Little Elm

unique beauty tips

Recipe for a perfect hair day:

Pour 1/2 cup of white vinegar over your hair while in the shower, let it sit for about 30 seconds or so, rinse it out and then proceed to shampoo and condition as normal.

My mom did this to our hair as kids every once in a while and I guess it just strips off all the shampoo and junk and leaves you with soft, shiney, wonderful hair. 

What is your unique beauty trick / tip?

little miss devious

Little elm's mind is working in overdrive lately.

She has the bad habit lately of pulling at her hangnails and picking at them and then they hurt and bleed.  I have been telling her the reasons why she should stop and that it will stop hurting if she stops picking at them. 

Two of her responses:

~we pulled into the garage and I always ask her if she wanted me to get her out of the car first or peekay.  this time she said, "him first so that you won't see me picking my nails".  Ugh!

~we were driving and I looked back at her and she said, "turn around and drive momma so you won't see me picking." 

We are in so much trouble!

time for change

Everyday I think that tomorrow I am going to start:

1) being a better person

2) eating better

3) having more patience with my toddler

4) figuuring out my long term goals

5) exercising

6) getting to the laundry faster (and putting it away)

7) cleaning the house on a more regular basis

8) feeling like I've got this two kid thing under control

9) really figure how to make Peekay sleep more than 45 minutes.

10) be the person I really want to be

Somehow each morning, none of these things seem to happen.  I am sick of craving change that I am not giving myself.   I need an action plan for change.  But first, my little son is just waking up from his 45 minute nap.  Have to run. 

Dear Peekay ~ 3 months

Dear Peekay,

A milestone! Wow, we hit 3 months.  It feels like a flash and a lifetime all in one.  You have developed so much in the last month.  You are such a smiley baby and I love when I get you to laugh.  You are able to raise your head up from your belly now, which is no small effort.  Something else you do that just amazes me is that you can imitate us clapping.  Your sister and I were applauding your efforts for doing something cute and then you just brought your hands together.  We thought it was a fluke but you do it consistently now.  Your sister thinks it is super cool.  You continue to be obsessed with my hair.  It is probably your greatest delight.  The day I wore it curly and didn't straighten it you were beaming as there just seemed to be more of it for you to touch and pull. Your probably one of the only people who have loved my hair so much so for that I thank you.  ;-)

We are getting into a little rhythm.  I understand you more.  That is except from the hours of 3 to 7 am which sometimes are agonizingly long, as you just won't settle.  I think we may be closer to finding a way to making your nights more peaceful though.  Your hair has turned from a shade of chestnut to auburn and everyone comments on how your hair stands straight up.  I lovingly go with it and comb it as high as it can go after your bath.  You are really enjoying your baths these days, kicking your little feet in the water and smiling.  We found out just today that you weigh a whopping 15 lbs, 3 ozs.  You definitely like to eat!

I brought you to your sister's school today while dropping her off and she was so proud to show you off to her little friends.  They all took turns having the teachers hold them up to see you in your buggy.  Little elm wanted a turn too even though she sees you all the time.  I can't wait to see the relationship develop between the two of you.  Your dad and I just melt when we see little heartfelt moments between the two of you already.

On the days that just seem like too much, you can flash me a smile that makes me know that I can get through it and that sleep will come again. 

I love you, my little man.

Mumma

xoxo

Little Elm interview - 2 1/2

I saw a cute project on pinterest where parents interview their children each year with the same set of questions and then make a book out of it.  I didn't quite make two but she is about two and a half now and then I'll do it each year around her birthday.  She was more than happy to answer my questions and thought it was funny.

To the left she is having her first hot chocolate after helping her Daddy shovel the snow. (complete with chocolate on her face)

Here are her unedited answers to my questions:

1) Favourite Colour -  Pink

2) Favourite toy - my boat (playmobile boat she got for xmas)

     Why is it your favourite toy? - because it is only mise (that is how she says mine)

3) Favourite TV show - Dora and Wonderpets both

    Why are those your favourites? - Dora because of boots and Wonderpets because they only go to animals if they are in trouble

4) Favourite food to eat - Lasagna..yum yum

5) Favourite animal - monkey

6) Favourite song - happy birthday (and don't we know it as we have to play it ad nauseum in the car)

7) Favourite book - The Gruffalo (she does know almost every word!)

8) Who is your best friend - Carissa (her bff at school)

9) Favourite thing to do outside - play in the snow

10) What do you like to have in your room with you when you sleep - moniter (hmm...it must make her feel connected to us..haha)

11) Favourite thing to do with momma - Eat (interesting considering I need to lose about 20 lbs ha)

12) Favourite thing to do with dadda - Go outside

13) Favourite thing to do with your brother - anything

14) What is something that momma says to you a lot - Hello

15) What is something that dadda says to you a lot - Hello

16) What is something that your brother says to you a lot - a lot of baby stuff

17) What is the best thing that happened this year - Eating (well at least she is grateful)

        Why - her answer was Why.  What.  (I let it go after that)

18) Where would you like to go on vacation this year - Clearly having no concept of what a vacation is she answered 'After my lunch or after my nap?

19 ) Who would you like to take with us on vacation - Heather (her cousin she just hung out with on the weekend and adored)

20) What do you want to be when you grow up - after a big smile she answered 'ballerina'

It will be interesting to see how these answers develop over the years.  I'm excited! I can't wait for little Peekay to be able to speak so I can start this project for him to.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

rolling in the deep

 

dear adele,

thank you for putting together such a fabulous album and having such a magical voice.  last night, as i folded laundry, i felt like i was right there with you rolling in the deep.  your performance was amazing, i was singing and clapping my hands from my living room.  it was refreshing to see a young woman who is not a size zero, who was fully clothed, who is not using sex to sell, to be the belle of the ball.  your sheer talent is what has gotten you this far and i love that young women, like my niece alice, can look up to someone like you.

p.s. - when you know it is probably going to be YOUR night, pass on the gum. 

rock on!

 

dear peekay

a few days old

about 2 months old

Dear Peekay,

I have wanted to write sooner but being a mom of two children has been quite busy.  You are a little over two months old as I write this.  We found out you were a boy when I was just 13 weeks pregnant.  We were elated.  Your daddy was suprised at how excited he was  with the news of having a son.  The pregnancy was quite the roller coaster ride with scares here and there and then an ending that seemed to take forever as we anticipated you would be early like your sister.  I am learning quickly that it is of little use to compare you to our experience with your sister, as you are already so different.  It may even just be that you are a boy.  You move more, sleep less and are always hungry.  I have a feeling our grocery bill will be astronomical when you are a teenager.  During the pregnancy, you were very active and had hiccups almost everyday after I was about 32 weeks along.  You seemed to stretch out and I could tell that you were going to be very long upon arrival.  I was right.  You were born 7 lbs, 10 ozs and 21" long.  You had a beautiful head of chestnut hair that stood straight up and ocean blue eyes.  You seemed tanned, which was strange.  I still have a mini obsession with your hair and loved that the hospital gave you a man comb when we were in the hosptial.

Two days after your due date, I woke up and felt off.  I was violently ill with flu like symptoms until about 2:30 pm when I realized that this was not the flu but labour and the contractions began.  At 10:25 pm, after hours of pain so intense I didn't think that I would make it through, you were born.  Your daddy and our doula Tammy were so helpful in coaching me through the contractions and the pushing.  It was amazing to see how tiny you were and that made your sister, little elm, seem that much bigger.  

Because so much time has passed now, I feel I could write pages and pages of things about you, moments we have shared and about how your sister instantly adored you and is your other little mum.  I will write things throughout my future posts.  I mostly just wanted to get started here today.  To tell you that I feel an interesting and joyful pressure raising a little gentlemen (in a good way).  Pressure is not the right word, hopefully I'll be able to explain that more in the future as well.  That my heart swells at the sight of you.  That our family is complete now that you arrived.  That without the swing I may have already lost my mind...and lastly that as much as I am blissed out by how teeny tiny you are, I crave knowing you as a two year old, with words and a little personality.  I'm so excited to get to know you, my little man who will love me forever and always. 

xo

Love Mumma

let it be simple

Inspired by my favourite blogger, with her new mantra of 'let it be simple', I enter back into the world of little elm.  I have been waiting to write again, for a new web site with lots of bells and whistles and a pretty banner representative of my life, for a new blog name that represents both kids...the list goes on.  In the meantime, I have been missing the act of writing and not capturing what is happening with  my newest little man like I was able to with my daughter. 

So, here I am.  I am back.  Same name of the blog, Little elm.  Same look for now, at least.  But I'm showing up.  Now that I've taken this first step, hopefully the writing will begin....

reflection

i'm having kind of a low weekend.  feeling overwhelmed and exhausted.  i know, join the club.  i thought it might be a good idea to review what plans i had for myself this year from my 34 at 34 list to see if all these things that are overwhelming me are even things that i want to be contributing to my experience or not.  i have to learn to only allow in the things that work with my vision and goals for myself and family.  not that this list encompasses all of that but at least i have a sense of where i was in october compared to today.  i've used strikethrough and bold to show what I have been working on or done.  i have a ways to go!!

i'm finding this balance of trying to work full time and be a good mom and wife considerably harder than i ever thought it would be.  i never feel like i am ahead of the game anymore.  maybe i just never will be again and i am trying to get comfortable with that. 

as i saturate in this funk of a weekend i read a friend's status update, where she has been writing about each of her facebook friends in her status daily (cool project), and she wrote of me that "She is such a genuine sweetheart, it is fair to say I am a better person today because of our years of friendship.." how so very kind of her. this has helped to lift me up to want to be that person she remembers.  find the me that made me me again.  thank you missy!

here is the list update:

34.
34 at 34 inspired by mytopography

*happy bday to me*

1.take a trip with elm
2. not let work stress come home with me
3. do yoga at least 10 times (1X so far)
4. re-read romeo and juliet
5. make a chore wheel
6. develop more pictures of elm and fill the albums
7. establish an at least monthly date night with jay
8. figure out a better breakfast
9. submit one story/column to a magazine and see what happens
10. go to guelph
11. go to hamilton
12. bring elm to breakfast with her grandpa ron
13. bake cookies with elm
14. volunteer at least 5 times (1X so far)
15. take time to listen to 'this american life' with jay more
16. have lunch with my dad
17. move (so close!)
18. start something new
19. make something
20. perfect a chicken pot pie recipe
21. see my nieces and nephew more
22. build an meditation altar
23. build or buy a blog banner
24. buy a piece of art
25. camp at algonquin with elm
26. buy & eat more local food
27. advise one small business (started to but didn't get to finish)
28. become a regular at the library
29. support another mom returning to work after a maternity leave
30. become an active listener again
31. play videos and show pictures of jeanne to elm more often
32. donate to 'honour your hero' to thank dr. wallace for jay's brain surgery
33. plan a weekend away with friends
34. get a family photo done

rock the vote

now is time for you to get out and make a difference.  it is time to vote.  i'm a strong believer that  you can't complain unless you took the time to cast your ballot, so let's do this!

in case you are still wondering which way to vote, use this link to learn more about the candidates.  if you are on the fence and want to discuss  or aren't sure where to go to vote, call or email me and i'll see how i can help.

http://www.citywindsor.ca/003338.asp

'if there's nothing left to burn, you have to set yourself on fire' ~ stars