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!

I Love Autumn

Autumn is pretty much here!

Mr. Stannix reminds me at least once a day that this is his favorite season.

I think it's starting to be mine too.

I love the brisk Autumn air and the beautiful colors.

I love how cute my children look in hats.

I love Mr. Stannix in his hot brown jacket that he whips out every Autumn around this time.

I love wearing sweaters on the crisp evening nights.

I love the excitement that starts to build inside me for Christmas.

I love raking leaves and jumping in them.

I love watching leaves dance to the ground as they get blown down by the wind.

I love remembering how Mr. Stannix and I first met in this very season.

I love Autumn.