Punkmin

(that's how Liam says Pumpkin!)
This year our boys didn't mind wearing their costumes from last year, so we had a deja vu dress up...see Riley here. And Liam wore his puppy costume again. I didn't even take a new picture of them!!
Here is our pumpkin we picked from the patch, named "Sheila...even though she is a BOY punkmin".

This, our first halloween in Salmon Arm, we joined the scads of parents and children on the main street of town, which they closed down and all the stores handed out candy! It was great, and done in the daylight (which is new to us)...and there was no snow or blowing wind like Calgary usually has on halloween! We got enough candy downtown that we were done our adventure and spent the rest of the night handing out treats at our house. We didn't even bother going through our neighborhood as Riley has been hacking (coughing) so hard today that he even missed school because of it. We just called it a night.
Hope you all had fun.

Happy Birthday Anna!

Hey Anna....glad you live in town so I can drop in on you with balloons and have you over for supper.
HUGS and huge BIRTHDAY BUMPS sista!
I really think we should sign up for syncronized swimming!

ChEEeeeeese

Of course school photos are always so posed and totally cheesy...but there is something so cute about the awkwardness of them too...the messy hair, the funny outfits, the silly smirks. I totally have to find you some old photos of my school days.
The other day when grandma was babysitting, Riley was bent over in half right in front of his sliding door window (with the blinds open)...showing the world his Nascar undies. Grandma said, "Riley!! Don't bend over like that in front of your window...the whole neighborhood doesn't need to see your bum!" to which he laughed hysterically for about 5 minutes straight.
We told him to think of that when the photographer was telling him to smile for his school picture.

It totally worked!

Our trip to the pumpkin patch

I took my little point and shoot along with me to the pumpkin patch today. The playgroup that we regularly go to on Thursdays met at DeMilles today (a local farm/fruitstand). We got to go on a hayride out to the fields to choose our own pumpkin. BIG highlight of Liam's year!! He loves tractors. He took 2 seconds to pick a pumpkin, and then back onto the wagon he went. Shea slept in the snugli the whole time, and it was all great fun...

It was a gorgeous morning!

I really need some rubber boots.

I like this one, mom.

Ok, maybe this one.

First back on the wagon.

Shea's view from the snugli!

So proud to be a farmer for the day (but deep down he's a city kid who runs from innocent little kittens)

night life

I've been a little short on words lately. I guess I just haven't had the time I used to have in the past, to sit here and blog. 3 kids is a busy life for me at his point, and Shea isn't even crawling yet!! Oh yikes.
Last night we did the transition of finally getting Shea into his own room. He has always been sleeping about 2 ft away from me since he was born. I knew it was high time he moved though, as I was waking up to 5x in one night and he was becoming a bit too much of a night time snacker! We have been postponing the move as it would mean that Riley and Liam would then have to share a room. We still don't have the right beds...Liam is sleeping on our fold out queen couch thing, and Riley has his single, so their new room is basically one big bed. They don't fall asleep together yet, so we split them up for 5 short minutes til they fall asleep and then move them back together. It'll come. Shea did well for his first night, crying for a bit around 2am and then really crying at 4am so I finally fed him then, and that was it for the rest of the night. Not bad for his first night alone. I would have enjoyed my first night of long rest, but I spent the earlier half of the night hugging the toilet (ugh) and the latter half with my arms both numb and throbbing to the point that I couldn't sleep at all! How frustrating! I don't know why they did that, and no matter how I changed position or shook them, they wouldn't wake up. They still feel a little pins and needly now. Anyway, I am hoping that Shea starts to go through the night soon as I feel like I'm a year behind on sleep and am so anxious to catch up.
In other news, I'm excited that I've booked a trip up to Smithers (a tiny town in northern B.C I once lived in) for just Shea and I to spend a week with friends. It will be a good break and it's nice to have something to look forward to.

Colors of the fall

The fall is BEAUTIFUL...not my favorite season, but I must say, the colors are amazing. This is the side of our neighbors house, which we see every time we go out our side door. Pretty.
I took a few pictures today...more on Flickr, and wish I had time to take more.

Me and Shea

Me and Shea
Originally uploaded by Sarah Dzines

Just us two...in blue...today.

I'm gonna roll!!

I'm gonna roll!!
Originally uploaded by Sarah Dzines

Shea was a happy little monkey this afternoon, so out came the camera. This week he's been rolling alot more. He's been able to for awhile, but didn't really do it much til now. So CUTE.

Sorting through the clutter

One thing that I really hate is clutter. There always is clutter though. It follows you. We used to have a phone desk that was piled high with mail, coupons and things the kids had brought home from Sunday school and bits and pieces of everything that you just couldn't throw away. Or it needed sorting before it could move off the desk. Now, in this new house, we no longer have a phone desk, but we have shelves. I still have the box of things that I had moved off the phone desk, sitting in our office unsorted, and now I have 3 shelves to add to the mess of paperwork that needs sorting and dealing with. It never ends. I have managed to put one folder together of Rileys' school papers, so that I don't lose track of when library and pizza day is. I also get boat loads of his precious homework that I throw in there and eventually decide which ones will be scrapbook worthy and which ones will head to the dump. Besides the paperwork piles...there are the TOYS... my goodness, the TOYS. We have 3 kids now, and every birthday and Christmas and trip to McD's brings on another toy that gets thrown in the bin. I have given away at least 5 boxes of toys already (from moving), but I could give away about 5 more. I find that the more toys they have, the less they play with them. And/or, the less organized they are...so they can't really find them, the less they will use them. When life is busy, (and with three kids, my goodness it is!), you don't want to spend a whole lot of extra time looking for that certain lego piece or the car with the yellow numbers on it that Liam MUST have in order to sleep. So with that in mind, I picked our top favorite toys and got Greg to buy a Trofast Ikea shelf for them. See here...

I even went so far as to put labels on the bins, so that friends will know what is what and can totally help with clean-up. It is working out SWEET! It is great to be able to completely pull out the bin and play with the toys or take it elsewhere (to their room during quiet time) and then put it away. I can't believe how much Riley enjoys having a place to put his stuff and maybe it is due to it being a novelty, but he will put everything in its place when he's done playing and smiles about it. These are the only toys we keep in our family room, and the rest is piled high in deep toy boxes in the basement and rarely looked at. I have a bookshelf close to this shelf for all the puzzles and games which has been handy. Liam is finally at an age where you can pull out a game and he won't completely destroy it. Today I taught the boys Old Maid. Quite funny. Liam still doesn't quite get how to hold cards and keep the nasty maid a secret, but he's catching on.
The only other really organized trick I have is one of those roll out 5 drawer shelves (from Canadian Tire) for all their crafts. One drawer has pens/crayons, another paper, another playdo, another coloring books etc. and since it is on wheels, the boys can roll it from the front hall closet to the table when they are feeling crafty. Works well.
Anyway, it's always a bunch of work to keep things sorted, but dang it helps to be organized.

Autumn

tummy time

Single

Well...we're almost done the week. There is a certain pride that comes with getting 3 kids dressed, getting the wood stove burning, baby nursed, the breakfast made and fed to the boys, their hair combed, lunch packed, myself showered and coats on and all of us out the door by 8:15am! Nevermind the rest of the day. But I am SO looking forward to my other-half coming back to join in the chaos (I mean, fun)...adding to their lives the parts that I so don't have in myself...aka wrestling skills, musical talents, muscles to carry large boys, and a general calm and steady nature. We definitely work best as a team, Greg and I, and though we have our moments, I know we both know that we need eachother. And that makes me happy. It's good to be needed, isn't it?

Miss you G

Wearing the baby

I've heard that term a lot..."wearing the baby". I think it is referring to those mothers who believe that babies love to be close to their mothers, like a little koala, or a kangaroo...and they put their babies in slings and snugli's as much as possible. Most of them co-sleep as well. I'm sure there are studies and findings done to support this. I haven't done my own research on the subject. All I know, is that my kids all LOVE to be held. Riley though, hated the snugli. Hated it. Screamed bloody murder in it. So I didn't even bother with the sling. After Liam was born, my back was in such rough shape, I could barely lift him, let alone carry him for long periods of time. With Shea, out of necessity, to get the kids to and from school, I put him in a snugli often and he LOVED it. Over the summer, with the heat and because we weren't going to school, I didn't use the snugli much. Now that Greg is away this week, and I am without a vehicle, I am back to the snugli. Also Elizabeth had mentioned a few posts ago that maybe a sling would be good for Shea who pretty much always wants to be held. I'm a little reluctant to buy a sling at this point, as he's getting big. Maybe I should borrow someones and see if I like it. Anyway...here we are today after our walk to school. He's so CUTE!

This was one of our first Thanksgivings where we didn't have to pack up and pile into the van for the 6 hour drive home for turkey! So nice. We went to my moms for the big turkey with about 17 other people. It was all so yummy.
Last Thanksgiving, we made the "announcement". Not the one that I was preggo (which I was, but wasn't sharing yet)...but the announcement that we were moving back to Salmon Arm. I don't think our family really believed us until it happened, that we would actually come, but here we are now. We are so excited that we don't have to pack up and pile into the van at Christmas either.
On Sunday we dedicated Shea to God and proclaimed our desire to raise him up to know about Jesus and all He has done for us.


With Greg working from home, he thinks it smart to show his actual face to the office every once in awhile, to connect at a more personal level. He went for a week in August and is going again tomorrow for a week. Oh oh. I am not anticipating this week without him, especially as I'm coughing during the night. But if it all contributes to the fact that he can work out of Salmon Arm, I'll take it for the team. I have help too...as seen here...we have this "puppy" that'll read stories to Shea while I'm in the shower.

The fall colors around here are beautiful. I have to keep reminding myself that we only had one spindly little tree in Calgary, and that I should be looking around and enjoying the millions I can see out my windows. And I do. They are really so beautiful.
Happy Thanksgiving to all. Hope you had some good family time.

4 month footsies

Feetsies
Originally uploaded by Sarah Dzines

Yes, it's official, he is now 4 MONTHS old!! Good gravy. I still remember being hugely pregnant like it was yesterday. I took him into the clinic today to weigh him, and he's 15lbs and 26". Still smaller than his brothers were at his age. Liam was this heavy at 11 weeks!!! He has 2 bottom teeth now, he can roll but doesn't do it often yet. He holds his head up alot more. He likes to be held...ALOT. He pretty much spends all evening in my arms, or else crying. So I'm not getting a whole lot done around the house. Mornings are a bit better, he will play for small intervals, and nurse and sleep, but by evening, he wants me all to himself! He still doesn't sleep through the night but is generally up only once. His crib is a mere 2 ft. from my side of the bed, so I don't think it helps the situation as I can hear him before he even cries. He smiles and laughs and is overall content as long as someone is around. His main love language must be "personal touch and closeness" like Liam!! as he is always happiest with someone smooshed up right beside him. I am cherishing these days before he is mobile, as I know how that'll just kick things up a notch and I really won't get ANYTHING done around here then!! Speaking of which...I have laundry on the go.
Better put down the baby and make a run for it.
Tootleloo