48 posts tagged “daughters”
So, the end of 2008 was fast approaching, and the twins were beyond their second birthday. I was thinking back to the point in Brianna's toddlerhood when we made the transition to Big Girl Bed. We did the Step-2 toddler bed thing with her crib mattress and a bed-in-a-bag set that I picked up from Wal-Mart. I confess I was very eager to get her on to the next step, and so when she told me she wanted the new bed, I jumped at the chance. She was 22 months and could speak clear enough that I understood, "I want my Big Girl Bed now, Mommy." I feel the need to tell you this because at 27 months, the twins were barely able to say a couple of words without the need for "Twinglish" translation.
She had her toddler bed (which later became a funky Step-2 castle bed that looked like this) until it was time for her to move into a twin size bed so that we could have her mattress for one of the twins cribs.
Back to the twins. We decided to forget about the Step-2 toddler bed stage and just go with full size twin beds. A big expense at once, but we felt that they would at least have these beds for many years. I found the beds at Wal-Mart (geez, I love that store), and the quilts, sheets, pillows and mattresses at Sears. The beds are actually bunk beds, so we can stack the girls when they get older, and they were only $230.
Kaitlyn (in white) making sure that Daddy was putting her bed together properly, and Ainsley was making sure the mattress rails are strong enough.
I found it funny that we didn't tell them which bed they should sleep in. It seemed logical to them that since one bed was in the exact spot of Kaitlyn's crib, that bed should be hers. Ainsley didn't seem to mind that her new bed was not in the same spot as her crib.
The twins felt the need to get their bouncy bums going... just to test the firmness of the new mattresses, you see. I was just pleased that they were feeling positive about the switch!
Now the twins are perfectly happy in their Big Girl Beds and we haven't looked back. Just one more stage down (of so many yet to come).
Kaitlyn on left...... Ainsley on right.
I have started making some yummy smoothies for the kids as a mid-morning snack, and I have to say they are quite good! Here's what I use:
Depending on the fruit/tofu combo, I can make some great variations. I use Sunrise Tofu Dessert, fresh and/or frozen fruit, skim milk (to keep the smoothie from getting too thick) and yogurt. Easy Peasy! They amounts of each are up to you, but I usually add approximately:
2 cups fruit (blended)
1/2 cup yogurt
1/4-1/2 cup milk
1 package of tofu (they are sold in pairs)
** You could also add some wheat germ or liquid vitamin supplements to the mix to boost the nutritional value if your kids are picky eaters. They would never know!
Some of the flavours we like:
Bananas, French Vanilla yogurt (or plain), milk, and Banana Tofu Dessert -- for the cheeky monkeys in your house.
* Add a dollop of chocolate syrup to the above for a choco/banana flavour!
Frozen (or fresh) strawberries, bananas, strawberry yogurt, milk, and Banana Tofu Dessert -- for a classic strawberry/banana flavour.
* Use Coconut Tofu Dessert in the above mixture (instead of banana) for a yummy Pina Colada flavour! My favorite!
Peaches (peeled), French Vanilla yogurt (or plain), milk, and Peach & Mango Tofu Dessert -- tropical!
* You could also add some fresh mango to the above mixture to increase the flavour, but they can be expensive out of season!
Freshly squeezed lime juice, French Vanilla yogurt (or plain), milk, and Key Lime Tofu Dessert -- for the more "mature" pallate! I haven't tried this one yet, but I want to! Kids may not like this one as much.
The proof is in the photo! A guilt-free snack in only a few minutes -- but the kids think it's a real treat!
I have to admit, we don't get the chance to take leisurely walks these days. We have a few great parks within a short driving distance, but it just isn't something that we think to do. There is always something going on -- work, school, gymnastics, swimming, birthday parties.... -- so when we actually have a few spare hours around the house, it is usually taken up with housework, renos... or just plain vegging.
Mike suggested that we take the kids to Campbell Valley Park to feed the birds, and I thought it was a great idea! I used to take my daycare kids there all the time as an afterschool activity. It was free (worked for my budget) and the kids loved hunting for birds and squirrels! I would often buy bird and squirrel food, and the kids would litter the paths with enough seeds to feed a small army of critters!
I don't think this was the first time the twins had been to the park -- but it may have! They loved it!
We chose to leave the stroller in the van -- despite the very long walk we would be taking -- so that the twins could really enjoy the trails. We knew they would be crying to get free anyway! It slowed us down quite a bit, but they really taught us that there was much to see on the ground (not just in the trees).
Brianna did a great job staying still so that the wee Chickadees could land on her hand to eat some seeds. When she was much smaller, she would be brave enough to put her hand out, but would jump and shoo the birds away once they came near her!Ainsley tried her best to feed the birds but she was just too little. Mike & I lifted the twins to our level so that they could watch the birds eat from our hands.
An excellent couple of hours had by all. Now that we have re-discovered this great park, we will be sure to go back often!
PS...I apologize for the duplicate photos to my Vox neighbours who also happen to be Facebook friends! :-)
I found this pattern on a free crochet pattern website that I subscribed to, and I immediately thought that it looked easy enough that even I could do it. I went to my local Michael's and bought up all the yarn I would need for 3 ponchos and started work on Brianna's. As it turned out, I have a smaller-than-average pre-schooler because I practically finished the poncho and had to completely pull it apart and start over. It just fell off her. It's not like my guage was way out, I followed the size dimentions, but it ended up way too wide in the shoulders. Thankfully, it did not take long to make.
Anyway, I made some adjustments to the pattern and finished her poncho just as she was finishing up the school year. She was so proud of it! She wore it everywhere, and told anyone who would listen that I made it for her! I received a lot of compliments on it, so I felt good about making some for the twins. I tried Brianna's poncho on Ainsley, made another adjustment to the pattern and started the toddler size. I finished Kaitlyn's during our trip to Drumheller (you can get a lot of crocheting done in the back seat of a mini van on a road trip!), and started Ainsley's on the same trip. I wouldn't let Katie wear hers until Ainsley's was done to prevent fights, so they had to wait a bit.
I was quite pleased with how they turned out:
I used Lion Brand Boucle and Fun Fur yarn for all of the ponchos: "Sorbet" & "Raspberry" for Ainsley, "Parfait" and "Violet" (I think) for Kaitlyn, and "Jelly Bean" & "Red" for Brianna. They are incredibly warm, so I think they will be nice for the early fall when a jacket is too much.
To change the patterns to fit my girls, I made the panels for Brianna's measure 12x20" and the panels for the twins were 10x17. I also made coat hook loops on the inside neck line so that they can be hung up properly without having to push the coat hook through the stitching (I just made a foundation chain and sewed that on). One last change: I made the Fun Fur trim at the bottom two rows thick instead of one for the twins ponchos and I like it better that just one. Brianna wouldn't let me add to hers though!
Sorry about the pics... they were the best I could get at the time! :-)
What question do you hate being asked?
"Are they twins?" Uh... YEAH!!!
Once the playhouse was finished, Mike was feeling very inspired to finish the slide/swing set. We got it for free from a friend that had no use for it, but it needed a lot of work to get it into shape. Mike added a bar for swings, a rock climbing wall, and a pirate wheel, and replaced the wooden monkey bars with metal ones and the canvas roof. We also had 10 yards of pea-gravel dumped onto our driveway to use as a safe ground cover for under the structure.
When the plans for Brianna's party started coming together, Mike had a deadline to meet. I am proud to say he did a great job. The swings didn't make it on in time, but the kids didn't seem to care!
My extended family has a couple of plots at the city's cemetery -- which happens to be 2 blocks from our house -- and my uncle, grandparents and father have been laid to rest there.
The unfortunate thing is that my remaining uncles and dad could not be bothered to have a stone mark my grandma's grave when she passed in '92. My dad's older brother was responsible for my grandad's finances when he was admitted to an extended care facility a few years later.... but still no marker. Ten long years went by before my grandad finally passed -- after many years of suffering from Parkinson's, dementia, and (most of all) a broken heart. Maybe grandad thought it would be too costly to have a marker for grandma, only to have it changed or replaced to include his details later. I don't know. But why did it take SIX YEARS to have a marker created for them once grandad passed?
I will spare you the details of an outrageous feud between brothers and in-laws over wills and inheiretance... only to explode after my father's death, resulting in the remaining two brothers not speaking, and awkwardness between all the cousins.
Anyway, my grandparents now have a marker that can be looked upon when loved ones come by to pay their respects. Rant done. The reason for this blog was not to winge and moan about all that.
My thoughts were on a positive note. Not about the triviality of my Baby-Boomer relatives, but of the sentimentality of Generation Z (??). Even after 3 1/2 years, my step-mom still pays her respects to my dad nearly every week (along with her mother at another cemetery) to trim the grass around the edge of the markers and care for the potted plants she always leaves. Sometimes, she stops at our place first and invites Brianna to walk to the cemetery with her -- and Brianna is always willing to go. Brianna was only 20 months old when my dad passed away (the age of the twins now), so I know that the chance of her having a memory of him is quite slim. Even so, she says she misses him and talks to him freely when she visits the cemetery. She even calls out "Hi" to him when we drive by!
It just goes to show that no matter what goes on in some adult's fickle lives, children hold on to their sentiments... un-restrained love that is never shy or embarrased, whether it be for a passed loved one, or a Barbie doll. I think we fickle adults should take reminders like that seriously. We should feel free to speak out loud to passed loved ones when we visit their markers, and we should show our excitement and gratitude over even the smallest gift.
In case you hadn't noticed, Brianna was named after my dad... Brian.
The day after the Playhouse Raising BBQ, there was still a bit of work to be done on the house. Finishing work and so on. It was another scortcher, so we set up the kiddie pool to let the girls cool off and stay out of Daddy & Papa's way. It was the first time the twins ever went in (they were too small last year), and they just loved it! We were smart to not fill it with cold water from the hose... we filled it half way, and then attached the hose to the hot water feed to the washer. Voila! Perfect temperature.
Mike gets full credit for that idea!
I am amazed that this pool is still in working order. I bought this for my daycare at least 3 years ago, and I haven't been so diligent about storing it carefully. No holes! The roof is great... it attaches to the pool with velcro.
The polka-dotted swimsuits and hats were Easter gifts from our good neighbour friends. I just love them! Brianna was given a matching suit as well, but she wore hers the day before.
Our May long weekend was a cooker... and the perfect time to build a playhouse! My Mom bought the kit for the girls as a Christmas present, and she was just vibrating all winter -- she couldn't wait to see it built! We knew that Mike would not be able to get it done in a timely manner by himself, so we invited a big group of friends and family over for a Playhouse Raising BBQ. It started around 11 AM, and everyone packed it in by about 7 PM. We served lunch and dinner to everyone and provided plenty of beer, iced tea, pop and juice. The twins enjoyed their first ever freezie (smart Mommy gave them clear ones), and all of the kids had a blast playing in the sprinklers, playing badminton, riding bikes and trikes and just goofing off (there were 7 kids in all).
The thing was literally in pieces and came with instructions that may as well have been written in Swahili. Andy, Andrew, Brian, Darrell and Mike were up to the challenge.... and thankfully Andrew is in construction!
I could not believe how well the guys worked together... and how fast the house went up! By the end of the day, all that was left were some finishing touches and a few boards to hammer on. Mike and his Dad took care of that the next day.
The house is so cute with its little porch and steps! Brianna just loves it! We had a wee wooden table and chair set from Ikea in the playroom, so that's in the house now so that the girls can have little tea parties and so on. I am so proud of Mike and the guys and I appreciate all their hard work.
I hope this playhouse becomes the girls' sancuary/club house/no-boys-allowed place to hang out. I can imagine Crayola artwork tacked to the walls, treasures and collections stored in old cookie tins and shoe boxes, comics and books piled in the corners, blankets and cusions on the floor during the summer.... and stories of every dream, goal and crush filling every nook and cranny. Perfect!
I can't believe my last post was April 5th!!! My Vox page is my husband's home page when he logs onto the internet, so he will be very happy that he no longer has to see my last post.
I have to say this last month has been crazy! I was out of commision for a whole week with what was most likely bronchitis or pneumonia, but -- much to my husband's dismay -- I did not seek medical attention. Major cough, fever and aches and pains kept me on the couch (one day in BED) so I was so thankful that Mike was able to step up to the plate and take over some of the more important day-to-day stuff... uh... like feeding the kids. I didn't even have the energy to crochet, let alone blog. I tried to keep tabs on all of you, though, and I just spent a couple of hours reading the last few weeks of my 'hood's posts.
The kids have been ill off and on too. This household should have yellow 'quarantine' tape around it. We have been passing colds to each other like crazy, and I am hoping we are at the end of all that business. Brianna was off school all last week with a fever, but the Dr couldn't find the cause right away, asked that we just monitor her for a couple more days before he orders tests, et voila -- the next day no more fever! She obviously fought whatever it was she had, but I can't help touching her forehead now and then.
I have not been that sick since... I just don't know when. I am usually lucky when it comes to dodging colds. Not this time.
I have finally posted a new profile pic with my new 'do. I posted about my haircut a while back, but I have had it cut even shorter since then and I just love it. My husband did not have much to say about it. I guess it was one of those "Don't say anything at all" things.
Anyway, I have so much to share with all of you. I'm just going to start with a couple of pics that I am just busting to show you:
We call this the "Cheetah Couch"... although, I think it's more of a jaguar print. We bought it for Brianna when she was about 2 1/2 so that she had something just-her-size to sit on and watch Dora and Blue's Clues. We brought it out of retirement for the twins and they love using it as a comfy reading spot.
I have often said that the twins are "The best of friends and the worst of enemies", so moments like these are so precious! That Elmo book is majorly coveted by both girls. It is now ready to be taped together -- again! -- and the front cover has been peeled off. Can't throw it out though. Major jammer would ensue and I'm not into dealing with that right now.
** I just love the way Kaitlyn plonked herself down between Ainsley's legs. See her wee stripety foot to Kaitlyn's left? Too cute!
