Having a blast!

Yes, we are in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada, having a blast and I'm actually posting this from my parent's. We left last Wed. Ivan got up when he heard us stirring at 4am. We left the house by 4:30 all excitement and bags, car seats, stroller and 6 carry-ons. Yep, it's not easy travelling with 3 kids under the age of 5. But they were very, very good. Emora enjoyed a day of nursing and eating, sleeping and being in my arms. Ivan and Dominique were so full of excitement they barely slept at all. Dominique had a bit of a nap on one of the flights and then both stayed awake until our final descent into Saskatoon. They enjoyed talking with passengers, using escalators and walking sidewalks, skytram and underground train... Then 10 minutes from Saskatoon, they both conked out. We woke them to tell them we had arrived. Ivan shook his head, his eyes rolled back and he fell back asleep. He looked drunk. But shortly after, we had to get them up to go through customs and they were wired awake after that even for the 30 minute drive to my parents. We got to spend the evening with all my family, my brother, parents, sister, her husband and daughter. It has been great.

Last old post...

You can't hear it real good, but I thought this was so very cute. Ivan was in the cart because he was running like a wild child through the store (that's not the cute part), so I stuck him in the cart. First he put his hat on Emora. Then she started making gurgling noises, and he imitated her then they went back and forth, at nauseum, until I dug out the camera at which point they naturally tapered off to not doing much of anything exciting for me to record. The hard part is that Ivan sounded so much like Emora that it's hard to tell she is making the noise first.


Duet in the grocery store.

Mommy and Emora taken by photographer Dominique.


My sweet girls ;)

making bubbles

She can't quite blow bubbles in the pool yet. Well, let me rephrase that... she can make bubbles, but from the wrong end. This is Emora's favorite new trick. Not flatulence, that is a favorite OLD trick- like since birth. Her new trick is to blow bubbles and make bubbly noises. She is getting to be quite verbal. She talks all through feedings, both when I'm nursing, (she has these murmurs and sighs of contentment) and when I'm feeding her by spoon- she babbles away, perhaps telling me all about her day- I really have no clue.

In the pics Ivan and Dominique were jumping off the ladder onto a floating mattress like toy. It was pretty impressive, and I got videos of it, but who knows where I've got them to and I'm not about to look for them now. Plane leaves in 6 hours... OK, one more post to go...


Emora makes bubbles.

What am I doing? I should be in bed, not typing up a quazillion posts for you to read while I'm gone. I'm either crazy, or a mom, or a crazy mom- but aren't they all? Yep, I love them and I love you, so that's why we're here. This one is to all our friends in Texas. Hope you are not sweltering in the heat. I'm sure that as you read this, we are enjoying wonderfully sane temperatures, as compared to those in the panhandle state.

If you are in Abilene, in the summer, with toddlers, a big recreation is to find ways to keep cool. Some of those ways is to play in the pool or to go to the mall-- boo hiss (I hate malls). But if you take a toddler, or two, or 5, you can't actually shop (which is the part I hate). However, you absolutely have to stop at the play area, you may be finaggled into letting them ride the rides and if it's a really special day, as it was this time, you may even stop for a bite to eat. In this case, the mall is a great place. Out of the heat, cool, refreshing and relatively cheap.


The kids riding a trolley toy at the mall.

Super powers baby

Emora is in training. One of Ivan's and Dominique's favorite things is Star Wars and playing with their "lighter sabers", as they call them. I have no idea where this fascination came from, but it wasn't me. I do know that when I've left the kids with Brian each week to go teach water aerobics, I come home and there is a mighty force in the home- my spider senses are telling me (oops, wrong movie) that they have been watching and or playing Star Wars reenactments. Of course the logical progression from this is to teach Emora. She may only be 5 months old, but she is a jedi in the making. Sorry Emora, you don't seem to have a chance in this house. At least she is taking it on in style. Here is the southern bell jedi warrior princess.
Her daily exercises consist of screaming at the top of her lungs if mommy takes more than 5 seconds to get her food ready, rolling over and yelling because she can't roll back and doesn't like to be on her belly for too long (although she is building stamina and staying on her belly more and more), chewing on everything in sight, pulling the hair of her enemies (I mean siblings) and jumping in this:

Gobbling it up

It's a special two video day, since they go together and all. The older kids love to help feed Emora. I haven't let them feed her with the spoon much yet, since that takes a special talent. I'm not sure I have the talent, but she hasn't had a spoon jammed down her mouth yet and I think it'd be good to avoid that for a little bit at least. The kids are still learning how to be gentle. Dominique thinks that as long as she kisses Emora after, she can be reckless. We had watched the percussionist, so I came in to see why Emora was crying. There Dominique was with the paper towel rolls we had been using as drumsticks. I asked: "did you hit Emora with those?" "Yes, but I kissed her" was her reply. The percussionist was showing us how you can discover different sounds by hitting different surfaces. I guess she wanted to find out what a baby would sound like. Did she ever find out!



Dominique feeding Emora her bottle.



Ivan feeding Emora her bottle.

by your daddy's bootstraps

Have I already posted this video? I've managed to confuse myself, so my apologies if you've already seen it. Come back tomorrow and I promise to have something you haven't already watched. Saba was trying to tell Emora to throw the ball, which of course she can't do yet. But she can sit up on her own! Doesn't she look all grown up sitting with the big kids? She can also roll from her back to her belly, which I need to get on video still.

These next two picks I am naming: "pull yourself up by your daddy's bootstraps". Ivan started it, so then Dominique had to join in. Daddy may need more boots by the time Emora can walk. We'll have us a regular old stampede here!

An apple a day...

If an apple a day keeps the doctor away, what does a post a day do? Thought I would empty out my blogables file since I might not have time much to post in Canada and this will be all old news once I get Canada pics coming. We are leaving in the morning- not so bright, but early. I'm sure it will still be dark at 4am. Our flight leaves at 5:50. I can't even remember the last time I was up that early. I started packing Sunday and it was a good thing. I packed Emora's stuff that day and made a bunch of lists, then pack Ivan, Dominique and I yesterday and made some more lists. Today, we went to a great performance by a percussionist at the library, tried to take naps and finish up a bunch of last minute things including making sure everything would fit in the bags and that they weren't overweight. We are going light this trip as compared to our winter trips. Only 3 suitcases. I still think we could have fit it all in two bags, but Brian thought a busted open suitcase was not worth saving $15 over. Yeah, guess he's right. Still, with only 3 suitcases, we are traveling with 11 pieces! Yep, see what happens when you add a bunch of kids to the mix? We have 4 backpacks (the kids are excited to have their's too), a diaper bag and umbrella stoller, plus 2 carseats. If you think we are missing a car seat, we are. Remember we are TRYING to go simple, so I asked my sister to bring a booster seat to the airport for Ivan to graduate into. He's the right size and age, so it will save us from 12 items. 11 is much easier right?





Brian playing Stick at a wedding for some friends of ours.

Happy Father's Day Brian!

I have been blessed beyond measure and I will always be thankful for the man I was given to share my life with. He is a true soul mate.





He is so many things I am not and I appreciate the diversity and balance he brings to my life and to the lives of our children.



Brian is a great father. The children love to be with him. It is their ultimate treat when he gets home from work. Ivan especially wants to imitate his dad and follow in his footsteps.

Brian is a great support to me as a wife, and mother, valuing the contributions I make to our home and the raising of our kids.


I am so thankful for all that I have, and most of all for this family- as chaotic, loud, boisterous or aggravating it can be at times, I am so very thankful for each individual linked together for the rest of our lives. Upon marriage, I could never have known the depth of the man I had joined my heart to. With time, we all get to know him more and realize what a treasure we have.

Happy Father's day Brian! And to my dad and all the other great dad's out there... you are such a strength to us and we appreciate you immensely.

twice dressed up!

Emora, my fashionista.



These pics were from the graduation party for our African friend. My dress and Dominique's are from Africa. She loves hers and wants to wear it everyday if she could, but it does need to be washed periodically and is starting to have some wear and tear-- poor outfit is being loved to death! And while Dominique would like to dress up every day, the adults in the house are not too keen on it, which is why it was most astounding that we dressed up twice within less than 24 hours!

The next pics are from a wedding we attended.



If tonight was any indication, I may have another comedienne in the house. It was quite apparent early on that Dominique loves to laugh, create and initiate laughter. She has found an eager trainee in her 5 month sister Emora. Dominique often repeats a song, fall or sound at nauseum if it makes Emora laugh and the two are often heard giggling together (yes, already). Tonight, Brian brought Emora to me in a stroller while I was at the computer. As I surfed the web, she would make her new bubbly noises then laugh, over and over. It was so delicious, it made me realize that the web was not near as interesting as her and so we had us a little chorus of bubble laugh rounds.




I'm sure you've heard the expression: I laughed so hard I peed my pants! Of course, I've never done this in several decades, but what if the person is a baby? how would you know if she laughed so hard she had peed since she already wears a diaper?

That was a deep thought from Angela. Your welcome. I know you wanted to ponder that indefinitely.

production crew

It's neat to see how the kids are more and more capable of doing things.

Emora- can hold a bottle, can eat 4 kinds of food, makes gurgling noises and can roll onto her side.

Dominique- can use the potty all by herself and operate the computer.

Ivan- poured his own juice today into a cup, helped me make Emora's baby food, grated cheese, made his sister cry about 95 times today... (oops, guess that one is not an accomplishment, but it is a special knack he has).

We were in the backyard when Ivan decided that they needed to trim the leaves of the weeds growing in the yard. He cut the leaves and would haul them up the handle of the wagon. Dominique's job was to sit in there and when Ivan wasn't looking, she would throw all of his carefully gathered leaves all over her head and the general vicinity. Too bad this wasn't spinach they were picking, we would have had a great crop.

Speaking of gardening, our squash are already dying off. It's the hot time of year when it gets unbearable outside, which is why I am so looking forward to heading north in one week!!! Yipee ;)

Do you know what today is?

According to my calendar, it is flag day... but it is also something much more important. Maybe these pictures will help out a little bit...
















Did you guess one week away from father's day? It's a little hard to celebrate our family's father since the kids can not keep secrets, so involving them has to be last minute, but I have an idea or two up my sleeves...

If you are a dad, what has been your best father's day gift/activity/memory... if you aren't a dad, what was the best thing you did for your's?