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! 

Photography!!

   Earlier this year I mentioned that it was my goal to learn how to use my camera. Well, after playing around with my camera for a couple of months, Mark and I decided it was time to get some actual instruction. I signed up for the beginners photography course with Rita Zietsma of Rita Zietsma Photography. I loved it! I learned so much about my camera. I found Rita to be a great teacher and she was able to explain different aspects of photography to me in a way that I could understand. I have a more thorough understanding of my camera and its different "modes". I also feel more confident when taking pictures (which is huge for me!). Hopefully I can utilize this new-found knowledge and start producing some gorgeous shots of my kiddos and life! Throughout the four week course we had homework to practice what we were learning, to gain some experience and to learn from Rita's critique. Here are some of my pieces:

Working on Aperture:

Shutter Speed:

Having fun with it! 

Christmas Time is Coming!!

   This has been such a FUN holiday season so far! I love having a creative, active, excitable toddler to share these fun times! This year I didn't do a beautiful/creative advent calendar or plan a special holiday activity for each day in December, but I am trying to make this season a little different and special for Pj. I have tried to do a couple of different activities each week. The first week of December we started with decorating Christmas cookies with her cousins at her Aunt Danielle's. Pj loved this activity - mostly for the the spoonfuls of icing and the cookies that 
she got to eat!
  Another fun holiday activity that we enjoyed was that Santa Claus Parade in Fergus. This was both, Pj and Mark's, first Santa Claus Parade! She (ad Mark) had a lot of fun! Pj got to enjoy her first cup of hot chocolate (it was from the health food store, so no judging!), eat a candy cane, and watch all kinds of different floats and people walk passed. She was a little wary of some of the people in their costumes but all in all, she loved it. We, as parents, also learned that it pays to go to the parade with an adorable kiddo - we she received so many candy canes! We have not really introduced the idea of Santa Claus or talked about him a whole lot with Pj so I think she was a little confused about all the hype when he finally went passed. She did feed off of our excitement and squealed and waved at Santa with the best of them though! Mark and I have decided to not do the whole "santa claus" thing with our kids - perhaps a topic for another post! We do still enjoy the "tradition" of seeing Santa in a parade and getting pictures on his lap so it was fun to wave and cheer when he passed us at the parade. 
   After the parade we went home, ate supper, and then decorated our Christmas tree while listening to Christmas music, drinking eggnog and eating candycane icecream. Mark and I have done this every year since we have gotten married, but this is the first time that Pj really got excited and joined in the fun. She LOVED decorating the tree! At the end our tree was definitely bottom heavy, with all of the ornaments at Pj height or below. The OCD in me has had me slowly evening the tree out each day since we put it up - Pj doesn't seem to notice or mind (does this make me horrible?!). When people come over Pj quickly brings them to see our tree and tells them all about how she "made" it. She thinks that the tree is so beautiful! She loves the lights and turning the tree lights on is the first thing we do every morning (even before her bottle, which is HUGE). 

Pj showing Mark the ornament she chose at the store.

Learning how to hang an ornament. She was shown once and then she was good to do it on her own!

My little girlie - its a struggle to get her to smile at the camera sometimes! She's posing with her ornament :).

She decided the tree needed more garland. Don't ask about her outfit. She lately has been walking around pantless and with Big C's socks. I don't question anymore...

Our "bottom-heavy" tree. So cute watching her hang all the ornaments and exclaim "pretty!" each time!

   This week we baked a whole bunch of cookies and squares which we are bringing to our neighbours tomorrow. Pj helped with the baking and with picking out the containers to put the treats in. My hope is that she will actually talk to our neighbours (at the very least say a cheerful "Merry Christmas") when we go to their doors. I really want to stress to Pj the importance of giving and showing love to those in all areas of our lives!

Eating the icing. No worries, we aren't giving away the cookies she decorated :). 

A future baker in the making perhaps?! :D

   We have also done a DIY for Daddy's stocking (which didn't turn out quite the way I hoped so we'll be fixing it up next week). I'll do a post on this after Daddy sees his gift! It was so cute watching Pj make something for her Daddy! She took pride in her work and was quite focused on make it "just so". So excited for Mark to see what his little princess made for him!
   I have a couple of more ideas for the coming weeks, including: making snowflakes, having Pj pick out a stocking present for Big C (its never too early to teach her to give, right?), making a wreath for our front door (not sure if she'll help with this one or just wander off with her cousins), check out the lights display at Riverside Park, and a couple of other things! I try to discuss the importance of this season: Christ. She's still young, and a lot of the story goes over her head...but she ends most stories of Him with an "I love you Jesus" which just breaks my heart. I hope that she will still be saying that in years to come. I also wish (a little bit) that I could just as easily accept and exclaim "I love you Jesus!". Slowly Pj's budding faith is teaching me! 
   This holiday season has been the best that I can remember! I love sharing all these special memories with the three most important people in my life. If you're reading this, I hope you have a wonderful couple of weeks leading up to the celebration of Christ's arrival. Merry Christmas! 

Our finished tree :)!

5 Months!

   In less than 1 week Big C turns half a year old! I know right!?!? Where in the world did that half year go!?
   Before that day arrives I thought I should quickly post his 5 month update. Mostly so that when I if I get around to making his first year scrapbook (I seriously am not even done Pj's first week in her scrapbook - really not holding my breath on getting Big C's done anytime soon!) I will have the information that I need. 
   So, without further ado....here's my little munchkin at the 5 month mark!!

*Big C is super busy and active. He is continually kicking his feet and waving his arms. He rarely will lie on his back and instead prefers to quickly roll to his tummy and will try to grab and investigate anything within his reach. 
*Big C rotates (while on his tummy) in order to watch whoever is around (mostly Pj). He finds Pj a great source of entertainment. 
*Pj adores her little brother. She will often stop what she is doing to cover Big C in hugs and kisses. She is quick to go and comfort him with a "its k Tase, its ok" if he is crying. He always has a soother, his elephant and a blanket because Pj makes sure that he does. Pj can get him giggling by dancing and saying funny words/making funny noises. He greets her with a giant smile whenever she comes close to him. I can't wait to see their friendship continue to grow in the coming months/years!

*Big C loves nursing. He eats so well and is very easy. We have put spoons of food in front of his mouth, but he has no interest in eating anything new. Pj had already been eating for at least 1 month by this time, but Big C is content to stick to what he knows. 
*Big C is a very happy baby. He rarely cries but often laughs! He also has a very high pitched squeal that he uses quite regularly to get attention or voice his enjoyment while playing or interacting with someone. 
*Big C sleeps quite well. He sleeps through the night (most nights). If he does get up in the middle of the night its just for a quick feed and back to sleep. He is still sleeping in our room but his nursery is starting to take shape and this Momma is very excited for him to be in his own room soon!

That's it for now! We love our baby boy and can't believe how quickly he is growing. We see God every day through this little life - I can not explain the amazingness of a baby without attributing it to our awesome Creator. God is good!

Wonder

    Wonder. Pj taught me a beautiful lesson this evening. A lesson on Wonder. When Mr. L reminded me, after supper, that we had to go out to pick up his car from the mechanic's house - I saw it as an annoying ill timed chore. A chore that involved moving a finally-sleeping-baby into his car seat, dressing a cranky-should-be-in-bed-toddler into her winter wear, and a very cold dark drive. To say I was less than excited is an understatement. In fact, I would even say, I grumped. I grumped about how I was tired. I grumped about how Pj hadn't napped and would now probably whine the whole way. I grumped about how Big C would probably wake up and want to nurse...again (because he's into this whole "cluster feeding thing" lately). I grumped.
   I do have to admit here that I have a very patient husband. He apologized...for something that wasn't even his fault! He didn't decide to break the car on Friday, and have it get worked on over the weekend, and need to be picked up on Monday evening (in fact, he would much rather not have his car rusting out around him, thank you very much!). But he apologized anyways. And then he kissed me on my forehead, changed a couple of diapers and helped me get the kids ready to go out into the cold (all the while I was still grumping).
   Anyways, back to my lesson on Wonder. We were almost at the mechanics house when I noticed a house all decked out Christmas style. I pointed it out to Pj as a point of interest but didn't really think anything of it....until I heard the gasp come from her carseat followed by, "Oh wow Momma! Pitty house!!!". She was in awe. To her, the house was dressed like a princess (something she actually said :D). It was dressed up, and she was blessed to be able to witness it. From then on she looked out the window and pointed out each and every decorated house on the street (and on any streets she could get a glimpse of at intersections!). She was mesmerized with Wonder at the beauty of it  all! And I was put to shame. Instead of seeing this little trip as a chore I could have seen it as an adventure with the three people I love most in this world. I could have been open to the Wonder all around me from the very beginning. It took a 2 year old to remind me that every day is filled with Wonder - we only need to stop and notice.
   On the way home I found myself driving slowly up and down the streets in our neighborhood. Pj and I "oohed" and "awed" at all the beautifully decorated houses. I drove basking in the Wonder that Pj was experiencing. Although this is her third Christmas season, to her, its her first. And with this first comes Wonder. I've noticed it a couple of times over this past week - Wonder at the snow slowly falling, Wonder at the frosty windows, Wonder at the need for a hat because the wind is blowing coldly, and now Wonder at the beautiful Christmas lights. The twinkling lights pulled her in and she was so content to be amazed. I want to enjoy that Wonder. My hope is that I can slow down and try to experience life with even a small percentage of the Wonder that Pj greets each day. Hopefully this way I can help Pj to not loose her Wonder. My hope is also that I can teach Pj the true Wonder of this season. The Wonder of our Saviour's coming. Truthfully, there is no greater Wonder than that! Wonder. 

My little Pj - teaching me more than I think I teach her!