Lower East Side

Yesterday and today got away from me, so I will blog about the wonderful Leonard Cohen concert another night.

We just got home from Kayley's (my little sister) birthday party, and brought Rhys home from his first ever sleepover! Now it's time for Our Sunday night 'TV Date' with some Zombies. So this post is short and frivolous ;)

I have this (terrible?) habit of buying multiples of an article of clothing. If I find something I really like, I will buy it in different colours.

About a year ago I discovered the PERFECT ballet flat. Simple. Comfortable. Classic. Inexpensive. Since having kids I am all about FLATS. I need lots of them.

Here is my dirty little secret:

The Payless 'Lower East Side Chelsea Flat'. $20. From left to right: Sparkly, Dark Brown Faux Suede, Camel Faux Leather, Patent Nude, Patent Black, Silver. I think I have my neutrals covered.

I am keeping my eye out for a Red and Emerald Green. Then I will be set for Life :)

Cohen in Calgary

Yesterday was super busy, and at the end of it all I was shattered. Did not have the energy to blog at 1am.

I will write a proper post about the concert later today (I should have the chance before Girl's Night tonight because Rhys is going to Grampa's house for a his very first sleepover!)

In the meantime, here is a picture from the play date yesterday (thanks for taking it, Keri!):

Six little boys around our kitchen table - went better than I expected! And I love that Kyle was in the picture, even if it was by total fluke (he is the blue blurry blob in my arms in the top left corner).

Mini House Project: The Kitchen Cubby

Finished another mini 'house project' today.

Our kitchen has this odd little cubby in the wall, with a phone jack in the middle. From back in the olden days when people hung phones on the walls. We have always used it as a sort of 'collect all' junk shelf. Like a junk drawer, but without the 'drawer' part that hide it all. We had a can of lose coins, post it notes, take out menus, scotch tape, pens, scissors, lists of phone numbers, that sort of thing. It has always been an eye sore.

Behold, the Odd Cubby:

(Editor's note: this is not a true likeness of the 'before'. I actually forgot to take a before, so I just tossed some of the items back on the shelf for the picture. So imagine stick it notes and papers taped all over it, and just a lot more gak in general sitting there in a big heap of visual clutter and ugliness).

A few weeks ago I had a little epiphany. A simple idea that could make the cubby a bit more decorative. And today I made it a reality.

Behold, the NEW Odd Cubby:








Painted it white (leftover paint we had) and placed a small vase (from our wedding centre pieces) of flowers in the middle to hide the phone jack. So, just cost me $4 for the carnations. It's so much more charming to stare at during dinner. And it's all part of my plan to bring more white into the main floor.

A Comparison: Park Swing

Rhys, probably 10 or 11 motnhs old:

Kyle, around 7 months old:

Bonus Ridiculous-ness: Rhys, 3 years old:

Out With The Old.

The VERY old, that is.

Now, this little post is kind of embarassing. You see... I think I can say, with 100% certainty, that Warren and I are the only adult married couple who would purchase a house and then leave the original, ugly-as-sin light fixtures in the kitchen and dinning room (and when I say original, our house was built in the 50's, and then 'reno'd in the 70's). That would be the first thing a NORMAL couple would change, would it not? For the record, we did get rid of the pink shag carpet right away! Or at least within the first year... .

Well, today, after living here for over SIX YEARS, we finally took the leap. Dave The Electrician came over and swapped out the hideous fixtures with the least expensive 'modern' ones we could find at Home Depot.

Here are the corpses:

Kitchen light BEFORE. Looks like something you'd see in a barn from the Pioneer days.

Kitchen light AFTER. Simple, inconspicuous. Warren shouldn't bump his head anymore.

Dinning Room BEFORE. Looks like something from the King's Court in The Tudors.

Dinning Room AFTER.

I am in the mood to freshen things up a bit. I have plans to incorporate more white into our decor. New curtains, new picture frames, some paint, some vases...that sort of thing. I will post any little updates I manage to actually make. (This is all for you, Sarah!).

Unexpected Morning (+ 2 Comparisons)

This morning started like any other... Being ripped from slumber by Kyle's cries, then laying in bed, half awaking, listening to Warren prep a bottle for a fussy, grunty, impatient baby. Eventually dragging my butt to the kitchen for the all-too-important cup of java, then mustering the energy to make something that resembles a breakfast, all while catering to Rhys' non-stop morning demands.

But then the morning took a pleasant turn. Warren didn't have appointments until 1pm, so we decided to take advantage of the sunny weather and go to North Glenmore Park and pull the kids in their sleds  (or 'slides' as Rhys calls them).

Getting kids ready to go outside in the winter is a colossal pain in the arse. It's a good thing they are adorable.

Cute Baby In Snowpants

As soon as we were all packed into the car, Kyle fell asleep. So, we decided to get gas and a couple Starbucks Lattes (Holiday Peppermint Mocha!). You know, so Kyle could sleep longer. It's all for the children.

Rhys wanted to pull Kyle at first. Melts my heart when he plays the Big Brother role so well:

"Mom, the sun is in my eyes!"

Handsome man, with his handsome sons.

Rhys wanted to pull again.

Comparison #1: A Baby In A Sleigh

Rhys, 5 or 6 months, in his precious Marino Wool Snowsuit and matchy-match hat and mitts, sitting in a shiny new sled. Even the blanket tucked around him is red, to match:

Kyle, 9.5 months, in a faded sled that was left outside too many times. Nothing matches, and the blanket tucked around him *may* have doubled as spit-rag in the past:

Comparison #2: Mom In The Picture

Bonus Cutie:

Remembrance Day 2012

Ever since Warren and I started the tradition of attending the Remembrance Day ceremony at the Military Museum about four years ago, it has become something I really look forward to. And, as I discovered this year, something I feel very guilty about missing. We went back and forth on the decision. First it looked like Warren would need to be showing clients earlier in the morning, so we wouldn't attend. Then it turned out his appointments wouldn't start until 1pm - plenty of time! But then, the forecast was predicting -16 degrees in the early hours, so we made the choice not to go this year, especially with Kyle still so young. And I felt SO guilty. Warren thought I was being ridiculous (he thinks I have 'guilt' issues). But all I could think was 'People left their families to fight wars...we shouldn't mind standing in the cold for an hour'. It's also like when you're invited to a function, maybe a birthday party, and you decide not to go, and you tell yourself 'oh, lots of people are going, no one will really notice if I'm not there, so it's not a big deal'. But there is significance in numbers. It matters. Anyway... So no pictures of Kyle and Rhys freezing their butts off this year.

Instead, Rhys and I spent the morning visiting at a friends' house, then we all headed to Nana and GranDan's to celebrate his 82nd birthday. And of course, I had left the camera at home.

So, here is a completely unrelated, slightly old, picture of my two loves...sitting in a laundry basket.

And I am thankful. And I remember.

Today Was Busy

Today was filled with an early mornng, choppin' veggies and beef, trip to Southcentre to pick up concert tix and GranDan's birthday card, lunch with Grampa and James, then a car nap for a Kyle and dropped Rhys off at Nana's, crock pot stew for dinner, Gramma came over to babysit and we had date night at the pub and the new James Bond flick to top it off. Night, night...zzzz.

Cheers!

World War Z

Most friends of ours know that Warren and I are kind of 'into' zombies. Dare I say we were into them before they were 'cool'? Nah...that would sound pretentious...but for as long as I can remember we have always enjoyed planning out our steps if the Zombie Apocalypse were to actually happen. Where would we go? What would be the ideal location to hide? Would we hesitate to kill each other if one of us were to 'turn'. Would we want to find a group, or survive on our own? We love dissecting really great zombie movies like Dawn of the Dead and 28 Days Later. The AMC drama 'The Walking Dead' is like a Christmas gift every Sunday. Seriously - a (really awesome) zombie movie that never ends. PERFECT!

A year or so ago Warren introduced me to fantastic novel called World War Z. It's a compilation of interviews with Survivors of the Zombie War. Interviews with people from all over the World, recounting their heart wrenching stories of survival. I don't even think you have to be a zombie lover to enjoy the book. You could replace to word Zombie with 'Global Economic Collapse' and the lessons would still apply.

When we heard Brad Pitt's production company had bought the rights to the book, we nearly crapped our pants.

Personally, I imagined a quiet Brad Pitt, wearing John Lennon glasses, in several quiet locations interviewing the survivors. Their stories would be gripping and terrifying and the audience would experience the horror with them through incredible flashbacks. With our hearts in our throats we'd imagine ourselves in their shoes. We'd leave the theatre emotionally drained. The scenarios were too real, too close to home. We'd even have an uneasy feeling that maybe...maybe it could really happen? And would we believe it if it did? Or would we be caught off guard like the poor souls in the movie? Zombie lovers and skeptics alike would be singing the movie's praises.

But then I saw this:

http://trailers.apple.com/trailers/paramount/worldwarz/

My heart sank. Hollywood ruined it. I am so depressed I don't even have the energy to name all the things that make this movie look awful. The only resemblance to the book is the title.

Now, I remember hearing somewhere that the movie trailer 'industry' works in odd ways. There are editors who's sole job is to edit movie trailers. Often times before the movie is even finished being shot. Sometimes they've never even seen a script. That is why sometimes a movie that you're expecting to be funny, is actually kind of depressing (or vice versa). So I am secretly hoping that the editor of this trailer really had no idea what the REAL movie will be like.

A Comparison - The Ball Cap, Vest and Green Sleeved Shirt

Rhys, Approximately 6 months old :

Kyle, Approximatley 7 months old:



LOVE the deadpan expression on Rhys, and the smile on Kyle. CLASSIC.

(I wrote that line so you all wouldn't feel like you have to comment, because that is what you would have written, or some variation anyways).

:)

A Letter To Rhys: 3 Years, 3 months

Dear Rhys,

I wonder to myself, daily, "do all three-year-olds have THIS much personality?". You are hilarious. You have very animated facial expressions. You have a sweet Mickey Mouse voice. Your imagination and vocabulary continue to explode.

You chatter NON STOP from the second you wake up ("hi mommy, what you dream about? What we doing today?"), to the seconds before you fall asleep. Even when we play dinosaurs or cars, all you want to do is have the toys TALK to each other. Complete strangers (like the hairdresser at Beaners) will comment on how chatty you are. You make up words (instead of high/low, you say upper/downer), and you double up on your plurals ("Mommy, looks at those trees-ez-ez").

Lately you love building forts/tents/houses out of chairs and blankets, playing chase, playing hide and seek, and helping your Dad shovel the driveway. You have gotten really good at riding your bike (no pedals) and your balance keeps improving. You love the idea that I miss you when you are not around ("Mommy, you miss me at play school? You so sad? You cry, and cry and cry?").

Some things about you that I will want to reference when Kyle is 3:

- You started wearing underwear instead of diapers a couple months before your 3rd birthday.

- You started to drop your nap around your birthday, and dropped it completely a couple months ago.

- Your bedtime these days is around 7p and 7:30. If you do happen to have a rare nap, it is impossible to get you to sleep before 9:45p.

- Your bedtime routine has many steps and phases, because overtime your stalling skills have forced us to try and jam all the things you want into a 'bedtime routine'. So, starting around 5p, your routine is dinner, play, treat, bath, one-on-one play in your room with mommy or daddy (with a timer), a cartoon (20 mins) with a bowl of cheerios, potty, brush teeth, story, drink of water, snuggle, 'good parts/bad parts' talk about the day, song, lights out. PHEW. I get tired just reading that.

I love you, Rhys-y-pie. Night, night.

Mommy

Winnipeg Rye

Ever since I discovered that the 'Winnipeg' Rye bread my Grandma buys is sold at Co-op in Calgary, my whole family has been addicted. So, when it goes on sale...I stock up. That is what deep freezers are for!

Here is my latest stockpile (with a few Weight Watchers loafs thrown in for good measure, of course).

Most people buy 12 loafs of bread at once, right?

Death By Candy Cane. (Caution: Graphic Imagery)

Yesterday was a great Sunday. My mom came over, we took the boys to the playground, Rhys rode his bike in his snowpants (only in Canada!), Warren went for a bike ride around the reservoir with his dad, I ran some errands with Rhys and he loved all the Christmas decorations in the stores. And to top it all off, I had a Pumpkin Spice Latte.

But one thing happened that freaked me out.

Rhys was eating a 'hard rock' candy that his Nana gave him on Halloween, as seen here with my hand in the picture for size reference:

Rhys was walking towards the couch then suddenly took a giant leap in the air and dove head first into the couch for fun. But he was holding the hard rock candy. And it jabbed (with apparently great force) into his forehead. Rhys started to cry. I ran immediately to console him and look at his 'boo boo', with expectations of seeing nothing wrong and telling him he was fine. But in those couple seconds, a goose egg the size of a small plum had grown on his forehead. It was horrifying! I could not believe that silly candy had caused it.

Behold:

And truly, this photo doesn't even do it justice. It was BIG.

Thankfully, after some ice, and time, the swelling went down and now there is only a bruise and small cut.

Poor Rhys-y-pie.

A Comparison: The Italian Cashmere Sweater Outfit

Rhys, Approximately 8 months, Easter:

Kyle, Approximately 8 months, Thanksgiving:


(same outfit, different hat, Rhys beautifully posed taken with an SLR with an adoring audience of grandparents etc, Kyle looking off camera taken with a point-and-shoot while photographer tries to multitask and put on her pumps, all other family members likely using a hotel washroom).

Life Finds A Way.

 We had big plans to go tobogganing as a family this morning, but it turns out, bundling up all four of us required more effort than our lazy butts wanted to expend. So, Warren and Rhys got some one-on-one time.

Gotta love a hubby who sends back photos during an outing!

Rhys making a "Snow Crocodile"

In other news, Kyle ate an entire Cod Fillet for lunch. Umm... Need a Costco Membership much?

Here is a video of him being a turkey, from the other day. We had put up a small barricade so that he couldn't reach the TV or cable box, but as Jeff Goldblum's character Dr. Ian Malcolm on Jurassic Park said, "Life finds a way".

A Letter To Kyle, 9 months Old (+1 week)

Dear Kyle,

You are sweet, happy, and so easy to love. You are busy, fast, determined, curious and extremely tolerant of noise and activity (when you're awake). If I had to guess your future occupation, at this point I would wager...a mountain climber or hotdog-eating-contest winner. Or, maybe even male supermodel with your undeniable good looks and delicious smile.

I wish I had been better at documenting your monthly 'birthdays' because you and your habits have changed so much from week to week and month to month. You are now weaned completely from nursing, and take 3 to 4 bottles a day, with no more night feedings (that deserves a FIST PUMP, YAH!) You sleep from around 7p to 6a, wake and fuss at 6a on the nose, then fall back asleep until 7am or so. FINALLY. Now that you're on a bottle, your Papa gets up with you in the morning, feeds you your 'bubba' and plays with you.

Your nighttime routine is to eat your solid dinner around 4:30p/5:00p, play, bath around 6p, play, then a couple stories/quiet time in your bedroom, then in bed awake (sleepsack) between 7p and 7:30p. For a baby who had to be rocked to sleep/sleep ON someone, this is like a Christmas Day Miracle. And the super amazing thing about you Kyle, is if you miss a nap, or we're out late, it doesn't phase you. Even though you are finally sleeping better, I still think of you as the Bionic Baby who doesn't act like he needs any sleep at all.

You clack your tongue, grunt, and giggle. You are SO CLOSE to walking. You have discovered gravity and love to 'drop' things. You love to eat and start to cry in anticipation when you see your bottle. Your favourite food is cheese. You like sipping water from a cup. You like sucking a soother.

Rhys loves playing with you, so hopefully you don't mind your role as 'The Baby Monster', because that is what you'll be stuck with for a while, I'm afraid. ("Quick, RUN, the BABY MONSTER is coming to GET US!!!!).

Facebook Is Killing My Blog.

I'm finding that the ease and instant gratification of Facebook is causing this poor blog to suffer. Greatly. It's very frustrating.

When I have a funny thought, or story, or child milestone, or picture, or WHATEVER that I want to document I am taking the lazy road. It is just too easy to load a picture or video to Facebook. Or when I have a thought that would make a good blog entry, it is much easier to condense it into a two sentence status. And Facebook also offers the very coveted instant emotional boost of comments and likes. Seriously. It's a drug.

But I worry. Although Facebook has these great qualities, it is no replacement for a Blog. This is my online journal. It's easy to go back in time to relive it all. Facebook is brutal for that. And what happens when no one uses Facebook anymore? It scares me. I will look back on the holes in my blog and refer to them as 'The Facebook Years'.

So, November will be yet another 'Blog Everyday' month to kick-start some proper memory keeping.

To start off, a couple Rhys stories (sorry, Kyle).

This year Rhys went as a white and purple Unicorn for Halloween. We were walking up the steps to trick or treat, and a woman swings open the door to great us on our ascent. She flashes Rhys a big smile as he approaches and beams "Awww...a Magical Winter Princess!"

Then today, after losing my patience with Rhys several times as I was packing him and Kyle into the car to go to playschool...

Rhys: You mean.

Me: Why?

Rhys: You grumpy, and so, so mad.

Oy.

Now tonight I want to send a thank-you card to our neighbour who gave Rhys a pumpkin from her very own pumpkin patch.

Even When He's Sick, He's Smiling

Kyle, 8.5 months old

Pumpkin Hunt and Carving