Thursday, February 26, 2009

Aloha Friday

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Over at Kilani's blog she started the Aloha Friday, in honor of in Hawaii, Aloha Friday is the day that they take it easy and look forward to the weekend. So she thought that on Fridays she would take it easy on posting, too. I thought this is a great idea so therefore, I’ll ask a simple question for you to answer. Nothing that requires a lengthy response.


A "hot" topic in our household is how much we should be spending on groceries versus how much we have budgeted for groceries. Lately, it seems like we have been spending WAY too much on groceries. Now, I do shop at Meijer (Like a Super Target) which has me buying everything from groceries, to children's books, clothes, to health and beauty items all in one stop. Last week I spent $220.00!! And almost had a heart attack when that was with my 25.00 gift card. The week before I spent $170.00. This frustrates me because I read the flyers, buy the sale items and try to clip coupons, and still our grocery bill is too high for what we would like to be spending... I mean it is only me and my hubs, and the babe. I am buying baby food though...


Anyways, this leads me to my question of the week....
How much do you spend per week on groceries? Do you clip coupons? Buy the sale items in the flyer? Stock up when things are on sale? And if you have any tips on how to be frugal - please - send them my way... my husband (the account manager) would really appreciate it!!


Hope everyone has had a great week and ALOHA FRIDAY!

Thursday, February 19, 2009

Aloha Friday

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Over at Kilani's blog she started the Aloha Friday, in honor of in Hawaii, Aloha Friday is the day that they take it easy and look forward to the weekend. So she thought that on Fridays she would take it easy on posting, too. I thought this is a great idea so therefore, I’ll ask a simple question for you to answer. Nothing that requires a lengthy response.

This past week Lyla, our 9 month old daughter, has been fighting a cold. This has lead to many nights of difficulty getting to sleep, difficulty nursing, general fussiness, congestion and stuffy nose. We tried to use the nasal aspirator to get out the mucous, which she absolutely hates. We tried to show her how to huff her nose to get some of the mucous out that way - which to all you who are interested, she just laughed about that. We bathed her in the Johnson's vapor bath for babies who have colds. We have given her the Baby Rub - the baby Vicks. We have given her Tylenol, we have not given her any cold medicine because of the controversy surrounding that. Anyways, my question today is one that all parents will be able to answer....

How do you help an infant get over a cold? Any tricks up your sleeve would be quite helpful...

Hope everyone has a great Aloha Friday!

9 Months old


Last Wednesday, Lyla turned 9 months old! I can hardly believe that she is already 9 months old. Time is going so fast. She is not yet crawling but she is definitely becoming more mobile. When she is on her belly she will move herself with her arms -like her hips on on the floor and she pivots her upper body around her hips. She has to figure out to get her butt up and then she will get going. She is rolling more and using that to get where she wants to and get what she wants. She is weighing about 17 pounds 14 ounces. I don't have a height on her yet, as we go to the doctors this week to get her actual height. She got a tooth on her 9 month birthday. It is her bottom to the left of her bottom two teeth. That brings her tooth count up to 5. I was wondering if the teeth pain is what caused her to go on her nursing strike the week before. She continues to amaze me. She is a fast learner. Trying to talk more and more. When I say baby she says "Day-be" and when I say "Teddy" she says "Ted-di" This morning I heard her wake up and say "Hiy Ted-di" to her Winnie the Pooh bear in the crib with her. She pretty much tries to say everything that you say. She can click her tongue, touch her nose when you say "take your little nose and go beep, beep, beep" and she touches her nose and goes "ba-ba-ba-ba", claps her hands, makes the "muhha" sounds like when you give someone a kiss. She is a good at mimicking what you do so that is fun! Anyways, here are some pictures of my 9 month old baby!


Update from the 'Bear Den'

Well, this post has been on my brain for a week. Last Thursday I put Lyla down for her afternoon nap, and I thought to myself "Aww.... I am going to sit down, relax, and write a posting." Lyla turned 9 months old, and was having the time of her life at Gymboree so I thought I had some stuff I wanted to write down in my "journal" so I would remember when I was old and gray.
However, before I could sit down I had a few chores to complete. My in-laws where arriving the next day and I had some organizing to do before they came. As I went downstairs to put some stuff away. "Stuff" that I initially was only going to leave at the top of the stairs for Ryan to take down when he got home, but I decided I might as well take it down and get it done with. When I went down, I saw it! I saw the water flowing in our basement. Lets just say that then and there I knew there would be no blogging for that day. And geeze I was glad I decided to take the stuff down myself rather than wait for Ryan. So I started to pick up things as fast as I could. Only a few items got wet thank goodness, and then tried to call for help. First call to Ryan - no answer, Second call to my parents (pro-basement flooders) - no answer, and then as a last ditch hope - my sister - just to let someone know that I was in water - but alas, no answer again! I started to sweep water to a drain, and Lyla awoke. We got a hold of Ryan who started for home, and I put Lyla in the carrier and continued to sweep. Lets just say that it has been a week since the water was found, and we still haven't got the situation completely under control. Flooding is no longer a concern, but the sump pump isn't draining as it normally does, rather it is draining out of the emergency release. I think Ryan said that this was the worst weekend of his life, as he was dealing with this flooding. He was up throughout the night checking the basement, going outside to release the water and just generally anxious and concerned. He was thankful that his parents where here to help out!
So, then I had to work 3 out of 4 days, as I said we had my in-laws here, and then Lyla came down with a horrific cold. So, as you can see I haven't be able to be very bloggy lately.
Lyla is starting to feel somewhat better, but not completely. She got a pretty bad cold. Runny nose, cough, stuffed up - making nursing sometimes frustrating, and having a difficult time sleeping. She only wanted to sleep on my chest for the first night. I was up with Lyla for over an hour and a half trying to get her to sleep, she'd fall asleep for about five minutes than start to cry again... over and over, until she finally feel asleep nursing. The last two nights she hasn't been able to get to sleep until 9:30-10 and again, only wanting to sleep on me. Last night she was up for an hour again in the night and you could tell she just felt miserable. So unfortunately I had to cancel on my parents visiting. They have been trying to come for the last 2 weeks and haven't made it yet. The first week they stayed home because of potential flooding at their house, and now they stayed home because Lyla isn't well. Hopefully next week they will make it.
So that is what we have been up to at our 'Bear Den'. Please keep your fingers crossed that Lyla is getting over her cold and that our basement doesn't flood again. Hope all of you had a uneventful and restful week!

Friday, February 13, 2009

Aloha Friday

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Over at Kilani's blog she started the Aloha Friday, in honor of in Hawaii, Aloha Friday is the day that they take it easy and look forward to the weekend. So she thought that on Fridays she would take it easy on posting, too. I thought this is a great idea so therefore, I’ll ask a simple question for you to answer. Nothing that requires a lengthy response.

With all the warm weather and rain -all our snow melted and gave way to a wonderful surprise yesterday afternoon. Water in our basement!! So here is my simple question to you, since we have been wet vac-ing, sweeping, fanning and holding a vigil over our sump pump and praying that the water wont get back in our basement. . .

Have you ever had water/flood in your basement.. and in that time what did you do to get the water out or to solve the problem from happening again. AND did you find that water in the basement leads to a stressful situation for all those involved??

I think we need a new sump pump because it doesnt seem to be triggering to release the water. But we are working with this one right now.. so anyone have any suggestions or insight.

Have a great Friday!!

Monday, February 9, 2009

Please Pray and Donate

Please pray for the family of Cora Paige, who is with Jesus today. This beautiful girl, who is only 2 months older than Lyla, passed away after her battle with cancer.

Please donate to a playground in her honor to keep her memory and laughter alive.

Visit this website to donate - Cora Paige

Sweet Memories

Over at my sister's blog Country Mouse City Mouse Pam she posted a nice tribute to our grandparents that I wanted to include in my blog as well. Thanks Pam for allowing me to capture these memories. THis is written by my sister Pam...

Ninteen Hundred Thirty Seven

Just for a moment, come with me.

We are going back in time to February 6th, 1937. It was the day that this young couple were married.

The young groom was a soft spoken man. He was a honest hard-working farmer, who owned his own farm, which he had taken over from his father. He owned a car and he had $100.00 to his name. The bride was a school teacher in a one room schoolhouse, though she had not taught since June of 1936, since a woman does not work once she is engaged to be married.




On this cold February day the couple wed. The groom had his brother at his side as his best man, and the bride had her sister as her maid of honour. The bride and groom were married in the groom's family home. Couples were always wed in the winter, that was when the farm was quiet.

After the wedding the couple took a vacation trip to Toronto Ontario, to the Royal York Hotel. This is one of the only times they were away from their farm.



The couple came home to their farm to start their life together. They worked their farm together well into their 70's. They had two children, and five grandchildren - I am proud to say I am one of those grandchildren.

I have happy and wonderful memories of my childhood with Grandma and Gramp.

Gramp was fun loving and always willing to take the time to play with me. We spent countless hours playing school. We had a little old chalk board where he taught me to read and to write. My first word was C-A-T, along with his drawing of a cat. I wish I had that little chalk board today!

Grandma was always busy working in the kitchen. When you came for a visit the first thing you did was look to see what fresh baking she had. I spent many days baking with her, and I am sure my love for beating something with a mixer stems from those young days. I can see her and I working in her pantry mixing cakes and cookies. I remember her old mixing bowl and beaters, those too, I wish I had.

Their 40th wedding anniversary, in February of 1977. (I am the dark-haired girl)


This is my mom and her brother, with Grandma and Gramp in June of 1994.


Looking back, I am so glad my grandparents were able to be with me on my wedding day, in June of 1994.

Grandma passed away in March of 1995, and Gramp passed away in January of 1996. I think of them so often and I keep their memory alive in my children. They know stories of their Great Grandparents and know that they will meet them in heaven one day.

Emily is born on March 11th, Grandma died on March 11th. Matthew shares July 30th as his birthday with Grandma. HOW AMAZING IS THAT?

On the occasion of their wedding anniversary I remember them, and try to go back to that day in which they were married, that day which was the beginning of my legacy!!

How blessed I was to have these two amazingly, special people in my life!!

To my sister Pam and I we feel such a close connection to our grandparents. When I read her post my heart ached to be back on the farm with them, enjoying our time together. If only then I had known how precious the time would be. I do have similar memories of searching out the sweet stuff in Grandma's kitchen. I remember her allowing me to make her and Gramp scrambled eggs. They had a Egg farm so eggs where always available. I beat up the eggs so well and cooked them up. My Grandma exclaimed that is was the best scrambled egg she had ever had. Looking back I realized that scrambled egg was all it was. I had forgotten the milk, the butter in the bottom of the pan and any salt or pepper for seasoning... it was just a plain old beaten up egg - but to my Grandma she professed it to be the best scrambled egg in the world. I often think of that whenever I make scrambled eggs.

I also recall my Grandma making me Tomato soup. I still do love tomato soup to this day but for some reason it tasted so much better when Grandma made it. I haven't a clue what she did - I mean it is condensed soup - but honestly.. And even know, sometimes when I make it - it will take me back to my younger days sitting in her kitchen eating lunch with my Grandma and Gramp.

Gramp was always playing with us. I recall the same memories of the chalk board and C-A-T. He could draw the best cat! He would also let you ride on his lap and take you down to China. He would also let you take off the couch cushions and ride around on the floor like a boat. Boy, did Grandma get mad at him for letting us do that. And he was always a very patient student when I wanted to play school and be the teacher. Gramp would often allow us to go to the barn with him to do his chores; collect the eggs, wash the eggs and get the ready for sale. We would go to drop them off in Lucan and always get a ice cream bar when we dropped them off. A vanilla ice cream topped with chocolate in a bar in a blue wrapper. We would go to the field together and call the cows - 'Co-Boss! Co-Boss!'

My grandparents played a great role in my childhood and it warms me to know they are watching down from heaven enjoying my life and my siblings life - because as my mom said - she is sure they would want to know what is going on with our lives. Ioften think how I would love for them to meet Ryan and Lyla. I have taken Ryan to the cemetary to meet them that way but it would have been so nice to have them meet my 'family'.

Happy Anniversary Grandma and Gramp - we love you!

Thursday, February 5, 2009

Aloha Friday

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Over at Kilani's blog she started the Aloha Friday, in honor of in Hawaii, Aloha Friday is the day that they take it easy and look forward to the weekend. So she thought that on Fridays she would take it easy on posting, too. I thought this is a great idea so therefore, I’ll ask a simple question for you to answer. Nothing that requires a lengthy response.

This past week I had a difficult time getting Lyla to nurse a.ka. breastfeed. She went on a "nursing strike" as they have it termed in the breast feeding world. It is an unexplained withdrawal from nursing. It is temporary and is not to be taken as weaning. However, it is a very frustrating event for both mom and baby. So this leads to my question,

"Would you preserve through the difficult time of a nursing strike and stick it out to get your child back to breastfeeding or would you take this as a time to wean and start bottle feeding?"

We have been breastfeeding for almost 9 months and we preserved through Lyla's strike and she is getting back to her normal routine. I will never tell you how upset I was when she stopped and how grateful I was when she returned.

Hope every has a great Aloha Friday!