The recipe

Start with working out, putting on some makeup, add flirting and then entering into a relationship. Date a while and challenge each other until you are sure they won't run. Move in together and show a little more about who you really are. Have some great sex and decide you want this forever, get married. Add a mortgage and a shared car. Get pregnant a few times, maybe add a pet or two. Have some babies, enjoy them to teenagers, make sure they move out safely and securely and then go back to flirting and dating.

Rainy love

Let it pour, let it pour, let it pour. I love this kind of rain. Pouring down like it really means it.

I remember walking in rain like this with my mom when I was young. She always made me appreciate the rain. She said it was her favourite, almost as much as sunny beach days. I want to instill that with my son. So far he likes to jump in puddles and catch the rain in his mouth as if it was catching snow on his tongue. If you live on the coast of BC and you don't like the rain, maybe you should consider moving, we have a lot of it here.

I am getting more and more pregnant each day and even though we are so not prepared for this new baby, we are very excited about it joining our family. I wonder how my son will react. I am guessing a great novelty for a while, and then when the baby doesn't 'go back home somewhere' there may be some jelousy.

My largest hope is that Geran will love to show the new baby all his sign language he knows. I believe that children are our best teachers. They are enthusiastic and they love to learn.

Keep smiling and go for a walk in the puddles today... don't forget to splash in a puddle and remember being young and carefree.

-Amanda

Signing mama's

Well, it is great to be back... had my computer down for over 2 weeks. I now have a brand new laptop... a dream for a writer. It was a surprise birthday gift! I feel so loved. The two babies are sick today with snotty noses and coughs, yet they are still so sweet and fun.

I followed up with some moms who took my Baby Sign Workshop last August and it was great to hear they were still signing with their babies and now their little ones were signing back at them! The success stories always make what I do worth while.

I had a pregnant mom come today and pick up her Getting Started kit for her unborn baby and it was great to see her excitement. I love making life easier, especially for new parents.

So great!

Still slowly introducing Geran to potty time. He doesn't mind being on the potty, but I haven't caught him poo or pee lately, so it is hard to show him how 'cool' it can be. Luck of that first draw I guess.

talk soon...

Ciao for now.

Bottle youth

Is there a way to stop your children from growing up. I take a look at my sweet loving 20 month old boy and I don't want him to grow up! I want him to stay this little and and innocent. Where there is no violence or anger or pain in his life. He wants to 'snuggle' with mommy and daddy, play with his puppy, cook and bake with mommy, put his doll in the crib and feed it, cuddle his stuffies, play with his kitchen and have his dinosaurs kiss.

I want to bottle this beauty and keep it in my heart forever.

paitning patience

It is far different doing your own renos with babies running about now. We have been painting and cutting trim and molding etc... all day. Geran has been such a doll.... asking daddy and mommy what we are doing and being so well behaved. We are very blessed. And my older son is moving out on his own next week and has a full time job... feels like everything is moving along as it should... natural.

Adults or Children

How do you not feel upset, angry and dissapointed when one of your children do something extreemly stupid?
My 19 year old finally got a job working 14 bucks an hour apprenticeship with NO high school education and NO experience. It was a favour from a friend and within 3 days, he decides NOT to go anymore. I shake my head in disgust. Either he is really stupid, insane, or thinks he can have a free ride living at home without a job, school or effort. Well, life is going to smack him right in the face when he realizes at the end of the month, when he moves out, that he has no prospects. As a parent, it is very hard not to take  your children failures and poor decisions personally.
This must be another way nature prepares a parent to let your children move out and go without it being painful.

Babies and life

Today I got a shower, but no makeup. I got breakfast, but lunch was on the run. I got to go grocery shopping, but not clothes shopping. I paid my gas tank, but not my hydro bill. I clean the top of the stove, but not the inside. The choices we make as parents is so funnie. I use to have time for everything, now it's a choice between, kinda clean shirt and already stained, so who cares t-shirt.

Geran got dressed into his 'too small vest' and ran into the room and said, "ma ma, ma ma... cute, ma ma."

Worth every day!

The birth of life for two babies

One heading into this world shortly and the other heading out. Dustin finally found a place to live, now he needs a job to support it. He's got a roomate willing to take him in April 1st... and by May 22nd, we will have a new baby moving in. It is a weird feeling for a mother, letting go of one baby and welcoming another.

Someone said that teenagers were made to be miserable, so it was easier on the parents to be able to let them move out. If teens were sweet and kind and helpful, a parent would never want their children to leave. This is Gods way of pushing them out on their own to become their own person.

I have a little one kicking and moving about inside me. I hear the heartbeat, I feel the tiny kicks and I have Geran to hug and squeeze, who reminds me what is coming. All this love is bursting inside me and I am glad to have it come into my life.

I am struggling between seeing my 19 year old as a baby moving out, or a giant man getting too big for the house. I feel both at loss and scared for him, excited and nervous and happy and calm about the transition.
Maybe it is pregnancy hormones, or maybe its natural, but crying sometime helps settle the emotional ride I am on.

Baby Shower Trade Show

Wednesday night Trade Show in Abbotsford went better than expected. I had people lined up at my table to talk with me. I wish I could have taken more time to chat with people. It was awesome to have so many interested in baby signs. I am hoping that these moms are going to teach their babies to sign. I know the benefits and rewards behind it.

Over 200 people walked through the door that night, about 70 of them pregnant moms. It was great to meet them and even some brought their little babies... so cute.

James helped me at the booth and was invaluable. He was sharing his experience as a father's point of view and keeping everyone entertained until I was free to chat with them as well. We were a great team. I really enjoyed doing this with my husband.

I had a wonderful friend babysit for me and step up to help me out in this time of need. It is hard for me to accept help and admit when I am overwhelmed, but I did and she was awesome!

Amanda

Sign Language and the missing Kazoo

My 20 months has a lot of words, but also incorporates a lot of his sign language. Today, he runs around the corner and begins signing and mimicking the sounds for his Kazoo; he was pretty excited. I knew the kazoo was missing and I wouldn't be able to help him. I said, "oh Sorry honey, the kazoo is lost, I don't know where it is." He wouldn't let up and kept running back and forth from the living room signing kazoo and trying to get my attention. Curious I followed him to the living room and he bolted for his shape toy and pointed inside of it, where his shapes are. I peeked in and sure enough, there was his Kazoo! I retrieved it for him and he was so happy, playing his kazoo.

Now without sign language, would I have known what he wanted? What was so excited about? I doubt it... it was pretty amazing, that this baby under the age of 2 was able to tell me his wants and what he had discovered! He found the missing Kazoo.