Bouncin'

Olivia LOVES her bouncer. She gives the springs a workout on a daily basis.
(The video is from 3 separate days....she's not in it all day long!)
She always wants to stand
so it's the perfect toy. She's getting so strong.

Olivia is also a babbling machine...I wonder who she gets that from?!
She finds new sounds and noises in her voice each day and
I think she may be trying to speak "Jakenese!"
"O" or "ooh" are the latest.

She is a happy little (?? - she just celebrated her 24th pound :))
girl who smiles ALL OF THE TIME.

13 on Tuesday!

1.. I have discovered that Olivia is no longer safe in her car seat. The weight limit is 22 lbs. for the bucket. BIG oops. We've passed that by about 4 lbs. After some research, we are off to buy Hayden a fancy Graco Turbo Booster Safe Seat Stage 3. Olivia gets the big car seat and still has to face backwards. Once again.....no nomination for mother of the year.

2.. not only have I been worried about Hayden making new friends at preschool....now I feel like I'm in school again and have to meet new mom friends?! As if I wasn't insecure enough already. Now I'm worrying if they'll like me?@#!

3.. We cleaned up our flex room/office and now we love it. We de-cluttered, added some beautiful greenery, and Ralph bought me a beautiful Orchid. It makes such a difference, and it looks much more inviting.

4.. Has anyone used the crazy hand dryer (by Dyson) in Costco?? That sucker could take the skin right off your hands! In a related story.....I know without a doubt that things aren't as firm as they once were if my hand-skin is flapping in a hand dryer!!

5.. As much as I would sometimes like Olivia to stay a baby forever......we are really enjoying purging the house as we grow out of large baby toys like swings and play mats and bouncers.

6.. Saturday marks my first day back to work. I have picked up 5 hours a week to supplement my maternity leave benefits. I figure this gets me out of the house for a few hours for adult conversation, gives Ralph time with the kids and eases me back into working part time in about 5 months.

7.. A lovely day at Edworthy Park. September the 24th.....and only a few days into Fall? A beautiful, sunny, 33 degree day. Olivia was fascinated with a shower of leaves.....

....and Hayden loved leaf crunching and throwing!

8.. Olivia loves her veggies!! I will remind her of this when she gets older and tries to tell me that she doesn't like things that are green. Or healthy.

9.. I've decided that I only like heat if you can lie on a beach. 30 degrees is too hot for daily activities. I much prefer the 15 degree weather so that I can layer my clothing. Fall means jeans and sweaters no worrying about fat bits hanging out of tank tops and shorts!

10. There are a few good things about your hubby being away. There is no need to make the bed. No need to shave your legs (except when it is 30 degrees and you are required to wear shorts!) No need to explain why you are going to bed early, or just want to read a good book. No need to make big/fancy meals. Those are all fine and dandy little things.....it's more important that my Ralphie is back home!!

11. I love Airport Arrivals. Everyone is happy and excited to greet their people. I got a little misty when Ralph arrived because Hayden ran over to him and jumped into his arms. He totally stole my move.

12. I have discovered that the key to no snacking in the evening, which is my biggest weakness, is to keep busy with scrap booking!! You can't have dirty fingers when working with photos and paper! I must admit, however, that I ate cheezies out of a bowl using only my mouth. Proud moment.....not really. Necessary? Of course. How else would I have the energy to stay up late and scrapbook?

13. Hayden asked me to take a picture of him with his baby sister. How could I refuse?

Having talented friends is so wonderful........

We had a photo shoot
with the Blakeneys of Big Picture Photography.
Casual and low key.
(We are featured in their backyard and at "their" park!)
We got beautiful images of our family.
As always.

The talented Miss Shawna of Small Wonder fame
(check her out at my Blog links!)
took video footage and
put all of the moments together for us.
With the perfect music.

The result is AMAZING!
Thanks for all of your awesomeness!!

Check us out.....

Thoughts for Thursday!

1.. I did it. I got my hair chopped. I LOVE my new 'do. You'll have to wait for the unveiling....I've yet to see a picture of myself since I had it done! (And I won't tell you who inspired it 'cause I'm not even close to being as hot as she is.) Stay tuned for some photos by the Blakeney's of Big Picture....

2.. Hayden's first day of school was last Thursday. My big boy. I was so emotional and he couldn't have been more excited. He didn't even stop one second to give me a kiss or say goodbye! I was standing there thinking, "that's it?" "do I just leave?" Don't get me wrong, I'm happy there was no drama.....it is HIGHLY unusual for Mr. Hayden these days!! When I picked him up the teachers gave him a glowing report. I'm not surprised.... don't kids always act better when they aren't around their parents?! (Hayden did tell me that there were kids who cried the whole class and he didn't like it.) On Tuesday, he actually ran up and gave one of his teachers a big hello hug. I would say that he is adjusting to preschool just fine.


3.. The reason I put Hayden in a morning preschool program (8:45-10:45....eek!) was so that he could continue to nap. HA! Hayden is now graduated to being a non-napper. Ever since we went on holidays he has stopped giving me 2 hours of solace. Damn. I can't get anything done!! And.... I really miss watching my one daytime TV indulgence.....ellen.

4.. Step one - cute new haircut. Step two - fitness class. I had my first session on Monday and it was brutal! I am SO out of shape!! It did motivate me to get my ass in gear.....and I even entertained the thought of signing up for another class mid-week. How do people find/make the time to work out every day??

5.. Is anyone else able to conjure baby cries while they are in the shower? If I am home alone with the kids and I have a shower, I always swear that I can hear Olivia crying. When I step out of the shower.....silence.

6.. Oh, sweet and delicious Taber corn.


7.. Am I horrible for calling the City of Calgary about a neighbor? The corner house on our cul-de-sac is FULL of weeds.....knee high weeds from front to back of the property. And, they killed the free tree from the builder because they didn't water it. EVER. Their house is the first one people see when they drive in to our street, and it's awful! They have 14 days to clean up. At the very least mow or spray killex or something. I'm counting.

8.. Olivia's food explorations have been pretty easy. She loves all kinds of cereal. She loves mashed banana, sweet potato and butternut squash. She's not a big fan of applesauce.

9.. On that note.....Olivia is queen of the poo-splosion. There isn't a day that goes by without her having a major blow-out. Her clothes are never safe. Makes you wonder what babies actually retain from their food.....

10. I have OCD about my kleenex boxes. They have to match the decor of the room they are in. Don't ask me why. And I get really excited if I find a cool new pattern. It's just one of my MANY neuroses.

11. We are the proud owners of a new king sized bed!! I LOVE it. Ralph and I were having a debate about making the bed. He likes it to be neatly made every day. I love the look of a messy, tossed around, well-slept-in bed. To me, in this case ONLY, messy is more appealing. Weird.

12. I think I need a new clock. I love the one we have (we got it as a housewarming present in our first house from Tessa & Scott) because it suits us. But it's not keeping time no matter how many times I change the battery. And it really screws me up 'cause it's the one I always look at!

13. Look at my silly children. They are little hams and they make me laugh.


14. Still no teeth.......and teething sucks.

15. I could have bought at least 17 cards in Paper Roots today. Their "eclectic" collection can usually make me laugh out loud. Nothing like a card that says; "I'm glad you found each other, cause I thought you would die alone" or the sentimental; "Happy Birthday, douchebag." I have a twisted sense of humor but maybe the recipients would find these more offensive than funny?!

16. Ralph leaves for Germany on Saturday. I've been giving him a really hard time about it 'cause it's tough on me when he's gone. It's ALL ME. No helper coming home at 5p. I guess I should remember that he is going away on business, and it's not easy for him either.

Back to Reality

Today I have:

A defiant 3 year old.

A teething 6 month old....who gets
her shots today for an extra bonus

and a puppy with diarrhea.

Can I please go on holidays again?@#!