The Big Surprise - Successful!

I pulled off the big surprise! Tuesday night Sommer and I arrived in Portland to surprise my mom and dad (and siblings) for American Thanksgiving :) We flew to Abbotsford where my sister picked us up and then drove home with her and Kevin. My mom could not believe it when she came out to help carry in the "heavy bags" from the car. She kept saying "No way!! No way!!! Sommer!!" What a fun thing to do for a grandma who doesn't see her grand-daughter that often. Even more special is that we will be down here again in 3 weeks to celebrate christmas! We also surprised my grandparents who were visiting from Orlando as they were in Portland for the holidays too. On Thursday there was 20 of us celebrating thanksgiving in Salem, OR, some of whom had never met Sommer before.

Sommer is being REALLY clingy here. She loves grandma and Aunti Kristi and sometimes Grandpa too. But Uncle Kevin - that is a different story. She gives him high 5's and that is about it. She has really taken to screaming (more shreiking - but not crying) when he goes near her... it's pretty funny to watch!! Good thing he has a good attitude about it and thinks that it is funny too. She doesn't like me to be out of sight which makes things difficult. I can't go to the bathroom or take a diaper outside to the garbage without her crying. Usually she is fine but this is a new place I guess. Slowly we are getting better... we will probably be fine by the time we are to go home.

Tonight Kristi and I went to see 4 Christmases with Vince Vaughn and Reece Witherspoon. Totally recommend it - 5 stars, 2 thumbs up, probably best movie I have seen in a while!! It was super funny, held your attention, and had a happy ending. Better than my last favorite movie (The Break-Up) because the ending was actually good. It is the type of movie that I would go see again if someone wanted to see it.

Today was Black Friday here in America - like Boxing Day in Canada. If you think about it Black Friday makes WAY more sense than Boxing Day because everyone could use the "deals" to purchase their christmas presents instead of shopping after they have received all their presents. I really think Canada should incorporate this hoilday/tradition... it only makes sense! I didn't go shopping though because there was nothing that I needed and not to mention that with our dollar so low it was probably MORE expensive to shop in the USA! But there were some good deals out there that's for sure!

I should head to bed here as it is already 10:30 pm (12:30 am in Regina). I have another long day tomorrow with a Winterhawks hockey game in the afternoon. We are having a great time down here with family and now will look forward to returning for Christmas!

POOP! (WARNING T.M.I.)!

On Monday Sommer was feeling under the weather. She was acting normal and playing fine but she had the poops. (THERE MIGHT BE T.M.I. COMING.....) She woke up in the morning and I took her downstairs to play while I made her some eggs for breakfast. When I was done the eggs I picked her up and put her in her highchair... I looked at my hand and it was COVERED in POOP! She started screaming in her chair and I tried to calm her down while washing my hands. I went over to her, picked her up, and poop was EVERYWHERE! I am talking highchair, diaper, down her legs, spilling OVER her diaper, up her back... EVERYWHERE! I didnt know what to do... it was like my mind totally blanked! I set her down to stand on her own but all she wanted to do was sit! Bad idea... it spilled all over the floor. Now I have a dog trying to smell everywhing, a baby covered in poop screaming... and I am standing there like an idiot wondering what to do next!! So I took her upstairs (praying that it wouldnt get on my carpet) and plopped her in the tub (diaper and all). Figured that was the easiest place to clean it up. UGH! After cleaning her up in the tub, cleaning the tub, and getting her dressed I went downstairs to tackle the highchair! That took forever! Luckily the rest of the days diaper changing sessions were not that eventful... but still gross. It was the type of day that you think, "why cant you pottytrain a 12 month old!?!"

I am hoping to get some christmas shopping and decorating down this week and next! I am so excited to decorate for Christmas... I dream of decorations :) I am thinking of putting the tree up next week just to get in the whole christmasy mood! I have no ideas what to buy for Christmas presents - except for James. That I have already thought of... now just to go and do it!

I should get to work here! Have a wonderful day!

Baby Fever Has Hit AGAIN!

I got that loving feeling - BABY FEVER HAS HIT AGAIN! I feel like everywhere I look there is someone who is pregnant or has just had a baby. And now I want one. I am dreaming of that smell - that newborn in swaddling blankets with milk on its tounge smell. Is that really a smell? It's a wonderful smell to me! Sommer would be 21 months if I got pregnant right now. We had always said that we would have our babies 2 years apart so 21 months sounds perfect to me!

James took the 2 year difference literally - meaning the next baby should be born in October as well. WHAT?? That's not what I meant at all... I was talking approximately. Who wants all their kids born in the same month? Althought it would make for easy remembering on the dads part, it would also make the moms job oh so busy! Planning 2 or more birthday parties in the same month!!?? That would be asking for trouble! And what if they were born on the same day??

As some of you know I am a HUGE Jon & Kate Plus 8 fan! The show that comes on after them has also got my attention lately - 17 kids and Counting (with Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar). They have 17 kids and are expecting another one!!! HOLY CRAP! I dont have baby fever THAT bad... I think all they have to do is think about having another child and POP - it appears! I dont need 17 kids but 4 would be nice! If they all were as easy as Sommer was that would be awesome too... my precious angel (atleast she was today...).

I have been blessed with such a good baby that I have to pray that the next one will be the same. Some days Sommer does try me and does press my buttons but usually she is wonderful :) Although she has now learned what a temper-tantrum is we are working on calming down and asking for help from Mommy - I know, I know, she is only 1 but you can't start too early!!

Well I should stop dreaming about babies and pregnancy and get back to work... if I dont get any work done I am not going to be able to convince "the boss" that we need another baby. So congrats everyone who is pregnant or just bringing home that precious little bundle. I am jealous!

Princess Auto vs. HomeSense

Princess Auto vs. HomeSense.

I hate Princess Auto. James loves Princess Auto. I can honestly say that I dont think there is a more boring store than Princess Auto. James would disagree. He would say Homsense. I love HomeSense. How someone can find HomeSense boring is beyond my imagination.

HomeSense

I could spend hours in HomeSense, heck, I could spend hours in just the picture frame section of HomeSense. I especially love HomeSense at Christmas time with all the decorations - shiney, twinkling, and bright decorations. They have such great deals - 60-80% below retail price (according to their slogan)!! The throw pillow department is 4 isles long and don't even get me started on the furniture department. I can always find a piece of furniture that I long to take home with me. I usually drag James in there to look at mirrior or a rug that I want to purchase but need his "final approval". He complains the whole time but I have learned to ignore him... usually leaving him sitting on a chair in the previously mentioned furniture section.

Princess Auto

Princess Auto on the other hand is full of boring objects. James said if he could spend 8 hours in one store it would be P.A. What the heck could he do there for 8 hours!? I can barely last 8 minutes or even 8 seconds. The past 2 times we have gone to the store I have choosen to stay in the car - leave me here, don't be long! He usually comes out after 25 minutes with special treasures that he talks about the whole way home while I pretend to listen and dream of the new things being unpacked across the street at HomeSense. I watch the people going into the store - Grease Heads I call them - but James says it's just people who love to "work with their hands". Guess I am not one of those people. The place has everything from livestock equipment to snowmobiling... it's a mish-mash of weird odds and ends that only a man could make sense out of.

Maybe I will get him a gift certificate to Princess Auto for Christmas with a piece of paper granting him 8 hours free to waltz around the shop... OH! the treasure he would find! OH... the treasures I would have to "pretend" to be interested in when he returned. There is no comparison between Princess Auto and HomeSense... HomeSense wins hands down :)

Returned to work!

Today is the day! I am back at work now - 24 hours a week! I put exclaimation marks in my last 2 sentences but really I am not that excited :( I have loved only working 2 afternoons a week, my 8 hours of freedom sometimes. But Trademark needs me as they are very busy! I am now working 3 full days - Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. I am going to enjoy my Mondays and Fridays off! Many people would love to only work 3 days a week and I have to remind myself that. I am blessed to be able to work for my husband's company.... there are some perks to sleeping with the boss, haha.

While I am at work Sommer is at a new babysitters. This lady - Tanya - is amazing! She has her education degree, is a mom to a 4 year old and a 1 year old, and is so loving and welcoming. The minute I met her I was excited for her to watch Sommer. She takes them outside to play in the yard, to the park, does crafts and has yummy meals for them. She is just great! Sommer cried when I dropped her off this morning so my heart was breaking. James texted me and asked if I had called yet to check on her - mainly because I think he was missing her - and I told him no. I cant bring myself to call incase something is wrong... but if something was wrong I'm sure she would call me.

I should probably get back to work here before one boss calls to check on me (or ask what's for dinner) and the other boss returns from his lunch meeting....