learned some tricks that would have made my life A LOT EASIER (like buying the full body bib x 3 and using a cut up garbage bag under the highchair to catch the mess - all excellent tips I didn't catch onto until much later).

The writing is smart and informed and I felt like the authors really understand their audience, which is ultimately first-time-parents or parents who are looking to try a more hands-off approach. The writers weren't condescending like some "natural parenting" book authors tend to be and they are, clearly, experts in their field.

I would highly recommend this book to parents wanting to try Baby Led Weaning; further, I would recommend reading it BEFORE you try the methodology and before you introduce solids to your baby. I would not recommend this book to parents of children who have already started solids UNLESS you are having a hard time with solids and are ready to give up on your current approach. If you have patience for mess, patience for eating that can take a long time to finish and patience for being hands-off (ie. you are not sitting there, beside your child, feeding them; rather you are sitting beside your child watching) then this book IS FOR YOU.

4 stars out of 5.

laptop messenger bag

2011-01-25T13:08:00.000-06:00

I can't honestly tell you how many times I've said "I really need a Laptop Messenger Bag!!" Then lo and behold I see that my favorite go-to online store CSN has a luggage divison and man, oh man, but they have pretty snazzy laptop bags for ladies. Like this one... come to mama lover... oh you are a pretty little bag indeed.

So I need to know. What is your favorite brand of laptop bag? Do you prefer messenger style or portfolio style or old man fashioned style?

say "bye bye potty!"

2011-01-25T07:09:00.000-06:00

This past weekend we cleaned up the various potty's located around the house and said good-bye forever. It was time, Liam decided, that we got rid of the "baby potty". As a mother, this was a defining moment in my life. I successfully potty-trained a child. Go me! Really, its a big accomplishment for the child (no doubt) but for the parent's as well, as any parent who has gone through potty training can testify.

I wasn't surprised when we came to this. Liam is such a big boy (over 40 pounds and wearing 5-6 child clothes at 3.5 years old. I know!!) that he really didn't need the potty anymore. I know he was using it for security when he did a number 2, but I think even that has gone the way of the flusher.

It began over Christmas when he emphatically stated one that day that he didn't want to "wear those sticky underwears any more!". So the Pull-Ups went the way of the dinosaur and he held his pee all night long and in the morning was waking up dry. Such a proud Mommy was I.

Then it progressed. Over Christmas Liam became obsessed with watching Daweski pee standing up. He watched. He immitated. He begged to be taught. So, with my blessing, Daweski taught Liam to pee standing up while we were at my parents house. From the first, Liam caught on like a flash. He is very precise. The concentration on his face is wonderful to witness. When he is finished, we have taught him to use toilet paper to wipe the tip and wipe any spills on the seat (he is too little still to lift up the lid).

My word of advice? Don't muck around with soap and water and washing and towels. Invest in some nice smelling hand sanitizer and plop it in every bathroom your little ones use. It is So. Much. Easier. than using hand soap. Just don't forget to teach them to mash it in between the fingers, into the webbing of the hands.

So, to recap, Liam is 3.5 years old and we are potty-free. He pees standing up. He wipes it down after. He doesn't use Pull-Ups at night and he rarely has accidents. If someone had told me this last year I wouldn't have believed them. At all.

the day of the triffids, but with baby monitors.

2011-01-17T18:50:00.000-06:00

The baby monitor is my arch nemesis. Beep. Beep. Beep.

Doesn't matter where I put it. Beep. Beep. Beep.

It just keeps beeping.

It's not a nice beep. It's an angry, loud beep with buzzing action and the whole base lights up an evil red.

BEEP. BEEP. BEEP.

At 4 am. At 11 pm. Anytime. Anywhere.

No one is safe from the beeping. No one.

four generations

2011-01-13T18:19:00.002-06:00

Four generations together. My Nana in front, Liam, me, my Dad, Daweski, Alice, my mom. Since my Nana was diagnosed with Dementia this year, it has progressed rapidly. It is affecting her diet, which is affecting her diabetes and making her health suffer. I think she did remember me. She really took to Alice and Liam and tried to hold Alice, who was not having any of it. This picture was taken at our family reunion over Christmas. It was also on Alice's birthday.

Ha ha. Liam going in for the boob grab.

This picture cracks me up. These two cousins... they hug, they scream, they fight over their siblings like this:

Gwen: Hi Alice.

Liam: (screams with fists clenched and red face) THAT'S MY BABY SISTER!!!!

Gwen: (crying) Waaaaa!

I can tuck the following picture in below because it was taken earlier the same day. Right? So even though it's not "reunion" material, its still relevant. Evidence they love each other.

All of these pictures are by my Uncle Roger btw.

Alice with my Aunt Alice. Or my cousin Alice. Or my second great cousin Alice.

Aunt Alice is my Nana's cousin. She is the best. We spent time, every summer, at her house which was practically on a lake. We fished, we played on her huge wrap-around porch, we swam and skipped rocks, we ate Freezies from the tack store by the pier. I remember Disney movies upstairs and her having Poison Ivy ... calamine lotion baths in her big, claw foot tub. The tree in the front that had these huge, pea shaped pods. My sisters used to whip them at each other. So many wonderful memories.

Kim the next one is for you.

Bex with Kim feeding Gil. Love it. What a beautiful photo. Awe my sisters. Love love love you guys.

happy belated birthday alice

2011-01-12T13:26:00.000-06:00

Alice you are 1 year old! Happy Birthday sweet girl! Every day your personality grows and we find that you are happy and fiesty and independent and strong willed and loving, affectionate, willful, demanding. Oh, you are so very, very demanding.

You love to dance, push buttons and get a reaction from your toys (and parents. Ha!). You often pull off while nursing to clap your hands in appreciation. So very cute. When you eat, you get food everywhere and you're so independent that you rarely like being fed. It puts me in mind of a phrase I said often as a child "I can do it myself!" - oh yes lovely girl, you are determined to do it yourself everyday, for everything. You eat eggs for breakfast and fruit and yogurt for lunch and everything we eat for dinner. Your favorite is mac and cheese.

You have mellowed into a fantastic sleeper, rarely waking before 12-13 hours of sleep. You currently have 7 teeth (!!) and are cutting more (on my nipples and it hurts. Will you ever stop biting, chewing? Sigh). Your favorite place to be is in the bath and you now try to climb in all on your own. You don't make it, but you try.

You are growing. So. Fast. Over Christmas we weighed you at Gran and Grandad's and you weighed 22 pounds. You are wearing 18-24 month clothes and shoes? Forget it. We can't find a pair to fit you anywhere. You are a size 5!! (Putting this into perspective, your cousin Gwen wears a size 5 at 2.5 years old).

So social, you love nothing more than being carried and sang to and read to. You love being around people. You love being the center of attention and - to be honest - you are the life of the party!

My daughter. I love you so much it hurts. Having you was the simplest and best decision of my life. There isn't a day that goes by where I am not enriched by having you in it and when I have to work 11 hours I race home after to cherish the half hour we spend together while you nurse. You are my absolute sweetheart. My little angel. My baby.