Why I love my exer-saucer!

I'm not sure who invented the exer-saucer, but whoever it was I love them!  I was excited for Alice to be four months old so I could put her in the saucer, and I was excited for Fiona to be four months so I could put her in!  It is a lifesaver in the kitchen - being able to put the baby down in a relatively safe and protected place while I touch hot things, or use a knife.  It took a little warming up but Fiona now enjoys her saucer!

(Alice might also enjoy giving her things to hold, and wear!)

Ghoulish Fun!

Alice and Ken put up the Halloween lights outside on Friday night.  It was a warm-ish night but not that warm.  One would think that by October 11th all the mosquitoes would be long gone.  Sadly they are not long gone and one of them (at least) found Alice's face.  This is what she looked like Friday night. One bite in the middle of her forehead, one on her nose and three by her left eye.

This is what she looked like Saturday morning - after two doses of benedryl.  Not too bad all things considered.

Her face was still a little swollen Sunday and Monday and I really wanted to get a picture of her carrying the skeleton around like it was her doll. It would have been such an awesome ghoulish picture!  Sadly this was the only photo that I got of her with the skeleton and you can't see her scary face.

By the time I actually got a photo of her with her "doll" her face was all cute again.  It was still funny watching her carry around the skeleton.  And have a tea party with her skeleton...

 She's just too cute!

Oh and she and Kate wore their matching Angry Bird shirts today.  They were in the loot bag from Cooper's party.  The girls love their shirts!

And I don't suppose it would be right to leave out Fiona...

Little People Land

I loved playing with Fisher-Price Little People when I was a kid.  My Mom and Dad still have most of the houses and a few pieces to go with them.  Little People have totally changed since then - the size difference is dramatic.  There are many people who think safety is silly and love the old stuff and refuse to play with the new stuff.  I feel mixed.  I like both.  I have bought a few different things - some new some used for the girls.  Kate has recently rekindled her interest in Little People.  I think because she plays with them at school. 

The other night I was telling Kate how Auntie Suzanne and I used to set up a village and play.  I decided to surprise her.  While she was in the office playing on the computer I set up all the buildings.  I wish I had recorded her reaction.  When she came upstairs, it was better than Christmas.  She was so happy.  What was really sweet was not just how happy it made her, but how appreciative she was.  It was so sweet.  It made me tear up a little, and her too.  I love my little, big girl!

Let it Shine

We had our first practice for the primary presentation on Sunday.  Most of the children are giving talks from the pulpit and will do so in front of the whole congregation on Sunday, during the sacrament meeting - the main congregational service at church.  During the practice all the kids got up and read their talks - with an adult standing by to give help if needed.  Kate is the youngest child in primary and she read her talk all by herself.  She's been reading since the summer.  Her reading keeps improving all the time and she really does read quite well.

After Kate read her part, a number of the leaders were looking at me and saying wow.  Instead of feeling proud I felt almost embarrassed.  I felt worried that someone else would feel badly that their child wasn't reading as well.  I didn't quite understand why I was feeling embarrassed, but it was what I was feeling.

It's taken me two days of thinking about it, but I think I'm finally figuring out why I felt that way.  When I was in elementary school I was bullied.  Being smart is one of the reasons I was put down.  Instead of being proud of my intelligence I was embarrassed. (I suppose part of my reaction to Kate's reading is also because I'm not entirely sure how it happened.  Sure we've worked on things, but her abilities just exploded.)

There's a quote I've loved since the minute I first heard it.  It was for a while wrongly attributed to Nelson Mandela, but is the writing of Maryanne Williamson: “Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that frightens us most. We ask ourselves, 'Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and famous?' Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that people won't feel insecure around you. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in all of us. And when we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”

I'm still not sure that I've processed all of it.  I'm not exactly sure what conclusions I will draw.  I know that I don't want to be embarrassed of good things because that's ridiculous.  Why not aim to inspire those around you?  (When you can, because we can't always be awesome, at least I can't always be awesome - and neither can my kids!)  I want desperately to help my daughters know and understand their divine nature, their individual worth.  In helping them discover theirs, I continue to discover my own.  I am so grateful to be a mother.  

I am a child of God and I want to let my light shine and give other people permission to do the same.

Thanksgiving

McCartney fun - Maureen's house on Saturday

We were missing Jen and her family, and Brittany, but it was a last minute effort to plan a get together.  Family get-togethers are great.  It's fun to catch up and I love watching Kate and Alice play with their cousins.  It was also Williams 12th birthday and Ken and Chris's 45th wedding anniversary.  Now that I think of it, I'm not sure anyone mentioned the wedding anniversary... oops! We had a pot luck dinner of a variety of things.  Ken made turkey enchiladas which were delicious. 

Ken's parents are coming to visit in November and I really, really need to get a good picture of Kate, Alice and Fiona with their Nana and Papa! 

Bacon Fun - Mom and Dad's on Monday

We went swimming and ate Swiss Chalet chicken.  Andrew was there, but Rayna was not.  And I didn't take one single picture... oops!

The swimming was so much fun.  Kate wore her life jacket, Alice wore floaties and both girls were everywhere.  They were both so comfortable in the water.  Fiona loves the water too.  Ken, Mom and I all went in too.  It really was so much fun!

After the swimming we came back upstairs to do the final dinner prep - this really was mostly all Mom.  GO MOM!  I'm not sure at what point Mom realized that the turkey was sitting in a cold oven... Thinking back on it she realized that when she last checked the turkey at 12:15, instead of turning off the timer she hit cancel on the oven turning the oven off.  She felt so badly.  She promptly got on the phone and ordered two whole roast chickens from Swiss Chalet.  It really wasn't a big deal and the bonus for me was being sent home with tons of leftovers!  (She did cook the turkey as soon as she realized it wasn't cooked.)

Andrew has been in training as a manager at the Keg since the beginning of September.  He was able to come for dinner, but unfortunately Rayna was working.

Pictures.  I realized as we were leaving that I hadn't ever actually gotten the camera out.  I was slightly annoyed at myself.  Next time! 

Oh and one last Thanksgiving thought.  Yesterday in church one of the sisters that spoke said that people usually call it Turkey Day and that takes away the meaning of the day.  It struck me, when she said that.  I very casually call it Turkey Day and while I do love eating turkey, I'm more glad that there is a holiday dedicated to being grateful.  I have SO many things to be thankful for.

THANKS for... the gospel of Jesus Christ in my life, my amazing husband, my wonderful children, being a Mom and being home with my girls, my baby, my family... I could go on for days, but I'll stop there.  Oh wait, health, I'm really thankful and grateful that we have healthy strong bodies.

General Conference - part two

General Conference Thoughts – Oct 2013

* Pres. Monson           

§  Now is the time for members and missionaries to work together

§  Continue to donate to mission funds (our stake has needs)

§  Increased kindness

*Study the ideas from conference in depth over the next six months

* Work on controlling my temper

* It is possible to overcome our weaknesses with the Lord's help

* Do we daughters understand our divine nature and destiny?

* Do we as sons understand our divine nature and destiny?

*Work together, lift where we are

* Bednar: A grateful person is rich in contentment. An ungrateful person suffers in the poverty of endless discontentment

*Read Doctrine and Covenants section 119/120 - directions about finances

* How do we teach our children about the Saviour?

*  Uchtdorf: It’s natural to have questions—the acorn of honest inquiry has often sprouted and matured into a great oak of understanding. There are few members of the Church who, at one time or another, have not wrestled with serious or sensitive questions. One of the purposes of the Church is to nurture and cultivate the seed of faith—even in the sometimes sandy soil of doubt and uncertainty. Faith is to hope for things which are not seen but which are true.

*  Doubt your doubts before you doubt your faith

*  I want my girls to know of the love their Saviour has for them

*  We need to read the scriptures - it needs to be part of our routine

*  Safe place to raise children - in a gospel centered home

*  Realize the power of the scriptures in our home

*  Margaret D. Nadauld: The world has enough women who are tough; we need women who are tender. There are enough women who are coarse; we need women who are kind. There are enough women who are rude; we need women who are refined. We have enough women of fame and fortune; we need more women of faith. We have enough greed; we need more goodness. We have enough vanity; we need more virtue. We have enough popularity; we need more purity.

*  Share the love of the Saviour with someone every day

*  Reach out to those I visit teach

*  With faith, Jesus Christ heals body, mind and spirit

* Holland: Dozens of times in the scriptures, the Lord commands someone to “stand still” or “be still”—and wait. Patiently enduring some things is part of our mortal education.

*  Look for natural opportunities to share the gospel - pray for them

* It's impossible to fail when we do our best

* Pray for faith to be more bold

* Get to know the Come Follow Me program

* Be spiritually prepared for future challenges

* Prepare children to make and keep sacred covenants

*All our strength - that includes God's strength

Relief Society Broadcast Thoughts: Visiting Teaching - Am I afraid to bear one anothers burdens? * Teach my children to be covenant keepers * Come to the temple, claim your blessings * Heavenly Father doesn't leave us in the ashes * Hymn 270 - I'll Go Where You Want Me To Go

The Science Centre

Nicole!!  I can't remember if we met in math class or French class.  I know it was in grade nine.  We hung out quite a lot in high school.  How do I say what I'm trying to say... Nicole and I used to hang out at the Science Centre on a Friday night.  It was free.  We were free.  We had fun, we used to daydream about the men that would someday be in our future.

When Nicole let me know that she was coming into town in October, I immediately knew where I wanted to go.  We needed to take our kids to the Science Centre.  We don't go very often, but Kate and Alice remember it.  The last time we saw Nicole and Matthias was in October 2011.  What a world of difference!  Kate at 2.5 was crazy and Matthias at 3.5 still didn't really care for anyone but his Mom.  Fast forward two years and you would have thought Kate and Matthias were best friends who hang out all the time!  SO CUTE!

I will have to update this when Nicole sends me some of her pics.  But for now, I'll leave with this.  We stayed right until the place closed at 4pm.  When the announcement was made that the place was closed both Alice and Kate were borderline hysterical.  Alice lost it because she didn't want to leave and Kate lost it because she thought we were going to be locked inside.  We did all mention to calm down by the time we got to the van.  But all things considered, it was a wonderful visit.  Hopefully it won't be two years until the next one!

Fiona is Four Months Old

 

Three days ago she rolled over for the first time.  I really thought she'd be earlier than that, but it took her a few weeks to figure it out.  Now in just three days she's a rolling machine.  She doesn't stay on her back for long.  I suppose it probably also took a while because some days - the days that Alice is far too interested in her, it just isn't safe to give her floor time!

What else about sweet Fiona.  She loves to chat.  You can coo back and forth with her for a while.  Fiona loves getting attention from Kate.  Kate is becoming more interested in her and is still very gentle with her and Fiona just loves it!  Alice and Fiona... there is lots of blinking, sometimes there is crying, but if Alice is calm for more than two seconds in a row, Fiona will smile at her.  Alice just loves Fiona so much and is so excited around her, it's cute, but sometimes frustrating. 

Last thoughts about four months.  I am so thankful to have such healthy babies.  It is such a blessing. I am grateful beyond words for my beautiful, healthy babies!