Haircuts all around.

On Sunday, we went up to Auntie Jenny and Uncle Ken's place for the afternoon. I hadn't meant for it to work out this way, but we made Auntie Jenny work, and she did ALL of our hair. Here you see Sarah's first cut of the back of her hair (she's had bangs since Christmas), Travis got a cut (finally), I got a cut and colour (lucky me, my sister does hair -- get rid of those grays!), and even Ben got the long pieces from around his ears trimmed. We did save all the bits of hair needed for their baby books, but the camera battery was dead when we did Ben's hair. oh well. Anyways, Sarah felt very important and special sitting in Auntie Jenny's chair.

And she is.

:)

So much for being good.

Today Sarah and I made cookies. As I was deciding which ones to make, I was thinking that I should try and be sort of good and at least pick a recipe that I could use whole wheat flour or oats or something that would make them even remotely healthy. But no, I went the other way and decided to go for all out chocolately goodness. Amanda, you will LOVE these cookies. They're from the Best of the Best of Bridge (one of my favourite cookbooks), and they're practically brownies.

I've already had at least three, and the evening has just begun.

Speaking of recipes, I also posted this one on our recipe site today. Samosas in phyllo is also from the Best of the Best. I've made it a couple of times and it's a really good, and might I even say, healthy-ish treat. Course, it's a good excuse to eat my yummy plum chutney which is not so healthy-ish.

Anyways, give 'em a try, they're soooooooo good!

I told you I would regret it.

Yesterday, Travis and I were at Jen and Jordan's place picking up the kids, and were just sitting with Jen for a few minutes chatting about the day, ie, how many time outs Sarah got, how long they each slept for etc etc. While we were doing this, Sarah was practising her new habit (see below). She worked on it for about 5 minutes, very intently sitting on the couch. Well, it was time to go, and as we were rounding the kids and their stuff up, something caught our eye. There it was, Sarah's prize, the big golden nugget, on the door of the tv entertainment unit for all to see.

I'm a little embarassed.

She has since been told that boogies go in KLEENEX.

I can't believe I just did that.

Sarah and Ben are recovering from being sick, meaning there has been snot a-flowing around here for over a week. Snot and boogers. Big ones. The other day Ben woke up with one of his nostrils completely closed over with a crusty boog.

I know, it's gross. That's why there's no picture to go along with this blog.

Do you think I can get anywhere near them with a kleenex to fix this problem? We are past the point where I can walk up to the with the kleenex visible, past the point of hiding it and whipping it out to wipe their noses. Each attempt is greeted with them screaming absolute bloody murder.

I don't like having those kids. The ones who have dirty faces (though they do sometimes). The ones with dirty clothes (though they do sometimes). The ones with crusty noses (though they do ALL THE TIME).

Today I taught Sarah how to pick her own nose.

I figured that if she can do it ("I can do it"), then it's her idea, and it's not so bad.

I know that I will regret it soon.

The loves of my life.

On a lighter note.....

 

So annoyed

I am a magazine subscriber.

Canadian Living, Chatelaine, Canadian Home and Country, Canadian House and Home, Today's Parent, Macleans, Martha Stewart -- I have subscribed to them all. Not all at once, mind you, but sometimes 2 or 3 or 4 at once. :)

I love getting them in the mail. I pick them up out of the mailbox so reverently, and hold them in my hands with such anticipation of the articles, the letters, and the RECIPES that I will find inside. I will often use the late afternoon while the kids eat a snack and watch Dora to sit at the kitchen table with my latte and flip through the pages of the latest magazine. I love trying the new recipes, or at least reading them and imagining myself making them for my family.

Some magazines, I have to admit, have been bugging me lately with their 'all about me' kind of attitude -- all this self-improvement crap that gets on my nerves because I think if we would start looking at other people first, and serving them, that's where improving your self image could start to come from. Because it's not all about 'me'. That's not how the world works. Isn't this the lesson that I'm trying to teach my toddler? I guess sometimes we grow out of that stage at what, age 3 or 4, then back into it later on in life? Anyways, I'm off track.

When my copy of Today's Parent came the other day, right on the cover it claimed to bust 10 discipline myths. Great, I thought, let's bust them.

Here are some of the myths: You should have to only tell kids once. Children should always understand the reason we want them to do something. A child's behaviour is a direct reflection of the way his parents discipline him.

Are you kidding me???? Who buys into those statements in the first place that would even make them myths? Only tell kids once? What?!?! Undersand the reason? Huh? It gets me so worked up to read that kind of garbage -- like who are the people out there who actually believe that. Seriously. We're talking about children here. Sometimes I need to be told (reminded :) more than once to do something. And I think we all know that a child's behaviour is not always a reflection on how their parents are disciplining them. They have their own little wills that they like to assert, and I have very little control over how that comes out.

I don't know, maybe I was missing the point. But I don't know what frustrated me more: either they think there are a bunch of clueless people out there raising children, or that maybe there is a bunch of clueless people out there raising children. I don't know, is there? I don't see any. The people I see have beautiful children, and realistic expectations of how they'll act. It just makes me wonder where the brats that they're talking about are.

I was pretty close to tossing this latest Today's Parent, but saved it when I saw some good recipes for dips.

Trips

to Disneyland = 0
to Penticton's Emergency Room = 5

You'd think that the fact that I have a daughter that I would not know the inside of emerg (as a patient, because unfortunately I know it all to well because of work). She's a girl, and girls do not do things that lead to emerg. Or so I thought.

(I just noticed that the picture in our profile bears an image of her after her last trip to emerg.)
sigh
(yes, and disregard the black eye that she has in this picture)
now I'm sighing and shaking my head.

This morning, Sarah was running down the hall, and tried to navigate the corner into the kitchen, and BAM, fell flat on her face. I saw the whole thing happen, and the blood began to flow. Lots of blood. As we tried to wipe it away, we tried to look at where it was all coming from. I thought it was just a small case of bit tongue, but Travis uncovered the source, and it seemed like quite a deep cut on her tongue. So, we thought that it probably needed to be checked out. Travis took her in, and I stayed home with Ben on stand by to go in if she did in fact need stitches, and this time I would have taken the video camera in with me to capture the whole sedation/stoned scene. Because I'm such a loving parent. I would add that scene to the one that I took of her the other day rolling around on the floor having a fit. She's going to KNOW what she put me through. Anyways.... to make this not so long story even shorter because it's not about me, but my beautiful daughter, she came home WITHOUT any stitches (yay!) and Travis and I are being looked into by family services. Ok, just kidding about the last part, at least as far as I know, but she has been to emerg 5 times in the past 2.5 years, and that does seem to be a little much to me. I have this funny feeling that in her life, Sarah will be that crazy, brave, daring, or clumsy girl, the one with all the stories, who will point to any particular scar on her body and be able to tell you how she got it.

Let's just hope that there aren't too many stories to tell. It's starting to wear me out, and I repeat, she's only 2 and a half.

I've been keeping a secret.

Did that get your attention? heehee

My secret?

My Auntie Judy.

She is my mom's older sister, and is a FANTASTIC cook. Thanksgiving dinner at her place involves the turkey (of course), stuffing done inside and outside the bird, 3 kinds of cranberry sauce, and I'm not kidding, 6 or 7 vegetables. This is all followed by 2 or 3 desserts, and you leave their house VERY full.

Every once in a while, she will email me recipes that I have come to love. A while ago, I had asked her permission to put some of them on our site so I could share them with you all, and she graciously allowed me to do so. This is on one condition, though. If she ever comes out with a cookbook, you must promise to buy it.
I know I will!

So I've started with a couple of great ones -- the peanutty chicken I could literally eat the whole pot of it it's so good. Have a look and ENJOY!!

A little easier to look at

Since the theme of the day is to change your template, I thought I'd play along. I really liked the pink cosmos, but found the background a little hard to read over. So I think this one will do.

I'm off to sink into the couch and watch Survivor, My name is Earl, the office (best show on TV right now), and maybe er if I can keep my eyes open.

After today, believe me, I've earned it!!

Ok, maybe not.

Well, after one day of work, I've had to call in sick. Not for my sake, but poor Benben has a fever and a terrible cough, and is feeling quite sorry for himself when he is actually awake. He was up at 5:45, but slept on me on the couch till 7:15, now he's back in bed. Poor guy. His voice is all scratchy and warbly, and when he's awake, he makes lots of noise, mostly to hear himself, I think.

Anyways, now I can catch up on all my blogs that I missed yesterday!!!

hi ho, hi ho, it's off to work I go....

Today was my first day back at my job where I actually get paid. Money. My other job has a different kind of payment that is oh-so rewarding, but unfortunately doesn't pay the bills. Well, that is, until we get Sarah her paper route when she turns 4, but anyways....

It was like I never left. Like I haven't spent the past year in a house with 2 kids, moving once, and getting Travis through his masters. Like it all didn't happen.

But, it was sort of good to be back, in a strange way, and it was made better by the fact that my kids were mostly good for Jen, aside from the blood and tears, but that's another story...

And now it's 9:40, and I'm going to bed.

How to shower

I have seen this email before, but just had to share it.

In honour of Val.. I mean, Love Day, let's all appreciate our differences and have a good laugh!

Thanks, Lisa, for the good laugh!!

HOW TO SHOWER LIKE A WOMAN:

Take off clothing and place it in sectioned laundry hamper according to
lights and darks.

Walk to bathroom wearing long dressing gown.

If you see husband along the way, cover up any exposed areas.

Look at your womanly physique in the mirror make a mental note to do more
sit-ups/leg-lifts, etc.

Get in the shower.

Use face cloth, arm cloth, leg cloth, long loofah, wide loofah and pumice stone.

Wash your hair once with cucumber and sage shampoo with 43 added vitamins.

Condition your hair with enhanced grapefruit mint conditioner.

Wash your face with crushed apricot facial scrub for 10 minutes until red.

Wash entire rest of body with ginger nut and jaffa cake body wash.

Rinse conditioner off hair.

Shave armpits and legs.

Turn off shower.

Spray mold spots with Tilex.

Get out of shower.

Dry with towel the size of a small country.

Wrap hair in super absorbent towel.

Return to bedroom wearing long dressing gown and towel on head. If you see husband along the way, cover up any exposed areas.

HOW TO SHOWER LIKE A MAN:

Take off clothes while sitting on the edge of the bed and leave them in a pile.

Walk naked to the bathroom.

If you see wife along the way, shake wiener at her making the woo-woo sound.

Look at your manly physique in the mirror.

Admire the size of your wiener and scratch your ass.

Get in the shower.

Wash your face.

Wash your armpits.

Blow your nose in your hands and let the water rinse them off.

Fart and laugh at how loud it sounds in the shower.

Spend majority of time washing privates and surrounding area.

Wash your butt, leaving those coarse butt hairs stuck on the soap.

Wash your hair. Make a Shampoo Mohawk.

Pee.

Rinse off and get out of shower.

Partially dry off.

Fail to notice water on floor because curtain was hanging out of tub the whole time.

Admire wiener size in mirror again.

Leave shower curtain open, wet mat on floor, light and fan on.

Return to bedroom with towel around waist.

If you pass wife, pull off towel, shake wiener at her and make the woo-woo sound again.

Throw wet towel on bed.

Made with love by Auntie Kaye

Auntie Kaye is my mom's aunt. She has always been very gifted with what she has made with her hands. She can cross-stitch, knit, crochet and who knows what else. Growing up, we always had sweaters and all kinds of crafts that she made for us, and the sweaters always had a tag on the inside that said, "Made with love by Auntie Kaye".
Auntie Kaye doen't make things anymore because she lost her eyesight a number of years ago. The things that she did make for us are very special, and I'm so glad we have them, and now my kids are getting to the age that they can wear them too.
This poncho is something that Auntie Kaye made for my sister Rachel probably about 20-24 years ago. Sarah loves it, and I love everything about it. How it was lovingly thought of and made by Auntie Kaye, then worn by Rachel, and now by Sarah.
How cool is that?

 

I love my shuffle!

For Christmas this year, my wonderful husband bought me an iPod nano, that pretty thing on the left. I think this was the first Christmas gift for me in a LONG time, that I didn't need. Not that I ever need any kind of gift, but it wasn't socks or underwear. See what I'm saying?

Anyways, yesterday, I finally put it on. Yes, I know, it's the middle of February, but I did the best I could.... anyways, the timing is not the point.

The iPod shuffle is.

I have 450 songs on the little thing, and you put the shuffle on, and it's the best mix tape EVAH!!

So, thank you honey, for spending probably too much money on a fancy walkman so that I could go retreat into my own little world every once in a while. Love ya!

Swiper, no swiping!

This morning, as always, we were watching Dora. 7:35, channel 7. Wouldn't miss it. Believe me, we wouldn't miss it. It's as much a part of MY routine as it is the kids, as it gives me just that few more minutes to wake up.
Again, as always, we were singing along to the beginning, and doing some actions, and when we got to the 'Swiper, no swiping!!' part, Ben was waving his arms around.
'No,' I thought, 'He's not actually saying no swiping.....'

But then....

When we got to the part in the show where Swiper actually showed up and was trying to swipe little red fish in the bucket, and Dora and Boots were exclaming, "Swiper, no swiping, Swiper, no swiping!!!", there was little Benben, sitting on the floor with an outstretched arm, waving it around, telling Swiper where to go!!

That's my little smartie pants!!

Question

Why do 'they' make children's cough syrup BRIGHT pink and red and purple? Wouldn't it make sense to make it clear? Seeing as I pour the stuff with my left hand into the spoon, and try and balance a full spoon of bright sticky syrup into my 2 1/2 year old's mouth.
Chances are good it won't all make it in in one go.
I know that Tylenol has a clear suspension, I just don't know why they all don't.

Hmmm, the things that concern you when you're a parent.

I think I'm on to something...

I think I may have found Sarah's 'currency'.

Something that she will do things for.

Like use the toilet.

Yes, I know, I have been talking about her going on the toilet since I started this blog last JULY, but we've (she's) had some issues. Like she doesn't like to go on the potty. She will answer 'no' every time you ask. I have literally put her kicking and screaming on the potty just to try and hear that tinkle.

Until.....

Hershey's kisses. And when we ran out of those.... Chocolate covered almonds.

Duh. Like who doesn't love chocolate?
Well, Travis, but that's another story.

I can put a couple of chocolate covered almonds on the bathroom counter at any time of the day, and she will willingly run into the bathroom, and pee.
Just like that.

'Mommy, wisten!'

Music to my ears.

I have even seen her first of all, squeeze out a pee when you thought there was nothing there, and I have seen her stop mid-pee, get all dressed again, only to have to go 'peepeepotty' about 1 minute later.
Either that's talent, or that's good old fashioned 'child manipulating her mother'.

Next stop:
poop on the potty
cleaning the bathroom
doing the laundry (maybe Abby will teach her that one!)
and, cooking me dinner.

 

The sweetest words.

Ben can say Mama!! To me, when you ask him 'who is this?" !!

I have to admit, though, that I lost this race too, for he has been saying 'Daaa' for a while now when Travis gets home from work. Ben gets so excited to see his daddy! As we all do, when he gets home from work.

He will say 'hi' when he gets up from his nap, and the other day said 'Nana' after Sarah came up to my mom and said 'hi Nana'.

He's turning into such a little brother, too. Complete with hair pulling and stealing of toys. Such a pest, but I have to admit that Sarah sort of has it coming to her after 10 months of torturing the poor boy.

My baby is growing up.

Here we go again

Every two years, our house gets invaded. By extremely focused, hard working athletic people who live their lives in pursuit of their goals and dreams. Which, by the way, is a good way to live, don't you think?

The Olympics is about to start.

Every four years, I have a renewed interest in figure skating, mogul skiing, ski jumping (they are crazy), the luge (they are more crazy), curling, the biathalon(?!?!?!?) and of course hockey. It seems like I can NOT turn that TV off if there is any kind of competition going on. I must watch. So, good bye housework - cleaning, vaccuming, cooking -- I need to see how many medals Canada can win!

I will, though, try to keep my kids and husband fed. It's the least I can do.

Because it's been a LONG time since you've seen any pictures....

Jen to the rescue!!

The work count down is on -- only about 2 weeks to go -- and, strangely, I'm not dreading it as much as I thought I would. 30 minutes to eat uninterrupted, with adult conversation..... going to the bathroom with the door locked (at least I hope I remember to close and lock the door).... it does have it's own appeal. That, and I'll only be at work 2 days a week with the occasional weekend thrown in there.

Anyways, Jen Dalsin (her blog is linked on the right) has said that she'll watch my kids when I have to work. Thank you thank you thank you!!! As soon as I told Travis that she was wanting to do this, he said, "You better stop complaining about Sarah or we'll scare her away!!!" Fortunately for Jen, Sarah seems to be a perfect angel any time someone else watches her, and just gives me a hard time when I get back. And I'm ok with that. I'd rather it be me than anyone else.

And so, that problem has been solved, and my stress about going back to work has been infinetely decreased.

Thanks, Jen.

More recipes

Jen and Amanda have started their own recipe site, and it makes my stomach growl every time I look at it. Amen. Let's Eat is linked on the right, have a look!