Randomness

I have so many "odds and ends" photos
that don't go together in any way, shape or form.
But I like them.

Hayden's professional photo from
the SNC Lavalin kids Christmas party.
So serious.

Ralph and I preparing dinner for our
Sinterklaas celebration.
(You can check out Tessa's blog for all of the photos.)

Brody and Hayden had movie night in their
matching Christmas jammies.

Auntie Kara loves her snuggle time
with little Sienna.

Hayden enjoyed a bath in the big tub.....
with Daddy this time!

Yes, Batman is developing our basement.
Check out his footwear?#@!

My New Year's resolution.....
use more eye cream!

An "overnight" success!

Can a 2 1/2 year old have an epiphany?

Our life changed overnight.
Hayden woke up Saturday morning
and decided to be potty trained!
Hallelujah!!

He has been peeing on the potty before his bath
every night since he turned 2 in April.
But, no matter what the bribe,
he has never really been interested in
staying clean or dry.

I have been told by a million moms
that kids will let you know when they are ready.
Wow. It's true.
We had just decided to give it a rest because
we were all getting a bit frustrated.
And tah-dah!!
No accidents for 5 days!!
(He has even peed and pooped in public bathrooms while we are out!)
He is excited and genuinely proud
to be in the "big boy" club.
It's so cute.

Even cuter is the fact he gets mad at me if I ask him
one too many times if he has to pee.
"No mommy, I will tell you!"

My little boy is growing up.

Merry Christmas 2008!

There is nothing quite like experiencing

Christmas through a child.
I remember what it was like to be that excited.
And Hayden was no exception.
We put out milk and cookies for Santa. And carrots for the reindeer.
As he went to bed he was chatting about how
Santa would come down the chimney and leave
all the presents he had asked for.
And Santa delivered.
Big time.

Our morning started at 6:45.
I think this is total payback for all of the years
I didn't sleep in as a child.
We came downstairs to find the cookies had been eaten,
and the stockings were filled!

Hayden caught on pretty quickly, and
discovered tearing into presents to reveal the toys
on his wish list was great fun.
Clothes didn't get quite the same reaction.
Let's get serious. They're more for mommy anyway!

He insisted that we set up every, single toy
before we move on to the next one.
At least he was appreciating everything!

I think we own shares in Disney Cars by now!!

Next, we were off to Oma & Opa's house
for Christmas.... phase two!
Trying to get Hayden ready was a bit of a challenge.
"I want to play, Mommy" was his response to our pleas
for him to cooperate.
I couldn't blame him.
We just lured him with the fact there would be more
gifts at our next location.

While the kids had marathon naps (of almost 3 hours)

the adults opened their gifts for each other.
And ate snacks.
And drank delicious egg nog.

The highlights:

Paps and his autographed Cruijff jersey.

The i-Pod i-Trip gang.

Mams and her new shower cap.

Christmas jammies!

Seinfeld Scene it?!

The day was topped off with a delicious fondue for dinner!

The happy hosts.

Fat-head, Hayden and Ralph.
The ONLY picture of the three of us. Sigh.

the Gales.

My husband.
The only one who can look hot in a paper hat.
And full beard.

And the boys even "helped" Oma with dessert!!

10 on Tuesday

1. Don't you find that there is a very fine line between staying inside and having cabin fever or going out in the blistering cold to battle the traffic and the horrible roads? Despite the wretched weather, I have ventured out every day.....I must be crazy.

2. I am officially like a standard shipping date.....6-8 weeks for delivery!!

3. I, and I have come to find out that a few other people, think that I will deliver early. I kinda' hope so. The anticipation is killing me. I still think it's a boy. "He" sure kicks like a future soccer player!

4. My handy husband is madly trying to get the basement developed. Especially the spare bedroom. He is a machine. And lets be honest, he loves to be busy with a project involving manual labor.

5. I am having anxiety about the fact the baby room is not done. I have no diapers. No sheets. No crib mattress. No clean receiving blankets and sleepers. I don't even have a little bag packed for the hospital! I'm pretty sure I was done all of the above long before Hayden arrived. Now that I am not working, I need to get my arse in gear! It's not like me to be so far behind and so ill-prepared. I think I'm starting to break out in hives as I type this.

6. I have moved yet another pair of ill-fitting pants to the back of the closet. The wardrobe is rapidly dwindling. There are very few shirts left that don't show off my belly.

7. I love getting mail this time of year. I love seeing everyone's family pictures, and reading their annual letters. For next year, I need to figure out a crafty and effective way to display all of the beautiful cards and photos......

8. I have decided that I should set up a booth at the mall next year to gift wrap other people's presents. I'll totally donate the proceeds, I just want to wrap, man! I didn't help as many people as I wanted to this year.....sigh.

9. Everyone has permission to eat an extra helping of turkey and stuffing for me. I won't be having turkey this year, but I'm sure going to miss it! Oh, what the hell......have a piece of pumpkin pie and a rum and egg nog for me too!!

10. MERRY CHRISTMAS, EVERYONE! I hope you have a wonderful holiday with your family and friends, and that 2009 brings every happiness to you and yours! XO

Hayden & Gia

"I just love him" or "I just love it"
are two of Hayden's favorite phrases.
They can apply to almost anything.

Stickers, cars, cookies or toys.

Or cats.
He's really loving Miss Gia.

I hope he doesn't ask to carry the new baby this way!

I just couldn't wait to show these off......

The amazing Blakeney's were at it again...and they NEVER cease to amaze me!!

Hayden looks like he came right out of a Gap ad!!
And where did my baby go? He looks like such a little man.
Zoolander, eat your heart out....my kid can pose!!

Hayden lifts my shirt up all the time, kisses my belly,
and says "there's a baby in there!"
What a good big brother.

Don't worry Grandparents......Santa may arrange a

special picture delivery for you....
if you're good!!

10 on Tuesday

1. Mom and Dad were here last week for 4 days. It's always nice to have them here, but the visit always seems too short. They have to be in Saskatoon for Christmas with my Grandma because she isn't able to travel. I will miss them over the holidays, but we need to take turns with both families, right?! I have always wished that we could have a really big Christmas with everyone together, but that's a hard thing to accomplish.

2. We went to Zoolights on Thursday night..... and it's a good thing we did 'cause it sure got cold on Friday!! It was a really nice night. Did I forget the camera....of course I did. I didn't take one photo the whole time Mom and Dad were here. I've turned into a camera snob and I would rather not use my point and shoot when I should be using my Nikon.

3. Christmas baking? I think I should just skip it. If I bake it, I will eat it. Well, maybe just some Ginger Sparkles....and some shortbread.....

4. Hayden sings his very own renditions of "Frosty the Snowman" and "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer." Classics in the making.

5. I had my annual Christmas get-to-gether with some old friends I worked with in cosmetics at Sears. We had a fabulous time and talked the night away, as always. We all left wondering; how is it possible that we only manage to do this once a year?! It needs to be a semi-annual event at the very least.

6. Love the new kitty. I love her energy, her playfulness, and the fact she loves to snuggle. I HATE the fact she is having potty issues and is peeing in the corner of our living room. Grrrrrr, Miss Gia, grrrrrr.

7. I'm almost done the Christmas shopping. My husband is the last one on my list this year. Which is so unusual because I'm usually done for him first!

8. Anyone else in need of my wrapping services?? I'm offering to be your personal elf. I'm free most evenings and there are many spots still available. Please. I'm all out of my own wrapping. I fear I may start wrapping empty boxes.

9. I put the jersey cotton sheets on the bed last night. Oohhhhh, so cozy!

10. I may be done work as early as Saturday. I have to take medical leave before my maternity leave starts. The baby and I are fine, but I am supposed to stay off my feet as much as I can. Tell me how that's possible when I have a very busy 2 1/2 year old at home?? Lots of television, I think.

31 on Tuesday....for Zeus

Slaap lekker, Zeusje

May 22, 2000 - December 6, 2008

Zeus was such a big presence in our lives.

The house seems so quiet without him.

I believe he is in a better place.
Where he doesn't have to take medication.
Where he can run for hours and never get tired.
Where he is happy and comfortable
and has all the big sticks he can find.....

He and Ralph will meet again.
They had a bond unlike anything I have seen.

that's weird....

Literally, from one day to the next,
my son has
metamorpasized.

From a crust-eater to a
non-crust eater.

Hmph.
That's super strange.
Maybe he's protesting because we ran out of
our special Saskatchewan honey.

Grandma and Grandpa will be here next week.
Maybe he'll revert back to being a
good little crust-eater?!

it's 10 on Tuesday time again......

1. I LOVE wrapping presents. I dislike cleaning up after wrapping presents. I need a craft room that I would never have to tidy. Just close the door behind me.....and lock it so the kids and pets can't get in!

2. We put our Christmas tree up and it looks beautiful. This is the first year I have had Christmas decorations throughout the house and I love it. The tree is upstairs and the stockings are by the fireplace on the main floor.....and just enough decorating in between. Ralph did an amazing job of the lights and decor outside too!


3. Gia has made herself at home. She's getting along very well with everyone. She hisses at Zeus when he bothers her, and it is so comical to see/hear that noise coming from a small & fuzzy 3 month old! I had also forgotten how much "fun" it is to have a very playful kitten around during the same season as a Christmas tree and ribbons. She dive bombs the tree and rolls around in the tree skirt. I don't think there will be any presents under the tree until Christmas Eve.

4. I think I have eaten my weight in Rice Krispie squares the last few weeks. Next is Christmas baking....uh-oh!

5. I am also indulging in my very favorite holiday beverage way too often. Egg Nog. Egg Nog Lattes from Starbucks are especially delicious. Sans rum.

6. I am so happy I decided to wash the SUV yesterday. It was beautiful outside. Now, look at it out there today?#@!

7. What an emotional roller coaster motherhood is. I can count equally how many times Hayden frustrates me in a day to how many times he is so sweet I get teary eyed.

8. Am I the only idiot who forgot to order my I Love Life magnets from Kal on Monday morning?! By the time I remembered, all of the ones I wanted were gone!! Serves me right for not WRITING IT ON MY TO DO LIST!!

9. Neither Hayden nor I will be doing any seminars on potty training 101. We have gone through 5 sets of clothes/underwear and 1 set of sheets today already (it's 4 PM.) He gets so upset if he has an accident, and I try to be calm though I get frustrated too. I know it won't happen overnight but I hope he "gets it" soon.

10. Next item on the list......get my Christmas cards done! Maybe I'll skip yoga tonight so I can stay in my comfies, hang out with my boys, watch Fringe (!!) and write my cards. The only thing that would make that sentence complete would be....and have an egg nog!

5 on Friday!

Tuesday came way to quickly, especially when I had already done 5 on Friday for last week.....I think I'll carry on with Fridays for awhile.

1. The big news of the week is the new kitty! She is pretty sweet, and VERY full of energy! As I type this, she is hawk-eying the fishies.....

2. I had a great visit last night with an old (we met in University..... like 1993??) girlfriend of mine. She lives in Saskatoon so we don't see each other as often as we would like. We can pick up right where we left off, and I love that about our relationship. Regardless of space and time, she'll be a friend for life.

3. It seems that everything we have ever said to Hayden is coming back to haunt us. The other day he said to me "mommy, hold my hand. it's too bad. there are cars coming." My other un-related favorites; "this sure is yummy," "I just love it," and when he goes to bed at night he says "ah, my cozy little bed."

4. Why can't kids come potty trained?? Hayden's just not making the connection. Bribery with cars isn't even working. I feel like I'm destined to do diapers FOREVER!!

5. We are putting up the Christmas tree this weekend......YAY!! I love getting out all of the pretty decorations and gak. I've made poor Ralph climb to the highest reaches of the house to put up Christmas lights too. "Fa-la-la-la-la.........."

Introducing....

Miss Gia!

These photos really don't do her justice.
She is SO cute.
And fuzzy and feisty.

But kittens don't really sit well for portraits.

She sure likes to play
but she also likes a good snuggle.

We introduced her to the rest of the clan

last night.
I was stressed out.

Zeus is fine with her, he just wants to play.
His only downfall is that he doesn't realize
how big he is.
Or how small Gia is.

Bella was a b***h.
As expected.

I think it will take awhile before they are buddies.

Gettin' in the Spirit.....

This year's company Christmas Party for the kids

was a success!

Hayden picked out a new sweater for the event.

We decorated gingerbread cookies.
And ate LOTS of delicious Smartie buttons!

Ralph tried to get Hayden to go into the
blow-up play center.
"I just want to watch," was his response.
(It was a bit rambunctious for Mommy's liking too!)

Hayden had the cutest little heart-to-heart

with 'Thing 1"(from Dr. Seuss.)
They just lay down on the floor, in the middle
of the mayhem, and had a chat.

It took some coaxing, but we got Hayden

to sit on Santa's lap all by himself!

Here's hoping the professional picture
they took captured a smile!

He didn't cry.
He just kept staring at him.

We were so proud!

He even visited with Santa & Mrs. Clause
afterwards.

The reward was worth it.....a present!
He got a bright yellow dump truck
and construction helmet.
Just what he wanted!

Hayden fell asleep on the way home.....
that's a lot of excitement for one day!