Tegan's 2 ! And she'll tell you that too!

If your wondering my dear fans, where the heck I've been, well, I've been shopping and organizing for a Birthday slash/ Christmas party. On the SAME day.

Yup. Same day. My eyes are crossed as I say this because who in their right mind, would do that? Just the insane right? Well that's how I felt lately.

I sent out an evite for the Christmas party. Those things don't work worth a damn. Only 7 people replied out of 15, that's a worse ratio than my Potty training! Then some got sent to spam and some called with hurt feeling that they thought they were "outed", but no. So after returning many phone calls, shopping for Christmas, baking, grocery shopping, washing all the bedding for the sleepover company, ordering the cake, picking it up downtown Toronto, I think I was on my way to a party. Did I mention I was babysitting another toddler this weekend too?

We had Bruno's burger's, wedge french fries and a cold macaroni salad for dinner. And of course the Dufflet (www.dufflet.com)
lemon cake masked with a white buttercream icing. Mmm..which I'm not supposed to eat, by the way, but I did. It was just the 6 of us. Minus Clint who had his work Christmas party. Tegan pouted when she heard he wasn't coming too.

Carson is Tegan's friend from Port Carling, who's parents were in a wedding in Milton and I offered to babysit and have them stay here since it would be silly for them to drive all the way home after the wedding. It just made sense for them to stay.

Carson was under the weather, hence, why I think Tegan and I are down and out with a runny nose today ourselves. Anyway, they totally entertained themselves. Both little darling's went to bed without a peep. NEVER is it like that. First we put Carson down, he's younger (4 months), so he goes to bed before Tegan! A whole 1/2 hour. My parents did that to Clint and me. I thought it was because they liked him more, and it was a bogus lie. But now I realize it's so the other one can fall asleep and they older one goes later, and won't wake them as they fall asleep. What a good idea Einstein!

Tegan did so well whispering "Carson sleeping" and stayed quiet. So respectful. I'm going to have to tell her all week that he's sleeping in there! See how long that works! Although she did ask for him today.

Then after the dinner clean up, I got changed and the guests started showing up for the PAR-TAY. The children lay sleeping in there beds as us adults (some of us, acting like children...me included) were downstairs enjoying the social gathering and drinks.

People came at different times all night it seemed, so it was never really busy at one time. Which is better for the hosts because you get to visit with everyone!

I poured myself into bed at 2 a.m. Mark stayed up with...who else...Brucie and came to bed at 5:30a.m. I swear our house stank of stale alcohol that breathed out of most of us the next mornin'. Mark, Tegan and I went for a walk Sunday to clear our heads, and hey, the kid's screaming isn't as loud outside! She was tired too but happy.

The house looks as if a bomb went off. I did 7 loads of laundry today. Mark and I must have a lot of underwear, because how on earth could we have gone 2 weeks without doing any laundry? Tegan's was done of course every 3 days. She's out of clothes literally. We're in a pajama perdicament. I even put them back on for another night. Sometimes 3 if they're not too stretched out of shape. The size 24 months stuff is way to small and I'm holding out for Christmas to see what she gets...poor kid. She'll have a cold belly, wrists and ankles for another 8 days! But who's counting eh?

The Big Girl Talk...

It's Potty Time and we've been doing really well. It's still hit and miss, my average is 50%. But it's something! So the conversation last week went like this:

T: JI-yna
M: No, it's VA-gina. Can you say Va-gina?
T: Fuck-INA
M: Jiyna's good.

Christmas Family Photo Time...

I might as well have slit my wrists and then started this project.

Actually, it wasn't that bad I guess.

I wanted to order our Christmas Cards with our photo on it. Something I've always wanted to do, but never been organized enough to do it, because I need Mark and he's a procrastinator so I might as well just shoot myself and resuscitate myself after the New Year.

And it finally came about when we were going to church on Sunday night for an Advent wreath making, pot luck dinner, family event! With about 15 minutes of prayer with the advent wreaths. Sounds exciting doesn't it! I bet you wish you were there, doncha?

So Tegan had a pretty blue dress with snowflakes on it and white stockings and her blue Mary Jane shoes. I found a blue bow barrett for her to wear and she looked the CUTEST I've EVER EVER seen her! She even said "Tegan Cute".

I tried to create a backdrop for the photo op and Mark was in the garage telling me he'd only be a minute and that he'd go and get changed and come down for a few shots, and then off to church "to get this thing over with." Such a trooper!

So I'm busy snapping shots, trying to get the lighting right, Tegan's buzzing around me wanting to be the photographer instead of the subject. I was trying to bribe her with cashews.

M: If you SIT infront of the Christmas trees...I'll GIVE you a nut.
T: (goes and sits, I give her the nut and she gets up and runs away!)

My patience is growing thin with both Mark taking his sweet ass time, and Tegan getting bored and hungry, and as most toddler's, NOT listening!

Finally Mark shows up, claims he can't bend his bad knee where he injured it two weeks ago. And he's right. The scab would crack open and it would be messy.

He claims I've got the camera set up wrong, yatta yatta. The nice words we have for each other cut the room with a knife! Did I mention my wrists are bleeding?

Finally the camera's ready, he can't get the timer to work, so I do it. And the photo session starts. Me quickly sitting down, telling Tegan to "LOOK!" and say "CHEESE!" "SMILE!!" Then get up, push the button, sit back down. Like 20 times later!

And to see the photo of your little darling, after 20 photo's. ALL the same!! Lips curled up, eyes squinted shut. I'm pretty sure we all have these first shots at home in a drawer.

The cards have been ordered. They'll be on their way soon. Probably next week. It looks like we're the "Happy Family" but just know it was a lot of work! Sheesh!

Later that night, Tegan ate nothing of the pot luck supper. And only ate a whole piece of cake. Ran around the church about 70 times. No joke. She was the absolute most Hellarious kid in church at the very end of the night. She was doing summer saults in the aisle just before it got going.

Then we started singing "I'm going to let it shine!" And each time we stopped singing she'd clap and say "YAY!"

Then when we'd pray and we'd say "Amen" she yelled out like a Mississippi Woman "AAAAAAAAMEN!!"
And everyone laughed.

I just have to get our video camera back for the holidays from repair. It's been 5 weeks now, hopefully not much longer. I think Tegan's going to be that kid at church this year on Christmas Eve that's causing mayhem and creating all the attention on her instead of Jesus. Not that she understands but she just LOVES the attention! Let's face it, what women doesn't? Hmmm!! All you women out there, you know deep down inside it would be great to have that more often. Not just on anniversary's and birthdays! And Mother's Day IF your a mother.

Anyway, my wrists have healed if your wondering... :)

Do as I say, NOT as I do!

Monday night dinner was to be the same as any other night. Mommy fixing the same'ol dinner's as I do everyweek. Nothing new. Boring. Tons of recipe books but no energy to go to the store, buy the ingredients and whip it together. Unhun...right.

So we had chicken kiev's (store bought), chicken rice (Uncle Ben's) and corn (in a can). It couldn't be anymore the same taste throughout. Made me nauseous by the end of my meal.

Mark on the other hand, chewed and went on and on about how sweet and crisp the corn was. He thought it was right off the cob! To me it looked like a bad can of corn, with some kernels turning brown! But if Mark is not actually complaining, I'm not going to get him started!

Tegan seemed to be enjoying her meal too. Although, perhaps, maybe not as hungry as we'd liked her to be. So eventually we started playing a game of how "big" a bite of corn she could take and keep it in without spitting it out OR choking. She was laughing and eating and we were too.

Except, I stopped, because I wasn't feeling so hot from the bland variety. Or the garlic in the kiev's. Something.
So I kept saying to Tegan:

M: Eat your dinner.
T: (starring at me, giving me her Whatever! eyes.)

Mark too was telling her to eat her dinner and on and on.

Finally she looks at me and points vehemently at my plate,
T: EAT UP!!

And there it was. Food on my plate I wasn't going to eat!

Mark and I laughed. I guess I better put on my plate what I'm going to eat, and not put too much on so I don't have to go back and get more later...'cause I'm lazy like that doncha know.

So now it's Say as I do, not as I say. I think I have to write that down a 100 times on a chalkboard or something....