Q-tie Pie

I'm totally enjoying my maternity leave with this "Q"-tie pie.
It's half over (ends in Mid-November) but I'm trying to make the most of it.
We've got some fun activities going on for the rest of the summer, I'm so excited.

I really think Quentin will be crawling soon. He's already trying to figure out how to lift himself. He keeps doing some yoga moves, that I know are the start to crawling. Any day now...

And he's discovered his toes. They look delicious, don't they?

Speaking of yoga, Quentin likes to sit in his baby car seat with his legs in the air. Not sure what yoga move this is, but he finds it comfortable and relaxing. Quentin tried Peaches this week and loved them. (He's now tried Sweet potatoes, squash, banana and peach). I used our on-the-go-lounger at the mall this week to feed Quentin his lunch and a few moms stopped to ask where I got it, as they wanted one. I don't even know if they sell them anymore, I got mine back in 2008 for Mackenzie, at Winners, before he was even born.

Another new fave thing of Quentin's is his Fisher Price Bounce and Spin Froggy. He got it as a gift for his Bris back in December, and still is a tad too short for it (he can only put one foot down on the ground, by leaning over - almost there!) But I now have somewhere to contain him while I hop into a quick shower or while I'm getting ready in the morning. It's perfect for our bedroom too - takes up minimal space.

This week at music, we played in the park before and after, and I thought it would be cute to put Quentin in a basket. He had fun playing in the basket for a while too. My cutie.

And at the end of a long day, what better than to fall asleep on Mommy.
I love that all three of my boys are cuddlers. ♥

Songfest :: Mackenzie

On Thursday, Mackenzie's class had their class Songfest. (Sean's is next week). It's their "year end" concert. They do it in June because slowly starting in June through September a lot of the kids move up to the next class at the daycare.

All week I was being prepped by Mackenzie's 2 teachers for the worst. Mack knows ALL the songs off by heart, but when they went to practice their show in front of each classroom (there are 4 classes in the daycare) Mack went into hysterics and refused to sing and refused to cooperate and was disrupting the other students in his class. I was told that the coordinator of the daycare had to come and sit on the side and if Mack was causing trouble, she's take him and calm him down. I was told that I'd have to sit in a certain spot, and if he started to cry hysterically, that I'd have to remove Mack from the show and calm him down.

Well, my Mr. Mackaroni surprised the teachers, surprised the coordinator and surprised me! I went in expecting the worst, and he surprised us. He didn't cry once, he sang most of the songs and he danced and did all the actions. (Two other kids who they weren't expecting, threw the hysterical fit and had to be removed from the show). I am so proud of you Mackenzie. You did such a wonderful job.

Day 11 :: Something Blue

Today is day 11 of the 30 Day Photography Challenge, and the challenge is Something Blue. Finding something blue in my house is not an issue, I live with 4 boys (hubby + 3 kids!) Today’s challenge was photographed first thing this morning, as Quentin was decked out in blue, and playing with a blue toy. How perfect.

Day 10 :: Childhood Memory

Today is day 10 of the 30 Day Photography Challenge, and the challenge is Childhood Memory. I have a memory box that I keep and it has a few items from my childhood, including these 2 blankets. The pink one, my grandmother crochet it for me when I was a baby. As you can see (below is the close-up) the white one is on the floor next to me, and the pink ones in on the top shelf of my dresser, on the left hand side of the shelf. My mom used to use the pink one in the pram to the park and the white was my “blankie”. Funny, the pink panther in the picture, resides in my boys’ room and they play with it!

Day 9 :: Someone you love

Yesterday was day 9 of the 30 Day Photography Challenge, and the challenge was Someone you Love. I wasn’t feeling well last night and so I lied down. I did try to take a picture of my wonderful husband, however he doesn’t like to be photographed that often. So, instead, I took a photo of one of the my fave photos from our wedding, which hangs in our den. Come back later to check out Day 10’s (today) challenge photo. I’m on top of that one today.

How to Spend a weekend Outside

This is how you spend the weekend outside:

Put the baby in the exersaucer while you garden.

Go to a friends house for a BBQ.

Have summertime snacks.

Play in water and scare all the other kids away from you (since you have control of the hose).

Play games with other children!

Enjoy time with loved ones.

Crash on someone else's couch and watch the Canucks play in the playoffs.
(After a long day outside!)

Go watch daddy's softball game outside.
Hit around the ball with daddy when his team is up to bat.

That's how we spent last weekend, let's hope we can spend this upcoming weekend outside too!

Craigslist Funnies

I have a few ads on Craigslist for baby items for sale and one is for a baby sling.

I get this response on Monday for it:

Hello,

I am replying to you ad about the baby sling wrap. I have a girlfriend and she is a midget. I was wondering she is about 67 pounds will this hold her? I am for serious, T.

So I replied: This is for babies, not for adults.Sorry.

His response: Ok you have no right to tell me what to use it for. Please tell me if it is possible and I will purchase done deal.

My reply: It's not meant to carry 67 lbs. You can carry up to maybe 25-30 lbs in it. Thank you for your interest though.

I can't believe he even replied. Do people have nothing better to do with their time? It's a BABY SLING! On the BABY + KIDS section of craigslist!

And he replied back again: I will put her on a diet ASAP. when can I pick it up?

At this point I ignored his last email and stopped replying. But got my laugh for the day. I had to share this with you. I have nothing against little people or dwarfs and I don't like to use the word midget, please don't take me wrong on this one. I'm laughing at this person who has nothing better to do with his time not at the fact that he may or may not be dating a midget - as he so called wrote (his words, not mine). The sling is for a newborn up to 25 lbs or so - not an adult who is in a consenting relationship.

Day 8 :: A Bad Habit

Yesterday was day 8 of the 30 Day Photography Challenge, and the challenge was A Bad Habit. We lost power last night due to a thunderstorm and I ended up crashing early as I was tired so I wasn’t able to upload my image last night. I have a bad habit of blowing bubbles with gum and cracking it to make a “popping” sound. Hubby has never said anything but if I am in the car with my mother, she hates it!

♥ My loves ♥

My loves.
La vie est belle.

Over the last week, Mack turned 154 weeks old, Sean turned 231 weeks old and Quentin turned 27 weeks old. Quentin had his 6 month vaccines on Monday, June 6th, and was a trooper and didn't even cry nor flintch - what a breeze. We weighed him (incase I needed to administer some tempra) and he's 14 lbs 14.5 ounces. Almost 15 lbs! We've tucked away the 0-3 month & 3 month clothing into a box to give to our store manager and we've pulled out the 3-6 month clothing (as well as some summer 6 month items that I'm going to deal with being big because I don't want to have to go out and buy an entire new wardrobe when I have stuff that is just a tad big). Quentin seems to be catching up nicely, but we'll see what his doctor has to say about his growth at his 6 month check-up which is coming up soon.

Day 7 :: Fruit

Today is day 7 of the 30 Day Photography Challenge, and today's challenge is Fruit. I wasn’t sure what I was going to photograph today, but then at Quentin’s music class, one of his friends was teething on a fruit teether (with a grape, strawberry & a pineapple on it). Something different I thought… rather than photographing an actual fruit. Thinking outside the box.

Dear Bunny

Dear Bunny,
How do you like them apples?
Sincerely,
Knit & Purl Mama Garden Keeper

Knitting & Baking

A little update on Wyatt. While I haven't touched it in a few days, (been hectic around here), there has been some progress before then. I'm on the 2nd side of it now, so more than 50% of it is done. I will get it done soon, I'm sure of it. Things should calm down around here soon. (Who am I kidding, calm in a house with 3 sons?!)

Sean helped me bake 3 apple cakes on Friday.
One we kept for our house and 2 we brought to the BBQ we had on Saturday.

I also make Oreo Truffle Cake Pops. I basically altered this recipe for Oreo Truffles, substituting Chocolate Bark for Pastilles that I got at Bulk Barn. I also added in a Wilton lollipop stick and called it an Oreo Cake Pop. I made them for our BBQ we had (with friends) on Saturday. They were a trial run for a party we have upcoming. I wasn't sure about them (as I was up extremely late on Friday night working on them) but they were a HUGE hit. So I'm thinking I might just have to make them again for the other event we have. (Details to follow soon). I have to admit, they were really really tasty. Though, I wish I could find a lollipop stand (like this one) for the next time I need to display Cake Pops. Even Mackenzie, my chocoholic kept coming back to the Cake Pop container and sticking his hand in for more. After the first few times we had to tell him it was enough!

Product & Link Love

I've been enjoying some products lately:

First is my Infatino On The Go Lounger. I picked this up just before Mackenzie was born (2008) and love it.I don't know why it took me until the last 3 swim classes to figure out to use it in the locker room for when Mack & Sean need to get dressed for swimming & undressed after swimming, for somewhere to put Quentin down instead of wearing him and making everything much more difficult. I will be bringing it to swimming class until the end of the session, and then again next session (since we're not allowed our stroller in the locker room anymore). I've been keeping it in the car, and we've been using it everywhere lately it seems. GREAT invention. A baby seat that is like a camping chair that folds up real small. Genius.

Munchkin's Easy Squeezy Spoons are awesome. They're great because Quentin just wants me to keep feeding him, and now I don't have to take the spoon away from his face/mouth to go pick up more food from a bowl. I can just squeeze and more comes out onto my spoon. Pretty neat product. I picked it up recently at Walmart.

Jolly Jumper's UV Bug Tent. I used it when I was gardening on the weekend (left picture) for a place to put Quentin down once he was fed up with the exercauser and as well, I used it (right picture) on Sunday while we watched Jamie's ball game. Also another find at Walmart. It folds up real thin too - great for throwing into your beach bag.

Today’s Link Love:
- I love this image.
- This youtube video just made me laugh so hard, you must watch it.
- Love this chore chart idea.
- Love this image.
- Love this matchbox tutorial.
- Love this sandwich cozy tutorial.
- Love this crochet binky clip.
- Love this giant bubble tutorial.

2011 Vegetable Garden

This weekend we finally got to do some gardening, to get our vegetable garden together.
The boys were huge helpers!

We spent in the garden all day on Saturday. We planted zucchini, 3 different types of cucumbers, a variety of tomatoes (sizes & kinds), Romaine lettuce, and Prize Head lettuce. The seeds that we will sow right into the ground, will be done shortly as we ran out of earth.

I am so excited to watch our garden grow this summer, as I have done the last 3 summers (2008, 2009 & 2010). I hope we have success again this summer.

Today, unfortunately, went we went outside to BBQ dinner, we caught a rabbit running away. He ate 12 (all) of my romaine lettuces. I'm quite pissed about that, let me tell you. Tomorrow, we'll be gathering supplies to make a chicken wire fence to go around my garden. I think it's the same rabbit that was living in our yard last summer, except last summer he didn't touch our romaine or anything at all last summer. This year, he devoured all of it. We would have had lettuce to make Caesar salad next week if he hadn't eaten it all up. Sneaky little fellow.

Day 6 :: From a Low Angle

Today is day 6 of the 30 Day Photography Challenge, and today's challenge is From a Low Angle. Today we went to the park with playgroup, and we had fun on the swings. I got low in the sand and took this shot of Quentin through the leg hole of the swing. (Quentin is still a tad tiny for the swing, but had a good time in it regardless).

Day 5 :: From a high angle

Today is day 5 of the 30 Day Photography Challenge, and today's challenge is From a High Angle. Today, we went to watch Jamie’s ball game at the park, and when Jamie’s team wasn’t in the field, he tossed a ball with the kids. I climbed the bleachers and took a photo from up high. I don’t recommend climbing bleachers in flip flops.

After dinner we went to check on the garden out back and Quentin went in our swing for the first time ever. He really enjoyed it! I got a photo looking down on him, from above, I just love that face.

Day 4 :: Something Green

Today is day 4 of the 30 Day Photography Challenge, and today's challenge is Something Green. What perfect timing with planting our vegetable garden today. This is from our huge started tomato plant. Since my cleaning lady chucked out 75 of my started plants that I planted with Sean back in April, I had to buy all started plants (except the quick grow stuff like spinach, snow peas, beans, radish, that I sow right into the ground). I decided to buy 2 mature tomato plants, to be able to get tomatoes sooner. More details probably tomorrow, I spent the entire day outside today (9 am - 10 pm) and I'm beat!

Day 3 :: Clouds

Today is day 3 of the 30 Day Photography Challenge, and today's challenge is Clouds. I tried to capture all day, except there weren’t any to find all day until later this early evening.

Day 2 :: What I wore today

Today is day 2 of the 30 Day Photography Challenge, and today's challenge is "what I wore today". While the last 2 days were super hot (about 30C) today the temperature dropped in half. It was rather chilly, but I'm so done with pants, so capris it was, with my fave black shirt (Joe Fresh) and a grey open cardi to keep me warm). And that's what I wore today. (And I think this picture shows the 30+ lbs I've lost since January 1st). Loving this photo!

~Lindera~

My latest design is now listed on Ravelry.
She bears the name Lindera (which is a type of leaf).
The stitch design (which is lace) shows off a leaf like pattern.
Have a look:

What do you think?