Another Year Past...

New Years Resolution Number One...make more time to blog!

Happy New Year!
I cannot believe that another Christmas has come and gone...another year has come and gone.
Welcome 2012!

Our December flew by. Always filled with family, friends and functions. A season that I love...and always goes too fast. Learning to slow down and take it all in is something I would love to learn how to do better. Somehow amazing times fly by...and then the Holidays come to an end.
Santa was amazing to us all. The kids were SPOILT by all. It was such a fun year as Kai and Si being  a little older were so much more aware of "the season." I am pretty sure they were wound up for a solid 24 days...as visions of Santa Clause danced in their heads!
Their sleep suffered, attitudes were (and still are) BRUTAL...and sugar was endless. New Years Resolution for the kids...cutting back on sweets!

Christmas itself is always, busy for us, to say the least. For the past few years we have been our own family...and this year now a family of five! But aside from our own family, we have three others to spend time with. And the hard part is balancing them all...and honestly not because anywhere do we feel we HAVE to...but because we want to. Yes this may sound like a "smooth" response to avoid any lash from those that read...but its the truth. All are filled with many memories with they people we love. But in our reality, we have to put our family first as nothing and no one will be happy if we don't have our sanity...and health.
This year really caught up to us. Running around...with 3 kids 3 and under, crept up suddenly, and now has us re-thinking our Christmas. When do you begin to put yourself first...and what you have always done and known after? It really is a hard thing to do. Just because you want to do it all, doesn't mean you can. We are learning. At least Christmas is another year away~
After an amazing Christmas, although much of it looked different than originally planned, we are re-settling...de-treeing and welcoming 2012 with much love, hope, happiness and health.

To briefly look back upon 2011, it came with some highs and lows.
Most obviously, my high was the birth of our second baby girl, T. She is an amazing and welcome addition to our family. Sometimes surprises are the best part of life...the proof is in T.
2011 was filled with many more great memories. Many firsts, for all!  Family and friends were a big part of our year. Fun times, great relationships...lasting moments. Thank you.

Each year seems to also come with some struggles. We have had some moments of health in our family to deal with, and in some cases still are. But with perseverance, the will and all the love and support that we all give and get...2012 is looking brighter all ready.

"Become addicted to constant and never ending self improvement."
~Anthony J. D'Angelo

2011 brought some "ah-ha" moments for me. And in some situations, allowed me to feel empowerment in myself. It is an amazing feeling...surprising yourself. Learning to speak or to do as you feel. Yes people judge. It is an unfortunate part of the human being. But what I am learning is, the people that love me don't. They support. They are there to help. To give guidance. Or, to just be. Thank you to all of my family and friends for being there. For helping me discover. For helping me thru the rough times. For showing me how to be a better wife, mom, daughter, sister...friend. Always a journey of learning...but with no regrets.

"Simply do your best, and you will avoid self-judgment, self-abuse and regret."
~don Miguel Angel Ruiz

Our New Years plans this year changed last minute. Maybe one day I will go into some more detail, but for now I will just say, life has a way of throwing things our way when we thought the things were over... and so, we braced New Years Eve in a different light. With our kids, at home, making an incredible dinner...and in bed barely keeping eyes open to watch the countdown. Yes, we may have celebrated the New Year as some may figure the elderly do...but to us it was relaxing, low key...perfect. Not to mention the wine selection was far from lacking... an '06 Far Neinte Cab was a perfect pair to the night :)
I hope that 2012 brings all that we could hope for and more: some positive changes...and happy surprises.

"Youth is when you're allowed to stay up late on New Year's Eve.  Middle age is when you're forced to."  
~Bill Vaughn

Product Review...Hand Vibes!

For the past few years we have seen young kids sporting what looks to be an elastic band on their wrist. This was the "in" craze...a little piece of rubber that would form different shapes. A little thing called "Silly Bandz."

Well move over Silly Bandz...their is a new craze in town hoping to take over kids fingers..."Hand Vibes."
Hand Vibes are rubber rings sold in packages of three. The rings come with different words inscribed on them. In the packs, two of the words are visible...and the third is a secret. To add to the excitement for the younger population.

The words range from "Groovy" to "Chillin" leaving the kids wanting and hoping to attain all phrases and colors available.

Hand Vibes are something I had never heard of before being approached to do a review. To me, they seem a little "young" however obviously capture a niche marketplace. I could see these picking up momentum in elementary age students...maybe the younger years: A cute, relatively inexpensive "hobby."



The rings come in a large variety of colors. Above are some examples of the phrases/words. 235 rings in all!

For me, I don't have kids in my life old enough for these and therefore find it hard to identify with this craze. Are these something you have seen out there!? Or perhaps something your child would have fun with?  In hearing from a few teachers from my area, these are things they haven't heard of before...and the silly bandz have seemed to disappear. Who knows, perhaps they will be spotting these next!?

I have two packs of Hand Vibes to giveaway!
First two to respond get them!!

Good luck :)

Time...

Yes, I am referencing time again and how fast it goes! I cant slow down life and have so much to do and so many things I want to do and there are not enough hours in the day!
I am missing not having the time and/or energy (at night) to blog more. It is such a great outlet for me... and a journal for my kids in a sense, and not getting to it often starts to bug me!

Last weekend was Thanksgiving here in Canada. We went to Whistler for the weekend and carried on traditions that we started once Kai was born. We have our turkey dinner up there with Ryan's parents one night, and then on the nicer of the days, we head to North Arm Farms in Pemberton for a day at the "farm" and pumpkin patch! So far we have lucked out with weather, and this year was no exception. Sunshine and pumpkin patch picking; the day was successful and fun!

Here are a few pictures.

After the weekend in Whistler, we headed home to cook a Turkey Dinner of our own. We had my dad and girlfriend over along with my sister. It was a nice evening...and apparently they said, the best turkey they ever had! I'm thinking they felt they had to say that otherwise, pregnant woman and hormones may have been too much to handle!

Being away that weekend, we had Turkey dinner the weekend prior with my mom. She is new to turkey cooking...we think her second ever, and it was great! Needless to say, 3 turkey dinners and some left overs...we have had our turkey fix for a while!
I guess I caught up on some needed baby weight gain over that weekend alone!

Now, the turkey in my oven is cooked...time to come meet the world!
Less than a month!!

Haircuts...

Yesterday was haircut day. Kai's hair was getting so long it was almost ponytail-able; and Si's was constantly in her eyes.
We cut Kai's hair a little shorter this time as he seems to have my hair, the type that grows really fast!
I don't know what it is, but whenever we leave the hairdresser his hair always looks so cute...and then for a couple days after that, it tends to look a little "botched" shall I say. It is now in need of a little growing and then I am sure the shaggy look will fill in a little more.

Si has some curls in the back of her hair that are slowly pulling longer and a little straighter. So because of the curls, she never really needed a haircut. This was her FIRST HAIRCUT! She got a little trim at the back, and then her bangs were cut so she could see.
Her bangs naturally tend to sway to the side, and yesterday, leaving the hairdresser, like Kai, her hair looked so cute...
Today, a little "botched." Like to the point that I wonder if I should have just cut them myself! Hopefully the bangs begin to fall a little better and grow a little faster!

I tried to take a few photos, but both were not very camera-friendly yesterday. Here are two I captured of Si with my phone to commemorate her first haircut.

Nesting Sale...

My nesting is in full swing and last night I was able to sort thru and organize all of the good clothes we have that need some new homes. Holy crap did our Tupperware under the house and kids closets empty out!

Not only do we have boys and girls clothes... we have an assortment from newborn up to 3T. Some things were never even worn before outgrown! This is madness and we need to get rid of it all before it drives my crazy.

Along with the kids clothes, there is an assortment of woman's clothes from Maternity thru sizes S-L. A HUGE array...and there is even some good men's stuff.

So on top of the clothing, we have some random items to lighten from our load as well...

A "Cars" training wheel bike...

Similar to this one

Some kids toys...

A carpet, a shelving unit etc...

SO....... GARAGE SALE! Since this is the long weekend, I think we will set it for next Saturday morning. Details to be confirmed.

Being pregnant can have some serious advantages on the household front...organization!

Flu Shot...

Do you and/or your family get the Flu Shot?

Like so many vaccinations out there, there is a large controversy over this Shot as well.
My husband sent me an email he received today on the flu shot with compelling information on why NOT to get the shot. There are two interesting videos at the bottom as well; the first is rather humorous.

I know that the one time I got the shot, I got the flu. I know that I occasionally get the flu anyways. I also know that with kids in the house...the flu seems to be probable occurrence at some point!

Make your own decisions; but our family passes on this one.

Click Here to read article and view videos.

Moments Captured...

Saturday was our family/maternity shoot. I love having our "Moments Captured" as we rarely all have a photo; and even more rare is when I am in them. It is nice to document "life" every so often.

Saturday however, was not the best of days. Si was not cooperating. Full on tears, barely let me put her down. Kai was good at the beginning and then was lost by the end. All in all...it was a frustrating shoot. I had all of these thoughts of images in mind, and none came to light. I was hoping for a nice belly/family shot, but one did not really arise.
Thankfully our photographer was able to capture some photos of us as a group...and a few solo images so the session wasn't a loss...but I guess that is what you get when you have a 3 and 2 year old to attend to.

It makes the shots even more realistic, lol. If only you could have had a birds eye view of the shoot itself...probably would have been good birth control!

I will share a few quick shots. Karolina Turek shot us, and will be sending us the edits later this week. I quickly edited a few to ensure our shoot produced something!? I am pleased with the ones she captured...and frankly, a little amazed, lol.

I look forward to her edits later this week and will share more then. For now... here is our expanding family. I will see if any of her edits are "pg" enough to post ;) Here is the family for now.

Another week closer....34 WEEKS!

Bump Picture.

Thank you to Karolina Turek for helping us capture some memories :)


 

Another Week Closer...

Sunday post...a day late ;)

33 weeks today! Another week closer to meeting the little one inside of my belly. Hard to believe~
When you think weeks...that's 7 more till due date. 49 days!
4 weeks till baby is considered full term. Both kids were a few days early.
Kai's labour was 13 hours...4 hours active.
Si's labour...by the time we were at the hospital, she was out 2 HOURS later.
Needless to say, I am beginning to get a little nervous. I am not nervous about the birth itself...been there done that, lol. I am nervous about the time this baby decides its coming out. Where am I going to be? Will it be day time/night time...a weekend or week day? Will I be at home with the kids alone, or will Ryan be there...
2 HOURS for Si and she was here...the nerves are getting me because the Doctors have been saying, in general, labours/deliveries are faster than your last.

I have a direct drive to the hospital the minute this baby feels like the appearance is immanent!

I had a check up last week and all is going well. But in the last few days...it really feels like this baby is making its way down... doing lunges and squats, not to mention sometimes just walking, feels like the pressure is getting lower...and the waddle walk slowly begins (well, i am hoping not! lol).

I haven't had too many complaints as of late. My sciatic pain seemed to have really lightened up the past few weeks; I am not sure why...maybe I should have been re-arranging furniture and moving boxes a long time ago! But somehow, despite all the moving, my back has been pretty good!

The legs, well, they are the same. I wake up with major veins, and the fade gradually throughout the day. They are LESS apparent the more idea...again, another anomaly the doctor doesn't understand. I don't know if I will post a picture of these unsightly things or not... Not quite there yet!

I guess my overall complaint has been fatigue. The past few weeks I have been pretty exhausted. With getting things done, working, the kids...and the kids joining us in bed in the middle of the night, it has not made for the best of sleep-filled nights! To add to it having bronchitis last week, so a double whammy of not being able to breathe (combined by the weight of the belly), sleep pretty much, sucks!

I guess it is just an over-rated factor in life...

Your Pregnancy: Week 33

You are one hot mama -- literally. A 20 percent metabolic rate increase throughout pregnancy can leave you begging for a cool breeze no matter what the weather is like. Distract yourself with an exercise in blind identification. Try to distinguish between baby's feet, fists, knees, and elbows -- all doing some major pushing and nudging inside of you.

"A baby will make love stronger, days shorter, nights longer, bank balance smaller, home happier, clothes dirty, the past forgotten, and the future worth living for." Unknown

Party Pictures...

A few pictures of our Princess Si's 2nd birthday.

A Week of Firsts...

I can't believe I haven't had a spare minute to sit and type in over a week! So much has been going on, time has certainly gotten the better of me.
Since last week, we have had the wall in our basement built; Basement and office painted; and decided while we were at it to, paint the our stairways as well. Lots on the home front. And it is all beginning to take shape. I will be sure to take photos and post... likely next week once the rooms are complete!

As for some serious milestones and firsts...

Kai started school (pre-school) on Tuesday! He is in the Mon-Thurs program 4 hours a day.
He was so excited to go, and even posed for a cute first day of school photo.

The nerves kicked in a little once we parked and walked towards the school. He told me he was scared and to please stay with him. I did. We walked to the classroom, found his hook, labelled with his name, for his coat and backpack to hang on, then met the teachers.
He has three great teachers. All very friendly and comforting. We went into the classroom, looked around and he began to feel more settled.  The parents were given the choice of "integrated transition" where we just play for an hour or so the first day and extend the time through the week; or, see how the kids fare, with knowing they have our numbers if the kids needed to go home. Most chose to later...as did I. And 4 hours later, with no phone calls, I went to pick up Kai from his first successful day of school!
He went all days this week, with no tears, lots of smiles and a fun time all around. I am so proud of our little man. He is sure growing. I will admit, once I left him on day one, I had a few tears of my own. I cant believe how big he is getting.  Time... please slow down.

Another first for Kai came on Wednesday. He started skating lessons!
He wants to play Hockey, so we tells us; And so, the lessons on ice begin. We went after school on Tuesday and got him all the necessary gear for his first day. A pair of skates (the are so adorable and tiny! Who knew Bauer made the mini-me sizes!) along with a helmet and cage. He was ready to take on the ice.

Getting to the rink Wednesday, he showed no signs of nerves...just pure excitement! He was over-joyed to see the ice, and couldn't wait for me to lace up his skates. Skates on, he very quickly learnt how to stand..and jump...on dry land. Then to the ice with his instructor. Hardly hesitant, and with very little frustration and a ton of determination, he continuously tried to stay on feet, not bum. A few quick tears were brought mid lesson (I think frustration got to him a little) he asked me to stand in a certain spot so he could see me, and went right back to the ice.
I could not be a prouder mom. What an amazing week for our little man. Many firsts, and he conquered them all, head on.

And next week, a week of seconds, Si's 2nd Birthday!

"Life isn't a matter of milestones, but of moments."~Rose Kennedy 

Back To School...

Hard to believe September is here, let alone it is back to school for most students today! For our family, it is not necessarily "back" to school as this is Kai's first year of school...preschool that is! Cannot believe the time has come that our little man is going to school. He starts next week however,: so one more week to reminisce in his world of toddler...before school overtakes for the next 15+ years.

Time flies, as we all know; And while some days are wished away, others you want to hold on to. I am trying to hold on to these moments. As exhausting, and sometimes aggravating, as the toddler years can be, they go by way to fast and are over way to soon. Can I bundle up the love of a toddler: The way they look at the world: The way they look at life. It is awe-inspiring and over much too soon.

And so, as our 3 year-old gets packed up and ready for his first day of school next week, I thought fitting a blog on school and education.
I have posted in the past on school, as while we were seeking our best avenue for Kai, we investigated many schools and curriculum's.
There are so many different lines of education and what a school has to offer; let alone the teachers, the language and the other students. It is educational in itself just finding the right school for your family. And this is something that only you can determine best.

I was sent an article "Simple Steps Make the Kindergarten Transition Easier," and wanted to share it with you, as I found the points are simple, to come maybe obvious, but they really drive-home some great transition tips and help for your little ones. The title reads Kindergarten, when in fact it holds value for the pre-school, daycare and possibly even early grade children.
It was written by a lady by the name of Kathleen Thomas. Kathleen is a mother, and full time Communications Coordinator for the network of day care facilities belonging to the AdvancED® accredited family of Primrose day care schools.  Primrose Schools are located in 16 states throughout the U.S. and are dedicated to delivering progressive, early childhood, Balanced Learning® curriculum throughout their preschools.


Primrose schools are throughout the US. They are a Pre-K/junior Kindergarten type of school. To me, the closest sounding school to it is that of Cefa (Core Education and Fine Arts) here in Vancouver. 


Here is Kathleen's article.
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Simple Steps Make the Kindergarten Transition Easier

By: Kathleen Thomas

Beginning Kindergarten or a day care program is an exciting and scary prospect for both parents and children. It is exciting to start a new chapter, but your child will likely be nervous and you will probably wonder if your child is really ready for this. Taking a few simple steps to prepare before the first day of Kindergarten will help make this transition easier for both you and your child. 

Establish Routines  
If your child has never been in a school setting before and has basically had complete freedom leading up to starting Kindergarten; establishing routines is a very important preparation step. Even if your child has been in preschool or another daycare setting, establishing a new Kindergarten routine is important.

It is a good idea to establish both a morning routine and a bedtime routine for your child. A morning routine will ensure that your child knows what he or she needs to do in the morning and has time to get ready, eat breakfast and make it to school on time with everything he or she needs for the day. Making a morning routine poster for your child might be helpful.

A bedtime routine is just as important. Have your child pick out his or her clothes and check his or her backpack to make sure everything that will be needed the next day is ready. A bedtime routine will also help ensure that your child gets enough rest. It is difficult to wake up in the morning on time and to focus in school when a child has not gotten enough rest.  

Prepare Together
Take actions to prepare your child for the changes that are coming. If your child is not used to being separated from you, start practicing separating at least a couple of months before school begins. If your child is not in daycare or preschool, begin leaving your child with a family member, friend or babysitter regularly so they become more comfortable with being away from you.

Arrange to take a tour of the school and if possible, meet your child’s teacher. Many schools have orientations and tours already scheduled, but if this is not the case for you, be sure to talk to the school and request a tour for you and your child. The first day of school will less scary for your child if he or she has already seen the school and possibly met the teacher.  

Besides taking these actions, be sure to talk to your child about what will happen when school starts. Let them know what will happen at school and allow them to ask as many questions as they would like. Be sure to talk about school in an exciting and positive way so your child will develop positive feelings about attending school. Reading books can also help. There are many books available about starting school that can help explain to your child what school is all about in terms they will understand. One very fun book is called “How Do Dinosaurs Go To School?” by Jane Yolen.  

Make it Fun
Play up all of the fun things about school when you talk about it with your child. Let them know they will make friends, play and learn all kinds of new things. Involve your child in shopping for school supplies and let them choose a backpack, lunchbox and perhaps a couple of other special items to bring to school with them. Your child might still be nervous, but talking about how great school is and allowing your child to pick some fun school supplies will likely create some excitement for school to start.  

When School Starts
That first day of school you and your child will experience a range of emotions. Your child will be excited and possibly nervous, and they might not want you to leave. You will probably be feeling nervous and excited also, and if your child is upset it will be difficult to leave them there. But school is important and it is highly likely that your child will quickly discover that school is great and he or she will no longer have a problem with you leaving after those first few days. So say goodbye and leave, and feel confident knowing your child will be fine.
Be sure to pursue a positive relationship with your child’s teacher. You will want to keep in regular contact so that you can assist in the learning process by reinforcing concepts at home and giving extra help when your child needs it. Having a relationship with your child’s teacher will also make it easier to handle any problems that might arise.  

The first day of Kindergarten will hopefully be the beginning of a long, successful educational journey. Nothing can change the fact that it is both exciting and a little scary, but preparing yourself and your child will help make starting school less stressful and more fun.
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So a question for you parents out there already having sent your little one off to begin their school-hood adventures... what are your best words of advice? What helped you and what helped your children best?


For me, I am holding my breathe slightly. Hoping Kai will adapt well, play well with the other kids, and listen to his teachers better than he does myself or my husband!


I wish everyone out there a happy Back to School. I hope the transition in whatever phase your child is approaching goes as smoothly as possibly...for all parties involved!


And to depart with a quote that holds some value, to me at least ;)

"If there were no schools to take the children away from home part of the time, the insane asylums would be filled with mothers.  

~Edgar W. Howe"

Another Milestone...30 weeks!

Today marks a pregnancy milestone. I am 30 weeks! The countdown to baby officially is on, the end is in site to my growing body and aching legs. Soon our new addition will be here!!

I am getting more excited as the date approaches. It is hard to believe we are already into September.
My lists are getting checked off and I am feeling more and more organized. Yes, our house looks like a bomb went off, as I have everything EVERYWHERE: Yet, in order to move things from point A to point B, it is bound to be a mess for a short while.

Our wall is being built tomorrow!! And by next Saturday, the painting will be done and my office will be re-located... therefore making room for the nursery.

Si's big girl bed has already arrived... yes, they said 6 to 8 weeks, and it was a quick 2. Gotta like that! Once I am finished setting her new room up, I will post some pictures. A few more things to go. It is looking great!
I figured with all the excitement on Si's room and the baby's room, I better make Kai feel included as well. Plane sheets and an airplane wall decal did the trick and he is IN LOVE with his new room!

Here is another bump comparison for all of you that haven't voted ;)

As the weeks pass I have an upcoming giveaway based on the winner of the baby bump guess, so be sure to register your vote. It will be an amazing prize...to be announced soon!

There are so many similarities and differences in all three pregnancies that it truly is amazing what the body can do and does do.
I have succumb to the fact that, aside from 2 pairs of jeans and a pair of cargo's, this baby is sitting low as pants are not comfortable and will barely do up... thank god for fall as it is time to bring out the leggings! With Kai, I recall jeans not to be much of an option either. Si, I wore jeans until 38 weeks...a week prior to her birthday!

We shall see... Boy or Girl!?

Happy Labour Day Weekend!