My Life as a Mom

...the goose is getting fat.... Just kidding. I LOVE this time of year. I love the anticipation of Christmas. I know that a lot of people feel like it drags on and is ridiculous, but that's what I love about it. I love that we do little things to get ready and everyone (okay, almost everyone) gets a little happier, a little kinder, a little more Christlike. It's a nice feeling. I like the smiles and well wishes that you find all around. The decorations and the lights. Sigh. The whole thing is just magical. So today, I took another step towards that magical feeling, I wrapped presents! I LOVE wrapping presents! I love buying wrapping paper (I got two new rolls this year, and now that I look at what I have, I didn't need it! I have lots. But that's okay.) I like to plan out my wrapping paper and make sure that I don't wrap the same kids' gifts in the same paper, or use too much of one colour, and I always place my gifts under the tree such that the wrapping pa

It's Done! Actually it's been done for almost a week now, and that's when I took the pictures, but I'm just getting around to posting it. When I started it (LAST October) I thought, hmm, size 9 month, perfect for winter. I didn't really think it would take me this long to get it done...but so it is! It doesn't fit great. The sweater is a little small - even though I made the sleeves and hood bigger than the pattern called for, and the pants are LONG and SKINNY. I have a skinny baby, and it's still tough to get them on his calves! But that's okay. It's cute, and he'll wear it a couple of times and every time I'll be proud and think "I made that!". And I do think it's something to be proud of. I think it's good to have these kinds of skills. I highly doubt that there will come a point in my life where these will be things that I NEED to know how to do.("These things" being all the handwork I do- knitting, crochetin

So a few months back, I posted that I was trying to finish projects that I have already started before starting new projects. I'm still working on it. But that's better than not working on it...right? Of course right. So anyway, I've been trying to complete projects, which has actually got me excited to do more projects (of course!) And I've finally decided what I'm doing for my Christmas Stockings. When Michael and I first got married, I made stockings for our family really quick. I used a couple of Michael's old pairs of jeans and added some felt embellishments. They are definitely nothing fancy, but they are what we have used for ten years and they've done the job. Well, I always new they wouldn't be permanent. They were my "until I decide what I REALLY want to do" stockings. So, when David was born, I didn't make him one to match the rest, because that wasn't what I wanted to stick with. The poor kid hasn't had a stocking his

Ok, so some days I feel like: Yep. I've got this. Things are running smooth I'm accomplishing what I want to accomplish and I'm happy with my life. And then other days it's more like: This is SO hard and it's never going to end. How can I possibly get done what I NEED to get done, let alone what I WANT to get done! So when I'm having one of the latter days (ha ha that sounds churchy!) I find that it really helps to think of the things that I have accomplished in my life. Focusing on what I have done, helps me to feel more positive and gives me motivation to keep going. So here it is. This is my list of things that I have accomplished over the past year. Some big, some little, but all important in some way or another. 1. Gave birth to a beautiful baby boy! (That really should be enough all on it's own!) 2. Made Natasha's quilt 3. Made Christmas Dinner and Thanksgiving Dinner almost entirely by myself 4. Moved my family to Kimberly for the summer

Okay, so I know that this will sound silly to most people. Because, really, it's not a big deal. Really. And it shouldn't be a big deal. But it is. For me.  I used the deep fryer tonight! For the first time ever!! Really. We've had a deep fryer most of our marriage (ten years!) and this is the first time I have ever used the deep fryer.  With lots of other things in our house, this wouldn't be that big of a deal. There are things in our house that I haven't used simply because it's always been Michael's "Job". For example, I used our hand operated food processor for the first time last week. We've had it for about five years. I've never used it because Michael has always done it and I never needed to. Now that I have a use for it, I'll probably use it more often. But the deep fryer is different. Very Different. When I was little, I was a big time Daddy's girl. My Dad owned his own business, out behind our house. So he was al

So, I've been stalling on writing this post because I wanted to take a picture to go with it. But seriously, at 6 in the morning, the last thing I'm thinking about is, "Did I grab my camera?" So the picture has not yet happened, and I doubt it will happen anytime soon. I've been running in the mornings for several weeks now. I get up at 6:15 and run at 6:30. I think I might be crazy. I'M NOT A RUNNER When my friend was telling me about her new found love for running, I said "oh that's cool" to be polite. Then I heard myself saying "I've always wanted to do that". Which is kinda true. I've always thought it would be neat to be one of those people that goes for a run to clear their head. Or just can't start the day without a "quick run around the block" which really means I'm going to go run a few miles. But when I say I think it would be neat , I mean it in the same way that it would be neat to be a professi

We're renovating . It's crazy and chaotic. Demolition Don't get me wrong. I'm excited for how it's going to be in the end, and I'm already loving the changes, but really? All the dust, the tools lying everywhere (I'm really nervous about when my baby starts crawling, he's so close!), the pieces of drywall and 2x4s, furniture all in wacky spots "just for now", not being able to find anything.....the list goes on. I'm tired of it. This project is taking longer than I thought it would, which really doesn't surprise me, I'm a contractor's daughter, and a do-it-yourselfer's wife. Projects always take longer than initially planned, especially when it's your own house.  But knowing that doesn't change the fact that I'm tired of it. I'm trying to be patient and appreciate that it's finally getting done, but I would really like to get some order back in my house. Reorganize the bedrooms (waiting on a doo

Ok, so the pictures are actually from six months, but I'm just getting to the blogging now, and he's seven months. So there you go! Zachary is growing quick and doing amazing! He got his first tooth on November 2, 2011. It is his bottom front tooth on his right. He is the easiest baby ever to put to bed, you give him a soother, lay him on his tummy and put a blanket over him. That's it, unless he's teething, then it's a little more involved, but all in all, he's great. When Michael first got home from Yellowknife, Zachary was playing strange with him a little bit, but now everything is settled, and he loves his Daddy. Which is a good thing since I'm going back to work a little bit for the holiday season. Zac is really starting to develop his own personality. He loves to laugh and giggle and loves being tickled and tossed in the air. He really doesn't understand peek-a-boo and just gives us a really strange look anytime we try to play it. Zachary'

I LOVE HALLOWEEN! Seriously one of the funnest days of the year! And for once, David was NOT suffering from asthma related illness, and could therefore actually enjoy it this year!! This year I decided that we were going to take full advantage of the year, so we put on costumes right after lunch and started making rounds!    I decided to have both boys dress up as puppies this year, 'cause I like the matching thing, as well as I already had the costumes! The dalmation is from Natasha's first skating carnival, and the grey puppy is from David's first Halloween, I love reusing costumes! The first thing we did was go across the street to see our neighbour. She loves David, and David thinks it's pretty cool to go over and see her. So we took her some halloween cookies and showed off the costumes. Then we went and picked up Grandma and went over to the nursing home to see the elderly that are living there. No one in particular, just figured they would like to see some cu