A Quick Post...

I know I have been MIA lately.... The Christmas frenzy is upon us and I have been in mass production mode, making gifts, making cards (all hand made this year!), wrapping and packing, in between all of the other normal day to day stuff!

I hope to be back in the saddle soon, since I have so much to say! (no sarcastic comments, please)

I just wanted to post this message I got by email today. I just love it....it is so true!

I hope you all have a very blessed holiday!!


Dear Santa,

I've been a good mom all year. I've fed, cleaned and cuddled my children on demand, visited the doctor's office more than my doctor and sold sixty-two cases of candy bars to raise money to plant a shade tree on the school playground.

I was hoping you could spread my list out over several Christmases, since I had to write this letter with my son's red crayon, on the back of a receipt in the laundry room between cycles, and who knows when I'll find anymore free time in the next 18 years. Here are my Christmas wishes: I'd like a pair of legs that don't ache (in any color, except purple, which I already have) and arms that don't hurt or flap in the breeze, but are strong enough to pull my screaming child out of the candy aisle in the grocery store. I'd also like a waist, since I lost mine somewhere in the seventh month of my last pregnancy.

If you're hauling big ticket items this year I'd like fingerprint resistant windows and a radio that only plays adult music, a television that doesn't broadcast any programs containing talking animals, and a refrigerator with a secret compartment behind the crisper where I can hide to talk on the phone.

On the practical side, I could use a talking doll that says, "Yes, Mommy" to boost my parental confidence, along with two kids who don't fight and three pairs of jeans that will zip all the way up without the use of power tools. I could also use a recording of Tibetan monks chanting "Don't eat in the living room" and "Take your hands off your brother," because my voice seems to be just out of my children's hearing range and can only be heard by the dog.

If it's too late to find any of these products, I'd settle for enough time to brush my teeth and comb my hair in the same morning, or the luxury of eating food warmer than room temperature without it being served in a Styrofoam container.

If you don't mind, I could also use a few Christmas miracles to brighten the holiday season. Would it be too much trouble to declare ketchup a vegetable? It will clear my conscience immensely. It would be helpful if you could coerce my children to help around the house without demanding payment as if they were the bosses of an organized crime family.

Well, Santa, the buzzer on the dryer is calling and my son saw my feet under the laundry room door. I think he wants his crayon back.

Have a safe trip and remember to leave your wet boots by the door and come in and dry off so you don't catch cold. Help yourself to cookies on the table but don't eat too many or leave crumbs on the carpet.

Yours Always,

MOM...

P.S. One more thing...you can cancel all my requests if you can keep my children young enough to believe in Santa.

Why??

We have officially entered the 'why' stage with Rebekah. I had forgotten how exasperating it could be....and also how funny!

I have the perfect example for you. Yesterday we put up the Christmas tree. We have always had an artificial tree....I can't bring myself to cut down a living tree to have it in my house for just a few weeks. So after we had put up the tree, naturally, there were fake pine needles strewn throughout the house. This tree is old....and every year I think it is going to be its last....but it still keeps hanging on. I am surprised at how many needles it actually has left on its branches when I see how many I vacuum up every year!

So, as I was vacuuming, the 'why' questions began.

"Why are you vacuuming, Mommy?"

"Because there are pine needles everywhere."

"Why?"

"Because they fell off the Christmas tree."

"Why?"

"Because it happens every year."

"Why?"

"Because that is how the tree is made."

"Why?"

"Because it just IS!"

"Why?"

And then at that point, I either laugh or cry!

Leavin' On A Jet Plane

So, I have BIG news! I am going to be going to California BY MYSELF for FIVE days in January! Well, actually, two of the five days are going to be spent traveling, but hey, traveling without kids is a BREEZE. After numerous transcontinental trips with two under 3's, under 4's and then under 5's, flying anywhere by myself feels like a vacation. I can read, sleep or even watch a movie!!

My trip came to be because Kevin was checking up on our (airline) point situation. I am constantly dreaming of our next trip. I have been suffering from some very serious withdrawals since we moved back from Europe. Kevin realized that I had enough points on my card for a free domestic flight...and they were going to expire in April. Well, the wheels started turning in my head!

My childhood friend, Kristal, lives in California. I have been wanting to visit California for the last little while. So, I pitched a proposal. I would use my points to go to visit Kristal, Kevin could take time off work to stay with the kiddies, and it could be my Christmas gift. We worked it out that I will be there over a holiday weekend, so Kevin and Kristal each only have to take two days off work. I will also get to be there for Kristal's birthday.

So, Kristal lives outside of San Francisco. Any suggestions as to what I should see while I am there?

My Highlight

For me, the highlight of our trip to Vegas was actually visiting the Grand Canyon. It has nothing to do with Vegas, but it has been one of those things that I have wanted to see for a long time. It was even more vast and more impressive than I expected it to be.

We rented a car and drove to the canyon and back in one day. That is one LONG day! The drive is about 4 to 4 1/2 hours each way. We left at 8:00 am and got back to our hotel at about midnight. We were in the park for about 3 hours, and we actually stayed in the park to watch the sunset. We left right after sunset and drove the whole way back to Vegas in the dark. I have to say, it was worth it. It was beautiful.


Here is a pic from our vantage point as the sun was setting! I have no idea who that guy in our photo is....he was in every photo I tried to take. I finally just gave up and let him be in my frame.

I like this pic of Kevin watching the sunset....note the person in the background (again)!

Same guy.....dude in the blue vest! Would be a great photo otherwise, don't you think?!

Some deer (or are those elk?) that we saw on our way through the park. Yes, we were very close!

Trying to show the vastness of the canyon........

Not the best pic of us, I admit, but it proves we were really there!

I have dozens of other photos too, but I am having some problems editing and rotating them right now. I am guessing you don't want to view them at a 90 degree angle! I will try again later!

It's Official

I am officially employable in the USA! I just received my permit yesterday in the mail, complete with lovely mug shot.

I am not sure what I am going to do with the card....but it is nice to at least have the option of working (outside of my house, that is....I do plenty of work at home already). I was feeling a little bit 'limited' (that's really just a nice way of saying trapped) a little while back, so we decided to submit the paperwork for my permit. That way, if some unbelievable opportunity were to present itself at my feet, at least I could pursue it!

Now I just need to find a job that is only a few hours per week, pays really well, preferably with benefits, close to home, understanding of work home life balance, and looking for my skill set! Should be a piece of cake! :)

Thankfulness

Noah brought this drawing home from school yesterday. He was supposed to draw a picture of something he is thankful for. That's me on the left, and it's supposed to be Kevin on the right. I love our haircuts, don't you?



I did notice that Noah conveniently forgot to draw Rebekah in the picture, but he redeemed himself tonight. We went around the table at dinner and each took a turn listing something that we were thankful for. Noah said that he was thankful for Rebekah. :)

Sometimes Mommies Have Wings

Today, my baby lost his very first tooth! It was a long time in the coming, as it has been hanging by a thread for about four weeks now. Noah did everything he could to keep if from falling out. He was so worried that it would hurt, and that it would bleed, that even the lure of the tooth fairy bringing him a reward was not enough to convince him to let us pull it out. He wouldn't bite with it, he wouldn't let us brush it....nothing.

Well, eventually, nature took care of things for us. Noah was playing with a blanket, swinging it around and it must have hit his tooth, because out it flew! We had to search on the floor to find it.



This led to all sorts of questions about the tooth fairy. Where does she live? How does she get into our house? How does she know when I have fallen asleep? Will she still come if the night light is on? etc, etc, etc

This morning when Noah woke up, he told Kevin that he saw the tooth fairy. He said she was small and pink and that she had wings. He said he can't remember if it was a dream, or if she was real. I just smiled and thought to myself that if I get the chance to talk to Noah about it first hand, I will tell him that I think it must have been real.

They are little for such a short time.....

Cute Boots

I have to start out by saying that overall, I am a very practical girl. I do however, admit to falling in love with things that have a high 'cute factor' even if they aren't the utmost in practicality.

It all began when I gave birth to a little girl. I loved dressing my son when he was a baby, but as boys grow, the clothes just seem to get less cute. What's up with that? Well, right at this time of transition into the world of 'less cuteness' is when Rebekah made her entrance. How convenient was that?!

When we lived in Switzerland, I was a total sucker for the shoes. European shoes for babies....they are the cutest thing ever. Expensive as heck, but oh so cute. It was in Switzerland that I purchased my very first pair of 'cute boots' for Rebekah.

What is the definition of a 'cute boot', you ask? Well, it is basically a boot that has no practical use...it isn't warm,it isn't water proof, it is simply adorable...particularly with a skirt or dress.

I was in a shop in Geneva during one of the bi-annual sales (yes, things only go on 'solde' twice per year!) and I found this darling pair of boots for less than half price. I had to buy them!



Every time Rebekah wore these boots she got compliments on them. She loved them as much as I did. Well, of course, this year they are too small. I had planned ahead enough to buy another pair of 'cute boots' in a bigger size before we left Geneva, but the growth of Bekah's feet has been so slow that she hasn't grown into them yet! So, I had to go on a hunt for a pair of 'cute boots' here in the USA that would fill in the gap.

I found this pair on sale......

They are cute too....but it just isn't the same. It isn't just the boots either. Bekah is still wearing a few pairs of shoes from Europe, and it never fails that she gets comments on how cute her shoes are. I love that they are unique...that she isn't wearing the same things as every other child we encounter. I love that these shoes provide a reminder of her unique and very special past. That as I dress her in these items each day, I get to reminisce a little bit about our past life in Switzerland.

And each time she grows and I have to put another item of clothing or another pair of shoes away, it feels like that past slips a little bit further away, and I sigh with the sadness of it all.

She's A Master

I decided not to register Bekah for any extra curricular activities this semester because I wanted to seriously tackle the task of getting her potty trained. I have been procrastinating for a few weeks now...using the excuses of visitors, appointments and illness to avoid the task at hand.

So, this week was the magic week.

Some readers may not want to read the details I am about to include in this post...so be warned. I am just so incredulous at it all, that I can't help but share the blow by blow.

Day one was on Tuesday. I got out the little potty, put Bekah straight into underpants and started talking about the wonderful world of going on the potty! She caught onto my excitement and was eager to sit on the little potty and be showered with praise. She sat for quite a while....distracted by the wonderful world of Dora the Explorer....until all of a sudden, the potty needed to be emptied! I don't know who was shocked more, Bekah or me! Well, after the big production of emptying the potty, standing on the big stool and washing our hands, she wanted to try again right away.

Fast forward to dinner time...and Bekah had been dry ALL DAY and had had FIVE successes! At dinner time things unravelled a bit with two accidents in quick succession. This really upset her, since she hates being messy. And let me tell you, the accidents were of the messiest variety. I think she was getting tired and beginning to lose focus.

Day two, Bekah was 7 for 7 on the potty, including the 'dirty deed'. No accidents!

Day three, Bekah was 8 for 8 on the potty. The real test came when we went out for three hours during the day. I thought for sure, this would be our downfall. We came home, and much to my surprise, she was dry. I put her on the potty immediately and she did ALL of her business right on cue! Later in the day we made a stop at a friend's house, and she used the potty there also. That was the first time she used the potty somewhere other than at home.

Day four, dry all day and dry at nap time too.

Today is day five, and we have had nothing but success again.

Unbelievable. If I had known it was going to be this easy, I would have done it a long time ago!

A Lesson Learned

Well, we have learned a valuable lesson.....soccer is not Noah's 'thing'. We got through the season attending only about half of the games. The half that we did attend, were more or less in an attempt to teach Noah that you have to give something a fair chance before deciding you don't like it, and packing it in. I hope he got the message.

Let's just say, soccer wasn't a big hit. The major problem....being crowded by the other kids. He wasn't into the contact part of the sport.


At least Noah was exposed to his first team sport, and I am hoping that some of the groundwork has been layed for future lessons in sportsmanship. We also got this really cute picture. :)

Here is Noah with his trophy and his little friend, Blackie the Webkinz dog. Noah was so excited when the coach stopped by to drop off his trophy. It was a huge hit....and at least we ended the season on a high note.

Handsome Fellow

Noah came home with his very first school pictures earlier this week. Handsome little fellow, isn't he?

He is wearing one of those 'I'm smiling only because you told me to smile' kinda smiles, but it's still cute. :)

Viva Las Vegas

I have to say, I never had any desire to go to Vegas. Shocking, I know, since I want to travel just about everywhere else on the planet!

Well, our dear friends James and Tara have gone to Vegas twice. It was a great location for them, since they live on the west coast of Canada. They couldn't say enough good things about it. So, that got us thinking....

When my Mom and Dad extended the offer of keeping the kiddies for a few days so we could get away, the Vegas research began. Then Kevin found a great half price package, and that sealed the deal. The trip was on....

We stayed on the strip, at the MGM Grand. Over the top doesn't even begin to explain Vegas. It is larger than life, and totally crazy. It is really fun to see it once in your life, and we enjoyed the experience thoroughly.

We spent almost two wholes days just walking along the strip, in and out of the hotels, checking out all of the themes. We decided one of our favourites for its theme was New York. It was also really neat to see the Venezia and Paris, since we have traveled both of those destinations in the recent past.

The above pic is inside the MGM front lobby.

This is a real lion...it lives inside the MGM hotel. Unbelievable. There are about 5 lions that rotate into and out of the glass enclosure in the hotel. They have trainers that are employed full time to feed, exercise and care for the lions. They really get up close and personal with those lions too! We watched one trainer exchange kisses and rub noses with one of the lions. It is really amazing to see.

Having said that, I don't think either Kevin or I are anxious to quit our day jobs!

While We Were Out.....

Since August, Noah has had a security object. He has never in his life had one before...not as an infant....not ever. Well, that changed in August when my good friend Paula and her daughter, Alexa came to visit. They brought Noah a Webkinz black Lab which he named Blackie. Blackie and Noah have been inseparable ever since. Blackie goes to school, the doctor's office, out to play and to bed with Noah.

The second week of October, Kevin and I went away for four days to Las Vegas (still on my list of things to blog about). The kiddies stayed with my Mom and Dad who were visiting us at the time. Well, while we were away, Bekah developed a security object too....it was a rat. Yes, you did read that correctly.

Back in the heyday of Ty Beanie Babies, I admit to having collected them. When the Beanie Baby bubble burst, they ended up in storage, while we went off to Switzerland. Since being back in North America, and having all of our belongings in one place again, the Beanies are back. The kids have been having a field day playing with all of the unusual animals. That's where the rat comes in.

His name is actually Tiptoe, according to the tag that he once had. My Dad, however, dubbed him 'Ratty' and that is the name that stuck. Apparently, Bekah slept with him and carried him around by the tail the whole time we were away.

My reaction was, 'why not a bear or a horse or a cute little kitten...why a rat?!'.


So, hear is my adorable little girl playing with a pink boa, and yes, that is Ratty in her right hand.

Here is a close up....Bekah and Ratty.....I can't help but shake my head!

Trick Or Treat

The whole 'choosing a Halloween costume' experience was a little less than smooth for us this year. Bekah decided that she wanted to be Fairytale Dora and Noah decided on Scooby Doo. So, I went online to discount costume warehouses and started comparison shopping.

The first problem arose when I found out that the Fairytale Dora costume had been discontinued. Any website that listed it in their inventory was followed by a notice of 'currently unavailable'. Each time I would get my hopes up, and then they would be dashed! Why don't they just take it off the site entirely?! It is no longer being produced....it isn't like they are going to get more in stock!

Upon a suggestion from my friend, Audra, I decided to buy a Belle costume and try to alter it. I am not enough of a seamstress that I could tackle making a costume from scratch, and although my Mom was coming for a visit, she was looking after our kids for four days (while we went to Vegas) and I didn't want to burden her with making a costume too!

Well, the costumes arrived and I was sorely disappointed. They were flimsy and cheaply made. I investigated returning them, but the shipping costs to do so just didn't make it worth while.

The Scooby Doo was supposed to be a size 6, and it barely fit Noah is is wearing a size 4-5. The Belle was the same deal....barely able to fit a small 2 year old, despite the fact that it was a size 4!

So, Belle got tossed into the costume trunk to play with....when it wouldn't have to fit over outerwear and we decided to make due with the Skimpy Scooby.

Now, what to do about Dora?!

Mom to the rescue...she decided to make one. We bought the fabrics for an affordable price and Nana went to work. Complications arose (no surprise there...considering how things were already going!) and Nana didn't finish the costume and had to take it back to Canada with her. Kevin picked it up there when he visited about 2 weeks later. Dora ended up with lace sleeves instead of fabric, because some ripping apart and re-sewing ended up causing a shortage of fabric. Sigh......

Well, all in all Dora turned out wonderfully, and Bekah was thrilled!



Here is the Skimpy Scooby....it actually looks kind of cute in the photo. Too bad it wasn't as good in person! It already has come apart on a seam!

This is Fairytale Dora. The hat caused another whole drama. I made the hat out of foam covered in fabric. The hair is made of pipe cleaners that I rolled around a shot glass to give them the look of loose curls. It looked really cute, but it was SO heavy with the weight of the pipe cleaners that it wouldn't stay on her head!

You can see in this picture that Scooby is holding Dora's hat in place so it doesn't fall off! The hat only lasted as long at it took to take these photos. It didn't even make it out of the house..... I quickly did a swap and put a pink cone hat on Dora. It was one that was in the afore mentioned costume trunk. It was cute, but it didn't have any hair on it. That one lasted for half of our street and then I ended up carrying it.

The sad thing is, my kids probably won't even remember how hard I tried!

Please Comment!

I know you all are out there....either that or you are lying to me! Please leave comments for me in the comments field....so that I know that you have been here, and that you are actually reading. When I don't see comments, it makes me feel like I am spending this time for nothing! I look forward to seeing what you all have to say. :)

Thank you GoMom for your diligence to this matter!

Pumpkin Carving

I took on the task of carving pumpkins with the kiddies while Kevin wasn't at home. It would have been a lot easier with another adult present, but what can you do?!

We went online to choose some patterns...that was a bit of a production in itself! Noah decided on Scooby Doo...after much deliberation. Bekah decided on a kitty cat, after two milliseconds of deliberation.



This was Noah's first attempt at scooping the guts from his pumpkin. Right after this picture was taken, he informed me that he didn't like the feel and he needed to wash his hands.



Bekah wouldn't even stick her hand in the pumpkin. This was the closest she got.....three feet away and scooping one seed at a time with a spoon.

Here, Noah decided to try it with a spoon......

The 'cheese faces'........

Bekah with the finished product. To hear her tell it.....it is called a 'coo cat' instead of a kitty cat.

Noah with his Scooby Doo jack o' lantern. We had to prop him up a bit because otherwise his chin wouldn't show. Well, actually, that is Noah's book under the pumpkin....some light reading for him. :)

Meow.....

Blogging by the Fire

Tonight, we are having our very first fire of the season...and the first in our new house! I am sitting with the laptop in my lap right in front of the fireplace as I type this. :)

The air has become crisp, and with the American Thanksgiving just around the corner, the Christmas festivities will be going in full force before we know it! I am starting to be in the mood for hot chocolate and fireplaces on a regular basis now.

Earlier this week I went on a wood hunt. I am looking for a supplier from which to buy wood for the fireplace...and so far I haven't been overly successful. I sent out an email to several people that I have met since moving here.....that email only netted me one lead...and it seems to be an expensive one at that. I then started calling places from the yellow pages. I left about 4 or 5 messages and none of them even called me back! I guess they aren't too hard up for business!

In the meantime I stopped at a garden center and bought a small amount of wood that had been dried and seasoned for 9 months. Apparently, this is less than ideal for a fireplace, but better for a wood burning stove, which can tolerate wood containing a higher moisture content. I was told that for a fireplace, one would want wood that has been seasoned and dried for a year to a year and a half, but that it is harder to find (and more expensive). So here I am typing this and sure enough, the fire is beginning to sizzle. The flames have all but disappeared and I have three unburned logs sitting in there.

Back to the yellow pages......

It's All In The Details

With our last two moves, I have made sure that Noah's room is the very first one in the house that is unpacked and 'complete'. He is the one that has the most difficulty with change, and having his room filled with all of his own stuff to 'ground' him is a good thing.

As it stands right now....I think Noah's bedroom is still the only room in the house that I would consider 'done'. Now, if you spoke to Kevin, I am sure he would give you a very different assessment of the state of our house....but he is a man, and we all know that men see these things through very different eyes.

It took me forever to decide on the paint colour for Noah's room.... It might be hard to tell in the photos, but I settled on a pale green. It ties in nicely with all of the green 'dragon stuff' that is in the room. So, you may have guessed it by now...but Noah's room is decorated in a dragon, castle, knight kind of theme...right down to the smallest details. In my opinion, it's the details that make the room.

From the curtains with the fire breathing dragons.....

...to the dragon storage pocket hanging thingy....

....to the much loved chest with padlock.......

.....to the infamous Playmobil castle......

.....to the rug with yet another dragon......

....to the mirror that looks like a castle window....(this is another favourite).....

....to the working torches that are mounted on the wall on either side of the bed....

....and last, but certainly not least, Noah's fire breathing dragon that stands guard while he sleeps.

I love how Noah's room turned out.

So, one down, and countless more to go.....

Rainy Day Activities

Saturday was day eight of Kevin's time away....and it is safe to say that the kids and I are getting on each others' nerves. To top it off, it was rainy and damp and gloomy ALL day Saturday. Saturday....when there is no school and no activities to break up the LONG day! Noah was actually supposed to have soccer...but it was cancelled due to the weather. So, inside we stayed....all day.

Noah love to help me cook. So, I decided that doing some baking would be a good way to pass the time. First we made jello (not really baking, but fun for a five year old nonetheless). Then we baked chocolate cupcakes.

One the agenda today, was frosting and decorating the above mentioned cupcakes. I decided to go with a Halloween theme, and this is what we came up with......

SKULLS!

The chin is made from a marshmallow that has been cut in half. You pull the paper cup down and place the marshmallow in there. You then frost over the cupcake and the marshmallow. The eyes are made from Quaker Granola Bites (you could use Junior Mints), the nose is a chocolate chip, and the teeth are slivered almonds.

The decorating part was a bit labour intensive, and Noah wasn't really able to help that much, but the kids loved the end result.

Now I just have to find someone to share my 24 skulls with.....

First Haircut

I had to take Noah to get a haircut in preparation for his picture day at school. He was looking a bit on the shaggy side, and I didn't really want to memorialize kindergarten forever by having him look scruffy in his photos.

At the last minute, I decided that Rebekah needed a trim too. Her hair was really uneven due to the pulling. Her hair is SO fine that for the longest time I just couldn't bear to cut what little she had. It was getting very long in spots, and not so long in others. So, the time had come!

So, off we went to a cool place called Kingdom Cuts. It was recommended to me by a friend, and what a great place for the kiddies! They each got to choose a video to watch while getting their trim, and the whole place was decorated with a castle theme. What fun! Bekah talked about it for days.



Getting ready for the very first snip, snip.

Watching Strawberry Shortcake with a degree of focus I didn't think possible of a two year old child.

The end result.

I am very please with the decision to trim it up. It looks much thicker and is still very cute despite its shorter length. And the trim even seems to have enhanced her waves. That is a HUGE deal to me considering I come from a family of people with poker straight hair!

But on the sad side...don't you think it makes her look so grown up?!

Oh Joy....

So, I just finished mopping all of the hardwood....not a small feat, and long overdue. Rebekah then decided to spill what appeared to be pretty much a whole yogurt drink on the freshly mopped floor. It didn't look like any of the drink actually ended up inside the child.

Well, I stand corrected.

Moments ago, Rebekah got out of a time out. She threw a toy because I turned off her Dora show. After a warning, she threw another toy. As I picked her up to put her in her time out spot, she managed to belch in my face. It smelled like yogurt drink.

Like I said, I stand corrected.

On an up note, at least the mop was still out. :)

My Sweet Little Boy

I have to write about Noah and a conversation we had this morning. After a string of rough days, I have to sometimes remind myself what a sweet child he truly is. I want to remember the good moments!

Yesterday was ROUGH. Rough enough, that after being seated at a table in a restaurant (Kevin is away for NINE days and I am flying solo with the kiddies), I actually told the waitress that we needed to leave because my children weren't behaving themselves. I walked out with both of them kicking and screaming and took them home to eat cereal and toast for dinner. NOT GOOD!

So, this morning as Noah was getting ready for school, I explained to him that I had put money in his backpack so that he could choose a book at the school book fair. He told me that he was going to find a Dora book for Bekah. I thought that was very sweet of him. I did explain though, that he may not have enough money for a book for himself AND a book for Bekah. He then told me, "I'll just get a Dora book for Bekah then. I don't mind."

Those are the moments that make me realize that maybe, just maybe, the things we are trying to teach him at home are getting through!

My Little Gymnast

One of the activities that Bekah and I have been doing over the last several weeks is a gymnastics class at the YMCA. She LOVES this class. She loves it so much that she actually looses all control of herself when we get into the gym.




I hear all of the giggles and snickers from the mouths of the other mothers as my child runs spastically from one activity center to the next....they shake their heads and say, 'wow, she has a lot of energy'. Yeah, no kidding. It is impossible for me to take her to this class and not break a sweat. It kills me to see all of the other little kids sitting nicely in the circle while Bekah runs shrieking away from me. Sigh....




While my mom and dad were visiting I managed to get a few good pics. I would have never attempted it while at the class with Rebekah on my own...but since my mom was there with me, the opportunity was calling.




She looks so angelic in the photos, doesn't she?!

Infestation!

The weather in New England this fall has been very strange. One week it is cold and only 60 degrees F, and the next we are back to wearing shorts and t-shirts as the temperatures soar back up to 80 degrees F.

Well, with the latest warm front, our neighbourhood has had a 'few' little visitors of the insect variety. We have fallen victim to SWARMS of lady bugs. They are coming into all of the houses on our street. For us, the biggest problem has been in the kitchen. Our back door, leading to the deck, seems to have a bit of a gap between it and the door frame. The gap seems to be the perfect size for our lady bug visitors to make their way into our house in an attempt to find a warm place to settle in for the winter.

This photo was taken before it even got bad. By the end of the day, I had about 50 of these little beetles in my kitchen.




Thank goodness for the internet. I don't know what we did before it existed! A quick google query armed me with the info that I needed to defeat these little pests. It seems that they aren't really 'lady bugs' in the true sense of the word...but they are a variation, and in actual fact, are a form of beetle. They are harmless and can actually be good to have around as they eat other types of insects that are not so pleasant to have around.

One the down side though, if you have enough of them, they can clog up vents and cause some major issues. Also, when they feel threatened the ooze this red fluid which can stain fabrics and wood. Not good!

The advice that I found online was to vacuum them up, while making sure not to leave the hose hanging loosely around the handle of the vacuum after the job was done. Apparently they will crawl back out! So, a piece of crunched up paper towel served as an effective road block at the end of the vacuum hose, while a whole lot of tape served the purpose of sealing up my back door for the few days until they are supposed to move onto some other unassuming neighbourhood!

Two Little Monkeys

Here are a couple of recent pics of my two little monkeys. :)