Kids say the funniest things

Well, it’s been a busy day filled with friends and fun.  I actually feel too tired to blog about the details.  Haha!  But- I did want to mention a few funny things Jesse has said lately.

“CRAP”

I’ve been bringing my kids to my weekly OB appointments lately instead of trying to arrange or pay for childcare.  They do pretty well playing with toys in the waiting room, and then during the actual appointment I set them up on the 2 cozy chairs with a special snacks.  This gives them something to do  while I have my blood pressure checked, get measured and Dr. Pascali listens for baby’s heart beat.  They usually watch pretty intently and Jesse says, “excuse me Dr. Mascali...” about every 30 seconds to ask a question or tell him a fun fact.  I am lucky my OB has a few kids of his own and is very personable and laid back.  He never seems to mind entertaining Jesse’s non-stop questions and comments.  Anyways, last week the conversation went as follows:

J: excuse me Dr. Mascali.  Do you know mommy has a CRAP in her belly?

DR:  Ummm....

Me:  Sorry Jes, mommy has a what in her belly?

J:  A crap.  You have a crap in your belly.   And Me! I had a crap on my foot! Remember, right here! (as he points to his foot)

Me:  You mean A CRACK in your foot?  Or A CAT was on your foot?   (the nurse and doctor start chuckling and trying not to let Jesse see it,)

J:  Emphatically, very slowly and precisely shouts, “No! A CRAP!” (at which point both the doc and nurse leave for a minute to regain their composure after the laughing spell hits harder)

Me: Speechless ( I pop my head out the door- half laughing- half embarrassed) I have NO idea what he is saying... We don’t use  that word at home....

(I have since figured that he was trying to say CRAMP- as I do get feet cramps and cramps here and there in my stomach.  Unfortunately, he really insists that it is pronounced CRAP.  He told his Sunday school teachers about the CRAP he had on his foot a few days ago as well)

“SPECIAL LITTLE HELPER”

So, the next week at Dr. Pascali’s, we have a med student working with the doc.  Jesse chats him up, and goes into a VERY detailed account of where his food goes, and what it turns into and how it gets out,        (He incorrectly tells the med student that his poo goes down to his toes.) However, he then tells the med student about his drinking habits and correctly identifies the point of exit with gestures and exuberance.   Dr. Pascali joins the room after this awkward exchange, and Jesse says, “Wow! There are 2 of you!  Dr. Mascali, this guy was using YOUR things.  Is this guy your Special little helper?!”  How flattering I say!  The doc genuinely laughs and says to the med student, “I’m sure you’ve been called worse, eh?!”  We’ll see what the child says next week...

“THE PROMISED LAND”

Jesse loves stories!  More than watching TV or reading a book, he loves to be told a story!  Every day in the car he asks me to tell him a story.  I ask what about, and he will give me something random, “An orange lamp named Caleb.”   I make something up on the spot that usually involves magic and potions, and imaginative concepts.  The other stories he loves to hear are Dave’s bible stories at bed time.  Quite historical, but full of interesting and new ideas.  Well, Jesse is becoming quite the story teller himself.   He will ask me to provide the topic and go with it.  He tells me at least one made up story per day, and the combination of biblical ideas, everyday life, and fantasy can paint quite a picture.  Yesterday his story involved my baby being born but with NO  parents.  Here is a little snippet from the middle of the story as best verbatim as I can remember,

“ But! The baby had grandparents and uncles, though.   But one day the baby had to travel to the promised land.  And do you know that that land was called?  The promised land was CANDY LAND!!!  And there was lots of candy..... but babies don't eat candy.... And so, the baby was sad and Jesus came to be the daddy and take care of the baby!  And to help her crawl and pick her up, and sing songs to her...”  The story continues with several twists....

Anyways, just a few funny things from the boy. 

Janna is talking a bit more now, and can say a decent amount of words.  We have: mama, dada, Jes, cat, dog, duck, chin, cheeks, eyes, all-done, head, hair, bum, up, please, yes.    If she is in a mood to repeat words, she does pretty well- but mostly she doesn’t care about talking too much.

A few days ago, Janna was giving Dave attitude.  She was standing up and bouncing on a chair, and Dave asked her to sit down.  She just scowled at him and shook her head, and grunted, “UGH.”  Dave spoke firmer and told her she needed to listen and sit down.  She gave him the deadliest glare and pout you ever did see.  They locked eyes for a bit, and Dave said, “ Janna- does daddy need to come over there and give you a time-out?”  Well- Janna’s whole face and posture changes.  She bats her eyes and coos at him, “Yeeeees” with a sweet grin.  Dave and I just looked at each other and couldn’t help but laugh.  We had no idea if she misunderstood us, or is a genius and playing the humor card to avoid discipline!    

Tonight she was playing with a little duck toy, and I asked her what a duck said.  She KNOWS the correct answer to this, and can say “quack quack.”  Instead, she starts pretending to drive it along my shoulder while beaming and saying, “ vroooom, vroom, vrrroooom.”  I think she has a sense of humor budding in there!

Well, that’s all for tonight.  We had a late and rough night last night, and I have been having several pre-labor sensations the past few days.  I really don’t want to have a Halloween baby- so after folding a bit of laundry I  am going to aim to be in bed and asleep by 9:00 this evening!   Thanks for reading.  I’m out!

A festive Saturday

 We have another two day weekend, and I felt a bit sentimental that this MIGHT be the last with just the 4 of us.  Although I am very excited for our new addition, it will be an extra element of work for sure.

Right now the kids are cuddled on the couch watching Cinderella while Dave carves our pumpkin.  And I get to relax and blog?! 

 We’ve spent the day doing a bit of Halloween activity.  We aren’t SUPER intense about this holiday. However, growing up my mom was SO into the costume making, and Dave’s dad was really into the pumpkin carving.  So- those are the two things we have chosen to embrace.

This morning we went out to pick out our family pumpkin.  There are some great patches around here with tractor rides and lots of family fun... but we just couldn’t get ourselves together to tackle it this year.  So, we went to “loblaws” farm for some groceries and picked one out this morning.  Jesse was distressed he could not pick them up, and Janna was just so happy to run around touching them all.

After grabbing a few groceries, Jesse and I came home to make a few cupcakes while Daddy and Janna tackled a few of Dave’s errands.  Jesse did a great job pouring, stirring, icing, and licking up any messes he made.  

 I decided that at the same time we were making cupcakes, that I would also make lunch, AND supper and a freezer meal.  Why do I do these things to myself?  Dave returned home to a disastrous kitchen and slightly frazzled me, but we got everything under control in a matter of 20 minutes.  Now- supper is ready and I have another 2 meals to throw in the freezer for busy days with a newborn.  I am up to about 15 meals made at this point... and I feel pretty good about that!

After a  nap, Dave and I reorganized our storage room a bit, and did some car stuff while the kids napped/had quiet time.  Jesse was VERY excited to help with the pumpkin when he woke up.  We looked through some pictures of carvings online, and of ALL the pumpkin faces I showed him, he was SET on an angry one.    The kids watched very carefully as Dave took off the top- but Janna had ZERO interest in the guts and scooping, and Jesse felt after 5 minutes that it was too messy.  LOL!  So- poor Dave sits here emptying and carving the pumpkin by himself.

I finished up Jesse’s costume on Thursday night, and he spent all yesterday wanting to wear it.  We put it on AND took it off 4 different times during the day.  Each time it inspired giddiness and chicken noises, which led Janna to look for hers and try to put it on.   Janna loves her lamb costume, too, and cries when we make her take it off.   So, maybe I’m not supposed to post pictures until after Halloween of them- but they were just too cute to pass up:

Jesse insists each time on sitting Janna down and stroking her face while singing “Mary had a little lamb it’s fleece as pink as snow,” very seriously into her eyes.  Pretty funny!

Anyways, I am going to go and cuddle my babies and check out Cinderella with them.  I haven’t seen this in ages! Thanks for reading. I’m out!

the movie conundrum, and helpful people

Well, my intense nesting bug has continued through the week.  I have had this intense drive to stay on top of all house related things, and tackled some weird tasks like organizing my junk drawer and vitamin/meds basket???   ADD in staying up late sewing the kids Halloween costumes, and feeling the need to make either homemade hummus, guacamole or smoothies each night- and I have not squeezed in the time to blog in a few days.  However- tonight at 7 I just felt like- WOW! I overdid it.  So- maybe I will take a week of cutting back and have more time to blog.. we'll see!  I tend to move in these wave like patterns of INTENSE productivity and then a bit of a crash for a few days before the next one builds up.

Tonight, even though I wanted to crawl in bed at 7 and sleep for 24 hours, tonight was DATE NIGHT for Dave and I.   We remembered a few weeks ago that Katie gave us a coupon for 2 movie admissions and food- WITH the added bonus of free babysitting so we could go and actually do it.  We figured we should use it before the baby comes, and arranged for her to watch the kids tonight.   Well, when we set about looking into what was playing- we saw NOTHING!  Sure, there were a few that I wouldn't have minded seeing, (that Dave had zero interest in) and a few that Dave thought looked just ok (that I was not too interested in).  But- nothing that looked GREAT to either of us.

Is this not ALWAYS the way it is?  When I have time and money (or coupons) for a movie there is NOTHING playing.  And then when there are 4 movies that are amazing playing- I have no time or money or freedom to take one in.  Does anyone else feel this way?   Getting out for a theater experience is such a luxury these days.  And we could just not bring ourselves to waste our precious movie coupons and theater date on a lame one.

Anyways- Dave and I haven't been out together for a while, so we decided just to go out for a leisurely coffee and chat.  It was really nice and I was happy I didn't bail on him for sleep.  He's pretty great to have coffee with, and it's so incredibly refreshing to get OUT without the munchkins.  Thank you Katie Vance.

I feel very thankful for God's provision through people lately.  While Katie is our ON CALL person to watch the kids should I go into labor evenings, nights or weekends- I have been feeling nervous about what to do with my kids should I POP during the weekdays while Katie and Dave are both at work.  So- being my lame and dorky organized self- I sent out an email with the 20 dates surrounding my due date to some friends and church folk .  I asked if anyone could be on "LABOUR CALL" for any of the 20 dates?  This would mean having your cell phone glued to you, turned up, and being prepared to drop any plans to be at my place in about 30 minutes to watch my kids while Dave and I headed into the hospital.  Well... within 8 hours of the email being sent- I had ALL 20 of the dates covered.  Amazing!

 When I am older I am looking forward to helping out moms and families with young kids.  I have already decided I will be in the church nursery, claiming "on call labour" dates, and hanging out with little ones during the evening, insisting young couples get away from their babies to take time to connect.  I will particularly hunt down people in my area who have little family to rely on.  I feel so grateful for all the help that has been lined up, and continues to be lined up for us.

Well, the 9:30 hour is approaching, and my bed is calling!
Thanks for reading. I'm out!

CUTENESS! The word of the the day....

OKAY. Not too much time to blog today.  I am once again dealing with a pretty intense spurt of the NESTING BUG.  Yesterday and today , my to-do list just keeps getting longer and stranger.  Yesteday I tacked more normal things like packing my hospital bag and putting away my summer clothers.  Today I have strange impulses to clean random things.  Like my cutlery tray.  I viciously dumped it out this morning, and scrubbed it, and am now running it through the dishwasher for good measure. LOL.  Prgnancy makes you CRAZY at the end.    So, for the sake of time, I will just leave some pics of a few things from the past few days that are adorable

Janna loves this box of rocks I found hiding in some art supplies.  Yesterday she stayed on this blanket for 45 minute pulling them all out of the box one at a time, and putting them back in. Over and over and over.  Today, she pulled the same blanket over to the same spot and asked me for the rocks so she could carry on with this task.

Lamb costume is done!  This looks WAY cuter on her...but you will have to wait until Halloween for the real shots!

 Kids love their Aunt Katie!  Look at them snuggling her last night.  Today, Auntie Katie hit up play classes with us, and the kids were so excited she was there, “ Aunt Katie! Look at me!”  When we returned home, Janna dove out of my arms and insisted on holding Katie’s hand as we walked inside.

 

And can I just say- Katie Vance, you are very cute too.  But you are also one SMOKIN’  and amazing woman and we love you.....

I let Janna play with phone today.  Totally supervised.  The 20 seconds she remained unsupervised she texted Dave’s work with the message, “zero.”  Whoops.... Cute though!

Jesse.  Cutie!

And how I found my kids after cleaning the kitchen from lunch today.  I had put on music and they laid down on the floor in front of the computer listening to it and watching the screen saver.... 

All for today.  Hope these made you smile a bit.  Thanks for reading. I’m out!

GUILT AND GOOD TIMES

Guilt is something that I definitely deal with on a regular basis as a parent.   Sometimes I think that it is a good thing....it can be conviction that moves me towards truth and things I need to change.  Other times, it is completely unnecessary and hindering in my life.   

Well, today I dealt with a bit of guilt.  You see, I really didn’t spend much time with my kids at all!  When I was working, this would have made me feel very guilty.   Sunday is sort of a chance to bond as a family.  However having a full day of that yesterday- I didn’t feel one ounce of guilt over it.  In fact, I feel like I will probably be a better mom this coming week, because of a day like this.  However- what I did feel very guilty about was how much time Dave ended up spending taking care of the kids.

You see, last night was a BAD BAD night of rest.  To begin with, I was stupid and didn’t eat supper with the kids.  I just wasn’t feeling too hungry.  Then I was stupid again and didn’t get myself into bed till after 11.  At this point, I realized that I hadn’t eaten anything since a cupcake at 4:00, and with some night time “morning sickness” kicking in, I really should have jumped out of bed and got something to eat.  I was just SO comfy and desperately wanted to sleep.  Dave also realized he was a bit hungry and was like, “ Chris, let’s just get up and get a snack. Right now...get it over with.”  However- I was stupid again, and told him I would just try and fall asleep.   Almost 40 minutes later, we both climbed out of bed to hit up the kitchen and feed our rumbling bellies.  It’s funny how I try to pick sleep over food if given the choice!  I fell into bed around midnight, and from about 12- 4 I wrestled with one of those horrible ”new-born prep nights.”  I had nausea, and leg cramps, and back aches, and pee trips, and could not get comfy.  This little girl has taken to a hyper spell around 12 and 3 each night, and her movements are SO crazy and often coupled by hiccups.   I remember finally feeling settled and comfy around 4, and looking at the clock thinking...I’m happy tomorrow is Sunday and I can sleep in until 7:00.  3 hours of sleep is manageable....

Well... Jesse decided he would wake up a bit before 6 this morning.  He was in his room saying, “mommy and daddy. I just need you to come and see this!  I need you to come and see the stars.  I see them out my window!  Wow. They are beautiful....mommmyyyyy.....daaaaaaadddy..... mommy? Daddy?..........Katie???  I see the stars!  Janna?!...”  Now, I wish I could say that I had a beautiful mother and son moment when I crawled into his bed and cuddled him as we looked at the stars and waited for the sun to come up.  However- I’m pretty sure I mumbled something like, “ stupid stars” and put my pillow on my head.  Jesse tried for the next hour to invite people into his bedroom to check out the stars and we all did a good job ignoring him... but I don’t think anyone actually slept through it!

So, a rough night to say the least.   Dave sensed my groggy and exhausted disposition this morning and took care of breakfast and took the kids out of the house for an hour before church.  We all piled into the van, and I then left my kids with wonderful Sunday school teachers and nursery workers for another 2 hours. Then after lunch I put them in their rooms to sleep for a few hours.  And then I spent just a bit of time with them before heading out for a Momma's Date.

A few weeks ago, I brought up the idea with my friend Sarah of getting out for dinner together without the kids or husbands.  We hang out together a lot with the kids, sometimes as families, but rarely just us.  Our husbands, actually, go out for dinner and golf or coffee a few times per year.  I was like, “why have we not done this?!?”  We both have kids the same age who we are at home with, and could use some grown-up time out.   Well, as we were talking we realized that the mom who could probably use it the most is our mutual friend Rebekah.  She already has 3 kids under 3.  So, we figured out a day that worked, and tonight we hit up East Side Marios for supper.  We left the dads at home to cook supper, put the kids to bed AND clean up.  (although- Confession- I felt too guilty to leave Dave to cook!  I may have spent the afternoon cooking a huge roast beef dinner with potatos and gravy for him) 

It was so relaxing to have dinner cooked and cleaned up by someone else- with good conversation and no interrupting kids!  I usually have to get up from the table 3 or 4 times during a meal for something- and so to just sit and leisurely chat and eat and eat and eat......was glorious.  (I told the server as he rushed over to take our orders at the start of the night,  that we were out for some time away from the kids, and we were in NO RUSH).   I felt so young and free!  Here is evidence that this luxury DID occur and I did not just dream up such a great event!

Well, I returned to a quiet and clean house, and got to spend time with Dave for the rest of the evening.  Sundays are our night to hang out, but tonight we promised to be more responsible about aiming for some sleep, and the plan is to be in bed at 10:30! So...with that- I must be on my way. Thanks for reading! I’m out. 

A super simple Saturday....

Today was my first Saturday off in ages!  I actually had a dream a few nights ago that A Gym Tale built an addition on to their place that included a gymnastics type pool (30 minutes of a swimming obstacle course to be incorporated into parties) and kiddie pool for drop in guests.  In the dream, my boss asked me if I could please help work this Saturday on reception as they were unveiling this for the first time.  I agreed, but what a nightmare of a concept!    Wow.  I was happy to wake up and realize I was just dreaming.    

Anyways, after chilling with the the kids by myself all week, today felt so relaxed having no intense plans and Dave around to share the kid load!  Jesse and Janna seem to be thriving on their new schedule.  So happy!  Sleeping well, eating well, playing well, relaxing well.  I was debating whether or not to try and stick to it on the weekends.... But decided we’ll keep a few key elements, and go with the flow otherwise.  Church throws everything off on Sunday, and there are often special events to tackle on Saturdays.  Plus, change is good once in a while.

So, today instead of getting out of the house right for 9, we hung around a bit longer taking our time getting ready and whatnot.  However,  happy Janna seemed to melt down the longer we hung around the house- so we ended up heading out by 9:30 anyways.   I think she has a bit of Dave's itch to get on to go, like Jesse does.  Maybe baby 3 will be like me and LOVE to spend the whole morning taking it easy around the house :)  Dave was in the shower during Janna's downward spiral, and I was on the computer trying to make a list of things to pick up for Jesse’s Halloween costume.  (I decided I would have to just pick a costume for him, as he kept changing his mind from day to day)  So- I decided to go with a dragon.  He brought that one up A LOT the past few weeks, and what 3 year old would not want a dragon costume with full tail and spikes, gloves and feet, and headpiece? I had my list all ready to go, and asked Jesse to go the bathroom before we headed out to get materials for his costume, “What costume, mom?”  To which I replied a BIG AWESOME DRAGON!  He got very quiet and his eyes filled up with tears, “ but mommy, I thought I wanted to be a chicken at Halloween...”  Seriously?  I tried to convince him that a dragon costume would be so cool, that he could pretend to fly, and ROAR at people.   Now his lips start quivering and I see a tear roll down his cheek, “ But mom. I don’t want to say roar. I just want to be a chicken at Halloween.”  Well, I looked into his little blue eyes and sad face and asked him if he was SURE!? Because we couldn’t change once I bought all the supplies.  He told me he was, and so I hopped back onto the computer to find the pattern again and make a brand new list of the million things I needed to get for it.

Fabricland was a much nicer experience FIRST thing when it opened.  Dave walked around the store with the kids, while I tackled my list.  I still bumped into bolts of fabric and tried to cheer up the extremely grumpy and unenthusiastic employees, but it only took me about 20 minutes to get around, find my things, get my stuff cut and paid for.  In fact, it almost seemed divine that Jesse pick a chicken.  As I headed to the sale section at the back, I noticed a huge table of FLEECE on sale! Buy one meter, get 2 free! And with this stuff going for around 20/meter, and me needing almost 3, was I ever pumped to find an INTENSE yellow and orange bolt perched right in the middle screaming CHICKEN CHICKEN at me.  Yay!   Making a good quality costume really doesn't save any time or money.  It's just so much fun to sew them up,  and you can get more unique AND well fitted varieties.    

Well, after a trip to the Metro, and some play time outside we chowed down on some lunch and put the kids to bed for an early nap.  I know I have mentioned before how funny Jesse is about staying glued in his bed.  If something falls out of his bed and is within reach he will holler for me to help him grab it.  It's like he thinks there is an invisible force field that will demolish him if he reaches one millimeter outside of his bed,    However- this has been getting a bit old, and so I’ve been encouraging him that he can do it!  “You just hop out of bed and reach for it and get back in.”   I think he has been doing this a bit- but today was HUGE progress on this.  Maybe too much progress.  Dave and I laid down for a nap when the kids went to bed, and I kept hearing strange noises as I tried to drift asleep.  Animal noises, beeps, rolling, and then something really loud and musical.  I hopped out of bed and went into Jesse’s room.  He had discovered that the box by his bead which holds baskets of books and toys on top had an inside full of TOYS!  These are mostly annoying musical toys and puzzles, that we try and rotate into the kids toys a few at a time.    Well, he had emptied this box and had every annoying toy spread over every inch of his room, and was in heaven!  I had to chuckle, put away a few of the loudest, and told him to knock himself out- but that he was going to have to clean up when nap/quiet time was done.

He played very nicely for the remainder of his time in there, and then we woke up the kids early for a birthday party!  Usually Dave ends up taking the kids to birthday parties, as our friends tend to have them on Saturdays and I work- but I got to go to Tryne’s 3^rd birthday today!  I think I may have been as excited as the kids J

WE had a great time at Tryne’s house with 5 of her other little buddies.  The kids enjoyed classic fun like an art activity, pin the tail on the donkey, wacking at a piñata, opening gifts and and of course yummy food and cupcakes!  Here are a few pics I snapped of the day

 Kids watching Tryne's dad, Chris, pin the tail on the donkey.  They were all a little skeptical of the game....

 But they loved the pinata! Jesse was sort of like, "I am supposed to HIT Dora in the face? and Hard?"

Of course, mama very rarely gets into the pictures these days, and I have hardly taken ANY preggo pics.  So! Here I am.  Approaching 37 weeks: FULL TERM!

Good day, and now for an evening of sewing!  I have to finish up hand-sewing  Janna’s lamb ears onto her hood, and then I will start cutting out the mounds of BRIGHT orange and yellow fleece for Jesse’s chicken costume. HOPING he is still happy to be a chicken come Halloween. Thanks for reading! I'm out. 

Beautiful people....

So, everyone has been asking me how I’m enjoying my time off work.   It’s been GREAT SO FAR!  The kids seem to be doing amazing with their new routine, and I’ve been having fun compiling oodles of art activities to tackle with them.  Today we covered cardboard with aluminum foil, and then I let them smear Vaseline all over it.   Next, I had a bunch of little shapes cut out of foam that they stuck to the Vaseline.   Janna enjoyed putting things on and pulling them off, then piling them up.   Jesse was satisfied to simply stick his shapes on, and then did some cutting of foam to create his own pieces  to add to his masterpiece.   Thank-you some random lady on Google for that idea.  The kids loved it!   

As fun as it can be to stay at home with kids all day- it can be exhausting and lonely and very challenging.  I almost find it easier to work part time.  When I am working there is less TIME in the day to tackle house things, and so I am more physically tired and my time is more tied up.  But being in a work environment and having other goals and interaction can sometimes be a much easier day that dealing with the same munchkins day in and out.    Also- with naps to work around and not always having a vehicle, it can feel lonely some days.   Not having family in the area can be especially hard for a mom.  Family are often those people who you can just call or drop in at any time just to hang with.   I have been lucky to develop some wonderful friends in the Ottawa area, and today I just felt very thankful for friendship.  Three things that happened....

ANOTHER PACKAGE!  A friend I grew up with on the cheerleading team for 6 years (her mom also coached) sent my family the greatest parcel in the mail.  This was so special because we don’t keep in super close touch or anything... She lives in the area I grew up... but if I’m spending any time at all in Hartland over a vacation, this is one of those families I’d call to try and stop in to see.   There is also good old facebook and the email here and there that keep us connected.  But she is now a mom, and there is something very unifying about that.  Anyways! She sent this great package with a little something for everyone.  She reads my blog, and everything was perfectly suited for each member of the family.  Jesse was OVER THE MOON excited for the card she sent him with 3 loonies and a note for him to take us to the mall to spend them on dollar rides.  He put the loonies in his piggy bank to take care of them, and has been cuddling the card all day- asking when we can go to the mall.   The best part of the gift was an encouraging, cursive, handwritten letter on loose leaf!   It was so strange to get a letter on looseleaf!  I have not received a note or written one like it in a long long time.   But, I probably wrote 3 million letters on loose leaf during my middle and high school years, and received a handful from this particular girl as well.  It brought a flood of sentiment I was not expecting, and I just loved it.  If you are reading this, Thank you Natasha!!!  

Second great thing about today was the chance to have a play date with the Potters.  It is really hard to fit these in when you are working as there is so much to get done on your days off.   It was so nice to spend the morning with Rebekah and her 3 kids.  Rebekah is one of those people in Ottawa I can ask for favors, or call to invite myself over, and I am thankful for her friendship.  I really wanted to take pictures of our play date today.  I even took my camera...but with 5 kids under the age of 3.... I wasn’t quite on the ball.     

Third thing was getting a call from Gracie to see if she and her new baby, Gavin,  could come spend the afternoon with us.   Grace is a close friend from university who moved here not too long ago with her husband Tavis.   Grace is awesome because she is one of those people who will stop in to say hi and drop off ice-cream if she hears your day is going poorly.  She plays with my kids, and they just LOVE HER.  She also will just call and ask to come over.  I find that there aren’t too many spontaneous people .... or maybe that this sort of “stopping by” isn’t as acceptable in our busy fast paced city.  But it’s always a blessing to have her company.   Jesse was so excited to awake from his nap to “gracie and Cabin.”  I think his words were, “Thank you for coming to bisit me Gracie. We love you and Cabin so much.”  It was actually the first time Jesse met him, but he just loved him and wanted to hold him and pat him, and take care of him.  I also felt very encouraged by Janna today.   We spent the morning with baby Gideon (who is 6 months old) and then newborn Gavin this afternoon, and she was really excited about both of the babies!  She just kept pointing and smiling and making little cute noises at them.  She watched them very closely and when offered to tickle their toes or hug them, was VERY pleased and  interested and extremely gentle and calm.  It gave me hope that she won’t beat up and yell at her new sister (as I have been secretly fearing).

Anyways, a good day, today.   Feeling thankful for great friends and looking forward to survivor with Katie Vance!  It starts in 2 minutes , so that’s all for now.  Thanks for reading! I’m out.  

THE PLAN!

I’m day 2 of being off work, and today is going MUCH better than yesterday.

Janna was a miserable miserable, clingy mess yesterday, and it made for a challenging day.  It had been a few days since a BM for the poor girl, and last night right at bed time, she finally took care of business, and was much happier!   

Today is going great- and the kids have been playing together nicely with toys for an hour in the living room and I have had a chance to get some things done.   Applied for my Mat Leave EI, took care of a few phone calls, made some home-made guacamole for Dave...

I have been thinking a lot lately about how the kids will adjust to baby 3.  I think Janna is going to certainly have some jealousy issues at first, and I think Jesse will love it.  But, I know both the kids will be miserable if we don’t achieve a healthy balance of getting out every day, and having qaulity indoor time with each other.   So- I’ve come up with a new daily routine to set in place for the next month before baby 3 arrives.   Routine is SO good for kids, and having something that I can put in place and then sustain after a new addition will help everyone cope I think.  Also, I just love making a plan and sharing it!  So- I thought I’d share our daily routine.  We’re trying it out for the week and maybe will tweak it a bit... but it’s the different elements I’d like to include in the day, set up in an order that I think will keep my kids and myself happy J

7:00 Wake up! FOOD ! Breakfast and kitchen clean up.

8:00 READY FOR THE DAY Brush teeth, hair, faces, get dressed, pack bags

8:30 One Tv episode (Plan is to have some time to nurse baby 3 before heading out)

9-11:15 OUT!  I have been planning something out and about with the kids each day.  Some days it’s just errands and groceries and appointments, other days it’s a play date, a trip to Tim’s, play-classes or long trips to the park.   Most days are a combination of this and that.....  Either way- it’s a change of scenery and the kids are at their best this time of day for the public!  Lol.  Hoping to keep this up when baby 3 comes!  I find they are so much better behaved later in the day if they have had a good dose of fresh air/ and runnin’ around in the morning!

11:15-12 LUNCH

12-1 KIDS PLAY TIME  I have been encouraging Jesse and Janna to play together (without me) more often lately.  It’s been nice to see Jesse initiating games with Janna and them playing alongside each other in their kitchen or reading books.  I have been taking this time to clean up after lunch or send some emails or make calls, clean a bathroom, switch some laundry,  or whatever I need to do.  As important as it is for me to do things out and about with them, AND to get onto their level to play with them- being able to play independently is skill to be taught as well.    I also want them to learn that mommy has other jobs to take care of, and that as Much as I LOVE THEM DEARLY, the world does not revolve entirely around them.

1-3 NAPS

3-4 Snack/ Art and story time with mommy! I am so excited my kids are both finally into doing artsy things.  Some days we will just mash up playdough- paint, or do sensory activities.  But other days we will try and produce a final product.  I am very excited about coming up with new art projects for the 2 of them.

4-4:45 TV time while mom cooks!  Jesse will watch something, and Janna usually helps me in the kitchen

4:45-5:30 Supper/tea/family catch up

5:30-6:15 Daddy Outdoor Play hour with kids while momma cleans up

6:15 Bath and Bed Time Routine!

7:00 Lights out!

So, for all those free spirits, I’m sure this might just seem silly to you.   And I do realize that a newborn will throw certain plans and time frames OFF to a certain extent.  But, this is just the general goal and vibe for the day.  Things I want to include and ways to keep the kids and mom happy!   I will keep you updated on how it goes.  To end with, here are a quick few picture of my little loves playing nicely with each other this week.   Thanks for reading. I’m out!

A not so relaxing Sunday...

It’s been a busy weekend.  Yesterday, I worked till 3 then had to get home so Dave could get out the door to a worship team practice at the church.  Dave is pretty good on Saturdays about getting the house in decent shape for when I get home- or at least taking care of it when I get home.  However- he decided to try out a new Wave ap (calming, lulling, sound of waves on a shore) on his Ipad when he put the kids down for their nap.  He ended up really loving it and passing OUT into a DEEP DEEP sleep.  He woke up totally startled at the sounds of Katie blending something downstairs and Janna shrieking.  He was amazed to discover he’d been asleep for 2 solid hours, and was supposed to be picking me up at work in 10 minutes.  So, the house was a bit messy when I got home and I was left to make dinner in a filthy kitchen, while watching the kids, and then clean up and do bed time on my own.  Luckily Dave got home to help with getting the kids washed up and into bed, nevertheless, I will perhaps be deleting this wave Ap of his J

 Although I felt like passing out come 7:00, I pressed on for a few hours to get some laundry done and a few other things around the house.  We really try and take Sunday to relax and not do too much, so while I worked around the house Dave got all his Monday lessons ready and some marking out of the way.  So, while the goal was for a more restful day today, there were 2 things that got in the way. 

The first thing is Baby 3’s crib!  You see, we have this handmade bassinet that Dave’s grandfather made for him as a baby.  It’s beautiful and we enjoyed using it for Janna.  However- it’s been packed away in storage for well over a year now.  There is a base, the crib, a few connecting dowel pieces and mattress.  When we dug it out a few weeks ago, we could not find the mattress (which I had taped the dowel pieces to.)  I am 99% sure that I had put it in the storage room in a black plastic garbage bag to make sure it stay covered and clean during it’s basement stay.   However, I looked everywhere and could not find it!  I have since looked a few more times, and I think that it got thrown away by mistake in our weekly garbage run, as we store our garbage down there in big black garbage bags as well L  Anyways, kind of a pain, as we currently have no sleeping area for when the baby arrives. It’s been put off for a few weeks now, and today we decided that today we would take care of this problem. 

So, this morning after the kids were fed and dressed Dave ran with them to Canadian Tire to get some dowel pieces to connect the base and cradle part.  Check.  He then had to rush home so he could grab katie’s car and get to church early, and I was left to get the kiddies all set by myself.  We made it out the door only 2 minutes late, and into church mostly on time.   Katie went with us in the van, and I was thankful to have another set of hands to carry and manage the kids with.  This belly is really getting in the way of simple things!   The service was great, and afterwards Katie and I went to pick up Janna from the nursery, and Jesse from his classroom.  Jesse was totally distraught and his teacher, Miss Leanne, said he’d been crying for me for the past 10 minutes straight.  She’d just been hugging him unsure of what to do, and said he was breaking her heart.  He really was a sad story!  He was all red, and trying SO hard not to cry, but tears were just streaming down his face, and his lips were quivering and he was all hot and flushed.   Bawling kids don’t bother me so much, but when a child is trying SO HARD to be strong and keep it together and has silent tears and sobby gasps, it makes me so sad!  I scooped Jesse up and as we headed out to the van, and I was trying to figure out what was wrong.  He was a bit sad that “sockey” the puppet wasn’t at church today, and that another boy took one of his cookies, but I knew that wasn’t the issue making him SO upset.  Then I smelled something.  Yes! Did I ever.  This is part 2 of what impeded with a relaxing Sunday for me.  Now, as a caution, this is yet another, POST ABOUT POO.  For those who are not interested in reading more about poo, skip the following 3 paragraphs.

So, I smelled something a bit stinky, and upon further inspection decided Jesse had a bit of a squirt in his undies.  “ Oh Jesse- Did you do a little bit of poop in your pants by mistake?”  I asked.  Jesse loses it in tears and says between sobs , “ I just wanted You mommy.  I needed you to change my bum, mommy!!!”  Poor little guy was embarrassed!   I teach several kids this age, and usually most of them aren’t terribly embarrassed over accidents, yet.  There are always a few though, who are mortified, and I think Jesse is one of them.  At this point, we were pretty much at the van, and it is NO simple task at 12:30 to navigate back through the busy lot, back into the emptying church and wait in line for the bathroom.  So, I figured I’d deal with it at home. 

Well, the drive home was very funny and stressful.  Jesse’s legs started wiggling and I thought, he is gonna poo himself!  So, I was justa driving as fast as I could.  Jesse kept randomly screaming,  “OW! That hurt my feelings!!!”  I would look back and his face would be red and contorted and he might be clutching his belly. “Oh Jesse... we are almost home.. hold it..HOLD IT!” I pleaded.   I raced into our parking spot and Katie grabbed Janna while I RAN Jesse into the house and washroom.  I blame my pregnant waddle/ run, but I was not quite fast enough, and Jesse didn’t just have to poo, he had BAD diarrhea!  So, I got him on the potty for some of it, much of it was  through his clothes and some on the floor.  He was yelling and crying the whole time that “I don’t like my POO!!!!”  and flipping out while I was trying to remain calm and tell him to please stop flailing his dirty legs at me.  Katie came in behind us with Janna and a few minutes later and says,  “Chrissy.. I am so sorry for what you are about to see in the kitchen.”  

The DOG. THE DOG!!!!! He got into the garbage AGAIN!! WHY?!?!  And meat and diapers and coffee grinds were EVERYWHERE!   I need to lock away our garbage cans I think.  Is this just me being stupid?  Do other people with dogs hide their garbage?   I was thankful for Katie who kept Janna entertained while I ran Jesse upstairs for a bath.  And thankful she kept Janna entertained when Jesse exploded in the tub again, and thankful she remained with Janna, while Jesse exploded yet again on the toilet, and thankful she kept Janna entertained while I cleaned the bath and ran Jesse another one. Sorry Katie, that 2 minutes of holding Janna turned into 20?!   At this point, I was grumpy at Dave who I pictured leisurely chatting with people while he slowly winded up his guitar chords at church, then sauntered out to the car to drive home in a peaceful child free, yummy smelling car.   Anyways,  Once jesse was cleaned up and under control, I strapped the kids into their booster seats, made lunch, and left the dogs mess and bathroom 1 for Dave to deal with.  He came home while I was cooking, and I really was not mad at him, I just feel like I’ve had this abnormal horrible share of cleaning up gross things lately J  Anyways, I got the kids fed and into bed while Dave cleaned up, then super hungry Dave and I ate and crawled into bed for  a quick power snooze. 

Now, you may think this story of a ruined restful day is done, but I’m not done with the bassinet.  You see Dave did his part of getting the dowels.  I was responsible to run to the fabric store to pick up some foam to make a mattress and get some waterproof liner to cover it.  I decided that while I was grabbing that I should grab stuff to make Janna’s Halloween costume.  I’m going to try and do hers this week, and Jesse’s next week.  He still keeps changing his mind and adding new possibilities into the mix.  So, while I wanted to lay in bed all afternoon, I made some tea and went out in the pouring cold rain to make the trek to Fabricland to pick these things up.  I left the kids at home to finish sleeping with Dave. 

Well, this Fabricland always feels busy, but I had a list all set and knew exactly what I needed.  The problem was my belly!  This fabricland is super overcrowded with stock, and people, and as a woman with a protruding belly, I kept bumping into bolts of fabric and people.  They don’t have push carts there, but these little ones you can drag along the floor.  Well, I literally had to hit up every corner of the store for my items, and the fabrics I needed were all on super long or FAT bolts.  So, I could barely balance them in this little floor cart, and ended up sort of standing behind the cart and giving the bolts of fabric standing up in it a shove ( with my stomach) to get it anywhere.  I'm pretty sure I looked both awesome and stupid at the same time.   I was pretty dismayed to end up in line of about 15 people waiting to have fabric cut.  SO as I stood there balancing my piles of fabric precariously against my belly and sweating, I was praying my water would not break.  It would be tragic if I didn’t get these things after all this hard work.   About 30 minutes later it was finally my turn and I got my things cut.   Yay! For those of you who are not familiar with fabric stores,  you have to wait in a whole ‘nother line after your material is cut to pay for it.  So I drug my waddly self through the fabric aisles knocking things over,  while praying a thank-you to Jesus that my kids were not with me because that would have been actually impossible, and got in line 2.  Now, line 2 was only 12 people long, and there were 2 cashiers... Oh wait.  One leaves.  What?!   I actually feel really bad for this one lone cashier who is sweating and ringing things in as fast as she can while people scowl and sigh as the line grows up to 22 people long.  Really. 22. I counted!  The man in front of me had already given an earful to the ladies cutting fabric, and so I was worried about what he sight say or do to this poor girl. 

Anyways, maybe 30 minutes later it’s his turn and he goes on and on about how “It’s not YOUR fault, but why isn’t ....blah...blah...blah....blah.”  Having worked in a variety of customer service positions over the years, I hate when people yell and complain all while saying , “it’s not your fault, but:”  You still feel crappy, and are being yelled at.  If you want something to change go and find the person whose fault it is!   Perhaps the staffing manager as they were understaffed?   Or maybe not even them.  I know! Who is in charge of Halloween?  It’s probably their fault that a million people were in the store getting materials this weekend.  So, this poor girl is trying to be happy and apologizing and clearly stressed, and I think, what can I do to make her day?  I should just sing to her!  It finally comes to me, and just as I’m about to step up to the counter a man barges in front of me (and the other 22 people)... and says ”Where would I find some toilet paper for your washroom?”   This girl is looking around wildly for maybe another staff but with no one in sight is like, “ I’ll get it!”  She RUNS out from her counter and past all the people in line saying, “Sorry! Sorry! I need toilet paper!”  She dives into a back room and comes out victorious with a few rolls which she sort of tosses to the man and she resumes her fierce stance at cash.  She apologizes to me and I just gave her a big nod and smile and said, “No worries. Sometimes you just need to get people toilet paper.  You are doing a fantastic job.”  And she smiled a bit- and I hope that it made her day better if even for a brief instant.

I got home in time to enjoy my kids and husband for a few minutes before tackling a late supper and bed time.  Janna is getting into these little spurts of happy dancing lately, and when I came home she ran over to me and danced and spun and sang and giggled and then dove her head into my knees.   I snuggled her and then sat down by Jesse who told me that Jesus told him he should have a lollipop for having 1, 2, 3 yucky poos.  And I agreed.   Dave and I sat by each other on the couch and just chatted for a while.  It was nice.  It was relaxing.  I was hoping for a greater chunk of time like that today, but sometimes Poop and Fabricstores just get in the way.  With that GREAT sentence, I think I should sign off before all my blog readers decide to stop following me.  Thanks for reading! I’m out. 

last shift for me!

Today was my last day at work before my mat leave starts!  While, I do plan on going back to GT for just a few hours on Saturday mornings in 3 or 4 months,  my role as nursery school teacher and the main receptionist on Saturday is done!

I have mixed feelings about it.  I do really enjoy being a pre-school teacher and will miss that role.  My desk job on Saturdays can be entirely insane, but I enjoy the challenge and fast pace of it.   I enjoy my co-workers and will miss seeing them regularly. They all made and signed a card for me today on my way out :) thanks guys.

There are also some great perks, like being able to watch Jesse at preschool with me (he will really miss that aspect too!), taking Janna to play classes, and dropping in for playtime whenever with the kids.  And should I mention half priced concessions?  Ok...still pricey, but delicious hot dogs!

Also, in over 4 years that I have worked there, I have loved getting to know some of the great families who come for all sorts of things.  Just today, one of the cutest little preschoolers who was with me YEAR 1, Annie, showed up for a party.  Along with her was younger brother, GianMarco, who I taught the following year, and baby brother Luca, who is all grown up now!  Mom stayed for the party and it's great to be able to catch up with families who you've grown to know over a longer term like this.  An hour later, the exact same thing happened with ANOTHER family who have put their kids through gym tales preschool.

So, lots of nice things about where I work.  However I am excited to have some more quality time with just my kids for a few weeks before another baby joins the mix.  They are at a great age, and not having to rush out of the house 5 times a week will be nice for me AND them, I think.

Likewise, my body is just sort of slow moving and I don't have the speed and energy that I normally would, being due in just one month.  I feel like I'm just DUE to let someone take over who has a bit more zest and speed than me.

I also have lots of little things I would like to get done before baby comes.  Catch up on my scrapbook, do up some freezer meals, bank up on naps, sew Halloween costumes, that sort of thing.  Even with my part time hours- things like travel and packing lunches, and making sure bags are packed for the morning can be quite time consuming.  So-although being at home with 2 young children is no walk in the park- I hope to have more time to get some things done.

Well, kids need to be washed up and get ready for bed.  They have been SO good for me since I got home from work, and I'm feeling very thankful for that! Thanks for reading, I'm out.

CALM

I just ate a really good sandwich.  natural PB with freshly sliced strawberries and a drizzle of honey on a soft whole grain bread.  I'm really lamenting the fact that I didn't make 2.  Ok. Pause. I'm going to have to go and make another sammy to munch on while I blog

Back.  Along with my delightful sandwich, I've just had a really great day.  After so much sickness, and sleepless nights, and pee filled days.... today felt like this little window where the powerful warm, dry, sun poked it's rays through days of cool wet rain.

Nothing particularly amazing happened today.  In fact, I woke up after maybe 5 hours of sleep feeling a bit dizzy and morning sick. After our normal morning routine, a trip to the chiropractor, and Toys- R- Us for a birthday gift, the kids and I had an early lunch, and then they played away on their own while I did some meal planning.  The kids napped while I took it easy, and then we watched a bit of TV before daddy came home for supper.  We had curry for supper and smoothies for dessert, and then Dave took the kids out for a walk before bed time while I cleaned up and sorted through some toys.  I did a few pages of my scrapbook tonight, and then Dave took a break from school work and we just talked and connected for a while.

So, not a lottery winning sort of ecstatic elation, but I just felt so calm and peaceful today.   Some things that likely helped cultivate this mood

A. My house is really clean!  Yesterday at preschool I had to clean up a lot of pee, and then the dog ripped apart diapers all over the house, and Jesse peed all over the bathroom somehow, and then both my kids had poo-splosions that stunk up the house around dinner time.   I felt so grossed out, that I did an intense wash down and floor scrubbing, and bathroom cleaning and room dusting, and kitchen sanitizing last night.  It felt great waking up to a clean and yummy smelling house this morning!

B.  I've been seeing a chiropractor several times per week for a few now.  The adjustments have really been releasing a lot of tension I didn't realize I was carrying, and helping with pregnancy aches and pains.  I had a great adjustment this morning.

C.  The sun was sparkling through all the gorgeous fall colored trees as we were running a few errands this morning.  A fresh breeze kept the air moving through the house today. ahhh...nature....

D.  My kids were ANGELS TODAY!   They were both happy and polite all day.  And they played nicely together without any encouragement or supervision while  I was getting some things done.    They played on their own for a good hour with the car garage, reading books on the couch, hanging out in the laundry basket snuggling and taking turns pushing different dolls and animals in the dolly stroller.  I felt like they were best friends today, and it was adorable!  When I got Jesse out of his room from quiet time he asked me if he could go wake up Janna to play with him. When Jesse got an un-expected trip out of the house to ride the school bus to the garage with our neighbor, Janna took a few minutes and cried at the window for him when he left.

E.  My husband rocks.  He has been SO helpful after work with the kids and house things, and making sure I'm doing ok.   Even though after 7 pm he has to get right back to work marking or prepping or sending work emails for a few hours, he commits those few hours to us, everyday, even though it means he has no time for himself through the week.

Anyways, I noticed lots of little gifts that helped calm my soul, today.    Ultimately, though, I believe that true Peace and Joy  come from abiding in The Lord, and sometimes I forget that.  Sometimes I get bogged down in my own troubles, and try to do everything perfectly on my own.  It's exhausting.  I'm amazed at how little I sometimes make God out to be, when He delights in taking care of me, and answering my prayers.  Today I am thankful for all the little ways He provided, and the BIG things, like True Peace,  that only He can give.

I should probably go and aim for a few more hours of sleep, tonight.  Tomorrow is my last preschool shift- and who knows what awaits there! Thanks for reading. I'm out.

A day in PIX, plus a great ending to Jonah and the Whale

We had lots of running around to do today, so I made sure I had my camera and pulled it out so often to snap a picture.   Here we go with our day! 

9 AM PLAY CLASS AT A GYM TALE

Janna takes the task of catching the bubbles at the end VERY seriously, unlike the boys who just run around stomping and swatting at them

10 AM GROCERIES

11 AM HOME FOR LUNCH.  

The kids seem to have moved past their lunch game obsession of showing off their throats.  Their new thing is to SCOWL at me.  One will start, and the other one will join.  And they will just sit there and scowl until I notice.   It's kind of freaky.  I tease them by giving the glare back and saying, " DON'T SCOWL AT ME"  And it always cracks them up

12 NOON.  Grab daddy from work to drive him to a cappies conference at a difference school.

1 PM NAPS!
They always run up the stairs and both into Jesse's bed.  I ask them if they are going to actually sleep if I let them stay together.  Today Janna laid right down.  I did not give into this cuteness, and they napped in separate spaces!

3PM OB APPOINTMENT AT DR. PASCALI's

Janna is chewing on a hammer waiting for the Doc to arrive.  35 weeks and all is looking good!

4PM EARLY SUPPER

Pancakes.  Gluten free yogurt brown rice flour.  Good for a busy day.  Easy and everyone eats them with zero complaints

 5 PM CHIROPRACTOR
Janna stayed home with dad, and Jesse and I went to see Dr. Mike.  I have always referred to him as DR. Mike or "The back doctor,"  but today I made the mistake of calling him the chiropractor.  "We are going to go in a pyro-tractor Mommy?!?" was Jesse's response.  After a 15 minute van ride trying to explain that there is NO tractor ride in the near future, and Dr. Mike is a doctor for the back and that is called a "chiropractor,"  I thought he understood.  However, in the middle of my adjustment, Jesse pipes up, " Excuse me- doctor Mike- can I see your pyro-tractor?  I want to go for a ride in it"

6PM TECH HOUR

We had a skype date with nana and poppie and great nannie and great poppa, as well as a few minutes on the Ipad before our night routine started

7PM BED TIME!

We have a slight change of bed time routine with the 2 of them bunking together now.  After teeth and face washing,  and PJ's are on, Dave and Jesse climb into his bed, while I snuggle and rock Janna in the same room.  Dave tells a bible story, and says a prayer, then mommy sings 2 songs.  Jesse picks one and Janna picks the other.  Dave and I switch kids for a quick hug, and then off we go.  Well, last night and tonight Jesse wanted Jonah and the Whale.  Dave did a great job with all the facts, no intense embellishments, I was there!  However- when recounting the story to me in the car on the way home from the "pyro-tractor,"  I had to bite my tongue from laughing out loud with Jesse's rendition.  I will leave you with his version

As remembered by Mommy from Jesse, 

" Once upon a time, a long long long time ago, was Jonah.  Jonah was a good man.  Yep.  He was a good man.  He went on a boat and there was wind and rain and a storm, and he said he was why.  And so... they THROWED HIM oFF THE BOAT! And he went down...down...down.... deep...deep..deep, and was WALLOWED by a WHALE!  And he didn't like that very much, and so he kicked the whale.  And he broke the whale, and the whale spitted him out.  And then Jonah's back was willy sore, and so he went to see Dr. Mike to fix it.  And then he went home to his mommy and daddy and they said, " we missed you so much."  And guess what? It was Jonah's birthday, and he had cake and blew out the "handles."  And he saw everyone on the computer and on the phone.  He saw nana and poppie, and gwammie, and grandpere, and great nannie and great poppa, too.  And then he got to play the I-Pad and Jonah go to bed.  The END." 

Hope you all have a great night.  It is now 8:00 and these 5 loads of laundry are anxiously awaiting my folding!