Blog By A Herzog

Day 5

2012-01-30T11:20:00.000-06:00

Your favourite comfort foods and why?

I would have to say potato chips. When we were little and allowed to go to the store for a "treat" I would choose a bag of chips (probably ketchup chips). We would usually get to rent a movie sometimes too. It was a real treat to be able to watch a good movie and eat some chips. I have positive memories around chips, and I really like their saltiness and crunch.

I would also have to say Christmas baking. Christmas is a positive experience in my memory bank and so is all the goodies that come with it!!

And theatre popcorn. YUM.

And lately - all those cream-cheesy desserts that are showing up on Pinterest! They look so good!!

Day 4

2012-01-29T11:16:00.000-06:00

Your views on religion?

My spirituality is, by far, the biggest area of my life that needs work. If you looked at life as a wholistic medicine wheel, you would see that I need a little work in a few areas. But the Spiritual aspect of my life needs A LOT of work. The medicine wheel says you need to work on all equal parts to achieve balance. I think this is true and I am looking for guidance in this area.

Recently I watched the documentary, "I Am" and I liked it. It seemed to clarify a few questions I had.

Day 3

2012-01-28T11:09:00.000-06:00

Your top 5 pet peeves?

1. People who spread their negativity and suck the energy out of you.

2. Rudeness and judgement. You can NEVER be in someone else's shoes, so quit pretending like you know everything about why they act the way they do, or make decisions like they do. Please accept the fact that we are all human, we are all flawed, and none of us are better than the other!

3. Time wasters. Time (especially now-a-days) is sooo precious and it drives me crazy when people take your time for granted. Example, store clerks who are just being lazy (or slow because they are tired or bored with their jobs).

4. Society's view on Motherhood. You're damned if you do, damned if you don't. Stay at home with the kids? Lazy. Work full time? Neglectful. I would love it if we could all work towards a common goal and realize that we are just doing our best, no matter what we do! Parenthood is hard!

5. Tantrums. I hate them. I don't like to be the disciplinarian but I don't want bad behaviour either. I hate tantrums. They make me want to have one myself, at the same time, because I'm so frustrated with my child at the moment. Public tantrums are even more frustrating.

Day 2

2012-01-27T11:02:00.000-06:00

Where you'd like to be in 10 years?

In 10 years my children will be in school full time. In that time, I hope to have gone back to school, got a different degree, and am working in a job I enjoy. I don't see myself moving away from this city so I hope I'm here.
I'd like to have done some renovations to our house. New windows & siding and hopefully new kitchen cupboards but that's about it. At some point I'd like real hardwood but not until the kids are out of the really destructive phase.
I'd like to have travelled a few places. Made some wonderful family memories that we talk about all the time. Most notably I hope we can take the kids to DisneyWorld and I hope we can go with other families! I hope to have my same circle of friends and that our boys (and girls) are now really good friends with eachother. I hope my kids are best friends with their cousins.
In 10 years I want my parents and Grandmas to be around and guiding us. I believe there is so much value in a person who has already experienced this decade of life and it provides a bit of a path to follow.
I hope to accomplish a few hobbies that I've been too busy to work at.
I want to be healthy. I want my entire family and friends to be healthy. I want to have worked at creating and living out fantastic memories that my kids (and myself and Eric of course) can chalk up to some of the greatest times of our lives.
I want to be happy :)

Day 1

2012-01-26T10:51:00.000-06:00

Your Current Relationship? If single, discuss being single.

I am married to the love of my life, Eric :) We started dating in June of 1999. Here's how we met:
My friends and I went out for the evening to a place called "That Bar" (yes, it was seriously called that). I was newly single and out with my (mostly) single friends. I was 19 years old and decided that since I had never really "tried" to hit on someone, that I would give it a try (lame? yes. young? oh yes.). Turns out I was pretty shy when it came to talking to guys I was interested in and clearly needed some help in the area.

Towards the end of the night I found myself sitting up against a drink counter against the wall, on a high bar stool in a row of all my friends on stools beside me. Since we kinda knew everyone in the bar each of us were chatting with people we knew. I happened to strike up a conversation with my friend Nikki and her boyfriend Dallas. Dallas had had alot to drink (and if you know Dallas, he likes to kiss his biceps when he's had a few! ha ha). In front of us (in the middle of the room) were a couple of pool tables and on the other wall was another counter with a bunch of guys.

Dallas, Nikki and I were discussing my recent split from an ex not worth talking about. Dallas was reassuring me that I would, in fact, date again and would not be an old maid the rest of my life. He said to me, as he looked out across the entire bar, "You can have ANYONE you want! Who do you want?" My gaze looked up to the row of guys sitting directly across from me. Eric happened to be the only one I saw (I can't tell you who was sitting with him, because Eric was the one who got all my attention!). I said to Dallas, "Eric's pretty cute" (I knew his name from High School and other such interactions.....). I immediately felt this fear rush over me like, I just threw myself out there, open for rejection or humiliation.....I was not comfortable with this so I said to Dallas, "but don't tell him I said that!"

As the night progressed I found myself looking over in Eric's direction alot, but way too shy to go over there and strike up a conversation. I discussed with my friends that I thought he was good-looking and of course, we were ALL looking at him now (soooo obvious!!!)

*** (Ladies and gentlemen we have a guest blogger!!)***

So I catch Carmen's clan all checking me out at different intervals but completely blatant so I figure something is up... I'm thinking:

1. They are making fun of me for some escapade in my near past (I believe me and a buddy got 2nd place in a Kokanee drinking games competition the weekend prior... but that's another story)

2. I'm incredibly hot and someone's noticed...

So I try to play it cool because I'm fairly certain it's the first option although hoping it's the second. Later Christy (whom I have said 5 words to prior to this) comes over and starts talking to me at the pool table not far from their group... more staring and giggling... more suspicion. I then remember that Dallas was chatting with them earlier and also yapping to me about how "smokin" Carmen is. Somehow I ended up standing in their group talking like a 21 year old guy does and that was where the night ended...

Fast forward a while and a girl friend of mine calls and mentions that she heard that Carmen was going to be out and about that weekend and that I should make sure that I was at "That Bar" as well. (Later I find out that my friend Deena told our friend Amber, who told our friend Lisa, who was mutual friends with Eric, that I thought he was good-looking) After dragging my buddy out for the night, I met up with her and her friends and asked her to dance. We danced and chatted and that was it. She told me to call her at her mom's place, as it was not the "time" of cell phones this of course lasted in my memory bank for all of 10 minutes.

After the "after" party my friend and I end up creaming a deer with my car on the way home that night just a couple of kms from the acreage we lived at. As it turns out this ends up to be a good thing. A few days later before going into work for night shift at the saw mill, I decided to stop in at SGI to start the claim on my car...

***

So I'm working as the front desk clerk at claims insurance company when in walks Eric. Dressed in his dirty work gear (plaid shirt and ripped up jeans), 5 o'clock shadow and big work boots. I thought he looked even better than the night at the bar earlier. For some reason, I seemed to think I was looking good myself and could see that Eric was nervous as soon as he saw me! That made me think he liked me a little and I felt comfortable making a move because I didn't think I was going to be rejected! So he told me about hitting a deer, I gave him the information that he needed regarding it, and then added (before he left), "What are you guys doing tonight? We should meet up." I gave him my phone number, he was smiling big and so was I :)

So my friends and I get together that night and go to Christy's brother's grad party. It was going to be a great night. While we were getting ready at Christy's, I called my Mom to check in. She told me a guy named Eric had called.

Insert extreme rush of happiness here.

So I call my friend Nikki to say, "Guess who called me!" to which she replied, "Guess who's here?" hahaha, so complicated and juvenile.....yet so fun and exciting! I end up talking to Eric and we decide to meet after the grad party at "That Bar".....

***

After getting Carm's phone number with a steady hand and calm voice (whatever, he was totally nervous ;) we met up at "That Bar". I spotted Carm in a purple shirt and short white skirt and we end up dancing and flirting (and maybe a smooch or two). We called it quits at the end of the night with her friends piling into her sidekick while we said our long goodbyes in the pouring rain. Carm went home with her friends while I bragged to my buddies during our long rainy walk home.

***

We dated for 5 years, got married, had 2 beautiful boys........and the rest is yet to be written.......

Us in 1999 on a road trip to Red Deer.

2004 Our Wedding

Us now - 2012.

Our baby boys!!

30 Day Blog Challenge.....Again :)

2012-01-25T23:27:00.000-06:00

I really enjoyed doing the last 30 Day Blog Challenge on my blog last year so when another 30 day challenge popped up on Pinterest I thought it would be fun to do another! Just like the last one, I would love it if in the comment section you would answer the same question!

Here are the list of questions:

Day 1. Your current relationship. If single, discuss being single.
Day 2. Where you'd like to be in 10 years.
Day 3. Your top 5 pet peeves.
Day 4. Your views on religion.
Day 5. Your favourite comfort foods and why.
Day 6. Your zodiac sign and if you think it fits your personality.
Day 7. Your favourite childhood toys.
Day 8. A moment you felt the most satisfied with your life.
Day 9. If you could have any job in the world, what would it be?
Day 10. Your guilty pleasure (or pleasures!).
Day 11. Put your iPod on shuffle and write the first 10 songs that pop.
Day 12. Bullet your whole day.
Day 13. Somewhere you'd like to move or visit.
Day 14. Your earliest memory.
Day 15. Write 15 interesting facts about yourself.
Day 16. Your views on mainstream music.
Day 17. Your highs and lows of this past year.
Day 18. A book you could read over and over again and never get sick of.
Day 19. Your biggest regret in life.
Day 20. How important you think education is.
Day 21. One of your favourite TV shows.
Day 22. How have you changed in the past 2 years?
Day 23. Post 5 pictures of famous people you find attractive.
Day 24. Your favourite movie and what it is about.
Day 25. Someone who fascinates you and why.
Day 26. If you had $1,000,000 to spend, how would you spend it?
Day 27. A problem you have or have had in the past.
Day 28.Something that you miss.
Day 29. List 10 people, dead or alive, you would invite to dinner. Include the dinner menu.
Day 30. Your goals for the next 30 days.

Enjoy!

An Interesting Article

2012-01-25T13:21:00.001-06:00

I enjoy facebook. There are lots of good articles posted on there, and one of the friends in my friend list posted an excellent article. I absolutely enjoyed reading about the reality of Motherhood. I couldn't have said it better myself!!!
It's by Glennon Melton.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/glennon-melton/dont-carpe-diem_b_1206346.html

and if you'd like further reading, a response to the article (which, in my opinion was only okay, but I believe Melton nailed it with hers):
http://www.parentmap.com/index.php?option=com_pmblogwrapper&p=8499

Date Night

2012-01-21T23:19:00.000-06:00

Oh Date Night, how I have missed you!

Eric and I got a chance to go on a date this weekend and it was FABULOUS! My Mom agreed to babysit and I couldn't be more grateful :) It is quite rare that Eric and I go out on a date so I was really, REALLY looking forward to an evening away from the kiddos!

We decided to try out Carvers restaurant and I just can't say enough good things about it. It's a small quiet place with a very romantic atmosphere. The service was exceptional and the food was absolutely scrumptious!! I ordered some wine that our waiter told me won a few awards this year. I never did get the name of it but it was very good and if I would have ordered the whole bottle it would have knocked my socks off ;). We decided to make it a very special night since we don't get out that often. We both ordered the filet mignon. I also got lobster. Eric got a skewer of shrimp and scallops. We tried the sides of mushrooms and asparagus. I got a side of whipped potatoes with herbs, Eric got the risotto. The Au Jus that came on the side added the perfect touch. The lobster melted in my mouth. The steak was done to perfection! The whole meal was amazing! And the best part was that I didn't have to cook it!!!

For dessert we shared a blueberry cheesecake which was the best cheesecake I've ever eaten. And since it was our first time at Carver's, they put the cheesecake on the house :)

Eric and I had a fantastic date. We already have a few places in mind for the next time we can get away, just the two of us (or with friends if it works out!!).

Our usual favourite places are:

- The Manhatten (formerly Brothers Two, totally renovated - it's awesome!)

- We LOVED John's Prime Rib which is now closed :( But Hudson's will be opening in it's place!

- Earl's LOVE their clam chowder and Bento Box!

- The Conga Cafe is a little Jamaican restaurant. I love their Jerk Chicken Wrap!

- Saskatoon Asian I love their Shezhuan Noodle special! Delicious!

- Keo's Kitchen - amazing Pad Thai!! I also love the coconut rice and panang shrimp.

- Red Lobster, Moxies (their Enchiladas are sooooo good!!), Montana's (I like their Smokehouse Chicken Wrap), Tony Roma's, The Athena (love their seafood melt) and the Salonika are also a few favourites.

Places we would like to try are:

Saboroso - we have heard SO many good things about this place. Go on their website and click on "media" to see what they are all about. It seems so unique, I can't wait to try it. I heard you have to book your reservations 2 weeks in advance! I tried booking the night we wanted to go and it was completely booked up. Will have to try again sometime!

Original Joe's - This has been around for a while now and we haven't quite made it there yet!

Tusq - It has a duelling piano show certain nights of the week (I love piano!)

St. Tropez Bistro & Mr. Rizo's - I was told that both of these places are awesome and should be tried!!

But of course we are always open to suggestions and love hearing about our friend's great experiences. What are YOUR favourite restaurants and what do you like to order there?

What a great night. Great food. Great service. And most importantly, great company :)

Liam is 7 Months!

2012-01-20T22:00:00.000-06:00

Liam you are 7 months old and it is getting harder and harder to take your monthly picture!

You are crawling around and want to take that monthly sign and crumple it in your mouth! Today I enlisted Dad's help in trying to get a picture. Here's the best of what we got!

You are 28 3/4 inches tall.

You weigh 22 pounds.

You are in the 97th percentile for both height and weight.

You are crawling.

You are curious.

You like to talk and babble.

You are FAST and into EVERYTHING.

My life has sped up a bazillion percent chasing after you making sure you're not getting into things you shouldn't be....

You want everything your brother has.

He wants everything you have.

Sibling rivalry has officially begun!

You are still your sweet little personality and we love you more than ever! Time to start preparing for the Baby Crawl at the mall! At your doctor's appointment all the doctor could say was "he is amazing!! Amazing, amazing, AHMazing!" She was impressed that you were crawling already, how big you were, and what a little sweetie pie you were as well. Who doesn't melt when you smile at them??

We are officially into the bigger carseat now. My "baby" is almost a toddler. *sniff sniff* Time is flying and you are growing up way too fast.....

New Year's Resolution

2012-01-14T23:50:00.000-06:00

There are so many things I want to accomplish. On any given day my "To-Do List" is a million miles long. Pinterest is not helping this! (but I do love Pinterest). Yet I struggle more and more trying to find the time to fit anything into my days. But aren't you a stay-at-home Mom? You don't work? What could you possibly be doing all day?

This is the part of being a stay-at-home Mom that drives me nuts. There's this stereotype that we just "do nothing" all the time. Then there is the inferiority complex that comes along with that, feeling like we need to step it up a notch (in our already jam-packed busy days) and prove that we are not just laying around doing nothing.

Now, a working Mom might think the life of a Stay-at-Home Mom (SAHM) is glorious. The SAHM thinks it would be so nice to be able to go to work and get some time to remember that "she" still exists in there, somewhere between "Mommy! Mommy! Mommy look! Mommy!" and diapers and feedings , and refereeing there is no time to explore interests, or some days, shower.

I think these are called the Mommy Wars, and they are not pretty. The grass is greener on both sides of the fence according to who is looking. Parenthood is hard. No matter what side you are sitting on. Our culture and society is not family-friendly, let's face it. Did you know that we are the only culture that raises our children alone? Most other cultures surround themselves with family and everybody helps eachother out. But not us. We are getting more and more secular as time and technology press on. We are a generation whose Mothers worked, and as Grandmothers are still working. We operate in a 24/7 existence where there is no down time - for anyone.

I just finished watching a show tonight with Sarah Jessica Parker called, "I Don't Know How She Does It" about a working Mom trying to juggle her work and her family. They portrayed the SAHM in the movie as this snotty, wonderful baker, skinny snotbag who is basically a spoiled brat who drops her kids off at school while she goes to the gym all day. It annoyed me. It annoyed me because depictions like that basically take the hard work I do (each and every day) and discount every second of it.

The same can be said for the way working Moms get portrayed. That "somebody else is raising their kids". It's infuriating. Why, as a woman, you just can't win? And yet we kill ourselves, bend over backwards, trying to do things "right" and "as they should be" and be everything to everyone and STILL get criticized for it? And the worst part, women are the harshest critics. If you ask me, our culture needs a major overhaul in the area of "The Family". Workplaces need to add daycare, flexible schedules, and the understanding that there is a need for family time. But as a SAHM, it would be nice if we weren't criticized for needing a "day off" either. Why shouldn't we get one? There are no coffee or lunch breaks - ever. And even as I type this I should be sleeping!

Anyway - that was a long rant about what I am really trying to say (and of course I'm all revved up after just watching that movie). I decided that since 2011 (although a fantastic year) was so busy that I would like to make my motto for 2012 this:

I can do anything, I just can't do everything.

My goal? To try and be bored. Yep. To not max out my "To Do List" so as to prove that I am not "a lazy housewife". Nope. I work hard, and those haters who think otherwise can, well to be blunt, kiss my butt. Now, don't get me wrong, I LOVE working on projects that I'm passionate about. But the problem is the deadlines, commitments, lack of sleep because I'm working on it while I should be sleeping. I need to surrender to the reality that being a SAHM is an extremely busy life, and there is nothing to prove to anyone otherwise.

The last 2 nights I opted not to spend my entire evening cleaning my house, but to stop, get into my bed and watch some PVR'd episodes of Grey's Anatomy. I haven't done that in ages. Just stopped. Did something totally selfish and watched TV. I didn't fold laundry while I did it. I didn't have it turned up loud while I made supper. Nope, just plain old relaxed and watched a show. It was fabulous, stress--free, and those little snippets of time to refresh and rejuvenate are more of what I'm looking for in 2012.

Am I saying that I plan on watching alot more TV in 2012? No. That's not what I'm saying. But instead of racing 24/7 or every moment I am awake, I am going to slow it down and relax a little. This is VERY hard for me. It's like I get this "itch" of needing to be swamped with projects, commitments, appointments...

I spoke with my Grandma, who had 4 children. I was asking her how hard Motherhood must have been back in the day. Cloth diapers. Had to milk your own cow. You name it. I felt bad because I was feeling overwhelmed with being so busy, and I have a microwave, disposable diapers, and tons of new toys for the kids to play with. You know what she said to me? "It's much harder to be a Mother now than it was back then". I was shocked. She said there are so many more expectations of Mothers now. And of the children. What sport to be involved at? The holistic development of children (are they being nurtured properly in each of their emotional, spiritual, mental and physical aspects?). Social lives are expected to be much bigger. There are no "days of rest". Things never shut off. Kids are pushed. Families are pushed. Perfection is pushed.......faster, faster, faster!

And so, my plan is make appointments with myself and my family to relax a bit. This means saying no to a few things. This means focusing on the people who are truly important in my life and letting go of the ones who aren't. Time is precious. We never have enough of it. I don't want to spend my days regretting that I never stopped to smell the roses.

Haircuts

2012-01-12T14:33:00.000-06:00

Koen HATES getting his haircut. Trying to get it cut has been challenging. We've tried cutting it ourselves but it has only resulted in a few months worth of bad pictures and finally somebody saying to us, "Don't cut his hair, it doesn't look good."

Sometimes my Mom has tried cutting it. Most of the time we get my cousin Leslie to cut it. She's great, she doesn't put up with any of his whining crying attitude in the chair and she's ultra-super-mega fast too. But she is a busy lady and at some point he's just going to have to get used to the salon! I've tried sitting in the chair with him, only to have myself covered in hair and fighting to hold on to him the whole time.

I dread haircuts.

So today I made an appointment at Beaners - the place is made to give kids haircuts!

Have a look at their advertisement:

Today was the easiest, best haircut ever. I can't say that it will be like this all the time, but I was happy that things went so smoothly!! Koen loved sitting on the little horsey and she even put Thomas Train up on the TV. He got a sucker at the end and had a big smile on his face. We were both very happy!!

I Get By With A Little Help From My Friends......

2012-01-10T22:21:00.001-06:00

Since I've had Liam I've seen a tremendous change in my body shape. My butt flattened out (how does that happen??), my hips became a square box to the rest of my torso, my boobs grew, and somehow my thighs managed to get smaller. Hmph.

I haven't really done any shopping since I had Liam. I was still wearing my pre-pregnancy clothes. My jeans sagged out in the ass that disappeared, they were low rise and sat on the hips I used to have....long story short they were falling down constantly. And as for shirts? Don't even get me started. Formal clothes? Only what I had from when I was working, which is now nearly 4 years ago. I was WAYYYYYYY out of style. With no clue how to even change my wardrobe!

After a few tears of, "I'm a frumpy old housewife!" and "I look so old!" and "My closet sucks!" it was time for a post-baby intervention.

It has been nearly a year since I have spent nearly an entire day out by myself with no kids. A year. Don't get me wrong, I like breastfeeding Liam, but I sure would like it if he took a bottle so he didn't have to rely so heavily on me. (read: it sure would be nice to sleep through the night and take turns feeding the baby!).

I was feeling yucky. I was feeling like I was ready to give up being a Stay-At-Home Mom so that I could get in touch with the adult world again. I had come to the realization that I haven't spent any time on "Me". I had put myself on the back burner over and over again and what resulted was a burnt out woman who lost touch with the things she used to love. That kinda happens when your job is 24/7 with no breaks. Ever. Eric was very encouraging to go out and have a day to myself and do some shopping. Seriously. He was encouraging me to shop for some clothes! (Best. Husband. Evarrrr!!!)

I spent the morning getting my hair done. Hadn't had it done in 6 months, and prior to that it was 6 months. My dark roots were out of control! (and wowza, the gray hair was rearing it's ugly head!)

I was happy with the cut & colour but I needed bangs and she cut me a horrible set. So, I swung over to my cousin's house so that she could fix them up. We were talking about my shopping trip that I was about to embark on that afternoon.

I had done some preparation for the shopping trip. I looked on Pinterest trying to figure out something "in style" to wear. I found myself clueless. So I asked my friend Deena for some fashion advice. She sent me some links of a few things she thought would look good on me. Since she was at work while I was out shopping, I brought along my trusty phone to text her some pictures to see if she approved! haha it was actually quite fun! Just for kicks I texted my cousin too for a few pics. Both of their answers were the same!

They both liked this shirt but told me I need to get a pair of skinny jeans and possibly a belt. A pair of tall black boots were also in order (which I already had: bonus!).

I didn't quite know what to do with this shirt, I didn't end up sending this picture, I just veto'd it myself. I felt like a bat with wings. No thankyou.

I tell ya, January is the time to shop! There were massive deals on EVERYWHERE. I didn't pay full price for one item. My cousin told me I needed to get a long sweater over skinny jeans, and Deena told me that I needed to try on some Jessica Simpson jeans at the Bay (which are awesome btw) so I put them both together and voila!

I was told that blazers were "in" and can be dressed up with just about anything. I saw my cousin (she's about 10 years younger than me) wearing an ensemble like this to my Grandpa's funeral and she had a pair of flats to go with it - so I picked up some flats! And a necklace.....

I also saw a look on Pinterest that had brown boots. I only have black shoes. Other than my running shoes, every single pair of shoes I own is black. So, since the boots were 50% off, then another 50% off on top of that, how could I not get them??

Same deal for the purse. And I got a lumberjack shirt. I never got a chance to send this one to the girls but got it anyway.....I haven't taken the tags off yet so you will have to tell me your opinion - keep or return??

I also needed to accessorize, it really makes the outfit I think and have noticed on Pinterest that accessories are pretty important. Boots, belt, necklace and earrings.....

And last (but not least) a pair of boot cut jeans that don't sag in the butt with a Ralph Lauren bunnyhug (some of you may call it a hoodie). Comfy. And not black or gray - I wanted to try a little colour!

The last stop of the day was at Sephora where I needed some puffy eye reducing gel. The girl at the till told me that she uses the age-defying moisturizer. She said, "I'm only 23 but it's important to use anti-aging products because you never know when wrinkles will start". I said, "Yes I agree, I'm 32 and should use it more often!". She gasped and said, "YOU'RE 32??" ahhhh......right there made my WHOLE day, and then another associate peeked up and over the isle and said, "Oh My God, you're really 32? Really? You totally don't look it!!"

INSERT HUGE SMILE HERE.

It feels GREAT to go into my closet and grab something out of it that fits and I'm not embarrassed to wear. This post-baby pick-me-up was all it took to help cure the burnout and make me feel good about myself again!

When the day was over and I was on my way home I couldn't help but think about what it would be like to be away working like that every day. I will admit, I loved having my own thoughts to think all day. I liked not being interrupted to go and help someone out 8 billion times in the day. I enjoyed talking with other adults. I liked that I just had to haul myself in and out of the vehicle. I enjoyed going to the bathroom by myself. A day like this was (away from the kids) was so overdue that I was not lonely for them. Instead, I felt refreshed for them. I felt like I could have some energy to make our days and nights at home great. I am not saying that I want to go to work full time. I think that much time away would make me terribly lonely for the kids. However, I think a day here or there (whether it be working or volunteering) would be good food for my soul. Maybe when Liam is done breastfeeding I can seriously have a look at doing something on the side. Or maybe I just need to have some time to myself more often so that I don't get the "get me out of here!" heebie jeebies. Everybody needs a break sometimes. Even Stay-At-Home Moms who don't "work".

Still Playground Weather!

2012-01-06T09:36:00.000-06:00

This weather is awesome!! I seriously would never complain if all our Winters were like what the weather has been so far. This soooo makes up for the longest coldest Winter we had last year!

We are taking FULL advantage of it while we can. Today we went to the playground and the sliding hill. I carried Liam on me in the baby carrier. We all had a blast, and Liam fell asleep at the very end.

Here's hoping the rest of our Winter will be just as nice!

In A Pickle

2012-01-05T09:32:00.000-06:00

The only thing that is working for Liam's teething pain right now is a cold pickle. He LOVES cold pickles and rubs it on his sore gums for nearly an hour at a time. He is cutting 3 teeth right now and is in alot of pain. Someone (I can't remember who) said that teething is like having a constant migraine. So if pickles help......pickles it is!!!

Grandpa Orphan

2012-01-04T21:22:00.001-06:00

My Grandpa died last night.

He had been sick for about a year with several maladies and he ended the battle last night, just a month and a half shy of his 85th birthday.

Throughout my life there have been people who are a "constant". The Pope was always the same guy up until recently. The Queen has always been the same during my lifetime. And my Grandpa was like that. He played his role of Grandfather - strong figurehead to the family - very well.

I was not really close with my Grandpa. He was quite old fashioned in that "Children be seen and not heard". My other Grandpa, who I lost when I was 13, was the total opposite. He was warm and cuddly and showered us with love. Sometimes I couldn't understand why my other Grandpa didn't do that. But my relationship changed with my Grandpa starting in my 20's. He was very interested in what I was doing with my life, where I was going, and how I was carrying on the family legacy. He was interested. I think he was interested all along, even before I was 20, but perhaps didn't know how to relate to children, so he waited until I was an adult.

This was a new side of him I hadn't seen before. I liked it. I liked that he showed appreciation for my attendance at family functions. I liked that he adored my husband and made a big effort to make him feel welcome. I liked how he came to my houses, checked out the electrical (he was an Electrician) and made sure everything was working properly. He would install anything I asked him to, and did it well. He was a hard worker, that was important to him.

Throughout my whole life I have watched my Grandpa and Grandma be very active and healthy people. They taught the blind how to cross country ski. They used to go hiking in the mountains all the time. They golfed, nearly every day (because they were snow-birds!). My Grandpa took pictures along the way. He took slides of my Dad and then video of us as children. Pictures were important to him and I appreciate that. I'm glad he took pictures. I'm glad he kept them organized.

One day, when I was really, really sick (when my neck was out of alignment and I was having so much trouble) I went for a massage. At the end of the massage I literally couldn't get off the table. The room was spinning so hard, my blood pressure was dropping and I was in a state of nearly passing out (if you have ever passed out before and have had that low blood pressure, faint, sweaty sensation - that's what I was constantly living with). The massage flared up my raw nervous system and I was in big trouble. I had taken a cab to my appointment (because I couldn't drive at that time) and there was no way I could even get out the door on my own to the cab. Eric was working out of town. My Mom didn't live in the same city at the time. I was alone. I was terrified. And I legitimately needed help. (Oh, and for the record, that was and will be the last massage I will ever have!). I got my Chiropractor to call my Grandpa, he was the only one I knew that would be there - a constant - and come and pick me up. He showed up, I was in tears, he grabbed my arm and helped me out to his vehicle and took me home to his house where Grandma would take care of me and put me to bed. I stayed there all day until the worst of the symptoms were over from the massage. I slept. They took care of me. I was, and forever will be grateful that he was my hero that day. I was on the phone with Eric, and made sure Grandpa heard me within earshot and I said, "Grandpa saved me today". He smiled. That made him feel good.

At their 60th wedding anniversary supper he got up and gave a toast. He said he was thankful for 60 years of being married to a good wife. He was proud of his family - his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. He said he had lived a very good life.

I am sad. I am sad that I no longer have a Grandpa. I am a Grandpa Orphan. When my 1st Grandpa passed away when I was 13 I was devastated (he was also only 68 years old!). This time I am not devastated as I am sad. This is a reminder that we are growing older, and that there will come a time when we will have no grandparents anymore. When we will have no parents. We will lose friends. Family. People very, very close to us. I'm not sure I know how to deal with that. The people in my life are very precious to me. And now there is one less.

What gives me comfort is walking into Liam's room after I found out that Grandpa had died and seeing my little baby before my eyes, smiling up at me. Life goes on. Liam just entered life a short time ago. He is just starting his life. If he gets to live to be 84 years old he will be very lucky. That is why I decided to stop dreading my birthdays as I get older. Some people have not been so lucky to even reach my age.

I end this post on the quote I am hanging on to today,

"Don't cry because it's over. Smile because it happened." --Dr. Seuss

Some 1st Shots with the New Camera!

2012-01-03T11:57:00.000-06:00

I am having a brand new love affair with my new camera that I got for Christmas! A Canon Rebel T3i.....now I just have to learn to use it! It's a big switch from the point and shoot. So if you're wondering what I'm doing in my spare time, I will be reading, taking photos and learning as much as I can about this art. A new passion for me! Yahoo!

Happy New Year!

2012-01-01T04:30:00.000-06:00

I can wrap up 2011 by saying it was a great year.
From our family to yours, we wish you a happy & healthy 2012!!

The Smoky Christmas

2011-12-31T21:38:00.002-06:00

This year was the very first year there was no snow in my city. It was a brown Christmas! I was happy about that, but we didn't stay at home for Christmas, we went to the cabin where there was snow so it was a "white" Christmas afterall... booo!!

Okay, okay, the snow wasn't that bad. In fact, it made Christmas at the lake quite special! There were so many people up there for Christmas in their cabins. Ice shacks were all over the lake and skating rinks cleared off all over the place. The smell of fireplaces burning was in the air. It truly was a beautiful Winter Wonderland. And what fantastic weather we had! Zero degrees and plus two! Perfect weather if you ask me!

Conveniently my brother and sister-in-law bought the cabin behind us. And my Grandma owns the cabin beside us (I think they should name our street after us!) so we were operating out of 3 cabins (none of which had running water.....but really no big deal).

We spent the bulk of our time at my brother & sister-in-law's place. They have a beautiful cabin with lots of space!

My Grandma and Mom came too and stayed in my Grandma's cabin.

Koen had a rough Christmas. Too many late nights, early mornings, broken sleep from his tonsillitis the week prior caught up to him and he was like a little bear the whole time except for the day we left.

On Christmas Eve we played games (no church close by so we didn't go), ate, drank and were merry. We went back down to our cabin, put the kids to bed.....and then I realized I FORGOT Koen's most important gift from Santa!! I was devastated. I felt like I could almost throw up. I just pictured him waking up on Christmas morning to nothing that he really wanted and being TOTALLY let down by the big guy. Luckily I had part of his gift (just not the 3 trains he was asking for since October). The batteries for it were in the bag I forgot at home, so I scoured the cabin and emptied the batteries out of every clock and remote I could find. It was an absolute MIRACLE that I was able to find enough batteries to get this thing going!

"Santa" wrote him a note saying, "I stopped at your house and you weren't there so I left Duke, Belle & Diesel 10 (the trains) at your house and brought the rest of your gift here to the cabin". Koen was okay with that, and he really liked Cranky the Crane and Flynn the Fire Engine that Santa brought him to the cabin.

Phew. Crisis averted!!

One of my favourite things this Christmas was the housecoats my Mom made for all of us! Home made things are the BEST. So much work and time goes into them and she worked her butt off trying to get them all sewed for Christmas. Good work Mom!

She even made all the kids housecoats too! It was so cute!!!

Christmas Day was spent opening presents and then everyone (except Me & my kids) went outside to ice fish. Liam went on his very first quad ride!!

Koen was in DESPERATE need of a nap after lunch on Christmas day. We had a bunch more relatives coming for supper so I knew if he didn't sleep it would be a miserable time for all us. So while everyone else ice fished, I tried to figure out my new ~~camera~~ Canon Rebel T3i!!! Can I get an AW YEAH!

They set up the ice shack right in front of our cabin so I got a bird's eye view of everyone fishing. I still haven't gone through my camera fully yet and need to learn how to load pictures on my computer but that won't be until a few days from now!

My Grandma even went for a ride in my cousin's Gator. She was yelling, "Jon don't you go out onto that ice!!!!!" (as he drove on the ice and did a circle around the ice hole hahahaha)

Eric's brother Mark came for Christmas with us as well. I had to warn him that my family has Christmas OCD when it comes to presents. I think he had fun. It was nice to have him there, the more people the merrier!!

I wanted to take this next picture so you could see the window and what I was seeing from where I was sitting. I LOVE having a lakefront cabin. Love, love, LOVE!! 2 cabins over they had a rink shovelled off and were having a game of hockey. I was playing a Christmas piano CD (I love piano). The cabin was quiet, the fire was crackling, and I was bonding with my camera :) It was a great day :)

My Aunt, Uncle & cousins came for supper on Christmas day. We ate it at my brother's cabin. There were 16 of us there. The food was GREAT! And paper plates made for a serious lack of dishes which is excellent when you have no running water.

While we were gone from our cabin (for 3 hours) Eric had put a wet log in the fireplace. Now, I don't know all the logistics but it sounds like the vent that was supposed to be open was closed, and when we came down the smoke alarm was screaming, smoke was billowing out of the cabin and I thought the whole place was burning to the ground! When we opened the doors the smoke just poured out of there. You could barely see your hand in front of your face. Luckily Eric had taken the dog out of her kennel earlier. Otherwise I shutter to think what may have happened to her.

Everything was covered in smoke smell. STRONG smoke smell. All our sheets, beds, furniture, food, new Christmas loot, all Koen & Liam's toys......everything......it was a disaster :(

We had planned on staying over another 2 nights but this cut the trip short immediately. We all slept over at my brother's cabin and left the windows open to air out our cabin. The smoke smell was so strong that it didn't really help. We brought home our stuff and all the linen, washed everything we could, but many things are still hanging onto that smoke smell. I don't yet know what we'll do at the cabin. Wash everything down with vinegar? Hire a fire/flood restorator to deodorize the place? Ughhhh.....there is so much work to be done.

It was a crappy way to end off what otherwise was a great Christmas. Live and learn. I am thankful this didn't happen while we were all sleeping in the cabin. SCARY. So now we're looking into a few different options (new fireplace? No more wet logs unattended?).

Overall we had a great time being with our family sharing an occasion where we celebrate love, giving and gratitude. It was definitely a Christmas to remember :)

A Christmassy Day

2011-12-21T17:37:00.001-06:00

Koen, Liam and I have had a really bad cold for the last few weeks. Koen's turned into to tonsillitis, mine turned into a sinus infection, and Liam started to cut 2 teeth on top of the cold.

No one was sleeping.

Everyone was miserable.

After fevers and lots of kleenexes, we headed to the doctor and now are on a cocktail of antibiotics. Today is the first day I've felt like having any energy, and since it's so close to Christmas it was time we did a Christmas activity rather than watch Christmas movies!

Here's how we started out breakfast.....

Then it was time to build a gingerbread house! I have never (repeat: never) built a gingerbread house so I was excited.

Until....we got started.

I opened up the package, got all the candies in their dishes, mixed the icing.....

Then once we got the sides together the instructions read to wait for an hour. An hour!! I just set out bowls of candy in front of my kid and now I need to wait an hour? There will be no candies left! So I had to take the candies away.....that was fun.

***

Then you can put the top on.

And wait 3 more hours.......

***

Finally it was time to decorate!! The excitement had kind of worn off from earlier in the day, but Koen quickly got excited again once I pulled out the candies.

The decorating/candy scenario went something like this: one for the house, 7 for Koen's mouth, one for the house.....

For a very amateur decorator like myself (I have never decorated a cake before either) I made a HUGE mess. icing came out of the bottom of the plastic thingy that I was decorating with. It flaked everywhere.....and our house didn't quite turn out like it said to do in the instructions....

So I took those instructions and threw them in the garbage!

Koen had alot of fun, and did a great job too I might add. It may not be anything like the "Cake Boss", but for our first time it's not too shabby!

Liam is 6 Months!

2011-12-20T23:27:00.002-06:00

Happy 6 Months Liam!

I have no idea how much you weigh or how tall you are because I'm a little behind on your 6 month appointment. Oops! That's what happens in the month of December when there is so much going on!

I would guess you are about 20 pounds. You are wearing 12-18 month sized clothing.

You grew a tooth this month and have 2 more that I can see breaking through the skin. This means that you are kindof miserable! Yes you! My happy little bambino!!

You still only sleep 3 hour stretches (if I'm lucky!). We've had a bad cold for the last few weeks, plus you're teething which means you are up every hour or hour and a half. I am EXHAUSTED and hope that this pattern changes very soon!!!

The big news this month is that we introduced you to solids. These pictures are of your first time trying it. So far, you're not a big fan. It is not helping you sleep longer at night so far.

You also decided that the bumbo chair is for babies and you'd rather be moving around anyway....so, the baby seats and bumbo chairs got retired to the storage room. You are able to creep all over the floor in the house. You are currently trying to get up on all fours and are frustrated at times. You will be crawling in the next few weeks I have no doubt!

You are constantly moving. It's like you're doing the "running man" as you lay on the floor or sit in my lap. Breastfeeding has become interesting as you are easily distracted and are constantly flailing your arms and kicking your legs! I think when you start walking I am going to be in big trouble!

You LOVE L.O.V.E the Jolly Jumper. You are ticklish in your neck and under your arms. I love listening to you giggle and laugh when Koen tickles you. You are one of a kind :)

Christmas Newsletter 2011

2011-12-18T22:54:00.000-06:00

Last year I wrote this post about our annual Christmas Newsletter. This is the 9th edition and it hit the mailbox yesterday! Getting Christmas cards in the mail is one of my favourite things. I hope those that receive our Christmas letter enjoy it as well. I went with a TV Guide theme this year!!

O Christmas Tree!

2011-12-17T22:51:00.000-06:00

Our Tree is up!

We had a busy week last week with Koen's birthday, but once the party was over we decided to put the tree up.

This is the first year that I didn't put it up all on my own! In fact, Eric and Koen put the tree up! We were all in attendance, shuffling around to Christmas music. I was cooking in the kitchen and Liam was in his exersaucer. It was a great day. I think putting up the tree as a family is going to have to be a new tradition!!

I think it looks great and the boys did an awesome job!

Later on, Koen and I picked out this special ornament for the tree. A train, go figure!

At preschool Koen made us this ornament for Christmas. It was even wrapped up in tissue. This is Koen's very first gift to us, without our help. I absolutely LOVE it!!

I am TOTALLY in the Christmas spirit this year!!

Family Pictures 2011

2011-12-16T14:34:00.000-06:00

Koen's Train Birthday Party!

2011-12-13T00:30:00.000-06:00

Have you ever had a hobby, a book, or an activity that you were really passionate about? Something that you could work on for hours on end, feeling inspired, excited and alive?

Well, planning Koen's 3rd birthday party was that "hobby" for me. Since finding Pinterest about 6 months ago, I have been a crafting maniac. There are so many cool ideas on there!!

So, the few times a year that I can throw a party, I like to do it up big. It makes me feel like I'm doing something with my Education degree. It makes me feel alive! Passionate! Inspired!

I didn't throw a birthday party for Koen last year because I was sick with my pregnancy. I felt bad about that all year.

I threw this party because it made me happy to plan it.

I threw this party because Koen loves trains.

I threw this party because Koen has been waiting, wondering, and asking when his birthday is for about a whole year.

I threw this party because not all my friends haven't seen my new house yet.

Most of all, I threw this party to make my Koen happy and have a fun time with all his little friends.

The kids that attended the party were unbelieveably, incredibly well behaved! There were nearly 50 people in this house and there was barely a mess!!! It wouldn't have been a party at all if we didn't have great friends to share it with. We rented a bouncy castle and a "roller coaster" from Playlend Toys and it was soooo worth it! If you are reading this and you attended, thank you for making Koen's day so fun :)

A very special and big THANK YOU to my friend Deena, from Parkography, for taking awesome photos to capture the big party!

Koen Turns 3!

2011-12-12T20:05:00.000-06:00

I can hardly believe Koen turned 3. It's like I blinked and all of the sudden he's a big boy!

Koen, as a 3 year old you say that your best friends are Mom, Dad and Liam.

Your favourite food is chocolate goldfish.

Your favourite toys are trains.

Your favourite movie is Toy Story (1, 2 & 3)

You like to sing and make up your own songs.

You play make believe.

You believe that there are monsters in the dark.

You repeat everything that you hear.

You can count and recognize letters and numbers.

You know all your colours.

You are very polite and almost always say "no thank you" and "yes please".

You love other kids.

You love preschool.

You love to learn new songs at school and read new stories.

You like saying, "Mom, I love that" when you are talking about something you like.

You love to watch NASCAR on tv.

You are a superb puzzle maker. We gave you a new puzzle yesterday and you had it together in less than 5 minutes.

You still give lots of hugs and kisses.

You like to cuddle on the couch or rocking chair and hold hands.

We are working on sharing.

You LOVE Liam.

You have a love/hate relationship with the dog.

You like playing with playdough.

You still have to wear a pirate patch over your eye to help strengthen the other eye.

Your favourite treat is smarties.

This year for Christmas you are asking Santa for "Duke" the train.

You are a fantastic big brother.

You are a fantastic person.

I love you with all my heart <3

I'll love you forever

I'll like you for always

As long as I'm living

My baby you'll be.

Show & Tell

2011-12-02T10:00:00.000-06:00

Today was Koen's "Show & Tell" day at school. He brought glowsticks. I sent enough so that each student could have one. They had alot of fun turning off the lights, and I even sent a couple of balloons that they could put the glowsticks in for fun. Koen had a blast. I wanted so badly to be in there taking pictures, but I remained in the bootroom and took a picture from there. You can see Koen at the front of the class. He had just finished handing out all the glowsticks. The kids were thrilled!

Oh yes, and today was also "Pyjama Day" which is why all the kiddos were in their jammies!

This brought me back to a "Show & Tell" day when I was in grade 5. A girl in her class brought her puppy to school. That dog howled and sang to the teacher. It was so cute and a big hit for our class. Then I got a puppy. And I brought her to school, but she peed on the floor and I was mortified!

If you were to bring something to show & tell today (at your workplace or church or among friends) what would you bring today, as a grown up? I think I would bring my kids, "look what I made!" haha

Happy 5 Months Liam!

2011-12-01T22:39:00.000-06:00

I have some catching up to do!

Liam you are 5 months old! WOW! Some may call you chubby but I like to think you are just a very growing boy!!

You have really morphed into the bouncing baby and are rolling, army crawling, jumping and making your presence known everywhere! You are still happy-go-lucky but let me tell you, it sure would be nice if you could sleep through the night! Or at least only get up once. Unfortunately you are not a very good sleeper, and during the day you sometimes get in the habit of having 20 minute cat naps all day long. Most days you do pretty good with napping, but when you get a little over-tired that's when the crappy naps begin.

You are so much more aware of your surroundings so putting you to sleep now means quiet and concentration! I am still nursing you to sleep and creating a VERY bad habit with this. This means that no, you won't go to sleep for anyone else, and no, you still don't take a soother, and more recently, no you won't take a bottle :(((((( What happened! You took them before! Why stop now??

We are still going to try and get you to take a bottle. Momma needs some time away, to get my hair done (which takes 3 hours), to go out with friends, etc etc and that means that you're just going to have to take a bottle mister!

I'm not sure how much you weigh now, but it's getting close to 20 pounds. This means that carrying you around in the bucket carseat is getting REALLY REALLY heavy. Those Peg Perego carseats are heavy enough with nothing in them let alone a 20 pound baby!! You are a big boy. I have no worries that you will end up an obese person, I have been told many times that "you can't over-feed a breast fed baby" so I am trusting that you are eating just the right amount.

Just for kicks, here is a picture of Koen at 5 months. Koen was a little smaller but not a whole lot!

I have heard SO many comments that Liam looks EXACTLY like Koen. See for yourself. I personally don't see it at all, but then again I see them every day and have been able to examine their differences!

You, my boy, are a drooling machine! And now I know why because you popped your first tooth!!! And just like your brother and your cousin Carson, you have 2 more coming up and so you are cutting 3 teeth at once. No wonder you've been a bit cranky lately. But I will say, you teethe much easier than your brother did!

Speaking of your brother, you need to know how lucky you are to have Koen as your big brother! He is probably the best out there! I have never seen a kid love his little brother so much. Koen watches out for you, protects you, asks every. single. day. "is Liam bigger yet?" because he is dying to play with you!!! He shares his beloved trains with you (even though you don't even touch them but whatever, it's a big thing for him to share his trains!).

My favourite thing that Koen does though, is make you laugh, giggle and smile all the time. When you are being cute he says, "aww! Liam is so cute!" and "Mommy, go get the camera, you better take a picture".

We brought out the Jolly Jumper this month and you LOVE IT. Koen loves seeing you in it too and couldn't wait to help you and show you how to bounce in it. We have a mini-trampoline and Koen put it right beside you so that the 2 of you can jump together. You laughed and laughed and so did the rest of us, it was so much fun :)

Friends of ours (The Gutka's) just had their first baby boy! (Who is darling I might add!). It wasn't until I placed my baby next to the new baby that I realized how much Liam has grown....and....how big Liam is!! We had a good chuckle, it was quite cute to see the boys together with the size difference!

But the best thing about you Liam? You are such a cuddle-bug. You love to be held, you like to snuggle, and you make your Dad & I feel so loved by you. We love you SO much Liam, happy 5 months!

Technical Difficulties...

2011-11-20T23:56:00.001-06:00

Wahhh....I can't do Liam's 5 month post because it said I reached my quota for uploading pictures and have to get more storage or something.....stay tuned, I don't have time to figure this out tonight.But in the meantime, HAPPY 5 MONTHS LIAM!!!

A Little Joy in My Day.

2011-11-19T16:43:00.000-06:00

I just downloaded Lady Antebellum's album, "Own the Night".
And I LOVE it!

Stranger Stories

2011-11-19T15:24:00.000-06:00

I'm not sure why, but I must have a trustworthy look about me. I don't know. The reason I say this is because of events that have happened throughout my life.
Take, for example, this one time when I was at the airport and an elderly lady asked me to watch her purse, with the ashes of her dead brother in it, while she went to the washroom. We hadn't even muttered a "hello" before she asked me this. Hmmmm. Well, I did. I watched her purse and made sure it was safe for her to come back to. And it made me feel good.

Then how about the time my cab driver invited me over for supper with his family? That doesn't happen every day.

But then the other day I was in the Toys R Us parking lot. I had just pulled in and was trying to unhook my purse from something it was caught on. A woman pulled up beside me, got out of her vehicle, knocked on my window.....I rolled it down. "Would you mind watching my kids for a minute? They are both sleeping and I just have to run in for one thing?"
Liam was asleep in the back.
Koen was at preschool.
I was really in no rush. "Sure, no problem" I told her. In the meantime I got the stroller out of the truck, and assembled it.
She came out a few minutes later, thanked me and went on her merry way. As she was driving away I was loading Liam onto the stroller. I was thinking to myself, "I must really have a trustworthy look about me or something" .......
***
I didn't notice that I forgot to put the brake on the stroller and Liam was rolling away :P

"Kick Me"

2011-11-18T15:23:00.000-06:00

Do I have a big fat sign on my back that says, "Hit Me"?
Is it on my vehicle?

No?

Well you wouldn't know it!!! I got rear-ended yesterday. I am so mad. I am achy today up my back and in my neck. My neck! There was hardly any damage to my vehicle and his bumper was banged up. Thankfully he wasn't going very fast, but he was going fast enough to jolt us from where we were stopped at the stop sign. The worst part? He was stopped behind us. For a few minutes. He just "decided" to go when we weren't ready yet and BANG. Roused the sleeping beauties for a bit but they didn't miss a beat. He apologized, said he just wasn't paying attention.

This would normally just be brushed off my shoulders, but because of my neck history now I sit and wait to see if I am out of alignment. Since my doctor is all the way in Calgary I can't exactly just "pop in" for a checkup. I am hoping and praying I held my alignment and don't need to worry about this. I did, afterall, hold my alignment while being pregnant and giving birth to Liam so I am hoping i am strong enough to hold up from this accident. The only way I will be able to tell if I need to get checked is once the symptoms start. Last time I was out of alignment the dizziness was one of the first signs besides the burning muscles in my neck and shoulders.

I checked flights last night to Calgary but it would cost me $500 to go there. Not to mention cab expenses and food. For now that's too much money to fly all the way there if I end up not being out of alignment.

So, I sit and wait and hope and pray that this little "achiness" that I feel today doesn't get any worse than this. I wish people would drive safe, especially in a snowstorm, and for goodness sakes, pay attention when they're driving!!!

Eye Update

2011-11-16T17:47:00.000-06:00

We had our checkup at the Opthamologist yesterday to assess how he is doing after his surgery in August. Koen's eyes have been able to keep straight, but his left eye is still much, much weaker than his right. For the last month or so, we have been continuing to put Atropine Eye Drops in Koen's right eye. These drops block the receptors in the muscles of the eye. This causes his right eye to become blurry so that he is forced to use and strengthen his left eye.

After hours of an elaborate game of "Pirates", I managed to get Koen to wear his patch for about 15 minutes. He would have nothing to do with it after that.

We are supposed to wear the patch each day for 2 hours. This is why we have to use the drops.

The Opthamologist was unimpressed about the non-patching. She basically told me that we need to ~~fight, argue, scream, bribe~~ try much harder to get him to wear that patch. *Sigh* I felt overwhelmed.

Then, after the appointment yesterday we had an idea. If we played a game, like a board game, we could get Koen to agree to wear the patch. If he took the patch off, the game ended. So for 2 hours last night Eric played all kinds of games with Koen! They started out playing Connect 4 . That game lasted for a long time. Koen didn't really understand how to play the actual game, but they had just as much fun dropping in the chips, lining up the colours, making towers and Eric taught him how to "Pistoink" the chip to make it spin on the table. That game was followed by a long game of making Duplo (Lego) towers and then playing robots.

Today I played trains and built tracks for 2 hours this afternoon while Koen wore the patch.

I am glad he wore the patch.

I know it is really good for him.

He hated it.

He can hardly see out of that eye.

You try wearing a patch on your eye for that length of time. You would hate it too (Eric and I both don't like it!)

And although I know that putting in 2 hours each day to get him to wear that patch is exactly what we need to do; to strengthen that eye and avoid another surgery; I feel incredibly guilty for saying do you know how long 2 HOURS is out of my day to drop everything and just play? Something else is going to have to give. Blogging? Cleaning? Play dates? Eventually he'll get used to wearing that patch, and perhaps it won't take as much effort on my part. At that time I will be glad that all this effort has paid off. For now, I will struggle putting in that time, especially on the weeks I am home by myself. When Eric is home it's better.

His next appointment is at the end of January. We need to put drops in his eyes every night and patch for 2 hours every day until then. I feel bad for Koen because I know he has trouble seeing. He's clumsy, light bothers him (and the lights at school are really bright too) and I just wish we didn't have to bug him all the time with this stuff. So I am praying that if we are aggressive enough with this patching that by the end of January we can give him a break!!! And hopefully we will see some great results!!

19 Kids & ONE ON THE WAY

2011-11-08T22:31:00.000-06:00

WOW. Wow, wow,WOW.

The last baby nearly died and so did Michelle. From what I understand, this is extremely dangerous for Michelle. She's 45 years old.

Here is her announcement on the Today Show:
http://moms.today.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/11/07/8684372-20-kids-and-counting-michelle-duggar-announces-shes-pregnant-again

There are lots of reasons why I respect Michelle Duggar. I have 2 kids and am exhausted often from them. I cannot imagine having 20 children. I would love to have a big family, but I know that I would never have the guts to have 20 kids. She seems so organized and her kids are so well behaved. These people seem to have wonderful values and morals and I think it's great that she is populating the world with good people.

That being said I think it's a huge risk for her and her baby. And I really hope everything turns out well and that their baby comes out healthy, and Michelle remains healthy as well.

Blogging & History

2011-11-07T22:09:00.001-06:00

I wish there were blogs a long time ago. I guess there were, in the form of journals and snapshots, but nothing like there are today.

I was looking through my blog today and a few questions came to mind. Will I always blog? Will my children grow up and be able to go back and reference points in their life on this blog? For example, the day Liam was born is on this blog. Maybe, one day, he might want to go back and read about it. Read about how his parents were feeling. Maybe he will have babies of his own and have questions about what it's like......do you see what I'm getting at? I would LOVE to read a blog from when my Mom was being my "Mommy" when I was a tot.....or in the future I may have enjoyed reading her blog when I was a teenager to give me a reference point on how to raise my own kids when they are teenagers.

What is it going to feel like when I'm in my 50's? 70's? 80's? I wish my Grandma had a blog too. I know I would be all over those blogs like white on rice. Searching for guidance in any given situations. I wish my Great-Grandma had a blog. I never knew her but I would have loved to meet her. And maybe if there had been a blog I would feel like I knew her? Too bad there wasn't even the internet until recently.

Which brings me to the final question....will my boys even care about their history and this blog? About what their Mother is thinking? If I had a girl she might care. Girls are like that and boy's aren't really. But you know what? I am a girl and I know that I would have loved it if my Grandma & Mom had a blog. But maybe my boys will care. And maybe in 20 years, if they read this post they will comment to tell me that they read it. And that it matters to them and they are happy that their history has been recorded.

School Pictures 2011

2011-11-06T09:38:00.001-06:00

Friends. The Best Kind.

2011-11-05T16:42:00.000-06:00

Good friends are hard to come by, but when you find them, you hang on to them forever :)

My friend Candace is probably the most thoughtful person I know. The boys and I haven't been feeling good the last few days, and nobody is sleeping around here. She heard my woes and I came home to find this on my doorstep. Supper. Flowers. Gingerale.

The girl is an angel on earth, and I am so lucky that she is my friend!!!

Thank you Candace!!

Fishies

2011-11-05T09:18:00.000-06:00

Koen LOVES to swim. Especially so since he can now swim without holding on to us (with his life jacket on). The other day we took the boys swimming. It was Liam's first real time in the pool (he cried when we tried it once before). Liam seemed indifferent. He could take it or leave it. We forgot Koen's lifejacket so he couldn't swim like he wanted to, but he still had a great time!

Preschool Happiness

2011-11-04T09:06:00.000-06:00

When Koen was crying at drop off for preschool I didn't know what to do. I asked for advice and got some great answers. I talked to Koen's teacher and ultimately we decided that we are just going to let him cry when I drop him off. He stops crying very soon after.

I kept him home for one week of school (he only goes 2 mornings a week but I kept him home). He had a cold too so I was hoping he'd get bored with me and want to run back to school.

One of the things the teacher told me to do was get the drop off over quickly and try not to come into the classroom other than to hang up his jacket and backpack. So I changed Koen's shoes in the boot room, took his jacket off out there too and went to go hang it up.....when someone was blocking Koen's cubby. So I had to stand there for a bit, and then the crying started. I swiftly hung up everything and the teacher grabbed him while I fled out the door (I gave him a kiss and hug in the boot room).

I felt bad and waited for a phone call to come and pick up my hysterical child. It never happened. When I picked him up at noon he was the happiest kid around! In fact, he was SO good at school he got a little certificate! He was SO proud of himself, I was so proud of HIM, and he was on cloud 9 for the rest of the day. He LOVES school. He LOVES his teacher. He just wishes his Mom could stay with him there. For now.

Trick or Treat!

2011-11-01T14:14:00.000-06:00

This was the very first year we went door to door Trick or Treating. It was alot of fun! Koen had a great time and was thrilled that people were giving him candy :) Eric and I were thrilled too that Koen was sharing with us :) Liam slept the whole way, but enjoyed the fresh air and walk in the stroller.

We had a great Halloween this year, can't wait for next year!

Drop Off Dread

2011-10-31T23:03:00.001-06:00

Koen's preschool adventure has hit a snag :(
He had been doing so great! His teacher commented often how well he was doing. She said he is very social, gets along great with the other kids, sits for 25 whole minutes during "circle" time and overall just adapting very well.
Koen came home from each day loving school, loving his teacher, and loving being able to play with his new friends.

And then I went to Kelowna for a few days....without him. And from there he has now started this separation anxiety thing...he doesn't want me out of his sight. He cries and cries when I drop him off at school and I practically have to peel him off my leg to get him to stay there. He doesn't even want to go to Grandma's (gasp!).

I'm not sure what to do. Do I leave him at preschool and just let him cry each time I drop him off (his teacher usually gives him a stamp and then he is fine shortly after)? Or do I keep him home until he gets over this phase? What can I do to ease his anxiety? I don't want him to hate school, and it wasn't imperative that he attend this year since he's still quite young (the youngest in his class).

It's very flattering being the centre of his universe, however, it doesn't work if I need to go somewhere by myself. Anybody have any experience with this kind of thing? Some tips and tricks would be greatly appreciated!!

Happy Halloween Part(y) 2

2011-10-31T06:17:00.003-06:00

My friend, Deena, hosted us at her place tonight for pizza and pumpkin carving!

Liam is in a stage where he wants to be held all the time so Eric grabbed the carving tools and carved both our pumpkins!

They turned out incredibly well!!!

Eric carved out the Knight above and Lightning McQueen, great job Eric!

The kids had a wonderful time, and we hit a huge milestone in their development. Instead of playing parallel to eachother, they actually played "with" eachother! They were pretending Koen was the Sheriff (because Woody off Toy Story is the Sheriff) and the others were in jail. It was SO cute and I don't think there was even one set of tears shed throughout the whole evening over sharing toys. I foresee future games of hockey, soccer and baseball taking place!!

We added 3 new goblins to our Halloween picture this year. They were so cute!!! I stole these next pictures from Deena. She has a photography business you know, you should check her out! The girl has photography running through her veins and always has!

Koen LOVES going over to Willis' house. Willis has an amazing set of Thomas the Trains (which Koen lives and breathes for) and Willis shares them without question. After shedding lots of tears over the past week, there were none shed tonight. Koen had a great time :)

Now THIS is the picture that I was dying to get this Halloween! The group pictures are my favourite because I love doing the comparison year after year!

Check this one out from 2 years ago....

The boys have grown so much and so has our little group! We added 3 more to the group picture! I love it!! And I love the kids! (can't get too sentimental now.....)

Have a great Halloween everyone! We sure had a great one this year!

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-30T22:47:00.001-06:00

Happy Halloween!

Koen's room is decorated in the Toy Story theme and he absolutely LOVES the Toy Story trilogy so it was only fitting that we do the Toy Story theme for Halloween!

Meet Woody. The toughest sheriff in town! Watch out bad guys!

Meet Hamm. Or in character, "Evil Doctor Porkchop"!

Buzz Lightyear and Jessie were also there! Yee haw! To Infinity, and Beyond!

We attended Warman's 2nd annual Halloween Family Dance and had a great time as usual! Since I am no longer on the Community Group committee (in person but not in spirit!) I still like to volunteer from time to time and so we helped with the setup for the Dance. A big, wide open gym and a toddler to run around it = a lot of fun! It also means some big meltdowns right around suppertime because he's tired, hungry, and worn out! He was a trooper, as much as he could be, and danced up a storm!

We won 2nd prize for best Family Halloween Costume! There was a photobooth there so we got our family picture taken (which also included my neice Ella haha). Overall we had a great time and it was so much fun to dress up!

Happy Halloween Everyone!

Later Gator!

2011-10-30T01:25:00.000-06:00

Nearly 2 years ago I came upon this motorized Gator at a garage sale. At the time there was not even a chance Koen was ready enough for driving this, but I knew this deal would be hard to come by ever again. These puppies in stores are nearly $500 and when I bartered the seller down to $100 I knew I had to have it right meow!

Fast forward to now. Koen has learned to drive it, and we live in a quiet cul-de-sac where there is lots of room to ride! He also has a little buddy who moved in across the street to ride with. This is a great toy, and Koen even puts our dog, Josie, in the truck box to ride too :)

Playing Playdough

2011-10-29T13:23:00.000-06:00

The other night Koen's cousin Grayson came over to play. These two are a force to be reckoned with! They are best friends and worst enemies all in the same 5 minutes. They are going to get into all kinds of trouble when they get older I'm sure! They definitely love eachother though, even though there may be some scrapes and bruises along the way ;) The sheer excitement when they see eachother is incredible, they get so wound up and start bouncing around like jellybeans :)

Tonight we decided to play with our new tub of playdough. I have never really brought out playdough before because I remember as a kid it was really,really messy. Fast forward 30 years and they have perfected playdough enough that it's easy to pull apart, not very messy, and comes with really cool tools to make all kinds of stuff! If you don't have this tub of playdough yet, I highly recommend you run out to Costco right now and pick up your tub for $15.

Sometimes kids just need a quiet activity to play with. They need to use their creative imaginations and skills and be proud of themselves for things they make. These two LOVED playing with playdough. I LOVED watching them become so proud of themselves every time their shape worked out. They learned how to make snakes, balls, spaghetti, circles, tubes, and cut out shapes with the shape cutters. It was fun.

I am also inspired to try and build a cool playdough sculpture myself. I googled to see if I could find some cool ideas and saw this that you might enjoy, a car made of playdough! I won't be attempting this, but I think a Playdough Sculpture competition would be just as cool as a SandCastle building competition.

Schedule Training A Baby Sucks: Part 1

2011-10-23T09:22:00.000-06:00

Yesterday was DAY 1 of trying to put Liam on a schedule.

It was miserable.

I'm not sure if he is teething or fighting a cold or something - whatever it was was definitely working against us.

My morning started off well. He got up at 7:30am (not like his brother who was up at 5:30am for the day), I fed him, he played until 9am and slept until10:45am. Woo hoo! I was such an idiot to think that all of this would fall into place so naturally......

After that first nap is when we got into trouble. I fed him 3.5hrs after his first feed (which I didn't think was too bad) but then he had a 20 minute cat nap.

and proceeded to have 20 cat naps for the rest of the day and remain miserable ALL DAY LONG.

By 9pm he finally went to sleep for the night and slept right until 3am!! (Koen, however, was up every. hour.) He had an excellent feed (which took about 30 minutes to complete) and went back to sleep until 6:30am and I fed him again (he didn't eat alot and I am now regretting that I didn't just try to get him back to sleep and then feed him at 7:30am).

Anyway, long story short: this schedule business is making me miserable! I was enjoying feeding him on demand, letting him fall asleep while feeding and never hearing him cry very often because he was happy (and so was I).

Have you ever heard of 4 month sleep regression? Well I certainly know what they are talking about now! I just wonder, when does it get better? I have no experience from Koen since he STILL does not sleep. I have read "Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child" and the "Baby Whisperer". I even tried the cry it out method with Koen (Liam is too young for this yet I feel). None of those books worked for Koen so now I am on the hunt for a new book - something to guide me for BOTH children so I can get some rest.

Today I am tired. And I am schedule training. I am cranky and I think everything is going to suck today......doesn't everything look a little crappy when you haven't slept? If you have any scheduling or sleep tips, send them my way! (Especially sleep tips for toddlers!)

Preschool Field Trip!

2011-10-22T08:24:00.003-06:00

Today I was the parent helper for Koen's preschool field trip to the Pumpkin Maze. I had 5 children in my group to take care of and we had a blast!

Things were a bit hectic with alot of excited kids, so I needed to figure something out right away to keep their attention and stay with me and our group. I started off by getting them to sing "The Wheels on the Bus". They LOVED that, and it was so fitting since we got to go for a bus ride!!

The kids had so much fun on the bus, almost more fun than in the Pumpkin maze! No car seats! Yay! For every curve they leaned overrrrrrrr and squeeled with delight when we drove over the bridge that crossed the river. It was fun :)

Once we got to the maze the kids went running and ran off their never-ending energy! One of the kids in my group ran so hard he was soaking wet from head to toe with sweat!

Koen was an excellent navigator of the maze, he went through it about 5 times and soon became a pro.

They have an area at the back where you can sit your group together for a group picture and play on the hay bales. There were lots of Scarecrows and the kids were excited because they had just finished learning about Scarecrows and pumpkins at school.

Some of the tactics I used to keep my group together (while walking outside and gathering up) was the "Red light/ Green Light" game. You know, stop for red light and go for green. It worked like a charm!! When I felt their attention fading (waiting for the bus) I started to ask them what sounds various animals made. They loved to be monkeys and pretty soon my little group of 5 turned into a group of about 15 little monkeys! It was alot of fun for me because of my old days as a Teacher. It reminded me that I had fun once when I tried to start my teaching career. I was a good teacher. It also made me feel a little bit sad that I was never able to fulfill that dream. Nonetheless, Koen and I had a fantastic time on the field trip!! A special thanks to Grandma Jean for babysitting Liam while we were gone. She took Liam to work with her and Liam got to be the centre of attention for all the ladies of the office! I can hardly wait for more trips and more chances to volunteer with Koen's class!

Liam is 4 Months!

2011-10-21T19:32:00.000-06:00

Happy 4 month birthday Liam!

Time is flying by. Going so fast that I cannot believe that you have already reached the 4 month mark. You are not a newborn anymore. You are a chubby little baby who lays on his tummy and holds his head up! You roll! You sit up in the bumbo chair. You wear 12 month clothing!! You smile, you giggle, you talk to us. You are now sleeping in your own room, in your own crib, because you got too big for the bassinet in Mommy's room. Mommy wasn't quite ready for you to go in your own room yet, but you don't seem to mind.

You are 17lbs, 8oz and 26 inches long.

You are not on a schedule. I have been feeding you on demand, and you demand to be fed about every 2-3 hours. You wake up every 3 hours in the night, sometimes you give me 4 or 5 hour stretches but they are rare. When you fall asleep you talk to yourself. I could listen to that sweet voice all day, it is music to my ears.

Now that you are 4 months old it's time for a schedule! Hopefully you will transition easily like you do with everything else. You are an amazing baby. So easy going and happy :) You make me feel like a great Mom :)

Memory of Scents

2011-10-16T23:13:00.001-06:00

Tonight on my way home from a very delicious supper with some great friends I decided to stop at Shopper's Drug Mart for a few things. I wasn't in any big rush and wanted to stop and smell the perfumes.

I was not prepared for the trip down memory lane that certain perfumes could bring!! You know when you hear a song or see a picture? The memory or scents is just as strong. I started to think of the perfumes and colognes of my past and had some fun smelling old scents.

My very first perfume was Baby Soft. I remember wearing this in Grade 3. I think I got it for Christmas.

Then I graduated to Exclamation. I LOVED this stuff. It brings back great memories of New Kids on the Block, first kisses and trips to the mall (on the bus).

At the same time I always had a pocket full of Kissing Koolers. Now I know what I was spending my hard earned allowance on!

About Grade 6 is when I got into the more expensive perfumes. My friend's mom wore Poison. One whiff of that tonight took me back to my old best friend's house in a jiffy. For Christmas that year, most of my friends really wanted perfume. I was obsessed with getting Obsession perfume.

I wore Obsession for ages until high school when I switched over to Ici. A few of my friends wore this too - you know who you are! I can hardly stand the smell of this one anymore. Yuck! How could I ever wear this?!

At the same time, a few scents remind me of my family. My Mom and Grandma wore Oscar De La Renta, which the drugstore lady told me tonight was the #1 perfume for over 10 years in a row. I even snuck a few sprays once in a while :)

My brother wore Colors for Men. Ha.

And I believe both my Dad and my brother liked to wear Preferred Stock.

My Dad also had Polo which he saved for special occasions.

There are some scents that I CANNOT stand. One of them is Vanilla Fields. I hate this ~~shit~~ perfume. In Grade 9 I went to camp for the summer (which was my first and last experience at summer camp - which is a whole other post!) and there was ~~this one time at band camp~~ this girl at camp who I had to share a cabin with who showered in this stuff. Yuck. yuck. yuck. Too much! It makes me nauseaus.

Then of course there were those scents of boys...ghosts of boyfriends past....

And then of course the scent that Eric used to wear, brought back some smiles, made me feel a little young again:

My friend Candace used to wear a perfume that I always really liked. She lived with us for a while and she always smelled like this perfume. I know it's Max Azria but I can't remember the certain type. This perfume will forever make me think of Candace :)

Which brings me to the scents of today. When I became a Mary Kay consultant (I don't actively sell now but I do have my consultant number and still order products for myself) I bought Eric this cologne and I REALLY REALLY ~~pant pant~~ like this stuff :)

One of my all time favourites is Escada Magnetism. I remember trying this on at The Bay in Calgary with my friends, Gina and Candace. Gina already owned it but were trying it on anyway (and I think that's where I bought my first bottle). We sprayed ourselves with this and then went shopping through the mall. I guess because we smelled so strong (all THREE of us were wearing this perfume) we got ALOT of compliments from both men and women about how much they liked the perfume. I always get compliments on it because it smells so good!

And last, but not least, the perfume I am currently sporting: Very Irresistible by Givenchy. I love this stuff!

To conclude, I had alot of fun smelling perfumes/colognes at the drug store tonight and I highly recommend you do it too if you'd like a little trip down memory lane :) And if you are nice enough to the lady who works there, she may just give you a few samples to take home with you :)

Pet Peeve Week

2011-10-12T19:20:00.000-06:00

The 2nd week in October is the annual National Pet Peeve Week. Some websites ask specific questions such as "What is your #1 Pet Peeve when it comes to theme parks?" And then other sites just ask, "What is your #1 pet peeve ever?"

As I sit here and think of my #1 pet peeve ever I feel the thoughts snowballing. Here are a few:

It annoys me when I purchase something from a store and the store associate doesn't say "Thank You". I find saying "Thank You" such a habit I constantly hear myself saying it, and then I get mad and think: Why did I just thank YOU for making a purchase in your store?? Shouldn't YOU be thanking ME for my business? Isn't that how you attract customers to come back?

It annoys me when I am visiting with someone (who also has kids and all our kids are running around) and they ask me a question, so I answer, but then their kid comes running up to them and they start having a conversation with their kid while I am talking. What ever happened to, "oh, just a second".......insert dialogue with child here......"sorry, go on". Just because it's your child doesn't mean that it is any less rude. Would you do that if it were another adult talking to you? Pet peeve for sure.

And of course, there are a few habits my husband has that drive me nuts (like not wiping off the counter after he makes a sandwich - I will NEVER be able to get him to stop doing that!).

What is your #1 pet peeve?

I am realizing how ironic it is that "National Pet Peeve Week" also falls on the same week as Thanksgiving. So I hope to end this post with a few things that I am thankful for, maybe you can relate to a few of these too:

My baby's soft, soft skin on my cheek. Nothing better than that!!

Belly laughs. From myself or anyone around me. I can't help but smile when I see a person having a belly laugh. I had alot of belly laughs when I watched Bridesmaids. Love that show :) Love laughing until I cry :)

I don't want to sound corny but I really AM thankful for everything in my life. The people. The things. My health. So many people in this world have so little, and even though I find myself complaining about alot of things in those "going to the garden to eat worms" moments, I KNOW that I am a very lucky girl. For everything.

What are you thankful for?

Koen's 1st Time at the Theatre!

2011-10-11T19:05:00.000-06:00

When Cars 2 arrived in theatres I was in the hospital having a baby. I had wanted to go to the theatre with Koen for this movie and since today was such a dreary foggy day I thought it was the perfect day to go! When I found out it was "Twoonie Tuesday" it made it even better :) So for both of us to go see this movie today at the Rainbow Cinemas it only cost $2 (they didn't charge for the parent to go with the child!)

I took a risk going during nap time but I really wanted Koen to be able to experience Cars at the theatre. We are putting drops in his eyes again to strengthen his weaker eye so his eyes are a little sensitive to light (hence his closed eyes when the flash went off!)

He was trying his best to be excited, and he definitely was excited. He sat through the previews and after each one ended he'd look over and ask, "Cars?". He got to have a sucker, some smarties and some lemonade so he was very happy!

He was SO tired and fighting hard to stay awake. Some of his comments during the show were, "it's really loud" and "it's dark in here".

There were about 10 people in the theatre. Liam was with us but slept the whole time except for when I took his one and only picture he woke up. There was a few toddlers in the theatre and only one other baby in a stroller.

Koen was very disappointed that Doc Hudson was not in the movie. He had brought along his McQueen and Doc cars and when he found out Doc wasn't in the movie he was almost done with it.

The movie was slow I found. Too slow to hold Koen's attention. He didn't fall in love with the characters like the first one, and I actually found the movie to be quite dark and violent. Koen asked to go potty twice, and in the middle of the movie he actually asked to go home. I told him I had to feed Liam so we had to stay.

He sat on a booster seat but became uncomfortable so he wanted to sit in the stroller. By this time it was clear he was finished. His head started to bob and he was out like a light. So much for the movie! I stayed and finished watching it while both my boys slept like logs :)

Overall I give the experience 3 stars. The movie was mediocre, the time during nap time wasn't the greatest, but the popcorn was excellent and since I haven't been to a movie in maybe 2 years I was really excited to be there. I definitely plan on going again when the next good movie comes out, but we'll stick to the rainbow since $2 isn't a bad price to pay for a nap ;)

Toddler Art

2011-10-08T07:13:00.003-06:00

I've been following the website Pinterest.com and they have some of the cutest ideas out there. For anything and everything you can think of!

So I borrowed some neat ideas and decided to start working on my stash of seasonal art. I wanted to get a picture I could frame for every month of the year, and then find a spot in my house to hang the frame to add to the rest of the seasonal decor.

This time I used finger paint, but next time I will use something else as this didn't give me the rich colour I was looking for. The texture was like hair gel.

Koen had a blast of course, and he painted many pictures!

I REALLY wanted some pictures of Liam's hands and feet and quickly realized that this is a two man job so I will have to do it another time when I have an extra pair of hands! I tried though. And got some smooshy results.

I tried painting the kids feet.

Koen was very ticklish but he did a great job! Afterwards he decided that Mommy needed her feet painted too....

We managed to get a picture for Christmas and Thanksgiving. I can hardly wait to frame them! Oh, and a special flower to sit on my hutch in the kitchen for always. I know that I will look back, year after year and marvel at how little their feet were at one time. I am so glad to add these to our seasonal decor and can't wait to make more!

Kelowna Bound!

2011-10-07T19:06:00.000-06:00

My cousin Leslie and I decided to take a trip out to Kelowna, BC to visit our cousin Jocelyn. Since Liam is kindof attached, he got to come too! We got a great seat sale on the plane and Liam was the best. travelling. baby. EVER. (Special thanks to my friend Deena for lending me her baby carrier! It's the Sleepy Wrap and it's awesome!!)

Although Liam was an amazing traveller, it wouldn't have gone so smoothly if I didn't have help and Leslie was an ENORMOUS help. She carried my bags and sometimes my baby. She was a great travelling companion and I hope to go on another trip with her sometime again! (but next time some place hot in winter with no kids).

Kelowna is BEAUTIFUL!!! Pictures (taken from the van) just don't do it justice.

My cousin Jocelyn was one of the best hostesses around. When we got there she had little baskets set up for us in the bathroom with our own (good smelling) soap and loofas, diapers for Liam, and lotion....

She also had a the playpen set up in the room I was staying in, complete with a breastfeeding pillow and burp cloths set out. Her thoughtfulness was incredible! She even went out and got us some of our favourite treats (like chocolate almonds and ketchup chips) and is the most amazing cook!! Thank you Joc for making us feel so at home!!

While we were there we did some shopping, lots of visiting and laughing, and we also took in the Enchanted Forest which was very cool!

The Enchanted Forest is a wonderland on the side of a steep hill (mountain?) where you can find all your nursery rhymes come to life. Joc has 2 boys and they really enjoyed it. Leslie and I missed our own kids because we knew they would have loved it too!

Jocelyn falling off the wall with Humpty Dumpty.

All 3 of the Little Pigs houses were built.

There was an Old Lady who Lived in a Shoe (and yes, you can even go inside these houses!)

Snow White's place.

We even saw the Tooth Fairy!

Liam stopped to say hi to his old friend the Stork.

Trees made into houses!

And only the best treehouses ever!!

If I ever go back I will definitely pack the kids lunches and eat them in the playhouses!

The Enchanted Forest was incredible and pictures don't even do it justice. I would love to take Koen there some day :)

It was so great to get to spend time with Jocelyn's little guys. They loved Liam and I'm sure Liam loved watching them play! It was also so wonderful to get a chance to visit with my "little" cousins (yes, I'm the oldest). We have LOTS of memories as children together but not as many as adults. Time and distance will do that to you. The part I loved the most was learning how similar we are. I don't have a sister so I imagine that if I did, she would be alot like these two. I hope we can continue to get together and create new memories as we get older. I love them very much and this was a really great trip with fantastic visiting, lots of laughs, good food & most importantly, great company :)

Forget the Glow Worm!

2011-10-05T23:04:00.000-06:00

This is such a cool idea. For the past few nights I have been giving Koen glow sticks in the tub (they are so cheap and can be found at Michael's craft store). He absolutely loves them! And they give off a ton of light! It also helps with a child who may not be that interested in going to bed. Once he had the glow sticks he was eager to get into his dark bedroom in bed. It's been so much fun :)

Alberta Getaway

2011-09-30T16:18:00.003-06:00

This past weekend we headed to Alberta to attend Eric's cousin's wedding. As we often do, we decided to spontaneously turn it into a much longer trip than we expected but we had a great time! 5 days. 24 hours of driving. We armed ourselves with lots of bottles of water, snacks, movies, colouring books, crayons & toys. The kids did exceptionally well. When I stopped to nurse Liam, that was when Eric and Koen would run around. We would almost always try and stop at a playground to do this. Liam slept ALOT, Koen not so much but he was very busy with his colouring books and movies :) Leaving our destination at nap time also helped.

First we spontaneously decided we needed to go to Calgary so that we could see our Chiropractor in her new clinic! Eric had really, really hurt his back after we stayed at hotel in North Battleford a few weeks prior. A bad pillow and 2 hours of non-stop watersliding put him in a world of pain and he needed to see her pronto! I also needed to get checked since I hadn't been checked since I was pregnant. It was a flash trip where we arrived Thursday night and left Friday morning to Hinton, AB to attend the wedding. Thank you Dr. Hunter for coming in to see us on your day off!! I was holding my alignment (yay!) and Eric was out so he got adjusted and feels much, MUCH better. I was hoping that our Calgary trip to see the doc would be a bit longer (and better planned) so I could visit with my good friend Christy, but since Eric is working almost all of October we decided that now was our only time to get fixed up.

Eric's sister offered to take Koen with them on the drive to Hinton so we decided to take a different route and head through the mountains. They were beautiful!

Definitely going to have to go back to the Mountains and stay sometime. Koen had a great time in the van with Auntie Kristan, Uncle Marco and cousins Kaila & Ethan. They said he was just great on the trip and slept for a while too. Koen LOVES their family so there was no doubt he was elated when he got to travel with the "big kids", or as he says it, "Efin and Kaya".

Then we attended Allyce & John's wedding. Unfortunately I have hardly any pictures! That's what 2 busy boys will do to you!

The wedding was beautiful and decorated in Fall colours. They had a "Candy Bar" which the kids went nuts for. The wedding party also did a dance as they entered the hall, it was so awesome, I totally wished we could have done something like that for ours!! I have it on video but am reserved about putting other people's pictures and videos on my blog without asking (and there were alot of people in the video so I didn't ask).

They gave away little boxes filled with chocolates. Koen ate about 9 boxes which might explain all the running and dancing he did all night! He never stopped! He had a great time :)

We had a great time visiting with everyone and it was so nice to share Allyce & John's big day with them.

At the hotel Koen also had a big moment when he let go of us while he was swimming!! He now wants to swim alone with his life jacket on by himself. We were so proud of him and he was very proud of himself. Way to go Koen!

Overall it was nice little family getaway but by the end of it we were all very sick of sitting in the vehicle! I am very proud of how well my boys travelled on the trip (and that includes Eric, haha since he drove the entire way ;)

End of Summer

2011-09-29T15:59:00.002-06:00

And just like that, Summer is over. It was a great one for us (and busy!). Happy Fall everyone, check out how much growing our boys did over the Summer months!

Beginning of Summer:

End of Summer:

We've closed up the cabin and pulled out our Fall clothing. Goodbye Summer 2011!

Bathing Beauty

2011-09-28T15:53:00.001-06:00

At our cabin we only have a shower and not a bathtub so we've come up with inventive ways of bathing the kids :)

Liam is 3 Months!

2011-09-27T15:52:00.000-06:00

Liam you are 3 months old :) The last three months have FLOWN by and it feels like you have been with us a lifetime and not just a short 3 months.

You are such a happy baby!! I love how you wake up smiling and rarely ever cry. You are so easy going and you love to talk! You make all kinds of gurgles and coos and I could listen to you forever, they are the sweetest sounds I have ever heard :)

You flew through the 3-6 month clothing and now are wearing 9-12 month clothing. You are tall which makes sleepers with feet in them almost impossible for you to wear because they are not long enough. We have now graduated to 2 piece pyjamas which work alot better :) We don't get you weighed again until next month, but my guess is that you're around 16-18 pounds.

You love being carried in the baby carrier and will fall asleep in there every time. Mommy loves the carrier too since it keeps both my hands free :)

You can now roll back to front and front to back and hold your head up. You are so strong!!

You love your Mommy :) It's probably because I am your sole food source but I'll take it! You follow me around the room with your eyes and if you are fussy you will quit when I pick you up. You smile whenever I'm near you, even if you're upset you'll be torn between a smile and a cry. It's a great feeling for me and makes me feel like I am very loved (but want you to know you are very loved too!!).

You totally love your big brother Koen and he feels the same about you. He loves making you smile too!

Your Dad loves making you giggle by tickling your neck (I wish we had a picture or video of you laughing! Must get this!!)

Happy 3 month birthday Liam! We love you so much!!

Showering Baby Amelia!

2011-09-10T21:43:00.001-06:00

Today we had a baby shower for Candace and her new beautiful daughter Amelia. Candace looks FAR too good for just having a baby! Ameila was dressed in her girly-girl dress and hairpiece looking as cute as a teeny weenie button! Can I just say that I'm a little jealous? I would love to have a little girl to dress up! *sigh* maybe someday :) Or maybe the little girls in my life will let me do their hair for them....let's hope so :) Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't trade Koen or Liam for anything in the world but I always wanted a little girl of my very own *sniff sniff*. Okay, enough of my pity party and on to the details of the baby party!

We had favours.

We had a photograph of Amelia where the guests could write messages on the frame to her as a keepsake.

We had a watermelon stroller fruit salad.

We had decor.

~~Alynne~~ Martha Stewart made a diaper cake!

There was food and punch and coffee.

We ate cake.

We played games and were surrounded by guests that love Candace and Amelia! Congratulations Candace & Mike! And welcome to the world Amelia!!

Playing with the Big Kids

2011-09-08T21:29:00.000-06:00

Koen had another great day of preschool. I was worried that going back to back days might be hard for him but apparently he's having no trouble at all.
When I picked him up today his teacher told me that at recess he wanted to play football with the big kids (the grade 5's). I guess he was doing quite well in keeping up with them so they asked her if they could play with him all recess and she said yes. She also said she can't get over how well he can manage the playground by himself. A year ago, when Koen was 1 and a half he was mastering the playground so I'm not suprised she mentioned it today.

Another proud day for Mama :)

Rock & Roll

2011-09-08T20:13:00.001-06:00

Liam has become a roller! He will roll from back to front and has been working on this since the day he was born. I kid you not. When we were changing him on the change table at the hospital he swung his legs up, kicked them over and did a half roll. A little later he was able to get all the way on his side. And now, this week, at 2 and a half months old, he has managed to roll over on his stomach.

Yay for Liam! So strong!

But.....with all new milestones come a few adjustments....Liam used to LOVE laying on the floor on his back. He was SO content there. But now, all he wants to do is roll. And he gets on his stomach but then gets stuck and can't get back so he gets so mad and cries and fusses. And this is how the last few days with him have gone. All he wants to do is roll, roll, roll. I guess we will have to practise alot for him to get from front to back! I can still hardly believe he is rolling already!

You know what else I can hardly believe? He is wearing size 6-12 month clothes. YEP. He's one big dude!

First Day of PreSchool!

2011-09-07T20:11:00.000-06:00

My big boy Koen started PreSchool today.

He got a new backpack and school supplies and some new indoor shoes. He asked, every day, for 3 weeks if today was the day he was going to school. He was very excited and knew that Mom and Dad would not be there with him, just his Teacher, Mrs. F.

When I dropped him off he seemed happy and eager. We hung up his backpack in his cubby and then went for the toys will all the kids. I watched other kids crying, hiding behind their Mothers....but not Koen. Koen went right to the toys, stopped, looked a little confused and said, "Where's the Doctor?". I explained we were at school, not the doctor's office. If he didn't understand when he got there, he will understand after today is over what school is.

His morning went extremely well! His teacher said he played with two little boys named William and Eli and was very social and good. I am glad about this since I seem to always get the comment, "You should put him in daycare" to socialize him. What about playdates? Cousins? Me? Does he HAVE to be in daycare to learn to be social? Come on people! Being a Stay at Home Mom does not mean your child will turn out to be a social reject!!

I got to peek through the window and watch without him knowing for the last 5 minutes of class. I saw him following directions, singing songs and generally going with the flow.

I'm hoping tomorrow goes just as smoothly as today. I can't believe what a big boy he is. I am so proud :)

Soother, or No Soother

2011-09-02T05:05:00.000-06:00

Liam will not take a soother. Not a Gerber, Avent, not even the little green one from Cravings that you can stick on the end of your pinky finger. Not one. I have held it in his mouth for hours and he will not latch it and keep it in. He doesn't even suck it, he just plays with it with his tongue. He is not interested what-so-ever. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, as my sister in law (who is a Speech and Language Pathologist) has told me that soothers cause teeth problems and language delays such as lisps and tongue thrusts.

But lately I have noticed that he has had his thumb in his mouth. I thought it was an accident but then it happened again. And again. And again.

Today he has the beginnings of a cold and was pretty fussy because he wasn't feeling good. That also meant that he wanted to nurse all.day.long. Needless to say, although I would rather him take a soother, I am glad he has found something other than my boob to soothe him :)

It amazes me how every kid is different. Koen took a soother like a champ, and I relied heavily on it. Koen also cried ALOT more than Liam does so I REALLY needed the soother too. Liam is easy going but he likes to nurse alot when sometimes I'm sure he's just bored and not hungry ;)

Live Your Life.

2011-09-01T08:16:00.001-06:00

Eric's Grandma Ruth passed away which brought the whole family together for the funeral. Although we are sad to see her go we are glad the suffering is over. The funeral service was nice and I'm told the Eulogy was excellent, read by Eric's cousins Heidi & RuthAnne. Are you wondering why I said I'm told the eulogy was good? That's because I spent my time in the back of the church in a glass room with my 2 ~~crying and loud~~ kids (and a few other of their cousins and their parents). The speakers weren't turned on in the back so I didn't hear a thing. From what Eric said they described a woman who was a true pioneer. What a life she must have lived. 5 kids. 22 Grandchildren. 28 Great Grandchildren. She will be missed.

This reminds me of something Eric's Mom said to me a while ago. She said she remembers at one point in her adult life (when her kids were little) when she realized that she was now the "parent" and her "parents" were now the "grandparents". At this point in my life I am really aware of this. As my Grandparents (who are now the "Great-Grandparents") fall ill or die I am reminded that I am now the "parent" and my parents are now the "grandparents". Tis the cycle of life. Life is just speeding by these days. Koen and Liam are growing so fast and I am finding myself powerless against how fast life is moving. I want to slow it down, press pause for a moment......because once my babies grow up I will have no more babies. Before I know I will be the "Grandparent". I guess the only thing a person can do is make the most out of each day and that's what we try to do.

We had a great time in North Battleford the weekend of the funeral. We got to visit with family (who we miss and love visiting with!) and Koen had a BLAST on the waterslides!! Eric ran up and down the waterslide stairs for 2 straight hours with Koen. Liam and I tried out the pool but it was too cold for his little body so we stuck to the hot tub for a bit.

This month is crazy busy with lots of travel and events. I'm a little tired with the lack of sleep, but I need to remember that before I know it Winter will be here and we'll be spending alot of time at home so I can catch up on rest then :)

I tried to take a picture of my nephew jumping in the water mid-air but I missed it and caught it mid-slash instead!

Happy Birthday Mom!

2011-08-31T15:15:00.000-06:00

Eyes Before & After Surgery

2011-08-26T08:33:00.007-06:00

Koen's eyes are doing so much better! We no longer have to put drops in his eyes every 2 hours and he doesn't need Advil as much either. We are SO happy to see an improvement and hope to never have surgery again. From this point we anticipate having to wear patches to strengthen his eyes more but we'll cross that bridge when we come to it. Bravo to Koen for getting through this!

Liam is 2 Months!

2011-08-25T15:24:00.000-06:00

Dear Liam,

My how you have grown!! You are now 24.5 inches long (you were 22 when you were born) and 14 pounds 3 oz. (you were 9 pounds when you were born). You are in the 97th percentile for height and weight, which means that only 3% of the population in your age group are bigger than you.

You have already grown out of all your cute newborn clothes and somehow only spent a few days in the 0-3 month clothes and are now wearing 3-6 month stuff. You are growing so fast! Must be because you are a great eater! We are breastfeeding and you are a champ. I have no idea how much you eat but you took a bottle from Daddy yesterday and it was about 6oz. The fact that you only have 1 kidney has no bearing on your life what so ever. We know it's functioning great because you are peeing lots (and like to pee with your diaper off I might add!).

You like your swing and fall asleep in it. You sleep the best when you are swaddled and after a big feed. At night you sleep in a bassinet beside Mommy and you wake up about every 3 hours to eat. Sometimes you have 5 hour stretches of sleep in the night. We're working on it :)

You LOVE your big brother Koen. You listen to him talk all the time and smile big when he comes near you and says, "awww baby!" Koen is a fantastic and gentle big brother and he loves you to pieces and always wants to help Mom to make you happy. When it is time for bed for Koen, you & I lay in bed with him and tell him a story. I love this time of day when the 3 of us are cuddled in.

You are not interested in tummy time one bit. You're not very savvy about trying to lift your head up, but you never cry - you just lay there and relax. That's the kind of guy you are - laid back!

You are a smiler! You are SO smiley and I LOVE IT! When you wake up in the morning you make a few grunts, and when I pick you up you greet me with a great big baby smile. It's a great start to my day!!

You are a ladies man and already have a girlfriend! heehee

Liam you are more than a joy in our lives! Happy 2 month birthday!

Morning Eggs Recipe

2011-08-16T16:16:00.000-06:00

Thought I'd share this easy recipe that I made when we had company a week ago.

MORNING EGGS:

Ingredients:

- 1 dozen eggs

- 1/2 cup milk

- 1/4 tsp salt

-1/4 tsp pepper

- 4-6oz. sour cream

- 1 pkg bacon

- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1. Cook, cool and crumble the bacon

Heat a large skillet over medium heat, spray our use butter/oil on the pan and cook the eggs, add salt and pepper and milk, stirring until eggs are set, but still moist. Remove from heat and let cool.

Stir in sour cream.

Spread eggs in a 9x13 dish (greased) and top with crumbled bacon and cheese.

Cover and refrigerate overnight. In the morning bake at 300 degrees F for 15-20 minutes.

This was a great dish for a big group and little time to cook in the morning. Next time I make it I am going to add peppers, onions and mushrooms to make more of a skillet. It was really good!

Favourite Things

2011-08-14T09:47:00.000-06:00

If you read the title of this post and then looked at the picture below you might be thinking I'm talking about the toilet. Hmmm, should have closed that door for this picture ;) haha I digress.

This post is about an old pair of water skiis that were left at our cabin when we bought it. I had an idea to use the skiis as height charts for the boys. Originally I wanted to sand them down and re-paint them so that they were really fancy height charts, but let's face it - I don't have time to do that and I'm no artist. It sure would have been cool though. Maybe sometime in the future I can add fancy names to each of them.

I think they will be a wonderful keepsake over the years :)

The Fair

2011-08-08T08:15:00.001-06:00

Last year Koen went to the Saskatoon Exhibition for the first time and loved it. But he was too small to go on any of the rides.

This year, we stopped in Melfort and took in their Fair and Koen was just tall enough to go riding!!

He was so excited when we got there that he ran into the gates as fast as he could and yelled to everyone around, "HI GUYS!! I'M HERE!" It was cute.

He got to go down the giant slide (with his Dad of course!)

He got to ride on the giant flying bee....

And then the ultimate ride for Koen: a train. But Dad couldn't accompany him on this ride so he had to go by himself. I'm not sure who was more worried, him or me. Okay, it was all me. He was excited and I was worried that he might jump off while it was moving. He seemed a little unsure at first, until he went around the track and spotted us on the sidelines where he quickly started waving and yelling, "Hi Dad!!"

He went on a rollercoaster.....

Jumped in the best bouncy castle in the world!

And even got to drive a little car by himself.

He had the best time EVER. And we had a great time too joining him! Liam slept the whole time and never made a peep! And through all the excitement, Koen still managed to pee on the potty and not have any accidents. It was such a great day :)

Eye Surgery

2011-08-07T20:02:00.000-06:00

Imagine you are 2 years old and your parents take you to a place that you've never been before.

It's really early in the morning and they never gave you breakfast or a drink of water before you left the house.

You arrive at the "hospital" (whatever that is) and go into a place where there are alot of beds setup.....but it's not naptime?

There are kids in all the beds around you and adults in the other beds with patches and bandaids on their eyes. Some kids in the other beds are crying very loudly.

And then you have to take your clothes off and put on a shirt and pants that you've never seen before.

You pass the time colouring pictures in a book that "Tammy" (the nurse) gave you, pull off the stickers that were in the book, and play with Mom and Dad.

You ask your Mom for a drink of water and she doesn't get you one.

You ask your Mom for toast and she doesn't feed you.

You are hungry.

You are bored.

You have been at the hospital for 3 hours.

You ask your Mom if we can go home.

And then the nurse comes with "Charlie the Robot" who says that he is going to give your arm a hug (blood pressure monitor). You (reluctantly) allow this to happen after the first failed attempt (before you knew that the blood pressure monitor was Charlie the Robot).

Then "Patty" comes in. She is wearing a funny hat that covers her hair. She shows you that the bed you've been sitting on has wheels and it's a "train" and she will take you for a ride.

When you go for the ride you realize that Mom and Dad are no longer with you. The people standing around you ask you to breathe in and out through a mask (oxygen mask) that smells like bubble gum.....and you fall asleep.

When you wake up you can't see. Your Mom and Dad still aren't with you. You feel funny and dizzy and disoriented but you don't know why and you are very scared. You have something attached to your hand (IV) that you want out RIGHT NOW AND GET ME OFF THIS BED AND WHERE IS MY MOM AND DON'T TOUCH ME AND GET ME OUT OF HERE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Now pretend you are the Mom. You are anxiously awaiting for your toddler to get out of surgery. You KNOW he was going to be pissed when he realized that you weren't following the "train" ride. You are sitting and feeding your newborn in the little room waiting. All of the sudden you hear a child just screaming. You know it's yours. You quickly put the baby in the stroller and step outside of the curtain of the room you're in. You see two nurses carrying your toddler, one by the body, the other by the legs and a third nurse holding up the IV bag. He is fighting them with all his might. You have been told that toddlers can get a "night terror" reaction when waking up from anesthesia. They tell you this is what is happening and it will be over in 15 minutes.....as they hand him over to you. You are pretty sure he is just mad, as you have seen him have night terrors before. This is a reaction to how mad he is.

He wants to run away and get the hell out of there. He's screaming. We can't let him down because he's too dizzy to walk and will fall and hurt himself on the concrete floor. First Dad is restraining him but if he can't hear Mom he screams, "CAN'T SEE MOM!!!" He couldn't see me. He couldn't see. He woke up groggy and couldn't see. And didn't understand why. I can't imagine how scary that must have been for him.

So Mom restrains him. And this goes on for nearly 2 hours. The screaming. Kicking. Flailing. Slapping. Rage. Fear.

I asked the nurses if they could give him something to calm him down but they wouldn't. I had to pass him back to his Dad because I didn't have the strength for that long to fight and restrain him from hurting himself.

It was awful. It was traumatic for me but I can only imagine how traumatic it must have been for him.

****

We finally wrestled him into his clothes (they discharge you after a while because it is just Day Surgery), wrestled him into the stroller, and got him down to the car and into his carseat. If he was strapped in he couldn't hurt himself.

His face is swollen. His tears are bloody. His eyeballs are bloody. He is in rough shape and is having trouble opening his eyes. He calms down and falls asleep on the ride home and is starving once he gets in the house. He eats a huge lunch and has a nap. He is much calmer when he wakes up, but feels awful and is in a ton of pain.

Now it's time for the eye drops every 2 hours. He doesn't want anyone near his eyes. This is difficult and requires bribery and sometimes restraint.

He is much better today. Still very sore and waking up crying several times in the night, but better. He can't tolerate bright lights and is not allowed to swim for the next 2 weeks to help guard against infection. It will take 6 - 8 weeks for his eyes to recover and he's not supposed to rub them (even though the drops he gets in his eyes "may sting and cause itching").

If he doesn't have this surgery and all of these corrective measures before age 6, he risks having to wear glasses and having lazy crossed eyes for the rest of his life. If we do this now, he could be out of glasses by kindergarten.

It was not easy, but necessary. And there's a possibility that he'll have to have surgery again. I sure hope not.

Lovin' the Lake

2011-07-31T15:05:00.000-06:00

We sure have been enjoying our summer at the lake!

Eric has been BUSY. Not only has he taken on the task of completely loading us up in the truck and getting us ready to go (due to my c-section I'm not much help) and unloading us into the cabin he has also been busy hauling the boat and quad, docking it in the water, putting the dock in, doing the yard work, trimming trees, fixing hot water heaters, hauling water to the water tank, starting up the water AND fixing our "squirrel" problem in the shed. To say he has worked his ass off is almost an understatement.

I would say he has thoroughly enjoyed himself though. Besides doing all that, he has been running after Koen (and Koen runs "so fast mommy"). He's been making sure that Koen has an experience at the lake like no other and I also think that Eric has found alot of fun "playing" like a little kid again with Koen. Kids are so fun! (and so frustrating if they haven't eaten or need a nap!)

Which brings me to Koen.

Koen has been boating.

Swimming.

Playing his little heart out.

Fishing. And let me tell you this incredible story! We have never had Koen fishing before, but now that we have a lakefront cabin with a dock Eric decided to take him out on the dock to fish. He gave Koen the rod & reel, helped him cast, taught him how to reel in.....and caught a fish on his FIRST CAST EVER. How awesome is that??!!!

Being the gentle and best big brother around!

We even had visitors, and let me tell you, I LOVE IT when we have company at the lake!! The kids play so good together, we share the cooking duties, there are more people to quad and boat with and we share the duties of watching eachother's kids so that we can all enjoy the lake. It has been wonderful!

First my brother and his family came.

Then my mom and Grandma came. My Grandma owns the cabin next door so Koen spent alot of time over there eating cheezies and watching Wheel of Fortune (my Grandma's favourite show!). Doesn't this sound like a dream come true.......your toddler gets up at his usual 5:30am and then your Mom comes over and takes him back to her cabin for breakfast so you can go back to bed!! My Mom has been an absolute dream come true with all the help she's been for me. When Eric is gone to work she's been helping at home (baking, laundry, yard work, child care, potty training....the list goes on!). Koen is TOTALLY in love with his "Gwama" (and I think she feels the same!)

Liam has also been the best little baby around. I never imagined that we would be able to spend so much time at the lake after having a newborn, and it's mostly because Liam is such a good baby that we have been able to swing it.

Liam and his Great-Grandma. She was really sick and in the hospital this year just weeks ago. It was very scary. We are so glad she is feeling better!!! And we are SO glad she was able to come up to the cabin and spend some time enjoying the lake.

When Liam is awake he likes to lie flat on his back and kick his arms and feet and listen to his big brother Koen. He also likes listening to Daddy, but if he hears Mommy walk into the room he starts to fuss with whoever he's with until Mom picks him up.

Some nights at the cabin have been REALLY hot. Thank God we put in air conditioning!

Liam likes getting fresh air but we make a big effort to keep him out of the wind and the direct sunshine.

Liam LOVES to be held and carried around. We have had such a great bond so far. I LOVE the cuddles and time I have been getting to spend with him. I am still breastfeeding, and have to tell you that I am loving it. No bottles to wash or to heat up. No big bags of bottle luggage to cart around. And all that bonding time with my little baby. I really didn't think I'd care for it - but after pumping and bottle feeding Koen, I know that breastfeeding is MUCH easier and less stressful for me so it's been working well!

This is "my chair". This is where I have been spending nearly all my time at the cabin....you guessed it....breastfeeding. Newborns eat alot. And mine is a very good eater! (My Grandma saw him last week and said, "is he ever fat!" So I guess it's working).

I'm not going to lie. I've had moments at times where I feel down because I can't go swimming (I have a c-section incision that's healing). All I can do is look out the window and watch everyone else have a great time.

I've been sad not to be able to go boating with everyone else or enjoy a paddle boat or canoe ride with Koen.

And I have been lonesome for Koen. For the last 2.5 years the most I've ever been away from him is when I went to Vancouver for 4 days. I think he has been lonesome for me too, but he is also LOVING the attention that he's getting from everyone else! And with having 2 people around all the time (Eric or my Mom), Koen is now potty trained!!! I am so happy and proud of him!!

At one point I ended up with mastitis. The cure is a course of antibiotics for 10 days every 6 hours (yes that means you have to set your alarm in the night) and to nurse ALOT on the affected side. When you have mastitis, your breast becomes red, inflamed, hot, and very painful. You also get a fever, chills, and sweats. To nurse on the affected side ~~hurts like a bitch~~ is very painful. It sucks, but luckily it doesn't last long!

Despite not being able to do many typical summer activities like boating and swimming I have been enjoying my bonding time with Liam and the beautiful view I get from sitting in "my chair". I am also so happy that the rest of my family has been able to have a fantastic summer at the cabin so far. In August, once my c-section incision is completely healed, it will be my turn to jump in the lake! Woo hoo!