That time of year again.

Caught one last week already.

Now it's time to clean out all my bottom cupboards. That way I'll be able to tell if there is a new one around or not.

Big Brother soon!

Matthew's newest and clearest word is "baby." He has become attracted to babies. He loves it when I put a blanket on the baby for him, or give it a bottle. He sits beside it, stares at it, and gently pats it's hair. Does that mean he's ready to be a big brother?
But then, when he gets bored he hits it, then drops it carelessly on the floor.


Matthew insists on saying "eee" whenever I pick up the camera. He pulls really goofy faces while doing it, and rarely ever smiles properly. (Sorry grandparents!!)

I think he looks a bit like his second cousin Matthew...I guess his name fits him after all!


Matthew's been a bit sick lately, and I haven't always caught his dirty diapers. You can see his cherry red behind--poor guy! He does sometimes tell me when he is dirty, so either I'm paying less attention, or he doesn't think it's worth it.

He slept through the night for a change (yay!) so that must mean he's doing much better!

People keep asking me if I'm ready for the baby.
How can one ever be ready for a baby?
How can putting up a cradle and having newborn clothes ready and a hospital bag packed possibly be enough to be prepare for a new person entering the family?
Even if I had done any of these things, I don't think I'd feel ready. Other than the obvious pregnancy symptoms, I have no other reason to believe I'm going to have a new baby in the house soon.
It's really too hard to believe.

But then, most of my life is a bit unreal.

Hugs and Kisses

For the first week and a bit after Matthew's soother was confiscated, nap time was rather difficult. He'd cry for a while, then yell for a while, then play for a while. Things have changed a lot since then!

Nap time is so much easier to prepare for after a good hug

and kiss. (That seems to be all he needs now.)

I guess the kids do love each other! (Hard to tell some days with all the fighting and screeching!)

Waking up story time together:

Maybe rainy Monday mornings aren't that bad after all!

Heh heh.

Stage one is now complete.
FINALLY.

Next up is sheers for the same windows.
Fabric is supposed to be in today.
Suggestions on how to deal with sheer fabric would be appreciated, since I've never sewn anything delicate and slippery like it before.
Someone suggested basting to keep it from slipping...but I really don't want to baste six monstrous panels...(she basted sheer fabric for dress sleeves...not curtains!)

September Sob Story

Prepare to wail despondently.
(Or not...depending on your mood.)

We seeded our grass two weeks ago, since we understood that any work that might get done on our yard would happen in October sometime. Which would give our grass plenty of time to grow and put down their roots, and all that fun stuff. Then our yard got shrunk today. And trampled (minorly).

As you can see, we have lost possession of some precious ground. It is very precious indeed, to me, and although it never was mine to start with, it still hurts to loose it.

I think I'll wail despondently for a while.

Or I could be an adult, and just get over it.
Maybe my kids would learn something from that.
But just in case they won't, and I be disappointed from the effort that is fruitless, I may just give in to these emotions.

Oh, and I think I just lost a filling.
Ouch.

Pain in the neck

I woke up with a really sore shoulder and a very sore neck...and many tender spots on my back. So I crawled back in bed to doze while the kids were left to their own designs.


Nathan built an electricity train. It's designed to bring electricity to the wires that don't have any electricity anymore. You just hook up his wire to the other wires, and it fills up them up. Snazzy!


Melanie was a good Mom today. She just said so herself, to Nathan her current baby. Now I hear her telling her baby to be quiet and lay down on the pillow. Is it better or worse to have more than one Mom?


Not sure what Matthew did to stay out of trouble. During the day he's always checking in on me, and often calls "Ma!". Then I have to follow him and see what he wants...since he can't clarify things verbally just yet.

Goin' to the midwife later this morning. Perhaps she'll give me a massage??

Strolling

Since it's raining and we're not strolling, here's some pics to pretend we are.

Pre-Celebration OR Picture Overload

We (well, ME mostly,) are thrilled that it is no longer summer.
But fall doesn't officially start 'til Tuesday, I believe.
IT'S MY FAVORITE TIME OF YEAR
AND
I
LOVE
IT!!!


My kids are also enthusiastic, but I imagine the weather has much less to do with it, especially when compared to the swings!


Melanie just LOVES swinging! If I were to push her the entire time we stayed at the park, I imagine that she'd never ask to get out!

"Push me higher, Mommy!"

"Push me higher, please."
"Please."


Nathan never likes to be left out of something fun! (Who does?)

"Watch out, Mommy!"

"Don't kick me!"

"Oh! I almost kicked you, Mommy!"

Because I knew Matthew would have a tantrum if I didn't let him have a turn, he actually went first.
(Yup, I know that's terrible. But so is he.)

"Would you like a push Matthew?"

"No!"

He was quite happy to just sit and hang on to the swing...
until I took too many pictures.
"Want to go down, Matthew?"
"Dow!"

iq

Some days I wonder, just how low is my IQ?

I suppose other people wonder this more often than me.
But being simple minded, I don't dwell on it.

A Lesson on Energy

One kid I chummed with years ago loved the movie Monsters Inc. I learned a lot from this movie about energy. (Who knew Pixar was so educational?) Did you know that children are great sources of energy for monsters? Formerly, screams were contained and used to make power, until laughs were discovered to be ten times more powerful.

I've discovered that this is also the case with Mommy's. So, I sometimes use this knowledge to soak up some energy from my kids. Kids do have such an excess of continual energy!

The movie didn't explain anything about negative energy. But that was easy for me to discover on my own--there isn't anything worse than whining and crying in all the world as a drain on one's energy reserves. Just a small amount of whining or crying and all my energy reserves start to drain rapidly. If the crying and whining continues, it doesn't take long until I feel like a vacuum has just sucked out every last drop of energy from me. I feel like flopping on the floor like a lifeless noodle in a state of self-deprecating self-centered-ness.

That's when it's time for some much needed laughter...
to stock up again!

Morning people

I have often wondered if there is such a thing as a morning person.

It seems like an oxymoron to me.

If you do enjoy mornings, can you really be a person?


Poor Matthew had to be woken up this morning
since the rest of us were too hungry to let him have his beauty sleep.
(Good thing he's a guy...so it doesn't matter as much
if he never becomes beautiful.)


Perhaps I should go grocery shopping soon, or else put some effort into breakfast.
Cheerios are actually kinda gross...
good thing we are all pretty hungry first thing in the morning!

Choices

What should it be?
Clean up BREAKFAST dishes quickly and make the house look presentable

or quickly chuck something edible together for supper?

Feel good about a clean house and order in some cheap food (gross)
or feel good in my tummy.

OK, OK, I already have decided obviously.
Now to do it.

My kids these days

"Mommy, the baby in your belly has to be a "she.""
"Why?"
"Because Matthew needs a lady to live with when he's bigger."
(Where to start with an explanation??)



"I'm going to colour the drawers!"
(I guess the wood pieces of the ark picture she was colouring did look a bit like a dresser)
"OK."
"Mommy, why do I have to colour the drawers?"
(Beats me. Why do you make yourself do something??)



"Ma!"
"Yes, Matthew?"
"Eeee."
(Sure, but "please" for what??)


Time to work on the curtains...
then maybe if I'm a good girl I can read my book after.

Obviously we weren't thinking!

Either we should take up landscaping OR parenting. Not both.

(Can you see Matthew's footprints over the freshly seeded lawn?)


How many mornings, afternoons and evenings do you think three little kids will be happy to play with playdough inside?

I'm hoping a lot, but that's being really really really hopeful.
And unrealistic.