Mommy's Girls Growing Up

Today I filled in for a friend as the mom helper at the nursery school. It was actually quite fun! But, as much as I love kids, it takes a special kind of person to be able to do that every day! Some of the kids just do not listen, and I don't know how I could have the patience for it. One thing about it, no matter how bad you think your own kids are, if you spend a day with a bunch of other kids, your own starts looking a little better! I'm not saying that Morgan doesn't have her moments, but at least she listens when the teacher talks. All in all, it was a fun day, lots of games and singing. And it is nice for me to see an improvement in Morgan from the first time I was parent helper. She is starting to be a bit more outgoing, which makes me feel better.
Amy is almost ready for her "big girl bed". It came yesterday, but I don't know if I am ready! The last time, we never had to take the crib down because I was already pregnant. But, this time I know it will be coming down for good. Man, these things are hard on a mom! I just keep looking at Amy and thinking that I don't have a baby anymore. It just went so fast!

Ready To Renovate!

As some of you may know, I am addicted to remodeling and renovating. I watch all the home improvement shows, and my husband has had to redo many projects that didn't turn out exactly as I had "envisioned". So anyway, I am always popping around on the internet for new ideas, and for sites that have what I am needing. One site that I want to mention is called GuaranteedBlinds.com. Why? Well, I have had nothing but trouble finding anything that I have wanted whenever I am doing another project as far as window blinds and things like that. I am now going to be a self-proclaimed shopper on the internet. I like having so many options that my head spins! Anyway, getting back on topic, I am looking for new blinds for my bedroom windows when we replace them, which is how I found GuaranteedBlinds.
I just wanted to bring this up, because I am sure that I am not the only one who has had trouble finding what they wanted, so whenever I stumble across a little gem like this one, I will point it out to you. Besides, I know my husband really enjoys my renovating, he just likes to pretend he is annoyed! So now that I have found blinds, I guess I need to find new paint colors, bedding for all the rooms......Sorry, I just get excited with the whole renovating thing!
www.guaranteedblinds.com
By the way, have I mentioned by Squidoo lens? They are just fun little write ups you can make about anything! I have a couple, go check it out: www.squidoo.com/wheniamrich

The Magic of Christmas!

Today we put up our Christmas tree. I just couldn't wait anymore! I have always loved Christmas, but since I have had kids, I am feeling like a kid myself again! And, you know what? There is just no greater feeling than watching the expressions on your kids faces when you start pulling all the Christmas stuff out of the boxes! They had such a great time, they both helped decorate the tree and put decorations out around the house. And, the questions about Santa! I had such a great time! "Mom, how can Santa get in our house when we don't have a chimney?", "Will Santa come in my room when he comes?", and of course I can't leave out the great advice I was given..."Mom, make sure you aren't grumpy to me, or Santa won't bring you any presents!" I am going to absolutely enjoy every minute of the next month. So, the best advice I could offer any of you with kids -- get your Christmas decorations up as soon as possible, so you can enjoy the wonder and magic with them as long as you can!

Christmas Cleaning!

Yesterday was a massive cleaning day! I sent my kids to my mother in laws for the day, so I could work without interruption. And, would you like to know how much I actually got done? THE KITCHEN! How sad is that! I had so many papers, magazines, drawings, everything imaginable, that I had to sort through. Plus, I had to clean the fridge out and the oven and the food cupboard. It took forever! The most frustrating thing about it is, cleaning the kitchen really is a thankless job. Nobody ever notices that you have cleaned out the oven or fridge, or on top of the cupboards. And, it will be back to the same state in a few days anyway. Oh well, now I just need to find the motivation to do the rest of my house. I intended to do it today, but I keep finding other excuses.
The reason I am cleaning is so that I can put up my Christmas tree and decorations on Sunday. I can't wait! I LOVE Christmas, and even more so now that I have kids! It's like I get to be a kid all over again! Now, if only I could get that excited over the actual Christmas shopping....

Christmas Pictures

Yesterday I took Amy (my 1 1/2 year old) to have her picture done. I wanted her to have a picture wearing the same little red sweater her sister wore for her Christmas photo when she was that old. Well, let's just say, there was no picture taken. She put up a fight like a cat stuck in a box! She was screaming, and every time I let go of her on the platform, she just climbed down. Then when the poor photographer attempted to give her a teddy bear, Amy grabbed it out of her hands and threw it on the ground! So, I won't have any picture of her this year, and I am seriously thinking I will never have a great picture of my kids together. I have never seen 2 kids who hate having their pictures taken! Morgan's school pictures were OK, but you could tell in the proofs that by the 4th picture, there were tears in her eyes. She looks like the saddest kid on the face of the earth! Oh well, I'll just have to hope that I have a great memory so I can take the pictures in my head!
I also want to tell you what Morgan said tonight. My mom and dad came into town to take us out for supper. We were sitting nicely in the restaurant, Morgan and Amy were coloring, and Morgan was talking non stop about anything and everything. We weren't paying a whole lot of attention, just the occassional "Oh yeah" and "Really?'. Then she comes out with, and these are here exact words as I remember them: "but I don't really like it because it tastes like puke!" We were all a bit stunned to say the least, so I asked her what she was talking about. "The bread you bought!" Honestly, I didn't know whether to laugh or what to do! She was so serious, and the sad thing is, I don't have a clue what bread she is talking about! She was obviously telling us quite the story, and we all just caught the tail end of it. Sometimes, the things they say just make me laugh so hard!

Going On 3 Weeks Sick!

Well, Amy is sick again/still, I don't know! She has had a temp for 2 days now, and the doctor finally put her on penicillin to treat her for a bronchial infection. He says he just wants to be sure that it doesn't turn into pneumonia. Boy, these kids are testing their mommy's endurance so far this winter! It is now going onto 3 weeks that one or more of my family have been sick with something. I think I am going to have to take a long holiday somewhere!
Oh well, it is just so hard when your kids are sick. Yesterday I felt so helpless, I coudn't get her temperature down, and she was just so lethargic (which if you know Amy is not her style!). But, she was still trying to be happy. By this morning though, she just couldn't even hold her head up and everything was "no" or "go". She just didn't want anyone near her. It breaks your heart when your kids are suffering and there isn't anything you can do.
And, I also want to point out, to my sister especially, that it doesn't help either when you have a near-broken arm/shoulder from slipping on ice out behind the bank. Makes it very hard to pick up your sick child!

Lest We Forget

I am just going to take the time today to write a thank you to all of our Veterans, as well as all of our troops presently stationed overseas. Tomorrow is Remembrance Day here in Canada, and it is important that we remember the sacrifices that so many men and women have made and are still making for our country. I am including a link to a video that I think is great, and the song is written specifically for this day. Take a look, A Pittance of Time: By Terry Kelly.
And, while I am writing about it, I also want to take a moment to say a huge Welcome Home to Grant!! We are all so glad that you are back, and thank you for serving. He just got home from Afghanistan this week, after being sent over in February.
So, to all of you --THANK YOU, we truly appreciate what you have done for us.

Get Started Christmas Shopping!

I have been very busy this past week getting an online store put together. I am pretty excited about it! It's a gift store that has pretty much everything! I am still working on it, and I'm sure that I will always be adding and taking away from it to make it better for everyone. Go check it out, www.maries-gifts.com. Everything is completely secure, as far as payment processing, and I have even managed to set up a gift registry! So, get over and start your Christmas shopping! And, if you have any suggestions for products to add, just leave me a comment on here, and I will see what I can manage. Don't forget to tell all your friends and family, and be sure to bookmark it so that you can come back whenever you need something else. Happy Shopping!

Halloween Survival Story

Well, I survived Halloween. Barely, I might add. I know that Halloween was invented to test the strength of parents everywhere! Amy absolutely hated every minute of it, and screamed and cried the whole time, (although to be fair, she was still sick apparently, which I discovered later that night!). Morgan enjoyed it a bit more, but I think that she was even a little frustrated by the whole thing. Anyway, it is over. I have more chocolate and candy than I could possibly eat in a year, but it's OK. Everyone who comes over with kids is going to be taking some home with them.
Morgan's best friend Erica is over playing today. It is so cute listening to them talking! The way kids think sometimes just makes me laugh! I know Erica's mom will be a little horrified by some of the things that she has been telling me! Scary thing is, I worry sometimes what Morgan is saying about me when I'm not there! Like the day she told Granny that I forget to feed her sometimes. I won't be surprised if Social Services show up someday. The innocence of children!