Will You Please Eat Your Oatmeal?

At the breakfast table this morning:

Asher: "What's this black thing in my oatmeal?"

PChad: "Just a black piece of oatmeal, you can eat it."

Asher: "I don't want to eat it..... it tastes like a little bit of dirt."

PChad: "Well, then don't eat it, just eat your oatmeal please."

Asher: "I'll just eat the white oatmeal, not the black ones."

PChad: "That's a good idea."

Asher: "The black ones taste like dirt."

Asher: "There was some dirt in my oatmeal & it was black."

Asher: "Mummy, there was some black in my oatmeal & it tasted like dirt, so I won't eat the black ones, just the white ones."

Me: "Oh, ok, don't eat the black ones then."

Asher: "Chancery, black oatmeal tastes like dirt, so I won't eat it."

Me: "PChad, aren't you glad that your son got some of my obsessive personality?"


A few bites later.....

Asher: "I won't sing the Yankee Doodle song."

PChad: "That's good because you aren't supposed to sing at the table."

Asher: "I'm not going to sing the 'Riding on a pony' song either."

Me: "Good, can you please eat your oatmeal?"

PChad: "Apparently he got my song-constantly-running-through-your-head gene too."

I've Been Getting Lost......

A few weeks ago I was a bit bored & thought maybe I should see what all the hype surrounding "Lost" was about. I started watching it online, & after 2 episodes I was hooked!

I'm really enjoying the fact that I don't have to wait a whole week b/w episodes. I can just watch a few right in a row. I also like that I can watch it whenever I want to watch it, in bits & pieces if need be, & I don't have to drop what I'm doing at 9:00 Thursday nights (or whenever it's on).

There have been quite a few plot twists that I haven't seen coming, but so far it's mostly believable. I was a bit doubtful after the first few episodes, since there seemed to be this big, scary "thing" that inhabited the island, but that doesn't dominate the show, so I'm ok with it.

I was a big fan of "The Nine" and was quite disappointed when it was canceled. And this show is kind of along the same lines, but backwards. "The Nine" was about a bank robbery gone wrong & each episode flashed back to show you a bit about what had happened in the bank.

"Lost" takes the opposite approach & deals mostly in the present (the island), and flashes back in each character's life to show you a piece of their past.

I'm almost done season 2, but I'm a little worried they may never got off the island, seeing as there are at least 4 more seasons........

Now All Around The Room In One Big Line!

I have started to notice a theme whenever Asher is playing quietly in the house,

I can safely assume he is making a line with whatever toy he is currently playing with.

Fisher Price Little People

FP Cars

Nuts & Bolts from his Construction Set

Animals

Thanet likes to get in on the action too, but he's more into breaking
up the line & taking the animals captive.

Sometimes they go "all around the Mulberry bush"

"Making lines is FUN!"

A Taste Of Spring!

Saturday was a gorgeous day, so we took advantage of the nice weather & introduced Chancery to the outdoors.

At first she wasn't sure what to think about it. I think the bright thing in the sky was confusing to her since we haven't seen a whole lot of it lately, seeing as I tend to hibernate over the winter.



But after a few minutes she decided to really get a taste for what being outside was all about. I spent the better part of the afternoon fishing dead leaves out of her mouth.

I wouldn't have been as concerned if she was just
eating green grass, but dead leaves just don't have the nutrients!

Sunday Pictures: week 36

Asher - 2.5 years
Chancery - 8 months
***************************

Chancery: "Look, there's some animals here on the couch!"

Asher: "May I have one to play with, Chancery?"


Chancery: "Sure, you may have the giraffe."

Asher: "I think it bit me!"

Chancery: "Well then I will bite it's friend the cow, & then we'll be even."

Asher: "I think it's best if we just stay away from the animals for now."

Chancery: "Except for this cow......"

Chancery: "Oh how I LOVE this cow!"

A Decorating Tip

One thing I have learned over this past week of being under the weather.

If you are thinking about decorating your washroom with red polka-dots, there is a quick, non-permanent way, to find out if it is the decorating scheme for you.

Just pour your feverish, under-the-weather self a shot of NyQuil, hold it aloft & sneeze violently. If there is still some medicine in the cup, sneeze again until all the liquid has been distributed across your washroom.

It might not have come out evenly, but it will give you a pretty good idea of what the finished project would look like.

And as you're cleaning it up, you'll be amazed at all the little places that you'll find it.

He Knows Me Well

A few days ago PChad walked in the door & handed Asher a small gold box, with instructions that he was to bring it to me. PChad had gone into a store we've not yet visited & bought me a small box of truffles. Then he said, "Guess how much that little box cost."

I gave my best estimate, but was actually quite low on the price. After he told me what he had actually paid, I asked, "You paid THAT much just for truffles?"

His reply: "It's better than wasting it on flowers, don't you think?"

And THAT is one of the reasons I love this man!

How The Sun Got Up There

I know you've all been wondering how the Sun got up in the sky. You probably know that God put it there, but just how did He do it? Well, Asher answered that question for you all this morning:

"God got up on the stool, & put the Sun waaaaay up in the sky, & he didn't fall at all."

I'm glad He didn't fall b/c that would have been a tall stool that He would have stood on & I wouldn't want Him to injure Himself! (Which, of course begs the question, CAN God hurt Himself?)

I'm A Nut

When we were first married, since I was new to Canada, I was not allowed to workb/c of immigration issues for about a year and 1/2. We didn't have a TV, so I read alot. Fortunately we lived quite close to the library, so first I read all the John Grisham books, then Sue Grafton caught my eye & I read all of her books. I went through a few more authors I knew & read their books (I had a lot of time on my hands, People!). After that, I started at the "A" authors & found Watership Down by Richard Adams, to be a very enjoyable read. But after awhile I got tired of reading & decided I needed to find something else to do with my time, so I picked up counted Cross-stitch.

I have a Christmas stocking that I have been working on for PChad since before Asher was born. I used to take it to work & work on it during my lunch hour. If there was nothing to watch on TV, I'd work on it at night. When we'd fly somewhere, I'd take it along as well. But since Asher was born, I just haven't really found the time. I find that the attention I have to have to focus on the task is sometimes more than I can give after the kids are in bed, so I've rarely worked on it in the last 2.5 years.


A few months ago we went to a parishioner's house for lunch & I noticed that she was a fellow cross-stitcher. She said that she was part of a group that gets together for an afternoon once a month & works on whatever their current project is. She asked if I'd be interested in coming the next time that they met & I said I would.

So, two months in, I am officially a "Needle Nut". I'm sure it will take quite awhile to finish the stocking, but I'm not too worried about running out of things to work on. After all, I still need to make on for Asher, Chancery & myself. I find it very relaxing to be able to devote a whole afternoon to my project, and it helps that I also get to have a break from the kids for a few hours!



(This is what it's supposed to look like when it's finished)

It's For You!

I broke out the old phone awhile ago for the kiddos to play with. Since we have 2, Asher likes to sit across the room & "call" us. He usually tells us that he's busy & will call us back later, but I think he just forgets about us sometimes, because I have sat by that phone & waited for his call TOO MANY TIMES!!! It reminds me of those boys in college.......

"The phone's ringing! I'd better answer it!"

"Hello? Hello?!? You're sounding a bit muffled..."

"Do you think they got the wrong number?"

"Thanet thinks I'm talking into the wrong end"

"She doesn't make a very good secretary!"

Sunday Pictures: week 35

Asher - 2.5 years
Chancery - 8 months
************************************

Asher: "Chancery, I have to tell you that I'm not feeling too well today."


Chancery: "Are you sick?"


Asher: "Yes, Mummy & I are staying home,
& you get to go to church with Daddy!"

Chancery: "But I want you to come with me!"


Chancery: "I don't want to go to church without you!"


Chancery: "If you are sick, I must stay home & play with you!"


Chancery: "I can't just leave you here!"

Chancery: "I have nothing to smile about!"

What We Talk About At Lunch

Me: Whatcha doing?

Asher: Pulling my socks off.

Me: Why?

Asher: 'Cause I'm done with them

Me: What are you eating?

Asher: Toast.

Me: What kind of toast?

Asher: Toast with peanut butter & honey on it.

Me: Oh, and how did you have it cut?

Asher: 'Cause Daddy was cutting it into soldiers.

Wham, Bam, Thank You Ma'am

Asher likes to pound his milk cup on the table during meals. Or see how far her can tip it to the side before it drops onto his plate. he also likes to use his utensils as drumsticks on his plate. We are constantly telling him not to bang his cup/silverware. Yesterday after I told him yet again to stop, he replied:

"I want to bang it as hardly as I can."

It's hard to remain a stern parent when he says things like that

A Bit Of A Diversion

I've always been a fan of Simon Cowell. I think he just calls it like he sees it w/o sugarcoating it. If he likes you he'll let you know. Perhaps it's just the Brit in him (ever seen Hell's Kitchen with Gordon Ramsay?)

I love this video, but unfortunately can't find a link that will allow me to embed. It's from Britain's Got Talent, a nationwide talent contest, where the winner gets to perform their act for Prince Charles at the prestigious Royal Variety Show. Oh, and there's a cheque for £100,000 to boot.

Here's the link, go & watch it.... no really, you need to see it

Not to mention that I simply LOVE Ant & Dec (the show's Hosts)
Apparently PChad has the same feelings!

A Good Cook

One of our parishioners invited us over for dinner the other night & as we were seated around the table, she brought out a pan of lasange. Asher took one look at it & exclaimed, "It's COOKED!"

I guess it's possible that I have brought a dinner (or ten) to the table when it wasn't quite ready. We've had more than a few meals in the last month that have consisted of vegetables & rolls, & the next night we actually end up eating the main dish b/c it hasn't been cooked.... and not that it's just a LITTLE undercooked, more like it's blue rare.

It was a bit telling that Asher noticed that dinner was cooked. Maybe I should put him on the meat station.

We Hope This Is The New Trend

Guess who slept last night from 7pm to 7am without waking up at all:
(and, yes, she does use her silky blanket as a pillow)


Of course things might be a bit different tonight since she just got her shots today. We're a bit behind on shots since we moved when she was first born & I didn't get her scheduled for shots right away when we moved here b/c I didn't really know what I was doing.

The nurse commented that Chancery was a bit petite for a 6 month old, when I corrected her that she was actually 8 months she asked if she had been premature. That's an iffy question since I had 3 due dates & she came after the first one, but before the other 2. I suppose she was a bit on the small side, weighing 6lbs 4oz at birth, compared to Asher's 7lb 11oz.

So Chancery got her shots & hardly cried at all until it was time to undress her to weigh her. Apparently pain is nothing, but being cold is torture. She measured 26 3/4" ranking her in the 33% of babies at 8 months. Her weight was 15lbs 6oz bringing her in at 6%. I guess she'll be long & lean. In not quite 3 months, she has grown 1 1/4" and gained 13 oz. She'll probably never outgrow her car seat, but at least we'll get our money's worth out of it!

All In The Name Of Science

As I was shopping the other day I noticed a new kind of candy bar. This doesn't happen too often, because Canada really seems to be the king of all things chocolate. Sure, the States has candy bar variety, but Cadbury alone has over 55 types of chocolate bar. When I first moved to Canada 10 years ago, my husband & I would frequently stop at 7-11. He'd look through the magazines & I'd look through the chocolate bars. There were so many that were new to me, I had a hard time choosing just one (or two).

One of my favourite chocolate bars is the Milky Way Midnight, but I've only been able to find it in the States. The other day, when I stumbled upon the Mars Dark candy bar, I was elated. I have found that often the same candy bar goes by different names when in different countries. For example,

Cadbury's Caramilk -Canada

Cadbury's Caramello - the States

(actually distributed by Hershey's)

As I reached in the box to acquire my "new" candy bar (the Mars Dark), I noticed there was another new variety as well; the Mars Caramel.

So, all in the name of science, I decided it was time for a home taste-test, & bought one of each.

For those of you unfamiliar with what a Mars Bar is, it goes by the alias of Milky Way Bar when it resides in the States. Think of a 3 Musketeers Bar with caramel.


First I cut into them all so I knew what I was in for.
I was a bit disappointed to discover that the Mars Dark had regular nougat & not the white nougat that the Milky Way Midnight features, but thought I'd give it a fair shot & try for flavour. I preferred it to the regular Mars Bar, since I am more partial to dark chocolate anyways, but would have really enjoyed it had it been a bit more like the Milky Way Midnight.

Next up was the Mars Caramel. When it was cut, I noticed that there seemed to be a whole lot of caramel & not much nougat. I soon discovered there was NO nougat. It was alright, but I much prefer a Caramilk bar. I suppose if you are a fan of the caramel found in a Mars bar, this might be the bar for you, but I enjoy the nougat as well.

In all, I'd rank the Mars Dark as my favourite, the regular Mars Bar second, and the Mars Caramel as a distant third. If you've tried these variations, I'd love to hear what you thought.

Sharing At It's Finest

Chancery: "Asher! Look at this new toy I got!"

Asher: "See, you put the flowers on the pegs, like this."

Chancery: "While he has his back turned, I'll take them off!"


Asher: "Hmmm, which one should I put on next?"

Asher: "See the tall tower I made for you, Chancery?"


Chancery: "Yes, thank you, & now I'll eat it!"