Garden time!

We're hoping to head out into the back yard and start work in the dirt this weekend. Top of the list is to get the Peanut's butterfly garden started.

Last weekend the bunny brought her a little garden set and a packet of pumpkin and wildflower seeds suited to bring butterflies into our yard. she's pretty excited about it and I'm hoping that being able to dig into her own dirt will make her want to help out in the kitchen garden. She's nearly five and I'll be honest in my expectations of that. They are low, very low, but I'm not too worried about it. having her own space is a good start.

A Thousand Words

It feels like a long time coming and going outside without a warm coat and a hat is still a risk here but spring is arriving, better late than never...

If you ask me, the light cast through new leaves is
the epitome of spring time heraldry

And of course nothing says, "I love you Mommy"
as much as fist full of dandelions

In other news; the Peanut, the Husband and I have managed between the three of us to make a pretty Mothers Day gift for the Grandma's and Great Grandma for next month. In the process I've learned that working around the Bean is going to require lots of Teamwork and patience.

Itching- in more ways than one

if it wasn't that my last insect kerfuffle in this house happened two years ago; I'd start to worry that I'm some sort of bug magnet.

So what's the latest you ask?

Wolf Spider bites, while we sleep.

Thankfully not on the girls, unfortunately in the worst possible places on us, (ie. on the back of my ankle and on the husband's butt). On the positive side I think we found the little jerk and disposed of him/her outside. Also a plus is that my white blood count must be up because the welts are starting to go away much faster than bites usually do for me (two to three weeks is about an average time for me to get rid of a mosquito bite). So I've got some itchy bites but they are going away.

On a less literal note I'm also itching to write. Oh, to have the time to post regularily again. Don't get me wrong I'm taking full joy in the Bean and my Peanut. Right now my girls are playing together in the living room. The Bean has just treated us to her first laugh and the Peanut is going out of her way to get another one. But I wish to write about the way the Bean's lashes remind me of hoar frost, how they seem to lie on her cheeks like lacy black snowflakes, you know the kind, the big ones that envelope you in sense of awe in the silence of a winter night. I wish to write about how the quiet moments I get to spend with my Peanut are becoming even more special to me since they come so few and far between. I wish to write about how the Peanut has begun to sing loudly and with gusto as she runs around the house when the Bean naps.

The thing about taking joy in this time with my girls is that I have very little time for writing. Case in point: it's taken me three days to write this post up to this point. My spider bites are currently red welts with very little itch right now.

I'm also feeling an itch to make. I've been trying to grab a moment here and there to make more stamps, I've been trying to make notes of any ideas I have. Once the cycle of feeding, burping, change the diaper, slip in some time with the Peanut, have a nap and start all over again ends I'll be ready to go

Pouts and Drool

make up a large part of my day to day. Well that and the diaper changing, burping and feeding but not necessarily in that order. Did I mention the drool? Because the Bean is drooling us a river.

And then there's the sleep. The last time I found falling asleep this easily was when the Peanut was keeping me up at all hours of the night and day. As soon as the lights go off I do too. I don't even remember my head hitting the pillow most nights.

Such are the joys of parenting an infant.

As for the preschooler (soon to be big kid); well, so far we don't have her asking to take the Bean back, and she hasn't tried to fob the Bean off on the neighbors or perfect strangers when we aren't looking. She hasn't taken it into her head to hit, pinch or harm the Bean. And we are so grateful for that. In fact she's incorporated the Bean into her play. Mostly by sitting directly in front of the Bean and loudly singing, "Hella sista Bean, hella sista Bean, Hella sista Bean, hella sista Bean, Hella sista Bean, hella sista Bean, Hella sista Bean, hella sista Bean, Hella sista Bean, hella sista Bean," or sitting beside the Bean and asking, "Hello sister Bean, what's heading today (patting her head), Hello sister Bean what's footing today (patting her foot) Hello sister Bean what's ..." I think you get the picture. The Peanut has also been a huge help with the Bean; happily doing diaper runs at bum changing time, making sure to bring at least 3 diapers in case the Bean poops all over me which is big time entertainment.

What we also have is a lot of little miss bossy pants behavior, complete with foot stomping, whining and full on bottom lip protrusions. Trying to steer the Peanut in the direction of positive attention is as much a full time job as feeding burping and changing the Bean. It helps that she's started to ask for attention when she's starting to feel left out. And it also helps that she's willing to be patient if the Bean is in the middle of a meal or bum change.

So that's what's been going on around here. I'll be continuing with the music meme when I get a chance, since the Bean's awake from her nap it's time to get going. Today we're headed to the Peanut's school to drop off some information for registration for kindergarten next year. Did I mention that the Peanut starts kindergarten next year? I'm only left to wonder what happened; where did the last four years go?

It Makes Me Happy

Song number three on my list is a song that makes you happy.

So which song to choose? I've heard songs on the radio and immediately felt happier for hearing them, some of these songs are still able to lift my spirits up while others over time become tiresome to listen to. It may be because of over playing or just that the puzzle of the song has been figured out and I've moved on.

Over the years I've been made happy by hundreds of songs, songs by my favourite band, songs heard on a television show, on a commercials, on the radio, songs that my husband has played for me. I could list all of them here but instead I'm going to share one of the Peanuts favourite songs. It makes her happy; and since it's not Barney the Purple dinosaur it makes me happy too.



What song(s) make you happy? If you post about it leave a comment with a link to your post and I'll do my best to visit and comment.

A Song I Hate

I dislike to use the word hate, although I'm sure that I probably do use it (and often) when I'm not paying attention.

The thing about this list I'm working through is that it asks for my choices in music that it asks me to share music that I hate, used to love but now hate, consider a guilty pleasure from a band I don't like and so on. My husband is a musician, he plays all manner of musical genres and both of our music tastes range from on end of the spectrum to another. For the most part I can't say that I hate any one song or band or artist because on a certain level I can look at the music and see what it is that others see in it, them, him or her.

That is with the exception of this song:



I'll be honest here, I despise this song. I have never liked this song and I go out of my way to steer the Peanut (and now the Bean) from crossing paths with the big purple dinosaur so that I won't have to listen to it or be forced to watch the big purple dinosaur over and over and over.

Thankfully there are a few artists out there that make their music pleasing to both adult and toddler/kid audiences. Bobs & Lolo leaps to mind as does They Might Be Giants. There are also some fantastic compilations of kids songs out there done by rock and pop artists that are like a nice thick milk shake on a summer day. Mary Had a Little Amp jumps to mind as does the benefit album Do Fun Stuff put together by the uber talented photographer and blogger Ryan of Pacing in the Panic Room. These albums are ones I can listen to on repeat for a good chunk of time which; if you are a parent you'll know this, is generally what happens to a song or album when someone under the age of 5 or so (and sometimes those of us older than that) becomes obsessed with it.

Your turn: Is your hated song sung by an animated Doodle Bop? or is it an overplayed pop ditty? Write about a song you don't like and leave a comment here with a link to your blog post and I'll do my best to get to your blog and leave a comment.

Music Music Music

Now I don't know if you've noticed or not but I haven't been doing a lot of posting here; what with the Bean taking up a lot of my time and the Peanut taking up a lot of my other time. In fact writing this post has taken me about 3 hours so far.

So I'm following along on this facebook meme where I a song is posted each day that falls within a specific paradigm. (there now I've used a big ol' snazzy word I can feel like the Mommy brain isn't beating all the smarts out of my head). so I thought what a great way to keep up with posting than to transfer the meme to the blog?

Here's the thing about music; it's very subjective; it ties in strongly to our emotions; and while being very communal; (I think it safe to say that most people listen to music and in a lot of cases a lot of people listen to, and enjoy the same music) it's also very personal too (why one person may loves a certain song can be very different from why another person loves (or hates,) the same song).

Our lives are soundtracked with certain songs providing the key to events and moments in time. No matter where you are, a song can start to play and memories of the summer you were 16, the boy or girl you first kissed, the first big fight you had with your significant other, the moment you learned a bit of life changing news, will rise. See what I mean about music being personal?

So let's get started:


Depeche Mode - Enjoy The Silence by

A song that I love.

I know that I've said it here before but I'll say it again. I love Depeche Mode. Of all their songs there is a long list that would fit here. One of the reasons that I love this song is the lyrics
words like violence.... come crashing in to my little world
words are very unnecessary
words are meaningless and forgettable

Also on the list of reasons I love this song is the video. As well as being a fan of Depeche Mode I'm also a fan of Anton Corbijn's photography and videography and don't get me started on how much I loved Control, the rich blacks deep enough to get lost inside.....

And not least it's singable and danceable. Anytime I hear this song I am most likely singing along and possibly dancing around with my Peanut Butter and Jelly Beans.

So it's your turn, post on your blog about your favourite song include a video if you like. Tell us why that song and add a link in the comments below where we can find your post. I'll do my best to visit and make a comment too.