Making The Best Of Things

While we all are missing our house, the place where we are staying is nice. The kids have found ways to have fun here:

Playing with curtains

Playing hide and seek

Hey, there's even room for horsie rides!

What Do You Even Do All Day?

So, what else goes on here besides laundry? This:

This . . .

Mmm, snow with maple syrup!

 This . . .

Lots of this too . . .

And we get to play in this . . .

Have a great day everyone!

Christmas

I'm a little behind. That's like my motto. That, or Mommy Needs To Check The Laundry.

Anyway.

Christmas was wonderful. I missed my family from the island and my grandma terribly, but it was great to spend time with our family up here, plus Evan and Caily. Christmas morning, we were pretty wrapped up in the moment (see what I did there?), so the camera wasn't really in the picture (somebody stop me). Thank goodness Cathie had the presence (presents? No? Ah well, I tried) of mind to snap a few when she got here, and when we went to her place. Here's what Christmas looked like here:

 There's the big, beautiful, clutzy tree. Thing fell down 3 times before we tied it to the scratching post (thanks Brian). Jackson loved that tree. Me too. I like big clutzy things. Like our new dog. Birds of a feather . . .

Kitchen

Snowflakes and snowflake lights

Santa brought special blue candy canes!

Papa and the kids, all dressed up

Tearing in to something good

"Dad, can you please jailbreak my toy?"

"Hon, where are the bulk cutters?"

At Nanny and Papa's

Such a great couple, getting some squishy baby time

Don't mind us

Taking a cuddle break on Nanny and Papa's floor

Busy, Busy, Busy

Has it really been a month already? Here's what we've been up to:

Digging out old toys . . .

Rolling around (sometimes all the way over) and babbling . . .

Playing and being silly . . .

Growing . . .

And cuddling . . 

We've also been busy training the new dog (he's a bit thick, but he's getting there, and we love him) and getting ready for Christmas, but that's another post. Oh, and laundry. Always lots and lots of laundry.

Sibling Love And Fashion Show

Time for more snuggly children:

What a proud big brother. What an adoring little sister. No matter what else happens in their lives, this will always be how their relationship was born.

And now for the fashion show. You know, when Eva was born, I would always say how happy the Nannies would be that they can buy little dresses and pink frilly stuff for Eva to wear, all the while acting like I was way to cool to buy into such foolishness, but would humour them. I have a confession to make.

I bought this. It's cute. I think I'll buy more. Yet another example of how being a parent is teaching me to get over myself.

Hopefully this will translate in the picture, this is Eva's after-bath fluffy down hair, which I love:

I think she's practicing her cover model shot. Or glam facebook profile pic. Already :D

Speaking of hair, I gave Jackson another homegrown bangs trim. Poor kid. Good thing he's cute anyway:

Sorry son. Practice makes perfect?

Look at those beautiful blue eyes! How did we make such beautiful-eyed children?

Another blue-eyed (at least for now) beauty

In Case You've Got The Cute Kid Munchies . . .

Nothing much new, just some new pics and video:

Not the greatest video, but I caught her cooing a little bit

What a goof! And aren't those pj's cute?

Beds and Swings

So there I was, having  break and looking up stuff on Pinterest, when I heard this coming from the bedroom:

Wow! The whole thing!

This had been going on for quite a while before I clued in, and Mr. Energizer Bunny kept on going for quite a while after, getting sillier and sillier each time:

I love how he has to finish it properly every time. That is so him.

I guess this explains the state of our bed, lmao!

In other news, I heard tell that babies did this, and I am so excited to have one that does:

She's sleeping. In. The. Swing.

 (Jackson had a love-hate relationship with the swing)

Two Kids Cuddling

Here is your "awwwww" for the day:

I will never get tired of this. This is lovely and magical, right here.

Compare that to a picture from when she was pretty new:

They grow so fast!

More Cuteness

Sometimes my kids are so darn cute I just can't believe it. Take this moment, for example:

 Those two adore each other!

 Jackson loves getting his picture taken

Look at her cranking her head around to look at her brother

Uncle Evan and Auntie Kaylee (hope I didn't butcher the spelling) stopped by for a visit yesterday and drove Jackson back from Brian and Cathie's (Jackson went to Nanny and Papa's on Thursday for a big visit). All the way home he kept saying, "See Eva, Ja'n see Eva!". Mom and Dad were pretty much chopped liver, lol. While they were here I put her in the most girly outfit she currently possesses. I admit, I was a bit skeptical before putting it on, but OMG have you ever seen anything cuter in your life !?!

Srsly, that is adorable!

Uncle Evan, getting a snuggle

Okay, one more cute picture and I'm done for today. Usually I'm super lucky and Eva goes down for naptime first, then I can put Jackson down (he still has a hard time falling asleep sometimes). Other times I have to try to put Jackson down while holding an awake Eva (doesn't work so hot). But the other day, this adorable thing happened:

 Awwww . . .

. . . aaaand that lasted all of five minutes before Eva woke up, BUT I got to feed the cats and make a coffee in those five minutes, Jackson stayed asleep, and after she was done nursing and fell asleep I got another five minutes in which to heat up and drink my cold coffee before Jackson woke up, lol. I'm not really complaining though (okay, I kind of am a little but it's a funny story to me and hopefully for one or two of my five reafers out there ;D), because parenting has really taught me to multitask and to ENJOY the little moments.

One Month Old

Hard to believe a whole month has gone by since Eva was born! She's gotten so much bigger, though I'm not sure if you can tell from the pictures, what do you think:

 About a week old

 About a month old

 Happy baby all bundled up after her bath

I wish I had a similar picture to compare this to, but here's how big she looks now while lying on her blanket (folded twice):

She's got some chipmunk cheeks goin' on

 She's getting so much stronger, too. It amazes me how much she can squiggle around and how well she can hold her head up. Check out little miss holding looking out the window:

Love when she snuggles like that

Look at those eyes!

 Jackson is still zooming around the place like the active two-year-old he is. If you're wondering why there's so many more pictures of Eva right now, it's because she holds still, lol! I just love how happy Jackson is, and how much he loves to run and play. Sometimes he has to slow down these days for Eva and his old mum, but he takes it all pretty much in stride.

 Look at the sparkle in his eyes, this kid wants to play!

 You can just tell he's ready to run again after this

Here's a new video of the kids playing. It's pretty much the same as the last one, but I know some of you just like seeing new videos (warning: toddler nudity)

 

Last but not least, I have a few more photos of my family when they came to visit:

Proud Grandma

 Auntie Mel and Uncle Chris meeting their new niece

Introducing . . .

Evalyn Joyce Peters

Snuggling with mama

She was born at home, in water (barely), in a hurry on Tuesday, August 21st at 10:22pm, after only an hour of proper labour. She weighed 7lb 15oz when born, and is 20in long.

Jackson is absolutely loving his baby sister. He is very sweet with Eva, giving lots of gentle touches and kisses, and loves to hold her in his lap. 

Eva is a very sweet little soul, loving to be held, but isn't too bothered by anything. Here she is in an improvised baby seat, looking around, happy as a clam

Way better than the bouncy chair

Life is definitely on the full side right now, with Shawn and I getting the hang of two wonderful kids instead of one. Shawn is also getting ready for another new challenge in school this year; he'll be teaching grade 6/7 at two different elementary schools this year (starting at one on Tuesday, then switching in January to a new one). And some sad news, the Peters family lost a much beloved man, Shawn's grandpa Leonard. I only met him twice, but I know that Shawn and his family all loved and respected him very much, so sadness and joy are sharing company in a lot of hearts right now.

With the new addition to the family comes a new resolution to blog, so feel free to pop by more often, if you feel so inclined :D

Jackson's Still Lifes

One of Jackson's favourite things right now is to play "raid the pantry". He loves taking everything out and putting it on the table and chairs. I affectionately call these groupings "Jackson's still lifes".

The artist at work

 Still Life 1

Still Life 2