long night, good morning!

It’s a “2 cups of coffee” morning over here at the Vances today.  I knew I was tired when I went to make my coffee this morning.  I boiled water, put grinds in the French press, and placed 2 mugs on the counter.   When my water was all set, I poured it into my empty mugs, and stared dumbly, wondering why my coffee was translucent.  It took me a good 20 seconds to realize the problem.

Yes- we all had a rough night.  It began with getting to bed way too late due to our small group meeting.  Robyn was up a few times through the night as she got her first set of shots yesterday and was a bit warm and just not feeling the bestL  But the real culprit was darling Janna.

Many people describe my daughter as fearless.  She does like to be thrown upside down, crash into hard surfaces, tackle large dogs, and balance on strange things.  However, she has one fear that developed over the summer: the blender.  She sound of a blender or hand mixer FREAKS her out.  Even the sight of the blender does the trick. She actually gets to the place where she is literally shaking, while her eyes dart around wildly and she runs crying to cling to mama.  Recently, this fear has extended to other things.  The bath water running, a hair dryer going, or a snow plow driving by loudly outside.  She scrunches up her face and whispers, “noise...” while trying not to cry, and the shaking starts.  It’s pretty sad. 

Well, it snowed ALL day yesterday in Ottawa.  The roads were a bit of a mess and with freezing rain expected  for today, the plows were all out working hard through the night.  Janna’s room faces Craig Henry, which requires a lot of plowing.  Anyways, Janna kept waking up freaked out by the sounds of the plows passing by, and she would holler out for “MAMA!!!” over and over.  Jesse would then wake up and shout something along the lines of, “Janna! Be quiet!”  Dave and I took turns going in to snuggle her and tell her she was ok.  The poor little thing was just wide eyed, shaking,  and looking petrified toward her window while whispering, “noise.”  So, I spent half the night trying to reassure Janna that she was safe and ok, and the noise couldn’t hurt her. 

So, I’m tired this morning, but feeling quite happy.  My neck felt significantly better yesterday morning, and even after a busy day of lugging the kids around, it is feeling even a bit better this morning.  I will take tired over pain! 

The kids are currently playing at their art table.  I read an interesting article about inspiring creativity in children a few days ago.  It discussed having art supplies within a child’s reach, and not limiting them in their expression.  For example, give them blank paper over coloring pages, allow them to use art supplies as they wish.  It’s ok if they want to paint with a feather instead of a brush- why not?  I must confess I sometimes get caught up in keeping things clean and orderly. SO, this morning I thought I would just put a bunch of things out and let them do as they wished as long as everything  stayed on the table and out of mouths.  That was the only rule! 

Welll, I was quite impressed with Jesse.  He really doesn’t have much interest in art.  He never has.  But he’s been going strong for over 20 minutes now.  He started by squishing out little pieces of playdough into round discs and stacking them on each other.  I typically tell him to try not to mix the colors...but today I kept my mouth shut.   Once they were loosely stacked, he took a rolling pin and rolled them nice and tight together.  Then, he grabbed a cookie cutter and make it into a little man shape.  He’s continued adding colors, rolling them smooth, and making different shapes.  Here is a photo!

Anyways, this open ended art will not last much longer, so I should be on my way.  Thanks so much for reading.  I’m out!   

Janna is 2 and my neck is healing....

Today is Janna’s second birthday!  Two years ago I was eatin’ hospital food, nursing my little 5 pound non-stop eater, and missing Jesse.  The day was a decent one.  And I will take decent, considering the week was pretty awful.

As some of you may know, I pinched or pulled or SOMETHING my back and neck quite viciously on Tuesday morning.  It was at the point that I had to put my kids in their cribs way early before nap time was due, and lay down totally still, as any inch I moved caused the most excruciating pain jolting all down my neck back and sides.  I couldn’t even hold my head up or breathe too deeply without setting off this intense pain.  Dave came home from work and dealt with the kids while we waited to get to the first available opening to my chiropractor.

Dr. Mike was able to get me on the table and do some very light adjusting using the articulator and drop table which involved no movement on my part.  I had some significant immediate relief and the mobility was restored to my neck enough for him to do some manual adjusting.  I left the office able to move my head about 50 percent without the horrible stabs, but was still incredibly sore and stiff.  I was told to do as little as possible over the next few days,  and ice my rather swollen neck on and off.

I had a really depressing afternoon and evening watching Dave tackle EVERYTHING by himself while I mostly sobbed in pain on the couch.  I could hardly hold the baby to nurse her, and when I did need to, I needed her propped up on a pillow and couldn’t look down at her.   The next day I was still super sore and stiff, but with some pain killers, sent Dave back to work with the hope of managing ok around the house.  My goal was just stay alive, and keep the kids alive.  It was a long, painful, and depressing day.  But, we were all alive at the end of the day, so goal accomplished.

I am slowly feeling better, and I have had some truly amazing friends insist on helping me out this week.  Meals have been bought or made for us, and friends have been helping out with my kids, and one even came and power cleaned my house for me.  It’s been very encouraging to feel the love and support of friends at such a discouraging time.   Perhaps if I had not just come out of the “month of doom” in regards to sickness and being house hermits, I may have dealt better emotionally.  However- it’s just been one thing after another that has attacked a sense of normal in my life.

Anyways- yesterday I managed to get out of the house to take Jesse to preschool.  He is starting one day per week back at a gym tale without mommy.  He was really looking forward to it, and so Katie watched the girls while I drove him in (not too able to do side-checks...but I was very careful in my driving and mirror watching and it was only in town driving I was super familiar with).  I then had to pick him up around noon while carting the girls with me.  I managed just fine... although rather slow, and boy did I feel it afterwards.  I swear, car seats should have some sort of lifting hazards on them.   

It was really a bad week for Dave to have to pick up all my slack.  Exams were written this week, and so he has POUNDS and POUNDS of paper stacks to finish through and exams to mark, new units to get ready for a new semester, and report card grades and comments all coming up.  Yikes.  So- today we decided he would put in the day of marking upstairs and help me out when needed with the physical stuff.

Anyways, enough about me, back to Janna.... I really didn’t have as much time or physical ability to plan or prepare much for her birthday.  We served her - her favorite junk food for supper - KD and hot dogs, made her some cupcakes, and I had , luckily, previously bought a few gifts.  But since I didn’t have a party or anything, I wanted to do something a little special for her.  So- Dave and I rearranged our kitchen a bit on Friday night, and set up a little art corner for Janna.  We had been given a children’s table from a neighbor.  So we went to ikea and bought some chairs, a wall organizer stuffed with fresh art supplies, and a few art smocks with little hooks to hang things up.  Janna hates when I work in the kitchen without her on my hip.  And, it’s really hard to do anything with a toddler on your hip.  She spends most of the time when I’m trying to work in the kitchen, clawing at my legs crying, “mama mama mama, Up Up Up.”     She, however, LOVES to do art.  She is not interested in final products, but loves smooshing things together and making a mess, really.   SO, I thought if I had a nice little area for her in the kitchen- maybe she would be more content when I am trying to prepare meals and clean up. 

So, last night Dave got stuff moved around, and I set up her little nook.  This morning, we brought the kids downstairs to the table with some balloons on them.  Janna immediately wanted to sit down on the little chairs and put on the aprons.  After breakfast Dave got her painting, and she spent all day asking to paint or color at her little table!   She spent time there doing playdough and coloring while I made lunch and supper- and it was nice being able to keep an eye on her while I was doing my work.

Dave finished up his marking around 4, and we had our very healthy meal of KD, hot dogs and cheesies followed by cupcakes.  We then opened a few presents that were sent from family.  Janna was actually interested in opening her gifts and ripping off the paper for the first time.  Jesse was SO excited and just wanted her to plow through them.  She, however, wanted to explore each gift as it came.  We picked up a bunch of clothes with money that had been sent from her great grandparents, and she wanted each piece of clothing on, along with some slippers and mittens.  SO cute!

I am very thankful for my little Janna.  At two years old she is an absolute sweetheart!  She is also very strong-willed with no desire to people-please, and enjoys doing her own thing.  She doesn’t say too much, but is a pretty smart little girl and a deep thinker.  She entertains herself well, and loves to have fun.  She is a total tease, and loves to wrestle, get scared, and act silly.  Her favorite pastime with Jesse is to spin in circles and then run until she crashes into something and falls over.  The bigger the wipeout, then bigger the squeals.   As much as she loves to dress up in layers upon layers and interesting combos of clothing and accessories, she also loves to strip down! Ha Ha! As of recently, she has been taking of her clothing THEN her diaper, and running to the toilet asking to pee or poo.  If my hands are empty, I hoist her up, and she pretends to grunt and grimace (learned from Jesse) and then hops down and wants to try and wipe her own butt while bending over.  It’s pretty funny.  She is actually currently running around the house pulling a bundle of helium balloons in the nude while chuckling.  What a nut.

Anyways, on that note, I should be on my way and get this cutie pie dressed before she actually pees on the floor.  Thanks for reading! I’m out.  

NEW BEDS

Well, it’s been a totally hectic Saturday thus far, and I’m feeling mixed emotions about a social thing Dave and I have tonight... I sort of want to snuggle with my grouchy kids, have a bath and go to bed early instead of socializing with grown-ups!   But it always feels nice to get out in the end.

Today was Jesse’s New Bed day!  You see, Robyn is starting to “out-wiggle” her bassinet.  Even with the sleep positioner she has, I have been finding her arms and sometimes face squished against the side rails come morning.  Not so comfy!  I realized yesterday, that I hadn’t taken any pictures of her room.  And I didn’t have any pictures of her in our ancient and beautiful bassinet that was made by Dave’s grandfather.  I love that Dave, and some of his cousins have all used this!  So... yesterday while my butterball of squishy sweetness was napping in the morning, I snapped a couple pictures...

 Anyways, we were offered a gently used car shaped toddler bed from one of Dave’s students a while back.  I figured Jesse would love it.  AND! We would not have to buy sometime new for him.  His toddler bed turns into a crib.  So, the plan was to turn his bed back to a crib for Robyn, and move in the new beast today.

It was a lot of work!  Dave was catching up on marking all morning, so I was hanging with the 3 kids.  Al the while trying to packing up the portacrib, bassinet, and move Jesse’s bed into Robyn’s room and get all the pieces set up for Dave, etc!  Nobody was too happy after all that work and not enough attention. 

Dave then had to go and clear off the snow covered van, take out ALL the carseats, and put  the van seats into the floor (yay Dodge Grand caravan stow-n-Go).  I stayed in trying to make lunch, supper for the kids for tonight, and a potluck contribution while Dave drove across town to get to this guys house to load up and bring home the new bed.   Meanwhile at home, the kids were all losing it- and ready for naps- but I didn’t have any beds ready to put them down in.  So... finally Dave arrived home, and we got the bed in place, Jesse’s old bed converted back into a crib, and put one screeching Janna to bed.   Jesse was mesmerized by his new bed.  He walked into his room and with wide eyes and a very serious face exclaimed, “wow.....this is really...really.... comfortable.” (Before even trying it out)  He then proceeded to jump on it with glee, and attempt to push the base around to see if the wheels rolled.  It was pretty cute.

Well.  We’ve all had a quick nap, and now to give my children some attention before the babysitter comes.  That’s all for now.  Thanks for reading.  I’m out. 

more on the middle child, and Robyn starts cloth diapers today!

Well, the kids are all asleep, and my frantic mid-day power- tidy is complete.  Usually at this point in the day, I frantically run to my room, toss on PJ bottoms, and DIVE into bed.  I cover my head and try to turn off all my senses in order to squeeze in a 20 minute recharge nap.  Often SOMEONE interrupts right as I do this.  Jesse asking if his quiet time is done yet, Janna crying over a big poo she just made, or the baby waking up for some milk.   Today, however, everyone is still quiet and I have some energy from the French vanilla cappuccino I guzzled at Tim’s this morning, so I will fill you in on our day.  I type FAST when I am super caffeinated.

You see, in an effort to proactively battle Janna’s, “middle child with a new sibling and entering the terrible 2” phase, Dave and I decided to heed MY mother’s initial advice, which was that we needed to get her out for lots of quality one-on-one times. My mom said that Jesse would be secure in his role as big brother, and the only boy, Robyn is now “the baby”, and Janna would find it extra hard figuring out her place.  Well, as perhaps many daughters do, I ignored my mom’s advice noticing more issues creeping up with Jesse than Janna.  AND! So not only was Janna seriously bumped from being the baby and only girl.... she then saw me giving Jesse way more time and assurance than normal.  SO! Mom was right, and we are working on making her feel very secure and loved.   

Back to my morning, Robyn was down for her nap, and Katie agreed to watch Jesse for an hour before her work shift, and so Janna and I got out for a play and coffee date together.   It was lovely!  One kid is SOOOO easy.  I came home refreshed and caffeinated and took on the task of preparing for Robyn’s first day in cloth diapers.

I always let my babes enjoy their first few months in good old pampers quality...ok- mostly it’s for me as I adjust to the newborn sleep deprivation.  And wrapping and tossing is much easier with the intense quantity of poo and pee one of these little angels produces.  However- once the baby settle into a more predictable sleep cycle I like to start in with it! Cloth diapers just don’t hold up so well overnight or for intense 5 hour newborn naps.... but as I mentioned before, Robyn is doing well and has settled herself into a great sleep pattern, so out-come the adorable colors for her bum!

I use a variety of brands that are pocket one sizes.  They have a ton of snaps and adjust from new born up to the size of 2 year old...so VERY economical.  I do prefer the brands that cost me more- they just work better AND seem to be holding up a bit better.   These are the ones I use on Janna mostly.  However, I had to pull out some of my china cheapies AND size small AMP diapers(not my faves) this morning – as I’ll be needing ALL of them with 2 girls in cloth diapers.   The amp diapers are absolutely adorable, though,  see:

Last night, I took to doing an intense stripping (cleansing them of ANY soap or dirt or ammonia build up) of all my inserts to get these beauties ready to be stuffed.  I started with a stove boil in cider vinegar, followed by a hot water vinegar soak for an hour.  Then, I proceeded with my regular monthly routine strip in the washing machine with baking soda and vinegar, and followed by a plain hot super wash.  Oh man, I was so glad nobody stopped into our house last night.  The stench of ammonia was bad enough, but on top that was the scent of freshly cut onions I have replaced around the rooms in my house to absorb germs, AND the pungent smell of garlic in the WAY too strong PAD tai sauce I made for dinner. NEW RECIPE FAIL!  I hate that.

Anyways, I do not do all of this work, because I think cloth diapers are just cute on my kids bums.  I do it to save money and help the environment a bit.  We have saved over a thousand dollars cloth diapering so far- and my diapers are in great shape- and I’m feeling certain will last for baby 3 and 4.  

Now, don’t get me wrong, I DO think they are SUPER adorable on kids.  Check these out from a ways back....

But, cuteness alone is not worth the extra effort cloth diapering takes.  Now- I have heard some people argue that cloth is NO extra hassle at all.  Compared to a disposable, that is a lie!  To wrap and toss a diaper is less work than pulling out a stinky insert, perhaps rinsing poo off your cover, and then later washing, hanging, drying and re-stuffing the diapers.  Throw in your occasional strips, line drys, or snap repair- and it definitely takes more time that using a disposable.  But- not a tremendous amount more, and when you are home with kids, and can take a few minutes at each change and stay on top of laundry... it’s really not a big deal!      

On the other hand, I am not a cloth purist.   I do not think that pampers have such intense chemicals that my children will be scarred with bum issues later in life or a learning disability??? (can you detect my sarcasm).  In fact, I’m a bit of a hybrid diapering mama I’d say.   I use a disposable if we will be out of the house for a while and I don’t want to worry about fitting a bum change in.  Yes-cloth diapers do need to be changed a bit more frequently than disposables.  I also use one at night time.  The task of double or triple stuffing a diaper and then having your baby practically in the splits from all the extra bulk in there, is just a funny and uncomfortable looking sight.  And while I did find a diaper that seemed to work overnight with just one layer...the stink in the morning from the length of time the diaper was absorbing pee, always started the day off sour for me. ....Anyways, I can live with myself and I think God will forgive me for the disposable diapers that I have thrown into the garbage.   I do love His world and believe in taking care of it, and I think He sees my heart and the variety of ways I attempt to do this in our culture, and is pleased. 

Anyways, that cappuccino really did wonders for me as I’m speedily rambling on about cloth diapers and God's forgiveness .... but I feel that eye droop starting, and my scalp getting itchy.  Whenever I get tired I find my head itches.  On that strange note, that’s all for now.  Thanks for reading! I'm outta here :)

Turn, No, Mine!

So, I posted quite a while back (maybe 6 months ago) regarding Janna.  I think the post was called, “The terrible twos are a comin.’”   I talked about how Jesse went through the 2’s closer to 18 months, and I suspected Janna was doing the same thing.  Well, after my morning today, I can admit I was clearly wrong.  The terrible twos are most definitely HERE NOW!

Janna’s favorite words to YELL these days are, “NO-MINE-and TURN!” She balls up her firsts while she shrieks these and gets red in the face and shakes.  It’s almost funny- except it really isn’t.  There are many examples I could give, but I’ll just talk about the first 2 hours of this morning to demonstate. 

TURN!

After breakfast we all went upstairs to get dressed.  Janna took an interest in Jesse’s underwear.  Poor girl...she really wants to be pott y trained I think....but I ain’t ready!  Anyways, as Jesse is putting on his undies, she runs over and starts pulling them down and off him as she screams, “TURN! TURN! TURN!”  Poor Jesse! LOL!   She understands the concept of taking turns...but not how to go about asking for one?

NO!

Next we went into the bathroom to brush our teeth.  Janna LOVES brushing her teeth.  At night- we tackle brushing them for her, but in the morning we let her go to town on her own.  I pull up a stool to the sink, run the water and put the paste on her brush.  She will stand there for as long as we let her, dipping her brush under the running water and then poking at her teeth a few seconds, then reloading with water.  I suppose this is good for her teeth and independence skills...but not so great for the water bill and environment.  So, every morning , after a few minutes, I turn off the water, take her toothbrush and brace myself for the fuss.  It used to be just a bit of fussing- then she’d be happily distracted.  But - all week I’ve been getting a mini tantrum from this act. “NO NO NO NO!!!!” She’ll wail, and then burst into the craziest crying face with tears flying everywhere, feet stomping, fists balled.  I keep waiting for her to smash her head on the counter or hit me!  She’ll stand there wailing for a while,  and I have to pry her away from the counter and downstairs.  Where she might snap out of it- or she might continue on with the shouting and grimaces.

MINE!

So, we came downstairs and I got Janna out of her fury by pulling out the cars and car mat for her to play with.   I laid down the mat, and pulled out a HUGE basket of dinky cars.  She took one, and started to “vroom” it all over the mat.  Jesse came over and politely asked if he could play?  I said “sure,” and as he went to reach into the basket for a car, Janna practically body slams him in an attempt to protect all 22 cars and she SCREAMS, “ MINE!!!!! Mine mine mine mine mine.”  Ugh !  I convinced her it’s important to share, and so she tossed Jesse ONE car in a disgruntled fashion with a glare on her face.  Jesse pulled up beside her to “vroom” his car around on the mat and Janna took fit number 2.  She grabbed this car mat and bunched it all up on her lap while hollering, “ Mine!”  Followed by what sounded like a fast string of African cursing at her brother “ Mana AAA! Ba Dad OH NO! Wa da da!”  Sigh....

So, I have discovered that working on the 2’s is MUCH harder with child 2.  When Jesse was 2, he never really had to share his toys with Janna- as she was a 6 month old darling happy just hopping in her excersaucer or chewing on the corner of the book.  I never had to negotiate an older child pestering Jesse, or exacerbating the situation.  Right now, when I try to talk to Janna in her moments, I have Jesse behind me lecturing her.  I also have a harder time negotiating this age right now because of the age Robyn is.  My hands are often just tied up-changing a diaper, nursing or rocking the baby to sleep.  So- the actual physical part can be quite the challenge as well- getting on her level to talk to her- or putting her in a timeout. IT’s busy!  It’s as if I’m being torn in 3 directions?!  Lol.

All the same, as frustrating as 2 can be- it is also just the most adorable age.  Janna is putting the world together, and her communication is coming along quite well.  But-she still has some gushy baby cheeks, belly laughs, and loves to cuddle and give kisses.  I am realizing that these things really start to phase out around 3!  So- I will enjoy it while I can and try my best to effectively deal with the “NO-MINE-and TURN” rants I get several times a day.

Anyways, had a few minutes, so just wanted to share a bit of my morning, and the new challenges I am discovering in dealing with a “middle child- 2 year old.” Thanks for reading. I’m out.

Robynie-Roo...can you be true?!

Well, I heard many rumours about the typical third child.  It seemed to be one of two things.  The third baby is easy breezy...they go with the flow-have ample entertainment from older siblings-and tend to be care and fuss free.  The other 50% of people I talked to shared the opposite: that they were the hardest fussiest baby by far! 

Before Robyn arrived, I crossed my fingers and braced myself for latter, while hoping for the former.  When Robyn arrived, she seemed quiet and happy, and I remember the nurses commenting to each other, “wow, this one is a GOOD sleeper.”  Robyn did her best trying to sleep through her blood work and first bath.  Well, I didn’t take this too much to heart because the first 5 or 6 weeks of a newborns life can be misleading.  The first 3 are spent mostly sleeping, and then the next few typically mark a fussy peak.  My favorite sleep book explains this with science.  A newborn does not start producing their own sleep hormones until around 6 weeks old.  At first, they are going off mommy’s from the placenta and so they have a ton and that is why they sleep a TON!  This hormone also has a relaxing effect on the gut- so gassiness and bms are not as much of a problem.   But as the hormone wears off, and before their body is producing it’s own ...they have a harder time sleeping, and a tighter more irritable belly. I have noticed this fussy peak with both Jesse and Janna.  I also, noticed it with Robyn- but it was pretty mild.

Anyways, I’ve been waiting for the 8 week mark until I decide if I have an easy baby or not- and it’s come and gone- and my girl is still an angel! She is happy when she is awake, and content to sit in her sling chair watching all the action happen around her.  She loves when people coo at her and bursts into shy little smiles at the sound of a high voice.  She is really focused, and will just stare people down as they talk.  It's like she is looking into your soul.  She is extremely patient with Jesse and Janna who are in her face and space a ton.  Janna even sat on her head once, and she cried for about 10 seconds, then quickly forgave her.  She nurses well- but not nearly as much as Jesse did!   Which is good for me, as it’d be difficult with the 2 younger ones if she was a non-stop nurser.  Robyn does have a grumpy spell right before her night bed time- but it’s maybe  1 hour max....and it consists of little grunts and tiny wails here and there.  Bobbing around the living room or rubbing her back soothes her in a cinch. 

Mostly, I say she is an easy baby because her sleep is amazing!  I will let myself brag about her- because I put in my time with Jesse and Janna having multiple wake ups at this age and needing to be soothed so particularly to get back to sleep many many many times, and so I feel like I deserve this one! LOL!   Since about 4 weeks old Robyn has been doing 6-7 hours of sleep straight at night, followed usually by just one wake up before the morning.  She doesn’t even usually cry when she wakes up, I just hear her gnawing on her fists and smacking her lips from the next room over.  I go in and change her and feed her for just a quick 15 minutes, then put her back down -wide awake- and she puts herself back to sleep without a peep.  It’s incredible!  She also has started the typical sleep routine of a 3 or 4 month old this week all on her own.  One morning nap, one longer afternoon, and one brief hour around supper.  She has consistently been ready for bed at 8pm, and then will sleep until 3pm or later.  It’s incredible!  I think she just Loooooves to sleep.  Like, when she is napping, if she wakes up with gas or from a noise...she looks around...and then might grin, and go back to sleep.  I relate to that! It’s like when you wake up at 4am thinking it’s 6 and you have to get up...but then realize you have 2 more whole hours to sleep!

Anyways, I just have found myself with a bit of time this afternoon, and wanted to blog something about my little lovely butterball.  I realize my posts don’t usually mention a ton about her, and it is because she is pretty good at going with the flow at this point. Here is a picture of Jesse holding Robyn for me this morning.  That’s all for now.  Thanks for reading. I’m out! 

   

Dave's 29th birthday!

Dave turned 29 yesterday!  I wanted to blog about this ...yesterday...but fell into bed an exhausted lump of mush brain at 9:30.  I wish I could tell you it was because we partied hard, but really, all we did was put up a few decorations, make some cake and cards, and order pizza.  It’s these little children that are draining me!  LOL.

Dave is in CRUNCH mode with the end of the semester and exams coming up.  He did not get his planned amount of work done over the break, and so I am playing single mom everyday this week aside from the 5-6 hour at supper which he spends with us.  Then, he locks himself away in our bedroom and marks till midnight.  Poor guy.   But- it needs to get done, and so I’ve been doing the bedtime hour(s) with the kids by myself, then catching up on housework afterwards.  It’ s been a long week for the both of us.......

Anyways, yesterday went pretty well.  I got up real early to make Dave and I Gluten free B.E.L.T Bagels, fresh smoothies and coffee to enjoy sans children.  Well, of course Robyn woke up and joined us, but we had a wee chance to talk and chill before the day started.  That was a good thing, because Janna decided to be a total mess all day.  She needed mommy to be holding every second.  And if I wasn’t, she would SCREAM and SHAKE and grab for me like a crazed toddler.  When I was nursing Robyn she would just sit and hug my leg and moan, “mama.”  I don’t know if she’s ever been so clingy. I’m not sure what the issue is.  She has had some weird bowel action over the past couple of days, and is petrified of the blender which was out on the counter at the start of the day.  But- I really don’t know what’s going on.   So, I tried to be there for her, but the morning was long, and I ended up taking nap time trying to catch up on the most basic housework , then grabbed Jesse out of his quiet time to  get ready for daddy’s party before “needy Janna” woke up.

Jesse was SO excited it was Dave’s birthday.   We had discussed the idea the day before, and Jesse was so cute when he insisted that Dave would love a Broccoli cake for his birthday. When I asked Jesse if   he-himself- would prefer a broccoli cake with broccoli icing, he replied “No- I just like a sugar cake with chocolate icing.  But daddy would LOVE a broccoli cake!!!”  I thought it was so cute that Jesse wanted to make him a cake out of something Dave liked and he didn’t.  Now- for the record- Dave doesn’t really LOVE broccoli that much, we just have been ooing and ahhing over vegetables lately to try and convince Jesse they are yummy to eat.  Broccoli was a more recent one, AND the other day when I asked Dave what he wanted for supper that night, he asked for steak with broccoli salad.  So....that was fresh on Jesse’s mind perhaps. 

Well,  I got Jesse up and we worked on the cake together.  I told Jesse I only had a chocolate cake, and he agreed that Dave would enjoy that- but we needed broccoli icing.  Luckily, I had just enough green food coloring to die the icing.  I let Jesse decorate the top all on his own, and I don’t know if a cake has ever been adorned in so many sprinkles.  In fact, when Dave blew out the candles later, sprinkles flew everywhere.  After our gorgeous cake was made, we put up streamers and balloons, took out party hats and blowers.  The girls woke up and we put on some pumpin’ hokey pokey while I alternated snuggling with girls while we waited for daddy. 

Well, the pizza delivery guy came first, and Jesse RAN to the door with the longest run on sentence I ever did hear, It went something like this,  “Hi pizza man, It’s daddy’s birthday today, did you know that, and i helped mommy all day and was such a good listener to her and  we made broccoli cake with broccoli icing and put on music, and have decorations, and have presents, and I’m so happy, and I’m so happy you came pizza man.  THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU PIZZA MAN!(while jumping up and down)”  This old Italian guy with a twinkle in his eye grinned and said, “anytime, you just give me a call and I come.”  HA HA HA...made me laugh.   Dave received a similar POUNCING on when he arrived home, and it was all any of us could do to get a word in.  I think birthday parties must be the BEST event in a three year olds world.  Pizza-cake-presents...what could be more satisfying?    We all sat down for yummy food, and a very enthusiastic rendition of happy birthday.  Jesse sang it again to Dave while I was cutting the cake, and then proceeded to tell Dave what  his present was before he had a change to open it.  Anyways, 6 came too quickly, and once again school robbed Dave of a birthday night off!

Dave has always said his birthday comes at the worst time of the year.  It’s when everyone is gloomy from having to go back to school after the glow of Christmas holidays.  And now- as a teacher- it’s probably at the busiest time of the year!  Marking to finish, exams to prep and mark, and report cards to get out.   So, I got the kids all down by 8, and everything cleaned up (Holy sprinkles on the floor!) and I even tackled cleaning under my couch which I have not done in a few weeks.  Dave marked until I climbed into bed at 9:30, and then said he was going to go pick up some bus tickets, and maybe grab a coffee from Tims.  Well, I woke up at 1:30am feeling panicked that Dave wasn’t beside me.  I looked out my window and the van was still gone.  I immediately jumped to the worst of conclusions thinking he was dead before 30 in a terrible car accident.  I don’t know why my mind does this at night, but it does.  I heard Katie poking around downstairs, and tearfully went to ask her to message Dave.  Dave doesn’t have a cell phone, but he does have an Ipad that Katie’s Iphone can message.  Anyways- he was fine! He was at Tim’s trying to get ONE more essay marked and would be home soon.  I felt so sad as he climbed into bed shortly after 2 am with his alarm set for 4 hours later.   What a way to spend your birthday.... and I felt stressed out about how wiped he would be for the next day.  

But- I would just like to comment that Dave is a very hardworking and committed guy, and that is something that I love about him.  Rarely does he complain about a thing!  I realized yesterday, that I have known Dave for almost 10 years! We met when he was just 19 years old!  And he is now 29!!  As I think of everything Dave has done in 10 years, it’s pretty crazy.  He has completed a BA,an MA and his Bed.  He has moved from his home of PEI, to Moncton, and thenon to Ottawa.  He has gotten married, produced 3 stunning children, and locked himself into a stable teaching career.  More importantly, though, are the things that made me fall in love with him, have only grown bigger over the years- his integrity, hardworking spirit, goofiness, and kindness.   And can I just say- men AGE well! He is twice as good-lookin’ as when we first met J   I feel so incredibly blessed and thankful that I get to journey through life with this guy through the good/bad and ugly. 

Well, I could really nanner on and on about all the reasons that Dave is one of the greatest guys in the universe...but those of you who know him well- just know!  AND it’s been another LOOOONG day with the Janners.  So for now, HAPPY 29^th BIRTHDAY DAVE!  I love you!  Thanks for reading. I’m out!

A strange start to 2013

For those of you who know me well, you may be wondering where my NEW YEARS RESOLUTIONS post went?  I do love coming up with new year’s resolutions.  Complete with graphs and charts and schedules.  For those of you who know me extremely well, you know the past week has been a bit of a downer.

The kids health seems to be restored, but it’s been 2 steps forward and one step back with mine.  It feels like days on end that my whole head and face have felt like they might explode, my body sluggish, my brain foggy and my spirits gloomy.  Dave put in full work days to catch up on marking all last week....so it’s been a lot of sittin’ around the house with the kids. Which when you have a horrible headache and feel exhausted is a challenging day with preschoolers and a new baby!   On top of that, it’s been in the negative 20s with wind chill, and so getting out for some fresh air hasn’t been happening either.  I’m sure if I could just have 2 full days to lay in bed and sleep I could beat this thing...but mama’s don’t get days off.  One of the things I do miss about non-kid life, getting to rest when you’re sick!  Katie was real sick last week with a vicious ear infection and has spent the past week laying low.  I slightly envied her days of sleeping, being drugged up, and having 2 or 3 baths a day! lol!  

However- Dave and I got out for a few hours on Saturday night as we had a babysitter tackle all 3 kids and their bedtimes for us.   We also all got out to church on Sunday and Dave took the whole day off to hang out with us.  I woke up this morning feeling a good 3 steps ahead, with a brighter outlook and I hope the worst is behind.   Dave is back to work today, and it feels healthy.  The holidays felt rather robbed by illness.

So, it’s not that I didn’t make any new years resolutions.  I sort of did.  I sort of made some that were about NOT making some....hmmm...this sounds confusing.  Well, in my foggy blue state last week, I decided that I had to let some things go.  With children occupying my attention from 5:30 AM to 9 PM most nights (and then a few times through the night), I haven’t been able to stay as on top of the housework...and with my low energy level, I haven’t given the kids as much structure or time outside of the house as usual.   As a person who likes to stay busy and organized and the kids entertained, it was kind of nice to kick back and let go of the routine a bit.  I decided maybe my resolution should be about having no expectations or routine for the year. However- I found by the end of the week, that it was sort of draining not to work as hard as usual, and the messy house was wearing on me.   I still want to get my housework done, and get the kids out for lots of fun and simple outings.  But- something needs to change to make this happen.

SO! In a clearer state, my new years resolutions are more about simplifying life I guess.   My goals are about clearing out the clutter to make time for the more important things in life.  I am reading a book called, “Almost Amish” that covers some of the Amish principles, and how we can embrace them in our own ways.  And I’ve been a bit challenged, and a bit convicted.

I have started trying to simplify the physical clutter.  I won’t need to spend as much time cleaning and doing laundry and picking up after the kids, if there is less around to make messes of.   This process will take a while, but I did do an initial purge after the holidays of junky stuff, and packed away a bunch of the kids toys.  I find when they have less out to choose from to play with- they actually play more with the toys available, and are better at putting them away.  I still have a long ways to go...but am slowly looking through piles and have this 30 day de-clutter guide that I am picking away at.  (it will probably be more like a 30 week one for me!) 

I have also tried to identify activity clutter in my life.  And I feel like technology is the main one.  I don’t have a phone I’m hooked on, and I don’t watch that much tv...but I do have this incessant need to check my email and facebook about every few hours of the day.  Sometimes I get puttering around on the internet, and it can suck up my time.  So, I’ve decided to limit my computer check-ins to 5 mins max, once in the morning, once in the afternoon, and once in the evening.  Aside from the blog or sending an important email, I want to be spending my time WITH people.  Face to Face with my kids, visits to friends, that sort of thing.  I want to be the kind of house, where people feel like they can just stop in to say hello.  If you are in my life, and in Ottawa, DO THIS!   I am not bashing social media.  For me, this is a great way to stay connected with my dear family that do not live in the area.  It’s also real nice as a mom who does get stuck inside the house on days where Dave needs the van and it’s negative 27 out... to feel a bit connected to the world.  But! I want to be a moving, breathing part of the real world...not only the cloud!  With this technology simplification idea... I have decided not to watch any TV for a few months...see how that goes, AND limit Jesse and Janna to 30 minutes a day while I make dinner or do something important. 

So...these are my first 2 steps in becoming Amish. JUST KIDDING! These are my first two steps over the next few months that I’m hoping will make life feel a bit more relaxed and clear up a tiny bit of time.    My new years resolutions you might say.  Subtracting, so that I might ADD.    Oooo...that was deepJ

That’s all for now, the kids won’t be napping for too much longer, so I should be on my way.  I still plan on blogging over the next few months, but I imagine my entries will be a bit more spaced out OR brief than the past few months.  So, stay tuned, thanks so much for reading! I’m out.

Oh!  And  I should include one picture.  I never thought I'd be the mom who made my kids wear matching outfits.  But, SANTA, brought these for Christmas, and they were too cute, not to put Janna and Robyn in!  *Please imagine them with clean faces all looking nicely at the camera!*