My Valentines

I know some people hate Valentines Day and I get that. But over here, we're all about the love! The red, the hearts, the sweet, the surprise, the food, the fun...
I often find myself wishing I had more 'serious' portraits of the kids, but it doesn't get any more real than this.
Lots more birthday photos to follow, but I couldn't resist these faces.
xoxo

Baby Girl 20 Months

Sweet and Salty is the perfect description for The Babe these days. She is a woman of contrasts! She's up, she's down, she's giggling then she's giving you stink-eye, she's slapping you in the face and pinching your arm, and then she's patting you on the head and giving you kisses. You are just never sure what you'll get! Actually, I have some idea...

And she is busy. Busy busy. And fast. She likes to grab hold of something and whip it off the counter, or wherever she can get her hands on it. I think she takes it as her personal challenge to be faster than the rest of us so she can 'get stuff'. Or empty the linen drawer. I think she's working on a personal best. I admit it's tough for The Babe, with 2 big brothers and a mom who's always wrecking her fun.

She especially likes to hang out in my room/closet/bathroom while I have a shower. Now I am thankful just to get a shower, but she does have a tendency to pull everything out of my drawers and out from under the sink, and put on anything she can find in the closet. It's always 'fun' to see what she'll find next...like my underwear on her head...
She also likes to stand on the tub(shelf) while I wash my face and brush my teeth. She likes the running water and will 'wash' her face and hair with a bit of a splash. Then she likes to finish up with a big slobber-spit on the mirror. Her trademark finish.

The Miss likes to take her milk in the pink sippy cup while relaxing in her lounger.

But she is still the yummiest, funniest, craziest, most lovely little Babe. Spit and all.

Chocolate Bomb

You may love me for this, or hate me...
I found this recipe via Scribbit the other day...5 Minute Chocolate Cake...in a mug!
And Holy Crap, it works like a charm. We used big mugs and made 2 to share between 4 of us and it's very dense and rich. I used one less tablespoon of oil in the second one and didn't notice a difference. But I did add a small handful of chocolate chips to the batter which was pure genius...in my opinion! Danger. I didn't take a photo, but it came out of the mug just fine and was all dark, chocolatey, mound-like. The bomb.
Delicious.

And this is a recipe via The Crafty Crow. I haven't made them yet, but I girlfriend of mine highly recommends a similar version using Rolo pieces instead of chocolate kisses and nuts instead of M&M's. I think either way would be delightful. Sweet and salty. Amen!

47 Months

Almost 4!
It feels like an exciting time. The boys are learning a lot and communicating much better than they ever have before. They are getting more independent, getting dressed by themselves (sometimes with a lot of prodding), and The Bee is potty trained!! HURRAY! Not at night time yet, but he's nearly perfect during the day. Even this past week when he was sick and miserable, he still managed to go by himself. I think he's pretty proud of himself and happy with his independence. We got him some new Spiderman underwear to celebrate!
The Bug is still taking his time, but he's willing to try so we'll just keep at it.

The Bug is still really really good at puzzles and The Bee is good with counting numbers.


They both seem to enjoy being in Primary, and seem to be singing new songs at home all the time. I'm actually really looking forward to them going to preschool and all the new new things they'll learn. Hopefully all good and not weird stuff from other kids...











It was interesting to watch this week as they were each quite sick for a few days, but not the same days. They were each a bit lost without the other one to play with.
Although I have to say I did enjoy the reduced energy/noise level.

Another thing they've learned recently is *the fake smile*. Aaaah...maybe I'll change their names to Ham and Cheese!

Valentine Craft

I don't think it's much of an exaggeration to say that not much has been going on lately. The winter blaaaahhs. So we decided to make a Valentine tree to cheer us up. And it worked!

We actually had to do some searching find a great branch. Tied on some fabric scraps, and cut out some foamie hearts with ribbon and voila!
For some reason this craft felt really creative. There's not much to it and it only cost a couple of dollars (we made one for inside and one sits outside the front door), but it really feels fun and cheery. I think it could be fun to tie messages to it as well...oh the possibilities...!
The Bug was carrying it around earlier today, and he told me he loved it. Who can beat that?

Flunking Play School

Not my kids. Me.
I've been doing research lately on pre-school/play-schools in the area. And it's making me crazy. There are, in my opinion, just too many options. And most of them have registration for school in September, starting NOW. Or within the next few weeks.
The pressure already! And it's not that I think my kids will suffer in the future without attending some sort of pre-kindergarten program, but I think they would enjoy it, and so would I.
There is a wide array of pre-schools in the city, and we have a Waldorf program and several Montessori schools nearby.

I've never attended either of these types of schools, but they sound lovely, don't they? Basically a child is nurtered with storytelling and breadmaking and creative play and encouraged to be unique and learning is a tactile, exciting exploration. I think I want to go to a Waldorf school, and play with beautiful Montessori wooden toys!

Of course none of these schools is exactly free (like Kindergarten) and with two kids going at once, we're not likely to take that route. (preschool yes, fancy $$$ preschool, no)
And so I think to myself, why not incorporate some of these practises into our daily routine? There are plenty of books full of ideas and information.
I can read.
I would so like to be the mother who bakes bread with her children, and reads fastastic stories and sings songs with them every day. And takes them on nature walks while we marvel at the beauty around us. And then we return home to eat organic apples that we all picked together and do handycrafts quietly while the baby naps...
Instead I am the mother who yells too much and lets the kids watch cartoons while I do another load of laundry and eat my lunch over the sink, all the while wishing the crumbs on the floor would just disappear already.

This Explains A Lot

We've been talking about birthdays lately since we have a couple coming up. It's nice to have something to look forward to these freezing days of January.
I asked the boys how old they are going to be on their birthday next month.

And they both agreed, 10!

uh-huh...3 going on 10...

We Call Her The Streak

One of the things I don't particularly enjoy about this age group is the way that everything they eat gets smashed, mashed, thrown around, and smeared everywhere.
So the other day after lunch I just removed The Babes shirt so we could start over with a clean one. I set her down so I could hose down her high chair only to find her removing the rest of her clothes, including her diaper. She was just too funny as she ran around enjoying her freedom. Giggling with glee. So I had no choice but to enjoy it. And chase her around.
And yes, of course she peed on the floor. Thank goodness for hardwood.

January Belly

With so much freezing cold, gloomy weather lately I was thrilled the other day when the sun came out and I had a chance to take some very cool maternity photos. It turned out to be a perfect morning. My lovely friend is having her fourth baby any day, so we had to seize the moment. She likes to have a surprise at the end, so we mixed in a little pink and blue just for fun.
I figure if you're going to have a baby in January, in Calgary, you might as well make the most of what you've got. And we've sure got snow!
I love the crisp bright colors outside, especially with the contrast of a few warm cozy shots inside. I had so much fun.









And now we wait!

Baby Girl 19 Months

19 months is lots of fun. The Babe is certainly not lacking in personality which we see more of all the time. She is just a fun little person. Who occasionally screams and cries and pulls on my pant legs until they almost fall off (my pajama pants, not my legs). She's very good at getting her point across, even if she doesn't always use words.
She can say please and thank-you and sorry and other short words. Although screeching is also effective.

She's still quite a good eater. She likes to eat smallish portions and then graze ALL DAY. And pretty much EVERY meal (at least 3 times a day) includes food/spoon/cup/bib being thrown on the floor. And then she likes to end her evening meal with her food/plate in her hair. Cuz it's so pretty.

If you are lying down anywhere, especially on the floor, you are likely to get a big hug/baby on top of you and a big slobbery kiss. Her brothers even think it's fun. Mostly.
She also resorts to drastic tactics to get her brothers to play with her. Like taking 'their stuff' and running away while giggling like crazy so they will chase her. They don't always think it's so fun, but she always does. Until they grab it back.

She loves her dolly's, her Ariel legos, drinking out of a big girl cup, sitting on her potty (just for kicks), splashing in the tub, getting dressed, getting tickled, and sitting on the couch with lots of pillows like the big kids.

p.s. thanks to daddy for some of these great shots! He can't resist a goopy face.

46 Months

OK, I've decided to finish up with the 'monthly' updates when the boys turn 4 in Feb. I felt a wee bit guilty but they've got 4 YEARS already! It's not that I won't fill you in on all the riveting details, just not specifically by month. I'll continue with The Babe until she's at least 2, and we'll see from there.
SO, this month was mostly playing hockey outside and Christmas. Both of which I have already posted a lot of photos, so their wasn't really much else. Which makes me want to do some more portrait-like photos of the boys. Maybe to mark their 4th birthday or something like that. I always get some fun ideas and get all geared up in my head and then it never really goes that way, so we'll see...I'd really like some nice shots of my handsome kiddos.

As you can tell, Spiderman is still a big theme around here. The rest of us are growing somewhat tired of seeing the worn out/getting too short look, but anytime they're at home, that's what they go for. I can usually peel them out of it if we're going out in public, but as soon as we're home, it's back on. It looks especially nice when the hood is put on wet hair and slept in!

I call this photo, "But it's MY turn". Insert whining.

Both boys seem to be getting really smart these days. In more ways then one. They are observant and they notice and remember things. I'm pretty impressed. But they are also getting a bit smart-mouthed. Not so impressive. Talking back, not impressive. I guess they have to try it out to see what they can get away with. Or they can just remember they're 3 and I'm the BOSS OF THEM!!

My favorite responses are to picking up toys and putting things away.
"I'm too tired" (all that throwing stuff around the room can wear you out)
"I'm too sick" (very convenient...also handy for asking for cough drops. yuck)
and my personal fave "my hands are too small" (props for creativity, I have no idea where this came from)

Our good friends the Princess Sweet Peas came to visit with their newest Sweet Pea and the boys, especially The Bug was quite infatuated with her. His love for little babies was a little surprising (he's not really gushy) but it's so cute to watch. By the end of the visit all the kids were fighting over her and who got to hold her next. Oh to be so loved!

Anyhow, we had a busy/crazy month and survived colds and flu and all the snow and blustery cold with most of our sanity in tact. More or less. A little quiet time is most welcome at the moment.


And so I leave you with this...
You all must remember the classic slinky?
This is what happens when a slinky (or 2) meets a 3 year old. Poor slinky.

House Projects

Here are a couple more projects we completed around the house. It's nice to be able to say something is finished when most of the time I just go around and around...
We finally got some pictures up on the wall! They are all just under 20x20" (crazy Ikea frames are something like 19&3/4").








The larger frames in the entrance have some fun fabric from Ikea. We will change them out for real photos later, but this looks better than a blank wall. I have to say that I never even really looked at the fabric section at Ikea, or even noticed it. But now I love it! Some of it is not my taste, but the bold colors and designs are quite refreshing.
And our table at Christmas. We still use the island quite a bit, but it sure is nice to have a place to all sit down together.

Resolve

I'm not in the mood for resolutions at the moment. Not that there isn't a long list just waiting for my resolve.
My simple hope is that this will be the year I will get my sh*t together.
So many areas ripe for improvement if I just got it together!
It could happen in 2009...

First Skate

One of Mr. Mittens latest projects has been making an ice skating rink in our backyard. We've had so much snow this year, it's been quite a job clearing it and flooding the ice surface. If you didn't know (like me) water is added gradually and repeatedly as ice forms and builds up layer by layer.
It took a while but Daddy had such good helpers!
The boys received skates for Christmas and tried them out for the first time! The Bug was disappointed because he kept falling down, but they both did a really great job. I'm not much of a skater, but Daddy is a pro.

We were lucky to have Big K over to play hockey.
When the boys got tired of 'skating' (sitting on chairs?) they put boots on and chased pucks in the snow drifts. We almost lost them! (kids and pucks)

And yes, you can go down the slide right onto the ice. I think we need a bulls eye on the fence. Human curling anyone?

Got skates? Come on over!