Bath Time

So when it comes to play time there is clearly a dominant personality in the home...and that personality belongs to the baby. No matter what the activity is, she certainly is the center of attention! Part of it is because we all just adore her and love to dote on her and make her happy, and the other part is that she has the loudest scream and screech in our house. I just recently started bathing the girls together. Hailey and Paige have bathed together for as long as I can remember. But because of Cait's kidney problems we've tried to avoid bathing her as much as possible...and espeically with other kids who maybe have other bacteria that Cait isn't normally exposed to. But I decided that enough was enough. This poor girl has spent enough months looking over the edge of the tub wishing she was playing with her sisters. So I tossed her in last week and she loved (and dominated) every second.

Drinking the last few drops of water from the faucet

Trying to force Hailey to drink from the faucet

And Hailey of course gave in

 

And telling me that she needs just ONE more minute before I pull her out. 

We sure love these little girls...and I especially love their unique and strong personalities!

Dads of girls still get to have fun

A few weeks ago the girls came across this little pink and green potato gun and have been begging Ben ever since to buy a potato to try it out. Clearly we don't eat potatoes very often!

Anwyay, it may not have needed 100 million pictures, but it was fun taking pictures of these characters. 

So this encouraged Ben to make an even better potato gun...all out of copper (or some sort of metal that I could care less to know anything about). And the first thing Paige said? "why isn't it pink". Dad's of girls...they're lucky!

The Farm

There are so many perks I got when I married Ben. Besides just being a great awesome guy...we also get to be part of his family! And we just love them so much. BUT, one of the coolest things, and something I just LOVE, is that Ben's parents live on a farm. My girls LOVE the farm and would choose to visit there every day (mostly because of the dogs and a grandma who spoils them). But they just love the freedom they have to explore. A week ago we took the kids out to the farm for the day, and I followed the bigger girls around for an hour while they showed me their favourite places. 

We started off with a walk to the Barn

Then we found Daddy and Grandpa 'upstairs' in the Barn insulating the roof

We left the barn and took a rest in the wheel of the tractor

Then we went around the corner and took a picture beside Ben's 1929 Model A

Next we ran up and down the aisles of Hay Bales

And then Grandpa took us for a ride in his Gator out to feed the cows

We got a few strange looks

And we finished the tour with a visit to Daddy and Grandpa who were changing the tires on the truck

I just really cherish the times we get to visit. This is such a new experience being a city girl with no country relatives and all. It just fascinates me...every time. The endless space, all the things you can do, the fun, the great family etc etc etc. It's good to be me:)

Ice Fishing

We went Ice fishing a few weeks ago with Ben's family (but without Ben...because he was away for the weekend). It's seriously such a fun family tradition! I love that we do this every year...and even though it's often FREEZING it's not that bad because we're Canadian! Hahaha. Actually Chris has a huge ice fishing tent that we can all bundle into and when the heater's running it's pretty toasty. We had hotdogs (cooked over the fire), hotchocolate, and lots of other food. It was a pretty fun and relaxed day!

Hailey really had fun sitting at the various holes waiting....and waiting to catch a fish

Paige like to be wherever Uncle Chris was. They even caught a HUGE fish and she TOUCHED it!! Not like me at all. 

Ice fishing wouldn't be complete without a ride around the lake behind a quad (or Grandpa's Gator) - note how Hailey and her Cousin Addie have the same winter coat. Try to guess who's who in these pictures?

Cait just relaxed in the tent with her Nana

 

And her Great Grandma

Hailey decided to give her new skates a go...this picture just crack me up. Pretty much everyone is down or almost down. The ice was slippery. And I know that sounds silly to say. Of COURSE Ice is slippery. But this ice was extra slick!

Paige also gave her skates a whirl

Hailey quickly decide she hated skating...

 BUT...Once she realized she could skate with a chair for support, she LOVED it!

And Cait...just chilling in the stroller. All bundled up, eyes covered etc. Poor babies, they really do get a raw deal. 

Anyway, we're excited to do this again! Maybe next time Ben will come and bring his snowmobile!!

Thank you

Thank you to those of you who commented with such kind words! It's nice to know people still read my blog and that you care! I really appreciate everything you said and it's nice to know that I'm not the only one that struggles here and there in my everyday normal life. And you're all right...we generally do just post our best moments - and that's just ok!

So here's a not so recent update. I've been busy lately (as you could tell from my last post). I've been babysitting, teaching piano, bringing meals to new or sick moms in the ward, dealing with my sick baby, taking some online photo editing courses, doing small amounts of paperwork for the business, trying to get the laundry situation under control, trying to lose weight (working out daily), carpooling, meal planning, budgeting (that's a new one for me) etc etc etc. I LOVE all of it! I really do. And I know other moms do a hundred times more that that...and some do less. And yet we all feel equally as busy. That's the mom thing right?

Anyway, I remember last year there was this BEAUTIFUL snow day. It was one of those warm almost chinook like days where the snow falls, and it's heavy and dense and wet and pretty much sooo perfect for making snowmen. And every one and their dog was outside making giant snowmen... and dogs. And I was inside puking because I was sooooo pregnant and had the flu. And my poor kids didn't get the opportunity to make perfect snowmen because the snow melted the next day. So, this year I swore that I would NOT miss another snow day. BUT guess what...it snuck up on me again! I wasn't sick, but just so unaware of the world outside my little gong show that I didn't realize that everyone and their dog were out making snowmen again!! What the what? Seriously...someone call me when this happens!!

So the next day...I willed it to be a great snow day. I invited Lauren and her kids to come over early (before she headed to work and I babysat) and we decided to help the kids build the most glorious snowman...and it's dog! Well...no amount of will power from me could turn that snow (that was gorgeous less than 24 hours earlier) into perfect snowman snow again! So, I built a mound of snow, the kids ate icicles and then decorated their snow mound  Which I must say...is the BEST snow-mound I've seen ALL year...even if it didn't have a dog.

2 to 3...the honest truth

Back when I was pregnant with Cait I remember being warned. I was told ALL the horror stories about how two kids was a handful and three was just a disaster. Which by the way...thanks for the WARNING! You know...it's not like there was anything I could do about it. The baby was on her way no matter what...so warning me served no purpose other than to scare me. Anyway, I didn't believe anyone. I deserved an easy baby. I really did. Hailey was a handful in only the ways that I was a new mom. As an experienced mom I would says she wasn't all that tough. But I do remember the only way I could get her to nurse passed 4 months was in a dark room...standing up...rocking and bouncing her with white noise in the background. And we lasted 16 months!!!  Paige. Well she was so much my baby and only my baby. Others learned pretty quickly to not even bother looking at her otherwise hysterics would ensue. She LOVED her soother...and as along is it (and me) were nearby, we were good to go. She had a few rough adjustments to sleeping, but by the time she was 6 months old I was guaranteed a good full sleep EVERY SINGLE NIGHT! It really wasn't that bad...in hindsight.

And then Cait came along. She was a bit colicky to start. Then she chilled right out. Everyone was wrong...completely wrong! She was relaxed, quiet, slept like a dream etc. etc. etc. Life was smooth. There was no impending disaster. Three kids was a piece of cake! Then she got her first kidney infection. And then another and another....and you get the point. Things went down hill pretty fast. Everything changed. She started waking at night when she never used to, she would cry all day long, she was just so unhappy. She had a surgery in October and we hoped for a change in attitude. But it felt like things just got worse! I would say we have a happy Cait maybe 20% of the time, and then the other 80%...well that's when I barely make it through the day. I cry a LOT. The poor big girls, they are VERY neglected. And then there's Ben. He just works soooo much! And when he's home, he's got three (ok 4) crying girls to deal with. It's pretty rough.

I don't know. Today has clearly been a pretty rough day. The baby's sick...and I feel like I have been running on empty for too long. I'm also so conflicted right now. I just really want 4 kids. I LOVE the idea of 4 grown children...but I'm not sure if I can handle another baby. Or if it's even fair to my other kids. I want to volunteer in school with my kids...but I can't so easily when I have a baby. Especially a cranky one! I'm jealous of other moms who have 'easy' babies...or who handle the cranky ones with ease. And I don't want to be jealous. I have this beautiful life! I have sooooo many blessings. I have great children...and I especially love that crying baby! I have a pretty amazing husband. He's patient and kind and gently and fun and crazy and just plain awesome! I also know that pretty soon this rough little patch in my life with be a distant memory...and I'll one day say "it wasn't that bad" again. I know it. But until then, I thought I'd just share a bit of honesty.

Here's a picture of Cait...see that face? That face is trouble brewing! LOL. She is one mischievous babe!

p.s. this post came from some social media frustration, I feel I'm getting a bit sick of the perfect lives everyone portrays on instagram and facebook. It's so refreshing to hear some honesty once in a while. It's also ok to brag once in a while too. But it sure can beat me while I'm down.

p.p.s. since I'm pretty sure my mom is the only one who still reads this. And since she's across the country and will worry...just know I'm actually ok! Life is pretty good!

It's a Party

One of the those parenting things I'm still learning (among MANY) is how to take care of the middle child. I'm not sure if I had a great example on how to do this since my parents dealt with their middle child LONG before I came along. And then when I was born I was the baby forever and once Sarah came along I was never forgotten. Having siblings so far from my age had it's benefits.

But since my kids are pretty much 2 years apart it's been a bit of a struggle to make sure they're each happy and taken care of. This year has been especially hard on Paige with Hailey at school. Hailey gets to do all sorts of fun things...like school, concerts, parent free gymnastics etc. But the biggest of all the Birthday Parties she gets to go to that Paige just isn't invited to.

So I took a page from my moms parenting book and threw a party for Paige's baby dolls! She got to pick her favourite two (baby dum...and love baby), we went to the dollar store and bought them each a gift, we bought stickers for a craft and a treat for the treat bags. Paige then wrapped the gifts, got her best party dress on and posed for the first picture.

We sang Happy Birthday to her Babies

Paige helped them blow out the candles

She acted genuinely surprised while helping open the gifts

And she devoted all her attention to opening her Smarties from the treat bag she decorated!

It was a super easy and very fun afternoon for Paige and me. This 'one on one' time was just what we both needed. I think we'll have more little Birthday's in the near future!

p.s. do you like her babies' names? Baby Dum - well, that's a good one. It originates from Ben...he calls them Baby dolls, and Paigey just couldn't quite say it right. Somehow it ended up as Baby Dum. 

And 'Love Baby'... Oh my Love Baby. She's MY first baby. Honestly, I thought she was my baby growing up. And still to this day I am quite tender with her. I am careful to make sure her head is supported correctly etc. She's a VERY VERY loved doll and has brought me MANY great memories!

A random intro to 2013

We've just been lazy lazy lazy lately! We just tried to take it easy between Christmas and school starting up again. We've done a LOT of playing at home...and nothing else. So here are a few random pictures:

I never get tired of this little girls profile:

This baby LOVES the dishwasher

She also LOVES to make a mess while eating

My middle child has come out of her shell a bit...she LOVES to perform little songs and shows all the time

I spent the day hanging out with my good Friend Laura and tried to take a few pictures in her studio...I didn't have a willing participant

These girls....so loved, so adorable, so much personality

Waiting for Daddy

Anyway...we're just slowly coming to terms with the fact that reality hits tomorrow when Hailey goes back to school. I/we really enjoyed these few weeks of no schedules or responsibility! I'd like a few more!

p.s. I've been working on a little project. I started a photo-a-day blog. Have a peek: One-a-day