Matt took a holiday day on Friday giving us a four day weekend. Initially we had planned to go up and explore the North Canol road. However, going through my house I realized we were very short on groceries, diapers, cat food and a number of other things. Matt will be on call for the two weekends in a row are this one and then we leave for a two week vacation to see my parents and a week of camping and fishing with them at Francis Lake here in the Yukon.
So the plan has changed! Now we will spend Thursday and Friday going down the South Canol road. We will fish, play in puddles, spend the night somewhere along the way, and enjoy one of our favorite roads in the Yukon. Nothing like spending a Canada Day out in the Yukon wilderness with family!
Saturday and Sunday will be spent in Whitehorse. Matt wants to look around for a smaller quad trailer that we can haul down the back roads and I want to hit some garage sales. There is the usual shopping and I have packed the swimsuits in case we want to visit the pool. And the really exciting part is that I get to go to the movies with a friend and leave my men in the camper! I am so excited! So is Matt because this means he doesn't have to take me to the show (it is the Twilight movie- I know, I am a total geek but whatever! hehehe).
The North Canol will have to wait until August to be explored. At least then it will be hunting season and we can bring the guns and quads with us.
Enjoy your Canada Day and weekend everyone!
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Newest Sewing Project
I was looking around on the Etsy website last night and came across a neat pouch/purse/thingymabob. Tonight I made up my own pattern and gave it a try with the scraps I have around in my sewing room. It turned out pretty good for a first attempt! I will make a couple of small changes on the next one, but I think this will be a nice way to use up the heap of scraps I have been accumulating for the last few years.
**Oh the joy of having my evenings back so I can go down into my sewing room!!
****Plus with all of the sunlight I can actually go into the basement in the evening without fear of zombies!
From the side.
For the next one I will shorten the leather going over the top and
figure out some kind of strap for it.
Open.
Wow. From this picture I see I was nowhere close to centre when attaching the button strap! Better fix that.
**Oh the joy of having my evenings back so I can go down into my sewing room!!
****Plus with all of the sunlight I can actually go into the basement in the evening without fear of zombies!
Seal with navy blue split cow hide
From the side.
For the next one I will shorten the leather going over the top and
figure out some kind of strap for it.
Open.
Wow. From this picture I see I was nowhere close to centre when attaching the button strap! Better fix that.
A Little Sad
On the weekend I went through the boys closets and cleaned them out. Broken toys were tossed, other toys put in a box to give away and some were put into rubbermaids to be brought out again in a few months to make them new and exciting again. Clothes too small for Cavan were put into a box for a friend to sort through for her baby girl. Clothes too small for Hunter were sorted with some going straight to Cavan since he is growing like a weed and the rest to the same friend for her little boy.
I am not the type of person who needs to hold on to a lot of mementos from my past. So far, for the boys all I have kept are their wrist bands from the hospital, sleepers that Matt bought them, and some fur booties and mittens. Everything else has been given away because I feel better about these things being put to good use instead of collecting dust in my basement.
But then I came to the baby quilts. Cavan has moved up to a large fleecy blanket that he is in love with and sleeps with every night. These quilts were handmade with love from friends and family and I just couldn't part with them. I now have an entire rubbermaid of quilts and I have no clue what I will do with them. Maybe I could find someone to somehow fashion them into two large blankets for each of the boys. I know someone out there could really use them, but I just cannot part with them and it is such an odd feeling.
Then I was brought to tears when I pulled out my infant packing shirt. Hunter was packed around in it for the first six months of his life. Cavan was as well, but not as much as Hunter. Learning how to amaaq my children was something so special I learned during my time in the arctic. To have your baby ride along on your back, snug and warm, and to feel their chest against your back as they breathe is such a beautiful experience. I realized I will never get that opportunity again since we will not be having anymore children. It is now in the rubbermaid with the quilts and I know that I will never be able to part with it. Perhaps I will be able to amaaq my grandchildren in it when I am old. Cavan still rides in my packing vest made for larger babies, but it just isn't the same as when they are tiny. I was surprised at how emotional I became over a small piece of fabric.
It is a really good thing I sent Matt to the vet to be fixed a couple of months ago, or else I would have been asking him for another baby right about now! Maybe I should start asking for a puppy instead.
Thankfully my amouti is big enough to still even carry Hunter in it if I wanted to this winter! I will be packing Cavan as much as I can, although I doubt it will be much since he is Mr. Independent and wants to walk everywhere himself.
I wonder if one day I will be kicking myself for not hanging on to more of the baby stuff. But I have pictures, videos, and am printing out this blog year by year as hard cover books that document all of the craziness of our lives with little boys. I hope that will suffice.
So parents... what baby stuff are you holding onto? Any of it bring you to tears lately?
I am not the type of person who needs to hold on to a lot of mementos from my past. So far, for the boys all I have kept are their wrist bands from the hospital, sleepers that Matt bought them, and some fur booties and mittens. Everything else has been given away because I feel better about these things being put to good use instead of collecting dust in my basement.
But then I came to the baby quilts. Cavan has moved up to a large fleecy blanket that he is in love with and sleeps with every night. These quilts were handmade with love from friends and family and I just couldn't part with them. I now have an entire rubbermaid of quilts and I have no clue what I will do with them. Maybe I could find someone to somehow fashion them into two large blankets for each of the boys. I know someone out there could really use them, but I just cannot part with them and it is such an odd feeling.
Then I was brought to tears when I pulled out my infant packing shirt. Hunter was packed around in it for the first six months of his life. Cavan was as well, but not as much as Hunter. Learning how to amaaq my children was something so special I learned during my time in the arctic. To have your baby ride along on your back, snug and warm, and to feel their chest against your back as they breathe is such a beautiful experience. I realized I will never get that opportunity again since we will not be having anymore children. It is now in the rubbermaid with the quilts and I know that I will never be able to part with it. Perhaps I will be able to amaaq my grandchildren in it when I am old. Cavan still rides in my packing vest made for larger babies, but it just isn't the same as when they are tiny. I was surprised at how emotional I became over a small piece of fabric.
It is a really good thing I sent Matt to the vet to be fixed a couple of months ago, or else I would have been asking him for another baby right about now! Maybe I should start asking for a puppy instead.
Thankfully my amouti is big enough to still even carry Hunter in it if I wanted to this winter! I will be packing Cavan as much as I can, although I doubt it will be much since he is Mr. Independent and wants to walk everywhere himself.
I wonder if one day I will be kicking myself for not hanging on to more of the baby stuff. But I have pictures, videos, and am printing out this blog year by year as hard cover books that document all of the craziness of our lives with little boys. I hope that will suffice.
So parents... what baby stuff are you holding onto? Any of it bring you to tears lately?
Monday, June 28, 2010
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Sleep Sense: Two Weeks
I have spent the last weeks wishing we had done this sooner. We are sleeping! All of us!
We have stuck to our evening routine and bedtime at 7:30 for the last two weeks (and as close as possible while camping) and it has paid off in full. Cavan is now sleeping straight until 5:30 every morning and Hunter will sleep until 6 or 6:30. We have to go into Hunter's room a couple of times during the night because he gets uncovered and cold then calls in his sleep for us to cover him up. He doesn't even seem to wake up during these times. A couple of times he has called for us to take him to go pee, but then he goes right back to sleep.
Hopefully in time Cavan will make it to 6am, but for now I am pretty happy. That is ten hours straight he is sleeping. He is also napping in his crib twice a day. The morning nap is usually short at about 20 minutes and then the afternoon nap is around an hour.
I am finally feeling well-rested. That in combination with my walking and weight loss has given me a lot more energy. Amazing what a full nights sleep can do for a person!
We have stuck to our evening routine and bedtime at 7:30 for the last two weeks (and as close as possible while camping) and it has paid off in full. Cavan is now sleeping straight until 5:30 every morning and Hunter will sleep until 6 or 6:30. We have to go into Hunter's room a couple of times during the night because he gets uncovered and cold then calls in his sleep for us to cover him up. He doesn't even seem to wake up during these times. A couple of times he has called for us to take him to go pee, but then he goes right back to sleep.
Hopefully in time Cavan will make it to 6am, but for now I am pretty happy. That is ten hours straight he is sleeping. He is also napping in his crib twice a day. The morning nap is usually short at about 20 minutes and then the afternoon nap is around an hour.
I am finally feeling well-rested. That in combination with my walking and weight loss has given me a lot more energy. Amazing what a full nights sleep can do for a person!
Friday, June 25, 2010
Forty!
This morning I hopped on the scale rather excitedly to see if my walking this week had paid off. And it had!!
I have now lost 40lbs since the start of January. That 50lb goal for the end of July looks like it just might happen. And I am completely blowing my goal of 50lbs for the entire 2010 year out of the water.
Since Monday I have walked 22km all the while pushing a stroller with my little lead weights inside. I am so proud of myself for getting out there every day this week, even in the crappy weather and a bit of rain.
Another high point of the week was tonight. I made a small chocolate cake tonight for Hunter's birthday. We each had a piece and then I had Matt promptly take it over to another family for them to finish it off. Otherwise I would have eaten it all tonight. That is a huge step for me as a binge eater.
My reward for hitting 40lbs? Blowing lots of my husbands money at an awesome garage sale this evening. Fantastic day all around!
I have now lost 40lbs since the start of January. That 50lb goal for the end of July looks like it just might happen. And I am completely blowing my goal of 50lbs for the entire 2010 year out of the water.
Since Monday I have walked 22km all the while pushing a stroller with my little lead weights inside. I am so proud of myself for getting out there every day this week, even in the crappy weather and a bit of rain.
Another high point of the week was tonight. I made a small chocolate cake tonight for Hunter's birthday. We each had a piece and then I had Matt promptly take it over to another family for them to finish it off. Otherwise I would have eaten it all tonight. That is a huge step for me as a binge eater.
My reward for hitting 40lbs? Blowing lots of my husbands money at an awesome garage sale this evening. Fantastic day all around!
Happy Birthday Hunter!
My little boy is three years old today. Exactly three years ago to the minute I am writing this I was yelling at the anesthesiologist to give me some damn drugs- NOW!! Thank goodness for epidurals.
Three. Where did two and one go? Is he really that old already? I feel like I blink and he grows another inch and learns 10 more new words.
I had been excited for him to turn three so perhaps the Terrible Two's would be behind us. However, other parents have so kindly informed me that now comes the Trying Three's and that I will be lucky if I survive it. So let's see what the year brings!
Here are some of my favorite picture from his first year since I still cannot believe he is growing up:
A couple of days old:
So little!
Always full of smiles:
Can't wait to be 16...
Damn my kid is cute!
My favorite family picture:
So true:
Three years of clothing torture:
His first birthday:
Three. Where did two and one go? Is he really that old already? I feel like I blink and he grows another inch and learns 10 more new words.
I had been excited for him to turn three so perhaps the Terrible Two's would be behind us. However, other parents have so kindly informed me that now comes the Trying Three's and that I will be lucky if I survive it. So let's see what the year brings!
Here are some of my favorite picture from his first year since I still cannot believe he is growing up:
The original Birth Day!
A couple of days old:
So little!
Always full of smiles:
Can't wait to be 16...
Damn my kid is cute! 
My favorite family picture:
So true:
Three years of clothing torture:
His first birthday:
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Why I fed him to the wolves.
Why do I have to put my boots on mom?
Why are we going for a walk?
Why do I need my coat mom?
Why is it raining out mom?
Why do the clouds have rain in them?
Why don't the clouds have snow in them?
Why can't we take the quad?
Why do we need exercise?
Why do I have to walk?
Why can't I go in the stroller?
Why do I have to walk to the stop sign?
Why do I have to get into the stroller?
Why is Mr. Wiggles kicking me?
Why can't I come in the post office?
Why didn't I get a parcel?
Why did we get a postcard?
Why do I have to share my snack?
Why can't I hit Mr. Wiggles?
Why can't I kick Mr. Wiggles?
Why do I have to be nice?
Why is it raining?
Why are you going to feed me to the wolves?
Why can't I say why anymore?
Why are the wolves going to eat me?
Mom?
Mom?
Mommy?
Are you there mom?
Why aren't you talking to me anymore mom?
Why are we going for a walk?
Why do I need my coat mom?
Why is it raining out mom?
Why do the clouds have rain in them?
Why don't the clouds have snow in them?
Why can't we take the quad?
Why do we need exercise?
Why do I have to walk?
Why can't I go in the stroller?
Why do I have to walk to the stop sign?
Why do I have to get into the stroller?
Why is Mr. Wiggles kicking me?
Why can't I come in the post office?
Why didn't I get a parcel?
Why did we get a postcard?
Why do I have to share my snack?
Why can't I hit Mr. Wiggles?
Why can't I kick Mr. Wiggles?
Why do I have to be nice?
Why is it raining?
Why are you going to feed me to the wolves?
Why can't I say why anymore?
Why are the wolves going to eat me?
Mom?
Mom?
Mommy?
Are you there mom?
Why aren't you talking to me anymore mom?
A couple more of Lapie Canyon
Thanks to Kennie for passing along a few more great pictures from our camping weekend!
Would have been perfect if Cavan had been looking at the camera!
But with a view like that who can blame him.
Our dirty rig:
Chasing Dad:
Would have been perfect if Cavan had been looking at the camera!
But with a view like that who can blame him.
Our dirty rig:
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Walking
Between yesterday and today I have gone on five separate walks for a total of 12km. I am determined to hit that 50lb mark by the end of July!
The hill of doom is getting easier. I can walk up it without stopping, although near the top I am huffing and puffing, but still going. The boys are enjoying their extra walks with me, although Cavan really wants to get out of the stroller and walk with Hunter. Hunter walks about half the time and I do make him get out of the stroller for going up the hill. Having 25lbs of kid in there is more than enough!
Today's morning walk included a rose petal picking stop. I got nearly half an ice cream bucket of petals and turned them into thirteen little jars of jelly this evening. The petals won't be out for much longer, so I have to take advantage of them.
I have my fingers crossed that the weather stays nice enough that I can keep getting my walks in everyday. It is pretty easy to get in 4.5km everyday with just one loop to get the mail and back and then another loop around the houses on upper bench where we live.
Thanks for the ass-kicking encouragement everyone!
The hill of doom is getting easier. I can walk up it without stopping, although near the top I am huffing and puffing, but still going. The boys are enjoying their extra walks with me, although Cavan really wants to get out of the stroller and walk with Hunter. Hunter walks about half the time and I do make him get out of the stroller for going up the hill. Having 25lbs of kid in there is more than enough!
Today's morning walk included a rose petal picking stop. I got nearly half an ice cream bucket of petals and turned them into thirteen little jars of jelly this evening. The petals won't be out for much longer, so I have to take advantage of them.
I have my fingers crossed that the weather stays nice enough that I can keep getting my walks in everyday. It is pretty easy to get in 4.5km everyday with just one loop to get the mail and back and then another loop around the houses on upper bench where we live.
Thanks for the ass-kicking encouragement everyone!
Monday, June 21, 2010
An Ambitious Goal
Originally my weight loss goal for this year was fifty pounds. Recently I tweaked that goal and decided I wanted to hit my fifty pounds by the end of the third week of July. Why this date? That is when we will be on vacation down at my folks place. I decided a while back that once I hit fifty pounds I could splurge and buy some new clothes. If I hit fifty pounds when I am down there I can pop into Grande Prairie and get some new stuff in person instead of having to order it online.
I have been a bit stagnant in my weight loss since my in-laws left. For the last few weeks I have been sitting at a thirty six pound loss. So that leaves me fourteen pounds to lose in the next five weeks if I want to achieve my goal. That is a loss of nearly three pounds a week. I am confident that I will do it!
So start sending those "get your lazy ass off the internet and out walking" emails and facebook messages my way! I will need them.
I have been a bit stagnant in my weight loss since my in-laws left. For the last few weeks I have been sitting at a thirty six pound loss. So that leaves me fourteen pounds to lose in the next five weeks if I want to achieve my goal. That is a loss of nearly three pounds a week. I am confident that I will do it!
So start sending those "get your lazy ass off the internet and out walking" emails and facebook messages my way! I will need them.
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Camping at Lapie Canyon
This weekend we headed out for our first camping trip of the season. I thought it was going to be a complete bust since it poured rain here most of the day on Friday, but I was in luck! The weather man was totally off his rocker when he predicted a weekend of cloud and rain. We had mostly sun with a few sprinkles. Perfect camping weather!
We headed out to a territorial campground called Lapie Canyon just outside of Ross River which is less than an hour from here. Other than us, there were only two other sites being used in the entire campground. And my blog does it again!! I walked over the get some firewood and a woman at the nearby site asks me if I am the woman from Faro who makes baby-booties that are sold in Whitehorse! Somehow she had seen them and been on our blog before. Such a small world!
The campground is so nice! It is extremely clean and everything looks newly painted. The sites are large with a number of pull through spots. We camped right down near the river and thoroughly enjoyed the hiking trails that take you up to the cliffs overlooking Lapie Canyon. We will definitely camp there again.
We had a number of visitors over the weekend as well. Kennie (a teacher who used to work in Nunavut) from Ross River spent Friday night in her tent with us, Ann and Brian (also teachers in Ross River) biked out to say hi, Rachel (a nurse in Ross River) brought her super cute puppy out for a visit, and then our friend Erica from Faro came out with her parents who are on vacation in the Yukon. So nice to have some company!
The boys played in the dirt, walked on secret paths, squished bugs, got eaten by bugs (probably ate a few bugs too), helped haul wood, fished, threw rocks and just generally had a wonderful time. I cannot wait for a few years once they get into building forts and making their own little fires. Camping is just going to get better every year!
And now for the pictures!
Diggin'
Mr. Photobomb:
Walking the secret paths:
Happy Father's Day!
Now why am I the only one smiling?
Photo op on the hike up to the cliffs:
What dirt mom?
Covered in dirt and bug bites galore!
Happily playing with Erica! I made quite the meal to treat her visiting parents. Caribou and bison roasts cooked in a dutch over over the fire with carrots, potatoes and onion. Oh baby was it ever fantastic!
(ps. This amazing Yukon lady is single and comes with her own axe and truck!)
ROAR!
The pictures just don't show the extent of the dirt. Even their scalps were full of grit and Cavan had a diaper full of dirt.
But mom! Someone might see me naked!
The look on his face here is hilarious! He barely fit in the camper sink.
We found Cavan asleep with his butt in the air and head in the corner when we came in to go to sleep.
Hunter caught his first fish (he reeled it in with a little help from mom)!!
A 15" grayling!
He didn't watch to touch it because it was dirty.
And I couldn't keep Cavan away from it!!
Lapie Canyon:
We headed out to a territorial campground called Lapie Canyon just outside of Ross River which is less than an hour from here. Other than us, there were only two other sites being used in the entire campground. And my blog does it again!! I walked over the get some firewood and a woman at the nearby site asks me if I am the woman from Faro who makes baby-booties that are sold in Whitehorse! Somehow she had seen them and been on our blog before. Such a small world!
The campground is so nice! It is extremely clean and everything looks newly painted. The sites are large with a number of pull through spots. We camped right down near the river and thoroughly enjoyed the hiking trails that take you up to the cliffs overlooking Lapie Canyon. We will definitely camp there again.
We had a number of visitors over the weekend as well. Kennie (a teacher who used to work in Nunavut) from Ross River spent Friday night in her tent with us, Ann and Brian (also teachers in Ross River) biked out to say hi, Rachel (a nurse in Ross River) brought her super cute puppy out for a visit, and then our friend Erica from Faro came out with her parents who are on vacation in the Yukon. So nice to have some company!
The boys played in the dirt, walked on secret paths, squished bugs, got eaten by bugs (probably ate a few bugs too), helped haul wood, fished, threw rocks and just generally had a wonderful time. I cannot wait for a few years once they get into building forts and making their own little fires. Camping is just going to get better every year!
And now for the pictures!
Waking up Saturday morning excited to start the day!
Diggin'
Mr. Photobomb:
Walking the secret paths:
Happy Father's Day!
Now why am I the only one smiling?
Photo op on the hike up to the cliffs:
What dirt mom?
Covered in dirt and bug bites galore!
Happily playing with Erica! I made quite the meal to treat her visiting parents. Caribou and bison roasts cooked in a dutch over over the fire with carrots, potatoes and onion. Oh baby was it ever fantastic!
(ps. This amazing Yukon lady is single and comes with her own axe and truck!)
ROAR!
The pictures just don't show the extent of the dirt. Even their scalps were full of grit and Cavan had a diaper full of dirt.
But mom! Someone might see me naked!
The look on his face here is hilarious! He barely fit in the camper sink.
We found Cavan asleep with his butt in the air and head in the corner when we came in to go to sleep.
Hunter caught his first fish (he reeled it in with a little help from mom)!!
A 15" grayling!
He didn't watch to touch it because it was dirty.
And I couldn't keep Cavan away from it!!
Lapie Canyon:
Friday, June 18, 2010
Bathroom Dirt Art
Anyone curious how I got this pattern into the bottom of my tub?
Fairly simple technique actually.
Wash two dirty boys nightly and don't wash out your bathtub for a few weeks. Remove froggy bathmat and voila! Tub dirt art!
My excuse? It is summer. I have better things to do rather than clean my tub weekly. Everyone knows playing in the dirt, picking flowers, chasing bugs, camping, swimming, driving toy trucks and exploring new quad trails are much more important.
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Packing
We are heading out tomorrow for our first camping trip of the summer! Usually we start our camping season earlier in May, but with family visiting and yard-work projects we are running behind in our playtime.
This weekend are going to camp at Lapie Canyon just outside of Ross River. We haven't camped there yet, but we drove through the sites a few weeks ago and it looks to be a quiet and peaceful spot. Some friends will be popping out to visit and we hope to just sit back, poke at the fire, chase little boys through the woods and eat yummy food over the fire.
Packing though is proving to be a real pain in the arse!! I have rubbermaids totes in the house that I am filling to be taken out to the camper. The boys believe their mission is to take everything out of those totes and to either hide the items or launch them over the stairs. Hunter even filled an entire tote with his stuffed puppies. He is going to be heart-broken when I tell him he can only bring one. Once the camper is loaded for the season it will be much easier. After that I only need to throw some food and clean clothes in and away we go.
Other summer plans with the camper include four days up the North Canol, overnight at Liard Hot Springs, a week at Francis Lake, and exploring around Mayo while Matt works there in August for two weeks. I am sure we will hit a few more spots especially in the fall for hunting season.
I love camping season!
Breakfast in the camper
Summer 2008
Our truck and camper on the South Canol road
Summer 2009
This weekend are going to camp at Lapie Canyon just outside of Ross River. We haven't camped there yet, but we drove through the sites a few weeks ago and it looks to be a quiet and peaceful spot. Some friends will be popping out to visit and we hope to just sit back, poke at the fire, chase little boys through the woods and eat yummy food over the fire.
Packing though is proving to be a real pain in the arse!! I have rubbermaids totes in the house that I am filling to be taken out to the camper. The boys believe their mission is to take everything out of those totes and to either hide the items or launch them over the stairs. Hunter even filled an entire tote with his stuffed puppies. He is going to be heart-broken when I tell him he can only bring one. Once the camper is loaded for the season it will be much easier. After that I only need to throw some food and clean clothes in and away we go.
Other summer plans with the camper include four days up the North Canol, overnight at Liard Hot Springs, a week at Francis Lake, and exploring around Mayo while Matt works there in August for two weeks. I am sure we will hit a few more spots especially in the fall for hunting season.
I love camping season!
Hunter driving the tuck and camper
Summer 2008
Summer 2008
Breakfast in the camper
Summer 2008
Our truck and camper on the South Canol road
Summer 2009
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Just a perfect day
I love when I have one of those days where at the end, I feel absolutely content. There was nothing overly special about today, but we kept ourselves busy and spent a lot of time outside.
This morning we were up nice and early (the boys are sleeping wonderfully!), played in the house, and then headed out for a walk. Off to to post office, to get our summer camping pass and then for boo-boo repair at the health centre. Hunter had his first taste of road rash! My boy is growing up. He was running full out on the walk and bit it on the pavement. His elbow bled a lot, but he was content when daddy fixed him all up. Then we headed off to playgroup and caught a ride home with daddy for lunch.
After lunch both boys napped and I caught up on watching The Tudors online. The rest of the afternoon was spent outside with a pressure washer cleaning off the quads, the camper and the outside toys. Hunter and Cavan played in the puddles I left and then duked it out in the sandbox. When Matt came home we decided a family quad ride was in order, so we spent about 45 minutes out exploring the trails near home. I had nothing prepped for supper- thankfully we have a restaurant in town! The boys were well behaved and entertained the other restaurant-goes with their smiles and giggles.
After supper we played outside, picked rose petals and watched Matt help the neighbour put in his new window. Bathtime, snack time and story time rounded out the evening and both boys were asleep with very little fuss by 7:30. I have been puttering and working on a batch of rose petal jelly while Matt is over enjoying a well deserved beer with the neighbour.
A lovely, fun, and family-filled day.
This morning we were up nice and early (the boys are sleeping wonderfully!), played in the house, and then headed out for a walk. Off to to post office, to get our summer camping pass and then for boo-boo repair at the health centre. Hunter had his first taste of road rash! My boy is growing up. He was running full out on the walk and bit it on the pavement. His elbow bled a lot, but he was content when daddy fixed him all up. Then we headed off to playgroup and caught a ride home with daddy for lunch.
After lunch both boys napped and I caught up on watching The Tudors online. The rest of the afternoon was spent outside with a pressure washer cleaning off the quads, the camper and the outside toys. Hunter and Cavan played in the puddles I left and then duked it out in the sandbox. When Matt came home we decided a family quad ride was in order, so we spent about 45 minutes out exploring the trails near home. I had nothing prepped for supper- thankfully we have a restaurant in town! The boys were well behaved and entertained the other restaurant-goes with their smiles and giggles.
After supper we played outside, picked rose petals and watched Matt help the neighbour put in his new window. Bathtime, snack time and story time rounded out the evening and both boys were asleep with very little fuss by 7:30. I have been puttering and working on a batch of rose petal jelly while Matt is over enjoying a well deserved beer with the neighbour.
A lovely, fun, and family-filled day.
Monday, June 14, 2010
Sleep Sense: Night Three
Another great night!
Both boys were asleep by 7:30pm with nearly no fuss. Cavan cried for maybe a minute or two in his crib and Hunter went to his bed with no fight and no escape attempts.
Hunter woke up in the middle of the night to pee and then again at 4:30am and sometime around 5am. With a little coaxing he went back to sleep until quarter after six. Cavan let out a couple of cries between 4 and 6am, but again nothing that I even had to go into his room to check on.
Cavan is now understanding that when we say it is night-night time that he has to go into his crib. It has been me putting him in all this time, so last night when I said it was night-night time he ran away from me, climbed up into Matt's lap and did his best fake cry with a full on pout. Pretty cute.
Hunter has been bragging to anyone that we visit with that he is now a big boy and sleeps all by himself.
Hurray for sleep!
Both boys were asleep by 7:30pm with nearly no fuss. Cavan cried for maybe a minute or two in his crib and Hunter went to his bed with no fight and no escape attempts.
Hunter woke up in the middle of the night to pee and then again at 4:30am and sometime around 5am. With a little coaxing he went back to sleep until quarter after six. Cavan let out a couple of cries between 4 and 6am, but again nothing that I even had to go into his room to check on.
Cavan is now understanding that when we say it is night-night time that he has to go into his crib. It has been me putting him in all this time, so last night when I said it was night-night time he ran away from me, climbed up into Matt's lap and did his best fake cry with a full on pout. Pretty cute.
Hunter has been bragging to anyone that we visit with that he is now a big boy and sleeps all by himself.
Hurray for sleep!
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Yard Progress
Matt spent the better part of this weekend finishing off the walls in our backyard. The difference back there is so amazing and the pictures just don't do it justice. We had five more dump truck loads of fill delivered last week and now that the wall was completed, we had a bobcat in to move it all into place. Just our luck there isn't quite enough fill to finish the job so we have to get more of it hauled. Then we need to find a load of topsoil and eventually we will work at getting some grass growing on the upper lever.
Now imagine what it is going to look like next year when we put a deck and glass door in where the window on the right is!
And this is after I cleaned him up:
My guys are all nuts:
The upper level of our backyard:
Now imagine what it is going to look like next year when we put a deck and glass door in where the window on the right is!
And this is after I cleaned him up:
My guys are all nuts:
Sleep Sense: Night Two
Holy Crap. My kids are sleeping all night.
Last night there was a marked improvement from night one. Hunter only had to be returned to bed three times and was sound asleep by 7:30pm. Cavan put up a bit more of a fight last night. He cried intermittently over a 40 minute period. It was never a steady cry, just a squawk every few minutes. I thought I had ruined everything though when I went walking down the hallway and kicked a stray bottle of soya sauce, making quite the ruckus. For some reason, the extra bottle of soya sauce from the cupboard is this weeks favorite toy for the kids. Thankfully, just a couple of extra minutes of crying from both rooms and then they were done.
I heard a couple of peeps from Cavan during the night and then he was up at quarter to six this morning. Not bad at all!! Over 10 hours of straight sleep. Unbelievable! Hunter woke up once yelling that he wanted to be covered up with his blanket, but by the time Matt went to his door, he was back asleep. He was up soon after Cavan this morning. Hopefully tomorrow they sleep until 6am!
Last night there was a marked improvement from night one. Hunter only had to be returned to bed three times and was sound asleep by 7:30pm. Cavan put up a bit more of a fight last night. He cried intermittently over a 40 minute period. It was never a steady cry, just a squawk every few minutes. I thought I had ruined everything though when I went walking down the hallway and kicked a stray bottle of soya sauce, making quite the ruckus. For some reason, the extra bottle of soya sauce from the cupboard is this weeks favorite toy for the kids. Thankfully, just a couple of extra minutes of crying from both rooms and then they were done.
I heard a couple of peeps from Cavan during the night and then he was up at quarter to six this morning. Not bad at all!! Over 10 hours of straight sleep. Unbelievable! Hunter woke up once yelling that he wanted to be covered up with his blanket, but by the time Matt went to his door, he was back asleep. He was up soon after Cavan this morning. Hopefully tomorrow they sleep until 6am!
Saturday, June 12, 2010
Sleep Sense: Night One
Success!! Well at least the start of success.
Cavan slept through until 5:30 this morning with just a couple of squeaks. I never had to go into his room once. And right now he is napping in his crib! Wahhoooo!
Hunter was a little more difficult. He was up twice before midnight, but it was just a few cries and I went in and put his head back down on his pillow and he was out. Next he was up at midnight for half an hour. It included a trip to go pee and few runs out of the room. Then he was up again at 5am, but Matt put him back in bed just a couple of times and he slept until 5:30. My goal is to get them sleeping until anytime past 6am, so today came close.
The best was at midnight when he wanted his daddy. I told him dad was working (Matt got home at 2:30am), so then he started asking for our friend Erica to come and get him. Too cute.
Of course now I am kicking myself in the butt going why the hell didn't we do this earlier? My only answer is that a lack of sleep makes you unable to think clearly about anything!
Cavan slept through until 5:30 this morning with just a couple of squeaks. I never had to go into his room once. And right now he is napping in his crib! Wahhoooo!
Hunter was a little more difficult. He was up twice before midnight, but it was just a few cries and I went in and put his head back down on his pillow and he was out. Next he was up at midnight for half an hour. It included a trip to go pee and few runs out of the room. Then he was up again at 5am, but Matt put him back in bed just a couple of times and he slept until 5:30. My goal is to get them sleeping until anytime past 6am, so today came close.
The best was at midnight when he wanted his daddy. I told him dad was working (Matt got home at 2:30am), so then he started asking for our friend Erica to come and get him. Too cute.
Of course now I am kicking myself in the butt going why the hell didn't we do this earlier? My only answer is that a lack of sleep makes you unable to think clearly about anything!
Friday, June 11, 2010
Jelly Update
This morning I emptied all my jars of un-set jelly back into the pot. I brought it to a boil, boiled for two minutes, added another pouch of certo, boiled for four minutes and then sealed into the jars again.
Success!!! Jelly has set and it looks fabulous. So this weekend will be filled with more rose petal picking for more jelly and syrup.
The dandelion season is coming to a close and I have my last batch of dandelion syrup sitting on the stove. I am now anxiously awaiting the fireweed season so I can try that out this year.
Success!!! Jelly has set and it looks fabulous. So this weekend will be filled with more rose petal picking for more jelly and syrup.
The dandelion season is coming to a close and I have my last batch of dandelion syrup sitting on the stove. I am now anxiously awaiting the fireweed season so I can try that out this year.
Sleep Sense
For the first two years of being parents, we had it pretty darn good. Hunter was a great sleeper after we got through those first three or four months of infancy. At six months old we could lay him in bed and he would talk himself to sleep and that continued until just before we had Cavan.
During our month long wait in Whitehorse to have Cavan, we got into the bad habit of sitting in Hunter's room until he fell asleep. We would sing songs, give him milk, whatever it took to coax him to sleep. Then when we arrived home it just got progressively worse. Hunter would kick up a big stink at bedtime and we were worried that he would wake the baby. It got to the point that a year later he required six stuffed animals, two pillows, a blanket, a sippy cup of milk and a parent in bed (usually singing) with him every night until he fell asleep. Then we even got to the point where one of us slept in his bed with him most of the night.
I turned into a big suck hole for Cavan and have rocked him to sleep for the last fourteen months. But lately it was taking over an hour to get him to sleep. And then he was sleeping so lightly, that just trying to set him in his crib, or flushing the toilet would wake him up. He has also been waking up between 3 and 8 times a night. Since he was born, I think we have only had one eight hour stretch of him sleeping.
Matt and I have been running on empty for months. I don't mind admitting our faults because I know there are other parents out there going through the same issues and wondering if they are the only one. Nope! You are not alone!! I found we just got to the point where we would do anything for sleep, but really we weren't getting any sleep in the end.
So this week we knew we had to get on top of the sleeping issue. I heard from a friend about the Sleep Sense program. I know, some of you are saying, "Kara, just get some common sense and get those kids to bed." But really, you start to feel like nothing will work and you are all alone and no one knows how to help. I paid just under $100 for the program which included a book, workbook, some email support, some phone support, and instructional videos. The gist of the program is a strict before bed routine and then having the kids self-sooth themselves to sleep. The parents decide which route to take in checking on the kids (there are a number of options) and it is very accommodating.
When reading through the manual I felt instantly at ease. Every single issue we have had is dealt with in it!! Seriously, ever single issue. Even Hunters favorite scream until you barf technique. Matt and I made a plan and tonight was the night! Of course, being my luck Matt is on call and was called out to work at 6:30pm and who knows when he will be home. So it was up to me.
The routine was started at twenty to seven and it included a bath, pj's, snack, stories with milk, kisses & hugs, and then going to bed at just after 7pm. Originally I planned to check in on Cavan every 10 minutes. However, Hunter proved to be such a handful, I never got into Cavan's room once. Cavan cried for 35 minutes (the longest I have ever let him cry for) and then he was done. Kaput! I barely heard him cry over the cacophony of Hunter. Hunter got out of his bed anywhere from 2 to 4 times a minute for 50 minutes. I put him back into his bed over 100 times tonight. That kid is stubborn! The funniest is he would take his one puppy that he is now allowed, would come to his door and throw the puppy out! Then thirty seconds later would cry for his puppy. Most times I never talked to him, just picked him up, took him to his bed and tucked him in.
Both kids are in such a deep sleep that I was able to do the dishes, clean the kitchen, and flush the toilet and no one has woken up. Now we will see how the rest of the night goes. If they wake up in the night they have to learn to put themselves back to sleep. We have time limits for how long to let each kid cry before we check on them in the middle of the night. But even then we are not going to get into bed with Hunter, hand out milk, or take Cavan out of his crib. I know this will work, it will just take time.
I am hoping that in a couple of weeks we are all sleeping through the night and are much happier for it. Parents- you are not alone with sleep issues! I will update our progress on here as we work through our sleep issues.
Sweet dreams everyone!
During our month long wait in Whitehorse to have Cavan, we got into the bad habit of sitting in Hunter's room until he fell asleep. We would sing songs, give him milk, whatever it took to coax him to sleep. Then when we arrived home it just got progressively worse. Hunter would kick up a big stink at bedtime and we were worried that he would wake the baby. It got to the point that a year later he required six stuffed animals, two pillows, a blanket, a sippy cup of milk and a parent in bed (usually singing) with him every night until he fell asleep. Then we even got to the point where one of us slept in his bed with him most of the night.
I turned into a big suck hole for Cavan and have rocked him to sleep for the last fourteen months. But lately it was taking over an hour to get him to sleep. And then he was sleeping so lightly, that just trying to set him in his crib, or flushing the toilet would wake him up. He has also been waking up between 3 and 8 times a night. Since he was born, I think we have only had one eight hour stretch of him sleeping.
Matt and I have been running on empty for months. I don't mind admitting our faults because I know there are other parents out there going through the same issues and wondering if they are the only one. Nope! You are not alone!! I found we just got to the point where we would do anything for sleep, but really we weren't getting any sleep in the end.
So this week we knew we had to get on top of the sleeping issue. I heard from a friend about the Sleep Sense program. I know, some of you are saying, "Kara, just get some common sense and get those kids to bed." But really, you start to feel like nothing will work and you are all alone and no one knows how to help. I paid just under $100 for the program which included a book, workbook, some email support, some phone support, and instructional videos. The gist of the program is a strict before bed routine and then having the kids self-sooth themselves to sleep. The parents decide which route to take in checking on the kids (there are a number of options) and it is very accommodating.
When reading through the manual I felt instantly at ease. Every single issue we have had is dealt with in it!! Seriously, ever single issue. Even Hunters favorite scream until you barf technique. Matt and I made a plan and tonight was the night! Of course, being my luck Matt is on call and was called out to work at 6:30pm and who knows when he will be home. So it was up to me.
The routine was started at twenty to seven and it included a bath, pj's, snack, stories with milk, kisses & hugs, and then going to bed at just after 7pm. Originally I planned to check in on Cavan every 10 minutes. However, Hunter proved to be such a handful, I never got into Cavan's room once. Cavan cried for 35 minutes (the longest I have ever let him cry for) and then he was done. Kaput! I barely heard him cry over the cacophony of Hunter. Hunter got out of his bed anywhere from 2 to 4 times a minute for 50 minutes. I put him back into his bed over 100 times tonight. That kid is stubborn! The funniest is he would take his one puppy that he is now allowed, would come to his door and throw the puppy out! Then thirty seconds later would cry for his puppy. Most times I never talked to him, just picked him up, took him to his bed and tucked him in.
Both kids are in such a deep sleep that I was able to do the dishes, clean the kitchen, and flush the toilet and no one has woken up. Now we will see how the rest of the night goes. If they wake up in the night they have to learn to put themselves back to sleep. We have time limits for how long to let each kid cry before we check on them in the middle of the night. But even then we are not going to get into bed with Hunter, hand out milk, or take Cavan out of his crib. I know this will work, it will just take time.
I am hoping that in a couple of weeks we are all sleeping through the night and are much happier for it. Parents- you are not alone with sleep issues! I will update our progress on here as we work through our sleep issues.
Sweet dreams everyone!
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Damn You, Jelly!!
Last year I tried making rose petal jelly but could not get it to set. I blamed my out of date certo for the problem. Today I attempted to make the jelly again, with certo that has not expired, and damn it! It will not set yet again!!
**shaking angry man fist in the air**
So tomorrow I will open up all the little jars, boil it and try to get it to set again. If it doesn't work, I am going right back to making rose petal syrup. Easy and it turns out perfect every single time!
**shaking angry man fist in the air**
So tomorrow I will open up all the little jars, boil it and try to get it to set again. If it doesn't work, I am going right back to making rose petal syrup. Easy and it turns out perfect every single time!
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Tagged by Megan
One of my favorite northern bloggers tagged me in an interview blog meme. Thanks Megan! I really needed something to use as procrastination from the laundry this morning.
1. What do your love interests have in common?
All of my love interests have well muscled arms and nice bums. Of course this includes my husband.
2. What is your guilty pleasure?
My quad. I dream of ditching my kids and spending the entire day exploring trails and mud holes. Sadly, the options for ditching my kids are extremely few and far between so I continue to dream. Even with the kids, I usually opt for driving my quad around town instead of the truck.
3. What makes you angry?
I find myself angry after dealing with rude, obnoxious, and verbally aggressive people. Just last week I had a run in with a person like this and I was fuming when I got home. Most of the time these people do not know of a right time, right place, and right way to go about dealing with their problems. It wasn't that I was angry with the person, just more angry at the way they approach and deal with their issues and how they try to blame the world their own problems.
4. Who do you dislike?
Oh I have my dislike list, but this blog sure isn't the place to share it! But I can say most people that land on my dislike list are those rude, obnoxious and verbally aggressive folks I discussed in number three.
5. What was your first job?
I grew up on a farm 50km from town so I was always doing some sort of work, but my first job in town was as a propane jockey. I was 15 and my wage when I started was $5.50 an hour. Crazy to think that my last job had a wage that was seven times that amount and now I currently work in exchange for hugs and kisses from two little dirt covered boys. My current job is definitely the most rewarding.
Thanks Megan! And to continue the fun I tag Tina, Darcy, Morena, Tammy and Erica.
Your questions are:
1. Where would you like to live once you retire?
2. What causes you to worry the most?
3. What was your favorite toy as a child?
4. Do you make decisions quickly and easily or do you fret over them for long periods of time?
5. What hobby would you pursue if money wasn't an issue?
1. What do your love interests have in common?
All of my love interests have well muscled arms and nice bums. Of course this includes my husband.
2. What is your guilty pleasure?
My quad. I dream of ditching my kids and spending the entire day exploring trails and mud holes. Sadly, the options for ditching my kids are extremely few and far between so I continue to dream. Even with the kids, I usually opt for driving my quad around town instead of the truck.
3. What makes you angry?
I find myself angry after dealing with rude, obnoxious, and verbally aggressive people. Just last week I had a run in with a person like this and I was fuming when I got home. Most of the time these people do not know of a right time, right place, and right way to go about dealing with their problems. It wasn't that I was angry with the person, just more angry at the way they approach and deal with their issues and how they try to blame the world their own problems.
4. Who do you dislike?
Oh I have my dislike list, but this blog sure isn't the place to share it! But I can say most people that land on my dislike list are those rude, obnoxious and verbally aggressive folks I discussed in number three.
5. What was your first job?
I grew up on a farm 50km from town so I was always doing some sort of work, but my first job in town was as a propane jockey. I was 15 and my wage when I started was $5.50 an hour. Crazy to think that my last job had a wage that was seven times that amount and now I currently work in exchange for hugs and kisses from two little dirt covered boys. My current job is definitely the most rewarding.
Thanks Megan! And to continue the fun I tag Tina, Darcy, Morena, Tammy and Erica.
Your questions are:
1. Where would you like to live once you retire?
2. What causes you to worry the most?
3. What was your favorite toy as a child?
4. Do you make decisions quickly and easily or do you fret over them for long periods of time?
5. What hobby would you pursue if money wasn't an issue?
Monday, June 7, 2010
Sunday, June 6, 2010
Dirty Hands
This is Hunter's favorite window to open so he can observe his domain. And this is how it looks when he opens it after a breakfast of frozen blueberries and pancakes with maple syrup. What a sticky purple mess!
Saturday, June 5, 2010
Made It Back On!
Thanks to everyone for the encouragement this week! Just a week ago I was up eight pounds and was pretty bummed out about it. Happily though, I was able to get off all the weight I gained while the in-laws were here plus an extra half pound. My weight loss now stands at 35.5lbs- Yippeee!!
Happy Blogoversary To Me!
Four years of blogging and still going strong!
I have never managed to keep a journal for longer than a few weeks, but for some reason I find blogging easy to keep up and almost addicting. Recently I began to worry about losing our old blog from our time in Kugluktuk, so I began to turn it into a book year by year and have it printed. The first year, 2006, has already arrived in my mailbox and I love it! I went through a company called Shared Book and I am impressed with the quality of the product.
And the best parts of blogging? All of the personal connections and new friendships I have made plus the amazing outpouring of support I have received in my weight loss endeavour! Thank you all so much for taking the time to read our blog.
I have never managed to keep a journal for longer than a few weeks, but for some reason I find blogging easy to keep up and almost addicting. Recently I began to worry about losing our old blog from our time in Kugluktuk, so I began to turn it into a book year by year and have it printed. The first year, 2006, has already arrived in my mailbox and I love it! I went through a company called Shared Book and I am impressed with the quality of the product.
And the best parts of blogging? All of the personal connections and new friendships I have made plus the amazing outpouring of support I have received in my weight loss endeavour! Thank you all so much for taking the time to read our blog.
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
The Backyard Project
I love our home and detest our backyard. It slopes down and to the left so bad that when you plop a baby down to sit they do somersaults down the hill. We put my father-in-law to work when he arrived for what he thought would be a relaxing vacation in the Yukon. It is looking so much better already and we aren't even close to being done!
Planning their attack:
Measuring and putting in posts:
The backyard in progress!! And actually this is now outdated. Yesterday a bobcat arrived to fill in those areas.
Still so much to be done, but one day this will be the best backyard in the neighbourhood!
Pressure treated 4x6x14 lumber was used.
This section is going to be all for me and my gardening projects!!
The wall up on this section still needs to be built up a few more feet to match the grass section on the right. This will be the play area for the kids.
I will post more pictures as the project moves forward!
The backyard this spring. The picture doesn't show how horrible the slope is:
Planning their attack:
Measuring and putting in posts:
The backyard in progress!! And actually this is now outdated. Yesterday a bobcat arrived to fill in those areas.
Still so much to be done, but one day this will be the best backyard in the neighbourhood!
Pressure treated 4x6x14 lumber was used.
This section is going to be all for me and my gardening projects!!
The wall up on this section still needs to be built up a few more feet to match the grass section on the right. This will be the play area for the kids.
I will post more pictures as the project moves forward!
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