Photos

It's been a while since I've posted pictures because I got a new phone and have been taking most of my photos on that, and haven't got the system down for getting them on here yet. Glad to finally share these and give you a bit of a visual update on my awesome family.

Our biggest news this week is that M is now a glasses wearer!  She has always had 20/20 vision, but lately was having headaches, so we took her in to get tested and found she's farsighted.  So today is her first day off to school with this new look - hopefully she finds them easy to adjust to.  I think they make her look sharp.

Nolan had fun trying on the little glasses - he'd laugh and check himself out in the mirrors.

Here are Nolan's first paintings!  There is a new Early Years Family Center near us (a 12 minute stroller walk away!) that is full of neat stuff for him, it's open every morning and afternoon (M-F), and is free.  Beat that!  We went last week for the first time with friends, and yesterday afternoon walked over by ourselves.  An hour there sure went fast.

Some of Madeline's new talents - french braiding her own hair, and fish tail braiding.  She did a couple on me the other day, too - that's almost as good as a massage.  Apparently guitar is another new skill, but she just plays at school, so we are looking forward to getting her one at home so she can play more and we can hear her!

This is a typical morning in our house.  Madeline practicing, Nolan getting in her way, somewhere in between pjs and being dressed for the day, with his favorite thing to steal from the fridge - the mustard.

A new friend!  This cat has been hanging around for the last week or so, since I left a bag of garbage on the deck...  The kids both love her, and she's great with Nolan, but she's learned not to come meowing around at night...

Coffee.  Both our kids love coffee.  This one is empty, and decaf.  Should be safe.

This is another common sight.  I take Nolan swimming every couple of weeks, and Madeline has lessons Monday nights, which we all go to (as long as he's had a decent nap!)  At both pools he loves to play in the lockers.  Don't they all?

And snow.  It's going away, finally - from totally covering the swing last week, it's now down to the grass under the swing.  There are still a couple big piles, but I think spring has finally arrived.  Nolan loves being outside and doesn't mind the snow at all; it takes a lot for him to be too cold or tired enough to want to go in.

Have a great weekend!!

The Bake Sale

"Mom, it's our bake sale tomorrow.  I meant to tell you before but I forgot."

I made Strawberries & Cream Pudding Cookies (found on pinterest) that afternoon, got mini cupcakes & sugar cookies baked in the evening, then iced the cupcakes & sugar cookies in the morning, and got them all to school for 10:15 in the morning.

I think that's a gold star for this mom this week.

Career Day at School...

She went as a Ninja.

Small Group Prayer Night

Our small group is made up of four couples.  We all knew each other fairly well before, so have made an easy transition to being a bunch that enjoys our weekly time together.  We had talked about wanting to do a prayer night together, when our time wasn't filled with visiting and eating and watching a teaching video and discussing it and prayer, but simply prayer (...and food and visiting).

I wanted to share with you what we did; it's a great experience, doesn't take much to put together, and is a very worthwhile addition to what your small group does together.

We started with visiting and getting our coffees while everyone arrived and got the kids settled with the sitter, then met all together for a few instructions and an opening prayer.  We moved into a time of personal confession, getting our hearts right before God before we moved into praying for all the other areas.  As each one finished that, they moved on to the stations set up around the house.  We had two of our 8 missing, and with 7 stations, there was always a free one to move to, even though most were set up to allow more than one to be there. 

Each station was for a different area of life that we should be praying for.  We had:

• Children
• Marriages
• Church
• Family & Friends (including work relationships)
• Stress
• Current Events
• World (Global Church and World Governments)

 Most stations had lists of "How to pray for..." that I found online.  The world station had a big atlas, and the current events station was at our computer, open to news sites.  The friends & family lists were mind maps I made using a free site online.

We came back together for our last half hour, and had a time of communion together.  Our teaching video last week was on communion and left us thinking we should do that together; this was the perfect timing and setting.  We had a loaf and juice and talked about what it represents and why we gather together - it was very casual, but very real - and then we kept eating of the small feast we had spread on the table.

It was a very good night.  Everyone seemed quite positive about the experience and want to do it again, even setting it up exactly the same.  I do have a few ideas to expand or tweak it, but they're right - it doesn't have to be re-invented each time.  I have done prayer rooms that had more hand-on involvement, but this way worked well for this type of group.  We may invite others to join us next time we do it, and we would be willing to set it up at the church for the whole church to participate at some point. 

I hope this sparks a desire in you to share a time like this with friends, and gives you an idea of how to go about it.

Hope

I picked the hope mug again this morning.

I showed you these before: the mugs we got from Mom & Dad for Christmas.  The plan was to swap them back out once the holidays were over, but they are still in the cupboard, mid April.  Outside still looks like January, so maybe once it's green we'll do that.

I've gotten into the habit, though, of picking the mug I use based on what I would like to see or feel in my life at the moment.  Often it's the green Joy mug, but the Hope mug sees a lot of use, too, and Peace....  It's such a nice addition to the morning coffee to have a calming thought inhaled in, affecting my whole being.

This week, this is what I hope:

that spring will come
that M will get through the teenage years without being too scarred by them
that she would be strong mentally & stand strong against the pressure of her peers
that Sean and his business would thrive
that N will sleep through the night one day and not need to nurse to sleep and I'll be able to leave him  knowing he's fine without me
that God will answer prayers for the salvation of friends and family
that I would hold on to joy; enjoy friends and have meaningful work both raising my children and otherwise that this marriage will only get stronger and last forever
that my light would shine
that I would be open to people and opportunities
that God's kingdom would come on earth as it is in heaven
that we would find a dress for M's grad that she loves and that we are happy with
that Sean would find a good friend to spend time with now that one has moved away
that N's cold would be gone soon and not spread to his lungs or ears

I am so thankful that my hopes don't have to remain just hopes, but are prayers that the Answer hears.

A Staycation

Sean went on a golf vacation last month, and while he was off enjoying the sun and hot temperatures in Nevada, M and I ended up having a bit of a stay-cation.  We didn't really plan it, but with all the one on one time (with Nolan...) instead of family time, it ended up being a very nice girls weekend.

We watched Wreck It Ralph.  Very cute.  M rated it an 8/10.  I might go as high as a 9.

We did pedicures.  We got out buckets to soak our feet, all the lotions and scrubbers... and she only wanted to paint her nails...  Ha.  But we both enjoyed it and ended up with pretty toes.

She went to a Regina Pats hockey game with a friend - it was the same night as youth group, so she missed that, but had fun doing something out of the ordinary.

We went shopping, and it was a success - I don't even remember if we got anything; a success in my books is keeping our expectations low and not swinging moodily if something catches our eyes and we can't get it...  Ah, teens.

On the food side of things, I made her favorite Cannelloni one night, and one night she cooked supper and it turned out great.  It was a recipe from my mom and has a note on it: "Don't make when Dad comes to visit!"  What is it with dads not liking Tuna Casserole???

We went to Sake, an all you can eat sushi place on Albert that M has wanted to take me to ever since she went with her Uncle.  Nolan had a bit of a melt down and was a little hard to corral, especially when he wanted to go meet the babies at another table, so it wasn't the best eating out experience, but she was happy to finally get there together.

And that was our little staycation - we all enjoyed our special few days, and were happy to be all back together again after.

For Moms who are Tired

Parenting is hard.  So many decisions to be made, questions to answer, meals to be planned...  Where do you go for help?  What helps you keep sane and balanced?  I have a few places I find encouragement, and this is a collection of reminders that I wrote down in my journal and on my phone when I was struggling with being tired and frustrated.  I've appreciated having them there to read over when I need a refresher - it's like a little time out to get back on track - so I thought I'd share them.

To be a good mom, keep:
* Getting enough sleep. Nap first, then chores.
* Trying again. Each moment / decision/situation is another opportunity.
* Praying. Nothing else will keep you grounded in reality (usually that it's not really that bad) and nothing else gives that hope and peace.
* Anticipating. Plan ahead so you're not faced with decisions and have to say no (ie. after school snacks - have it ready!)
* Biting your tongue against the nagging.
* Firm, and expect things done well.
* Double checking until it's done right - not because you expect perfection, but because you are training life skills.
* Telling yourself to enjoy today.
* Kissing their daddy - let them see you enjoying each other.
* Reminding yourself that it's a good thing that they don't always get what they want.  They need that training for later when they want something they know is not right - they have to know that they can handle the disappointment and that they will get over it.
* Playing.  My stuff will wait - get on the floor and make eye contact.  That is love.  Yes, there is times when it works to work while they play beside me, but prioritize.

Remember that this stage is not forever.  "This too shall pass!"  DECIDE to enjoy each moment you can and see each trying bit as a bit - not as defining the whole day. Yes, he cries - he can't talk.  Yes, he's heavy - you GET to hold him! Yes he naps - Hooray!

To keep yourself grounded, remember:
* Know yourself.  Recognize when it's PMS and cut yourself some slack.
* There has to be some compromise.- when you choose to put the other person first, follow through cheerfully. Don't play the martyr.  Periodically re-evaluate and if the choice is still the same, strengthen your resolve to see it through.
* Stay positive.  Fight the negative thoughts - they have no place in your head.

It's kind of a random collection, but it's full of things that I need reminding of. 

I just got some books on motherhood by Sally Clarkson - has anyone read any of her stuff?  I read a bit of one from the library and thought it seemed like it would be a great purchase.  I'm hoping for encouragement and inspiration to overflow... 

Where do you get your encouragement?  How do you get yourself back on track when you feel 'off'?

Interesting Links

Have you ever heard of yarn bombing?  I saw this done once in a tree in front of our favorite candy store, but didn't realize it was such a big movement...

You don't have to be on Twitter to check out the tweets from Chris Hadfield; he's the new (Canadian!) commander of the International Space Station and posts lots of photos of Earth from orbit and interesting information about what it's like to be an astronaut - all the daily bits I've never thought about.

Quick Vegetable Side Dish Recipes - 91 of them!  I saw this on Pinterest & just went through them all and saved a bunch to my meal planner.  Nice to be inspired and get alternates to the usual veggies we have in rotation around here.

The One About M.

Part of why I blog is to keep our family and friends who don't live close by up to date with our family.  The last year or so M has gotten less press than her little brother; to be fair, he is growing quicker and there is more to report.  But we do have two children, and I know there's a lot of love out there for the older one.  So today is Maddy Day!

A note on her name: I named her Madeline, I call her Madeline.  (And when I write, it's usually just M.)  Most other people call her Maddy, which started in grade 4 when there was a Madeleine (Mad-len) in her class.  My beautiful girl is 13, in grade 8, and the first thing you would notice is her beautiful smile.  Or maybe her loud antics, if she was with her friends.  Or maybe that she's 5'11.  Whatever you notice, she's no wallflower.

This was her first year playing soccer with ACFC, one of the 4 clubs in the Regina Soccer Association.  We've always played community soccer before, indoor and out, but with two weekly games and no practices, mostly arm-twisted parent coaches, and very little instruction, combined with M's growing love for the game and desire to take it further, we decided to try out this other league.  It was definitely worth the money, as she was on a team with girls that all got along, and with an experienced coach with the right balance between letting them enjoy themselves and working them hard to see growth in skills.  Hopefully most of the girls will be back together for the outdoor season.

Basketball is her other main sport at this point.  Last year their team won nothing, and this year I think they might have been undefeated.  I overheard the coach saying it was tough because they don't fit well into either of the leagues, but being in this one with smaller schools and having a winning season sure was great for M's confidence as a player!  It was great to watch the games and see her score so many points.  She has developed a lot since grade 6, and I'm pretty proud of the great team player and leader she's become.

Sports are just a part of my girl - I think she'd rather be singing than doing anything else, and has a brain that is a trap for artists and lyrics and tunes... very NOT like her mother.  She does not like taking piano lessons, but we are enforcing that for now as we know it will benefit her in the long run, and really, the 20 minutes of practicing in the morning before she gets on the bus will help in whatever music she pursues in the future.

She has one great friend, Julia, and a whole crew of others that are mostly great but who sometimes prove they are more fickle than faithful.

She would much rather shovel snow than rake leaves, and was trying to bargain with me just yesterday that in the fall, she will watch Nolan while I rake...

This summer she will likely do basketball and soccer camps at the University, as well as going to camp out at Katepwa Lake - can't miss that!  She'll also be going on a ministry trip for the first time with the youth from church, and is pretty excited about that.  Combined with going camping, to family camp and to Winnipeg for a week, she's got a fun summer lined up.

And there's a snapshot of our M for you. :)

Cards for Sale & Quilty Coffee Cozies

Holly:  Do you sell thank you cards?

Me: I never have, but there's a first time for everything!  How many?

It's always nice to have an excuse to make stuff!

I also did a little sewing this weekend with this great pack I picked up.  If I don't find somewhere to sell them retail, there's always something that comes up (like the Maranatha Women's Wellness Day?), so I'm happy to have a stash on hand.

More about Nolan

He is disinclined to eat 'baby food' any more and waves his hands back and forth to say no while scrunching up his face.  That's to the boxed powdered cereals that I mix with the veggies I had pureed.  His yogurt and applesauces are still enjoyed, and for the most part he just eats what we're eating.  We never know until we sit down though what he will eat or not.  He likes perogies and sausages, but not the chicken out of the chicken pot pie last night.

Did I mention that he climbs?  Up on the rocking chair in his room and the dress up treasure chest, on the coffee table, and now, on the toilet, from which he can reach and turn on the (thankfully cold) tap.  He can now get on the couches, too.  He can get down from everything pretty good, too, even off our bed.  He has been climbing on and over his exersaucer, too; it's one that transforms into a play table when they outgrow the seat, but I think it's not quite up to his brand of abuse & will have to be retired soon.

He doesn't talk too much, but sometimes his mimicking is pretty understandable: "Where is it?"  We're still waiting for "Madeline"...  These last few days he's been saying "No, no, no" and "doe doe doe" - fun new sounds.  We don't say no a lot (more like 'please don't touch'), so I don't think he means no; sometimes he gets it in at the right time, though, and makes us laugh.

He can get more shapes in his shape sorter every time we get it out - the hand eye coordination and determination are progressing!

Enjoying a bowl of snow!

One of his favorite ways to play is to run around the basement with a sheet over his head.  He's done this with the twister game sheet and a bed sheet; most recently with a crib sheet he stole while I was folding laundry in the basement while he played.  It's so bizarre that he has no fear running and not being able to see...  We love the laughs it produces, though, and between the two of us keep him from running into things.

He's a snuggler, and I believe it's the highlight of all our days when he tucks his head in our necks for a cozy hug.  He's also quite attached, and if I have to go to an appointment, Sean needs to come along or else it doesn't go well... (Very sorry, Carla, for putting you through the screaming at the eye doctors.)  He does love his Daddy, and he very often prefers to be with him when he's home.

He loves being out in the snow, walking and tasting, and loves eating icicles.  So not his mama's boy in this temperature issue - he won't touch a warmed up magic bag, but he'll hold onto an icicle until he's eaten the whole thing and his hand is red.  Craziness.

Like Reading It for the First Time

Nolan's Bible story the other morning had me in tears.

It was about Abraham being asked to sacrifice Isaac, and Sally Lloyd-Jones, the author of the Jesus Storybook Bible that Nolan got from Granny & Papa when he was dedicated, tells it so well.  The whole Bible, in whatever translation you read it, points to Jesus all the way through, but it's not always so obvious.  This book is written with every story clearly pointing to Jesus.

But this one: "Many years later, another Son would climb another hill, carrying wood on his back.  Like Isaac, He would trust his Father and do what his Father asked.  He wouldn't struggle or run away..." choked me up.

********** 

Last week I started reading to the kids at breakfast again; I used to read the Bible to M before N was born, but we got out of the habit when we added his needs in the morning.  Now, though, he is old enough (sort of!) to sit and listen / play without interrupting, so we are back at it.  I've decided that we will read from this Jesus Storybook Bible, and we weren't even half a page in, on the first day, before M's 13 year old eyes lit up in an 'Oh - that makes sense!' look.  (Passover explained: "God told his people to take their best lamb, to kill it and to put some of its blood on their front doors.  "When God passes over your house," Moses explained, "God will see the blood and know that the lamb died instead of you."")

It's gold.

Shop Update

Just a peek at the new magic bag covers I've got; my fabric store had a couple of sales recently, so I added these:

and these:

 

to these:

(I added the numbers for ease of ordering; you can find all the details if you click the shop tab above.)

**********

It looks like my coffee cozies may have found a retail outlet, and I haven't even started looking yet!  Carla was using hers today when she went to the museum (she is their bookkeeper), and the gift shop owner, who already sells my magic bags, asked her where she got it.  She's interested - after inventory is done! - so I have a few weeks to build up a stash of those as well.

Creative Outlets

I like to make things.

Lately, I have made two albums for the grandparents of Nolan's first year, using the pictures from this post.  They were very simple homemade 6x6 albums, chipboard covers and colored cardstock to match the photos.  I printed the age for each picture and cut it out with a circle punch, and bound it all with two rings.  Simple, but I really like how they turned out. 

I also made a little Valentine book for Sean:

The front one was the one I made last year, and is filled with random stuff; the one in back is this year's Valentine, and is filled with unused note pages and address book pages from the back of an old planner.  I'm in an online small group based out of the (in)courage website; we meet on Facebook and it has been a good encouragement this year, actually.  (They have lots of groups with different focus areas; the one I'm in is geared for those of us who are just balancing and building the marriage and parenting relationships.)  Back in November we did a month of jotting down one thing a day that we were thankful for our husbands for - I wrote them in my journal and made a point of letting him know I was thankful for stuff, but for the Valentine I wrote out all 30 things in one place for him.

And I dug out the new I Spy quilt and started sewing again.  I found this free pattern online - maybe you want to make one, too??  I've got the main middle part with all the patterns done; next is to do the border pieces.  I adapted it... meaning you were supposed to cut a certain amount, arrange them into 5 rows of 10, and you would have 5 pieces left over...  My counter is wide enough for 4 rows, so I arranged them, cut 4 more to make the ends flush, and have 4 rows of 14.  It's not wrong - just adapted!  Ha.  I will be able to adapt the rest to make it work, so no stress.

It will come out again once I've got a good stash of magic bags built up.  My friend Lori took hers to work last week when it was so cold and ended up selling a ton of them for me.  I only had a small stash, so I've been sewing all week to keep up with the orders she has coming in.  She posted a note on their bulletin board and has been 'making new friends' all week!  I like how they sort of sell themselves.

If you've got a crafty streak, I hope you find time this weekend to play and make something!

Nostalgic Bites

I hosted book club last week, and while the hostess is the one who looks after beverages, while everyone else brings snacks (yes, EVERYONE else brings snacks; one more reason book club night is one of the best nights of the month!), I didn't want to pass up the opportunity to make some cookies I had pulled from the recipe book Mom made me.

So Thursday was a baking day, and I made my Grandma's Butter Cookies, and Auntie Joan's Pecan Puffs.  Mmmm.  So good.  I think I may have gained a few pounds since then.  And the fact that they remind me of my childhood is just as good, I think. That part is thankfully calorie free.

 

Levels of Friendships

I have a friend who opens her home weekly for a playdate; other moms and their kids come regularly and fill the house with laughter, cries of "Mine!", toys, and muffin crumbs.  She cancelled the other week just to give herself some space, and now has moved to having it every other week instead of weekly.

I admire her desire to connect with these other ladies, and to provide the social outlet for her kids.  She commented to me, though, that while it has been good, she finds herself limited in the time she can spend with other people; as a mom to 3 little ones, she only has so much time to socialize.  While the playdate makes sense to maximize on that, it also makes for shallower conversations, and may not include the people she has a deeper desire to spend time with.

So - a good thing taking place of the best thing, maybe?  I think her decision to cut back is a wise one, and I wish her the best in discovering who her heart longs to connect with, and the time to do that.

What about you?  Are the people you spend time with the ones you have decided are the ones that are most important to you?  Or are they the ones who you just default to because you have kids or programs in common?

Can I challenge you to think about who your most important relationships are with?  Do you have two or three people that build you up and that you really enjoy?  Do you have two or three people that you know you can (or should be) influencing?  Does your schedule show that you have time set aside to build these relationships?

After that conversation with my friend, and because I have chosen 'Relationship' as my word that I'm going to focus on this year, I sat down and thought through my relationships.  I wrote down seven names of people that I want to make time for, and intentionally connect with.  I have friends who are not on that list; they are important to me and I would not turn down a chance to spend time with them, but for these seven, I want to ask myself weekly, "In what way have you connected?"  Some I don't see too often because we live too far apart, but even a quick text to say I'm thinking of them counts for something.

Tell me:  Do you have a chosen few?

May you be intentional about setting aside good for best, and may you connect today with someone who leaves your heart smiling.

Sleep Decisions

Sean is away for 5 nights in March, so I am deciding whether to sleep train Nolan that week in the hopes of getting him to sleep through the night.  Right now (when he's not bothered by teeth!) he wakes three times a night; when we go to bed, and roughly 2 and 4.  I go in at first peep (well, when I can tell that it's a sitting up awake noise, not a in-his-sleep noise), nurse him and put him back in his crib. 

The reasons why I wouldn't do anything:

• he hardly wakes up so it's easy to put him right back in his crib (usually - sometimes he sits right back up again and I pick him up for a few more minutes and try again)
• it doesn't affect my overall sleep too much
• and honestly, I enjoy holding the sleeping baby and know it won't last forever

The reasons I'm considering it:

• Sean is a light sleeper and wakes multiple times a night either to Nolan or to me coming or going.  
• I believe Nolan could sleep through the night and just needs a chance to try it.  
• I would do better on a fuller night's sleep, you know, managing emotions and all that...  

Other Considerations:

• Sean doesn't like the idea of letting him cry it out, so we're researching other methods.  
• The goal I'd like to see is to have him better able to self-soothe & get to sleep on his own; for naps half the time he does and the other half he falls asleep nursing.  For bedtime, I pretty much always tack on another feed at the end of our routine so he can fall asleep nursing.
• My plan is to start now with naps and always put him down awake, rather than letting him fall asleep nursing.  I imagine there will be some crying, but we'll see how it goes.  When Sean is gone, maybe I'll try that at bedtime, too.  As far as when he wakes in the night... that's to be determined.  Ideally, once he can put himself to sleep, when he wakes in the night, he'll just go back to sleep on his own.
• There's the whole issue of weaning tied up in there, too.  I imagine once he no longer nurses, he might no longer wake.  ??Maybe??  And I am happy to have him nurse for a while longer yet; no rush for that.  As it is, he only nurses a couple times during the day now anyway.

Like I said, Sean is going away for 5 days in March - that's the main reason these decisions have come up now...  I'd love it if you'd weigh in with your thoughts and opinions and stories of sleeping through the night / sleep training / weaning...

13 Months!

Nolan is a year and a month as of yesterday, the 19th.  Not 19 months as has come out of my mouth every time someone asks how old he is lately.  (Which reminds me of the 1:30 doctor's appointment I missed last month - on Tuesday the 22nd - because I thought it was - you guessed it - at 2.)

Nolan at 13 months has decided that he only needs one nap a day.  Quite suddenly last Monday he fussed away his morning and only went down in the afternoon, and every day since then he has not been ready to sleep till late morning or noon.  He's down for 2 or 2 1/2 hours then up till bedtime without too much fussing.  I guess we have stepped over another milestone!

This one's for you, Nicole!!

He's got a bit of a cold right now, but I think the teeth are the primary problem that are keeping him up at night.  He's got his bottom two molars through fine, now there's one top molar and one top incisor making their painful way through.  I'm not counting how many times I get up (and not really minding the middle of the night snuggles, truthfully), but I may have spent more time in the chair in his room than in my bed over the last 3 nights.

What else can I tell you?  He climbs, runs, dances, spends about 4 minutes in his bath before he's done & wants up.  He gives great strong hugs, open mouth kisses, and loves rubbing babies heads.  He likes M's bop-it toy, pulling big-kid games off the shelf, and my machines: he pushes buttons, turns knobs and pulls out thread on my cricut, serger and sewing machines.  He likes the washer and dryer and being carried down the stairs in the full laundry basket.

Spaceman Nolan

He loves the kitchen and wants to see what is on the stove and in the oven when things get stirred or checked, loves when the buttons are pushed and timer set and numbers flash and buzzers go off.  His most played with toys by far are the pots and pans, which will need replacing someday because of how his lid-banging has chewed up the edges.  He is starting to be interested in using a spoon and fork...

He has a bit of a temper that we are working on heading off now - it's hard to express your displeasure properly without being taught that hitting and crying aren't the best way.

He likes being outside playing in the snow.  We did that a few times last week when it was warmer out; he doesn't mind the chill and gets a kick out of pushing the snow around and riding on the sled.

He likes music and stops to dance when you first turn it on.  We listen to his Sunday School Sing-Along CDs in his bedroom and the kids music channel on the TV in the basement.

He enjoys books and his favorites are:

• Give me Grace, a book of daily prayers that he got from Auntie Jen & Uncle Clayton for his dedication (we read it multiple times a day)

• A couple with cutouts that he can put his hands through from Auntie Jen and Uncle Kevin for his birthday

• Big Red Barn is a perfect bedtime one (from Auntie Lynsey and Uncle Sheldon)

• Hug, which I got him for Christmas and loved so much that I got another two copies to give as 'thanks for coming to my party' gifts for his birthday.

 

That's our boy in a snapshot - very much enjoyed.  You are all welcome to come for coffee and enjoy him, too.  :)

Happy February!

Happy Valentine's, Happy Long Weekend, Happy Saturday with nothing on...  It's a beautiful sunny day, the house is quiet with the little one napping and everyone taking their 'me' time.  Sean had to go in to work for a couple of hours this morning and I had to make sure I was home at lunchtime for someone to come buy some magic bags, but there's no soccer or anything else scheduled today so it feels so relaxed.

Our Valentine's Day was nice.  M took cards to school for everyone; her last time, since she'll be in high school next year.  As it was, only 2 kids in her class took them.  We found some awesome free printable Star Wars ones online; I got them printed at Staples and picked up the glow stick light sabers at Michaels.  So fun.  I had Nolan scribble with markers on cardstock then cut out Valentines for M and Dad from it.  I made Valentines out of my scrapbooking paper for the kids and a little book for Sean; I am part of an online small group (through (in)courage) and in November we wrote out one thing each day that we are thankful for our husbands for.  I hadn't shared that with him yet, but put it all in a little book now for a special Valentine.  He came home with beautiful roses, and then after N went to bed we ducked out for a little dessert date ON OUR OWN!  Sad to say those have been on hold while little one is so attached.  But it was an uneventful hour for M at home with him, and a nice date night for us.

I didn't clue into the fact that it was a long weekend until yesterday; it will be great to have Daddy and M home with N and I on Monday.  Maybe we'll all go outside and play in the snow together, since N is having fun doing that this week.  Or there is "Lattes and Bouncy Castles" at the church from 10-2; if it works out with nap time we might take that in.  Speaking of nap time, it looks like today will be day 6 in a row that N has only had one nap.  Boom, he just got big.  And I found 2 more teeth today, up top.  It's dangerous checking in there.

And now it's bedtime... we went out shopping for boots for Nolan, then hit the snow out back, all 4 of us in our ski pants and ready to play.  Got some good smiles and laughs from the boy when Dad took him sledding down the little hill - awesome.  Two more days of weekend.  Looking forward to them & loving my family.

Shop Update!

Just a quick note to say that I've finally got my shop updated with all the stuff I have on hand right now.  Have a look!  There are magic bags, coffee cozies, bean bags, baby tag toys, and magnets.  I will also do aprons to order.

Marriage Advice

One of the things I would like to aim to do is read one marriage book and one parenting book per year.  Each year you will be facing different issues in those relationships (especially the parent-child one as they keep growing!) and you might find helpful advice or practical suggestions for those specific areas.  Getting a fresh perspective and taking the time to actually focus on how you can better those relationships is never a waste of time, even if it is not to fix a specific problem.

I just finished a book called Love Busters by Willard F Harley Jr that was recommended by my mother-in-law.  I didn't find it to be a fantastic read simply because most of what he was addressing were not issues for us, but of course good to be aware of.  What I did find interesting, because I like to think in pictures, was his idea of each person having a love account, like a bank account, with us.  As they do things that we appreciate, or that make us feel loved, they are 'depositing love units' into their account.  As they do things that annoy us or disrespect us, they are 'making withdrawals'.  The more love units, the more in love you feel, the fewer there are, the less you feel in love.  Interesting.

For your consideration today I thought I'd share just the main points of his books.  Give you something to mull over if you are so inclined.

This guy is also the author of His Needs Her Needs, which he sums up in the back chapters of this book, and which by meeting, you will be building up your account.  Everyone's mix of their top needs may be different, but these are the most common:

His Needs:

• Sexual Fulfillment
• Recreational Companionship
• Physical Attractiveness
• Domestic Support
• Admiration

Her Needs:

• Affection
• Conversation
• Honesty & Openness
• Financial Support
• Family Commitment

The top Love Busters that drain those accounts are:

• Selfish Demands
• Disrespectful Judgements
• Angry Outbursts
• Dishonesty
• Annoying Habits
• Independent Behavior

May you have a wonderful Wednesday, and may all your accounts be full.

Domestic Confessions

Confession:  I can probably count on one hand how many times in my life I have cleaned an oven.

Last week I did not have a choice - if I wanted to get any more use out of the thing, I had to get rid of the charred mess on the bottom from the apple pie overflow.  Yes, apple pie.  Domestic me.  At least we got one meal of ordered-in pizza after I turned the oven on for dinner and almost smoked us out of the house because I forgot about the mess on the oven floor from the night before.  So off to the internet I went, and low and behold, baking soda was the winner in the battle against the oven grime.  Did you know this?  Of course you did.  No spray on chemicals, no toxic self-cleaner.

First, I sprinkled it all over the bottom, spritzed it with water, and left it for a few hours.  Awesome results just like that, except for the worst of it, and except for the sides...  The next step was to make a paste with baking soda and vinegar, and smear that on the sides and bottom.  That got it all, including the grates, except for the door window.  Have to do a little more research for that bit, I guess.  And I didn't take before and after pictures.  Just know that I impressed myself.

*****

Confession:  I just learned what a crumb coat was.

I was looking around online to get cake ideas for Nolan's birthday, and came across a post that walked you through decorating a cake, including the 'indispensable' crumb coat.  The crumb coat is a layer of thinned icing (add a bit of water to it), which, when dry, protects the cake from crumbling while you are icing it, making a mess of your nice clean icing.

It mostly worked.  I think it needs to stay chilled; the second car was rather room temperature when I finally got to it, so did get a bit messy.  I don't claim to be a big cake decorator, but I sure got a kick out of how these turned out.

*****

I am not completely domestically challenged, really.  Sometimes I even come up with winners on my own.  Like this one, which got a "I would totally pin that!"  That's some high praise right there.

This tip comes courtesy of simple problem solving skills.  The situation was this:  My Mom had picked me up some Silpat baking sheets (read: no more burnt cookies).  The problem was that they were bigger than my cookie sheets, and aren't effective unless they are laying flat.  I also have some stoneware for the same purpose, so while they are bigger pans, it's kind of redundant.  I had a brainwave the other day, flipped my cookie sheets over, and look at that:

Perfect.  Feel free to pin that baby up.

Beauty in Buttons

Nolan and I have been playing this past week with little things: first, the beans I was using to fill beanbags, then the little stones in the tray surrounding the candle that I was moving downstairs because surprise, now he can reach the centerpiece on the big coffee table, then yesterday, we were into the buttons.

It's so cool to see him taking in new sensory experiences, and to see his fine motor skills developing.  Some of the buttons had come from a little jar, and he was holding that and putting the buttons in it.

The buttons we were playing with were the ones from Mom's stash that she passed on to me when she gave me my sewing machine, so there are a lot of fun vintage ones in there.  I kept seeing new ones, and seeing patterns; I wondered about who designed them...  Surprising - and not at the same time - to find beauty in little things like that.