One day, a couple weeks ago, I was returning home to the city after staying a few days at the farm. It had snowed a substantial amount in the days I'd been away from home. As I turned into the back lane I immediately realized there was no way I would be getting my car into my parking spot through the insane quantity of snow that had yet to be shovelled. I promptly backed out of the back lane and drove around to park on the front street, Hayden and Deacon both out cold in the back-seat.
I sat in the car and thought about what to do. It wouldn't have been a problem to park on the front street if: 1) I'd had a key for the front door. 2) The path between the houses had been shoveled, allowing me to open the side gate which was stuck shut between 3 ft of snow on either side. I concluded that I would have to somehow walk, with both kids, around the street and through the back lane to access the back door. But how? Twenty pound Deacon plus carseat I can hardly carry 20 feet let alone half a block! I had no choice.
I turned around to rouse Hayden from her carseat dreamland. "Hayden, wake up! We're home!" No response. "Hayden!!" *Snore*. I jiggled her - no luck. She's a good sleeper, God bless her! Would I have to carry BOTH sleeping kids down the block and around the backlane?! Now that was impossible. I eyed a shopping cart tipped over on the boulevard (not an uncommon sight in the North End). Ah-hah!! But we all know what pushing a weighted down shopping cart through snow is like. Scratch that idea. Then, I realized my porch was unlocked. I could put Deacon in the porch and then run with Hayden as fast as I could around to the back door. I didn't like the idea of leaving Deacon unattended in his carseat in the cold porch, but at this point I was running out of options.
As it turned out, my mother-in-law was only 10 minutes away, so she waited in the front porch with a very cranky tired Hayden and sleepy Deacon while I ran down the street, down the back lane and unlocked my back door.
And this, in a nutshell, is an example of the ridiculousness I have endured this winter. No other winter has the path between the houses gone unshoveled. There is just no where for the snow to go! Bla bla bla, I could go on about this damn snow and cold forever.
But, I have to remind myself that there have been a lot of good memories that came with this winter too. Like the day I decided to take Hayden and Deacon for a sleigh ride on one of the nicer days we had. Proud big sister Hayden held Deacon on her lap in the sleigh as we set off on our journey. We hadn't made it 15 feet before I veered off the path, tipping the sleigh, sending both Hayden and Deacon face first into powdery snow. They both cried but I couldn't help but laugh as I brushed the snow off their red faces. lol
Or today, my dad took Hayden for her first snowmobile ride. When she came inside I asked her if she'd had fun on the snowmobile. "No, Mom, I don't like the snowmobile!" she said. I asked her why! "The snowmobile is too noisy!" she replied.
Soooo don't call the WAHmbulence on me just yet. I feel like even though this winter has been excrutiating to say the least, we will all look back on it with a sense of amusement at what we endured. I know I will!!
XO Liza ;)
Monday, 17 March 2014
Tuesday, 4 March 2014
Psychotic Mom Alert (revised)
A couple months ago I wrote a blog post titled "Psychotic Mom Alert!" which I never posted. Basically, it was my warning to any over-eager baby snatchers to think twice before coming to my "rescue" when my baby starts crying. I reread it a bunch of times before deciding it was a little harsh to put out there.
Today I just read another blog post called "Mommy, Somebody Needs You!" where a mother describes her mixed feelings about being so needed by her small children and it put everything I'd tried to describe in "Psychotic Mom..." into perspective.
When Hayden and Deacon were both newborns, they did their fair share of crying as I'm sure most newborns do. I never minded the crying. At all. Until....someone else would come swooping in to save me from my crying baby. "Here. Let me." *snatch* For some reason, listening to my baby cry in the arms of someone else was pure agony! If that person did manage to calm the baby then be my guest, but otherwise I could barely give them 5 minutes before reclaiming my miserable little bundle of joy.
Now, Deacon is 4 months old and his fussy newborn days are behind him. Hayden as a newborn was a force to be reckoned with, but, those days are lonnnnng gone. Since we only plan on having 2 children, I will never have another newborn baby to soothe ever again. So I'm not and never will be sorry for hoarding my cranky crying babies. As for the toddler, she's all yours! ;)
That's it for now!
Liza
Today I just read another blog post called "Mommy, Somebody Needs You!" where a mother describes her mixed feelings about being so needed by her small children and it put everything I'd tried to describe in "Psychotic Mom..." into perspective.
When Hayden and Deacon were both newborns, they did their fair share of crying as I'm sure most newborns do. I never minded the crying. At all. Until....someone else would come swooping in to save me from my crying baby. "Here. Let me." *snatch* For some reason, listening to my baby cry in the arms of someone else was pure agony! If that person did manage to calm the baby then be my guest, but otherwise I could barely give them 5 minutes before reclaiming my miserable little bundle of joy.
Now, Deacon is 4 months old and his fussy newborn days are behind him. Hayden as a newborn was a force to be reckoned with, but, those days are lonnnnng gone. Since we only plan on having 2 children, I will never have another newborn baby to soothe ever again. So I'm not and never will be sorry for hoarding my cranky crying babies. As for the toddler, she's all yours! ;)
That's it for now!
Liza
Friday, 14 February 2014
Just a Thought About Love...
I woke up this morning feeling less than romantic to put it mildly. Roused from my slumber a whole 2 hours earlier than normal by a shrill "MOMMYYYY!!!", I wasn't all that surprised. Hayden is currently immersed in an intense 3 day potty training boot camp. This was my cue to either run a kid to the potty or clean them up. The latter was the case this morning.
Feeling too tired to completely change all her bedding, I brought Hayden into my room and said, "Shhhhh. You can come back to sleep in Mommy's bed but you have to be quiet because Baby Deacon is still sleeping." Naturally, Hayden felt this was a great topic for early morning chit chat. I should have known better because the sound of Hayden's voice has always been like an alarm clock to Deacon. He then started squirming around in his own bed.
Luckily Hayden went back to sleep for another hour but Deacon was up for good. Man was I ever grouchy having already been up twice with him in the night. I sat there and stewed bitterly as I tried in vain to make him go back to sleep: What kind of a Valentines Day is this? I want breakfast in bed!! I want chocolates (even though I quit eating chocolate) and flowers!! Where's my love note on the counter?!? Boo hoo!
ANYWAYS... I somehow managed to flip my attitude at 7:30 this morning when I decided that Valentines Day, for me, wouldn't be about showering your significant other with love tokens. What if, on Valentines Day, we simply celebrated "LOVE" itself? You don't need to be in a relationship to do it. Why don't we just take a day to appreciate our capacity to love be it towards our family, friends, community, or even random strangers.
Love is such a powerful force in this world. There is no limit to how much love you can hold in your heart. There is no limit to how much love you can give. "All things grow with love." has become my mantra as a mom because I may not be a Pinterest queen of crafts, or Betty Crocker in the kitchen, or Molly Maid in the cleanliness department or anything that a stay-at-home-mom typically is. Hell, I don't even know what I'm doing from one minute to the next!!! But I can love my kids with everything I have and that will always be enough.
No apologies for my sappiness! It is Valentines Day after all! So even though there is no real "romance" in my forseable future, there is an infinite amount of love, and that is reason enough to celebrate on this day.
Happy V-Day Muchachos!! xoxoxox
Liza
Feeling too tired to completely change all her bedding, I brought Hayden into my room and said, "Shhhhh. You can come back to sleep in Mommy's bed but you have to be quiet because Baby Deacon is still sleeping." Naturally, Hayden felt this was a great topic for early morning chit chat. I should have known better because the sound of Hayden's voice has always been like an alarm clock to Deacon. He then started squirming around in his own bed.
Luckily Hayden went back to sleep for another hour but Deacon was up for good. Man was I ever grouchy having already been up twice with him in the night. I sat there and stewed bitterly as I tried in vain to make him go back to sleep: What kind of a Valentines Day is this? I want breakfast in bed!! I want chocolates (even though I quit eating chocolate) and flowers!! Where's my love note on the counter?!? Boo hoo!
ANYWAYS... I somehow managed to flip my attitude at 7:30 this morning when I decided that Valentines Day, for me, wouldn't be about showering your significant other with love tokens. What if, on Valentines Day, we simply celebrated "LOVE" itself? You don't need to be in a relationship to do it. Why don't we just take a day to appreciate our capacity to love be it towards our family, friends, community, or even random strangers.
Love is such a powerful force in this world. There is no limit to how much love you can hold in your heart. There is no limit to how much love you can give. "All things grow with love." has become my mantra as a mom because I may not be a Pinterest queen of crafts, or Betty Crocker in the kitchen, or Molly Maid in the cleanliness department or anything that a stay-at-home-mom typically is. Hell, I don't even know what I'm doing from one minute to the next!!! But I can love my kids with everything I have and that will always be enough.
No apologies for my sappiness! It is Valentines Day after all! So even though there is no real "romance" in my forseable future, there is an infinite amount of love, and that is reason enough to celebrate on this day.
Happy V-Day Muchachos!! xoxoxox
Liza
Wednesday, 12 February 2014
A Day in the Life....
This winter has really been something else!!! I will always remember Hayden's first winter (2012) as the most mild and enjoyable winter I have ever experienced and Deacon's as the exact opposite. I have never ever been one to complain about snow and cold temperatures but I find myself counting down the days until spring!
Needless to say, our days have been pretty routine lately. We don't get out much, Deacon, Hayden and I. I know this is probably the least exciting thing anyone will ever read but let it just stand for historical purposes what my life was like during the worst winter ever with a toddler and 3 month old:
8:20 am - Deacon starts waking up in his bed. He just squirms around and grunts with his eyes closed for a while before he actually wakes up.
8:30 - Hayden wakes up! As little sleep as I ever get in the night, I always look forward to hearing her little voice say, "Mommmyyy!!! I'm awaaake nowwww!" I leave Deacon to wake himself up and shuffle to her room to greet her smiling face. I wouldn't want to start the day any other way!!
I take Hayden to the bathroom which she never fails to protest. I get her changed and then get her breakfast which is always cereal with fruit. I put on CBC (our one channel) for her to watch while she eats breakfast and to keep her occupied while I take care of Deacon.
9:00 - By the time I get Hayden all set up with her breakfast, Deacon is usually good and awake in his bed. Sometimes he'll have lost his patience by now, but he's usually pretty content to lay there and look around and squawk happily. Mornings are usually his best time of day. (Usually)
9:30 - After Deacon's changed and fed and happy then I get myself breakfast. I also enjoy a bowl of cereal on most days. It's fast. I eat my cereal while watching "The Adventures of Napkin Man" with Hayden. Then I sing the Napkin Man song for the rest of the morning. Either that or the Bookaboo song. Or the Jiggi-Jump song. Or the Lunar Jim song.
10:00 - Between 10 and 11 is when I can get a few things done because Hayden's still watching CBC and Deacon's still happy in his little baby rocking chair. Laundry, make the bed, get Hayden out of her pj's, tidy up the kitchen, etc.
11:00 - CBC gets turned off. It's exercise time!! I have a yoga DVD that I LOVE. (It's called MTV Yoga and I bought the VHS in 2002. I have tried TONS of other yoga DVDs since then but this is my all time fave. I just bought the DVD off Amazon a few weeks ago. I was surprised to see that it's still in production.) Or else I still really love Disc 2 of the Carmen Electra strip to fit series. Disc 2 is strictly an exercise routine and I feel like I get the most bang for my buck with the 30 minute work-out. Again, I have a few other work-out DVDs but I always go back to this one. Deacon likes to have a morning nap around 10:30 so it works out well. Hayden likes to play near my head and talk to me while I do yoga so it's not very zen but I still consider yoga to be essential to my sanity.
11:30 - Now is when I finally get dressed. Deacon is awake by now so he requires a little maintenance at this point.
12:00 - Lunch!! We eat small lunches. Usually we'll share a bagel with peanut butter and yogurt. Sometimes I'll make scrambled eggs and toast (I know! This is breakfast! I'm crazy!). My new favourite thing is hummus wraps: Spread hummus on a whole wheat wrap, sprinkle with shredded mozza cheese (vegan cheese works well too), roll it up like a burrito, brush outside with melted butter or margarine, and grill like a grilled cheese sandwich. The satisfaction of taking a bite of this delicious creation is nothing short of bliss.
1:00 - Nap-time. Hayden loves going for her nap. She sometimes asks to have a nap when its not even nap time. I know that the reason for this is because it's the only time she's allowed to have her soother. :S She's guaranteed to sleep for at least an hour and a half. Deacon is unpredictable. Sometimes he easily falls asleep. Sometimes I spend the entirety of Hayden's nap trying to get him to go for his nap. Nap time is another essential to my well-being.
2:30 - If Hayden is awake by now but Deacon is still sleeping we usually enjoy a little one-on-one time, reading, building with blocks, colouring, whatever... Hayden's new favourite thing to play is watch Mommy play with my toys like puppets and cry when mommy doesn't want to play with the toys anymore. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE playing with her and I love make-believe, but one can only put Minnie Mouse and "Dolly Doo" through so many fantastical scenarios before one's brain begins to disintegrate.
3:00 - Hayden eats a snack and watches a show on Netflix. Right now she is in love with Thomas the train. If's Deacon's still sleeping you can find me frantically trying to do as much as I can before he wakes up.
4:00 - Deacon maintenance complete - I play with both kids before I have to make supper.
5:00 - If Tyler happens to be home for supper, he will make it. If not, I make supper and I have to say I am very proud of how far I have come in the kitchen since having kids. We always eat healthy, well-rounded meals. That said, I still don't like cooking for other people. Even Tyler.
6:00 - 8:00 - The evenings always go by in a blur, especially if Tyler is home. To Hayden he is Mr. Awesome, always making up the best games on the fly. Sometimes I look at the clock and I'm like, Whoa!! It's bedtime already! As for the bedtime routine, I think I've already said enough about that in previous posts.
9:30 - Hayden's out and then it's time to get Deacon to bed. When Hayden was that age, she nursed to sleep every night and then slept 9 hrs right through the night. It was Heaven. Well, Deacon doesn't always like nursing to sleep and he won't take a soother, so I sometimes find myself walking him around in the Ergo until he's asleep and then plunking him into his bed by 10:30. I'm excited to see how his sleeping patterns evolve in the coming months, to put it positively. :S
10:30 - Deacon is sleeping. Prior to Deacon's birth, we would never ever have considered spending any time in our horrid basement. Now, we have a TV down there, some chairs, its all nice and tidy. It's our no-baby zone and it's awesome.
12:00 - I am a night owl! You'd think I would go to bed earlier than this considering I barely sleep at night, but I love my me time and time with Tyler. Also, I fully intend to have a life again one day and I won't be that gal who putters out at 9 pm. Party-mom on stand-by!!! KIDDING!
I can't wait to go back and read this when my kids are bigger and say, ahh those were the good-old days! Or will I?? Time will only tell...
Thanks for following the gripping saga of my life!! ;)
XO LIZA
Needless to say, our days have been pretty routine lately. We don't get out much, Deacon, Hayden and I. I know this is probably the least exciting thing anyone will ever read but let it just stand for historical purposes what my life was like during the worst winter ever with a toddler and 3 month old:
8:20 am - Deacon starts waking up in his bed. He just squirms around and grunts with his eyes closed for a while before he actually wakes up.
8:30 - Hayden wakes up! As little sleep as I ever get in the night, I always look forward to hearing her little voice say, "Mommmyyy!!! I'm awaaake nowwww!" I leave Deacon to wake himself up and shuffle to her room to greet her smiling face. I wouldn't want to start the day any other way!!
I take Hayden to the bathroom which she never fails to protest. I get her changed and then get her breakfast which is always cereal with fruit. I put on CBC (our one channel) for her to watch while she eats breakfast and to keep her occupied while I take care of Deacon.
9:00 - By the time I get Hayden all set up with her breakfast, Deacon is usually good and awake in his bed. Sometimes he'll have lost his patience by now, but he's usually pretty content to lay there and look around and squawk happily. Mornings are usually his best time of day. (Usually)
9:30 - After Deacon's changed and fed and happy then I get myself breakfast. I also enjoy a bowl of cereal on most days. It's fast. I eat my cereal while watching "The Adventures of Napkin Man" with Hayden. Then I sing the Napkin Man song for the rest of the morning. Either that or the Bookaboo song. Or the Jiggi-Jump song. Or the Lunar Jim song.
10:00 - Between 10 and 11 is when I can get a few things done because Hayden's still watching CBC and Deacon's still happy in his little baby rocking chair. Laundry, make the bed, get Hayden out of her pj's, tidy up the kitchen, etc.
11:00 - CBC gets turned off. It's exercise time!! I have a yoga DVD that I LOVE. (It's called MTV Yoga and I bought the VHS in 2002. I have tried TONS of other yoga DVDs since then but this is my all time fave. I just bought the DVD off Amazon a few weeks ago. I was surprised to see that it's still in production.) Or else I still really love Disc 2 of the Carmen Electra strip to fit series. Disc 2 is strictly an exercise routine and I feel like I get the most bang for my buck with the 30 minute work-out. Again, I have a few other work-out DVDs but I always go back to this one. Deacon likes to have a morning nap around 10:30 so it works out well. Hayden likes to play near my head and talk to me while I do yoga so it's not very zen but I still consider yoga to be essential to my sanity.
11:30 - Now is when I finally get dressed. Deacon is awake by now so he requires a little maintenance at this point.
12:00 - Lunch!! We eat small lunches. Usually we'll share a bagel with peanut butter and yogurt. Sometimes I'll make scrambled eggs and toast (I know! This is breakfast! I'm crazy!). My new favourite thing is hummus wraps: Spread hummus on a whole wheat wrap, sprinkle with shredded mozza cheese (vegan cheese works well too), roll it up like a burrito, brush outside with melted butter or margarine, and grill like a grilled cheese sandwich. The satisfaction of taking a bite of this delicious creation is nothing short of bliss.
1:00 - Nap-time. Hayden loves going for her nap. She sometimes asks to have a nap when its not even nap time. I know that the reason for this is because it's the only time she's allowed to have her soother. :S She's guaranteed to sleep for at least an hour and a half. Deacon is unpredictable. Sometimes he easily falls asleep. Sometimes I spend the entirety of Hayden's nap trying to get him to go for his nap. Nap time is another essential to my well-being.
2:30 - If Hayden is awake by now but Deacon is still sleeping we usually enjoy a little one-on-one time, reading, building with blocks, colouring, whatever... Hayden's new favourite thing to play is watch Mommy play with my toys like puppets and cry when mommy doesn't want to play with the toys anymore. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE playing with her and I love make-believe, but one can only put Minnie Mouse and "Dolly Doo" through so many fantastical scenarios before one's brain begins to disintegrate.
3:00 - Hayden eats a snack and watches a show on Netflix. Right now she is in love with Thomas the train. If's Deacon's still sleeping you can find me frantically trying to do as much as I can before he wakes up.
4:00 - Deacon maintenance complete - I play with both kids before I have to make supper.
5:00 - If Tyler happens to be home for supper, he will make it. If not, I make supper and I have to say I am very proud of how far I have come in the kitchen since having kids. We always eat healthy, well-rounded meals. That said, I still don't like cooking for other people. Even Tyler.
6:00 - 8:00 - The evenings always go by in a blur, especially if Tyler is home. To Hayden he is Mr. Awesome, always making up the best games on the fly. Sometimes I look at the clock and I'm like, Whoa!! It's bedtime already! As for the bedtime routine, I think I've already said enough about that in previous posts.
9:30 - Hayden's out and then it's time to get Deacon to bed. When Hayden was that age, she nursed to sleep every night and then slept 9 hrs right through the night. It was Heaven. Well, Deacon doesn't always like nursing to sleep and he won't take a soother, so I sometimes find myself walking him around in the Ergo until he's asleep and then plunking him into his bed by 10:30. I'm excited to see how his sleeping patterns evolve in the coming months, to put it positively. :S
10:30 - Deacon is sleeping. Prior to Deacon's birth, we would never ever have considered spending any time in our horrid basement. Now, we have a TV down there, some chairs, its all nice and tidy. It's our no-baby zone and it's awesome.
12:00 - I am a night owl! You'd think I would go to bed earlier than this considering I barely sleep at night, but I love my me time and time with Tyler. Also, I fully intend to have a life again one day and I won't be that gal who putters out at 9 pm. Party-mom on stand-by!!! KIDDING!
I can't wait to go back and read this when my kids are bigger and say, ahh those were the good-old days! Or will I?? Time will only tell...
Thanks for following the gripping saga of my life!! ;)
XO LIZA
Thursday, 30 January 2014
Getting Back Into "Shape"
I always used to have a good laugh at the SNL parody for "Mom Jeans". I remember feeling completely baffled at the fact that mid-90's moms actually wore these hideous creations. You know the jeans I'm talking about: the high waists and roomy pleated fronts. Well, the truth is, these days I find myself yearning for a pair of mom jeans as a welcome alternative to leggings and other types of stretchy pants.
Once upon a time, before my life revolved around my beloved babies, you could often find me in the gym. I'd go to the Women's Goodlife Fitness on McPhilips at least 3 nights a week. I loved going to the classes rather than working out by myself because I'm not really very self-motivated. In the classes it's like, "OK if all these ladies can do it, I can too".
During my pregnancy with Hayden I made it a point to keep working out and walking because I really wanted to go back to my pre-pregnancy body without much effort. And sure enough, one month after Hayden was born, I actually weighed less than I had before even becoming pregnant. Because I was breastfeeding, I was always always eating and I still never gained weight. When I was pregnant with Deacon I gained the same amount of weight as I did with Hayden - 35 lbs.
SO I don't know what changed between my pregnancies with Hayden and Deacon. But I've recently realized that I'll be working a heck of a lot harder to get my waist-line back into existence this time around. This isn't so much out of vanity as it out of refusal to go out and buy a whole new wardrobe in a size bigger. Ain't nobody got time for that. Or money. My afformentioned lack of self-motivation is no longer a thing because every day at 11:00 am I tell Hayden, "OK it's excercise time!". Then I put on my pilates DVD and get to work. The lengths of my workouts vary depending on Deacon's patience but I can usually manage 10 minutes a day of cardio and another 10 of whatever else. Still, this extra baggage won't budge!
Foodwise, I'm not making too many changes besides quitting eating sugar. It's not like I'm any kind of a panic since I am breastfeeding and need the extra calories for that. I'm sure I will be into my old "regular" jeans in no time. If not, I might just try to bring the "mom jeans" back into style. Or I will remain happily comfortable in Lulu's for as long as necessary.
xoxo Liza
Once upon a time, before my life revolved around my beloved babies, you could often find me in the gym. I'd go to the Women's Goodlife Fitness on McPhilips at least 3 nights a week. I loved going to the classes rather than working out by myself because I'm not really very self-motivated. In the classes it's like, "OK if all these ladies can do it, I can too".
During my pregnancy with Hayden I made it a point to keep working out and walking because I really wanted to go back to my pre-pregnancy body without much effort. And sure enough, one month after Hayden was born, I actually weighed less than I had before even becoming pregnant. Because I was breastfeeding, I was always always eating and I still never gained weight. When I was pregnant with Deacon I gained the same amount of weight as I did with Hayden - 35 lbs.
SO I don't know what changed between my pregnancies with Hayden and Deacon. But I've recently realized that I'll be working a heck of a lot harder to get my waist-line back into existence this time around. This isn't so much out of vanity as it out of refusal to go out and buy a whole new wardrobe in a size bigger. Ain't nobody got time for that. Or money. My afformentioned lack of self-motivation is no longer a thing because every day at 11:00 am I tell Hayden, "OK it's excercise time!". Then I put on my pilates DVD and get to work. The lengths of my workouts vary depending on Deacon's patience but I can usually manage 10 minutes a day of cardio and another 10 of whatever else. Still, this extra baggage won't budge!
Foodwise, I'm not making too many changes besides quitting eating sugar. It's not like I'm any kind of a panic since I am breastfeeding and need the extra calories for that. I'm sure I will be into my old "regular" jeans in no time. If not, I might just try to bring the "mom jeans" back into style. Or I will remain happily comfortable in Lulu's for as long as necessary.
xoxo Liza
Saturday, 25 January 2014
Updates!
I've been feeling a little boring this month. Our days have been pretty routine lately and with this weather and Tyler being out of town, I haven't felt like doing anything extraordinary. Personally, I feel super excited on days that I can shower and drink a hot cup of tea in silence but that doesn't make for a very thrilling blog post.
So here is what my kids have been up to...
Deacon is growing a ton every day. His newest feat is holding objects, though he often doesn't realise hes holding them until he bops himself in the face with said object. He likes to grab onto and manipulate his blankie, put his fist in his mouth, and lay on this back under mobiles. He's extremely sociable and will "tell stories" to anyone who will listen. I just love his little face with his furrowed brow and contemplative gaze. He's like a sweet little old man.
Hayden. Where do I even begin?!? She is just sooo darn sweet. All, "Please mommy..." this and "I love you mommy..." that. As she discreetly snips pieces off the tablecloth from under the table. Typical two-year-old stuff I guess. She's all of a sudden become extremely chatty since Christmas. I love our conversations. Here are some of our recent discussions:
"Mom, what's that sound???" (her favourite question)
Then I listen but don't really hear anything. "Ummm I don't know, maybe its the snow plow?"
"No, it is not a snow plow, its an airplane."
"Oh OK Thanks Hayden!"
OR
"Mom, look! My fruit snack has bunny ears!" (shows me her bunny shaped fruit snack)
"Cool, is it a bunny??"
"No Mom, it is not a bunny, it's a fruit snack."
I totally realise that these exchanges are probably way funnier to me than they would be to anyone else but you get the idea. She's a little smarty pants.
I'm not sure what else I can give you updates on right now. "How are the house plans coming along?" They are coming along. The subdivision has been approved so we are now in the process of getting the land title transferred...then we wait for the land title to come in the mail...then we go to the bank...then we order our house plans...then we apply for a building permit... etc. etc. It's such a long process. Longer than we ever imagined. I can see why people don't do this. But it all be worth it in the end.
That's all for now!!! Enjoy the rest of your Januarys!
XO Liza
So here is what my kids have been up to...
Deacon is growing a ton every day. His newest feat is holding objects, though he often doesn't realise hes holding them until he bops himself in the face with said object. He likes to grab onto and manipulate his blankie, put his fist in his mouth, and lay on this back under mobiles. He's extremely sociable and will "tell stories" to anyone who will listen. I just love his little face with his furrowed brow and contemplative gaze. He's like a sweet little old man.
Hayden. Where do I even begin?!? She is just sooo darn sweet. All, "Please mommy..." this and "I love you mommy..." that. As she discreetly snips pieces off the tablecloth from under the table. Typical two-year-old stuff I guess. She's all of a sudden become extremely chatty since Christmas. I love our conversations. Here are some of our recent discussions:
"Mom, what's that sound???" (her favourite question)
Then I listen but don't really hear anything. "Ummm I don't know, maybe its the snow plow?"
"No, it is not a snow plow, its an airplane."
"Oh OK Thanks Hayden!"
OR
"Mom, look! My fruit snack has bunny ears!" (shows me her bunny shaped fruit snack)
"Cool, is it a bunny??"
"No Mom, it is not a bunny, it's a fruit snack."
I totally realise that these exchanges are probably way funnier to me than they would be to anyone else but you get the idea. She's a little smarty pants.
I'm not sure what else I can give you updates on right now. "How are the house plans coming along?" They are coming along. The subdivision has been approved so we are now in the process of getting the land title transferred...then we wait for the land title to come in the mail...then we go to the bank...then we order our house plans...then we apply for a building permit... etc. etc. It's such a long process. Longer than we ever imagined. I can see why people don't do this. But it all be worth it in the end.
That's all for now!!! Enjoy the rest of your Januarys!
XO Liza
Thursday, 9 January 2014
I Quit Sugar!!!
My name is Liza and I'm a sugarholic. I just can't get enough. As soon as Hayden and Deacon go for their naps I literally sprint to the kitchen for my "treats". It's my absolute favourite time of day!! I sit and relax with my sugary snack of choice and then I eat it in 1 bite. Then I keep going back for more until someone wakes up from their nap. Basically I'm a nap-time sugar binger.
Putting this fiendish behaviour into writing makes it sound so much worse than it ever was in my mind! Sadly, this is the reality of my sugar addiction. As of Jan.1, 2014 I decided to quit sugar.
The first week was the hardest with all the leftover Christmas sweets still lingering. Day 1 was actually a breeze. Day 2 I became acquainted with the addict's evil nemesis, "Mr. Justification". You hear yourself thinking, "It's so cold out, I NEED hot chocolate!", and "I can't let this baking go to waste!" (Trust me no baking will ever go to waste wherever Tyler is).
I was able to shake these justifications off for a few days until just a couple nights ago I fell off the wagon. Tyler and I decided to bust out the KitchenAid stand mixer we got for Christmas. Ty wanted to make cookies. Even though I had no intention of enjoying them myself, I still wanted to help. Alas, my will power crumbled as the first batch of cookies came out of the oven. I ate one. Was it worth it? NOPE! Anyone close to me has probably heard me complain about my crappy oven in any type of kitchen related conversation. The temperature is wonky!! We have to preheat our oven 50 to 100 degrees cooler than what you would normally bake at. The recipe said 375 degrees, we set it for 275. They still burnt. So I fell off the wagon for a burnt hockey puck. On that topic, nor I or Tyler have never successfully baked anything in our oven.
Besides this slip-up, the hardest part so far was when Tyler disposed of my stash of candy and chocolate that I'd kept on top of the fridge. I actually stared into the garbage in anguish at all the sugar that I would never consume. The strange part is that even though I'd quit sugar, I still wanted the treats in sight. Maybe just to keep my will-power in check. Like James Frey in 'My Friend Leonard' with the bottle of wine.
Now, I intend to maintain my sugar-freedom until my birthday in March. My will-power is actually pretty solid. At the store I can easily ignore that aisle with the sleeves of chocolate bars and the bags of fuzzy peaches. I don't drink pop or even honey in my tea. I just knew I had to quit because of how mentally unhealthy it feels to crave something so badly and not be able to say no.
My new nap-time treat is a strong cup of chai tea and I just love it. Of everything I've given up, I'm going to miss my driving coffee the most! I've decided to spend the extra $3 or whatever at the Itunes store instead. Not all treats have to be injested!
Faithfully back on the wagon,
Liza ;)
Putting this fiendish behaviour into writing makes it sound so much worse than it ever was in my mind! Sadly, this is the reality of my sugar addiction. As of Jan.1, 2014 I decided to quit sugar.
The first week was the hardest with all the leftover Christmas sweets still lingering. Day 1 was actually a breeze. Day 2 I became acquainted with the addict's evil nemesis, "Mr. Justification". You hear yourself thinking, "It's so cold out, I NEED hot chocolate!", and "I can't let this baking go to waste!" (Trust me no baking will ever go to waste wherever Tyler is).
I was able to shake these justifications off for a few days until just a couple nights ago I fell off the wagon. Tyler and I decided to bust out the KitchenAid stand mixer we got for Christmas. Ty wanted to make cookies. Even though I had no intention of enjoying them myself, I still wanted to help. Alas, my will power crumbled as the first batch of cookies came out of the oven. I ate one. Was it worth it? NOPE! Anyone close to me has probably heard me complain about my crappy oven in any type of kitchen related conversation. The temperature is wonky!! We have to preheat our oven 50 to 100 degrees cooler than what you would normally bake at. The recipe said 375 degrees, we set it for 275. They still burnt. So I fell off the wagon for a burnt hockey puck. On that topic, nor I or Tyler have never successfully baked anything in our oven.
Besides this slip-up, the hardest part so far was when Tyler disposed of my stash of candy and chocolate that I'd kept on top of the fridge. I actually stared into the garbage in anguish at all the sugar that I would never consume. The strange part is that even though I'd quit sugar, I still wanted the treats in sight. Maybe just to keep my will-power in check. Like James Frey in 'My Friend Leonard' with the bottle of wine.
Now, I intend to maintain my sugar-freedom until my birthday in March. My will-power is actually pretty solid. At the store I can easily ignore that aisle with the sleeves of chocolate bars and the bags of fuzzy peaches. I don't drink pop or even honey in my tea. I just knew I had to quit because of how mentally unhealthy it feels to crave something so badly and not be able to say no.
My new nap-time treat is a strong cup of chai tea and I just love it. Of everything I've given up, I'm going to miss my driving coffee the most! I've decided to spend the extra $3 or whatever at the Itunes store instead. Not all treats have to be injested!
Faithfully back on the wagon,
Liza ;)
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