Playing in the snow, two days in a row!

Alice has lately become very excited about being outside.  There are several problems with this... First, it's January, it's winter and it's cold.  Second, she doesn't walk and playing outside with a crawler isn't the most fun thing in the universe.  Third, getting the girls in their snowsuits is a ridiculous process!

Yesterday I decided that we needed to play outside.  It was gorgeous and sunny.  It snowed but then it warmed up and after having a power struggle with the three year old we suited up and played.  (Seriously I think it took me almost half an hour to get all three of us dressed... RIDICULOUS!)

And just for kicks we played outside again today.  (I went to the temple this morning - I did an 8 o'clock session I'm proud to say - I can get up early and be on time for things!)  Alice LOVED the toboggan.  I pulled her around and around and around and she just loved it.

Is it possible to have back to back amazing birthday celebrations?

The short, sad answer is NO!

The long answer... well let's see, where to begin?  Ken's birthday is today but after everything yesterday I asked if we could go out for his birthday next weekend and Ken was fine with this, but I still wanted us to do something for his actual birthday.  We went out and picked up a few groceries last night.  The plan was to have a quiet day after church and enjoy a steak dinner and the left over Dora cake.

I think it might have been mentioned before that Ken likes to cook?  We talked about me cooking the dinner but Ken loves to cook so he was going to cook his own birthday dinner.  Before cooking he cleaned the kitchen - so far it's looking like an awesome birthday.  Somewhere between Ken starting to cook and the dinner almost being ready Kate pooped in her diaper.  Not anything terrible or unusual.  What was terrible and unusual was her response to my forcibly changing her diaper.

It was time to sit down to eat and crazy me didn't want her to sit at the table in her stinky condition.  She wasn't interested in being changed and kept running away so I picked her up, carried her upstairs and stuck her on the change table.  This is when the screaming/crying/wailing/weeping/teeth gnashing started.  The diaper was off, she was clean but she wouldn't let me put a new diaper on.  She wailed on the change table for a while.  Ken came up, we both talked to her.  I went down Ken stayed alone.  Ken left I went back.  It didn't matter what we said she wanted her poopy diaper back and that was that.

We finally got her changed - after some time alone in her room, and she eventually joined us at the table.  (It was at least a 30 minute melt down... if not 45?)  She was not in the best spirits and after the whole ordeal had finally ended dinner was ruined.  Ken likes his steak rare, it was medium well.  We like our veggies slightly crunchy when cooked and they were mush.  The baked potatoes were really yummy but cool.  It was possibly one of the worst dinners we've had in a long time.  And if the food wasn't bad enough the company was tragic.  Kate would cry then Alice would cry and round and round it would go.

Ken didn't complain and he did have a smile on his face.  I think we were actually able to laugh about it while it was happening.

And even though it was left over Dora cake for Ken's 33rd Birthday, it was delicious!

Ken my love I am so glad you were born.  I am thankful every day for the amazing husband and father that you are.  We will have a birthday redo!  I promise!

The Best Birthday Party EVER!

As one friend put it, I unleashed my inner party planner. I didn't know I had an inner party planner but I had so much fun planning Kate's party it is border line ridiculous.

First were the invitations.

After the invitations it was a matter of bringing the story to life. When the kids arrived they played with the toys and in small groups we decorated their loot bags.

Some were decorated by kiddies...

...and some were decorated by mommies.

After the loot bag decorating we played pin the party-hat on Dora. The game would have worked better if I had a blind fold.

After the game we had the first of two special guests make their first appearance! (Last night I called my friend Taunia, mother of William, Lydia and Darby. I was pretty sure William - 11 and Lydia - 9 were coming to the party with their sister Darby - 2 and I had a special task for them if they were up for the challenge, and they were!) Swiper (aka Lydia) arrived on the scene and told the kids that she stole the birthday pinata and she ran off. The kids first impulse was to follow her, but I reminded them that we needed to follow the map!

Our first stop was Kate's room. We were met by the Grumpy Old Troll. Their first challenge was a ball toss. The kids were entranced!

Our second stop was the guestroom on the lower level. The kiddies had to fish for cupcakes.

Our last stop/challenge was in the basement. As soon as we got there I realized this was a mistake as the only thing the kids wanted to do was play with all the toys! Marisol however was right into it and she and Kate found all the puzzle pieces.

All the kids came up to the living room and they took turns hitting the pinata.

A word or two about the pinata...

I made it. I used a balloon, newspaper, and a homemade paper mache recipe. I did three layers of newspaper, painted it white, then yellow and then glued on strips of orange triangles made of card stock. I thought it was pretty awesome. I didn't think it would be so tough?!

The three year olds all took several turns hitting the pinata. Mostly they were gentle taps.

The Grumpy Old Troll stepped in and saved the day!

After a few last whacks from Elijah (and a surprised me and his Mama)...

CANDY! My brilliant husband bought little bags from the bulk food store and made one candy bag for each child thus avoiding any nasty kind of free for all.

Then there was a pause to enjoy lunch.

After the kids at lunch they all played in the basement while the parents ate lunch. It was lovely. Again it was the G.O.T. and Swiper that entertained and kept the peace. They were awesome, they made the party. Kate was SO excited.

William and Lydia turned the crawl space into the GOT's lair.

I suppose there was one little man that didn't play in the basement. Ciaran wasn't to sure about the whole thing and stayed pretty close to Mom and Dad, sweet sensitive boy!

The best part of the party for me was watching Kate at cake time. She was so excited. She loved being sung to.

A word about the cake first.  Antoinette who looked after Kate (and will soon look after Kate and Alice) used to make lots of cakes.  She doesn't make cakes very often right now but agreed to make the Dora cake for Kate's party.  It looked as good as it tasted... even after Kate poked the map in the eye!

Now back to the enjoying of the cake...

She did such a good job blowing out the candles.

Everyone clapped once she had blown out the candles and Kate looked so happy it almost made me tear up.  It was so special for her.  

Kate really enjoyed her cake. Long after everyone else finished she was still happily eating her cake. I'm so glad that I discovered that she liked chocolate cake last week at Elijah's party.

Then it was time to take a group picture before they all started passing out. (Alice was sleeping.)

We took a picture of Kate and Alice in their cute matching outfits. The outfits were Christmas presents from Antoinette. She buys the cutest clothes. (She and Shawn buy the cutest clothes.)

And last but not least the birthday girl with her balloon bouquet.

I wanted today to be magical and it was. Kate was so happy. It really was the best birthday party ever.

Thanks go to Ruth Yung-Plumb for taking a lot of these pictures.

Alice is officially 11 months old!

She's just so stinkin' cute and I felt like I was cheating her with the one day early post and I was feeling like she was busy...   I love my Alice so much!  I can't imagine our family without her.  I still can't always believe that I've been blessed with two sweet, wonderful, amazing little ladies.

Alice is 11 months old tomorrow...

Tomorrow we're having a 3rd birthday party for Kate so I thought perhaps that I'd take a moment right now (in the final stages of party prepping) and write a short note about ALICE!!

My beautiful, busy, busy delight.  You are so much fun and did I mention you are busy?!  Your favourite new trick is dancing.  You kick your feet and sometimes you put your hands up and you bop.  It's so cute.  You've also been trying out lots of sounds:  Ba, is ball and balloon,  Da - daddy, D - done, Ne - nurse, and every once in a while you say Ma-ma.

Did I mention that you're busy?  You like to be in the middle of everything and you like to explore.  I'm so excited for you to stop putting everything in your mouth.  "Not in your mouth" is something you hear lots.  Keeping you safe is a full time job!

You love your big sister so much.  You want to do everything Kate does and be everywhere Kate is.  Sometimes this goes well, sometimes badly!

We love you so much and we're so glad that you're in our family.

Sometimes there are kisses...

... and sometimes there are scratches.  (Doesn't it just look awful?)  Tonight's family home evening lesson was about how we show love for our family members.  I'm sure we'll be repeating this lesson many, many times in the years to come.

P.S.  While looking terrible, the wound is actually very superficial and isn't causing Miss Alice any concern.

Toilet Training - a novel (sorry Ken and Suzanne)

I guess what it boils down to is that right now in this moment I feel like Kate will never be toilet trained.  Of course this is not a logical conclusion, but when are things connected to emotions logical?!  Now that Kate is 3 part of me feels like I'm a failure as a mother because she isn't toilet trained.  I think this coupled with the fact that we haven't really tried, makes me feel like a lazy failure.  Hmmm. 

I have bought Kate a froggy potty, potty books, an elmo potty video, cute underwear, a cars potty seat and a reward - a toy microwave, all in the name of toilet training.  In the year that we have owned the froggy potty Kate has sat on it many, many times.  The problem is that she won't sit on it without being fully clothed, which makes peeing in it um impossible?!  She has pooped once and peed twice in the potty.  Sadly these three successful toilet times weren't really successful because she was sobbing and crying for a diaper.  Can you say, not ready?!

Today was supposed to be the day.  On Tuesday I went to IKEA with a friend.  Her little girl is six months older than Kate and is toilet trained.  She went to play in the children's play area while we were shopping and Kate could not because one of the requirements is that children be toilet trained.  I explained this to Kate and she suggested we take off her diaper in the store, so cute.  So we came home and chatted about going pee in the potty.  She actually asked right then and there to go pee in the potty and I said "I'll go get the potty and bring it down here" because Alice was crawling around and I didn't want to leave her alone.  Kate said "no, I go upstairs" and instead of acting I engaged further in debate and at some point Kate got a funny look on her face and I said "are you peeing?" and she said "yes".  AH!  Mommy fail!

Back to today, we talked it up all week.  We had no plans for today and we talked about staying home and using the potty, about wearing underwear and it seemed like she was totally on board.  This morning I tried to convince Kate to sit on the potty.  She took off her pants and she took of her diaper all the while asking for a new diaper.  I tried to get her to sit on the potty, I asked and asked.  I promised lots of things.  No dice.  I finally took her upstairs to diaper her naked bum and she peed in the diaper on the change table.  The little stinker had to go, she knew she had to go and she held it in and peed in a diaper. 

Knowing Kate I feel like I will never be able to force her to toilet train, it just won't happen.  She will toilet train when she's ready.  That being said, I need to do a better job acting on her requests.   I wish I could go back in time to Tuesday afternoon and take her to the potty.  Now I need to be patient and wait for the next time. 

Until then the froggy potty will be lonely and sparkly clean!

**In proof reading this I remembered about the cars potty seat... She has sat on that many times in her nudders without crying.  Hmmm, perhaps that should be the thing to try next?!

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Last year I gave this sweat-shirt to Dad for Christmas.

I gave him the sweatshirt when he was in the ICU with a breathing tube down his throat and he could only talk with his eyes and hands.  I basically showed him the sweatshirt, he couldn't wear it.  I know he liked it though because his heart rate spiked - the nurse came in and I apologized for getting him too excited. 

What a difference a year makes...

I'm so glad that my Dad is here to play with his grand-kids and wear the silly shirts I get him. 

Kate Day

The day began with the opening of one present.  I was pretty sure that Kate would like him...

... and I was right, she loves her Barney!

After breakfast we went to church.  I took Alice into nursery to drop off Kate and take a few pictures.  Kate absolutely loves going to nursery.  And she absolutely adores Bro. and Sis. Gosling.  They are such amazing nursery leaders.  They love the kids.  I am so thankful for them.

After church we drove to Grandma and Grandpa's home to open more presents, then play with the presents, then have birthday dinner and cake!  She received a Sesame Street building from Grandma and Grandpa, a doctor bag from Mom and Dad, and Dora, Swiper and Boots little people toys from Alice.  For dinner we had breakfast because it is Kate's favourite meal.  Specifically, pancakes, eggs, bacon, sausage and strawberries, YUM!

Kate had a fun day.  She loved her presents and her Dora cake... not so much the cake, just that it had Dora, Diego and Boots on it.  The cake was an icecream cake, a Bacon Family tradition.  Kate's favourite part of a cake is the icing, which isn't really like normal icing on an ice-cream cake.  She did eat a few bites though. I thought the cake was so good - world class chocolate, yum!
Two funny things from the day, the first being that she can't say three.  It sounds kind of like flea.  The second, having just had Christmas and New Years, the custom is that when someone says Merry Christmas or Happy New Year, you say it back.  So every time someone said Happy Birthday to Kate today, she wished them a Happy Birthday right back.  And in the same vein, she tried to give one of her presents to Grandma and one to Alice.
So my darling girl, Happy Birthday!  We just love you so much!