Kyra-isms, Double Entrendres, etc..

Before I forget most of these funny sentences/phrases that Kyra spews forth in all her beautiful innocence, I thought I'd better type a few down..

*(to Ernie at the closed bathroom door) Daddy? Are you getting off in there?

*(about some construction equipment she saw) We saw a lot of big hookers downtown today!

*Mommy, what is Off Uck? (Daddy!! Arrgh)

*(whilst in the yard today) Mommy, let's snow some throwballs!

*Don't get-for Baby Noelle! (I just CANNOT make her say 'forget', I've tried - loads).

*(when she was learning to talk) Can I have some meeps? (grapes)

*Limming Room - the room next to the dining room.

As she gets older, her phrasing becomes far more grown up but I'm fairly certain that she doesn't understand a lot of what she says. I'd use up this entire page with some of the stories she now tells - suffice it to say, everyday we stifle a lot of laughter!!

Bee-Emm (disclaimer*this article may offend those with prudent outlooks and sensitive stomachs)

So, not the most eloquent of titles but apropos for today... I've decided that one of the most talked about topics for new parents and the least mentioned would be the poop situation. Let's face it, it's a pretty big part of our life on earth and up there in importance with, oh, say, a heart beat. So, obviously when it concerns our kids - we place a lot of emphasis on knowing what's going on at that business end - including colour, volume, texture, frequency and least on the list, smell. As your baby gets older, colour moves down on the list (with smell, for sure) and frequency becomes the all important indicator of a good day. And when I mean good day - for us - I mean everyone is HAPPY. I cannot believe just how much NOT having a poop affects the mood of this household! Today Noelle was a crotchety little *%$@ until well after inhaling at least a litre of assorted dinner foods, when, with a grunt and a red little face, the diaper was filled and a happy, gigglepot emerged - phew! And as timing IS everything her big sister couldn't sit still, do anything without pouting or even eat dinner - that is - until a trip to loo was involved. Then I watched the beautiful butterfly emerge before my eyes, like the sun shining after a rain storm - everything had a rosy hue once again. Dinner got et (amid a flurry of compliments to the chef, I might add), pyjamas were put on without asking and bedtime went off without a hitch. All I can say is - I'm glad everyone's intestines are functioning up to par and the day is OVER.. I need a glass of wine now..

Some random photos this past month..

Kyra listens (or pretends to, I'm not sure) to a zoo phone.

The ever smiling Noelle in a rare crawling moment.

Showhome Hobby

Some couples go for dinner; some take romantic walks in the moonlight..We like to wander through showhomes.. In a way it's like playing house, I guess. We talk about where the kids would play, where the computer would go, what square foot would become Dad's space and such. I pretend to cook a 12 course meal in the model kitchen, commenting on the pro's & con's of the countertops and appliances' positions. We poo-poo black stove tops, test out the comfort of the couch and commend giant en-suite bathrooms with corner soaker tubs. It's our hobby, our love, our time to reconnect with why we're together and most certainly our inspiration for home renovations. We get some sort of buzz from these tours like you would from a glass of bubbly. After the girls are asleep we even cozy up to the house plans like a good novel and re-trace our footsteps, lost in dreamy "new house" thoughts... It's the kind of hobby that we can certainly both agree on! And it doesn't cost a thing..

As The Baby Turns..

..into a toddler! Ten Months and going full steam ahead - Noelle is up and cruising furniture, climbing stairs, eating our food and gaining a mouthfull of teeth. Our little baby is growing fast. Don't get me wrong, she's still happy to be carried, content in her bucket seat, pleased to be fed by someone else but far less patient than she used to be. If big sister Kyra gets in her way, we all hear about it! As a big sister, Kyra's learning a thing or two about sharing (not as happily as one would think) and the joys of bathing with a buddy. I can't help but think that things will really and truly never be the same again, we've all fallen under the spell of having a family of four and I think we really love it... Everyday is like a trip down the slide!

Happy Things

Today was a day for happy things I think. We were trapped in our house while Mother Nature froze the outside world and like I've heard so often, might as well enjoy it!

*while I was pretending to be a monster and 'going to eat' Kyra, she squealed at me and said, "No, don't eat me, I'm not tasty - eat baby Noelle instead!!"

*during lunch, Noelle once again jammed her finger up her nose and laughed - to which Kyra replied - "Baby Noelle! Use your spoon instead!"

*at bedtime, after complaining of absolute exhaustion - Kyra had enough energy to streak throughout the house at top speed putting away toys, then once again flopping against my arm and declaring how tired she was..

*during potty time, Kyra stated that she had a bit more poop - enough for just a little story...(with pleading eyes, I might add).

No Matter How You Slice It

Seeing as I've had some time this week in my evenings to ponder life and my own existence (yes, insomnia does this to me), I've been reflecting on parenting styles. And as I've had this conversation with my friend, Kelsie, we've thought that our society's parenting ideals are mostly about "keeping up with the Joneses and just who the H-E-double-hockey-sticks do the Joneses think they are??!". Between us we've decided that the Joneses are an upper middle income family, double incomed, nanny or just possibly daycare and pre-school family with 4 credit cards, juggling their limits, a mortgage up the wazoo, 2 gas-guzzling vehicles, 5th wheel, 4 cell phone numbers, 2 cats and a pure-bred show dog (kenneled at the trainer's house). These people have their children enrolled in gymnastics, music school, swimming lessons, skating lessons and possibly some sort of junior space training program. The children have every toy imaginable (that they don't play with), ergonomic chairs to sit in and their own computers. And the parents think that if you don't do all these things, the children may have stunted social skills and grow up psychopaths or merely unemployed... It may sound a bit dizzying but you'd be amazed at the amount of this belief there is out there.. I was once asked if I had my daughter enrolled in any programs yet (music, baby yoga), as I was purchasing her first pair of shoes..

Children will grow. Parents will always be parents. The question is, will their children grow to be good parents?

Weird Emotions

So. I was reading one of my favourite blogs today. In it, the author & mum of 3 announced that her family was expecting #4 to arrive this year. Oddly enough, I was almost jealous. It's almost as if I really want another child in the house and that I would desire some state of pregnancy at this point... Weird. Maybe it's my highly competitive nature or maybe I have some sort of latent mothering NEED that requires fulfulling but I actually, FOR A SPLIT SECOND, wanted to have another baby. Heck, why not 3 more!? It's not like my uterus is non-functioning! If we menstruate until 50, why shouldn't we have babies until then??? Okay, that's a stupid question. No, really, I can finally understand what drives a mother to continue to have babies - even if by accident (or so called..) - babies are addicting. And good babies, like I seem to have, are moreso.. Thanks a lot Noelle (sarcasm city)...