The Birds and the Bees...

So I swore that I would be the kind of parent that answers my children's questions honestly and with as much clarity as I could. But I have to admit, my 4-year old chatterbox often leaves me in a cold sweat with some of his topics of discussion. Take last night, at bedtime, for example... our conversation went a little something like this:

Alex: Mama, what do babies eat when they're in your tummy?

Me: Whatever I eat.

Alex: So, if you eat pizza, the baby eats pizza!

Me: Well, sort of.

Alex: How?

Me: Well, the baby has a tube, called a cord, attached to its Mom and to its belly button, and the food goes through there.

Alex: Then why do Daddies have belly buttons too, they don't feed babies?

Me: Aah... no, the tube just goes to the baby's belly button. That's why people have belly buttons. Daddies have belly buttons because they used to eat through tubes in their Mom's tummies when they were babies.

Alex: So what happens to the cord after the baby is born?

Me: Well, the doctor cuts it off.

Alex: What about the end that is attached to the Mom? Does he cut that part too?

Me: Umm... well, that comes out when the baby does.

(At this point I'm starting to think I'm walking into a trap of sorts...)

Alex: Does the baby breathe when the Mommy breathes?

Me: Yes, and eats and sleeps... that's how the baby grows.

Alex: What else do you have to do to grow a baby?

(Uh oh... here it comes...)

Me: Well, exercise, drinking lots of water, getting lots of rest...

(yes, I chickened out)

The room is starting to close in on me at this point (I'll admit it, discussing certain topics does not come naturally to me) so I say "Alex, it's bedtime so you can ask me one more question and then I'm going to go." (oh don't look at me like that... if I don't limit his bedtime questions, I'm in there for hours)

Alex hesitates for a minute and you can almost see the wheels turning in his head. Then he says...

Insert ominous drumroll here...

"Mama... where does Santa Claus buy his red suit and hat?"

LOL

Go ask your Daddy!

Yesterday...

So, I'm sitting here right now typing this blog, and behind me the snow is swirling around outside. And I wonder why I didn't move south when I had the chance. What on earth was it that compelled Cory and I to stay in Northern BC when all the rest of my friends seem to have settled in the Vancouver Area after High School or after University (except Jenn and Shauna who live even further north than I do and I feel for them, I really do...)

So I'm dedicating this post to those bloggers out there who think that they had a long winter and are grateful that spring is finally here (you know who you are!) cause right now I am JEALOUS!!!!!!!
Connor traipsing through our front yard on this lovely spring day!

Here's my boys in their "spring jackets".

And soaking up the sun in our yard...

The scenery from my front door...

And... our lawn! So... yes, it's melting by the house. Our icicles are gone from the roof, so I guess that's a blessing. But there's still 2 feet of snow, and more in the backyard. Anyone want to venture a guess as to when I'll have to haul out the lawn mower?

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

From our family to yours... Happy St. Paddy's Day!!!

Umm... well... here's the tripod I got for Christmas... weird kids!

Brothers...

How to torture a 2-year old!

Alex - "Hey Connor, want to play hide and seek?"
Connor - "yes!"
Alex - "Okay, I'll hide, you count to ten hundred!"

(Connor covers his eyes and begins to count...)

Get 'em while they're young...

So, you know how they say that the passion dies after you have children? Hehe... well, I used to be really passionate about scrapbooking. I've been working really hard the last couple of weeks to try and rekindle my love affair with paper, stickers, cutters, and of course, my beloved photos. The problem is, of course, that if the kids are awake, then it's pretty much impossible, not to mention inappropriate, to indulge myself, and when the kids are asleep, I'm either too darn tired, or I have a "headache"...

I've had a couple of really productive nights, which has spurred me on a bit, and got the creative juices flowing again (see my other blog http://bcandabcroppers.blogspot.com/ ) if you're interested. So when Alex asked me today if he could scrapbook again, I thought, "What the heck". I figure if I get them started young, they'll develop a lifelong love of the hobby and I'll have a steady source of crop buddies. :) Alex showing off his page... and Connor showing off his album! He's pretty proud of it. It has an imprint of Mickey Mouse on the cover, but you can't really tell in the photo.

There we go, there's his layout! (and yes, that is Connor hanging out in his diaper... guess what he's just learned to do, and has perfected? Stripping! It's pretty challenging these days to keep clothes on him. Yesterday I found him sitting naked in the bathtub waiting for me to come and fill it with water. Wish he'd given me a heads up, I'm not sure how long he was sitting there! :)

And, can't forget Kirstin, of course. She watching the proceedings from my arms, and just waiting to get her hands on the camera. Someday soon, she'll be scrapbooking along with us.

"Bye Bye!"

$%#&... I hate when I turn the camera to take videos! Grr...

Connor waved to Cory and said "Bye bye, Daddy". Then Kirstin, looking right at Connor, waved back! It was so cute. We got all excited and over-reactive, and said "Connor, you just taught Kirstin how to say 'bye-bye'!"

So, if you're charmed by clips of babies being coached to do spontaneous things by parents who missed it on film the first time around... tilt your head and enjoy! :)

Family Portraits...

It's been a while since I've posted some updated photos of our family, so this morning we posed the whole family on the couch and snapped some impromptu family photos.

I have to say, I'm very pleased with how our portraits turned out! :)

Our family of 5! :)

Here we managed to get the dog to sit still for the picture too... quite a feat, if I do say so myself (especially since she lives with Cory's parents, but the boys insisted she be in the photo).

Cory and I (Mama and Daddy)

Kirstin

Alex

Connor

I love it when I can capture all three kids with smiles on their faces, enjoying each other's company! :)And last, but not least, Willow (Connor's contribution to the family photo). Dinah, our cat, who actually does live with us, isn't represented because the boys ran out of spuds.