So... totally... me...

Ok... this describes me pretty well... craziness.

EDIT:  And now, in honor of the site my friend told me about (see the comments, haha)... It's Garfield without Garfield... hahahhahahaha.  Poor Jon... poor, bored, boring, trying to be interesting Jon.  Poor lists... poor pathetic so-totally-like-my-own list.

Challenging?

A new week, a new challenge.  Well, ok, I don't really have much of a challenge for you, since I can't even manage to do my yard challenges lately.  I get started on them, but don't finish.  Oops.

Anyway, my challenge for the week is to work on/finish a major outdoor project (or in my case, plant grass seed on the levelled yard and start working on the firepit, since I know I won't finish it in the week.  I can work on it though, which gets me closer to finished, right?).

To Do
- weekly tasks
- dust entrance/hall/stairs
- weed main garden, water/fertilize, mow
- Find brick for firepit area
- get loose stone for front yard
- get wood chips for flower garden
- spray weeds by all the trees (man, there are a LOT)
- measure for front gardening bricks (need about 400 bricks)
- start work on fire pit
- seed grass

I didn't get the weeds sprayed last week... was told not to do it because I'm nursing, so my husband is supposed to do it.  So, that means I have to wait on him.  Sigh.  I like doing things myself because I know they'll get done when I want them to.  Ah well, I need to learn patience I guess.

Here's to finishing a major yard project that I've been waiting for 5 years to do!!!

Good luck to all of you on your yards!  :)

15% Off

Click on the coupon to go straight to 'Visit to the Seashore' and enter the coupon code to get 15% off!

My Cutie Patooties

Today Bram really giggled.  I mean, really. He's sort of giggled before, but he let out such a cute one this morning while I was playing with him!  Aww!  So cute!  I guess he really loves when I swoosh my hair across his face!

M is being so cute lately too.  She loves to help with Bram... she finds his soother and puts it in his mouth, holding it there when he pops it out, and pats him on the head.  She always has kisses goodnight for him, no matter how grumpy she is (like last night... haha).  It is really so super sweet!

I'm so glad my kiddos get along right now.  Of course, Bram is only 2 months old.  We'll see how things go when he is getting into things, haha.

A Challenge

So, did you get your shower head sparkling last week?  Doesn't it feel so nice! 

This week I am in the bedrooms, so the challenge will go with that.  First of all, in the house, the challenge is to clean your mattress.  There are some tips here.  Mainly, what I plan on doing, is sprinkling the mattress with baking soda, rubbing it in a bit, and then vacuuming it off before flipping and turning my mattress and doing the other side. 

For the outdoor challenge, try to kill as many weeds as you can.  If you have a lot (like me) you may need to use weed killer.  Or, just pull as many as you find time to.  I think things look so much nicer when the weeds are gone!  I've got a lot of work ahead of me.  I did 2 hours of weeding last week, and I've got a lot to do this week.

Oh, speaking of outdoor work, I will finally be getting my yard levelled this week!  My husband called up the guy who said he had time this Saturday to do it.  So, we will order the dirt and away we go!  I can't wait for the yard to be nice and level (and safe... haha).  I'm now hoping to find some rock to put in the firepit area.  I want to dig down the firepit so it's an actual 'pit', and put flat stone all around it for chairs and benches.  I want the grass to be able to grow between the stones in such a way that I can take the mower right over it all and not worry about too much extra work.  I can dream...

My list
- regular weekly chores
- get the farm GST filed
- dust the bedrroms
- flip/clean mattress
- clean diaper pail
- fix remainder of pics to print for M's 1yr album
- print the pics
- yard work (weed, mow, water)
- level yard (wheeee!)
- Find brick for firepit area
- get loose stone for front yard
- get wood chips for flower garden
- spray weeds by all the trees (man, there are a LOT)

Good luck on your projects this week!

Oops

A little late for a weekly list, huh? Yeah, I forgot.

I figure I'll just post the challenge for the week

Our weather has been a bit erratic lately, so I have gotten NOTHING done on the yard besides basic weeding. Sigh. I have so much I still want to do this summer. We'll see if I finally get that large project started this month... I hope.

As for the indoor challenge, since we are in the bathrooms this week, I challenge you to scrub your showerhead.  I've already done mine, and it looks so nice and white now!  There was so much rust around the water holes that it was almost red in color!  Whew!  Even my husband noticed the difference!

Good luck this week (or what is left of it).  :)

Through the Eyes of my Daughter

It's funny. My daughter has the cutest ways of looking at things. And now that I'm understanding her more and more, I'm seeing things a little differently.

Grapes are 'apple balls'. So are blueberries. Cherries, apples, and raspberries are all 'apples'.

Cars, trucks, tractors... anything with wheels is a 'car'.

Cows go 'moo'. So do giraffes and zebras.

Puppies howl. Kitties meow. And every time a dog crosses her path (be it in real, or in a book, or a teddy), we must exclaim 'puppy!'

Does it roll by itself? It MUST be a ball.

Grandma and Grandpa can solve anything.

We LOVE to 'coyer' (colour in M speak).

Cheerios is a favorite snack... and recognizable in stores, in containers, and anywhere we are hungry.

'No' is a perfectly acceptable answer to anything, even if we mean 'yes'.

'Please' is what we say when we want something. We are now learning to precede it with 'milk', 'water', and 'cheerios'. Oh, and 'apple' of course.

'Time for bed' actually means time for a game where M runs and hides, and daddy has to 'find' her. Giggles are madatory. So is quickly laying down flat on the couch.

Blocks go in the box, and eggs go in the basket. It's simple, really! :)

Baby brother is fun. We can burp him, and hug him, and give him kisses, and elicit 'aww's from adults everywhere...

Mommy MUST have a baby at all times. If she does not, she must have a dolly that resembles a baby. (Funny story. In church yesturday, I was the one that took M to the baby room, and daddy stayed with Bram. She right quick found the largest baby doll there, rocked it gently, and then proceeded to put it into my lap before playing with the other kids).

Mirrors are made for licking (eww...). Same with anything metal. (double eww)

Everything can become a phone. A shovel, a brush, a comb, a notepad...

Daddy's blackberry is a toy. But, when it makes sounds, we'd best give it back to daddy.

Ah, the joys of parent hood! :) I look forward to adding to this list someday.

7-11

Happy 7-11 day to you all... or Slurpee day!  Did you know that every year, on July 11, 7-11 gives free Slurpee's?  We got ours today!  Mmmm ... and M sure did love hers... or should I say, mine (ha ha).

I can hardly believe we are getting close to midway in July already.  Where does the time go?

Tomorrow is Bram's 2 month needles.  I dislike needles, and I really dislike watching my kids have to get them.  Poor M cried each time.  It was kinda funny, actually.  She would give the doctor this huge grin, happy as a clam, and he would warn her that it was gonna hurt, and I would have to hold her leg, and then the needle would go in, and her whole face would change... shortly after the crocodile tears would fall, and she would NOT want me to grab her other leg.  Poor girl.  And now it's Bram's turn.  I told her to be brave for her little brother.  :)  I don't think she understands.  At least she's not afraid of the doctor.  I try not to make the doctor's office out to be a 'bad' place.  Then again, I don't mind my visits at all, so if it doesn't bother me, it generally doesn't bother her.

Speaking of M... I'm thinking of attempting to potty train.  Any ideas how to go about it?

My sister-in-law basically just put panties on her daughter and she had it figured out in two days.  I'm hoping to be so lucky, but I cannot find any underwear that will fit my daughter's small stature.  I'm not sure how to go about all this anyway, and part of me is a little wary of doing so.  Is that strange?  Being 'scared' to potty train your child?  I'm hoping to just wash the underwear I DO have for her, and try her on this journey.  She already knows where the potty is, and she has been starting to grab at her diaper for awhile now, as though it is uncomfortable, whenever it is wet.  She also tells me (sometimes) when she has pooped.  I'm thinking of still using diapers for bed at least... or maybe some of those training pants I got from a friend.  Although, to me, they are too much like diapers to really have the child realize that they can't 'go' in them anymore.  I don't know.  What is your take on those things?  Any pointers on potty training from those that have already gone through the experience? 

Why am I so afraid to start this? 

My mother-in-law bought a training potty for M a few months back already... she figures I should have M trained already or something.  I don't know.  I'm ok with it, less for me to have to buy, but I kinda wanted to try to go straight to the 'big' potty if I could.  Less 'in between' stages.  Plus, easier for when we are not at home and there is no toddler potty to be seen.  You know what I mean?  She's just a bit too small to climb on the toilet herself without some help anyway, so I guess the trainer toilet is a must either way.  Or a nice step stool, which I've noticed she has actually been able to climb now.  Sort of.  She is just so small!

We'll see what the week brings.  Maybe I'll just have to start sitting her on the potty before bath time, to get her used to it.  It does feel strange if you've never sat on one before... at least I would think it would.

To train now, or to train later... that is the question.......

It's a Date!

On June 29th, we finally had our first date since our son was born.  And what better way to have a date than to go to a concert?  And what better concert (for my husband) than Star Wars in Concert... you got theatre, you got music, and you got Anthony Daniels, the voice and actor for C3P0, narrating.

Not to mention all the cool memorabilia around the convention center... places to take pictures in front of 'scenes' from the movies, the actual costumes and props used (all behind glass of course), and so much more... if you can squeeze by all the Star Wars crazed fans, of course.

 I was impressed to see an actual choir accompanying the orchestra during Darth Mauls number... and the guy with the cymbals was rather entertaining.  :)

Funny bit... there was a girl on the triangle.  During the last number, the camera zoomed in on her for quite a while... there were people cheering at her in the audience, and you could see that she was trying SO hard not to laugh!

 And here is Anthony Daniels.  Does he not bear a striking resemblance to a certain droid or what?

 Speaking of 'resemblances'... a few of my family members figure that Chewbacca and my husband resemble each other.  I'm not sure... although Chewy is one of my fave characters... that and Ewoks...

 And yes, we had to pose in front of a few of the photo boards.

In all, it was a great evening, one I would love to do again.  It was nice to have some time away from both kiddos.

Speaking of kiddos, my mom babysat for the first half of the evening, and my sister-in-law took over until we got home.  She was exhausted from her weekend with other kiddos (she's a nanny), and when we got home we found out that she put our daughter... who is 21 months old... into the outfit my son had been wearing earlier that day... a newborn onesie and 0-3month pants.  How she managed to get those items on her, I don't know.  I found it rather funny, to say the least.  Apparently she saw the outfit, thought it was so cute, and put it on M without a thought of how tight it was.  M's pj's were next to her crib... ha ha ha.  We changed her when we got home.

Just a little funny story to end the post.  :)

Two Months Flies By

Dear Bram

I can hardly believe you have been in our lives for two months already!

 Your smiles and cuddles make me want to smile right back, every time.

 You are even cute when you cry!  Your little tongue curls up like a dish, and you make the most adorable 'wah' sound with your poutty lip.

 Your sister adores you, and you love to watch her play, every chance you get.

 You recently found your thumb... and just like your sister, soothers are useless... but thumbs... now those are great!

 You have changed so much in the last two months.  I can hardly believe it.  Your face looks so different from the day we brought you home, and your eyes are so bright and alert.

 You are strong.  You can hold your head up fairly well already.  Which is good, since you have to see what is going on around you almost all the time.

 You've grown so much faster than I anticipated... 12lbs and 23 inches already, and almost out of many of your 0-3 month clothing.  When did this happen?

 My sweet little boy, you love to cuddle, you want to be held, you enjoy watching the world around you, and I enjoy watching you.

Sweetheart, you are my little man, and I wouldn't have it any other way.

<3 <3 <3

A new week

Another week... I can hardly believe how fast the weekends fly by! Really! Especially the ones my husband has off.

This last weekend was nice. We went to the lake for an evening with friends... it didn't turn out quite like we'd hoped, but that is ok. We still had a wiener roast. Which I love. On Sunday we went to the city to get our rings warranty checked, and in the process I went to Michael's... I LOVE that store, and got a fondant smoother and some scrapbooking supplies. Got the scrapbooking stuffs on sale, and the smoother for 1/2 price due to a flyer coupon. Yippee for 50% off! I also got a new diaper bag! From Toys R Us. Regularly $50, marked down to $25 due to a few spots on it. I needed a new one, my old one had a busted strap held together by a safety pin that wasn't exactly safe anymore. Also got our son a pair of trunks (super cute) for $5 (half off again) from Toys R Us. For when he's 1 year. I love sale items!

Oh, and our son has a strange rash behind his ears. We've tried all sorts of things on it and it finally is going down (putting vitaminE oil on it is helping). Poor guy. His cradle cap is finally clearing up a bit as well. I don't remember it being this bad with M...

Anyway, my last week's list didn't go so well. I got the main stuffs done, but I couldn't do anything in the yard due to it being a swamp right now. Who knew that summer would equal me stuck in the house with the kiddos due to rain and mosquitoes? Sigh. Ah well. I also didn't get anything done on my costumes besides trying on the main dress and seeing that it is still too small. Got to lose a few inches before I'll fit into it again. Or, I get a different main dress for it. If I can find one. I can still do other bits on it if I can find the stuff I need. I made a list. That's the most I did. Can't really do much with this one until I can buy a few items. I may just decide not to bother dressing up, although it would be so much fun.

This week I have a new challenge. In keeping with the outdoor theme, my challenge is to start one large outdoor project. For me, that would be levelling the yard and fixing the fire pit (both kinda work together, after all). Inside, we are in the Kitchen zone. So, the challenge is a simple one... to clean the utensil drawer. That means taking out everything, wiping it down, and then washing the utensil organizer (or buy a new one, if you so choose... there are some really nice looking ones out there). Reorganize it (get rid of anything that just doesn't belong), and sit back and admire your clean drawer!

To Do (Kitchen/Office Week)
- weekly chores
- exercise daily
- appliances (sink, microwave, fridge, stove, toaster)
- utensil drawer
- drying rack
- quick wipe cabinets/counters
- dust both rooms
- mop all floors
- fix 10 scrapbook pages worth of pics for printing
- yard work (weed, trim, etc)
- level yard
- costumes?

I managed to do a lot today. Mondays I work the hardest. I like to keep the days later in the week open to more fun stuff. Why? Not sure.

Good luck this week! :)