Pension Cheques and Preschoolers

MOVING

2009-10-23T09:20:00.000-07:00

Yup, the time has come to put this blog to bed. Thank you for following along. It's been great fun, showing off my babies!

If you are interested, you can catch all of us at our homesteadin' blog at:

http://hallland1896.blogspot.com/

JUST ANOTHER ONE

2009-09-15T10:18:00.000-07:00

We're in week #2 of our school routine...and it's going pretty well. Ry has been eager to get up and get going...although she did tell me this morning that the day is just too long and she'd like to come home earlier every day. Hmmmm. I have also noticed that the "family unit" isn't coming now for drop-off...it's just the mom or just the dad. Makes for a smaller group but it's still chaotic in that yard.

I gave the nod to one of the Dad's yesterday, whose wife is quite pregnant. I asked if he was getting excited about the new baby coming. This is where my happy mood ended....
He says, "nah, it's just another one." Just what do you say to that statement? Oh I know what I WANTED to say but that just wouldn't be right!!! As I'm imagining a dozen different ways to rip him a new one...I put on my PC face and asked if they knew "what" they were having. He said they didn't know for sure but that it seemed similar to the boys'. When I mentioned no more pink booties, he was adamant that they didn't want any more girls because....wait for it....because they couldn't carry on the family name!!! Geez where have I heard this archaic bull before?!

At this point someone joined the conversation and it turned to sore knees and forklift driving. I hugged Baby J just a little tighter and walked away.....

I don't know if I'm more mad or sad about this latest encounter with another "father of the year".

Just when I think I'm totally "over" not being able to have another baby....no wait that's not right... Just when I think I'm totally "over" the fact that someone deemed us too old to parent another child, I am reminded just how unfair the situation is. Ohhhh I'll cry for the next couple of days and then get "over" it yet again. But always in the back of my mind I wonder where "they" are. You know who I'm talking about....the "they" who checked our health, scrutinized our financial statements, toured our home....all for the "good of the child." Where are "they" when it comes to this unborn child?!?! Where??

VISIT

2009-09-14T09:38:00.000-07:00

My sister, a.k.a Auntie Bev, came for a visit last week. It was really good to see her again! For those of you who don't know, Auntie Bev traveled to China with me to receive Baby J almost 2 years ago!! How time flies....

She arrived to excited squeals:

They played:

A little differently then:

They talked about photography:

Just like in China:

J helped her pack:

And made smoochie faces:

One last hug:

.....and she was gone! We miss you already, Auntie Bev!

NEW YEAR, NEW TRADITIONS

2009-09-10T07:36:00.000-07:00

Day 3 into the new school year and Rylee is doing great!! We're very proud of her! At the end of last year, I wasn't so sure that she should do a whole school day, but she's handling it quite well. We will continue to pick her up 20 minutes early though, just because she's on overload by the end of the day and can't handle all the chaos of several hundred kids leaving the school at once.

Okay, so on to our new tradition....actually a stolen idea from Penny, but hey I would like to be a memorable Mom too! lol Every day after school, Jayme and I prepare a special "snackie snack" for the big girl. It's been fun coming up with ideas and I'm hoping that Rylee will remember this when she's older.

Yesterday's fare - veggies and dip with a mango smoothie:

The mango smoothie was just orange juice, a banana, frozen mango chunks and some ice. It was a real hit!!

If you have any ideas for "snackie snack" time, please I beg of you, write me!! My creative juices will be all dried up by October, I'm sure! lol

EAT, EAT, EAT

2009-09-09T05:01:00.000-07:00

Big Daddy's lunch bag:

Nope, that monstrous bag belongs to a very cute First Grader, who eats like a teenage boy. I've tried to pack/squish it all into one of those "cutesy" Dora lunch bags, but forget it!

....and she's still hungry when she gets home!!

Day 2 sporting their "hippy dippy" outfits:

FIRST DAY OF GRADE 1

2009-09-08T12:40:00.001-07:00

First day of Grade 1:

Noooo, you can't go with Ry today:

Rylee's Helper:

Safely heading home with Big Daddy:

....AND THEN SHE WAS 6

2009-08-17T04:32:00.000-07:00

I always told Ry that she had to turn 12 to get earrings, but somehow that got changed to 6. lol She's been sooooo very excited about hitting this milestone. So without further ado...the great earring adventure:

Numbing patches on her ears - getting ready to head out:

In the chair and removing the patches:

Ready, set:

Empty chair - where's Rylee??:

Sometime between pulling the patches off and marking a dot on her ear, she decided she would wait until she was 7....or was it 15? lol

Opening some gifts:

....and more gifts:

Eating some "worm" cake:

Just a couple more shots of her goofiness:

.....and then she was 6.

DORA

2009-05-26T05:15:00.000-07:00

It's official - J is diaper-free!! Woohoo!! And to celebrate, she got some very sporty and very tiny Dora panties. She is soooo proud of those panties....she had to show 'em off. When Big Daddy got home, she ran full tilt to him, bent over and grabbed up the front of her little dress, with one hand, pulled it right over her head and yelled "yook Daddy, Doro pannies!!!" Last night we went to bed very late because she kept getting up and taking me to the potty - she was so worried about having an accident in her prized possession! Finally, I just put a diaper on her so she could relax and go to sleep...or she could relax and I COULD GO TO SLEEP! lol

So here's to Baby J....not so baby anymore! sigh

WALL OF FAME

2009-05-04T07:34:00.000-07:00

Okay, it's more like a bi-fold door of fame at Grandma's house. lol

Not bad for a 5 year old...

12 MONTH REPORT

2009-03-02T09:03:00.000-08:00

I know Penny is doing the math right now....yup, we're a little late with the report. lol

Anyway, Marie came to do the last report for Jayme to be sent to China. Of course "the last" of anything sends me to tears! lol It was a very funny feeling to be sitting across the table from Marie that night. She answered our call in April 2003 and agreed to do our homestudy for a China adoption. Here we were almost 6 years later, with 2 beautiful healthy little ones home...but it was "the last" time we'd be doing this!

Thank you Marie for doing such an awesome job for us!

And most importantly....thank you for making me a Mommy!!!

HELP WITH BAKING

2009-02-25T03:59:00.000-08:00

We made bread yesterday.....what a mess!! lol

Jayme made a loaf and put it in the measuring cup to rise.

SNORING STORY

2009-02-22T14:45:00.000-08:00

I'm not going to name names....but someone in this house snores like a truck driver! And Big Daddy snores even louder! lol In an attempt to remain happily married, Big Daddy purchased some of those "breathe right" strips...for himself. I must say, it's an improvement. Well, on the first night of the experiment, Rylee just needed to wear one like her Dad. The next morning, I hear this howling from the bathroom as Rylee was trying to remove the strip from her face. During the night it had attached itself to the bags of her eyes and man she was having a terrible time. I didn't know what to do....run for the camera because this was "one" of those moments or be "mom of the year" and help my child remove this oddity from her eyes.

So after I delicately removed the strip from her face, I gave her one of those "stern mom" talks. You know the kind..."don't ever do that again and yadda, yadda, yadda". Enough said!

A few nights later while we were hanging out in the playroom, Rylee was extra busy with her craft stuff. This is what she made out of paper and scotch tape:

She cracks me up!!

PAINT

2009-01-30T07:09:00.000-08:00

I broke out the paints last night BEFORE bathtime...what a mess! Too funny!

On the paper please....don't get your sister started....

Yup, here we go....

Nooooooo, not your feet!

Look at the grin..

Great frog!

KIDS UPDATE

2009-01-29T06:21:00.000-08:00

Big Daddy taught Rylee how to use the drawing toolbar in Excel about a month ago....here's a sampling of what she does with it:

She can use the free rotate, group/ungroup, draw freehand, 3D, etc. And she's fast as lightning!

At 5, I could draw a tree and a house. Actually that's as far as my artistic ability developed! lol

Rylee is a real mystery...just when I think that she's not even going to grasp a certain concept, she masters it! For example: a couple of days ago we were horsing around while counting. I'd start out using a funny voice and she'd follow along...well next thing I know we counted all the way to 100. She blows me away!

The other night after bathtime, we were standing in the mirror as usual - her directing what kind of hairdo she wanted - when I asked her what D-A-D spells. She looks up at the ceiling...I could see her drawing the letters in her mind...then she says "Dad." We went through a little list of words and she was getting them. I was so proud of her!

For the past couple of years Rylee didn't want me to read to her...I mean not at all. Books are a big thing in our house and she loved books until she turned 3. Anyway, now there's a fire in her to read all by herself. It's fantastic! She can read simple books now and there's no doubt that she'll master this too!

I have a feeling that she actually does grasp all the concepts but chooses not to show us what she can do. It's not important to her at the time. And I'm finally realizing that everything is on Rylee-time! lol

Jayme's speech is really coming along. She makes me laugh everyday! Her favourite sayings are:

Hold yer baby - when she wants me to pick her up.

Mommy talk a me - usually while we're in the car and she's in the backseat by herself.

Tadah - usually when she kicks her diaper off and runs naked! Now who taught her that?

She started counting this past month. 1,2,4,7,10,22,23 Yeah, we need to work on that.

I know, you're here for the pictures of the kids...I'll stop yapping! lol

DAY 4 OF SUGARLESS COFFEE

2009-01-14T08:38:00.000-08:00

When I have my 2 cups of coffee in the morning, I add one of these:

Just a teaspoon I thought....no big deal. When I actually measured what is on that sugar spoon, it's more like 1 1/2 - 2 tsp.

Do you know how much that adds up to at the end of one year?

That's right...over 20 pounds of sugar. I almost fainted! It's not the extra calories that I'm worried about...although shaving 7.7 pounds of body fat off my frame would excite me and I'm sure Big Daddy as well...it's just that it's SUGAR. That can't be good for a body! Now if I could just kick my chocolate addiction....hmmmm!

MONDAY

2009-01-13T05:08:00.001-08:00

I had 4 wake-ups with J through the night...even had to move us both to another room to make sure everyone got some sleep. Then at 6am I wake up with the blackest, meanest headache I've ever had. You know the kind...the only way to get some relief is to upchuck. With every bloody heartbeat, I can feel the pounding in my brain. It was awful. Thankfully the kids slept through this part because I wouldn't have been able to deal with them. The sweats start, my mouth is salivating all on its own - interesting how our bodies work - then...nothing. Half an hour later, my headache starts to subside but I'm left with that bruised brain feeling. All this due to skipping sugar in my morning coffee? Bad case of refried beans? Or is it the beginning of round 2 of the super flu that kicked our asses during Christmas? Hmmm?! Gonna be a lonnnng day!

I had the usual small tiffs with Rylee -brush your teeth, eat your breakfast, get off the computer, let's get ready for school. We make the trek over to school - the cold air feels pretty good to me - helps with the nausea. I did manage to get a lie-down during J's nap today - that also helped. But I'm still feeling crappy!

3:20 rolls around and J happily gets into the backpack so we can go get Rylee from school. (insert ominous music here) The usual pleasantries with the other waiting parents are now out of the way and here comes Rylee. Uh oh, she has that glassy, unfocused look in her eye. She's a powderkeg and this is going to be tricky. Must get child home NOWWWW!

For those of you who don't know my family personally, Rylee has autism with a little bit of RAD thrown in for good measure! Fun, fun, fun.

I start talking to her, trying to distract her from this minefield of kids that we have to make our way through. Not working. She's yelling, "I'm not going home with Mom". She gets in line with some other kids who ride the bus. I tell her that if she gets on the bus, she'll go to a stranger's house. "I want to go to a stranger's house". That statement brings wide-eye stares from the other kids. The bus driver is looking at me. All of my tricks aren't working, she's defiant! I have to pull out the threats now in order to get her to move. She goes 30' and then veers off into another bunch of kids. I'm still talking...but she won't have any part of it. Then IT happened. Through all the commotion, a parent steps in between us and says "Is she yours?"

I'm an adoptive parent. I'm used to THAT question. I know I don't look anything like my children and yes they will have to deal with THAT one day in their own way.

But THAT question didn't come with the usual tone this time. She meant - are you sure you should be taking this child away from the school because it's obvious she doesn't have a connection with you. I'm feeling sick, I'm in distress, I could use some help here....all I can muster is a "yes".

Now she's running - towards the street - I can't catch her with Jayme in my backpack. I've resorted to yelling now...to stop! The crossing guard stops her in time - thank you Lil!! One more street to cross, one more wild tantrum while lying on the ground....almost home. She's adamant that she's going past our house and not going in...more screaming...she's in such a state I'm frantic that she'll dart into the street so I grab her coat to get her to stop in the driveway. She's kicking me and screaming at the top of her lungs. I'm sure we were quite the spectacle...but my fear for her safety was outweighing my desire to look sane.

We are finally in the house and within minutes she has stripped down to her underclothes and is doing her run/bounce off the furniture routine. She'll be fine...just needs to let it out. Me on the other hand....sick, exhausted from this latest outburst, emotional, crying over a sink of dishes, defeated!

It wasn't always like this...Ry and I were inseparable just 2 short years ago. She played in the sandbox, I played in the sandbox. She would colour, I would colour. We'd go to the park to play and have fun. There was a bond! I know there was a bond! Now everything is a fight. Every little detail has to be worked out before we do anything or go anywhere. It's an outburst if she gets the wrong coloured cup, the wrong ponytail holder, anything!! And just when I think I have the rules (her rules) straight, she changes them on me. I have become the person who she lashes out at...the person who washes her clothes and feeds her. She doesn't see me as her Mom. There are no "I love you's." I'm a caretaker with a specific purpose - tend to her needs only. And that's really hard to accept!

But Tuesday will be a better day....please God, let it be a better day!

GINGERBREAD FRIENDS

2008-12-19T09:44:00.000-08:00

Rylee wasn't quite satisfied with the boring old gingerbread men, stars, trees and angels....oh no, she wanted a mouse. When you don't have any fancy cookie cutters....playdough cutters to the rescue! So when she gets home today, she'll find her mouse....and a cow, a fish, a dolphin and the everpopular Christmas favourite - giraffe. Waaaay too fun on a snowy afternoon!

PACKAGE FROM FLORIDA

2008-12-16T10:10:00.000-08:00

If you ask my kids what comes from Florida in the winter time, they'll answer:

alligator t-shirts

and alligator chocolate

The first package from my Mom arrived yesterday. Rylee knew what was inside that box before she even started to rip the paper. What Rylee doesn't know is that package number 2 will be hand-delivered by Lao Lao, on Boxing Day. I can hear the excited squeals already...from Big Daddy, because we'll get to go on a date while the "babysitter" is in town. Yippee!

HEART STEALER

2008-12-15T11:03:00.000-08:00

When she finally settles down for her night night, she grabs me with both of her little arms, smooches me right on the lips and says "I yuv you Mommy". Then she falls back on the bed laughing. This goes on 7 or 8 times...or until she feels that I've been sufficiently loved. Usually within 3 hours, with a loud "Mommy, seeps, me, all done", a little frown and signing the words all done, I am summoned to her big-girl bed. Within 5 minutes she drifts off again while I rub her little back. Lately, she needs me another 3 or 4 times during the night. I am beginning to wonder if she's just liking the back rubs too much. lol Yup, I get tired, but how could yah get upset at this little face? She steals my heart!

What a privilege it is to be a stay-at-home mom!

WHEN YOU CAN'T FIND A BRUSH, A POPSICLE STICK WILL DO:

READY FOR KITCHEN DUTY:

EVEN HER SCARF IS BIGGER THAN HER:

IT'S LOOKING LIKE CHRISTMAS

2008-12-13T12:43:00.000-08:00

OH FUDGE!

2008-12-12T04:35:00.000-08:00

I love fudge! I mean it rates right up there with cheesecake. Oooooh yeah! I've never tried making it myself...until yesterday. It was so simple and ohhhh soooo good and creamy!

MAPLE FUDGE

1 1/3 cups of sweetened condensed milk

1 cup pure maple syrup

1 cup brown sugar

1/4 tsp salt

1 tbsp butter

1/2 cup nuts, chopped (optional)

Combine all the ingredients in a medium saucepan except nuts. Simmer slowly, stirring constantly until sugar dissolves. Stir occasionally until mixture reaches the softball stage - 236 F

Cool without stirring until mixture reaches 110 F or until it feels warm. Beat mixture until thick, add nuts, pour into buttered pan. Allow to set.

SUCCESSES, SOAP, SOURDOUGH AND SYVRETS

2008-12-09T07:01:00.000-08:00

I opened up the first jar of pickled beets from September...man oh man, are they delicious!! So my very first attempt at the pickled beets was a huge success!! Yippee! I know, for the amount of beets a person eats, it's probably much easier to just buy a jar at the store...yeah, yeah I get it. But really, it's the fact that I can do it. Oh and note to self: wear rubber gloves next time during the beet skinning process. The stains on my hands were....ummm....worrisome for the general public. lol

We opened up a jar of strawberry jam - July 12/08 - batch #2 - again, it was a hit! Woohoo! 2 for 2! I'm on a roll....

AFTER 2 BREAKFASTS - GONE!

*******

Baby J has the most delicate skin and I have to be verrrry careful what products she can use on her skin and clothes. Specialized and super expensive products can still make her break out...it's really weird. So this week, I made my own batch of laundry soap to see if it would work. It works great! No break-outs, it's super cheap, and honestly it does a better job of cleaning our clothes.

You'll need 3 products:

1 cup of borax

1 cup of washing soda

1 cup of a laundry bar soap grated (I used my cheese grater - took 1 minute)

Just stir them together. Use 2 Tbsp per load.

Then I use plain vinegar in the rinse cycle. Voila!

3 PRODUCTS:

FINISHED PRODUCT:

Oh, and I know what you're thinking...that I'm just one step away from wearing ankle-length denim jumpers and Amish headgear. What next, cooking on a woodstove and chasing goats from my garden?! Hmmmmm...now that has possibilities!

************

I tried my hand at sourdough bread on the weekend....now I really wish I had taken pictures of that. Total failure! Something happened to the sourdough starter...not sure what happened...but something happened. A thick crust formed on the top and under the crust was a runny slime. I couldn't stop laughing. The only thing Big Daddy said was "I don't have to eat that, right?!" lol

**********

I read somewhere on a blog this week that this homesteader described herself as part Olivia Walton, part Ma Ingalls, with a good dose of Ma Kettle thrown in. I laughed until I peed. Because my own mother says that she can't believe how much of a hillbilly I am and my Granny Syvret will never be gone as long as I'm alive. Sure we share a name, both love a full pantry and have been known to throw a clean dish towel over a pan of brownies, but that's where the similarities end....I think.

FORGOT ONE

2008-12-09T04:12:00.000-08:00

Yeah, I forgot the best one that happened yesterday morning while walking to Kindergarten.

Rylee was tugging at her snowpants every few steps and finally I asked her what was wrong.
Rylee: "My bum is itchy. Scratch it for me, Mom!"

THE LIFE OF RYLEE

2008-12-08T08:25:00.000-08:00

We took a little drive over a very winding road last week and of course Little Piddle is nauseous. She's so much like me!! Anyway, after trying lots of remedies - opening the window, holding my hand, not looking out the window - J settles down...and then we hear from the other back seat: "Mom, I'm car-healthy."

Since Rylee has been attending Kindergarten, I've eased up with the lessons at home. She points up at the planets on the ceiling in the playroom yesterday while playing playdough trying to recreate them.
Me: "What's the name of the red one?"
Rylee: "Marvin"
I think we'll get back to homeschooling again!

She tells me that some kids at school cry. A lot!
Me: "Why do the kids cry?"
Rylee: silence...just thinking this one through
Me: "Do you think they miss their Moms?"
Rylee: "Yeah, they probably miss their Moms."
Me: "Do you miss me sometimes?"
Rylee: "NO WAY!"
Oh it's good to be loved! lol

BOUGHT BUNKBEDS

2008-12-02T10:39:00.000-08:00

At 7:30 on Friday morning we threw the kids in the CRV and headed off to the big smoke to do our bit to help stimulate the economy. By the time we were finished I was expecting a personal call from Stephen Harper, thanking us for our dedication to the cause or a call from some Visa official thinking that our card had been stolen.

One of our purchases was a set of bunkbeds. I know, I know, more kids are hurt from bunkbeds than all childhood diseases and all other accidents combined. I know! But, we bought a set anyway. lol Oh don't worry, we set them up as single beds for now...until the girls are old enough NOT to have an accident. I'm thinking maybe when they're 20 and 17.

By the way, if you're in the market for a set of bunks, I would highly recommend the plain-jane type over the more fancy and upscale ones. Why fork over good cash and then have a team of burly men deliver and set up your purchase, when you can carry a 500 lb box with at least 724 pieces to assemble by yourself with little people under foot! Ohhhhh, let the games begin.....

GOING TO NEED THE INSTRUCTIONS AND A BEER:

HELP ARRIVES:

TAKE A BREAK DADDY AND WE'LL GROOM YOU:

GOOD PLACE TO KEEP YOUR COMB:

AND WHEN YOU DON'T HAVE MUCH HAIR, YOU HAVE TO BALANCE YOUR BRUSH ON YOUR HEAD:

Sidenote: We've had 3 nights of peace since the girls are now together in their own big girl room, sleeping in big girl beds...okay, maybe 2 since the first night was a flippin disaster. And we never did get a call from Stephen Harper.

LONG DISTANCE CALL

2008-11-27T12:35:00.000-08:00

I asked her what she was doing. She says, "Yao Yao talk". Yes, she was making a long distance call to Lao Lao in Florida....on the tv clicker! Too cute!

RANDOM THOUGHTS AND SHOTS

2008-11-21T08:13:00.000-08:00

The big girl is earring crazy right now and being the mean Mommy that I am, told her she couldn't have any until she was 12. She made her own...out of stickers. What a kid!

HER SWEETNESS:

HER SWEETNESS ROARING LIKE A DINOSAUR:

TWO CUTIES:

RYLEE ASKED FOR THIS HAIRDO LAST NIGHT:

PLAYING IN THE SHELVING UNIT:

JAYME TURNS 2

2008-11-19T07:08:00.000-08:00

Well, the birthday girl's day didn't start out so great, but it ended okay. J's been sick for the past 5 days and yesterday she fell asleep twice while I rocked her. She NEVER lets me do that anymore, so I held on for dear life, knowing it will be one of the last times!! She just wanted to be cuddled for most of the day...coughing and nose running...poor little thing! She perked up around supper time for a few hours to have her birthday "do", but she certainly wasn't her usual spunky self.

HEY WHERE DID THESE COME FROM:

I CAN'T EAT WITH BALLOONS BEHIND MY HEAD:

YUMMY:

TWO-FISTED TEAR:

ASSEMBLING MY OWN TOY:

THE PACKAGING IS A GOOD GIFT TOO:

REPEAT POST GOTCHA DAY

2008-11-12T08:14:00.000-08:00

I can't believe that I've been Jayme's mommy for a whole year!!

At noon on November 12 2007, your whole world turned upside down.

Your Foster Mama took you to the Orphanage, never to be seen again. A strange Nanny carried you onto a bus to begin your next step of your journey. After 2 1/2 hours, you arrived at the Civil Affairs Office where you wait in the lobby. A small group of parents enter this lobby. You don't recognize anyone. I don't recognize you. The strange Nanny carries you to the elevator. Four women are waiting to get on. You are 3 feet away, looking at me...at my glasses. We all laugh and guess who you belong to.

At 3:15, I hand an official piece of paper to an official lady. Then the strange Nanny hands me YOU. You don't cry. You just stare at my glasses and gently reach up to touch them. I say "Hi Jayme, I'm your Mommy" and we slowly walk to the center of the room. Time slows. You are so tiny. Just a bird in my arms. You are hungry, you are tired and you want your Mama. A sob fills your tiny mouth, huge drops of tears stream from your eyes. You moan "Mama" and I ache for you.

You are so sad! You have not waited 2 years or even 2 minutes for this moment. I thank God for you, this child. You can only cry and look desperately around for your Mama. I try to console you. You try to fight back. Finally you give in, rest your tiny head on my chest and sleep. Partly from sheer exhaustion and partly to escape this nightmare.When you wake up in that strange hotel room in a strange bed, to hear strange voices, you cry again. The moaning for your Mama starts again rhythmically. This will take time....

Over the next few days I will learn how to hold you the right way. Your way. I will learn that you need to sleep next to me holding a small cloth for security. I will learn that you are a real ham, a happy and laughing, cheeky little character. I will learn that you only drink water or juice from a glass. And you will learn that the lady with the glasses will drop absolutely anything she is doing to scoop you up when you call her "mum mum mum".The memories of these days will fade for you. But I will remember them for you. And be able to tell you just how courageous you were!

PITY PARTY

2008-10-30T13:21:00.000-07:00

Oh my day didn't start out that way....no, I had a plan....I had a list and by golly I was sticking to it to finally get some things accomplished around here. So there I was busily cleaning (Mom, you can stop laughing) the bookshelves in the playroom, tossing magazines into the recycle pile, organizing CD's and books when I saw it....a lovely little piece of memorabilia that I haven't viewed in some time...it dared me to open it. I slowly placed the DVD into my laptop and was transported to 2004. Video of the first few moments after Rylee was placed in my arms. That room in China is in utter chaos - lots of other parents receiving their long-awaited children too - everyone's crying.

The tears haven't stopped over the past few years....tears for Rylee's biological mom and all that she will miss...tears for stubbed toes and skinned knees...tears of fear when she fell down the stairs...and over the past year, tears of loss....as I've watched this hideous disease called Autism take over my big girl. That video showed happier times, when Rylee was still mine. And that "loss" gripped me yesterday. I just couldn't shake it!

And then a friend sent me this:

Welcome to Holland
When you're going to have a baby, it's like planning a fabulous vacation trip - to Italy. You buy a bunch of guidebooks and make your wonderful plans. The Coliseum. The Michelangelo David. The gondolas in Venice. You may even learn some handy phrases in Italian. It's all very exciting.
After months of eager anticipation, the day finally arrives. You pack your bags and off you go. Several hours later, the plane lands. The stewardess comes in and says, "Welcome to Holland".

"Holland?", you say, "What do you mean, Holland? I signed up for Italy! All my life I've dreamed of going to Italy."

But there's been a change in the flight plan. They've landed in Holland and there you must stay.

The important thing is that they haven't taken you to a horrible, disgusting, filthy place, full of pestilence, famine and disease. It's just a different place.

So you go out and buy new guidebooks. And you must learn a whole new language. And you will meet a whole new group of people you would never have met.

It's just a different place. It's slower-paced than Italy, less flashy than Italy. But after you've been there for awhile and you catch your breath, you look around, and you begin to notice that Holland has windmills. Holland has tulips. Holland even has Rembrandts.

But everyone you know is busy coming and going from Italy, and they're all bragging about what a wonderful time they had there. And for the rest of your life, you will say "Yes, that's where I was supposed to go. That's what I had planned."

And the pain of that will never, ever, ever go away, because the loss of that dream is a very significant loss.

But if you spend your life mourning the fact that you didn't get to Italy, you may never be free to enjoy the very special, the very lovely things about Holland.

Tomorrow will be a better day....

FOG, BOTOX, AND WITCHES

2008-10-24T17:07:00.000-07:00

What do these 3 things have in common? They all add up to one trip to the Dentist with Rylee!

FOG:

We had a 9 am appt with our wonderful, caring and best-needle-giver Dentist in the world! I love this guy! He is amazing with Rylee!! Anyway, we are heading to the appt when we run into foggy conditions....I mean, I thought we were headed into St. John's kind of fog....when all of a sudden from the backseat comes this little nugget of wisdom. "It's foggy...guess God has to vacuum the sky." Too funny!

BOTOX:

After sniffing a couple tanks of that bubble gum gas and getting her tooth filled, Rylee bit her lip - real hard - and she was bleeding pretty good. At least she was still in the Dentist chair when it happened...Dr. P. gets her all fixed up and then puts one of those cardboard splint thingies in her cheek to keep her from doing it again. He gave me a prescription just in case her lip ballooned up to gigantic proportions and was infected. Well, by the time we got home, she looked like Angelina Jolie right after a botox injection....her bottom lip was HUGE! And there's a huge chunk out of it. Poor little thing! Gonna hurt in the morning....

WITCHES:

One really great side-effect to the bubble gum gas is that Rylee is really calm. If only Dr. P. would write me a prescription for a tank of that. lol She just sat and drew pretty pictures all afternoon....get a load of this one....remember she's 5.

LET IT SNOW...

2008-10-21T11:51:00.000-07:00

Can you see it? Yup, it started to snow today. WOOHOO!

JUST DO IT!

2008-10-20T07:35:00.000-07:00

Have you ever had dreams of doing something...even got to the planning stage...then just...STOP?! Well, we've talked and talked and talked about doing something on our 100 acres for 7 years now...it was time to DO SOMETHING!!

Soooo, we mixed in:

1 eager Dad (mine)

2 pieces of heavy equipment

3 days work

4 bajillion dollars

And got:

1 dug well

2 good roads

1 farm field ready for planting

1 verrrry excited Mama

My advice to anyone who has talked a plan to death....just pull the trigger and get on with it....

BIG DADDY AND UNCLE BILL CLEARING THE WAY:

CAN YOU MOVE IT OVER THERE NEXT?:

GRANDPA EASING THE TILES ON:

GRANDPA BULLDOZING A NEW 401:

TIME FOR A DRINK:

NAPPING IN THE BACKPACK:

CIRCUS DOG:

J CHANGED HER MIND ABOUT RIDING WITH GRANDPA:

THE MOOSE WALKED THROUGH DURING LUNCH:

KEITH URBAN - EAT YOUR HEART OUT!

2008-10-08T10:19:00.000-07:00

GINGERBREAD FOR MAMA ANT'S CRAVINGS

2008-10-06T18:16:00.000-07:00

Here you go Mama Ant:

1/2 cup softened butter
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 1/4 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp ground cloves (I omit)

1/2 cup fancy molasses
1 large egg
1 tbsp white vinegar

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

Beat butter in large bowl for 1 minute. Add next 7 ingredients. Beat well. Add molasses, egg and vinegar. Beat until smooth. Mixture will look slightly curdled. Add 1/2 of the flour. Beat well. Mix in remaining flour well. Divide dough in half. Wrap each half in plastic wrap. Chill for at least 3 hours. (sorry not a great recipe if you're having a craving) Roll out 1 portion of dough on lightly floured surface to 1/4 inch thickness. (if it starts to crack or stick weird, just add more flour to your board) Cut out with cookie cutters. Roll out scraps to cut more shapes. Repeat with remaining portion of dough. Arrange cookies about 1 inch apart on greased cookie sheets. Bake in 375 oven for about 8 minutes until edges start to brown. Let stand on cookie sheets for 5 minutes before removing to wire racks to cool completely. (yeah like that ever happens)

Enjoy!!

TIME FLIES

2008-10-06T07:00:00.000-07:00

Rylee finally got her cast off! Yippee! Her arm was kinda disgusting underneath...a couple of blisters and a ton of peeling skin. She looked like a shedding anaconda. She's supposed to be wearing a splint thingy for the next month, but she's enjoying the freedom too much to put it on. I know she's feeling better because she's drawing with that arm again!

We headed north again right after getting the cast off - man oh man was it cold! Unbelievable! I guess we really are heading into winter weather...time to remove all of the summer gear - from outdoor toys to clothes...let it snow, let it snow, let it snow! Probably get hate mail for that comment!!! lol

I only have one Rylee story to relay this time: Ry had been playing outside at Grandma's for about half an hour undisturbed (remind me to check on her every 10 minutes) and when I went out to chat, I noticed that there was something on my car. I held my breath as I walked around it...there were random doodles and the alphabet scratched into the paint. There was no denying who had done it...she even left her name inscribed into my hood! Black CRV for sale: low mileage, custom trim.

NO MORE CAST:

SIDEWALK CHALK AT GRANDMA'S HOUSE:

CRAZY MOOSE DRAWING:

GRANDMA AND THE GIRLS:

THE CABIN:

LEAVES ARE TURNING:

GEESE ARE STILL AROUND:

BAKING BUDDIES

2008-10-01T04:30:00.000-07:00

ONE nosedive off the chair and I had
TWO eager and happy helpers with only
THREE good hands to bake
FOUR pans of cookies
We were practicing our gingerbread recipe for Christmas!! This one makes super soft gingerbread cookies that are quite mild - not overly sweet either.

SCHOOLYARD CRYBABY

2008-09-30T04:18:00.001-07:00

Well, it happened again...there I was standing at the school with tears flowing....5 year old crying her heart out for her mom. No, not MY 5 year old....Avon Lady's 5 year old. She calmly turned her back to the little one, pursed her Magenta Lips, clicked her high heel shoes and started walking....away...without a care in the world! Probably had a makeover to perform! Could have slapped her right upside the head with my big white sneaker.
You know me...I stayed to see if the little one was all right (from a distance - didn't want her to see me cry). Okay, the real reason I stayed at a distance was just in case Ry spotted me and started yelling at me to go home!!!

CABIN CAPERS

2008-09-28T06:03:00.000-07:00

We headed up north to our cabin Friday morning...picking up Rylee from an overnighter with Lao Lao. It was a beautiful sunshiny day....leaves are turning and not a bug in sight! Perfect! The chitlins stayed with Grandma while Big Daddy and I took a bottle of wine to our favourite ridge and had some "big people" time. Man it's beautiful there!!
We stayed overnight at Grandma's and wouldn't yah know it, Rylee falls out of the single bed and cracks her noggin on the dresser....now on top of having a broken arm, she has a cut on the corner of her eye and on her eyebrow. Unbelievable!!
Saturday morning we got up and headed back to the cabin to go for a long walk and post our "no hunting" signs. So with spray paint in hand, hiker boots on feet, and Little Piddle squished into the baby backpack, we were off to walk the perimeter of our 100 acres.....

Just a thought...but why do I have to post "no trespassing/no hunting" signs on my property? It just doesn't make sense to me....if you don't OWN the property, why would you think you could just go onto it? That's like me heading to the city and setting up a tent on someone's front yard. Well, there wasn't a no trespassing sign posted. Like I said....it just doesn't make sense!!!!

Bellie girl sporting her new "do":

Trekking through the bush:

Rylee's all done walking NOWWWW:

Red dots...hmmph, I say trip wires and land mines...that ought to keep 'em off my land!!

IF......YOU JUST MIGHT BE A REDNECK

2008-09-25T04:03:00.000-07:00

Listen, I grew up in a tiny pocket of inbred madness....I know allllll about rednecks. But really, this takes the cake....
Tell me, when, oh when, is it OKAY for the school crossing guard to graciously extend an offer to show my 5yr old her new false chompers? Hmmm? I ask you....and not once mind you, but twice in the same day.
I wish I was making this stuff up....
And tomorrow when we have to make the trek across the street, and she invites us to take a closer look while they're in her hand....I'm definitely moving....to Arkansas!

KIDS, DON'T TRY THIS AT HOME...

2008-09-24T11:22:00.000-07:00

It all started with a very fussy little one who would NOT go and play with her sister. I was multi-tasking in the kitchen...which usually means stirring something while watching a cooking show...and now was holding this fussing child on my hip. I offered a cup of juice to the fussy one and that's where it all went so terribly wrong.

I got distracted by Paula Dean and some wild Southern salad...turned quickly to the right just at the same exact moment that Baby J finished her sip and thrust her tiny hand into the air towards her Mama's face for me to have a sip. That's when the searing pain engulfed my nasal cavity. A nanosecond later, I was on my knees, with this now frightened baby on the floor, and holding the contents of what was left of my nostril. Rylee comes flying around the corner and says, "that's blood from inside Mommy's nose." From my nose? Are you kidding? That tiny raptor claw of a fingernail went a lot further in than that...that blood came from my frontal lobe!

Think I'll switch to TVO...

NAME DROPPING

2008-09-23T07:54:00.000-07:00

3 weeks into this Kindergarten adventure and Rylee can name a few of her classmates. Their names are always prefaced with a description. There's denim dress Kayley, white hair Charles and the ever popular picky-hair Jack. Hmmm, sounds oddly familiar. Although I don't know the names of the other Moms dropping little people off at school, I do have their descriptions down pat.

There's Trendy Mom...with her fabulously toned body poured into her sleek yoga gear. You've probably seen her at your school too...perfect ponytail positioned just right out of her ballcap, with the brilliantly white happy smile and dark sunglasses.

Then there's Crunchy Granola Mom...with that straight, long hair down to her bum. You just know her kid has hummus in her lunch.

There's the Babysitter Mom...pulling a wagon load of littles who don't belong to her.

Then there's the mom whom I've dubbed the Avon Lady. Classically dressed in a tailored suit with nylons and heels. Impeccable makeup every freakin' morning!! And the hair...oh my word, the hair...honestly, it looks like she just stepped out of the beauty parlour...at 8:45 am?! This one looks like she's always ready to whip out the latest lip colour and perform a makeover right on the spot. She's been eyeing me up real good! lol

I'm probably described as Sloppy Mom. You know, jeans, sneakers, old white hoody with little bits of someone's breakfast on the sleeve and shoulder...not always mine either. Not yet showered, hair up in a bun....now if only they knew I was wearing Lyle's boxers....wonder what my name would be then?

3:15

2008-09-22T18:37:00.000-07:00

Little Piddle's favourite time of the day....getting ready to pick up Rylee. Or as she says "Ryree" and then signs "school". Too sweet!

GUESS WHAT I DID...

2008-09-21T12:15:00.000-07:00

Don't worry...Lyle's just fine....lol

I pickled beets today!!

I HAD A MOMENT!!

2008-09-19T06:54:00.000-07:00

....more of an out-of-body experience really. It happened right after Ry's shower and I had finished unwrapping all the saran wrap off of her cast. She was silently standing in front of me looking at herself, then at me, in the mirror...I was blowdrying her long, black, shiny hair. Each time I ran my fingers through her hair, I was just overcome. I was wondering who would have done these motherly things for her if she hadn't become our daughter. Would someone have cared that her hair was even clean? Would someone have bought fancy ponytail holders, just for her? Would there have been someone who gently brushed the tangles? Who...?

It's always moments like these when I am reminded of how precious this child's life is...and that I have been chosen to protect, care for, and love her.....forever!

SOCIALIZATION

2008-09-18T04:50:00.000-07:00

Rylee brought home her first school friend last week...freakin' cold virus...and it's steamrollered its way through this household. It especially attached itself to Baby J. I tell you, we were all much healthier when we were ANTISOCIAL. lol Can't wait to see who she brings home next!

SPANISH 101

2008-09-15T06:27:00.000-07:00

We were doing our night-time reading routine when a new book was slipped into the pile for Mom to bring to life. A riveting tale, filled with adventure and intrigue. A nose-less, strange-voiced character is having a sleepover with a very happy and energetic monkey. Oh I know it sounds an awful lot like a Michael Jackson biography, but it was only Good Night Dora!

As Dora and Boots make their way to Dora's house, they encounter many little animal friends that they must say good night to...in Spanish! Why oh why does Dora have to be Spanish?! Hmmm? I'm trying to introduce as much French as I can into their little minds, early, and yet I find I'm bombarded by a spanish speaking, funny haired character more...

Well, to do the book justice and to give my kids the biggest giggle of their lives, I donned my thickest Spanish accent and set out on the page-turning journey:
Good night, birds! Buenas noches, pajaros!
Good night, bees! Buenas noches, abejas!
Good night, snakes! Buenas noches, culebras!
Good night, frogs! Buenas noches, ranas!
Good night, owl! Buenas noches, lechuza!

We came to the end and thinking I had done an excellent job of teaching them this new phrase, I whispered to Rylee, "how would you say good-night Mommy?"

In her finest accent, she leans over to me, starts to laugh and says "buenas NACHOS, Mom!"

CAST UPDATE

2008-09-11T09:48:00.000-07:00

I had to get Her Highness up early this morning so Big Daddy could take her to the Fracture Clinic. She said she absolutely was NOT going in the car with Daddy....she wanted a ride in the ambulance! lol Too funny!!

When they removed her old cast, she had bleeding blisters on her upper arm. They were also told that her original cast wasn't put on right. Soooo, they had to set her arm again!! Poor Rylee screamed and cried through the whole process! Poor thing! The Dr. also said he probably would have done surgery on her arm. End result: she has a fancy new cast that's much lighter for her to carry around, and it won't come off for another 3 weeks.

Here she is re-enacting the "painful" part of the Dr. visit (what a ham):

DUNKIN DARLINS

2008-09-11T06:32:00.000-07:00

Baby J and I had our 2nd Moms and Tots swim lesson this week. She is now the star in 2 areas at the pool. She's the best jumper and now the best at floating on her back. Darlene, our instructor is very impressed with her...and so am I. Can you believe that they had us dunk our little darlins totally under the water this week? Yeah, I was thinking maybe...maybe...on lesson 6 or 7. All the Moms did it and then it was our turn. I held her close to me and counted...one...two...three...go! Both of us went under the water and when we surfaced, Jayme was absolutely fine! She wasn't scared, she wasn't spitting up water, she was just cool. Her Mother on the other hand didn't fair so well. All I could hear was Darlene saying "praise your baby, Cath...praise your baby!" I just swallowed half the freakin pool...give me a minute, would yah?! lol I guess I should sign up for some lessons without Little Piddle...because I'm sure, when we do this exercise again on Monday, I'm going to hear Darlene say "praise your Mama, Jayme, praise your Mama!"

SPECIAL DELIVERY

2008-09-09T03:56:00.000-07:00

Around supper time last night, Rylee received a special delivery. These lovely flowers arrived with a note: Sorry you broke your arm! Wish I was there to sign your cast. Love Lucy.

In a separate email Lucy hoped that we would think of them every time we looked at the flowers. Awwwwwww, isn't she a gem! Whatever your tactics are with raising your babies, keep it up Penny!!

Thank you Wolfe Clan for your thoughtfulness!!!!

KINDERGARTEN KID

2008-09-08T09:16:00.000-07:00

Well, after a whack of sleepless nights, hemming and hawing about what will benefit Her Highness the most, we came to this decision....we would send Ry to Kindergarten! It's a trial run.

This morning at 8:40am, Big Daddy hand-in-hand with Ry Ry and Mommy pushing Little Piddle in the stroller, walked to her first day at school. She was soooo excited! I held it together beautifully....until I had to hand her off to Cory in the schoolyard. Yes, I had a momentary boohoo filling my throat. Must...not...embarrass...the...child! lol We stood at the fence watching her run with the other kids for a few minutes.

Was I ready to let her go? Absolutely not!

Was Ry ready to be let go? Absolutely...and in true Rylee fashion...yells over at us "Mom go home!" Ahhh, it's good to be loved! lol

THIS ONE'S FOR JANICE

2008-09-07T06:22:00.000-07:00

Being autistic, Rylee has some rather quirky behaviours and some real weaknesses in the fundamental areas of everyday life. However, she has some absolutely outrageous strengths that astound us time and time again. Along with being a fantastic artist, she can memorize the weirdest (to us) stuff. Once she gets locked onto a specific subject, she has to learn everything about it...there's no stopping her. For the past month, the topic has been molecules. She and Big Daddy will sit for very long periods of time, perusing the internet for pictures of molecules while she names them. Honestly, if you're learning the periodic tables at the age of 5, I really don't think there's enough brain power left over to be able to grasp basics. lol Anyway....

This past week while Little Piddle and I were in the middle of some serious and somewhat smelly potty business, Ry shuffles in to see what was going on. She takes one big sniff into the air and calmly walks back into the hallway, throwing these words over her shoulder..."yup, that's methane gas." Yup, that's our Ry Ry!

LITTLE PIDDLE PIDDLE

2008-09-06T09:47:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago I tried Little Piddle on the whole potty training routine. It was exciting...we filled the potty treat jar with little candies, hauled the potty into the powder room, purchased some pull-ups and away we went. It went really well the first day. Every time I sat her on the potty, she'd go, we'd do the potty dance and head straight for the potty treat jar. Oh life was good...so easy that we decided to chuck the pullups...until day 2. For some reason, she wasn't getting the signal before actually wetting every little pair of size 2 Dora panties we owned. In my infinite wisdom, decided she wasn't really ready and we'd put it off for another month. Fast forward to this past week and what does she do? You got it...she'd find me, undo one side of her diaper, do a little shimmy, kick her diaper into the air with her right foot, yell "peepee" and run like mad to her potty. Too funny!

I started a Moms and Tots swimming class with Baby J last week....oh what fun! While the other little people are listening intently to their Moms instructions: stop, look, listen, ask to jump in the water....my little one just grins from ear to ear, signs and screams "jump, jump, jump" and flings herself off the pool deck into the water. She's too funny!

J wins the Best Baby Sister of the Year Award this week! Can you believe that she's been so worried about her big sister's arm, she's been wandering around with one water wing on so she looks like Ry. She's been bringing toys for Ry to play with, told me several times that it was time for Ry's medicine ("Ryree meddy"), and even took their plates into the kitchen after their snack. She's just so kind, loving, sharing and caring...just the best baby ever!!

"UMMM...NOTHING"

2008-09-05T06:26:00.000-07:00

"What are you guys doing up there?"

Rest assured, they are now properly immunized against any future diaper rashes...well on their faces and hair anyway. And so are my sheets, my comforter, my curtains, my bedroom window and screen, my towels....

ANOTHER BREAK

2008-09-04T14:54:00.000-07:00

I know, I know, I said 28 days...but I'm feeling a little like a celebrity in a California rehab center. lol I'm making a break for it....

Speaking of breaks...get a load of the cast:

Magoo was doing some kind of wild trapeze act at the park...and missed it....by that much! Broke her arm right above the elbow! She was in agony...but man what a trooper! She's more upset about not being able to go on her swings than how much it hurts. That's our Ry Ry!

BLOG BREAK

2008-08-17T16:14:00.000-07:00

Hi, my name is Cathy and I'm a blogaholic. Soooooo, I'm unplugging this machine for 28 days.....

4 NO MORE!

2008-08-15T08:41:00.000-07:00

Well after at least 8 months of pestering me to be 5, Rylee's big day finally arrived! And in true Rylee fashion, her first words yesterday morning were "I was 4 last night but today I'm 5!" That was followed by a series of somersaults and high kicking jumps onto my bed....with Little Piddle in hot pursuit!

When she turned one we had a clown cake. At 2 it was nice cuddly bears. At 3 she asked for Dora. At 4, her request was for cars. At this point I should have clued in that we'd be doing out of the ordinary for my big girl. For big #5 - yup it was dinosaurs!

Pictures of her long-awaited Big Day:

Her stats on her big day:

Height - 46"

Weight - 45 pounds

She really is my big girl!! lol

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY

2008-08-06T06:56:00.001-07:00

TOP TEN TUESDAY

2008-08-05T03:57:00.000-07:00

TEN THINGS THAT MAKE ME CRY!

1) Lots of people/crowds cheering for someone - chokes me up when someone is nice.
2) Parades - kinda puts a crimp in my lifelong dream of becoming a clown.
3) Bagpipes - I'm done the minute someone starts honking away on those things.

Now let's put all 3 of those together and I tell yah it's agony! When you have cute kids, the candy-bearers at parades just zero right in on yah too...poor saps, I've scared a few Shriners in my day with the crying bit. Usually if it's a winter parade I can get away with it by saying it's the cold wind in my eyes....

4) Weddings
5) Funerals

Now combine #4 or #5 with a big round of #3 and yah get that "ugly cry" thing going. You know the whole contorted face thing, big choking sobs, whooping and wailing! Real sweet!

6) Gotcha Days or any remembrance of them - another "ugly cry" moment!! Geez, stop scaring the children!! So many mixed emotions on this...feeling so lucky to have your baby in your arms but so sad for them if they are grieving. I always get a crappy feeling too of who got left behind!

7) Remembrance Day tune they play right at 11:00 - real bad news! I got caught in a grocery store 3 years ago when they played it. I was just a mess!! I'm sure the cashier thought she'd have to call security....or at least a clean up in aisle 2.

8) Watching the grandparents with my babies...especially when they start to lose it a little...I mean cry not lose their faculties!

9) When I'm given something special that belonged to someone I loved. At Christmas this past year my Auntie Frannie gave me a note that I had printed when I was a kid. She had hung onto it for almost 40 years. I had an "ugly cry" and I had to leave the room for that one!

10) Just thinking about leaving my kids...which I never do!! I am so fortunate to be able to stay home and raise them myself. I can't imagine having to send them away everyday.

INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS

2008-08-04T06:50:00.000-07:00

Has anyone seen MY baby? Oh this tyke may look like my sweet, happy, gentle baby, but she's definitely been replaced by her wicked alien twin.

Friday night: I was sent twice on a milk run for Her Highness II, all before 2 am. Then she has the nerve to pee my bed at 5:30. I start to question her earthly DNA. I was now up for the day.

Saturday morning: She prances around the playroom with her diaper half off, flings it in the air with her toe, then squats over it and pees. Houston, we have a problem!

Saturday afternoon: Brings some toys to the laundry room and when I kindly reminded her that toys belong in the playroom, stands a few feet away from me and stares right into my eyes. I picked up her toys and showed her where the playroom was. Less than a minute later, she flings a Barbie into the laundry room, stands there staring right into my eyes. Uh huh...sooooo we're going to play this game, are we? This time, I picked up Barbie and alien-child and take both to the playroom. I went back to my laundry, grinning victoriously...I had certainly won the battle. Noooope! Alien-child runs around the corner and RIFLES same Barbie at my feet then stands back (a little further away from me this time), still staring right into my eyes! Looks like I'll have to change battle tactics. I may need reinforcements.

Saturday evening: I am running her bath when she strips right down, does this wild little dance, then steps onto the scales and proclaims "ohhhhh"! I guess they've been watching this household from afar for quite some time! Two kids now in the tub...alien-child stands up and makes a grunting noise. When questioned, alien-child denies the need for pooping. Sits down and makes bubbles in the tub instead. Alien-child yells "toot" and both kids erupt into laughter. Alien-child, with wicked grin, repeats the performance...I will not be drawn into this...I look elsewhere, using my new strategy of seeming unaffected by the behaviour. Until, alien-child one-ups me. ABANDON SHIP!!! EVERYONE OUT OF THE TUB NOW!!! Called for back-up to get Rylee in the shower while I disinfected the tub toys.

The saga continues....

SAD DAY

2008-08-01T09:54:00.000-07:00

An unthinkable act was performed on a Greyhound bus traveling across our country yesterday. We haven't been given many details other than the gruesome ones that don't need to be spoken about out loud again. Eyewitnesses do report that during the attack, everyone ran from the bus.

EVERYONE...RAN...FROM...THE...BUS? Let that sink in for a moment....

What have we become...to be able to run and just leave that poor young man in the hands of that whackjob?! What if that had been YOUR son? I don't know who was on that trip, but I know for sure who wasn't on board.
No military guys
No hockey team members (male or female)
And certainly no good ole boys/rednecks/farm boys/my husband/real men
How do I know? Because that young man would have survived and the whackjob would have been handed his first class ticket straight to hell.

It's a sad day indeed!

PICTURES

2008-07-31T06:23:00.000-07:00

I had the camera out a few times this past week. I missed some awesome shots...but a good mother should run for bandaids ahead of the camera...right?! But I missed some awesome shots! lol

A stroll through the mini garden gave me these:

All I could hear from the kitchen was "row, row, row your boat...":

Rylee said Isaac shouldn't have to sleep by himself, so she got him a few friends:

And the awesome shots and video that I missed:

1) Rylee doing a tremendous dismount from her swingset, doing Mach 4, upside down...I had to get the first-aid kit instead. It was awesome!! She hung on all the way to the ground and didn't even cry! Very impressive! She looks up at me and says "you can't swing upside down". Words to live by...

2) Lying in the dark listening to Ry "read" Jack and the beanstalk. I almost peed my pants.
Excerpt: the giant made a terrible noise like thunder...Jack climbed down the beanstalk and threw his goose...he ran inside and told his mother to get him the axe....one two three, one two three, again and again he swung...twigs and branches fell and the giant was dead....no pillow or comforter was ever made from that goose...they lived happily ever after!
You had to be there. It was a riot!

3) Last night's episode with Little Piddle. Her skin felt like she was on fire!! Even the soles of her feet were hot. I couldn't hold my fingers under her armpit, it was incredible! She's much better this morning...she actually took some medicine...she's still running a fever though. It's definitely her teeth. 2 big fangs on the bottom are bursting through...poor little muffin. Big Daddy held her in his arms next to his chest with that look of concern on his face, the look that says I'm the Protector of this family....it just made me love him even more! I really didn't need my camera....I'll remember that shot for the rest of my life...

THE WOLFE'S PART II

2008-07-30T07:29:00.000-07:00

And when you can't get all of the washable paint off....you go for a swim!

THE LITTLE PROFESSOR!

MY BIG SWIMMER:

MOMMY'S WATER BABY:

BLOWING BUBBLES:

WHAT WAS THAT ALL ABOUT?:

WOLFE BEAUTIES:

ALL THE GIRLS LOVE DAVE:

TWO WEEKS SINCE I'VE BLOGGED?

2008-07-29T07:16:00.000-07:00

We had a wonderful time with the Wolfe Clan last week. While Penny and I were in the kitchen, the Daddies were supervising our Big Girls. Ummm, paint goes on the paper!!!!! lol

RYLEE'S RECENT STAY AT LAO LAO'S

2008-07-17T08:59:00.000-07:00

No wonder Rylee hates to come home after staying at Lao Lao's place...they are constantly on the rip; eating in restaurants, going to the park and shopping. Oh I remember those days as a kid with my Mom...yeah right!! Even the strictest of Moms turn into these kids-can-do-nothing-wrong Grandmas. Too funny! Rylee and Jayme are very lucky to have their Lao Lao!

Mom's pictures from the park:

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY

2008-07-16T09:16:00.001-07:00

NAY NAY

2008-07-15T04:31:00.000-07:00

Jayme doesn't go anywhere without her "nay nay" (blanket). Luckily she has a backup but yesterday both blankets had...and I mean had...to be cleaned. She wasn't very happy about the situation...

LOOKING BACK

2008-07-14T12:50:00.000-07:00

I've been looking at all of the photos taken during our recent trip and the one thing that jumps out at me is.....holy cow I'm fat! lol The camera doesn't lie! I guess I should have figured out that my girth was getting out of control when I wore my polka dot panties...and they weren't actually circles anymore...but stretched ovals. I'll let yah know how the dieting works out...probably won't be able to blog much....you know light-headed from lack of food!

CRAYOLA CAPERS

2008-07-10T17:44:00.001-07:00

I thought it was just a little too quiet in the playroom....

KINGS LANDING SETTLEMENT

2008-07-10T07:49:00.001-07:00

We did a whirlwind tour of Kings Landing Settlement on the way home and it was great! It's a working settlement set in the 1800's. I could have spent the entire day there....

LOOK AT THE VIEW FROM THIS FARM! THAT'S ALL I WANT!!

BIG DADDY AND RYLEE COOL OFF AT THE HORSE TROUGH:

RYLEE PETS A DAY OLD CALF. MAMA COW WAS MAKING QUITE A FUSS!:

RYLEE HIGHLY INTRIGUED BY THE KNITTING SESSION:

QUITE A HOUSE:

TENDING THE GARDEN:

The gal in the picture above and I had an....um...exchange of words let's say. I simply asked "how do you water the garden?". She looks at me like I'm stupid or something and says "we don't, we let the rain fall". I'm sure my mouth fell open and then I said "you mean it either rains and you get crops or it doesn't?" She says to me with a pretty big scowl on her face "it would be highly inefficient to bring buckets of water out here". Then she proceeds to show me how the corn isn't growing very well. Actually it wasn't going to make it!

Now I'm no farmer but I do have a ton of common sense, and if it meant me eating or dying from starvation, I'd be sashaying my big assed dress back up to the homestead to get me a bucket of water for my crops....but that's just me!!!

The second run in with a "lady" happened when we were sitting in the shade having a little rest. This time, a gal was playing some kind of flute thingy. Well, Miss Rylee was in her glory. She had the woman play a few tunes for us and then sing a little French ditty. Well, it was time to get a move-on but this "lady" wouldn't let us go that easy and kept chatting and playing and singing....oyvay. And to top it off, she tells us (while holding onto Big Daddy's arm) that a real lady would hold a gentleman's right arm while strolling, etc. And I'm thinking...listen lady, you touch Big Daddy one more time and I'll be pulling your big bonnet down over your eyes and give yah an upper cut to the flute!!

Did I mention we had a great time there?!?!

HOME SWEET HOME

2008-07-09T16:16:00.000-07:00

We pulled in at 4:00. Both girls were amazing on the way home!! We are all tired and ready for our own beds....
Lots of pictures tomorrow...

SUNDAY SUPPER

2008-07-07T11:45:00.000-07:00

If you are ever invited to join Penny and Dave for Sunday Supper...don't pass up the offer. It truly was a culinary conquest! Uncle Todd slowly stirred a pot of risotto that melted in our mouths. Dave grilled shrimp and steaks on the bbq to a tee. It had to have been the best meal I've ever had. The boys made a huge mess then Penny the Queen of Clean entered the scene! lol

After supper we took the littles outside to burn up even more energy. Then came the home movies. It's been awhile since I've looked at Ry's adoption video/album and I gotta tell yah, I got pretty choked up watching theirs - afterall we're in it too!

Thank you Dave, Penny, Lucy and Lisa for all the memories you've helped to create for our family!!!!

The Kunming Kuties galloping out the giggles before bedtime:

SCENES FROM ST. MARTINS

2008-07-07T11:18:00.001-07:00

COVERED BRIDGE:

KUNMING KUTIES TAKE A BREAK:

WALL OF SEAWEED:

BREATHTAKING VIEW:

RY INSIDE THE CAVE:

THIS WILL ALL BE UNDER WATER IN A FEW HOURS:

FROM INSIDE THE CAVE:

YOU COULDN'T BE DEPRESSED LIVING HERE:

FROGGIN' IN THE HAMPTONS LOVEY

2008-07-07T04:11:00.001-07:00

KUNMING KUTIES AND THE CHINA CHICKIES

2008-07-05T15:52:00.000-07:00

KUNMING KUTIES CONQUER ST. ANDREW'S

2008-07-05T15:43:00.000-07:00

NEW BRUNSWICK BOUND

2008-07-01T18:18:00.001-07:00

The car is packed except for some last minute food items. Yeah, half the junk food aisle from the local IGA....afterall I am traveling with 2 little people and the Chip Captain!! In the morning we're off to New Brunswick for a little holiday! I'll post some pics if I can....ummm figure out how to do it! lol I think I'm in the mood for some scallops...yum!

INVENTIONS

2008-06-29T07:54:00.000-07:00

They say that NECESSITY is the mother of all inventions...well, I'm about to tell you that pure laziness can now be added to the list! Here's how I know....

We finally got to swim in the BIG pool late this week....it's been too cold, Big Daddy poked a hole in it, the kids have more fun in the $14.99 plastic one...you know how it goes. Anyway, I didn't use a swim diaper for Little Piddle's inaugural paddle around. Note to self (don't do that again). When it was time to exit the pool, I dropped her diaper on the walkway. Later that night we had a torrential rainstorm! It was wild!!!

Next morning, I go out and spot this:

The now bloated and deformed size 3 Huggie. Of course I'm laughing at the sight and it hits me....instead of the Army Corps of Engineers filling sandbags for all those broken levees in the U.S., they simply need to contact Kimberly-Clark for a truckload of Huggies. Those super-suckers will keep the Mighty Mississippi at bay for sure....as long as there isn't any pee in the water!

Side note: When I checked the Huggies box to get the name of the manufacturer, I spotted a recommendation - avoid excessive heat over 104 degrees - ummmm okay!

OUT AND ABOUT WITH RYLEE

2008-06-29T07:09:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, as soon as I put Little Piddle down for her nap, I took Her Highness out to run some errands. This is highly unusual for me!! You see, Rylee is high-maintenance to say the least when she's out and about. It's exhausting having to repeat all the rules of conduct at every stop, keep an eagle eye on her the whole time and try to get all the jobs done too! Then of course there's the screaming fits that occur if/when something doesn't go to plan...yes, Autism can be fun! Anyway, off to the Post Office where she did an amazing job listening to her Mom. As Rylee was fixated on the heating/cooling vents in the ceiling, chatting to me about what it looks like, where the air goes etc., this other Mom with little girl in tow come onto the scene. I notice something...other kids are fascinated by my Rylee. She's....unique! Because she looks at the world in a different way, kids want to know what she sees...and more importantly, what they possibly could be missing out on.

I'm sure the little girl's internal dialogue was something like this: What's that kid looking at? What's up there? Mom stop, I think there's something up there that we should see too!!

Of course the Mom's internal dialogue was something like: What am I going to cook for supper? Did I let the dog out? Do these new pants make me look fat? Come on Suzie, I've got 8 more stops to make, let's go!

I also noticed that a lot of Moms don't talk with their kids during an outing. I'm in constant chatter mode with both of my kids....I probably learned it as a coping technique to keep Rylee engaged so she wouldn't have a tantrum.

Then it was off to the pharmacy and finally to the grocery store. Ry was a little wound up by this time and while we were waiting at the deli, she breaks out into a little dance and starts to sing a little ditty. An old man is waiting there with us and he smiles and nods several times as he watches her. I finally say "she has a lot of energy to burn". He nods again! Rylee did great at the store and as we're about to go through the check-out...who's in front of us, but the old man again! Rylee's still a bundle of wiggles. He turns to me and with a very thick German accent says "My granddaughter is just like that...I'm always happy to see her go home". lol I bought Rylee a treat after that...

We get home and she stuffs an awful amount of crackers into her mouth...chewing happily, yes still wiggling...when she goes to say something to Big Daddy. He reminds her that isn't nice to talk with her mouth full. So what does she do? In true Rylee fashion, she spits out the entire wad of gooeyness into her little hand then continues on with her conversation!!! Yah gotta love it! Big Daddy says he will be more specific next time! lol

Her Highness at the beach last week:

THE GIRLS MEET BABY LOGAN

2008-06-27T04:25:00.000-07:00

Mommy Lori and her little (umm make that BIG) bundle. Isn't he a handsome fella?! And talk about a good baby...he came in here and didn't make strange or make a fuss at all. He's one lucky guy to have such wonderful parents!

He was a "hit" with both of my little gals. 5 1/2 months old and he already outweighs Little Piddle by a few pounds!!

Give me some sugar, big guy!

Rylee puts Dave's Daddy skills to the test - he passes!

Congratulations Dave and Lori! Baby Logan is definitely a keeper!!

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY

2008-06-25T04:07:00.000-07:00

GUANGXI GALS

2008-06-24T07:03:00.000-07:00

From all the posts I've done, you'd have to agree that Little Piddle is a crack-up! She's always happy, loves a little mischief and is always game for a giggle-fest! Well, wouldn't yah know it, all the Guangxi Gals got together on Saturday and Little Piddle spent 95% of her time hooked to our hip. Unbelievable!! It took several tries to get a picture of all the gals together...uh yeah, mine kept crying and running for her Mom! Too funny!

Thanks Kath and Murray for such a great time!

TAKE ONE: Get out of the way Jayden...I need my Mom

TAKE TWO: Gotta go!

TAKE THREE: Mommmmmmmmy!!

TAKE FOUR: Don't you guys know we should be running?!

TAKE FIVE: Olivia distracted her just long enough with a piece of fruit.

LIFE OF THE PARTY

2008-06-23T11:14:00.000-07:00

Yes, those are panties!!!

RIDING IN STYLE

2008-06-20T05:06:00.001-07:00

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY

2008-06-18T16:01:00.001-07:00

RYLEE GOES TO THE ZOO

2008-06-16T05:01:00.000-07:00

Lao Lao took Her Highness to the zoo yesterday where she totally amazed my mother. First, she rode the ponies by herself and secondly, in true Rylee fashion, she became intrigued with a butterfly even though she was standing right in front of a giraffe! That's our girl!!

Ry told me a story this morning about a lone pig she saw at the zoo:
"The poor little pig didn't have any friends. He was very sad. His nose was running. The other little pigs must have been shopping".

CONVERSATIONS WITH RYLEE

2008-06-14T09:14:00.000-07:00

From the backseat of our car yesterday as we're driving into town:

Rylee: Giraffes live in Africa
Mom: Yup
Rylee: Elephants live in Africa
Mom: Yup
Rylee: A hippopotamus can't climb trees in Africa
Mom: Absolutely not
Rylee: Mouses can run in the trees in Africa
Mom: Sure
Rylee: Dinosaurs live in Africa
Mom: Sorry Ry, all the dinosaurs are dead
BIG PAUSE....
Rylee: Guess they didn't eat their vegetables!

We're in the garden one afternoon and she spots a huge toad
Rylee: Guess a tadpole jumped out of the pond and walked to the garden and turned into a toad frog

My all time favourite funny conversation was a week ago...
Mom: Okay Ry, time for your night time pee
Rylee: Noooooo
Mom: Come on, you know you have to pee before bed. Let's go!!
Rylee: Nope, I'll pee in July
Really, what can you say to that???

TOTALLY UNPREPARED

2008-06-12T06:14:00.000-07:00

For the past couple of days, we've been culling the kids' clothes; sorting by size and season, boxing, labelling and storing. Finally, Little Piddle has grown out of some of her clothes! lol Of course Rylee grows out of her stuff on a monthly basis - it's crazy! Just keeping her in shoes is a chore! They're the size of small canoes right now! lol Anyway, while I was working away, I remembered the very first time I had to do this job when Ry was a baby....I was just a wreck touching each piece of clothing, smelling them....oh brother!!! I wailed the entire day! This time around I'm not so sentimental....but I can't seem to give the articles away either. I know, it's just clothes and they could possibly bless another family...but I can't seem to let them go! Now that I've been a Mom to two, it's hard to believe that I won't be holding another baby...EVER! Eeeyipes! Never...that's hard to swallow.

Okay, so I also came across the baby potty while I was sorting stuff and of course I didn't have my camera when the funniest thing happened. Jayme lifts the lid, puts both feet in the potty, and starts laughing like a hyena. Last night, I brought the potty downstairs hoping she'd do it again and I could get a good shot of it...except she decided to do something else with the potty that I was totally unprepared for. It was 8:30 and Her Highness II was just getting ready to head upstairs to bed when....she starts to poop....every mother knows the telltale signs....anyway, just for fun I asked her if she wanted to sit on the potty. She nodded her head. Then I asked her if she wanted to take her diaper off and sit on the potty like Rylee does. Again, with the head nodding! YOU'VE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME!! Okay, off comes the diaper, she sits down and by golly she poops and pees in the potty!!! We all clapped and cheered and showed her what happened. Her reaction - she clapped her little hands a little bit but she was quite unaffected by the whole event....it was almost like - hey people, I'm only doing what everyone else in the house does!! What's the big deal?? She makes me laugh! Sooooo are we in the potty training season already?!?!? NOOOOOOOOOO, I don't want her to grow up already!! I'm NOT ready!

IT'S PICKLED ASPARAGUS TIME

2008-06-04T12:55:00.000-07:00

So how do you turn this

into this?

Easy...all you need is:

1 willing husband to watch the littles

2 hours uninterrupted

300 dollars worth of canning supplies! lol Ohhhhh but they will be sooooo tasty in 6 weeks!

ELEVEN TO THREE

2008-06-03T10:23:00.001-07:00

That's the time Her Highness II was up cruising her palace looking for something/someone to play. For some reason she just had to account for every one of her Royal staff members. She high-tailed her down the hall into Her Highness I's bedroom and woke her up! That went over well...NOT!! I brought her downstairs because she wanted to sit with her Royal Pooch and her Royal Furness. She also spent a very long time looking at her Gotcha Day outfit that is framed and in the playroom. Yes, something was bothering the fair Princess last night....

Sometime around 1 am:

DIAPER WOES, MILK RUNS, AND FURBALLS

2008-05-29T07:03:00.000-07:00

For the past few nights, Her Highness II has been waking up soaked to the gills. Going through her pj's, sheets and blankets. This phenomenon has coincided with the opening of a new box of diapers. Has anyone else noticed how thin the diapers are getting? Instead of calling them Supreme Fit or Cruisers or whatever...they should be called Wafer Thins. They certainly don't make 'em like they used to. 20 years ago, after a couple of pees, the suckers would balloon up to gigantic proportions, making the babies look like little Michelin Men. They also rendered 1 out of every 4 children bow-legged for life....but they worked great!

And what's up with those little space-aged gel spheres left behind on our babies' nether-regions after a diaper change? Hmmm? Just what is the material inside the diapers? I probably don't want to know. But I bet all diapers are manufactured at the Scott's Turf Builder plant in Ohio. I'm told that it is totally harmless...afterall 3 out of 4 Dentists recommend them.

I've decided that if we were to have another baby in the house, I'd go au natural (oh you'll need a French accent to read that last phrase) with cloth diapers. Man have they come a long way. They're nothing like the original cloth diapers that were used on me, back in the day when mothers would take an entire flannel sheet and attach it to their baby with rusty old pins. Geez 2/3 of the kids in my kindergarten class has some scar from a diapering accident that they could use for show and tell. The new and improved versions are soft and absorbent, anything but dangerous, with their wide velcro sides and extra inserts for nighttime use. Yup, I'd go cloth!

Okay, back to the story....it all begins at 4:12 this morning. Usually by this time, I'm on my second dizzying descent down the back stairs to the main floor to retrieve a milk for Her Highness II....but not this morning. This morning, I was awakened by that all too familiar sound of our cat horking up a furball. You know the sound - a cough, sneeze and gag all rolled into one. And the fun part was that Isaac was at the bottom of the bed, laying across Big Daddy's feet! I guess Big Daddy was wakened by the sound too because he tried to gently put the sweet little putty tat onto the floor - yeah with one swift taekwondo kick. Ahhh but His Furness was not to be moved so easily. Well, we get some light on in the room (shhh don't wake the baby). Enough light that I could do a little clean up. Everyone goes back to bed. 20 minutes later Big Daddy says "What's that smell"? and then "My feet are wet"! Oh oh!! Poor little cat must have strained himself because he had peed on the bed, through the duvet and sheets right onto Lyle's feet. Oh and he also left us an extra little present!
Back up again with a little bit of light (shhh don't wake the baby)stripping the bed. I made up a nice little makeshift nest for us with just odds and sods that even Martha Stewart would be proud of...with one exception. The only sheet I could find to put on top of us was a "fitted" one.

You can always find a silver lining to any situation if you try hard enough....well, due to the cat's incident, I think I stumbled across the greatest invention. If you're a bed-wiggler like me, you know how your top sheet usually ends up around your waist during the night. Well not with the "fitted" sheet on top. I just hooked that sucker over my shoulder and it stayed in place for the remainder of the morning. However, it will leave an unsightly elastic mark across your neck, so I'll have to account for that in my first prototype. So I'm lying there dreaming about my new business venture when Big Daddy decides to open the window. Ahhhh nature! Did you know that every bird in the county congregates in my backyard at precisely 4:45 am? What a racket....well no more sleep for Mama now.

Next thing I know it's 5:37 am and Her Highness II is ordering her usual - a piping hot milk to go - and a clean diaper....afterall, she was soaked to the gills.

FARMER BEN GETS A MAKEOVER

2008-05-28T08:06:00.000-07:00

This must happen to all farmers.....one minute you're playing dress-up, next minute you have to check on your tomato plants...
.

FARMER BEN & FARMER JOE

2008-05-27T07:59:00.000-07:00

Once upon a time there was a very cute little redhead (yup, me), nicknamed Carrott, who was the apple of her Auntie Frannie's eye. Everywhere that Auntie Frannie went, little Carrott was sure to follow...especially if it was to the garden. Couldn't keep little Carrott out of the pea patch.

Now, I have cute little pea patch raiders of my own to teach about gardening....

The little farmers have the peas:

All in a neat row...until Mom takes the picture:

Our turn:

Clean up time with the hose:

LET THEM EAT CAKE...AND EVERYTHING ELSE IN SIGHT

2008-05-26T12:00:00.001-07:00

Well, it all started last Thursday when the first of the 3 birthday cakes was unveiled...and we basically didn't stop eating until Sunday!

Lao Lao had a, let's just say, SIGNIFICANT birthday on Thursday and for the first time in 5 years had her little family all together. My sister Bev arrived Tuesday from Alberta. My brother Mike, along with his wife Lana and his 2 girls Michelle and Sarah arrived in the wee hours of the morning on Wednesday from Alberta. We all had a great time catching up...oh and did I mention eating! First it was Mom's birthday, then we celebrated Mike's 50th birthday, then just when we thought we were on icing overload, Rylee picked out a Scooby Doo I Love You birthday cake for Bev...who turns 48 in a couple of weeks! I am officially caked-out!

Mom and her 4 grandkids

GLOWY NEEDS NEW BATTERIES

2008-05-21T13:14:00.000-07:00

I guess Little Piddle's "glowy" toy wasn't singing loud enough because she just got up, walked to the drawer where I keep the battery stash, reached in and grabbed the screwdriver and a new pack of batteries. She knew what she needed to do the job....

What next....she runs off with my car keys?!

JAYME TURNS 18 MONTHS OLD TODAY

2008-05-18T15:51:00.000-07:00

A day in the life of an 18 month old cutie....

Show off my first ponytail....

Read a good book....

Smooch with my best pal....

Help with the housework....

Colour with Rylee....

Fix my hair and get ready for bed....

It's a tough life....but someone's gotta do it!

$8 HOTDOG

2008-05-16T10:46:00.000-07:00

THE WINNER

2008-05-15T07:18:00.000-07:00

Okay, so now it is safe to spill the beans....several weeks ago I was cruising through my ever-growing list of favourite blogs, when Stefanie from http://wheneastmeetssouth.blogspot.com/ was asking for help in naming her new blog. Go and check out this amazing family right now. I'll wait.......

Told you they are amazing!!! And did you see their new son Shepherd? Stefanie is waiting ever so patiently to travel once again to China for the sweetest little fella. Okay, so she wanted help naming Shepherd's blog. It was in the middle of the night, during a milk run for Little Piddle, when the name "Shepherd's Crossing" came to me. Wouldn't yah know it....they picked the name! Wahoo! This is what Stefanie sent us for being the winner.....

Yup, it's a Dora DVD done in Mandarin! Well, Rylee is crazy with a capital C over this thing. Talk about funny. We all get a good giggle when we watch it. It's called Hic Boom Ohh. Thanks again Stefanie! Safe travels to receive little Shepherd! We'll be following your journey!

SIX MONTHS

2008-05-13T04:46:00.000-07:00

Yesterday marked six months to the day that Jayme was placed in my arms! She makes my heart melt every time I look at her!! She truly is the sweetest little soul that God put on this earth and I catch myself wondering where she would be...if she hadn't come home with me.

I've rocked you, snuggled into me with your blankie, all safe and warm, loved and content.

And I wonder...where would you be?

I read your books to you and your eyes light up with excitement.

And I wonder...where would you be?

I've held you upright all through the night while you were sick so you could breathe easier.

And I wonder...where would you be?

You wrap your little arms around me and look up at me with those dark brown eyes.

And that's when it hits me...where would I be?

HAIRDRESSING 101

2008-05-12T11:56:00.000-07:00

.....and when I caught Her Highness, with scissors in hand, removing Dora's trademark bangs, she says with extreme sincerity "it was an accident". Uh huh!! I'm just hoping this isn't a warm up to a repeat of the catastrophe last year.

BEFORE:

AFTER:

Pension Cheques and Preschoolers

MOVING

JUST ANOTHER ONE

VISIT

NEW YEAR, NEW TRADITIONS

EAT, EAT, EAT

FIRST DAY OF GRADE 1

....AND THEN SHE WAS 6

DORA

WALL OF FAME

12 MONTH REPORT

HELP WITH BAKING

SNORING STORY

PAINT

KIDS UPDATE

DAY 4 OF SUGARLESS COFFEE

MONDAY

GINGERBREAD FRIENDS

PACKAGE FROM FLORIDA

HEART STEALER

IT'S LOOKING LIKE CHRISTMAS

OH FUDGE!

SUCCESSES, SOAP, SOURDOUGH AND SYVRETS

FORGOT ONE

THE LIFE OF RYLEE

BOUGHT BUNKBEDS

LONG DISTANCE CALL

RANDOM THOUGHTS AND SHOTS

JAYME TURNS 2

**REPEAT POST** GOTCHA DAY

PITY PARTY

FOG, BOTOX, AND WITCHES

LET IT SNOW...

JUST DO IT!

KEITH URBAN - EAT YOUR HEART OUT!

GINGERBREAD FOR MAMA ANT'S CRAVINGS

TIME FLIES

BAKING BUDDIES

SCHOOLYARD CRYBABY

CABIN CAPERS

IF......YOU JUST MIGHT BE A REDNECK

KIDS, DON'T TRY THIS AT HOME...

NAME DROPPING

3:15

GUESS WHAT I DID...

I HAD A MOMENT!!

SOCIALIZATION

SPANISH 101

CAST UPDATE

DUNKIN DARLINS

SPECIAL DELIVERY

KINDERGARTEN KID

THIS ONE'S FOR JANICE

LITTLE PIDDLE PIDDLE

"UMMM...NOTHING"

ANOTHER BREAK

BLOG BREAK

4 NO MORE!

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY

TOP TEN TUESDAY

INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS

SAD DAY

PICTURES

THE WOLFE'S PART II

TWO WEEKS SINCE I'VE BLOGGED?

RYLEE'S RECENT STAY AT LAO LAO'S

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY

NAY NAY

LOOKING BACK

CRAYOLA CAPERS

KINGS LANDING SETTLEMENT

HOME SWEET HOME

SUNDAY SUPPER

SCENES FROM ST. MARTINS

FROGGIN' IN THE HAMPTONS LOVEY

KUNMING KUTIES AND THE CHINA CHICKIES

KUNMING KUTIES CONQUER ST. ANDREW'S

NEW BRUNSWICK BOUND

INVENTIONS

OUT AND ABOUT WITH RYLEE

REPEAT POST GOTCHA DAY