We Want Spring!!

We were all feeling a bit grumpy growly today. Too many days of enforced cooped-upness isn't good for your spirits!! So we bundled into our rain gear and headed outside.

Yes, it really was that misty ;)

The walk around the neighborhood was a bit challenging. Tink invariably wanted to run; Davey wanted to examine every rock, stick, drain hole and vehicle.

So we went to play in our backyard.

Davey made soup:

(cool boots, eh? He's been asking for new rain boots for a while).

"Would you like some soup mamma?"

Tinker liked the look of that so she decided to make her own.


MNNNNNNNNN That looks gooooooood.

Davey is disgusted by his sister drinking muddy rainwater (so was I, but I still thought it photo worthy).

Bella in her size three shirt (note that her pants are falling off!! Mamma really needs to get them cinched in a bit!)

This is right after I told her it was time for a nap!!


Last night my writer's group met at Jane's parents' place. It's amazing. Like a fairy castle. Jane surprised us by forcing us all to make Valentine's cards. It was SO fun!! This is Rachel and Christine...

Christine again:
Rachel using the embossing gun...

Jenn and Mrs. Klassen (our hostess for the evening!)


There are more pictures on Jane's blog!

Growing too fast

Yesterday after picking Andrew up from work I dashed into Old Navy. There was a dress for Tink I wanted to look at. After decided to try them on her, we decided she needed a size THREE. That kind of scared me, since it's only in the last six weeks or so that we've been putting her in 24 month size clothes.

So this morning I pulled out her box of size three clothes to have a look at whether the dresses we tried on yesterday were just freaky sizing, or if she really can wear a three. Her brand new size 24 month jeans are perfect fit on her length wise, but I really do need to adjust the waist since they're always falling down on her. In fact, most of her Old Navy pants are size 2 and on the tightest waist setting (adjustable waists you can cinch in) and just right for length.

Anyway, the first item I pulled out of the box was a really cute western style pink and brown plaid shirt. I can't remember if it was Ashlie's first or Jades. Anyway, it fits perfectly. That's Sears brand. Then I looked at a few gymboree items. And some Old Navy shorts...yes. I think it's a good thing I pulled this box out because while not everything in the size three box will fit now, a LOT of it will. And size two?? Well it's a good thing she had so many dresses. They'll just be short like all mine were.

And Tink, please slow down the growing a bit. Trust your mommy, it's not fun being the only giant in your class!!

Our great friends the Abelmans were over yesterday. At one point I needed to talk to Davey and he went racing off and leapt into this basket. It was quite the move, let me tell you!!

In a more quiet moment, he sat with Mayah to watch a movie.
Hello Seth! I got kisses from this little charmer. His mother assures me that (for now) those can be hard to come by. Such a little smoothie ;)

A shot of Lib's hair. It's hard to tell, but she had some curls at the back there.

Another one of Ashlie's old dresses

Correct me if I'm wrong Kat, but I believe Ash had this dress on at her second birthday party. I have a very distinct picture of her in this dress and a little hat and with lots of icing on her face!!

Hard to believe Libs is getting big enough to wear these clothes.

I had to add some layers! Just now she came up to me with her arm pulled up in her sleeve and said, "Where's my hand, where's my hand?!" with a TOTALLY FAKE panicked expression and sound to her voice? And when I replied, "Where IS your hand?!" She cracked up and pushed it out, "Here it is!!" like, you're so gullible mamma. I can pull one over on you like that!


Hmn, she just brought me a pull up and commanded, "mamma, change my bum", so I guess it's time to go.....

Linkage

I've added a new link section to this blog: Kid Friendly Food Ideas. I used to have some vegan links on here, then I moved them to my bookmarks on my own home computer. This summer someone was using my computer and accidentally deleted all my bookmarks including all my vegan resources. So I decided that keeping all my important sites on here again wasn't a bad idea.

For now most of my links are vegan or vegetarian. We're not a strictly veghead family - mostly because the program I'm doing right now advocates meat in the meals. I am planning, once I'm done, to swap most of the protein in my diet back to vegetarian proteins. Anyway, if any of you have some favorite online resources for feeding your children/families healthy food, drop me a line and I'll add them to my list!

ta ra!!

Mealtime at the Em's

Well this one wasn't a meal time, but it was pretty silly and I managed to snap a pic. "CHEESE!"

Yesterday I did some cleaning while Andrew distracted the kids. While our dining set was still sitting in the living room I made the kids lunch at their little Ikea table. Here they are enjoying some conversation over beans and toast and peaches:

The peaches in your sister's bowl always look better than your own do...

Andrew came along to make sure tink didn't fall off her seat. She's very much into climbing these days. She's figured out how to hoist herself onto our dining chairs, onto the shelf of her change table, in and out of the bath... pretty much anything scalable she can and does try to climb!

This is breakfast this morning. When Andrew and I went to Switzerland in '02 we helped Grossi pick up this dress for Ashlie. I can't believe Ashlie was that little back then...



Andrew and I went on a date last night. One of our flower girls, Emilia, babysat. We got married on the day before her 5th birthday. And now she's old enough to babysit! It sure doesn't feel like we've been together that long!! Anyway, we had a marvellous time and came home to a spotless house, happy kids and a whole new sense of "wow, we can go on dates again and EVERYONE will survive!!"
Not only did Emilia totally clean up after the kids while she was here, she also brought presents for the kids. Davey took the bunny she brought for Tink to bed with him last night. I think he liked his new friend!!

Why I should ALWAYS have my camera in my hand...

This morning I had to run out for a few minutes. I left the kids in the living room watching TV while Andrew had a shower. 25 minutes later, when I opened the garage door to the house I could hear crying. The "i'm really in trouble so hurry" kind of crying. I came flying up the stairs the same time Andrew came flying down them, catching a glimpse of Davey sitting peacefully on the couch watching George Shrinks. We both arrived in the kitchen to find Elisabeth lying on her back, an open carton of soy milk under her head and the entire contents of said carton spilling over the kitchen floor.

I guess she thought she needed more milk this morning and decided to help herself. Two questions - how long did she lie there sobbing her heart out, and did she have an accomplice who, upon seeing the fix his sister was in, decided to play innocent infront of the TV? And (I guess I have three questions) how on earth could he hear the TV above the sound of her wailing?!

Overheard

Andrew: these guys are so cute.
Davey (playing with his home depot tool set and cars on the floor): Why you call me cute?!
Andrew: Laughs
Davey: I NOT BE CUTE! but I have my cars...

For Dad:

Well Dad, here is what it looks like in the real world (for the rest of you, my dad is in Mexico for the winter and keeps tormenting me with pictures of how nice it is down there).

The view on Saturday:

This is what our road looked like. MUCH better than our complex's roadways!

This ice worries me. It's pretty much the whole side of the mountain and it's been like this for months. EEK!
Another roadway on our hill. Glad I don't live there!

And coming home again...I guess we don't get enough sun in spots to melt the snow.

This is Tinky helping shovel the driveway Sunday morning.


"I am a robot"
She must have been into make believing yesterday. First she walked around the house with the drum on her head...singing up a storm. Then, she wanted to be mummy.

Ah yes, this is the view from our house this morning. It's practically a blizzard out right now.

And this afternoon there's a wind storm forecast. Apart from snow drifts we're supposed to be ready not to have power. Andrew's working from the closet upstairs. I didn't want him driving through the Sumas Flats this evening - especially considering how much snow is still left from last week!

Happy Day After your Birthday, Cute Thing!

More cuteness!

...from August '06