Wordless Wednesday - A Present For Me

t

the necklace i bought myself when i completed the one month sugar free challenge. 
it loves me.
plus i get lots of compliments when i wear it. 
oh, and check out lisa leonard designs. shes awesome.

Family Matters, Plus A Lot Of Pictures

Remember when you were a kid and you would fight with your brothers (or sisters, if you were lucky enough to have them... sighhhh)? You would cry to your mom about how much you hated them and never wanted to see them again. And your mom would tell you 'just wait until you grow-up, you'll all be best friends' and you would, obviously, tell her she was crazy and so old fashioned and that you were NEVER going to like any of them, because they were mean and stupid. I remember those days all too well. I was pretty sure WE were never going to be friends and that I would never be happy to see *most* of them. But then something crazy happened.... I moved away. To a different province. To a place that's five hours away. And I started going home for visits that were four or five days long. A few times a year. Slowly... veryyyy slowly.... I, amazingly, did start to actually *like* my brothers. I would even venture as far out as to say we are *gasp* friends (not best friends... but don't worry, we're still young!). I LIKE seeing them, and having them come over for breakfast and spending the day loving on my brothers two little girls (aka- the greatest nieces ever).

I LIKE playing croquet on Sunday night before eating BBQ-ed burgers, and sitting around the table laughing about how we are all so competitive - but we don't care who wins, as long as it isn't Tyler. Maybe Tyler wasn't laughing... but they rest of us were! Heh. Payback.

I LIKE drinking cold beer on a hot afternoon while sitting outside with most of my family just milling around.

That turning point in my life has come. Family IS important, and while I am happy to be home with my Brian and our little family, I do miss the rest of them. Not enough to move back (yet), but enough to appreciate the time we do get to spend together, and to take it all in. And remember to love every minute of it! I think this is just one more sign pointing to me being a grown up. Whatever, I am still younger than half my brothers. HA!

This trip home was for good reason (not that that is necessary) and that just made it oh so much more fun! A little family reunion on my dads side, in honor of his aunt coming over from France, possibly for the last time (she is 86 and her husband is 80!)

There were cousins from near and far, young and old and great food!

It was a great reason to get together!


Then there was also a visit with our pseudo-family! Maizey and I met up with our friend Trudy!

Nothing makes me happier than seeing people I love... that love me (and have for a really long time) love my girl too! She will someday know just how lucky she is have such special people in her life!

And now, just because they are so stinkin' cute....

Wordless Wednesday - I Think Shes Onto Something

I know this isn't about my family, but I saw this video and thought it was hilarious! Plus this little girl is so cute, I had to share her! I think I am going to start doing this every morning! Enjoy!

Standing Ovation

We are getting closer and closer to the day every first time parent waits anxiously for. The day that we all push our kids hard towards. The day that we all think is going to be the best/most exciting day of being a parent of a toddler. 
The day that, once it arrives, we will wish it hadn't come for a few more months (I am told) because now we have to put everything away, and have to monitor the child at all times.
Its the day that we can proudly announce to the world that our 'baby' is WALKING.
 Miss Maizey is pulling herself up on everything...chair legs, the dishwasher door, the coffee table, the couch, her crib, my legs... everything.
I thank (blame?) Corbin for this... it all started when I was baby-sitting him and I needed to get some stuff done, but the two of them kept getting into things (it was mostly Maizey, Corbin was just along for the ride) so I corralled them in her crib while I frantically did what I had to do. When I came back in the room, there she was - standing away, which can only mean he taught her.

(although, this picture tells a different story...)

When she stands at things, she can even let her hands go and just balance there. And now, she is also trying to walk while she holds our hands. Her little feet are so cute trying to walk, her pushing leg is stronger, so the other leg kind of drags when she tries. Its so cute, and when she sits down after her attempts, she looks so proud.  

This weekend, we were away for a wedding of an old friend of mine, Russell. Maizey and I went early and got to spend some quality time with my even older friends, Caitlin and her mom Meg. I baby-sat Caitlin when she was a little girl. She has grown up to be an incredible woman. We shopped, ate, laughed, danced, drank and I watched the two of them love on my baby girl for 3 days straight. And Missy... she loved it!! She talked to them and showed them all her tricks. She smiled and waved and hugged them. It could not have been better. It was pure magic to see the two of them love my girl the way they have loved me for so many years!!
She wore the most adorable dress to the wedding and was good for the whole ceremony. I, for some reason, didn't take my camera out all weekend, so I am waiting for everyone else to send me their pictures, so I can show you just how cute Maizey was! The wedding was great, Kate was a beautiful bride, and I am so happy for the two of them! We got caught up with old college friends and danced the night away! We got home late last night and are still exhausted today.... we'll catch up on our sleep tomorrow!
So with that... I am off to bed....

For The Daddy

I always knew he would be a good Dad. I just didn't know he would be this good. He loves her so much.

She loves him. And so do I.

Wordless Wednesday - Jammie Time

love

Oh Crap

6:30 am - wake up to the usual feed me and put me back to bed whine
6:31 am - walk in to a wonderful surprise. *Something* overflowing out the back of THE most adorable two piece, big girl jammies
6:37 am - get it all cleaned up, fresh jammies on. Check bed for any signs of said *something*. Feed and put back to bed
6:45 am - forced to get out of bed due to incessant screaming
6:46 am- walk in to find another wonderful surprise. Turns out bed was not checked thoroughly
6:50 am - put on first load of laundry
7:00 am - breakfast
7:15am - clean up banana that magically made its way around the entire kitchen, even though someone was strapped in her high chair.
7:30 am - put on second load of laundry
7:45 am - sit down to eat self's breakfast and drink a nice cup of coffee. ahhhh.... coffee
7:46 am - spit out coffee and dump whole pot down sink. Magically coffee tastes oddly like prior said *something*
7:46 am- brush taste out of mouth and rinse with Listerine 
8:00 am - curse the fact that this has to be the morning I make a crappy pot of coffee
8:01am - wish Brian was home to *at least* make the coffee
8:02 am - curse the railroad and the fact that he is at his "job" pffftttt
8:03 am - think of a reason to go uptown and GET a coffee
8:04 am - load truck up with all recyclables. genius
8:15 am - ready to "take recycling  in"
8:30 am - leave to take in said recycling
9:00 am - get $5 from the bottle depot. WOW that's a lot of cans (sarcastic obviously)
9:15 am - order one triple latte with skim and a side of honey pleaseandthankyou
9:18 am - take a sip of the single most delicious thing ever tasted in the history of the entire world
9:30 am - home
9:45 am - put someone down for morning nap. put on third load of laundry. notice the gigantic pile of laundry on the couch in need of being folded. take note of the fact that some of it has been waiting to be folded for over a week. think of hiring a maid. or inventing self-folding laundry. remember how much work that would be. realize it would be less work to just fold the god-forsaken sh*t. sit on facebook for 10 more minutes. enjoy every last drop of the $5 coffee.

the day went on.... and I should say - it did get better. Starting with my wonderful bestie Ang bringing me a homemade latte (while she dropped Corbin off to be baby-sat mind you. but still... it was nice) and continuing on with sushi for lunch and a haircut, complete with two washings.
Here's to hoping that tomorrow will have a much smoother beginning.

I Got Old

Today is my youngest brothers birthday. He turns 19. That means he is now legal to drink everywhere in Canada. He can buy his only favorite sister beer any time she wants it. He can go to the bar, get stupid, and call his mommy for a ride home if he chooses. Not that his mommy would go get him, but he could try. He can order a drink with dinner and give his i.d up when asked, not make up a lame excuse for not having it and then get turned down. Not that that's ever happened. Just saying. He can casually bring up the time he was out for drinks with friends... and follow with a story. Its weird. Hes just a kid. Barely big enough for his loving sister to carry around and accidentally drop on his head. Not that that's ever happened. Just saying. Hardly big enough to be watching his siblings work and get hit in the face by a flying stick thrown by his awesome sister and need stitches. Not that that's ever happened. Just saying. Still small enough that he can be hung upside down by his ankles and shook for any money to fall out of his pockets. Not old enough to have outgrown his nickname and be called his real name, which, as it turns out, is not 'girl'. Hes hardly old enough to be going to the high school. Or be playing on the football team. Or starring in plays. Or going to university clear across the country.
Apparently I am wrong. For he is old to be all those things, and big enough to do all those things.
Which can mean only one thing...
I GOT OLD.
Happy Birthday Shane. Hope you are having a great day. And drinking lots.
(p.s I might be in trouble now, since two other brothers birthdays have passed since I started this blog and neither of them got a birthday post. oops. Sorry Tyler and Riley!)

Wordless Wednesday - Rainy Days

When I Teach My Daughter About Life - Sometimes I Fail. And Sometimes I Am Really Random. Like Right Now

I am constantly telling Maizey what to do.

"don't hit Mommy"
"stop pinching me"
"keep your fingers out of the baseboard heater"
"we don't play in the plants Missy'
"don't stand up in the bathtub. that's how you crack your head open. sit on your bum"
"come over here where I can see you"
"daddy is going to be mad at you if you turn the computer off again, so you probably shouldn't do it"
"don't press the open button on the dvd player, its not for kids"
"be gentle"
"seriously, its not funny when you hit Mommy"
"its even less funny when you pinch the fat on the back of my arm. for real. stop it"
"i said go to sleep. why haven't you?"
"yes, you really do have to eat this gross supper, its all mommy made"
"ok, fine. You can have something else. This time"
"stop crying"
"I know, sometimes life is hard, but you have to (insert something terrible for her to do here, like going to bed) anyways"

Today, I failed at telling her what to do. Today (and one other time a few weeks ago), I laughed when she did something that is going to be completely un-acceptable very soon. Today, I cracked up as she threw her lunch on the floor. Because it was just way too funny to watch her wave good-bye to it. Oh. My. God. It really was hilarious.
Hey! I am only human!

On a side note, Brians parents got this years shipment of chicks. Maizey was a little nervous, but in the end she loved them. I can only imagine that she felt like a giant next to them.

Also, I mentioned before that Brian and I aren't really big on buying toys, so I just wanted to tell everyone that a few weeks ago, we were in Superstore and felt the urge to buy a REAL toy. You know, one that makes noises and does stuff like pop up. We thought it was pretty cool and that she would totally love it. We shouldn't have wasted our money. She doesn't like to make the things pop up, instead she gets mad at it when they are popped up and slams them down, then crawls away. In the future, we will spend the $15 bucks on something else, something a little more useful. Like butternut squashes... because she really does love to play with them.

That's whats going on with us right now. What about you?
oh p.s. we went to the bank. Our dreams have not been squashed, but they are a little more distant. I see a lot of work for us in the very near future to make it happen. I will keep you all posted. We won't be planning the housewarming party just yet.

Wordless Wednesday - The Randomness That Is Maizey

From laying on the floor - to playing with her toys - to throwing her toys - to crawling to her toys - to hearing music - to crawling for daddy - to stopping to dance - to crawling and reaching for daddy.
Not quite wordless... but my favorite video of all time.I just had to share.

Rivers

We made an impromptu trip to the river last night before dinner. Maizey was getting hungry and cranky and tired but it was too early to eat or sleep, so we decided to go for a walk to keep her occupied. The river was where we landed. We skipped rocks, ate snacks, dipped our toes in the freezing cold water and a tried to eat a few rocks. It was the perfect evening for it, not hot, not cold, a close enough walk that it didn't take long to get there but far enough that we got a little exercise. Most importantly it kept us from going crazy with a nine month old that is completely mobile and in to EVERYTHING.

playing at the river

mmmm.... rocks

perfect little fingers

i just cant get enough of this girl!

happy little fam

Turns out the river is a perfect place for us to go to take care of an overly-excited nine month old. We got home just in time for dinner, bath, book and bed. We'll remember this the next time she crawls under the computer desk and shuts the power bar off.... (the big vein in Brians head popped out - it was not a good scene)