Weekend in review

I posted on Thursday how happy I was.  By yesterday afternoon, I was feel restless, like CRAZY restless.

I REALLY thought we were getting an offer on Friday.  It still might come, but I thought it would be here already.

We went and visited some friends in the Valley yesterday, close to the new house, and talked some more about us moving up there, and what we were going to do with the house, and so on and so forth.  And by the time we got home, I was feeling antsy...

Talking about all the wonderful things we're going to do is starting to wear on me...I want to actually DO all the wonderful things!  I am so ready to move on, so open to doing it, that I'm getting restless to get it all started.

But then this afternoon I went for a hike in the woods.  Found a crazy little piece of geography, just minutes from our house, that I've never found before.  Relaxed a bit.  And then I felt better about the world.

Oh, and this weekend there was also this:  (note the gaping hole on the lower level.)
 

However, as I posted on Facebook, the next time the note from the tooth fairy should read:  "Please don't wake your parents up at 5am to show them what I left you."  Yeah.

Some of the beauty I found in the woods:

 Somebody needs a haircut...

Young love

Griffin came home from school the other day, and announced that he has a girlfriend.

Not only that, but they are in love.

And then he did a little dance in our back entry-way (never making it beyond there before he could blurt out his news,) and skipped around in a circle and sang "I'm in love, I'm in love, I'm in love!"

Its super cute, and super terrifying, all at the same time.  I've done that very same dance, maybe even with the skip, and it's a beautiful thing.  I've also done the dance of heartbreak, which is significantly less attractive, and involves far too much alcohol for a 5 year old.  I can't bear the thought of him having his little wide-open heart broken, now, or 20 years from now.

Then again, there's no point in living in fear of something that might happen down the road.  So for now, we celebrate - life, love, and all other things that make us smile.

Bye-bye 'tuff*

Since discovering our dream property a week ago, and partially because we've been off work with little to do but sit around and talk and dream, there has been a lot of just that - talking and dreaming about what our future might hold.

And since we are opening ourselves up to the possibility that our dream come true might be just around the corner, we have been going about my days with a sense of purpose. We've been researching, educating ourselves, learning new things.

We (or more specifically, I) have also been saying goodbye to old things.

Yes, there is a massive purge in progress here, people.

I've been starting slow - cleaning - going through cupboards and closets.  Every thing I pick up, I've been looking closely at.

I ask myself - When I move into my dream home, would I want to take this with me? 

And if the answer is no?  Sianora, stuff.

Because really, at the end of the day, if I don't want it in my dream home,why would I want it in this one?  If it isn't serving a purpose, making my life better in some way, then why is it here?  Now don't get me wrong...I'm not going totally bonkers crazy.  Like the bed that we currently own will NOT be coming with me anywhere past these doors, but sleeping on the floor would suck (only slightly) more than my current mattress, so it gets to stay.  For now.

It looks better in here already.  There is a pile of stuff at the back door that will likely make someone, somewhere, very happy.

And I am making me very happy too.

And that?  Is a good thing.

(* Imagine the post title coming from the cutest little two year old you've ever seen, in his sing song two year old voice, that likes to say bye-bye to just about everything in the room when he leaves it.  Or everything in the car as he drives past it.  It's one of the 239873 things that is adorable about Corben right now.)

Happiness is...

Happiness is...

...A quiet house.

It's also a noisy house, filled with laughter.

...A sleeping baby.

It's also a wide awake baby, dolling out smiles by the dozen.

...Snuggling with my boys, at the end of a long day.

It's also wrestling with my boy(s) and flying them like airplanes around the living room.

...A garden, blooming in the spring.

It's also a garden dying in the fall, and leaving us with it's fruits.

...A warm cup of coffee.

It's also a cold cup of coffee...as long as there's coffee!

...Pie.

Just pie.

Happiness is family, and friends, and the love that they provide.

And this space. This is my own, personal little slice of happy.

Thanks for visiting!

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This post is part of Five for Ten at Momalom, which we'll be participating in all week! Join us should you feel so inclined!

Happiness: it fits!

I've taken on one of my most challenging sewing projects to date...a wedding dress! While the dress is no where near complicated, the STRESS of being the one entirely responsible for the bride's dress is CRAZY!

The first fitting....was a disaster. I took things apart. I put them back together.

And the second fitting tonight?

IT FITS!

A few minor tweaks is all it needs! Oh, and the lining. And the hem. And a bunch of little things, but most importantly....IT FITS!!

Happy bride, happy seamstress!

Happiness: Fall Fair

A couple of hours and $30 well spent to see the smiles on this little dude's face!

"You OK, widdle buddy?"

Happiness: Getaway

Last night, Steve and I headed out of town for a brief but much needed mini holiday. We spent the night with friends in Stratford at their BEEEE-utiful house, ate too much wonderful food, stayed up way too late and then ate too much food again this morning....it was fantastic! We took the long way home, ambling our way through the country on the pretty roads, and stopping for a stroll in Elora. I've driven through Elora on a number of occasions, but have never had the opportunity to stop.

Peeps, Elora is fanfreakingtastic!!

Annnnnnd, you'll just have to trust me on this one, because Blogger is being a poo-poo head and doesn't want to upload my photos.

Whatevs, Blogger. You can't ruin my happy!!

(Can I, just for a moment though, tell you what can? What's new in my life that's making me MISERABLE?? An evil of pregnancy that no one tells you about? Dudes, hemorrhoids. Who invented these things....they SUCK!!!)

Sorry...I digressed!

Griffin arrived home just a few minutes after we did, and it was lovely to all be home together again. A night away does wonders for EVERYONE!!

Sunday Morning Edit - seems like Blogger has gotten over it's poo-pooness. Here's the pictures!

Happiness: Driving

When I climb into my car at 7am for my hour long drive to work every day, I sometimes forget just how STUNNINGLY beautiful the drive actually is. Yesterday I hauled along my camera, and stuck it out the window whenever I could, making no attempt to actually aim and frame and all that jazz (since I was busy, well, you know....DRIVING!)

These photos are my favourite of the 250 (!!!) I took on my way to and from work yesterday, and they don't even do the drive justice. It really is beautiful country that we live in around here, and at this time of year especially, driving through it's rolling hills with the leaves just starting to turn, is a great way to start, and end, my day!

Happiness: Happy Birthday to me.

Today is my birthday. It was a lovely day, nothing fancy, but lovely none the less. A card lovely card (picked out by Griffin himself) this morning. Griffin shouting "HAPPY BIRTHDAY MAMA" at least a dozen times before I left for work this morning. A phone call on my way to work from a dear friend out east (who's first baby is 3 weeks younger than Griffin, and who's second is due just 6 days after Cheeseball...she's having the elusive GIRL kind!!!!) My coworkers took me out for a delightful sushi lunch, free of all that "nasty" raw stuff that we pregnant ladies are supposed to avoid. I had a naturopath appointment tonight, and got to lay silently on a table for 1/2 an hour for an acupuncture treatment. There were flowers, and dinner waiting for me (and more "HAPPY BIRTHDAY MAMA!"s) when I got home, and an impressive singing of Happy Birthday by Griffin and Steve. Griffin was absolutely delightful tonight, despite having been told today by the doc at the fracture clinic that he's stuck with the cast for one more week. I spent the night working on "the dress" (more on that tomorrow) and now I'm going to crawl into bed with a new magazine I bought today, and finish off the day.

Happy Birthday to me! Happy indeed!

Happiness: Just Stuff

-I am about to crawl into bed with a bowl of cookies and cream ice cream and a new book. Happy.

-The weather at this time of year - sweatshirt in the morning weather. Not to sweaty in the afternoon weather. Slippers weather. Cool breeze at night weather. Happy weather.

-My husband is home. He made me dinner. He put the kid to bed. Happy Happy.

-Tomorrow is my birthday. No special plans, and that's OK. Happy.

-The "whoosh whoosh whoosh" of little Cheeseball's heartbeat that we heard at our midwife appointment this afternoon. Whooshappy.

It's fun being so gosh darn happy!

Happiness: Weekend

We've had a lot of fun and happiness here this weekend, we've just been too busy to sit and write about it!

On Satuday, faced with a hyper toddler and a (seemingly) foggy day, we packed up and headed into the city to the Cabbagetown Arts Festival. We went and checked out all the animals at Riverdale farm, and had a visit with Gretel and her new and improved FancyPantsKids setup. Griffin fell head over heels in love with Gretel's Dragon Tails, and proceeded to dance around the festival for a few hours sporting his green tail, and roaring at people.

The day turned out to be not foggy at all, but sunny, beautiful and HOT! We had a great time (in the 3 hours that our parking metre allowed us) and then headed home again.

On Sunday morning, Griffin and I decided that the contents of the fridge were boring, and headed out for breakfast.

We then came home and decided to check on the progress of the garden (despite being already dressed for Sunday dinner.) We found our potato plants ready to dig up, so dig we did. As I was digging, I suddenly found myself with a hand full of this, when I was expecting potatoes:

He scared the bejezus out of me! (Not that I'm scared of frogs, but when you're expecting potatoes and you come up with a hand full of frog, you can see how I could have been slightly terrified!)

I pulled up a TON of potatoes, one of the 8 heirloom varieties I planted! Methinks I'm going to have to read up on cellaring potatoes! Anyone have any tips?And while you're at it, how about zucchini recipes?

Hope your weekend was as fun and exciting!

Happiness: Birthdays and Babies

Today is Steve's birthday. Sadly, he's not here to share it with us! We tried to get a decent, in focus, everyone smiling picture for him this morning, and this is what we ended up with:

Oh well, we tried! Happy Birthday my love, we can't wait to see you so very very soon!

And in other big news, Cheeseball finally decided to play for the camera, and the results are in on the pink or blue test. The result?

Peeps, Cheeseball is a boy! One hundred percent, no doubt about it, boy!

I have to say, I'm a bit shocked. Mostly because I was so totally convinced it was a girl. Then again, I was convinced Griffin was a girl too until that first ultrasound. So much for mother's intuition!

Now that the shock has wore off, I've begun to get quite used to the idea of being a Mama to 2 boys. I honestly don't think I'm equipped to handle teenage girls anyway, so I think this is a blessing in disguise! The only trouble is, we had a girly name all picked out, and now baby is nameless. We're open to suggestions - a name that's unique, but not too much so. I like names that you've certainly heard before, but ones that you don't hear to often. There will be no strange spellings of said name, no y's where i's should be, or similar shenanigans!

And while I was initially disappointed about having to bypass the pink section in the fabric store for the rest of my life, I decided to hell with it, I'm going to buy it all anyway and sew to my heart's content, and then just sell it all for millions of dollars! Plus I decided today to start a quilt for the Cheese in chocolate brown and red, and that's SO NOT green and blue, and that gets me just a little bit excited!

So here's to Happy Birthdays, and happy bouncing baby boys!

Happiness: School!

One day down, 20 years to go! Griffin had a totally successful, totally wonderful day!! (And now he's exhausted...and melting down....gotta go!)

Happiness: Milestones

Backpack packed: check.

Clean, new (to us) clothes, ready to go: check.

Freshly bathed toddler (after a week of refusing a bath due to the nasty cast!): in progress.

A special pillow and blanket, made by Mama, just for naptime: check.

Camera batteries charged: check!

One three year old, TOTALLY ready for preschool: check. (He's been asking me since we got up this morning, "Mama, can I go to school now?")

One Mama, slightly teary, but SO proud of her (not so) little dude: totally check.

Happiness: (Yesterday's) Beach Day

Yesterday Griffin and I hopped in the car and headed to Kendra's sister's house just north of Owen Sound. Kristen and Greg have a BEAUTIFUL spot on the bay, with a fantastic porch and a view of the water. The kids played, the grownups ate and drank, and mostly did as little as possible. It was the perfect way to spend the day!

We finished the day with some "back to school shoppiong" of the best kind - we loaded 2 garbage bags full of hand-me-downs into the back of the car, and didn't even have to grace the mall!! Thats my kind of shopping! Thanks everyone for a fantastic day!

Happiness: Local Yummies

Did you know that that last post, my Dear Griffin post, was number EIGHT HUNDRED on this blog? Wow, 800. That's a lot of blabber from me!

Today, my breakfast made me VERY happy. We stopped in at one of our favourite stores while were in Creemore yesterday, called the 100 Mile store. As you can likely guess, everything they sell is from within a hundred miles. The store is chalk full of wonderful yummy goodness, and we brought home a pound of maple smoked bacon, and some fresh eggs. Top it off with some tomatoes fresh out of the garden, and coffee and a big dollop of whip cream....folks, that's an EXCELLENT way to start a Saturday!

We had a puttering sort of day today, getting ready for a showing of the house this afternoon. After a lovely morning, a little lunch in town (to avoid dirtying the kitchen again!) Griffin and I hit the road heading to Oakville for my Oma's 85 birthday celebration. It was delightful to see all the family, and to watch Griffin play with his big cousins (second cousins, I guess, technically speaking.) We stayed just long enough to burst into a full meltdown when I decided it was time to go, but somehow G managed to stay awake almost all the way home. However, I managed to seamlessly transfer him (finally) sound asleep from the car to the bed when we arrived home, and that makes me VERY happy!!

Happiness:: Profile

Today, my silhouette makes me very happy!

Happiness: Snuggles

Steve has been away a LOT this summer, and while I'd much rather have him here, there is one tiny little thing, one special thing that only happens when Steve is away that makes me very happy: Griffin and I get to snuggle up together in the big bed, and go back to our co-sleeping ways, if only for a night or two at a time. For some reason, we both sleep incredibly well together in the big bed (whereas Steve and Griffin struggle all night long when they share a bed.) I like the bedtime giggles and snuggles, as well as the company, and the security of knowing that my baby is right there next to me (and, honestly, knowing that if he wakes up in the middle of the night, I don't have to haul my lonely butt out of bed!)


There are few things I love more than watching my little one sleep.

Sweet Dreams!

Happiness: The Blue House

Make no mistake about it - our house ("The Blue House") has made us pretty darn happy for the past 4 years.

I had a bloggy friend comment that at first she was very confused about why we'd be moving into town. And then I thought, heck, why wouldn't she be! We do nothing but gush about our little slice of heaven here in the country (except for in the winter!) so why the heck would we be leaving it? So I thought maybe I should really, thoroughly explain.

Steve and I moved up here in 2005, hot on the tails of a dream that we've both had for many many years - to live in the country, and start our own little empire if you will. We were going to live here forever, growing as we needed to suit us and our family. Aside from a teeny apartment in Toronto that we shared (which wasn't really "ours," it was mine and Steve moved in) the Blue House is the only home we've ever known together. We got married here right in our living room, we brought Dudley home here, and just a few months later we brought Griffin to join us. This is the only home Griffin has ever known. He learned to crawl on these floors, and walk on them later. This home holds a gazillion billion happy memories for us, and we will miss it when we go.

However, I slowly started to realize that living in the country was only part of my dream. The real dream was more about more living SIMPLY, and I began to realize that that didn't necessarily mean in the country. I also realized, after failed attempts at a few careers, that my true desire was to be at home with my children, and be a full time mother to them for as many years as I possibly could.

There were challenges too out here - the seemingly simplest things that have proved challenging for me - for example - in the middle of the winter, when your husband is away and you need to spend 40 minutes plowing out the drive just to get the car out to go to the grocery store for milk, what the heck do you do with the infant of the manor, or soon to be one infant and one toddler?? (As you well know, a toddler can get himself into a whole BUNCH of trouble in 40 unsupervised minutes!)

So this move into town, its a big step towards achieving that "new" dream. We are going to be lowering our monthly payments by a good chunk, so I can hopefully stay home. We can go back to WALKING places, and maybe even maybe go back to being a one car family. Our children can walk to school - it's just on the other side of the back yard. I can still grow my garden, let my children run free in the yard, and lead a simple life - with much less stuff in way less space.

I used to think that memories were tied tightly to a specific place, but that's not necessarily true. We will take the memories of the Blue House with us when we go - they travel with US, the people that made them. And together, as our little family grows, we'll make even more of them in our new home.

And every time I think of the Blue House, and what we have accomplished here, I will smile.