Bella, as the fairy princess (”faiwy pwintheth – I PINK!”) and Primo as “Sergeant OurLastName.”

Trick or treating was a HUGE hit. They just loved running to all the neighbours houses and shouting trick or treat as they shoved their buckets in their faces. Neither of them ate any candy though – they came home and devoured cheese, crackers and a veggie tray before bed. They had each had a chocolate earlier in the day and I think they’d had enough. The Halloween Fairy made a very poor choice in bringing Primo an Incredible Hulk toy. He spent the day saying “HULK SMASH” and smashing random things – including his sister. The Hulk now lives on top of our fridge. The pony for his sister was far less violent. Who knew?

Poor orphan children only had four pumpkins each this year:

They each scooped out and designed a jack-o-lantern, made a Mr/Mrs Potato Head with us and painted two mini pumpkins independently (by far their fave).

And some bonus cute that you may not have seen:

(Oh hi. This is freaking huge. Back to fix later.)

Slightly belated, being that they’re 3 1/2 and 1 3/4 now, but better late than never. It’s not like I didn’t have the shirts in time – I just forgot.

Just some of the many things that I can’t keep up with as a working mom, but I don’t want to give it up completely so I’m just getting in here when I can. I’m aiming for once a week right now.

I have some of the cutest pictures ever to share with you – just have to get them shrunk to blog size, which I used to think took no time at all until I was a full-time working mommy. Gah.

Today’s my Halloween party in my classroom and the kids also have one at their dayhome. Bella’s a fairy princess (”PINK!”) and Primo’s a police officer (”I’m going to police all the bad guys into heaven or jail, Mommy.”) We’re all looking forward to our respective days and I’m even more looking forward to picking them up at noon and just hanging out.

Last Saturday we skipped Primo’s swimming lessons to head out to the local petting zoo/pumpkin farm for the annual family photo shoot but it was pouring sheets of rain so instead we came home and did a makeshift shoot of the kids in my m=un-studio and then watched The Incredibles, made milkshakes & popcorn and built a fort with the Fortamajig.

Sunday we made the first two pumpkins that currently reside in our house. Bella made a Mrs. Potato Head witch and Primo made a Mr. Potato Head pirate. Cute, easy and not messy. A perfect first attempt!

Yesterday afternoon the kids each painted two mini-pumpkins while I made supper. Primo chose the primary colours plus white and made purple, light blue, light red and painted two beautiful little creations. I did the same activity earlier in the week with my class of six year olds, and all but two made their paint look like poop. Heh. Bella wanted PINK! and only PINK! so she created two beautiful and bright pink pumpkins and then proceeded to paint her hands and arms right up to her elbows, and then her cheeks. Then she said “Pinkalicious!” Ha! She’s hilarious.

Last night we also opened the tops of the two jack-o-lanterns-to-be and scooped all the guts out to roast the seeds. This afternoon we’ll carve the faces. They both want happy faces but the rest is yet to be decided. I roasted the seeds (and the seeds from my classroom jack-o-lantern for my students) last night after the kids went to bed, in butter, salt & sugar. Mmmm. I even saved them some. They’ll taste them today and we’ll see how it goes. Primo used to love them and a couple o months ago decided that the granola with the “green things” was Daddy’s and I had to make him different stuff so you never know.

I have photos of all of this stuff. A good blogger would post them here. Me? Not so much.

Hi ho, Hi ho, it’s off to work I go!

But now? I can’t swallow, I have swollen glands, my ears are plugged, my muscles ache, my skin hurts and I think I might have a slight fever.

And? My desk is a mess, my classroom is disorganized, I have no sub plans and it takes me three hours to make a day of plans.

Guess who’s going to work tomorrow bathed in Cleanwell?

Twenty one months, my sweet Bella! It’s an awkward number to spit out but you are anything but awkward. You are absolutely, utterly amazing and adored by all who are blessed enough to cross your path.

Closer to two than one, you are growing and learning more quickly than I can keep up with. You are a very quick learner. You know your alphabet (26/26 letter recognition and 20/26 letter sounds – all but the vowels) and love to sing it and receive applause. You can count to twelve, and to twenty with a couple of errors in the teens. You know all of your colours, numbers by sight and can even read a few sight words. It took me by surprise when your big bro was watching the sight word DVD and you piped up with a few of the words before the DVD said them. There are no words you can’t say now and there’s no way I could count them. Some you have a unique way of saying, but you try everything. “Chiyapactah (chiropractor), Gadys & Tabos (Gladys & Carlos – Cecilia’s parents), Damma (Grandma), Dapa Tent (Grandpa Kent), Dapa Wodgah (Grandpa Roger), weecyking (recycling)…there are so many, and they’re all so super cute!

You are a very active little girl and love nothing more than playing with your family. You love to go for a run with Primo, which is one of his favourite hobbies. (You both did your first race a week ago – the Run for the Pumpkin 2 km. Daddy carried you for about half of it, and you loved every second of it.) You still have a bit of the bouncy run going on but it’s becoming less and less apparent. My baby is becoming a little girl. Another thing you absolutely love? Jumping! For the past 6 weeks or so you’ve been getting some great air and you are thrilled to bits about that! I think your trampoline training in the back yard really helped.

You had your first horseback riding experience in August with Auntie Cindy. Daddy, Grandma and I took you and Primo out to her parents’ farm and you rode Mandy, the little pony that Ashley rides for 4H. You weren’t so sure about being on her by yourself, but Primo got on behind you and held you and that made it much more enjoyable. The picture of the two of you riding together is the desktop background on my laptop now and you love looking at it.

You love our animal family, and are sure to let them know it on a regular basis. For some reason, you’re especially obsessed with poor Chloe who has no interest in children. The two of you have an arrangement, though, and she sometimes even lets you pet her. It’s a miracle. She runs at first sight of your brother! You say goodnight to her, and Thai & Mavi, every night, and tell them that you “huv” them. You love to lie on the dogs’ bed (especially if the dogs are in it, and you think it’s much funnier than they do).

Though you’re incredibly active and can roughhouse with the best of them, you’re also quite the girly-girl. You love to go shopping, you love your purse (& have started to say “I need money!), you love ponies, stuffed animals, baby dolls, and PINK! It’s rather hilarious. Nobody has ever told you that pink is a girlie colour and I have made an effort to buy you a lot of purple & blue, but you wake up in the morning, head to your dresser and say “I wear PINK! I need a PRETTY for my hair! A PINK one!” If you go in your room and close the door, we’re sure to find you naked minutes later trying to change into something pink. Your babies are almost an obsessions. You have never stopped loving the twins that Grandma Betty bought you for your first Christmas, which you’ve now named “Baby Pink” and “Baby Blue.” Mommy’s friend Cathy bought you “Baby Tyler” who has a soother just like her own baby Tyler whose soother you love to play with. You call him “Baby Ty-ah” and you tuck him in, feed him snacks, kiss & hug him, put lotion on his head after your bath (all of the babies get lotion, actually) and sleep with him. You also have “Sleepy Baby” which Janene, Matt, Liam & Josh got you for Christmas and you love to sleep with her too – she’s your baby that lives at your babysitters house at the moment. You also love to talk on the phone, and several times every day you cry & whine that you need to “Talka Damma Betty!” until I dial her number. You say “Hi Damma! Iss Bella!” and always sign off with “I huvva you Damma! Bye Bye!”

You and Primo started going to a wonderful dayhome mid-September (with lots of playdates there before hand and a few weeks at home with Daddy while Mommy got settled back into working). You love it there and are excited to get in the van every morning. From you, I’m lucky to get a hug and kiss before you run off to be with your friends. You just toss me an “I huvva you Mommy!” and maybe a “Seeya haytah!” and you’re off like a shot. Your brother is struggling a little more emotionally for the first few minutes of every day, and that is so very very hard on a mama who’d far rather be at home so I thank you for your adaptability and for being there for him to play and hug whenever he needs it.

I love you passionately my baby girl. I love your smile, your lively & sparkling eyes, your hugs & kisses, your love of learning & your fiery enthusiasm for life. There’s nothing I love more than being a Mommy to you & Primo. You make our world complete.

I huvva you!
Mommy
xoxo

Starting them early…they ran in the under 6 age category for the 2 km race. Primo ran much of it and walked probably 0.5 km. Bella ran about 0.5 km, walked about 0.5 km and was carried the other km by the Big Guy. (Who also, coincidentally, carried the pumpkins they got for completing the race all the way to the van. And then his arms fell off. The end.)

Work is going great. I have a great job, a great group of kids and an awesome grade one team to work with. The kids are loving their childcare provider and come home with crafts, stories and big smiles when I drag them out of her house.

And I got my first paycheck last week and paid off my Visa! So, it’s all good.

I wish I had a job without homework and evening obligations, but I’ll take what I can get. So far I’ve only attended one of the evening obligations (Meet the Teacher night) and left early so I could put my kids to bed so it wasn’t bad. Just missed a little play time, which I hate but can deal with. Last night was a staff social activity which I gladly skipped to be with my kids (we didn’t know when the BG would be home from work so I couldn’t commit) and it turned out great because I fell asleep with Primo while putting him to bed and had a 2 hour nap!

Today is a PD day (on blogging of all things…useless much? I only have three blogs.) and then…

IT’S THE WEEKEND!

We’re doing the big grocery shop of the week, buying shin pads for Primo’s first soccer season that begins next week, swimming lessons, family photos at the local Corn Maze with friends, playing at home and hitting a playground or two…just run of the mill weekend stuff!

Any big plans on your end?

You sang along, didn’t you?

I did.

So did my kids. So, therefore, logically…I did it about seven hundred times.

We just got back from puddle jumping. I taught the kids every rain song I know, which totals…three.

1. It’s raining; it’s pouring; the old man is snoring. He fell out of bed & bumped his head & couldn’t get up in the morning.

2. Rain, rain, go away. Come again another day.

and 3.

(…from which I knew a line and a half, so we came home and searched for them all on GooTube.)

We studied all of the worms that have emerged from the soil, and saw what we think was a centipede too. Primo and I had a philosophical discussion about why we couldn’t step on him and we decided that only God should decide when someone dies – not a Diego rain boot.

I love Sundays.

We spent the day with my father in law. We had to get an oil change and a new van key so we had to take the van to his town and made it into a family day trip. The kids loved exploring Grandpa’s dealership and then we headed out to a lake for the afternoon. Everyone got soaked & filthy but it was great. Grandpa cooked his delicious chicken cordon bleu for supper and the kids, as usual, played on the pool table in his basement. Yes, ON the pool table. These kids get away with so much!

We try to leave there by 4:30 so we can have the kids home by 6 for bath & bed but, like always, we were running late so Primo fell asleep in the van at 6:15. He slept all the way home so when we got here we just plopped him in bed in his clothes and that’s where he stayed. Dirty teeth and all. After several weeks of 5:30 am wake ups we weren’t about to deprive him of a moment of slumber!

Bella stayed awake all the way home watching Franklin and entertaining the BG & I by singing the ABC’s gajillions of times. She loves the applause she gets to she just keeps on going! She didn’t get a bath either, but I did brush her teeth and put her jammies on since she was awake anyway. We got home about 7:30 and she was out by 7:45. An hour later than usual, and I forgot to give her Advil for her blasted molars so we’ll likely be seeing her sometime between midnight and 4 am.

With this whole going back to work crap, I was worried about losing one of my only two days of house time but I’m so glad we went away and spent time with Grandpa while also enjoying a family day. Since I only work until noon Fridays we just did the usual Saturday groceries on Friday (instead of a playdate, which sucked) so we’re pretty much on track for just cooking & a little bit of prep tomorrow and can still have lots of play time. The BG has Monday off so the kids only will be at their dayhome for 3.5 days this week…that will be so nice for everyone! He gets 1-2 Mondays a month-ish off to be with the kids and once my mom retires (Thanksgiving!) then she’ll be able to come hang out with them once in a while too. We’d love it if they never had to spend the full 4.5 days there, but it’s bound to happen – especially when it’s crappy driving weather. The nice thing is that they absolutely love it there and we don’t worry about them at all. (I know! Such a change for me!) Bella wants to go on the weekends too, but Primo’s having a bit of a tougher time. He really likes to go but he wants me to stay there with him. One day last week when he’d had a particularly crappy sleep he called me on my cell at work crying. Ripped my heart right out of my chest and I was ready to quit, but when I called an hour later to check on him he was having a grand old time and was like “Yeah, what? I’m fine! Bye!”

Yeesh. Kids.

I’m tired.

1. My job. Yes, I don’t want to be working but I do have a great job with great hours and I get to work with awesome kids all day. Also I don’t have to drop my kids off until 8 and I pick them up at 3:40, and noon on Fridays. It could be worse. And I have great benefits, a pension and a decent salary.

2. My family. I am so grateful to have two happy & healthy children, a husband who loves me, a mom who is also my friend, in laws & extended families who rock and a few friends who I love like family.

3. Ice cream. I got a cold my first week back to work (snotty little turds) and my sister in law went out & bought me Oreo and Mint Chocolate Chip ice cream for my sore throat. I’m not sick anymore, but I’m still savoring a little bit every night!

4. My home. It’s a crappy layout, needs another bedroom upstairs and is on a park that I’m not a fan of, but it’s ours (well, the bank’s, but whatever) and we have so much more than so many others in the world.

5. Our dayhome. The kids absolutely adore their sitter & new friends, and have an awesome time there. I drag them away every day after work!

Krista has been gone a week tomorrow. Her funeral was yesterday. It was beautiful. A perfect tribute to a truly amazing woman, wide, mother, coach, teacher and friend. I was sniffly, but alright. Until I saw her children walk in holding her husband’s hands. Then I hyperventilated. It’s absolutely unimaginable. Because of their strong faith, they will make it and they will make it well, but still…

On Wednesday, another young woman I used to work with in my pre-teaching life passed away due to pregnancy complications. Another blood clot. The same thing that took our beautiful Krista.

It sure makes you feel fragile and weak and out of control when things like this happen.

Monday will be a year since my Dad passed away.

And now, to top it all off, I’m sick.

Woe is me.

(Not really. I’m just glad to be alive enjoying a long weekend with my family.)

She has a son entering grade one and a four year old daughter in preschool, and she just had her third baby, Sophie, on Wednesday. This morning, just less than 72 hours after the birth, she was nursing Sophie at home and felt some pain in her leg. She asked her husband what the doctor had said about blood clots, and finished feeding her newborn. From what I understand, she stood up after nursing and fell over. The blood clot had gone to her heart & lungs. Her heart stopped. Paramedics began working on her within a very short period of time and were not able to get a steady heartbeat for some time. She now has a heartbeat but is not breathing on her own and is in ICU.

I am helpless but to pray and to ask you to do the same. For Krista, her husband Jared and their three beautiful children.

Updated to add: Thank you all for your prayers. Krista passed away this morning. Please continue to pray for her family and friends.

Just a couple of giveaways to point you toward…

Organic & natural goodies (closes in a week)

One of the two best books ever for girls of all ages (closes end of September)

Good luck!

Untitled from Me on Vimeo.

Anyhoo, I’m just about ready to start the year. I’ve had a former student in helping me with small jobs for several days and have an awesomely fabulous assistant this year for a very high needs student in my room so she’s been able to help out as well. My grade one teaching team is wickedly fabulous so it’s going to be a great year – except for the fact that I don’t want to be there.