"Hip Hip Hooray! The Super Readers Saved The Da-a-a-y!"

We make a point of keeping the TV off during the day, but I do make an exception most mornings for Liam's favorite cartoon: SuperWhy! Because he doesn't watch much TV it's a big deal when we turn it on for this show, so he likes a few things to be in order....

1) He needs his hockey housecoat.
2) The blue "GG blanket" must cover his feet. ("GG" as in, "made by his Great Grandma")
3) Pillow must be positioned just so.
4) SuperWhy toy must 'sleep' under GG blanket.


SuperWhy Mom Review: Surprisingly educational and (perhaps even more surprisingly) not annoying! Maybe The Doodlebops phase wore me down....

Does This Bathing Suit Make Me Look Fat?

It's been warm lately but it hasn't been that warm!
We get Sarah ready for swimming before we leave home because doing so at the pool is akin to squeezing a lycra swimsuit onto a 25lb bag of hot (squirmy!) potatoes while standing over the wax line on a bowling lane. Oh yeah, and I kind of dropped Liam on his head once while doing the same thing, and I'm pretty sure the experience scarred us both for life. First borns really do have it tougher!

The Joy Of Potty-ing

In the last few weeks we have glimpsed a new, fiercely independent side of Liam. We have also glimpsed another side.......


If you note the direction of those undies, you'll know how the sides are intertwined!

If You Give A Kid A Pom Pom.....

If you've read this book, you'll know what I mean. If you haven't read it...you should!

Always Bring Hand Sanitizer To The Park

Runny noses abounded, but since Tuesday turned out to be a beautiful day we decided to push the limits of our diaper supply and give the good people at Costco a reprieve. Besides, swings are WAY more fun than diaper shopping! I do pity the next kids to use these swings though (and their Mom!)....these two were s-n-o-t-t-y!


There's only one park within walking distance that has "big kid" and baby swings, so it seems like all our park pictures come from the same place. It's kind of fun to see how the kids have changed - and how much higher they swing! - with the same backdrop...


We weren't able to get any tickets, but Liam is still getting ready to cheer on the home team during the Olympics. He practices singing "O Canada"...but only if he is standing at the top of the stairs. He's an own-the-podium kind of guy!

Tuesday Ten

So I've noticed the "Ten on Tuesday" concept floating around and thought it might serve as some blog fodder on an otherwise humdrum day. The concept is pretty simple: a list of 10 random points that are probably only relevant / interesting to me. Sure, it's a little self-absorbed, but I welcome any opportunity to blather on about my kids and post pics of them being cute...or otherwise! Let's try this, shall we?

1) We have an electrician coming to do some wiring this morning. For obvious reasons I need to get the kids out of the house.....Costco, consider yourself warned!

2) I took this picture of Sarah this morning. She was pooping. She has been waking up extra early and extra grouchy these days, so I feel justified in sharing that tidbit.


3) As I type I am scattering gluten free cereal on the floor to entertain Sarah. She prefers to eat off the floor or out of the seat of her high chair. Sometimes we put her high chair tray on the floor at dinnertime just so the rest of us can eat in (relative) peace.

4) Yesterday Liam told me he wants me to get hit by a bus and get hurt. I know he's 2. I know he had no idea what he was saying. I know what he really wanted was for me to find the penny he dropped in his car seat (while I was driving). But as soon as he was out of earshot I sobbed. And then I made lunch.

5) I'm going to book club tonight. I read the selection over 2 years ago in a postpartum fog, so I'm sure the book we'll be discussing is not exactly the same as the one I thought I read. ;)

6) Potty training is making leaps and bounds over here and Liam has conquered another milestone: the stand-up pee!

7) Made baked zucchini strips for the first time last night. I've never had them before. Are they supposed to be soggy?

8) I buy four types of milk when I go grocery shopping: Homogenized for Sarah, 2% for Matt, Skim for Me and Soy for Liam. My cart looks like I'm going to stock the fridge of a convenience store.

9) Liam calls orange seeds "pins".

10) By Liam's request, we are still singing Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer at bedtime. Who can resist when he's all snugged up in his footed pyjamas trying to reach the high notes on "historyyyyyyyyyyy!"

Speaking of hair...

Just to be clear, there is no way I am going freestyle on Sarah's hair just yet! She still has those super soft, silky locks and it's just now getting long enough to be curly in the back. Her anxiety around shampoo-time makes it perfectly clear that long, flowing hair will not be in the cards! But for now it's fine just the way it is....except for those few little strands that go straight down her forehead and into her eyes. Bring on the barrettes!

How'd I do?

When I finally admitted it was time for Liam's first haircut Matt was surprised that I wasn't going to take scissors to his silky little curls myself. I was mortified that he would even suggest such a thing! But several haircuts - and one extremely embarassing tantrum in the Thomas the Train chair - later, and I am feeling confident that their haphazard snips around my squirmy toddler's head are not as calculated as I once imagined. Figuring I could save myself $25 (and thereby justifying at LEAST 3 fancy lattes), I decided to whip out the scissors myself....

BEFORE:


AFTER:


What do you think? Maybe 4 lattes?

Monday, Monday

A few "real life" moments caught on camera this morning. The kids doing what they do best!...
Waffles and yogurt for breakfast. Judging from the circles under his eyes, it may be a grouchy day.....(8:00pm....affirmative.)

Watching Super Why with....Super Why! And his favorite new hockey teddy too..

Sarah takes a break from drawing to have a snack....


Liam absconds Sarah's new birthday toys...minor violence ensues....


Sarah is the first one to lose a piece of clothing today.


Chasing each other under the table....


Climbing...


Walking here and there....


Itsy Bitsy Spider...

Fridge dancing....


The infamous Garbage Truck....


Riding the bus....


All before lunch!

One Full Trip Around The Sun

Our little mouse made her debut one whole year ago. On one hand it feels like just yesterday that I held her for the first time and kissed her little heart-shaped nose. On the other hand I can't believe how many memories we have made that include her. Could it really be just one year? So I suppose one year is just about right and the fact that we can't imagine what life was like without her is just about right too. She is one. And she is one of us. Always has been.
Other than that big milestone, here a few other highlights that she's been working on recently!:

* Walking. She's still in that jerky arms-above-the-head toddle phase (so cute), but she is finally figuring out that walking is a more efficient mode of travel than anything else she's tried so far. She has been dabbling in walking for nearly a month, but just this week she has been startling me by "appearing" around corners on her own two feet. I think she likes to surprise me. :)

* Talking? No, not quite. But she has a pretty good repertoire of sounds and she is able to use them to communicate VERY well. If Sarah is displeased, don't think you won't know it! Even so, I think her words are not too far off. I'm interested to hear what she has to say, but I also have to admit that I'm hoping her and Liam will share a few of their conversations with each other. My enthusiasm for the "garbage" topic is waning. Liam can't get enough of it, so I'm hoping Sarah will let him teach her everything he knows about Heil Side Loaders in the Naples, Florida area. Apparently someone over there is equally enthusiastic about such machines and is equipped with a camcorder and a little youtube savvy. I envision Liam doing something similar in his golden years.

* Dancing. This girl has music in her soul. Particularly "Oh Susanna."

* Making bathtime extremely difficult. To say she hates the bath would be a gross understatement. She has the strength of four (very slippery) men once she spots that shampoo bottle coming her way, and she can arch her little body backwards at such an angle that I wonder if she may have a future with cirque du soleil. Needless to say, she is not the most squeaky clean baby on the block. If you tell me she has mashed peas behind her ears, I will likely reply "is that all?"

* Becoming a real little girl. Something magical happens around that first birthday...that demanding (but lovable!) blob turns into a real little kid with a personality, interests and a sense of humor. Peek-e-boo is currently high on Sarah's list of activities but she is also thrilled to give Liam rides on the bus, pushing him from one end of the house to the other (and back!), or playing with the magnetic fridge farm, pressing each button and dancing for as long as the music lasts. Or taking apart legos....or snuggling her bunny at bedtime....smiling and waving to me as I say goodnight and close the door....

So here she is....one year old. We had a little party with family to celebrate. Sarah was showered with love and thoughtful gifts. She loved it all....especially the wrapping paper. :) And of course, the cake......


That's my girl! Happy Birthday, Sweet Sarah!

Now, where was I?

If my New Year's resolution was to be a more timely blogger, then I failed miserably. But it wasn't, so I suppose I can skip all the excuses and just get on with things!
If my New Year's resolution was to not feed the kids junk food, then I probably shouldn't post this picture of Liam with pizza all over his face. But it's not, and since it was Liam's first pizza and it was made with soy cheese and gluten-free crust then surely it doesn't count as junk food?


If my New Year's resolution was to keep the kids away from the TV, then I probably shouldn't post this picture of Sarah with the remote. But again, it's not, and sometimes things with buttons make excellent teethers! (Sometimes she thinks my nose would make an excellent teether too.)