Wordless Wednesday

My heart skips a beat every time she looks at me. Sweet, sweet child of mine.

Beautiful Things

Eight Nesting Lotus Bowls from whitneysmith

Verona Bracelet from mylaveliere

"Almost Ready" print by Kellya

Tired

Both of our girls are sick with the flu and last night was quite the doozy! "A" cried for 65 minutes straight for an unknown reason and then when I finally got her down and closed the office up she started again from midnight to 1:30 and then again at 3 a.m. top

The next morning at 7 "C" was bright and cheery, ready to go as usual however "A" again woke up on the wrong side of the bed. Then "A" touched the soap in the bath and in a split second she rubbed her eye which started another round. "C" didn't want me to wash her hair, the phone rang and then "C" didn't like her top and dress. As I put "A" down on the bed to change her diaper, she peed all over the sheets.

"C" didn't want toast for breakfast so I went to pour her a bowl of cereal. Once she saw that daddy was having toast, she no longer wanted cereal. "A" decided she wanted nothing but mama's milk for breakfast and then she was ready for a nap at 10 am. Unfortunately as I was putting "A" down for a nap, "C" wanted to draw and read and make crafts.

On and on it went until the blessed hour of bed time arrived. Now, both girls are sleeping soundly and I am so over tired that I've reached the point where everything seems so utterly hilarious. Gahh. I am ready for bed!

Wordless Wednesday

I'm Back

I'm back after taking a bit of a break from the blogging world. There has been so much going on and I have been too busy to do anything until just recently.

I tried Wordpress for a little while and although I think it is much more suitable for a larger blog, I feel more comfortable keeping my little personal one here on blogger. Feels more "at home" for me I guess.

So here I am again. No new name yet... I'm working on it.

"A" began walking last month! It is quite a comical sight actually. This little midget toddling around and falling on her cushioned butt (courtesy of bulky cloth diapers).

"C" is becoming more and more inquisitive and has grown up quite a bit over the last few weeks.

My husband is currently helping his brother "rebuild" the interior of his house. He is hoping to have the living room and kitchen finished by Christmas however there have been some setbacks so we'll see. Hopefully it won't take too much longer.

"A" is now crying so I must sign off. Bonsoir.

Change

I'm thinking about starting fresh with this blog of mine. A new name, new location and new look is something I've been toying with for awhile now.

I have used Wordpress in the past however does anyone have any previous experience with Typepad?

Next week we are outta here for a couple of days. Hopefully it will be stress relieving as Lord knows we all need it right about now. My husband's favorite line applies yet again, "Life is simple, people make it complicated". The question however is why?

Had something exciting happen to me today. One of my interviews was featured in US magazine online! Amazing!

Lots of new and exciting projects and activities going on at the moment :).

Quotable Sunday

My little "C", 3 years ago.

“Time is like a handful of sand- the tighter you grasp it, the faster it runs through your fingers” ~ Author unknown

Halloween Lady Bugs

Mama has a new set of wheels! We literally went from Black to White in this case. The comfort exceeds our previous vehicle and the room is a welcome change compared to our little car. I'll try to post pictures soon. Its a beauty :).

We made some Kitty Cat cupcakes a couple of days ago to take to the girl's Halloween party

Matching costumes was the only way to go. If we had different ones... well lets just say C wouldn't have dressed up if A had a "better one" than her. (Everything A has is better UNLESS its the same as C!)

Always so serious!

Forever getting into things :)

Happy Halloween! :)

Wordless Wednesday

Quotable Sunday

I brought children into this dark world because it needed the light that only a child can bring. ~Liz Armbruster

Rant

I've noticed that when it comes to relationships, the media always defends women and seem to portray the men in a poor light. Although many of these cases are justifiable I believe much is left unsaid when it comes to men.

I came to this conclusion when I met a couple, years ago. There was abuse and violence on the woman's part all of which was witnessed by many. She flaunted herself in front of men and had numerous affairs over the years of their marriage yet in the end, when they split up who was the one to receive all of the blame?

While she was in the midst of one of her famed flings, he found happiness and a chance at love and life yet again. Because of this, he was shunned by family and friends. I still can't get over it.

Things have changed since then, but it just goes to show so many people judge without knowing details, scenarios or without even understanding the complete story. There is so much more than what meets the eye.

All a woman has to do it seems is turn on the water works and everyone feels sorry for her. A man? Well he usually isn't as lucky.

There is so much more to this story as there is in so many others and I just feel both sides are not heard equally.

Anyways there goes my rant of the day!

Wordless Wednesday

Cherubs & Cookies

"A" took two steps in a row today. Our little 8-month-old has been standing up for weeks now and can even lift herself up to standing without holding on to anything, however today she actually walked. She isn't too steady on her feet yet and resembles a new colt on her set of legs but my goodness it seems a bit early for walking yet!

My husband was walking by 9 months and I was a little later... 10 1/2 months I believe, so we'll see what happens ;).

We were finally successful in cutting C's hair a couple of days ago. I'll have to post a pic soon as it is just too cute. Her hair was starting to get out of control and we have been trying for months to get her to agree on a hair cut with no success. Finally she agreed and allowed Daddy to do the honors. He did a fabulous job and I'm happy to report no tears were shed during the entire process. Our little girl "resembles" a cherub now with her short curly locks. Note the hyphenated "resembles" ;) (just kidding).

The days are getting colder now making hot meals, tea and warm cookies so much more comforting than usual. We made a batch of chocolate chip cookies which seemed to disappear into thin air. This afternoon I was hoping for a sweet treat to enjoy with my tea and was greeted to 3 lonely crumbs after opening the container.

Tomorrows to do list: Off to the city for the morning, home again to answer emails and file papers and then cookie making with my sweet cherubs :).

Quotable Sunday

How can a society that exists on instant mashed potatoes, packaged cake mixes, frozen dinners, and instant cameras teach patience to its young? ~Paul Sweeney

Nightime Routine

Oeii! C is a tough cookie to get to sleep!

After her pajamas she needs her teddy bear.
Then she wants her big teddy bear "Sami".
Then she needs a hug.
Then she needs daddy to give her a hug.
"Now A, I need A!!!!" So her sister gives her a hug.

Me: "Goodnight C, love you."
Ray: "Goodnight honey, I love you."
C: "Good night mommy, I love you! I love you mommy! Mommy?! MOMMY!!!!!!
Me: "Yes, I love you too now go to sleep."
C: "Goodnight daddy, I love you! I love you daddy! Daddy?! Daddy!!!???? DADDY!!!!!!!
Ray: "C, I love you too now please go to sleep. Goodnight!"

Silence........

C: "My nose is runnin, its runnin!!!! I need Keynex! Pease, I need Keynex WITE NOW!"

Silence........

C: "I'm thirsty. I need water, I need water WITE NOW!!!!"

Silence......

She begins to sing and then slowly she falls asleep. Ever so very, very, slowly.

And now I will relax, drink a blessed Guiness and bask in the sweet, sweet silence with my husband who is already on his second Molson Canadian :).

Wordless Wednesday

Quotable Sunday

“I find that the more willing I am to be grateful for the small things in life, the bigger stuff just seems to show up from unexpected sources, and I am constantly looking forward to each day with all the surprises that keep coming my way!” ~Louise L. Hay

Island

I caught this shot in the evening. There are quite a few gorgeous ones. I think I took a total of 300 photos on our trip!

So very peaceful....
Our hotel

The elevator doors :)

Hotel "Security". At least that is who everyone thought he was while we were on the island :). Can't seem to get away from that title, no matter where we go.

Daddy and his daughter stroll down the hill and mama takes a crooked shot....

Love this! Superman bicycle :).

Love the name ;)! The sign? Not so much.

Beauty.

Tour Carriages. There were line ups waiting to get on these! Luckily we had our tour in the morning so we didn't have to wait.

Home again

Mackinac Island (pronounced Mackinaw) was gorgeous! We had wonderful weather and a fabulous time. The picture above is a typical "traffic jam" on the island. Cars and motorized vehicles aren't permitted on the island so all transportation is by either horse carriage or bicycle. So very charming! We are hoping to visit once a year from now on as it was one of the most relaxing and enjoyable vacations we have had so far.

I'll upload a few pictures over the next couple of days as I'm still trying to catch up on a pile of work on my desk and in my inbox.

I haven't been writing as much lately because I have just recently been promoted to Fashion Editor/Media Relations over at Celebrity Baby Scoop. Lots of fun but still lots of work!

Hope all of the Canadians who read my blog have a lovely Thanksgiving!

Wordless Wednesday

We're Off!

We're off tomorrow for a much needed getaway. Its been a crazy few months and we haven't had a minute to slow down and relax.

C is super excited and is planning on packing up her new backpack for the excursion. I'm hoping the change of scenery will help A with her teething. The poor babe has been strapped to me constantly. I wish I could take some of her pain away.

My husband went for his physical yesterday to see "Doctor Boy". Although his Doctor is truly a male unlike C's female "Doctor Boy".

All is good. His blood pressure is 110/65 which is a couple points lower than mine. The doctor said, "Ray if you continue this lifestyle of yours, you'll have 10 years left to live."

"What?!" said my husband.

"Yes, 10 times 10. You are healthier than most of my patients here at the clinic. Nothing to worry about at all. Keep it up."

When he told me the first half I thought I was going to have a heart attack. NOT funny!

Now off I go to finish packing diapers, books, toys and clothing. Oh, and the passports would probably be a good idea as well ;).

A Kindred Spirit

It isn't every day that you meet people who touch you, I mean really touch you.
She was an elderly woman, frail and thin. She wore a floppy straw hat with a ribbon tied about her throat. What caught you, what held your attention was her eyes. They glittered and sparkled with life. Her voice grabbed you with its sincerity and kindness.

She immigrated to Ontario from Holland in 1953. The schools there left her fluent in Dutch, German and English although she never quite finished the last couple years of her schooling.

She told me she travels across the provinces every year in her camper with her little dog. I was so drawn to her wisdom, her intellect. We talked about books, writing, literature and various other subjects. She told me that she loves Children books. She is an aspiring writer and just finished one of the few writing courses she's completed over the years.

I can't tell you what it was exactly about her but just being around her was an honor. Honestly, I don't know whether its a second sense, but I can feel people. I can feel their hatred, their agony, their sadness and I can also feel pureness, kindness and true, honest, happiness. She inspired me more in a 20 minute chat then I can put into words and I told her this before she left.

Life is much to short to keep these things to ourselves. Many things in life have taught me this valuable lesson. It was a gift to see her face light up when I told her.

I took her address down before she left and will write to her in the next couple of weeks to see how she is keeping. Hopefully we will be able to keep in touch. When she left, she gave both my husband and myself a hug and said if she was able to make it up here again, she would make sure to stop in. She said we made a beautiful couple :).

Its Her Birthday!

Our beautiful baby girl turned 3 years old today.

I made her a Dora cake just like she asked and as you can see, she was pretty pleased!


It was the first time I have ever attempted such a task. The closest Wilton cake class is 1 1/2 hours away so I just winged it with a book. It tasted great and no one could tell it was vegan which is always a good thing. On the decorative scale... I think I could have done better. There is always next time I guess :). Oh and the holes in case you are wondering are from the candles ;).

I made her favorite meal for lunch (gnocchi with tomato sauce) and she was thrilled with all the gifts she received from family and friends. My little puzzle master has been playing with her new puzzles all day :).

I can't believe its been 3 years... Wow how time flies!

The Good Wife's Guide

This advice was featured in the 1955 issue of Housekeeping Monthly. We've come a long way since 1955!

My husband found the entire article extremely amusing. In fact he is still laughing as I type this :).

• Have dinner ready. Plan ahead, even the night before, to have a delicious meal ready, on time for his return. This is a way of letting him know that you have been thinking about him and are concerned about his needs. Most men are hungry when they come home and the prospect of a good meal (especially his favorite dish) is part of the warm welcome needed.

• Prepare yourself. Take 15 minutes to rest so you'll be refreshed when he arrives. Touch up your make-up, put a ribbon in your hair and be fresh looking. He has just been with a lot of work-weary people.

• Be a little gay and a little more interesting for him. His boring day may need a lift and one of your duties is to provide it.

• Clear away the clutter. Make one last trip through the main part of the house just before your husband arrives.

• Gather up schoolbooks, toys, paper, etc. and then run a dust cloth over the tables.

• Over the cooler months of the year you should prepare and light a fire for him to unwind by. Your husband will feel he has reached a haven of rest and order, and it will give you a lift too. After all, catering for his comfort will provide you with immense personal satisfaction.

• Prepare the children. Take a few minutes to wash the children's hands and faces (if they are small), comb their hair and, if necessary, change their clothes. They are little treasures and he would like to see them playing the part. Minimize all the noise. At the time of his arrival, eliminate all noise of the washer, dryer or vacuum. Try to encourage the children to be quiet.

• Be happy to see him.

• Listen to him. You may have a dozen important things to tell him, but the moment of his arrival is not the time. Let him talk first – remember, his topics of conversation are more important than yours.

• Make the evening his. Never complain if he comes home late or goes out to dinner, or other places of entertainment without you. Instead, try to understand his world of strain and pressure and his very real need to be at home and relax.

• Your goal: Try to make sure your home is a place of peace, order and tranquillity where your husband can renew himself in body and spirit.

• Don't greet him with complaints and problems.

• Don't complain if he's late home for dinner or even if he stays out all night. Count this as minor compared to what he might have gone through that day.

• Make him comfortable. Have him lean back in a comfortable chair or have him lie down in the bedroom. Have a cool or warm drink ready for him.

• Arrange his pillow and offer to take off his shoes. Speak in a low, soothing and pleasant voice.

• Don't ask him questions about his actions or question his judgment or integrity. Remember, he is the master of the house and as such will always exercise his will with fairness and truthfulness. You have no right to question him.

• A good wife always knows her place.

Quotable Sunday

The greatest gifts you can give your children are the roots of responsibility and the wings of independence. ~ Dennis Waitely

Remarkable

There is so much talent in this world. I admire people who are able to move you, speak to you and sing with their art, with their creativity. This performance from Kseniya Simonova is no exception.

Wordless Wednesday

Birthdays & Teething

Days are running away on me. I can't believe its the end of September! Our little girl turns 3 years old next week! Hiding her presents has proven to be quite the feat as her little eyes don't miss a thing.

A is now working on her 4th tooth and isn't too happy about it either. The poor babe is up most of the night and is velcroed to me most of the day. There are lots of cuddles and hugs being passed around.

This teething business is awfully strange. Both of our girls had all four teeth break through in a matter of 2-3 weeks! I wish it was a bit more gradual so it wouldn't be as painful for them.

Another strange thing happened, I lost complete track of time and thought we were going away this weekend. Turns out its next weekend! I'd like to blame it on mommy-brain but unfortunately its due to lack of an agenda - which I should be getting any day now Hallelujah!

Quotable Sunday

A competent and self-confident person is incapable of jealousy in anything. Jealousy is invariably a symptom of neurotic insecurity.” ~ Robert A. Heinlein

New Stuff

Not much time to update these days. Things have been nuts around here!

Also, I've been writing reviews for Celebrity Baby Scoop for awhile now and just recently signed on as an Editor. If you are interested in children's products or Celebrity Baby News check them out!

Wordless Wednesday

She loves peaches!

Peach pie & 'nothin else

Sometimes what matters the most is the quality time we spend with our kids. As stay at home moms we are always there for our children but how much of that time is spend giving our full attention?

Owning a business from home comes with many advantages however it also has its disadvantages at times. There is always something to do with never enough time to finish it all. Today I had dishes to wash, laundry to tend to, clothes to fold, toys to pick up, emails to write and articles to post. One thing led to another and then it was breakfast time, then lunch, then the oh so blessed nap time. As my girls are light sleepers, nothing ended up happening during their afternoon siesta.

After waking up refreshed and raring to go, we decided that we would embark on a culinary adventure and make some peach pie. We pulled out our bowls and measured the ingredients. I peeled and chopped the peaches and my three year old placed them into the jumbo measuring cup. I ended up going through more peaches then I had anticipated with the little mouths taking "test bites" along the way.

The pie making adventure lasted a total of 2 hours to prepare (a feat that usually takes me 30 minutes). Sticky, sweet peach juice ended up all over the tablecloth, chairs and clothing and slicked back the little bit of hair on my 8 month old daughter's head! But ah, what fun we had! Photos were snapped with my girls making funny faces, Queen of Hearts Tarts were made with the leftover bits of pie crust and the joy and pride on our 3 year old's face as she rolled the dough out was priceless. All in all it was a wonderful experience even though the entire adventure ended up taking a toll on my dining, living and kitchen area.

The laundry still awaits, the dishes are not finished and my list of chores is still a mile long but in my heart I feel more accomplished then if I would have completing those tasks. I had a beautiful afternoon with my daughters making peach pie and that in itself was the most rewarding task I could have ever completed.

Quotable Sunday

"A person's maturity consists in having found again the seriousness one had as a child, at play". ~ Friedrich Nietzsche

Lovely, gorgeous boots

With fall just around the corner, my boot obsession begins. Yet again.

Now the question is whether I will have the will power to resist such gorgeousness.

Update

A has been teething incessantly over the last couple of weeks. There are no tears, no crying just wide eyes and sleepless nights. Instead of going to bed she chooses to walk around the table (did I mention she's been cruising along furniture for the last 3 weeks?), chew toys and yell at the top of her lungs while her big sister sleeps. How fun!
I think she is trying to win "Eater of the year" award as her nursing has increased drastically.

C is growing before our very eyes. Its incredible really. She's gone up an entire shoe size in 3 months! Her vocabulary is increasing rapidly and she is becoming quite opinionated. Wonder where she gets that from ;).

The weather is a huge improvement from what it has been. Warm, sunny and just pleasant overall. We've planned a little vacation for the beginning of October which we are all looking forward to. It is needed in more ways than one!

Wordless Wednesday

Quotable Sunday

There are some things you learn best in calm, and some in storm" ~ Willa Silbert Cather (winner of the Pulitzer Prize, 1873-1947)

Wings and a conquered fear

We went to the park and a remarkable thing happened.
C got over her fear of swings!
"Mama, I love wings! They are so so much fun!" she said.

She had such a good time with her sister

And her Daddy
And her Mama

It does feel like wings in a way though doesn't it? Flying high up into the clouds.

Wordless Wednesday

September 1

When God created you he threw away the mold baby ;). I wish I had your patience and your strength. You inspire me everyday to become a better human being.

Happy Birthday! I love you so very much.