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?@#!

The "as many as I can think of" on Thursday - Travelers journal!

1900 kilometers

147 pictures
52 Flip videos
30 degree weather
25 hours in the car

Make video montages at www.OneTrueMedia.com

1.. Watermelon which traveled from AB to BC to IDAHO to BC to AB....untouched!
(One could also represent the trailer hitch that was stolen off of our car while we were in the Wild Waters water park, but I wanted to start on a positive note.)

2.. iPods full of music. Everything from ABBA to House Party to Tiesto to Dave Matthews.

3.. children (technically 2 children and a puppy) who traveled very well in the car. They were such good sports to endure endless hours drining from here to there. And back again.

4.. campsites visited on our adventure. We stayed in Moyie Lake, BC for 4 nights, we went to C'oeur d'Alene, IDAHO for 2 nights, Radium Springs, BC for 1 night and McLean Creek, AB for 1 night. Our conclusion was that a minimum of 2 nights should be spent at each campsite. To set up and tear down the trailer for 1 night was a bit crazy.

5.. new cars (from the movie Cars) for Hayden. Between the Wal Mart Super Center, Target and Toys R Us, we managed to add a few to his collection.

6.. people in the little town of Skookumchuk, BC. The waitress at the Burger Barn counted them off to us. Wow. We found this little spot on the way to Moyie Lake, and we had the most delicious lunch. A burger for Ralph, Club sandwich (with a whole chicken breast!) for me and fresh Greek salad on the side....yum!! Isn't it funny that the places you least expect to find anything, turn out to be something memorable.

7.. mosquito bites on Olivia's head. They were all acquired at McLean Creek on our very last day of camping!

8.. pieces of BC fruit that did NOT live up to expectation. There were no cherries...BOO! so we bought 2 mealy apples, 3 tough ears of corn and some plums. Very disappointing. They must have exported all of their good stuff into our Alberta grocery stores!!

9.. days on the road. I was starting to feel like a Nomad. We're thinking about doing 2 weeks next year. There were so many great places we didn't see.

10. loads of laundry when we got home. I had to wash everything. Clothes, shoes, towels, blankets and car seats all had the lovely smell of campfire.

11. handfulls of Spitz per day. These evil little seeds are a weakness of mine while camping.

12. Bud Light Lime for $13. At a gas station in Hayden, Idaho. Yes please.

13. wasps in our trap. There were a million more who avoided being caught. I have never seen so many wasps in my life. Ralph was the only one who got bit. (Probably because he was hitting them with the BBQ flipper and someone found out. And followed him to the bathroom. And bit him in the neck.

14. times down the water slides. At bare minimum. It took us an hour and a half to get Hayden in the mood, but once he had a taste......he didn't want to leave!

15. minutes in the Spokane Mall to buy a dozen Victoria's Secret panties and my favorite Estee Lauder lippie (which has been discontinued in Canada) at Macy's.

10 on Tuesday!

1.. The bridesmaid who jilted me $55 for her makeup has come through. The cheque actually was in the mail. I'm grateful that I didn't have to harass the bride to get her friend to pay up.

2.. Guess who has been driving around with expired plates on her car since April.....yes, that dumb ass would be me! I probably would still be driving around with expired plates had someone not noticed and told me. How's that for brains....

3.. We finally got a Costco membership this weekend. I sure saw a lot of things that I needed to have! A 3 pack of Starbucks Chai tea for $9......yes please! New jammies for Olivia, a new printer/scanner/fax machine, and a giant piece of pork tenderloin. How's that for a well-rounded shopping expedition?!

4.. Remember how I wondered if I was friendly enough with my neighbor to borrow a cup of sugar? She baked a cake in our oven while we were in Saskatoon. I'm not sure we're that close.

5.. The same neighbor managed to kill 2 of our tetra fish and seriously overfeed the Beta. We thought he was a goner but he seems to be bouncing back. She also let all of my beautiful outdoor flower pots dry out. Some were dead. The ones inside were over watered. I'm confused.

6.. Olivia can sit up on her own!!

7.. We celebrated another milestone and gave Miss Olivia rice cereal for the first time. There will be no surprise when I say she loved it!


8.. We were at a wedding on Friday and we took the kids with us. They were quiet for the ceremony and pretty good for the reception. We kept Hayden busy by letting him run around with a disposable camera. I can't wait to see what the bride and groom think of his photography! There will be everything from guests, the dessert table and plants to the guy who carved the roast!! Hayden was also a big hit on the dance floor. He would "shake his peanut" for anyone who asked. We lasted until about 10pm when Hayden announced he needed to get his pull-up and go to bed.

The happy bride & groom!

I think I was the only brunette Hayden
paid any attention to....
he was all about the blondes!

Olivia was all partied out.

It's tough being irresistible!

9.. The Rico Report: Both of my ears are standing up. I look like I could bring in a new frequency on the radio with these bad boys!! I think my head needs to grow some more.....

10.. I am using a Martha Stewart craft punch for my latest project (thanks erin!) It is awesome and I want more! Not only does it punch out the shape but it embosses it too! Clearly, it doesn't take much to excite me.

"Self Soothing" by Olivia Deters

First, try your thumb

Maybe a finger.....

Yeah, one's not bad....

but TWO are better!

I almost forgot number 12!

12. My search for a bird bath is over!! I found a fabulous bird bath....it looks more like a bird soaker tub!.....at Early's Garden Center in Saskatoon! The ladies who worked there were staring at me and chuckling because I created my own. In the middle of the shop. They were just jealous of my brilliance. (I bet they will do the same trick to amaze other customers with their brilliant, albeit stolen, idea.) I couldn't find one that I liked so I put together an upside down planter pot with a matching fountain basin. I think it's beautiful in my garden.

I could use it as a planter. Maybe use it for a mini pond? Maybe float a pretty lily in it or grow some moss. Maybe a $45 Koi fish?? It's a work in progress that will have to wait until next Spring! I can't wait!!

10 on Tuesday......on Wednesday!

1. We just got back from our annual Summer visit to Saskatoon! This is the first time we have traveled such a distance with 2 kids (and a dog!) and everyone did great! We left late in the afternoon last Thursday so we didn't arrive into Saskatoon until 10:40p .....it's a much longer trip when you have to stop three times for things like pee breaks, snacks and breastfeeding! The kids weren't in bed until midnight...GASP!....but slept through the night and didn't miss a beat. PHEW! We literally 'invaded' my parents condo, and I know they are not used to so much clutter!! Mom and Dad graciously gave up their delightful king size bed to us, and we stayed in their room with Miss Olivia. Hayden had the Queen sized bed in the spare room, and Mom and Dad insisted on taking the pull out bed in the basement. Is that love or what?! The first couple of days were kinda rainy, but there were lots of fix-it projects to keep Ralph busy. The boys played 2 rounds of golf when the sun came out for the weekend, and we did lots of visiting with family. We had lots of fun, played the annual beanbag tournament and enjoyed MANY happy hour libations!

2. My Uncle Mike, Auntie Eleanor and cousin Kimberleigh were visiting from Ontario. My Uncle Tim, from Calgary, was in Saskatoon at the same time! We all got together on Thursday night and had a nice little visit.

My Grandma Pearl and her three boys.....my Dad, my Uncle Tim and my Uncle Mike.

The four Gould generations.....Grandma, Dad, Me and Olivia!

3. The boys golfed on Saturday so I took the kids to see my other Grandma. They are so lucky to have two Great-Grandmas to snuggle with!!

Great Grandma Faye (my Mom's mom)

Great Grandma Pearl (my Dad's mom)

My Grandma couldn't wait to get her hands
on Olivia for the first time!
What a couple of supermodels.

4. Sunday marked the annual visit to Kinsmen Park. They have a couple of rides and a great park for the kids to play. We were there nice and early to enjoy the sunshine!

Hayden was getting naked before we even reached the wading pool!
He bounced back and forth between the water
and the cool playground.

Olivia looked pretty tiny in the baby Lay-Z boy swing!

Chillin' with Daddy

This Merry-go-round has the craziest characters on it.....
not just Ralph and Hayden!!
You can ride a rooster, bunny, antelope,
elephant or horse. Creepy.

Olivia wasn't sure what to think of the train ride
but Hayden LOVED it!
We rode it 3 times, and each time was as exciting
as the next to him!!

Olivia looks a bit like a stunned fisherman....
but all in all, a pretty good pic!

Mommy and her babies.

5. My Dad bought me a shiny new Pontiac Solstice.......HA! I only wish this was my new toy!!

Dad and I drove over to my sister's new house for a visit

and he let me race....I mean drive.....home!
I have never driven a sports car before and I had a BLAST!
I think it looks good on me....

Snuggles with Grandpa....

....and Grandma.

Being silly with Daddy.

6. The Rico Report. My ears are almost standing. I only had one accident on Grandma and Grandpa's carpet. I only helped myself to treats from the pantry once. I only ate some toilet paper. And a kleenex....or five.

7. I think I gained at least 5 pounds. Why is it that all healthy eating habits fly out the window the moment I enter my parents house? I must have really been in holiday mode.....as I am every time I go home.....and ate WAY too much.

8. I noticed an old firetruck for sale outside of Flaxcombe. How cool would that be?! I joked that I would like to buy it and drive it home.....I wonder if I would need a special license? A few kilometers later we noticed a tractor for sale. Ralph joked he would buy it and then we could race home. Wouldn't we be the talk of the neighborhood.

9. Olivia is teething. She is a drooly, snotty, bum-rashy mess. I can't really call her cranky though she is a bit 'off.' Can't wait to see which little fang pops up first. I'm sure she'll be happier when it finally pokes through too!

10. The trip home was a success with the kids. We are lucky they travel so well....so far. Hayden watched some movies and Olivia was content to play or sleep. The only disappointing part of the trip is that Ralph developed a wicked 'Air Conditioning' cold. I love the cool house and car when it's so hot outside but it doesn't agree with Ralph!

11. Happy Birthday Grandma!! XOXO Sorry we had to leave town on your actual Birthday :(

10 on Tuesday!

1. What a weekend! My friend Sara got married on Saturday. I did the makeup for her, her mom and 2 of her bridesmaids. I was in the deep South for 8:30 am, did all of the makeup, came all the way home and pulled the 2 minute Superman change into my outfit, Ralph had the kids dressed cute and ready and in the car, and we made it to the church for 1pm. Whew! We dropped Hayden off for a sleepover at Oma & Opa's, and we took Olivia to the reception. It was nice to visit with old friends, have a few cocktails and even squeeze in some dancing! Olivia was an angel and fell asleep at 10 o'clock as usual. We just parked her in her stroller in her jammies and she slept through it all!

It's hard to take a good family photo. Hayden is so obviously saying "cheese!"


2. It took me about 62 outtakes to get this one right:


3. I got called 'girl-next-door' beautiful by the Maid of Honor on Saturday. I think she was drunk.

4. Sunday was equally as busy. We went to Calaway Park with our friends, the Cornthwaites, and their 3 kids. We were there for about 4 hours and managed to do most of the rides. The one that we missed....Shoot the Chutes. The lineup was an hour long. No thanks. Especially with 5 impatient little people!

5. I had to take a break from Blogging to take a picture of my daughter doing this:

It was suddenly very quiet so I thought I should go and have a peek. 2 minutes earlier she was bouncing around having a great time. I guess she got bored?!

6. The Rico Report. Olivia's soother - 0, Rico - 1. No matter where they are, he finds them. And chews them up beyond use.

Toilet paper - 0, Rico - 1. Neither our cats nor Hayden ever bothered with the t.p roll. Rico, however, gets a corner and pulls a trail of it through the house!

7. Now that Olivia is rolling.....she goes from back to front and front to back.....she wants to sleep on her tummy. Which is fine, if she can get comfortable. But I often wake up a couple of times a night, to her muffled sounds of distress, to go in and help her out.

Sleeping Beauty.

8. Olivia has been out of sorts the last few days. Kinda cranky and whiny. I'm not used to her being so high maintenance. The way she is drooling, and how she's been gnawing on the teething rings.....I think she may be cutting teeth!

9. Hayden has been breaking into song lately. He sings exactly like Ralph.....totally off key! It reminds me of the time that Ralph serenaded me over the phone with his stirring rendition of Can't Help Falling In Love With You. It was a wee bit painful, but very sweet.

10. My sister is helping us do our wills this weekend. It such a hard thing to have to think about. But it's SO IMPORTANT. We have been meaning to do them since Hayden was born. I suppose 3 years too late is better than not at all.