Imagination!

   Over the holidays Pj and I did a snowman craft. For the rest of the week this snowman went everywhere with us and participated in all of our daily activities. I walked into the kitchen one afternoon to see this: snack time for Mr. Snowman! I love how Pj is starting to really use her imagination. So many of her toys are becoming very real to her. Her Bugs and Bunny (two rabbit stuffies that she adores) often find themselves in time-outs for not listening, in bed for nap time, sitting at the table for lunch time, or enjoying a leisurely swing in Big C's swing. She'll also let me know when one of her toys would like to watch T.V. (she thinks that I won't realize that she will be watching T.V. too!). Its so fun to watch as her imagination grows and her make belief becomes more detailed. She plays so well...I love it!  

Presents!

   This past Christmas was such a fun season for our little family! We weren't overly busy...just busy enough! We got to spend time with extended family: opening presents, eating good food, and playing lots of fun games! This year our own little family celebration was so much fun! Pj was more involved than she has been in the past years. She was excited by the wrapped presents under the tree, she loved opening her gifts, and she enthusiastically played with each new toy. She also enjoyed helping her parents and brother open their gifts and she was so cute as she showed Big C how to play with each of his new items.
   I really truly tried to keep the amount of presents limited this year, but I think I failed. I love giving gifts (one of my love languages!) and I have a hard time limiting what each child receives. Also, I start shopping for Christmas early in the year (as in January) and start to store up items. This year, with the move, I was finding gifts in different boxes and areas around the house right up to Christmas morning...I was much less organized than I typically like to be. That said, it was such a fun morning and Pj has been playing so well with her new toys ever since (so no complaints here!). 

   Mark and I decided that each kiddo would receive one "large" gift. This year Pj received a box full of dress-up clothes (some of these clothes were thrifted and some were new). Big C's large present was a car mat with soft top cars. It was so exciting setting up the presents under the tree Christmas Eve when Pj was in bed. When she woke up in the morning we took her downstairs...she didn't even notice the toys around the tree right away - she was more interested in the fresh muffins and cut up fruit sitting on the coffee table in the living room :). Once we pointed out the dress-up box she was very excited and sorted through it with lots of giggles and "oohs and ahhs!". She also loved the car mat and it was cute watching her and Big C explore and play on the mat with the cars! 

Pj playing with her new dress-up purses!

Playing on the car mat!

These two are going to be the best of players :). I hope!

Pj playing with her new Dr. set and scrub shirt (from the dress-up box). The scrub shirt is currently on my pile of sewing - I am going to make it into a lab coat for her :).

   There were some other presents under the tree: some playmobile for the kiddos to share, lots of books, and some quiet time activities to add to Pj's quiet time activity box. The whole process took a couple of hours because each toy had to be unpacked and played with before we could go on!

 I had taken Pj out shopping to pick a present for her to give to Big C. She helped me wrap it and was so excited to give it to him. She was so cute picking it out too! She took quite a long time, tested a number of different toys, and finally settled on this round activity ball. This is the only toy in the house that Pj calls Big C's (every other toy belongs to her (she thinks!)). She also always ensures that Big C has this toy no matter where he is! 

    After all the fun with the "under the tree" presents we still had our stockings to enjoy. Pj thought that this was the icing on the cake...although she had a hard time allowing Mommy, Daddy, and Big C to open their own stockings :). 

Already showing interest in the right things! This Maple Leaf mini stick has kept him quite occupied! 

    
    We had such a fun morning :). I am so thankful for the members of my little family. They truly are such wonderful blessings and the best presents that I've ever received!     

Best Buds!

                     

   These two are spending more and more time together every day! Pj is so quick to run and give Big C attention if he is getting upset or making noise. She loves to play with him on the ground or brings him toys when he is in his swing. She also will set up her toys wherever he is located. If he is in the playpen...she is playing right beside it. If he is in his exersaucer, she is playing right beside. If he is in his swing, she is playing right beside. Its so sweet to see the love and attention that she showers on him. And he loves her! Big C is so patient and calm with her - doesn't scream (like a normal person would) when she showers him with hugs and kisses that last minutes on end. He always has a smile and a quick giggle for her. I can't wait to watch this little friendship flourish and grow in the years to come. Love me my two bambinos!  

DIY For Daddy

   Previously I mentioned that Pj and I had spent an afternoon "DIY-ing it up" making a present for the Hubs. Here's what we made!!

   That's right! We jumped on the Pinterest bandwagon and made our own mugs! Pj was a little unsure at first when I handed her a mug and a marker and told her to colour. I guess all those lessons on how we don't colour on furntiure, or walls, or floors, or dishes stuck. But, after I assured her that in this case it was okay...she went to town! She loved it! We used white ceramic mugs from Target and instead of using normal sharpies (I had read that they don't really work), we used black paint markers. I baked the mugs after they had dried and they seem to be holding up to use. We wash them by hand and not in the dish washer in order to avoid the paint from scraping off. I think, after reading many blog posts on the subject, I would use oil based sharpies next time - they seem to have a better track record for surviving normal every day wear and tear! 

   I assure you that Pj did actually have fun. This has been her "smile" face lately. All the effort in the eyes and she forgets about her mouth!  :) 
   Pj was so excited to bring Mark his Christmas morning coffee in his new mug! And Mark thought it was the greatest. Pj decorated his mug...but when she was done she dictated little sayings for me to write on it. Things like "I love you the MOST!", "I love you to the moon and back" and "best Dad". I think that Mark was pretty touched :). 
   Anyways, that's it for my DIY follow-up! It was so easy and I think it made a wonderful (and thoughtful) gift! 

Half a Year of Fun!!

   This little man turned half a year old in December! We've been so busy with the holiday season that I am just now getting around to blogging about all of his 6 month amazingness!

   Big C is such a fun babe! He is super happy and easy. This past month he has consistently slept from 11pm until 7:30am. I think that he probably could do a longer night without an 11 o'clock feeding but I typically feed him before I go to sleep in order to make sure that we don't wake up at a crazy hour;). He loves to smile and giggle. Pj and I spend a great portion of our day getting him to do both of these things! He is very active! His feet are constantly moving (as if he just wants to get up and run!). He spends lots of time on his tummy (he'll flip over instantly if he is put on his back). He moves backwards but hasn't quite figured out the whole "crawling" thing. I am okay with this...I think that Pj is going to have a surprise in for her once her little brother starts to move! Pj and Big C continue to love on each other. Big smiles, laughs and "sharing" of toys are an every day occurrence. Big C also enjoyed sitting in the highchair this month while we ate supper. He likes to be around the family and is the most happy if he is watching what we are doing. He also tried solids for the first time...and did NOT like them. We are going to try rice cereal next week again to see if he's changed his mind!
  This month Big C did give us a bit of a scare when he picked up the flu. He vomited quite a few times and very quickly became dehydrated. I took him to the Emergency Room and spent a whole day with him hooked up to IV. They were going to discharge me around 7pm because he had two cycles of the IV and had a slightly wet diaper but he vomited again just before the Dr. signed off. Instead we were admitted to the Guelph General hospital and spent the night hooked up to the IV. Over night Big C seemed to "recover" and became more like his normal self. We were discharged the next day in the afternoon with a clean bill of health! It was so scary! My normally happy and active baby was very lethargic and had sunken eyes. I am so grateful for the health care system here in Canada! We are truly blessed to have Dr.'s, nurses, and health care facilities to go to when our kiddos aren't 100%. 
   We celebrated Big C's 6 month milestone with a small family party. I baked "half" a cake, we sang "Happy Half Birthday", and we gave Big C a little present. I did this with Pj when she was 6 months old so I thought I should probably carry on the tradition to avoid awkward conversations once these kiddos get older! It was fun...more for Pj than for Big C. She thought it was great...and it helped that she got to open the present and "show" Big C how to play with his new present! 

   I love our little family. The four of us have definitely settled into a comfortable routine! Pj is proving to be an excellent big sister and Mark and I haven't gone totally crazy trying to schedule life around two different kids' schedules. I would say that that's pretty good for 6 months! 
    

Happy New Year!

   And just like that we are into a new year! A new year always leaves me feeling a mixture of nostalgia, hope and anxiety. Nostalgia because I reflect on the year that has flown by and enjoy the memories of growth, change, and joy. Hope because I can look forward to a "clean slate" of a year and eagerly anticipate all the wonderful things that God has in store for myself and my family. Anxiety because both the nostalgia and hope remind me of the things left undone and the hard unforeseens of the future. 

   But, those are thoughts for another day. Today I wanted to do a "quick" post inspired by the two lovely ladies over at ThreeLittleCrowns. They posted their 2015 Goals based on this questionnaire from Lauren Conrad and I was inspired to do the same. So, without further ado, here are my hopes for 2015!

A bad habit I’m going to break: Snacking at night. Hubby and I can be very bad for snacking after the kiddos are in bed while cuddled up on the couch talking, watching t.v., etc. I would like to continue the bonding time...but without the snacking :).  

A destination I’d like to visit: Oh man. This is a hard one. I would love to travel the world with my little family. Unfortunately funds won't be available this year for much travelling. We are hoping to make a trip to Niagara Falls with the kiddos at some point this Winter to enjoy some family fun at the waterpark. Other than that there will be some camping this Summer and perhaps a "parent's only" weekend away come Fall (once Big C is old enough to go overnight without his Momma!). 

I’m going to work harder at: Trusting in God. I am big on trying to control my surroundings and everything in them (even though I know its futile!). This year I really want to dive deeper into God's word through personal devotions and perhaps a group bible study or two. I hope to learn how to "let go, and let God!". My daily challenge will be to turn it over to God and trust in Him. 

A project I’d like to finish: Oh! There are so many. I probably have a hundred of projects on the go! Seriously, just ask my husband! I am going to try to focus on the projects I have on the go before moving on to new ones. Currently, I am working hard at finishing Big C's nursery (just some curtains, pillow cases, and wall art to go!). Then I want to complete some finishing touches on Pj's room. I also hope that this year we can make our master bedroom more of an oasis and less of a storage space. Finally, I would like to set our basement up into a nice, welcoming, and fun playroom for the kiddos. With both of these room updates comes smaller projects (sewing, painting furniture, etc.). I do love exploring my growing creative side in these ways and I look forward to trying new things and DIYing my heart out this year!  

A class I’d like to take: This past year I was blessed to be able to take a photography class. I loved the opportunity to learn a new skill. This year I would love to take a pottery course. It has been my "dream" to take one for a couple of years now...maybe this is the year! I also would like to take a spinning class - one of my sisters was on board...but she's preggers now so I might just have to bite the bullet and try spinning on my own! 

I’d like to spend more time doing: Playing on the ground with my kiddos. I talk constantly to my kids, read books daily, organize activities a number of times a week...but I have noticed recently that I don't spend a lot of time on the ground playing with them. I want to spend more time getting dressed up, playing house, colouring, or doing puzzles! This is kind of a fun 2015 goal because essentially I am giving myself an opportunity to play more and work less;)!

A food I want to eat more of: Quinoa! I know, I know! I am a little late on the quinoa trend...but better late than never! A month or so ago I purchased a huge bag of quinoa from Costco...now I want to use it! I love it...its just not my "go-to" food. This year I hope to change that!

I want to wear more: Earrings. I have two holes pierced in both ears...and I don't think I wore earrings more than five times last year. That means I have four holes in my head for no reason! Also, every time I wear earrings I get raving compliments from my hubby. Clearly its something he likes...and really, its a relatively easy way to do something nice for him! 

Books I’d Like To Read in 2015: I only read two or three books last year. This year I hope to do a little more reading. I am currently reading Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom. I also hope to read Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? - Mindy Kalilng and Have a New Child by Friday - Dr. Kevin Leman. That's it for now! 

   Well, there you have it! A glimpse into me! I could go on and into much more detail about all the hopes and dreams that I truly have for 2015 but for now this is a good snap shot. Its something that can keep me accountable and focused!