The Talking Thing

I can't believe how worried I was about Small Human's verbal skills, and I think that was largely because most of his friends that he sees on a regular basis are toddler girls. Boys tend to master the more physical things while girls start to get excellent with language. Small Human walked at 9.5 months and has ridiculously amazing finger dexterity and general physical precision, but didn't speak real words for what felt like forever.

It certainly isn't because we don't talk to him constantly, or sing and read to him. Momie is a blabber mouth and a half, and we have 80 million books, and it has finally paid off. He went from speaking gibberish to trying sentences. The words he does speak aren't just him mimicking us, he actually knows what they mean! I am completely flabbergasted. It also feels good to stop worrying for once. Plus it takes out a lot of the guesswork now. Having him communicate, "Mum-mum, kakaaaa!" or "Eat smoothie!" or "Wash hands!" makes my life so much easier. It is also super hilarious when he burps and turns to me to announce, "Burp!".

Have a happy Thanksgiving everyone! Or happy Wednesday and Thursday to the Canadians! xoxo

Eliza Truitt Photography

Eliza Truitt Photography

Wilson Family Portrait

After a lot of thought, I decided to go ahead and have a family photo shoot taken by our wonderful and talented friend Eliza of Eliza Truitt Photography. I was a bit reluctant to do them because of our loss at the end of the summer. I was supposed to have a little baby bump in our family photos this year but it didn't work out the way we had planned, and frankly, it made me really sad.

Life goes on though, the baby that I do have is growing up quickly and really no longer a baby, and I still wanted to capture his smallness. You never get any days back after you have lived them, so you really do have to remember to cherish the blessings that you have been given.

It was really cold the weekend we had our session with Eliza, so we figured that an indoor shoot would be best. Cold days are usually sunny days in Seattle, which meant really great morning light. The Small Human was not cooperative at all, but Eliza is so good that she was able to capture some fantastic moments anyway. I can almost erase all the crankiness of that day in my memory and replace them with the beautiful pictures! 

Here is a sneak peek:

Germy & Beautiful Motherhood

I just wanted to wish you all a very happy weekend and tell you a funny story that happened today. Small Human woke up from his nap after an hour, quite upset, so I took him into the big bed to sleep (and so momie could sneak in a nap too!). Well, that did the trick and when he woke up he said happily, "Good nap!" and pointed to his nose. I asked him if he had boogers in his nose and he nodded. Then without any warning whatsoever he proceeded to blow his nose all over my face with all his little might. He definitely had lots of boogers.

Happy Friday, have a great weekend!

Christmas Gifts

Parents, do you set a limit on how many presents and how much you spend on your kids for the holidays? I think we are getting Small Human five Christmas presents, which I feel is a lot since his birthday is just three weeks later. However, I always promised myself not to hold back for either celebration simply because of the Christmas to Birthday proximity. I just checked the tally and we're under $85 so that's pretty awesome I guess.

I've been pretty good about packing away the toys that he doesn't play with anymore, but as a result I feel like our house sucks the most when I host play dates cause we have so few toys. Small Human seems to be more into his books though, and toys are a flash in the pan usually. Anyway, I'll share my Christmas toy list with you:

1. Elmo Flashlight

He loves Elmo and flashlights, so this is the perfect present for him.

2. Yellow Construction Hat

I have no idea if he'll like this, but since he loves his fire chief helmet so much, I think it will be safe to say he'll get a kick out of another hat to add to his dress up bin.

3. LeapFrog Fridge Phonics Magnetic Letter Set

I'm hoping to get him started on his alphabet and then reading as soon as possible. I don't want to push it, I just want it to come organically and I think this cool toy will help him along. If it's fun, it won't be a chore.

4. Playskool Sesame Street Let's Imagine Elmo

This thing has great reviews on Amazon, so I thought we'd give it a whirl. He may lose his marbles when he realizes that this Elmo can talk right in front of him though.

5. Ruby's Rainy Day and Max's Bedtime books

I just have to add to his Max & Ruby collection. They are some of his favourite books right now and I have to confess that I love to see his face light up when I read these to him.

We are trying to stay away from the large toys because we simply don't have room, but I think it's a pretty sweet haul for a kid under two! I don't think he really understands Christmas yet, so it will be a very nice surprise, and hopefully not too overwhelming. We will also be donating toys to local charities and will continue to do so for as long as we are able to.

22 Month Favourites

Holy bananas, my son is almost two. I have no idea how that went by so quickly. He was in my body and then he came out, a bunch of stuff happened and we were tired, and then he turned one and now somehow almost two. WHAT? He's almost at the point where he will start to have his very earliest memories. No pressure or anything.

Here are just a few of Small Human's current favourite things as a boy of almost two:

Fire Chief Hat

This is the best $5 I ever spent on my kid. We were checking out the new Goodwill here in our neighbourhood when I spotted a cool Fireman's helmet. It was just before Halloween so we got lucky. Small Human almost never takes this thing off. At this point it is basically held together with half a roll of clear packing tape. I bought a backup one just in case because I know how much he loves it.

Hatley Yellow Rain Boots

Sadly, his cute blue Crocs rain boots are much too small for him now. He wore them every day and it broke my heart when he would get frustrated at not being able to get his feet into them anymore. I tried buying new ones in a bigger size but I missed the buy-1-get-1 half off memo and they all sold out just as he outgrew his old ones. It's alright though because I found these super adorable Hatley rain boots for 20% off on Amazon and he loves them. I guess boots are boots.

Leslie Patricelli Books

If you have a toddler, you're probably familiar with these books featuring a cute little bald baby and simple text. I thought they were really silly and boring but they somehow really appeal to the two and under set. They're actually really great because they teach toddlers what sort of behaviour is appropriate in the life they know and live.

Max & Ruby Books

I'm not sure if Small Human likes these books because they are about a little boy rabbit and girl rabbit, and we used to have a boy and girl rabbit in our house, but he loves them! We inherited our first one from some friends back home and I have since gotten him two more. The stories are very simple and hilarious, and I don't mind reading them to him when he comes up to me and says, "Here! Read please, Mumum!" about 27 times a day.

Next time around I think I will post an updated fall/winter Lilibeth's Favourites List, because lists appeal to my sense of organization. Happy Hump Day!

Winter Coats: Buttons Are Dumb

I've got this gorgeous, classic navy blue J. Crew pea coat that I adore. It is so pretty that I wait all year to be able to wear it again. However I don't recommend that you buy one if you have a toddler. In just one weekend, I had two buttons pop off it from having to pick up and carry the Small Human. Who in the world has the time to sew buttons (plural) on a coat? And who has the time to find a button in a sea of leaves or snow while wrangling a child? Please, just stay away from coats with buttons to save your sanity, at least until the kids are older.

As for Small Human's winter wear this year, I decided to take advantage of a big sale at the end of the summer and was able to score his awesome coat for 40% off on the Carter's website. I am so impressed with it so far, I'm pretty sure it would keep him warm even through a Quebec winter, so it's certainly more than he needs for a Seattle one.

I purchased the 4-In-1 Heavyweight System Jacket for him from Carter's in the grey. It is so warm and really adorably stylish. You can just wear the outer heavy parka which is pretty warm, but you can also add the microfleece inner jacket that zips and velcros into it to make it extra cozy on the days you need heavy duty warmth. The inner jacket is reversible and can also be worn by itself as a fall shell. The hood is roomy enough for my son's big noggin', and stays put cause the zipper zips up super high if necessary.

I honestly can't say enough good things about this coat. It's the perfect coat for toddlers who like to play outside!

No Plans!

There are very few things that I don't truly delight in nowadays. Something as simple as my husband fixing the "H" key on my laptop ranks very highly on making my day great. A calm toddler, happily playing with toys at home while listening to music is another one. I'm sure every mother can relate, especially those with the hyper, untamed, feral beast types of children like mine can be.

One of my most favourite things in the world now is to see is a completely empty day on my calendar. Life is always full of toddler activities, play dates, walks, post office visits, dry cleaning pick-ups, grocery runs, drug store searches, shopping trips, playing in the park, toddler gyms, library time, museums, aquariums, and lunch dates and coffee dates.

I love it, but it gets exhausting. So when I get a day like today with nothing whatsoever on the docket, I feel like prancing around the house like a pony. No commitments, no schedule, just spontaneous fun.

What's even better is that Brendan and I both get our Me time tonight, him outside the house and me inside. I'm going to put Small Human to bed early and get as wild as one can with a toddler sleeping in the other room, which probably means some Grimm and Doctor Who and pedicure action. Maybe with a cup of tea and Christmas Tree Reese's Peanut Butter Cups? I am in heaven already. Happy Thursday!

Singles Movie Remake Starring Small Human

Just kidding, he's still a bit young, but maybe in 25 years! I did, however, discover that the building where they filmed the movie is a mere five blocks from our apartment, and we've only passed by it hundreds of times without realizing it. So naturally, we went to go see it and took a few pictures.

He is way cuter than Matt Dillon in my opinion.

Singles 1992

Since the building was across the street from a park (and the community centre where I learned to drive), we set Small Human loose there to burn off some of his endless toddler energy.

In my son's hat with a giant, well deserved latte

On Sunday I was able to thoroughly clean the house and do all our laundry for the week, so we treated ourselves to a big fried chicken Wilson dinner at Hi-Life in Ballard. Yes, we actually have good friends in Seattle who are also Wilsons with a toddler, what are the chances?! We had a lovely time where everyone understood that sometimes toddlers order hamburgers and don't eat them, or take their shoes and socks off at the dinner table just because. We followed that delicious meal up with some seriously decadent dessert at Hot Cakes. I ordered the molten s'mores cake with a side of vanilla ice cream. OMG stop it, it was so good, I still dream about it.

It was a great weekend, and I am already looking forward to the next one. This has been a kinda hard week for me but I'm getting through it, and everyone's alive and healthy, so there's that. Almost there.

Burned Out

I haven't done the groceries, my fridge is mostly empty, my hair is dirty, my head has been throbbing since Sunday, and I am wearing a fluffy, shapeless bathrobe. It's one of those weeks. There are definitely good things like sun, activities, and a clean house and clothes, but the negatives are still overtaking the positives. I'm just tired, feeling burned out and seeing how thankless motherhood can be sometimes.

Small Human is in a major daddy phase right now, so all he does is call for his dad. He calls him Daddy now and no longer Dada, by the way. My days are spent making this child's life awesome. I clean his dirty butt, wash his clothes, make sure he's warm enough, dry enough, and has eaten enough. I read everything he wants me to read to him, play with every toy, sing songs, and visit the city of Seattle and its sights with him every day. Every. Day.

Yet somehow after all this, he still just wants his Daddy. Yes, I realize that I am being irrational, and that it doesn't mean my kid doesn't love me, he's probably missing his dad and practicing saying the new word "Daddy", but it can get to you if you are already feeling kinda shitty.

Writing usually makes me feel better, but right now it's making me feel like a procrastinator. I will get around to my post about our fun weekend eventually, probably tomorrow. Right now I need to take care of business, cause my business is Motherhood and Housekeeper and no one is going to do it for me. Enjoy your week, lovelies.

Running away from me and into the toy store of course.

Whiny Happy

Despite all my complaining about yucky weather, annoying people, and not enough Me time, I realize that I am actually a pretty happy person. Nobody can be perfectly content 100% of the time, no matter what your Instagram newsfeed suggests. The fact is, every mother deals with disgusting bodily explusions in all states of matter, exhaustion, and the pressure to be the best mom/woman/person/wife you can be. So much expectation, even though you are mainly subsisting on your kid's food scraps and lukewarm coffee.

The Small Human and I got caught in the rain yesterday morning before nap. It started out as the usual light, yet somehow drenching Seattle mist, and quickly turned into a solid downpour. Had I been wearing my brand new suede booties, I may have been less amiable, but I wasn't. Small Human was in full rain gear so we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves, running back to our house and giggling hysterically. He loves it when mommy shrieks, so I kept yelling, "Eeee we're getting wet!" which made him throw his little head back, laughing the hugest toddler belly laughs!

As a parent, all we want is for our children to be healthy, happy, and be allowed to reach their full potential. There's no secret recipe for happiness or perfection, you just have to be ok with living life the best way you know how. Also, I highly recommend getting soaked in the pouring rain with your loves. It was literally and figuratively cleansing.

Have a lovely weekend.

Today's a sunny fall day, though.

True Seattleite: Rain Wear

I don't think I can be a real Seattleite until I own a raincoat. I have been holding off on a raincoat purchase because 1. I don't want to buy a rain coat 2. I find them too expensive for what they are 3. This means this Seattle thing is for real.

The fact is, we get rain instead of snow in the winter here, and rain gets you a thousand times wetter than snow ever would. I also have a little boy who doesn't understand why we can't stay outside for as long as he wants. As a result, we go outside anyway, and I have to wrestle with an umbrella while keeping up with my son, whose favourite thing to do is dart out into the street.

Wool coats were a great idea on the east coast, but are a soggy woggy pain in the Pacific Northwest. All signs point to a raincoat/rain jacket purchase by the week's end. I have never regretted my Hunter rain boot purchase back in 2009, now it's just a matter of finding its quality equivalent in a jacket.

So far, the contenders are practical, basic, and reasonably priced. Which will be the One?

Columbia Arcadia II $65

L.L. Bean Discovery Rain Jacket $54.95

North Face Venture Jacket $99

Happy Birthday To My Sister

Today is my big sister's birthday. She's kind of a big deal. She's a diplomat for the Canadian government, and basically taught me everything I know about being a girly girl. This woman is incredible, she can pack in three plates of food without batting an eye and then chase it down with dessert. Oh and did I mention she's like 110 lbs? Incredible, I tell ya.

There is kind of a large age gap between us, so to her I was probably the annoying and bratty little girl who followed her around everywhere, but to me she was the coolest person in the whole world. She didn't just listen to Madonna and dress like her, she was Madonna in my eyes. I was cool just by association, and among my friends I was the only girl with the sophisticated older sister. I knew all the words to Hall & Oates songs, got to go to movies without my parents, was sometimes (very rarely) allowed to wear her funky 80s earrings and headbands, and had access to Shiseido makeup.

We have had the most fun times as sisters should and since we love each other so fiercely, we fought just as fiercely, as sisters do. We share so many of the same quirks and idiosyncrasies, know our parents like no one else on earth, have all the same family memories and inside jokes, and will always have an inexplicable bond whether we like it or not.

Ate Joy, you are the best big sister a girl could ask for. Your influence and example have shaped me, and I am very grateful for it. I hope you have the most wonderful day today, and may your life be full of ridiculously happy days forever. I love you.