Sleeping babies are the BEST

Thanks for the awesome photos Steph!!!

On Friday night we went to a dinner party. Like, an actual adults only dinner party. We sent Monkey to Grandma and Grandpa's and brought Big C to the party in his PJ's. He goes to bed at 6:30 or 7 normally so we were pretty sure that we could pull it off.

It went off without a hitch. He slept in a little birdy's princess bed and was soooo cute!!

I just love a sleeping baby.

Duplo and the end of an era

I went out on Saturday and bought the kids some Duplo at Boomerang Kids consignment store. You can get a lot of Duplo for $23 as it turns out. This stuff has blocks, trucks, TRAINS, tracks...lots!! Duplo, in case you don't know, is lego, but a little bigger and a lot easier for little hands to manipulate.

Daddy was sleeping in so Monkey, Big C and I pulled out the Duplo and had a blast. You'll notice that we are in Monkey's room without the train table...the end of an era. At least for now.

Monkey and I played at making patterns with the colours of the blocks. He was really good at it and caught on right away. He always knew what colour should come next and really got in to it with gusto. He could easily tell me that if the pattern was green-yellow-red, the next colours were green-yellow-red. Same with green-green-blue. If I have blue then green, the next colour is...green. He was all over it.
Then he got the idea to build a tower that would go up to the ceiling. We planned it out and we did it. He was so proud!Starting to lay it all out on the ground...Nope, not quite there yet...
It kept falling over in the middle of the room, so we used the wall to keep it supported. We made it all the way to the ceiling.

Big C LOVES his train belt

Here's the thing: I bought pants for Monkey when he was this age that were built for the "husky" child. He was much thicker than his brother and he was wearing Kushies diapers which gave him a HUGE ghetto bootie. Now that Big C is wearing Fuzzi Bunz, is two months younger than Monkey was at this time of the year, and is a significantly skinnier kid, none of the pants fit him.

I am not one to go out and buy all new pants, so then what is left? Of course-a train belt!! I ordered another myself belt with trains on it and waited by the mailbox.

It arrived yesterday and we eagarly tore into the package.

He grinned from ear to ear when he saw it...

...and was super excited when he realized that it was going on HIS pants.

It was pretty hard to get a picture of him in the belt with all of the dancing around! Here you can see him bent over looking at the belt on his waist. You'll just have to imagine the smile!! Thanks Nathalie!!!

The kids are gonna be on TV!!

The boys will be on TV in the coming weeks. We got this email today "Thank you for participating in an interview with Living in Ottawa. One of your stories "Brownies" will be included in our EMAIL US FOR DATE AND TIME episode. After the initial airing the episode will be posted online and will be accessible for a week by your family and friends at EMAIL US FOR URL."

This is one of those cases where anonymity will have to prevail. We'll happily send the information by email to any of you who would like to see it. The show will be airing in Ottawa, I don't think that it will be available much outside of Ottawa. It will be available for viewing on the web...however (Kim, I'm looking at you here) you'll need to have a fairly fast internet connection to view it. Hint-if you guys do come

up for Thanksgiving, you can watch it here.

I will not give one more cent to the Thomas Corporation

Today we got an email with another Tomas recall in it. Seems more of the cars had lead in them. It was a long letter. You can see it here http://recalls.rc2.com/. Among other things, one of the "gifts" they sent out to appologize for the last recall is now subject to this new recall.

Idiots.

I mean really, people must be getting fired right and left for this. How am I supposed to trust any of the other Thomas items that I have in the house? They can't possibly check all of the toys that they sold over the last many years. Whatever samples they have in stock may not be fully representative of what is out on the market. Goodness knows what is floating around out there.

City-wide Give Away Day - October 13

I missed this the last time and you can only imagine how bitter I was.

Discover hidden treasures

One person's junk is another person's gold. This tale bodes true at the first fall city-wide Give Away Day on Saturday, October 13, 2007 (Rain Date: Sunday, October 14).

Don't put your unwanted bounty pieces in the garbage. Set them out at the curb on Give Away Day. For you treasure hunters, tour your neighbourhood, community and city to find those hidden gems.

Treasures could include:

• Books, CDs and DVDs.
• Old furniture and small appliances.
• Construction materials - including drywall and hardware such as nails, bolts and screws.
• Kitchen gadgets, dishes, cutlery, pots and pans.
• Unwanted gifts.
• and more

Please consider safety when deciding which items to set out to the curb.
The Consumer Product Safety Bureau of Health Canada advises that used children's items such as baby walkers, yo-yo balls, cribs, car seats, strollers, playpens, bath seats, mattresses, blinds, toys and other child-related items should not be placed out at the curb.

Rules for setting out the treasures

• Place items at the curb.
• Place stickers or signs on items with the word "FREE".
• Ensure any items that you want to keep are away from your set out treasures or tucked away safely in your garage.
• At the end of the day, bring any uncollected gems back to your home.

Treasure hunting etiquette

• Respect other people's property, don't walk on people's lawns and gardens.
• Take only the treasures marked free at the curb.
• Don't discard previously picked-up treasures on another person's lawn.

We wish you best of luck in finding those treasures. It's another way to RETHINK GARBAGE, protecting our most precious treasure - our environment.

Remember:

• Unfound treasures can be donated to charitable organizations.
• A better idea than filling up the landfill is filling up a Web site for prospective buyers for your unwanted gems. Visit usedottawa.com for some ideas for recycling your used items.
• You can get tips from the Junk Brothers on how to transform your trash into treasure.
• You can learn more about freecycling by checking out the Ottawa Freecycle Network - who help reduce the flow of trash into our landfills by connecting people who want to get rid of unwanted "stuff" with people looking for free "stuff".
• Other freecycle-like Web sites include Craigslist and Kijiji.
• Besides Give Away Day, other initiatives to maximize landfill space include the Take it Back! Program and one-day Household Hazardous Waste Depots.

Click here for more information.

 

Big C hits the Metcalfe Fair

Daddy loves a good fair, especially a fair with a demonlition derby. He caught wind that the Metcalfe Fair had both on offer. Monkey didn't want to go so Big C was kind enough to have a super long nap and was willing to join daddy at the fair.



Well it turns out the the fair boasted Big C's top five favorite things.



Tractors ( we have about 10 pictures of him with different ones)



Fire Trucks (but it didn't turn out well, so I included the one of him splashing in puddles)



Trains (there was a ride at the fair with a train. I stopped at it twice but we could still be there and he'd still be grinning)


Trucks (several of which were parked outside the cattle barn where he stood for about 5 minutes going truck...truck......truck....truck!)

and Cars at the Demolition Derby (we stayed for the 1st two heats and had a blast - he clapped for every car).

The weather was the best in memory and Big C didn't stop pointing, smiling and running happily all evening. It was a great moment for daddy and son. I'm sure that there will be thousands to follow.

Monkey is co-ordinated?

Tonight was Monkey's trial run at the local Karate school to see if he likes it. He showed up and sure enough, his friend J from school was there. That was pretty cool for him and definitely helped to get him started. He put on his cute little white outfit and he was off. He had an absolute blast and said that he wanted to go back again. There are no pictures since Big C and Daddy are at the fair with the camera.

At the end of the class I spoke with the sensei who said, among other things) that Monkey is co-ordinated. I was floored! No one has EVER said those words before! I can still clearly remember him walking accross the kitchen floor when he was a toddler, stepping on the side of the wok, and whapping himself in the face with the handle.

Every night we lay in bed and we talk about his day. He tells me everything that he did and he picks one favorite thing. When he says his prayer he thanks Jesus for that thing. Tonight, he thanked Jesus for Karate.

Yep, I think we'll sign him up : )

DPoD September 27th - The Monkeys on the Monkey Bars, Kind of

It was an absolutely gorgeous day today so the boys and I went outside to play in the backyard. I stood back and just watched the 2 of them play together. They played hide and seek (eahc one always knew where the other was since they had pre-arranged hiding spots) and giggled like ninnies when they found the other person. They ran around the corner of the house and looked for red raspberries. There were about 30, so there were lots to share. Then they started to play on the climber. There was a lot of silliness inside the little fort - three memories of which I was able to capture here. They really are good brothers to one another and Big C adores Monkey more and more each day. They really are just too cute.

And then there were three...

I called the Humane Society today and we discussed Henry and her desire to be outside. They agreed that the kittens don't need her anymore and that she is not a good house cat. Dave brought her back this afternoon and they are going to find her a home where she can roam, after they spay her of course!

Bye bye Henry

Monkey took it pretty hard that she was a mom who was leaving her babies and that she would be happier somewhere else. We had a really great talk about everything and he is coming to terms with it. I actually really like the kinds of conversations that have already come up with these guys in the house. It has brought all sorts of new discussions to our home.

The downside is that the Humane Society doesn't pay for damages done by foster pets. While I have in the past sucked it up when animals have released messes from orifices into, onto and under our various carpet/furniture/cars. I didn't mind since it was a known risk. This time I really felt that I had taken a number of precautions to avoid such an event and just got unlucky with a cat that is nucking futs.

Sigh.

DPoD September 25th - Goofiness with the kittens

This afternoon grandma is coming to get Monkey for a sleepover. It's wonderful how much the two of them 'get' one another - both figuratively and literally. Since grandma might be coming anytime soon I asked Monkey if there was anything that he felt he needed to do before quiet time. He responded very quickly 'play with the kittens'. So we were off the bathroom where they hide out during the day and overnight.

The 4 of them (Monkey included) had some fun with the tin foil ball and the little jingly ball as the kittens chased the balls and each other around the bathroom.

Then the nametag on a lanyard was introduced.

I demonstrated to Monkey how the kittens would chase it excitedly around and around, even in circles. When Monkey had his turn there was laughter and laughter and more laughter. It was quite a sight to see. They played for about 15 minutes together and I could hear the giggles and grins from outside as I typed this. If anyone knows how to teach silliness, it's a WB family member.

The Prize Has Been Won!!!

Every once in a while we here at the WB Family run a random contest or two.  This time I changed the wording in the header and offered a prize to the first person who emailed me to tell me that they noticed the change.  Two days later (and Dave fighting to be considered for the contest) the winner is none other than Aunt H!!  Congrats Aunt H.  You can collect your lollipop and chocolate next time we see you.

 

DPOD September 23 - morning reading with Grandpa

Our boys are great talkers and a very literate bunch. I think that it helps that they love to read. The second Grandpa comes in the door on Sunday morning Big C jumps up and runs to get him a truck book to read. It is great to see the good habits starting so early.

Canadian Blood Services Needs YOU!

The summer has traditionally been a challenging time for Canadian Blood Services, but this year the challenge is even greater. A series of interrelated events this summer have created a “perfect storm” and have reduced the availability of blood for hospitals.

It's happening Saturday September 29 from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. at 1575 Carling Avenue.

Even more door prizes will now be up for grabs. Everyone who stops by (no donation required) will be eligible to win:

• A $100 gift certificate for Bushtukah Great Outdoor Gear


• One of five $20 gift certificates for Kunstadt Sports


• A 2 person day pass to Coyote Rock Gym


• A waterbottle with a 1 month pass for GoodLife Fitness

We still have 100 appointments available!!!!

To increase our inventory Canadian Blood Services is joining forces with sports teams, workplaces, leagues and associations across Ottawa by inviting all players to come out a donate at a special clinic on September 29th. The permanent clinic at 1575 Carling Avenue will be open to all local athletes, coaches, sports volunteers and even whole teams from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Because this clinic is meant to pick up extra units, we don't want to take donors away from our regular clinics. We are therefore relying on Ottawa's sports community, and we would love it if you could support this initiative by spreading the word.

We would greatly appreciate it if you could distribute the attached material as widely as possible - to managers, staff, coaches, team captains, players and members. If players have ever thought about donating blood, or if they're a donor who hasn’t given in the last two months, we need them more than ever. They can even come in and donate as a team.By donating at these special clinics, they're are not only saving three lives, they're are making a real difference in their community.To book an appointment call 1-888-2 DONATE.

That crazy cat tried it again!

So at 4 am I am awoken by the sound of the momma cat (Henry) causing a ruckus. I go to investigate and she has ripped a series of holes in our screen and is clearly hoping to get out the window again. I have a lot of trouble with a momma who would bail on her babies like that. The window was firmly shut so even if she had gotten through the screen there would have been no way out. She spent the next hour running around the bathroom making as much noise as she possibly could. I must say, I am not impressed with this momma kitty.

The kittens Gordon, Percy and Thomas (two girls and a boy-guess who named them!!) are doing really well. They are really playful and really seem to enjoy hanging out together. Momma sleeps far away from them where they can't reach her, she kicks them off when they go to nurse and she jumps right on top of them to get at whatever food I put down.

These are the scratches on the window sill.

Big C Made Super Yummy Tomato Salsa

Big C has transitioned beautifully to his new school. He checks his lunch bag every morning as if allowing someone to valet park it for him and he runs off to play. They have been talking a lot about tomatoes this past month and that culminated this week with all of the children making tomato sauce and tomato salsa.

Every child came home with some and we honoured the occasion by having it on tacos on Saturday night-yummy!! Big C loved it so much he essentially ate it right out of the jar!!

We are so thrilled with his school and how much fun they are having!

Lost mommy cat with three kittens at home!!

These are the posters that I spent the morning posting all around the neighbourhood:"Last night this mommy cat clawed her way through a second floor screen window and jumped. She is a foster from the Humane Society and so is NOT familiar with the area and how to find her way home. She is grey and black with a white tummy. She is very skinny. There are three kittens who are four weeks old waiting at home for their mom and her milk. Please call 613-555-1212 or come to 123 Evergreen Terrace if you see her or if you catch her. She is very friendly but is likely scared. "
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The window was open about 2 inches. She clawed the window sill on her way out pretty nicely. My guess is that it took some effort to get out the window. I went all over the neighbourhood putting up posters and talking to people. There was a big garage sale going on and I spoke with all of the vendors. Luckily, one of them saw her (jumping over the 5 foot chain link fence like it wasn't there) and trapped her in the garage. One momma kitty returned to her babies. The window is now completely shut!

DPoD September 21st - While the Monkey's away his brother will play

Monkey is at a Curious George birthday party wearing his yellow shirt and red Curious George hat (though shouldn't it be a yellow hat?). Meanwhile back at the house, Big C has decided to jump into the vacant spot. He climbed right into Monkey's big chair with the train engineer pattern cushion and put on his big brother's bib. Big C really REALLY loves his older brother.

DPoD September 20th Part III - The New Houseguests arrive

This time we decided to host some company of a different, yet familiar, background. We called up the Ottawa Humane Society since they are in such desperate need and decided to take in a mom and her three little kittens. We're both sure that the boys will absolutely love it and Monkey already does. He was made a big part of the their arrival and made a very comfortable bed for them to sleep in. Here are pictures of momma emerging: The youngsters getting brave: Kitty in the window, keeping an eye on her family: Monkey checking out the action: and finally kitten taking a drink from the bowl that Monkey chose for them to have as a water dish:
We're sure that they'll be included in the DPoD for their tenure here while we foster them.

The WBs cut thier hydro bill again!!

Wow! We have continued on the same path of general conservation. Nothing major, nothing drastic. Just being aware of what we are doing and what we are using.

From October to December we used 2278 kWh or 36.17 KwH per day,
from December to February we used 2207 kWh or 35.03 KwH per day.
from February to April we used 1915 kWh or 33.02 KwH per day. This is when we sat up and took notice. This is a lot of power consumtion. So we went around the house and put power bars on the TV and the computer. We turned off the furnace fan and the ceiling fan and we generally took notice.

So then from April -June we used 913 kWh or 14.97 KwH per day

Today we got our bill from June to August we used 515 kWh or 8.3 KwH per day. Our bill is only $65 this month as compared to over $170 at some points in the past-wow! Talk about putting your money where your mouth is!!

We went from 36.17 kWh per day to only 8.3. Incredible!
wow we were wasting a lot of energy, and money in the past. The amazing thing is, we barely notice the difference in our day to day life.

DPoD September 20th Part II - Mommy Time

Both of mommy's little men are keen for mommy time lately since we were out of the house earlier this week for a couple of days. By the way, thank you sooooooo much grandma. That was irreplaceable and both mommy and I appreciate it more than words can say.

Anyhow, both the boys wanted some snuggle time last night. They got some up on the couch in their jammies having some popcorn. Might I add that Big C polished his off in record time and was looking at his brother's bowl. Best of luck little man.

These boys love their momma!

DPoD September 20th - Silly Monkey

yeah, I don't know what to say to explain this. There was a song that went with it, but I can't do it justice. We've got ourselves one silly little boy.

DPoD September 19th - Monkeys on the Dancefloor

Today there seemed to be a lot of pent up energy at the WB family household. This lead to a little bit of brief frustration. This was however immediately negated by leaving the boys on the main floor to come up with their own fun and not have daddy entertaining them. It took about 2 seconds. Monkey came up to Big C and asked him to play a song. He hit the button on the little computer to play some fast-paced music and the spinning ensued. It was a good 15 minutes of silliness, dizziness and laughter. Both boys at one point or another spun themselves onto the floor. They needed to get the energy out and it came out in spades. Both boys slept like rocks.

What little goofs they can be! Here are some post-falling down photos: