Friday Night Leftovers

• Remember last week when I was saying how I'd never been pooped on? Memory block! I have...and it was out in public.

• Last weekend we took advantage of the advance voting polls. Samara was beyond excited. Until she realized we were "voting" and not "boating" like she thought.
  

• I took Presley to The Great Cloth Diaper Change. It was an attempt at the Guinness World Records for the most cloth diapers changed at one time. I actually haven't heard if it was successful or not. Anyone know? Anyone else participate?
  

• The van had to get some repairs done this week. $800. UGH. $800 is a lot for anyone...but especially for a family on one income.

• I have a few friends that are pregnant right now. It makes me miss being pregnant. NO, that does not mean we're going to have another baby. I just miss having a cute belly and feeling the baby move and kick. I have clearly forgotten all the other not so pleasant symptoms!

• Hungry for more leftovers? Go here!
  

Blog Award

I received this virtual blog award from Sarah and Lisa. It's flattering because really, my blog would bore most people to tears. The recipient of the award has to share 7 details with her readers. So, here we go:

1. I don't like board games. Or playing cards. Or playing 2o questions, I spy, license plate games, etc. I really have to get over it though because I've got MANY years ahead of me with all of the aforementioned!

2. I'm a bad road trip companion. That's because of #1! Ask Shawn...at some point during every road trip we've taken together, his face gets this annoyed look, sometimes combined with an eye roll, and I realize I've sucked the fun out of the vehicle yet again. Oops!

3. I have 7 tattoos.

4. I eat chocolate EVERY.SINGLE.DAY. I tried when both girls were born to cut it out so that they wouldn't get any caffeine and I never lasted more than a few days.

5. I type fast. No, really. Super fast. 85 words a minute. Want to know your speed and accuracy? Take a test here!

6. Whenever I'm not naturally good at something, I give up. Good trait to have, hey?! That's why I don't ski, snowboard, golf or play Scrabble.

7. One of the best feelings in the world for me is hiking to the top of a mountain. I love the solitude, the fresh air, the exertion with a breathtaking view as a reward at the end. I can't wait to share this with the girls.

Now I get to give this award to 7 other bloggers.
1. A 'Foster' Family
2. Graham Family
3. Just Another Mom Blog
4. Kabuki Kreations
5. S&S: Planning the Wedding
6. For the Love of Naps
7. Sippy Cups Are Not For Starbucks

Wordless Wednesday (Saturday at the Park Edition)

Easter/Road Trip Recap

• 500km of driving in 1 day
• Way way way too much sugar consumed by 1 toddler in 1 day
• Way way way too many presents received by 1 toddler and 1 baby in 1 day
• 1 Aunty, 4 Uncles, 2 Great Uncles, 1 Great Aunty, 1 friend and 1 Great Grandma visited
• several bumps, scrapes and bruises by 1 overactive toddler
• a remarkably few number of meltdowns during a very long day void of naps
  

The result? 4 very tired Tompkins' but a great day! I think traveling with 2 under 2 must feel similar to training for a marathon. Yesterday we all struggled to make it through the day...we were all cranky and groggy. Everyone slept well last night though so we should be back to normal today!
Samara was THRILLED to find out the eggs contained chocolate. She was not interested in the ones that didn't contain chocolate at all.
She was cramming chocolate in her mouth at an alarming speed and we had to cut her off!
Looking ridiculously cute. And no, I'm not going to make it a habit to dress them the same...a girlfriend noticed Presley wearing this dress and happened to have Samara's size for her daughter and lent it to me for a good photo op!
Tuckered out on the drive home.

5 months!!

Could time slow down, just a bit? I blinked and missed the newborn stage.

At 5 months, Presley is a happy and easy baby. She is all smiles and is giggling more often. She is getting more vocal and chit chats to anyone/anything nearby. She's still working on sitting for longer periods of time. She is not to be trusted with this skill though...as soon as you think she's got it, she slams backwards. She no longer minds tummy time (finally!). She is grabbing at anything she can get and slobbering all over it. She can now roll both ways with the greatest of ease and gains a lot of ground in a short amount of time! She has also learned how to blow raspberries which is adorably messy.

Her favorite activities are playing in the exersaucer, jumping in the Jolly Jumper, listening to Daddy play the guitar and walking anywhere in the Beco (best money we've spent on "baby" items by far).

Presley is still eating every 3 hours or so and is exclusively breastfed. She will no longer accept a bottle.

Sleep...I really don't want to jinx us. Ever since we stopped swaddling and started using a sleep sac, sleep has steadily improved. Turns out Presley would rather sleep on her side rather than her back like we've been putting her. She's not super consistent yet but has given us a few 12 hour stretches without so much as a soother plug, feed or peep in the past week. Naps are fairly inconsistent. She has 3 a day but sometimes it's only an hour and other times it's 4 hours. Usually the afternoon nap is the longest.

Presley weighs 13 pounds and 3 ounces. She hardly gained at all the past month...I'm trying not to worry about it, I think it's because she's so active. She is 25.75 inches long which is in the 90th percentile. She is my string bean! She wears mostly 3-6 month clothing because of the length but they are all wide on her. She is still in size 1 diapers during the day but size 2 overnight.

Things I never want to forget:
- the special smiles and giggles she reserves for Samara.
- how when she's excited she kicks with all her might.
- her super serious concentration face when she's trying to pick something up.

Friday Night Leftovers

• Presley peed on me this week. I've actually never been peed on before that. I've also never been pooped on either and hopefully that doesn't change!

• Samara has figured out how to climb in Presley's crib:
  

• On Sunday we're going to Calgary for the day. That's 5 hours of driving in one day. With 2 kids under 2. It's possible we're insane.
  

• I finally overcame my fear of taking the girls grocery shopping. That's right...I took them to Wal Mart today and did a big shop. They were both awesome and I left feeling like a superwoman. I know people do this every day. And with more kids than 2. But it was something that petrified me. So yay for overcoming fears!

• Hungry for more leftovers? Head here!
  

Thankful on Thursday

Stealing this idea once again from the lovely Mrs. Z.

• Warmer temperatures. PLEASE let this be the end of winter.

• Beautiful girls that nap at the same time.

• Good food. I tried 2 new recipes today (carrot gingerbread muffins and fish tacos) and both were amazing.

• Being debt free (except our mortgage). I was talking to a girlfriend this week about it and we were saying how nice it is to be out of the stage where you lay awake at night worrying about how the next bill will be paid.

• This little girl getting to leave the hospital and start her next journey at home with her parents.

• A fabulous husband who makes breakfast for the family every morning.

• What are you thankful for today?
  

Wordless Wednesday (My Little Fashion Disaster Edition)

Spring Cleaning

Well, it snowed all weekend but my mind is still turning to spring cleaning. Do you look forward to clearing away the winter clutter like I do? No? Just me?!

On my "to do" list is cleaning the windows inside and out, sorting and organizing our "junk" areas (a drawer in the kitchen and a cupboard above the computer nook), scrubbing baseboards and doors and going through closets for donation items (things that haven't been worn in a year). I sterilize doorknobs and light switches and steam clean the carpets on a quarterly basis (and as needed) as it is but I'll probably time that around then so that everything is fresh. The van could use a vacuuming as well.

Now to find time to get all that done!

What tops your spring cleaning list?

Weekend Recap

• It took us an entire weekend to watch 1 movie. It wasn't even a long movie either.

• Presley spent her first weekend sleeping unswaddled. It's been both good and bad. Naps have been a bit worse but last night was AWESOME. She slept 12 hours with no feeds and only 1 soother plug. It could have been a fluke though...and I'm not bragging...and I'm knocking on wood...and crossing my fingers...I really hope I didn't just jinx myself (as I hear her chatting away in her crib, 1.5 hours after I put her down).

• Yes, I sometimes pre-write posts and post them later the following day...in case it wasn't super obvious from my last point!

• We took the girls to a children's festival that was happening in town. It was insanely busy but we all had a blast. Samara's favorite part hands down was the petting zoo. I think we had to go back 3 separate times and were basically dragging her out kicking and screaming at the end. She also saw her first clown and looked at his attempts to make her laugh with such disdain that I actually felt bad for him! Though not THAT bad because clowns are creepy. Presley hung out in the Beco the entire time, skipping a nap and yet happy as can be.
  

• I babysat for a friend on Saturday night. It was so easy (I went at bedtime) and now my friend will be returning the favour. Love trades like that!

• My sister is nearing the end of her first year of school towards a social work diploma. We are so very proud of her. She's been working her skinny butt off. Go Aunty Chelsey, go!

• Check out this cool photo Shawn took this weekend. For more, you should follow his blog here!
• What were the highlights of your weekend?
  

Friday Night Leftovers

• Remember last week when I was on the hunt for the missing sippy cup? Well, I found it about a week after it went missing. Could have been a lot worse. Where was it? In the top drawer of my nightstand along with a used Kleenex. Thanks, Sammy!

• Cilantro is mega gross. I think it's one of the only "flavours" that people either love or hate. No in betweens. Poor Shawn...he loves it and I refuse to buy it or cook with it.

• You should go and check out my friend Catherine's blog HERE. She's having her blog birthday and giving away some prizes for new followers and comments. She's super witty and funny. I almost didn't want to tell you about it because now I'll have a worse chance at winning anything!

• In both of the girls rooms we have the dark out roll shades. They're kind of ugly but they're good at keeping the light out. Well, most of it. The light still sneaks in on the sides so I'm getting dark out curtains too because I mean business. Last summer Samara was getting up with the sun and that just can't happen another year. My design question: Should they be floor length or just go to the end of the window frame? Keep in mind that their rooms are tiny.

• Tonight will be night #1 of no swaddling for Presley. Cue butterflies in stomach in anticipation of all hell breaking loose.

• Hungry for more leftovers? Head here!
  

Thankful on Thursday

Stealing Mrs. Z's regular Thursday post idea again. Today, I'm thankful for:

- my wish being granted. Remember my "want" from the other day? We've had 2 offers to watch the girls so we can go for dinner after Samara's birthday party in a couple of weeks. We can leave after bedtime so not only will the girls not know we're gone but the whole "Presley not taking a bottle" thing won't be an issue.

- Presley rolling! I know all babies progress at different rates. But, I wouldn't be me if I didn't have a little nagging doubt in the back of my mind saying, well, Samara was rolling both ways by 3.5 months, why isn't Presley? So, thank you Super Baby for rolling back to front...though the downside of that is we have to stop swaddling.

- one last snow day. I know, it's a weird thing to be thankful for in mid April. We had probably close to 15cm of snow overnight. But, I don't care. Now I can stay inside and cuddle with the girls all day in their jammies and not feel the slightest bit guilty about going anywhere!

- Samara totally getting potty training. She is AWESOME.

- breaks. I took the week "off". No working out, no cleaning (okay, not MUCH cleaning) and no worrying about things not getting done. It's been lovely.

- a hot cup of tea which I'm able to drink while still being hot.

- a handsome husband that still makes me weak in the knees.

What are you thankful for today?

Wordless Wednesday (Catch Up Edition)

I WANT

I'd really love dinner out at a nice restaurant. Shawn and I used to do this several times a month before kids. I'd have the works...an appetizer, drink(s), a main course, dessert(s) and coffee. It would probably take at least 2 hours. I'd sit and eat the entire thing and actually taste my food for once. I've developed a habit of inhaling my food without chewing it properly or tasting it. It's extremely time efficient but unsatisfying.

In other news, Presley is refusing to take a bottle so the likelihood of any of the above happening is slim to none.

Dance Parties Take 2

A few months ago, I posted about our dance parties. Dancing has turned out to mean running around the island in the kitchen as fast as possible to our favorite tunes, mosh pit style. These dance parties occur several times a day, without warning.

I mentioned last time that I ruin songs. Well, now Samara ruins songs too. She requests certain ones until you want to cut off your ears at the thought of listening to it again.

The latest:

Jesse James - The Pogues
I think this is Sam's MOST favorite because of the whip sounds at 1:42.

How Do You Like Me Now - The Heavy

The Truck Got Stuck - Corb Lund

Fat Bottomed Girls - Queen

What's playing during your dance parties lately? (I have to say, I really enjoyed everyone's comments last time!)

Friday Night Leftovers

• Potty training is still going well. Tomorrow will be 2 weeks since we started. She still has accidents every now and then though. Last night I was scrubbing pee out of the car seat.

• I turn 30 this year. I need a good wrinkle cream. Any suggestions?

• I've found a really good (superficial) way to find out ahead of time if I will get along with a mom or not. I look at her shoes. Case in point, a mom I met a month ago at the library was wearing Converse chucks. I knew she'd be cool. I was right!

• I really love unpacking clothes that Samara has outgrown and putting Presley in them. One of the many joys of having 2 kids of the same sex!

• Something has gone missing in our house. A sippy cup of milk. I've looked everywhere I can think of and still can't find it. I guess on the upside, I will soon be able to smell where Sam has hidden it.

• Want some more leftovers? Head over here!
  

Thankful on Thursday

Stealing this idea once again from the lovely Mrs. Z.

I am thankful for:

My girls...
Dora potty seats...Spring temperatures...
Nutella...on bread, crackers, a spoon, etc...Sammy's new favorite video...

and that tomorrow is Friday!!

Wordless Wednesday (Mostly!)

Shawn loves watching hockey. I do not like watching hockey. Strangely enough, the girls love watching hockey. Guess who doesn't have to watch hockey anymore?! Mama is off the hook!

Potty Training Breakdown

As I mentioned here, Samara is potty trained. YAHOO! Potty trained before the age of 2, great success!How did we do it? We used The Potty Boot Camp Method. Click here to visit The Potty Boot Camp.We have the e-book and followed the steps fairly closely (with a few modifications when we could see something wasn't working). It's extremely involved and lots of work but 90% of the training is completed in the first day. By the end of Day #1, Samara was initiating pee AND poop visits to the potty. Unlike many other methods, we don't reward her with stickers or candy after every successful visit either. I really, really recommend it.

This is not to say it was a breeze and that we didn't have our challenges...Day #3 I wanted to run away from home. That's where this post came from! We made the potty so much fun with books being read, puzzles being done and very dedicated one on one attention that she wanted to camp out on the toilet all day. We managed just fine on Day #1 and #2 because Shawn was home from work. Day #3 posed a problem when I was trying to continue training and manage a 4 month old on my own. I spent a LOT of time in the bathroom. Samara and Presley both spent a LOT of time in the bathroom. I even breastfed multiple times on the bathroom floor. Heck, I even breastfed lifting Samara on and off the toilet, wiping, washing hands, etc. I now consider myself the queen of multitasking!

*I wasn't paid to write this review. I just really liked the method and found it to work well for us. Hopefully it works well for others starting out as well.

March Books

One of my goals for 2011 is to broaden my horizons when it comes to choosing books to read. Here was January's list. Here was February's list.

The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck5 stars out of 5
This is a perfect example of why it has been fantastic to read books outside my usual genre. I never in a million years would have picked this for myself but when I saw someone on Facebook had posted a recommendation, I checked it out of the library and immersed myself in the life of a Chinese peasant.

Left Neglected by Lisa Genova5 stars out of 5
If you haven't read this or her first novel, you must. She is a phenomenal writer and you will lose yourself in her writing. I couldn't put this one down (much like Still Alice) and finished it the same day I started it. Fabulous.

The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer by Siddhartha Mukherjee4 stars out of 5
This was obviously extremely well researched. It presented complicated ideas in a way someone without a medical degree could understand. I especially liked how it combined historical knowledge of cancer with real life accounts of patients. I have to confess that this was a tough read...there was so much information that my post-baby brain couldn't adequately take it all in so I did skim from time to time. Well worth the effort though.

The Devil's Teardrop by Jeffery Deaver4 stars out of 5
A great suspense...tons of twists that I never saw coming.

Skipping a Beat by Sarah Pekkanen4.5 stars out of 5
My typical kind of book. I really enjoyed this and couldn't put it down...also finished this in a day and got nothing else done!

Killing Pablo: The Hunt for the World's Greatest Outlaw by Mark Bowden3 stars out of 5
Another step outside my comfort reading. Shawn checked this out from the library so I read it after him. He had already shared (spoiled?!) some of the more shocking parts of the book but I still really enjoyed it. I found it really interesting and gave insight into just how corrupt Columbia was/is.

At Least in the City Someone Would Hear Me Scream: Misadventures in Search of the Simple Life by Wade Rouse4 stars out of 5
I'm normally not a fan of memoirs/true accounts of author's lives. But...this was so funny...laugh out loud funny almost every chapter. Definitely an enjoyable read.

What have you read lately? Anything super good/super bad? Or, if you are a TV/movie watcher instead, what have you watched lately that you can't stop thinking about?