The Farm

08.22.2011

I almost always carry my camera with me to the farm.
I almost always forget to take any pictures.
But this trip I didn't forget...at least not totally.

This picture was taken one evening as we sat in the field enjoying supper. I've always loved suppers in the field :)

Love how this shot includes the silhouette of the grain bin & the warm glow of sunset.

And of course, some play time with my macro lens...

Brotherly Love Saves the Day!

08.21.2011

We made the trek home from MB today.
I ignored my "momma instincts" today.
I paid the price.
Normally my boys are travelling superstars...but not today. Not by any stretch of the imagination...
Big bro was begging to get in the car for at least an hour before we actually departed...little bro fell asleep just around the time we should have left (about an hour and a half before we actually left).
There was crying. There was whining. There was screaching. There was a pounding headache. There were many stops.
A 3 hour trip stretched into a 5.5 hour journey (with one little errand thrown in). Eek!
Needless to say pulling into the driveway was oh, so very satisfying. As much as I love trips, I love coming home even more and today just solidified that.
Apparently my boys also love coming home...both of them perked up as soon as we entered the house.
My favourite moment of the day was when big bro asked "Hold Sowah", "Hold Sowah"...climbed up into the chair, asked for pillow and "Hold Sowah" again...so baby bro got placed in his arms and the biggest grin took over his face as he talked away to his little bro (and Momma snapped the moment with her camera). I am so amazed by the mutual love these two have for each other. As powerful as all the emotions that being a mom bring, watching this sibling interaction trumps it all! This 10 minute slice of time managed to totally negate all the bad vibes the travel brought to the day and showered the day with sunshine sprinkles. Love that!

Tuesday Randomness...

08.16.2011

Today was a busy day. Some parts typical, some not.
It went something like this:
5:07 am - up with baby S
5:10 am - diaper change & feeding
6:00 am - lie back down in bed (take baby S with me) & try desperately to ignore the shrieks of baby glee that signal there is to be no more sleeping for me (despite the multiple soother-into-mouth shoves)
6:15 am - look out window & check weather, debate weather worthiness for a run (thumbs down)
6:16 am - repeat of the 6 am activities
6:55 am - baby S starting to get a little ticked off (it probably has nothing to do with the fact that momma keeps trying to shove the soother in his mouth), so we get up & go throw in load of laundry
7:02 am - diaper change & feed baby (yes, again...yes, it sometimes feels this is about all I do in a day)
7:55 am - listen to the thunk, thunk of big bro walking down hallway
8:15 am - make porridge for bfast, eat said porridge (B asks for "suggah")
9:00 am - diaper changes, clothes on, feed baby
9:30 am - load into stroller, head for a walk (holy wind, batman!)
10:30 am - get home, lay baby down on floor to play, tidy up mess made by toddler earlier
10:50 am - Skype w "Gampa"
11:15 am - attempt to pack diaper bag for Minot trip
11:17 am - feed baby
11:47 am - put baby S in bed, change into swimsuit
12:05 - load boys into car, off to noon hour lap swim (we usually bike w our chariot but today is soooo windy that I don't want to do so)
12:15 - jump into pool, swim 45 laps :) (feels great today!!)
12:45 - jump out of pool, dry off, load boys back into car, head home
1:05 - diaper changes, outfit changes
1:15 - feed baby (see? again!)
2:00 - load boys into car
2:05 - pulling out of our driveway (head to Minot where we hit up Wal-Mart, the mall foodcourt, Children's Place, Old Navy, Target...massive toddler meltdown starts so we hightail it back to car (there was some more diper changing/baby feeding between bites/stores)...remember I wanted a frapp before leaving Minot, so run back into mall. Attempt to get dadda his item at Menards, but give up due to hysterically screaming baby & grumpy toddler & no helpful employee to be found :(
8:18 - arrive back home, unload boys
8:20 - try desperately to calm down screaming baby
8:21 - diaper change. Take off rings & set them down right beside change pad on dresser.
8:25 - feed baby S
8:45 - get ready for bathtime. Go to stash rings back in their "spot"...engagement ring MIA. Search frantically. Get hubby in on the search. Drill toddler "did you touch momma's pretty ring? show momma where her pretty ring is"...realize he has no clue what I'm talking about. Panic. Look for ring some more.
8:57 - decide to bath baby despite not knowing where ring is
9:07 - while changing baby, have a stroke of genius about where ring could be...find it inside baby's sock (just below the dresser on floor) - yes...this could only happen to me...have a ring randomly fall onto the 1 square cm of the entire floor where a small sock opening happens to be
9:10 feed baby & eventually put him to bed (cross fingers as I put him down that he sleeps the "night" again...waking a little later than 5 am for the day would be perfect!)
10:00 - wardrobe change (get on the shred gear), workout
10:30 - upstairs, put away groceries, tidy up mess from toddler earlier in day
11:25 - sit down at computer, catch up on some blog surfing & check emails, think about going to bed, write a blog post about the randomness of my day instead...

So, as you can see, not alot got accomplished today although we managed to be busy. Pretty typical for our house.
Here are some of the random musings that happened to me throughout the day.
1. Pet Peeve: a) that clothing departments for little boys are half the size (if that) of the little girls...
b) that said little boy clothing departments, already lacking choice, are totally picked through for sizes & can find absolutely nothing in the size range I'm looking for...grrr!

2. Tried on some skinny jeans today (note that these were stretch skinny jeans). Definitely shouldn't have. It has something to do with all this extra middle I've got going on. I'll be wearing the good ol' lululemons a while longer by the looks of things (insert sigh here). A little depressing for sure considering how hard I'm working out/working at a healthier lifestyle.

3. Noticed some super pretty "wild flower fields" & gorgeous light during the drive. Why do I never have my camera when I see something camera-worthy? (Probably because stopping on the side of the road with two sleeping boys would chance waking said boys up, so leaving the camera at home removes the temptation to do so). Reason #7041 why I'd like an iphone/android.

4. Shopping in the later afternoon with baby & toddler is not ideal.

5. I love road trips...even if they are just to Wal-Mart.

6. I love swimming. I am already mourning the loss of noon hour lap swim come September...what is this...pre-mourning?!

7. I had several items in my hands today but after asking myself if really necessary, I put them back & didn't buy...restraint whilst shopping? Yay me!

8. Love that almost every day of summer includes a morning walk. Very typical activity for us (although it does help eat up time and somehow makes a morning disappear). 

9. Having a deja-vu back to the summer of 2009 lately. Eating a lot of watermelon (but no, not pregnant this time around :)

10. Man, do I spend a lot of time tidying up. So constant. Sometimes draining.

 11. Despite hating my mid-section, I love my life. Smile.

Same but Different

08.15.2011

People always ask me if I think baby S looks like his big bro...
They looked alot alike as newborns, and there are definitely some traits that are similar...
but I've never really been able to answer that question with any sort of authority (a mother's eyes are a little biased after all).

Today baby S had his 4 month needles, which allowed me to compare the weights of both boys at this age (they are only 1 ounce different) and made me think about the similarity question again. So I dug into the photo archives and did a side by side comparison...

How cute is it that they are both sort of sitting up, with a sideways lean?
What do you think? Are they similar or very different? B is on the left, S on the right (the seasonal differences account for the attire, lol).

To me, they are the same yet very different...if that makes any sense!

Quest

08.14.2011

In my quest to live a healthier lifestyle (and lose all my baby weight) I am trying so hard to eat my "veggies". I actually like vegetables & fruit quite a bit, but find when I am cooking meals for the family that I don't eat as much of them as I should...making quick, balanced meals that everyone likes is a bit of a challenge some days.
Today, as I was scavenging through the fridge trying to decide what to make for supper, I found a flat of strawberries and a bag of spinach (do any of you tuck things at the back of your fridge only to forget they are there...seriously, that place is like a black abyss in our household, lol). Strawberry spinach salad it was! Add some grapes, mandarin orange segments, almonds and a tiny sprinkle of creamy poppyseed dressing. Yummy :)

Victorious! Today, I ate my "veggies" :)

Too fast!

08.06.2011

If I know one thing, sweet baby...I know you are growing up way too fast.
WAY, way, way too fast.
You are four months old - that is a 1/3 of a year - already.
You have started teething (evidenced by massive amounts of drool, gnawing on absolutely anything you can get into your mouth, and a bit of cranky).
You are getting really good at holding toys and can bring them to your mouth to chew on (although you're not all that great at holding them there long term).
You roll both ways and are super proud of yourself when you do so.
You always have the biggest smile for your big bro, which he thinks is pretty darn cool (and I think it is amazing considering how much he mauls you).
You are getting pretty strong and sometimes will sit up by yourself for a short time.
You love to be tickled.
You screech.
You scream.
You yell.
You gurgle.
You giggle.
You coo.
You are quick to "tell" us when something is not to your liking.
You smile, and smile, and smile.
Love you, little guy!
Happy four months :)

(sidenote: I chose this pic because it shows his chubby & his "almost sitting" skills the best...if only he had been looking at the camera & flashing one of his big grins!)



Life is Good

Sometimes life just gets a little busy.
Busy with a 22 month old tornado, busy with renovations, busy with daily chores & exercise...just busy.
So imagine my chagrin when I realized littlest man was almost 4 months old and had never been offered a toy to hold, sat in his bumbo or tried out the exersaucer...all things that we were so anxious for big bro to do when he was a babe.
Funny how it just doesn't seem to matter as much the second time around.
Not that we don't love the second every little bit as much as the first...but the experience is just different.
We are not as anxious for the "next big milestone" (we know they are coming eventually). This time around each day is savoured and cherished because we truly understand just how fast they grow up. In fact milestones are met with a tiny feeling of bittersweetness... excited that they are growing up, but sad that they are growing up so fast.
Parenthood is simply the most amazing experience in the world. It is all so cliche...but so true. It changes your perspective on the world so much, in a way you can only truly understand once you've experienced it (even though you think you understand it all before it happens to you). I find myself reflecting on experiences, emotions, events with far more regularity, insight and clarity than I ever did before becoming a parent. I am so thankful to walk, run, stumble & soar in this journey of parenthood.
I just have to remember to remind myself of this as baby is screaming for the second straight hour, when big bro is demolishing the kitchen for the second straight time in as many hours, when the frustration creeps in and takes over my mind.
I have to remember what a gift my little boys are and how very thankful I am to be "mommy". I have to remember how having these little beings have made me a better person...and how they will help me continue to grow and evolve forever.
And then, I have to sit back, offer little man a toy,

plunk him in his bumbo

& let him try out the exersaucer

...and grin from ear to ear when he masters all three.

Life.
Is.
Good.
Great!

Sailor's Delight

The boys & I were out for a bike ride tonight after supper...as we turned the corner heading west on the east end of town, I was struck by the beauty of the sky. The sun was peeking out from behind clouds, making the clouds almost seem as if glowing, the blues, pinks and golds and the sun's rays were striking. Of course, I had to head home to grab my camera...and of course, by the time I got back to the east end of town the sun had almost disappeared and the sky did not look near as striking. But I still tried to catch some of the beauty. Then the boys & I went to the park, played for a bit and on our way home the sky was the most beautiful orange/red/pink, so out came the camera again. If only I didn't have the boys in tow I would have jumped in my car to head out of town and find a more beautiful horizon silhouette....

Tonight, I loved the beauty of the sky.

Tonight, I was frustrated I didn't quite capture that beauty.

Splash, splash!

08.03.2011

We have been spending a large amount of time at our local pool this year (we were there 3 separate times today, lol).
B loves the water!
We are so lucky to have such an awesome toddler pool - I love being able to let him splash and play without having to cling to me...it really lets little ones become more comfortable with the water on their own terms :)

 My absolute favourite part of the day was the "jumping" and "falling down"...and the rolling around just being silly B. The looks of sheer delight and all the giggles just melt my heart :)

A moment...

08.03.2011

This afternoon, during a quiet time rocking my precious little baby to sleep, I had a moment.
A moment, that as I snuggled my face into the crook of my precious little baby's neck, of complete smallness.
I'm not sure if you know what I mean by this...I don't often have these moments, but when I do they are always profound. I'm going to try to explain myself, although I'm not sure I have the words to do so.
I felt small, in a big, big, big world.
But it wasn't a sense of inadequacy.
It wasn't a sense of insignificance.
Because the moment was so powerful.
So powerful.
It was a fleeting moment of peace, of absolutely everything being completely, totally right at that particular time, in that particular place. I was just a small speck with the rest of the world revolving around me, kind of like how I imagine being in the eye of a hurricane to be.
The moment lasted perhaps 20 seconds...maybe a little less, maybe a little more - but my point is it was just that - a moment.
I'm not sure where these moments stem from. I'm not sure it matters.
What I do know is that these moments almost always lead to some sort of reflection of life.
What I do know is that these moments seem to have a definite purpose.
They serve to slow me down in the crazy, hectic journey of life that is so easy to get caught up in (as in, gotta get this done, that done, gotta go here, go there, gotta go, gotta stop, gotta go, repeat).
Today, my moment of smallness left me with a serene sense of calm and gratitude.
It left me knowing and treasuring how much I love (with all my heart) the two little beings that are my sons.
It left me thinking about how there is so much in life that you just have to trust your instincts about (especially parenting).
It left me sitting here, trying to explain it all, while looking out the window and listening to the birds chirping, the sun streaming down, the leaves swaying in the breeze...the scene almost glistening...as if somehow this scene is so much more beautiful than it ever would have been ordinarily.
Kooky, I know.
But so simple yet amazing to have experienced.

Do any of you ever experience moments like these? I hope you do...

A favourite

08.02.2011

Yum. 
This is what is for lunch today.

Perhaps my all-time most fav lunch food...
At minimum in the top 5!

What is your fav food?

Progress!

08.01.2011

For those of you who know my husband, know he is pretty handy...sort of a "jack of all trades". Since buying our home 5 years ago, we have been in a pretty steady state of renovation. It ebbs and flows as the projects are bigger or smaller, but there is always some sort of home improvement happening. Last September the "final" and largest phase began with the addition of our double attached garage. Now that it is actually functioning as a garage/work shop, it was time to rip down the old single garage on the opposite end of the house. The plan there is to dig a basement room and rebuild the main floor space as a master suite :) It is quite a major undertaking (especially considering my husband is a one-man construction crew working only in his "spare time") but will add considerable living space!! It was pretty neat seeing the old garage come tumbling down - it sure makes our house look different! Now with any luck, the new addition will be framed by the end of the September long weekend (or so says hubby).

Here is the tear-down in about the middle of the whole process...

Go, Rod, go!

I have to admit it is exciting to have this big project underway...it means we are one more step closer to a renovation-free lifestyle!