Wordless Wednesday (March 29)

Sweet Sophie

~  This type of thing is a daily occurrence in our house lately ~

Leaving on a jet plane....

Hayden left this afternoon for two weeks with his grandparents in Vancouver, B.C.  He was a little nervous being away from us but I know within a few days he will be totally comfortable and having a blast.   I remember as a kid growing up I spend many, many summers with my grandparents and I have wonderful memories from those visits. I'm so glad that my parents are still alive and live close that these types of visit can now occur with my kids.

I don't blog much about Hayden mainly at his request but he has had a bit of tough time adjusting to life with two younger sisters.  He was our only child for almost 4 years before Laila came along then we added Sophie just 2 years later.  While we know he loves them I believe he sometimes has issues sharing us with them.   Because the girls are younger they will of course require more time and I sometimes think he just can't accept or understand that.  We have tried to ensure that he does get "alone" time with both of us but lately it just doesn't seem to be enough.

We had originally thought we would all head to B.C. for Spring Break but figured it might be better to just let Hayden go for two weeks on his own.  Faruq and I both hope when he comes back this trip will tie him over until the end of June when school lets out.  I think we are all getting tired from what has been a very busy year and the two month break will us do us some good.

I managed to snap a few shots just before they left this afternoon for the airport !!  Poor Faruq had to fly with him to B.C. then turn around and come right back to Alberta.  Kids under the age of 12 are not permitted to fly alone anymore but Westjet offers a "Companion Fare" which is 50% of the regular fare price but you must return to your starting destination within 24 hours of leaving.

Laila has asked no less then 20 times where "My Hayden" has gone.  She loves him so much so I'm sure for her the 2 weeks will be very long.

Have a blast Hayden and we will see you in a few weeks !!

Real Life Facebook

Someone sent this to me...Thought I would share it !!
(You will need to turn my music off to listen to it )

Please don't discipline my children

Tonight we made a stop at Costco before coming home and while there we unfortunately encountered a older lady who felt the need to try to discipline one of my children.

There is just a few things wrong with this...

1.  Laila wasn't actually doing anything wrong when the incident occurred.
2. She definitely picked the wrong kid to do this to...when the cranky old bag  lady shook her finger and said "NO"to Laila.  My girl proceed to burst into tears and started screaming directly at her.  I'm sure I could have stopped it within seconds but decided to let her go on for a few extra minutes.  I have said it before Laila will be performing on a stage someday and will probably win an Oscar.  Well today I believe was gave her first award winning performance. 
3. Lastly....I don't need anyone to discipline my kids.... thankyouverymuch !! 

I'm not sure why complete strangers feel compelled to step in and assume the job that I'm quite capable of doing as this child's parent.  I guess I'm fortunate that this has actually only happened once to me.  I was chatting with friends and was surprised to hear that it has happened to them but more shocked that it has happened to them more then once.   

But not to be out done by the strangers who want to discipline are the even more annoying people that stare when our little darling have those all too normal "kid meltdowns".  If you are someone that does this please stop.  We as parents try to do our best to prevent these outbursts but they do happen it's just a fact of life.

Well that's my little rant for tonight and I'm sure after what that lady experienced today she will I hope think twice about getting involved in a situation that doesn't really concern her.

Mama's Weekly Wrap-up (March 25th)

It's been a relatively quiet week around our place and we are just winding school down to have a few weeks off.

• I have become addicted to Twitter over the last few weeks.  I have had an account for almost a year and didn't really use it.  But I caught the bug and now I have started posting again.  I really don't have the most interesting or funny life but enjoy interacting with others.  Twitter is a fast and simple way to do that.  If you are on twitter I'm "simplyhappymama".
• Angry Birds - OMG I downloaded that a few days ago and I'm hooked.  What a silly little game but I can sure waste a lot of time playing it.
• Faruq and I watched the movie "Love and Other Drugs".  It was funny and sad but best of all you got to see Jake Gyllenhaal's fabulous butt numerous times.  I would totally recommend it and not just because of the butt scenes.
• Looking out my living room window you would  think it is December in Calgary.  When are we going to get spring around here....enough frigging snow.
• Hayden is off to Vancouver to visit his Grands for two weeks.  I have to say it's probably a good thing because if not I would listen to him fight with Laila the whole time he is off.  Someone please tell me he will start to love her again.
• The other night I chipped my front tooth on my laptop.  I don't even want to example it because it is just to bizarre to believe in the first place.  I had a friend actually say she didn't believe me.  :}  Honestly, how can you make this crap up.  It was a minor crack and more on the inside so my dentist was able to shave it down.  Eventually I plan on getting veneers so this is a temporary fix for now.
• Laila is talking about a storm now.  So much that I actually willed her in mind to be quiet the other day.  I know everyone said it would come but until it actually did I held my breath.
• Sophie is our little talker now....She is adding more and more words everyday.   That kid just seems to be doing everything earlier then the other two.
• I need to start planning Hayden's birthday party for June.  He wants to do a rock climbing party so I really should book that before the dates fill up.
• Oh yeah Canada is heading to yet another election in the near future.  I'm not sure if I should laugh or cry !

We have no plans this weekend other then haircuts tomorrow and that's just the way I like our weekends to be !  Faruq is off Monday as he is flying out to Vancouver to drop Hayden off but is returning that evening. 

Have a great weekend everyone !!  Stay warm or cool depending on where you live ! :}

Wordless Wednesday (March 23)

Elizabeth Taylor

1932-2011

My little poser !!

This sweet girl of mine is going to be ripping up some stage or screen when she gets older i just feel it in my bones.

Everything from laughing to crying is totally theatrical with her.  She is a true beauty inside and out with a personality that is just so sweet and lovable. Now it hasn't always been so easy with her because this little princess has a temper like no ones business and I thought I might lose my mind between the ages of 2 & 3.  But her stubbornness will serve her well later in life I'm sure.

The above picture was taken today just before a little friends birthday party and she totally wanted to "pose" for the picture.

I love you Laila !! You bring so much laughter and joy to my life !!

Happy St. Patrick's Day

Sorry this is so late ! I hope you have enjoyed a pint of green beer if you are so inclined.  We had yummy cupcakes with green icing instead as the kids aren't fond of beer. :}

(Sorry for the picture quality.  My beloved Canon is still out for repairs)

Here are a few recipes I have tried recently that were quite yummy !!

Chocolate Chip Cookies  Judging by the empty cookie container (that was just filled on Sunday) these were a huge hit in our house.

Brownie Pie This was super easy and very tasty !!  Take a minute and browse Lynn's site there are so many great recipes.

Tie-dyed Cheesecake I made this for a friend's birthday and everyone thought it was just plain funky !

St. Paddy's Day Popcorn  We made this for Hayden's friends as a treat for St. Paddy's Day and everyone loved it.

I really feel like I have neglected my little blog but life is just busy and when I don't have much to say I just tend to stay quiet.

I have a date with Faruq tomorrow night and to some people this would not be a big deal but it is to me.  We don't go out much as a couple without the kids so when we can squeeze in some alone time I cherish it.  It has taken us 5 years to find a sitter we like and trust with the kids so we try to book her every few months.    I'm not sure where we will end up but honestly I could go to our local Walmart and sit in McDonald's if it meant being with my honey.

Have a lovely weekend my friends and I promise to post a little more often.

Hop Trailer 2 (2011) HD

This looks seriously funny !!  I know where we will be April 1st when this comes out.

~ Sorry you will have to scroll down and turn my music off ~

Vinegar

Do you use Vinegar as a household cleaning product....If you don't you need to start today !

I found this site and have to admit I'm a little obsessed now.

I have long hated using cleaning products that are so strong that you must leave the room when using it and with kids now I always worried what it was doing to them.  Plus they can be very expensive and you seem to need a different one for each job.

Vinegar is cheap and can be bought in huge quantities from my favorite store Costco.

Give it a try !!!

Wordless Wednesday (March 9th)

These are the last of the California trip - Hayden was so amazed at what could be created with LEGO as was I.  I thought I would share a few of the pictures they took during their two days there.  It's definitely somewhere he would like to go again.

A late Mama's Weekly Wrap-up of sorts...

I'm in another funk and honestly don't really know what to write about.  Life around our place has been pretty mellow since the boys got back....just the way I like it.

I haven't been experimenting much in the kitchen so I don't have a lot of new recipes to post.  Just using the tried and true ones right now.

Sophie has been teething like crazy for the last few weeks.  She now has a total of 9 teeth trying to come in (at least those are the ones I can actually see) but has been a real trooper about it.  She got up on both Friday and Saturday night with what  I can only guess was pain because she wasn't hungry and really just wanted to play for a few hours. Poor Faruq dealt with it both nights as he has "night duty" on the weekends.  By Sunday night we were back to normal programming with her sleeping 12 hours straight.  Did I mention is is my favorite kid ??

Hayden is eagerly awaiting Spring Break and chance to get out to his Grandparents for a few weeks.  He finished his latest round of swimming last week and sadly didn't pass this time.  He was disappointed but really only failed one element of the session so I'm sure he will pass it next time.  But as he gets higher it's getting tougher and I'm perfectly fine with him having to repeat a level if the instructor doesn't feel he is ready to move on.

He wants to play baseball again this year so we are trying to find a league that is still accepting registrations.  He has been playing in our local league but for a few reasons we have decided to not go into that one again this year so we are on the hunt for something new.

I can still hardly believe that I will be taking Laila for a uniform fitting for preschool when we get back from holidays. I'm not sure where the last 3 years have gone but they have certainly gone by quickly.   I know in my heart she will love being with other kids her own age and will grow so much but I'm not sure I'm ready to let go yet.  I had exactly the same feelings with Hayden and know Sophie will suffer the same torture from mama.

Faruq is working like a mad man the last few weeks and it doesn't appear to be slowing down anytime soon for him.  I'm so conflicted on this subject but try to just support him and hope that things change for the positive this year.

We have finally made some decisions about what we as a family are going to do for at least the next few years.  It was decided that for now our best bet is to stay in or close to a bigger city.  There are more options for schooling and extra curricular activities that Hayden (and eventually the girls) just would not get where we were planning to relocate to.  While it would have been nice to be closer to extended family it was just not a great move for the kids.  We are still open to a move so that may happen but it would have to be another large city with the same time of amenities.

As for me I have started working out with a trainer again so while I feel most times like I want to just die I know this feeling won't last forever and I will actually start to enjoy it.  It's easier when you start to see the benefits of training but right now it's just a big ole' barrel of pain for me.

I have a few other posts started and will post them if I manage to actually get them done but that's pretty much what we have been up to the last few weeks.

Chow for now !!