A rainy afternoon of trains, planes and automobiles.
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Saturday, May 29, 2010
Shopping Carts, Smoothie Bars and Super Store
I have a confession to make. Most Friday nights, after 8:00 p.m., you can find me at Super Store. I have established a bit of routine on Friday nights, once stories have been read, teeth are brushed and the kid are tucked into bed, I head to Super Store to do our weekly grocery shop. Sounds really exciting right? Crazy as it may sound, I actually look forward to it. It is my alone time. I stroll leisurely through the aisles, checking out sales and crossing things off my list. It is very methodical and I like it. I also enjoy looking at the cute kids clothes and browsing at the latest gossipy headlines on the magazines. Well last night, my family crashed the party and the the only person I can blame is myself.
We had an early dinner and had some time until baths and I suggested we all go grocery shopping. Sarah had a hard time deciding which part of the buggy she wanted to be in and needed help to move several times. We cleaned out the "Cookie Club" and then the kids (I lump Adam into this category) proceeded to eat their way through a box of yogurt smoothie bars. We were almost done when Sarah decided she wanted to "help" by pushing the buggy. She handed off her smoothie bar to Adam, who was no stranger to double fisting during his university years, who took her smoothie bar with gusto. Jack just batted his blue eyes at everyone as mixed berry frozen deliciousness dripped down his face and hands. Sarah, who is half as tall as the shopping cart has gone from "helping,"to blindly steering the buggy as her infant brother, oblivious to her driving technique, happily rides along. It was all I could do to get everyone to the cashier safely and as far as I know, no other customers were harmed or injured during our excursion to the grocery store.
Friday, May 28, 2010
Five on Friday
1. Props to Skip Hop for sending me a brand new Studio Tote Diaper Bag. I had mine for only sixteen months and the handle tore. I emailed the company. They replied promptly and asked for a photo of the damage and the serial number of the bag. One week voila, a new bag arrives in the mail and I could not be happier.
2. Nap vs. No Nap: Sarah stopped napping in late December. It was a sad day for me and it took me a while to adjust to not having that 2-3 hour window of alone time each day. The problem is that some days she really needs a nap. She begs to go to her bed to sleep. But a mere one hour nap will change her bedtime from 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. So the dilemma is, do I suffer through with a cranky, miserable child or let her sleep and then be forced to entertain her for an extra three hours? Yesterday the nap won out and I paid the price last night.
3. Keeping with the sleep theme. No one told me before I became a parent, what a big deal sleep is. Sleep or lack thereof can make or break you.
4. On Sunday morning, My sister Tina and I will be at the West Richmond Community Centre selling baby equipment and kids items at the Kids Only Swap Meet. While we are doing it to reduce the amount of stuff at our house, it is also a social time. I am looking forward to it.
5. O.k. I will admit it, I am reading another parenting book. I am really enjoying it. It is called Playful Parenting by Lawrence J. Cohen. As a teacher, I have always been a big proponent of play. But to read about all of the things that are going on as children play is eye opening and has giving me a lot to think about.
Have a great weekend.
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Tales of a Night Time Super Hero
I am a night time super hero at our house. When either child wakes up, I am the go to person. While I do not jump over buildings with a single leap, I am very adept at comforting, snuggling and putting back to sleep crying children. Lately this super hero status has been cramping my sleeping style and hurting my back.
Jack is finally sleeping through the night on a consistent basis. It has been quite blissful to get uninterrupted sleep again. I had forgotten what that was like. For the first four months of his life, Jack was a pretty great sleeper. The dream feed was like magic. Then teeth happened, then growth spurts, then a cold and the list went on and on. From about five months old until about thirteen months, there was multiple wake ups. When these wake ups happened, I would do what I do best and stick a boob in his mouth. A few minutes of liquid gold and he was ready to hit the hay again. Especially on nights when I knew I had to get up at 5:00 to get ready for work, I needed the path of least resistance. So I would fly into his room, feed him and I could be back in bed within ten minutes.
Fast forward to the past few weeks and now Sarah is waking in the night. She runs into our room, always to my side of the bed, "Mommy, I need you." "Mommy I can't sleep without you." Ultimately I end up crawling into bed with her. Her bed is a twin and she likes to sleep surrounded by books and toys. So there I am crammed into the corner, up against a wall with a talking Shrek toy pressed against my back. Every time there is movement, the Shrek toy yells, "I'm warning you." So in my fitful sleep, I have Shrek's voice shrieking in my head, which makes for some interesting dreams. As I slip in and out of consciousness, I wait for the exact moment that Sarah has gone back to sleep. Then like a ninja, I creep out of bed. Although, I am not sure creeping is the best word as by that point, my back has cramped up and I feel like I am about eighty as I try haul myself out of bed without the disturbing the sleeping princess. Then I stealthily make my way back to my luscious bed with more space, a better pillow and zero Shrek toys.
Jack is finally sleeping through the night on a consistent basis. It has been quite blissful to get uninterrupted sleep again. I had forgotten what that was like. For the first four months of his life, Jack was a pretty great sleeper. The dream feed was like magic. Then teeth happened, then growth spurts, then a cold and the list went on and on. From about five months old until about thirteen months, there was multiple wake ups. When these wake ups happened, I would do what I do best and stick a boob in his mouth. A few minutes of liquid gold and he was ready to hit the hay again. Especially on nights when I knew I had to get up at 5:00 to get ready for work, I needed the path of least resistance. So I would fly into his room, feed him and I could be back in bed within ten minutes.
Fast forward to the past few weeks and now Sarah is waking in the night. She runs into our room, always to my side of the bed, "Mommy, I need you." "Mommy I can't sleep without you." Ultimately I end up crawling into bed with her. Her bed is a twin and she likes to sleep surrounded by books and toys. So there I am crammed into the corner, up against a wall with a talking Shrek toy pressed against my back. Every time there is movement, the Shrek toy yells, "I'm warning you." So in my fitful sleep, I have Shrek's voice shrieking in my head, which makes for some interesting dreams. As I slip in and out of consciousness, I wait for the exact moment that Sarah has gone back to sleep. Then like a ninja, I creep out of bed. Although, I am not sure creeping is the best word as by that point, my back has cramped up and I feel like I am about eighty as I try haul myself out of bed without the disturbing the sleeping princess. Then I stealthily make my way back to my luscious bed with more space, a better pillow and zero Shrek toys.
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Run Up for Down Syndrome
On June 6, my family and I will be participating in the Run Up for Down Syndrome. The run is a fundraising event for the Down Syndrome Research Foundation. We will be walking with and for my nephew Declan.
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Reflections on a May Long Weekend Stay-cation
As a kid, the May long weekend was the first camping weekend of the year. I have many fond memories of camping as a child. My sisters and I were experts at catching frogs in the muddiest of puddles. We learned to avoid leeches while swimming in a variety of watering holes around B.C. We cherished that smell of the camp fire in our clothes, from the many evenings we sat around roasting marshmallows only to retire to the picnic table to play card games under the light of a lantern or two. I love camping and I want my kids to have a chance to experience the great outdoors and all of the things that go along with a good camping experience. But I am going to be really honest, since having kids I am not a TENT camper. So for us this weekend was all about the "Staycation." We stuck around home and enjoyed just a few of the amazing activities there are to do in the Lower Mainland.
Saturday morning, we headed to the Vancouver Children's Festival to see Charlotte Diamond.
When I bought the tickets, I really had Sarah in mind. I thought it would be just her thing and I know she sings a few of the songs at school. But she was completely distracted by the cotton candy and kept saying, "Mommy is it over? Can we go get cotton candy now?" On the other hand, Jack pulled out all his best moves, he was shaking his baby booty, bobbing up and down and clapping to the beat of the music.
Although we can't say Sarah did not get anything from the Charlotte Diamond performance. Saturday night in the bath, she did an excellent rendition of "I am a Pizza" changing the word pizza to the correct term for a boys private part. So the $20 ticket was well worth it.
After the performance, we checked out some of the other activities at the festival. If you are wondering, Sarah did get cotton candy. Jack loved the giant sand box and spent quite a bit of time there.
Sarah loved everything that the pre-school pavilion had to offer including reading stories in the book corner with her Auntie L.B. and trying on costumes from the tickle trunk.
Monday we headed back to the Kerrisdale Play Palace. This is such a great place for kids of all ages and it is relatively inexpensive.
Believe it or not, it was warm enough Monday afternoon to get the pool out. We spent the afternoon in the backyard splashing and playing. It was a great way to end the long weekend.
The last couple of years, I have made a list of things I want to do over the summer. The list includes kid and adult activities. It is a little bit like a "Summer Bucket List." One of the "me" things I want to do this summer is learn more about wine. I will share the rest of my summer list in an upcoming blog. Please share some of the activities you plan to do this summer.
Happy Tuesday.
Saturday morning, we headed to the Vancouver Children's Festival to see Charlotte Diamond.
When I bought the tickets, I really had Sarah in mind. I thought it would be just her thing and I know she sings a few of the songs at school. But she was completely distracted by the cotton candy and kept saying, "Mommy is it over? Can we go get cotton candy now?" On the other hand, Jack pulled out all his best moves, he was shaking his baby booty, bobbing up and down and clapping to the beat of the music.
Although we can't say Sarah did not get anything from the Charlotte Diamond performance. Saturday night in the bath, she did an excellent rendition of "I am a Pizza" changing the word pizza to the correct term for a boys private part. So the $20 ticket was well worth it.
After the performance, we checked out some of the other activities at the festival. If you are wondering, Sarah did get cotton candy. Jack loved the giant sand box and spent quite a bit of time there.
Sarah loved everything that the pre-school pavilion had to offer including reading stories in the book corner with her Auntie L.B. and trying on costumes from the tickle trunk.
Monday we headed back to the Kerrisdale Play Palace. This is such a great place for kids of all ages and it is relatively inexpensive.
Believe it or not, it was warm enough Monday afternoon to get the pool out. We spent the afternoon in the backyard splashing and playing. It was a great way to end the long weekend.
The last couple of years, I have made a list of things I want to do over the summer. The list includes kid and adult activities. It is a little bit like a "Summer Bucket List." One of the "me" things I want to do this summer is learn more about wine. I will share the rest of my summer list in an upcoming blog. Please share some of the activities you plan to do this summer.
Happy Tuesday.
Friday, May 21, 2010
Five on Friday
The long weekend edition.......
1. My weekend starts on Thursdays because the three days that I work are at the beginning of the week. We spent yesterday at home doing things that Sarah loves best, crafts and cooking. Thanks to Janice and her boys for the butterfly cookie cutters that Sarah got for her birthday. I am very proud of her, she can now crack the eggs and not get any shells in the bowl and she is a force to be reckoned with when she is wielding a rolling pin.
2. Speaking of Sarah.... She has been extremely difficult for me this past week. She is strong willed and there has been a lot of whining, talking back, yelling and screaming lately. I can honestly say I have not been the parent I want to be lately.
3. Today we are heading to the Kerrisdale Play Palace. We meant to go there last summer, but it just did not happen. I think Sarah will enjoy it a lot more this year as she is becoming more comfortable in busy places that are unfamiliar. I know Jack is going to love the toddler area.
4. This weekend we are going to check out the Children's Festival . Hopefully the weather will hold.
5. Jack- A Fourteen Month Update. Jack will be fourteen months old on Sunday. He is a big boy at over twenty seven pounds. He is now consistently sleeping through the night (7-6). Jack is an expert crawler and as a result has no real interest in walking. He can stand unassisted for long periods of time, but when he wants to move, he drops to his knees and crawls. He is a big eater. Jack's favorite foods are strawberries, grapes and pasta. We are still working on getting him to drink cows milk. He is a big fan of his sister and everything she does.
Happy long weekend.
1. My weekend starts on Thursdays because the three days that I work are at the beginning of the week. We spent yesterday at home doing things that Sarah loves best, crafts and cooking. Thanks to Janice and her boys for the butterfly cookie cutters that Sarah got for her birthday. I am very proud of her, she can now crack the eggs and not get any shells in the bowl and she is a force to be reckoned with when she is wielding a rolling pin.
2. Speaking of Sarah.... She has been extremely difficult for me this past week. She is strong willed and there has been a lot of whining, talking back, yelling and screaming lately. I can honestly say I have not been the parent I want to be lately.
3. Today we are heading to the Kerrisdale Play Palace. We meant to go there last summer, but it just did not happen. I think Sarah will enjoy it a lot more this year as she is becoming more comfortable in busy places that are unfamiliar. I know Jack is going to love the toddler area.
4. This weekend we are going to check out the Children's Festival . Hopefully the weather will hold.
5. Jack- A Fourteen Month Update. Jack will be fourteen months old on Sunday. He is a big boy at over twenty seven pounds. He is now consistently sleeping through the night (7-6). Jack is an expert crawler and as a result has no real interest in walking. He can stand unassisted for long periods of time, but when he wants to move, he drops to his knees and crawls. He is a big eater. Jack's favorite foods are strawberries, grapes and pasta. We are still working on getting him to drink cows milk. He is a big fan of his sister and everything she does.
Happy long weekend.
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Five things.................
I have caught a nasty cold and have no voice and Sarah was very difficult after work today, but I am going to persevere and keep my glass half full.
Five things I am loving right now......
1. This time of year. Yesterday when I dropped off the kids at daycare and headed to work, the sun was out, I could smell fresh flowers and the dew on the grass and I was wearing sandals. It doesn't get much better than that.
2. Jack's growing chatter. He is a talker. His new thing is to point at everything and say, "What's this" but it sounds more like ("wassiss').
3. My new Pandora Bracelet that my mother in law gave me for Mother's Day. I love that it is a charm bracelet that can be created over time and that each charm can tell a story or create a memory.
4. Our new rice cooker. We got a new rice cooker a few weeks ago and Adam has taken to trying new dishes on a weekly basis. I especially like coming home to a dinner all ready to go, on those night that he works late and I am home alone during the dinner hour.
5. Sarah's love of books and how she never tires of hearing or reading stories. Fancy Nancy is a current favorite. We still read Splendiferous Christmas several times a week.
Five things I am loving right now......
1. This time of year. Yesterday when I dropped off the kids at daycare and headed to work, the sun was out, I could smell fresh flowers and the dew on the grass and I was wearing sandals. It doesn't get much better than that.
2. Jack's growing chatter. He is a talker. His new thing is to point at everything and say, "What's this" but it sounds more like ("wassiss').
3. My new Pandora Bracelet that my mother in law gave me for Mother's Day. I love that it is a charm bracelet that can be created over time and that each charm can tell a story or create a memory.
4. Our new rice cooker. We got a new rice cooker a few weeks ago and Adam has taken to trying new dishes on a weekly basis. I especially like coming home to a dinner all ready to go, on those night that he works late and I am home alone during the dinner hour.
5. Sarah's love of books and how she never tires of hearing or reading stories. Fancy Nancy is a current favorite. We still read Splendiferous Christmas several times a week.
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Celebrating 3
Sarah turned three on Thursday. On Mother's Day 2007, we welcomed Sarah to our family. It is hard to believe she is already three years old. We have been celebrating since Thursday. I like to take an annual photo of her waking up on her birthday. Here is this year's photo:
On Thursday, we took Sarah to Chuck E. Cheese. It was our second annual birthday trip to Chuck E. Cheese. It was so much fun to watch her re-visit her favorite rides and games as well as see how much more confident she has become to try new things on her own.
We followed up our Chuck E. Cheese visit with a family dinner with my parents and sisters and Sarah's Uncle Spence and her cousins Emma and Declan. Sarah got Gram's special chocolate cake with pink icing and sprinkles.
Saturday was her friend party. We celebrated at Cartwheels. Sarah had an amazing time getting recquainted with the apparatus, playing with all her friends and family and of course there was more cake.
In honour of Sarah turning three, I have been thinking about the top three things that Sarah has taught me in my three years of being a parent:
1. It is hard, no check that, virtually impossible to make a child do something he or she does not want to. Exhibit A: Sarah knows how to use the potty and can do it on her own, but refuses to do it. No amount of discussion, begging or bribery has helped our cause. Exhibit B: Sarah almost never lets us comb or do her hair. I always imagined that my little girl would have cute pig tails, a head band or a barratte strategically placed just so. Sarah has other ideas.
2. That frustration can grow in the pit of your stomach and burn like a raging forest fire, but it can be extinguished as quickly as it grows with a look, smile or a kind word, "I love you mommy, you are a nice girl."
3. That the parenting books do not have all the answers. I am a book person. When I was pregnant, I read many, many books on sleep (The Baby Whisperer, Happiest Baby on the Block, No Cry Sleep Solution etc.). Since Sarah turned two, I have read more parenting books and while I still think books are a valuable tool, sometime you just have to have a little faith in yourself and trust your instincts.
I leave you with my favorite picture from this weekends festivities:
On Thursday, we took Sarah to Chuck E. Cheese. It was our second annual birthday trip to Chuck E. Cheese. It was so much fun to watch her re-visit her favorite rides and games as well as see how much more confident she has become to try new things on her own.
We followed up our Chuck E. Cheese visit with a family dinner with my parents and sisters and Sarah's Uncle Spence and her cousins Emma and Declan. Sarah got Gram's special chocolate cake with pink icing and sprinkles.
Saturday was her friend party. We celebrated at Cartwheels. Sarah had an amazing time getting recquainted with the apparatus, playing with all her friends and family and of course there was more cake.
In honour of Sarah turning three, I have been thinking about the top three things that Sarah has taught me in my three years of being a parent:
1. It is hard, no check that, virtually impossible to make a child do something he or she does not want to. Exhibit A: Sarah knows how to use the potty and can do it on her own, but refuses to do it. No amount of discussion, begging or bribery has helped our cause. Exhibit B: Sarah almost never lets us comb or do her hair. I always imagined that my little girl would have cute pig tails, a head band or a barratte strategically placed just so. Sarah has other ideas.
2. That frustration can grow in the pit of your stomach and burn like a raging forest fire, but it can be extinguished as quickly as it grows with a look, smile or a kind word, "I love you mommy, you are a nice girl."
3. That the parenting books do not have all the answers. I am a book person. When I was pregnant, I read many, many books on sleep (The Baby Whisperer, Happiest Baby on the Block, No Cry Sleep Solution etc.). Since Sarah turned two, I have read more parenting books and while I still think books are a valuable tool, sometime you just have to have a little faith in yourself and trust your instincts.
I leave you with my favorite picture from this weekends festivities:
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
How this all started...
I just finished reading Lift by Kelly Corrigan. She talks about how the average person only "knows a handful of stories from before middle school" and that most people "barely know ten stories from childhood." That really stuck with me. I want Jack and Sarah to have memories from their childhood and stories that they re-live. I feel like I want to take these memories, these things we do together and hold on tight so I can pass it onto them when they get older. This blog is an attempt to capture some moments. The big moments and the little ones. The good times and the crazy times (think all four of us crammed into a king sized bed on my Mother's Day weekend get-away). There will be a learning curve, but I am ready to jump in and give it a try. I hope you will join me on my little adventure.
Do you have more than ten stories from your childhood?
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