hour 3 of his first sleep over

 will

 you

 come

home

please.

ingredients for success

When it's a Christmas tree one is after,
there are certain tools required to make the end goal of owning said Christmas tree
a success


and sometimes those tools have helpers.


First, for guaranteed success, it is imperative to find a Nana.

(the crazier the better we might add)

Now, get Nana to find three super Heroes.

It is vitally important that Nana finds them, so if you have to excuse yourself for a while and go for supper, so be it.  Let Nana be the one to find them!

 ah here they are.

One






Two







Three.  Capes and all.





Now, remind said super Heroes of the temperature out of doors and ask them to reconsider their attire for the duration of the adventure.






Perfect.
















Now.  Find a truck.  Preferable one daddy isn't already driving up a hill.  But remember, pickers cannot be choosers.







Now there's a good idea!
Just call the daddy and
he will drive back down the hill
to come and find you.


Because he adores you.





Remind daddy of the task at hand and while you are out in the woods with a small hill anyways, find a suitable-north-of-the-prairies-but-not-much-north-judging-by-the-spaces-in-between-the-branches-but-wonderful-none-the-less-because-we-are-having-a-good-time-with-daddy-friends-and-super-heroes-Christmas tree-and-there-are-snacks-back-in-the-truck.


Cut tree down

 Let Benjamin cut tree down with his saw

Carry tree to truck

Carry Alexander to truck

Pick snake grass on the way

Take Alexanders snake grass because he is eating it

Give it back to Alexander because who cares, really!...it's frozen grass.









Get a picture of the family
with the truck.

I mean tree.

(daddy might mean truck)










Drive home.
Put tree in house.
Remove caterpillar nests.
Remove dead leaves.
Position barest spot against the wall.
Pray it won't fall over for the night.

Heroes remove outer layers
Dawn capes and run once again.

All in all a very successful da........wait, is it bath night?

it's just how we roll

There are times we live and think inside the box.

we follow the intructions
(add water to oats and voila - porridge)

 and there are many many times 
the box seems miles and miles

indeed provinces away.


Here are a few of those times:

A - mommy, there is something wong with dis' cwismus twee!

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A - Mommy, I don't  like dis wanket

Why Alexander?

A - tuz...dere are aderdators on it

You mean the dinosaurs?

A - dere are dinosaurs on it.  

But you liked the dinosaurs, you wanted this one because of the dinosaurs....

Benjamin will you sleep with this blanket?

B - No mommy, there are dinosaurs on it.

(AAAAAHHHHH) Will you sleep with it if there is a train on the other side?

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this is the best way to treat a Nana!

dress her in layers so thick she cannot bend her arms,
load her onto a snowmobile
deposit a Benjamin on her lap
show her the gettermovin switch

and voila

2 happy happy faces





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I'm pretty sure the reason God gave me two arms is so I can touch all the buttons at the exact same time!










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To get Mathey to howl

somebody else needs to howl

when that somebody is busy yelling at the boys

somebody else needs to

again take matters into her own hands

and throw her head back and howl!

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as a matter of fact there are Christmas balls hanging outside on our trees!







--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ahhhh
Alexander, those marshmallows were supposed to be for everyone!!!!






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blankets are tunnels

couches are trampolines

mattresses are for jumping

boots for wearing indoors

stickers for eating

spoons for banging

stairs for sliding

and snow for eating

...

I wonder who they learnt it from?

eyes have ears and ears have mouths

oh be careful mommy and daddy what you say

oh be careful mommy and daddy what you say

for the children down below

they watch you as they grow

and they'll tell everyone they know

what you say!

A certain 18 month old has a whole slew of
words in her repertoire
daddy
mommy
Beee (benjamin)
Zanna (Alexander)
babee (baby)
Nana
Meummi (Grammy)
eeeeeeeeeee (Alexanders sitting on me)
Aw done (all done)
dome! (come!  now!)
She now eats on her own, spoon or  fork

food in mouth or hair or semi facial - optional

puts on her own pants socks

feet or hands - optional

and happily dumps the lego box three times a day

oh be careful mommy and daddy what you do

oh be careful mommy and daddy what you do

for the children plugging the sink

may not think just what you think

but you bet they'll tell it their way anyway

A certain very old three year old sometimes goes to his Sunday School

Sometimes not, we don't push.

Lately, he has jumped at it, and what's more, participated.

Last Sunday's brought the teacher to my side after class.

Apparently...

Some boys were talking about their daddy's.

Boy 1 - My daddy is big

Boy 2 - My daddy is big too

OUR boy raised his hand and was heard to say

A - My daddy isn't.

oh be careful mommy and daddy where you go

oh be careful mommy and daddy where you go

for the piles of snow you like to hop

will see your truck soon at the top

by the children who always watch

just where you go

A certain five year old also attends Sunday School 

and has grown comfortable and 

engaged in the people and lessons.

Last Sunday, 

standing beside the above mentioned Sunday School Teacher, 

was another Sunday School Teacher

and she had this to relate

Apparently...

The class was discussing the recent snow storm

and the slippery roads

the deep snow

the icy sidewalks

and the efforts it took to get places

The first hand of the class shot high in the air

and OUR boy was heard to say

B - Well that's alright, because my daddy has studded tires!

who's who?

and let the games begin!


well family who know and love the children,

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what are your guesses?
Can you see exactly who is who?








Can you see the similarities?
The differences?
Beyond the photo?
The sense of humour?
The sense of accomplishment?
The sense of relationship?






Have fun!
Answers given next posting!














beautiful babies...

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------





like minded

gentleness

fire

beauty

passion

sparks

all in one



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

both three

both happy

both excited about what Grampa's giving them

(depending on what picture is a clue as to which Grampa!)





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little babies
little blog tonight

day in the life

well nobody else seems to be making lunch!




...any tips on cooking turtle?







When we go on home school trips the next day we talk about what we saw and I choose-
Alexander stop pushing me
-I choose what I liked best-
Alexander! Mommy Alexander's touching the train
-and I made a play dough train like the one we-
Alexander! I'm trying to talk!
-the one we played on and mommy-
MOMMY ALEXANDERS MAKING ME FORGET WHAT I'M SAYING-
-mommy found a picture of the real one we actually played on-
and....
and....
mommy, I want to go play with Alexander.

sometimes we find ourselves an afternoon with daddy

and sometimes we find ourselves dressed like daddy


mommy thinks she's so funny!

really mommy, you haven't let us pull these out for months and months and months
and when we finally get you to play with us


this is the best you've got?







ahh, now that's what I'm talking about


when the tids go to bed

the big tid and mommy really get to play!






the last of the Hallowe'en candy
(mommy's so happy)

bones!
who wants candy bones!

oh wait.











sometimes when daddy's at work
we need to take matters into our own hands

this,
is what happens when
Benjamin wants take one screw and re sink it in a hole to fix a ramp
that daddy built
that Benjamin drives on
that mommy lets in the kitchen
that Alexander steps on
and
that Tafrin broke

reflections sugar high

WHAT? we get to go for a walk with our family and get TANDY?!?!?!?!?!?!?!

has Christmas come early?

our neighbours open their doors

we put effort into visiting those near and far

everybody's jolly and giving

there is little pressure to perform

and the generosity is focused on the children.

this is what we call Halloween?

hmmmm.

that is something to think about.

(who cares mommy, we get TANDY!!!!!)

-we get to be with family
Uncle Cameron will you carry this?
Auntie Wendy will you walk with me?
Uncle Cameron will you carry me....and this?

-we get to dress up in silliness

Alexander was the most fantastic duck, he chose his costume idea in February....

mommy went to Nana for advice

"how do I make Alexander a duck?"

"I made Auntie Manta one once, here's how"

Voila!  

2nd generation animal lover.  

(Alexander, if you turn out like your Auntie Manta, 

I will be overjoyed!)

-we get to have our children see that strangers can be very nice people too

Katherine gently told Uncle Cameron half way through that he could put her down at the door and step back, she's got this situation well under control.

Yes, you may carry me to the next house

Yes, you may help me up the step

Yes, you may hand me my pumpkin bucket

and 

Yes, you may stand over there and pick me up when I'm ready.

-we get to work with our children

Benjamin what do you want to be for Halloween

"a train. I want to be a train every year"

Ok, let's make you a train

"I already have it drawn out mommy"

Benjamin, the best thing about Halloween costumes, is that you can always change your mind

"no mommy it has to be like this"

(glue glue glue, throw it away)

what about this?

"that's a good idea"

(cut too big, cut too small, break scissors, lose tape, glue hands together)

how about this then?

"that's a good idea"

(try again, re glue, re tape, call in expert help)

"DADDY!"

so Benjamin, what have we learnt about costumes?

"its a good thing for you that we can always change our mind"

There are bad parts of Halloween, maybe more so then in any other festival

the good parts however, we were given in full.

So thankful for family 

For family who love us and get along with us

a great breath of fresh air

as we can feel the rush of Christmas beginning the blow in...

T.A.B.A.K.

p.s

every pencil, crayon and marker drawing on 

Benjamin's costume was done by him

He was able to drive the train with 

a popsicle stick through the bottom

daddy built the tunnel with old wire brackets 

from our old bathroom lights

After Katherine saw what her brothers were doing, 

besides ringing the doorbell she took the lead

and

Alexander named his costume George Washington, 

after our neighbours white duck