sharon, lois and bram are making me ponder life

Is there such thing as too much sharon, lois and bram?

yes... yes there is... of course.

but babies love repetition... love it, live for it, thrive with it.  and whoever is in the Jolly Jumper predictably starts to jump with a purpose as soon as the first song plays.

so I play that cd every single day (yes I know, I might possibly be the last person on earth who buys actual CDs instead of frequenting itunes), usually multiple times and I have to say that I've had it with Bram... especially this song... it gets stuck in my head and haunts me and I rush to the remote every time I hear it coming to skip it... but often I have a baby in my arms or are otherwise preoccupied so I don't get there in time (the song is 45 seconds... of pure torture).

they are getting to me you see... this CD makes me disappointed in myself.  There is this wonderful song (it actually is wonderful, I am not being sarcastic) that reminds you that you can do most anything that means enough to you.  This song inevitably makes me think about people asking their children what they would like to be when they grow up and then fast forwarding to what they actually end up doing.  I can't remember what I wanted to do when I grew up to be honest, but I can say with confidence that it sure wasn't what I was doing.

don't be mistaken.  I am by no means unhappy with my current life.  I love raising our children.

but one day I am pretty sure that I will want more.  And I just won't accept that doing what I was doing is it for me.  Of course I still don't know what I want to do but that's a minor detail... right?

so this is what my life has become... I now ponder the deeper meaning of children's songs...

and if you've made it this far in this post about sharon, lois and bram... I will now award you with this awesome picture... of a thinking cat.

Duncan Thinks About Life by KipHolmPhotography via etsy

Happy Thursday (or what I like to call Vampire Diaries day)!

an unusual date night.... involving crayons

This date did not involve dinner and a movie... well yeah... we ate first okay... but that wasn't part of the date.  Nope, this date was a different sort.  The sort that involved a box of 96 crayons, a bunch of glue sticks, a glue gun and a blow dryer. Yes I know, we are likely the last people on earth who made this... (she made this... and she made this (hers looks perfect)) but we made it... and it was awesome... so now you get to read about it.

I hadn't had my hands on a box of crayons for years... and years... but wow, does that smell ever bring you back and I have to say it's kind of exciting opening up all of those crayons and wondering at the possibilities that they could create.

first order of business... figuring out the order to put the crayons in.  I just sort of went with what I thought worked and then took a few out since not all 96 crayons were going to fit across the canvas I bought.

next up... glue gunning each crayon on.  Andrew was the glue gunner... I was the crayon placer... we worked in sets of threes... glue enough on to get three crayons on and then I stuck them on... very. easy.

voila... ready to be melted into a masterpiece...

so this was one of those things that actually looked easier than it was.

it wasn't rocket science but I just sort of thought the crayons would melt all thick and perfect... not quite... it's a bit tricky... or at least it was for us.  I had the blowdryer on high heat but low power and even at that it was hard to avoid rogue melted crayon flying across the canvas (and also off of the canvas... onto Andrew's shirt ... and jeans (sorry)).

but we seemed to get the hang of it and think it turned out quite well.

it certainly beats out a night of watching tv on the couch

and it's kind of perfect for the new in-progress playroom.

great date night... indeed.

what I want right now

This weekend I discovered this blog.  Then I clicked through and discovered Craft Weekend... which awakened some sort of desire inside of me to make things (see tomorrow's post)... and then I clicked around some more (since I have so much free time these days) and discovered The Wheatfield, one of Craft Weekend's sponsors... and now I want all of her stuff... yes... all of it...

especially these...

via

via

happy monday.

chaotic recap... tenth edition

I know I've been absent.  It turned into summer over here so we had to soak it up.  Don't worry... spring is returning so I will be too.  

It was hot and humid here all week... just the way I like it.... and it made me say things like this to Andrew... repeatedly...

me: god I love this weather

Andrew: I know

me: we need to move somewhere where it's like this all. year. round

one day... one day... 

As usual we did a lot of this.... this week...

they usually start out like this...

I turn away for a second and suddenly they are all over each other!

I always laugh when our girls are around another baby (as in one at a time) and the baby's Mom inevitably worries out loud about her baby grabbing for one of our girls....

We spent some time in the office this week.  With Alice in the Jolly Jumper and Isla in the exercauser I managed to get all of the stuff out of the bookshelves and did a much needed purge of books that we will never read again... we're clearing out the office... of everything... and turning it into a playroom.  We debated over this (well Andrew debated and I worried) but in the end decided that it would be easier to have a play room on the main floor, you know... the same floor as the kitchen and bathroom... rather than putting all of the child related stuff in the basement (I hate basements.. even though ours is actually bright and inviting).

After my purge Andrew and his brother moved all the furniture to their new home in the basement.  Now it's time to do up the playroom!

More to come on that soon...

In other Operation Daycare news I took my first night of first aid and CPR.  The last time I practiced CPR on a dummy was in highschool.... definitely a great refresher.

The rest of the week was spent in the sun...

with their new hats...

which they actually love...

tomorrow we are off to see the Hunger Games... I am pretty excited.... are you going to see it?

happy weekend!

spring makes me miss being pregnant

It's the middle of March and I am standing here typing in jeans and a tank top with the back door open.  Heidi is sitting just outside the door on the deck breathing in that fresh spring air.  Isla and Alice are napping.

and I have to say that I am feeling all nostalgic... day dreaming way too much... and remembering so much of what I was feeling a year ago.

I love that the girls are getting so big and strong and I love how much they laugh and smile... but I miss the bump... I'm not gonna lie.

If Andrew is reading this he might be mildly panicky.  Don't get me wrong... I don't have baby fever.  It is just that this weather (which I love love love) is bringing with it emotions that I just did not expect.

I'm sure this feeling will pass.... hmmmm... maybe when they are 18... maybe sooner.

by CarolyneCochrane via

chaotic recap... ninth edition

It's Friday already... how did that happen?

Alice and Isla have been rolling all over the place, making each other laugh (and making me laugh too of course).

They are well into the whole we want to touch and grab everything in sight.  A couple of their favourites... hair and faces...

Isla also has a thing for anything that opens and closes... like zippers and the fridge.

 

Moments where they sit in our arms happily are becoming a thing of the past.  They would rather stand up on our legs and explore the world.

They also prefer to be without pants... it just seems to make them happy.  Good thing summer is on its way.

Alice tries to scheme her way off of their playmat, off of the carpet and onto the hardwood.  I spend my days preventing this...

The girls had their first meal at Nan and Papa's this week after we hit up Babies r us for some feeding chairs and spoons.

They are becoming more interested in books.  I mean we read to them everyday but now they seem to be really staring at the pictures... and of course want to put each book into the mouth... 

After months of effort Alice finally got her foot into her mouth.  She is pretty thrilled about it.

So that was our week around here...

The lack of snow and addition of sunny days is making me want to shop... badly... buy things like coral skinny jeans, navy tank tops and shoes that aren't boots.

What have you bought for spring?

Happy weekend!

i can smell spring

The snow is gone... the streets are sandy... the wind is warm... and I hear birds.

and it just smells like spring.  you know that smell, the one that draws you outside and tells you that everything is going to be okay because the weather is once again on your side. i love that smell.

so we've been spending lots of time outside as of late.  Isla and Alice nap in that warm breeze and I walk, and walk, and walk.

that's what we've been doing these days... what about you?

our weekend

Mother nature threw us a bone and most of the snow melted over the weekend.  Andrew took matters into his own hands in our backyard and shoveled off the patio.  We are ready for patio season so hopefully it will come early this spring!

This is the first Monday in a while were I actually feel rested and recharged... ready for a great week.  

A few things got me here... I think...

Friday night we watched Ides of March (okay Andrew watched Ides of March, I slept on the couch - an extra hour of sleep for me thank. you.)

Saturday Andrew took care of the girls first thing (we usually take turns on the weekend) so I got another extra hour of sleep.

I went for a pedicure.  I hadn't been since I was the size of a house... very pregnant... with the girls... and they're seven months old now as I mentioned here... so I was due.  long due.  It was amazing.

I got this colour... to change things up a bit.  via

Saturday afternoon I met Janet.
Janet blogs over here.
It always feels good to feel like you've met a like minded person.  Janet brought books, presents for the girls and her wonderful self.  Janet is currently in another IVF cycle, an especially trying one and I am wishing and hoping so hard that this is the cycle for them.
You need to meet Janet too.

We went to MEC and we got new sleeping bags... for all of the camping we plan on doing this summer with the girls... any suggestions on how best to camp with near one years olds anyone?

Saturday night we had friends over and ate some delicious store bought lasagna and played some cards.

Yesterday we headed to Grandma and Grandpa G's house for the first time ever with the girls to celebrate their Uncle Steve's birthday.  Brunch was delicious and the girls had a great time.

We bought our first baby gate yesterday afternoon.

One day soon... we think... they will be crawling... and we're going to have to contain them... sort of.

I'm not looking forward to putting a big gate up on our first floor but avoiding headers off the hardwood onto the tile below has to be the priority at this point.

For those of you with children, did you put gates at the bottom and the tops of your stairs?  The tops are a given of course but I'm wondering about the bottom....


The rest of the weekend was spent hanging out as a family... exactly what I love.

what did you get up to?

chaotic recap... eighth edition

It's been a couple of weeks... I know...

We've been a little busy...

doing things like this...

The girls are so mobile now and they aren't even crawling.  It's getting more and more of a challenge to quarantine them to a mat... rug.... space.... every day.

The cats have become a primary form of entertainment.  Heidi in particular, has taken to this new found responsibility.

Alice: oh... there's that furry thing...
Alice: I must touch it
Heidi: here she comes... I'm so excited.... yet fear for my slowly growing back fur...




Alice: success.  now let me pull your fur
Heidi: yeah this doesn't feel great but this little person seems to love me so I'm not going to do anything to change that.


Isla is definitely a thinker... always sizing up a situation...



always looking like she's wondering whether something is safe or not before proceeding..



but this could all change... as we've learned many times already...

Alice seems to jump into new things without a thought...

I've taken so many pictures but had yet to print off even one until last weekend.

These were just too precious not to print...

 Alice's face keeps changing...

everyone that sees her says so.

she seems to have grown a neck.

and it sure is adorable.

this is where we spend most of our days...

flying in the sky...

 rolling around on the ground...

and bouncing... lots and lots of bouncing...

alice has a new technique...

the jump, grab her feet and spin technique...

she loves it.

Lately they've been making each other laugh so much.

I love it.

Last week I made dinner... twice!  (If you don't know by now... I don't normally do this... I married a man who cooks...)

I have to say... I used to loath the crock pot... but I've changed my ways... realized the no pressure awesomeness of the slow cooker.

I made this and this.  yummy.

Do you have plans for the weekend?

It's supposed to be sunny and warm here... I can't wait!

Happy weekend!