A week of firsts!

It's been a fairly eventful month here at the Brown house! We saw Kyra spend a few fun-filled days with her Grandparents out in the mountains (her first time away from Mom & Dad!) and Noelle got her first succulent nosh of solid food AND her first 2 teeth in one week.. Pretty exciting stuff on the Mom-scale! Yesterday we did a trip to Heritage Park for Railway Days and we all enjoyed the 2 steam engines they had to ride on and all the model railways on display - including an entire LEGO city complete with Lego Calgary Tower and High Speed Lego Trains! Ah, it's nice to see that some people have time for their hobbies..

..From the home of the plague..

Today isn't a really good day to do this - I'm sick like a dog and fairly ornery, so I'll make it short! I can finally get both girls to sit still for some Kodak-y moments so there will undoubtedly be many more in the days to come.. That is, if I haven't sold Kyra to some gypsies by then. Sigh. I also have a few words on potty-training - pthththththththt! and BLAH! Any questions?

Time is Fly-ing!

It seems that it's taking me longer and longer to get to the blog page..possibly because we're getting busier! Phew! This week we've got a visitor from Germany, a camping trip to prepare for, a catering to do and a potentially ill toddler. What next right? Well, I get a call from Ernie (and calls during work always make me cringe) saying that he's on his way to the hospital to get some stitches (eight!!) in his pinky finger. ugh. Running screaming from the house is always an option.. But life goes on and everyone is okay.

Things I've learned this week..

Now I'm not altogether enlightened by having children but a lot of what makes me mad has sure surfaced since the arrival of them. The good thing about this is that I've found DEEP within myself a control switch that can be toggled as seen fit to repress the urge to explode - and I'm toggling a LOT lately. Each day that passes I thank Noelle for being such a good and easy-going baby, as I watch Kyra picking bits of playdough off and squishing them into a chair crevice or when she decides that she can't decide on something and argues both sides of an argument! It's exasperating and would drive anyone to drink I'm convinced. The flipside to these terrible twos (or just the 'years of maturation' - which sounds so fuddy-duddy) is the easy laughter that bubbles up from her chest and the big cow eyes that precede a "please can I?" question or the serious facial expression covered in spaghetti sauce. In spite of all this, I still manage to pick up a few new things from her.

I've learned this week:

• that crayon can be removed from almost anything


• that dishes can take just as long with a toddler rinsing them but with twice as much fun


• that make-believe cuisine can be presented as all manner of items


• that stuffed elephants enjoy tea parties


• that most songs have only 3 lines to be repeated over and over and over...


• that ice cream eating is an art.


• that in spite of eating chocolate twice, it is Kyra's FAVOURITE food.


• that shoes can fit just fine on either foot.

..and there's probably a million more things, but I'm a bit sleep-deprived from learning from the baby too! I do know for sure that when I finally do get to sleep at night, I sleep with a smile on my face knowing that I have a chance to BE a kid everyday now, and for that I'm grateful.

A picture is worth..

Here're some pics from this week & last.

Grandma looks pretty excited to see Noelle, don't you think?

..and in all seriousness - bathtime..

..and here's Kyra beating the summer heat!

Friday..PHEW!

It's been a long week and I'm oh, so glad that it's Friday! Noelle's been fussy, fussy, fussy. Kyra's been a right clutz and a half. And I've been losing sleep over stupid dreams - or dreaming that I'm actually awake (does this every happen to anyone else?). All this to add to the fact that Ernie's been working an afternoon shift (boy do I appreciate him today!) and it's just been a real struggle getting anything done. Although I still had time to fool around with a photo program (you're right, Dad, it's pretty easy to work with!) as you can see.. Thank heavens for Treehouse - it's worth it's weight in Gold to park a kid in front of (bad parent, bad parent!). On that note, I shall change the TV station now and enjoy my Friday time alone! G'night!

Summer's Here!

This weekend we enjoyed a few firsts - 1)Noelle's first mosquito bite. 2)Camping for a whole 5 hours before returning home..

In the first first, Noelle's bite is a tiny one right on her forehead above her right eye, she's not really bothered by it so I don't feel like a bad parent for allowing the tiny mosquito to slip by my watchful eye.. The second first was a unanimous decision to leave partly because of the first instance - the mosquitos were thick like pudding and secondly, the 34 degree heat only added to our suffering. Kyra & Evan (our camping buddies' son) enjoyed the time the most by hanging out in the kiddy pool - ah, to be small and carefree!
Oh. but where did we go for this abbreviated camp, you may ask? Well! Only the 2nd hottest place in Alberta - the badlands valley - Drumheller. The scenery is amazing but being surrounded by rock walls is a bit like sitting under a magnifying glass under the hot sun! Phew! Perhaps we'll try again when there isn't a heat wave..