A Little Confusion

There were no plans to take Asher Trick or Treating this year. We kind of figured he wouldn't know the difference anyways & it's easier to stay in. But PC's parents came back from their trip yesterday & rectified the situation. They went costume shopping (not easy the day before Haloween) & picked up a clown costume for Asher & a cat one for Chancery.

Today they were quizzing him on what he's supposed to say when they go out. He looked a littel confused, so they explained the process:

1. Get costume on
2. Go out to the neighbors
3. Say "_______"
4. Get candies!

"So, what do you say when you knock on the people's door?"

Asher's response?

"Doughnut!"

Crockpotalooza!

BooMama is asking for Crock-Pot recipes, so here's my stand-by:

Moroccan Chicken

3 Chicken Breasts (cut into chunks)
2 Cans Garbonzo Beans (Chick Peas)
1 Small Red Bell Pepper (chopped) -I have never added this
1 Red Onion (chopped)
1/3 C Raisins (or more, it's the best part!)
2 Tbsp Tomato Paste
4 Tbsp Water
3 Cloves Garlic (minced)
3 Chicken Bouillon Cubes
2 tsp Cumin

Combine in Crock-Pot & mix well. Cook on Low 5-7 hours, or High 2.5 hours.
Add:

1 Can Whole Tomatoes (or Diced) 28oz
3 Tbsp Peanut Butter

Continue cooking for 30 min. checking for doneness of chicken. Serve over Rice.

Chocolate Chips

Today at snack time Asher was eating some Rainbow Chip cookies.  He was loosing interest in actually eating them (surprising!), & was starting to inspect them instead.  Suddenly he exclaims, "This one has chocolate on it's bum, and this one has a green bum!"

He had turned the cookies over & found more chocolate chips on the bottom.  I then had to explain that was the bottom of the cookie & the other side was the top.  He looked me in the eye & said, "There's chocolate on this cookie's BUM!"

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Trick Or Treat!

When I was growing up, my brothers & I were never allowed to go trick or treating. We used to hand out the candies to everyone who came to the door. There was some fun in that, seeing everyone's costume, seeing how laden down all your friends were w/ bags full of candy......

I didn't really care about the dressing up part, it was all the candy that I was missing out on! My friends used to share some of their plunder w/ me, but of course they kept all the good stuff for themselves, not that I blame them for that.

I always figured that my parents didn't want us out wreaking havoc on the neighborhood & generally getting into mischief. And they always made it clear they didn't want us begging people for candy. So one year my parents were gone the day after Halloween. I was home alone to sit & ponder the unfairness of life & came up w/ a brilliant plan!

I don't know exactly how old I was, but I know I was at least in grade 6. I decided there were probably alot of older people in the neighborhood that had candy left over that they didn't want lying around the house tempting them. So I thought I'd help them out by offering to take it off their hands.

I grabbed a few grocery bags & started out on my mission of generosity. I went all around the neighbourhood knocking on doors, ringing bells, & I believe my pitch went something like this, "Halloween clean up crew! Have any extra candy you'd like to get off your hands?"

After I had finished the first street, my friend April had come home from school & I enlisted her help. By the time we had gotten around the whole neighborhood we had 3 bags FULL of candy! We found that most people had not yet moved their candy stashes from the front door of their homes & would dump the entirety in our outstreched arms.

I ended up keeping my loot bag at April's house b/c I figured my mom might get suspicious if I brought all that candy at home. That one day made up for all the years of having to stay at home!

I Did It Myself!

Last week I took it upon myself to get our TV room sorted out. When we moved in I told the people helping us that any box labelled "Games," "Videos," "DVDs," "Video Games," or "Stereo" should be brought into the TV room.


Now since we still haven't gotten the french doors installed to separate PC's office from the playroom, the TV Room has become a bit of a playroom as well. It worked pretty well to have the boxes there b/c Asher left the boxes alone alot better than he would if the contents of the boxes were unpacked. But, I had some girls coming over on Friday night & I thought I should get things a bit sorted out.

First I had to determine WHAT to do w/ all the boxes. I had to assemble a shelving unit in the storage room to put all our games on. Then I had to sort through all the boxes & take all the "Games" into the storage room & shelve them.

Aren't they Pretty?

Then I sorted through all the videos & decided that if there is to be any room for couches/chairs I'd have to limit what I have out. So I settled for the "Kids' Videos" & the DVDs to be out.

Then I saw the box marked "Video Game Systems" & I couldn't resist getting them out. I decided that if I was getting ONE system set up, I might as well set them ALL up! So I did:

It only took me 1 naptime & 1 evening to do it all. Lots of wires & power strips (I won't show you the mess of it all behind the TV). And here's the finished product:

GAME NIGHT AT MY PLACE!

A Whole New Way To Shop

For those of you who hate shopping for clothes, check out this post for a time saving tip!

A Dinnertime Prayer

Pastor Chad has gone to Classis to be examined for ministry. We've been adding "Please help Daddy to do well." To our mealtime prayers since he's been gone, but yesterday I got he call that he had passed. Here's the prayer that was said at dinner last night:

Me: "Lord, Bless......"

Asher: "Lord, bless this food & drink. Amen!"

Me: "And thank you that Daddy did well."

Asher: "Daddy did well... Ok, Bye-Bye!"

Thanks, Computer Man!

I mentioned in yesterday's post that I bought new speakers for my computer. For the summer months when we lived w/ PC's parents, I didn't have speakers hooked up to my computer since it was a temporary set-up. I seldom missed them, except when I wanted to preview a new CD to see if I wanted to purchase it or not.

In the last weeks, I have been quite surprised to discover that many of the websites I frequent have music or talking ads. Sometimes they take me by surprise since I have the volume turned up from listening to music last. Suddenly I am blasted w/ a, "Thank you for visiting my site!" At near full volume.

But the QUALITY, oh the quality! You'd never know that the music pumping from our house comes from 2 little speakers no bigger than Bibles (what else would I use to compare them to?). I must give full credit to the man at Future Shop (not the employee who totally ignored me, but the OTHER man at Future Shop) who told me I'd be happy w/ nothing less. I don't know if that's true or not, but I am totally chuffed w/ THESE little fellas!

Naughty Jesus

Pastor Chad wrote about an impromptu Bible lesson we had today during snack time. Read about it here.

Turn it DOWN!!!

I always have music on. Always. I was the one that got in trouble at work for always being connected to the internet so I could listen to the radio. I rearranged my desk to fit the radio & then had to do it all again when the radio died to fit the new radio. I used to listen to Robbie Williams at work b/c that was the only site that would work to play music continuously. I was thrilled when I won a free MP3 player b/c that meant that when I didn't have a desk b/c I worked in the file room I didn't have to give up my music!

Awhile ago we purchased an external hard drive mainly b/c I would be able to upload all our CDs onto it & then play them by genre, artist, CD, year..... Like a radio station of my very own! I got started, it's taken awhile, but I finally finished putting all our rock/pop music in. I'm 1/2 through loading the Christian CDs, but I've had to put the project on hold for awhile b/c there are just other things to do in my spare time. I wish they were all uploaded already b/c there are times I'd really like to listen to some old Amy Grant, or Newsboys, or BeeGees, or Beach Boys, Simon & Garfunkel, etc. I have some quick work to try getting the Christmas CDs done before the season starts (Thankfully since we are in Canada, Christmas doesn't officially start until December 1st, so that'll buy me a few extra days!).

We gave my computer a place of honour in the kitchen/dining area so I could use it as my radio when I am cooking & throughout the day. I had to buy special speakers that are small enough to fit on the limited work space. I'm all set to go!

But today I realized I NEVER have music playing anymore. Pastor Chad turned on the music on my computer so I could listen to a song he wanted me to hear. When it was done I told him to just leave it on, but it didn't last more than 5 minutes. When you have a 2 year-old vying for attnetion, & a baby crying b/c she's hungry/tired/generally unhappy, music is the one thing I can turn down.

Sometimes I wish the kids had volume switches, I miss the music......

How YOU Doin'?

Yesterday I was sitting on the couch holding Chancery on my lap facing me. Asher came up beside her & asked, "Can I talk to Chancery?" I replied, "Sure you can talk to her!"

He then put his ear to her ear, placed his mouth very near her mouth & said, "Hi Chancery, how you doin'?" I think he thought she was a telephone since he says that everytime he talks on the phone. He's a comedian, that one!

She's Sleeping!

Monday I was trying to lay out the laundry on the bed & I had Chancery setting up at the head of the bed by the pillows. She was NOT happy w/ this arrangement & she was letting me know it! I tried sitting her up, laying her down, nothing I was doing was making her happy, so I decided that if I laid her on her front she couldn't possibly be more unhappy than she already was.

Not 2 minutes after I turned her over she was fast asleep! On her own! So I left her like that 'til I was finished w/ the laundry & decided I'd try laying her on her stomach for her nap that afternoon. Once again, I put her down awake & she drifted peacefully off to sleep in a matter of minutes & proceeded to take a 5 HOUR NAP!!

I tried the same technique yesterday & got a 4.5 hour nap! She fussed a bit every now & then b/c she's lost her plug, but once I get it back in place, she's off again. Today I thought I'd try having her nap in her room in her BED (which she hasn't slept in in over a month). She's been resting peacefully for the past 1.5 hours!

The only issue is that she really likes heavy blankets on her (today she insisted on 3) & I'm a bit hesitant to have her sleep like that overnight. So, she's still in the swing overnight, we've gone through 4 sets of batteries so far, but it's a small price to pay for quality sleep. I'm just glad that we've found a way that she's happy to sleep that will last. After all, how many 5 year olds do you know of that still fit into a baby swing at night!?

Don't Forget Your Special Treat!

We are trying to get Asher to poo or wee in the potty. We have tried promises of going to the toystore to pick out a "Special Treat" which has been described as a car carrier, garbage truck, school buss, etc. Whatever the toy of the moment is. We have tried candies & taking away all candies other than potty reward time candies. All to no avail.

So far, we have not had to give him any candies & he seems fine w/ it. He does know that's the only time he can have any candy, but now he just says, "I don't want a special treat, I'm pooping right now." Or I don't want any candies, I don't want to poop on the potty." We're ok w/ that. I understand he might be a little young yet, & it's not so easy to rush off to the washroom at the drop of a hat when I'm nursing, or trying to put Chancery to bed.

The latest ploy has been putting a jar of Smarties & M&Ms in the washroom so he can see it all the time. We thought that if he has a visual reminder of what his reward will be, it might help. And let me tell you, it has helped! But not the person it was supposed to help. Now everytime I go to the washroom I see that jar of chocolate tempting me, and I have to eat them. It's not that I don't have the willpower to say no, Asher stands outside & waits for me to finish & then reminds me, "Don't forget your candies, you pooped on the potty! Yay, Mummy!" So I have to have some to show that it's a great reward. And I don't mind taking one for the team every now & then. After all, it is a special treat!

A Great Day For Grocery Shopping

Mondays are laundry day & grocery day in our household. I really enjoy getting the laundry done at the beginning of the week so I don't have to worry about it for a whole other week. I also really enjoy (having planned some meals for the week) heading off to the grocery store w/ the kidlets.

When it was just Asher & I, we'd spend a lazy Monday morning walking up & down the aisles of our SuperStore. There's no one else there usually, partially due to the fact that we are there during the morning, & partially due to the fact that we are there at 8:30 or 9 on said morning.

Adding Chancery to the mix has complicated things a bit. When she wakes up in the morning she has about 1-2 hours of time before she has a meltdown & needs to sleep again. So I know there will be no more relaxing trips to the grocery store for awhile, instead they need to be quick in & out jobbies. However, this is proving to be difficult for a few reasons:

1. We just moved & I need to restock many of the items that I would have on hand (spices, meats, frozen things, canned goods), but I want to do it as I need them so I don't have a bunch of stuff that sits on my shelves taking up valuable space. (When we moved from Ontario I filled 3 laundry baskets w/ items I had had over a year & never used to donate to the food bank).
2. I tried shopping at a different grocery store than the one I went to in Ontario, but I wasn't as happy w/ the products they had.
3. I have returned to the chain that I frequented in Ontario, so I know the brands I like, but the store is laid out quite a bit different, so I find myself retracing my steps ALL THE TIME to try & get all the items on my list.
4. Chancery starts to cry about 10 minutes into the shopping trip. At that point I can't really head back home to try coming back another time, so I must forge ahead w/ a crying baby & a 2 year old who "wants to help" by pushing her plug in rather forcefully or removing it just as I quiet her down.

My favourite part? When the people who are shopping look at you & then at the red-faced screaming baby & then the whinging 2 year old & shake their heads acusingly. I want to tell them:

• Yes, I do like it when my children cry, at least I know their lungs are healthy!
• Yes, I did pinch them to make them cry
• They are always this happy
• What do you mean she looks angry?

People just don't seem to understand that even though my children might be fed up w/ being in the grocery store, unless we want to have all our meals come from a drive-thru, THIS IS HOW WE GROCERY SHOP!! At least for the present time, I hope it starts getting better soon. I enjoy the screaming in the aisles about as much as the next guy, but I can't just go to a different aisle, folks, I'm forced to endure it for the entirety of my shopping experience, aren't you jealous?

The Pizza Shop

Tonight we went out for dinner b/c I had a coupon that was about to expire. Asher was quite excited b/c he quite enjoys going for pizza, and more importantly, he has special toys that we only let him play w/ at restaurants!

As soon as we got in the restaurant Asher asked to have his backpack so he could play w/ his toys. PC told him he had to wait until we were sitting down. Asher quickly hopped up on the bench by the door & said, "I'm sitting down now!" Not exactly what we meant, but it does show that he is listening to us!

When it came time to pay, the waitress took our coupon & returned shortly to inform us that it wasn't valid in Canada. I got it b/c I subscribed to the email club in the States, but apparently the US & the Canadian restaurants are totally different entities. I can understand that, but when we lived in Ontario that was never an issue! Maybe they just didn't look at the coupons very well in Ontario & I got lucky...... Can't complain about that!

Hair Styles

In response to Sarah's post at Life In The Parsonage, I went back to see how much (or little) my hair has changed over time.

Here's a picture of me in 1994. Take note of just how blonde/white my hair was. Some curl, mostly frizz.





And in 2005, more of a honey blonde, better taken care of perhaps, not as frizzy, more curl, nice length.






In April of 2006 we have lost some length mainly due to a donation to "Locks of Love" rewarding me w/ a free haircut. What's 10" when you are saving $10?





Amazingly, by January of 2007 I've gained quite a bit of length back, but my hair is still getting darker.






By May 2007 I had donated again to "Locks of Love", hence the short hair once again.





August 2008, it took a lot longer for my hair to grow this time. It seemed to have more frizz than curl once again, so I went to a REAL salon & paid big bucks for a REAL haircut!
Before:

After:

See the difference? Me neither. Needless to say, I wasn't super happy w/ my one Salon experience, so I had a girl from church fix it:

Much better! I'm starting to look like a grown up!

Blog Rating

I said "Poop" & "Dead" apparently those are no-no's

I Was Hacked!

Last week I suddenly couldn't log onto my email account. I tried the "I forgot my password" route, but since we have moved 9 times in 9 years, when they asked me what my postal code was, I got the answer wrong so many times I got locked out. After 2 days of trying, I decided I'd better email the customer service. At first I couldn't figure out why they weren't replying to my emails.... until I realized that the only email address I had put on the email was the one I was locked out of!

After a week, I finally answered all their verification questions correctly & they got me back in! I looked in my "sent" & "trash" folders to see if he had sent any fraudulent emails, but there were none there, so I couldn't figure out why he would have taken over my account. What was the draw? Why not just set up his own new account? I don't think my screen name is really cool enough that someone else would want it bad enough to steal it.

I went to the page to change my password to discover that the address on file was not mine. No, it wasn't a place I had lived previously (at least I don't remember ever residing in Florida). Some schmuck broke into my email account & had the audacity to fill in his own alternate email address, address, & phone number! And let me tell you, when I discovered he had put his phone number in there, I was sorely tempted to give him a ring & chew him out! As I picked up the phone I thought better of it though b/c I didn't want my phone number to come up on his caller ID & then have him calling ME all the time!

So I got that all sorted out & decided that since I have some emails in my folders pertaining to banks & other on-line things, I should start changing all my passwords just in case he was a total scum. Thankfully he doesn't seem to have gained access to anything other than my eBay account. I couldn't log onto that one either, so I contacted eBay & they said they had already blocked my account b/c I was sending out scam emails from it.

At this point I was steamed! Not that I use my eBay account all that often, but IT'S MINE!!! I understand now a little of the violation that people feel when they have their identity stolen. My experience was nothing near as bad, but I was pretty mad. It's not easy to go back & get everything put back in place & I'm sure there are certain thing I have overlooked that a good & proper thief wouldn't have. If he had gotten my bank info we could be hooped at this point. A week doesn't seem like a long time, but w/ everything being on the internet I think it's alot easier to take people's money now.

Perhaps I should feel a bit sorry for the guy. He probably wouldn't have dreamed of a life of crime before the economic downturn in the States. He probably just was looking for a little cash to pay the rent, or feed his family. Maybe I should have saved his address so I could send him a "Charitable Donation" (or so I could turn him over to the cops).

Laugh Out Loud Thursday

There is only one show that makes me laugh out loud every week. Here are a few highlights from tonight:

"I call this the bumper test."

"Ahhh, what is that on it?"
"Butter. New babies are slippery."

I have to admit, I wasn't ready for "The Office" when it first came out. I was sure it couldn't be near as good as the BBC version. Maybe I was wrong, or maybe it got better. I may never know since I didn't start watching 'til last season. I'm sorry, Dwight, Pam, Angela, Michael, Jim & all the rest. Perhaps I'll get the early seasons on DVD (hint, hint Pastor Chad!)

"Stinky Pete"

When Asher fills his pants, we call him a "Stinky Pete." I'm not sure how this started, but we've been calling him that for a loooong time. Sometimes if we suspect him, we'll ask if he's a "Stinky Pete" & he has recently started to say, "No I am not, I'm just a Pete."

Today he obviously was doing some dirty work & turns to me & says, "Don't change my pants, I'm pooping right now." So I explained to him that if he didn't want me to change his pants, he should go on the potty instead of in his pants & then he could have some candy. It cut no mustard w/ him, he didn't seem to see the logic in my statement.

He then told me he was going to sit in his rocking chair. I said that won't feel very good b/c I hadn't changed his pants yet. Without heeding my warning, he sat down & promptly said, "SHOOT, I have poop in my pants, I'm a Stinky Pete!"

Later, he told PC, "I don't want to poop on the potty, I don't want any candy." He certainly doesn't have my sweet tooth, or maybe he just has better things to do than sit on the potty all day.

Good Advice

"Sleep when your baby sleeps." It's written in every parentling handbook, everyone tells new mothers this & generally mothers take the advice. I figured it would be difficult w/ 2 kids b/c Asher would not sleep when Chancery did, or *gasp* might decide he no longer needs naps.

Who would have guessed that Chancery is the cause of my grief? She sleeps AWESOME at night. Usually 8-10 hours, nurse & then 2-4 more hours. I really can't complain about that. But napping is another story. She's really tired, but fights sleep like nobody's business. I've been trying to put her down for a nap for the past 2.5 hours, but she keeps waking up after about 10-15 minutes!

Asher, on the other hand, will go to sleep w/o any issues. It doesn't seem to bother him if Chancery is crying up a storm in the next room, we just put him in bed & off he drifts to dreamland. He actually has been taking LONGER naps since we moved here. 2-3 hours instead of 1.5. I just wish Chancery would get the memo that when it's naptime, it's better to just go to sleep. No one likes to wake up every 10 minutes! (trust me, I've been trying it).

Someone asked the other day if I've tried her in the swing. Oh, I just laughed. That is the ONLY place she has slept AT ALL in the last 3-4 weeks. How I'm supposed to get anything done, I'll never know. It's pretty difficult to cook dinner w/ an overtired baby hanging on your chest b/c it's the only place she won't be screaming. Maybe we should just start eating after 8pm when she's in bed for the night. Or we could get pizza delivered every night......... Mmmm, that sounds like a good idea. What's the number for Pizza Hut?

Personalities

Have you ever met someone & decided that you liked them right away b/c they remind you of someone else that you like? Have you ever accidentally called that person by the other one's name b/c in your mind they are almost one & the same? I was thinking about that today since we have moved to a new place, all the people I meet are new & yet some seem to be more familiar to me. I was trying to figure out why & I discovered that some of them look like people I knew elsewhere & some act like people I knew before.

Then I thought about the flip-side. What if I meet someone new & decide I DON'T like them b/c they remind me of someone I wasn't crazy about? That could be dangerous. I realized that I need to be aware of something like that happening & make sure that I don't do the transference of feelings from one person to the next b/c even though people may look similar or act similarly, they are all individuals.

In one of the offices where I worked there was a girl who I did NOT like from day 1. We sat quite close to eachother & often had to help w/ the other person's job if they got too busy. I tried to ignore her as much as possible b/c she was really starting to grate on my nerves. After a few months I realized that she was a really hard worker & always tried to help others whenever she could. I decided that maybe she wasn't so bad afterall & discovered over time that, in fact, I really enjoyed working w/ her! She was quite funny, & I actually looked forward to the time when she would start her shift.

About 2 months after that she took another job & I have never heard from her since. I'm still regretting that b/c of my crummy attitude I missed MONTHS of what could have been a close friendship. I have been conscious ever since to give people a chance & not judge if I like them or not in the first few meetings. I think it's an important thing for us all to do. And now I'll get off my soapbox.

*Thanks to everyone who have left comments! It's been great to see some of the people who've been reading.

Curious

I've been a bit curious for awhile now as to who's been following my blog. Don't get me wrong, I'm HAPPY that there are 3 or 4 of you out there besides my parents (who I send every post to, so they are kind of forced into reading my blog), but I'm just curious as to who you are. Are you people that I know? Or just people who found me randomly & decided I write something interesting every now & then? I know a few of you (Katie, April, Jodi, Jennifer), but would like to know who else is out there. So if it's not too much trouble, leave a comment & say "hi!" Also, if you have a blog, leave a link so I can visit yours too.

Peep Show

One thing I have noticed as the mother of a new baby, is that people ALWAYS want to look at a baby. It doesn't matter if you are at Walmart w/ a misbehaving 2 year old & the baby is crying it's head off. People will still stop you in the isles to tell you how cute your baby is. It might be cute for them to see your baby crying for the 5 minutes they see her, but the next 1/2 hour of crying that you have to endure to get her calmed down again.

That's bad, but the thing that I find more amazing is that while I am trying to nurse, people are trying to get a look at Chancery. Usually all they can see are 2 little feet poking out of the blanket, but when she gets distracted from eating I usually have to pull the blanket back a little so I can get her back on course, and that's when it happens.....

I cannont tell you how many times I have noticed people staining their heads to see what's under that blanket. Well, I can assure them it's not a puppy under there, but PLEASE people. The blanket is there for a reason! I understand they just want to see the baby, but there are better times than when she's nursing to see her. Just be patient & she'll come out & burp for you. I'd rather not give a peep show.

I Need Some Clarification

Last night I was overjoyed to be able to watch "The Office" & "CSI." Two of my favourite shows. However, since I missed a few episodes, I am a little bit lost as to a few things that have happened & I'm hoping someone can explain things a bit.

On "The Office" why is Ryan back? What did he do that got him demoted back to the Scranton branch?

On "CSI,"well I am TOTALLY stunned that Warrick is dead. WHAT HAPPENED? I understand that Sarah is back probably just for the funeral, but I suppose this could be an entrance for her to come back, but what's the deal w/ Warrick?

Also, I caught a bit of "Bones" the other night & I missed the whole thing about Gormagon & Zack. What happened there? I totally didn't understand that he was in on the Gormagon thing.

So, hopefully there's someone who also watches who can explain things a bit to me!

Broken Legs

The other morning PC put a new pair of jeans on Asher & then came down for breakfast. Asher was lagging behind a bit, but then I heard him slowly coming down the stairs saying, "it doesn't work very well."

I asked him what didn't work, his reply was a desperate, "My legs aren't working very well right now!" I asked if his legs were tingly b/c he's just discovered the "fall asleep" sensation, but he said, "No! My LEGS don't work very well!" He slowly came into the kitchen & proceeded to point out that his legs weren't working b/c the bottom of his jeans kept getting under his feet. Every time he took a step he had to get the jeans out from under his feet. We pointed out to him that that's how Mummy & Daddy's jeans are too, but he insited that something be done, so PC sadly rolled up the cuffs. He might look funny, but at least his legs work better now!

She May Be A Plug Baby!

When Asher was a baby he would never take a bottle or a plug. Not for lack of trying. I think we may have purchased every type of bottle nipple & plug on the market at the time, but to no avail. So when Chancery was born I had little hope of her taking a bottle or plug. We tried when she was a little younger than Asher had been & we actually did manage to get her to take a Soothie!


However, we had to hold it in the whole time b/c she couldn't keep it in. The only advantage there was to her taking it, was that PC had something to offer her to hold her off eating for awhile.


The last few weeks though she wouldn't even take the Soothie anymore, so I went through the box of plugs & tried them all again. This time she has chosen the Mam plug. She actually can keep this one in on her own, but she tends to only keep it in for about 5 minutes. I can understand now why some people think it's better to let babies suck their fingers. They tend to be able to find them back again on their own.

I'm curious though, what about babies that need to be swaddled (like mine)? I suppose they are destined to be plug babies. I'm just getting tired of running up the stairs every 5 minutes to stick it back in, but I suppose it's better than having to pick her up & nurse her every time.

Do You Hear What I Hear?

The other day PC, Asher & I were sitting together on the couch. Asher turned to PC & said, "Hear that? Do you hear that sound, Daddy?" PC said, "What sound, Buddy?" To which Asher replied, "Mummy's scratching my back & it's making that sound." Such an observant little boy, you can't get anything past him.

We were in the truck listening to the news a few days later & one of the stories was about a girl who had gone up on the stage at a bar & stripped naked, but they couldn't prosecute her b/c the bar used to be a strip club & the land still had the license for that kind of establishment. From the back seat we hear, "The girl got up on the bar &....." Apparently he missed the end of that news clip. Good thing, or we'd be explaining what stripping means, & I'm not sure he's mature enough for "the talk" yet.

At the bank yesterday we were trying to get Asher to say hi to the lady who was helping us, but he wouldn't talk to her. She was trying everything to draw him out to no avail. Finally she asked him what his name was..... still no answer. She said, "Are you Jack?" His forceful reply was, "I'm NOT Jack, I'm ASHER!" Then he kept repeating this phrase just in case she forgot or was confused. She then said we didn't need to open the RESP for him b/c he was going to get a full ride scholarship b/c he was a genius. What can I say? The kid has good genes!

Baby, I Can't Wait!

Chancery, I really really can't wait until you are four months old. Interacting more, Doing more, hopefully sleeping more, & if not? Well, that's the age when I can let you cry yourself to sleep & rather than being in & out of your room every 3-5 minutes for the next 4 hours, I can put you down, say goodnight & have some sanity left over.....

Only 2 months & 1 week to go!


Edited to add: Change that from 4 hours to 6.5 hours..... I eagerly await the day!

Magical Medicine

Last night Asher had no desire to eat dinner. He kept closing his eyes & saying, "I'm sleeping right now." Finally we'd had enough & PC decided to call his bluff. He said, "Ok, do you want to go to bed?" Asher's answer was "yes," so off they went. PC never thought Asher would stay in bed very long, so there was no changing of the pants, no jammies, just plunk in bed. It was 6pm.

At 9 o'clock Asher finally woke up coughing. PC changed his pants, put jammies on & offered a drink of water b/c Asher was complaining of a sore throat. I also suggested some medicine of some sort b/c I just had the same cold/illness & it's a pretty miserable thing. Asher was yunking & complaining until PC gave him the children's Tylenol. Then he declaired, "NOW I feel better!" If only it worked that fast for us all.

(He promptly went back to sleep & slept until 6:30 this morning)

Lessons Learned

This isn't the first house that we have bought, but apparently the home inspector we hired for our first house was a little bit better than this one, & perhaps we paid a little bit better attention to things ourselves as well. Of course the first time around we were living in the same town so we could take our time to look around the house & check things out for ourselves. This time we were in a bit of a time crunch & we weren't around for the inspection.

The first things we noticed a day or two into it, was that while in the contract we had said we wanted the window treatments, the ones we received were not the same ones that had been on the windows when we viewed the house. Not too big a deal, except that in one of the washrooms, she simply draped some fabric around the window & there is nothing to cover the window.

Next we noticed that under the kitchen sink things were getting a bit wet. The hot tap had a continuous slow leak that apparently had been like that for quite awhile b/c the shelf is cracked & there is an abundance of mould in the corners. I suppose that might not have been to easy to spot b/c you had to run the water for quite awhile to find where the leak was coming from.

A few days later I noticed that the kleenex under the washroom sink were all damp. Basically every time the water goes down the drain, instead of it all going down the drain, it goes under the sink. This would have been obvious had he run the tap AT ALL, but of course, since we weren't here, we have no idea what he actually charged us for in his inspection.....

Do you think we can get a refund?

Remember to Speak Clearly

The other day Asher said to me, "Jesus is ONLY for the cross." I was trying to figure out where he came up w/ that piece of knowledge, when I remebered the song we often sing to him when we want him to stand up so we can pull his jeans/PJ bottoms up. "Stand up, stand up, for Jesus, ye soldiers of the cross."

Apparently we don't enunciate well enough, b/c he seems to think it's "Stand up, stand up for Jesus, he's only for the cross!"