PLAYING HOOKY

(One last post before bed)

Today, the kids played hooky.  I surprised them this morning by letting them watch Martha Speaks (current fav) in their jammies, skipping out of school and going to Science World with some bosom friends.  

I had an ulterior motive and was planning on a few more minutes of sleep, or at the very least laying about in bed, which seemed realistic since I didn't have to get everyone brushed, dressed, fed and out the door by 8:35am.  But sadly Will woke up at the crack...it wasn't even 6:00am yet!  This is not good for the mommy.  I am not a morning person.

Anyway, I enjoyed my time with the kids, even though Friday morning at Science Word is apparently where all the schools in Vancouver go for a field trip.

THE PERILS OF LIVING IN OUR HOUSE (FOR A 14 MONTH OLD)

On my kitchen window ledge is a small glass jar that is filled each day with small items removed from Will's mouth.  Here is a sampling from yesterday:

And these are just the smaller, more hazardous items.  I didn't include the dog kibble, pistachio shells, tennis ball, cell phone, or the 3 nibs which he ate off of Clara's markers.  

Will really is our first "oral" child. I don't recall either Clara or Sam putting things in their mouths, and even boasted that fact to my friends and family.  

But Will doesn't stand a chance.  This house is filled with so many tiny, freakin toys, never mind the fact that his sister obsessively collects small items, like marbles and shells and pebbles and bits of tinfoil and such.

The good thing is, is that extraction is easy. I hold out my hand in front of his mouth, say "Will...spit it out" and out it comes, and into my glass jar it goes.  And then Clara walks by and thinks what a lovely collection in that jar and empties the items out onto the carpet, in front of Will, who of course comes running...

Like I said, he doesn't stand a chance.

31 MORE SLEEPS

Today we woke up to snow.  I was not impressed.  Snow feels so wrong when we are so close to March.  The kids of course, were outside gleefully making snowballs and licking flakes off the bushes at 7:45am this morning, but I just packed up my winter sweaters a few days ago and have been contemplating flip flops.  However, the count down has begun...31 more sleeps until we are in Hawaii!  I was just going through some photos from last year and feeling all warm just thinking about it:

A JUNGLE GYM FOR SAM?

I'm seriously considering an indoor play centre for Sam (and the other kids too, of course, but mostly for Sam).  My high energy, agile, super fast, wrestling, want to be a stuntman 4 year old. I just stumbled across this company, Dream Gym, that actually sells indoor jungle gyms for small spaces.  And the best part...they are located in Ontario and ship to Canada...and it's free shipping if you spend more than $75!

OK, the above structure might not fit in Sam's room, but at the very least, I would like to get some rings and maybe a ladder, or how about this:

I was inspired after I saw this picture on Bloesem Kids blog.  It is a photo from a kids activity centre located in Belgium called Bamba.

GRATEFUL MONDAY: THIRD COUSINS

Tonight was our monthly pizza & wine night at my sister's house with the cousins.  I think Amanda and Melissa are our second cousins, which make our kids third cousins?  When in doubt I just tell my kids to call someone "Aunt" or "Uncle."  

Anyway, it was nice to get together with everyone tonight even amidst noise, chaos and poopie diapers.  It is not often enough that we have visits.

So here are the third cousins standing on Auntie's table:

And just 2 days before, the other first and third cousins of the Chalmers kind, were all together celebrating a birthday.

It was a Star Wars party which is why the girls have little buns sticking from the side of their heads.  Thankfully, I didn't spend money on buying costumes since Sam was too scared to wear the Darth Vader mask we borrowed, and Clara felt beautiful and very Princess Leia like in a sweater, skirt, gold belt, sparkly flip flops and mascara all from her closet (mascara too...apparently she stashed mine in one of her boxes filled with treasures).

THE WOES OF HAVING A BROTHER

This is a common scene: Clara is feeling particularly lovely and wants her picture taken.  I'm about to press the shutter button.  Sam jumps in front.

Click...

Click...

Click...

That a girl.  Just get in there...

OODLES OF DOODLES

Last week we turned one of Clara's many, many bunny drawings into personalized note cards. We originally made them as a birthday present for one of her "favourite girls" (who also happens to be an adult, and our good friend), but now I'm inspired to print some more.  In fact, my latest idea is a collection of personalized note cards using kid's art, complete with yummy colourful envelopes and matching address labels.  Suggestions are welcome!  

Stay tuned...I have some other ideas as well.  This is what happens when you get a new printer and a studio in your home.

Sam enjoyed helping me round the corners (I love rounded corners).  He also enjoyed his sparkling lemonade and edamame as well.

JAKE'S SIDE OF THE BED

My husband is on a plane heading home!  

I have missed him.  Although I suppose there are some perks when he is out of town, like having mini wheats for dinner and I get to use my skin care without him commenting that I smell like a great grandmother (I'm not sure what that smells like, but I don't think it is good?)

When he is away, besides the obvious, I also miss the quirky (maybe even slightly annoying) things Jake does.  Like when he kicks off his shoes one at a time while laying on the couch and they fall to the floor (and remain there and get tripped on the next day), when he sweeps the fitted sheet with his arm and fluffs and arranges the pillows, one folded in half, before he crawls in to bed, when he turns on the light to read his fleet of magazines and books every night no matter how late or how sick or exhausted he (or I) may be, when he brings up a glass of water every night and bemoans when I take a sip worried that I will drink it all and leave him parched and with nothing in the middle of the night...

But sure enough, when morning comes, there is water still in that glass, and there that glass gets left...on Jake's side of the bed.  I actually did an experiment recently and purposely didn't bring the glasses back downstairs to the kitchen.  I know this sounds immature, but it was fun. Here are the results:

That would be 4 glasses.  I did bring them down after I took this picture, and I wonder if there would of been more? We will have to try for a record another time.  In the meantime, I am just happy to have my husband home.

QUESTION OF THE NIGHT

I was tucking Clara in (our) bed and giving her, her nightly arm rub, when she casually asks me "mom, if the world is round then are there people upside down?".  "Good question" I say, trying to stall her while quickly thinking about an age appropriate, never mind correct answer. I muttered something about gravity, which didn't completely satisfy her, so here I am about to google yet another question.  

I told her I would get back to her, just like I have to get back to Sam after he asked me why the sun was following him in the car today.  

(*poster of the solar system is from one of my favourite stores, Land of Nod, and also resides on Sam's wall above his bed)

HORSEY KISSES

Here is a plate of "Horsey Kisses."  At least that is what Sam thinks they are called.  He asked for some this morning for breakfast after announcing that his tummy was telling him that it wasn't hungry for cereal and grapefruit.

I love it when kids hear a word differently and then add it to their vocabulary.

Just today Sam said his Life cereal was "too foggy" (soggy) and that he wanted "more milk" (warm milk) and wanted to be "Dog Vader" (Darth Vader) for the Stars Wars birthday party we are going to on Saturday.

And here is Will, trying REALLY hard to extend that arm and grab a horsey kiss.  He can spot shiny wrappers a mile a way.

(By the way, he did get one)

GOODBYE DINING ROOM, HELLO STUDIO (PART 1)

Only 1 and a half hours left of Monday.  I'm actually feeling quite sick and completely exhausted, and sad my husband is traveling this week.  I'm not sure if I'm so tired because I haven't slept through the night in more than 6 years (it's me that needs some sleep training) or because my body is working hard to fight this cold.  I apologize to my kids and dog for all the yelling I did today.

No matter, it is "Grateful Monday" and I really am thankful for a house full of flowers, left over 

from Valentines Day.  I think these ones are my favourite.  I love tulips!

And today the moving truck arrived to take away our dining room table and drop off a desk and apothecary for my new studio/office.  I am thankful for my Dad for sharing his beautiful furniture and art with us.  Look at this apothecary!  It has 24 drawers for organizing and putting away all my little pieces and art supplies.  24 drawers!  I am really excited about this room and what I plan to do in here (it involves drawing and painting and paper and printing stuff on my new printer, for which I'm also thankful for).  

Clara has already claimed a spot in the room.  My Dad also lent us these beautiful old kid sized school desks which I put by the window for now.  She has already filled it with paper and pencils and spent about an hour this afternoon practicing her letters.  

I borrowed an idea from Jennifer at The Write Start and wrote out names of family and friends and commonly used words onto strips of card stock, hole punched them and secured them with a binder ring.  Sam was mostly interested in the hole in the desk (inkwell hole?), and entertained himself for awhile by poking his finger in and out of it.

Well, goodnight. 

Jake...if you are reading this...I love you!

VALENTINES

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY

Valentines Day traditionally kicks off with breakfast.  In the beginning BK (before kids), I would make heart shaped quiche (crust from scratch, of course), maybe cheese blintzes with fresh berries, fresh squeezed juice and always some bacon (a sure way to Jake's heart).  I would serve my husband breakfast in bed and wore something frilly and short.  

9 years and 3 kids later, Valentines breakfast has certainly changed.  First of all, we are awake 2 hours earlier (or should I say woken), the menu has simplified, it is a little more hectic, definitely noisy, very messy and finished quickly.  But it is still a special time for us.

This year, I made each of the kids and my husband a "Things I Love About You" book.  For each year of their life I wrote out something I love about them, which means Jake got a list of 36 things and Will got 1.  I think I'm going to make this a new tradition.

I'm ending this abruptly now that Will is awake from his afternoon nap and I need to get ready for a dinner date with with my husband (too bad I ate so much chocolate).  Happy Valentines!

CUPID

"Life is not measured 

by the number of breaths you take,

but by every moment 

that takes your breath away"

                                                anonymous

My little cupid looking out the window.  She takes my breath away...

SIMPLE BUTTER COOKIE RECIPE

Auntie Juli pointed out that I didn't post the recipe.  So here it is.  Maybe it is too small to read? But I wanted to use this really pretty vintage card.  You can buy the digital kit here, at Two Peas in a Bucket, and then print them out if you want...or not.  I love them all.

And here is the icing recipe. It makes A LOT of icing, probably enough for 4 dozen cookies.  It is from Martha's Collected Recipes Cookbook.  I never said I didn't like her recipes...just that I can never produce results as pretty and perfect as her pictures.  Maybe the egg white part scares you?  You could substitute, I suppose, but then it won't set.  If it is any consolation, none of my kids or their friends have been poisoned from raw egg in our icing.  

EAT YOUR HEART OUT MARTHA

ABOVE:  a plate of Valentines cookies from the Martha Stewart website.  Don't they look....well...um, perfect.  I try, but my cookies never look like this.  But I suppose she doesn't make cookies with a 1, 2, 4 and 5 year old, 15 minutes before their bedtime. 

BELOW: our Valentines cookies, green icing and all.  The recipe should of yielded more cookies, but almost half the dough was eaten before we even baked them.

And here is Will, splattered in green food colouring and on the counter, of course.  Now this is real life people...

This is the cookbook I used for our butter cookie recipe.  Every recipe uses only 3 ingredients. Isn't that awesome?  And I love the illustrations too. No need to buy buttermilk or try to find "petal dust in pink, orange and violet tones" (which you would need if you were making the Martha cookies).  You just need butter, icing sugar and flour.  

I was skeptical at first about the whole 3 ingredients thing, but we have made a handful of recipes and they have all been tasty.  In fact, it should be renamed "Parents Cook 1-2-3."  I may start using this cookbook more frequently for our family dinners.  

Now go and make some cookies.

GRATEFUL MONDAY: SUNSHINE AND HEARTS

Today I'm am grateful for the sunshine.  It was such a beautiful day today.  Maybe still too cold for flip flops and bare arms but Spring seems to be getting closer.  

However, with the sun comes the bright light that fills our house and all it's corners, revealing sticky handprints on the windows, last week's food on the kitchen cupboards and essentially, a very dusty, dirty house.  Sam thinks washing windows is great fun, which is good for me.  He is actually encouraged and praised for spraying stuff all over the windows, so of course he would love this.

Hearts and hints of Valentines are appearing around the house:

I'm also grateful that my husband has returned to me tonight.  He may have only been gone for 36 hours but I missed him so.

GOODNIGHT.

HEART GIRL

This is HEART GIRL

• Can do any powers but my best power is making people to fall in love and turn people to nice
• Can also do some high ya! karate moves and I can fly
• I transform into my costume by clapping my hands 2 times
• I really want to try pink milk but I like chocolate milk
• My favourite breakfast is puff pancake, lunch is ham sandwiches and dinner is noodles

ONE WAY TO DISPLAY KID'S ART

I love, LOVE this idea! 

Jan Eleni, a children's interior decorator (go see her site, it is so inspiring), came up with this beautifully framed collage made up of all your little one's personal art.  I'm not sure how she does it, but I plan to come up with my own version.  It will probably involve taking pictures of my kid's drawings, doing some photoshop stuff and then printing and glueing.  I'll let you know how it goes.

Have an amazing weekend!

GROSS

All my kids have done things this week that have really grossed me out.  And I have a high tolerance for germs and grossness.  I guess that makes me gross too.  Here is a sampling of gross things that has happened since Monday:

First, Will is obsessed with the toilet.  He can't keep his hands off it or out of it.  This is mildly gross, but the problem is, is that Clara and Sam usually forget to flush after use which makes it really gross.  I have found him more than once, this week, up to his armpits in toilet water.

Second, I myself was using the toilet, when Will appeared suddenly from around the corner and threw some large-ish item into the water while I was still sitting there.  I had to fish the object out with my (gloved) hands.  It was gross.  And it turned out to be a rock from goodness knows where?

Third, Sam and I were in a swimwear store trying to find a bathing suit for Clara.  While flipping through the rack I feel Sam poking me, trying to get my attention.  I turn, and he has a hygiene liner stuck over his mouth.  "Mom...look at me!" he says, excited about his find and that he has taped his lips together with it.  I yell at him "that is so gross!".  He was deflated, poor guy.

Fourth, for some absurd reason, I handed Will a bottle of peach/mango yoghurt drink while in his car seat.  Sure enough, he immediately dumps it and the thick yellowy orangey liquid pools in his neck, on his pants and in the seat.  I don't like yoghurt at the best of times (the texture makes me gag), so I found this really gross.  Sam says it looks like cream of booger stew (it is still on the seat, dried up now, but still there).

Fifth, while still on the topic of the car, I ventured to the very back of our stinky mini van where Clara (and her dolls) sit, hoping to find Sam's missing Spiderman pencil.  She has a tendency to store items, including drink and food, in the cup holders beside her seat.  I found a sandwich, or at least I think it was a sandwich, since it was pretty much in liquid form. Goodness knows how old it was?  It was really gross.

Sixth, I found Will in the bathroom, tossing Clara's toothbrush into the toilet, leaning over and fishing it out, sucking on it and then offering it to me as proud as can be.  I threw it out, of course, but then wondered with horror, how many other toothbrushes had he done this to? Gross thought.

Seventh, it involves Will's poop and Kirby eating it.  That's all I will say.  It's too gross.

Lastly, and this happens at least once a day, I was sitting on the floor installing (yet more) batteries for Sam, when I felt a poke on my neck followed by a thunk on my head...it kind of felt like a hairbrush, but it is actually the toilet brush.  A stinky and wet toilet brush that has just been swished around in the toilet by Will.  I just hope Sam and Clara remembered to flush the toilet this time...

Sorry about this post.  It really is gross.

THOUGHTS OF LOVE

It was a glorious, sunny day today and me and my boys met my good friend and her boys at the beach. Sadly, my camera was left on the kitchen counter.  But while I was organizing my hard drive in an attempt to make more room on my computer, I found this illustration I did for Jake awhile back for Valentines.  I think it is supposed to be us at some outdoor French type cafe, sipping wine, madly in love and talking about all things to do with love...the perfect date in my mind.

I'm looking forward to spending the next couple of weeks doing Valentines crafts and prep, and after that, I will be counting down the days to Spring!

I'm also looking forward to our date tonight!  Perhaps we will have some wine and talk about love.

49

Today is my mom's birthday!

We celebrated with a lovely brunch on Sunday, napoleans and linzer cookies this afternoon (topped with a candle, of course), lots of homemade gifts and flowers and Pizza Hut for dinner (mom's choice).

Still Life: Spring Flowers with Bumblebee

A homemade corsage

A homemade "special things" box from Rocco

Happy Birthday...to my beautiful mom, my friend, my neighbour.  We all love you so much!