Happy Halloween!

This past weekend it was pumpkin carving time! It has been an annual tradition since well before the kids were born and one I intend to continue into their adult years. I love choosing the pattern and executing it. Although my pumpkin patterns are now chosen by the kids.

It was actually perfect timing as Sunday was the first snow fall of the year and since we had already planned to carve pumpkins and had already bought them we got to spend the afternoon indoors where it was warm!

Cooper wasn't that into it this year which isn't surprising given he isn't even 3, but he did come to the table and poke mine a few times with the carver and put his hand in the pumpkin once.   Then he decided to paint one instead.  Much more age appropriate.

I made them take their shirts off so they didn't get pumpkin everywhere!

 

What surprised me this year was Grady's interest and his attention span while he worked.  The kid emptied out his entire pumpkin with just a little help from me at the end.  He did use the big scoop to clean it out as he wasn't interested in getting his hands dirty - can't say I blame him.  After it was clean, the kid sat there for ages poking his angry bird pattern in with a corn holder.  The plastic one takes a bit of muscle and we found the corn thing worked great for him.

 

I ended up cleaning out James pumpkin to as he joined us later in process.  If I remember right it was because he made a latte before he started.....

 

 

Even though I wanted to do Mickey Mouse this year, I got told that I was to do Mike from Monsters Inc.  since Dad said it was to hard. In the end, I think he ended up being pretty easy.

 

 

Jasmin did the airplane as it was her first time ever carving a pumpkin ever.  She took the airplane cut out part out in one piece and the kids loved playing with it.

 

 

Although Grady did most of the poking himself, he needed help in the carving department.  He used his little carver on the left side of the angry bird while Jasmin carved her second pumpkin by helping Grady with his.  I think they did a great job!

 

 

James in the end was 'allowed' to do Donald Duck.  You can't really tell from the picture but there is duct tape and lots of toothpicks holding this pumpkin together.  James had some troubles and we ended up having to throw this one out.  I think that is the first time ever.  The funny thing is most people couldn't tell what it was when it wasn't lit but you totally can with the candle in.  Better luck next year James!

 

 

I hope that the trick or treaters enjoy our pumpkins as much as we enjoyed carving them.  What a fun tradition!

 

Happy Halloween!

Volunteer Day

On Monday, Grady and I headed to school together and I stayed the entire morning to be the parent volunteer.  The biggest reason I wanted to work 4 days a week instead of 5 was so that I could stay a little involved in the school and take the kids to and from once a week.  That and to do my grocery shopping on a day other than Saturday :)

Grady was very excited to have me there.  He asked me all weekend when I was coming to school with him.  I was just as excited to go with him.  Truthfully, it started off as excitement and slowly turned into fear.  I was a little nervous to come into this class full of 5 year old kids.  Would I know what to do?  Would the kids like me?  All the worrying was for nothing it went really well.

The teacher introduced me as Mrs R.  I was SO not prepared for that.  It sounds funny to me. Then she set me off to do my first task of hanging the kids artwork on the bulletin board outside the class.  One would think this would be an easy task but I ran out of stapes after like 4 pictures and had to interrupt the teacher to fetch more staples.

Next up, she had me hanging this homemade Halloween garland the kids made around the class.  All I had was a chair and some tape.  I'm not exactly tall so hanging some of this stuff took a little stretch.  All the kids watched me hang it because it was snack time.  They thought I did a good job and were very interested in which piece of garland they had made.  It seriously looked like the 5 year olds hung it.  I did a terrible job!

I found it interesting that Grady is in a dual class.  There are 2 kindergarten classes operating out of the same large space for the most part, independently.  At one point where the kids on Grady's side were doing learning the class on the other side was singing happy birthday and all the kids on our side took a moment to look over and see what was going on.  I don't blame them!

I also found it interesting that Grady had to pee twice during the 2 hours and 40 minutes and asked both times to go in the middle of class by lifting up his hand.  It also surprised me that they go all by themselves down the hall and to the bathroom.  I guess it shouldn't surprise me, but it did!

They finished out the day by learning what order to put their winter clothes on since it was the first day to school after the winter snow fall.  Yuck!  I also learned that 2 other kids have the same winter jacket as Grady in different colors thankfully.  But one was a different shade of blue... I wonder if that jacket will ever come home in error?  I had already labeled his jacket so lets hope we don't lose it!

With that being said, over the weekend we were at a Halloween party and Grady put his shoes on to go outside and he came over and asked if they were on the wrong feet.  I took a look and said no.  Well it turns out that another boy had the same shoes in a size smaller and Grady was wearing them.  Even though his shoes have a huge sticker in the heel with his name and he noted that another boy had the same shoes... he STILL put the wrong shoes on.

I was so happy to be able to spend the day in the classroom.  In preschool I was always worried that Grady would act differently with me there or stay glued to my side so I didn't volunteer.  I think he was OK with me being in the class this year.  He played with his friends and hardly talked to me at all.  I know he enjoyed having me there since he has already asked when I can go back.  I've told him maybe after Christmas.  And secretly, I can't wait to go back either.

Must Have Jeans

If you've been reading my fashion posts over the past few months, you've heard about a blog I read called Pinterest Told Me To. She can be somewhat overbearing and bossing but her sense of fashion is very basic and for your everyday mom.  Like me.  Not only does she tell you what to wear, but she tells you wear to buy it and notify you if one of her favorites go on sale.

She talks about her must have jeans All. The. Time.  I did like them but the kicker is that she shops mostly at Nordstroms and Loft which are 2 stores we don't currently have in Canada.  We are getting a Nordstrom here, the first in Canada, but it does not open until Fall of 2014.  So for the time being when I put the jeans in my cart, the shipping was $30.  I just couldn't pull the trigger.

Weeks later I was talking to my friend Candace on the phone and she got a delivery.  Our conversation when something like this.

Me:  What did you buy

Can:  Oh, just some pants online.

Me:  What kind of pants?

Can:  Jeans

Me:  From where?

Can: Nordstom

Me:  DID YOU BUY THE MUST HAVE JEANS???

Can: Yes!

Well as soon as I knew Candace thought it was ok to pay $30 to ship a pair of jeans I was all in.  The very next day I ordered my very own pair of  Vigoss Thompson Tomboys.  Now let me tell you, the Vigoss jeans are very well priced at $60 and go on sale often for $40.  So if you live in the states where they ship for free these jeans are a great option.  I paid the $60 plus the $30 shipping for the jeans but I figure I am still ahead as I pay much more for a pair of jeans in Canada. 

Then I waited.  And waited and waited.

After a long day at work, 2 weeks later and in the rain I walked over to check the mail and found a great little package from Nordstrom sitting there waiting for me.  I may have squealed in delight!

I promptly tried them on to see if they fit and the slid right on. I LOVE the wash. So of course I wore them to work the next day which just happened to be Friday.

 

I am really happy with the jeans. If I were to reorder, I would probably order a size smaller. While the jeans fit nice and snug in the thigh and hip, they are too big in the waist. I've been wearing a belt to keep them in place and that seems to do the trick. That is my one complaint with ordering from a place where realistically it is too costly to return.

 That is why I like the GAP, Old Navy, and Banana Republic where they make ordering and returning a breeze. Notice also how I did a little pattern mixing with the polka dots and leapord shoes. Pinterest Told Me To told me to wear leaopard print as a neutral and that is exactly what I am doing. Ha!

Family Pics 2013

A few weeks back we all got in our best duds and headed to fish creek park for the annual family photo. This year was an extra special year since we did extended shots with James side of the family. We used Tomie Horton Photography for the second year in a row and I highly recommend her. She has young kids of her own so understands the challenges of photographing young kids.

Here a few of my favorites.  Not my very favorites as those are reserved for our xmas card!

Here is one of the 3 group shots we got. With the number of un-photogenic people in this picture I think we got a great shot.  And honestly, I think the other 2 are equally good.

 

 

This is by far the best photo of the 2 boys we have to date.  Ever.  This year was so much easier than last year when I was ready to throw in the towel after only 30 minutes.  This year was night and day to last year.

 

 

 Now let me tell you about this little model.  He was fantastic. Smiled for the camera and did exactly what he was told.  He even let us spike his hair.  Now in two years when they are both this good I will be a happy mama.

 

 

Cooper lost interest relatively fast after the red barn shots.  He wanted to run around and play in the dirt, not sit around with the adults and smile.  She still managed to get some great shots of him.

 

Copper was tickling me with a piece of grass.  This is about where he started to take a turn.

 

 

This year was a total success compared to last year.  I'd be lying if I said I wasn't exhausted and sweating at the end, but it did go well.  Carrying a 35 pound 3 year old while wearing heels will run you down, not to mention making funny faces and trying to get the kids to smile from behind the camera.  Here's to hoping that each year from here on out gets easier and easier!

 

 

 

Seasonal Confusion

Superstore seems to be a little confused.  While Halloween has not yet passed, it has begun to stock the shelves with Christmas stuff.  If you can't beat em, join em!

Getting Festive

Halloween is in full force around our house! The second that the Calendar turns to October we start thinking Halloween. So when we were in Safeway and I spotted a Halloween House we put it in the cart.

Cooper was so excited that he walked around the house with it asking to make it. When we told him after lunch, he got mad and threw the box on the ground. What we were let with was a bunch of broken pieces of the house.

I thought the kids were going to be upset but in the end it turns out that they really didn't care about the house but more so they cared about the decorating.  So we got out the candy dishes and icing and the kids did their thing!

They decorated every last piece of house that was there.  Most of the icing went on the cookie....

... but some also made it into the their mouths!

The finished product is still pretty festive if I do say so myself!

There is nothing like a little candy and sugar filled icing to make two little boys day!

Twin Jackets

Last weekend, when my family was here, we headed to the mall one night after supper to get away away from the crying kids do a little shopping.  Since I am trying to save my shopping for an upcoming girls trip, I was happy to help everyone else spend their money!

Blaire and I made a quick stop at Aritzia so she could try on a jacket like the one (or two) I bought.  She was undecided what she was looking for so she tried on a few different ones. Like I said, they have no fewer than 6 variations on the same jacket.  We had to snap a picture of us in the same one.

While it may appear that I have many bags, one was a return, one was a $20 sweater from F21, and the other was a hockey jersey for Grady since skating lessons are just around the corner.  So it is just an illusion of me doing lots of shopping :)

In the end, Blaire went with the version the same as my grey one without the leather sleeves.  It looks great on her, don't you think?

We went into the store Express on our shopping trip and spotted some leather pants.  Blaire and I had this great idea that we were going to try them on and snap a picture so I could blog about the pants.   My friend bought a pair at Aritizia and said they are so comfy and she wears them often.  The Express leather pants were terrible and we should have known by the $40 price tag that they weren't going to the best pair ever.  So no picture.  Blaire tried to convince me to try them on at Aritizia but I couldn't get over the awfulness of the first pair.  Maybe next time I will be brave enough to try them again.  Of course I'll love the expensive pair and want to buy them.  Another thing to add to my shopping trip list.  Yes... I have a list!

End of an Era

For almost 3 years, Grady has affectionately referred to his little brother as Tooper.  Sometime in the past week it stopped.  Overnight.  I didn't actually know realize it until I called Cooper 'Tooper' one day and Grady corrected me.  I always knew Grady could say his brother's name so I thought it was his nickname for Cooper, and I loved it. Like a term of endearment.

Although I am proud of Grady for finally recognizing and using his brother's real name, I am sad that Cooper's  nickname that he has held essentially since the day he was born is slowly going to be a memory of the past.  It is just another sign that the boys are growing up.  Like any parent, while I am happy to see how the boys grow and change, there is a part of me that still wants them little forever.

One night this week I sat with the this same young man while we watched Casper the Ghost (our Halloween inflatable) and noticed a van parked across the street and 2 men got out.  I asked Grady rhetorically who he thought the men were and he said, 'I think they may be policeman', he paused in thought and added 'or robbers'.  And that, my friends, is why I love having a 5 year old in my house.

Thanksgiving 2013

This is the 3rd year in a row that my Dad's family made the trip to Calgary to celebrate thanksgiving with us.  The first year they stayed with us, Sheila helped me with my first ever turkey meal for 12 people... yikes!  I still send her the occasional text when I am making a turkey  and she is not here to remind me how long the turkey will take to cook!

I am so thankful for family.  All of them.
I am thankful that they made the long trip here to see us.
I am thankful that they don't get annoyed when the kids get up at 7am and run around.
I am thankful that they don't complain about our terrible sleeping accommodations.
I am thankful for the way they love on my kids.  Even when they are less than well behaved.
I am thankful for my family.  Always.

They arrived Thursday night after 10pm and I had to head into the office for a busy day at work.  They promised not to do anything fun. I think they lied.  Sheila brought un-iced cookies for the boys to decorate.  I was not surprised when they said more went into the mouths then on the cookies.  Although based on how much icing was on the cookies, i find it hard to believe!

Like any other weekend, we crammed a bunch in.  The weather was not the greatest which forced our activities indoors since us ladies are wimps and not interested in standing at the park or going to Calaway which was originally at the top of Grady's list.

Instead we suggested taking the C-train downtown for lunch at the mall.  Grady was not all for it like I thought he would be.  We have talked about it lots, especially since visiting the ctrain maintenance facility a few short weeks ago, but just hadn't done it.  Well this weekend we finally did it!

Grady was all smiles.  We realized as we walked into the train station that he was actually a little scared. He wanted to know how fast it was going to go and how long it was going to take and such.  He was really unsure.  Once the train started rolling down the tracks he loved it.

The conductor was great.  Since we were at the end of the track, he let the kids go up front and ring the bell and honk the horn.  It was such a nice treat and much appreciated by mom :)  Anything that makes the kids happy, makes me happy!

Once we arrived downtown we ate lunch and tried to do a little shopping.  It was a fail.  An utter fail.  The picture says it all.

For the record, it was mostly the men shopping while the rest of us browsed the shoe store.  I found many pair of boots I wanted but am holding out one short month to shop with the BFF on our weekend away.  It took restraint.

After the mall we went to the pool.   Well, most of us did.  Some 'forgot' their bathing suits, or so they told Grady when he asked why they weren't coming.  By the time we got home I was exhausted and fell asleep watching 'We are the Millers', which I really liked even though I didn't see the end.

Sunday was turkey day so we had a lazy morning, threw the turkey in at noon, and headed to the bowling alley.  Good thing there wasn't a 'no lofting' sign as there was a lot of ball throwing!

This was the first time Cooper has bowled in a while and he loved it.  He did a little cheer every time he knocked a pin over.  It was priceless. 

 

Finally, after much anticipation, it was time for turkey!  This picture give the illusion that James did something other than baste the turkey and carve it.

In reality, it was the other ladies in the house that helped.  Well... Kolby hung around the kitchen lots and told me that I don't follow the directions. Which I don't.   I learned that salt is actually important in baking and I often leave it out.  Who knew?  Maybe that is why I am a better cook than baker!  Ha! 

We stuffed our face and them moved to the family room to do as little moving as possible.

It felt really good to have all the extra people around to celebrate.  I enjoyed every moment of it.  Especially when we pulled out some board games to play with the kids and they stayed up until after 9.  And slept until almost 7:30.  Now that is something to be thankful for!

Like every other weekend that brings friends and family from afar, we were sad to see it end.  I love watching the kids play with their aunts and grandparents. It really is something to be thankful.  

Whether I said it or not, I spent a portion of my weekend giving thanks for all that is good in my life.  My kids, my husband, my family, I am very fortunate to have them all as a part of my life whether they were here to celebrate with us or not.

Bonus Post

So while I am recovering from an overdose of turkey over the weekend, here is the guest post i did on Dee's blog a few weeks back.   Enjoy!

I don't claim that I am the most trendy person or that I even have any idea what I am talking about when it come to style.  My goal when I get dressed is to feel put together rather than to feel stylish.  I don't sacrifice comort for style either.  Except maybe on the odd pair of shoes.  As a mom, I can't be bothered with anything that can't be thrown in he washing machine if my kids happen to touch me with their dirty little hands.  Ha!

So without further a due, here are some of the fall essentials you will find in my closet (and on my shopping list).

A Plain White (or black) tee

Let's first address the photos.  My face is always covered by the camera.  My choice was simple.  Wait for my husband (who is terrible at photography) to take the many pictures of me or just do it myself and make the most of it. I chose the latter.   

I like my outfits to be easy.  So you will often see me with a white tee and a necklace or scarf and a pair of skinny jeans.  It doesn't require much thought but the accessories make me feel put together and less boring.  I prefer a white tee, but using black or grey would work to.  They are neutrals that go with everything so you don't have to worry if the colors match or not.  It is odd that I choose white since I have all those little dirty hands that are busy pulling on my shirts - but the key is to choose cotton.  If I get a stain, I just throw it in the wash and it comes out clean almost every time.

My go to store for cotton basics is smart set.  They have great sales and the shirts are a little longer which I personally like.  Caution!  Their Vneck Tees are very deep and show more than I'd like to.

Also, remember that Oxy Clean Baby that you used on your kids clothes when they had explosive poop?  I use that on my own clothes for those stains on my white T-shirt that are a little stubborn.

A Statement Necklace

This is my newest addition

About 18 months ago, I dived into the world of statement necklaces. Meaning you may choose your entire outfit around your jewelery! That is where the basic tee becomes important because it goes with everything!

They can be pricey, but if you shop around you can find them reasonably priced.  In all honesty, I have bought most of mine on line.  Ebay, Etsy, and SheSteals to name a few.  And I know Deena has bought some on Modcloth.



Notice my orange necklace hidden in my jacket

I covet Dee's yellow necklace pictured above :)

Scarf

For some, that statement necklace may be a little out there, in which case you need to pick your self up a few scarves.  You can make them as crazy or as neutral as you want.  Right now I am very into infinity scarves (a scarf that is one big circle and wrap around your neck twice) as I feel you don't have to mess around with them as much to make sure they are in the right position.

Right now I love animal print.  I have animal print shoes, purse, and scarf.  I am starting to get used to wearing animal print as a neutral but pattern mixing doesn't come easy for me.

Blazer or Cardigan

Notice the animal print and stripes combo... yeah me!

What I love about fall fashion is the ability to layer.  I love throwing on a cardigan or a blazer over the basic tee and jeans to create a little depth.  As you can tell from the photos above, I love me some stripes.  If I were to swap out the striped cardi I would probably go with an orange or yellow one to tie in the animal print. Or cobalt blue, which I don't have but just decided to add to my shopping list.  

Most recently, I have dived into the world of blazers.  If you have read my blog at all I used to hate blazers.  I work in the corporate world where every once in a while I need to wear a blazer to work and they always made me feel like a man.  This year they have come out with some great blazers, some are collarless, some are printed, and they are all great choices for layering.  Although I still prefer a cardigan, the blazer are gaining some popularity in my closet.

A Patterned Pant

And for the record, when I say patterned I do NOT mean floral (I am talking to you Sara!).  Many people are not into floral, and for the most part, neither am I.  I have accumulated a few pairs of patterned pants over the past 6 months,which is surprising since I was pretty against them when they first came out.  I recently did a post on a great pair of camo pants I scored from the Gap and most recently I bought the above hounds tooth pants from Simons, Deena's most favorite store!

Hounds tooth is super in this season and it so reminds me of the clothes my mom wore when I was growing up.  It was her absolute favorite pattern.  I spotted a pair at Superstore last week which would be a good alternative.  I figure anything you can buy at superstore is a neccesity, right??

Again, any patterned pant can be paired with a plain neutral tee and either a scarf or a statement necklace.  See below.  It turns a pair of pants and tee into an outfit.  And a rather cute one if I do say so myself.

Comfy Versatile Boots

These are my well worn boots that need to be replaced as the toes are all scratch and weather starting to wear :(

Personally, I always buy flat-ish boots so I can pull them off with skirts, jeans, and leggings. I've learned the hard way that it is worth it to spend money in the boot department. I bought 2 pairs of boots last winter that were not real leather and just didn't look as great as I knew they could.  They are on a list of things to replace this fall.  I am headed on a shopping trip with the BFF in just a few weeks where I plan to splurge on a great pair of brown AND black books.  SHHHHH, don't tell my hubby!

If I had to choose between having a pair of brown OR black boots I would definitely get brown.  In the past I would have shyed away from black and brown, but now it is one of my favorite color combos.   It is the perfect pop to a plain black outfit or a black dress and a brown belt.  It may feel funny at first but I swear you'll get used to it and love it!

Let's have a quick chat about booties.  I am just not into them.  Booties are a hot item this fall and I see them everywhere at the stores right now. I just can't do it.  I will keep reading my blogs and maybe next year I'll venture there. What are your thoughts on booties?

Pencil Skirt

A pencil skirt is a must have this season.  Whether it be for work or a date night with your hubby, you can dress it up or sexify it.   Yes that is a word.  I just love how with a tucked in shirt it shows off your curves.   I still feel a little awkward with my shirt tucked in but I'm getting used to it.  And at the risk of sounding like a broken record just add a necklace or scarf and add a cardi and you have a perfectly simple put together outfit.

In Summary....

If you can a remember a few simple rules for this fall you'll be looking, and more importantly feeling, put together with minimal effort in no time.

1.  Keep the first layer basic. Jeans and plain tee.

2.  Add a scarf or necklace

3.  Wear a sweater or blazer to add dimension

4.  Brown boot go with every thing

Just like that, your outfit goes from boring to put together.  Simple.

Before and After

Also, I'd like to point out that I am wearing the same white tee in every single outfit.  If I haven't convinced you that basic tee shirts are a wardrobe essential then I don't know what will!

If you are interested, here are my favorite fashion blogs that I read for inspiration.

Putting me together

Kendi Everyday

Pinterest told me to

My new favorite outift

Suburban Faux

Kacie's Kloset

Happy fall shopping! 

Pumpkin Hunt - 2013

This year, for the 4th year in a row, we headed to the Butterfield Acres pumpkin hunt.    And like every other year, the kids had a great time. I think the adults had a better time this year given the weather, but really, even in the snow the hunt was fun!

We went with Nicholas and Noah and their mom and Dad for the second time.  The first time we went with them in 2010 Cooper was not even born yet and Noah was just a wee baby.  My oh my how times have changed!

Here are the big boys feeding the baby rabbits when we first arrived.

Notice the bunnies are in an enclosure.  Nicholas and Grady were not fond of the animals  in general.  Remember the other weekend when we went to the corn maze and Grady hid behind Cooper?  Well Nicholas seems to have a common fear.  While the little kids went in to the enclosures and got up close and personal with the animals, the big kids stayed where the animals were in cages. 

After that we tried to get a shot of the 4 boys before heading off to catch our tractor to the pumpkin area.

I'd say Stacey got a great picture of the young men.  When I pulled my camera out to take the first picture my battery was dead, so all photos were swiped from Stacey!

Before the tractor ride they have everyone sit down and listen to story.  The boy were very excited and very well mannered.  For the most part.  We even let them sit in the front row by themselves while we sat in the back row.  John only had to intervene once :)

We had a great tractor ride and the kids hopped off to grab the pumpkins.

We snapped a quick family shot before hopping back on the tractor to head back to decorate.

Notice I am wearing my green military jacket and it was perfect for the occasion!

The boys did a great job of decorating the pumpkins which now are sitting pretty on the ledge as you walk into our house.

The kids burned a little extra energy on the ride ons before we headed home.

 

I had so much fun.  Such a great fall tradition that I am going to miss when the boys are older.  But lets not go there quite yet as I hope to get at least a few more years out of them!

Happy Thanksgiving weekend everyone - I hope yours is filled with lots of turkey and pumpkin pie!