Don't let the bug bites bite

I love the way kids talk.  It's sad when they stop saying words in their special way.

The other day Lexi walked into the kitchen:

Lexi: Mommy, are you?

Me: I am over here Lexi.

Lexi: O-tay

And last night when Cali was helping put Lexi to bed she said, 

"Good night, sleep tight, don' t let the bug bites bite".

When Cali asks you something doesn't say "how do you do" something, she says "how don't you do" something.  I am quite used to it but sometimes it catches me off guard.  

Cali: Mommy how don't you do you do the dishes?

Me:  Ummm, I just leave them by sink hoping your Dad will do them.

What was really cute was when Cali couldn't say "knife", she would say "life" instead.  She would say things like:

"Mommy I need a life"

or

"Mommy you need a life for that"

or my favourite

"Lexi can't have a life, she's just a baby!"

Speaking of words, Cali is a big fan of the show "Word Girl" on PBS.  So one day a few months ago she asked me to draw a picture of Word Girl and Captain Huggyface on the chalk board.  I drew my picture and came back later to see that Cali added a little something behind Word Girl.  I started to laugh, take a look...

Cali explained to me that she added air behind Word Girl to make it look like she flying really fast.  That's not what I saw.  What do you see?
  

Our Barbie House

Last summer I found a great barbie house on Kijijii (love that site by the way!  I swear I will never buy anything new again!).  Anyway I just needed to take it home to fix it up to our girly standards.

Here it is before:

 
And after I pinked it up:

All we need now is some new furniture... I will leave that task up to Santa.

An Apology

I apologize for the horrible typos in my last post.  I was madly typing while breaking up the fights of the two monkeys climbing all over me.  Thanks for your comments, I am glad to know that you can read through my errors.

I was thinking tonight about how many times in a day Lexi hits her head.  While I was writing this post she fell off the chair and hit her head on the kitchen table, an hour earlier she climbed up on the toilet and fell off that.  Honestly there are about two to three good whacks daily to her little noggin.  It's a good thing babies are made out of rubber.

We spent most of the day outside today with the nieghbours's kids.  Cali and James rode their bikes up and down the sidewalk, I don't know how many times.  I am sunburnt, dehydrated and exhausted.  I love summer!

I will leave you with video of Lexi from Christmas on her pony.  (Please note Cali's bedhead, I love it!) This was Lexi's favourite present needless to say.  And yes she has fallen off it many times and hit her head.  Poor kid!  She seems to be doing fine despite the numerous head injuries.  Today her favourite word has transitioned from "no" to "why".  She certainly is growing up with more teeth on the way.

  

Cali Turns Four

Way back in May our little three-year-old turned four.  Here is how it went down two months later...

It was a big day here for us.  Cali woke up early in the morning fully aware that this was the day she was no longer three.  We woke up and had waffles, Cali's favourite breakfast.  After breakfast we drove to Costco for a hot dog, Cali's favourite activity.  Then after we got home we had to call everyone Cali could think of to tell them Cali was now four.  Aunt Jean was the first on that list!

That evening Cali had first soccer practice, with her Dad as coach.  While introducing herself she was pleased as punch to say "My name is Cali and I am four".

We went home after and "cheese girl sandwiches" (grilled cheese sandwiches) and french fries.  Cali's favourite meal.  Of course we ice cream for "a-zert" (dessert).

A few days later Cali had an official birthday princess party with five of her friends.  We made crowns, hit a pinata, open presents and ate cake.  All her friends came dressed as princesses.  It was a blast!

Cali getting
ready to blow out four candles.

Cali next to her Barbie pinata that I paid way too much for.

Cali's princess birthday cake.  Which I am so proud of!  I think that it turned out great!

 

Summer is Here!

It seems like on June 21st summer decided to grace us with its presence.  We have had a great the past few days.  Two days ago we went to Heritage Park.  As a teenager I thought that there wasn't much to the park but it has really changed in 15 years.

Cali loved taking a ride on the train and in the horse drawn wagon.  Her favourite part though was the merry-go-round.  Lucky for here there weren't many kids around and she got to ride it again and again.  I have to admit it was my favourite ride as a kid too.

Lexi cracked me up on the ride, Lexi was clinging to the horse and our conversation went like this:

Me: Lexi are you having fun?
Lexi: No!
Me: Lexi do you see the horses?
Lexi: No!
Me: Lexi do you like going up and down?
Lexi: No!
(The ride ends)
Me: Lexi the ride is over, time to get off.
(Lexi clings even tighter to the horse)
Lexi: NOOOOO!

So despite her protests I think that Lexi had a good time too.  The kids fell asleep before we even got out of the parking lot, and Cali continued to sleep through the rest of the night.  I figured we must do this again sometime soon!

 

No More TV

Ed and I signed up for cable this year when Shaw had their promotion on for cable for only $10 a month for the first 6 months.  So we signed up in December.

Really I didn't find myself watching it too often and if I did I would end up watching reruns of Sex and the City; nothing I haven't seen before.

TV has changed a lot in the past twenty years.  I remember years ago having a favourite sitcom and wanting to watch it or a TV drama.  However it seems like there is nothing good on anymore.  There are more reality shows than you can shake a stick at, which I find mildly entertaining, and fixed I am sure of it they are all fixed!

Really I only thing I may miss is PBS kids.  I love all the shows and enjoy watching them with the girls.  However I discovered that you can watch them all online at pbskids.go.org So maybe I won't miss them after all!  There is also the library where I can take all of the shows out on DVD.  Really who needs cable?  Since the weather has improved we are outside most of the time.

I told Ed he could get cable again next December so he can watch the Stanley Cup playoffs.  Other than that who needs it?  Honestly when you take DVDs out of the library for free, or watch TV online...  I think that if cable networks want to stick around they need to start putting on some better shows.

The Sneaky Chef

Things have been busy needless to day.  I find the spring always a bit overwhelming, I am not sure if it the fact that the snow has finally melted revealing a disgraceful garden in need of attention, the call from my closets begging to be de-junked, or the fact that I feel like a single mom this time of year with Ed being so caught up with writing exams, tutouring his students, badminton finals, hockey playoffs and other things that keep a husband busy.

Knowing how last spring went I was proactive in preventing a break down like I had last year.  This is what did:

- cut back my hours at work
- dropped my exercise class
- stopped answering the phone
- took the girls away as much as possible
- invested in a slow cooker recipe book
- froze meals in advance
- left chores for July that could be done in July
- did not get pregnant or have a baby

Last year was just plain awful.  See for yourself: http://edandmegyu.blogspot.com/search?updated-min=2010-01-01T00%3A00%3A00-07%3A00&updated-max=2011-01-01T00%3A00%3A00-07%3A00&max-results=47

I can't tell you how many times I was crying in bedroom.  I hope to put all of these guidelines in effect for next year as well.  Yes, especially the last one.  Not being pregnant or being attached to a baby is so freeing.  As much as we love our kids, Ed and I need a break.  This is our first summer without a fetus or a new baby since we have married and it has been fabulous thus far.

Since my hours were cut back at work I also started to have more fun in the kitchen.  I found this great recipe book "the Sneaky Chef" at the library.  I had it out for about 9 weeks and took out again... so I decided to splurge and purchase a copy for myself.

It gives you ideas in how to add vegetables into any meal.  It takes a lot of prep but if you happen to have a four year old daughter it can turn into mother daughter bonding time.  Cali loves to help steam and puree the vegetables to add to our meals.

Anyway that it about it from here.  I will try to add some pictures from our camping trip last week.  Yes I took the girls camping... but I wasn't alone a friend came too with her daughter.