Happy birthday to you....

How did this....



Become this....


In only 3 years?




Today she is 3! I feel old already – I have a 3 year old. When did this happen – how did 3 years fly by when there were days I swear someone changed time and space and they were 52 hours long instead of 24?

When did that little tiny baby become this amazing little girl?

I called her my baby girl the other day and she told me she was not a baby – she was a big girl.

If she is upset, her latest thing is telling me “no, I talking Daddy” – meaning she does not want to hear me say for the 20th time – no, you can’t have a candy, but instead she is talking to Daddy now – and of course expecting him to have a different answer when he is standing right beside me.

Jackie started paying attention to television (finally) just before Christmas – so right now we watch a lot of Dora, but she is very specific – there are episodes she loves and wants to watch over and over again, and there are ones she does not like at all.

Her favourite colour is purple, second to pink, and her clothes must match – I don’t mean that purple shirt looks great with those brown pants – no the pants and shirt must be the exact same shade of purple (where did she come from, what the hell am I going to do when she is 16 and this specific). Just so you know, socks must also match and panties if possible.

She is like her mother in the mornings – she needs time to wake up (I need a cup of coffee, thankfully we are a few years away from that still), but she does not like getting dressed first thing out of bed – let’s go and watch an episode of Dora first, have some breakfast, then we can thing about getting dressed. We have not put into place a new rule – you must be dressed before you can watch any Dora – you should see how fast she can move…

Jackie loves to help me in the kitchen, and I love the help, she is an excellent sous chef, operating my stand mixer when baking and helping cut out cookies, and great great putting cut vegetables into bowls.

She is a wonderful big sister, full of everything a big sister at the age of 3 should be – she is a bully to Anderson, wants every toy he picks up and wants all the positive attention to be directed her way and all the negative attention to be on him.

In all seriousness, she is amazing with Anderson, she loves him very much, always showing concern for him, I think she loves that he is getting to the age where they can play together – but as anyone who has had 2 children knows – it is a rite of passage, a test for all parents to endure the fighting and jockeying that happens with 2.

Happy Birthday little lady!

Honest, we're good parents -- part 2

I swear to you, the wine bottle is empty and has been rinsed. Again instead of taking it away, Adam says to me - Jenny, grab the camera - and he went for another swig, so we got the picture.

Sick

This little man has been sick way more than Jackie was at this age, it seems like we just get over something and he is back there with another fever.

Not that anything is really serious, but I hate to see him sick.

The only consolation is this is the only time he will sit still and snuggle with me - I drink up every second of it and secretly love it (the snuggles only).

Go Canada Go!

Today is the Canada vs. USA gold medal hockey game - I decided Anderson needed to be dressed for the occasion.

My 2 boys, watching the game, not that Anderson stayed for long to watch.

He even already has the hockey hair....

Mommy's Little Helper

For the longest time Jacqueline has been afraid of the vacuum. One of us has to hold her while the other is vacuuming, this little man however - not afraid.

Instead he is quite interested in helping - it took forever to do this small rug at our front door with my little helper, the stretch on his arms was just not quite long enough.

A Future Chef?

Anderson is obsessed with the dog dishes, I am starting to think it is not specifically the dog dishes, but the actual dish.

He loves to pour things into them, stir them around and if he gets a hold of one of my pots - well he is in heaven.

I am starting to think we might have a future chef on our hands - that or some big messes in the future to worry about....

Honest, we are good parents....

I swear, we give him food and water, lot of it - we do not make him eat his meals this way.

He is actually drinking water - I am not kidding!

Of course we are such good parents we grab the camera instead of pulling him away.....

Right Handed

Since I am left handed we were quite interested to see what would happen with our kids, but as you can see, he is already a solid right.

Jackie is the same way - at the same age she was holding a pen only in her right hand.

Book Review: Revolutionary Road

Revolutionary Road - by Richard Yates

My rating 2 ½ stars out of 5

Over all I did not enjoy the book, I would give it a much lower rating but the book was extremely well written so I think it deserves the 2 ½.

I did not like the book because it was depressing. This is a story set in the 1950’s about an unhappy husband and wife stuck in the suburbs with 2 children. It is a life neither one of them envisioned nor enjoys.

Frank is mired in a well-paying but boring office job and April is a housewife still mourning the demise of her hoped-for acting career. Determined to identify themselves as superior to the mediocre sprawl of suburbanites who surround them, they decide to move to France where they will be better able to develop their true artistic sensibilities, free of the consumerist demands of capitalist America. As their relationship deteriorates into an endless cycle of squabbling, jealousy and recriminations, their trip and their dreams of self-fulfillment are thrown into jeopardy.

As much as I did not really enjoy the story of this book, it is so well written and deals with a timeless issue of what the true definition of happiness and fulfillment in life is, it was hard to believe it was written in 1961.
Movie Note: as you most likely know, this book was made into a very popular movie starring Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio, I have not seen it, but have been told the movie is spot on to the book.

A New Playhouse

A co-worker of mine was selling this almost new playhouse - I have been wanting to get one for the kids, so this was a fantastic opportunity.

She loves it!

Helping Daddy

As anyone that has been to our house knows, we have a lot of sidewalk to shovel. For those of you that have never seen our house, we have a large corner lot with a sidewalk along the front and down the whole side of the lot - it is a lot of sidewalk to do.

I am sure Adam can't wait until she is old enough to really help out.

Daddy's Workbench

Adam has been working hard at organizing some space for himself in the basement – so here is his new workbench with his helper.

Book Review - Icy Sparks

Icy Sparks is a book about a girl ‘Icy Sparks’, growing up in a small Kentucky town in the mid 1950’s. At the age of ten it happens for the first time. The sudden itching, the pressure squeezing her skull, and the "little invisible rubber bands" attached to her eyelids are all symptoms of Tourette's syndrome. At this point, of course, Icy doesn't yet have a name for these unsettling impulses. But whenever they become too much to resist, she runs down to her grandparents' root cellar, and there she gives in, croaking, jerking, cursing, and popping her eyes. Nicknamed the "frog child" by her classmates, Icy soon becomes "a little girl who had to keep all of her compulsions inside." Only a brief confinement at the Bluegrass State Hospital persuades her that there are actually children more "different" than she.

I really liked this book – it is a book club choice and did not think I would like it as much as I actually did. Part of the reason I love being in a book club, it makes me read books I would not normally pick up by myself, and I find I really liked the book.

On a rating out of 5 stars, I would give this one a 3 ½. Definitely worth the read, but not necessarily worthy of “YOU MUST BUY THIS BOOK RIGHT NOW” status.

Books, Books, Books and more Books

I don’t know about any of you but I love to read. I have been an avid reader since the summer before grade 6 when I discovered the Sweet Valley Twins and Sweet Valley High series. (Did anyone else read those – or just me?)
I used to read those ferociously, not sure if that is why I love to read so much today, but I have never stopped, I have however progressed to slightly more mature books.

Just over a year ago I started keeping a list of all the books I read, I also have a list of books I want to read (you know when someone tells you about a great book, but for the life of you, you can’t remember what it was – well now I write all those down). Anyway, I have a lists – starting January of 2009 of all the book I have read, I also write down the month I finished it in.

Even though I did not have a list before this, I know last year was my best book reading year ever (with the exception of summer 1990, when Elizabeth and Jessica were my world), last year I read 42 books. I know, I can’t believe it either. Here is why I read so much – first I finally found a book club to join – okay I actually found 2, so now I read with 2 different book clubs, second I was on maternity leave – and nap time for the kids means – couch and book time for Mommy!

I find reading to be a wonderful relaxer for myself. I love getting lost in another world where the laundry does not need to be done, the house is not begging to be cleaned and dinner – well who cares if it is a little bit late tonight.

I am going to try and do more book review posts, I read some amazing books last year and would love to share them with you. If you have any good book recommendations, please share.

More Christmas

Here are a few more photos from Christmas out in Canmore - these first 2 - I can't believe I am posting them - she looks pretty white trash to me.

The can of pop - she loves Root Beer (she usually only gets it out at the trailer), but Santa put on in her stocking.

The hat - well my wonderful brother-in-law thought it was appropriate wear for myself - right..... (note the sarcasm on that one).

Showing off Swiper - he is a hard little guy to find - but Jackie loves Swiper and Grandma and Grandpa along with Auntie Kristi and some US shipping were able to make Jackie's day by getting Swiper for her.

She is also in the tent that her and Anderson got from Grandma and Grandpa too.

Who didn't love a fort when we were kids?

A Toboggan Ride

For Christmas this year Anderson got a sled – Jackie got one last year; both presents from Grandma and Grandpa.

It was a little too cold for hitting a hill, but we got out for a short walk instead and then hit the park for a little bit.



Oh, she is a girl alright - love the fashion statement with the glasses.

Christmas Morning

This year for Christmas we headed out to Canmore and were able to share Christmas morning with Grandma and Grandpa, Jacqueline understood the concept of Santa and Christmas morning quite well this year. She was pretty excited leading up to it and thrilled to see Santa ate his milk and cookies and the reindeer did not quite finish his carrot.

Santa left quite a few gifts and filled all the stockings while we all slept, I missed the look on her face when she came in and saw it all, but Adam said it was great – a look a amazement and wonder that it actually happened and he came.

We had a great time opening presents; both kids took home quite a bit of loot thanks not just to Santa but also Grandma, Grandpa and all the aunts and uncles (oh and Mom and Dad of course).

I love the look on her face here - on her way to check out the stockings.

Brutis got to open his gifts too and enjoyed getting some new stuffed toys he can kill.

A little bit of breaky.

Anna's Christmas Party

An event we look forward to every year is Anna’s Christmas Party, for those of you that are just joining us in this blog, Anna is the children’s day home provider.

We all love her, not just for what she does every day (and let me tell you she is amazing) but for what she does on the big events too. Not only is every child greeted with a birthday cake on their special day, but Anna puts together an amazing Christmas party every year.

She invites all her current children and their parents and also al her past children get an invitation too. Then she feeds us all her homemade Hungarian food and Santa makes an appearance, bringing a gift for every child no matter how big or small.

We had a wonderful time and look forward to next year already.

Copy Cat

I am not sure who he is coping myself or Jacqueline (Jackie loves to talk on the phone to anyone I might be trying to have a conversation with).

Panties

Today Jackie is wearing panties for the first time – yeah! Crossing our fingers for minimal accidents, but extra pants are accompanying her to day home today.

Walking

Our little man is now up and walking quite well. His absolute favourite thing to do is walk the circle of our main floor – he just walks and walks and walks.

He is much happier now, he can sort of keep up with Jackie and he thoroughly enjoys stalking the dog – poor Brutis.