Sofa Saga - Trois

Chair 1/2 arrived, as scheduled, on a stormy day, without incident. 

Am shocked.

The Scary old Elf Himself!

Because we like to do things last minute, Hubbs and I  (OK, mostly I) thought the Saturday before Christmas would be a great time to pack the girls up and head to the mall for a pic with Santa.  (No - that's not sarcasm you sense!)

The excitement is building.  R&R was contentedly eating Cheerios in her stroller while Miss J walked around looking at the super-sized Christmas decorations, calling out and waving to Santa while we waited.  

It's our turn.  R&R is skeptical but sits in Santa's lap without any fuss.  Miss J decides that in fact she'd rather just stay in Daddy's arms.  Eventually she agreed to sit on a stool NEXT to Santa but certainly not in his lap.  

Now if only I could scan the pic so you could share in the girls excitement.  Picture if you will two cute girls in coordinating white/red/denim outfits wearing the saddest faces you can get (without tears).  Big pleading eyes and even bigger frowns.  There was no amount of silliness or entertaining that was going to turn those frowns upside down.  

Ah yes, and we do it for the kids! 

Sofa Saga - Part Deux

3 weeks after the delivery guys were nice enough to damage our porch the owner of the company came to have a look at the situation himself.  Realizing that it is a busy time of year, sure this is an acceptable length of time (yeah-right.  We're understanding but not that understanding).

The owner seems like a nice man who has been running this family business for a l-o-n-g time.  He feels its not too big of a job and a bit of plaster, paint and a new light fixture should do the trick.  

Me: So, do you have staff who handle these situations.

Owner: No, I'm going to come and fix this myself.

Me: at a loss for words - Oh.  

Owner: Do you have the paint?  

Me: Well we just moved here so I'm not sure.

Owner: And I won't get to this until after Christmas

Me: in my head - I hope! Well, there's a shocker!

        Out loud - That's OK, I guess you are really busy now.

So now I get to wait around at home for yet another day/week for him to show up to do the work with the added bonus of getting to try and track down and purchase the paint!  Do you think he'd mind if I got him to do the whole porch, and maybe the rec room, in a new color while he's at it?

But we did have some good news.  A mere 9 weeks and 2 days after ordering our furniture, the Chair 1/2 for our living room has arrived!!  Delivery is scheduled for Monday with the promise that there will not be a delay.  

Toddlerisms - Vol 1

Here are just some of the random cute things heard in these parts!

First day of snow:

"Mommy, look at all the snow!  That really gross."

(That's my girl!)

Hearing music playing upstairs in her room:

"My bedroom is singing!"

"Gramma, there's a light in the dark!"

Seeing the light over the garage in Gramma & Papa's backyard.

"No feel me Mommy.  No feel me."

When she doesn't want to cuddle.

"ITS NOT ENOUGH!!!"

After being told "that's enough" during a tantrum.

"I will share with R&R.  That will be nice"

Noticing that R&R had some Cheerios that she wanted some of.  

And my fave to date:

"Did you  have a good day?"

Upon meeting her baby sister for the first time.

The cutest wiggle

R&R is desperately trying to crawl.  Yesterday she was playing on the floor and got up on her knees for a bit.  She was trying so hard to reach the tower of blocks but instead of moving forward she was pushing her little bum up in the air and wiggling it.  Its one of the cutest things ever!!

Boy do we have baby proofing to do around here.

Now if only I had taken a video.....

My new favourite thing

In the household department that is. 

I cannot believe I waited so long to get a hand held vacuum.  (Yes I'm serious- perhaps I need to get out more?)

This is the best thing for everything.  Especially sucking up those little pieces of Play-Doh that get all over the floor, stuff that gets trapped on the foam blocks on the floor, flour, sugar and other messes in the kitchen, pieces of broken glass and my new fave - pine needles from the Christmas tree.  

Added bonus: Miss J loves to help by vacuuming the playroom herself!

I love it!  Put one on your list if its not already there!!

(By the way, If you're reading do you mind leaving a comment - it doesn't have to be much!  Just to satisfy my curiosity and to determine if this really is just my personal journal or if there is anyone out there!!)

Keeping up with the Jones'

Earlier this year we moved from a quiet street in an older part of town to a subdivision.  A full fledged subdivision.  As in, I-can-wave-to-my-neighbor-leaving-for-work-while-I-feed-the-baby-breakfast subdivision.  

A couple of weekends ago, on a mild weather Sunday, we started decorating the outside of our house.  Last year, this consisted of maybe 2 strings of lights and some fake tree bough garland wrapped around our step.  

Hubbs felt that, because some of our neighbors have beautiful magical Christmas wonderlands displayed on their front lawns we need MORE.  I knew he was serious when he climbed a ladder and attached lights to our eves.  This may not sound like a big deal, but considering that we didn't even OWN a ladder until this particular day, you can see what I'm getting at.  

Because we live in what must be one of the windiest places on earth, he did stop short of inflatable lawn decorations and anything else that may damage the neighbor's vehicle when the wind blows.  We do have a couple of extra light up decorations fastened securely to our front porch and, I must say, our house looks Christmas-y indeed.

Comic Relief for Moms!

I swear I'm not starting a letter-to-santa format to my  blog.  But I got this in an e-mail from my Aunt and thought it was funny - you know, in a funny because its true kinda way.  

Some of you may get a chuckle out of this!

Dear Santa, 

I've been a good mum all year. I've fed, cleaned and cuddled my children on demand, visited the doctor's office more than my doctor, sold sixty-two cases of choc bars to raise money to plant a shade tree on the school playground. I was hoping you could spread my list out over several Christmases, since I had to write this letter with my son's red crayon, on the back of a receipt in the laundry between cycles, and who knows when I'll find anymore free time in the next 18 years. 

Here are my Christmas wishes: 

I'd like a pair of legs that don't ache (in any colour, except purple, which I already have) and arms that don't hurt or flap in the breeze; but are strong enough to pull my screaming child out of the lolly aisle in the grocery store. 

I'd also like a waist, since I lost mine somewhere in the seventh month of my last pregnancy. 

If you're hauling big ticket items this year I'd like fingerprint resistant windows and a radio that only plays adult music; a television that doesn't broadcast any programs containing talking animals; and a refrigerator with a secret compartment behind the crisper where I can hide to talk on the phone.

On the practical side, I could use a talking doll that says, "Yes, Mummy" to boost my parental confidence, along with two kids who don't fight and three pairs of jeans that will zip all the way up without the use of power tools. 

I could also use a recording of Tibetan monks chanting "Don't eat in the living room" and "Take your hands off your brother," because my voice seems to be just out of my children's hearing range and can only be heard by the dog. 

If it's too late to find any of these products, I'd settle for enough time to brush my teeth and comb my hair in the same morning, or the luxury of eating food warmer than room temperature without it being served in a Styrofoam container. 

If you don't mind, I could also use a few Christmas miracles to brighten the holiday season. Would it be too much trouble to declare tomato sauce a vegetable? It will clear my conscience immensely. It would be helpful if you could coerce my children to help around the house without demanding payment as if they were the bosses of an organized crime family. 

Well, Santa, the buzzer on the dryer is ringing and my son saw my feet under the laundry door. I think he wants his crayon back. Have a safe trip and remember to leave your wet boots by the door and come in and dry off so you don't catch cold. 

Help yourself to cookies on the table but don't eat too many or leave crumbs on the carpet. 

Yours Always, MUM...! 

P.S. One more thing...you can cancel all my requests if you can keep my children happy, healthy and always believing. 

Revised Christmas List

Dear Santa.

Our Names are Miss J and R&R.  We have done our best to be good girls all year.  While Mommy & Daddy seem to think we need fancy colorful toys for Christmas, what we really like to play with are just regular old things! 

R&R would like:

Bowls, large spoons, plastic containers

Remote Control

Telephone (real models only please!)

Glasses (preferably worn on Mommy's or Daddy's face)

Miss J's Christmas List:

Sink full of water

Dish cloth

Cups, plates, cutlery to wash

Towels, blankets, hats and scarves (for dress up)

We will leave a treat for you on Christmas Eve.  Merry Christmas!

Love, 

Miss J and R&R

(Thanks girls for the reality check - I was starting to get overwhelmed with all the toys I thought you would love!!)

Sofa Saga

We recently ordered new furniture for our rec room, as our old (most comfortable ever) sofa didn't fit down the stairs in our new house.  (We had to sell it but luckily my parents bought it so we still get to enjoy it!)

If you ordered a new sofa things would most likely go like this:

• Delivery guys show up on time
  
• Carry sofa into your home
  
• Ask you where you would like it placed
  
• Place it in appropriate location
  
• Take away the packaging
  
• Delivery guys say "have a nice day" and leave
  
• You relax on said sofa
  

We order a sofa:

• 5 weeks later, after I call, they say, oh yeah its here
  
• Delivery guys, who were to show between 11am and 2pm, and call 1/2 hour before, show at 5pm - no call)
  
• Remove exterior door (10 mins)
  
• Struggle with sofa for 1/2 hour before getting it into the porch.
  
• Stand sofa on its end in porch (15 mins + marks on ceiling, dents in wall, broken light fixture).
  
• Easily lift sofa into rec room
  
• Matching chair is brought in and placed in front of the rec room door so that we had to move it to open the door and get out of the room.
  
• Delivery guys run away without a word or apology for damage in porch.
  
• Close look at furniture reveals damage from traumatic entry into our home
• AND its the WRONG COLOR!!!
  

You're thinking we ordered something too big.  Hubbs and I could have accepted that and just picked out something else.  However the delivery guys would not admit they couldn't get it in.  They were always going to try "one more thing".  

But, when the more competent staff arrived to assess the damage in our porch and pick up the furniture, they said the couch comes apart in 3 pieces and is easy to move!! They had it disassembled and loaded on their truck in 15 mins!

We have the right one now and its perfect.

Yup - just a day in the life!

Pretty Shirt

Getting dressed around here can be a challenge.  Miss J has become quite decicive about what she will and will not wear.  

Will NOT Wear: Any pants with a button or snap (all classified as jeans).  Just about everything in her closet.

Will Wear - Elastic waist pants.  Prefers pink fleecy ones she calls Softly Pants (who can blame her!); Purple heart shirt (which I'll post a pic of later!), Pretty Shirt and more recently skirts/dresses complete with tights which she voluntarily puts on herself.  

If the Will Wear clothes happen to be dirty - well - she would rather be naked.  

This is her latest fav outfit.  This "Pretty Shirt" is previously loved (i.e. used!), totally stretched out of shape and she LOVES it!  

There were many tears last night when she wasn't allowed to wear this outfit to bed.  But rest assured she found it and put it on first thing this morning.  I'm sure if I send her to daycare in this shirt once more they will wonder what I have done with the rest of her clothes.  Never mind that its a T-Shirt and its December. 

Pretty shirt is in the dryer getting ready for tomorrow.....

A long December

Sunday was sunny.  Cold but sunny.  Everyone was putting up their outdoor Christmas lights, including us.  While the baby slept we all bundled up and added color to our home.  Miss J was very excited to see Christmas coming to life before her eyes.  

Keeping with the spirit, I took out one of her Christmas books that we had put away since last year.  It was a big hit then and she has fallen in love with Corduroy's Christmas all over again. It is a book with flaps and her favorite is a fireplace where you can see Santa's boots.  Hubbs and I read it over and over before bed.  

So I'm wondering why I was surprised when at 5 am I hear "Mommy?  Mom!  Mom!".  I stumble to Miss J's room where she is sitting on her bed, Princess flashlight in hand reading Corduroy's Christmas.  "Who owns these feet?" she asks, illuminating Santa's boots.

We're open to suggestions on how to get her to sleep Christmas Eve.

Welcome

Welcome to my blog.  I've been thinking about doing this for a while.  Why?

1. I don't journal and am not the best at "baby booking" so this might be a way to capture some of those kiddie moments we want to remember.

2. We lead an entertaining life.  Well, at least it will be entertaining to those who want to read about our misadventures.  Its a rare occasion when things go smoothly around here. 

I'm a mom to two little girls who I'll call Miss J (almost 3) and Rock & Roll (9 months) and I've been married for a little over 4 years to my longtime sig other who I'll just refer to as Hubbs. Right now I'm trying to juggle the girls, keep a sort of tidy house while having a (tiny) bit of a social life.  I'm feeling sort of in control but who knows what will happen when my maternity leave ends!  

And when I'm at a loss for words about how to deal with all this stuff you may hear me say "Seriously... I mean, seriously!"