Mother's Day 2011

This was the Mother of all Mother's Days. That is for certain.

I kind of suspected that something was up because Brad was acting a little odd and, even giddy, at the idea of me spending Saturday night soaking in a tub while he got to wrestle all the kids in their baths and then into bed.

The next morning he was up bright and early and got the kids out of their beds. "Making me breakfast? Probably. I should at least be able to sleep in until 8am . . . "or so I thought.

At 7am the doors to our bedroom burst open and a parade of gifts came in with Brad leading the way, camera in hand. Each child was holding a bag from a different store. Coincidentally, my favourite stores. "Trust me, you'll want to wake up early today!" Brad beamed.

First came the home-made gifts: a pop up card from Jackson, a hand-painted flower pot with Hershey's kisses from Jayden, a drawing from Avery. Then there was a cuisinart from Williams Sonoma, a Pottery Barn bag housed a small potted plant, the Banana Republic bag had mens' socks in it (maybe to throw me off?), Holt Renfrew had some chap stick in it (at $15 it was the cheapest thing in the store), and then a large jewelry bag had four cards and some jewelry cleaner in it. I must admit, the bag was large so I was expecting a silver plate or crystal drinkware so something . . . but to find jewelry cleaner? I was stumped. I searched for the "IOU coupon" for something, but before I could find anything Brad told me to check under my pillow for the present of my dreams.

A neatly wrapped box with a heavy inner box held a delicate, ever-so-sparkly diamond ring. And, most certainly, it was the one of my dreams.

I was stunned. Speechless. I scanned the room for a security guard who would no doubt ask for the ring back, but there were none.

"It's on loan," said Brad. My heart sank at the thought of having to give it up. (Fortunately, for me anyway, there aren't any jewelers who loan rings out to anyone less than a celebrity so this was indeed mine to keep.)

The rest of the morning was spent admiring my home made gifts . . . in the light of brilliant sparkles coming from my finger . . . and eating french toast and bacon.

I think the only way it could have been more perfect is if Brad had lent me a hair brush before the big photo shoot. (Apparently the hair fairy did quite a number on me the night before--sorry no face shots of the day, I'm too vain!)

This year, Brad certainly won the "Best Husband of the Millenia" award.

What's New?

Yes, cyberworld, it has been a very long time since you heard anything substantial from me.


"What's new?" you ask?


Well, let's see . . .


Life has been rather busy. April brought some house parties: Pampered Chef and a baby shower. Soon followed by a quick trip to Houston for Easter. We came home and hit the ground running with our anniversary, the Royal Wedding, and (monthly) federal election catching our attention. Mother's Day brought the onset of Birthday Season and I'm just holding on tight, hoping to make it through . . . and somehow find a way to enjoy it.

The House:

Well, getting everything "finished-ish" by the end of March just didn't happen. I'm not even sure my new goal of May is plausible. Maybe by June though!

Our neighbour tipped us off on a great deal for granite and we are getting that put in next Tuesday! It's very exciting, but sent me in a bit of a tizzy since I wasn't planning on finishing our kitchen for another year and therefore haven't looked at what I liked/wanted. Now I'm trying to figure it all out with in a week or two, screaming kids in tow, and on a tight budget. Hopefully it will work out and I'll have some great photos to show.

Grass . . . our neighbours to the left are moving in at the end of May and bubbled with excitement to let me know that grass will be coming SO soon! Like in June!! My heart sank. JUNE?? I have six 6-year old boys coming to my house next Friday and was really hoping I'd have grass for them. Not to mention that it's been over a year and a half without a yard and we have all gone crazy. Legally, they have until July 9th to put it in for us and I really will not be surprised if I don't see real sod on our property until July 8th.

Jayden:
Has been doing well in school, particularly enjoying science and recess. During recess he is one of the best spies for the boys' side, allowing them to conquer the playground wars.

At home, he likes to watch endless Star Wars episodes and read to his siblings. Soccer has also started up for him and he is thrilled about it. That and pulling construction debris onto our property to make "forts" in our mud pit.

Jackson:
Lost his first tooth the other day. (The tooth fairy must have been kicking himself, er herself, for dropping a $20 for Jayden's first tooth and now having to keep it up for the next child.) Needless to say, he was excited that he can now buy 1.5 Bakugan packs.

Jackson has really had a great month because he learned how to ride his bike on two wheels! I'm not sure who's facial excitement was more entertaining to watch: his or Avery's when she saw her big brother riding around without training wheels.

Avery:
Has been preparing to enter kindergarten next year. She has been working really hard on mastering "getting dressed by herself" and "putting her shoes on by herself".

Her interests lie almost exclusively in mermaids, princesses, and long flowy blonde hair (a la Repunzel).

Liv:
Our little baby has been working hard to become a toddler. She pulls herself up on everything she can and has learned the stairs exceptionally well. Fortunately, she still calls me close when she wants to climb up and doesn't do it without a spotter yet. She has also figured out how to use her dragon toy (see her birthday post) as a walker and LOVES it. Although, she does require A LOT of applause before she will perform any feat. Liv enjoys walking when someone is holding her hands for support.

Speaking of hands and support, Liv understands the importance of protecting her hands at all times. Since she does most of her getting around on all fours, she insists on protecting her hands with any one's shoes she can get a hold of. Good thing I ordered an extra pair of shoes for her the last time we bought shoes!!

Her teeth are growing in like weeds, she even has a molar . . . or is it a premolar??

Favourite pass times include playing with puppets (where she makes noises for them as the dance around), talking on the phone, climbing stairs, and "protecting her hands".

Brad:
Has enjoyed a recent "Tennis Camp" with his dad and brothers. After seeing how tired he was from working so hard and doing so much for us and everyone else, I thought he could use the weekend to sleep without disruptions and relax on a beach . . . for his birthday present.

Brad has also earned the "Awesome-est Husband of the Millenia" award after this past Mother's Day/anniversary.

Me:
As I ran from one soccer field to the next to the next (after spending my week running from one tile shop to the next to the next), I realized that I deserve the "Super Mom" award for even attempting to try to stay on top of everyone's activities, life events, and the house. Oh, and that volunteering to help coach a soccer team just might be out of my reach for this year. Kind of thinking it just might be a bit much. Honestly, I hope that when my kids grow up and realize that I wasn't really at ANY of their soccer games to cheer them on, I hope they understand why. I just couldn't split myself in three . . . and at the very least, I BROUGHT them to the field so that they COULD play.

texas

Over the Easter Holidays, we took a trip out to visit my brother and his family out in Houston.

We had a great time visiting everything his city had to offer . . . in our short four days. We went to the malls (of course!), ate some awesome American food (La Madeliene anyone?? Mmmm. Pei Wei.), spent time relaxing at my brother's pool, and took a trip out to NASA and Kemah.

NASA was really interesting. The kids loved the simulators and looking at real rockets. The adults were sad that we didn't leave enough time to do the tram tour. It sounded really interesting since you got to visit the astronaut training facility and old mission control. However, Jackson was picked as the volunteer to show us what life is like on a space shuttle and that was very entertaining!

Kemah was cool too. Again, wishing we had more time. A board walk with some amusement rides and games. We took a hurried photoshoot for my brother's family here. Wish we had had some more time though because the back drop was amazing as far as pictures are concerned!

While in town we also met up with a long-time friend and her kids. It was fun for the kids to meet the person who is most often on the other end of the phone! (Shelley and I might talk frequently.) Again, I took a quick photoshoot for them . . . the heat was pretty crazy. Especially since back home people were still wearing winter coats and gloves!!

It was definitely a fun trip and we will have to go back.

(Oh, do check back because as I continue sifting through millions of photos from last few months, I will be posting other pics from this trip . . . like Jackson the astronaut.)

Saw this,

thought it was pretty funny. Or maybe sad??

Enjoy!

Finally!

We have grass!

Did you miss it? Here's a close up.

Green blades started springing up a few weeks ago when the ice age finally came to an end. However, I'm a little upset that our neighbours who moved in almost a year after us some how ended up with more grass.

Perhaps we will have to do a little "Fun With Dick and Jane" lawn treatment.

Oh, please someone give us a real lawn!! It's the middle of May and I see no hope of landscapers near our place. Oh, and a flat back yard. Currently, we have a four foot drop to a diagonal 45 degree drop 30 ft (the extent of our yard) to the drain in the corner.

The Big Ten

Ten whole years have passed by since our wedding . . . so we celebrated with a large party in London, hosted by none else but the Queen. (And we may have let Wills and Kate have a bit of lime light too. ;) Obviously the end of April is a fantastic time for a wedding!)

But ironically, ten years seem to have flown by . . . and yet it feels as though there has never been a time when Brad and I have been apart. Perhaps it is because we have been together since high school? And I'm sure 8 years of post-secondary education, four kids, and a new business have helped keep our attention.

I feel like 10 years is a milestone worth more than a quickie post . . . but since we were out of town last weekend and came back needing to hit the ground running between work, social events (like the "Big Wedding" and smaller ones), and of course life with four kids, I will have to follow up this post. Stay tuned, it will be worth the wait.

I just also felt 10 years needed a mention. Close to the anniversary day.

So, Happy Anniversary to my sweetie! It's been 10 years of a wonderful marriage, and five of happy dating.

Help The Cox Family

My sister-in-law's sister-in-law just lost a brave battle to small cell cancer. She left behind a loving husband (who is still in school) and six children.

Please take a minute to read about her fierce fight and, if you feel so inclined to help, please donate what you can so her family can get through school without worrying about anything else.

Help David & Kaci Cox Family

A Place To Sit

Before:

The living room has been finished-ish for quite some time now. I could still use a bench against the wall where the family portraits are, and of course I could always use some more portraits! And maybe a frame or something to keep the vase of tulips company. But otherwise, I am very happy with it.

The main attraction is obviously the baby grand Brad inherited from his grandmother.

Club chairs were hauled over the border from Target. We found them on clearance and thought it wise to pick them up. Can you believe that we somehow fit TWO of them in our Odyssey . . . with three kids in car seats and crossed the border without the guy even asking us if we need to declare anything? I guess when you wave so many passports in front of them they figure there is no way you are going over your limit!

The end table is from Home Sense. The vase we had, tulips are from PB.

The rug was from PB too, as are all the drapes. Seriously a deal at $138/panel for lined silk. But when you add up the double rod, the drapery rings, and sheers my budget quickly got devoured!

Frames are from Michaels and Ikea. Artwork is a print tha tI've loved for a while. I bought the print off art.com and forked out some dough to get it custom framed. (Additional artwork supplied by Avery.)

Lamps are either one that we had and one that I found at Home Outfitters. They are not exactly what I would have picked, but the price was right and the look worked. If I could really have my pick, I might have gotten an architect lamp.

All in all, a pleasant place to sit and read or listen to Brad play the piano. Guillermo quite enjoys sitting in the chairs and keeping guard from passers-by.

Dinner Anyone?

The dining room is finally . . . finished-ish. (My appologies for the crummy pictures . . . I was using a point and shoot, at night . . . maybe I'll have time and energy to do proper ones during the daylight!)

Dining room before:

What an ordeal it was . . . all those trips to the mall, kids in tow. And the whole tire scaffufle on the last trip. But here it is, mostly all done.

Yes, I need more rocks and moss in the vases, maybe even some more flowers. I have one napkin ring right now . . . after carting all the vases back and forth and exchanges I made, I thought it wise to only buy three different rings and then choose my favourite. . . but it still might be a while before 12 of them show up on my table!

The runner and napkins were on sale at PB and worked perfectly with the drapes and artwork, already in place.

The drapes (from RH) need some kind of brown cording. I'll have to keep searching for something.

We already had the table, china, and crystal (thank goodness! the rest of the accessories really add up . . . FAST). The console (probably my favourite piece) was a relative bargain from RH. I got it during a friends and family sale and they even delivered it to Canada, free of charge. (That was such good news since it's 6 ft long, 2 ft wide and weighs 163 lbs!!)

The leather chairs are from RH too, a fantastic bargain when compared to the ones I was drooling over from Ethan Allen. Side chairs were from PB . . . and one day they will be slipcovered. I hope. :)

Vases from C&B . . . maybe I could have found these cheaper at Home Sense, but I didn't have the patience to sift through their stuff weekly for a year, three kids in tow. However, the artwork was from Home Sense and was a fantastic find.

Drapes were from RH again . . . I think I'm starting to disprove my brother's theory, "If it's not from Pottery Barn, it's not for Mel."

Chandelier is from PB.

But in the mean time, I think it looks great and definitely welcoming for a crowd of guests. Now to just plan something . . . Dinner anyone?

Winter Quotes

I am working on a book with some wintery portraits in it and stumbled across this quote:

Winter is nature's way of saying, "Up yours." ~Robert Byrne

Yup. I can definitely see that as being true this year. Everyone up here is talking about moving to Florida . . . Cuba . . . anywhere sunny and warm where the only thing you shovel is sand.

I'm Ready

I've got my front doors decked out with the promise of spring.


My rubber boots are waiting patiently.



And so is my bike.




And on our little landing we have a pink-pick-me-up surprise for the eyes. (Pink blossoms with eggs calling out Easter tidings--not all the little furry creatures.)


And yet, we are having another snow storm!!!


Ugh! Seriously, enough already!! I cannot mentally fathom any more winter.


And neither can the kids.


As we were out driving today at the beginning of the storm . . . or "light snow/rain mix" as the forcasters like to refer to it here . . . the following conversation was had:


Jackson: Snow, again?? When is it going to end? Mom, I bet I know what will make you happy.


Mom: What's that?


Jackson: If we only had snow for Christmas and then it was spring again.


Mom: Yes, that would be nice. I would even settle for it to last through January. I just can't handle it past February.


Avery: I can't either. I'm just so sick of all that shovelling.


Mom (chuckling): Really? How much shovelling have you done this year?


(I don't remember her doing any.)


Avery: Oh, you know. Shovelling. All those times. It's just too much.

I firmly believe that the second ice age has come. And global warming is a complete hoax. (As is the notion that a ground hog could ever predict seasons.)

Finished. Ish.

My new mantra.

Since the addition of the sectional my budget has shrunk.

Actually, disappeared. Maybe even forever.

So, I am using my birthday funds to finish off whatever else I can in the house to make it feel "finished." Ish.

Every room seems to have something else that is needed, or should be added . . . but after over a year in the house, I am anxious to just call something complete. And stop thinking about it.

I have an ambitious goal to have everything that can be done with little to no money be finished(ish) by the end of March.

You can look forward to seeing photos, room by room, of my finished-ish house in the upcoming weeks.

March Madness

Of another sort.

While most (men) are gearing up for the biggest basketball tournament of the year, I am gearing up for the second biggest "mothers' tournament" of the year.

March Break. It comes a close second to "Summer Vacation" in the ultimate tests and challenges that a mother can have.

Rambunctious kids? Yup. Whiny kids? You bet! Some ultimate fighting (hopefully only between siblings)? Uh-huh. And the ultimate challenge? Endless days. Five of them.

This time around I am going in with a game plan. . . . As soon as I think of one.

I have ideas of setting themes for each day of the week: reading day, science day, cooking day, haircut day . . . movie day. But how to come up with something fun . . . and kid entrancing (read: time consuming) for five days of the week?

Any one out there win the gold medal for March Breaks? Any great ideas to share?

I have three days to prep and am looking forward to winning the gold with four calm, happy, and entertained kids on the podium with me.

The New Addition

It's been a long time coming.

I think since last May I've been talking about it. And whining. And begging. And hunting.

Hunting for the best deal. The best quality. The best looking. And the most practical. (Let's face it, with four young kids and a dog, even the most beautiful couch isn't worth a penny if it can't withstand the odd jump on it when a parent's back is turned. Nor is an uncomfortable TV watching couch.)

So, I finally found one . . . and convinced Brad to purchase it.

Now it is sitting in our family room and I am thrilled.

We have a family of six, so we can't do with a tiny couch. But this one is quite large. Insomuch that two days before delivery I started really staring at the measurements in our room. (Crazy, I know, but there was a bit of a mix up with the pieces that were ordered.)

Anyway, I panicked. To the store I went to see if they could help me determine if it would be a good fit or not.

My stomach was still in knots upon delivery day. Our room was large, but I didn't want people to notice the couch and while squeezing around it see that there were walls in the room too. Brad's voice echoed in my head, "If there are any problems with this "amazing" couch, your purchasing decisions will be on probation for a very long time."

But, I am so pleased that not only does it fit, but it fits perfectly. And, without changing anything else in the room, the whole house almost seems finished.

A very wonderful, and sublimely comfy, purchase.

(More photos will come when I finish off the room with curtains and finish dressing the couch with pillows.)

Life After the Funeral

Eight years ago I was fed up.

I had been finding couches on curbs, in local consignment stores and used my horrible sewing skills to sew on some kind of covering. The fabric usually came from table cloths found on sale or (when my fabric budget went from $30 -75) upholstery fabric on clearance. While it suited our student needs, and meager budget, it was horribly time consuming. And it didn't even produce a really great seating option.

So, after Brad bought a big screen TV and we still hadn't bought a decent couch, I made a stink.

A stink so bad that we drove 8 hours from Provo to LA (camping in our car, newborn in tow) . . . just to go to Ikea and purchase a sectional.

Was it amazing? Well, almost. For the price of a regular sectional in a local department store we could get a sectional, ugly coffee table, TV wall unit, two dressers, and some book shelves from Ikea. (For a young student couple, that was a lot of bang for our buck. And the sectional didn't look that bad.)

However, even upon moving it in, it didn't take long to realize Ikea's poor quality when the pieces never lined up completely. Or when the underside of the slip cover was made from paper.

But, it served our purpose and was actually pretty good to us.

Flash forward eight years, three moves, and two slipcovers later.

Our couch has been used and abused. Slept on, spit up on, peed on, used for forts, used as a trampoline, and even a balance beam. And for the past two years I have cursed every time I needed to rearrange the flattened pillows onto the broken springs . . . or taken the slipcover (hanging by threads) off to wash.

But last Saturday I did it with a smile.

I wish I could say it was because of all the wonderful memories surrounding our couch. But no. It was merely because it was the last time I would have to do it with this couch!! What a liberating feeling!

I did, however, offer some dignity for our old couch. I tenderly washed what was left of its slipcover and dressed it up nicely . . . getting it ready for its funernal . . . and new life in the "underworld." The "underworld" is the place where everything I deem to be unfit to remain in our house goes . . . The Brad Cave.

If it's any consolation for the sectional, it was at the very least reunited with the ugly coffee table (which I can't explain why we still have . . . I thought we kicked it to the curb years ago . . . but maybe it was too heavy?? or maybe Brad brought it back in the house when I turned my head?) and our old big screen TV, wall unit, an broken microwave.

The big guy can't feel too lonely. The kids have been playing more with him in the basement than upstairs. Great fortresses have been built with it since I don't let anyone near the new baby upstairs.

So long, old friend. Thanks for serving us well . . . but I'm so glad I won't have to be worrying about whether you will hold up another month.