our wonderful holiday schedule

I am a total sucker for sleeping in. The kids and I now get up around 8 or 9ish, which is great for sleep, but horrible for trying to get things done before noon. So now our noon is about 1:30 and naps some time after that. Ivan still needs naps everyday, at least he is much more pleasant and so are the rest of us, but it is taking him a long time to conk out, so that's a little rough. My natural inclination, which is to stay up until about midnight, lets me get some stuff done when the kids go to bed about 9:30 or 10pm. I have been going through baby clothes, washing, sorting, arranging, getting mom and dad's room ready and keeping up with regular household stuff like suppers and laundry. I'm trying to get Dominique to stop throwing everything on the floor when she is done with it, but this is not an easy lesson. I just can't reach down and be picking up everything all the time, not that I should have to!

We got to see Big Buddy today. He had his other leg amputated and is hurting quite a bit, but in good spirits, teasing all the nurses. We brought him a card with the above picture on it and he liked that quite a lot.

Tomorrow the kids go on their first slumber party to a friend's house, while we get to go out for dinner for our 10th anniv. and maybe even a movie sans kids. Yep 10 years ago, we were up there in what Brian called a "frozen wasteland" (his first impression from the plane), pledging our "I dos" in the midst of a huge snowstorm. It was a great start to a wonderful 10 years. I just can't believe it has all gone by so quickly!

It's t-t-told outside

Ivan can't say his hard C sounds yet, thus the title. The kids have a video showing them the sound the C makes and so he likes to quote "it's t-t-told outside". Yesterday, Dominique was in a tank top and Ivan got hot in his black jeans. This morning, they came to me in their pyjamas with mitts from the bag Brian had left out when getting ready to head to work. They hadn't even had breakfast yet, but wanted their mitts on. I told them mitts were for going outside, when their hands are cold. Dominique said her hands were cold as she put her glacier fingers on my bare leg. Our lesson on placing the thumb in the mitt commenced immediately.

They keep saying we could get snow, but something more than colder temperatures needs to happen for that- precipitation. Brian said we haven't had rain in 3 months. It's so dry! Even Houston got snow already this year. Last time that my parents came for Christmas it snowed for them, so a repeat would be cool. They say we have another chance for snow this weekend. We'll see.

On to baby news... I had an appointment today and another one in 2 weeks, then weekly (I was mistaken before). The doctor said that I'm nearing my weight limit for the pregnancy- (like whatever that means) and that I need to watch my intake of sweets, fatty foods, nighttime snacks... Did she happen to look at a calendar?!! I knew this weigh in was going to be bad. My water aerobics class is suspended and I won't be back until 6 weeks after the baby is born, so I've missed out on that, plus we started celebrating our anniversary this week, so I have a huge cheesecake in the fridge that we've been working on and when I found out my parents have their own stash of German chocolates, we went ahead and started on ours, with the idea of saving some for their time here too of course. Humff. Watch my intake- she means watch them go in my mouth right??

OK, the nitty gritty-- To those of you who know numbers, I'm dilated to a 1 and 25% effaced and the baby is already in position and "engaged" at a 0 station, which the doctor explained usually means a quick labor. She asked if I've been having contractions and I'm not sure how to answer her. I've been having tons for over a month now and told her once before, which totally freaked her out and she checked me, but nothing was happening. So then the next visits I told her they were just Braxton hicks, but they don't feel like them, they feel more like not so intense contractions. Of course the doctor was asking if I wanted to be induced, but I don't think we'll need to be this time, with the way these feel. Ivan was one day early and Dominique induced a week late, so I don't think this one will come early. I guess we'll just see. In the meantime, mom and dad are to arrive, we have Christmas coming and the New Year- just a few things going on.

Can you believe it's almost Christmas?? Dominique is always asking me where her Christmas is and I have no clue what she is talking about: the tree, a present, a card, a decoration...???

We got to go see Mary today. The kids and Wynetta played Dominoes with her, which was great. I was helping both the kids play, but they did pretty well. I think Dominoes is one of the few games that any age can play and even enjoy with different ages playing together.

Big Buddy is in the hospital and scheduled to have his other leg amputated, so that really sucks, but it should help him a lot with his pains and he is pretty chipper about it knowing how much it helped when the other one was done.

We got our mailed presents in the mail today, so maybe they can get there on time. I hope Andrea's doesn't come back from Germany- like her birthday card did! yeah, argh, we got it in the mail today (I sent it in early Oct.). So Andrea, Brian said I should just scan the card and e-mail it to you. Plus it came back damaged, like they were mad at me for not figuring out the address- can you move somewhere easier to mail to (like Canada ;)? hee hee

A year ago today

I'll never forget this day. I got to see my niece from her first breath out of the womb. There was something so connecting at being able to be there, and healing and joyful and freeing.

Our lives were forever changed. I got to be auntie, Brian- an uncle and the kids- cousins. Imogen got lots of hugs, kisses, welcomes and camera flashes.

She has brought so much joy to all our lives and has displayed both her easy temperament, joyful spirit, talent and determination. She is now walking, eating table food and babbling away. I wish I could be there for every moment, but have to be thankful that at least there is the net, facebook, blogging and web cams to keep up with the changes. It does hurt when I want to reach through the computer and give her a hug or kiss or touch her little hands. So would someone up there do that for me? Tell her that her auntie, uncle and cousins in Texas love her very much and happy birthday.

In case she has learned to read on her own since we last web cammed (she is brilliant- you know): We love you Imogen Grace Wallace! Happy 1st birthday!

Toddler tales vol.3

As I was unloading the groceries, the kids each snagged a block of cheese and were putting it up to their eyes as if the blocks were cameras, making clicking noises and saying "say cheese!" (so clever)
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Tonight, the baby was moving around in weird positions, so I showed the family my rocking and rolling belly. Ivan looks up at me and says: "you look like a hot air balloon". OK, not exactly the compliment one looks for, but probably pretty true to fact. I start my 9th month this week, which means weekly doctor appointments and a soon to arrive baby.

I thought that once I stopped keeping the Aim boys, I'd have all this time to get ready and think about the baby and instead Christmas has slammed us in the face. I think we've got most of it done though. We are finishing up the last of our homemade gifts so I hope that we can get stuff mailed off Monday to far away family, except for the Canadian contingent who will get their gifts via dad's suitcase- you don't mind do you dad?

Mom always baked Christmas goodies and I haven't gotten at all that adventurous. I figure I was doing good to get a few gifts under the tree. Besides, we already eat too much sweets right? I could say that we're trying to be more health conscious instead of just lazy. And it's not like their isn't anything special in the house with the box of chocolate delicacies that my future sister-in-law sent us from Germany. Yeah, we are spoiled.

A wee bit busy

Sorry I've been a little negligent here. We've been just a wee bit busy (as my future sister-in-law would say). Last weekend we put up our tree and outdoor lights, plus Brian got our yard winterized. Monday, I had my last day with the Aim boys, but that seems like about 3 weeks ago. We've had multiple things going on everyday which can be very taxing on a 9 month pregnant lady and two toddlers. I got some Christmas shopping and projects done, had two fun nights sans children- a girls night out and a date night in with Brian. I surprised him with a fancy meal a week before our 10th anniv. It tasted good, but it's crazy trying to take care of kids, get the house clean and cook something fancy all at the same time. I was pretty wiped by evening to say the least.

Today was crazy, but fun too. It was super windy out, so Brian scratched his outdoor plans and got another Christmas project done- yeah Brian. Meanwhile, the kids and I made "lighter sabers" out of the paper at the end of the Christmas wrap, I finished up an ornament for Dominique, we decorated a ginger bread house (thanks Andrea) and enjoyed all being together.

We have a rule that the kids don't get desert if they don't eat supper and so decorating the ginger bread house with tons of candy they were not allowed to eat was pretty torturous for them, but they obeyed, mostly. I couldn't keep them from licking the icing from their fingers and then- to my horror or laughter (whichever wins out at the moment) licking the table and even picking icing off Dominique's shirt to eat. Yeah- gross.

So, what are your least favorite and favorite Christmas activities?

I'm not a shopper at the best of times, so that is torturous for me, but I have loved all the little celebrations- the parade, (the tree, which the kids are constantly re-decorating), decorating the gingerbread house, getting together with family (my parents fly in on the 23rd)... all the little things that give such joy to the kids and all the great ways to make memories and share experiences together.

Toddler tales vol.2

Today we had packages in the mail. The ever so exciting rewards from the HEBuddy kids propaganda club from our grocery store. We really like our store and they help the community a lot as well as provide fun activities for kids like fishing for live catfish in the parking lot. They are very generous with prizes, of course store propaganda prizes. They give the kids "buddy bucks" while we are in the store, which can be used on a grabbing game in the store, which gives them points, that when added up gives them prizes from a frequently updated catalogue. Today, they got the latest prizes we ordered: HEBuddy kid mugs that are also puzzles in that the picture turns on the mug so that you have to match up the store mascot (a grocery bag of food). Ivan and Dominique are so excited about them, but the laugh out loud statement that Ivan made was this: "wow, when I'm an adult, I can put coffeee in this and drink it!" Yeah, I see him as a 20something with his puzzle kid mug, drinking his latte!

Dominique has developed an interesting way to count just lately. She likes to count with the microwave. Of course she is counting up, while the microwave counts down. The funny thing is that she is counting all mismatched in 3 languages. She typically says something like: "un, deux, trois, cinco, siete, ocho, eighteen, nineteen".

One thing I hope to do better now that I am not keeping other kids is to talk more French to them. They know a few words, but should really be bilingual by now if I was more consistent. It seems with each new baby we have, I feel like I have the chance to start again.

Can you believe Christmas is around the corner? We are so not ready. We are still making and getting gifts, one of which Brian is planning to build for the kids the weekend after Christmas, not to mention I need to get the house ready for my parent's arrival and a baby!!! I start my 9th month this coming week. So exciting!

At the same time, we are enjoying sleeping in and being flexible. Yesterday we stopped by a friend's work to surprise her for her birthday and ran into a friend who took us for lunch and another friend, who then joined us- grandma Wynetta being one and (the one taking the picture)- Trish being the other. So fun! Today we were able to keep Isaiah some while Tighe took his sister for a vaccination and got to have lunch with them too ;) So nice to get to see some friends and enjoy other adults!

Toddler tales

Dominique loves Dora and all her Dora toys/books/cup/plate... Dora is a character on a popular kid's video/tv show. The cute thing is that Dominique does not call her Dora. If you've heard the theme song, it starts with repeating "do do do do Dora" (4 times) then goes into "Dora, Dora, Dora the explorer..." So Dominique calls her "do do do do Dora" and is often heard saying things like: "Where is my do do do do Dora?" Depending on what she is looking for we have to guess if it's the plate, bowl, cup, toy, book...

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In the middle of the night, Dominique came crying into our room, crying "I want Ivan" "where's Ivan". I don't know if she'd had a nightmare in which he was hurt or what, but I took her back to her room, lifted her up so that she could see Ivan sleeping peacefully through the mayhem and put her back in her bed where she slept through the rest of the night. I think it's so sweet that they are best friends.

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Dominique and I were in the kitchen goofing around when a stench filtered through the air. She said "Are you stinky?" I replied- "no, who's stinky?". "Ivan?" she not so innocently suggested. I argued "He's not even in the room. Did you toot?" She shook her head vehemently "Nooooooooo... I farted".


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Ivan and Dominique were calmly finishing up their pancake breakfast when the phone rang. If you don't have toddlers, let me explain. The phone ringing is like an alarm. It means- mom is busy and we can create all the chaos we want and it will make her really angry and it will give us a lot of mischevious fun. So within two minutes of talking on the phone, when the screeching had escalated to the point of someone is getting hurt or something will get wrecked, I went to examine the situation. (Did I also mention that the alarm means run off into another room so that it will take mom some time to reach us?) Dominique was violently pushing the eject button on the computer, opening the DVD player and Ivan was holding onto the DVD tray that was trying in vain to disappear back into the computer. I could almost hear the DVD player crying out "I have nothing to do with this, please leave me out of this, let me go back to my comfortable little home". So, like any good mom, I screamed at them and banned them from videos for the rest of the day.

Ivan does not understanding bannings too well. He thinks that if he keeps asking every minute or so, he will eventually wear me down and I will give in. So, after about 5 requests for a video, I told him that if he asked me again to watch a video today that I was going to spank his bum. A minute later, he came up to me with the sweetest smile and said "mom, can you?" and he pointed to the computer with frantic gestures "um... put something on?". The answer was still no, but I admire his ability to think through the rules and create a new tactic. So now I specified that that is still asking and that he better not do it again.

What a trooper!

I took Ivan to the dentist today. He got 4 of his 7 cavities filled, which means we have to go back again in Feb.! The place just opened, but they are so good and I guess word travels fast. When we first went, getting an appointment was easy, now they have nothing open for months! He was so incredible. I've had fillings, lots of them, but not all at the same time! He did great with the first 2 and they kept saying how incredible he was. They said he was acting more like a 7 year old than a 4 year old. The dentist and technitian were so super and when he flinched on the next teeth, they had to give him shots and it went kind of downhill from there. I think he was tired and ready to go home. It didn't help that we waited a good 45 min. in the waiting room before they even called us. He was ready to go home before they'd even touched him. But they are by far the best dental experience I've ever seen or had nonetheless. I was so thankful for my friend Tighe who kept Dominique for me. She didn't need to see all the operations and Ivan needed my undivided attention, not to mention that would have been a bit of a zoo for the dentist too with a two-year old adding to the mix.

I managed not to cry when I could see that it was hurting Ivan and that he had had enough. I could tell they really sped things up as he cried through the last filling. Poor guy. Well one side done, one to go. They did pretty white fillings, so you can't even tell he has them. Maybe the fillings will protect those teeth some too so we don't have to do this again! One can hope.

While in Houston, we found this elf bearing gifts along with his beautiful assistant.


Here's the video of Ivan's first ride on a non-training wheels bike.

10 years just like that!

I can hardly believe that we'll have been married 10 years this month. It went so fast. We visited the water wall where Brian (finally) proposed to me. I say "finally" because we were planning the wedding and were not as yet officially engaged. I didn't want an engagement ring, so he gave me a locket instead, made by a friend of ours who is a jeweler and also made our wedding rings. I'm wearing the locket in the pictures. Don't zoom up on it though. It's silver and I really should have polished it before wearing it. Maybe I was going for the antique look?

We took a ton of pictures there since we thought it'd be cool to get our family photo there too this year. That was not very easy. We had us, a tripod and camera with a timer. Last year, I put a balloon on the camera and had the kids smile at the balloon. This year I didn't have a balloon and we had a niagara falls sized mountain of water crashing around us and tons of people to distract the kids. We kept yelling "look at the flashing light on the camera" and when we'd check the outtake, Ivan was looking over his shoulder or sticking out his tongue. Dominique apparently lost her smile somewhere upon arrival. We did manage to get a cute pose, while not all the expressions were perfect- but I'm keeping the picture a secret until in the New Year... so you'll have something to look forward to I guess.

The tower Brian is beside was called the transco tower, but being so OLD, it has since changed names. It faces the water wall. The picture of us on the bench is the very spot where the proposal occured. When standing in the middle of the curved wall, it is very wet and if you look up, you can actually get dizzy with the effects of the crashing, moving, noisy water. It's pretty neat. You can hear how noisy it was in this video and I'm standing far away from it.



In other news... Brian saw our baby's foot. I've heard of people being able to tell a body part through their extended belly, but couldn't imagine how it was possible. The other night, I could feel some little hard part and told Brian to come check it out. All of a sudden, she pushed and he said he saw her foot's imprint. Of course I could see nothing from my vantage point, but he even told me which direction her foot was in and that the toes were facing up. I still can't picture how she is turned around in there.

Last night, we took the kids to the Christmas parade. I thought Dominique and Ivan were about to burst. I don't think anyone could have enjoyed the parade more than they did. Dominique kept saying "I see that!" Ivan still loves the "mighty street sweeper". There were lots of lights and music and candy (that they didn't need). They yelled "merry Christmas" to everyone and a lot of people made eye contact with them, especially Dominique. They gobbled it all up. They saw our grocery store mascot, which they were bonkers over- he's a paper back with food coming out the top. So I guess it doesn't take a whole lot to impress them, but horses, wagons, cars, lights, people, a big street party- what more can you ask for? We saw 6 people we know personally in the parade and others we know from places in town. I guess that's a sign you live in a small city.

Dominique keeps saying "I want my Christmas" and I'm not sure what she is asking for. I keep telling her Christmas is a season or day and not really a thing or place to go to. They don't really get it. They keep begging me to take them to the balloon festival and don't understand that it doesn't come back here until next year. How will we explain to them that Christmas is over come January? I guess we'll tell them now is the time for the baby's arrival.




So, what is your favorite part of a parade?

And if you've been proposed to, where was it? Have you been back there?

A week ago or so

Ivan took this picture of me. He is getting better and better with the camera. I took his picture and he's pretty cute on the other end of the lens too.



Nana was off from work Wed. which was why we left the day before. That morning we went off to get plants for the guys to plant in the flower beds. They did a wonderful job and made friends with plenty of huge worms. Nana offered for me to take a nap (which I did not refuse), while she took Dominique out on a grandma/grandaughter date. They got their nails done. Dominique was so excited about her nails and showed them off to everyone. Ivan wanted to show us his nails too.