Good Luck Daddy

Today we were all up before the sun to get Daddy ready and off to his big exam! We are sending good luck vibes his way! Yesterday Camilla looked at Mr. Stannix and said, "My Daddy, he's SO sweet! And he's SO heavy!" I'm sure she meant strong.

I spent the morning organizing my fridge. It is the place I keep my pictures and quotes that inspire me. It was getting a little cluttered. Some quotes were taken away and new ones were added. It was exciting. 

We are looking forward to spending the weekend together without homework or distractions. We will enjoy watching General Conference on the big screen in our living room or "vroom-room" as Camilla calls it. I am looking forward to hearing the messages which have been prepared for us and especially to listen to our Prophet's voice.

Reaching Up

Today I am feeling very sentimental and a bit teary eyed. Maybe it's because Camilla has practically given up napping and I'm going to miss those quiet afternoon moments. Maybe it's because she trashed the one stick of lipstick I own today. Maybe it's because I just finished packing up a box of baby clothes that are too small for my little boy. Maybe it's because my children are growing so so fast and I am already missing the moments I get to spend with them playing on the grass in the autumn leaves, kicking a ball in the backyard, or reading stories. Or maybe it's because the only thing on my mind this passed week is how my little boy who was born what seems like yesterday is almost half a year old. Where does the time go? It just makes me realize how important it is to cherish the time we have with the children because we can't buy back yesterdays.

Today Hyrum is five months old and growing big. He rolled once from his stomach to his back on Sunday, but is just content to lay around and smile at people. He likes to do half turns to grab things on the change table while I'm changing him. He is becoming more interactive and responsive and loves to hold things. I am in love with his constant smiles and carefree nature. I am in love with the way he looks up at me, just to flash me a handsome grin. I am in love with the way he reaches up to touch my face with this amazed look in his eyes, like he can't believe I'm his forever. It makes me feel so special to be his mother. 

I love that I get to be home with my children each day enjoying their giggles and being smothered with hugs and kisses. Right now my sink is stacked high with dirty dishes, but that doesn't matter, they aren't going anywhere anytime soon. My children, however, are growing and changing daily, and I can hardly keep up! My bathroom is sometimes messy, but Camilla helps me clean it with her splashes at bath time. The giggles are worth it! My couch is sometimes stacked to the roof with laundry to be folded, but we enjoy the adventure as we work together and play pretend. The chores are never ending, but so is the joy. This is heaven on earth.

The Hokey-Pokey

Mr. Stannix let me sleep in for a little while this morning. When he got up to get ready for his day, Camilla followed him downstairs. I fell back to sleep moments later. When I finally woke up I heard Camilla singing the Hokey-Pokey up and down the hallway.  I smiled to myself when she said,  "Shake it all about"... I got dressed and went downstairs just in time to kiss Mr. Stannix good-bye and feed the girl who was now sitting at the table requesting crackers and butter (something my dad used to make us when he had soup on Sunday afternoons). They had played together and brushed their teeth together. I am so grateful to Mr. Stannix for letting me catch a few extra Z's!

After some toast, porridge, and a round of dishes, we loaded up in the stroller and took off to the park for the morning to visit with friends. I smiled at the sound of the leaves crunching under my feet and the stroller wheels. It was a great walk! The wind was pretty strong and the leaves were swirling to the ground all around us. Finally, we arrived, unbuckled and ran free. Camilla is such a big girl at the park now! I hardly helped her with anything today, just in and out of the swing. She ran around with her friends and played. I was very grateful for her and her independence today as I had my cousins' sweet little boy with us, and he wanted to be cuddled. We all enjoyed some delicious chocolate cookies brought by a friend and it was great to get out and chat with so many other moms. When we got home, some napped, and some didn't. Whenever someone is sleeping Camilla goes, "Shh, we have to be tow-it" (sounds like tower, but with an -it). That and her belly laugh will make me smile every time!

Another funny moment from today was when Camilla told a story to my cousin about when I took away her books the other day because she wouldn't nap, and then how I shut the bedroom door...She finished by showing off her fat lip and saying, with her head tilted to the ground, "It was tewibble!"

In the Middle of the Night

Last night I got this song stuck in my head and I'm still singing it this morning, hence the title of this post. Around 2:30 I was woken up by the sound of Hyrum blowing bubbles with his tongue and cooing. He was awake, but content. I listened to him from my bed as I tried to force my eyelids to stay open. I sat up in bed and touched my feet to the cool hardwood and ventured over to the next room. The floor creaked and groaned as I walked across the landing. Knowing where the "bad" spots are, I was able to maneuver my tired legs around them so that I wouldn't wake up Camilla with the noise. I looked over the edge of the crib and saw the faint outline of a grin as he kicked his legs in excitement. I tucked his little arms back into his blanket and wrapped him up snug, then cradled him in my arms as I walked to the rocking chair. I sat and nursed him for quite a while, but he would not go back to sleep. Finally, wrapped up tight, I tucked him back into his crib and left him to fall asleep on his own. He continued to coo and blow bubbles for the next half an hour. Finally, slightly annoyed that he was keeping me up, I hopped out of my warm bed again and tried to feed him one last time. He nursed for a few seconds, then looked up at me and stared. There in the dark we sat and rocked and stared into each others eyes. I took my fingers and started drawing on his face. First, around his eyes, then across his forehead, then down the side of his face, up to his ear, and around his eyes. As I sat I listened to the odd car drive by on the street and watched the glow of the orange streetlights outside the upstairs window. With every circle I made around his eyes, they slowly began to close. Just as he fell asleep I heard the 3:30 train whistle in the distance. I snuggled him for a second and then placed him in his crib and covered him up. As I left the room in my tired state I thought of the events of that special moment over and over so that I wouldn't forget them in the morning. I didn't want to forget the way that he looked up at me and watched my face. I didn't want to forget the warmth of his tiny body as it cuddled into mine. I didn't want to forget the love that I felt for my growing baby boy. I went back to bed grateful for the special time that we got to spend together, just the two of us, in the quiet dark room of our old house.

Homemade Play Dough

This morning after Hyrum went down for his nap I decided Camilla needed some fun one on one time. We made homemade play dough and spent the morning making fake cookies, sandwiches, and pizza. The familiar feel of the play dough on my fingers brought back so many memories of when I was a kid. I'm pretty sure my mum made this for us at least once a month if not more! 

It's super easy and quick to make. The best part is that it doesn't have a strong smell and if she eats it, I know what's in it! 

Play Dough Recipe

1 Cup flour

1 Cup water

1 TBSP oil

1/2  Cup Salt

2 Tsp Cream of Tartar

Mix together in frying pan and cook like scrambled eggs, scraping bottom frequently until it cooks and pulls together into a ball like shape. Dump onto the counter and knead until it cools. Add your favorite food coloring and voila!

Although making lots of colors is fun, the monochromatic part of me wished I had just made one color. Camilla invented a whole new color called marble from the orange, blue, and pink. When we're done playing with it, we will roll it into balls, or a ball depending on how much the colors mix, and store it in the fridge in a plastic bag for more fun tomorrow!

Watching Cars

Hyrums new favorite thing to do is look out the window and watch the cars go by and the leaves dance off the trees as the wind blows. If I could hold him there, he would stay there for hours. It is our favorite thing to do in the afternoon together, just the two of us.

Tears of Laughter

Camilla has been super testy lately. She's so full of energy it's not even funny. I guess that's what I love about her though, the energy. Last night we went out to Walmart. While we were there we realized that we pretty much do the same thing every Friday night. We cruise around Walmart and look at stuff, bribe Camilla to be good with the promise of fries at the end, and then hit up the golden arches for a snack. Last night as we sat and enjoyed our fries Camilla played musical chairs all over the restaurant. She finally settled herself, fries and dip into a cozy little booth by herself. She took a few bites, then ran around like a hooligan. She ran out into Walmart for a second, then turned around and came back. Just as she crossed the threshold separating Walmart and McD's, a Walmart employee came barreling down the aisle with a huge plastic bin of cardboard. I almost choked on my fries as I began to laugh. Camilla turned around, startled at the sound. I thought of the headline, "Death by Walmart Employee" and shared my thoughts with Mr. Stannix. We could just picture it, the only thing comparable to a short little girl being hit by a plastic bin would be someone in a movie being hit by a bus and flying through the air. Had my little girl decided to run out of the restaurant a few seconds later she would have been plowed over by a big plastic bin of cardboard. You may think us cruel, but I promise it was in good fun. We laughed until we cried, and then of course hugged our little girl, thankful that she hadn't stepped out in front of the plastic bin.

A Very Long Night

We've been having some rough nights around the Stannix home lately. Too warm? Full moon? I can't quite put my finger on it. They are horribly long, filled with tossing and turning, visits from Camilla and a wide awake baby boy. Last week, Camilla crawled into our bed just after midnight and ended up staying until Hyrum woke up at 3:00am. I crawled over top of the girl to get out of bed and fed my baby boy. He was too awake to eat and just stared and giggled at me instead. I swaddled him back up and put him in his crib. Then I made my way slowly down our creaky flight of stairs for the nightly pee break and glass of water. I then transferred our sleeping girl back into her bed. As I picked her up her short arms made their way around my neck and her long, limp body snuggled in as I carried her across the hall. Just as I crawled into bed, I heard Camilla shaking her sippy and whispering "Empty". I went back down the creaky stairs to fill up her sippy and grab another glass of water for myself. After a cool drink of water and a kiss on the forehead, she lied back down. Seconds later, Hyrum was still moving and talking, wide awake. I attempted nursing him again, but it was a no go. The next stop was the change table for a fresh diaper, sometimes that works. Round 3 of nursing was unsuccessful. I sunk back into my bed and pulled the sheet up (because it was too hot for covers). The fan blew my stray wisps of hair around as I lay on my back wide awake listening to Mr. Hyrum call for me. After 10 minutes, I went to get him and bring him into our bed. He snuggled between us and brushed Daddy's back with his tiny hands as he flailed them around in the dark. Then he played with my fingers. I rubbed my finger over the palm of his outstretched hand, feeling his chubby fingers and the creases in his hands. He finally calmed a bit. I gently tucked his little arms into his blanket. He turned his head to the side and deep breathing soon followed. I delicately lifted him into my arms and placed him back into his cozy crib for the rest of the night. Camilla, however, was still awake, and had been for the last hour or so. She was trying to read her books in the dark. I took her books and put them on the floor and kissed her goodnight once more. I then went back to bed and lay awake for another half an hour. My bed smelled of my Camilla's sticky little fingers. I could almost pinpoint exactly what she had eaten that day just by the after smell that remained in my bed. I smiled as I thought of her. Camilla then requested a banana milkshake in her sleep and that was the last thing I heard before my eyes finally closed. Mr. Stannix snuck out of the room at 8:00am and left me and the munchkins to rest. Camilla came in and gave me a good morning kiss shortly after and then sneakily went downstairs to join Daddy. Mr. Man didn't wake up until 9:00am. It was a nice end to a very long night...

 Sleeping in the tent on Family Vacay

The Tale of Two Frogs

I Do Adore

I adore my little girl! Every time I here this  one song by Mindy Gledhill I think of my sweet Camilla. Every little thing she does I do adore. She's such a sweetheart. She will always give hugs when she sees the need, or just because. I love when she plays with her little brother and makes him giggle while I make dinner. I love her little voice and the way she says please and thank-you. I love it when she sings her nursery songs, or tells me about her day. I love her sweet kisses and the way she jumps into our bed for morning snuggles. I love reading bedtime stories with her. The new favorite is "Green Eggs and Ham" and it has been requested the last three nights. I love how she expresses herself with words like amazing, and other words that are huge for her two year old vocabulary. I love that when I take her shopping she touches everything and says, "This is pretty cute Mum!" I love how excited she gets to go grocery shopping with me. It is one of my favorite things to do and I'm glad we share this same love. I adore her bright blue, sparkly eyes and the energy that she shares with all around her. She's amazing!

 Lately, she has been very challenging, and we've had lots of time-outs, but it's the sweet little moments that we share together that make it all worth it. On our way out to Gramma and Grampa's last week her and I sang along to our favorite song together. She asked me to play it over three times. On the way home with Auntie Emma, it came on the playlist again and we were able to get a video of Camilla singing. After the song was over, she said, "press play again? Puppy love song?". I couldn't resist. We listened to it a couple more times and it made me giggle each time! Here's the video...

My dear Camilla, every little thing you do I do adore!

Singing in a Coffee Shop

I woke up this morning with a pounding headache and wondered how I would make it out of bed and downstairs. I have been wrestling with a cough that has turned into a serious headache, stuffy nose, and earache. The morning went relatively well, thanks to my sister who helped me out with the children. After a giant bowl of chicken noodle soup, my earache subsided enough to carry on with the appointments of the afternoon. Camilla had her first eye exam. We left a little too early and had to kill some time. We found a cute little coffee shop on 112th Ave and my sister bought me a steamer. It definitely cheered me up!

What made me giggle though is while Camilla and I were waiting on these nifty leather chairs, she broke out into her own, very loud, chorus of "I Am a Child of God". 

"I am a chide of God, he's sent me heeeere..."

After she completed the whole first verse, the lady at the table on her laptop turned around and let out a quiet giggle while Camilla started again. I smiled proudly at my little girl as my face turned a nice shade of pink in embarrassment. This was a very quiet coffee shop, but my little girl shouted her little testimony from the rooftops!

Camilla's eyes are great (not that I was worried). She did a good job at looking for the hot air balloon in the machine while they took pictures. She then saw the optometrist and named all the black and white animals she saw on the wall as he changed the pictures with his remote. When she was done she got a yellow sucker.  She also took some pictures with Auntie Emma today and I am in love with them!

I spent the afternoon putting away groceries and making dinner. Homemade cream of chicken soup and Mum's biscuits were exactly what the doctor ordered. Camilla wasn't so much a fan. While I did the dishes she sat in her chair for probably close to a half hour making siren noises out of boredom. I giggled to myself as I did dishes and let her do her thing. My sister and I reminisced about having to sit at the table when we were little until we finished our dinner. 

After the kitchen was cleaned up, the kids went for baths. I made it a nice warm bubble bath. Hyrum was loving it. He would kick and splash his little heart out. I made it just a little too deep though and the poor boy swallowed some bubbles. I am positive he will be burping them up tonight.

Time Out

Saturday morning came early, too early for me. Mr. Stannix was up and showered before I woke up.  I stayed cozy in bed as I listened to Hyrum coo and screech in delight from is crib. Mr. Stannix quietly came up the creeky stairs to kiss me good-bye before he left. He had a course all weekend and I was going to be all alone with the children. He sat on the edge of the bed and bent down to kiss my forehead. He apologized for leaving me with a boring Saturday.  Suddenly I blurted out that I was thinking of going 'Home' for the weekend to see my Mum and take a time out from city life. Mr. Stannix smiled at me, "Whatever you decide sweetie, I'll take my house keys just incase." I really don't like leaving Mr. Stannix, but I needed a break after the long, crazy week. Before he went downstairs to leave, he brought Hyrum in and snuggled him into bed with me. Soon I heard Camilla's little feet on the hardwood and she joined me for morning snuggles. As he went downstairs he said, "If you do decide to go, make sure you drive safe." I debated to go or not to go for the longest time and finally came to the conclusion that Mr. Stannix was going to be gone for most of the weekend anyways. As I got up and made the bed, I began setting out clothes to pack without even thinking. That settled it. I made some porridge for breakfast and spoon fed my little man some rice cereal. I whipped up a big pot of chilli and some homemade buns for Mr. Stannix. I know how he hates to cook and I wanted him to be taken care of while I was gone. With the house clean and morning naps had, we took off just in time for the kids to have their afternoon naps in the car.

The drive was beautiful. I love this season. The colors on the trees were gorgeous. As I rounded a few corners and coasted down the familiar hills the views were breathtaking. The fall leaves provided a beautiful contrast to the black storm that was rolling in over the mountains. I took a deep breath in, and slowly let it out. I was home, and it felt good.

Camilla woke up just as we got into town and excitedly exclaimed, "Almost there!!" We drove over the bridge and checked out the river, then onto the windy little highway to the acreage. As we pulled into the subdivision Camilla exclaimed, "There's Damma's house! I found it! YAY!" Hyrum woke up and Camilla looked over at him, "High-am we here!! You so excited? Mum, High-ams smiiiiiiilin' at me!"

I spent the rest of the afternoon juicing crab apples with my Mum. Dad Barbecued Chicken for dinner, and we had acorn squash smothered in butter and brown sugar, fresh garden potatoes and freshly peeled garden carrots. After dinner, Mum and I made two batches of crab apple jelly. I got excited for my sister and I both to come home in the future and can jams and jellies with Mum in the kitchen. It was special for me to spend that time with my Mum.

The kids went to bed in the spare room and I spent the rest of my night crocheting and listening to the wonderful pop sound as the jars of jelly sealed. I chatted with my parents without the interruptions of cars zooming by on the street. As I turned out the lights and went to bed, it was super dark. It had been a while since I had experienced dark like that. There were no streetlights shining in the windows, just the lone yard light on the far side of the house to keep an eye on the deer and wildlife. I snuggled into the big queen bed and missed Mr. Stannix like crazy! Camilla rolled over and snuggled into me as I fell asleep. Before morning, both children were sharing the big bed with me as we slept.

We missed Daddy while he was home doing is course, but it was nice to be in my old home ward where there were many helping hands and laps for Hyrum to bounce around on. Camilla enjoyed nursery and playing with the kids. We got to visit with Nana and Auntie Faith after dinner and then we called Daddy. Camilla left him a cute little message to call her back. Mr. Stannix was at a church meeting Sunday night and didn't get in until late. I kept Camilla up to talk to her Daddy when he called back. She got tired and started resting her head on Gramma's lap as she snuggled under a blanket. Then she snuggled Gramma with her head on her shoulder for a few minutes. Finally, Mr. Stannix called back to talk with his girls.

Today we are looking forward to returning home to Daddy and spending time together tonight! I am not looking forward to the long drive, but I am so looking forward to giving Mr. Stannix a big kiss when I get home! I am so grateful for my Mr. Stannix and his wisdom, love and support. He works so hard for us, and we love him so much!

Crab Apples

Yesterday we picked a whole lot of crab apples! The tree was gorgeous and loaded with apples ready for the pickin'! The branches sprung back to life as we relieved them of their load. As I picked I admired the contrast of the bright red apples against the clear blue sky. It was beautiful! 

Camilla was a huge help! She picked the few branches that were hanging low enough to reach. She would jump and grab apples from the branch (and most of the leaves). She also picked up the ones off the ground that we would drop. It was super fun to spend the morning with Auntie Chris and visit with Uncle Mike at lunch! We are super excited to make some crab apple jelly soon!

We had nachos for dinner. I was feeling bad because I didn't cook up any veggies, until I remembered that Salsa has veggies in it! After dinner Camilla had a PB&J sandwich, just to make sure she was full before bed. Mr. Man enjoyed his rice cereal again. I brought him upstairs while Camilla finished her sandwich to change him into his jammies. I layed him on his change table and began undressing him. He smiled up at me and I couldn't help but blow raspberries on his naked little tummy. He screeched and giggled causing our stairway to be full of laughter. I love the sound of laughter before bed. As I tucked in the kiddos the giggles rang in my ears. 

Filling Tummies

Hyrum had another small bowl of Rice Cereal or "Rice See-see" as Camilla calls it, for dinner yesterday. He LOVED it. So much so that he was grabbing the spoon and practically feeding himself. I guess I wasn't spooning it in fast enough for him. He's getting to be such a big boy. After his belly was full he had some floor time. He enjoyed it for the whole of two minutes until his sister rolled on him. He's going to grow up to be one tough kid!

When I was putting him down for his afternoon nap Camilla was playing quietly on her own. It was almost too quiet, the kind of quiet that equals trouble. After I got him to sleep I investigated and found her like this...

She had stuck so many stickers on her leg it looked like she had a cast on. As I made dinner I had to keep getting her to peel them off the bottom of my feet for me. I'm sure I will be finding them all over our house for weeks! At least they kept her quiet for a few minutes!

Because she ate all of her dinner, I told her she could have dessert. I was going to give her a scoop of ice cream in a bowl after dinner, but she said, "umm, maybe....Milkshakes?" After cleaning up the toys and getting into jammies, we whipped up some banana milkshakes for bed time snack. It was great. After prayers and a piggy back ride, Daddy read her "Green Eggs and Ham" and then she zonked out. After Daddy came back downstairs we snuggled up to an episode of Smallville. I put my head on his lap and stretched across the couch and he played with my hair, my favorite. A day well spent!

Indoor Playground

Last night before bed, this is what we did...

 Yes, that's a fork in Camilla's hand. I think she even has strawberries in her mouth...

Sometimes the word "Mom" can be used interchangeably with "Indoor Playground".

Sand and Autumn

This morning we went for a long walk to the park to play with friends and enjoy the colorful leaves and the crisp Fall breeze. Camilla's little legs walked the 20 minutes there and all the way home after. 

Hyrum rode quietly in the stroller all the way there and slept all the way home. Camilla liked to help push her brother down the sidewalk. She also enjoyed running and picking up sticks. I was constantly reminding her not to run with sticks in her hand. She was so full of life, everything was exciting to her! The colorful leaves danced around our feet as we walked. Camilla skipped beside me with her tiny, chilled hand safely held inside my hand. Our hair got messed up in the wind, and our cheeks turned a nice rosy color. The perfect Fall day...

 When we got to the park we were greeted by our good friends! They survived a nice sand fight and overall had a lot of fun together, runny noses and all! I was glad we braved the chill for a day at the park!

 I am excited for Hyrum to experience the park next year when his little legs are running a million miles an hour to keep up with his big sister. He loves her so so much and is always full of giggles when she's in his sight. Yesterday she tried sharing her chocolate chip cookie with him, I think he liked it. We left the park with chocolate chip cookies in hand to munch on our long walk home. About a block away Camilla bent down and I asked her what she was doing. She told me she was putting her cookie in her "pocket" to save for later. It was super cute. I bet it had a nice ride home with all the sand that was in the cuff of her pant leg. She's so cute. With the kiddos down for afternoon naps, I am off to make some blue berry bagels for breakfasts the next couple days. Hopefully the oven will warm up our house a little bit! I love this season, it's very cozy, a blanket and sweater season. We actually had hot chocolate with our breakfast the other morning. This old house gets chilly some days. Nothing like baking to warm it back up again!

Super Pooper

Yesterday we all went down for naps. I was awoken by the sound of the toilet seat slamming shut and figured Camilla was down playing in the bathroom. It was weird because she never plays in the bathroom. My body was too tired to investigate, so I slept for another few minutes until a tiny hand was placed on my back to wake me. I rolled over blurry eyed and looked at the smiling face of my little girl as she exclaimed, "I pooped in the potty Mommy!! A big one, AND a little one!" I rolled over so that I could look over the edge of the bed, and sure enough, pants and diaper were no where to be seen. My energetic two year old went down stairs and into the bathroom and waited for me while I got the other munchkin and came down. Camilla stood in the bathroom and patiently waited for me. As I got to the bathroom she pointed into the toilet to show me her success. Ahh, the joys of motherhood. Not only had she done the dirty deed in her little potty, but she successfully dumped it out into the big potty and it was ready for the flushing. After washing up and getting on a clean diaper, she was rewarded with two jelly beans. I would have given the kid the whole jar for doing all of that on her own and letting me sleep, but it would have probably made her sick. I was SO impressed. We haven't even really been potty training, but this little girl almost always does her number two business in the potty. I must tell her a lot because as I was putting on a clean diaper she said, "I pooped in the potty! That makes Mommy SOOO happy!" You bet it did. She proceeded to have two more successful trips to the potty throughout the afternoon. After dinner we ate chocolate chip cookies on the deck and watched for airplanes. It's one of Camilla's favorite things to do. She can hear them coming from a mile away!

Hyrum was a completely different story yesterday! He awoke from his morning nap very sad. I went up to get him and realized he had projectile vomited all over his bedding and blankets and self. I brought him downstairs and bathed him and then changed him into outfit number one. A few seconds later he puked all over himself again, and was onto outfit number two. After his afternoon nap, he filled his diaper and moved on to outfit number three. I changed his diaper just before dinner and between diapers he managed to pee ALL OVER himself. I think I lost count after outfit number five. He must have had an upset stomach because that kid NEVER pukes. Around dinner time, Hyrum spent a lot of time in the wrap and wanted a lot of snuggles. I think he may be finally cutting teeth. I will very much miss his toothless little grin! At the end of a very long and messy day, it was nice to sit down with Mr. Stannix, my crocheting, and a bag of skittles. That bag of skittles was probably my only saving grace yesterday as I would sneak some here and  there  Mr. Stannix saved me some for today, so sweet of him. Last night I was awake often enough that I saw all of the numbers 11, 12, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 throughout the night. I hate nights like that. The funny part is Hyrum slept like a baby, it was miss CJ who kept sneaking into our bed all night. I can't really blame her though, she has a wicked cough and runny nose.  If the going gets really tough today, I think I still have a chocolate bar stashed away somewhere.

Train/Maroon 5

Saturday night Mr. Stannix and I got a night out on the town complete with a bus and LRT ride and a concert! The noise and the energy at Rexall place was amazing. It was Mr. Stannix's first concert ever, so it was super fun. We went with Mr. Stannix's brother, Andrew and his girlfriend, Christina. It was a fun filled night! Matt Nathanson opened up the show and played some familiar tunes. Then the stage was switched up for Train. As the lights went low, a train whistle blew signaling the start of act two. It got louder and louder, the cheering got louder and louder and finally the lights went on the stage and the band began to rock some tunes. 

For the first five minutes I couldn't get over his tight, white pants and hilarious stance (probably due to the tightness of the pants). Mr. Stannix wrapped his arm around my shoulders as we sat side by side. They put on a super good show complete with a huge encore. Lots of great songs were played!

After Train completed the encore, the stage was again switched up for Maroon 5. They opened up with "Moves like Jagger" and also played a lot of their other popular songs. The crowd stood and danced for almost the whole time. I personally loved how they transitioned from one song to another while they kept playing. As we stood and danced to the music, Mr. Stannix put his arm around my waist and we danced together. It was kind of romantic and I liked that everyone knew I was his.

At one point they whipped out a giant disco ball which spun lights on the whole audience. It was SO cool! The show was amazing! The music, the lights, super fun!

It was great to have a night out with just my Mr. Stannix. They finished off the night with "She Will be Loved", but we took off before they finished to beat the rush and get home to our babysitter and sleeping children. 

Although I thoroughly enjoyed myself, there was one point in the middle of the concert where I almost burst into tears because I was so home sick for my munchkins! Call me crazy, but I love being home with my children. It was our first time getting a babysitter who wasn't family but I knew she would do amazing!

We totally took this in the train station!

Where's Camilla?

The other night I went upstairs to put Hyrum in his crib and found an empty bed. We usually tuck Camilla in first and then I feed up Hyrum and get him ready for bed. While I was downstairs nursing, I heard the floor creek upstairs as she tiptoed across to our room and climbed into Daddy's side of the bed. This has become a new fetish of hers. We'll tuck her in, and then a few minutes later she'll sneak out. The first time it happened she was so sneaky we didn't notice until we actually went up to go to bed and found her cuddled in under our duvet, sound asleep. I put Hyrum in his crib and went downstairs without taking too much notice. As I got to the bottom her sweet little voice called out, "Mum, I need a smoochie". How could I resist. Back up the creaky stairs I went to give my girl a kiss good night. I wish she could stay little forever.

Mum's the Word

It's official! Hyrum's first word is "Mum".

Last night at the dinner table I was holding Hyrum on my lap. We were all eating and talking and all of the sudden he started joining in with "mum-mum-mum". Mr. Stannix said, "Well, I guess it's official, Hyrum's first word is 'Mum'".

Also funny, Camilla said dinner prayer last night and said, "Dee-dee (which means thank-you)  that I can kick like Franklin". Franklin is a turtle who plays soccer on one of her little shows. She likes to "kick like Frainlin".

Mr. Stannix and I are goin' on a date tonight to see Maroon 5!

Happy Saturday!

An Eve in September

Yesterday was a beautiful day. The children and I passed the time by going to the park and sitting on the front lawn waiting for Daddy to come home from school. Aside from a little tidying, the dishes sat unwashed until this morning and pots stayed on the stove. Mr. Stannix came home with a headache so he went up stairs for a quick snooze after dinner. Camilla, Hyrum and I went outside to pass the time and enjoy the cool, Fall evening. 

Our crazy girl on the porch swing

This picture pretty much made me laugh out loud...

So brave and daring!

I am looking forward to the ground being covered in bright, colorful leaves as well as warm sweaters and evening marshmallow roasts in our pit out back. If anyone's interested, come on over and join us!

Wuffa Time

Mr. Stannix had his first day of school yesterday. The little girl ordered up "Wuffas" for breakfast, so we had chocolate chip waffles topped with banana slices. A great back to school breakfast. It even got a thumbs up from Camilla!

Whenever we make waffles on a Saturday or Sunday morning I always send her to tell Daddy that breakfast is ready and she'll run off yelling, "Daddyyyy, Wuffas time. Waffus time Daddy!" It's the cutest darn thing. She has recently learned how to say "You're welcome" except it's "You're welpin'". Also, the cutest thing. After dinner last night she said to me, "Thanksa dinner Hun". So glad she appreciates my cooking. 

After breakfast, Daddy ran (literally) to catch the bus for his first day back. We weren't far behind with the babe in wrap and Camilla in the stroller. Mr. Hyrum had his 4 month shots today. He is over 16lbs, in the 50th percentile for weight, and in the 97th percentile for height (how did that even happen?!). Looks like we might have a tall, lean guy on our hands.

The kiddos hung out in the kitchen with me while I made dinner. Camilla was showing Hyrum how to be gentle and not hit her. Poor guy needs to learn some motor control before any of that information can sink in! They were both squealing and giggling. Music to my ears. I love watching them both play together!

After I put Hyrum to sleep, Camilla and I made chocolate chip cookies. I let her sit on the couch with a glass of milk and dip them while she finished up her show. She looked at me and said, "Look mum! My cookie's swimmin'!" I told her to save it and eat it quickly, so she did and proceeded to shove it into her mouth. When she finished dipping I asked her to drink her milk. She filled up her little mouth with milk and then made a fishy face at me. I sternly told her to please swallow it into her belly. Her eyes smiled at me. I told her again to swallow it IN to her belly. She sort of shrugged, then spat the milk ON to her belly. It's moments like that where laughter is most needed. What else could I do? I love the funny ways she interprets what I say sometimes.

Grocery Gong Show

So, the other day I went grocery shopping. I should have known not to do it so close to lunch and naps, but alas, into the car and off to Sobeys we went. The sky was blue and the sun was shining as we pulled into the parking lot. I tied on my baby wrap and got it all ready for Hyrum. Just as I lifted him out of his seat and started putting his legs through the wrap, something made my hand really wet. I looked at his diaper and fabulous mustard yellow pooh was oozing out the sides. Lovely. Onto the front seat he went for a quick bum change, and then into the wrap for shopping. Camilla walked beside me into the store and then we grabbed a cart. It took Camilla a long long time to get into her seat and belted. This poor lady waited and waited, then just went to the other line of carts to get one, and then got stuck there waiting for me to reverse and make my way inside. To make matters worse, this happened more than a few times to this poor woman while we were inside the store. "Excuse me." "Sorry again". "Sorry, two kids....". "Oops". "Pardon me". As we rounded our way out of the produce area, I never saw her again, she was probably glad to be done with me and my crazy crew. Camilla was grabbing and pulling at the baby wrap as I tried to push the cart, causing me to have to stretch my arms like elastigirl just to push the cart without being touched. Then came the random screeches at random times drawing everyone's attention to moi. So not fun. I couldn't find anything on my shopping list and had to go back and forth a few times looking for things like Pesto, which I've never bought before, until I finally found it. Camilla started reaching into the cart and grabbing things (we all know what happens to a jar of mayo when Camilla gets her paws on it). I moved everything to the far side of the cart to keep it out of her reach. I picked up her silly frog stuffy who knows how many times while we cruised up and down the aisles. Finally, we were done. I was just glad that Hyrum was asleep. Just as I pulled up to the checkouts about a bazillion other people did too. I got in line behind this lady in a dress, and was blocking the aisle a little. When I tried to pull ahead, the wheel by my right foot caught on a crate. Camilla was sitting just above her seat, on the bar part, still with the lap belt across her legs. As the wheel hit the crate, Camilla tipped over backwards and right into the cart. Luckily the cart was pretty full and the taco chips broke her fall. The look on her face was priceless. I couldn't decide whether to laugh or cry at this point, and neither could she. Finally, scared and surprised, she decided to cry. It was a good "that's why we don't stand in the cart" teaching opportunity. The lady in front of me looked at me horrified when it happened, but thankfully didn't have much to say. Camilla cried alligator tears for the next five minutes while we stood in line. Again, everyone was looking and whispering. A sweet older couple came and talked to her, which just made her cry harder. I finally got all my groceries up and the cashier started ringing me through. Camilla was settled and sat while I loaded the cart with our grocery bags. The cashier then tried to talk to her and she burst into tears again and laid her head down on my arm which was resting on the handle of the cart. The poor kid. Finally I payed for our loot and we booked it out of there. Camilla had an "I'ma do it!!!" fit at the car when it came time to get into her seat, then Hyrum cried when I woke him to get him into his seat. I was going to leave the cart there, but decided to bring it back. On my way to the front, a lady from Sobeys asked if I dropped a wallet. I thought I had put it in a grocery bag, but asked her what it looked like. "Long and brown?" was her reply. "Yup, that's mine". She explained how she noticed I had my hands full, and thought it must be mine. I raced into the front desk, retrieved it, and then ran back to the car. The words "Home Time" never sounded so good as they did at that moment. 

 P.S. This kid LOVES his rice cereal!

Good Morning Sunshine

Well, it's finally happened. One morning last week Camilla snuck out of my bed after morning snuggles and jumped into the crib with her little brother. He was already awake cooing and blowing bubbles, so he didn't mind. I love watching them play together. Hyrum will often scream playfully and grab at her hair or face and give her his crazy eyes. Camilla sometimes calls him a "pay-zee doof" and tells him how "tee-oot" he is.

Hello Josh Groban

 On Friday night I got to go to a Josh Groban concert with a great friend of mine. My dear Mr. Stannix bought me the tickets for my birthday, and offered to watch the children for the evening. As my friend and I got out of the car and started walking I felt naked. I had no kids, I had no husband, and I had no diaper bag to cart around with me. Thank-goodness I brought a semi-large purse, the weight on my shoulder was comforting. It was the first time I've had a night on the town in a very long time. I felt like I was in high school again or something. It was fun to feel giddy and excited.

This amazing contemporary pianist, Elew, opened up for him. This guy was so good that the lady beside me joked that the music was pre-recorded. I wish I could have seen this guys fingers move. He was amazing! At one point it sounded like he whipped out a guitar, but he was just playing ON THE STRINGS of the piano. I'm pretty sure he used his elbows at one point too. He played a huge mix of stuff from Gilligan's Island to The Rolling Stones to Katy Perry and some other stuff that I wish I could remember the names of.

There was a brief intermission while they reset the stage for Josh Groban. I enjoyed people watching and I think Jessica and I counted like 10 pregnant ladies. It was amusing. Finally the lights went low and his orchestra began playing main stage. I loved that even the orchestra music was live and not pre-recorded. It made the experience so amazing. I immediately missed playing with the Symphonic Winds. 

Then, Josh Groban ran out from the Zamboni hole and onto a tiny stage in the center. I didn't even notice it until he ran out. Suddenly people were flocking around the stage, standing and dancing. It was awesome. He joked that the audience were like "swarming sharks". At one point he was singing on center stage and there was a cute couple in the front (but it was the back because Josh was in the center) who danced together to this super romantic song. It was sweet.

He alternated between center and main a lot of the night and played his best tunes. At one point he walked onto the floor and said to a man, "You look like you've been dragged here. For all you husbands, don't worry, it's only two hours. And remember...I work for you!". That made me laugh.

His voice was really great, but I was seriously in love with his orchestra, back up pianists, guitar players and drummers. The music was phenomenal! They did a few songs without words and I was able to just sit back and close my eyes and soak in all of the sounds. I missed playing in a band like that so badly. One day, I will play again! He pulled a couple on stage who had been married 26 years and sang to them. He also sang with a 19 year old girl from here who, if I do say so myself, had an amazing voice! He was very interactive. At the end he finished with "You Raise me Up" and had the crowd join in and sing.

All in all a success. I felt like such a lucky girl! I went home to sleeping babies. Hyrum tried the bottle for the first time and took it! I am now excited to be able to get out more with my Mr. Stannix for some awesome dates again, starting with a Maroon 5 concert next weekend!