There were 2 in the bed....

I thought I would share a song with you that I've been singing to Luke every morning lately.

There were two in the bed and a little one said roll over, roll over.
So Mommy and Daddy rolled over and one crawled in.
Now there were three in the bed and another came and said roll over, roll over.
So they all rolled over and ANOTHER one crawled in.
Now there were four in the bed and another one cried from his room roll over, roll over.
So Mommy came and got him and plopped him into bed.
Now there were five in the bed and the Daddy said" It's time for me to go to work! and the Mommy said stop kicking me, and one little one said I want cereal, and another little one said I want chocolate milk, and the baby just smiled and was happy to see everybody!

Welcome to a typical morning in our household! Before long we will have another one wanting to crawl in with us. I think we need a KING size bed!

He Helps Me...

KEN HELPS ME...

• when we hear little feet pitter pattering in the hallway at 5:30-6am each morning by putting the kids back in bed and sometimes crawling in with the kids to make sure they stay there until a reasonable time.


• at mealtime which is the busiest time of day in our house unless we are prepared and organized. He helps by distracting and playing with the kids while I make the meal, set the table, cut up the kids food so it will cool off, pouring milk...you name it. And then once our meal is done he helps clean the kids hands and faces, and helps clear the table and again helps distract and play with the kids while I clean up.


• at bath time. We bath all three at once which usually causes some excitement in the tub with splashing and pouring water on each other. It's a real assembly line approach with brushing teeth, washing hair and bodies, then toweling off and getting PJ's on. I usually wash their hair and brush their teeth and then one at a time they get passed to Daddy to get their PJ's on.


• wipe bums. Usually at the most inconvenient times someone needs some assistance in the bathroom. Sam is very particular about how he goes to the washroom. He needs shoes off, pants and underwear completely off or he's in a panic. Andrew still needs some assistance with wiping. Often a child can be heard in the bathroom yelling " Mommy...Daddy...I'm done." If you are not there quickly enough tears of frustration often appear.


• by wanting to spend time with me and the boys on weekends instead of focusing on other hobbies - golfing, hockey etc. It's not that he doesn't enjoy these other hobbies and he definitely deserves a break from all the demands on him as a husband, dad and teacher but he chooses to stay with us and go swimming or skating, or to a park or quadding with the kids at Grandma and Grandpa's house etc.


• by supporting me and not giving me a hard time when I go to bed early at nights exhausted. We had a movie to watch last night and I was drifting off half an hour into it and left to crawl into our bed at 9pm. I'm not tons of fun to hang around lately.


• by listening whether I'm venting over some minor issue that seems like a big deal, or I'm worrying about family or friends, or missing my mom. He always takes the time to listen and not belittle my concerns. Hormones are raging these days, I'm like a roller coaster, very happy or very down.


• by quickly going into response mode when I have a migraine which happens on average once a month or so. Instead of leaving the details for me to figure out, he often snaps into action and lines up babysitting, dinner and even arranges rides to the doctor's if needed. This is HUGE for me. I get progressively worse if I try to take care of these details. He sometimes is doing all of this before he heads out to work in the morning.


• by providing more than enough for our family by his hard work. My husband gives 110% to his work and it is so evident. I always hear kids saying he is their favorite teacher and I always hear parents commenting on what a fantastic teacher he is. If I had to instruct and take care of 25 kids all day and then come home and help my wife with the kids and play hockey and attend meetings etc. I don't know if I could do it but he just does it without a complaint.


• by doing all of the little things that make my life easier like turning his stinky socks the right way before putting them in the laundry and hanging up the shower mat and making breakfast Saturday mornings and BBQing.


• by getting enthusiastic about projects and researching costs and quality etc. He certainly doesn't always attempt new projects all of the time but when he does he goes full force into shopping around and researching details. This has been with buying a washer and dryer, landscaping the backyard, buying a new BBQ, buying carpet for our family room, buying a microwave and many other purchases.


• by doing without material things. Unlike most men Ken will use/wear things until they become unusable/unwearable like his hockey equipment for example, he usually buys used skates and his other gear is literally falling apart. I took his skates to get sharpened on Friday and they needed a new rivet, a new eyelet, new laces b/c the two laces he had were different and falling apart. We don't have a fancy stereo or a fancy vehicle. I'm sure Ken would love to have all of these things but he makes them seem so unimportant to him whereas I usually am stressing the need for things like...new maternity clothes, highlights, new runners etc. He keeps me focused on what's important in life...faith, family and friends., and for him maybe I should add beer as well.


• by having a balanced life and sets a good example to me who usually tries to take everything on at once and ends up suffering because of it.
• by walking to school 2.5 kms so that I can have the van to take the kids to playgroups and Bible study.
  There are so many other things he helps me with, this list is unending but I just wanted to share a few things about my best friend and husband and show my appreciation for him.

Have you thought about or thanked your spouse for all of the little things they do for you lately?

Simply Put!

A woman was asked by a coworker, 'What is it like to be a Christian?'
The coworker replied, 'It is like being a pumpkin.' God picks you from
the patch, brings you in, and washes all the dirt off of you. Then He
cuts off the top and scoops out all the yucky stuff.
He removes the seeds of doubt, hate, and greed.
Then He carves you a new smiling face and puts
His light inside of you to shine for all the world
to see.

Sleepover with Princess Simone.

We had the privledge of having Cousin Simone join us for 2 sleepovers while her Mommy and Daddy went away for a break. We had so much fun having a girl around. It was like having twins with her and Luke only being 10 weeks apart. As you can tell from the pictures they have very similar interests. Where one went the other was close to follow. It's amazing how the littlest things can consume a toddlers mind and provide excitement for such long periods of time. Simone doesn't have steps in her house so Luke and her played on the steps for half hour stretches at a time. Often when Simone left the room you could find her playing again on the steps. Luke and Simone are on similar schedules and have a lot of things in common. They both have white knit blankies that they sleep with, they both suck their thumbs when they are tired and when they see their white blankies, They both love baths and going for walks with their moms. They both wear sleepsacs to bed, sleep with their blankies and have a teddy bear. If I had twins this is how I would picture life. It was really neat having her over and opening her suitcase to see such a display of PINK! and she had little hair clips and pink booties. So cute. We are so thankful to have such a precious little niece who we get to spend so much time with. Thank you Auntie Mel and Uncle Pete!

One of These Things is not like the others...

Can you pick out which one is different?

Our First Snowfall

This is our first snowfall. The boys were so excited to get outside and play in it. It did take1/2 hour to get them all dressed and bathroom runs etc. One mistake I made was getting Luke dressed first. He couldn't even stand up in his snowsuit and winter boots. He was laying like a ball on the floor crying the whole time I got Andrew and Sam ready. He's so determined to be like his brothers and play in the snow. He ended up crawling most of the time and I brought him in kicking and screaming after 15 minutes because he was losing his mittens and his boot once. The joys of Toddlers and the snow. My plan this winter is to play with the older two outside while Luke naps.

Simple Woman # 9

FOR TODAY
October 8, 2009

Outside my window...
SNOW! Can you believe it? There is a good inch of snow on everything. It looks so pretty but I'm not quite ready for it yet. Sam still needs a snowsuit and all of the boys need winter boots. If they do make outside to play today it will be in their rubber boots!

I am thinking...
That I want to accomplish something today and feel productive. I plan to cut up old jeans into squares to make a denim rag blanket for Andrew's bed. Sam has one that I made already but I'd like one for Andrew too.

I am thankful for...
dinner with Mom last night while our husbands were working.(Ken's in Regina at a teacher's convention and Dad is driving the truck for beet harvest.) I'm sure most women can relate, getting through the day is fine as well as putting all the kids to bed on our own but dinnertime it sure is nice to have your husband around and to share your day with each other.

From the kitchen...
bread in the breadmaker, chocolate chip cookies in the oven, leftover macaroni casserole for dinner and homemade applesauce.

I am wearing...
jeans and a brown short sleeved shirt.

I am going...
to bundle the kids up soon and take them for a walk in the snow. It will probably be an hour of dressing them and undressing them and 20 minutes of walking but oh well. Fresh air is good right and we have to enjoy this snow before it melts.

I am reading...
a Todays Parent magazine

I am hoping...
that we have a fun day playing. Cousin Simone is coming for a sleepover tonight. Her Mom and Dad are away for a few days of relaxation. Can't wait to have a little girl around the house.

I am hearing...
the radio, Andrew and Sam playing lego and Luke getting impatient in his booster seat. He just finished his snack and wants out and the timer on the oven. The last of the cookies are done.

Around the house...
outdoor toys need to be put away as well as lawn chairs and the kids swimming pool. Bathrooms need cleaned Uggghhh. Beds still need to be made, a load of laundry or two.

One of my favorite things...
pumpkin pie with whipping cream at Thanksgiving.
a nice long uninterupted bath in the tub.
a massage.

A few plans for the rest of the week...
Ken gets back Friday night, Simone will get picked up Friday night and Dwayne and Trixie arrive to Coaldale Friday night then swimming Saturday and get togethers with family, Sunday church and Thanksgiving dinner.

Here is picture thought I am sharing...(No pictures today, for some reason I haven't taken any for almost two weeks. )