Casa De La Tonteria!

New Start

2011-07-27T12:17:00.002-06:00

So I'm not sure where to go with this post. There are a lot of things that I don't know right now.

But, I'm gonna start at the start.

My life has changed and therefore I have to make some changes TO my life.

I think I might go get a hair cut. That's a start. Shake the cobwebs out.

Might help me feel a bit better about my self.

I'm also having a garage sale this weekend and I am hoping to purge my life of some of the clutter that is dragging me down. And possibly make some money so I can pay for Daycare...

/sigh

Wish me luck.

Those of you who know me... thanks for being there through this change in my life.
It will be hard.. But I will only be a better person because of it all.

changes come (changes come)
keep your dignity (keep your dignity)
take the high road (take the high road)
take it like a man (take it like a man)

momma said like the rain
(this too shall pass)
like a kidney stone
(this too shall pass)
it's just a broken heart, son
this pain will pass away

OMG! FINALLY! TY AJ!

2011-05-05T10:33:00.006-06:00

ok so!

I was on night shift for a few years as many of you may well know. Since I went back to work after Maternity leave from having Hunter, I was working 4pm until midnight.

The night shift WAS working for a while. It was certainly working when I only had one baby to run after and Hunter wasn't as mobile and physically able as he is now. Being pregnant with Phoenix and only having to chase the Bean wasn't too stressful. If hunter napped, I napped. But going back on night shift after my maternity leave with Phoenix was quite a nightmare. I would get home from work at 12:30 am, hopefully be wound down enough to be asleep by 1:30 am and then I would be awake by 5:30 am when Hunter decided it was time to rock and roll, basically leaving me with an average of 4 hours of a sleep a night. And 4 hours was Gratuitous! Some nights I couldn't sleep till 2 am or later, and it was not uncommon for the Bean to get up at 4:30 am! Running on two hours of sleep, working nights and taking care of a high maintenance child and 1 year old makes for an extremely psychotic mother!

Three weeks ago I emailed my boss in the hopes that she would understand my situation and help me get back on the day shift. She was less than sympathetic and I was told that she would have to find someone to replace me on the night shift before she could move me to days permanently.

Meanwhile, my life was completely spiralling out of control. I was CHRONICALLY angry at everyone. Extremely frustrated and impatient with Hunter and Phee, even if all they were doing was WAKING UP. I would be so mad that I was awake. I was angry at my kids and resentful of everyone else in my house who were all asleep by 9 pm most nights. The extreme exhaustion was making me a piss poor mother with no patience, no sympathy, no understanding for my son and i was just oozing resentment and anger.

I went to my doctor and spoke with her about my stress levels, as my eczema was taking liberty with my hands. I had to combat at least one heavy infection in my skin since January and nothing was working to clear it up for good. Everything I did with my hands hurt. I would cry on the phone to my mother because the pain was so bad I could barely function. I was afraid to change diapers or feed the kids because it meant washing my hands. I wore gloves everywhere and constantly had water blisters. The pain was immense and I would wish it on no one. I really dint know how I managed for so long. My doctor had given me antibiotics, creams, lotions, dietary suggestions and nothing was working. (Below are a few pics to give you a rough idea of how my hands looked, the white glove picture showes how much weeping and oozing was going on when my hands were infected)

When I went to see her 3 weeks ago she told me she was giving me 2 weeks sick leave. That I was not to continue working nights as it was only making my life miserable.
On top of exhaustion, sleep deprivation, extreme infection and eczema, my children were in danger.
I was falling asleep in the mornings on the floor. The only way i could function in the mornings was to get up with the kids, make them breakfast, put them in their high chairs and then I would go lay down on the floor in the living room and sleep while they ate. I would wake up when Hunter was finally yelling loud enough to wake me up. "MAM! DONE! MAAM! MAAM! DONE!" So there I was passed out on my living room floor, not watching my children while they ate breakfast. What if one of them had been choking??? But i just couldn't stay awake. The final straw was falling asleep on the floor one morning and Hunter climbed over the baby gate and into the kitchen. There, he got into the pot drawer, opened a bottle of Bactine, Poured it everywhere, smeared Vaseline all over the pots and was almost about to climb up on the counter when my sister in law came down stairs and found him. I was sleeping, too tired to know what had happened. She didnt wake me to tell me he had gotten into the kitchen. She merely put him back into the playroom and went about getting ready for work. While she was showering he hopped the gate a second time and that was when I woke up and found him back in the kitchen IN THE POT DRAWER AGAIN. I looked around the kitchen at the mess and everything that was out of place wondering.. what the heck has he been up to... That's when my sister in law came down stairs and told me she had found Hunter in the kitchen and I had completely slept through it all. I told Dave about what had happened and his first thought was that things could have been much worse as Hunter could have been under the sink and into the cleaning products or sitting on the stove!

I told all this to my doctor that morning. I was in tears before I even got to the Doctors office. In fact, my normal morning routine involved at least one hysterical crying jag and a freak out on the kids for the stupidest thing!

I was done. When my doctor told me she was going to give me 2 weeks sick leave I burst into tears of joy!

I MIGHT FINALLY GET SOME SLEEP!

Those two weeks weren't the most relaxing two weeks of my life but I managed to recoop some sleep and my hands have healed significantly, though not completely.

After making a few phone calls to work before the two week sick leave was up, I found out that I had a new boss. She is my angel. I have known her for a few years now, working here and she also knows Hunter very well. She was extremely understanding and emphatic that I be put on day shift right away as it was only going to cause more long term issues for my and my family's future. I started back on day shift Mon - fri 8 am - 4pm this past Tuesday.

AJ, I cant thank you enough. Ty for understanding. Ty for seeing me as a human being w needs. TY for doing everything in your power to make my life and my future a happier one.

Links to Urban Farming and Urban Homesteading

2011-03-08T21:22:00.004-07:00

http://www.rootsimple.com
http://freedomgardens.org
http://urbanhomestead.org
http://slowlivingessentials.blogspot.com/
http://sustainableurbanhomestead.com/

http://www.self-sufficiency-guide.com/

http://www.countryfarm-lifestyles.com/index.html

URBAN FARMING!

2011-03-08T20:49:00.003-07:00

Well, I really havent got enough hands for everything I want to do and lord knows, with two kids you need 4 hands and that's 2 less than I already have.

I want to blog, and work, and game, and farm, and garden, and go garage saling! Where do I fit it all in?

This spring I am going to go ape shit in my yard and do my best to grow us a nice little harvest of food. Last year I made an effort but it was a poorly thought out effort and I grew a copious amount of useless food that didnt even thrive. This year I have to make PLANS. I have to figure out WHAT i want to grow and have a better system for WHERE I want to grow it. I also plan on cutting out some more grass and putting in a few more beds. Prefereably along the deck.

In the mean time, I am furiously awaiting the spring. I'm getting itchy green thumbs, my hands have been DIRT and SOILLESS for MONTHS and I'm dying to see the colour green again!

So I will try to post more, and I will try try try to take more pics. I would really like that. If anyone can spare a few hands or arms this spring and summer, I sure could use the help in the yard, come on over, I've got a fridge full of beer!

Choosing Thomas

2010-11-19T20:23:00.005-07:00

I just wanted to publicly thank Deidrea and T.K. Laux for this video. I can't tell you enough how much it means to me, to know that you chose Thomas!

Knowing full well what the out come of this pregnancy would likely be, this couple chose to put their own feelings aside and give Thomas an opportunity at life, regardless how fleeting it might have been. They gave Thomas the chance to enjoy life and be loved as ALL babies deserve.

PLEASE, Think before you decide that your little one isn't worth it. Thomas was worth it!

I'm sure that to some people, Thomas would have been less than perfect. But in the eyes of his parents, he was the world. HE WAS PERFECT!

Too many people are choosing to terminate babies who are PERFECTLY beautiful children. Out of selfishness? Or fear? I don't know... but it makes me so sad to think that so many children with DS are being terminated because they aren't what their PERFECT parents expected. This is awful. Again, please talk to someone, do some research, meet people with disabilities and STOP being PERFECT!

Happy Halloween!

2010-11-03T21:07:00.003-06:00

Phoenix went as a Phoenix!

And Hunter was a turtle again!

He makes the worlds cutest turtle!

Handsome Hunter!

2010-11-03T21:05:00.001-06:00

Wordless Wednesday!

Best Big Brother Award

2010-11-02T16:50:00.003-06:00

Im Handing out a Best Big Brother Reward to Tyler Ward. Here is the SWEETEST thing a big brother could do for his lil Sister!

Thanks Tyler!

MOHAWK FTW!

2010-10-27T23:15:00.000-06:00

It Doesn't Get Any Better Than This!

More CPAP Progress

2010-10-27T22:44:00.002-06:00

Snuck in to my lil turds room and snapped a quick pic of him sleeping with his mask on again the other day. Pretty good for his first week!

Today Shaunee, the respiratory therapist came over to check up on our progress. I had scheduled her to come at 1 pm so that by then Hunter would be good and ready for a nap. He wore his mask without a fuss and we took him upstairs to his room where we hooked him up and turned the machine on. I held him until he fell asleep. No fussing, No crying. Just calm, peaceful sleep! AVEC OXYGEN SIL VOUS PLAIS!

The Great Pumpkin Hunt !

2010-10-27T21:59:00.011-06:00

We took the kids to the Great Pumpkin Hunt at Butterfield Acres here in Calgary.

ORIGINALLY, we were supposed to meet up with other members of Ups and Downs, but I quite obviously did not read the Invite close enough and the Wagon ride that the Ups and Downs folks were on LEFT for the pumpkin patch at 10:00 am sharp. We showed up around 10:30! Ha ha! Butterfield Acres was very nice about letting us go for our Wagon ride out to the pumpkin patch anyway. All three of the kids got to hunt out a pumpkin to take home with them!

Phee getting ready

Uhmmm... There was a distraction on the right there...

And there is Hunt, Off chasing the goat!

MY NEWEST FAVORITE PICTURE!

/swoon!

Daddy /wink wink!

Oh So Handsomes!

I love this picture below!

It makes me chortle!

All three boys are looking in TOTALLY different directions!

And Hunter seems to be the only one looking at the camera!

TURDLE!

Our Ride out the the Great Pumpkin Patch!

Hunter heading off on his pumpkin hunt!

Can you See the Pumpkins?

Phoenix Found One!

Hunter on the Wagon!

Me and Phee!

So Pretty! My Little Phoenix!

Terrible Pictures!

But here is Hunter right there in the middle of the beasties!

Hold My Calls!

2010-10-27T21:47:00.001-06:00

I SAID HOLD ALL MY CALLS!!!

I'M IN A MEETING!
!

Castian and The T21 Travelling Afghan!

2010-10-27T21:21:00.007-06:00

I had the Afghan for FAR too long but there were a few delays in getting together with the next family.

We decided, rather than mail the Afghan across the city, why not just get together for a play date and do a personal hand off and make some new friends!

Here is Castian and his Momma Arlene receiving the T21 Travelling Afghan!

YAY!! OUT COMES THE BOX!

And my kids are in there like it's Christmas!

Castian Eyeballing Hunter!

"Back away from the box Bud!

You had your turn!"

Here Castian is checking out the Journal and deciding if the New Journal is Acceptable!

He has deemed it so!

Hunter Chatting away to Castian While he works on his Commando Crawl!

CPAP progress!

2010-10-21T23:29:00.005-06:00

This is a crummy picture because I took it with my phone but here is my boy, passed out dead to the world, having the best nap ever after calmly and patiently allowing me and the respiratory therapists to put his CPAP mask on him. We turned it on to see how he would do with the air. And just like that, one minute I'm holding him in my arms rocking him and the next... he just laid in my arms, relaxed and fell asleep. Right there in the living room in front of the three ladies (1 Resp, therapist, and 2 RN's) Zonked right out! We put him in the play pen and let him sleep for 2 hours. Daddy put him to bed with the machine and the mask on tonight and I haven't had a status update as of yet but I'm hoping it's still on when I get home! Sweet little guy, he needs all the rest and relaxation he can get, and oxygen WHILE he's doing it! I loves him!

Day 21 of 31 for 21

2010-10-21T22:53:00.003-06:00

Well, Finding time to blog is not as easy as I thought it would be!

I did find a few things I wanna share with the world!

NEW BLOG FUN THE SPARKLING MARTINS
Not a DS blog but an Unschooling blog. Even if you aren't into Unschooling or home schooling, it's still a great blog for creative ideas and great family fun! Thank you to My friend Mary for Sharing!

And here is a video for everyone to show that I love you !

Day 15 of 31 for 21

2010-10-15T20:19:00.004-06:00

Grab This Button

Im so exhausted and out of sorts tonight and not really in the mood to blog. But I can upload a few pictures for you!

My Man and his Mini Mohawk!

Day 14 of 31 for 21- Monica and David - Paving the Way for Our Children!

2010-10-14T21:26:00.004-06:00

Grab This Button

Tonight is the World Television Debut of the Tribeca Film Festival Best Documentary Feature

Monica and David

Currently, this is not set to air in Canada yet but there is word that CBC will be airing the documentary all though it is not confirmed as of yet!

Please keep me posted if you hear otherwise!

I am just DYING to see this movie!

Monica looks like such a sweet heart!

Little Drummer Boy

2010-10-13T23:25:00.002-06:00

Day 13 of 31 For 21

2010-10-13T23:02:00.004-06:00

Grab This Button

Ok So I'm kind of cheating in that I didn't start the 31 for 21 on the first of October, but I am going to try to finish the month at least.

Quickly, I will note that I have added a Reece's Rainbow Slide show button on the right to show my support of an absolutely wonderful cause.

I'm only just back in the blogosphere and I have a lot I would like to write about but I'm a little stressed, tired, and frankly, spread too thin to even think lately. Going back to work has certainly helped but I need to get back to a good solid routine.

Last night I didn't manage to get INTO bed until 1 am and then Phoenix was up at 4 looking for a snuggle and wanting to be tucked back in to bed. Hunter then woke up at about 5:20 and while I was trying to put him back to sleep Phoenix woke up again, which, pretty much woke Hunter up for good. I tried to snuggle them both back to sleep in Hunter's bed but neither one of them wanted to go back to sleep I guess. I was looking forward to Coleen's visit today so that I might be able to put Phee down for a nap and then have a snooze my self for an hour while Hunter played. That didn't work out quite as I had planned. Phoenix was getting pretty cranky around 8:30 am, so I put her back to bed and went to lay down on the couch and hang out with Hunter while we waited for Coleen. Hunt climbed up into his play pen that we have out in the living room at the moment and played quietly. I closed my eyes on the couch. I woke up at 9:15 and realised that Coleen was supposed to be over. I gave her a call to see if she was running late. She wasn't. She had been to the house, rang the door bell three times and had even called the house from the front step. And I slept right through it all. I can't tell you how upset I was when I realise that I had slept through her knocking and calling. I caused poor little Hunty to miss his play date. I just cried and cried. I felt so terrible, but I must have been absolutely exhausted if I didn't hear Coleen at all. How tired does a person have to be, to sleep through the door bell when the front door is less than 10 feet from where they are sleeping?

I spent 2 hours with Hunter myself this morning. Colouring, helping him with his glasses, playing with his guitar and drums.

I'm still mad at myself. And on top of all that Coleen has a doctor's appointment tomorrow, so he will miss her visit then as well. :(

Nana suggests I leave the door unlocked for Coleen I might have to do that.

Bad Mommy!

Addressing Challenging Behaviours in Children With Down Syndrome

2010-10-09T21:23:00.003-06:00

Looks like we need to start talking about our children and their Challenging (to say the least) Behaviours. As a parent, and a blogger, I think it would be good for us as a community AS A WHOLE to talk about our children's behavior. If anything it will only help us understand our kids, and I know it will personally comfort me and other parents to know that I am NOT the only one dealing with an exceptionally difficult child.

To start things off, I will share an article that my father found online for me one day when I called looking for my MOMMY, but she wasn't home. It was a good thing he answered because some days, it's better to talk to a less emotional , more Logic and Reasoning, kinda person. Not that my mother ISN'T logical and reasonable, but I AM NOT logical and reasonable when talking to her. Regardless, here is a link to the article. Addressing challenging behaviour in children with Down syndrome: The use of applied behaviour analysis for assessment and intervention

It is a very in depth paper and not something that is easily perused.

As I mentioned in an earlier post this week, I have a girl who comes to the house to work with Hunter 5 days a week now. She plays with him for 2 hours a day and is there specifically to help me work with Hunter on certain Challenging Behaviours.

First I will give you a run down on some (certainly not ALL, because I would be here all night) of the behaviours that Hunter is doing regularly.

~When Hunter is not given what he wants he will get angry and throw himself on the floor and smash his upper body backwards so as to smash his head on the floor. (Clearly he figured out that when he is hurt mommy and daddy come running)

~Hunter yells constantly and when asked to be quiet he will not listen. He shouts everywhere we go. On the bus, in the stores, EVERYWHERE. The bus driver the other day mentioned to me how he was being pretty quiet today.... I didn't think so. But I guess, comparatively he really WAS being quieter.

~He can not be left alone for any real length of time with his sister. He impulsively smashes her on the head, drags her around by her legs(which she actually thinks is quite hilarious), pushes her over or tries to undress her and remove her diaper.

~Hunter will RARELY take no for an answer and due to his lack of understanding and reasoning, giving him an answer is most often pointless.

~Hunt will not leave any clothes ON. He will not wear pants, shirts, diapers, pull ups, or anything on his body for any length of time unless it has been Hunter proofed, Read - Duct taped. 90% of the time he spends in zip up one piece sleepers that are either on backwards or taped across the zipper to keep him from taking off his clothes. If I DIDN'T tape his clothes on, I would spend my whole day cleaning my carpet and chasing him to put his clothes back on.

~Hunter has little to NO attention span and just runs from one toy to the next at an alarming speed. This is extremely challenging in that he is VERY difficult to contain for more than 3 - 5 mins or so. Anything beyond that and he will get very frustrated and angry. Sitting still for more than one or two pages in a book is completely unheard of in my house. Because of his lack of attention span, Hunter will not cooperate with a lot of tasks that are asked of him, like sitting still to have his shoes put on or waiting for his food.

~Hunt does not look or THINK about where he is going. In 2 and a half years, my son has had at least 4 black eyes, mostly because he just RUNS full bore into things. I can't seem to get him to slow down at all. I ask him to go slow and LOOK before he does things but he is constantly injuring himself by being careless.

~Hunter obsesses about certain things and he can't seem to be diverted from these obsessions very easily. For example, the diapers. The moment we put a diaper on him, he reaches for the Velcro tabs and starts pulling at them to take them off. There isn't even a SECOND where he will just wander around with clothes or a diaper on when he WONT instantly start taking them off. Even when his clothes ARE duct taped on, he will spend half the night trying to get them off. The telephone is another object that he obsesses about. No matter how many times I tell him NO you can't have the phone, he still points at it and asks over and over and over again in his own little Hunter way. "Neeh! Neeh! Neeeeeh!" Point Point Point, Signs please over and over and over again. Point point point "Neeh! Neeh! Neeh!" (We aren't sure what "neeh" means but I think it might be him trying to say please.

~The tap in the bath is yet another obsession and he WILL NOT FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THINGS HOLY LEAVE IT ALONE!

~Glasses are of course a challenge but that seems to be coming along with the help of Coleen.

~Hunter will not remain seated in any sort of Stroller, High Chair, Car seat, Shopping cart, ride on toy, or any other SEAT unless he is completely strapped in with a proper seat belt or harness that he can NOT undo. He is very good with buckles, zippers, belts and clips. I have booster seats that have little trays on them which I use all the time with Phoenix but I CAN NOT use them with Hunter because he will not stay in his seat. He just wants to climb out. I still use his old baby high chair with the five point harness to ensure his safety when he is eating.

~As I mentioned, Hunt is very busy and very curious, but do to the fact that he does not listen, cooperate, pay attention to where he is going or even have any sense of fear or danger (except loud noises like trains, that scares him), I can not let him have free run of the house. This causes exceptional behaviour issues with Hunter because he is pretty much forced to spend most of his time in our living room, which we have set up specifically for him. We have to maintain the baby gates at the bottom of the stairs and between the living room and the kitchen. This is strictly for his own safety at this point.

~Additionally, because he has ZERO attention span, he is VERY hard to entertain. He also does not play with things the same way other kids would. If I give him washable felt markers, he just wants to take the lids off then put them back on. On and off, on and off.... all day. If you give him a Tupperware bowl and a lid... he is in heaven. I struggle to find things to keep him busy, such as little projects, drawings, puzzles, books and such. He has no patience for any of that.

~Lastly, If MOM has asked me to do it... I'M NOT GONNA! If dad says NO, then it means NO. If Mom says no.. it means do it harder, faster and more furiously till she gets to me! ( I KNOW... That's totally Typical Two year old boy)

These are some of the things I contend with everyday while trying my hardest to not lose my SHIT!

I know that some of them are totally normal, while others are just so beyond annoying and not typical of a 2 and a half year old.

Ironically.. a friend of mine said she wished that some days her daughter could just be a "stereotypical child with Down syndrome," .. all smiles and cherubic. Frankly, I think this is TYPICAL of all kids with Down Syndrome, and anyone I have ever talked to who has raised a child with Down syndrome would probably agree. Stubborn, hard headed, determined and FIXATED! If only we as parents can work together to help each other out!

So this is where I ask YOU for your input. What kind of challenging behaviors do you deal with and how do you cope? How do you try to change them?

Phunny Phee

2010-10-09T19:23:00.003-06:00

Random Phee pics!

Bragging Rights!

2010-10-09T19:17:00.003-06:00

Ok.. So i knit this little beauty last year for my parents as a Christmas gift and I haven't posted about it yet so I thought I would share. It is my best work so far, so it's only fair that I show it off.

I was knitting it right up until Christmas Eve. I was actually FINISHING it in my mothers living room while she watched but I told her I was making Dave a sweater. She couldn't figure out why I was knitting so madly on Christmas Eve. Phoenix was only 6 weeks old and any spare minute I had where she wasn't on the boob or in my arms I made Dave take her so I could keep knitting. It was down to the wire and I finally finished it right as we were finally ready for bed. Thankfully.

The Afghan Officially Arrived!

2010-10-09T17:08:00.008-06:00

Yesterday the postal lady pulled up in front of my house and got out of her van with a parcel under her arm. Coleen was over visiting with Hunter and as soon as I saw her walking towards my house I jumped up and ran to the door, accosting her, asking if that parcel was for me. She said that no, in fact, it was for # 52 and NOT #56. The neighbours are always getting parcels!

I told her I was expecting something important and went back to my lonely corner of the living room.

Two mins later she was walking back towards my house with yet ANOTHER parcel, only this time she walked up MY sidewalk!

I WANT MY BLANKIE!

2010-10-07T20:50:00.003-06:00

I am patiently awaiting the arrival of the Afghan!

and if by patiently I mean... Checking out the window every few minutes hoping to see a delivery man and checking the mail box for a parcel key twice daily AND checking the front step and door knob for Canada post, THEN YES, i am Patiently waiting! :D

Brilliant Beginnings and why Coleen is my Saving Grace!

2010-10-07T19:32:00.008-06:00

A few months ago I decided to get a contract going with FSCD, which is Family Support for Children with Disabilities. Originally I got the contract to help cover the cost of any trips to and from the Children's Hospital for Hunter's appointments. They will help financially with the cost of transportation to and from appointments as well as pay for any parking while at the hospital or doctor's office. We don't have many appointments for Hunt but every little bit helps when it comes to finances. The FSCD will also help cover other costs that a family might incur when caring for a child with a disability. I had a lady come out to the house and give me the full run down on all the different things that they can fund. One of the things they will cover is a program called the Triple P Program which is a parenting program that helps parents deal with challenging behaviors. They come right out to the house and once a week they will teach us how to address certain issues we are having.

Best of all though, is that the FSCD is funding a program for Hunter called Brilliant Beginnings.

Brilliant Beginnings is a "multi-sensory, Early childhood Development" program for all children, not just those with special needs.

One day when Hunter's Growth and Developmental specialist, Shirley Van Dyk, came over, we got to talking about how it was unfortunate that Hunt was 1 DAY too young to be going in to preschool this September. I was lamenting how I wished he could be in a more focused routine play group setting where he could be learning from people who weren't ME. I'm slowly learning that children tend to listen to their mother's LAST!! Everyone else first.

So Shirley mentioned that a college of hers had started a program called Brilliant Beginnings. It caters to all children but there is a special needs program that she could potentially refer Hunter to and if there were spots left then perhaps FSCD would fund the program for him. Shirley referred us, Melanie and BB got a hold of me and came over to meet Hunter and explained the program to us, she and I contacted FSCD, Susan at FSCD made an addendum to our contract and Hunter got a spot in the BB program!

This is exciting on sooooo many levels. Here is why.

Hunter will get one YEAR of the BB program to start off. The program is 2 hours a day, 5 days a week, one on one play therapy/behavioural therapy, IN MY HOME!

Coleen is the girl who comes over EVERY weekday to play with Hunter from 9 am until 11 am! EVERY WEEKDAY!

Let me reiterate!

Coleen is a young lady who comes to MY house in the morning for 9 am!
She plays with Hunter for 2 hours! Monday - Friday EVERY WEEK FOR A YEAR.

Are you getting the picture..?

Here... I HAVE TWO MORE HOURS IN MY DAY EVERY WEEKDAY NOW!

I HAVE 2 HUNTER FREE HOURS TO CLEAN MY HOUSE, SHOWER, READ MY MAIL, COOK MEALS, DRINK A HOT CUP OF TEA!

I asked Coleen today what my role in the play therapy should be and she said "Honestly, you don't really have to do anything. Most parents go out, go shopping, go for coffee, clean their houses, catch up on work and the like. But you certainly don't have to be here or participate." After she said this I said, "wow ok..I probably wont GO anywhere but that's good to know." I then proceeded to hide in my bathroom and weep quietly. I felt a complete flood of relief wash over me. I gained my composure, went back out into the living room and folded 3 baskets full of laundry while I watched Hunter and Coleen play.

I also had time to clean the cat litter, feed Phoenix, put some laundry away, tidy the kitchen and sit in the sun in the yard for 30 mins.

I am absolutely ELATED that Hunter will now have play time EVERYDAY just for himself, and to know that he will be working on new skills with a qualified behavior therapy team.
This means so much to me. He is going to have so much fun, learn so much, and expel some energy doing it!

Today, Coleen got Hunt to wear his glasses the ENTIRE time she was here. He even wore them for an hour after she left because he forgot they were still on. One small step for Hunter, One GIANT leap for Mom!

Thank you Coleen.
Thank you Shirely.
Thank you Melanie.
Thank you FSCD.
Thank you Brilliant Beginnings.
Thank you Hunter. I love you and I hope you have fun every day with Coleen.

THE AFGHAN IS COMING! THE AFGHAN IS COMING!

2010-10-05T22:07:00.005-06:00

In February of 2009, one of the most wonderful and passionate advocates for Down Syndrome that I personally know of, started a project called the T21 Traveling Afghan Project.TY CJ!I instantly signed up knowing how amazing and wonderful this adventure was going to be to follow.I HAVE BEEN WAITING EVER SINCE!!!And today I have been informed that the Afghan is headed my way. En route even!I couldn't be happier. I can't wait to share in such a wonderful, WORLDWIDE Adventure.It feels to me like we are weaving the afghan with our hearts and our stories, with our love and our families. With every new family that receives the Afghan, the afghan gets bigger. With every new child who holds the afghan, it gets stronger. I don't ever want it to stop. Here is a run down of the The T21 Traveling Afghan Project.(I'm sure if you have been following my blog you will probably already know a little bit about it)There is a T21 Afghan is making an amazing adventure!!

The handmade blanket is traveling from one family to another who has a family member with Down Syndrome. The family member can be of any age, from birth through the senior years. The family can also be located anywhere on the globe.

The afghan will travel from one family to another, along with a journal.

Each family, upon receiving the afghan, takes a picture of their family member with it and we post it on on this blog under the Label "T21 Travelling Afghan". After having the afghan for bit, the family writes a note in the journal and sends it off to the next family,who's address I will email to them.
As soon as we get our global gift in the mail I will be sure to take lots of pictures and post of our own adventures with the afghan. I am also hoping to get both of my wee babies an Afghan of their own. I would be more than honoured to have a little piece of the whole enormous project!I also want to thank CJ for all the wonderful work she has done, hand making all the afghans, working so hard to unite the Down Syndrome world and giving everyone a tie that binds.

Hear this prayer
of the
wampum

This is the tie
that will
bind us

Back in the Game!

2010-10-05T19:15:00.004-06:00

Soooo... I've come back into the land of ADULTS!!!!

MATERNITY LEAVE IS OFFICIALLY OVER!

Some of you may wonder, "Why on earth would you be excited to go back to work?"

Well... I'll tell you why!

Because by 3pm I am ready to run away from home with nothing but the clothes on my back!

I change one butt after another after another! And LET ME TELL YOU, they might be the cutest little butts on earth but they don't smell like ROSES!
I cook, feed, clean, feed, clean, feed, then sweep, change, sweep followed by MORE Cleaning!
I think I sweep the kitchen floor 4 - 8 times a day, depending on what the babies are EATING.
I chase children, I play with children, I reprimand, and discipline children.
I Laugh and dance with children. I sing ridiculous made up songs to them all day long!
I let them sit on my lap. I share my ice cream with them WHILE they are sitting on my lap, hands and fingers all up IN my ice cream bowl.
I forfeit hot tea for luke warm tea sans cream and sugar, just so I can get a MILD caffeine fix!
I forget to eat because I am too busy running around cleaning and feeding and catering TO the babies...
I love them to the end of the earth and back... but hot dang! I want a hot meal!
I need the private time. The quiet time. The Me time. The adult time. The sanity!

So here I am... Happy to be back at work.

And Now that I'm back to work I will use my time... to blog about my babies! LOL! AND WORK! I WILL ALSO WORK! I PROMISE!

Well CRAP! Time for an overhaul I suppose.

2010-09-28T10:01:00.003-06:00

I havent really had time to blog! If you haven't noticed.

~~KIDS~~

Well... I think I will start by redecorating.

Picnic in Cochrane!

2010-02-28T09:08:00.006-07:00

Dave and the kids and I went on a nice Saturday picnic and hike yesterday! It was pretty nice out, not too cold at all. We had lunch first then hiked to the top of this little hill in this park in Cochrane. I made a cold shrimp pasta salad, deviled eggs, veggies and dip and rice pudding for the picnic. While we were in Cochrane, Dave took me to a little quilt shop called Addies. They had a pattern for a little girl's Shrug that I had been looking all over the Internet for and luckily for me Addies happened to have it! Now I have a new project! Here is a picture of the Shrug that I intend to make.

TADA!

2010-02-22T11:20:00.004-07:00

Here he is folks! He needs a name tho. Leave me a comment if you have a good name for him.

Swamp Donkeys FTW!

2010-02-15T18:47:00.003-07:00

This is the first time I have ever seen Swamp Donkey's in the wild.

I was starting to think they weren't real, even though I LOVE Moose meat!

What Ever Could This be?!

2010-02-15T18:28:00.002-07:00

Our Trip to the Urban Treehouse

2010-02-13T17:12:00.006-07:00

My GF Erin and I took the kids to Airdrie to the

Urban Treehouse for a bit of an outing the other day.

We ladies do everything we can to maintain our sanity amongst all the diapers and spit up.

The Urban Treehouse is a Kids Play place / Mommy Coffee house.

Breast Feeding Friendly.

I really enjoyed taking the kids there. They have a cute little treehouse to climb in and on with a spiral slide!

There is a little stage and a costume cupboard.

Alex got right into the train table and Erin and I relished the leather arm chairs.

We didn't even have time for a puppet show, arts and crafts or fishing!

I can't even TELL you how helpful Sam was that day!

He kept Alex busy with a game of tag, was constantly checking on Hunter and helped carry the little girls around as well as shouldering a diaper bag or two!

Thank you Sam!

I love you My friend!

Alex and Thomas!

He is VERY serious!

My Lil Bird sleeping through all the action.

Livvie Playing with a sleeping Phoenix.

LOL!!!

Hunter was picking up chicks in his hotrod!

Winter Fun With Alex and Livvie!

2010-02-09T14:04:00.007-07:00

SLEDDING WITH FRIENDS!

Ps! Erin is looking SWEET lately!

Keep Working hard Erin! You look Great!

Here is Olivia in the front of the stroller and Phoenix is hiding in the back.
The girls didn't do much sledding.

I, however, will forever owe poor little Livvie anything she ever asks for, as I made a silly mommy mistake and put her on a little sled with Hunter and sent them down the slope together.
Hunter did the old left hand lean and sent the two of them face first into the snow.
For Hunter this wasn't such a big deal because he is a tank and a bruiser but for poor Princess Livvie it was fairly traumatic to do a faceplant in the snow.

I'm so sorry Livviekins!

Here is Alex who hit a HUGE jump on his first run down the hill!

We Cheered so loud!

Way to go Alex!

Olympic Bobsled Champ 2022!

And As Always!

Mr. Bean!

Looking handsome and smiley!

He sure has gotten super good at sledding, going down the hill all by himself!

GO Hunter GO!

Lastly, Hunter was so exhausted by the end of our sledding adventure that he passed out IN the wagon on the walk home. We live 2 blocks from the park and Hunt was asleep before we even got a 1/4 of a block from the park!

LOL!

I laughed so hard when I saw him like this.

Funniest thing I've seen in WEEKS!

My Winter Boy!

2010-02-01T14:48:00.000-07:00

This is my newest Favorite picture of Hunter Bean. We went Sledding on Saturday.

Crepes for Dinner!

2010-01-25T10:40:00.003-07:00

We made crepes for dinner the other night and Hunter fed himself. For the first little bit he was just sucking the strawberries and whipped cream off of the crepe bits and then throwing them on the floor, but eventually he figured out that those were yummy too.

Phoenix at 10 weeks

2010-01-25T10:35:00.002-07:00

Tea for Daddy

2010-01-25T10:30:00.004-07:00

This is a Cute little email story my Momma sent me that I thought I should share. It made me laugh so hard, and I hope it does the same for you.

ONLY A MOTHER WOULD KNOW.....~ One day my mother was out, and my dad was in charge of me. I was maybe 2 1/2 years old. Someone had given me a little 'tea set' as a gift, and it was one of my favorite toys. Daddy was in the living room reading the evening news when I brought Daddy a little cup of 'tea', which was just water. After several cups of tea and lots of praise for such yummy tea, my Mom came home. My Dad made her wait in the living room to watch me bring him a cup of tea, because it was 'just the cutest thing!' My Mom waited, and sure enough, here I came down the hall with a cup of tea for Daddy; and she watched him drink it up. Then she said, (as only a mother would know), "'Did it ever occur to you that the only place she can reach to get water is the toilet?"

Knew Knitting Knicities!

2010-01-07T16:06:00.003-07:00

Ok I agree, The alliteration above is a bit much! But I LOVES my new knitting bag!
My momma made it for me for christmas to match the needle roll that she made me a few months ago!!!!

Phoenix Autumn Ross

2009-12-07T11:24:00.005-07:00

On November 10th I went to the OBGYN for my 38 week check up. Once again my Blood pressure was extremely high and the Doc's were not happy. Dr. Steed decided on that Tuesday morning that it would be best to have a C - section as soon as possible to ensure that the baby was safe. He called the hospital and booked an OR for that Thursday at 2 pm. We were scheduled! I called my mom as I left the Doctor's office to tell her when the baby would be coming. She was going to fly out and spend some time with us once she arrived. (Funny how we say once the baby "arrived" as though it hadn't already been with us for the last 9 1/2 months, he he he). I told my mom that we were going to be having another c section on Thursday. She told me that Thursday was actually my Gramma's birthday! That was awesome! It also happened to be my friend Kyle's birthday as well. Early in the month I had been complaining to Kyle how I wanted the baby OUT! and that I was totally sick of being pregnant. He said I should just wait and have the baby "next Thursday" as though I had ANY control over it at all. Well, Happy Birthday Kyle!
I tend to be kinda spacey some times, so here I am drinking coffee and sharing oatmeal with Hunter first thing in the morning the day of my surgery. TOTALLY forgetting that I needed to have an empty stomach for at least 12 hours PRIOR to major surgery. When I told Nana that I had coffee and oatmeal she laughed and asked if I had forgotten that I was having the baby that day. I said no, that I had just forgotten I wasn't supposed to eat after midnight, as if I was a gremlin. It wasn't the end of the world though. The anesthesiologist just put the surgery back 2 hours so there was no chance that I would die during the operation.

4 pm they had Dave and I put on our scrubs and head down to the OR!

It was the same operating room that I had my C - Section for Hunty in. It was a very strange feeling to be back in that room but this time around I was more cognitive of the events going on around me. The last experience I had in that room was fairly traumatic and I really wasn't aware of what was going on. Major surgery is a scary, scary event! Iodine and BP monitors, drapes and nurses, anaesthesiologists and machines that go ping! "Your blood pressure will drop rapidly and you may feel like vomiting." David and his teary blueberry eyes! Not knowing if I was ever gonna make it up off the table. Three people PUSHING on my abdomen, heaving on my chest and stomach, "encouraging" the baby to come out. And Doctor Gibbons - "ohh, Did you know it was a girl?" Me - "IS IT A GIRL?!" Yes! Tears! The feeling of Joy, the feeling of Relief in my body to no long be pregnant! Numbness! Happiness! And David is there with me! And now I just want to hold her! and where is my Little boy?!

To make a long story short, so as not to bore you, Phoenix Autumn Ross was born at 4:57 pm November 12th, weighing 6 lbs 2 oz and measuring 19 3/4 inches long!

If I have one word of advise to anyone who is pregnant, it is "READ THE CHAPETER ON C-SECTIONS! Even if you think you have no intentions of having a c-section, read that chapter! You NEVER know what could happen!"

HOLY CRAP BATMAN!

2009-12-07T08:51:00.004-07:00

Well, I apologise profusely for my complete disregard for the blog. I have been rather busy. I have also had to disable anonymous commenting as I have been receiving some bizarre spam. I hope no one has accidentally ordered a Russian bride.
Now the reason for my resumed blogging is all thanks to Dave! Once again he has come to my rescue. We have cleaned out the kitchen and my computer was moved down to the little nook in the kitchen between the living room and the dining room. Now I can watch Hunter and not have to worry about him destroying things while I am on the computer. This will give me the opportunity to spend a few more hours a week online, updating my blog, posting pictures and doing some of the other online activities I used to enjoy! Farmville here I come!

So Welcome back Blog Buddies! I hope you are still reading.

October in Calgary

2009-10-19T07:26:00.004-06:00

Ya Ya!

Laugh it up!

But it was plus 14 on the weekend and all the snow is gone now!

I Love Chinooks!

The Bean and the Big Boy Bed!

2009-10-19T07:09:00.002-06:00

:'( What a big boy!
He's Gonna be going off to college soon!

He sleeps pretty good now in his new bed with very few problems.

Now when he wakes up, he just gets out of bed and destroys his room!

And I can lay in bed and listen to him play from down the hall, instead of listening to him shout

"Mommy I'm awake! Get me out of bed!"

Day 12 of 31 for 21!

2009-10-12T08:34:00.001-06:00

Ugh! No time to post about the fabulous dinner last night. We are off to Rocky Mountain House this morning to have Thanks Giving with Dave's family at his Sister's house. I love hanging out with Dave's sister and brother in law and Sam is super excited to see his cousins. I will post pics of both Turkey Dinner Festivities tomorrow when there is more time. For now we are out the door!

Day 11 of 31 for 21!

2009-10-11T12:23:00.003-06:00

THE TURKEY IS IN THE OVEN!

The Yams are whipped and topped with Marshmellows, awaiting their return to the oven.

The squash is squashed and back into it's pretty shell.

The apple pies were made last night and are also waiting their turn in the oven!

The bird was stuffed to the nines with Dave's fabulous stuffing.

The Cheese veg are mixed and in line as well.

Now to get the house clean, the kitchen clean, the baby clean, my self clean and shiny.... SO MUCH TO DO! And I just wanna sit on the couch!

Thanks Giving is Awesome, But So much work!

Day 10 of 31 for 21!

2009-10-10T10:18:00.000-06:00

Today is Daddy's Birthday! Last night, Sam baked him a birthday cake and Iced it by himself. We are heading out to visit with Dave's Granny today who is in the hospital so I doubt I will have time for any real blogging. We intend to lay on the couch for the day after we get back. We are watching the Lord of the Rings Trilogy this weekend and Gorging ourselves on Turkey dinner. We are just having one other couple over this year with their two kids so it wont be a HUGE ordeal. I look forward to left overs! That's tomorrow. For now, It's Daddy's Birthday!

I love you David!

Day 9 of 31 for 21!

2009-10-09T09:57:00.000-06:00

So... On Thursday My GF Christine and I went to the toddler gym with the kids. We Met up with another friend of ours there as well. It's just some gym time for the little guys at the Cardel Place Rec centre. They set up a bouncy Obstacle course, a little rebounder for the kids to jump on, basketball, loads of balls, a slide and all kinds of stuff for the kids to do. It's nice to get them out of the house and playing with some new kids. Socializing, I suppose one would call it.

I put Hunter in the Bouncy Castle and then realized, after he got all the way to the back and couldn't get back out, that I EXCEED the weight limit and also am 8 months pregnant, which was breaking another bouncy castle rule. So I had to get my friend Alisha to crawl in after Hunter. All the way to the end. Over and under and around! Rescued! Phew! I laughed the whole time. So did Hunt.

Later, after the Chil'ens was all tuckered out, Christine and I walked over to the Superstore to look at snow suits for Hunt. He still FITS into the one from last year, but he can't exactly WALK in it as it is meant for babies that don't yet walk. The feet are all zippered up. He basically just does the Maggie Simpson star fish in it when ever I put it on him.

We found a really nice winter jacket/snow pant combo for him there that was only 39$. The snow pants have removable booty covers and the jacket has a removable hood and removable mitts. It's is really nice and warm and I am very happy with it.

We also found something else. I was hesitant to share this, seeing as it's not TIME yet, and I will be spoiling the surprise but !!!! I can't help it. He is so Gawsh Darned Cute (as Nana would say).

So Here it is!

IT WAS THE ONE AND ONLY TODDLE TURTLE COSTUME AT THE SUPERSTORE!!!

When Christine found it, I was so excited I nearly peed! Then we got to looking at the costume and realized that the head piece was missing. So we ransacked the hangers and shelves looking for either another turtle costumer WITH a hat or the missing hat that perchance had fallen off. We looked EVERYWHERE. It was no where to be found. I was ready to Weep! Then I saw a pile of boxes. Boxes that looked like a mishmash of costume parts. Random masks and head pieces, gloves and wigs. I ripped through those boxes so fast. And LOW AND BEHOLD!!!! THE TURTLE HEAD!!!! He he he. Then we found a fitting little Pj Jumper that was the right colour to go underneath and TADA! Best costume ever!

Day 8 of 31 for 21!

2009-10-08T10:16:00.000-06:00

I can't seem to keep up to this blog!

Well, we had some left over crab and a few left over shrimp. Roughly 1 whole crab didn't get devoured the night before so I used some creative energy and made Crab and Shrimp stuffed mushroom caps.

Sooo...

1 1/2 bricks of cream cheese

1 whole crab

20 cooked deveined shrimp

Garlic Plus (from Costco)

Worcestershire

Lemon Juice

Parmesan Cheese

Mix to taste!

Mash into Mushrooms!

OM NOM NOM NOM!!

I'll let you know how they came out later.

Day 7 of 31 for 21!

2009-10-07T20:08:00.005-06:00

Today was my 33 week OBGYN appointment. It was fun actually. So far I really like both of the Doctors there. Both are woman and today I saw Dr. Grant, who was a large woman about my age. She was very comical and relaxed which was very attractive, especially when you have to talk to her about your uterus which is conveniently up in your throat. We were talking about the Duggars and Mrs. Duggar who is on her 19th pregnancy. I can't for the life of me conceive of having ANOTHER pregnancy let alone another 17!!! I carry babies well, and I think my body is good with being pregnant, but I AM NOT. I don't like having my body taken over or being so handicapped. I can hardly put on my own socks and shoes. It takes me nearly 3 minutes just to get out of the tub. Walking up a flight of stairs is exhausting and after all the running around I do and the misery I am in at the end of the day, I can't even have a glass of wine to make everything all better! GAW!!!

Anyway, at least I enjoyed my appointment. The Doc was saying that Mrs. Duggar was insane to keep having so many children because she is pretty much risking her own life at this point. One day her poor uterus is just NOT going to contract back to it's original state, not that it's even remotely CLOSE to being in it's original state now. I guess with her last baby, during labor the baby flipped in her uterus horizontally! "Now that's a baggy uterus!" Says Doc Grant! LOL

I'm done with the two. I'm happy with the two. If we want more kids, we can adopt.

So..... Rather than a glass of wine to relax my poor pregnant body, today I got my hair cut and bought 3 live dungeoness crab!

LOL!! We kinda played with the nasty one for a bit.. He seemed to be all riled up and have lots of energy and Sam was quite interested in him. He had a million questions about crabs, which I intend to call Jim and ask! Like.. Why do they turn red when you cook them, and do they have hearts, and why do they blow bubbles, and how long do they live, and how big do they get, and ........ ... . .. .. . He is 12. You can see how this went!

Needless to say, The crabs were YUM!

And Here is my hair! After a month of letting it grow out I finally broke down and got it cut. The Lady who cut it asked me, "Why so messy?" in the cutest little Vietnamese accent EVER! I told her my husband cut my dreads out with kitchen scissors, but I don't think she knew what I meant by dreads, but she sure knew the meaning of kitchen scissors!

Day 6 of 31 for 21!

2009-10-06T12:47:00.003-06:00

Today I thought I would write a post about Gratitude and Stability.

Strangely, they aren't something you usually think of together, but I do. That's because lately I'm exceptionally grateful for the stability in my life. I didn't always have stability. I didn't always know where I was going to be living or even how long I was going to be living there. I think I have lived in over 35 different places since I was about 16...That means that in 15 years I have lived in 2 - 3 different places per year! Now, things are more stable in my life. This year will be my 3rd Christmas in this house. A house that I own! This is the first time in probably 10 + years that I have celebrated Christmas more than once in the same house. Honestly! I can't think back to another house, since I lived WITH my parents, that I spent more than one Christmas in.

And the reason for my gratitude, is because I only have the stability that I have in my life now, because of David. I would not have a wonderful, warm, loving home were it not for the hard work and the effort that he puts in to life. I would never have been able to afford a home were it not for the faith and trust I have in David to be there in the long run. I would never have committed to the purchase of a home with anyone else, as I have never had the confidence in a person to do what they say they are going to do. He does everything he promises to do, and is always willing to do anything it takes for his family. I can not express how grateful I am to have him at my side. I wouldn't be where I am today, and I wouldn't have the future that I do now.

I suppose I should tell him more often. I am only where I am today in my life, because of what he has worked so hard for and done for our family. Our children, Samuel, Hunter and Phoenix, will forever have a wonderful life, no matter what the odds, and a phenomenal father to lead the way. I wish he knew how much he means to me and how wonderful he truly is. I am not always very good at telling people how much they mean to me or how much I appreciate them. I get all weepy and stupid and can't say what I want.

So thank you David, for all that you have ever done, to give me the best life! I look forward to yet another Christmas in our home, together with our family. (Even though we will be at Nana's) I know how much it means to you, that I feel safe and comfortable. I do... I love you Beebs! More than I tell you.

Day 5 of 31 for 21

2009-10-05T19:43:00.001-06:00

Well I created and STARTED this post on the 5th and didn't publish it.

I'm off the hook!

Today is my last day of work. I am completely Enthralled!

I have zero to no motivation to work, so it's rather fortunate that it's extremely slow tonight!

Now, I get to fill my hours and days with house keeping, toddler minding, baby prepping, vacuuming, dinner making, kitchen cleaning, and doctors appointments!

Soo... Am I really off the hook?

Day 4 of 31 for 21

2009-10-04T15:12:00.002-06:00

Odds and Ends

Here are a few pics of the bassinette that Dave and I found at the
Kids Consignment store called Starbright for Kids.
It was only 75$ and I think it is lovely. It's very gender neutral and solid wood.

Here are Hunty's new Nick and Nora Jammies that we got at the Kids Garage Sale.
They are flannel and soooo soft and warm!
LOVES!

And Here is the Cute Christmas out fit I got for him.
I thought it was cute for Christmas dinner.

TADA!

Bean's Big Boy Bed

2009-10-04T15:03:00.005-06:00

So here are the pics of the bed that I promised.
This was Sam's loft bed from Ikea but he really wasn't comfortable sleeping on it. At the time we all thought it was a good idea to give Sam some more room IN his room. This way he had space under his bed for a desk, but getting up and down proved to be a bit of a pain. So... Daddy got out his Saw!

And TADA!

A Toddler Bed!

Tonsilectomy FTL!!

2009-10-04T14:29:00.005-06:00

Well, My sweet angel Bean had his tonsils and adenoids removed on Tuesday this past week. It was a very difficult event for EVERYONE. I really didn't know what to expect and Poor Hunty had no idea WHAT was coming.

:'(
Here he is a 6 am. All Snuggled in cozy in his stroller as we check in at admitting at the
Alberta Children's Hospital.

Definitely looking a little tired as we woke him up at 5:30 to get on the road.

These few pics make me so sad.
Here, we had just arrived at the Day Surgery ward.
We were the first people there and Hunty got changed into his snazzy cute little Hospital garb. I just loved the teeny tiny smock.

CUTEST BABY BUTT EVER!
Gotta check out the bed and all the cool stuff going on behind the scenes.

After we got him into his cute little scrubs, Hunt had some blood work taken and was prepped for his surgery. The blood work was sad because he was crying so hard and we had to hold him down. Then he got a little ankle bracelet in case he tried to run away, that way people would know where to return him.
At first the bed he was on was just a regular bed so they had a proper Baby Crib rolled in for him. Then he was rolled off down to the OR room where I waited to meet his Doctor. He didn't want to sit still in his crib so I held him until the Anesthesiologist came. She carried him off to the operation room and I went to find a coffee, wishing I could lace it with half a micky of Baily's Irish Cream to easy my nerves.
I grabbed a coffee, rolled my stroller (aka Luggage carrier) into the Day Surgery Waiting Room and proceeded to knit for what seemed like a year!

I sat down at 8:23 am.

Doctor Lange came out at 8:38 am.
She told me that Hunter's surgery went "swimmingly" and that he was doing just fine. His tonsils were of medium average size and he was just in Post - OP waiting to clear his head of the anesthesia. I was told I would have to wait till they buzzed me before I could go meet him in the Day Surgery recovery area. They give you these new fangled pagers now that they vibrate when they are ready for you, rather than paging you over the PA systems. It's really nice and more private.

So I waited. And I waited. And Waited, and Waited!
And at 8:50 I was paged!
I jumped out of my seat, shoved my knitting into the stroller, grabbed my pager, rushed BACK for my coffee and boogied off to the Day Surgery ward where I would find my boy.

I was told Hunty was in Room 24. As I started toward room 24 a nurse started walking with me. She said he was awake and that he was a little upset and had been clinging to the nurse who was watching him wake up from the surgery. He wouldn't let go of her and he was crying pretty hard. As we got closer I could hear my poor lil guy sobbing and gasping. There he was in his recovery room, sitting on the edge of his bed, hanging on to this poor nurse for dear life. The instant he saw me he reached for me. I grabbed up my boy and held him close. I felt so bad for the poor lil guy, having to wake up in pain, all groggy and in a strange place with nothing but strangers everywhere. Oh so sad.
I rocked him and comforted him for a while, waiting for him to calm down.
He wouldn't settle.
We tried to give him some water, apple juice, ice, and even a Popsicle.
He wouldn't take anything.
The more we offered him the more upset he would get.

The nurse brought him some codeine and we had to pretty much hold him down and plug his nose to get him to swallow it.
He spit out most of the Tylenol that he was given prior to the surgery so he was in some pretty extreme pain. Since we had woken him up at 5:30 am to get him to the hospital by 6:25 am, he was pretty exhausted by 9:00 am, but every time he would swallow he was in agony and he would start gasping and crying again. You could just see the pain in his eyes and he just wanted to pass out for a while and not think about all the chaos. I sat with him on my lap for nearly 2 hours, holding him and cuddling him, hoping that the codeine would help, but it seemed to only make him groggy and dopey but really wasn't doing much for the pain. At 11 we forced a dose of Tylenol into Hunty and I called Daddy who works within minutes of the children's hospital. I told him I needed some help and that Baby Bean needed his Daddy. Within 15 - 20 minutes Daddy arrive, dressed in his coveralls, still in his sweaty work boots. Bean took one look at his daddy, stopped crying, reached for him and lay down his head on Daddy's shoulder and went to sleep for nearly two hours. I can't tell you the relief that swept over me. That was the first time that morning that I broke down crying. Just seeing Daddy there, I knew everything was gonna be OK.
He is such a great Daddy.
David was supposed to go back to work at 12:30 but he couldn't bear to leave Baby Bean.
We took turns holding him, going for bathroom breaks and cafeteria runs.
For a while the two of them slept together in the Lazy boy recliner next to Hunter's crib.
I sat watching them, knitting.
I'm finding that knitting makes for a fabulous Worry Doll.

After a few hours, David managed to get Hunter to sleep a while in his crib.
He went home at 3 or so, needing to shower and check on Samuel who was home alone.
I am so happy that Sam is mature and trustworthy. It gives us one less thing to worry about when he is home alone. He makes his own lunches and keeps busy and would never let anyone in the house. I'm happy with how he is maturing lately.

After a good long nap, my little man woke up feeling quite a bit better.
The concern the nurses were having earlier in the day was that if he wasn't drinking or taking any fluids in his mouth, then his throat would be very dry and it would make things worse. As I said, every time we tried to get him to drink something he would get upset and start crying, even after the Tylenol had kicked in. He would sleep for half and hour on Daddy's lap or my lap and the nurses would ask us to wake him up and see if he would drink something. This only caused my poor boy trauma as he would just get so worked up. Finally I said that I didn't want to wake him up anymore. He was too tired and he needed to get a decent sleep, otherwise we were just tormenting him and making it worse. The less sleep my boy got the more miserable he was going to be. Thankfully, the respected this and allowed him to sleep for a few hours.
AND YES!
Daddy returned to the hospital around 6 or so and by then my lovely, sweet handsome son was ready to wake up.
We got him out of his crib and changed his diapy and smock so he could feel a little better.
He sat on Daddy's lap and I tried to give him some juice. He REALLY wanted to drink. He would reach for the bottle with enthusiasm but get dismayed when it hurt to suck.
I went to the fridge in the hall and scoured for something I thought might make him feel better.

SORBET!

He ate an entire Dixie cup of Orange Sorbet!
Then a popsicle, a chocolate pudding, then another half of a strawberry sorbet!

Here is a blurry picture of my boy sitting in his crib, covered in chocolate pudding, eye's crossed from all the codeine, toe all aglow from the oxygen/heart rate monitor.

That night he did quite a bit better, though getting him to take his medicine was still a trauma. We still had to hold him down and plug his nose to get him to swallow it, but I'm told the codeine tastes awful.
He would sleep for short bouts of roughly 2 hours MAX.
I slept next to his crib in the recliner.
My sleep was awful. There were machines constantly ringing, babies coughing and crying, lights going off and on, more machines beeping. Not only was it noisy but for the most part Hunter slept on my lap, or lay with my in the recliner. Being 8 1.2 months pregnant with a 25 lbs 18 month old boy squirming on your belly for hours.... It was a rough night to say the least.
I was up at midnight, 1:30 - 3:00 or so then again at 5:50.

When I awoke at ten to six, I woke up because the on shift nurse was in our little room (it wasn't a room at all, but a 3rd of a room) giving Hunter his codeine and Tylenol. She was also changing his diaper and checking his Stats.
I asked if she needed help to give him his meds and she said no he already took them.
Wow!
He was taking his meds without having a trauma.
The other fabulous thing about that morning was waking up to see a Tim Horton's coffee, breakfast sandwich and a bag of Timbits waiting for me on the side table!

Oh Daddy! How we love and thank you!

He still wouldn't drink anything significant tho.
I was hoping he would at least be interested in some juice but he really wasn't.
It wasn't an hour later that he was back to sleep.
We both slept till about 9!

Later that morning the nurse on shift (we had seen 5 different nurses by this time) mentioned that if he wasn't eating or drinking by the afternoon then he wouldn't be able to go home. If he was willing to swallow, eat or drink, it would show that he was doing well enough to be discharged. Well you don't have to tell Hunter twice!

I think he was feeling quite a bit better by that time anyway and he was going to make up for lost time as it was.

He ate a Dixie cup of ice cream to start.
I wanted to see how well he could manage soft and cold.
Then he polished a whole mini box of rice crispies, well soaked of course.
Then I thought I would see if he was interested in any of the sausage they brought him for breakfast. He polished off a whole one.
He then had an apple juice, half a piece of toast with peanut butter and jam and last but not least, a Timbit!

My boy chowing down!

We went home early that afternoon, miserable, tired, happy to be home, both desperately in need of a bath. We slept that afternoon away, patiently waiting Daddy's return.

Since then, Hunt has had a few mornings where he has been a bit more sore.
And Oh The bad breath he has. Blech!
He has also been quite a bit more clingy and sucky.
He has become the world's biggest Daddy's boy as well.
He just can't get enough Daddy.

And lastly, We are all coming down with a cold.
Hunt has had quite the runny nose and Dave and I are both getting sore throats.

If it's not one thing, it's another.

Day 3 of 31 for 21!

2009-10-03T23:14:00.002-06:00

Today is day 3!

I am completely unmotivated to blog tonight. I am exceptionally pregnant and uncomfortable and I can't wait to get home and pass out. Working until midnight is no fun at all when you are tired and miserable from being pregnant, but alas, I have to slug it out.

Today Evad and I went to the Kids Garage sale at Cardel place. I must say I was slightly disappointed. 75 - 85 % of the clothes that were for sale were girls clothes. Seems like girls have WAY more clothes than boys and what boy clothes there were, were worn fairly thin. I bought a few new Pj's for Hunt and a really cute Formal Christmas outfit for him for the Holiday's this year as we are heading to Vancouver. I thought it would be nice if he had a snazzy out fit for Christmas Dinner with his Grandparents.

I also got a really nice swim float finally. So far I have been through three different floaties for Hunter, all of which were Fail! In one, swimming at Great Gramma's pool, Hunt leaned forward and tipped right over. Head first into the drink. Another one I bought was so cheap it wouldn't stay inflated properly and the very first one was so small he out grew it in a matter of months. This new one that I bought is one identical to the ones they have at the swimming pools. It's a really nice float and has a canopy for the sun. Here it is.
So far this is the nicest, most stable kids float we have ever used. I bought it for 4$

That is about the extent of my garage sale purchases today, which is pretty sad because I am a total garage sale junky.

After that, Evad and I went to the mall and had some lunch, wandered around and got a new phone for my self. It's a Samsung Ace. I got the phone for few and there is no contract. It's a basic 30 agreement that you can renew or not. I pay 44$ a month for unlimited calls and texting to my 5 faves, 150 local minutes, Unlimited incoming texts, 250 outgoing texts to other numbers, and call display! No contract, No obligation, NO GOD DAMN CONTRACT! .. Ahem.. sorry. Sadly, I am a little bitter about cellphone companies and being chronically over billed. We just canceled our contracts with Telus on our 2 cellphones and it cost us 679$ to get OUT of the contract. This was the CHEAPEST and EASIEST way of dealing with the outrageous phone bills. Months on end we would change our plans and minimize our options till we were down to the bare bones plans and STILL we were paying over 150$ a month on cell phone bills. On top of that, our phones were connecting to the internet at the weirdest times. I had received bills for Facebook Internet activity at 2 am on a weeknight when both Dave and I would be in bed. Randomly being charged 10 cents here and 29 cents here for internet activity that we weren't using. In fact, Dave was quite amazed that a cell phone could actually access Facebook. On top of all that, we weren't getting some monthly bills in the mail and then poof, we would get a disconnection notice. One month we were actually disconnected for no real reason, except I think they wanted another 70$ out of us for reactivation charges. Anyway, that's all sorted out and I'm happy to say I really like my new phone and the cheap plan that I DON'T have to renew if I don't want to. :D

Day 2 of 31 for 21

2009-10-02T19:26:00.004-06:00

It's only day two of the 31. If I should forget to post one day, I ask that someone please comment on my blog so that I get an email telling me to get my act together.

Today is Oct 2nd, which means I have 3 more working days till I am on Maternity leave and 47 more days till the baby comes.

I am getting kind of worked up about the baby lately. I wish my momma had some time off at the beginning of November to come and help me get the house ready. I am having a harder time with the last trimester of this pregnancy than I was when I was knocked up with Hunter. He was quite small for dates (4lbs, 14 oz at birth, 36 weeks 3 days) and I really am beginning to think he didn't move very much. At the time we called him Kickypants Ross because he was so active, but I didn't have anything to compare his movements to. With this child, there are days when I am honestly sore from all the kicking and rolling and moving and the pressure is intense.

As for getting the house ready, I am a little overwhelmed because I am so pregnant and uncomfortable and irritated, tired and sore, and just all around cranky. I wish I had more energy to take care of everything that I feel is PRESSING. I think the best way to get the house ready for the new baby will be to make a decent list of all the things that I would like to get done and just start working away at the list.

We cut Sam's old loft bed down into a toddler bed for Bean the other night and got him a Mattress. I had NO idea that a single twin mattress was so expensive. We spend over 350$ on it, but it is an excellent mattress and considering how little and light he is, I'm sure that he will be able to use it for probably more than 15 years. I will have some pics of the old loft bed and the new toddler bed posted here asap so you can see what we have done.

That said, we have to do a little furniture rearranging to get the new baby's room in order. There are some things I would like to do in the room to make it a little more inviting as well. Just a few decorating ideas I have. After that, I think I will feel more comfortable and less stressed about the baby coming.

Tomorrow, My Girlfriend C, Dave, Beany and I are going to the Cardel Place Kids Garage sale. I'm hoping to find a few things for the new baby and some sleepers for Hunter. He has pretty much out grown all his pj's and when he wakes up in the morning he usually has a few snaps open and one if not both legs hanging out. He apparently IS getting taller. I also want to find him some big boy toys for learning. Something more suitable for toddlers so that we can put his old baby toys in the new babies room and he can have some new and fun things to play with. Rattles are sooo last year.

I must say that having another baby is exciting and terrifying at the same time. I really wanted Hunter to have a little baby brother or sister to grow up with so that he wasn't an only child. The age difference between he and Sam is so large that he is considered an only child and I didn't want him to grow up alone and bored. Nothing more entertaining than beating on your younger siblings! We weren't expecting, planning or trying for the new baby, but I am glad that it happened. This way we get all the baby nonsense over with ASAP and Hunter will be very close in age to Phoenix. But I have days where I wonder if my head is gonna pop off with the intensity and fear of it all. Two Babies Still in diapers. Double Strollers. Dueling Playpens. Double stuffed Diaper bags. Two different nap schedules. Three if you include Dad! Toddler food and baby food! Crawling and WALKING! I only have TWO hands! They will out number me. And then there will come a day when Phoenix and Hunter are working in cahoots against me! "Quick, Mom just went into the bathroom! Lift me up so I can get to the cookie jar!"

Is it just me or does anyone else ever go... "Holy shit! I'm not responsible enough for all of this!"

/sigh... I can do it.. I just need some help... Mom? Momma!!?? Mommy!! !!?!?

GRAMMA!! ??!

31 for 21!

2009-10-01T21:51:00.004-06:00

IT'S OCTOBER 1ST!

Today is the first day of the 3rd Annual 31 for 21 Blog Challenge. I knew it was coming but now that it's here, I must admit, I'm not prepared. I have a terrible string of laziness lately that I can't seem to shake but, I'm gonna do it! The goal, in a nut shell, is to blog every day for the 31 days in October, which is Down Syndrome Awareness Month. You don't have to blog ABOUT DS but it's a way for Bloggers to show their support for Down Syndrome. Tricia has started her first post with a Mr. Linky so you can see who is getting involved this year.

So, if you are a blogger, I challenge you to the 31 for 21!

Start blogging!

ETA ~ Perhaps this will help shake the laziness. If anything It will certainly make up for the COMPLETE lack of September posts.

Belly Dancing

2009-09-25T20:50:00.006-06:00

Here are a couple of videos that I made of the Phoenix baby Dancing away.
The second video is quite a bit longer but definitely a lot more movement. :D

Second Video Still to Come.

ETA - 9 am MST!

My First Toque

2009-09-23T13:01:00.003-06:00

I would like to thank my very gorgeous and patient model Punkin for helping with the photo shoot!

This is the first Toque I have knitted. It was knitted on 4 needles as opposed to a circular needle. and it is also my first attempt at fairisle knitting, which is the duel yarn/colour knitting. I started small as I didn't work from a pattern and wanted something to just test my skills. It's just something I whipped up from scratch and I am very proud of the out come. I hope it's not too small for the new baby. It is pink which is really just wishful thinking at this point. I think I will make a little green one and a little purple one as well. Perhaps blue too. It was a fairly quick project. So i'm sure I can make a few more by November 18th!

DestructoBean!

2009-09-23T12:35:00.003-06:00

This is what you find when you gate your 18 month old son in his room so that you can have a shower.

Toys that don't belong in the bedroom, apparently.

Who needs a dresser... I mean really?

You like what I have done with the place Momma?

Bean got a new hair cut!

2009-09-23T12:30:00.003-06:00

My Boy So Damn Handsome it HURTS!

The Princess came to visit!

2009-09-23T12:22:00.004-06:00

I know the first few pictures are blurry but I took them as fast as I could as this seemed to be a spontaneous love session going on. The Princess knocked the Bean down and flopped on top of him to give him a smooch! It was too perfect to miss. Hence the Blur.

We Love Princess Lorelai and her visits!

September! Where have I been?

2009-09-22T17:17:00.003-06:00

Well, this will be my second post for September. I am totally disappointed that I have dropped the Blogball. I suspect that the summer, being pregnant, having a toddler who finally toddles, preparing for maternity leave and work have all attributed to my complete lack of blogging skills. I suspect this is probably my 10th apology for being a slacker! lol

Well, As another update, I went to the OBGYN on Monday and I spoke with her about the best course of action as far as labor/delivery goes. The problem I was facing was my concern for Hunter when I go into labor because I really NEED Dave by my side when I have to go into the hospital, but we don't really have anyone who I can count on 100% to take Hunter at the drop of a hat when I finally go into labor. My momma has quite a bit of time off in November, which if we KNEW for a fact what day the baby was coming, then she could be here to take Hunty while Dave and I are in Hospital. The Doc/OBGYN asked if I was preferential to having another C-section or a vaginal Delivery. I told her I honestly didn't care but as far as the life/scheduling issue goes, the C-Section makes the most sense. So, We scheduled a C- Section for November 18th at 8am! This works out perfect for My Momma's schedule because she has from the 17th - 26th of November off work. She will Fly in on the 17th and be there to watch Hunty and meet the new baby right away. The Doc mentioned that if the baby does come early I still have the option of a C-Section, I just have to go to the hospital and tell them that I have one scheduled and they will do the C-Section right away. OR, should I want to have a vaginal birth if the baby comes early, then I can do that too.

I'm happy that is all straightened out. I am still going to pack my bags for the hospital in case of an early arrival. I am also thinking I should have a bag of Bean's clothes, snacks, diapers and things packed for him as well so that if need be a friend or Aunt or someone can come get him from the hospital. In the even of an Early arrival that is!

OMG it's coming soon!

I was talking to my mom about the decision to have another C-Section. I told her I didn't need to have a vaginal birth to feel fulfilled as a woman and a mother. We got a chuckle out of that. But it's true, I really don't need to feel the baby come tearing out of me, screaming and pushing and all that jazz to know and feel like a mother. Dave is not looking forward to the whole hospital experience, as it seems to traumatize him. It's inevitable tho. I keep telling him "At least YOU don't have to feel any pain!"

Wow I'm Terrible!

2009-09-13T08:53:00.004-06:00

The Summer is NOT Conducive to Blogging!

Too much fun stuff has gone on in the last few months and I am finding it hard to find time to sit down and blog. Between Work, 17 month old Bean who is officially walking, visiting new and old friends, getting ready for the NEW baby... A woman Got her hands full!

Sooo.... here is a run down of the Newest News.

* I am 30 weeks Preggers! I have my first OBGYN Appointment on the 21st of September.
I'm due to "Calf Out" as David calls it, on November 26th roughly. I have to talk with my OBGYN about Vaginal Delivery VS C-Section. When I had Hunter I had an Emergency C-Section so I'm not sure what my best option is this time around. I must admit that I am Pissing my pants scared about going through labor again!

* I cut all my dreads off... so now I have uber short hair. I really like it. It's free and relaxed and low maintenance. Contrary to what I THOUGHT, Dreads are NOT low maintenance.

* About 2 weeks ago my BFF told me she is up the stump (Newfy Slang for Pregnant)! She is due to have her baby on the same day Hunter was born, April 2nd. So a big Yippy Doo Daw to Dan and her Uterus!

* My Girly Friend Queen Andrea's Little Princess Asha Turned one last week! Happy Birthday Princess Asha bean!

* Baby Bean has an appointment to have his tonsils and Adenoids removed on September 29th! Wish us luck as I am scared for the little guy. He is such a toughy but this will be a stressful event. Dad hasn't got the heart to see his little babes in any pain, so I get the privilege of spending the night in the hospital with the Baby Bean. I so nervous.

* We have decided to drive to Vancouver for Christmas this year so that the Brothers Grim can meet the new baby and we can see Nana and Granddad's fancy new renovations. It's a 12 hour drive but we have a fancy new truck to travel in and Dave loves driving.

* Last week we took Sam to the World Skills Competition 2009.

Every two years, hundreds of the best young professionals from trades, service and technical programs around the world gather to showcase their talents and abilities. This thrilling, high-performance, four day WorldSkills Competition is the biggest event of its kind in the world.

We thought this was a great opportunity for Sam to learn about the various trades available to him as he grows into an adult. Here is a link to a short article that I read on the bus the other day about skilled trades and careers in Canada.

"Here’s a question: Which career averages a six-figure salary while guaranteeing employers across the country will climb over each other to hire you?

If you answered skilled trades, pat yourself on the back for getting something right that most Canadians tends to get wrong.

Skills Canada polls have shown that 60 per cent of young people say their parents have not encouraged them to consider a career in trades."

Living in Calgary... It would be crazy NOT to encourage a Career in Skilled Trades. Dave has an excellent job as both a Journeyman and a Foreman in the Sheet Metal industry and will forever have work in this Country. The demand for men with the credentials and work ethic that Dave has is never ending. He is smart, reliable, trained and hardworking.

* My Newest addiction is to Websleuths.com which is a website dedicated to discussions about unsolved or ongoing investigations. Ie. Casey Anthony in Florida who is being charged with the murder or her 2 year old daughter, or JonBenet Ramsay. It's mostly just a bunch of forums that are open for discussion on various topics and areas of these cases. It keeps me busy reading and I'm enjoying the sleuthy aspect. :D Nosiness FTW!

* Gramma will be happy to hear that Dave and I have been watching Till Debt Do Us Part lately and have adopted Gail's method of budgeting. We have started a weekly CASH ONLY budget for everything and are committed to paying off our debts ASAP. This is going to save us and incredible amount of money and make planning for the future more feasible.

NEW TRUCK FTW!

2009-08-30T18:04:00.004-06:00

YAY!!! We finally got a vehicle big enough for our growing family. This Saturday Dave sold the Tacoma to a buddy from work and headed up to Rocky Mountain House to pick up the New Beast!

It's a 2009 Ford 150 4x4 FX4 Luxury! All Leather! Heated Seats! Satellite Radio! In Dash Navigation System! AND ENOUGH ROOM FOR ALLLLL THE KIDS!

Globalfest Fireworks

2009-08-27T21:48:00.004-06:00

We took the kids to see the Global fest Fireworks on Tuesday night. They were SUPPOSED to start at 10 pm so we arrived at 9:30 after a night of shopping and running around. There was absolutely NO WHERE to park as all the side streets were road blocked by the police and there was no parking AT Elliston Park. By the time we got close enough to the park it was 9:30 on the dot and the fire works had started. I was very unimpressed, but Dad managed to drive around the neighbourhood and found us a back alley across from the park where we had a decent view of the fire works. AND, to add insult to injury, a train came through our path right at the Grande Finale of the Fire works. Not only did it drown out the music but it was a double stacked train and it blocked half the view!

Ha Ha I Scared Dad!
Bean slept through the whole thing.
It was 9:30 when the started so he was pretty pooped!

Ps.. Dad is so handsome with his bald head and his big blueberry eyes!

Can you see the train cars on the bottom?

THE BEAN WALKS! (again)

2009-08-27T21:10:00.003-06:00

Here is a Video that Nana Has been waiting patiently for!

Blackeyed Bean talks!

2009-08-27T20:46:00.004-06:00

Here is a video of the Beans SECOND black eye from his new found talking skills.
The second video is from the same morning and Beany was being really chatty and making some awesome faces. I thought you might like it.

The Pirate Bean

2009-08-27T20:28:00.004-06:00

Bean got a hold of one of Sam's wooden Samurai Swords one day and he looked to me like a tiny pirate out for blood, or a bottle of milk! Which ever!

Our Lady Queen Of Peace Ranch

2009-08-27T18:24:00.020-06:00

On August 7th- 9th, the family and I were blessed to be able to spend the weekend at the EXTREMELY gorgeous Our Lady Queen Of Peace Ranch out near Bragg Creek, AB. We went there as guests of the Ups and Downs Organization here in Calgary.

Here is Sam on the Wagon Heading out to the Teepee.

Daddy!

Mommy and the Bean.
(Ahem, they aren't usually that big, Please keep in mind I'm 6 months Pregnant here)

The road through the grounds.

Beany and Daddy.

A picture of another wagon as we passed by.

Beautiful Flower Beds!

The Lake.

The little playground.

The Corral where they bring the horses for the day.

Some shots of the teepees.

And here is our Little Lady Bug.

We got our selves all set up for the night and the boys had a bit of a wrestle.

Sam built himself a pretty nice fort but with all the wrastling and the fire when we finally lit it, we had to take it down. It was just too hot and too close to the fire pit!

Here was the view from our door. Now to most of you, being able to see the latrine from bed isn't the most pleasant site whilst camping, but for a pregnant woman, it's worth taking a picture of.

The Roof of the Teepee.

I just adored the teepee. It was super cozy and there was plenty of room for all our beds and chairs around the fire.

Bean always living a life of luxury.
Here is his cushy play pen avec duvet.

More Teepees across the lake from us.

Ha ha! We Brought a 6 pack of Clamato. We party hard!
For the record there is a no booze rule for this camp, it's all about the kids!

These are a few pics of the lake first thing in the morning as we headed up to the mess hall for breakfast.

A few pics from later in the day, on our way to lunch. We took the long way around to the mess hall to get a walk in a see the bridge.

He He He!

This is too cute.
Hunter was quite the center of attention with the young girls at lunch.
After lunch Dave took Bean and the girls out to the grass to play. At first Hunt was thrilled to have kids to play with but VERY quickly he realized he was being mauled. He would reach for anyone who looked like an adult or a vertical pair of knees, begging to be picked up. The girls just couldn't get enough of him.

View of the Trading Post from the Mess hall front lawn.

HORSIES!

Here they are in the Corral waiting to go for a hike.

There were different tours for different age groups during the day.
Sam had signed up to go on Saturday afternoon but by 2pm he was tired and I think a little nervous about riding a horse so he decided he would rather not, but we went to see the horses anyway.

After we checked out the horses we went for a personal pontoon ride around the lake.
The water was just gorgeous.

Geese on the Island in the middle of the lake.
(that's where most Islands are I suppose)

Heading toward the Bridge.

Sam and Bean on the pontoon.

View of the Trading Post as we drifted by, the tractor was there to help folks take their new goods back to their teepees.
The trading post was a much like a thrift store for people at the camp.
Everything was free tho. There were toys, clothes, new shoes and bathing suits for the kids, blankets, housewares. It was quite nice.
For those of you not familiar with the ranch, they quite often invite low income and less fortunate families. Companies and families often donate new or gently used goods to the trading post for the kids and families that attend.

And look who we caught eating our sunflower seeds.
Apparently squirrels do not like marshmallows, goldfish or hot dogs.

The boys all passed out for a nice mid afternoon nap.

Hunt and I went for a walk and a visit with some of the other campers.
We were supposed to meet up with Dad and Sam near the rope activities but couldn't find them. Then... low and behold we ran into them! They were out on the lake!

They picked us up and we all went for a really relaxing row around the lake.
I have an infant on my lap so I chose NOT to take my cameras with me.
I assure you that Beany had a life jacket on.
The best part of the whole canoe ride was that Hunter was soooo amazed at the whole canoing experience that he sat perfectly still, just staring around at the lake, enjoying the ride. Which, for me was great cause I was a bit nervous that he would be fussy.

And! We finally made it the rope activity!

Hunty watching his big brother monkeying around.

Our campfire on the last night.
We had fantasy fire so it was green and blue and purple.

The first night that we were there, we under estimated how cold it would be over night.
Half way through the evening Hunter woke up and we brought him into our bed with us. About 20 mins later Sam woke up and told Dave he was cold. We slept, all four of us, in one dog pile for the night. The next night we decided that the best arrangement would be to just make one big bed for all of us so we didn't have to do a shuffle in the middle of the night. We had twice the blankets, twice the room, and strangley, because Dave forgot a pillow but Sam brought TWO pillows, we had twice as manly pillows! We put Hunt to sleep in his fleece Jammies in his fleece sleep sack in his fleece blanket under his duvet. He didn't get cold at all and slept there till 5 am.

I slept on one side of Dave and Sam on the other. And Sam and I had a great warm snuggly sleep. When I woke up in the morning I commented on how much warmer I was and Dave just looked at me. Blankly, with a look of complete exhaustion. He had been up every hour on the hour, restoking or restarting the fire, feeding it log after log.
Sam confirmed this as Dave would wake Sam up to ask him what time it was, every hour, on the hour. Needless to say, Bean and I had a pretty good sleep that night.
Thanks Dad!

Additionally, if you have ever wondered what a piece of beef feels like inside a smoker when you are making jerky, just spend the weekend in a teepee. I KNEW that there were fire pits inside the teepees but it never even OCCURED to me that we would be smoky. We don't use our sleeping bags when we go camping, typically, as we have been using the camper. So everyone brought their duvet and an extra blanket or two. Well you can't put a feather duvet in the washing machine! There is no washing machine big enough to clean ALL of our bedding in one night! Luckily, Hunter has two duvet's and I LOVE FABREEZE! Some of our things STILL smell like smoke, but for the most part we managed to get the smell out.

We had an absolutely KICKASS Weekend and I am already looking forward to going next year!

For My Gramma!

2009-08-17T14:25:00.004-06:00

My Clematis bloomed this year! When I saw these flowers yesterday I swooned! My Gramma Pauline had the most beautiful clematis plant growing at her house when I was just a wee, little girl and I remember how amazing and full of colour it was. I am so proud that my clematis plant is finally blooming! These flowers are for you gramma! For the woman you helped me become, I thank you!

The Walking Bean!

2009-08-07T11:50:00.004-06:00

Black Eyed Bean

2009-08-06T10:57:00.003-06:00

Learning to walk has it's Ups and Downs. You can see here the Black Eye that he got last night when he tripped and landed eyeball first on a toy bucket. Very faintly you can see a yellowish bruise right in the middle of his forehead from last week when he refused to put the cell phone down instead of catching himself. Instead of putting his hands out to land he hung on the the phone for dear life, landing forehead first on something or other. My poor guy! Im a good mommy! I promise!

Beans First Ice Cream Cone!

2009-07-25T13:05:00.004-06:00

I really am a terrible blogger lately. I intended on posting these pictures shortly after the Vacation pics but I think the fun in the sun took me away. Too busy in the summer to sit down at a computer for any length of time. So here are some pictures from the beginning of July when we were still at G & G's house and Hunty ate his very first Ice Cream Cone all by himself. He ate every last wee morsel. Bath time followed shortly there after. I have a video at home I will post of this same event that I'm sure everyone will enjoy.

Things I Need to Remind My Self.

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"A beautiful mistake...the idea that nothing is really a mistake,that every choice is a lesson,who shapes who we are,who we become..."

"A strong woman is one who feels deeply & loves fiercely. Her tears flow just as abundantly as her laughter. A strong woman is both soft & powerful. She is both practical & spiritual. A strong woman in her essence is a gift to all the world."

"Today, let's fall in love with the woman in the mirror. The one you see everyday but seldom truly look at, the one who gives more than she ever takes. Today let's take nothing, not this day, not this moment, not this chance, not even ourselves, for granted, let's first love who we are."

"People are like stained-glass windows.
They sparkle and shine when the sun is out,
but when the darkness sets in, their true beauty is revealed
only if there is a light from within."

~ Elizabeth Kübler-Ross ~

"If we don't change, we don't grow.
If we don't grow, we are not really living.
Growth demands a temporary surrender of security."

~ Gail Sheehy ~

"If you look at what you have in life,
You'll always have more.
If you look at what you don't have in life,
You'll never have enough."

~ Oprah Winfrey ~

"Your own words are the bricks and mortar
of the dreams you want to realize.
Your words are the greatest power you have.
The words you choose and their use establish the life you experience."

~ Sonia Croquette ~

New Yarn FTW!

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But FIRST!

A few pics of my very first Yarn Bombing Sighting!
In the Heart of The Platzl in Kimberley no less!

And my pretty new sock yarn!
Loves!

Vacation Here We Come!

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The Bean Packed his Suitcase to go to G and G's!
Apparently, he was ready to go without any clothes!

"We leaving yet Momma?"

On the Road!
I <3 B.C.

We found out that Hunty loves him some Cheesies!

Ok... Ew!

Driving into Radium.

The hoodoos on the way to Cranbrook.
They are always so pretty!

G and G have their own Herd of Deer it seems.
They think there are about a dozen or so that wander in and around there area.
There was one Momma that we saw feeding two little fawns.
I took this pics through the screen door so as not to startle them.
I apologize for the blur.

Daddy and Beany having a big breaky before we head out to Fort Steele for the day.

G and G making up a breakfast big enough for an army!

Sam looking lively in the morning!
:D

"Enough Pics Already Mom! You coming to eat?"

Great Grandpa and the Bean!

If you take a look in the background you can see the chaos this tiny man can do!

My favorite pictures!
Daddy and Beanzors having an afternoon nap!

"I has Trucks!"

CANADA DAY AT ROTARY PARK!

"I am SOOO ready for my push now please!"

Young Mr. Caleb.
Caleb is my cousins Son. He is 4 and totally cute!
He came with us to the park for Canada Day.

We needed a coffee before the festivities so we headed to the Safeway where you are always guaranteed to find a Starbucks!

The boys hit it off instantly!

Ohhh... I wanted cute little Canada Day shirts for Hunter and Caleb but was
unsuccessful in finding one small enough for Hunt!
But we got a really kick ass shirt for Caleb for 3$ at the Giant Tiger!

Here is Caleb with his Nana.
Nana is my Aunty Lori.
She has a son my age who I grew up with nearly attached at the hip.
Jason now lived in Vancouver with his wife and young son Ty who is pretty much a spitting image of Jason.
Caleb is my Cousin Kirsten's son. Jason's sister.
I'll draw a family tree later.

BOUNCY CASTLE FOR THE WIN!

Here we have Nana and the Bean lounging on the grass!

COTTON CANDY FTW!

Some of the musicians who performed for the festivities.

Ran into ManWoman!
He's a sweet heart.
ManWoman went to school in Cranbrook with my Grandparents although I think they are a few years older. My family has known his family for many years.
He is a wonderfully creative and peaceful soul.
He is inked in Swastikas to promote change in the way people see and understand the swastika.
"It is our aim to detoxify the swastika.
Its original meaning is the auspicious blessing at the source of life"

"Give me that darn camera Momma! Sit down and have some fun already!"

LoL! These are great! Hunter really liked Caleb, and poor Caleb didn't know what to think!

Here is baby girl Teagan!
She is my cousin Lindy's baby girl.

Check out the Roxie Sandals!

Here is Lindy with Teagan.
We were so lucky to see her there at the park.
Quite a lovely surprise.

I needed a pic of these two standing beside each other.
Teagan is 6 months and Hunter is 15 months and he is MAYBE 1 inch taller!

The Cutest Roxie Sandals EVER!

Teagan ate some grass.

Our new friend Nevin.

Caleb loves the Cranbrook Girls Bugle Band!

They did put on a great presentation!
Caleb was glued to the performance!

He He He!
Nevin being silly and playing peek-a-boo behind his stroller.

Rocking out!

CAKE FTW!

Very Yum!

Nana Pam with Hunter and Nana Dana with Nevin.

OMG! If there is one thing I know it is that Kids LOVE Goldfish!
I brought out a small cup of Goldfish and I had four kids swarm me as if they hadn't been fed in DAYS!

"Mom, I sure hope you have more Goldfish somewhere!"

Here are the Four Generations!
Great Gramma Pauline, Me, Hunter, and Nana!

Heading back to Calgary with Nana!

Hunt finally decided to sleep, but only after we realised that he was STARVING and on the verge of dying from STARVATION!
Thank heavens for Mcdonalds.

Finally, we saw a black bear meandering across the road in the park!

I Chronically Love Dave!

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He He! Not my Dave!

I mean, well, of course I love my Dave ever so dearly! He is so smexi and cuddly and lovable most days, and certainly a wonderful father and provider... how could a woman not love him.. regardless of the fact that he is a .. ahem... MAN. But not my Dave.

Dave Hingsburger! Who else!

Yay for another wonderful blog post from Dave!

STAMPEDE HERE WE COME!

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Stampede 2009

Yeee Haw!
Daddy gets tickets to the Rodeo for the Calgary Stampede every year.
Last year Beany was just widdle and we just had regular tickets.
Here is Teeny Peeny Beany at Stampede 2008

He was so cute in Daddy's hat!
This year Daddy got the wicked awesome Infield Tickets again.
The first time I ever went to the Calgary Stampede Rodeo was in 2007 with Evad.
We had Infield tickets that year too and all I could say for nearly a month after that day was "I love Cowboys!"
Infield is the only way to go!
I loved that day!
I wore the prettiest white dress and a straw cowboy hat. I was still slim and trim, and if I am correct in my calculations, that was the day that we were gifted with Mr. Bean. :)
I was so crazy mad for David too! I had just an amazing time!

Wait.. What are Infield tickets, you ask?

Well they are the best frigging seats in the house!

Here is the view from my seat looking STRAIGHT down.
You can see Dave's toes. There is no one in front of us and right below us are the shoots!

Every year we have these seats I get mud flung up at me during the Bull riding!

LOVE IT!
I don't know if you can see much in this picture above. The gray bull on the left was the largest bull there. It was over 2000lbs. The damned thing BARELY fit in the shoot. His nose was mashed up to the bars on one end and his butt was so smunched in at the other end that he was pooping into the stall behind him!
LMAO!

We weren't allowed to have camera's so I was sneaking pics. I would have taken more but Dave would have chided me!

Ha Ha!
Here we have Beany, sleeping through the rodeo!
There were announcers and a big stereo system blaring and he's passed out.
Dave has his hand over his one ear here because it was SO loud, but.. he still slept.

LoL.. Bean Missed a fair bit of action. But at least he got a good nap in.

Poof! He's Awake!

This kid amazes me! He is so smart!
He saw Daddy and I holding on the loops on the bus and there just happened to be one in his little arm's reach. That boy catches on quick I tell you!

Well, I apologise now for the lack of pictures. I honestly was expecting to return to Stampede with some friends this week but that didn't pan out. It's a nightmare for anyone with a stroller and I can't be carrying Hunty on my back like daddy. He is too heavy for a pregnant woman to be hauling around all day. I didn't take many pics because I left my battery charger at my Grandma house and I was running the battery into the red as it was so I was trying to use it sparingly.

Nana will lament to hear that they renovated the Round Up Center area where they have the Trade show. Now, in the Western Art Show area there is a lovely sort of garden with a wine garden smack in the middle. Fountains all lit up and trickling. There were Quilts Galore and knitting!
Oh to be able to have a glass of red wine while I wander around looking at prize winning Quilts and Knits! I'm sorry you couldn't be there Nana! We miss you already!

Evad brought me the most beautiful flowers!!!

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Mommy and Me pics!

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TINY PIC!

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Bear with me here folks. Seems the Designer of my fancy blog template has temporarily moved the border image that was once a fancy perdy red and grey line. Now you see copious images of the word Tiny Pic. I will be fixing the template ASAP. This will be dependant on Hunty Bean and his nap schedule. We shall have the issue resolved shortly! Thanks!