Very Mary

Ten on Tuesday

1. I heard on the radio today that Environment Canada is predicting three more months of winter. THREE MORE MONTHS. I hate to be so middle-aged that I discuss the weather first thing, but seriously, that deserves discussing. That whole thing I wrote a few weeks back about it feeling like spring? I have been deceived. 

2. My thumbs split open AGAIN today as I was buckling the kids into their carseats. Band-aids are not working. Should I try super glue?

3. She hand meters consistently:

4. And she calls it "tography."

5. Today she heard the radio announcer interviewing a local photographer, and she yelled, "Mommy, did you HEEEEAR that? She is a 'tographer' with lots of photos. Just like you."

6. He discovered his shadow:

7. IKEA is taking all of our money. But! We actually bought a practical piece of furniture: a chair, a chair! I committed to buying a chair!

8. In case you were wondering, the chair is not going in the empty livingroom.  

9. The empty box is in the livingroom though, and it makes a very nice playhouse.

10. His first word: "cracker." 

Derrick did not believe me either. But this kid repeats himself when he wants to be heard. He's rather loud about it too.

Ten on Tuesday

1. With the way this Ten on Tuesday project is going, I should have done Ten on Thursday or perhaps even, Five on Friday. 

2. Caleb started walking! Just a few shaky steps here and there, but man oh man, it won't be long before he's runnin'.

3. And the stairs, they are nothing now. He's climbing them over and over and over:

(And btw, Derrick is just outside the frame on this shot. Should you have been worried about my little troublemaker taking a tumble.)

4. With walking and climbing and general troublemaking, Sadie has taken to calling him "Mischief."

5. Case in point:

Because apparently, once was not enough. 

6. Sadie has taken to calling me by my first name. Or "Mother." I guess I should be glad it's not "Mother Mischief."

7. In other less exciting news, I'm working on my pantry organization project. I've gotten as far as deciding that I need to reconfigure my spice rack into something on the back of the pantry door. I hit a dead end at IKEA, so now I'm clueless. Any suggestions?

8. My mom bought me these fabulous vinyl rub-ons from Uppercase Living for the kids' rooms back in July. It's really embarrassing that it's taken me this long to get this one up on the wall:

But it's up, and I love it!

9. Sadie's current favourite game is to put on a princess dress, make up an elaborate name that no one can quite remember and go to parties! She discovered Rapunzel at the Disney store, so now she is Rapunzel-with-not-so-very-long-hair who goes to St. Patrick's Day parties.

10. Today, I am thankful to have a nice warm house. And also, I'm thankful for cinnamon rolls. Unrelated things, unless you consider the cozy, feel-good factor. 

Ten On Tuesday

1. Back in my pre-momma days, my friend Elizabeth asked me to contribute to a little book called The Scrapbooker's Almanac, which, in my humble opinion, turned out to be the best book about scrapbooking ever written. (It will undoubtedly be the first book I open when I dust off my scrapbook supplies.) 

So. If you don't all ready have a copy, you should get yourself over to Elizabeth's blog where she is currently selling them at a much discounted rate. And even better, a portion of the proceeds are benefitting The Girl Effect.

Buy The Scrapbooker's Almanac.

2. I hadn't heard of The Girl Effect. Have you? You should watch the video. 

3. A day late, but heartfelt nonetheless:

 

4. She says, "Happy Valentime's Day." I love that. 

5. Happiness this last week was in the form of a mailbox full of "Valentime's" cards from her preschool friends. She took great care in looking them over, asking who they were from and what they said. The favorite? A princess card, of course.

6. Happiness this week also comes in the form of four little teeth and therefore, a much more peaceful Little Man. He seems to fancy chewing on the crib, though, and I am not too pleased with that. 

7. I can't stop with the tortilla chips and that weird fake cheese. It's weird. It's fake. But it tastes so good.

8. It was promisingly spring-like today. I can even see a hint of grass on the sunny side of the backyard. We'll ignore the not-so-sunny side of the yard for now. :)

9. Derrick is pushing himself along on the big slide because, as he said, he wasn't wearing his "fast pants":

10. The long weekend is coming! Hooray!

Ten on Tuesday

1. We started family game night in January, and so far it has been enjoyed by all. Although, the littlest member of our clan likes to sit right in the middle of the game and be bothersome. (And by that, I mean slobber on the game cards or scatter them every which way.) So far, our game inventory includes Uno Moo! and a three-pack of card games from Melissa and Doug (Go Fish, Old Maid, and Animal Rummy). I'm giving them all two thumbs up. 

2. Speaking of games, I was happily surprised to discover that Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus has been turned into a board game. There was only one left at the bookstore, so I snatched it right up. I hope it's a winner.

3. Not a board game, but still playtime:

4. Confession: This is the first season that I have consistently watched American Idol. Steven Tyler is refreshingly entertaining. 

5. Sadie and I went out this weekend for a girl's date. She chose Tim Horton's as her lunch destination, and ordered a breakfast sandwich, a "donut with sprinkles," and an apple juice. I was a little disappointed when she wanted to go home immediately after lunch because "Caleb and Daddy will miss me." I kind of coerced her into going to the bookstore anyway, and she promptly forget about the boys and became immersed in the mystery of the Etch-a-Sketch. 

6. Is it just me or is the gift/toy paraphernalia slowly overtaking the bookstore?

7. She was so impressed with Rhonda's veggie face from our still-life challenge that she made her own:

She's asked for cucumber and red pepper every day since.

8. One of our picks from the library this week: Chalk. No words, but plenty of story in those stunning illustrations.

9. On the schedule this week: Valentine's Party at preschool. 

10. Also on the schedule: make Valentine's cards for Valentine's Party at preschool.

 

Ten on Tuesday: Ten Things About Caleb

Caleb is ten months old today!

It's only fitting, then, that this Ten on Tuesday is all about the Little Man:

1. He DOES not like to be in any sort of restraining device. That includes highchairs, strollers, car seats, or snowsuits. All of which we use on a daily basis. He pulls the "stiff man" routine and refuses to bend his legs while screaming at the top of his lungs. It's good fun. 

2.When he really wants to look at a toy, he stares at it while holding it up over his head. Like so:

3. He loves baths, and he's tried on several occasions to climb - or rather, tip into - the empty tub.

4. When he gets REALLY mad, he holds his breath. I'm not overly fond of this behavior.

5. Anything Sadie does is either riveting or wildly funny. Sometimes both. He does not, however, think it's riveting or funny when she snatches a toy out of his hands. He has, on more than once occasion, tried to bite her to express his discontent.

6. Proof that it wasn't a fluke. He's genuinely captivated by Dinosaur:

7. He weaned himself, and he loves every minute of his bottle.

8. The best solid foods do not come from a jar. (He won't even entertain that idea.) He'd really like to eat what we are eating, but he'll settle for bananas, sweet potatoes, peas, and crackers. Especially the crackers. 

9. Terrain to be conquered: the stairs. He can climb five by himself before he loses his composure. 

10. When the nap is done:

 

Ten on Tuesday

1. It was really, really fun to read about your quirks in response to last Thursday's list. I had no idea you were all so strange. Hahaha. Only joking, of course.

2. Derrick turned 33 over the weekend! And I really flunked out in the party planning department. This is partially because I am disorganized and maybe also because I am slightly neurotic. But whatever. Another time, we'll discuss.

3. I did, however, bake a birthday cake. It is probably the most unattractive cake ever to come out of my kitchen, but it contained copious amounts of chocolate and peanut butter, and so it was decidedly tasty. Damn tasty, in fact.

And therefore, the birthday was rescued!

4. And in other birthday news, we all really like risotto. Except for Sadie, who would rather have spaghetti and pointedly told us this. Several times.

5. Friendship is good. 

We chat quite a bit over email, but seeing them in person is SO much better than typed messages. Technology can make the world a lot smaller, but it doesn't replace a real face-to-face conversation and a lot of laughter.

6. Caleb's top two teeth are coming in. I really can't believe how quickly he is growing.

7. There are no sharp edges on the laundry basket, however, I still managed to cut my elbow open. I had no idea domesticity could be so dangerous. 

8. I have an idea for a domestically engineered type shot for our weekly challenge this week. It could be interesting. Or maybe just messy.

9.The curtains are not very useful for pulling yourself up now are they, Caleb?

Can you tell he is thinking about doing it again?

10. You know what is really annoying? Trying to type something whilst someone stands at your immediate elbow and says, "What are you doing Mommy?" over and over and over. And that reinforces why I usually do this when they are ASLEEP.

Ten on Tuesday

1. On the schedule this week: pajama day at preschool! I know this because *someone* has reminded me at least a dozen times since yesterday. She is all ready planning to wear her monkey pajamas. AND she gets to bring Teddy, so it is sure to be the best.day.ever. 

2. I'm all ready crossing one item off my list of 52 Things! "#8. Get a massage." Over all, an enjoyable experience. But that part where she massages your butt cheek? Awkward. 

3. Cabin fever is setting in. Is it Day 7 of temperatures in the negatives? I'm losing track all ready...bring on the sunshine please.

4. Meet our three-year-old ballet superstar:

I've given up trying to get her to smile for the camera. I said, "show me your favorite ballet pose." I think this is "moody starlet."

5. Viewing Day came just in time. We were just debating whether she should finish the year of ballet because we were convinced that they just dress up in tights and run around the room in circles. 

There was definitely some running around in circles. But, to be fair, they were also plies and other fancy ballet moves (for which I do not know the name) that look totally adorable and endearing when performed by unselfconscious three-year-olds.The best part was the ballerina march. I think the teacher was hoping for grace, but it was a full-on gallop in a pink tutu. Eleven times.

6. For the record, I DID comb her hair before we left. I even added a clip. I don't know what happened during that five minutes from house to dance studio. 

7. Project 365 is rolling along. Sadie says, "Mommy, would you like this picture?" at least once a day. This morning as we were walking across the parking lot, admiring the sunshine, she said, "I really wish I had my camera." I love my mini-me.

8. Have I mentioned this book? My Quotable Kid. A cute little notebook for writing down all the crazy things your sidekick says. I try to blog them from time to time, but I keep this notebook in the kitchen where I can run to it and jot things down before I forget. Every page has a spot for writing the who/what/where/when, so you can use the book for more than one kid. It won't be long before I get to enter a few quotes from this kid:

He all ready yells a lot. I'm assuming it will be funny and/or quotable at some point in the near future when I can understand what in the heck he's saying. But! He is signing! Milk, "more," and Mommy. All the important stuff. 

9. When I was looking for the link for My Quotable Kid, I discovered Your Birthday Book. I'm trying to find a good and realistic method for memory-keeping, and the idea of having a birthday photo + quiz every year from 0-18 is so appealing to me. Wouldn't something like that be so fun to look at later?? 

10. When I was a little girl tagging along at the grocery store, I used to *beg* my mom to stock the freezer with those Hungry Man chicken pot pies. I still like chicken pot pies, but these are infinitely better than Hungry Man:

Freezer Chicken Pot Pies

and then you can ask the resident princess to make cinnamon pinwheels with the leftover pie dough:

Yum! I wish I hadn't eaten all of them all ready. 

Ten on Tuesday

1. I'm still operating in holiday mode to an extent. Translation: I feel driven to consume sugar or chocolate (preferably both) after every meal. Except breakfast. But still. Somebody help me.

2. A conversation with my preschooler:

Me: Sadie, you are such an optimist.

Sadie: I'm an octopus, all right, Mommy. 

3. I have four notebooks containing various states of scribbling. When I'm not carrying a baby, a diaper bag, a camera, or a camera bag (or all of the above), I'm carrying a notebook. So I can be organized, you know.

4. I don't seem to have that many pens, though. So all that time saved "being organized" seems to be wasted in looking for a pen. Nice.

5. I think Caleb must have read up on "walking."

That is the face of determination, no? (Or maybe he is just mesmerized by the library lights.)

6. Their new favorite book is Dinosaur vs. The Potty:

7. Mine is Alphabeasties. A thoroughly enjoyable read for font-freaks and their offspring.

8. I used to really like grocery shopping. I've decided, however, that the fun factor goes down to about -38 with a screaming baby in the shopping cart. Just one step above searching through yesterday's garbage for the phone charger.

9. This year is going to be really, really busy. 

10. You know what sounds good right now? A chocolate chip cookie. Or maybe two.

Ten on Tuesday

1. The Christmas 2010 Recap:

• 12 days at Grandma's house
• 4 suitcases
• 4 carseats
• 1 Jumperoo
• 4 princess dresses
• 3 trips to the walk-in clinic(s)
• 6 different types of medicine
• 2 ear infections
• 1 Santa sighting
• 1 all-nighter (pretending to be Santa's elves*)
• 4 trips to Hobby Lobby 
• 3 cans of spray paint
• 1 holiday dollhouse
• 4 sugar cookies**
• 2 pieces of coconut cake**
• 2 brownies**
• 2 pumpkin spice cookies**
• 3 pieces of caramel tart**
• 2 pieces of fruit pizza**
• 2 cinnamon rolls**

2. *Staying up all night on Christmas Eve? Not for the weak, and definitely not recommended. Unless of course, you are simultaneously guilty of procrastination and a believer in prolonging the magic.

3. **And the food? Um, yeah, that was only what I consumed by myself. I can't even blame pregnancy this year. But at least it wasn't all in one day. Although, come to think of it, that could've been helpful on Christmas Eve.

4. Speaking of food (and gluttonous behavior), I watched Jamie Oliver on The Hour last night, and I'm super excited to see the new season of Food Revolution. Healthy eating fits right in with nearly everyone's resolutions, right?

4. I'm adding "winter driving" to the list of Things I Do Not Like. Derrick does not allow me to drive on family road trips because he says he "prefers to drive" or "doesn't mind driving." I am suspicious that he does not believe that I drive fast enough, but I make up for this character flaw in abundance by white knuckling the arm rest and repeatedly asking him to "slow down" or saying, "this looks icy. Is it icy?"

5. But at least the sun was shining:

6. Caleb now crawls on four points. But he much prefers walking. Assistance is required, which makes it much harder to photograph.

7. Happily removing the Christmas decorations:

And when I say, "happily," I am not referring to me. I have a case of the Januaries.

8. I have yet to see a Canadian TV show that I actually wanted to watch again, but even so, I'm pretty excited about The Pillars of the Earth tonight.

9. Once a week, Sadie has ballet class for exactly 30 minutes. I especially enjoy this time if Caleb is not napping because that means it becomes a family outing/coffee date! This time, the coffee house was packed, so we stopped in at the tea house instead. We had green tea lattes, and Caleb had his bottle. The bottle. Initially I was disappointed that he weaned himself from nursing, but it's really been such a blessing. His dad can help feed him, which is such a sweet thing to see, and more importantly (!) he's been less hungry and so that means he's finally sleeping through the night. 

10. Project 365 has officially begun. Are you in?

Ten on...Friday

1. And so...I finally settled on #3. Mostly because the colors will work better on my project, which happens to be a "fall" page. Here's a sneak peek:

But, important note to self: do not succumb to any processing trends that will make me cringe five years from now. 

2. It was a week of firsts. First ballet and then the dentist. Of course, some firsts are more exciting then others. Especially when they involve a tutu. 

3. And preschool:

She would not remove the hat. She would not look at the camera. I gave up after seven shots of her holding on to this saw. Just shortly before the teachers branded me the "crazy camera mommy."

4. Had a great visit with a friend of mine. It occurred to me that we have been friends for a long time, and I really like that. 

5. I started Little Man on solids, so I've been reading Cooking for Baby. Cereal is passable, sweet potato is okay, but general consensus on pureed zucchini: Blech.

6. Speaking of food, Sadie must be having a major growth spurt. She asks for "another snack" at least eight times a day. Yesterday, I said, "No more snacks. We need to save your appetite for dinner."

To which she asked, "Did you put it in the refrigerator?"

Me: "What?"

Sadie: "My appetite. Is it in the fridge?" 

7. Have you seen this? 

It makes me feel a smidge better about still getting up three times a night.

8. I really need a haircut.

9. The stack of books on my nightstand are all about photography. I wish I could tuck them under my pillow and learn by osmosis. 

10. We're all ready thinking about Halloween costumes around here. If all goes according to her plans, we are going to have to practice our "yeee-hawws." I'm not sure I'm ready for Wranglers.