The Truth...

This picture sums it up pretty well...I have not been blog much because any free time is spent napping! It is tough getting up 3 times a night for feedings and diaper changes! Jon is good to get up every other time with Lilly when he is home. When he is not home I am on my own...scarry...so a few times last week Elsie, Lilly and I packed up and spent the night at my parents house. My Mom and Ceara were good enough to get up with Lilly to give me a little more sleep! When Elsie was born she never had night and nights mixed up...we had to wake her at night to eat...since she was born early she was very sleepy! As Elsie got older she just slept in bed with Jon and I...when she fussed I just rolled over and nursed her with hardly opening my eyes...so having get up to make bottles is a new thing...and hard to get used to! Hopefully in a few weeks we have a good routine started and I won't feel so sleep-deprived!
Just a note on how sleep-deprived I am...I folded all the clean towels...and put them away...a few hours later I discovered I put all the kitchen towels away in the bathroom cabinet! Oops!

Lilly...

Lilly has been home with us for 1 week now...and I have not found any extra time to for any blogging! We are beginning to settle into more of a routine everyday...so hopefully I can back to posting regularly very soon! I think Lilly passes everyone's inspection...we all love babies and this baby is no different...lots of cuddles and loves!
Lilly is going through a bit of withdrawal due to her mothers drug use...so lots of close contact is recommended...so the peanut sling I made for Elsie is getting lots of use!

I have been enjoying having a little baby in the house again...but find it is a bit more difficult to get things done with a toddler running around as well! Lilly has been a very good baby...rarely cries even though she going through withdrawal...night times are getting better...only up 3 times last night!

Elsie now seems so big and mature...she is loving her new role as big sister! She is always coming up to "pet" Lilly on the head and give her a little kiss! I don't think we will see any jealousy issues with Elsie...she loves Lilly far to much!

A New Little Somebody...

Tomorrow Jon and I will be picking up a new little baby girl to be part of our family! We were called on Thursday with a possible placement...and tomorrow we get get to pick the baby up! All we know so far is it is a girl born yesterday at 9 am and weighs 6 lbs.
All of yesterday was spent cleaning the house...we will have a nurse come often to weigh the baby and the social worker will make frequent visits...so I needed a clean house! The rest of the day was spent going through all the boxes of baby clothes, and cleaning up the baby carseat ,bouncer, bassinet and bathtub...Elsie has been a very big helper! I think her dollies have tries on all the baby clothes and hair ribbons!

So if I don't get the chance to post for a while just know we are trying to adjust to our new life as a family with 2 children under 2...one of whom will most likely have days and nights a little mixed up!

Thumb-print Cookies...

Today Elsie and I made some thumb-print cookies...Elsie was having lots of fun decorating the cookies...
I think she had a nice little system all worked out...eat 2 decorate 1, eat 3 decorate 1...notice the 3 chocolate chips on her shirt collar! I loved watching her carefully place the candies on each cookie...she would "count" each piece as she would put it on the cookie...however she can only count to 3!

Some cookies got lots of chocolate pieces! Now we have to make a double batch of chocolate chip cookies, banana bread, apple bread and maybe some oatmeal cookies...we are making lots of snacks for the labor day weekend celebration! There will be over 20 family member at my parents house...so there will be lots of good times!

Sweet Corn...

There is no cute little story or really anything to tell about these pictures...but they were just so cute I had to post them! This is my favorite picture...her huge eyes...she looks so Innocent looking!
She ate one entire piece in about 15 min...them she ate another entire piece!

Notice the other food on her plate...completely untouched! All she ate was corn...

Apples...Apples...Apples...

The apple tree in our backyard produced a fair amount of apples this year...I don't know what kind of apple tree it is but for some reason last year and this year the apples were ready to pick quite early in the season!
Last Sunday Jon and Elsie went out to pick all the apples off the tree before they started getting over ripe...

Jon would shake the branches to make the apples fall than he and Elsie would scurry around picking them all up...

We got three bags full of apples...I think last year there were more apples...but this still kept us busy all afternoon!

Jon and I got the job of peeling , slicing and coring the apples...and Elsie was busy playing with grandma B. who came over for a visit...

We put all the apples in the big stock pot with some cinnamon, sugar and water...we had to let the apples simmer on low for over an hour until they were soft enough to mash up for apple sauce...

In the end all we got was 7 jars of apples sauce for the pantry...but at least it is a start! Jon and I also canned 24 jars of peaches and froze 5 bags a few weeks ago...I took pictures but never got around to posting them! Our winter pantry is filling up! This is the first year that Jon and I have canned together...and I am surprised to see how much Jon enjoys it! I have never had to ask him one time to help me...he just comes and expects to help! Who would have known Jon could be such a home-maker...now if only he would discover a love for house cleaning!

A Finished Project...

For quite some time Jon has been working on this project...and we finally got around to finishing it!
Jon made a frame out of the old trim work from the dining room...

Next we painted the inside board with chalk board paint...

Now Elsie has a fabulous new chalk board to colour on! My goal was always to have a kid-friendly house while remaining stylish...so I think the chalk board fits in perfectly...Jon did a great job making it for his little girl...I think she will have lots of with it for a long time...

Treats...

This evening my parents and some of the kids stopped in for a surprise visit...and they brought some cotton candy they had just gotten from Music in the Park...and it was almost bedtime! My mom just smiled while helping Elsie get a handful of the candy...I guess that is what grandparents are for!
We put the bag up on the kitchen counter...and on tipy-toes Elsie could reach just far enough to help herself to the sugar filled candy! I think the cotton candy kicked in quite quickly...for both Emma and Elsie...both were laughing and wild in no time! Amazingly enough Elsie calmed down after everyone left and fell asleep with no fuss! Note to Grandma and Grandpa...next time...leave all sugary food in the car...please!

Art Work...

We hung the beautiful art work Elsie and I painted in the kitchen...under the window...children's art work makes a house so cozy and gives a great "lived in" appearance to a house...
I am so excited that Elsie is "into" making lovely art work pieces...I love the look of displaying children's art work...I think making a point to hang Elsie's art work makes Elsie appreciate art a little more...every time I hang a new picture somewhere Elsie "helps"me while commenting "pretty" or "wow!"

Paint Day...

Yesterday after our picnic we decided it was a perfect day to do some paining outside...I think we are trying squeeze every last bit of summer in before the cooler weather comes our way...
We look the long paper-roll outside, stripped the clothes off, and poured some paint out...

Like always Elsie was careful and tidy when first starting to paint...

Before long she stared to get a little more carried away...and look at all her art work! She is painting beautiful hearts, people and sun! (okay...maybe that was me!)

She finally discovered that finger paining is the best...she was happily "paining" my finger nails for me...for some reason she only wanted me to have blue nails...this is the only time you will ever see blue nails on me! Love all the colours on Elsie's hands!

Finger painting really is the best...I still love to feel the paint squish between my fingers...I think every child really should have such creative opportunities...

Elsie thinks body art is great...she got so creative with the paint that she had to have a bath...

A fine Day for a Picnic...

Yesterday was a perfect end-of-summer day...not to hot and not to cold...just right for a picnic! Last week I found a little wooden picnic table at a garage sale...and yesterday was our first of many picnics on the new table...
Elsie was so excited to eat on the new table...she was dancing around with excitement inside while I was preparing lunch...

I just loved watching her little feet go back-and-forth excitedly as we were eating...I don't think toddlers ever sit still...

We had left-over from the night before...chicken and rice soup...I loved the soup...Elsie on the other hand did not at all...eventually I just warmed up some mashed potatoes for her...

For dessert we had fresh peach pie...a very good treat! Elsie loved the pie...and wanted more! I found out that the brown sugar I borrowed from my parents to finish the pie must have been cross-contaminated! So...while the pie tastes great...it does not agree with me...bummer!

I think I took about a dozen pictures of Elsie eating the pie...just because she looked so cute using a huge fork...She finally said "Mommy, no...eat!" oops...I guess it is bad when a toddler has to remind me to stop taking pictures and eat!

I'm On the Phone...

A few nights ago Elsie decided she just really, really had to talk to auntie Emma on the phone...she grabbed my phone and brought it to me saying..."Em! ring, ring,ring!" How could I possible say no to her!?
It was Grandma that answered the phone...and Elsie talked to her for quite some time! Really she listened and occasionally said a few words here and there...Grandma does all the talking!

Elsie just looked so cute...she was just looking out the door talking on the phone like a teenager! and the 4th of July crown in the hair just completes the look!

Water Park Fun...

On Monday Jon, Elsie and I headed to the water park in town for a little fun...Grandma B. has a friend who is the manager at the water park...so she was able to get us some free tickets!

Elsie just loves the water park...all the way to town she sang "park, park, park..." from the backseat... Her favorite was the big water slide...she wanted nothing to do with the little kids slide!

Jon and I took turns bring her up ALL the steps and down the slide...we went down at least 20 times!

As soon as we would come to the end of the slide, Elsie would be shouting out, "again, again, again!" with a huge smile on her face!

Her other favorite was the big bucket of water...she and Daddy would stand under the huge bucket and wait for it to tip over and get them all wet...

Elsie and Daddy waiting...when Elsie notices all the water gushing from the bucket she always hides her head and squirms with excitement...

As we were getting ready to leave Elsie noticed the water spraying up from the floor...so we just to stay longer to let her play a little more...

Love this picture...she sure was having fun!

We had a very fun afternoon at the water park...Elsie was very tired out after all that playing...she slept all the way home and went to bed early!