Happy New Year!

Happy New Year everyone!

Tonight we are enjoying a quiet evening in. We were going to take in Zoo lights, but when we got home today, we all just wanted to get into our sweats and watch hockey!!

Matthew enjoyed watching the Canada vs. USA game with us this evening. He lets us know about every 5 minutes or so that there is hockey on the tv!

After we got Matthew to bed, we enjoyed a nice supper of steak bbq'd outside (thankfully we had a mini chinook today and it was warm enough to barbecue!), mussels, garlic shrimp, roasted potatoes and asparagus. I think it was better than most restaurant meals we've had!

I hope you all had a safe and happy New Year's Eve as well! All the best for 2009

Happy Holidays!

We had a great Christmas holiday this year! Some of it was spent with just the three of us and included a fun trip to the mall to ride on the Merry-Go-Round and make Matthew a teddy bear at Build-A-Bear and some of it was spent in Saskatoon visiting with all of our relatives, eating lots of food and having fun opening presents.

Now we're back at work for a few days and looking forward to spending a quiet New Year's Eve together as a family.

My favourite Christmas song and a few pictures to share:

When is Santa coming?



One last decoration....



Digging for presents...



This looks interesting....



Riding on Great-Grandpa's Knee....



My new favourite game of Crash the Uncle...




Ready for Christmas Dinner...

Rice Krispie Squares

This morning, we, as a family, made Rice Krispie Squares together for Matthew's Christmas Party Today! As you can see from the pictures below, Matthew thought this was a great idea ;o)

"Will Mom notice if I just take a little nibble...."



"....Dad said I could!"




"....do you really have to keep taking pictures?"



"Can I get a little milk here? I have sticky fingers!"



"....boy are these good!"

Yuck

Unfortunately as the old saying goes....

Whether the weather be cold
Whether the weather be hot
We weather the weather whatever the weather
Whether we like it or not.

We are supposed to be in for one heck of a blizzard tonight.
Let's hope we can dig out tomorrow!

"Sa"

So the Santa visit went better than expected! There was only about a 1/2 hour line up and Darren was able to take Matthew for a walk while I waited in line. When we got closer to the front, we kept making funny faces and getting Matthew to laugh and then pointing out Santa and showing how all the kids were sitting on his knee.

Just before our turn, we met "Lucky" the elf, Matthew all of a sudden got a bit shy and we got worried as he started to bury his head into Mommy and hide his eyes... but then Lucky showed Matthew how his nose goes "beep beep" just like Matthew's and Mommy's and Daddy's and Lucky became Matthew's new best friend.

So, when it came time to meet the big guy, Mommy whispered "Santa, does your nose go beep beep?" Santa showed Matthew that his nose goes beep beep too and Matthew thought he was an ok dude.

Since you only get two cracks at a photo, we got lucky!



Matthew also had a lot of fun walking the mall and seeing all of the decorations. He was such a good boy and it was quite late when we got home (9 pm) but still he didn't even complain.

When I got home tonight, the first thing he said to me was "ca". "Car?" I asked "Ca, Da" said Matthew... "Oh!" I said, "you want to go with Daddy in the car? Where do you want to go?" "Ca Da Sa", said Matthew. "You want to go see Santa!?!" At this point I was quite amazed he even remembered who Santa was!

But remember he did indeed. All night tonight he keeps saying "sa" and when you ask "Santa"? he nods yep. When he saw his picture tonight, he pointed and said "sa" So, I guess we'll have to make him a copy of the picture with his new best friend too!

No Santa.... :o(

No Santa story to report... we got to the mall to find a 1 1/2 hour wait ahead of us (and this was as soon as the mall had opened)... so we figured we come back after work one day this week. Mrs. Claus told us that the lines had been that long pretty much every weekend, so a weeknight is probably a better bet. So stay tuned, you'll see them yet!

On a side note, another photo session and another cutie pie to put in the photo album.

Dear Santa...

Tomorrow we are going to attempt to visit Santa.
We tried it a week ago with no success. Matthew was more than happy to walk into Santa's workshop area, but sit on his knee? Yeah, right.
He did, however, have no problem grabbing the box of cookies Santa was offering, right out of his hand and do a 180 down the walkway!



Tomorrow we are getting our picture, so it will be what it will be... just wait and see...

Cutie Pies

This morning we did a photo session for some friends of ours. We had a lot of fun. They have a little girl who is a few months younger than Matthew and she is a real cutie-pie!



She was so cooperative and we got some really nice shots (although jumping around trying to make a one year old smile is HARD WORK!!!)



Later in the day, we attempted to take our own Christmas family photo.. which is always even more work, since there's no one to make Matthew smile.. We got a few photos, but I think we'll take another stab at it. We did get some cute ones of Mr. Matthew though, which will be his 18 month photos....

The serious pose:



The goofy pose:



The cutie-pie pose:

Don't Underestimate them.....

This story starts with Mommy buying a potty for Matthew on Friday because both Grandma's have been telling me how interested he is in the potty. I kept sluffing it off saying it was just that he likes to flush the big toilet!

So, I come home with the potty and Matthew sees it right away! He gets very excited and calls it "pot pot"... first we get him to sit on it in the middle of the foyer... just for fun.

Then, we take it into the bathroom and he is insistant that he sit on it! He even wants the door closed.. and lo and behold, he did poopoo and peepee! We couldn't believe it... he knew exactly what to do!

Saturday, he tried lots of times, but didn't have to go.. Sunday morning... same thing... he did his business and while Mommy was praising him, he looked at me like, "really Mom.. this is what you're supposed to do.. why are you making such a big deal?"

...but then he pooped in his pants last night and doesn't want to sit on the potty today.

I'm not pushing him. He's still too little.. for now, I'm just fine with diapers and he can sit on the potty whenever he wants....


************

update: So, we're in Sears this morning and Matthew starts saying "pott pott"... I say do you have to go potty? And of course he says yes! So, now I'm thinking, does he really have to go? Is there any chance he'll actually go in a washroom? (yeah right)... but he keeps saying "pott pott pott" over and over. So we wheel downstairs, buy one of those potty seats that fits in the toilet and head up to the washrooms. Of course, as I thought, as soon as he saw them, he freaked out. I did learn though, that Southcentre now has an awesome "family" bathroom (it's bigger than my ensuite) that is private and has a little wee one toilet for the little guys to go in... what a great idea!!! I hope more malls have these things because I can see this potty thing becoming an issue in the future.. I really don't want to be lugging a potty with me when we go out....

18 Years and 16 days.

18 years and 16 days ago, I was 13.
Yesterday, I was 31.

18 years and 16 days ago, my Mom drove me.
Yesterday, I drove myself.

18 years and 16 days ago, it was all I could think about for weeks.
Yesterday, I was too busy working to think about it all day.

18 years and 16 days ago, we had to drink pop.
Yesterday, we had drink drinks ;o)

18 years and 16 days ago, we talked all night afterwards.
Yesterday, I could hardly keep my eyes open afterwards.

18 years and 16 days ago, we had to phone our parents.
Yesterday, we had to phone our babies.

18 years and 16 days ago, we screamed like little girls and loved every moment of it.
Yesterday, we screamed like little girls and loved every moment of it.

And for those few moments, it was great to forget about driving, forget about work, forget about sleep, forget about babies and be 13 again!

My Half Birthday!

Hi Everyone,

It's Me, Matthew, blogging today.
I haven't blogged for a realllllyyy long time, have it? That's because Mommy never lets me.

Anyhow, today is my Half Birthday.. I am One and a Half!!!

Mommy was supposed to take a picture of me and find out how tall I am and how much I weigh, but she forgot, so she will try take them tomorrow and let you know.

In the meantime, here's a list of what I can do now:

~ I can pour really well from one cup to another, especially if it's water from the cooler. and I only make really big puddles in the kitchen once and a while.

~ I can lick whipped cream from the beaters when Mommy is finished cooking.. just like Daddy!

~ I can go up and down stairs in record time.. sometimes I even beat the kitties up stairs!

~ I know how to say lots of words, but most of them still have some resemblance to "up" "ba" "ma" "na" "pa" "ih" and so on.. but Mommy knows what I mean even if no one else does yet!

~ I can feed the kitties from the kitty food bag all by myself! Sometimes I use my hands and sometimes I use a scoop!

~ I can tell Mommy and Daddy when I did a poopy in my diaper! Mommy says that means maybe sometime soon I can start to use a potty! (Except I don't think she wants me to because that would mean I'm becoming a big boy and she wants me to stay a baby!)

Anyhow.. stay tuned... pictures will come tomorrow.

Night - Night!

Love,
Matthew

Remembrance Day

When I was little, Remembrance Day to me meant remembering all of the people that fought for us in the World Wars. I really can't recall thinking about people fighting in wars for us at that time.

I was given the poem below today at work and it made me think further about something I had been thinking of earlier in the week. How are our kids going to think about Remembrance Day? Remembrance Day for kids today is about Mommys and Daddys that are currently fighting in wars for us and those who didn't come home.

We owe a lot to those people who go over to those places for us.

(sorry, it's a long one, but worth the read...and you might want to get your
tissues ahead of time)
**********************************************************************

Daddy's Poem

--------------------
Her hair was up in a pony tail, her favorite dress tied with a bow. Today was Daddy's Day at school, and she couldn't wait to go.

But her mommy tried to tell her, that she probably should stay home. Why the kids might not understand, if she went to school alone.

But she was not afraid; she knew just what to say. What to tell her classmates of why he wasn't there today.

But still her mother worried, for her to face this day alone. And that was why once again, she tried to keep her daughter home.

But the little girl went to school eager to tell them all. About a dad she never sees a dad who never calls.

There were daddies along the wall in back, for everyone to meet.
Children squirming impatiently, anxious in their seats.

One by one the teacher called a student from the class. To introduce their daddy, as seconds slowly passed.

At last the teacher called her name, every child turned to stare. Each of them was searching, a man who wasn't there.

'Where's her daddy at?' She heard a boy call out. 'She probably doesn't have one,' another student dared to shout.

And from somewhere near the back, she heard a daddy say, 'Looks like another deadbeat dad, too busy to waste his day.'

The words did not offend her, as she smiled up at her Mom. And looked back at her teacher, who told her to go on.

And with hands behind her back, slowly she began to speak. And out from the mouth of a child, came words incredibly unique.

'My Daddy couldn't be here, because he lives so far away. But I know he wishes he could be, since this is such a special day.

And though you cannot meet him, I wanted you to know. All about my daddy, and how much he loves me so.

He loved to tell me stories he taught me to ride my bike. He surprised me with pink roses, and taught me to fly a kite.

We used to share fudge sundaes, and ice cream in a cone. And though you cannot see him. I'm not standing here alone.

'Cause my daddy's al ways with me, even though we are apart I know because he told me, he'll forever be in my heart'

With that, her little hand reached up, and lay across her chest. Feeling her own heartbeat, beneath her favorite dress.

And from somewhere here in the crowd of dads, her mother stood in tears. Proudly watching her daughter, who was wise beyond her years.

For she stood up for the love of a man not in her life. Doing what was best for her, doing what was right.

And when she dropped her hand back down, staring straight into the crowd. She finished with a voice so soft, but its message clear and loud.

'I love my daddy very much, he's my shining star. And if he could, he'd be here, but heaven's just too far.

You see he is a Canadian soldier and died just this past year
When a roadside bomb hit his convoy and taught Canadians to fear.

But sometimes when I close my eyes, it's like he never went away.' And then she closed her eyes, and saw him there that day.

And to her mothers amazement, she witnessed with surprise. A room full of daddies and children, all starting to close their eyes.

Who knows what they saw before them, who knows what they felt inside. Perhaps for merely a second, they saw him at her side.

'I know you're with me Daddy,' to the silence she called out. And what happened next made believers, of those once filled with doubt.

Not one in that room could explain it, for each of their eyes had been closed. But there on the desk beside her, was a fragrant long-stemmed rose.

And a child was blessed, if only for a moment, by the love of her shining star. And given the gift of believing, that heaven is never too far.

The river rises, we rise above....

Sorry for the lack of posts this week, it's been a bit of an interesting one.

The week started out great until Darren went to pick Matthew up early from daycare on Monday. He walked in and found Matthew STANDING in his high chair, with the daycare provider no where to be found!

So what would you do? Let's just say he didn't go back after that day. Strike 2 with daycare. So, Darren's mom graciously got on a bus Monday night and came out to watch Matthew Tuesday, Wednesday and today. She went back home tonight and Darren is off for the next few days.

We had been discussing her moving out here to help take care of Matthew, so this just expedited the process.

Oh well, like the Amanda Marshall song says, it's just one more mountain.. when the river rises, we rise above!

So on to happier things! Monday night we got snow!! (well, I guess that's not really happy news) but Matthew got to go outside today for the first time in real boots and real ski pants and a real winter jacket and mitts and find out what SNOW is all about!

Night Night

Last weekend, we bought Matthew a pillow and a comforter for his crib. No, I'm not quite ready to move him out of his crib yet, but it's the next step to getting to a big boy bed.

Let me tell you, it was magic. Bedtimes have suddenly become A LOT easier. I hope the novelty doesn't wear off too soon, but right now, Matthew thinks it is the greatest thing in the world for him to lay down on his pillow, and for us to tuck the comforter under his arms and kiss him good night.

Then we start both of his mobiles and say good-night. He waves to us and says "ni-ni". It is sooo cute! No crying, no sniffling, and he's usually sleeping in 5-10 minutes.

Here is the last picture of my baby sleeping like a baby (sniff sniff)... now he looks like a little man all tucked up with his new pillow and quilt.

They Should Go on Tour....

"Ok Token... Are you ready for our duet??"



"How 'bout a little Elton John today??"



".... we were hopping and bopping to the crocodile rock..."



"Thank-you! Thank-you Ladies and Gentlemen!!"



editors note: (the cat really does play the piano, it has been witnessed, just never yet caught on video)....

Happy Halloween!

I wasn't so sure how Halloween was going to go yesterday.... since Matthew flat out refused to put on the cute little lion costume that I bought him! Well, actually, I did get it on him for 23 seconds... but he's smart enough to know it has a zipper down the front and could take it off in no time flat.

He was quite curious about this Halloween thing though as I started to get the treats out and put the pumpkin on the front step... It was such a nice day out (I can NEVER remember a Halloween that was as warm as it was yesterday!





So as the time drew nearer to join the festivities, I had to come up with a back-up plan... and the result? Meet my little Pilot (aka Maverick).. no cute little lion, but what was I gonna do?








I didn't really plan to take Matthew trick-or-treating, instead thought he could just help hand out candy... but it didn't take him long to figure out that all the other kids were walking around and he wanted to go too!

So, I left the bowl of Candy on the front porch and off we went around out cul-de-sac. By house #2, he had it down pat: Walk up the steps.. knock on the door... Mommy says "trick-or-treat".... people say... "oh, aren't you cute!"...hold out the pail... get some bright colored packages!!... Mommy says "say Thank-you"... just stand there... Mommy says "say Bye"... wave bye-bye... go to the next house!

***************

Mommy and Matthew negotiating the fact that it's time to go in for a bath...




Hope you had a great Halloween too!

My First Pumpkin

Matthew and I carved his first pumpkin this year! He thought it was quite funny to see all of the guts come out of the inside, but wouldn't come near it when I offered that he could stick his hand inside!

At first he was mildly interested in the whole carving thing... but mostly wanted to play with the carving tools or the little chunks of pumpkin eyes. He has learned the word pumpkin though, and can point one out to you wherever we go!



Trying to get a 1 year old, black cat and a pumpkin to stay in the same picture was not an easy task....

If you can help.....

.... me find a way to get my little man to brush his teeth, I would be oh, so grateful! You see, I've tried every single thing I can possibly think of to convince/beg/trick/force him to brush his teeth, but nothing works.

Sometimes, if I'm lucky, I get this far. He'll put a toothbrush in his mouth and lick off the toothpaste.




Here, I can just see him mocking me .... "see Mom... I
ammmmmmm brushing my teeth...."



On this particular day, he was in a good mood.. but most days lots of kicking and screaming are involved.



So, if you have any suggestions, gosh, I'd love to hear them. I fear we'll be giving a 2 year old fillings if we can't nip this brushing thing in the bud soon!

What goes through their minds!

Today before supper, Matthew opened the freezer and pulled out a bag of frozen, dried, bread cubes.... "those aren't for eating" Mommy said... But Matthew insisted that I open the bag for him to see inside.

"Do you want some bread?" Mommy asks. "Yes!" Says Matthew. So, we open up the bag and take out a nice fresh piece of bread. He holds it in his hand and then says "no!"... and continues to point to the bag of frozen bread. "bread" he says. So Mommy opens the bag, he reaches in and pulls himself out a nice big piece of dried up frozen bread.... "mmmmmmmm" he says and takes a big bite.

"Yucky!" Mommy says. "Don't you want some nice new fresh bread? We can even put butter on it?" He takes a bite of the bread cube again... "mmmmmm" and takes a big swig of milk.

Whatever makes them happy I guess :O)

**********************

Matthew being silly: (Click on the picture to view it bigger)

Live, Learn and Pass it On

Sing in the shower.

Treat everyone you meet like you want to be treated.

Watch a sunrise at least once a year.

Leave the toilet seat in the down position.

Never refuse homemade brownies.

Strive for excellence, not perfection.

Plant a tree on your birthday.

Learn 3 clean jokes.

Return borrowed vehicles with the gas tank full.

Compliment 3 people every day.

Never waste an opportunity to tell someone you love them.

Leave everything a little better than you found it.

Keep it simple.

Think big thoughts but relish small pleasures.

Become the most positive and enthusiastic person you know.

Floss your teeth.

Ask for a raise when you think you’ve earned it.

Overtip breakfast waitresses.

Be forgiving of yourself and others.

Say, “Thank you” a lot.

Say, “Please” a lot.

Avoid negative people.

Buy whatever kids are selling on card tables in their front yards.

Wear polished shoes.

Remember other people’s birthdays.

Commit yourself to constant improvement.

Carry jumper cables in your truck.

Have a firm handshake.

Look people in the eye.

Be the first to say hello.

Use the good silver.

Return all things you borrow.

Make new friends, but cherish the old ones.

Keep a few secrets.

Sing in a choir.

Plant flowers every spring.

Have a dog.

Always accept an outstretched hand.

Stop blaming others.

Take responsibility for every area of your life.

Wave at kids on school buses.

Be there when people need you.

Feed a stranger’s expired parking meter.

Don’t expect life to be fair.

Never underestimate the power of love.

Live your life as an exclamation, not an explanation.

Don’t be afraid to say, “I made a mistake.”

Don’t be afraid to say, “I don’t know.”

Compliment even small improvements.

Keep your promises no matter what.

Marry for love.

Rekindle old friendships.

Count your blessings.

Oh Shitty....

Tonight Matthew went to bed like an angel.. Just 10 minutes after his bedtime.. no crying... played for a few minutes and fell right asleep.

Then, Darren went in to turn off his light night and whispered .... "he pooped".. oh Shitty... (pardon the pun)...

So what do you do? I can't leave him for 12 hours in a poopy diaper?! Guess we have to wake him up!

So, we did just that. Changed his diaper quick, in the dark, hoping he wouldn't really wake up.

But, he woke up, and now, he currently is screaming and does not want to go back to sleep.

So much for doing the dishes.

On the mend

Today is the first day I actually feel a bit better... since October 12. I had to take two more days off work because the doctor finally said I wasn't going to get better unless I stayed in bed for a few days.

Thank goodness my mom is here to help out. A few 3 hour naps in the afternoon and some 12 hour sleeps at night where I'm actually sleeping now and I think I'll get rid of this thing.

I felt well enough to look through a few of the photos we took on our weekend. Sometimes I get lucky. This one is a keeper.

Almost Recovered

So, we had a nice weekend away.. although I had to spend almost all of it in bed... and no, not what you're thinking ;o( This torturous cold virus thingy that I had just would not go away and I actually found myself getting worse throughout the weekend. To the point that my Mom made me go to the doctor when I got home and I was diagnosed with strept throat and told by the doctor "well, duh, you're not going to get better because you've got yellow stuff on your tonsils.. you need antibiotics." Great.

So, 2 days later, I actually feel like I have an eensy teensy bit of energy (I have somehow managed to go to work the past 2 days though), and a little bit better.

Hope to be better for the trip to Edmonton this weekend! I am taking my mom to see her favourite singer, Celine Dion. It should be fun!

In the meantime, Matthew is having fun getting spoiled rotten by Grandpa and Grandma!

Uggh....

Sorry for the lack of posts this week. It appears our house has been infected with one of those icky viruses. So far, Darren has been the only one to escape!

First Matthew... then Mommy.. then the cat!

Anyhow, My Mommy is here to take care of us for a while now (Mom close your ears)... this means I don't have to cook for a week!! he he ....

Darren and I are off to Banff today for a teeny tiny getaway.. our first without the little man in tow.

Will report back when we get home.

Have a good weekend!

Thanksgiving.....

...well, today was marked by 8 or so hours in the kitchen... (totally by choice though, I can't complain!)

I took the lazy route in terms of turkey today. I highly recommend Lilydale Roast and Boast if you're not feeling like dealing with the whole turkey thing. Although it was a bit over-seasoned for my liking (the actual meat wasn't that bad though)... it reminded me of a Swiss Chalet Dinner. Not quite homemade, but a good second. Suprisingly the stuffing was also quite good inside. Again, a bit overseasoned. Would I buy it again? Maybe. If I have another "I don't feel like doing a turkey, but I want a turkey" holiday.

So being that it's Thanksgiving, I thought I should share some of the things I'm thankful for.....

~ my two guys, well that's a given. But how could I have gotten so lucky?

~ having parents who care so much. It is always comforting knowing you have someone you can count on.

~ my job. I got lucky and found a company that (so far) recognizes my needs to balance being a mom and being a career person.

~ living in Calgary. Some would say it's too big of a city, but I like that we live in a "small town feel" neighbourhood on the edge of town, yet I'm minutes away to anything I could need.

~ True Lemon... I swear, if you hate drinking water like me, this stuff is a lifesaver.

~ PVR's. Way easier than VCR's. The only way I will ever get a chance to watch TV these days.

~ Grey's Anatomy, Private Practice and Brother's and Sisters. Get my fix of wishy washy drama each week, er well once a month or so when I actually get to sit down and watch.

~ living in Canada. Sure, we have the poorest-excuse-for-an-election you could find, but I'd still rather live here than down south.

~ foodsaver bags. Wouldn't be able to cook and freeze the way I do without them.

~ great neighbours. Lucky to live in a cul-de-sac where I've made a lot of friends.

~ blogs. Since I was never good at writing in a journal, it's the next best thing.

~ girlfriends. Some live near and some live far, but it's nice to know you have someone you can talk to or laugh with or cry with, wherever they may be.

~ memories. Times goes so fast, thank God we can at least remember them.

So how about you?

Friday Flashback....Baby of Mine....

Dat - Tu!

The cutest thing that has come out of Matthew's mouth lately is "dat-tu", which translates to "thank-you"!, but only when you give him something that he really likes... like a cookie, or some grapes or a frozen yogurt popsicle!

We were so fortunate to have some fun last Friday with Matthew at the lake. It made me realize how easily you can get caught up in the hussle and bussle of every day and forget to take time for the little things...

Happy Fall!

Finally....

For a while now, Matthew has been saying "ma"... at first, I was quite sure he was asking for milk because he said it when he went to the fridge. But then, he started to say it other places and I thought, "I wonder if he's saying "Mom" instead?"... but he never really said it directly to me, so I still doubted he was saying Mommy..

Then last night he was up about 1am and couldn't sleep... I went in his room and sang and talked to him for a while... then I stayed quite for a few seconds to see if he was sleeping. I heard a little "ma? ma?" and I knew that he didn't want milk.. he was asking if I was still there! He's been saying Mommy all along and I didn't even know it!

As a side note, I also realized that he is taking after his Uncle Mark. When Uncle Mark was a baby, I recall, as a 6 year old, spending lots of evenings sitting by his crib and rubbing his back so that he would fall asleep... well, last night, I sat by Matthew's crib and put my hand just by him so that he knew I was there, and what did he do? He reached for my hand and placed it on his back... uh oh... what have I started!?!

Words, words, words

Tonight was one of those nights that makes a mommy proud....
Every night, we look at Matthew's picture books. He doesn't seem to want to sit still for a story yet, so instead, we look at books and point out all of the pictures. He is great at pointing to things like "Matthew, where's the car?".. but he never wanted to say any words.. until tonight!

Although you had to probably be his Mommy to understand him, he made a great attempt today at "saying" all of the things I pointed to! He can get "cat" and "car" down pat, but some of the hard ones like "apple" and "tree" don't sound much like those words at all.. but none the less we cheered and clapped at every word he said!

And just to make sure I was actually hearing him say words, I pointed to the trusty picture of a banana and what did I hear? "nana"!! music to my ears ;o)

I'm Back.....

wow,
it's been a while since I've blogged. I do apologize. The last few weeks have been, well, let's say busy to say the least.

Before I went back to work, I remember saying to myself.. "now as long as you keep on top of things, it won't be that bad..."... well, I was right. These last few weeks I have been putting in what little free time I have to finishing the wedding pictures that Darren and I did for our friends Shannon and Jerome. That meant that a lot of other things had to slip on nights when I needed the time to work on the photos.

And you know how it goes.. what doesn't get done what night just means double the next night and so on....

So, to make a long story short, I had a terrific 3-day weekend where I was able to get a lot of catching up done! We did a thorough fall cleaning of 3 rooms upstairs (which is only a start, but it feels good to see some results of a spic and span house!)... We cleaned up a good portion of the garden outside and I even managed to do a 10 or more feet of brick edging. I cooked several meals worth of beef stew in the slowcooker and made a batch of cooked ground beef to freeze for quick additions to spaghetti sauce, etc. We got some shopping in, a walk and lots of time to play with Matthew.

ahhh.... may seem like a lot, but it left me feeling like I got a lot accomplished, and I spent a lot of quality time with my boys. That's the holy grail and for once I feel like I accomplished it. Now, I enter the week feeling like I'm back in the driver's seat!

So, how is my little man by the way? Well, we measured him today... he's just shy of 33 inches tall. Boy, does he sure understand everything these days! It's so fun to ask him questions and have him respond! At first I wasn't sure if he was really answering you, but a few tries at asking him if he wants something... him saying no and then trying to give it to him, proved to me that he does know what you're saying!

It's fun to ask him what he wants to eat... if he wants it.. he says a long drawn out "yaaaaaaa"... and if he doesn't it's a firm no and a shake of the head!

These days, his favourites are cheerios and milk, grapes, yogurt, fruit bars (the sunrype ones) and frozen yogurt tubes! He's still good with eating peas, carrots and broccoli and most nights will eat whatever meat is put in front of him. The trick has been trying to get supper cooked fast enough when we get home so that he doesn't try eat everything else out of the pantry before I get it made. (hence the frozen meals.. a lifesaver indeed :O)

He is good at giving everybody hugs, including his two kitties. For a while last week, he even started giving kisses until Mommy asked for a kiss too many times and now he flat our refuses!

He loves playing with Lego blocks now and we build towers until he can barely reach the last block and then knock them all over! He has taken a great liking to his glow-baby again, sometimes even more than blankie. And the most fun is getting Mommy or Daddy to push him around the house on his 3 wheel trike!

So here are a few of my favourite pictures of our friends' Shannon and Jerome's wedding. They make a beautiful couple!

Adventure #7 - Sleepless in Seattle

Wednesday morning saw us up veeerrry early and on our way to Seattle for the day! We had an appointment somewhere close to Seattle (I can't remember the city) to take our SUV in for a checkup. Since it's an American vehicle, Darren figured it'd be better having someone look at it down there while we were there.. So we got a brand new one as a loaner! Sweet! Wow, the service down there compared to what we get here was night and day, with here being the night. I couldn't believe how accommodating they were... we said we didn't plan to come back until late and not in the next day, so wondered if we could pick it up on Friday and they said.. "oh sure! Just treat it like your own, take it whereever you want!" Here, we get "do you want a shuttle ride home?"

Anyhow... here's Matthew enjoying a complimentary apple juice while Daddy gets things in order at the dealership.



So, on our trip, we quickly learned that we had to incorporate things that were fun for Matthew in our day as well as the things we wanted to do... and what does Matthew want to do, you ask? Play in a playground of course. So, we set off into Seattle to see if we could find a neighbourhood with a playground, using the greenspaces on our GPS as a guide. Think we could find one? Nope, but we did find a really cool highschool football field and track.

So.... we made Matthew run a few laps...



...then guard the soccer goal for a while....




This made us all quite hungry, so we enjoyed a nice lunch at Pike Place Market, overlooking the water... er.. well, I had a nice lunch for about 5 minutes, until Matthew decided we needed to walk around.. I believe Daddy finished my lunch for me saying "well, I didn't think you were coming back!"



The afternoon was completed with a nap in the stroller for Matthew and then a pilgramage to Daddy's favourite store on earth....



After which, we all settled in for the 1.5 hour ride home and a nice quite evening on the beach :O)