I can’t even tell you how much I need a long weekend. I’m not even close to getting everything done that I needed to get done this weekend. I was going to have all of the Christmas presents wrapped and I haven’t even started. I did, however, take my babes swimming Friday with friends instead of doing the grocery shopping.

Saturday morning we went to a town nearby for the annual Santa Claus Parade – our second time going – and the kids had an absolute blast. Primo shouted at “Merry Christmas” at everything that went by ~ “Merry Christmas horse!” “Merry Christmas dog!” “Merry Christmas truck!” We thought the highlight was going to be Santa at the end, but he looked at me and said “but where”s the real Santa? At the North pole, right?” Yeesh. He’s too clever for his own good sometimes. We had the kids all bundled in snowsuits & boots because of the chilly wind and they were toasty except their hands & cheeks. I wore Sorels and Hot Chilis (long johns for winter running) and my winter running shirt under my parka so I was fine, but the Big Guy was chilly in his hiking boots & jeans. We always take Timmy Ho’s out with us so we were all well fed & happy. I don’t let my kids eat candy – particularly candy that’s been on the road – but that didn’t bother them at all. They agree about the whole “food on the road” thing.

After the parade we took Bella home for a nap and Primo & I went to Costco to get some groceries and then to the big Christmas craft show where I bought Bella hair pretties to match her Christmas outfit and Primo spent his money on treats for the dogs. Too sweet. He’s incredibly kind & thoughtful for a three year old sometimes. He loudly interrupted a busy woman at her booth to say “Can you please make a coffee for my Mom?” because he thought we’d waited long enough. And wait until you see his letter to Santa – what he asked for was too cute, and he saved himself for last without me even telling him to ask for things for anyone else. Love that kid, man. I’ll post both of the kids’ letters later this week.

Random Interjection: Bella only peed in her diaper twice all weekend (except during sleeping hours). Whee!

My friend was in town for a quick supper so I dropped Primo off & ran out to meet her & her fiance at BP’s, & then rushed home again for bedtime. After student-led conferences two evenings this week (after school one day and at bedtime another day) and a dinner out with my staff on Friday I’d missed enough quality hours with my babies so it was time to get home and stay home. Saturday night was cuddle time. Sunday morning brought a little Christmas photo session in the living room so I can change out the photos in our entryway frame (results below) and then…I can’t remember what we did for the rest of the day. How is that possible?

Thanks, Chelle, for making it easier for me to get something in this poor, lonely space tonight!

8 THINGS I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO:

1. December 18 – Christmas vacation time with my family!
2. Getting to my Mom’s place and finally relaxing.
3. Having my friend shave our dogs before Christmas. They’re super shaggy & my clippers are broken.
4. Moving our mortgage in a few years and no longer paying double what everyone else pays.
5. My mother in law getting here tomorrow so I can have a break and go out with the Big Guy.
6. Finishing Primo’s family tree project tomorrow and getting it mounted. Inspired by his new subscription to Chirp magazine.
7. Sleeping in Saturday. (Did you hear that, Big Guy?)
8. Retirement.

8 THINGS I DID YESTERDAY:

1. Played with playdough with my kids at 6:30 am.
2. Made my family their daily green smoothie.
3. Watched more than one old PVR’d Rachel Ray & Dr. Oz show after the kids were in bed.
4. Laundry. What’s new?
5. Made a dairy-free broccoli salad so the Big Guy could enjoy it.
6. Read a chapter of my current book – The Shack.
7. Was grateful for such amazing childcare. When I announced that it was time to leave in the morning they ran to the door and said “Yay! We love (her)!”
8. Ate chips after supper when I shouldn’t have been eating at all.

8 THINGS I WISH I COULD DO:

1. Keep my mouth shut.
2. Sleep in at least once a week.
3. Be chipper & energetic on 3 hours of sleep a night.
4. Have money left at the end of the month to save.
5. Find a reasonably priced house cleaner.
6. Win a lottery so I could stay home with my kids until they’re in school and not need a house cleaner.
7. Shop at a better & less expensive organic grocer.
8. Retire

8 SHOWS I WATCH:

1. Dexter
2. Survivor
3. Desperate Housewives
4. The Office
5. Parks & Rec
6. The Amazing Race
7. Dr. Oz
8. Rachel Ray

8 FAVORITE FOODS:

1. Anything my mom makes.
2. Fresh, sweet strawberries.
3. Pineapple.
4. Cheese and anything with cheese on it. My husband’s new dairy allergy just may kill me. Recipes please!
5. Chocolate milk.
6. Mocha latte.
7. Any fresh fruit that’s perfectly ripe.
8. Celery with cheez whiz. No, I’d never let my children eat cheese whiz.

8 PLACES I’VE TRAVELLED:

1. Las Vegas
2. Cuba
3. Prince Edward Island
4. Bathurst & Fredericton, New Brunswick
5. Niagara Falls
6. Vancouver & all of it’s bits & pieces & Whistler
7. Fairmont, Radium & Kimberly, BC
8. Everywhere, Saskatchewan

8 PLACES I’D LIKE TO TRAVEL:

1. The UK to see old friends
2. Prince Edward Island again, and hit all 4 maritime provinces
3. Disneyland
4. Montreal, PQ
5. Quebec City
6. Hawaii
7. Italy (and I’d have to hit France too. And Germany. Might as well make it a gooder.)
8. The Oregon Coast

So, my kids? They are happy. So happy, in fact, that they radiate gooey sticky sugary waves of sparkling sunsine. Or something like that.

And I? Have ten more comment sections to go and I’ll be done my report cards. A week early, thank you very much.

I’ve worked full time, done crafts, read a gajillion stories, watched Super Why ad nauseum, cuddled, tickled, kissed, sang, been the soccer mom, been the swimming mom, decorated the house for Halloween, packed all of that away, decorate the house for Christmas, hung out with my husband, prepared for the conference I’m presenting at this week (Out of town! Bringing my husband! Leaving my kids with my mom! Free date! First time ever!), cooked meals & kept two deep freezers full, baked cookies, baked muffins, stayed (almost) caught up on the laundry (but not the putting away thereof), and a little of this and a little of that. And we’re all happy. And it’s all good.

How long until this comes crashing down on me?

Here are the kids in their Halloween costumes before their party on Friday.

Bella, as the fairy princess (”faiwy pwintheth – I PINK!”) and Primo as “Sergeant OurLastName.”

Trick or treating was a HUGE hit. They just loved running to all the neighbours houses and shouting trick or treat as they shoved their buckets in their faces. Neither of them ate any candy though – they came home and devoured cheese, crackers and a veggie tray before bed. They had each had a chocolate earlier in the day and I think they’d had enough. The Halloween Fairy made a very poor choice in bringing Primo an Incredible Hulk toy. He spent the day saying “HULK SMASH” and smashing random things – including his sister. The Hulk now lives on top of our fridge. The pony for his sister was far less violent. Who knew?

Poor orphan children only had four pumpkins each this year:

They each scooped out and designed a jack-o-lantern, made a Mr/Mrs Potato Head with us and painted two mini pumpkins independently (by far their fave).

And some bonus cute that you may not have seen:

Slightly belated, being that they’re 3 1/2 and 1 3/4 now, but better late than never. It’s not like I didn’t have the shirts in time – I just forgot.

I have a blog. Or two. Or three.

Just some of the many things that I can’t keep up with as a working mom, but I don’t want to give it up completely so I’m just getting in here when I can. I’m aiming for once a week right now.

I have some of the cutest pictures ever to share with you – just have to get them shrunk to blog size, which I used to think took no time at all until I was a full-time working mommy. Gah.

Today’s my Halloween party in my classroom and the kids also have one at their dayhome. Bella’s a fairy princess (”PINK!”) and Primo’s a police officer (”I’m going to police all the bad guys into heaven or jail, Mommy.”) We’re all looking forward to our respective days and I’m even more looking forward to picking them up at noon and just hanging out.

Last Saturday we skipped Primo’s swimming lessons to head out to the local petting zoo/pumpkin farm for the annual family photo shoot but it was pouring sheets of rain so instead we came home and did a makeshift shoot of the kids in my m=un-studio and then watched The Incredibles, made milkshakes & popcorn and built a fort with the Fortamajig.

Sunday we made the first two pumpkins that currently reside in our house. Bella made a Mrs. Potato Head witch and Primo made a Mr. Potato Head pirate. Cute, easy and not messy. A perfect first attempt!

Yesterday afternoon the kids each painted two mini-pumpkins while I made supper. Primo chose the primary colours plus white and made purple, light blue, light red and painted two beautiful little creations. I did the same activity earlier in the week with my class of six year olds, and all but two made their paint look like poop. Heh. Bella wanted PINK! and only PINK! so she created two beautiful and bright pink pumpkins and then proceeded to paint her hands and arms right up to her elbows, and then her cheeks. Then she said “Pinkalicious!” Ha! She’s hilarious.

Last night we also opened the tops of the two jack-o-lanterns-to-be and scooped all the guts out to roast the seeds. This afternoon we’ll carve the faces. They both want happy faces but the rest is yet to be decided. I roasted the seeds (and the seeds from my classroom jack-o-lantern for my students) last night after the kids went to bed, in butter, salt & sugar. Mmmm. I even saved them some. They’ll taste them today and we’ll see how it goes. Primo used to love them and a couple o months ago decided that the granola with the “green things” was Daddy’s and I had to make him different stuff so you never know.

I have photos of all of this stuff. A good blogger would post them here. Me? Not so much.

Hi ho, Hi ho, it’s off to work I go!

We’re six weeks in to the whole working full time & dayhome thing and things are finally going well. The kids have loved their sitter from the start but Primo hates not being with me all day. (Bella couldn’t care less.) I had a rough time with the transition too, and it took me a month to not hate dropping my kids off every day. I’d still rather be home, but it’s smooth now and we’re all happy. Finally.

But now? I can’t swallow, I have swollen glands, my ears are plugged, my muscles ache, my skin hurts and I think I might have a slight fever.

And? My desk is a mess, my classroom is disorganized, I have no sub plans and it takes me three hours to make a day of plans.

Guess who’s going to work tomorrow bathed in Cleanwell?

October 11, 2009

Twenty one months, my sweet Bella! It’s an awkward number to spit out but you are anything but awkward. You are absolutely, utterly amazing and adored by all who are blessed enough to cross your path.

Closer to two than one, you are growing and learning more quickly than I can keep up with. You are a very quick learner. You know your alphabet (26/26 letter recognition and 20/26 letter sounds – all but the vowels) and love to sing it and receive applause. You can count to twelve, and to twenty with a couple of errors in the teens. You know all of your colours, numbers by sight and can even read a few sight words. It took me by surprise when your big bro was watching the sight word DVD and you piped up with a few of the words before the DVD said them. There are no words you can’t say now and there’s no way I could count them. Some you have a unique way of saying, but you try everything. “Chiyapactah (chiropractor), Gadys & Tabos (Gladys & Carlos – Cecilia’s parents), Damma (Grandma), Dapa Tent (Grandpa Kent), Dapa Wodgah (Grandpa Roger), weecyking (recycling)…there are so many, and they’re all so super cute!

You are a very active little girl and love nothing more than playing with your family. You love to go for a run with Primo, which is one of his favourite hobbies. (You both did your first race a week ago – the Run for the Pumpkin 2 km. Daddy carried you for about half of it, and you loved every second of it.) You still have a bit of the bouncy run going on but it’s becoming less and less apparent. My baby is becoming a little girl. Another thing you absolutely love? Jumping! For the past 6 weeks or so you’ve been getting some great air and you are thrilled to bits about that! I think your trampoline training in the back yard really helped.

You had your first horseback riding experience in August with Auntie Cindy. Daddy, Grandma and I took you and Primo out to her parents’ farm and you rode Mandy, the little pony that Ashley rides for 4H. You weren’t so sure about being on her by yourself, but Primo got on behind you and held you and that made it much more enjoyable. The picture of the two of you riding together is the desktop background on my laptop now and you love looking at it.

You love our animal family, and are sure to let them know it on a regular basis. For some reason, you’re especially obsessed with poor Chloe who has no interest in children. The two of you have an arrangement, though, and she sometimes even lets you pet her. It’s a miracle. She runs at first sight of your brother! You say goodnight to her, and Thai & Mavi, every night, and tell them that you “huv” them. You love to lie on the dogs’ bed (especially if the dogs are in it, and you think it’s much funnier than they do).

Though you’re incredibly active and can roughhouse with the best of them, you’re also quite the girly-girl. You love to go shopping, you love your purse (& have started to say “I need money!), you love ponies, stuffed animals, baby dolls, and PINK! It’s rather hilarious. Nobody has ever told you that pink is a girlie colour and I have made an effort to buy you a lot of purple & blue, but you wake up in the morning, head to your dresser and say “I wear PINK! I need a PRETTY for my hair! A PINK one!” If you go in your room and close the door, we’re sure to find you naked minutes later trying to change into something pink. Your babies are almost an obsessions. You have never stopped loving the twins that Grandma Betty bought you for your first Christmas, which you’ve now named “Baby Pink” and “Baby Blue.” Mommy’s friend Cathy bought you “Baby Tyler” who has a soother just like her own baby Tyler whose soother you love to play with. You call him “Baby Ty-ah” and you tuck him in, feed him snacks, kiss & hug him, put lotion on his head after your bath (all of the babies get lotion, actually) and sleep with him. You also have “Sleepy Baby” which Janene, Matt, Liam & Josh got you for Christmas and you love to sleep with her too – she’s your baby that lives at your babysitters house at the moment. You also love to talk on the phone, and several times every day you cry & whine that you need to “Talka Damma Betty!” until I dial her number. You say “Hi Damma! Iss Bella!” and always sign off with “I huvva you Damma! Bye Bye!”

You and Primo started going to a wonderful dayhome mid-September (with lots of playdates there before hand and a few weeks at home with Daddy while Mommy got settled back into working). You love it there and are excited to get in the van every morning. From you, I’m lucky to get a hug and kiss before you run off to be with your friends. You just toss me an “I huvva you Mommy!” and maybe a “Seeya haytah!” and you’re off like a shot. Your brother is struggling a little more emotionally for the first few minutes of every day, and that is so very very hard on a mama who’d far rather be at home so I thank you for your adaptability and for being there for him to play and hug whenever he needs it.

I love you passionately my baby girl. I love your smile, your lively & sparkling eyes, your hugs & kisses, your love of learning & your fiery enthusiasm for life. There’s nothing I love more than being a Mommy to you & Primo. You make our world complete.

I huvva you!
Mommy
xoxo

Starting them early…they ran in the under 6 age category for the 2 km race. Primo ran much of it and walked probably 0.5 km. Bella ran about 0.5 km, walked about 0.5 km and was carried the other km by the Big Guy. (Who also, coincidentally, carried the pumpkins they got for completing the race all the way to the van. And then his arms fell off. The end.)

Actually, the weeks take forever because I’m just waiting for weekends with my family, but the weeks of not blogging go by very quickly.

Work is going great. I have a great job, a great group of kids and an awesome grade one team to work with. The kids are loving their childcare provider and come home with crafts, stories and big smiles when I drag them out of her house.

And I got my first paycheck last week and paid off my Visa! So, it’s all good.

I wish I had a job without homework and evening obligations, but I’ll take what I can get. So far I’ve only attended one of the evening obligations (Meet the Teacher night) and left early so I could put my kids to bed so it wasn’t bad. Just missed a little play time, which I hate but can deal with. Last night was a staff social activity which I gladly skipped to be with my kids (we didn’t know when the BG would be home from work so I couldn’t commit) and it turned out great because I fell asleep with Primo while putting him to bed and had a 2 hour nap!

Today is a PD day (on blogging of all things…useless much? I only have three blogs.) and then…

IT’S THE WEEKEND!

We’re doing the big grocery shop of the week, buying shin pads for Primo’s first soccer season that begins next week, swimming lessons, family photos at the local Corn Maze with friends, playing at home and hitting a playground or two…just run of the mill weekend stuff!

Any big plans on your end?

You sang along, didn’t you?

I did.

So did my kids. So, therefore, logically…I did it about seven hundred times.