fuckle...

It drives me crazy when people mispronounce words. I have a degree in English after all, so that gives me the right to make fun of others when they say words incorrectly, right? However, for some reason the delicious chocolate frozen treats enjoyed in the summertime have always been known to me as a 'fudgicle', as opposed to a 'fudgsicle'.

I suppose like many people who mispronounce words, I never really realized that I did. That was, until I said it one time several summers ago to my husband who teased me mercilessly. Why did I drop the 's'? I have no idea; but I liked the way it sounded, so I went with it. Even after realizing the correct way to say it, I chose not to. Truthfully, I was just being stubborn, wanting to do things my own way, as usual!!

So last night we bought a box of this timeless summer treat and I sent Lady M to ask her daddy if he wanted one. I fed her the line, and she headed over to him and said "do you want a fuckle?". Er, my mispronunciation has just come around to bite me in the butt. I was laughing like crazy, but I'm not sure that I should encourage the word 'fuckle' to be in my two-year-old daughter's vocabulary.

After my fits of giggles subsided, and I pulled myself off the floor where I had turned into a puddle of laughter, I tried again. Carefully pronouncing the unnecessary "s", I said "oh, he'd like a fudgSicle?", and she said "yes, a fud-sicle". Phewf.

I guess that means I'll have to call it a fudgsicle too...lesson learned.

the bug conundrum...

I'm ok with bugs - for the most part. I can find a spider in my house, and have no problem sending it to its watery grave...although it always gives me a little chill when I have to do so. I spent several years of my life working at a summer camp, and bugs were just part of the deal (along with assorted rodents and wildlife). As long as they weren't too big and scary, I was ok with getting them out of the cabin as necessary. Especially when you've got a cabin full of young girls who are scared of them, somehow you just assume the parental role and remove the creepy crawler as needed.

But now, I really have assumed the parental role. Last week Lady M and I were getting the laundry from downstairs while Lady A was slumbering in dreamland. While downstairs, Lady M said she had to go to the washroom so we hustled upstairs to her potty. Once she was settled, I went back downstairs to grab the abandoned laundry basket. I was halfway upstairs when Lady M started screaming "Mummy! Mummy!" and burst into a fit of sobs. Assuming she was stuck in the toilet or had hurt herself somehow, I dropped the laundry basket on the landing and went to her rescue. She was standing outside the washroom, inconsolable and it took a minute before she finally calmed down enough to tell me what was wrong.

After asking 'what's wrong' several times, she finally pointed to the base of the stairs where a little spider was exploring a square inch of our main floor. It had completely freaked her out, and I'm really not sure why! Cal and I are ok with spiders, so she's never seen us react that way. Her Auntie Muff (who is incredibly afraid of spiders) lives on the other side of the country, so she hasn't seen her reaction, and I don't recall her seeing anything on tv or reading a book where someone was afraid of spiders. So, I'm not sure where the fear developed, but suddenly the creepy crawlers that intrigue her outdoors elicit an entirely different reaction indoors.

Today she found a moth type creature in her curtain before nap time and called for me to come up and remove it. She didn't burst into tears like last time, and I tried to make sure she didn't see my little shudder when I removed it from her room. I'm the parent after all, even if I hate it, I have to pretend its not so bad, right? Hopefully she'll get over this little fear in no time.

wedding season is open!

Yesterday marked the first wedding of the year for Cal and I...and it was wonderful! I loved planning my wedding; every little detail was exactly what we wanted, and almost five years later I still look back at it and wouldn't change a thing. So, now I really enjoy attending other people's weddings to see what choices that have made in planning their own big day, and always enjoy seeing how the ceremony and reception complement the couple.

The wedding we attended yesterday was for a great friend from my university years, so not only was it fun to see this lovely couple tie the knot, it was a real treat to see several old friends from school who we don't get to see very often; the same people who witnessed the beginning of our own relationship when Cal and I started dating, and shared in our wedding day with us. Just having the opportunity to catch up with some friends we haven't seen in a while - those who flew in for the occasion, those who live around the corner, and those who we just don't get to see very often - made an already great day even better.

This particular wedding had the most adorable flower girls and ring bearers who were incredibly well-behaved, which made me really excited to see my little Lady M as a flower girl in a few short weeks. We've got her dress already, and she loves wearing her 'wedding shoes' around the house. She doesn't quite understand what she's going to be doing as the flower girl, but I think its going to be fun to watch! And my dear friend, the bride, says that even if she doesn't walk down the aisle, that's ok! We'll see how it all goes down soon...

It was also Lady A's first big event, and she seemed to be quite riveted as she slept through most of the night! She happily slumbered through the ceremony, until the reception started, and right through the appetizer. She woke up for the main course and dessert, had her own little meal and slipped back into dreamworld. She was a star guest!

So, with this wedding over, the couple happily married, starting their lives together, and feeling blissfully caught up with old friends, it's time to keep working on preparations for the next wedding - which will be filled with friends from high school - another group to catch up with and enjoy the company of!

Wedding season is officially open!

confession of a stay at home mum

When I was off on maternity leave with Lady M, I succumbed to a lot of daytime television; the characters filled the space of 'adult chat' I was lacking at the time, and I couldn't help but enjoy them. However, as the months passed, and she started to pay attention to the television, I stopped watching a lot of things in front of her, as any good parent would. Of course, after going back to work I had to give up the glorious world of The Price is Right, Rachael Ray and The View. (However, I'll be honest - after watching the latter two for nearly a year, I couldn't stand any of the hosts any more, so wasn't too devestated to give them up!)

However, I'm now enjoying maternity leave, round two, which has opened up some new shows to me that I didn't know about having spent my days in an office and not near a television for quite some time. So what have I discovered? Well, when Lady M naps each afternoon, and I spend a significant amount of time feeding Lady A, I've started watching a show called The Talk. Its like The View, only lighter and less malicious! (Obama was elected days before Lady M was born, so the show was rather politically fueled when I watched it a few years ago). Now, I get right into The Talk every day, and must admit, I love it!

I've also been a fan of The Price is Right since I was a kid - my brother and I used to love to watch it at lunch. We'd watch it in the kitchen while eating lunch, would run up to brush our teeth after the showcase showdown bids were in, and would head back across the street to school as soon as the winner was revealed. I still find the same enjoyment in watching it from time to time when I'm home. And might I add, Drew Carey is a fantastic host! 

Now onto the more significant confession...

What I'm about to tell you, I'm not proud of; please don't think differently of me...but I'll just say it: I'm addicted to shows about the Kardashian family. Yes, Keeping Up With The Kardashians, Kourtney & Kim Take New York, Khloe & Kourtney Take Miami, Khloe & Lamar - thanks to my newly aquired E! channel, I'm watching them all. Please forgive me, this is very embarrassing, but they are trash tv at their finest, and thanks to my PVR I've become well versed in the adventures of this ridiculous family.

I tried to keep my secret Kardashian indulgence from Cal, but thanks to the PVR listings, he quickly caught on to what I was watching, and thoroughly enjoys making fun of me for enjoying such smutty entertainment. What can I say?

I'm not alone, obviously - other people must be watching these shows! I couldn't tell you if any of my friends do though, as I'm not very open about how much I watch it. (I fear my darling Psychologist friend may offer me some free counseling sessions after reading this...)

But there - I've said it; its out there in the open. I'm a stay at home mum who enjoys smut. But, with two girls in the house now, it will be a limited viewing window, because surely these are not shows that will be on around them when the tv is on in their presence. And eventually I have to go back to working full time...

But, for now, I'll enjoy every minute of it!!

welcoming lady a

Its been a busy time around here having welcomed our newest little munchkin just two weeks ago. Although my pregnancy was completely different from start to finish, and I was certain I would be welcoming a little man into the family, I was more than thrilled to discover that we had another little girl! 

Lady A made a simple entrance into our lives; with about 6 good pushes, she came into the world, and my doctor almost missed her delivery! I'm pleased to say he made it on time though, because if he hadn't, Cal may have had some more responsibility in the delivery room than he bargained for! 

The entire delivery was much simpler than sharing a hospital room with the loudest snoring new mom I could ever imagine later that night, but that's a story for another day...  

Of course Lady M has been the wonderful big sister we always imagined she would be; she just wants to play with her sister's 'teeny little toes' and offer her love and hugs at every turn. She's even quick to share her favourite stuffed animals and toys, which is really nice to see. Of course its been an adjustment, as Lady M has had all of our attention for a long time, but I think we're all managing the change very well. 

Its funny how quickly you realize that having one baby, no matter how challenging you thought it was, was really quite simple! Managing two is a whole other story. That being said, I'm sure parents who have more than two...or multiples...would say two is a breeze! Its all relative, that's for sure. I think back to how challenging I thought one baby was at the time, but now it all seems so easy. But, this time I don't have the stress of figuring out how to be a parent, and I find I felt like myself again very quickly.

Getting to be at home with my two girls is just wonderful, although Lady M keeps asking when Lady A will be able to play with her; its hard to understand that it will still take a while. But for now she seems happy when her little sister just wants to look at her, and wiggle her toes.

So, after the first two weeks, we're doing rather well. And now that I know I have my two girls, I look forward to everything that we can do together as they grow up, and look forward to seeing the relationship they have with one another and with Cal and I as they grow... 

waiting for the stork...

Right now, our life is just one big waiting game. Baby #2 is due next Saturday, but obviously could arrive any day now. I really have no idea when to expect him or her, seeing as I was quite overdue with Lady M. But, I know he or she will arrive when they're ready!

I have been reminded that I'm now under constant watch by everyone around me who is awaiting the news, since they won't receive the crampy and painful physical notice that I will when its time for this munchkin to arrive! I have to remember to respond quickly to all emails or phone calls, or the natural assumption becomes that I am in labour. No sign of labour yet - just hanging tight. Both Cal and I are pretty relaxed - probably the calmest out of everyone playing the waiting game, which I suppose is a good thing - but never fear, we'll tell you when the baby is here!

Lady M started preschool this past Monday and seems to be adapting quite well so far, likely due to the fact that she's been in a wonderfully structured and educational daycare since she was one. Its a bit of a change though because she is now the youngest in the class, whereas in daycare she was steadily climbing her way to the top! But, since she's going to be a big sister, and undoubtedly possesses my ability to be ever-so-slightly bossy, being the 'little one' may be a good thing for her!

I'm on week two of my maternity leave, which is lovely. In fact, its a bit of a treat that the baby hasn't made his or her appearance quite yet because its giving Lady M and I some Mummy & Me time, which I am soaking up every minute of. On non-preschool days, we're waking up to tea and crafts...what more could you ask for?! My colleagues threw me a baby shower before I finished work and gave me a beautiful diaper bag stuffed full of craft supplies which are now being put to good use. In so many ways, I think its important for Lady M and I to have this special time before our world turns upside down someday soon.

So, I will continue to wake up each morning, check the date in case it becomes the birthday of my new baby, and enjoy tea, crafts, fun and games with my beautiful munchkin until the time comes to meet the newest addition to our family and change our routine a little.

 

what shall we read next?

Reading has always been one of my favourite things to do, but lately it seems my pleasure reading has been replaced with journal articles for school and toddler storybooks. Both of these actually make me quite happy, but somedays I really miss having a good book on the go. Perhaps when my course finishes next week, my maternity leave begins (also next week), I might rediscover this ever-precious personal reading time, but I guess we'll see.

In the meantime, I'm thrilled that Lady M has discovered the vast world of literature. Up until a couple months ago she enjoyed stories, but now she is just devouring them and can't seem to get enough. We sit and read a pile of books at a time, and I love seeing her get into the story and process both the pictures and the text.

One of the latest stories in our rotation has been "Pajama Time" by Sandra Boynton. Now, I'm sure every parent out there has at least one - if not ten - Boynton books on their shelves because her stories are wonderful. They read like little songs, and I think I have as much fun reading them as Lady M does listening to them. They're sweet, fun and the illustrations are great. What more could you ask for?

The other stories I'm pleased to say are in the current selection list are a couple of the Little Miss & Mr books - you remember them, of course. Who could forget the classic adventures of Little Miss Sunshine, or Mr Noisy? I LOVED these books when I was younger, and when I was in England several years ago I restarted my collection. I was at a bookstore in London and they had them on sale, and I can distinctly remember thinking, "someday I'll have kids I can read these to", so I purchased several from the series. Now here I am, 8 years later, with a sweet little tyke who is hanging on their every word.

Currently we are reading Mr. Funny and Little Miss Naughty. Mr Funny has encouraged us to learn several new funny faces, which I'm told she is now using to help cheer up the younger children at daycare - that's my girl! And we're learning important lessons with Little Miss Naughty about how to treat people with kindness and respect, all the while giggling our way through the pictures and words.

My favourite part of all her story time though, is that she is now "reading" the story back to herself, or to Cal & I. She's remembering so many parts of the story, and will retell it based on the pictures she sees as she flips back through the pages. Its so exciting to see her relating to books in this way, and to see her storytelling and recall abilities emerge.

So although my own reading adventures may be a bit slowed right now, I'm more than happy to dive back into some of my favourite children's books, along with lots of new ones with my little Lady M. Plus, whenever we are reading stories, the baby on its way tends to kick like crazy, so I think I'm going to have another little reader on my hands in a very short time, and I can't wait to share more and more stories with both my munchkins over the years to come.