A Ramble...

 I haven't really posted anything with much substance lately...I thought I'd do a little rambling about what we are up to these days...

As fall approaches I find myself with the need to organize, declutter and prepare for a winter spent indoors...I have plenty of hand me downs from Alyssa, cousins & cousins cousins...I swear that in itself has been a lengthy process...sort, rotate, & donate kids clothing...Plus making room for 3 kids worth of Winter Jackets, Boots, Hats, Mittens...We've also been purging, and organizing toys..we've gotten rid of lots of baby type toys..Yippee!! I think we are finally at a place where we can have some kind of organized chaos...

Alyssa has started back at Preschool 3 days a week, of course being the non-morning person that I am she is in the afternoon class. She jumped right back into school, and though I have still been having mixed feelings about her not starting kindergarden...she seems to be confident in her class with some of her friends from last year...She is a completely different kid from last year when she started school. She has also started her ballet class on Monday Evenings again, which she just loves. We tried for skating lessons as well, but we didn't get in the first session. We are hoping to sign her up for hockey in January.

Alyssa loves playing with her cousin Sophie...they play several times a week. She loves to play Bake Shop with her Moon Dough (the messiest stuff EVER!)  Store, shopping and Restaurant and anything that involves her being a Grown-up. She doesn't seem into Princess stuff as much as before...her playing seems to have evolved a bit.

Alyssa has always been a great sleeper, she still even now at 4.5 years old will not get out of her bed, she calls me every morning to come and get her out of bed, which I actually love! She sleeps 12 hours from whatever time she goes to bed, and she flat out refuses to have a nap...Ever! She has been having a few sharing issues lately...whats hers the babies can't ever touch, but what is theirs she thinks she is entitled to as well...Should be interesting after all 3 birthdays and Christmas. All in All, our Alyssa is a good kid...and holy moly does she ever help me out...she's taken it upon herself lately to clean up toys and tidy up randomly, "To help you out Mom!"

Blake officially now has all 20 teeth through, hallelujah! I think he was a pretty good teether in general, I don't recall ever blaming a bad mood on teeth...I hope he gets a bit of a break before those pesky 2 year molars come in. His talking has really started taking off. He puts 2 words together, mostly things like "Where Dada/Mama/Papa/Lissa", Hi Mama, Bye Dada...He says quite a few single words, too many to list...

He is really a sweet loving little guy, he likes to be hugged and give kisses and really likes to play alone...My favorite thing is when he runs around the corner and says MAMA and wants me to give him a kiss...he gives me a little hug and then he's off...He is obsessed with his cars, trucks and anything that has wheels and goes "Brrrrmmm". He is on the go non stop, if he's not eating in his high chair he is on the move from morning til night. My little guy is a morning person much to mommy's dismay, he is usually the first to wake up, and since he's gone to bed with 2 or 3 cars or trucks you can hear him early on driving is cars along his crib...He does like to have a long 2-2.5 hour nap in the afternoon. He has his little Blankey Baby he sleeps with, and let me tell you, he can't sleep without it...he will cry for "baby" until you find it. Blake is just a little peanut, I'm not sure how much he weighs, I'm guessing about 22-23 pounds.

Leah Maria as we call her, or Monkey girl, has stalled at only 10 teeth and I don't see any others in sight, funny however she does have all 4 molars. Teething doesn't sit too well with her, so I'd be happy to just get these others out of the way sooner than later. Leah is quite the little smartie pants, her comprehension level is crazy and the words she is stringing together shock me some days. I guess since Alyssa was a late talker I find her talking rather amusing...My favorite word she says is Octopus, it comes out a little different each time but mostly sounds like "Octaplusss". She is well into the 3-5 words at a time, mostly things like"Where Daddy go?", "I want juice", "I want Up/down/help". The other day Blake was playing in a drawer he's not suppose to and she yelled "Baby, NoNo Do that", we were floored!!

Leah's favorite things to do are whatever Alyssa is doing. She likes to sit at the table and color with her, we've even had some playdoh out which she seemed to like...Leah also likes to seek out trouble, honestly...I know I keep saying that and I hope it doesn't grow into a reputation when she's older that she feels she has to keep up with...She really does keep me on my feet all day long... Leah loves to do acrobatics on anything and everything, she has no fear of climbing, hanging, swinging...She really thinks she is big kid...Leah likes to sleep in longer in the morning, but she is a very light sleeper and her morning brother racing cars in the crib right beside her, usually wakes her up earlier than she'd like...I think she'll be like Alyssa and give up her napping early...I usually get 30-40 minutes and on a rare occassion an hour and a half...She loves loves loves her Daddy and has some serious jealousy issues when anyone else tries to touch her daddy, that being said though she can be snuggly, lovey and can sit still for extended periods of time, unlike Blake...When daddy isn't home, I do get hugs kisses and snuggles. She can be rough with her siblings, but you can tell how much she loves them, she always wants to kiss them...and she does know when she's hurt them and knows to go give kisses to say sorry. Almost everytime Blake gets his bum changed she climbs up the end of the change table and kisses his head...Leah is still pretty small too, she is a little more solid than Blake, and I think she probably has a pound on him now somewhere around 23-24 pounds...

Kirk is super busy with work right now, we are hoping things slow down over the next month or so as he winds down at one of the 2 companies he's been working for. He has started back at hockey this past weekend, I know he's looking forward to that...As well as the Flames games we have tickets for, we both always enjoy going to the games. We are hoping in the next few months to take a little trip somewhere, just me and him...Vegas maybe?!

I'm hoping to take some cooking classes with my SIL Jane this winter, I'd also really love to learn how to crochet so I can make my kids super cute winter hats...but for now I'm trying to get into a routine with school drop off and pick up, which isn't always logistically that easy...the school is too busy and too small for my double stroller yet these crazy babies aren't co-operative enough to walk just holding my hands, for now its Blake in my Ergo carrier and just holding Leah...it also conflicts with nap time...Having my mom here at just the right time for drop off and pick up, helps me out a ton! Housework and laundry continue to haunt my dreams...trying to keep the babies stimluated enough this winter will be my biggest challenge, that and me trying not to go insane!

So there you have my huge long ramble, glad I got that out.. now I can get back to my regular blogging!

Dancing Girl

Here is my little Dancing Queen...she loves to dance but never lets me video it, it was a rare treat so its only on my phone camera...She is dancing to the an Elmo toy where I had to press the button a million times to keep it going which is why the sound is so horrible...none the less the dancing is cute!

Catch Up...

After a whole month, I have finally collaged our holiday pictures...We had such a great trip it was hard to narrow down the pictures, and sadly there aren't as many pictures of Grandma in there as I would have liked...What an amazing place, we are so lucky to be able to stay their with them at their beautiful home. Sorry there are so many, I wanted to make sure they are in my blog book...

Lots of Catch-up to come!! Fall is in the Air!!!

Double Happy(s) of the Day!

Dearest Children...Thank you so much for sleeping in every single day this week...Granted you went to bed a little late most nights, I certainly appreciate the 8:30 wake up...instead of your usual 7-7:30 wake up!! Keep it up and your momma will shall reward you with a smile instead of a frown!

Ahhhh Bliss...remember last year when my darling husband took me here for my birthday!!! Well I am about to have a repeat with my cousin Jannelle who is flying in from Vancouver...She cashed in a whole swack of travel points for Spa Certificates, and we are spending 6 hours at the Spa tomorrow at the Banff Springs Hotel...Yippeeee!! I've been counting down the days! We will each be getting an hour massage, a facial, and Mani/Pedicure...Lunch included and the rest of the day lounging aroung the mineral pool and falls and in the hot tubs...All FOR FREE!!!!!! We are staying over night and hopefully sleeping in! Thank you  Jannelle for what I'm sure will be an unforgettable weekend!! Also Thanks to my honey for full time parenting this weekend so I can have a weekend away!

PS...I have camping pictures from last weekend added into my list of pictures to deal with, along with our summer holidays still...As the summer winds down and we get settled into our fall routine, I'm sure my blogging will be back into the mix....

I also have a New blogger Award from Jennifer at Twinside Out,

 I will proudly post soon too!! Thank you Jennifer!!

Happy of the Day!

I took my Girl (big girl that is) Back to School shopping today...I LOVE shopping with her, the way she searches the racks for just the right thing, beaming when she loves something & scrunching up her nose at things she really doesn't like...Truth be told, her and I don't often agree on the same things...She absolutely loves taking the clothes and trying them all on in the change room, coming out and twirling infront of the mirror...

Today when we were done, walking hand in hand with 2 bags full of new clothes, she looks up at me and says "Do you know what my favorite thing in the whole world is?" I said "No tell me" she then hugs onto my legs and says "Shopping with you mom!" and that my friends is my Happy of the Day!

PS...My holiday collage pictures are coming along slowly...slowly in the fact that I haven't started...Soon!

We're back!

We are back after a great holiday to beautiful B.C, we had such a great visit with Kirks parents!!

 I have more than 300 pictures to sift through and collage...so in the meantime here are a few teasers!

August??!!

WHAT?? Its August? I just noticed the date and am in complete and utter denial that it is infact August...Where did May, June and July go? No, seriously??

My blogging has been horrendous these days and this time in addition to it being to nice outside to blog, I'm blaming my Iphone...Now that I have this dumb awesome phone, I have not much reason to even turn my computer on...I do check my regular blogs often, and for some reason I can't comment...I've tried a million times on several blogs and guess its my problem somehow, I just don't know how to fix it...

So whats new with us? Hmm nothing terribly exciting I'm afraid...We've be trying our best to soak up these summer days before they are gone, and we are dreaming of hot days again...We are off on Thursday to BC to spend some time with Kirks parents out at their beautiful place on Shuswap lake...We'll be gone for a week- 10 days...

Since I've fallen so far behind in my blogging, I thought I would catch up with some collages...

We had a BBQ one Sunday afternoon with most of my cousins on my dads side...We were missing 3, its rare that we are all together...Our goal was to get a picture of all 8 Great Grandchildren, who were all there...including little Ryder who is only 2 months old...In a few days there will be a new little baby arriving down in Atlanta, but as of then all were accounted for...Matthew was visiting from Sweden, so it was a nice treat to spend time with him and visit...I think everyone had a great time...

 Alyssa has had a nice summer so far...I think some days she's a little bored, but she's been busy and getting lots of exercising...running through the sprinkler, bike rides, playing with her friends and siblings and cousins...She wanted her hair cut short to match a few of her friends from school...I think she looks adorable and so much more grown up...she really loves its, and its so easy to do...I haven't had to do a pony tail for weeks! She is super excited to go see Grandma and Grandpa in BC... 

Little Blake had certainly enjoyed his time outside this summer too...He's working on his very last tooth!! It should be poking out soon! He does not like the cold water of the sprinkler and will only play in the pool if the water is very warm...that suprises me a bit since he loves his baths so much...

 Leah Leah Leah...Such a turkey this little one...She still thinks she rules the roost over, and quite honestly most days she does!! I think its time to by the "How to raise a Spirited Child" book I've heard so much about...She still only has 9 teeth, I think her last molar should be out soon though. She loves the pool, cold or not and would really like to be as big as Alyssa...she thinks she is a big kid, and refers to Blake as "The baby", which I guess he is...by a minute... 

 We've had lots of fun visits with cousin, friends, G&G Swinton...and lounging around at home...

 We had a nice hot August long weekend, we set up the tent in the backyard and Alyssa & Kirk slept out there for 2 nights...The babies loved rolling around in there...It was great fun...We had our Slip & Slide, pools and Sprinklers set up for the day and by night it was switched to our firepit for Hot Dog roasting and S'mores...Alyssa had an amazing time, and even though its a bit of a pain to set up and take down...its all worth it to see her sweet smiley face having a great time!

See you when we get back from BC!!