Time Machine

I was incredibly busy last week, and I don't see this week being any different so this week I'm going to post about what was keeping me up all night and having no free time. This week my blog will be serve as a time machine... its no DeLorean but I'm ok with that!

Lets start with the roses that Nick surprised me with on Friday. He got off work early to come home (with flowers in hand) so that I could get some studying done before I had to go to work. This is what happens when you let your 20 and 4 month old babies smell the roses... oh well - they had no thorns and it was really cute to watch (and I'll always have this picture to remember them!).

Baby C "If I make a really sweet face maybe you won't notice that half the petals are missing!"

Are you seeing what Baby S is doing?

What was left after the girls "admired" them

52 Books :: Week 36 (Book 30)

This will probably be my only post this week I have so much on my plate right now but the most pressing is finishing up the lesson plans for my Childbirth Educator Certification Course. I am getting there but I am so detailed oriented that they are taking me forever. The benefit is that it will be less work once I acutally start teacing but for right now I'm spending about 3 hours a day on them (and thats a lot when you start the day at 5am and end it at 11pm... and then are up 2-3 times in the 'night'!). Someday....





The only reason I am getting any reading done this week is because it is 'course reading' but is still counts! I am reading Gentle Birth Choices by Barbara Harper and have heard only good things about it.

What was I saying about the mail?

These days every time I open my mailbox there is something good in there and I am loving it! I am doing a fabric swap with some other quilters in bloggy land (send 2 6x6 squares of fabric to 5 people and in return you will end up with 72 squares total to make a quilt) and these fabric squares arrived on Monday from the super sweet Nicole, author of the fabulous blog GardenMama. When it comes to gardening she is everything that I am not and her blog is just so inspiring and beautiful to look at. Its like the perfect cookie to go along with a great cup of tea.

I'm looking forward to getting the rest of my squares. This will be a special quilt for sure... definitely something for my reading chair! If you are interested in participating in the swap leave me a comment here and I will send out your fabric asap!

I also finished up another birthday backpack and personalized baby blanket earlier this week but hadn't had a chance to post them yet so here they are.

52 Books :: Week 35 (Book 29)

I have been waiting for this book since I first heard tell of it on Amanda's blog... I cant even remember when. It was probably a year or more ago now. But the wait is over and its finally here! I love getting good stuff in the mail, and this was defiantly a good thing! I was doing a little bit of embroidery for a few gift at my moms house last night and when I got home I sat down with a nice hot cup of chamomile tea and absolutely devoured this book. I can't wait to get started on some of the projects!

Everyday Blessings

It was 6am, I had just gotten baby S back to sleep but I was up for the day after having had less than 5 hours of broken sleep and baby C was starting to wake up (she is getting her I-teeth and has been a bear since Friday). I was getting grumpy already - not a good way to start the week. So I thought I'd check a few blogs while there is still an ounce of time in the day that actually belongs to me. And I came across this. Such a wonderful reminder to rejoice in today's blessings and be grateful for what we do have.

Ok, so I haven't had a solid nights sleep in 2 years and from the time the girls wake up until the time I go to bed I am on as chef, diaper changer extraordinaire, entertainer, cuddlier, nurse, disciplinarian etc. but at least I have these girls.

These girls have changed my life and if it weren't for them I wouldn't be the person I am today. I know that the sleepless nights and the days of them constantly needing me will not last and I am sure that I will desprately miss my time with them. 10pm with baby S when it is just the two of us... everyone else in the house is sleeping and she is nursing one last time before I go to bed for the night, mornings with baby C when she is so excited to play that she is absolutely vibrating, family walks in where baby C has so much fun she kicks her feet until the stroller shakes and baby S squeals with delight. These are just a few of the things that I am going to remember the next time I start to feel a bit sorry for myself.

Keeping my head above water

Last week was an exercise in keeping my head above water. For the first half of the week Baby S didn't think she needed to nap, this was cured by the second half of the week but by then Baby C didn't think that she needed a nap. So my working-on-my-course-and-other-sewing-projects time vanished. I tried to get some work done at night but on Monday we had a nutso storm that freaked out Baby C got scared and decided that she didn't need to go to bed at night either! Whats a mama to do? Cuddles of course... but no work on her course.

I did get another yummi delivery from Tonic Living and the 10% off your next purchase coupon they sent me will be used shortly I'm sure!

What are the plans for this fabric? A few little loveys, some backing (the aqua with brown dots) for my favourite carnival bloom fabric, some little boo boo bags and a nursing cover. Now the girls need to sleep so I can get busy (Or I will have to keep getting up at 5am like I did last week to work!)

Feeling good

I'm feeling pretty good today. I have had a lot of little projects sitting on the back burner that I have just been too tired to complete (or get started on!) but last night once the girls were in bed (sleeping finally!, I love when they sleep!) I sat down and finished these boo boo packs for Stephanie

And cast on for a Christmas poncho for a special little girl (but not one of my little girls).

There is another project that I am working away on but it is not yet ready to be revealed (and no Stephanie, this is not another baby announcement!) but hopefully it will be ready in the next few weeks (I'll just see how well I stick to my own deadline!)

Irish eyes were smiling

Those big blue (Baby C) and green (Baby S) Irish eyes were smiling today at the girls first ever Highland Games! I have gone pretty much every year since I was a baby (except those few years that it poured, including last year) and really wanted to take the girls. They were so good and had so much fun. Baby S spent a good 15 minutes absolutely squealing with joy before falling asleep in the Mei Tai for a good nap - who said a 4 month old baby can't appreciate her Celtic heritage? We did a lot this morning but Baby C loved the Highland Dancing most of all and was actually kicking her feel in her stroller to the rhythm of the bagpipes, I was impressed with my 19 month old that's for sure!

Who loves bagpipes? We DO! (Especially Baby C and mama)

Baby C's very first kilt - thanks grandma!

I wasn't kidding about the happy baby - just chillin' on the grass. What do you get when your babies have a Mennonite father and a Scottish/Irish mother? McMennonites! (My dad has a pretty good sense of humour)

A quick break at the Scottish Tea Garden - Baby C wanted to know what was inside that giant tea pot!

And now these little girls are having a very long sleep!

What am I not getting done today?

Well... let me show you...

Yes Stephanie these will be yours

Long weekend on the farm

Me, Nick and Baby S (she was bundled because it was chilly, but she is there)


The sky was so blue it almost didn't look real! Baby C was so intrigued by the corn she wouldn't look at me.

Baby C and her older cousins "big ball"

Baby C on the run

We had a fabulous weekend on the farm for our annual reunion this weekend. We always look forward to the August long weekend because of the 'camperama'. We cheated this year and went home to sleep because camping with 2 babies under 2 is not something that I'm brave enough to attempt. Baby C was so much fun and thoroughly enjoyed the freedom she had as well as playing with her older cousins. As I was looking through my pictures of the weekend I realized that there really weren't many of Baby S because she spent the weekend in my arms behind the camera but I think that I might be able to find a few.

Birthday Girl

My very special niece's 6th birthday was last week and we saw her this weekend to celebrate along with the rest of the family at our annual reunion. The handmade part of her gift included a backpack with her initials embroidered on the front and some bean bags. I had about as much fun playing with them while I was making them as she did (maybe more if I'm being honest!). Now I have to get started on her little sister's who we will be celebrating with in 2 weeks!