Simply Bliss

Hunter dancing

Julia laughing

Bowing, spinning, performing

Laughing

Four Year Old Logic II

M: Julia, don't grab Hunter's eye.
H: Yeah, just my forehead.
H: When I'm five it will be my fivehead, right?
M: No, it will always be a forehead.
H: Even when I'm five? What about the very top, will it be a fivehead?

Elements of a (Nearly) Perfect Day

• Canoe trip across the lake to spy the eagle's nest and pelicans
• Feeding the Ducks with Hunter
• Brunch cooked and consumed outside
• Afternoon shower (not because I don't normally shower but because I normally shower in the morning and there is something wonderful about having a shower in the middle of the afternoon when it's ridiculously hot and sticky)
• Finishing a good book while Julia and Hunter nap (Julia and Hunter napping at the same time)
• Relaxing on the deck
• Checking the sports channel and discovering that the Jays beat Boston
• Making Baylie laugh
• Barbecued Roast Beef and potatoes for supper
• A race at the Boat Launch
• Go Fish and Memory
• Seeing three deer on the evening walk past the railroad tracks
• Walking back and seeing fog on the lake
• Talking with Jason on the phone (remembering the early days of talking on the phone with Jason)
• An impending thunder storm

Why nearly perfect and not perfectly perfect?

• Moments of homesickness ("I miss Daddy", "I wish Daddy was here", "I want Daddy");
• Teething; and,
• Of course, Jason is at home

Why I Haven't Been Posting

Well actually it had more to do with the painting than the refinishing of the floors. The pictures really don't do justice to the difference. If I had known it would be so easy, I would have done it a few years ago when it first needed done instead of procrastinating (or at least that's what I like to tell myself). I know most people would paint then refinish the floors but we really didn't intend on repainting right now. It's just that when the floors were done the walls really looked like they needed an update and since the room was empty anyway it seemed like as good a time as any (though in hindsight picking a time when it isn't 35+ may have been smarter). And of course instead of just putting a fresh coat of paint on we decided (like idiots) to completely change the colour. Changing the colour wouldn't be so bad if the trim didn't need to be painted white - the trim took about six coats to get the white looking nice and, truth be told, it could probably use another one (or two) still. This is the only time I've ever thought crown molding is a bad idea. Unfortunately, I didn't take a picture of the room with the new paint and furniture back in before I came here so you'll just have to imagine that it's now a yellowy-taupe with a bright white trim.

Blogging will continue to be light as spending time lounging around on the deck or at the beach with the kids is taking precedence (call me crazy).

Happy Five Months Mungry

Dear Julia:

Today you are five months old, where has the time gone? As I write this you are having a morning nap. It is warm here at Grandma and Grandpa's and we were in the hot tub early this morning so you are ready for a good rest. You love the water, especially warm water. You aren't too sure about the lake yet, but you definitely like the hot tub and pools.

This past month has been busy. So busy that I think I've taken for granted just how much you've grown and changed. This month you lived through your first renovations (relatively minor but house disrupting nonetheless), hosted good company and went on your first plane ride.

When Jenn was visiting she had you sitting by yourself for the shortest time. You are so interested in moving, though, that sitting doesn't interest you much. I'm pretty sure that by the time I write the six month update you'll be mobile - you're pretty close now, rolling to get what you need and creeping along. I'm also pretty sure that that tooth that has been bothering you will finally make an appearance before the six month update (at least I hope it will).

You are definitely interested in your toys now: Freddy the Firefly is your favourite, I often hear his wings crinkling and sometimes when I look over you have the rings around your arms. The saucer is getting your attention now too - I love watching you work your way around testing the various sounds and tastes of the toys. Sadly, your interest in the swing seems to have waned, though you do seem to like it better now that it's outside.

Hunter is convinced that you can say "hi" and "mum" and I'm sure he's right, I think I've heard a da sound along with that krr sound you are fond of. I can hardly wait to see what word you'll have for Hunter because he usually calls himself "big brother" when he's talking to you and that seems like a lot for a baby to manage.

Looking at you sleeping so peacefully, I think I'll cut this short and instead have a nice nap with you.

Love Mum.

Four Year Old Logic

H: "How long until we get to Wascana Park, Mum?"
M: "Not much longer, we'll be there pretty soon."
H: "We'll be there handsome soon, right Mum?"
M: "Handsome soon?"
H: "You know, like pretty, only handsome."

Seriously?

When I was a kid, my cousin and I tried every entrepreneurial scheme we could think of: we sold (er, attempted to sell) painted rocks (like pet rocks before pet rocks), hand collected hollyhock and poppy seeds, ornaments made out of clay. Of course, lemonade was too pedestrian for us (though I did notice that the kids that had lemonade stands actually sold their wares). I'd like to think we were ahead of our time and that maybe we just didn't do the right market research (like maybe if we had just sold the seeds in the spring instead of the fall...). Perhaps if the two of us hadn't thrown in the entrepreneurial towel years ago we could have eventually come up with the next big thing. I'd like to think the next big thing we would have come up with would not have been something like this though. Seriously, is this the best thing creative energy can come up with? Then again, market research was always our failing as entrepreneurs.

Fireworks and Such

Last night we dragged our sore, tired, weekend warrior bodies to the fireworks. This was the first year that Hunter really wanted to go and seeing as we have made him go every year up to now because we wanted to go it only seemed fair.

The fireworks weren't slated to start until 10:30 but we wanted to get there early enough to secure a good spot so we arrived around 10:00. We found a great spot, spread out the blanket, folded up the stroller and got comfortable. Five minutes later Julia started whimpering. Knee bounces and airplanes appeased her for fifteen minutes or so but then the fact that she was exhausted and unable to sleep with all the action around got the better of her and she began to cry. Since holding her wasn't really comforting her, I took her for a little walk.

As I walked further and further away from the fantastic vantage point we had secured by arriving early, I started to grumble to myself - why does the Mum always have to be the one to leave when the show is about to start, and why didn't I just send Jason and Hutner to start with if I was going to have to spend the time comforting a tired baby anyway? I was fully expecting that my newly-calmed baby would start wailing once the fireworks began because Hunter never failed to cry when they started - he would be wonderfully happy until that first cracking sound then the tears would begin (or, later, the I want to go homes). I was thinking that this was the first year that Hunter wouldn't be scared when they started but it would be another four years before Julia wasn't scared when they started and that maybe we would have been smarter if we had spaced them closer together.

When the fireworks started with their usual bang Julia stared at the sky in quiet wonder. A few more cracks lighting up the sky and a smile erupted on her face. Then a giggle. I was now holding my spellbound baby thinking just how much better fireworks are with kids. Even though I could hear the odd adult grumble about how lame they were or how much they cost, most of the grumbles were drowned out by the sounds of kids gasping, clapping, and asking the person nearest them if they had seen that. My own grumbles quieted and were replaced with gratitude and a hope that when Hunter is too old to see the wonder in fireworks (if he gets too old to see the wonder in fireworks) we'll have four more years of wonder with Julia.

When they finished, I couldn't wait to find Hunter and Jason to share with them how much Julia had enjoyed her first fireworks show (now feeling like I had gotten a really good deal having to go for the walk after all). When I found them, Hunter excitedly told me how he and Jason had yelled "ka-pow!!" every time the fireworks cracked and had gotten some of the kids sitting near by to do it too. Hunter asked me if I had seen the various types of fireworks, and told me that the triangle ones were his favourite. It was obvious that Hunter had really enjoyed the fireworks for the first time this year. I wondered about the kapows so Jason explained that Hunter had been a little scared and asked to go home when they started so Jason convinced him to start yelling "kapow" every time they cracked - that way the noise wouldn't be scary.

I can hardly wait until next year when there will be Hunter's anticipation at the memory of the fireworks, and four of us yelling "ka-pow!!"