tell me I’m not the only one.

Someone please tell me I’m not the only one who has a hard time having a phone conversation without the kids going crazy!

Today I was talking to my sister on the phone, and I had given the kids a bowl of organic blue corn tortilla chips to share.  

Good idea mama!

For about 2 minutes.

It was then discovered by one of the two (I won’t mention any names, but lets just say he instigates a lot of these incidents these days….ahem) that much more fun than eating the chips is tossing them around the kitchen and then driving all the trucks, cars and babies (!) through the chips to spread them ALL…OVER….THE….PLACE.

I, of course, see this going on in front of my very eyes, but being in the throes of much needed adult-conversation, I ignore it.  Afterall, they’re having fun.  And I am having an adult conversation.  Did I mention how much I need adult conversati0n sometimes?  No harm done.

I step in, however…when the aforementioned young instigator breaks a bowl.

A plastic bowl.

Enough said.

photo extravaganzzzzzzza!

Well, we’ve had a busy past couple of weeks at our casa.  First off, Joshijah went for his very first dentist appointment.  Very exciting?  Oh yes.  He wasn’t at all nervous.  Relaxed as anything.  Just look at his very relaxed posture in the super cool dentist chair.  😉

Thankfully the hygienist and the dentist were both so nice and let him pick out the COOLEST shades to wear!  This relaxed him somewhat. 

This was Jos trying to spit into the little sink.  He can’t figure it out still.  He just makes the noise of spitting, and lets the spit just head down the ol’ throat.  Ah well, all in good time.

The dentist.  Again, Joshijah looking very relaxed.  Clutching that chair for dear life!
However, it was a very successful trip.  Joshijah was a big boy and did really well!  YAY! 

With Uncle Cubby and Tante Jes reading stories at my Mom and Dad’s place.  It was my Dad’s birthday. 

Hosanna snuggling up with Poppi on his b-day. 

This was Joshijah’s birthday party.  Jos and Sammi.

Hosanna (or as I like to call her:  May-may-licious.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Opening up the prezzies.

Yummy treats.  And that’s my friend Julie.  Everyone say, “Hey Julie!”

Markers and Stickers and Play-Dough, oh my!

Cupcakes a la Lightning McQueen.

Traditional birthday breakfast in bed. 

Joshijah with his bed-head. 

Cake!!  This time for the “family birthday party”.

“Uh, Mama?!  What is this?  You call this cake?! And ya’ll can show me some better singing than that.  C’mon.”

Jer and Steve shooting the breeze waiting for food. 

Tom being quiet and contemplative and playing a sweet tune on J-dog’s guit. 

My dad.  I love this picture of him. 

My mom!  All the girls were being Italian mamas in the kitchen making homemade pizza.  Well, Jes was laying on the floor.  It’s ok.  She’s pregnant.  She’s allowed to lay on the floor. 

My sister Sara with her sweet baby girl. 

Joshijah with his cool new airplane from Plan Toys.  Very cool toys.  They are my new favourites.  The kids love them too.  (that’s pretty important I guess)   
And he is wearing the beautiful sweater that my mom made for him.  He looks like a little euro-kid.  I love it!  Notice Jes is still on the floor.  Having a great time, might I add. 

Janna and I being pretty serious about making the pizza.     We had some pretty loud music on to help out the mood.  Sara and Amelie are dancing, I’m sure.   Janna’s gonna love that pic of her.  🙂

This is my Aunt Marion.  She stopped by yesterday to give Jos his b-day present.

Jos and May-May doing their thang with the new easel from Nana and Papa!
(Notice the large amount of snow hanging off the tree outside.  It just.keeps.coming.)

And this is me, taking my before shot.  I am getting my hair cut tomorrow. 
Tomorrow I will post the after shot.  Stay tuned!

G’night ya’ll!!

ready or not!

Jeremy’s best friend Max is getting married to Brigitte in Norway, and Jeremy is the best man, so…

In less than a month, Jeremy and I will be heading to Norway, alone.  With NO kids! 
While to some that sounds divine and delightful, to me…well, it does sound that way on occasion, but …I have to admit, I have been feeling some trepidation and anxiety.  First of all, I am not one who typically enJOYs flying.  neh.  uh.uh.  don’t like the whole idea. 
Second, we are going for 10 days.  1o DAYS!!!  on another continent.  without the kids.  what will I do?  They are going to be all grown up by the time we get back. 

Anyways… they will be in good hands and I am praying that I will be able to relax and enjoy myself enough to get a good look at those beautiful fjords and do some glacier hiking. 

I’ve been feeling a bit direction-less lately.  Feeling like I need to have something before me to which I am steadily moving torward.  I feel like I need some clarity, some direction, some prodding???  I think this trip to Norway will be a good chance to get some time to spend with myself, with my husband,  and with God.  Figuring stuff out.  I have been missing out on early morning quiet times with Jesus.  I find the kids have been getting up earlier and earlier, and I just never.seem.to.get.to.it.  I know this is why I feel directionless. 

Jer and I were talking about committing to pray and ask God (individually and together) to begin to speak to us about where we are, what we are doing and what we are supposed to be doing…etc.   We are not really the 5-year-plan kind of people (at all!), but i know that when I have nothing to move towards, I feel hopeless.  I have lost sight momentarily of what we are to do.  I guess most importantly, I desire to know what’s on God’s heart for us so that I can pray towards it and usher in God’s will for our lives.  I believe that as a wife and a mother….that is one of my main purposes.  To KNOW where God is leading us and to PRAY for His hand to move.  I think often it is assumed that if God wills something for us, it will happen, no matter what.  I don’t believe this is always the case.  He has decidedly partnered with us, giving us the authority to ask and receive, to have faith and see Him move in response to it.  It doesn’t always land in our laps.  That’s actually quite rare. 
Anyways…all this to say that I think some good fresh Norweign air and some quiet time with God and Jeremy will do wonders.  I pray that I can hear God speaking clearly. 

nalgene-no-more.

For awhile there, I thought that our kids were all hip and cool with their nalgene sippy cups.  UNTIL….it was announced that the plastics used to make these cups and so many other cups, baby bottles, etc. are the worst kind of plastic for leaching the chemical  BPA, (a synthetic sex hormone that mimics estrogen) which can cause fertility problems, cancer, etc.

95% of all baby bottles and cups on the market are made with BPA, at levels which can disrupt their development.  

If you want to read about it, this is a good article. 

Anyway, I went ahead and ordered some of these. 

 
(this is not my kid)**

I’m excited to get them in the mail soon!  And let’s hope they come out with some more alternatives for parents needing alternatives.  argh.

A few other little randoms:
The doll I made for Hosanna May for Christmas. 
Her name is Sylvia, and she’s already looking a little ratty…hair especially.  🙂

This is the daffodil plant my momma bought me as an attempt to help me rise out of my pit of winter blues-dom.  It helped for sure.  The flowers are gone now, but there will be more (I hope).  I love flowers.

Hosanna’s newest favourite thing to do is play dress up with all the hats, scarves and mitts.  She’s a peach.  I like her. 

**mystery kid photo credit:  the reusable bags website. 

i take it back.

today, i take back everything i said here. 

it’s been one of those days weeks.

🙂

ach vell.

happy wednesday!

(see what i mean?!?!   i mean thursday.)

oh and happy heart day!

excursion

(somehow i got the italics stuck on this post.  can’t turn them off.)

…anyway……

so i decided to quit being a wimp and get my butt outside. i bundled up the kids in their gear, put hosanna into the little umbrella stroller (doesn’t work so well on snowy sidewalks, but too hard to get the bigger one into some of the stores….)and headed out (30 minutes later) down the street to “the clothesline”, which is our local second-hand shop. i LOVE to go thrift store shopping!
so, we arrive at the store after battling the COLD, biting wind and snowy sidewalks. (i have no mitts either, for some reason….like they keep walking off???!?!?!)
i find a cute jacket.  yay!
i make my way slowly through about 1/4 of the store…hosanna’s fussy….she’s whining and distracting me.
hmmm.

then joshijah informs me he has to go pee. no potties at this store. argh. i consider telling him to “just go”….until i remember that he’s not wearing any pull-ups. just some curious george undies.zero absorbancy.shucks.*sigh*

ok. better be the responsible parent that i am.

we paid for the jacket and high-tailed it home.

another adventurous day in the life of me.

did i tell you all that i am going to norway with jeremy in march!?

yep.  for 10 days.

feeeeeevah!

I have got a SERIOUS case of cabin fever these days.  ARGH!
The weather here is SO C-C-C-C-Cold, it would be not right for me to take the kids outside.  Besides, why would i want to freeze my dang knickers off?!?!?!
So, here i am hunkering down, but BOY am i bored.  sure, there are a hundred things i could be doing.  but i don’t wanna. *whiney voice*  i wanna go and play outside.  i wanna walk in flip flops and a tank top to the park and push the kids on the swings.  i want to get the hoe out and start getting the garden ready for planting.  i want to walk down the street and look in the windows of the shops. 

argh.  

sigh.

*pulls hair out* 

so much for the moment.

the kids fell asleep like angels last night. 
it was the first time in awhile.  we put them to bed at 7:00.  then….not a peep.

angels.

joshijah woke up as we were getting ready to go to sleep (of course).

after this many hours have passed, i don’t usually mind going in to snuggle for a minute with him.  it’s cozy and special, and he’s oh-so-sweet when he wakes up. 

“mommy, i yuv you”.

“i love you too.”

*snuggle*

quiet.

quiet.

quiet.

*me thinking:  i guess he’s fallen back asleep*

*whispering*   “mommy?”

“yeah?”
 
“i ate a booger”

good-for-you treat!

today i made this fun little healthy treat for the kids.  it’s basically just a made-up recipe, and i don’t typically measure when i’m cooking.  (not that i’m against measuring, just not how i roll, usually…)  anyways.  my kids LOVE bananas sometimes, and other times their interest begins to wane.  lately they have been more disinterested, but this?  this they loved. 

BANANA AVOCADO SMOOTHIE:

1 banana
1/2 an avocado
freshly squeezed lemon juice.  (give 1/2 a lemon a good squeeze)
a splash of apple juice
a mitt-full of ground flax seed
honey to sweeten

stick it all in the blender. blend until smooth.

the kids liked this both in a cup with straws, OR in a little bowl with spoons.  it has the consistency of yogourt. 

you could add milk, soymilk, almond milk (which is my new fave after reading that soy milk is not as great as once was believed.  anyone else hear this???  is it true?) 
anyways, i just wanted to share a very yummy and healthy treat that the kids love.  they just finished a whole blender-full and asked me for more.   sure, why not?

cheers! 

🙂

here’s where the fun begins…

 

why is jeremy wearing these hot-looking, sweet-action galoshes?

is it because the spring rains have begun to spread their love, with promises of sunshiney days and blossoms up ahead?!? 

is it because we are attending another ball for the boot-wearing jazz-lovers?

nope! and nope!
no, dear readers….uh-uh.

in fact, nothing could be further from the truth. 
spring is nowhere to be seen, and we have no such fun parties to attend in the near future….

what we have here is a veritable basement flooding.   the sump-pump decided it had done enough work for the year and took a vay-cay.  alas…water everywhere.   

so, jeremy donned his fancy footwear and got to work. 
shortly thereafter i quietly tiptoed down the stairs to let him gently know that the hot water heater wasn’t working….the pilot light went out.  (this happens when it gets windy outside….weird…  i guess we should get this igloo insulated afterall.  hmmm.  who knew?)  oh and here’s a little post-it note about jeremy…he did all of this with a wicked, seething sinus infection, which he has been battling for 4 days now…terribly painful….when i get a sinus headache, i am out.of.commission.  fully.  can we say woos-bag?  but jer…well, he’s a trooper. 

i then went upstairs to get the kids some dessert.  and, the yogurt container promptly fell out of the fridge upside-down all over the floor.  joshijah got to work and started licking it clean.  i can always count on joshijah to help out in my hour of need.  🙂

here’s me, just showing you the zit i woke up with this morning.  yesssss…sweeeeeet:

and a much more poised picture of me showing you my chapped winter lips:  
mmm.  check those crazy-woman eyes.   

yikes, it actually frightens me a little to look at this picture.  eww. 
how is everyone else doing?  🙂