Gardening

I have wanted to have a real garden since we moved in to our house on Grant Street.  But work, kids, more kids, laziness and a general lack of knowledge about anything to do with gardening.  I've become really obsessed with buying organic produce though and the cost if pretty crazy, so I probably should grow at least a bit of our own.  Besides how hard can it be?  All you need is dirt and water and sun right?  Well here goes nothing.  We got a pretty good assortment of veggies and herbs to try our hand at growing our own food.  We took advantage of the one sunny day  and got planting.  Taryn and I really wanted to kids to get involved and we managed to hold their attention for a few moments before they wandered off.  I really hope some of what we plant takes and that I don't have a total brown thumb after all.

Syx getting a workout.

Seedlings planted.  Now we wait.

Our garden to be.

Arlo and Daddy on Gabriola

Trip to Gabriola to visit our good friends.  

Koa and Daddy counting out his piggybank.  The kid is rich!

Snug as a bug...

Why why why is sleep such an issue for parents of babies and young kids?  Koa rarely sleeps through the night even though he is 3 and was always so hard to get to nap, that we pretty much gave up naps by the time he has two and a half.  Arlo is much easier to put to sleep at night and to put down for naps, but he still wakes up every couple hours at night.  This has resulted in the ultimate game of musical beds.  Arlo and Koa would both start the night in their own bed/crib, then Arlo would wake up and I would let him come into our bed...then Koa would wake up and squish in with us.  Now with both kids getting bigger by the day, a queen size bed just doesn't cut it.  So we moved Arlo's crib out of our room and into Koa's room.  This is pretty recent and they either stare at each other until they peacefully fall asleep at night or they take turns sobbing (I'd say about 50/50).  We really wanted to night wean Arlo.  The first couple of nights were pretty sleepless for Luke who was sleeping in Koa's bed with Arlo while Koa would come sleep in my bed with me.  But then Arlo seemed to be catching on, and after a big of whining would snuggle up to dad and go back to sleep.  Of course this only lasted about a week and then he started teething again and got pretty hysterical which left Luke exhausted, me stressed (I can't handle his crying at night) and didn't really solve the issue of musical beds because Arlo was waking Koa up as well.  So...is the solution a giant king size bed? Me going away for a few days?  Baby tranquilizers?  Weaning all together? I kind of think the only way it will work is to wean him and I am not ready yet.

In other news the family is embarking on a month of healthy eating and elimination.  Koa was sick with the flu at Christmas, then ended up really sick with a virus of some kind which landed us in the emergency room for an afternoon.  Since then he has had this crazy rash, which is clearing up but still lingering after nearly 3 weeks.  So we figured something must be up with his little immune system and took him to see a naturopath who told us that he should be avoiding dairy/sugar/peanuts/gluten/wheat/red meat/soy and citrus...so basically starving the poor kid!  Plus we paid a small fortune in natural immune boosters and supplements which for the life of me I can't seem to figure out how to get him to take.  I've tried bribing, trickery, threats, pinning him down.  The kids is darn stubborn...hmmm...suspiciously like I think I was at his age.  In fact I have a sneaking suspicious that Koa is like me in a lot of ways.  This should be an interesting ride!  Oh and as if I don't start enough projects that I don't have time to finish/work out I have started ANOTHER blog with Jody to document our "healthy" eating month.  Now I can be one of those annoying people who write non stop about their offspring and also describe in detail and  take pictures of everything they eat.  I'm so un-original!

Play date downstairs

Double decker friends

And so here we are....

Maybe it was the warm spring like weather in January day, maybe it was the fact that I feel extra in love with my sweet little rascals, maybe it was the fact that all my other busy mama friends still find time to squeeze in updates on their blogs....whatever the reason I have OFFICIALLY resolved to write at least a few updates here and there.
A few weeks ago I found an old moleskin day planner from year Koa turned one.  In between appointments, play dates and work reminders I had hastily scribbled a few notes here and there about what Koa was learning and doing at the time.  I didn't write  much, but it was so great to read back over those little moments.  And I think that one day both boys will want to hear about the things they did when they were little.  I don't want to regret not keeping better track of the time as it flies by.  They really are growing up fast.  Arlo is almost ten months.  He isn't just a chubby little blob anymore.  He is a full fledged squirmy squiglly busy little boy.  He has become so chatty in the last couple of weeks too.  He says ya ya yaya and  mommommommom (though I don't think he is really saying my name yet).    I look forward to watching him develop into a unique little human like his brother, but I feel like I am in less of a rush than a was with Koa because I know he is my last little baby.  And besides I know living with three boys is going to keep me on my toes in the years to come.  My home is already a mine field of small sharp toy car and lego pieces, wrestling toddlers and fart jokes at the dinner table.  It is definately exhausting, but I am trying to embrace the chaos and to take care of myself too.  The other night I tiptoed in to the house after a rare evening out with friends and watched Luke, Koa and Arlo sleeping soundly in Koa's bed...Luke was sprawled in the middle with Koa tucked in tight bum in the air in childs pose and Arlo snoring peacefully with his little chin tilted back and a sweet baby dreamy smile....ahhhhh these are the moments I want to remember!

"Stoopin"  Stoop party in the sun on January 31 2012....so warm we didn't even needs coats.