Sunday 31 January 2010

Sunday Pictures

Asher – 3.5 years
Chancery – 1 year
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Chancery: “Mum, I’ve noticed that there are TWO balloons this week, and yet I still don’t have one.”

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Asher: “Hey, I know what you are up to, and these balloons are MINE!”

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Asher: “I worked very hard to get both the balloons on the couch & not have them get away from me.”

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Chancery: “Hey, what’s that?”

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Asher: “Woah!  I almost lost them!”

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Asher: “Nice try, but I won’t give them up so easily.” 

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Chancery: “I nearly got him!”

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Chancery: “But that’s ok, I don’t really need the balloon anyways.  I just like to mess with my brother sometimes.”

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Asher: “Did you hear that, Mum?  She said I don’t have to share with her after all.”

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Chancery: “No, I just like mucking about with you sometimes, Asher!”

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Today is the last chance to enter the latte giveaway.  Just click on this link, or the one in my sidebar.  All guesses must be received by tomorrow, and the winner will receive their coffee themed gift in January 2011.  It's really simple, all you have to do is venture a guess, so get crackin'!

Friday 29 January 2010

Cough, Cough, Hack, Wheeze

When it comes to bedtime around here, the noise really seems to start. Asher has had a cough off & on for the past month or so, but lately it has gotten worse.

The other night as PChad was putting Asher to bed, Asher just couldn't quit coughing. PChad advised him to try to stop talking b/c that was just making it worse.

Asher replied, "But I LOVE to talk!"

The interesting part is that he didn't say he LIKED talking, or enjoyed it somewhat. No, the kid LOVES talking!

Now, if only we could just get him to open up about what he does at playschool, because according to him, he does "lots of things" but won't actually tell us what any of those things are.

Thursday 28 January 2010

First Phone Call

Asher made his first unassisted phone call the other day.  He did pretty well, but I did have to jump in & translate for the person at the other end.
I told him to start off by saying his name & then asking for the person he wanted to talk to.
He said, “Hello, my name is Asher.  Can I talk to Miss A?”
The person who answered informed him that Miss A wasn’t there, so Asher inquired, “Who is this?”
He then proceeded to tell them the reason for the call.  We were borrowing some train tracks & trains from them & part of the bridge was missing, so his intent was to ask if they could look for it & bring it to church the next day.  Here’s what I heard:
“I need the ‘rap’ for the train… NO, the ‘RAP’, so the train can go up, and down, and up, and down a little bit and that’s it.”
He was having issues enunciating so the person on the other end could understand what it was he wanted, so I had to jump in & explain, but all in all, he did a pretty good job with minimal prompting.
Of course, once that phone call was over, he requested calling about 5 other people.  It’s a good thing we have a cheap phone plan!

Wednesday 27 January 2010

Medical Care

The other night, as I was drifting off to sleep, I kept hearing Asher cough.  I’d almost be asleep & he’d cough again, so I decided to get him some medicine.

I crept into his room & he sat bolt upright & demanded, “What are you doing in here?”

I told him I was there to give him some medicine for his cough, and he noisily slurped it up.

After I left his room & was rinsing off the spoon, I heard a little voice say, “Thanks for the medicine!”

It sure is nice to be appreciated every now & then.

Tuesday 26 January 2010

I See Your Point

A few years ago, when PChad returned from a missions trip to Mexico, he brought a small guitar for Asher.  I quickly informed the pair of them, that playing guitars was a Daddy activity, since I knew that Asher would be begging me constantly to play it otherwise, and I, not having ever played guitar before, would not be a suitable playmate.

Every now & then, Asher remembers that both he & Daddy have guitars, and asks to play the “bananjos.”  Saturday afternoon was one of those occasions.

At the time that Asher asked, we had just put on some kids’ music to dance around to, and Chancery was really getting into it, so it wasn’t the most opportune time to get the guitars out.

Asher was persistent in his begging, and when PChad finally told him that he wasn’t going the get the guitars out because Asher doesn’t play with it properly, Asher was indignant.

“I am big enough now!  I got bigger and I’m three AND A HALF now, and I DO play it properly!”

Seeing the logic in Asher’s argument, PChad had no choice, but to acquiesce to his demands.

Monday 25 January 2010

Great Dancing In The UK

So You Think You Can Dance is in it's first season over in England this year, and I know there were some skeptics out there, wondering if there would be enough talent for the show to take wing on that side of the pond.  I think week two has answered that question.....



The two dancers were in the bottom 4 last week & their respective partners were sent home. This couple was determined to do a great job so as to not be in the bottom again, and the results are brilliant!

Sunday 24 January 2010

Sunday Pictures

Asher – 3.5 years
Chancery – 1 year
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IMG_3024Chancery: “I’ve decided that I don’t want this balloon anymore, so I’m letting all the air out of it.”

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Asher: “I really like my balloon, I hope she doesn’t get any ideas about doing the same to mine!”

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Chancery: “Of course, that’s exactly what I’m planning!  I’m just so tired of him bonking me on the head with them.  He thinks he’s SO funny!”

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Asher: “Yeah, that IS pretty funny when I do that!”

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Asher: “I think I’d better hide it.  She sounds pretty determined.”

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Chancery: “Seriously, you think I can’t see it?”

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Chancery: “How about if we make a deal.  You don’t bonk me with it anymore, and I let the balloon live.”

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Asher: “That’s a great idea!”

Friday 22 January 2010

God Is Watching Us

The other night, Asher was having trouble following instructions at the dinner table.  Asher was supposed to be quiet so Chancery could say her little prayer before we ate, but Asher kept trying to prompt her.  Finally PChad told Asher to be quiet & Asher responded, "I WON'T be quiet!"

So, PChad  removed Asher from his chair & gave him a time out.  Asher was quite upset, & as he sat there, he told us, "God makes the rules, and when Daddy give me a time out, God sees that, and he says, no I don't have to!"

Talk about feeling pressure to be a good parent!

Thursday 21 January 2010

I'm With Cupid -Review

I'm With Cupid is an interesting take on the modern love story.  It's a story told from Cupid's point of view.  Cupid finds himself frustrated with the human race, and in an act of desperation, sends out a true love arrow to an "undeserving" woman.

We watch as her relationship begins on a rocky road, and just keeps getting bumpier & bumpier.  The guy she falls for is far from being ready for a committed relationship, but for some reason, that doesn't seem to be what causes most of the problems for this couple.

What I really liked about this book, is that while it is a romance, the primary purpose is not to titillate, but to teach us something about love.  I also appreciated that there were no explicit bedroom scenes, as most modern romances seem to think are necessary.

I'd definitely recommend this book if you are looking for a quick, light read, and want to take a break from the run-of-the-mill romance novels.

Monday 18 January 2010

This Too Shall Pass

Remember the treadmill video from the band Ok Go?

Well they have a new song out called "This Too Shall Pass", and they have struck music video gold once again.

They used Notre Dame's marching band, and made the video in one take. ONE TAKE! Amazing!


OK Go - This Too Shall Pass from OK Go on Vimeo.

h/t mindi

Sunday 17 January 2010

Sunday Pictures

Asher - 3.5 years
Chancery - 1 year
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Chancery: "Asher is distracted by his quest for the perfect smile."

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Chancery: "I shall use this opportunity to remove that chipmunk from his grasp!"

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Chancery: "I have succeeded in my quest for the chipmunk!"

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Asher: "I have become aware that I no longer have the chipmunk in my possession, and I would like to have it returned to me immediately!"

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Chancery: "Not a chance, Buster!"

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Chancery: "I worked hard for this prize!"

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Asher: "Mother has provided a solution that will please us all!"

Wednesday 13 January 2010

Trash Or Treasure

When we were first married, PChad & I didn't have a lot of money, nor did we have many nice things in our house.  I used to go to garage sales quite frequently & see what I could find to pretty our house a bit.

One saturday morning, I saw a nice little painting marked $3.00.  Being Dutch & cheap, I decided to barter with the man, & asked if he'd be willing to take $2 for the painintg.  He thought about it briefly & said ok.  As he was handing the money over to his wife, she turned to me & asked, do you know who the artist is? I told her that I didn't & she replied, "I am."

Well, of course, I felt pretty stupid having talked them down on one of her own paintings, especially when she commented, "Two dollars doesn't even pay for the frame!"

But her husband could've always said no!

I still really like this painting, but PChad for some reason, has never liked it.  I decided that it needed to be hung, so I figured that if I hung it in the washroom on an existing nail, PChad wouldn't have a problem with that.  The next day, I noticed that he had put a new nail in the wall & hung the painting across from the toilet, instead of leaving it behind the toilet.

When I questioned him about it, he said, "That way when you go in the washroom, YOU can see it & I don't have to."
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Tuesday 12 January 2010

Can I Play Too?

Lately Asher has been a bit mischievous during the days when we are at home & I've been thinking that he's probably bored.  So I decided it was time to look in the closet & find a toy he hasn't played with in a while.  I pulled out the Mr. Potatoheads & he got right to work.

Asher,Toys
He was quite proud of his creations & asked me to take multiple pictures of them.

Asher,Toys

Of course, Chancery wanted to get in on the action as well.
Chancery,Toys

She just couldn't quite figure out how..........
Chancery,Toys

Friday 8 January 2010

Distressed Shirt

I have said it before & I'll say it again, I have very little fashion sense, if any at all.  A few weeks ago I had some soiled items that I thought I'd soak in bleach before I washed them.  The next load of laundry I did, I threw them in as well.

Unfortunately, that was a load of DARKS that I had in the washing machine along with my bleached items.  I didn't really think about it until I was folding the laundry, and at that point I was just really thankful that nothing seemed to have gotten bleached from it.


PhotobucketThen I ran across this shirt:

So, my question for you fashionable lot is, does my shirt look like it's just a bit distressed, or does it look like a laundry mishap?  Can I still wear it & not look like a cleaning lady, or should I just start using it as a cleaning rag?

Thursday 7 January 2010

Copycat

Chancery has really begun to mimic Asher. I thought this video really captured it well. From spinning, to falling down, laughing, & repeating what he says.



The problem arises when his actions are more destructive than cute.....

Wednesday 6 January 2010

My Favourite Post of 2009

Vintage Dutch Girl asked us to look back atour posts over the last year & pick a favourite to share.  As I was looking through & re-reading them I discovered this little gem.  I just love watching this video because it totally encapsulates both my son & my dad.  Asher  just keeps on repeating & repeating until you have acknowledged him, and my dad, well, he just really loves taking picutes & videos of the grandkids.

Have a favourite post of your own?  Head on over to Vintage Dutch Girl's blog & link up!

Tuesday 5 January 2010

Learning Patience

Asher
A few days ago, Asher kept asking when he could have a snack, & I told him he had to wait until the clock said 3:30.  He decided to pull up a chair & watch the clock until it was snack time.  He remained there for the next 15 minutes, & told me promptly when it was the correct time!

Sometimes snacktime just seems soooo far away!



Monday 4 January 2010

Venture A Guess



I figured it's time for a contest/give-away, so I'm taking a page out of Brit Gal Sarah's book.

I'm going to keep a running total, on my sidebar, of how many lattes I drink this year. All you have to do to win, is leave a comment on this post with your guess as to what that number might be.  Comments will be closed at the end of January, so take your best guess & submit your answer!  You have nothing to lose! The closest guess wins!

What's up for grabs? Well, I'll put together a little coffee themed gift for the winner, who will be named at the end of the year!

*please make sure you put your email address in your comment so I have a way to contact you!

Sunday 3 January 2010

Sunday Pictures

Asher - 3.5 years
Chancery - 1 year
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Asher: "Hey, Chancery, want to play hide & seek with our chipmunks?"

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Chancery: "Sure!  That sounds fun!"

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Asher: "You can hide yours first, Chancery."

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Chancery: "This looks like a good place for mine to hide."

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Asher: "And now I'll hide mine!"


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Chancery: "Asher, you're really good at this!"

Friday 1 January 2010

Always On The Move

Chancery rarely stops chatting or moving......



First she suggests we dance, then since I do not oblige, she focuses her attentions on the cow pillow, talking all the while.