Tuesday, June 28, 2011

the dusty bookshelf: Busy Little Mouse



written by:  Eugenie Fernandes
illustrated by:  Kim Fernandes

i am trying to instill my love of reading to my darling boys
dylan is at the age where he is now enjoying short stories
repetition is the key at his age so i try to pick out books
that he is able to quickly grasp and recall

we are currently in-love with this book.
not only does it have a cute story line
it also has some lovely illustrations 
that any kid will surely love

this is a must-have in your bookshelf
if you have little ones.

Monday, June 27, 2011

my boys simplest toy...


is their lolo (grandpa) and lola (grandma)
(pronounced as YOYO and YOYA by dylan)



need i say more?

funny how in this picture
kaelan looks exactly like my dad
and dylan looks exactly like my mom

Saturday, June 25, 2011

mommy's night out


a good friend of mine called a few days ago
her opening line was something close to this...
"uhm, what are you doing friday night?
are you like free for three or so hours...
can you leave the kids with kady and he won't mind?
coz i got tickets to the rihanna concert!!!"

uhhh, yeah.  like i was going to turn down THAT invitation?
not only do i get to hang out and bond
with one of the greatest mommies (and diaper cake designer!) that i know of
but i get to put make-up, jewelry and a bit of heels on!!!
(only mommies will know what i mean on this one)


neens and i rockin' the curly hair and pearly whites

least to say, these two momma's had a fantastic time
singing and dancing our hearts out
at a jam-packed rogers arena

so we left with sore throats, hurting feet and near-deaf ears
but it was a price worth paying for
to get a few hours of girl time...

i need more nights like this one!!!

Thursday, June 23, 2011

multitasker me


what is this mommy up to at 11:30pm???

cleaning the house (putting away mess)
baking muffins for dylan's last day of school
putting together a "thank you" present for dylan's teacher
sorting & folding laundry
actually still doing laundry (2 more loads!)
putting dylan to sleep
feeding kaelan so he can sleep
facebook-ing
blogging
making coffee so i can stay up

what are you up to at 11:30pm???


Wednesday, June 22, 2011

randomness...


silly chubby feet
and not to mention very hairy legs
in pink flip-flops

  
have i mentioned this is not my feet?
it's actually the hubby's! (yes, you read that right!)

we went for a walk to the waterpark and he wore new shoes
and those shoes hurt his feet badly... very badly
so what did we do?  SWITCH!
(too bad i didn't get a picture of his big shoes on my feet!)

i love a man who can wear pink.
be it a shirt, tie or some very girly flip-flops!

on another random thought.....


have you ever played this game?
i have not hooted and hollered in laughter in a while over a game
(and i have a love of cranium!)
but pass the pig was a blast
especially if you are playing for some moolah!

and lastly.....



with summer upon us
rompers just might be my most favourite outfit for the season!
i have these two which i just happen to love
and which i happen to wear almost every time we step out of the house!
yes, they are that darned comfy and airy!
not to mention summery!

what are your randoms for today?

Monday, June 20, 2011

newborn shoot


when kaelan was nine days old
we went ahead and had some newborn shots
taken of him.

though this is two months late
i guess better post them now than never!
here are some of my fave shots...





of course, my most favorite of all
just has to be one 
of my two adorable little loves



Sunday, June 19, 2011

two months was quick


today, on father's day, my little kaelan turns 2 months old
time just seems to be breezing along
from this tiny baby boy weighing no more than 6.2 lbs
to an amazing little boy with a twinkle on his eye.

he is now smiling at us constantly and cooing at all times
he stays up more often in the daytime and plays with his brother
and we all can't get enough of him

06.18.11

on another note, HAPPY FATHER'S DAY to all the wonderful dads out there.
my father's day post will be for later tonight!

Thursday, June 16, 2011

potty training day #2


prior to starting potty training
i have read numerous books and talked to a number of moms
who can shed some light and knowledge
on how to make it an easy transition both for child and parents

i will be honest when i say that i was very nervous to start
i know how messy it will get and that 'accidents' are bound to happen.

as i've said previously, we are starting the little man slowly.
no diapers in the daytime unless he is down for a nap, bedtime or when we are out
i will then slowly transition him to no diapers at naptime, etc.

it's day #2.  
and the little man has successfully been peeing in the potty!
"need to pee, mommy!" is his usual opening line.
no bribery and no tricks.
i think he is just plain ready to use it!


*i hope he forgives me for posting this pic up when he's old enough to understand*


Tuesday, June 14, 2011

potty training day #1




we've decided to start the little man with his potty training.
with the hubby going back to work in 2.5 weeks
TODAY is the best day to begin.

we let him run around the house with no diapers on.
so far, two bathroom runs and no accidents.
not bad for his first day, right?!?

but we are taking this the slow route.
no diapers when he's awake
and we will cheat at nighttime
until he is fully trained in the mornings.

wish us luck!
i know we're going to need it.
and if you have any potty training tips,
i'd be grateful to you for sharing!

Monday, June 13, 2011

monday's favourite things




+ the smell of BBQ in the summer +
+ walks along the beach +
+ sinking my bare feet in sand... or cooling them off in the water +
+ long drives to any destination +
+ sunrise at 5:30am +

what are some of your favorite things?

Sunday, June 12, 2011

a walk around the seawall


it was such a beautiful day yesterday
cloudy with bits of sun peeking out
and the wind was just perfect 

it was our type of day to take the kids out for a walk
and we ended up going to stanley park
where we walked the seawall from Second Beach to Siwash Rock

we could've gone for a longer walk if we were in gear
but i was in my flip flops and my feet can't really go much further
after all, i was pushing two kids along the way


we didn't have our camera as we normally would
and the hubby was too lazy to take photos 
so this is the only one we took for our walk

on a side note
we just got this new stroller and i am absolutely loving it!!!
i am envisioning tons of walks around parks, beaches and downtown
now that it's easy to tag the two tots without the hubby.

have a gorgeous sunday lovies!

Friday, June 10, 2011

i can't wait......


..... but then, can you???




the teeny bopper in me is squealing it's head off over this new trailer.  
i cannot (and i stress CANNOT) wait to catch this movie 
even if it means going on a weekday morning 
to the Stars and Strollers movie times!!!

forgive the twi-hard fan in me, will you?

Sunday, June 5, 2011

family day: harrison hot springs

we had a wonderful saturday enjoying some much-needed family day out.
anyone with two very young children knows how difficult it is to step out of the house
it takes at us at least 3 hours to get everyone bathed, packed and ready to go!
we hit record time yesterday by getting out in two hours flat.

i was craving for IHOP but we would have to drive out of the way
so we headed over to white spot for some yummy breakfast.

pancakes for me and mushroom & egg omelet for the hubby


after stuffing ourselves full
we prepped for our hour or so drive over to harrison hot springs


harrison has to be one of my favourite places to visit
and prior to dylan's birth, the hubby and i drove down there at least twice every summer
we have spent a couple of overnighters in this small town
and have very fond memories there with friends

so while dylan and i enjoyed walking around...


basking in the sun... (and i am now sporting a red sunburnt nose)


and playing in the water...


the hubby and kaelan had to stay in the shade
as we are not yet allowed to put any sunscreen on the baby
(and let me tell you it was HOT yesterday!)


after a few hours of frolicking and playing
and just plain enjoying the beautiful summer weather
it was time for us to get our gear and head home
to catch game 2 of the stanley cup finals!
(which, btw, our Canucks won!!!!)

but of course
the hot sun and a quick trip out of town is not complete
without stopping for some yummy gelato!


i hope you lovies had a great saturday as well!

Saturday, June 4, 2011

a teensie weensie preview of our saturday


my little family had a very busy saturday.  
it was an outrageously gorgeous day on our little corner of the world
so we ventured out and took the kids to one of our favourite spots about an hour away from home

here's a quick peek on where we spent a good portion of our day!


isn't it just beautiful?  what with the lake and the snow-capped mountains in the background!

more photos and updates to come tomorrow so stay tuned!

Wednesday, June 1, 2011

a parent's prayer...



Help Me give my children the best... not of trappings or toys,
but of myself, cherishing them on good days and bad, theirs and mine.
Teach Me to accept them for who they are, not for what they do;
to listen to what they say, if only so they will listen to me; to encourage
their goals, not mine; and please, let me laugh with them and be silly.
Let Me give them a home where respect is the cornerstone,
integrity the foundation, and there is enough happiness to raise the roof.
May I give them the courage to be true to themselves;
the independence to take care of themselves
and the faith to believe in a power much greater than their own.
See That I discipline my children without demeaning them,
demand good manners without forgetting my own
and let them know they have limitless love, no matter what they do.
Let Me feed them properly, clothe them adequately and have enough to give
them small allowances... not for the work they do but the pleasure they bring...
and let me be moderate in all these things,
so the joy of getting will help them discover the joy of giving.
See that their responsibilities are real but not burdensome,
that my expectations are high but not overwhelming
and that my thanks and praise are thoughtful and given when they're due.
Help me teach them that excellence is work's real reward,
and not the glory it brings. But when it comes.. and it will.. let me
revel in each honor, however small, without once pretending
that it's mine; my children are glories enough.
Above all, let me ground these children so well that I can
dare to let them go.
And may they be so blessed.

by Marguerite Kelly