Blaise's 2 year letter

Oh my dear, sweet, Blaise.

My baby. How is it that you are two years old? No longer technically a baby, yet I still call you "baby" all the time. When will that stop? Not in the foreseeable future. When you are 14 years old I may still call you baby and it will embarrass the heck out of you. But I hope deep down, you will feel loved and secretly love that I call you baby.

Anyway.

You are two. Loving trains, planes and automobiles. For real. All things that move, you love. You shout out "bus" or "car" or "truck" or "airplane!" or whatever it is that's passing by. Your Dad gets a kick out of the way you say "truck" as you've replaced the "tr" with an "f". So that's always good for a laugh. Sometimes you mutter it to yourself and I can't help but let a giggle come out.

You love your soother (soosee) and your two hippos and now you even sleep with a pillow and a blanket and it's pretty much the cutest thing ever.

You love being silly and making people smile and laugh and you love joining right in with any merriment you happen upon. Today you charmed your way through three different offices that we had to go to, making people smile and laugh and immediately relieving any boredom of having to sit in a small office with a bunch of strangers. You do this all the time.

You are becoming quite an independent player when the mood strikes you. I'll often find you lining up your cars along the middle bookshelf in our living room or sitting on the floor or couch with a book or two. And so far you don't seem to mind that your brothers are missing for most of the day now that school has started, but you do often talk about them or reference them when you see a school bus. 

And speaking of school buses, every morning when we take Noah and Jude to the bus stop, you shout at the top of your lungs, "BAH BYE!!!" over and over and over at the bus driver as soon as he pulls up and opens the doors. It's hilarious and adorable. As are most things you do. 

You are starting to venture out into eating more foods which is really just a lot more convenient. And usually means a little less screaming. (Also how is it that I've ended up with three kids who don't really like oatmeal? Weird. It's probably my own doing, but whatever.)

You sleep like a champ (Seriously. That was 18 months coming! Glory Hallelujah.) and prefer "Mama" to be the first one in to greet you, but you'll usually perk up for "Nono" (or Noah) to come and pick you up out of your crib. 

You are talking nonstop and I hear "who's that" or "what's that" or "what's this" or "who's this" about eleventy million times a day. It's adorable, albeit exhausting. (Not gonna lie.)

You are testing boundaries big time these days. Always looking at me after I say no or try and redirect you elsewhere. You will look at me like a dog does with a slight head tilt and then say, "Hm?" and point to what you want to do, often doing it even after I say "no". I am trying to crack down and hold firm, but often you are so hilarious, that it's hard for me not to smile or laugh at you - even when you're flat out disobeying me! Oh the joys of being the third born! (One day Noah will tell you, "Man! I didn't get away with HALF the stuff you do!" and he'll be completely right. Sorry, Noah.) 

I wish I could write down all the funny and hilarious and adorable things you do from the way you pick out a book and then walk backwards towards me and then sit in my lap. Or the way you press your cheek against mine and think it's hilarious. Or the way you often break into song and dance just to the music that plays in your own head. (I LOVE this!) You are crazy about your brothers, but often take advantage of any time they are lower than you, whether it's sitting or lying down, because you'll whack them on the head or face. But you love them. And they love you. Your relationship with Noah is so different from the one you have with Jude. I love the complexities and dynamics of each relationship and watching it all play out. I pray your relationships with your brothers will be strong and the kind that sharpens each other and challenges each other for the good, spurring one another on to love and good deeds. 

I love love love love love you, you crazy Blaiser. You melt my heart and keep me laughing. You keep us all laughing and can perk up even the grumpiest attitude in this house with your antics and I praise God for bringing you into our family on that hot evening in Kampala, two years ago. 

Love, 

Mama

Jude's 5 year letter

My darling Jude,

I'm sitting at my computer and typing this letter up to you. I haven't blogged in a million years (okay, a few months), and it's a few weeks past your birthday, but I'm doing it.
Ah Jude. Where to even begin!?

You are a plucky 5 year old. You are tender and can be sensitive, and then the next minute you're terrorizing Blaise. You do have a compassionate heart, though, and there have been multiple instances of you seeking out a new kid in your class (whether it's the YMCA or church) and playing with them, or offering them a toy or trying to cheer them up when they're upset and scared. This speaks volumes to me about who you are and that you are listening to God's still, small voice inside you urging you to show love and friendship to those who need it most. I love for this. Seriously. My heart almost explodes a little when I hear about these occurrences.

But there's a sassy mouth on you too. You love shouting, "FINE!" or "OKAY!" when things are neither fine, nor okay for you. It's hard for you to receive instruction or criticism, but I do see growth in you in this area.

You played on a soccer team for the first time this summer and you learned so much! We watched (and okay, we laughed too) from the sidelines as you would run up to the ball but only really hover around it and the other players instead of just going in and kicking it. This was a bit surprising for me as I wouldn't have thought you to be tentative, but by the end of the season you did end up going in for a kick or two.

You learned so much at school this past year too! Junior Kindergarten wasn't too difficult of a transition for you, but you did have some teary goodbyes in the mornings for a few weeks. Your teacher, Mrs. Fulton, was an absolute gem and we are so super excited that you'll get her again in a couple weeks for Senior Kindergarten! You learned tons of songs and loved gym and recess and you can even read a bunch of words. You made a bunch of friends but I think struggled to find that one friend that you really clicked with even though we would hear you talk about many different kids in your class. I'm praying for one really good friend this year and that s/he would be someone that would be a good influence on you and vice versa.

You are one smart cookie and I often hear you sounding out words or when Noah was learning to read this past year, you would intuitively guess the ending of the sentence.

You are my affectionate boy. You love saying that you love me and that I'm "the best" and giving hugs and cuddles. You definitely need to hear words of encouragement and affirmation and I'm constantly reminding myself to give you those as it's not my first instinct to do so.

You got a scooter for your birthday and you are getting so good on it! I'm so proud of you and your desire to stick with it and get "really good" at it. It's really cute to see you bombing down the sidewalk and learning to balance with both feet on it at the same time.

You are musical! You love clapping out rhythms, you pick up on songs and lyrics (and even was a voice of conviction in a Lumineers song when the guy says, "Oh my God", telling me that you didn't like that song because of it.) and you have lately started requesting jazz music. Which totally melts my heart. You pick up on moods and feelings in music and it makes my heart so happy to discuss music with you!

You love Noah. You miss him when he's not around and I'm so thankful you have each other, even if it does mean that you fight with each other a good deal of the time.

And you're really calming down around Blaise which is good for all of us. I know you love him, but how it comes out is sometimes a little too aggressive. Regardless, you have a really special relationship with your baby brother and I see it in how you and he interact and make up games together and the giggles you share as you engage in things like jumping on top of each other from the armrest of the couch. Yeah.

Sometimes you seem older than a five year old and I know I expect a lot from you. You are just my favourite Jude ever and I am so thankful you came into our lives on that hot, July day five years ago. Such a calm, (quick), chilled out entrance into this world and yet you have one of the biggest personalities in this family. I love you, Super Jude!

I love you, Jude.

Love,
Mama (Mom, Mommy)

friends and birthdays and Halloween {o my!}

Last week worlds collided. Our best friends from Uganda came to visit us from New Jersey! The Hallahans {you can read about our times in Uganda here and here or you can check out Kelly's blog here} were doing a road trip across America and stopped in to visit with us for a few days. It was awesome and such a gift. 

Kelly and I. I was super pumped to be able to see her and her baby bump {a girl!}.

Happy {loud} times with these boys reunited. 

It was great to catch up and chat with friends who understand what life is like in North America but also what life is like in Uganda. That is a precious gift to me that I honestly didn't think would happen. So glad they came!

Their visit was perfectly timed with Noah's birthday {and party} so after school on Noah's birthday we had his party which included a couple friends from school, the Hallahan boys, a friend from church and Jude. Of course. 

Noah wanted to have a Star Wars Angry Birds party and I {of course} waited until pretty much the last minute until calling in a {HUGE} favour from my Mom to bust out the cake skills and make one for Noah. 

Right? I mean, mind = blown. 

So that was awesome. And we played Star Wars Angry Birds bingo and one of Noah's friends kept winning but he had THE BEST declaration of bingo I think I've ever heard which made me laugh every time so it was all good.

And then yesterday was Halloween! 

We totally rocked the group theme costume.

These crazy kids. Such troopers and highly motivated by candy. Seriously. They walked around the neighbourhood with no complaints in the wind and rain and cold. For candy. Reminds me of this:

"EVERYONE WE KNOW IS JUST GIVING OUT CANDY!?!?" Love it.

Noah was Clone Commander Rex {from Star Wars The Clone Wars}, Jude was Darth Vader and Blaise was an Ewok. Cute, eh? {I'm biased, I know.}

And then my family came over for dinner to celebrate my sister's graduation ceremony from University. It was such a happy night and I love my house being full of noise and love and laughter. Exactly what I had pictured in our living room {which is coming along! Hardwood laminate floors and white walls. No art or baseboards but it's getting there.}. Good food. Lots of laughter and love. Can't go wrong there.

Happy Weekend to you! I am trying to keep up with my blogging. Eventually I'll figure out a way to stay up to date here while also staying present in the real world. Thanks for hanging in there with me!

Noah's 6th

Dear Noah,

You are 6 years old. Six! You are funny and smart and tender-hearted and likeable and curious and feisty and I love you more than I really could ever express.

This year has not been easy but it's been oh-so-amazing. I've watched you conquer fears, experience transition, become a big brother for the second time, move back to Canada and start school for the first time. You're learning to read and do math. You're making friends and it does my Mama-heart so good to hear friends calling after you. You are loved and it seems obvious to me why. You are kind-hearted. You care for others and that draws people to you.

You like being silly. Whether it's having a dance party or making up jokes, you love it. You can dance with the best of them and both your brothers look to you for the best moves.

And as for being a big brother - you are totally rocking that role. Seriously, kiddo. You are such a fantastic big brother. I always wanted a big brother and you're exactly the kind I would have wanted. You are funny and sweet and helpful and loving. You selflessly give up the toy or food or position you wanted for Jude or Blaise. You're not perfect and you definitely have the skill of knowing just the right buttons to push on Jude {and in a quiet, subtle way a-la-classic-eldest-child} but I have seen you time and time again give up what you wanted - whether it's out of the kindness of your heart or because you really don't want to have to deal with Jude throwing a tantrum, you still do it.

And I love you for that.

You and I have butt heads on more than one occasion. You are strong. And stubborn. You can thank me for that some day.

But I trust and pray that your strength will not blind you to your need for Jesus. That you aren't meant to struggle through this life on your own strength, but that Jesus came for you. To walk with you through this life. That you need him and that He loves you so incredibly much. He made you, He cares for you and He's going to use you. You just have to let him.

I am so proud and honoured and blessed to be your Mama. You have taught me more in these last 6 years than I could have ever imagined and I can't wait to see where the next 6 years take us both!

I love you,
Mama

1 year letter

Dear Blaise,

You are ONE year old! Oh how I love you my sweet blondie! {When did that happen? And how?}

You have had my heart from the moment I knew you existed and then tenfold when I laid eyes upon you for the first time. You are full of life and joy and laughter and I wouldn't trade a minute of this sleep-deprived year for anything!

{PS I'm sorry I didn't do a letter for you last month. We were moving and living like gyspies and life was crazy/busy/hard. You're the third child. I'm pretty proud of myself for doing 11 of 12 months of your first year!}

You are walking! You have four teeth! You are doing a bit better in the sleep department but I have yet to sleep through the night. You laugh when others are laughing and wave at anyone and everyone you see. At the grocery store you love smiling and charming the cashiers. I always hope they'll give me free food because of how cute you are. No such luck there, though.

You absolutely adore your brothers and I think you're quite bored during the days they are both in school. Noah and Jude are always greeted with big smiles and laughs when you see them in the morning and after school.

We haven't put you in the room with your brothers yet, but eventually you'll get there. You still wake up lots and so do they so it all works out this way for now anyway.

You LOVE balls. You will throw and catch a ball with anyone who will play with you. You will stand and throw a ball and then totter after it. Or you'll swat a ball and quickly chase after it on all fours. You love pounding anything with a stick.

Your favourites are still "Mamas Milk", blueberries, yogurt, anything the boys are snacking on {you recently snagged a Dorito off of Noah's plate and promptly broke out in a rash before I could get it all away from you} cheese, pasta, peas, avocado, etc. I do find that you're a lot pickier than I remember your brothers being and you'll tolerate certain foods for a bit and then start clearing your tray with large swipes. Or you'll just pick up the food and drop it off your tray.
You will drink cow's milk out of a sippy cup and sometimes water too, but often I'll find the sippy cup on the floor. Leaking.

You love doing things most one years do; opening and shutting cupboard doors, crawling up stairs as fast as you can, being with your family and rough-housing with your Daddy. You love causing destruction as much as you can before I can get to you whether it's opening drawers and pulling everything out, tipping over piles of folded laundry or dumping out the recycling bin.

Ah I love you. Your floppy, blonde hair and your mysterious eyes {although I think they are more brown than anything else} and your squishy body and your toothy smile and your infectious, full-bellied laugh.
I'm so glad you came into our family one year ago. Keep loving life and loving people and I pray for your life to spread passion and joy into everyone you meet and love.

I love you, baby.

Mama

Jude, you are FOUR

Dear Jude,

You are four years old! As I type this, you are not quite four. You are lying in bed sleeping beside your older brother. But I thought I would type it up before tomorrow happens and I have a bit of time to reflect before I go to bed.

What a year you've had! We've moved continents, have travelled quite a bit and are currently in limbo while we wait for our home.

You are feisty, independent and you truly march to the beat of your own drum. Seriously. You live in another world and sometimes I'd really like to join you. You have an amazing spirit and I know you are going to do big things some day. I want to help you get there. Sometimes I don't know how, though.

You are running, jumping, shooting, marching, laughing, hugging, squinty-eyed smiling, always moving BOY.

I am so thrilled you came into our family four years and nine months ago. Because you were loved and anticipated from the moment we found out about you.

You can count and recognize letters and numbers and colours and while you don't often sit still for books, you still like to look at them every now and then and will listen to Bible stories if you're upset and need some Mommy-cuddle time. You climb and swim with water wings. You love the park and we have a hard time getting you to leave. You've recently learned how to ride your bike {with training wheels} and my heart soars with pride when I see you pedalling away on your little bike although you tend to give up halfway through wherever we are going.

You adore your big brother and contstantly look to emulate him. Look up to him and emulate the good, but never wish you were him. You are the only you. If you aren't you, no one else will be. Noah has been your built-in playmate for the last 2 years and you've challenged each other, made each other laugh, gotten in trouble with each other and protected each other. I love how you two are such tight friends and brothers and I pray it always stays like that between the both of you.

You love your little brother and although you are often too aggressive with him for my liking, I pray that this is the beginning of a tight, intimate brother-bond that you'll have for life with him. He will look up to you and seek to emulate you. I pray your example is one that inspires him to be fully who God created him to be.

You asked Jesus into your heart just this past month and while I'm not certain you fully know what that means, does anyone ever? You seem to be able to grasp big concepts and always have big, global questions. You truly think outside the box and there doesn't really seem to be any limits {in your mind} of what you can or can't do. I pray that every day you move closer to Jesus and that He becomes your centre, your purpose and your grounding point. He is big enough and full enough and more than enough to satisfy your every craving and desire. 

Happy birthday my beautiful, funny, middle boy! I love you more than I could ever capture in a yearly letter.
You are FOUR!
love,
Mama

five years old

in five years you can get a university degree and start your first year of work.

in five years i started dating jamie, we got engaged and then got married.

in five years i gave birth to 3 children and am now a mommy to three handsome little boys.

one is not so little.

noah peter strickland was born five years ago today. it hasn't always been easy and most some days i feel like i'm not doing so great in this whole motherhood gig, but at the end of each day i still get hugs and kisses from my biggest boy.

my noah. he loves sweet treats and all things dairy {strawberry milk, strawberry yogurt, cheese, ice cream...}. he is extremely ticklish and loves to wrestle with daddy. he can write all his letters and he even wrote out a birthday card for me this year!
he has a helpful heart and is tender and sweet towards blaise. he is patient with jude {most of the time} and always eager to pretend that they are "super secret spies".

he's got a fiery temper and can slam a door louder than you'd think was possible and struggles not to get angry when he gets let down. {but who doesn't, i guess?}

he is shy at first and likes to observe new people, places and activities before participating and engaging with others. 

he loves playing on the iPad {angry birds!} and watching Tom & Jerry cartoons and has recognized the hilarity in slapstick humour. i love watching him laugh while watching cartoons.

he has a "thing" for hands and feet and will gladly hold your hand if you put it out for him to grab. i often find him playing with blaise's hands or feet and if he's sitting beside jude on the couch, i can almost guarantee that he is playing with jude's fingers or feet {ew!}.

he is five. i think every age must have its pros and cons. i have loved watching the growth in noah's comprehension, his writing and his drawings. i love that he plays with legos and builds boats and airplanes, houses and monsters. i love his imagination and his sensitive spirit. i love that he pays attention to rules and loves order and predictability {classic firstborn, methinks}.

noah, i've said it before and i'll say it again; you made me a mama. i love you and i'm thankful for you and i can't imagine our family without you.

love,
mom {mama, mommy}

5 things i've learned since becoming a mom: hold on

in honour of my oldest "baby" turning 5 next week {what?! how did that even happen?}, i was inspired to write about 5 things i've learned since becoming a mom.

hold on

i don't mean that we as parents should hold on in an unhealthy way. i mean hold onto those moments. those fleeting moments that may be your last with them because they've moved on to the next development. breathe in that newborn smell and close your eyes. soak it up. feel the softness of their skin, the pinkness of their feet. cherish the way your toddler wants you and only you for comfort. listen to the stories your 4 year old tells you with such imagination and attention to detail. one day they might not be as forthcoming with their thoughts and stories. hold onto those moments. hold their hands. they might not {and probably won't} want you to hold their hands forever.

blaise gets some "daddy time".

as a first time mom i was really just focusing on surviving those first few months. i had a mild case of post-partum depression and i was in a dark place. i was anxious and paranoid. it was difficult for me to hold onto those moments and yet somehow my memory of noah as a baby is far more vivid than of jude as a baby and probably than my memories of blaise as a baby will be. i'm not sure why that is {although it probably has something to do with not having two older boys to keep busy and take care of}, but i do know that i spent lots of time holding him, rocking him, crying while nursing in the middle of the night {again} and stressing over every little thing. he was my world and i focused nearly all my energies on "keeping him alive" and relishing in his every new development. this is why i smile when i see first time mom's post tons of pictures of their baby's first *insert any "first" that a baby can have* or a 10 minute video waiting for their baby to roll over. they are "holding on" to those moments and they want the world to know about this marvelous new development with "the cutest baby in the world". {because every parent thinks their child is the cutest.}

cuddles with a sick noah

as a third-time mom i am well aware of the fact that this time is precious and will fly by far more quickly than i am prepared for - and not just with blaise, but with my older two boys as well. i will not always have a three and {almost} five year old. jude will not always say "yup" in that quiet, cute way. noah will not always want or need me to read him stories. blaise is growing faster than i thought was possible.

more cuddles with a sick jude

yes, it's hard. yes, it sometimes sucks. yes, it's incredibly sanctifying to be a mother and a parent. there's nothing like a little mirror to show you all the ugliness you never knew you had in you.
God knows that i fail at this every.single.day. but regardless, it's something i've learned and continue to learn.
so hold onto your babies while they are still young. they will never want or need you like they have you now so hold onto it and remind yourself of this every.single.day. on the days when i don't remember what's really important at this stage, it's all-too-easy to get resentful for my lack of "me" time, or the way they always need me or want to tell me something or show me something and want me to play with them or read them a book. it's crazy how quickly i become self-centered when this time is so limited and my children are so precious. what is honestly more important that pouring into my children, spending time with them and teaching them? i can't think of a single thing.

and so in five years as a mama, i've learned the importance of holding on.

hello world!

he's here! he's finally here!

we're so in love and thrilled to welcome blaise jonathan to our family!

he arrived september 17th {last night} at 11pm weighing 9lbs 4oz with a full head of hair!
i'm absolutely smitten.

more to come when more sleep has been had and we're settled in...

freezing & three & stuff

my youngest turned three yesterday! THREE! how did time fly by so quickly that my baby {but not for much longer!} turned three? amazing.

jude lines up all his monster trucks to watch a monster truck video on my computer.

we had a monster truck party for him on sunday. i didn't take a single picture. jamie captured a few on his iPad and his family got some as well, i'm sure. it's been pretty busy here, to say the least. did i mention that jamie's family is here? it's been great to have family here to "do life with" around these here parts.

this morning my nose and my toes are cold. i sat at the table putting peanut butter on toast for the boys and had a memory of autumn. my most favourite time of the year. it feels like autumn this morning. maybe it's just me being used to warmer weather, or maybe it's just actually that cool, but i love it. i just need to put on socks and a sweater now.

on monday we went to the zoo. it was a perfect day. not too hot but still sunny and beautiful. the chimps were making quite a fuss and were hilarious to watch. i tried to sit down as much as possible. the swelling in my feet has begun. it's still quite minor, but by the end of the day i can feel it and i don't want hobbit feet again.

yesterday i had my last midwife appointment before she heads to the UK for 2 months. i made my first appointment with the doctor who will hopefully be catching this baby. baby B is head down {hoorah!}, has a strong and very good heart beat {no ectopic heart beats like we've heard in the past} and is still moving like a fiend. the kid can move, let me tell you!

i flipped the page on the calendar this morning. we're in august, folks. that's nuts. on my calendar are the departure date for jamie's family {sadly, it's this saturday night}, one of my brothers' birthday, my sister's birthday, my first doctor's appointment and our one year anniversary of living in uganda.
my last month of pregnancy.

here we go....

friday links

hello friday! how did you get here so quickly?

4 more days until my in-laws come for a visit! we're all really excited and our guest house {i know, right? we have a guest house. crazy.} is freshly painted and mostly done being cleaned.

i started picking up a few things for jude's birthday party {next sunday!} and making lists of things we'll need and eat. he's very adamant that he is having a monster truck birthday party so i'm going to do my best. the main thing is the cake, right? most three year olds aren't too concerned with games, i don't think, so mostly it'll just be friends and family and yummy food {i let him pick out some candy today; he picked "bananas in pajamas" and gummy worms} and probably some sort of monster truck play area set up with ramps and whatnot in our sandbox. good times!

right now i'm attempting to read my bible and spend time with Jesus and let him calm my heart and speak to my soul before jude's nap is over and noah's quiet time ends. 

but first, some links for your perusal:

i stumbled across this article and loved it. it's more than just making a bucket list. and i love making lists. now the question is, do i get a small notebook for each list? or have one notebook that contains all my lists? {i love notebooks!}

this is such a cute idea. i love that you can do this craft with bottle caps like we have here {from the glass bottles} or in the ones on the plastic bottles back in canada. my kids would love this!

yesterday the boys and i {okay, mainly just me, but the boys were there and started, i just helped them finish} coloured some flags and the olympic rings to get into the olympic spirit! i used this fantastic website to print off the country flags and some are up on our wall. some have yet to be coloured. i am thinking of also making some sort of cookie or cupcake olympic rings similar to this.

and speaking of sweet things, how amazing does this recipe look? rocky road. mmmm. the boys would love this. okay, i would too. but shhh.

and lastly, i spent a good hour or two last night researching car seats online last night. you see, back in canada, we have a kia spectra 5 that still belongs to us. we have no desire to upgrade to a bigger car just because we'll have three kids when we return {for various reasons}. so i've been trying to find the most narrow car seats on the market. it's kinda like one of those crazy brain-teaser puzzles. there's an answer {i think}, it just takes a bit to figure it out.
i think i have found my solution and will probably blog about it when we get back {as i can't really try anything out just yet or give pros & cons, it's all in theory.} but if you've fit three car seats {technically we will only need 1 car seat and 2 booster seats, and also i can only buy canadian car seats or ones approved to be used in canada, just FYI} in the back of a smaller car, i'd love to hear from you!

that's all for now, friends.
happy weekend!

star wars day {friday} links

how can you not find may the fourth to be hilariously awesome as star wars day?
seriously.
may the fourth be with you.
i love it! except i always feel like i have a lisp by the time i get to "with".

a big huge happy birthday to my two sweet friends, kelly and suz. i love you both and am so thankful for both of you!

here are your friday links!

so doesn't that picture look ah-mazing?!? chocolate chip oatmeal cookies with dried cherries. yes. just as amazing as they look and sound. i made 'em last night with the cherries my mom sent me from home. they're best warm, but the next day just as delicious. the chocolate with the cherry...oh. so good. just make 'em. okay?

noah and jude got this lego star wars book from jamie's aunt awhile back that comes with 3D glasses. they broke the glasses shortly after, but still like looking at the book. it's in comic book style and tons of the comments/word bubbles are completely sarcastic and make me laugh. anyway, i found this lego star wars video on youtube and noah immediately recognized it as "STAR WARS!". it's a funny summary of the star wars story.

and i'm in love with this adorable hair tutorial. check it out.

every star wars geek should learn how to speak wookie. it's not just enough to come up behind your sister and scare the living daylights out of her by making the wookie noise. {got that, curt?}

and this. it's just completely my boys. and will continue to be even more so with the addition of a third. it makes me laugh. because it's true.

happy weekend everyone and may the fourth be with you!

jamie's strawberry birthday cake

i think jamie and i have a new tradition for our birthday weeks. 

whoever is celebrating their birthday gets to stay in bed when the kids wake up in the morning and the other person gets the kids up. 

for the entire week preceding your birthday. 

i liked it when jamie did it for me so i did it for him (and now i'm ready to lie in bed a little longer tomorrow morning!)

today jamie turned 30.

i'm no longer in my 30's without him.

hurrah!

he didn't ask for much, but upon my questioning him, he requested a strawberry cake.

strawberry it is, babe.

ingredients:

1 3/4 cups sugar

1 pacakge (85 g) strawberry jello

1 cup butter, softened

4 eggs (room temperature)

3 cups flour

1 tbsp baking powder

3/4 tsp salt

1 cup milk, room temperature

1 tbsp vanilla

1/4 cup straberry puree/jam

prehead oven to 350F. Butter and flour pan size of choice. i have limited options here so i chose my oval glass pan.

in a medium bowl or measuring cup, combine and stire the milk, puree/jam and the vanilla. set aside.

sift and whisk the dry ingredients together in a medium bowl and set aside.

cream the sugar, jello and butter on medium speed until light and fluffy - about 5 minutes.

add the eggs, one by one, mixing well after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl with a spatula.

add the wet and dry ingredients to the creamed mixture, alternating between wet and dry. try not to overmix.

fill your pan(s) with batter and bake for 30-40 minutes - although if you are going with smaller pans, you will need to bake for less time. check your cake(s) at 20 minutes and once you feel it's almost ready, set the timer for 2 minute intervals.

let cool on racks for 10 minutes before loosening edges with a knife.

happy birthday to the love of my life, my best friend, fellow sojourner on this crazy adventure called life and the father to my children. 

here's to our 30's!

birthDAY

today was a good day.

i slept 'til 8am when the boys ended waking up {glory! a sleep-in!}.

i made "sprinkle pancakes" for noah's special birthday breakfast.

he still says his favourite colour is pink. so pink it is.

then he opened his presents {a brand new bike from family back in canada, a mickey mouse pop-up book and the new Cars 2 video - bootlegged of course.}.

such a big boy on his 2 (four) wheeler bike!

and we watched videos from friends and family wishing noah a happy birthday and other funny shenanigans.

i took the boys to the mall to pick up a few items we needed for his birthday dinner and he picked "bubblegum marshmallow" ice cream. of course he did!

and then we took it easy in the afternoon and i relaxed on my "no tv during the weekdays" stance and let the boys watch Cars as a set-up to Cars 2 which we had planned on watching during dinner.

it rained.

we talked to "gramma" on skype and then i made pizza for dinner and we ate it while watching Cars 2. then we had cupcakes and make-your-own ice cream sundaes with homemade hot fudge sauce, candy, sprinkles, bananas and marshmallows as toppings.

it was a good day.

so thankful for noah. he made me a mama 4 years ago.

he is bright and smiley and cuddly and long and gangly now.

he is questions and giggles and knock knock jokes.

he is sweet toothed and chocolate milk, please and glasses of water in the middle of the night.

he is racing cars and building tall towers and taping pieces of paper together to make ramps.

he is noah. my son. my first born. a small piece of my heart that walks around outside of my body.

i love you, noah. 

FOUR

today i am a mama to a FOUR year old. 

no time to write a sentimental post, we're busy partying!

noah on his brand new bike!