2 pirates, 1 ballerina, 1 ladybug and 1baby

Happy Halloween!

We took all 5 kids out tonight trick or treating! Caroline had her first halloween and she slept the whole time in the stroller. Catie remained in the stroller eating candies and treats the whole way! The three olders really got into it this year! Carly LOVED it! The kids used their manners and said thank you when they received their treats! They had a lot of fun! It was fun to watch the 3 run to the doors and yell TRICK OR TREAT! They even took turns ringing doorbells.

The kids had a lot of sugar today. They went to bed in their sugary state. Very pleasant lol.

Now, how much of the candy should be eaten? There are sooooo many treats in the house.

in action!

Caroline is almost on the move! She has been getting up on her hands and knees this week. I put her down in one spot on the floor, I come back around the corner and she has moved way across the room!

I cannot believe our baby is almost 6 months in 2 days!

More Pirates in the Fam

Here are two more pirates. Maybe we should have dressed Catie as a pirate too. Maybe we should all become pirates!

This is Cameron and Claire before their school parties today.

Happy Halloween

5:30 is the new 6:30

Yup. We started the day off with a power outage. Yes, another power outage. It went off at 5 am and did not come back on until 8 am. It was dark and cold. Yes, frost was on the lawn today.

I immediately thought of the homeless. I felt so sad for those who are in that cold today, and always. It made me realize how much we take for granted. Thankfully we had blankets, clothing and each other to keep warm. Those power outages remind me we sure have a lot!

The kids were scared of the dark this morning. Cliff stayed home for a few extra hours until the power was back. Then he went to work.

Everything is back to normal except the time change is still not working in our favour. The kids were all up at 5:30...that doesn't include Caroline who was up before them all.

This is a photo of the kids with Daddy on the couch keeping warm. Caroline was snug under our covers in our bed.

time change trauma

So, the pediatrician advice didn't work. My Mom posted a posting on her blog about something she heard on the radio from an expert in regards to helping kids with the time change. We did as she said (the expert)...and this morning (bright and early Monday morning!) It didn't work. Oh yeag. Yesterday it kind of worked. They got up at 7:30 which was 6:30 am. This morning. Nope. WAY EARLIER. I am feeling sorry for myself because I will now be up so freakin early. I was up and ready to go way before 6 am. Breakfast is already done and that is before 6:30.

Cameron was up at 4:45 am playing lego with the light on in his bedroom. Catie was screaming in her crib for Daddy. Carly and Claire got up and tried to go to the playroom to watch TV. We kyboshed them all. Told them it is too early to get up. We sent them back to bed. Cliff then was off to work.

I have been up 3 nights in a row with Miss Mae Mae (Caroline) My little monkey is teething. She bites me and feeds and gets diaper rashes. And, the drool. Oh the drool. Last night I think I had 2 hours sleep. She has been very fussy.

I wonder if April was up at the same time with Abby? I hope those teeth break soon.

Happy Monday!

Spooktacular Scurry

Tonight Cliff and I ran a race. Here are our costumes:

I went as Tippi Hedren as in "The Birds" and Cliff went as well, 24 carrots of goodness.

We both beat our times from our first 5K races. It was a blast.

And no, we both ran in running gear and got ready after. I ran in my big hair and make up though.

Cliff got a prize for 2nd place and I got a booby prize. I got an awesome book on running.

What fun!

exersaucin

Here is Caroline in her exersaucer two days ago on Thursday! I managed to capture a drooly smile. She was very happy chewing on her pop beads.

Rescue Mission

Today I got to recover a mini Tonka truck from the toilet. This is a minute or two after I say to Claire and Carly. Toys do not belong in the bathroom.

Carly was sitting on the toilet going poo and pee. A minute later Carly comes to me (all upset) and says I dropped the truck into the poo in the toilet. GREAT. I lecture whilst getting a plastic glove to go recover the toy.

Yuck. Nothing more fun than sticking your hands in a glob of poop and pee and toilet paper. Oh, the joys of Motherhood. Ain't it grand.

I got the truck out of the very bottom of the toilet. I drain the truck off in my hands over the toilet. Go get the spray bottle of disenfectant. Spray down the toilet, the the sink and the toy. I multitask and clean off the mirror and the counter and the sink and toilet too. Multitasking is a good thing!

I thanked Carly for telling me the truth. I said you are a big girl Carly. Next time please remember why we do not play with toys in the bathroom.

Now, the toy is air drying after a major clean, the girls (after washing their hands) are doing waterplay in the kitchen sink.

Back to normal for now.

Mommy Moment

Every morning, I clean up the breakfast mess. And, sometimes I miss a Cheerio or two on the floor. It always AMAZES me how small they shrivel up after the milk has dried. They also stick very well to the floor!

Just thought I would share.

Fall Back, ya right...

I don't know about this Fall Back business. I do not like the Fall Back time change. I know for everybody sans kids it means we should in theory gain an hour of sleep, but really...

For the past 7 years when we fall back we lose an hour. I can explain. That means our kids end up getting up 1 hour earlier so nobody wins.

As an example. This morning the kids we all up at 5:55 am. That is 4/5 kids. So, on Sunday morning. We would all be up at 4:55 am. That is not fun. It is very hard to adjust back to getting that hour back.

I do however LOVE Spring Forward because then we get to stay in bed just a little bit longer...in my dreams it should work like that lol.

Paper Bag Princess and the Devilled Egg

Back view of my costume

Front view of my costume

Well, I went with Paper Bag Princess! I made my costume today in less than one hour using stuff I had in the house! The kids thought it was fun to do!

I used an over sized "hulk" gift bag. Cut out a head hole in the bottom of the bag for my head, and then I cut out arm holes. I had brown kraft paper in which I cut out two large sheets about the same size...spray glued those on to the bag. I had small paper lunch bags which I spray glued along the bottom in a few layers like a dress fringe. Then, I made a large paper bow at the top. I had the princess accessories from my 35th bday. (Thanks April!) and I carried a brown kraft bag as my purse. Final accessory. Punched a hole through the bottom of a lunch bag, crumpled it down to make a bracelet!

I won the costume contest. It was based on cheering. I got the most cheers and I won a fuel card worth 7 dollars, a Runners magazine, a 30% off coupon and a ghost puppet. It all came in a running shoe bag! Bonus. I spent 1 hour on my costume, and got all of that! Yipee. It was so fun to walk in there, and have everybody guess. Most people guessed correctly. Apparently we have a lot of Robert Munsch fans there!

No, I didn't run in the costume. I changed quickly because I didn't want to turn into paper mache! that wouldn't be so fun. Everybody wanted to see me run in my costume. Too funny. Maybe if it hadn't been raining.

Cliff dressed up as a Devilled Egg. White t shirt with cut out egg yolk (coloured paper from the kids stock) spray glued on the front and the back. He purchased a devil's pitch fork and horns from the local dollar store. He came in 3rd. He got a fuel card, a 30% off coupon and crazy teeth. Didn't have enough time to snap a photo. People were getting a great laugh out of his costume.

Lots of fun. I had a GREAT 5k run tonight. I love running.

Cameron

Cameron got to be the special helper in school today. I picked him up, and out he comes with this big roll of paper with an elastic on it. It is a HUGE sheet of lined paper with black felt in "School Printing"

This is what his friends from his class said about Cameron:

The most important thing

about my friend Cameron

is that he is nice.

He is also friendly,

he shares with others,

and he really likes lego.

But the most important

thing about my friend

Cameron is that he is

a good friend.

I am a proud Mom today. We must be doing something right.

Horse Play

Here is Carly and Grandpa at the riding stable. Carly got the biggest horse there Grandpa said. The horse's name was BEN.

Carly said that Chipper (she pronounces Chipper as Chippa) was there again. She got to feed him carrots.

Grandpa said she had a great time on her preschool fieldtrip.

Quick Costume Idea...help!

I need a costume idea for Cliff and I for tomorrow night. Any ideas that cost very little?!

There will be prizes, and I would love to have some fun!

HELP!

Monday is here...again

Well, another busy weekend has passed. Today seems very quiet and dull around here. Maybe because I am wearing a grey wool sweater. Maybe because the sun is not shining. The weather was beautiful over the weekend here. We did errands, went to birthday parties.

Yesterday Cliff went golfing, and I went for a 6k run. It was cold and such a great run. I love running. I am so happy. I have almost officially finished my 10 week Clinic. Wed is my last run with my group. I have also lost 19 pounds in the last 10 weeks. My grand total of weight lost from the day Caroline was born on May 2nd to about 45 pounds of my 50 pounds put on. I gave away my "fat" pants that I purchased in the postpartum period. I had to buy another size, and those are now getting loose. I am squeezing into my pp clothing. I figure another 10 pounds and they will be perfect. That is good. Next Saturday I run my goal race. A 5K. In November, I will begin my 10k Clinic. I will be instructing this time around. I hope I will do a good job. And, I get a discount on my gear there. That is cool. My goal race will be for in January 2007! Another 10 weeks. I have lost 45, and I going the distance this time...about 50 more pounds to go. Hopefully I lose another 20 in the next 10 weeks.

Cliff is going to start training for another 1/2 marathon. He starts on Tuesday. I am excited to cheer him on in February. I am going to run the 8k race in Feb. Brrrrhhh. It is going to be a cold one like last year!

We have 6 pumpkins ready to be carved for Halloween. Cameron and Claire are going as pirates, Carly a ballerina. Catie and Caroline...they stay home. The kids are all excited.

I found a new preschool for Carly that she will be starting in January 2007. November is her last month at the old preschool. I had to change it so that it was easier to get there and back with less drama. Thankfully we can walk there and back if we want too. It is going to make everything better! The drive was getting to be too much with all of them. This will take some pressure off! That is good. Carly is going to spend the month of December with Caroline, Catie and me. That will be nice! She is happy about going to her new school, and she knows one of her teachers which shall make that transition a smooth one!

I went out and bought warm coats for 3 girls this weekend. I also got long sleeved shirts and some pants for 4 kids this weekend too. They look so good in their coats and they wanted to wear them all during the day!

Yesterday we took Claire and Carly out for a "run" and we walked Catie and Caroline in the stroller. The girls had fun. Cameron went to a birthday party and got to do lots of fun stuff there like trampoline (full size) going for a ride on a quad, pinyata, food and hanging out with his friends. Today I know he has another spelling test. I am crossing my fingers for him. The bonus words: Thursday and Pumpkin! Good luck Cameron.

And now, Monday is here again. Lots to do this week. Gotta go. And to all of my blogger friends, I hope you will update your blogs too! xo

Brown or Blonde?

I LOVE the colour of Cameron D's hair, and here is me with the colour blonde I prefer (I miss you Crystal)

Isn' t that a great brown!

Chocolate Brown or Blonde?

I was flipping through a magazine that my Sis gave to me, and it showed 3 stars that went from blonde hair to dark brown hair. I am wondering if I should go for it. I haven't had dark hair for quite some time. My engagement photo has dark hair, and after I had Carly I went dark, and after Cameron I did a red colour.

Cameron Diaz looks amazing with dark hair (chocolate brown) and her blue eyes...and I am growing my hair longer and I have blue eyes and my face is not so fat (baby/pregnancy fat) anymore.

I thought that may be a nice "Fall" look and I could do away with colouring costs for a bit. The worst would be that I hate it, and have to turn back into a blonde. I am still searching for a great hairdresser. Hhhhhm. Should I just pick a colour and do the dye job by myself, or get a colourist to do it? Should I do it?

Blondes do have fun, but it would be neat to be a dark haired person for awhile. I may even "age" myself a bit. Currently most people say I am in my early to mid 20's. Hhhhmm.

So? Stick with Blonde? If I can find somebody that works out? or go dark for fall. Dark and mysterious?!

Chocolate Brown or Blonde?

I was flipping through a magazine that my Sis gave to me, and it showed 3 stars that went from blonde hair to dark brown hair. I am wondering if I should go for it. I haven't had dark hair for quite some time. My engagement photo has dark hair, and after I had Carly I went dark, and after Cameron I did a red colour.

Cameron Diaz looks amazing with dark hair (chocolate brown) and her blue eyes...and I am growing my hair longer and I have blue eyes and my face is not so fat (baby/pregnancy fat) anymore.

I thought that may be a nice "Fall" look and I could do away with colouring costs for a bit. The worst would be that I hate it, and have to turn back into a blonde. I am still searching for a great hairdresser. Hhhhhm. Should I just pick a colour and do the dye job by myself, or get a colourist to do it? Should I do it?

Blondes do have fun, but it would be neat to be a dark haired person for awhile. I may even "age" myself a bit. Currently most people say I am in my early to mid 20's. Hhhhmm.

So? Stick with Blonde? If I can find somebody that works out? or go dark for fall. Dark and mysterious?!

Ye Ole Halloweens

A cat that I made, that my Mom saved for me. I have no idea when I made it lol, but it is a rather cute cat lol.























Cathy; Princess, April; Gypsy and Amy; Rabbit

(Don't you love homemade costumes! Mom you made us the best costumes!!!) Mom, look how beautiful you are there!























April, the witch *and Carly wore this costume last year!
Amy the Princess *recycled costume - see above!
Cathy the Gypsy (unhappy Gypsy!) *recycled costume

And, me...the pumpkin! I think I remember wearing that costume my Mom made.

Take a look at the cool Jack-O-Lanterns my Dad carved! He is the pumpkin carving Master!!!

L is for Laundry

Some photos of me at my Sister and BIL's house on Sunday evening. Doing what I do best lol!

L A U N D R Y! Yay Laundry!