Look Who's Two

Today, my big-little beast turned two. My baby is two. Still wears diapers. Still takes a bottle. Still has naps. Still sleeps in a crib...but I feel like I'm out of the baby stage, finally! And it's beautiful. Happy Anniversary to me! I survived 2 years!

Logan has been excited and known all week that Friday was his birthday, because the kids and I have been so excited and have reminded him almost daily. He also knew that birthday day meant dad was coming home, so it was a bonus day. When he woke up in the morning, I got him out of his crib and said, "Logan, guess what?! It's your Happy Birthday!" and he responded by saying, "Dad home!" You can tell where his heart lies.

Once we got the kids off to school, it was time for Logan and I to celebrate his birthday together. We celebrated by shopping. But fun shopping. Toy store shopping. We headed to Toys R Us right away to get his gift. A bike. Not sure how he feels about it, but I was super excited. We got there and tried EVERY. SINGLE. tricycle in the store. He's a shorty, so the regular tricycles are still too big for him, but the push kind are just perfect. He loved climbing in and out of all the go-karts too.


Our shopping trip was complete with the purchase of a helmet, a surprise gift for Max's upcoming birthday, a soccer ball and a toothbrush with his name on it (his gift from the kids).

Then, it was over to the dollar store for a balloon, cupcake holders and toppers, and gift-wrap. Last stop on our Logan shopping day was Old Navy, where I let him pick out his own t-shirt. It was so hard to decide. There were Mickey Mouse shirts, Lightening McQueen, Spiderman, R2D2 (or Rboop, as he call him), but when he spotted a blue t-shirt with the superman symbol, he was sold. He grabbed it, hugged it and said, "Match Maxy!" Plus, he got a pair of orange flip-flops. Perfect.

Then it was time to go home, have lunch and make cupcakes together. As we mixed up the batter, he kept saying, "Smells GOOD!" My kids don't get a lot of treats, especially him, so I'm sure he was on a sugar high just from the smell of them. Then it was off to bed for a make-happy nap. And it was time for me to clean the kitchen, decorate for his birthday and decorate the cupcakes.

Dad came home right at dinner time, so I picked the kids up at the bus-stop, whisked them off to pizza pizza to order dinner, and we were on our way to the airport.

Welcome Home Dad! Tyler wasn't able to celebrate Logan's 1st birthday with us, because that was right in the middle of the craze that was finishing his dissertation, so I was so happy his flight home was early enough to be able to enjoy birthday #2.

It was a birthday 2-year-old party at home with his best-buddies. Pizza dinner, cupcakes, and presents. Plus a chance to enjoy the new presents. By the way, he LOVES his bike.





Watching him with his cupcake was hilarious too. He savoured it by licking it mostly.



He also got a book and bear from Grandma Bourne and the bear responds and talks when you say certain prompts. So far Lucy loves it, and Logan is distracted by the bike, but I'm sure he'll enjoy it too.

He also got a cute hat from my Grandma, and the bike and helmet is from Tyler and I, plus his parents. They've given us money to help get each of the kids a new bike this year.


Dad also came home with surprises for each of his kids. A Princess Chutes & Ladders game for Lucy, and some Star Wars action figures for Max and Logan...which they LOVE. They were hugged and played with right away, and brought into the tub that night.


We finished the night by letting Logan Skype with each of his grandma's before bed. He had a great time showing them his new bike and singing happy birthday with them. He's such a card.

We continued the birthday festivities the next morning with some bounce-housing in the basement. And some biking in the basement.

My sweet boy. He's so funny. He loves to sing, and sings along during lullaby time before bed. His favourite songs are "Mr. Huggabug", the "Daddy song" (I'm So Glad When Daddy Comes Home), and "I love to see the temple". He also always tries to convince me to sing the song from "Wonder Pets" but that's not really a settling down song.

He LOVES playing with Max and mimicking whatever he does. They play Star Wars a lot, or shooting games and Logan is so good at faking his death. It' quite dramatic. He also loves hide-and-seek and often hides when we're not expecting it, causing us to search the house for him.

He loves playing "Rock, Paper, Scissors" and always chooses scissors. He also loves to say, "Gimme five. Up High. Down Low. Too Slow!" But he says it with the best lisp that it melts my heart. Other heart-melting sayings: "I don't know!", or when he blows kisses and follows it by saying, "Catch it!"

He loves Mickey Mouse, and STAARR WAARRS! His favourite characters being RBoop and Daarth Vaaaddaaar!

Most of all, he LOVES LOVES LOVES his dad.


Happy BIrthday best buddy!

Practice makes Perfect

Tonight, after family scriptures and prayers, in which, Logan was very much NOT reverent, Tyler decided to make him practice his reverence. (Yes, we do make our kids practice being reverent). But mom was being a bit irreverent taking pictures of her cute boy practicing his reverence. Sometimes, I just can't help myself.


It's so hard to fold your arms AND close your eyes at the same time!
AND sit up!


And after dinner...a little, 'cut the pickle':

Conversations with Logan

Looking at a Noah's Ark book:
Logan: 'Fish'
Me: 'No, those are dolphins'
Logan: 'Why?' (his new favorite question)
Me: 'because!...Dolphins have live young...fish lay eggs.'
Logan: 'oh.'
Sometimes the best answer is the most correct one.

*******************************************************************

Logan: 'Knock Knock'
Me: 'Who's there?'
Logan: 'Owl'
Me: 'Owl who?'
pause
Logan: 'Knock knock'
Me: 'Who's there?'
Logan: 'Owl'
Me: 'Owl who?'
Logan: 'ha'

You spend too much time with Max.

Worth It

Max got a shaving kit for Christmas last year. Every once in a while he either sees his dad shaving...or he sees it in the cupboard and gets the urge to shave. And every once in a while, I make time for it.



And when I see these faces...I think that shaving cream all over the bathroom is worth it.

Drama Drama Drama

So the first day of school has been on my mind since we made the decision to move to Kingston. Lucy is a nervous-nelly most of the time and takes a bit to warm up to people. She is SUPER sweet and loves everyone, but just doesn't know what to say until she's good and comfortable. She did so well in Kindergarten and made great friends there, so I was sad to pull her away and have her start all over...again.

First day of grade one: "My day was GREAT! I made two new friends. You know I'm already friends with Tristan (boy from her primary class...thank goodness!) and now I have two more!"

Phew! Hooray! And Hallelujah! It's going to be a good year.

So then she comes home on day two and tells me that one of her new friends has now informed her that she doesn't want to be her friend anymore. She already has too many friends and just doesn't think it'll work. Maybe we can play on Friday.

So my outside voice says, 'Oh really? Hmmm.' While my inside voice goes: "What the heck?! Who is this kid? Too many friends?! Good Riddance, she doesn't know what kind of friend she's losing then! My poor girl! Why do friend issues have to start SO early! I want her to be at home with me where she can have a million hugs and not worry about this stuff."

Fortunately, my inside voice is not let out.

But still. Who are these kids? Do they not have parents who are teaching them to be kind and include EVERYONE? I want my kids to be loved. I don't want heartache for them.

Of course, she seemed totally fine. I suggested that she tell her 'friend' that they could figure it out. And then I told her she can always play with Tristan.

The next day she tells me that this 'friend' and two other girls who ride the same bus as her always sit together, and she can't sit with them, because you can only fit 3 in a seat. So I suggest that she tell them to sit 2 and 2 across the aisle so all 4 can be together. She missed the bus yesterday morning, so I had to drive her to school. When I dropped her off she walked across the yard with her GIANT backpack on and just looked around. I felt my heart breaking. Please find someone to play with! Someone come and find her! If she had been on the bus she would have been with people already, instead of being the one who shows up after the fact and has to join in. (Do I have issues?)

When she got home from school she told me that she had made the suggestion to her friends about 2 and 2 on the bus, and they thought it was great, and that's what they did. What an innovative mother I am. Genius! Haha.

Today we were on time for the bus.

My sister, who has a daughter who has already experienced Grade 1, 2, and 3 reassures me that in Grade one, they just mean they don't know how to play with that many kids at once, and the next day it will be different. Everyone is still nice in grade one. In grade 2 and 3 they get petty and vicious. And when they say they don't want to be their friend, they mean it.

Great. So I have one more year to keep my heart together.

Oh Girls!

Fortunately, over recess they found a butterfly with a broken wing and were able to nurture their friendship as they nurtured the butterfly. They picked some leaves and grass and made a nest for it, so it could be safe and now they are 'best friends'. The butterfly was gone on the second recess, which they found disappointing but I reassured her it just meant they did a good job taking care of it, because it was able to get better and fly away. Lucy will forge great friendships over nest making.

Oh, and debating over this outfit and all it's accessories is what made us miss the bus yesterday. My indecisive perfectionist. It's a bad combo. I'm not looking forward to teenage years. But she is cute, I'll give her that.


She had to fill out a "getting to know you" survey for school. It was so sweet. I especially love that her favourite singer/band is her Aunt Janeen. I agree!


And the boys and I? Well, we play games incessantly because Max doesn't have his partner anymore. All day, every day. Oy vey. It's a miracle I've even gotten laundry done, let alone anything else. It's been rainy, so we've been confined to the indoors. But today we went to the Splash Park because it was beautiful. Lame Splash Park turns off the water on September 5th though. Argh. So we played on the parks and in the sand pit instead. My kid's are loving sand. Seriously, they played there for three hours today. Three! Hours!

So we buried them alive so they could live there forever.


You can't see it, but they're holding hands under there. At first we did it so Logan would stay still long enough for us to bury him, but then he wouldn't let Max's hand go. Max had a hard time getting out because of Logan's death grip.

Now the weekend is upon us and I will cherish my Saturday of not having to get up and get kids ready for school, and we can all stay home and be together. Except that Tyler is currently at Hunter Education class tonight and all day tomorrow. Starting at 8am, which calls for a 7:30 (or earlier if he decides to shower - although he assures me that no one else in the class does...or wears deodorant) wake up call. Next weekend I guess. Maybe I'll make waffles.

It's The Worst!

So, I know this next post is supposed to be the Kingston adventures we had while my parents were here, but some of the pics are on my phone and I can't find the cord that connects to the computer so I can download, so I'm skipping it today and posting pictures that I have. It's my blog.

This week I am feeling the tightness in my chest that always accompanies back to school. It's worse this year because we're in a different place and I have two...TWO...kids going to school. We registered the kids yesterday. The school is close, and we met the principle and she seems awesome. The secretary in the office told the kids that she's new too, and that they would have to learn things together...super sweet. And then she let my kids push the buttons on the photocopier for her copies while Tyler and I filled out all the forms. ok, that was reassuring.

Lucy starts on Tuesday...ALL DAY! And Max starts Wednesday. He goes for an hour on his first day and I get to go with him to get oriented...orientated? one of those. He's really excited that I get to go with him...and I am too. Tyler said, "I could go with Max." and I was like, "Uh, no way!"

When my kids are bigger, will sending them off to school be easier? I hope so. It just feels like too much. Early mornings and schedules and strange people and buses. What about playing, and just being?

I asked Max the other day while he was trying on his new backpack if he actually had to go to school.

Me: "Why don't you just stay home and be my buddy? You don't need to go to school."
Max: "Yes I do! Mom, I have to learn everything!"
Me: "We can just play, you don't need to learn."
Max: "But I need to learn everything so when I have kids I can teach THEM!"
(nice to know he thinks we know everything...I wonder how long that will last?)
Me: "You're going to have kids?"
Max: "Well, the girl I marry, when I marry her, she'll have kids, and I'll be their dad."

So it looks like he has to go to school because he's got a life plan.

Both of the kids have told me that they think it's probably a smart idea for me to drive them to school on their first day, because they don't want to leave me crying in the street while the bus drives away. Very thoughtful. I'll just cry in the parking lot of their school I guess. I'm appreciating that Lucy starts one day, Max is the next only for an hour. They don't both go to school ALL day until Friday...so at least I can work my way up to it.

Anyway, because school starts this week, I've been trying to cram in some last summer fun this week. I went Visiting Teaching the last two days which took up a lot of our play time, so today was the day. We decided to hit up a park in the city that we haven't been to yet. City Park Splash Park. Seriously, it was awesome. They have a huge splash pad, two play-grounds, lots of green space and a sand pit all in the same place. And it's a block from Tyler's office. AND free parking! Seriously, it was all awesome.

The kids spent a few minutes on the playground but then headed to the splash park for the majority of their time.

















We had a picnic lunch surrounded by seagulls (stressful for Lucy!)

Then we hit up the sand-pit, climbed the cool side-ways tree and played on the park some more.
The cutest part was when we first arrived, I heard Max and another kid talking and Max said, "I'm Max. I'm from Alberta." They hung around together the rest of the time. Tyler tells me that he had a conversation with Max this morning about being brave at school. He told him that ALL the kid's in JK will be nervous and won't know anybody because it's their first time going to school. So he should just go up to someone and say, "Hi, I'm Max, wanna play?" Then he told him to practice...I guess he did. Brave boy!





Dad was supposed to be in meetings the whole time we were there, so we didn't expect to see him, but he surprised us for 2 minutes as he walked to lunch with a co-worker. It was perfect!

I'm disappointed that we didn't go here sooner. It was so fun. I guess the boys and I will have to check it out when Lucy's at school. Bummer.