Building Summer Memories

Winter used to be my favorite season. There's something so cozy about the snowfall. I love Christmas for a million reasons, and my birthday also falls on the Winter Solstice, which I also love to celebrate (my birthday, that is!) But I've grown to love summer. I love the sunshine, and the flowers in bloom. This Irish gal is used to bathing in sunscreen anyway (I'd rather have my porcelain complexion than skin cancer!) and I don't mind the bugs... to much ;)

But most of all summer means celebrating the birth of my babies, who were born just 2 days apart! My favorite summer memories now include snuggling my newborns on the couch, and taking them outside to play in the shade on our lawn. My favorite summer memories are going for walks with them, watching them take their first steps (both took them around their first birthdays), and explore their new world! And so the summer also means some awesome birthday celebrations!

This year we're having 2 parties for the kids. At the beginning of the month we'll have a backyard BBQ with our nearest and dearest friends to celebrate the children together. Princess will be 5, Tobes will be 2, and most of the friends that they have right now are family friends - Hubbyman and I are friends with their parents, and all the kids are friends with each other. It's going to be one big celebration of my babies, and all those who have been a part of our lives for the past 5 years. I've pinned an insane number of food ideas, drink ideas, and the activities will revolve around the backyard and summertime.

But this year will also be slightly different. This year Princess is helping to plan her own, second party - a tea party with a bunch of her little girl friends (and a few brothers here and there ;)). We are doing scones, raspberry butter, and Devonshire cream (if I can find a good duplicate recipe - I'm open to suggestions by the way!) as well as pink lemonade and strawberry iced tea. We'll have cookies and cupcakes, play games and have a few activities as well :) It'll be something that Princess can have on her own (Tobes isn't yet old enough to care) with her own specific friends, doing her own activities.

I can't wait!

Spring in the New House

Tulips! So very pretty! And a very pleasant surprise :)

Our pear tree blossomed overnight! I love it so much :)

Every new house has it's surprises. No matter how new, no matter how good your home-inspection, there's always surprises in the first year in your new home. Ours has been no different (so far). But thankfully the good surprises have FAR outweighed the bad!!

Our "bad" surprises were pretty nominal, especially considering the age of our house. We found a few cold spots around the house that we'll need to check out this summer, and maybe boost the insulation, but we certainly didn't freeze over the winter, especially with the fireplace! ;) The other issue was plumbing. We had a great home inspection, and the issue was mostly with our sink in the basement, which is in my craft room. Being able to use a sink while crafting was a great idea (especially with stamping, or painting with the kids), but loss of use was no big deal either.

The good surprises have been pretty great, and have mostly been in the last few weeks as spring has sprung around the house!

• The trees in our yard are alive and well, minus one. We thought that tree was completely dead, but are thrilled to see half of it budding leaves. 
• Our pear tree is blossoming. We got to enjoy some of the pears last year, but this year I have plans - canning, pies, and just letting the kids nom on them while they play because hey - it's less work for me ;)
• Flowers! We have flowers! The red ones I posted above (I *think* are tulips!) and we had no idea they were there! :) We also have chives, and a rose bush that is budding leaves too. We're also have a Japanese peony that's starting to bud which is awesome because it's a cut from our old house, originally from a plant that Greg's grandfather owned (he used to run a greenhouse), so it's kind of important that we keep it going! ;) We want to go to a few greenhouses soon and get some more flowers for both gardens in the front and back as well. We never really had this space before.
• Sunshine. Oh my goodness, the sunshine! The windows give us an amazing amount of light, especially in our kitchen. We're considering putting a skylight or similar into the front room just to help with the light there, but we're not 100% sold on that yet. We've got the name of a few companies, and will keep in on our 5-year to-do list ;)
• The breeze. There's something about the placements of the windows and doors that 
• Our "go outside" yard!! This was not a surprise to us, we bought the house partially based on it. But the surprise has been the extent of it's awesomeness!! We've got a beautiful backyard right off the kitchen, and the kids can happily come and go as they please while I get stuff done in the kitchen, whether it be cleaning, cooking, or (let's be realistic) crafting! It's awesome!! 
• Our cedar deck! Our deck in the old house was composite - a plastic-based deck material that was awesome! No staining, no splinters, no hassle. Truth be told, we thought about replacing the deck here with it, even though the deck was in pretty good repair. But this deck is cedar, and NOTHING beats the smell of it after the rain!! Oh my goodness! It's amazing!!!

I loved our new home when we bought it, but every day this spring has brought more and more joy to my family through it. It's beautiful!!

Happy Mother's Day

:glomp:

Happy Mother's Day to all the mommies out there - either those who are currently, or soon-to-be! In just a few weeks, I celebrate my 5th anniversary of motherhood - the birth of my firstborn, my Princess (my little prince, Tobes, came 3 years and 2 days later!)

Last year (well, last June) I reflected on my first 4 years of mommyhood- what I have learned, and the mommy I have become. I had gone through some major changes in my life in the years prior, both by choice and by force, but all of it made me a stronger woman, mother, and brought my family even closer together. This year has been far less dramatic, thankfully, but I continue to evolve as my babies do as well. I'm no longer the mom to an infant, or a toddler and a newborn. Princess starts school in just 4 months (*sob*) and Tobes stopped being an infant a year ago! I read that post again, and it all still holds true.

This year, I look to the future. These are the exciting adventures my family will face in the upcoming months.

• School for Princess means that time at home with her is just that much more precious, and can still be spent playing with friends, but also giving her time to just play with her brother, and with me and Daddy as well.
• School for Princess will give Tobes a chance to be an only child for a few hours every afternoon. I am the oldest of 3, and was 5 before I had a sibling, giving me alone time with my parents for all those years. I'm excited to give Tobes that opportunity as well. I am excited to spend 1-on-1 time with my son, especially in these early years. I'm excited to get to know him in this way.
• Tobes is a little person now in a way he's never been before. He wants to get dressed on his own. He wants be independent. He has favorite TV shows (we're still working on cutting down screen time in our home, but it'll be easier now that summer's here), he has favorite books, favorite songs, and favorite games. His ability to talk now allows him to express all his favorites, and it's awesome to watch him grow in this regard. But his independence also means that we have to negotiate allowing him to have some of his favorite choices, but also keeping with what's appropriate for him and our family, which also means respectfully guiding his behavior and actions as needed.
• School also means the true test of our family values in regards to education. A large number of my mom friends homeschool. We have chosen not to for a variety of reasons (which I can give later, in a different post), but one thing we strongly believe as a family is that learning does not start, or end in the classroom. We believe that our children can get exposed to a variety of ideas in the classroom that they might not otherwise, but it is up to Hubbyman and I as parents to shape their morals and values. At the end of the day, Princess's education is our responsibility, and no one else's.
• My work is taking off (I have a half-written post on that as well), which is taking me out of the home more than I imagined (though still no more than once or twice a week). The kids get Grammie-time, and love it, but it's not what my family initially intended for me to do (what a complaint - I'm too popular at work!) so it's something we'll be navigating and keeping in the back of our minds in the upcoming months as our family goes through these next milestones!

I love being a mom. I've always wanted to be one. But beyond just being "a" mom, I love being their mom. I am so blessed to have Princess and Tobes in my life. I am so fortunate to call them mine, and I am so honored to be entrusted with them. I can't believe that in just a few short weeks, I'll be celebrating the birth of my 2 amazing babies. Last year I said

Motherhood is, at the end of the day, about raising a person. Someday Princess and Tobes will be contributing members of society, and I hope that my family's values and beliefs are instilled in them. I hope they are happy, productive people. I hope they never question God's love for them, and I hope they never question our love for them. 

And even in just this last year, I can see the progress we've made. They both make me so proud in so many ways on a daily basis, despite the frustration I feel sometimes that comes along with raising 2 spirited, passionate, independent, awesome children. I can't wait to see what the next year brings.

Happy Mother's Day, dear friends!

Meet the Chatterboxes

Meet Mr. and Little Miss Chatterbox. Aren't they adorable??

I knew it was only a matter of time until it happened. Princess has always been a talker. I have no idea where she gets it from ;) It's incredible and fun, unless you're in a hurry, are trying to focus on a task, or are at a wedding/baptism/anywhere where chatter isn't incredibly appropriate at the moment (though she's very quiet about it, and I know that asking her to not talk for 45 minutes, I might as well be asking her to hold her breath as well). But she's excellent company. Most of the time the chatter is because she's excited about something, or asking really interesting questions. Sometimes it's just flat out amusing. Sometimes it's ironic (like interrupting me no less than 8 times during tonight's story, Little Miss Chatterbox). But her extensive vocabulary and inquisitive mind makes for great companionship during the day!

Tobes was a late talker (in comparison to Princess, though she had a massive vocabulary pretty early on), but was a definite babbler. Again, totally adorable, though less-so when it was in the backseat of the car while you're trying to find an address and have both children attempting to talk over one another. It started out with babbles while he found his voice, but it wasn't long until you could tell he was interacting with us through babble - he looked at our eyes, gestured, and changed his tones throughout "conversation".

Well, now Tobes has a vocabulary. It's incredible how much it's exploded over just the past week, let alone the past month. He's been saying "Mama" for awhile now, and then used "yup!" to help us discern his points and grunts. But talking really started when he said "nuh-nuh" about a month ago (maybe a month and a half? I have it written in his baby book), and now about 40 words come to mind currently, including names of his sister and his best friend, as well as collections of words like "I don't want to" (which I count as a 4 syllable word as opposed to a sentence because he doesn't use any of those words independently... And he copied it directly from Princess, attitude and all). He now uses babble to fill-in spaces in sentences (like "babblebabblebabble living room" is him asking if he can eat in the living room), and this past week he's started to make REAL sentences, like "More apple please"! It's so awesome how quickly this has all happened in the last month or so! He's asking for things, answering us, but he's also just trying to strike up conversations (like laughing at the TV, then turning around to one of us and saying "Oh Binoo!")

As much as it drives me a little batty sometimes (my life is just never quiet), I love all the things Princess and I talk about, and all the conversations she and I have. I love the questions she asks, and the hilarious things that come out of her mouth sometimes. I almost cried the first time Tobes called Princess' name (*sob*), and I am SO excited to have similar interactions with Tobes. I'm excited for him to join in with conversations over dinner (not that he doesn't now, but it will be exciting when he becomes easier to decipher). And I'm excited for the first time he says "I love you" to us, especially Princess. She frequently tells him she loves him, I know it will make all our hearts melt when he first says it back.

I just might never have a moment of peace again... And I'm ok with that. Mostly.

Easter Bunny vs Santa Claus

I actually looked for an image to represent the topic in my post, but there were a LOT of disturbing images out there!! :S

This year was the first Easter that we got to spend at home in a long time. Easter means a long-weekend, and time off for Hubbyman is precious (he gets lots of vacation time, but between holidays and family trips and staycations it can be used up quick!) so we often use the opportunity to go visit his family who are sprawled out across western Canada. This year we didn't. This year we stayed at home. His brothers came up to visit us, which was nice, and we celebrated my baby sister's 22nd birthday, which was also awesome. But this year we actually got to attend our own church's Easter service, and got to build more traditions at home.

I yearn for traditions. I had some great ones growing up, and I want to pass them down to my own children. Some we have (like spending Christmas Eve at my dad's, or Christmas morning at home), and some we're still working on, which is ok as well.

Easter is a really important holiday to us. While I LOVE the Christmas season and absolutely call Christmas my favorite holiday, Easter is more significant. It's the difference between the ultimate gift, and the ultimate sacrifice.

Before our kids were born, Hubbyman and I talked a lot, and prayed a lot about what we did and did not want to do with our kids. We talked about Santa, and the Easter Bunny, and the tooth fairy, and so on, but now that the kids are here we find ourselves dealing with the concrete, versus the "someday". We're figuring out Santa and honestly didn't intend on having the Easter Bunny at all, but I didn't realize Tara would know/hear so much about him! She would mention him casually when we talked about Easter, and she would talk about coloring eggs and hiding them. We were faced with how to deal with this. Do we allow Santa, but tell her the Easter Bunny doesn't exist? Do we tell her that it's all pretend? Can we balance out the fun of Easter egg hunts and baskets with the solemness of the Holiday?

We've decided to allow the Easter Bunny, but like Santa, his role is severely limited and under parental control. We kept the focus on the spiritual and religious aspects of the Holiday this year. We went to church, and we gave thanks during our family prayer time, and we talked to the kids about what really happened at Easter, though keeping it as age-appropriate as possible. Friday night, after church, we did dye eggs and talked to the kids about what they learned that night (well, that was more for Princess, as Tobes is less than 2) and who Jesus was. Sunday morning the kids did wake to find Easter baskets (the smallest I could find! *lol* Tara got 2 sets of pretty hair stuff, and a new nailpolish. Tobes got a new truck), and the Easter Bunny left a few chocolate eggs hidden around our front room. But at breakfast the focus of the conversation was more on had happened millenniums ago, and why we celebrate Easter.

While I wish we could have had a better head start on our Easter traditions, it really wasn't possible until now, but I think we're starting to lay a pretty good foundation down for them.

What are your thoughts around Easter? Are you pro/con Easter Bunny? Also, do you have any great resources for kids in regards to it? I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Eeee!

This is the hotel we'll be staying at, all decked out!!

I still can't believe it's real. I still can't believe that we're actually going to Disneyland. It's booked, passport photos have been taken, and now all I need to do is eventually get my butt down to the passport office to actually get everything in. Then, the waiting game.

We're hoping to keep this all a surprise from them. I still talk in front of the kids about it, but I'm trying to quit (and I haven't done details in awhile, like using the actual name). But realistically, I need to stop. Thankfully they seem to have no idea (Princess isn't asking any questions. Princess ALWAYS ask questions), and there's 8 months for them to forget anything they've heard ;)

Now we're toying with how to tell them. I've been pinning a bunch of ideas for the park in general, and I've found some really cute countdowns (I also may or may not have a countdown on my computer that's down to the hour...)

But here's what we're toying with right now...

Option 1: Hubbyman goes away, a LOT. We will often drive him to the airport. We could get the kids up and dressed, thinking that we're driving daddy to the airport. Park the car, and open the back to reveal their luggage, all packed, backpacks for the plane, and tell them we're going WITH Daddy, and we're going to DISNEYLAND!! (with the video camera on, of course ;))

Option 2: We'll have to leave the house SUPER-early (like SUPER super-early), so it might be fun to kind of charge in when we wake them up and surprise them that way... But then again, they'll be super groggy, and it might be more confusing that surprising...

Only 35 weeks until our trip!!!

California Dreamin'

It's official, we're booking our first family Disneyland trip!! Hubbyman and I have a love affair with Disneyland - it's where we honeymooned, and it's where we went for our first anniversary. We never thought it'd be this long (6 and a half years) until we'd go again, and we can't wait any longer!

We're going in just about 8 months from today. Princess will be 5 and a half, Tobes will be 2 and a half, and we are so excited! (Except shhh! I have to stop talking about it in front of them - it's a surprise! Thankfully neither have caught on yet...)

We've gotten some flack about their ages, and have heard that we should wait. I know that Tobes might not remember anything, and that Princess will only remember some (she's the same age I was when I first went), but the reality is this won't be their last trip, and they're both young enough to fully believe in the magic of it all :) They're also both tall enough now to ride almost all the rides, which is also important. We'll take them again when they're older, and THOSE can be the trips they remember. This trip is for Hubby and I, and we get to share all the magic of the park with our babies. Princess will FLIP when she meets "real" Princesses, and I know Tobes will love going on some of the rides (he's my adrenaline junkie). We'll take them to Toontown to meet Micky and Minne, and all their friends, and we'll check out the new land that's opening up this summer.

We're staying IN the park at one of the hotels this time (for the experience, as well as for the convenience if we need a mid-day rest), and we're going "for Christmas", which means we'll be in my favorite place at my favorite time of the year, and just the thought of that overwhelms me a little! The lights, the music, the decorations, I super-duper can't wait!

This week I've started to fill out our passport information. Princess and I both had passports from when we went to Ireland when she was a year old, but I accidentally let both lapse. Tobes will need one as well, and as for Hubbyman, well, I just hope he has space left in his by that point! That also means new passport pictures, which should be nothing short of interesting when it comes to Tobes. Princess was less than a year when we got hers done, so she just stared at the camera and all was fine. Tobes is my Mr. Funnyface! I'm not too worried, it should just be... interesting ;) That's on my to-do list for next week.

I'm also checking out as many forums and boards as I can, including disboards.com, micechat.com, and mouseplanet.com. If there's any I'm missing, please feel free to comment below!

I know I'll post more on this later. I'm just so freaking excited. SO. FREAKING. EXCITED!!!