template change...not anything personal.....

so I changed my template as you can see so I am now going to need to update my links and the other blogs that I read so bear with me as I put your link back on there.

Merry Christmas from our family to yours.....

As we look back at this last year there are a few things that have taken place in our family.

Sean has been working hard for Trotter Morton as a supervisor of his crew. Right now he is at the Foothills Hospital working on the new addition. Soon, however, he will be heading to the Airport to start work on their new wing. He is really enjoying the work and it is nice to see that he has finaaly found his niche.

I am working form home as a bookkeeper/accountant. So when I am not being a full time mom that work keeps me pretty busy. There are times that I wish I was back at work, but I really wouldn't trade being a stay at home mom for anything. Michaela and Logan keep me pretty busy they are growing up fast and every day they have a new skill and I keep having to try to figure them out again.

Michaela turned 3 this year and started preschool in September and is really loving it. She talks about school all the time which make me think that I should have gotten her into 2 days a week instead of one. But she's growing up so fast that I thought that I needed to slow her down a bit. Before I know it she will be in kindergarten and then graduating from high school. She loves being a big sister and she loves Logan to death. They play together, but there are times that they fight like cats and dogs. Their sibling rivalry sometimes gets the best of me. Michaela is smart as a whip and really takes things in. She soaks up learning like a sponge and surprises me everyday with the things that she has learnt. She has grown up so much that there are days that I don't recognize her.

Logan turned two this month and although there has been times that I have worried about his growth he is a typical 2 year old. He follows his sister around and copies her every move. He is her parrott and there are times that I wish that he would think for himself, but then again, he is learning things that he wouldn't be learning if it wasn't for his older sister. He loves to laugh and loves to make us smile. He loves to play tackle and has fun wrestling with his daddy. He is after all a though and through daddy's boy.

As for Brooke, well, she is going to be 12 in January and we wnjoy having her every other weekend. Although we would like to see her more oftne. She is in grade 7 now attending Dr. Gordon Higgins Jr High. The reports that I get from her indicate that she loves it. I wish I could tell you more than that, but right now she is the typical tweenager where she doesn't tell you much about herself. i can tell you that Michael absolutly adores her and can't wait until she comes again, and she haes it when we have to take her home. It is nice to have her with us as she is a big help to us and takes some pressure off of me.

This year has been full of ups and downs but all in all it has bee a great year and I am looking forward to what next year has to bring.

So from our family to yours, we wish you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Merry Christmas to everyone..

I was sent this on facebook and it took me back to my childhood. I really enjoyed this duet and I hope that you do to.

My baby boy turns 2

So on this day 2 years ago my little Logan was born. I can't tell you haow differnt he is from his sister....in EVERY way. Even my pregnancy with him was easier and I didn't have to go through all the complications that I had with her with him. i had to have a C-section with him as I had an emergency one with his sister and then we got pregnant too soon. So to be safe, I had a planned one with Logan which is much easiwe in every sense than an emergency one.

He has brought joy to our lives and is such alittle comedian. He likes to laugh and to make everyone around him laugh. In order to know what I mean...you just have to witness it first hand. He is stubborn and has a temperment equal to that of his daddy's. Which when he is having his fits 9as he is right now now up in his room)..it is NOT pleasant. He will scream forEVER if I let him and at times I AM tempted.

He loves his family and loves to play. Right now his favourite thing to play is TACKLE!!!! adn you are right..his father taught him how to tackle and he LOVES it. He also likes to wrestle and he werstles his sister all day long. Sometimes he doesn't know how to stand up for himself and Michaela takes advantage of that. He is really easy going and will give up anything if it means that the other person is happy. He does mostly everything that is asked of him. He is a real bundle of joy and love.

Logan my son, you have brought joy into our family and you give us reasons to smile every day. Your laugh is infectious and you love to spread it all over the place. You are a light in my life and our family would not be complete without you in it. You love your family and it shows. You are not afraid to show your emotions and your feeling. I hope you never lose that ability, yet I hope that you find the ability to stand up for yourself. Your family loves you as does your Father in Heaven and we all want the best for you.

So on this special day of your second birthday.. I hope you never forget how special you are and how much you are loved.

Love,

Mommy

My best friend..ahhhh......

So I have been tagged so here it goes
What is your husband's name: Sean
How long have you been married: 4 years
How long did you date before you got married: date? 6 months, now if you asked how long did we KNOW each other you'd be shocked at the answer....15 years before we dated
Who eats more: Sean by a long shot
Who said I love you first: I think Sean did
Who is taller: Sean
Who sings better: I do although he does sing very nice
Who is smarter: depends on the circumstance..he is far more street smart where I am book smart. Although he is smart at math and science.
Whose temper is worse: Sean's
Who does the laundry: I do..every day
Who does the dishes: I do
Who sleeps on the right side of the bed: right now I do but that may change. I just need to sleep closest to the door. I feel safer that way
Who pays the bills: I do
Who cooks dinner: I do
Who drives when you are together: Mostly Sean, but he does give up the wheel sometimes...I drive the truck more so her takes advantage of it when we are together
Who is more stubborn: I am
Who is the first to admit when they are wrong: Sean
Whose parents do you see the most: it's a tie
Who kissed who first: It was a mutual thing it took awhile for us to get past the.."you're my best friend annd this is going to be weird" Phase
Who asked who out first: it was more my nephew who on a dare from his mom said..."hey Sean Auntie Tara likes you..what are you going to do about it?" but really can you fault a 4 year old? so then it was so "hey do you want to try this dating thing?"
Who proposed: Sean..got down on one knee and everything
Who is more sensitive: I am
Who has more friends: Sean..he gets out more...but we have alot of the same friends
Who wears the pants in the family: depending on the situation..we both do
Where did you meet your husband: school..grade 10
What was the first thing you said to your husband: man who can remember that long ago? I think I said something like "stop being a jerk"
Where was your first date: dinner
Where was your first kiss: in my livingroom in my apartment
Where did you get engaged: on a gravel road somewhere..we went for a drive and then he stopped got out of the car opened my car door and got down on one knee and popped the question....for us that's romantic
Where were you married: Cardston Temple
Where was the Honeymoon: in Canmore in a cabin just after Christmas and I was already pregnant...

I tag..Michelle Y, Heather B, Jessica T, Cheryl S and Leslie R

He's growing up slowly but surely......

So this morning I was in a rush cause Logan had a pedeatrician's appointment at 9am. I had to get dressed, take out the garbage, get the kids dressed, warm up the truck, put the kids in their winter coats (which for some reason takes longer than a summer coat), take Michaela to Auntie Carrie's house (or as Micha calls it Kendyls house), get gas in the truck and then travel all the way to Chinook Centre to see the doctor. Well I managed to sleep in an didn't get up out of bed until 7 which then put me in panic mode. But I managed to get everythign done and get out the door to Carrie's house by 8. What a miracle!!!! considering the phone was ringing this morning too.

So, anyways, Logan has been seeing a pedeatrician for a few months now since I had some concerns about him taking so long to start walking and that he had lost weight and was really quite short. So we've been monitoring him quite close to see how he has been growing. his last appointment in July put his weight at 21 and a bit lbs. today he is 22 lbs and 14 ozs which is fine by the doctor. Kids hos age only gain 5 lbs a year. But what really had me happy was the fact that he grew 5 cm in 6 months. According to the doctor that is great. he went from 75 cm to 80 cm. So maybe at the ripe old age of 2 he can finally get out of his 12 months pants, but then again maybe not since they are just fitting him right now, they are not too long.

But I had to take him for a bone age test where they x-ray his hand and wrist to see if the reason that he is so short is that the age of hi bones is behind that of his actual age. which would make sense since he is about the right height for a 1 year old. They are trying to put my fears of him being a "Little Person" at ease. he may just be a short kid and then a short adult, or one day he may just shhot up and be a little taller. who knows. All I know right now is that he is on the right track developmentally for a 2 year old and in that respect there are NO concerns. If he does winde up being a Little Person the we just deal with it. All I know is that he would make one HECK of a cute Little Person. Even if he isn't he is still stinking cute anyways.

Yep that's right my son is a shorty. But that is what makes him who he is and i wouldn't trade him for anything.

Organization Needed

I am in need of a personal organizer. i am feeling overwheled with the mess in my house and I can't seem to get on top of it. I just can't seem the rigth place to start. I know I need to take it one room at a time, but what room do I start with and where in that room do I start. I just don't seem to have enough time or knowledge to of what to toss or keep. Sean has a hard time throwing things away and he just tells me to put it off to the side and he will go through it when he has a chance....problem is.....he NEVER has a chance.

I am going to pose a question for all you organized people out there....How do you stay organized and how can I go about starting on my way to being the organized person that I long to be?

Crazy Americans....

okay we just got back from shopping in Couer D'alene for the "Black Friday" sales phenomenon. In recent years I would only hear of the crazy antics that took place during their after Thanksgiving sales day. This year I actually was apart of it. My sisters and sister in law took to the road wednesday evening to travel to Idaho to take in the festivities. We took advatage of the deals on thursday even though many places were not open due to the Holidays but we still managed to score some sweet deals. However they were nothing and I mean NOTHING compared to the frenzy that took place Friday.

We were up at 2:30 friday morning and took to the stores we waited in line at Khol's for their 4am opening. Not finding what we were looking for we took to the road and headed into Spokane (luckily it was only 30 mins away) and stood in line at Toys 'R Us for their 5am opening to take advantage of their 50% off toys. We made out like bandits and I can see why there are all those crazy Americans out there who shop on this day. The deals are out of this world. We shopped from 4am to 6pm literally until we dropped and then got up Saturday morning to do it all over again. Although not so early and even though the deals were still awesome friday from 4-11 was where it was at. Needless to say the kids' Christmas shoppin gis DONE except for stocking stuffers.

Would I do it again? OH HELL YEAH!!!!! We've already made plans to head done next year. Only next year we will have a better idea of what to expect and we will be better prepared and know more of how the system works. We really need something like thins here in Canada. You really should see what I got for the money I took down. i can't even believe it and it's sitting here in my house.

I can't believe it's been four years

ENGAGEMENT PHOTO..ONE FROM OUR SHOOT..

WEDDING PHOTO


I can't believe that it has been 4 years today that Sean and I got married, and to show for it we have 2 beautifil children and I have 1 AWESOME step-child. There have been some rough patches but each rough patch brings growth and and deepens our love and respect for each other. I am just glad that the good times aout weigh the bad times. He is my best friend and my confidant and he brings out the best in me. I am glad that I took off the blinders when I did cuz who know where either of us would be if I hadn't.

Unfortunately we are not able to spend our anniversary together as I am heading off to do some Christmas shopping in the States with the girls. I just hope he doesn't get too lonely without me...hahaha who am I kiding..he's going to enjoy the peace and quiet while I am going to enjoy spending his hard earned money. YIPPEE!!! I am however going to surprise him with a night on the town when I get back so I guess he wins both ways. Lucky guy!!!

And here are the school pictures

 

 

 

It's picture day.....

So it's picture day at Michaela's playschool, the first of many to come. I was excited to get her dressed for "the big day". I am looking forward to getting her pictures back, but in the meantime I took a couple of my own so I had some of her in the dress that mom and dad got her for her birthday, I got her the headband the other day cus she looked so darn cute in it. I think it was worth the money that I spent on it. Man she's growing up so fast and sometimes I wonder where my baby went to.

Trick or Treating anyone?

This year I didn't have the time to make the kids' costume as I had planned so I had to buy them. Michaela had her heart set on going as Snow White, and as for Logan, I happened to find a pair of toddler Carharts and so i decided that he would go as Bob the Builder, or as one guy tonight called him.....Mike Holmes....
They got a hole bunch of candy and I think that people loaded Logan up with candy because they thought that he was so freaking adorable. It is going to us awhile to get through all this candy.

Scary 'Mary Poppins' Trailer

It's a different spin on the cheerfulness of the real thing. I think this is great!!! have yourself a VERY HAPPY AND SCARY HALLOWEEN!!!!!!

6 Random Things

So I was reading Jess's blog and reading her 6 random things and noticed when I got to the end that she had tagged me to list mine. So here it goes;

1) As well as Jessica I too know all the words to the "Mormon Rap" and think it's sad that Mormon Youth have no clue what we are talking about when we mention it.

2) I am addicted to Facebook just for the mere fact that I LOVE to find long lost friends and see what they are up to. I like to reconnect and mend some broken, but not burnt bridges. I do though, at time, think that I spend too much time on it when I should be doing other things..just don't tell my husband that I admit that.

3) I am VERY close to my family and think that I have the best parents in the world although it wasn't always like that. I also think that I have the kindest husband who takes care of us and always looks out for the best interests of his family. He is my best friend and I don't know what my life would be like without him. I also adore my kids and even though at time they test my patience I wouldn't trade them for the world.

4) I LOVE photography and am trying to start up my own photography business. It is hard at times, but I love it so much that I persevere and keep jugging along. I love how I can say many words with the click of the camera and portray a feeling and make a memory that people didn't know that they even made.

5) I wish I had someone who would help he organize and clean my house. Oh and decorate it too. I have all these big plans but somehow I just don't seem to find the time to do to them or I don't really know where to start. I wish I knew how to dejunk, but I think that sometimes I just don't have the patience for it and wish that I did. Cleaning? well that's a whole other story.

6) I wish that it was easier to loose wieght than gain it. I have been working out and running like crazy and I am not where I want to be. I look at myself in the mirror and think hmmmm. I look really good today and then I will get a picture taken and think..hmmmm... I didn't think that I looked that FAT!!! So I guess what I am saying is that I wish I had a better self image of myself and didn't feel so about about my looks all the time...it gets exhausting after awhile.


So there you have it my 6 random thoughts. Now are you ready I have to tag 6 people to do this too....I tag..Kim, Leslie, Nikki, Mandy, Sarah, Krista

True Friendship......

Enough of that Sissy Crap!



Are you tired of those sissy "friendship" poems

that always sound good,

but never actually come close to reality?

Well, here is a series of promises

that actually speak of true friendship.

You will see no cutesy

little smiley faces on this card -

Just the stone cold truth

of our great friendship.

1. When you are sad -- I will

help you plot revenge

against the sorry jerk who made you sad.

2. When you are blue -- I will

try to dislodge whatever is choking you.

3. When you smile -- I will

know you are plotting something

that I must be involved in.

4. When you are scared -- I will

rag on you about it every chance I get.

5. When you are worried -- I will

tell you horrible stories about

how much worse it could be,

until you quit whining.

6. When you are confused -- I will

use little words.

7. When you are sick -- I will

tell you to stay the heck away from me

until you are well again.

I don't want whatever you have.

8. When you fall -- I will

point and laugh at your clumsy butt.

This is my oath....

I pledge it to the end.

"Why?" you may ask.

"Because you're my friend!"

Friendship is like

peeing your pants:

Everyone can see it,

but only you can

feel the true warmth.

The Mom Song Sung to William Tell Overture with Lyrics

This video is by far my favourite. It is so true isn't it? I hope that you can relate as well as I can.

We spent Thanksgiving Monday at Heritage Park I will post some pictures later as soon as I have a minute, but until then I thought that you might enjoy this.

WARNING...not for those with a weak stomach....

So Logan has been initiated into the VERY elite club of "People who have had stitches" Yes that's right, last night Logan got his very own set of stitches...four to be exact, right in the head no less.
He was standing on a chair in our living room and although Sean and I both told him to get off the chair, he being 22 months knew better and stayed. Well low and behold the chair went backwards and Logan followed suit. We have an end table that has a door on it and..no he couldn't just hit the corner of the table he had to go and get his laceration from the door hinge itself. Needless to say that blood started GUSHING..yes gushing from his wound and Sean immediately took action..thanks first aid training..mom was a wreck. Sean cleaned up the blood and there it was a nice sized gash in is noggin. I wanted to rush him to the hospital, but then discovered that there wasa n after hours clinic here in Airdrie and so I took him there hoping that there would be no ned for stitches. But the gash was deeper than we thought that when the doctor cleaned it, it started to bleed all over again. So stitches it would be. I left the room and the doctor and nurses took charge and froze the area and out he came with four stitches in the front of his head.
Other than an extremely sensative noggin he is back to his old fun loving self and yes he is vack to standing on the guilty chair. You'd think he would've learnt.

It's been a boring life....

Well it's been awhile since my last blog, but I wish that I had something to report, however, nothing really has been happening here. Michaela hs finnished her third week at playschool and she's come along way, I've already noticed a chinge in her behaviour (for the most part anyways). My days have been taken up with Dora and Little Einsteins these days and as Autumn approaches, I don't see us getting out too much. Although I have heard that Aidrie Family Services has a playgroup that meet in their building every week, so I may look into taking the kids there.

But I do have a question for all those reading this post.


What do YOU do when it is cold out to occupy the kids and allow them to have fun.
Craft ideas, recipes anyhting would be appreciated.

It seems like just yesterday...

That was then....
This is now....
It was Michaela's first day of playschool today and she just LOVED it. The teachers said she was really good and I was pleased with that as I was worried about the whole transition thing. They played with playdoh and painted and there was lots of new toys there for her to play with. She especially LOVED the indoor sandbox. I being scatter brained this morning forgot to take my camera with me to mark this occasion, but I was saved by another mom who took a couple pics of Michaela foor me and I will get them next week. I can't wait to see the changes in Michaela as we embark on this new adventure.
Logan and I spent time together and we loved that one on one time that we got. I think it'll be good for him to have some Mommy time with me. He becomes a totally different person. I think this time with just the 2 of us will be a special time for us.

Michaela turns three..and then....

So Michaela turned the big 3 on the weekwnd and I can't believe how fast she is growing up. She wants to do EVERYTHING on her own and there are things that she can do, but there are things that she is unable to do. So we had the whole family over minus a few important people. Sean did his magic and made an amazing rocket cake from the Little Einsteins and it was amazing. The kids had fun in the bounce house and couldn't get enough of it. I am ust gald that the rain stopped and the ground dried in time to set it up. I just wish the aphids weren't quite so bad. She got a ton of great gifts. We told everyone to forgo on the toys this year and just give her clothes as she is in the transition stage and is growing out of a lot of her clothes. So thank you to all those who gave her those gifts. It was greatly appreciated. After the party was done, the older boys took advantage of the bounce house and did a little bouncing of there own.

That was only one of the many pics I got. I also got some video but was unable to download it. But when I do I will let you know.

Michaela starts playschool on friday and I hope that she enjoys it. I think that leaving the home and needing to listen to a teacher will be good for her transition into kindergarten when she's 5. I knew she was ready when she started to put on her backpack and say "Mommy, lets go to school now". So I will fill you in on our school experience. I just hope that I can survive all this growing up that the kids do.

Like Father like Son......

Sean will not be happy if he ever finds this, but I needed to show you this.... Now you can see who Logan looks like blode locks and all. Isn't it adorable?

Logan and Michaela update

So Logan started his swimming lessons today and I thought that it was going to be a challenge to get him in the water, but he surprised me. He had a blast riding down the lazy river and floating (although he'd rather not float on his back). He kept asking for more when they were jumping off the edge of the pool. He also couldn't get enough when I dunked him under the water. I guess having a big sister who loves the water has rubbed off on my little man. I think that I am going to have 2 fishes in the family.
Michaela will start her lessons in the next couple of weeks and I was informed that she is able to skip a level as she is so comfortable in the wateer. I am also going to get my little accordian girl into dance as she is so flexible that I want tokeep it that way. All this and she starts playschool on the 7th of September. My little girl is growing up fast and my little man is not far behind her. I wish there was a way to slow it down or pause it so I can enjoy it for longer.

America's Funniest Home Videos.......

I posted this video on facebook but I thought that I would also post it here for those of you who are not on facebook, you can enjoy this too. I still kill myself laughing everytime I see it. So I decided to send it into America's Funniest Home Videos. I just have to send in the release forms.

It's Business Time

CHECK IT OUT!!!! You won't stop laughing.
I found this on Heather's blog and decided that I HAD to share it. It is so true--Although your day may be different.

Going out the Window!!!!

Free MySpace slideshows, photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

So Sean has always wanted to go skydiving and as boys will be boys, he and Neil went and did it. They discovered that they both have always wanted to do it and so they went ahead and booked it without letting their wives know. So Donna and have decided that they are no longer allowed to go out alone and have these conversation as this ends up being the result. Well we broke that rule and let them go out alone Saturday night and lo and behold they've now decided to go base jumping. I think that I am really going to have to put my foot down and say "NO MORE GUYS NIGHTS OUT!!!!"
Seriously though, he rarely asks for anything and works so hard that I feel it neccesary for him to have his releases and do what he's always wanted to do. But come on seriously..how many more adrenaline rushes does one need? At least our insurance is paid up.

My Best buy!!!

well I really had 2. One was a 10 pound bag of Chips Ahoy Cookies for Sean and the other was this bag for myself. I was really stoked when I found it. I have to say that I LOVE Nine West. I don't have anything really trendy but I have one now and I am now on the road to being a fashionista. WELL.....MAYBE

Toronto Zoo

 
Here are some pictures of some of the animlas that we saw at the Toronto Zoo. There were amny others, but I had to choose ones that I thought were the best. I hope you enjoy!

Toronto Vacation

 

So we had a blast in Toronto. The kids LOVED gradndpa's boat and fell in love with the lake. Michaela didn't want to stop swimming and Logan, well, Logan was just took it all in. He was happier with me than anywhere else. Although Uncle Mike took him to feed the ducks and he was really happy with that.
We spent Friday at the Marina and Saturday and Sunday on the lake and the kids actually slept on the boat in the middle of the lake. I was really worried about that, but they did fine.
Michaela hooked herself to Mercedes and she was a blessing cause she didn;t mind having Michaela with her at all times and it gave me a little of a rest. When Mercedes was with her I had no worries, what a great 13 year old. So Mercedes ended up spending the rest of the week with us and boy did she help us out a lot (especially at the Zoo).
On Monday we spent 7 yes that's right 7 hours at the amazing Toronto Zoo. We were able to see the whole zoo and that's NOT a small feat in itself but with 2 toddlers that was amazing that we were able to do that especially in that heat and monday was the nicest day to go. It was only 37 degrees with the humidex rather than 41-43. So it was a good thing we wnt then or we would've said to bad for the zoo. but I am glad that we got the opportunity to go and see animals that we have never seen before.
Michaela was all about the Zebras, Elephants, Giraffes, Jaguar, Lions. She really wanted to see al sloth, but we were unable to find one. Logan, wee, he didn't get to come out of his stroller due to the number of people there and the heat he was better where he was. But he got to see all the animals too so he was happy. All I heard from him was WOW!!!
One thing that makes the Toronto Zoo so amazing was all the educational information that they had. They had exhibits that told you how people in a certain area of the globe lived and how they did their farming and how they would use elephant dung for fertilizer. It was really neat. You could also go at certain times and meet the animal keepers. You don't get to do that at the Calgary Zoo. I don't think that I will lok at the Calgary Zoo the same way after that experience. I will post some animal pictures to give you the chance to see some of the animals that we saw. I actually got to see kangaroos. I thought that was really neat.

I told you I'd be back!!!!!

I am back from vacation all is well. I will fill you on the happenings when I have free minute or hour..whatever.

Parting is such sweet sorrow......

So I have been spending the day getting ready for our trip tomorrow morning. We leave bright and early in the am. We need to be at the airport at no later than 5:30 for our 7 sm flight. It is going to take us four hours to get to Toronto and so we stocked up on toys and snacks for the flight. The only thing that I am in need of right now is a spliiter for their headphone so they can sit and watch Treehouse from one TV.
Right now the kids are napping and I am mostly done packing and I think that I have a couple minutes before I need to start cleaning. so I thought that I would drop in to say goodbye. I woun't be posting anything for awhile so I hope that you all have a great week and I will fill you in on all that went on and all the fun that was had when we get back next week.
But never fear I will be back.

VACATION TIME!!!!!!

So on Thursday morning the kids and I are up early (4:30 am) and will be heading to the airport for our 7 am flight to Toronto. Sean, unfortunately is unable to accompany us. We are off to see Sean's Dad and spend some quality time with him. We will be spending 3-4 days on his boat with some friends that we met and absolutely fell in love with the last time we were there 2 years ago. Then Grandpa is taking the kids to the Toronto Zoo. I am looking forward to taking some specatcular pictures there.
There are somethings that I am nervous about, but at the same time I am looking forward to the time I get to spend with my FIL and to watch him with the kids. He absolutely adores them and they have him wrapped around their fingers. So I will have lots of grandpa pictures to share when we get back.
So until then I have a lot to do to prepare for this adventure and I hope that I don't forget anything.
Wish me luck on our 4 hour flight just me and the kids I hope we all survive. I don't fly much so flying with the kids ALONE has me a tad nervous, but I WILL survive as I plan on being extra prepared. I HOPE

"GOOD MORNING BALTIMORE!!!!"

Last night my sister Lindsay and my friend Donna and I went to see the movie "Hairspray". Now I had seen the original with Ricki Lake many years ago and enjoyed that one so I knew that I would enjoy this version as well. Boy it blew me away. I have never laughed so hard in a movie before as there are many things that I just don't find tht worthy of a laugh. I am very picky about what I find funny.
It is a musical so I knew my husband would NOT be inclined to go so I am glad that I had two people who wanted to see it as well.
In my opinion John Travolta STOLE the show. Now we've all seen him sing and dance through "GREASE" and heat up the floor in "Saturday Night Fever", but that is NOTHING compared to seeing him dressed in drag and singing and dancing as a WOMAN!! He did a bang up job as the plus size Edna Turnblat.
This movie is thoroughly enjoyable and tackles some social issues in a way that is not preachy but at the same time makes you think about them in a whole new way.
So if you are looking for a good night out with some wholesome entertainment and a lot of good gut wrenching laughs (I felt as if I had done 500 sit ups at the end), then this movie is for you. Just remember to take it as light hearted fun and you will enjoy it too.

26 things challenge

I randomly found a blogspot that had a photgraphy challenge. I found it quite interesting so I thought that I would "borrow" the idea and try it myself.
Feel free to pop back and see how I interpret these 26 things and if you feel so inclined start doing this challenge yourself. I would LOVE to see how some of you interpret these things.

26 Things:
1 Angles
2 Shadows
3 Three's a Charm
4 After the rain
5 Looking up/Looking down
6 Comfort
7 Summertime
8 Patterns/repetition
9 Soft
10 Hole-y
11 Something Unique about where you live
12 Peek a boo
13 Patriotic
14 Seen better days
15 Underfoot
16 Delicate
17 Black and White
18 Perspective
19 Layered
20 Tangles
21 Path
22 I'd rather be here
23 Exotic
24 Best time of the day
25 Childhood Pleasures
26 Open and Shut

Some things we did last week.....

It has been a long time since I have been to Drumheller, but on Friday Sean got a day off work and so we packed the kids into the van and drove to the hotness that was Drumheller. We took the kids to the Royal Tyrell Museum. Michaela has alway has a fascination for dinasours and this trip just put her in heaven. She didn't want to stop she just went everywhere and took it all in. She was on the hunt fot a Myasourus (from Diego). I can't be sure if we even saw one, but she couldn't help but look and explore. We had a tough time keeping up with her she was so excited.
Then all to soon it was over and she had had enough and we took the kids home.

I also braved the heat and took the kids to the Airdrie splash park. Michaela needless to say, as she is secretly and fish, really had fun diving and splashing and running through the sprinklers. Logan, on the other had, has not been feeling well and so did not enjoy it as much as he usually enjoys swimming. I hope h gets out of that funk soon as we are heading off to Ontario to spend a few days on Sean's dad's boat. I hope that he will have fun in the lake and I won't be dealing with a cranky boy all week.

Our fun weekend...

So we went to Magrath this weekend to spend the weekend with our friends and we had a blast. So thanks to Patrick and Louise for putting up up in their house.
Saturday. Louise and I decided to brave 4 kids under 3 and take them to the Coaldale candy parade. Boy did the kids have a blast. They sure raked in the candy. They had a petting zoo and we again braved the crowds and took the kids in there as well. Micahela started to enjoy it, but got scared when a sheep came up to eat out of her hand. Keira, though was right up there petting all the animals. I think if it wasn't so crowed and she didn't have some big animal eating out of her hand she would have enjoyed it too. Then, if that wasn't enough, we took them swimming. Michaela has been swimming up a storm and I was tempted to let her jump off the diving board, but I chickened out. She is a little fish in the water. She found a floating toy and decided to use it as her own little private diving board.
While Sean and Patrick were at a wedding that night Louise and I put four kids to bed and had it all done by 7:30 YEAH for us, needless to say it was a small miracle. Then while it was quiet, we worked on the quilt that we decided to make for Michaela about 8 months back. It was fun, but ask Louise, it was a ton of work and she still has a lot do to on it (at least all the seams were ironed. hehe ;)
So we paked a lot into a weekend, but still it was fun. I've missed my best friend since they moved to Magrath, and it's nice to be able to have weekends that we can hang out and be together.
Love ya Weez.

OOOHHHH!!!! This I love!!!

You Are Dr. Pepper

You're very unique and funky, yet you still have a bit of traditionalism to you. People who like you think they have great taste... and they usually do. Your best soda match: Root Beer Stay away from: 7 Up

What Kind of Soda Are You?

It was a great Canada Day Long Weekend...

 

So we went to Raymond, as we do every year, for the Canada day long Weekend. It was a lot of fun. Michaela and Logan got to sit on Grandpa's Motorbike and then Grandpa took Michaela for a ride. I guess she held onto Grandpa for dear life and as soon as she saw me she started to cry. But she was a big girl and ended up really liking the ride.
We went to the parade and Michaela got a lot of candy (just what she needs-something to make her more hyper). She ws really cute waving at the floats and enticing them to throw candy at her. Logan just sat back and took in all the sights and sounds form the parade. Now each time Michaela hears and siren, she thinks that a parade is starting (so cute)
I posted a few pictures of the fun that they had.

I did it now it's your turn......

You Are Kermit

Hi, ho! Lovable and friendly, you get along well with everyone you know. You're a big thinker, and sometimes you over think life's problems. Don't worry - everyone know's it's not easy being green. Just remember, time's fun when you're having flies!

The Muppet Personality Test

Man...am I in trouble now.....

You know, I've always thought that my house was tidy, but boy was I wrong. I had a man from Kirby in here today to clean my carpets and the stuff the he pulled out of my carpet with his vaccum was unbelievable. I was so impressed that I bought the darn thing. It was way above our price range, but in order to show Sean what the vaccum can do I got a 3 month deferral so if he's not as impressed as I am then all we need to do is send it back. I think that will be my saving grace. I was able to work out a deal that got us some money off for our exsiting vaccum and the deferral. You know I may be thinking that he will react worse than he actually will, but again I am nervous about him coming home anyways. We made a promise that we wouldn't make big decisions like this without the other person and I broke that, so I hope that he will look at this 3 month deferral as a way for us to duscuss it further. I was incomfortable about doing this without him, but he actually needs to see it to believe it. So wish me luck that I won't be in too much trouble and that I can convince him of the benefits of this vaccum.
But for anyone of you that is in the market for an awesome vaccum, I highly reccommend that Kirby. It will blow you away. You do, however, need to wait for the sales person because they do not sell them in the stores. It is only by in home visits. You need to see the benefits right before your eyes!!!!

Ideas.....?

I am in the process of thinking of what to do with our house. I have decided that I am going to paint the whole house as I am not a big fan anymore of the colours that are in here right now. I need to make it my own. You know the feeling after you buy a house you need to change it to suite your taste. Well we've been living with it as is for a year now and I have made the decision to change it to what I like. So as I do this project I will post the befores and afters for your purusal. So let me know what you think. I am looking though for decorating ideas to do after the painting is done. So as I post these changes, if you have any ideas about decorating a house let me know. Right now this is the colour of my living room. After I paint it I will post that picture.

Did I sign up for this.....

So last night at bedtime we put the kids to bed. We followed our usual routine and settled down. I was about to start on my work that was due today when the chaos ensued. At about 7:30 last night Micha started coughing and I didn't like the sound of it, I went to check on her and to my surprise she was covered in vomit. It was all over her room, bed, clothes, hair and she was a mess. We took her to the bath and proceeded to clean her room, strip her bed and clean the carpet. Once we got her all cleaned up and bed remade and ready for bed yet again, Murphy's law kicked in and she vomited again. Luckily this time she was in the bathroom and we were prepared for this onslaught and there was not a mess to clean up this time. She then came to sleep in bed with me and every 20 minutes until 11:00pm was up puking her poor little guts out. Well, we finally got to sleep and then at 12:30 that morning I was awoken by poor little Logan vomiting. So that was our night from 12:30 to 6 that morning I had 2 kids being sick. They finally fell asleep for 2 hours at 6 am. So needless to say I have had quite the night and I am very exhausted. So now at 8:45 Monday night I am going to call it a night and try to catch up on the sleep that I was deprived of last night.

Excitement.....

So lately Michaela has been BUGGING us to get a bike helmet for her. (Thanks Elmo). Every morning until she goes to bed she asks for a helmet. Well we've been looking for one for her and every one that we've found has been too big for her head. Well I found one for her today. Let me tell you how happy she was to finally have a helmet that she can wear. She wants to wear it all day long.

We also have excited her by news that her and Mommy and Logan are going to take an airplane to see grandpa in Ontario and stay a few days on his boat. Well that has influenced a whole new series of questions....Like..."how do you cross down the river?...a boat....daddy needs to fix the boat...how do you fix the boat?.....sticky tape.... and so on and so on and so on. At first it was cute now after almost a month of the same question it's starting to wear on the nerves. But she is so excited that it won't stop until we are in the air on our way to Ontario.

I must say that I am nervous about the flight with 2 energetic toddlers. I will just have to be prepared and have "special toys" for the flight for them to paly with. Any ideas about what would be good for them to have on the flight?

Happy Fathers Day?

So I know that Father's Day is long since gone, I WAS going to post a whole Father's Day thing, but then Sean and I got distracted. No, it's NOT what you think....Michaela decided to have an art class in her room. Now I love that she was so creative, but it was the method of her creativity that upset us.
Picture this...
I was having a Sunday afternoon nap and then went into check on Michaela, well, I was assulted by a smell coming from her room and when I opened the door I understood why. There on her floor and on her wall she decided to have a poo finger painting class. Well, imagine what went through our heads as we encountered this "lovely"brown fingerpainting that she so lovingly painted for us.
Sean couldn't help but laugh..luckily out of sight from the little artist. But then the clean up commenced and it took awhile to get it all clean. Poor Logan was in his room and madder than a hatter, because we didn't get him up from his nap when HE wanted. So we were cleaning poo and listening to a boy screaming and all we could do was snicker at the situation.
So all I can say now is Happy Father's Day? Sean!!! we all love!!!

Temper, temper....

Where did my little angel go? Recently Michaela has been getting harder and harder to deal with. She gets her mind set on something and won't let it go.
Today while we were out getting Logan's shots done she noticed a bell on the Public Health Nurse's desk and the whole time we were there she demanded the bell. Then it turned to crying and shrieking and all out mayhem because we wouldn't give her the bell. I was at my wits end because today didn't start out good in the first place. I went to have a shower and Michaela came up with the salt shaker. I came downstairs to find that she had salted my entire Living room, dining room along with the chairs and the kitchen. I partially got that cleaned up as I would vacuum later, when she came up with her hands full of some kind of goop. I again came down to find that she had found a sample shampoo bottle and proceeded to pour it all over the living room floor and up the stairs. At this point I am getting angry. Then she told me that she was wet from her milk, which I discovered she poured all over one of the couch cushions. These mishaps happened between the hours of 10am to 11:30am. On top off all this I've had to deal with many temper tantrums and I am at a loss as to how to deal with it all.
Not only has Michaela been acting up, but Logan is too. His tantrums last a good 20-30 mins if not longer and it's not just one but 3-5 a day and I am having a hard time dealing with both of their tantrums. I just don't know what to do at times and I find myself loosing control far too often. I just hope that thigs get better from here because they certainly can't get any worse.
Any suggestions?

I'm NOT a girly girl.....

So this evening as I was getting the kids ready for their bath, I was combing Michaela's hair. Her hair is so knotty that I need to comb it to be able to wash it easier. Anyways, as I was combing it, she was screaming "I'm not a girly girl, I'm not a girly girl". I asked her if that meant that I couldn't comb her hair and she said that NO I couldn't.

Well that got me thinking, at what age do we really start having an understanding of the kind of person that we are. Do we have an early idea, or is that just the lucky few that start to realize who they are. I don't remember having that clear of an idea at 2.

For those of you who are lucky enough to know Michaela and how she acts, then you will know that there is NO doubt that she is NOT a girly girl. She is my rough and tumble kid who does not have any fear and will try almost anything.

She doesn't care what she looks like as long as she is having fun. She is always on the look for what would be the next fun thing that she could do. I hope that she always is looking for the next big adventure and never loses sight of the person that she is and will always have the same zest for life that she does now.

Singing in the rain.....

Last night there was an AMAZING thunder storm in Calgary/Airdrie area. I was loving it. It's been a long time since we had a really good thunder storm. I was just surprised that it didn't wake up the kids. There was one thunder blast that I swear lasted at least 30 seconds and the lightning just lit up the sky and was a beautiful sight to look at. I wish that I took my camera but alas I didn't think of it at the time and now I am kicking myself I could've taken some amazing pictures. Oh well I guess that I have to wait for the next really good thunder storm...whenever that will be.

Summer is here...maybe...

So the kids and I took advantage of this beautiful weather and went for a walk this morning. Usually when we go for a walk, Michaela has an arm band that connects her to me, because she has a tendency to just take off on me. Well I couldn't find it this mornign, so I took the chance and had her "armbandless". I thought that it would be a challege, but she proved me wrong and followed along quite nicely. We came upon some dandilions and then the white dandilions, Michaela had a blast trying to blow hard enough to blow all the seeds off. She proceeded to pick every last "seed style" dandilion and put them in the stroller. Oh what I would've given if I had only brought my camera with me. But walking is usually sucha chore that I never bring it with me. But now that she has grown up without my permission, I will have to bring it more often to capture those little moments that make me smile.

Bedtimes.....

Lately, it's been a struggle to put Michaela down for a nap (quiet time) or bedtime. She will fight it to the bitter end. How I long for the days that all I would have to do is put her in her crib and leave the room. Now she wants me to read every book that she has in her room (some more than once). I love reading her stories, but I don't like spending all night in there reading when I could be spending time either on my own or with Sean.
We put a doorknob lock on her door in hopes to keep her in her room, but it didn't take her very long to figure that out. So now we need to figure out how to keep her in her room. We've tried letting her stay up to tire her out, but as soon as we say it's bedtime, the fight ensues again. I wish that bedtimes could go back to the way they used to be, when it was a joy putting her to bed and she was ready for it. Now I fear that she is turning into be more and more like me and that scares me in a way. But her stubbornness will also serve her well in her life, as long as she learns to harness it. For my sake I hope that comes sooner rather than later.

Some of my Favourites......

I just thought that I would just share a couple pictures that I just took that I really like. Logan is enjoying his first slurpee and Michaela...well...she's just VERY picture friendly.

Things I love about being a Mom....

So another Mother's Day has come and gone and I think about what it is that I like about being a mom. I like the little smiles and hugs that come from little faces and arms. Their arms may be small but they seem to find a way to envelope all of me. I like the I love you's, the giggles, wrestling, the unconditional love that follows them everywhere and seems to be for everyone. I like the fearlessness and the courage that seems to diminish with age. You know I also like the quiet times of the day when they are napping. I love the learning that never stops, the curiosity that fuels the learning. I also love turing around in the van and seeing them both sleeping and so peaceful that you wish the peace would last forever. But then they wake up and the love and learning start all over again.

Those are a few things that I love about being a mom!!!!! It is my blessing and I have two little angels that allow me to live my blessing every day and for that i am eternally grateful!!! So on this Mother's Day I would like to thank Michaela and Logan for choosing me to be their mother and guide through this mortal existance. I just pray that I can live up to the needs of these two precious little beings. I love you Micha and Lolo!!!!

Things I just noticed

I have to admit that I never saw how smart my son really is. He's a quiet type of smart. He knows what he wants and where to go to get it. Just the other day I realized this and I was quite impressed with his brilliance. If he wants a snack he knows where to go to get one. If I ask him to get his things and go to bed, he gathers up his blanket and heads up the stairs to go to bed. If I ask him if he wants something like a sandwich for lunch, he will either nod or shake his head. If he is hurt he will tell me where it hurts. These are just a few things that he does that amaze me. Where Michaela has known her colours since she was just over a year and has spoken in complete sentences for as long as I can remember, she is more vocal about how smart she is. Now, that is not to say that she goes around a brags about how smart she is, she is too young for that. What I mean is, that the way she is smart is very noticeable and people comment on it all the time. Logan, on the other hand, flies under the radar and seems quite content to be the one in the shadows. Michaela loves the spotlight and lives for attention, where Logan will just sneak in quietly and play by himself and be quite happy with that.

He does though LOVE to copy his siter. If she does something like blow bubbles in the bath water, he's right there beside her blowing his own bubbles. I hope that Michaela will realize that even now she is an example to her brother and what a responsibility that is. I know that when she gets older she will be up for the challenge. She won't always realize the effect that her actions will have on her younger sibling, but she will always be under the microscope. It's not always fun, but it's the "blessing" of being the oldest.

and the winner is.....

So the other day I decided to cut Logan's hair. I thought that it was getting too long. I couldn't see his beautiful blue eyes and it was just looking messy. So after breakfast I took the siccors to it. I cut and I cut and he moved nd he moved and I cut and so on. He moved so much and I had to try to make the side even. Well anyway, Sean got home from work and the first thing he said to me is "Where is his hair?" He wasn't happy that I had cut it. You see, Sean had long curly hair when he was a kid and he wanted Logan to look the same. Well Logan has the curly hair and looks very much like Sean, but his hair is wild like mine and so keeping it long right now just won't work.

This picture is my favourite of Sean I love his smile and not to mention his hair. Look at those dimples, what a cute kid.

I want to get Logan's hair to look like this when he is older, but right now I think that it looks better shorter and maybe, hopefully, Logan's hair will get thicker and thicker. What do you think?

A Big Thank you.....

Early Sunday morning (at 6:30am) the alarm went off indicating that I should get up and get myself and the kids ready for our 8:00am church. (Yes, I said 8 am). We got to Church and proceeded to sit at our bench, everything started out nice the kids were behaving having their breakfast waiting for church to start. Then all H-E-double hockey sticks broke loose right in the middle of passing the Sacrament. Logan started to scream and wouldn't calm down. I HAD to take him out in the hall. So we spent the rest of Sacrament Meeting walking the halls, which to tell you the truth is where I spend most Sundays for all of Church--walking the halls. Anyways, Sacrament meeting ended and it was time to pack my things together and haul Logan and myself into Sunday school, while Sean took Michaela to Nursery. As I was making my way to our bench to get my things, I was stopped by a lady who told me that she would like to give me a hug. As she proceeded to give me that hug she said that she admired my strength and determination.
Then as I gathered my things together I overheard another lady praise my husband for how he dealt with Michaela while sitting in church. She made a comment to Michaela that she really kept her Daddy busy and tired him out. She then praised Sean for his determination and that it was good for us to be where we are.
If that wasn't enough, Sean had to leave early from church and it was just me and the kids, which doesn't give me a break from the boredom of walking the halls. During Sunday school, I had to take Michaela to the ladies room and needed to find someone to watch Logan as I took her. A brother in our ward known his LOVE of watching kids, offered and I did my task. I came back, and found that they were not in class. I left to look for them and I was told by this man to not worry and go and enjoy the rest of class and I did. Which was nice that I finally got to enjoy some part of Church.
So I would like to say THANK YOU to these people who really helped out in either word or deed. It helps when others notice your struggle and step into tell you that you are doing a good job and to keep it up.

What the.....?

What kind of world do we live in that makes people hate so much? Why is it that society can not see the damage that we are inflicting on each other until it is too late? What can be done now? why do we have to pay such a high price before we realize that things need to change? What now?

Potty Training

My daughter and I have been working on potty training for quite awhile now, and most days she knows what she is supposed to do. She LOVES the fact that she's a "big girl". Then there are the days when I want to throw in the towel and I wonder, is it really worth it? Those are the days that I seem to be more frustrated than usual and she picks up on that. It stems from being tired from the lack of sleep that I am getting at night and I seem to make her the vessel for my frustration. These are the days that I need to tell myself that this is her battle and she's not wetting her pants to make ME mad, she's just having a bad day. Now that is easier said then done, but the more I remind myself of that fact the easier it will be for both of us to conquer the big ol' potty.
Michaela has now encouraged Logan to use the potty . After she uses it, she gets Logan and wants him to sit on the potty. So now at 16 months Logan is now in the process of being potty trained. I think that with the encouragement of his older sister, Logan's transition from being a diaper wearing toddler to being a "big boy" will be a lot smoother. Anyways...Here's hoping.

Dress up anyone?

When did we start growing up? I look at my daughter and I try to think back to when I was in her age group. But unforunately I don't remember much from back then. But I am sure that I was much like her in many ways. Stubborn to a fault, Loving to all, playful and LOVE playing dress up.
Then I look at myself now and wonder if I have really changed THAT much. I am still stubborn and sometimes to a fault and I am loving to all my friends and family, although I could work more on loving those around me. But most of all I still LOVE to get dressed up. What is it about putting on a nice dress, doing your hair and make up that makes you feel like a princess?
So although my daughter likes to play dress up in her princess dress, am I any different when I put on my best and actually feel like one? You decide.

Going, Going......Gone

SOLD TO THE HIGHEST BIDDER!!!!!!
You know there are days, and I guess ALL mothers can attest to this, that you wouldn't mind selling your kids to the highest bidder. Problem is, on those days you wouldn't get very much for them, amidst their temper tantrums, bitting, hitting and all out disrespect. Then there are the days that you cherish all their "I love you's", kisses, hugs and the "Mom, you're the GREATEST!!!!". Now those are the days that I wish there were more of, but unfortunately they are not as abundant as the days you wish you could go back and try to remember why it was that you wanted kids in the first place. My mom keeps reminding me that I was the one who wanted kids, and I keep reminding her that yes I did, but NOT one like me, let alone two, that, I didn't ask for.
I am however reminded that if you teach the stubborn ones the right pth to follow, they will NEVER stray off that path. The trouble is, I have to deal with it until they know how to control it. I do have a great support, in my husband, who knows when I need a break and steps in and takes over. We seem to compliment each other that way.
Now I know that I can't sell my kids, I would miss them too much. But I will tell you that bedtime has slowly become my FAVOURITE time of the day......now I know you can agree with that.

Dora and other educational programs

What is it about TV that some parents are so against? If it wasn't for TV I wouldn't have any time to myself. Besides there are things that my kids learn from TV that I wouldn't be able to teach them. For example, my 2 year old can say hi in 5 languages, has had success with learning sign language, she also knows classical composers, artists and ALL her traditional musical instruments and what they sound like. Now, the sign language I could have taught her, but she learnt it much faster from Baby Einstein than I could've taught her. I just keep teaching her new signs and reinforcing the ones that she already knows. I started letting her watch TV when our son Logan came along and I needed her to do something other than pull on me while I was nursing him.
In my opinion there are MANY advantages to TV that I feel comfortable allowing my children to watch it. I don't even mind sitting down and watching certain programs with them. I DON'T however, allow myself to let it be a babysitter.