Wildly Random

Alright, it's time for an update. So here it is. I've discovered the reason I'm annoyed with blogging. I received a warning from blogger that I had exceeded my storage limit for photos. Now, I have to resize every picture before I post it. I find it annoying to have to download the pics and then resize them. It's just an extra step. Then I wind up putting it off more and more until I have a month to catch up on! So, here you go... the last month or so of H-brand living.

We had annual dentist appointments. Gavin has some major issues - overbite, grinding, teeth too tight together - the list goes on... But, we are still 100% for no cavities. Praise the Lord for that. I'm pretty sure they get that from their daddy as I have more fillings in my mouth than I care to admit!

 Gavin has just grown leaps and bounds since last summer. He got this bike for his third birthday and probably sat on it three times. This summer, he is just a riding away. Oh and I just realized he isn't wearing a helmet - I swear to you this was the only time. Once I realized he was actually going to be riding, we went and bought him one right away!

This boy brings me so much joy. He is incredible and sweet and funny and always so so happy. Here, he's hanging out in his favourite place, the pantry.

 Chelsea's insane growth spurt (we bought her size 11 indoor shoes for Kindergarten in Sept, then 12 in Dec, 13 in Feb and just yesterday size 1) meant that we had to retire the princess bike (with 16" tires) and upgrade. Here she is proudly showing her 20" bike. I was a little leery that it might be too big, but she has mastered it.

 Mastered it despite the fact that there was still snow on the ground. Grrrr... this is spring, right??

 Gavin continues to amaze me. Yup, I'm that annoying bragging mom. He is just so smart. He loves reading. I'd say about 50% of our daily conversations involve him reading, asking how to spell something, or asking what words say. Please don't think he's got it all together. He's incredibly, frustratingly, annoyingly helpless when it comes to physical tasks such as getting dressed, putting a jacket or boots on or wiping his bum. I wonder if I will ever miss hearing, "Moooooom, I'mmmm dooone!" He just doesn't even attempt these tasks or if he does, it always ends in tears.

 Always happy. No joke.

 

First time on a swing. Eli loves being outside, which is great, because we are outside a lot. Hopefully it warms up this week.

 These two have quite the relationship already. Eli loves chasing Gavin and wrestling and playing with him. Gavin is so good about it too, for the most part. It melts my heart to see them already enjoying each other.

 We spend a lot of time together. I adore his squishy-ness.

Grandma Pat came out for a few days. Can I just say how much easier life is with an extra adult around? Sigh. It was blissful even. I was able to go grocery shopping during nap time. I was able to quickly run to a store without buckling three car seats. I had someone to hold the baby while I dealt with the other two. I had adult conversation. It was amazing.

 But, as with every visit, eventually we have to say goodbye. Chelsea finds it the hardest. I'm pretty sure Gavin thinks Grandma is still out shopping somewhere.

Alright, now I realize this post is more for my mom and I, but hey, there you go. An update. I promise I'll be back sooner next time!

I am *that* mom.

 I just love when I remember to capture the same moments with each of my children. Eli has really been loving his walker, so when I caught him in the bathroom this week, I couldn't resist snapping a comparison shot!

He LOVED the toilet paper - can you tell?

The telephone.

True fact - I love talking on the phone. I miss it. I used to spend hours talking on the phone when I was a teenager, much to the dismay of my parents and their "10 minutes" rule. In university, I loved talking on the phone and often falling asleep talking on the phone. There's just something so special about it. Hearing someone's voice and the inflections and the heart behind their words. It's so much easier to convey a message than texting or chatting. There's way less confusion and misunderstanding if you can just speak from the heart, without using emoticons.

As a stay at home mom, nothing brightens my day like a phone call. It can even be a quick one! Just a call to or from another adult - someone that I can quickly chat and connect with, have a little laugh or encouragement and then I can continue on my day of wiping mouths and bums, cleaning up the unending messes and reading the thousands of stories. It's just so great to know that someone was thinking of you enough just to call and say "Hey. You matter to me."

 Now, that being said, I don't like talking on my iphone. I can't nicely tuck it into my ear/shoulder area. It always seems to have a weird echo and it cuts in and out like a speaker phone. I say bring back old school cordless phones, which of course, we got rid of. We don't even have a landline - just cell phones. Plus, most of my friends have admitted that they don't like talking on the phone at all. Am I alone in my love for talking on the phone??

My baby is 6!

My sweets turned six this week. From this miraculous little love...

to this mischievous girl who keeps me on my toes.

 We celebrated and celebrated and celebrated. Here is a fun little family party at Grandma's house. The co-op cake with her picture on it was a great hit!

This year, Chelsea specifically requested that I NOT make her a fancy cake. Let's do a simple recap, shall we? 

Birthday 1 - the cake that started it all. Cakes 2 and 3 were my choice, but by birthday 4, she was already telling me what to do. "No fondant, mommy. I don't like it. Lots of candy. I like candy!" By birthday five, I was told no cake, but we could make some fun cupcakes and cake pops.

Birthday #6, I'm not going to lie, was slightly heartbreaking. I totally believe in letting my girl dream and make decisions. I had amazing ideas of a theme and a huge, fantastic cake. Instead, my daughter asked for cupcakes, from a box, with icing from co-op. For her birthday party, she wanted a Barbie cake from co-op. I know I've made too big of a deal about this, but I am talented! I started making cakes because I loved doing my kids' cakes. Aw, well, I've got about 80 more birthdays for her. Maybe she'll let me decorate a few cakes for her in that time. 

So, may I present Chelsea's dream cupcakes.

 She was super pleased, so I guess it was all worth it!

 Oh, and of course, there were cookie dough cupcakes, dipped in white chocolate and rolled in sugar - Chelsea's favourite!

Gavin really likes them too. ;)

For the main birthday party, Chelsea wanted to go to the paint your own pottery studio, know as Clay Owl. Chelsea loves it here. So she carefully chose 8 friends, and we planned all the details, together.  Here it is, a neon icing, Barbie toy cake from Co-op. Please note, it cost $30! Ah, the things I do to please my girl. 

Chelsea's decorations she chose, and a glimpse of the rice krispie treats that we made too.

 We also had the famous Miss Jolene come and do facepainting. So so beautiful!

 Busy, busy painting our creatures!

 All of the girls, except for one, chose Chelsea's rainbow butterfly design. So cute!

Birthday party week was exhausting, but so worth it. Celebrating my baby girl and making her feel so special. We decorated our house and celebrated her to the max. She is my ray of sunshine. Love her to bits. Oh, and of course Mario made an appearance at the party too. ;)

I know I go overboard on birthdays, but I just can't help it. They are my favourite holidays - more so than Christmas even. There is just something so special about taking time to fully celebrate someone. Happy birthday, my sweet C. Love you!

Hello Blogger!

I'm working on a few big posts. I'm hoping to pick up blogging again. I've been really busy and really tired, which means that some things get pushed aside. Keep checking back!

For now, I'll leave you with a little funny. Gavin was given a little giraffe stuffy. He was working pretty hard on naming it. He decided on Horny, because it has horns.

Oh Horny. Welcome to the family.

Baby steps

It's no secret that since my baby was born, (here's a picture just in case you forgot how adorable he is)

 

 Anyways, oh wait - you want to see another picture? Well, alright...

 And just one more...

Anyways, where was I? Oh yes, it's no secret that I've been struggling since Eli was born, self esteem wise. Some days, it seems that it's all I can focus on. Other days, it seems okay. Lately, I've been having way more "okay" days, which has been nice. It's amazing how some time spent with my husband can lift my spirits and how spending time some good friends fills me up.

Last weekend, I slipped into Winnipeg for a day of shopping by myself. I found some clothes and shoes for myself. This is pretty much a miracle. I am always jealous of cute shoes and finally tried some TOMS and they fit! Of course, I had to buy just a few pairs...

I like being in control and feeling pretty, so I've been really focusing on what I can control right now, instead of what I can't. For example, I always have my nails painted, and now I have some cute shoes and some comfortable jeans. I had my hair cut and highlighted a few weeks ago and got the idea into my head that I should get some extensions. I've been growing my hair for a while, but it felt like it was stuck at such an awkward length. Today was the day. :) I was pumped. Not only was I getting to spend a solid 3-4 hours with my friend Holly, but I was getting pretty hair!

This hair will definitely take some getting used to as it is LONG, but I absolutely love it.

Slowly, but surely, taking baby steps in the direction of self acceptance.

GaVino.

This boy is so incredibly lovable. I very much appreciate our time that we get to spend together. Usually we have some time together in the afternoon while Eli is sleeping. Gavin still loves playing with his Mario characters. He'll play with them for hours and hours. In some ways, it's a bit of a pain because they are always left all over the house, but I know my heart will be sad when he outgrows this stage.

 He is affectionate and cuddly. He loves being loved. He tells me 100 times a day that he loves me. He gives amazing kisses and he loves being cuddled. He is very much a mama's boy - just the way I like it. He is so soft and squishy. I want him to stay affectionate forever.

 He still naps from 1-3 everyday. I know he's almost four and soon, with me going back to work mornings, he'll have to outgrow this so he can go to afternoon preschool.But for now, I cherish these times.

 But for now, I will love and smush and hug and cuddle this warm cheeks every afternoon. Nothing smells as sweet as his neck after a nap.

Sorry for the mushy, lovey post. I just had a few shots of him that I wanted to share!

It's me!

I'd like to promise that I'll get better at posting more frequently, but really, who knows? I would like to keep better track of what is going on in our lives so that it makes it easier and more interesting to look back on. For now, I'm going to just do a list of random things, because that's probably about all my brain can handle at the moment.

- First off, this seems like the longest winter ever. We are still waist deep in snow on our front yard and it almost April! I've been feeling very blue this winter, so I am very much enjoying the warmer days that we've been having and the glorious sunshine. Soon Spring will be here in full force and I will embrace it with open arms!

- I love having my nails painted lately. I'm glad Chelsea is a girlie girl and loves it too. In some ways, I'm finding it challenging to parent her with patience lately, so I like taking as many chances for one on one time with her as I can get.

- Spring break is coming to an end. Although we didn't do anything special like a vacation or even a night in a hotel, we often talk about our Florida trip and flip through the photo albums so that the kids remember that we did just do something super fun. Chelsea has pretty much been off school for almost two weeks already. She went to school on the 13th, but the 14th and 15th, she had off. The following Monday and Tuesday were snow days and school was cancelled, then Wednesday was early dismissal so she only had school for 2 hours. Then, Thursday and Friday she had off again. It's been a long time!  I made sure to keep our schedule with the perfect balance of busy and calm. Busy enough that Chelsea is happy as she likes to be doing something or going somewhere all the time, and calm enough that I don't feel stressed. I signed her up for a few art classes in Morden and we scheduled a few play dates with friends. I took the two older kids to a story time at Clay Owl where we painted a bunny and a chick, and I sent Chelsea to Clay Owl with our neighbour to paint some coasters one day. All in all, a great spring break.

- I found out that I will be working mornings when I return to work in Sept. It's always so hard for me to return to work. I have been very fortunate to have more than a year off as I had Eli during the summer, but I just feel like I miss out on so much when I'm away from them. Thankfully, childcare has fallen into placed and we are feeling very blessed to be going back to Shirlie's.

- Chris and I were able to slip away to the city for a "date" last night. I use the quotation marks because it was super quick. My friend who lives just outside of the city offered to take all three kids so we could go for supper. We were quick to take her up on that offer. We dropped off the littles, ate a big steak at The Keg, whipped into Walmart to buy some Easter treats and then held hands while wandering the aisles of Costco. Seriously - date nights change drastically from your 20s to your 30s! ;)

- I actually started writing this blogpost a few days ago. Although it feels like every day kind of blurs into the next, we've been super busy. Hopefully I'll get a few more posts up soon!

8 months

My baby turned 8 months. He has been so busy growing. He is such a beautiful baby. He is laid back and happy and loving.

At 8 months, he's still toothless and breastfeeding often. He has gotten into the habit of going to bed at 7, and then waking at 1 and 5 to feed. I feel like I should cut out the 5 am feed, but at the same time, it's a really good milk feed for him. Sometimes I feel that he is so busy during the day that he isn't nursing as much as he should be. Also - he loves food, especially finger foods. I'm pretty sure he tolerates us feeding him for the simple reason that we can shovel it in faster than he can. He's sitting like a champ, starting to tolerate tummy time and every once in a while, gets up on his hands and knees. I'm okay with him slowing down and staying like a baby for a bit. I can't believe how fast time is flying this third time around.

 

I will confess that my least favourite part of being 8 months is the hair pulling. It just doesn't stop. Every single time we get near, he just grabs fistfuls and pulls us in so close. If you don't have long hair, he will use your ears - no worries. I keep telling Chris it's just the way that Eli expresses his love, but man, he doesn't have to be so rough with his love!

 Please don't think his life is always awesome. As you can tell, his life is rough. A few things to note about the following picture:
1. his hair. If you look closely, it's awesome and spiky and wild, just in the back.
2. the fact that his sleeper is still open after his last diaper change. Changing an 8 month old's diaper is like trying to stuff a squirmy puppy into a doll's dress that is three sizes too small, so he may have won the last battle and I just gave up without buttoning all 84 snaps. (and yes, the dog incident may have happened at our house this week as well.)
3. the fact that he's still wearing a sleeper and it is closer to 5 pm than 5 am.
4. the unbelievable amount of toys that you will find on my livingroom rug at any given moment in time.
5. the dog, calmly waiting in the background for anyone to pay her a smidgen of attention.

And just two more.

No Soup For You!

Naomi’s Corn Chowder

(We added farmer sausage! Chris loved the recipe, but was like, "What? There's no meat??")

In a large pot combine:

1 pkg chopped farmer sausage

2 pkg dry knorr vegetable soup mix
4 cups water
4 cups cubed potatoes
2 cups carrots
1 small onion chopped
2 cups frozen corn
2 tsp salt (or to taste)
1 tsp pepper (or to taste)
Bring all to boil and simmer for 25 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Stir occasionally to prevent the veggies from burning to the bottom.

In separate large saucepan melt:
1/2 cup marg
Stir in:4 tbsp flour
Add and whisk:5 cups milk Bring to a slight boil.

Let cool slightly, then add 3 cups shredded cheddar. Stir till cheese is melted then add to veggies and serve.

Soup will thicken with time.

Lasagna Soup (From Heather)

I lb italian sausage (we use spicy)
2 cups onion chopped
I cup carrots, diced
2 cups mushrooms, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups chicken stock
1 can italian stewed tomatoes
1 can tomato sauce
1 cup dry pasta
2 cups fresh spinach, chopped
Mozza cheese shredded

Brown sausage and onions. Add remaining ingredients, except spinach and cheese. Let simmer till cooked. Add spinach at the end. Top each bowl with mozza cheese.

Chicken Taco Soup (From Eva)
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Water
2 cups corn
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 med onion (chopped)
1 tbsp chili pd
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
Simmer for appx 1 hour. Remove chicken and cut up in bite sized pieces or shred with a fork. Place bake into soup and add 1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves. Continue to simmer for another 30 minutes or so.
Cut 9 corn tortillas into strips and fry in a little bit of oil.
Serve over soup.

Taco Soup

1 pound ground beef, browned and drained
½ cup onion
20 oz chopped tomatoes
1 can kidney beans, drained
14 oz can corn with juice
8 oz can tomato sauce
Taco seasoning
1-2 cups water
Salt and pepper to taste.

Put in slow cooker and cook for 4-6 hours on low.


Sommaborscht

2 packs farmer’s sausage sliced
½ roaster full of diced potatoes
1 medium onion chopped
Parsley
Dill
2 litres buttermilk (3 if you like it soupy)
Green onions
2-3 Tbsp vinegar
Cream

Put in 400 oven for about 2 hours. Add cream when done cooking. Salt with Chicken-in-a-Mug to taste.

Chicken Noodle Soup

Fatty pieces of chicken and bones
Cold water
Salt
2-3 tsp parsley
1-2 bay leaves
5-6 whole star anises
10 – 15 peppercorns
½ tsp cinnamon

Serve with cooked noodles (you know, those thin homemade ones from Co-op)

V8 Vegetable Soup

1 large can of V8
½ bag frozen peas
½ bag frozen corn
1 can cut green beans
1 small potato cut into small pieces
½ onion diced
1 lb lean ground turkey
Brown and drain the turkey. Add all ingredients to large pot and heat on high until boiling.
Simmer uncovered for at least 3 minutes or until potatoes are tender.

Hamburger Soup

1/2 lb. ground beef
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup diced carrots
1/2 cup diced celery
2 tsp. beef-in-a-mug bouillon base
1 pint tomatoes
1/2 bay leaf
4 peppercorns
1 1/2 quarts water
salt to taste
3/4 cup macaroni
In a larger Dutch oven, fry hamburger with onions and pepper until it is no longer red. Add in carrots and celery; fry until tender-crisp. Add remaining ingredients except macaroni.

Bring to a boil; simmer to blend flavours. Add macaroni to boiling soup and simmer until tender.

iPhone, ShmiPhone.

Alright, I've been trying to blog all night and I've been struggling. I'm working on a post about friendships and it's a tough one, so instead of hitting post, I'm saving that in drafts for a while. Yup. I'm a bit of a chicken.

Anyways, I wanted to post. I've really been making an effort to put down my phone. I don't ever want my kids to think that Facebook or Instagram or texting is more important than they are. I read this, ironically, on FB the other day.

Dear Mom On the iPhone,

I see you over there on the bench, messing on your iPhone. It feels good to relax a little while your kids have fun in the sunshine, doesn’t it? You are doing a great job with your kids, you work hard, you teach them manners, have them do their chores.

But Momma, let me tell you what you don’t see right now…..

Your little girl is spinning round and round, making her dress twirl. She is such a little beauty queen already, the sun shining behind her long hair. She keeps glancing your way to see if you are watching her.

You aren’t.

Your little boy keeps shouting, “Mom, MOM watch this!” I see you acknowledge him, barely glancing his way.

He sees that too. His shoulders slump, but only for a moment, as he finds the next cool thing to do.

Now you are pushing your baby in the swing. She loves it! Cooing and smiling with every push. You don’t see her though, do you? Your head is bent, your eyes on your phone as you absently push her swing.

Talk to her. Tell her about the clouds, Mommy. The Creator who made them. Tickle her tummy when she comes near you and enjoy that baby belly laugh that leaves far too quickly.

Put your eyes back on your prize…Your kids.

Show them that they are the priority. Wherever you are, be ALL there. I am not saying it’s not ok to check in on your phone, but it’s a time-sucker: User Beware!

Play time at the park will be over before you know it.

The childhood of your children will be gone before you know it.

They won’t always want to come to the park with you, Mommy. They won’t always spin and twirl to make their new dress swish, they won’t always call out, “WATCH ME!”

There will come a point when they stop trying, stop calling your name, stop bothering to interrupt your phone time.

Because they know…

You’ve shown them, all these moments, that the phone is more important than they are. They see you looking at it at while waiting to pick up brother from school, during playtime, at the dinner table, at bedtime…..

I know that’s not true, Mommy.

I know your heart says differently.

But your kids can’t hear your words, Mommy. Your actions are screaming way too loudly.

May our eyes rest upon those we love, first and foremost, and may everything else fall away in the wonderful, noisy, sticky-fingered glory of it all."
So for now, I will be putting down my phone. This might mean that texts don't get answered right away, or that emails simmer for a while before I respond. I mean, we all survived before iphones and texting right? I actually miss, honestly miss, talking on the phone with friends. Texting just isn't the same. I feel lonely so often and I think a big chunk is that technology has replaced so many other REAL ways of communicating.

But I don't want to miss any more moments with my kids. It's time to stop documenting every moment with a camera, and instead, cherish, revel and soak in those moments. I am their mommy and I want them to know that they are far more important than whatever is happening on my phone.