Wednesday, July 31, 2013

Love your sibling day

My best friend in the whole wide world is my sister. She's funny, helpful and supportive all rolled in one. I love hanging out with her. Flashback to when we were growing up - we weren't always so close. I remember many squabbles around who should clean up toys, what we should play and who's doll is the cutest. I also remember telling her made up stories to help her fall asleep, laughing with her till my stomach hurt and all the cool things she taught me. ( I am older but often more clueless when it comes to pop culture references). Anyway, my close relationship with my sister is what I wish for my children. This morning as I was coming out of the bathroom, this is what I found waiting for me by the door. I asked them what they were doing and they said they were having their morning hug. Guess what happened after I took this picture?

I got my morning hugs!!!!!

Monday, July 29, 2013

Brightening up a grey day

My workplace has a very funny rule that you can't wear BLUE jeans to work. You can, however, wear any OTHER color of jean so imagine my excitement when colored jeans became fashionable again. I've spent almost a year scouring the stores looking for the perfect pair colored jeans to wear to work. The only problem is colored jeans only come in one style - skinny and skinny jeans just don't work for my body type. Well this weekend I finally found some skinny colored jeans that I could squeeze myself into. I had to buy a green pair since my favorite color is green. I put them on this morning and was stumped as to what to wear with them. My sister who is a fashion maven, wore her mint green jeans fabulously with this striped top:


Isn't she gorgeous? I miss my sis! I took my inspiration from her. Here is my stripped top: 
Do you like my yellow and grey accessory? (My husband, who also has a great fashion sense, dressed her up)

Saturday, July 27, 2013

How to spend a stormy saturday

1. Find spot stealers in your bed first thing in the morning (I was in the washroom for less than a minute when they stole my spot.)

2. Get shown up by a 5 year old on your morning run. (my son inherited a pair of puma running shoes and owning them has ignited a passion for  running in him so he joined me on my morning run today.) He can run faster than me!

3. Drive an hour to attend a Day with Thomas at the train museum in the rain!

4. Go to dinner with friends

5. Bond with friends over jean shopping. I now own mint green and stone grey color jeans!


6. Watch Turbo with friends!












7. Come home exhausted and fall fast asleep!

Tuesday, July 23, 2013

Secondhand stories

My son has started Karate. Hang on, before I get into the story, can you guys settle something for me and my husband. I say Ka Ra Tey, my husband says Ka ra ti. Who says it right? My husband always rolls his eyes when I say it and tells me I'm pronouncing it wrong. Ok now back to the story. My son has been taking lessons for about 3 weeks now but since the class schedule conflicts with my work, I haven't been able to go. Luckily my husband has been able to go and has taken some videos of what my son has been doing. I am amazed! My son is this sort of mild mannered child, but the instructor brings out something strong in him. Today my son earned his first belt, a white belt. When we got home he showed me one of the poses, dragon pose, wearing his new belt. Yay!



Sunday, July 21, 2013

Sunday in the sun

I started my day with a cool beverage to prepare for the hours I spent in the sun today.

First on the docket was a visit to Storybook Gardens with some friends. Classic storybook garden shot - sitting with humpty dumpty. A visit to Storybook gardens wouldn't be complete without it.

Next was a stop at home of the old woman who lived in a shoe. Also a storybook garden classic.

 A new feature though was the miniature village built alongside the shoe. The boys gathered some groceries from the store.

The girls made me a meal in the homestead.

The kids spent a lot of time exploring the tiny bank, animal hospital and fire station too.

The boys found a caterpillar.

Then it was time to travel via wagon....

.....to mini london bridge.

We discovered another new attraction - the bouncy pillow, which was this giant rubber bouncy castle, but without the walls. The kids loved it!

It tired them out so they got back in the wagon. Someone napped?!!!

The enjoyed the climbers. Now that the boys are older they couldn't get enough of the big slides. The girls were not as brave. They wouldn't even go down the tamest of slides.

Everyone loved the ferris wheel. Luckily my husband took the kids. I personally hate ferris wheels. They take so long!

After all this activity the kids cooled down at the splash pad.


We left storybook garden to go to a friend's for a BBQ. We had yummy burgers sausages and gourmet pizza. Our contribution were these ice cream cone cupcakes that I forced my husband to make. They were so yummy - he's a better baker than I am!

I am several shades darker after having spent the better part of my Sunday in the sun.

Thursday, July 18, 2013

Things I'm grateful for today

1. Starting something small- I am brown, I do not like "tanning" it will just make me browner. So today as I was walking to my daughter's daycare from work. I stopped 6 feet short of the intersection and stood under the shade of a tree to wait for the light to change. I felt a little awkward stopping in the middle of the sidewalk, but after a moment I felt the presence of a woman standing beside me and when I turned to look at her, she smiled. Two seconds later two men stopped behind us, one asked, "why is everyone standing here" the other one answered, "they're being smart waiting in the shade." Soon there were a whole collection of people standing with me under the tree.

2. Making silly silly faces with my daughter - they have dance drama at the daycare and as part of it the kids learn to make exaggerated faces. My daughter wanted us to take a picture of our "surprised" faces because she said we looked "more pretty" when we are surprised.

3. My son is a sweetheart! He helped my daughter eat her dinner by spoon feeding her! It was so sweet of him to do.

4. Holding a newborn!!! My friend and soon to be ex neighbor has a 6 week old. She came over for a visit and I got to hold her. I want another one! But no I can't!!!!! I have just enough energy to raise the two little monkeys I already have. My children were enamored. They love babies!




5. Fireflies and moonlight skies - I went for a night run after a long time and there were fireflies blinking everywhere. It was beautiful. We live up on a hill and as I was running back up the hill the trees where silhouetted against the moonlight, and the field in front of the trees was glimmering with fireflies and honestly, in that moment, I felt so grateful to be alive.

6. My husband - for taking over night duty so I could go for my run - love in our house isn't about grand gestures, but the small dignities and graces that make everyday worth it.

Wednesday, July 17, 2013

Water babies

The kiddies are attending swimming class with their friends. The girls are learning how to float and are having a blast!

The boys are a little more serious. They are learning how to kick, but the keep bending their knees. Especially my little guy, so he splashes around a lot but he's not moving anywhere. All the effort tires him out =).

My friend packed a scrumptious picnic for the kids to enjoy after their lessons. We found some shade under a tree and spread some towels for them to sit on.

My friend tried to take a picture of me in my summer outfit but I was photo bombed by my son.

When we got home my husband cooked us a yummy meal of potatoes, peppers and eggs...mmmmm....


Tuesday, July 16, 2013

Anti dove commercial moment

The way I look has been bothering me recently. I've written before about how I have a condition called diastasis recti (separation of stomach muscles as a result of my second pregnancy) which gives my stomach the appearance of being pregnant. It doesn't matter that I've been working out and eating right for two years now, the only thing that will fix my stomach is plastic surgery. Almost everyday some well meaning person will ask me if I am expecting. What I want to make clear is that these are not crass rude ignorant people but nice normal kind people. I get feedback about my body from my son too. The other day, I was helping my son sound out "at" words and when we came to "fat" he said "Like your tummy mommy!" Although all this feedback can be unpleasant, it doesn't bother me that much. What I feel bad about is a conversation I had with my daughter.
After a big dinner yesterday, my daughter walked up to me, saying "Look mommy my stomach is getting big like you! I'm going to have a big stomach just like you!" She was so pleased about it. I wish I had told her that people come in all different shapes and sizes and can be beautiful no matter what, but I didn't. I raised my shirt and showed her my flabby misshapen, stretch mark covered round stomach and said "Mommy doesn't like her tummy, mommy is working very hard to get rid of it. Mommy's tummy makes mommy feel sad. I like your little tummy better." My daughter tilted her head to one side and took a good look at my tummy. She touched it tentatively. "You don't like it?" she asked in a small voice. I said no. She immediately sucked in her tummy and I changed the subject.
So until yesterday there was someone in this world who thought I was beautiful just the way I am and what did I do? I tore that down and instead initiated her to the very societal standards that I rail against.

Dove commercial - when was the last time you felt beautiful?

Me at 3

My daughter at 3
I hope she always feels beautiful.

Monday, July 15, 2013

Beachy keen

We went to the same beach two weekends in a row. The first time was with my sister and her family ( and my dad) to celebrate her birthday.

The weather did not cooperate. It was cloudy and the water was freezing!!!

My sister was very determine to enjoy her birthday and dove right in. Eventually she grew used to the temperature. She attempted to dunk me in the water several times but she failed because I'm bigger than her =).

We went again yesterday with some friends. This time it was like a big bathtub.
We spent hours in the water. The third kid isn't ours, she's my daughter's best friend.-
My son borrowed her waterbed and floated around the beach.
Later he tried swimming. His swimming lessons starting the next morning, so he wanted to practice.
This time I was the one who jumped in the water. I loved every moment.

Sunday, July 14, 2013

Movie night!

On the way home from grocery shopping, my husband pointed out that the car was unusually quiet. I looked in the back seat and this is what I found.

Two snoring children. The night before they had a very unique experience. My son's friend has the coolest mom (she has her own etsy store). She hosted a movie night at her house for the kiddies. It was an OUTDOOR movie night in the backyard. The kids loved it!!! When they arrived they got to make snack necklaces and then they sat on blankets in the backyard, which is at an incline so it was very similar to a movie theater, except that they got to snuggle up in blankets!

Since we had to wait until sunset for the movie to project properly, it was a late night for the kids but worth every second! 

Monday, July 1, 2013

Happy Canada Day

Guess who was the first person to greet me this morning? It was this little chipmunk sitting right outside our patio doors.

Isn't it cute? I just wanted to pinch its cute little cheeks! We spent Canada day at home this year instead of at my parents. It was a quiet day and most of it was spent lazing around. We did go see my husband's family at his uncle's place. At night we headed to the park down the street where some neighbors were lighting some fireworks. We came home and finished the night off by lighting sparklers!