Happy Birthday to ME!

I am 26 today. Honestly, I feel a lot older...



Here are my gifts for this week. It seems appropriate. =)

31 - Gideon's found blanket!!!!!!! I almost cried.

32 - 26 years of life.

33 - A much needed few hours out of the city.

34 - A blogger who I look up to and admire and assumed didn't know I existed linked to one of my blogs.

35 - A friend who is taking my children tonight so I can have a night out with my husband for my birthday.

36 - Tim Tams.

37 - Finally getting a piece of art I've wanted for a long time.



38 - Crave cupcakes.





39 - Feeling the baby move. <3

40 - Realizing that my self-esteem has grown a lot lately.

Missing: One Well-Loved and Needed Blanket

Gideon LOVES his blankie, and as long as he has it, he can sleep anywhere.



He even "needs" it to drink from his water bottle.



Sleeping in the mei tai at the zoo



Doesn't look all the comfy, but as soon as I put his blankie across my shoulders, he was out!



We haven't been able to find Gideon's blanket for a couple days. It's starting to freak me out. He had it Saturday morning when I got him out of bed, and he hasn't left the house since. Dave couldn't find it Saturday when he put Gideon down for a nap (I was out at the time). When I got home yesterday, we literally tore the house apart, but couldn't find it. I looked in all of the drawers, cupboards, garbages, closets, under all the beds (Dave even pulled off the mattresses), under, in and behind the couches and dressers, and just everywhere! I've searched high and low. I even looked through the furnace room and upstairs in the laundry room. But it has seriously just disappeared. It's actually kind of spooky. Gideon managed to sleep without it, and we tore the house apart again yesterday, but still haven't found it. We are totally stumped. At first we thought maybe Judith hid it, if she had a jealous streak or something, but there is no where she could have put it that we haven't looked. Gideon seems upset that it's gone, and I am too. I don't know what else to do. It was the coolest blanket ever, and Gideon LOVED the minky fabric on one side.



EDIT: Oh yes, and I looked on Etsy where I got Gideon's blanket, and there is ONE left of the exact same one he had. She said it's the LAST one left. I'm tempted to buy it, even if we do find his original one, it might be nice to have an extra, right?

EDIT 2: WE FOUND IT!!! Well, Judith found it at about 9 pm. She said it was in her blankets on her bed. I have looked through them and shaken them out several times, but oh well. We have it again, and Gideon is SO happy! He has been rolling around with it, biting it, cuddling it, and giggling since he got it. I don't think I've ever seen him this happy before! I came close to crying. I am so relieved!

Honey Mustard Lime Chicken

I made this the other day, and it wasn't the *best* chicken I've ever had, but it was definitely good and nice to have something different for a change.

The original recipe is for a slow-cooker, and can be found here. But I didn't have time in the morning to put it on, so I just made it in the oven.

8 Chicken Legs (I used 2 Chicken Breasts)
1/2 cup Honey Mustard
1 Lime, Juice and Zest (or 3 tbsp Lime Juice)
2 Garlic Cloves, Minced
1 tbsp Soy Sauce

Mix all ingredients together in an oven-safe dish or deep pan. Make sure chicken is well coated with sauce. Cook at 400F for 20-30 minutes, until chicken is thoroughly cooked.

Serve with rice to spoon extra sauce on top.



I don't recommend the spicy fries to go with it. That was just a craving I had, but in retrospect, it was a fail. Steamed veggies would be better.

My hands smelled of lime for the rest of the night and it was wonderful. =)

Dance Dance Baby!

I would like to dedicate this to my Creator.























Thank-you. Thank-you very much.





RAWR.

It Was a Hit

Because sometimes, healthy = schmealthy.

My Gifts This Week

21 - Cuddling in bed during a storm when the power was out.

22 - Bubbles.

23 - Early birthday presents (my camera!!!!!! =D)



24 - Frozen yogurt at Ikea on a hot day.

25 - Beautiful sunny mornings and then lovely thunderstorms in the afternoon ALL WEEK last week.

26 - Watching my little boy take his first real steps, and being so proud of himself *melt*.

27 - Father's Day gifts well received.

28 - Colouring with my daughter in our pj's way past our bedtime.

29 - Giving my early-rising son a piece of cheese and some crackers at 5am and scoring myself an extra hour and a half of sleep.

30 - Actually having the energy to thoroughly clean my house!

I Bet the Baby is Teething...

At least that's about how I feel when I've been up all night with a teething baby.



I totally feel her pain!

Help!

I've never sewn anything by hand before. I haven't sewn anything with a machine since grade 8.

But Lambie needs some serious surgery if he's going to survive. I keep finding Lambie guts (stuffing) everywhere.







Anyone know how to fix him? I guess I will need a patch, but the fabric around the tear is totally threadbare too. I don't even know where to begin.

But we need to save him. He is loved very much.



Someone please tell me what to do!

Happy Father's Day!

I was adventurous today and decided to make French toast for breakfast, for the first time EVER.

Judith helped.



Can anyone else's 3.5 year-old crack eggs flawlessly? She's been bugging me to let her do it for the longest time, and I told her she couldn't until she was 8. But she has proven me wrong, yet again.





*

Here's the recipe, which makes 8 pieces of French Toast (that I got from Baby Center of all places!):

In a medium bowl, whisk together

4 large eggs
1 3/4 cups low-fat milk (I used almond milk)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Melt 1 tbsp butter on medium heat in a frying pan. Dip 2 pieces of bread in the egg mixture until each slice is thoroughly coated on each side, and fry in pan for 2-4 minutes, or until done. Flip and fry the other side for the same amount of time.

Repeat with the remaining 6 pieces of bread. Add another tbsp of butter to the pan before you add new slices of bread to cook.

Finished French toast pieces may be kept warm on a foil-lined baking sheet in a 200-degree oven until all pieces are cooked.

*

Voila!



Once they were done, I sprinkled icing sugar on each one, then covered in maple syrup (REAL maple syrup, made by my family in Ontario <3). Then I went all out and added slices of banana and strawberry, then topped it all off with whipped cream.

I gave Dave his, and then went back to the kitchen to prepare some for the kids. I popped my head out a few moments later, and asked if he liked it. Normally he tells me right away if something I make is good, so I was kind of worried. But I was surprised to find him tipping up his plate to scrape off the last tiny crumbs and syrup into his mouth. I guess it was too good for him to stop and tell me! He said it was as good as Cora's. =)

Gideon's like, "Are you seriously giving me all this?"



We all loved it. I thought for sure that Gideon would get it all over himself, but surprisingly he stayed pretty clean! I guess it was too good to smear all over himself. And both kids wore "I Love My Daddy" bibs.



Peace out.

Joey's Mommy

Judith wanted me to post a pic of her being "Joey's Mommy".



She would make a great kangaroo mama. She has been very mothering to everything lately, and she likes to jump a lot. AND she was born in Australia. So I guess she has all the credentials!

Pants Schmants

Who likes to wear pants while they eat anyway?

Gideon's new thing is to eat with one knee up. He may, or may not, have inherited that from me. However, I have learned not to smear my food all over my knee (I swear!). Gideon is still working on that, so in the meantime, he gets to eat pantless. Aren't you jealous?



Oh yes, that is a pink bib, thanks for noticing. Such is the plight of the second-born...

To-Do Lists, Revised

My list of chores is simple: Meals (and meal planning/grocery shopping), Dishes, Sweeping, Mopping, Vacuuming, Garbages, Laundry, Bills, and Cleaning the Bathroom. I don't even dust. But I can never seem to accomplish these simple things according to my weekly plan. Never. I do get it done eventually, but not before it reaches a disastrous state. My to-do lists on paper remain small and unaccomplished.

I always think I am capable of doing so much in a day. For some reason the part of my brain responsible for planning and list making doesn't know that I have 2 kids and am pregnant with another. When I sit down to make my daily to-do list (I need a list or I do nothing), I always think "Yeah, I can totally do all that." But seriously, since I became a mom, I NEVER get my lists done. EVER. I used to always complete my lists, and I would take great satisfaction in that. But now I guess I just have too much to do, and way more distractions than ever. Oh, and a lot less brain cells (it feels like, anyway), and energy.

At the same time, when I think back to everything I actually did at the end of the day, it really is a lot. I feel like I am capable of so much, because I AM. I should just make my to-do list up of the things I ACTUALLY do all day. Maybe I wouldn't feel like such a failure at the end of the day if my list looked like this:

~change diaper
~scrape poop into toilet
~nurse Gideon
~make snack
~clean up spill
~talk to Dave on the phone
~put Gideon down for a nap
~re-roll an entire roll of loose, unused toilet paper
~pick up toys
~nurse wounded foot after stepping on toys
~clean off table
~pick up clothes
~find random dirty cups and cutlery around the house
~help Gideon down from couch
~supervise craft
~change DVD
~retrieve Gideon from toilet/bathtub/top of stairs/garbage can/laundry machine/kitchen
~hang up coats
~put away shoes
~find Lambie
~fish bead/small toy/marble/chalk from Gideon's mouth
~blow bubbles
~read books
~pick dandelions
~supervise Judith's home-made gymnastics circuit
~retrieve stapler/glue/paint/markers/tools/tape measure/other things Judith shouldn't have from under her bed where she stashes those kinds of things
~wipe yogurt stain off couch
~narrate my day in song
~eat Gideon's toes
~make new baby in belly
~respond to never-ending WHY questions
~inquire as to Judith's lack of underwear
~find random bits of Play-Doh and put away
~wipe children's faces after taking a really cute photo and realizing they are dirty
~bathe children
~sop up aftermath of bath from bathroom floor
~sit with Judith and console her after she hurts herself
~kiss booboos and administer band-aids
~dispense finger paint
~wash hand-shaped paint spots off walls and table and bathroom sink
~re-fold all of the face cloths.
~play "Catch"
~attempt to distract Gideon when Judith won't share her trains
~walk down the hill and hope for a real train to come by
~be overwhelmingly excited at the sight of a train
~melt into a puddle while watching the kids playing and laughing together
~participate in puppet plays and magically know Judith's secret plot line as to not cause a meltdown.
~play with invisible cats
~walk uphill to the park with Gideon on my hip while pulling Judith on her bike
~push two kids on swings at once
~make train tracks in the gravel
~check mail for surprises from Grandma
~tend to flower garden
~run away from bees
~deny constant requests for sugar and ice cream
~find the missing baby sock
~follow the trail of crumbs to locate the source
~remove crumbs from feet
~help decide which dress is the best to spin in
~tear apart house looking for missing puzzle piece
~remove Judith from refrigerator
~find half eaten yogurt cups and apples stashed around the house
~build lego towers
~play with PhotoBooth
~sing "Old McDonald" and other various songs, as per request
~dance, dance, dance
~dispense hugs, kisses and "I love you"'s like Pez
~dispense actual Pez
~photograph everything
~blog it

Wow, I can't believe that was all just off the top of my head. I'm sure I could go on and on and on if I had more time and energy. Ha, I'm sure I could do a lot of things if I had more time and energy... Also please note that most of those things I do more than once (or 20 times...) a day. AND that is just my list of things I do at home, during the day (not including bed time and all through the night). We also go out a lot which involves a slew of other tasks. Even just getting both kids from the door to the van involves a lot of work.

And those are all just things I "do". I could make a whole other huge list of things I think, plan, organize and worry about on a daily basis, which honestly consumes just as much energy. And then there's the things I attempt to do for myself like shower, read, eat, get dressed, look in the mirror, and go online. Even those things are no longer straightforward and simple when you have kids.

Hm, no wonder moms are so tired.

Ok, so my plan from now on is not to look back at the end of each day and see what I didn't do, but rather what I DID do. All of those little things add up! Perhaps, in reality, all of these "distractions" that keep me from accomplishing my to-do lists are what's really important anyway.

What are some other little things that you do as a mama that deserves recognition?

Walking Right Out of Babyhood!

And yes, my house is a total mess.

Thank You Hormones...

...For finally being nice!



My hair has suddenly gotten thick, shiny, and full of body. I haven't changed my shampoo or done anything different. I just suddenly have pretty hair. It's kind of killing my desire to cut it... Maybe my hair just doesn't want to be cut, so it's trying to impress me (it's working).



I didn't get to experience the thick, luscious "pregnancy" hair with my last 2, because I had dreads. I also didn't have to experience the postpartum fall-out, which I'm not looking forward to (maybe I will cut it all off/dread it again when that time comes). In the meantime, there may be a little bounce in my step, as I enjoy one of the many fun mysteries of pregnancy.

I Seriously Scored Big at Garage Sales This Past Weekend

(look what I got for next to nothing!)



My gifts this week...

15 - Sun sinking in to my skin.

16 - Garage sales.

17 - Family adventures to the park.

18 - Sharing a small living space with the ones I love the most.

19 - A rare solo outing.

20 - An iced soy chai latte on a hot day.

To Peek or Not to Peek?

I have an ultrasound booked for July 14. I will be going by myself this time, since Dave will have to stay home with the children. I have an early appointment so he should only miss a couple hours of work. I'm kind of sad to be going alone, but that's what we need to do.

Anyways, I have to decide whether or not to find out the gender of the baby. We didn't find out with Judith or Gideon. It was nice to have the first a surprise, and I really wanted to find out with my second pregnancy, but Dave was very firm that we were not going to find out. This time Dave said he doesn't care either way, and I will be going by myself anyway. He says if I do find out, we should keep it a secret, but like I'd be able to do that!

I'm pretty sure I do want to find out. I think it will help me feel closer to the baby, and help us think of names (something I am having trouble with this time). I'd just like to see how different the experience would be, if it be better or worse.

If all goes well this will be my only ultrasound (I will be 19 weeks), so it's possible that they won't get a good look anyway, which is fine too. It won't be the end of the world if we don't find out.

What do you think? Did you find out the gender of your baby?

So You're.... 3?

I don't know how she figures these things out so quickly. It makes me feel so old.

You Have to Love Snow in June...

A continuation of my list of gifts, for this week.



6 - Sunflower sprouts that survived the snow.

7 - Grandmas.

8 - Gideon trying to blow dandelion fluff.

9 - Nibbling on baby toes.

10 - My wonderful laundry machine.

11 - Baby steps.

12 - The smell after a much-needed rain.

13 - Fresh home-made bread.

14 - Yoga pants.

I'd Say They're More Than Good...

So Gideon got to try out his Goodmamas yesterday. Wow, I was impressed! He had one on from about 9:30 or 10 am until after his nap at 4, when he had a poop. Normally he would have soaked 2 BumGenius' in that time frame. When I changed him, the actual diaper wasn't even wet! Just the inner lining was. He could have got away without even wearing a cover that whole time! And trust me, he is a heavy wetter! I can totally see how these diapers combined with wool covers would be the epitome of diaper zen, lol. Gideon wore the other Goodmama from when he got changed at 4 until bedtime at 8, and it basically felt bone dry too! Seriously, these diapers have ROAD TRIP written all over them!



Now if only I had the funds to have a complete stash of these! I can dream...

Oh, the Kelly of 10 years ago would be so ashamed! Hahaha.

A Step in the Right Direction!

Gideon took his first step the other day!!!! He was holding on to me, and then stepped away towards... the washing machine. He seriously loves that thing. I thought it was hilarious that he dedicated his first step to it. So far it has just been one carefully calculated step, then he goes down to his knees and crawls from there. But it's progress! He does everything so gradually and cautiously. So completely different than Judith was!

Goodmamas!

So it's been a long time since I got some new fluff to love and cuddle and kiss goodnight. Well, my wait is over! Tonight I am going to pick up these lovelies, both brand new.





Why is this so exciting, you ask? Because it is, so there.