Oliver's Library

It's been a while since I've done one of these posts

but I just picked up a few books from the This Is series to stash away for Christmas

and thought they might make great gift ideas, so a must share!

 book preview

I picked up the This is London, Britain, Edinburgh, Ireland and the World to start but am excited to collect them all! One of the greatest gifts my dad gave to me was to open my eyes to the world around us. He traveled a lot when I was growing up and it ignited a curiosity in me, a passion to learn about other places and how other people live . One of my goals is to teach my kids about other countries and cultures even if we can't travel there. 

First up learning about Britain and the UK, where my dad was born.

our home away from home, even if I've only actually passed through on a connecting flight. 

It's in my blood.and theirs too!

conversations with Oliver

Oliver "I wish I was 74 years old"

Me " really? why 74?"

Oliver " because then I would be sooo old, old enough to drive a tank"

Me "yes you would"

conversations with Oliver

a couple of weeks ago we got a rooster names Stripes.

Oliver "are we farmers now"

Me " well, we only have 1 dog and 1 rooster. So not really "

Oliver "just pretend farmers?"

Me "yes, is that ok?"

Oliver "sure, but we should think about becoming real farmers"

conversations with Oliver

on our way into town this morning Oliver says to me:

" are those giraffes on your shirt?"

me: "Yes, do you like it?"

 "I don't really like giraffes"

 "so you don't like my shirt?"

"not really"

a boy and his mama

this mothers day is a little extra special for me this year

because it also happens to be Oliver's fourth birthday!

My goodness, four years since I became a mom, 

and my whole life changed. 

Oliver has become such a little boy, 

no baby or toddler attributes left in his features

he loves transformers and rescue bots 

and turns everything into robots while making these hilarious sound effects. 

he's still quite sensitive and emotional 

and hasn't come to terms with "if you dish it out you better be able to take it" 

when it comes to instigating things with his feisty sister. 

he's caring, smart and oh so 

 proud of his role as big brother. 

gosh four years went fast.

Oliver's Library

Oliver has always loved books, even as a baby he was so content to sit and listen to story after story. 

Georgie was very different, she had no time for the stillness that reading required ... until recently. 

True to Georgie's style she picks the time and the place when she's ready for a book by bringing one to me and saying  "read it"

I've recently discovered some greats reads so I thought I would share. 

First up. Farm Anatomy: The Curious Parts and Pieces of Country Life by Julia Rothman

Now this book is a little advanced for a 3 1/2 year old but he did really enjoy it!

 There are so many great things to learn, from barn styles to how to make a chicken coop, to identifying different plants and flowers and even great recipes. I know this book will be a favourite for years to come for him and me. 

52 weeks ago

52 weeks ago our life was like this

what felt like a never-ending Saturday at the time, 

would have completely been erased from my memory if I didn't have this wee little blog. 

I've decided to keep more of my personal moments and kids milestones off this space

and use it to persue other topics and personal interests. 

Lately I've been feeling more inspired to write here again 

but I certainly love to look back once and a while!

Amazing how quickly a year goes by...

from cow baby to playing (eating) playdoh with her big brother.
I can't believe in about 2 months this little lady is going to be a big sister!

this one that one

getting a photo of either one of these two is proving to be difficult these days, 

getting one with both even harder. 

getting one with both looking at the camera impossible. 

I'm going to call this one a win! 

Take 25....

everything he can do

she can wants to do too! 

 

this boy of mine

this 3 year old business is turning out to be all sorts of challenging.
Saucy pants attitudes, talking back, tears, crankiness, defiance.
All new levels of patience-testing I tell you.

And then he comes barreling in from outside,
proudly giving me two flowers he had hand picked just for his mama. 

Me: Oliver these are beautiful

Oliver: Yes they are beautiful, see you later mom.
There are some really great 3 year old moments to be had.

quotes

like a wise, wise owl, Oliver told me on Saturday that...

"When I'm done being 3- I'll be 4. When I'm done being 4- I'll be 5

When I'm done being 5- I'll be 20"

That's just about it kid.

In three short years you have changed my entire world 

and taught me more than I could imagine.

Imagination

Tonight, while I was tucking Oliver into bed (after we read the standard 5 storybooks) he told me to put the blanket around him not on him so the kangaroos couldn't get him. That's right he wanted a barrier around him for safety from the kangaroos (his words). He does have one book about kangaroos, it's actually about the life cycle of a kangaroo- very informative by the way...but I had no idea he was having nightmares from it! He often asks me to read it to him at night.

Now I can totally relate to the barrier for safety thing but not so much the kangaroos since I'm the type of person that needs to have blankets up over my neck at night and not just a flimsy little sheet. I'm talking a thick duvet. even in summer. even when it's hot as hell outside. I can't have my neck all out there... exposed! I'm not sure when that started actually that's a lie it started when I started having terrifying nightmare about snakes as a child. It's the same reason I ended up sleeping in the fetal position (fairly regularly) as to not have my feet hanging out there in no man's land at the bottom of the bed easily assessed by the imaginary snakes that may or may not attack them. Of course my mind had created an imaginary line of safety that these said snakes could not cross. a barrier.

The human mind is incredible. Now some would say our fears relate to past life experiences.
I wonder what crazy experience Oliver had with a kangaroo!

and yes he did doze off this weekend on the couch while playing on his 'special ipad from trandad'

these two

Some days it seems nothing goes right while others seem like nothing could go wrong.
I am blessed beyond measure that I get to be the mama to these two but...
while some days I'm brimming with awe and swooning over them
there's other days I'm close to tears in frustration. And some days have a bit of both.
This parenting gig is a real trip I tell ya.

Tent o'balls // eating lemons? // hunting for treasure //
bath time // happy girl //
solo swim // special special treats from trandad // big yawns (try sleeping!)

king of the castle

In less than 3 months, he will be THREE!

Oliver has both blown me away and put me place lately. 

His independence has reached an entirely new level. 

He has to go potty "By myself... you wait in the living room" he says

As he scampers down the hall, shuts the door and climbs up onto his throne "Myself"

I can hardly believe that only a few short months ago, 

I was questioning on whether he would ever even be potty trained!

Our conversations often completely crack me up. 

Oliver "where did you go mom?"

Me "I just put Georgie down for a sleep"

Oliver "Good idea Mom"

He tells me "Good job" and "that's ok, no problem" on a regular basis. 

Of course he also screams, cries and pulls other two-almost-three-year old type shenanigans daily.

We went through a rough stage a few weeks ago where he was only talking in the third person and it was seriously freaking me out. Honestly try explaining to a two year how not to speak in the third person- it's messy. "Oliver not going to bed, Oliver stay up" "Oliver not getting dressed, Oliver stay back home" Thankfully we seem to be getting past it. 

It feels like forever ago since he was a little babe, how quickly nearly three years can pass. 

And in one day he can learn how to do laundry and put his own pants on... inside out and backwards:) 

Parenting can be so hard (most days), each stage has it's challenges. 

But each day has such big rewards too. 

And this day I call a win!

brother + sister

As Georgie becomes more and more interactive with her brother, 

I find myself sitting back watching these two little people in awe.

I was a bit nervous adding another child into the mix, 

not just in my own capacity as a mother but also for the impact it would have on Oliver. 

A siblings personality and their role in the family changes you. 

I didn't know if being a big brother would be a role he would relish or resent. 

But as it turns out, Oliver was born to be a big brother! 

While he is still getting used to her messing up his perfect line ups, 

he loves her, always concerned for her and looking out for her. 

He's happy to give her hugs and kisses and needs to "get her" as soon as she's woken up. 

Oh these two Taurus babes! We are preparing for some epic battles to ensue,
no doubt with these fiery personalities but they also have an undeniable connection
that I will do my best to nurture and protect. 

january life

and here we are, the last day of January!

What a crazy month, filled with snot, new beginnings and lots of ups and downs!

As a fitting end to a tumultuous month, it literally went from +12 degrees Celsius yesterday to -6 now. Last night we seen everything from pouring rain to snow with insane winds. Whoa!

An exciting January moment was of course seeing our little lady start to crawl! She seemed to master it in no time and this past week she's shown us how quickly she can pick up speed. Oliver is learning to accept her newly found mobility, although at times dislikes when his perfectly formed lineup of trucks is disrupted by her. While the battles over trucks may be starting, they are also sharing in new interactions and developing a a new bond. It's wonderful to see them "playing" together 

and watching Georgie crawl after her big brother trying to catch up. 

Or her amusement when he's racing his trucks around the kitchen. 

 Georgie is certainly growing and changing, 

but she's such a lightweight compared to her brother at this age. 

And while Georgie is mastering the crawling, Oliver preferred the body dragging. Honestly he dragged himself all over the place for months! It seemed like just when he figured out how to "crawl" he discovered walking and liked that far better! I'm happy for Georgie just to keep crawling for bit and save the walking for later. One hurdle at a time please!

9 Month Comparison

Georgie's expression cracks me up! "Mom enough with the pictures"... not quite a "No Pictures" yet.

Yes, I think it's safe to say Oliver had a pound or two on her ha!

Also can I just say hallelujah that Georgie does not have the same insane cowlick that Oliver has. 

It's bad enough on a boy but would have been a complete nightmare for a girl. 

boy wonder

Oh this little boy of ours is really something. 

He often sounds like a broken record, on repeat, over and over again. 

He demands you acknowledge every word that comes flooding out of his mouth! 

And let me tell you, every little thing that crosses his mind gets talked about. 

Oliver is very black and white. Things are what they are. 

A trait he most certainly gets from his father. 

They aren't diggers anymore, "No, it's a backhoe", "it's a bulldozer"

It irks him to no end when somebody refers to something incorrectly. 

It will not be tolerated and he must correct them... repeatedly if necessary, he can't help himself. 

Of course if he is the one getting it wrong and you correct him, well then he is still right and you are wrong. A trait he most certainly gets from his father ha!

Me: "Your a silly goose" 

Oliver: "No I not a silly goose, I Oliver"

Of course my favourites are him imitating me, he loves going in to get Georgie up from a nap and says in his highest pitch mom voice - "whos' making all this noise in here? Hiiiii Georgie,  MOM it's Georgie!" then proceeds to tell me about a hundred times that it's Georgie 

and she is a little baby, not a big boy like him. 

Of course some of my not so faves are him talking back and be super saucy, which include things like

Oliver: "no pictures"

Me taking pictures

Oliver: "I said no pictures!"

His growing vocabulary is often very amusing and remarkable,

He has started to memorize and recite verses from books and t.v shows. 

This morning he started reciting "Mortimer" one of his new favourite Robert Munsch books. 

It's pretty incredible how much he has learned in just 2 -3/4 short years. 

Ahhh he's nearly 3,THREE I say! 

And we certainly get all the good, the bad, the ugly and the wonderfulness of a 2 year old!

Such a great boy, son and amazing big brother!

a very un-merry and then merry again christmas

Well after a whirlwind couple of days, 

with back to back family Christmas dinners.... it hit. 

The flu took a hold of Guy and left Oliver fevered for 2 days now. 

Thankfully Guy felt much better this morning and Oliver's only symptom has been a slight temperature. But it made him ahem a tad miserable this morning and definitely less enthusiastic about the presents Santa brought than he would have been otherwise. Not to mention the horrible night we had of very little sleep as he and Georgie traded off waking me up every hour. 

Oliver didn't want to ride his new wheely bug, didn't want to look at his stocking and really wanted no part of anything except some cheerios and juice. Once he got a little something in his belly though he started to come around. But I annoyed him with my camera and he promptly told me "no taking pictures". Georgie on the other hand was having the time of her life despite practically being up until 4 am. She was just loving the new shape sorter and sensory balls to no end. 

As the day progressed so did the mood, Oliver livened up 

(of course the day was still sprinkled with 2 year emotions) and we watched Christmas movies and played with our new puzzles and toys. 

My best present was a pack of Norwex travel sized enviro cloths that have provided us with a great way to keep things disinfected around here, I leave a damp one on the coffee table and we periodically wipe our hands and everything else we have touched with it. Hopefully it will help keep these nasty germs from spreading to Georgie and I! Please let it be so,

 a teething baby with the flu while being sick with the flu.... I can't even let my mind go there.

Photo dump from our weekend and from this morning.

And so our Christmas 2012 was filled with merriment and then some not so merry moments. 

Our first Christmas as a family of four and our best present is getting to spend the rest of the week together without any hustle bustle and hopefully without any illness!

Merry Christmas from our family to yours. 

A Day(s) of Action

October 19th, 2012 was called a social media Day of Action,

The Association of Ontario Midwives asked for support

 in urging our Government to get back to the table to negotiate a contract.

That's right the Midwives of Ontario have been working

with an expired contract since April 1, 2011.

Since then they have caught over 25,000 babies without a contract (including Georgie).

They are paid well below other health care professionals with similar education and responsibilty.

For example the average midwife earns about $65,000/year

while a salaried nurse makes $78,000 (based on 2009 reports).

According to an article written by Macleans's

 "Seven years ago was the last time Ontario midwives’ salaries saw a significant one-time adjustment–and even that came after a decade-long of pay-freeze."

Midwives provide safe, skilled and community based care, they have the highest satisfaction rate of any maternal care provider in the province and do so while saving Ontario money.

So if I know this and now you know this,

why doesn't the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care know this?

And why aren't they getting running back to the table to negotiate? 

Midwives provide care to about 20,000 mothers and babies which equates to about 14% of newborns born in the province. A number that is only rising as is the demand for Midwives. In fact 4 out of 10 women seeking a midwife are unable to access one in Ontario. And while our province has invested in Midwifery programmes, it has NOT invested in the Midwives themselves. 

And that's what we need to worry about.
We need to worry that Ontario will lose qualified midwives to other areas and that we won't attract new graduates to stay here, if we let this continue. Why enter into a profession with inequitable pay and no contract?  So how do we protect a health care profession that provides quality care for mothers and babies (whilst being cost-effective for the province) from being continually neglected by our Government? 
We speak up, we write letters to our Health Minister demanding a change. 

Because choosing Midwives just makes "CENTS"!

I am passionate about Midwifery and Midwives for several reasons.
My low-risk, "normal" pregnancies remained that way under their care. My uncomplicated, natural vaginal births were kept that way under their care. My babies were born in the comfort of my home because they are trained to deliver there. My midwives came to me several times within the 1st week to do the necessary assessments, which besides being totally convenient for me and my baby 
also saves the province money. 

My midwife knew my name, she knew my husband name. She knew my children's names.

On the two most important days of my life (here, here and here), my midwife was there.
Which is something that was not lost on them I promise you.

You see by my previous posts here and here that my love for midwives is no secret!
But the arrival of my little girl this past April has made even more passionate about Midwifery and about ensuring that its a viable option for her when she is starting a family. I want Georgie to have access to the same wonderful care I received when giving birth to her.

 After the AOM started the Back to The Table campaign, more than 200 emails were written to Minister Deb Matthews (including mine!) as well as over 150 photos of babies born without a contract sent in and their video viewed more than 1500 times! Recently the AOM had a productive meeting with the Health Minister and are hopeful for contract negotiations to resume. 

The point is we are not powerless. Our voices can be heard but we must continue voicing them. Protect your options. Protect our healthcare. Protect women and babies. Protect Midwifery. Protect MIDWIVES. 

Piddle Me This

We are officially potty training!
With great results some days and not so great results other days.
Again I need to thank my lucky stars for our incredible daycare provider Kelly!
Her expertise and consistent efforts paid off (again). Oliver has been going regularly at Kelly's house for a quite some time but wouldn't even go near the bathroom at our suggestion of trying the potty at home. Guy and I were getting a little antsy about the situation (ok ok mostly me). I think back to just after we had him and we were talking about milestones- when would he would roll over and sit up, crawl, walk and talk. We totally thought he would be potty trained at about 18 mths (because boys tend to be a little later starting than girls....). HA! We know nothing obviously while those may be realistic for some kids it certainly wasn't on the mark for us! He has even taken to going by himself now, "No ME do it, you go over there!" Finger pointing to the hallway. "Close the door!" he says. I guess I can respect the need for privacy, although I would like to remind him that I haven't privacy in the bathroom since he was born....Slowly but surely though we are conquering the potty hurdle.

So in honour of his "accomplishments" I have superhero undies for our super potty hero!

I just can't believe how grown up he is-2 1/2 going on 20 I tell you!

Is it weird that I am getting weepy over big boy undies?