Babies are soooo cute!

Why are babies cheeks just soooo kissable?!?! It must be a survival tactic. I swear it borders on baby abuse how much I kiss those cheeks! It's not like she can say, "Mooooooomm, not again!" But they're just so soft and squishy and adorable! And sometimes they're what keeps me sane when she screams non-stop.

Ok, enough mushy-mom posting.

We're off to get Bowynn's 4 month shots! (YAY!... no, not really)

Sal

Today was just one of those days... thank god for my mommy playdate or I would have totally lost it. It just feels like I got up on the wrong side of the bed. My thoughts are scattered and full of little worries.

My dog passed away today. Sal wasn't really my dog in the sense that she didn't live with me. In fact she was only really my dog for a few days, thirteen years ago when I found a stray dog on the beach near the house we had rented in Australia. She followed me everywhere - she even seemed to listen when I talked to her, cocking her head to one side thoughtfully. I bawled like a baby when we pulled away from the driveway one last time - there was Sal staring after us looking so lost, inching forward like she might just run after the car. I begged my parents to let me keep her - even though she'd have to be in quarantine for months and then would need a plane ticket to Canada. In the end, the goodness and generosity of my uncle and aunt saved her. They drove all the way up the coast and retrieved her from the pound (where the rotten neighbours had sent her). She was a troublesome dog! Sneaking off to the local school, constantly going "walk-about" and always needing to be checked out for ticks. Sal lived a long, happy life surrounded by a family and passed away at home in her sleep. It's the best end a stray dog could wish for and though I am happy for the life she lived, her passing shocked me more than I expected when I heard.

Add that news to a very fussy, teething baby, some gloomy weather and being stir-crazy... well, I'm definitely looking forward to bedtime so I can do non-kid-related things without interruption.

On the plus side (cause there always is one) I feel like I've finally met a local mom with similar interests and the same level of crazy as me! Hurrah! (I type with screaming in the background... oh, bed time come faster...)

Woes of the pee-bed & a bit of geekiness

Yesterday I did three loads of laundry - and it didn't even feel like a crazy laundry day!! I guess that's just what happens when your partner gets dirty just as fast (or faster) than your 3 year old and your baby uses cloth diapers. I also washed Kaeda's bedding because she had another accident... *sigh* We use Kushies training pants at night and they've been really absorbent but still not diapers - a good medium for nighttime. Lately, though she has been leaking through.

So this morning the washing machine is going again... it's frustrating because she'll be dry for weeks and I'll start thinking she can just have regular panties at night and then suddenly she wets her bed for a couple nights in a row. She went before bed, has a potty in her room and didn't even drink any of her water last night... some nights when that's all backwards she stays dry! I should probably just count my blessings, after all the struggles of getting her out of diapers and into panties in the day time was waaaaaaay more frustrating.

I still hate washing the bed linens.

Now to bring out my geeky side. Through our good buddy Karl I became aware that EA had released a new Sims game! Now, I've played the sims games since... forever it seems; Sim City, Sim Ant, The Sims - 1, 2 and 3. So, naturally I had to check it out. The newest one is sort of a branch off of Sims3, it's called The Sims Medieval. Part castle building, part quests and all controlling the lives of your towns people! Anyway Karl is supposed to bring it over today and I'm super excited! It's a perfect day for it too, miserable and rainy. I'm definitely thinking of my parents in Australia with envy today.

Well, nothing left to do but drink coffee, play with the kiddos and wait...

The Cradle

Finally took those pictures of Bowynn in the cradle*. She's definitely too big and roly-poly for it. Now to locate the two play pens I know we have some where...  Also, I wish I had a better camera - I love my Nikon Coolpix because it fits in my purse super easily - but the it just doesn't do as much as my old camera and has a hard time focusing - which is important when you have small, fast moving, little ones.

*This cradle has been in our family since 1964 when the first baby slept in it. Since then there has been about 20 babies in it over the years - including yours truly! With all that history I was eager to use it for my newest edition. (Kaeda co-slept and got her first crib at 18months)

Baby laughs

Bowynn laughed for the first time today! Sooo adorable!

We were at the pool for Kaeda's swim lesson (which she swam like a fish for) and I had Bo on her back on my knees and was making popping noises at her and she just opened her mouth wide and laughed and laughed and laughed! I just wish the it had happened in a quieter place so I could have heard her sweet voice clearer! It's no wonder they say when a babe laughs for the first time a fairy is born. Happy infant noises are just that precious!

Anyway, I hope they both sleep well tonight - because I want to too! Bo was up every hour last night and today was hectic. We forgot Kaeda's swim suit at home and B had to run home to get it. He used his long board to get back faster - which Kaeda thought was absolutely AWESOME. She's been bugging me about getting daddy to teach her how to skateboard... because we walk by the skate park all the time. Problem is, skateboarding is actually kinda dangerous (broken arms, wrists, collarbones etc.) and isn't recommended until kids are at least seven. Oh, and daddy long boards which isn't the same as skate boarding... or something. Well whatever, hopefully her interests change, it still made me smile watching him zoom up to us on the long board.

Well once swimming was done we has sushi for dinner - Kaeda's favorite. It's not really that complicated to make... but it's time consuming and messy. And of course once we had eaten we were just... so.... full..... I suck at dieting. The best I've managed so far is to think about it, hahaha. I just love food too much (and sugar & cream in my coffee).

So I'm tired, but I'm happy so long as I've had a busy day with minimal tantrums :)

"You see, Wendy, when the first baby laughed for the first time, its laugh broke into a thousand pieces, and they all went skipping about, and that was the beginning of fairies." J. M. Barrie, Peter & Wendy

My 4 month old can walk! (sort of)

Tuesday is always busy for us - preschool, sometimes library, then off to Grand-mere's for lunch and a visit and then off I go to earn some coffee money cleaning for my MIL's parents and sister. Today was no exception. The great thing about Tuesdays is that the kids are usually pretty wiped out by the end of it so it means an easier bedtime routine.

Tonight, I'm excited, we've actually planned some couple time! YAY! You'd think we'd have some time every evening after the kidlets go to bed - but with a roommate/tenant, bachelor buddies who regularly stay up to the wee hours of the morning and just our regular catching up - it's really not that common.

So tonight we're hopefully have a peaceful hot tub and then watching a movie in bed - sounds a little lame? Maybe, but when it's all planned out and we have our tea, snacks and movie on it will be great :)

Geeking out

If someone asked me what I did today the answer would probably be "not much". The real answer would be "play Civilizations 5 on the local network" translation: geek out. We had the guys over and of course our geeky grandpa Bob so it was a regular lan party. Civ 5 is great because it's turn based and you can pause at any time to deal with kiddos. 

PC gaming is one of those things I do a fair amount of... but never really bring up as an interest in mom-groups or.. well, adult groups... ha! Gaming is something geeky and associated more with adolescents I guess - even though that's not the case. We used to play World of Warcraft back when we had time, lots of time - uninterrupted time. Lately we've been playing Starcraft 2. I've always found it really enjoyable being able to play together as a couple. Working together towards the same goal just like real life except the rewards are faster to come and the consequences set you back some mere minutes or imaginary gold. 

Of course, gaming can be rather addictive, so we're careful to keep our priorities straight and set a good example. Which can be really hard in this modern, technological age. How much is too much? I didn't have a cell phone until I could pay for it - but now even toddlers have their own phones (or think they do when they take your iPhone and play games on it). What will my daughters have to deal with when they reach high school? 

Thats a loaded question and a lot to think about. But this much I do know: 

They won't have their own cell phones until they can pay for them. 

They won't have Facebook until they're the appropriate age.

They won't have their own computers in their rooms until they graduate.  

Now I just wonder if I really know all those things or if when the time comes things will be different....