Extraordinary News!!

Yippeeeeeeee!  It's official, we have hit the three month point so we are going public: WE ARE HAVING A BABY!!  Yes, it's true. I'm going to be a Mama and Mike will be Dada to not just one but two wild and crazy and fabulously wonderful monkeys.  That makes the Rockstar a big brother! What a crazy thought.

We went for our first ultrasound last week and technically we were only at the end of our 11th week so the baby was a little too tiny to complete the measurements necessary.  We had to go back again today (yay! more photos!) and all looks well according to the technician.  During both ultrasounds the technician took extra long to complete their jobs because our baby was moving around non-stop!  

We have nicknamed our second child Bounce because he/she seriously looked like they were on a trampoline!  The Rockstar moved around when we saw him during ultrasounds but nothing like this: uh oh!

Super excited to be able to share our exciting news!  Now the guessing begins: boy or girl?! My gut instinct said girl... and no it's not because I want a girl more than a boy. I think a brother for the Rockstar would be awesome!  A little sister would be fabulous too of course!  I guess we will have to wait and see... we'll find out in July!!

Oooooh all the planning we have to do! Time to get busy and start a TO DO list!

Zee Best

I'm cheap.  The polite thing to say is that I'm frugal but the reality is I'm pretty cheap: I hate spending money that I don't have to especially on things that don't make me or others smile or fill my belly with a full o' fab food feeling.  Do I want to spend money on cleaning supplies? No.  Do I?  Yes (well I pay for some of them and my amazing mother-in-law purchases others for us).  Does it make me happy to have money spent on cleaning supplies? No.

As of a few months ago I made the decision to no longer purchase window cleaner because it is a ridiculous waste of money.  I spend money to have a fabulous woman clean my home twice a month because it makes me super happy to come home to a clean home after a long day of work and I almost never have to mop floors which makes me extra happy BUT paying for window cleaning solution that I know can be made for pennies: no longer happening.  That was the longest sentence ever.

I have tried out two recipes for window cleaner since I made the decision not to purchase it any more and silly me did not save the links or write the recipes down.  Both were decent but nothing to call home (or blog) about.  Today I could not find the most recent bottle of  cleaner I had made and the patio doors were screaming my name.  The four huge sprays of bird poop that I've been staring at while trying to enjoy meals could no longer be ignored.  I considered taking a before picture but really who wants to see a photograph of bird graffiti?

I searched the web for something along the lines of "Best homemade window cleaner recipe" and I was led to... the BEST homemade window cleaner recipe.  Seriously.  Awesome.  Be sure to shake the bottle well before you use the spray each time you go to use it or you might clog your sprayer.

Thank you Crunchy Betty for a freaking awesome recipe!! 

Alvin Corn Homemade Glass Cleaner (taken from the Crunchy Betty blot)

What You Need

1/4 c. rubbing alcohol
1/4 c. white vinegar
1 Tbsp cornstarch
2 c. warm water

What You Do
Combine everything in a spray bottle, and shake it up!

Another thing I learned today about cleaning windows is that removing masking tape residue from glass can be a royal pain the ass.  There are a billion recipes and tips available online but I found that straight rubbing alcohol and a little scrubbing worked wonders for me!

Throw a hammer at the one you love

How do you tell the creatures in your life that you love them? Let me guess... you chuck hammers at them, right?! Of course you do. Who wouldn't toss a hammer or a saw to express their feelings of adoration.

Fortunately the Rockstar has yet to get his paws on any real tools to whip at our elderly cat EC but the poor creature was chased with a saw and hammer today and once those were taken away from the tyrant after he threw them across the living room, another hammer was located and a screwdriver as well.   Mean Mommy stopped the small stubborn wild eyed man with  and had a nose to nose one sided conversation explaining that one more tool being thrown would mean ALL the tools would be put away for the evening.

The Rockstar squealed with glee as he ran across the living room, came to a screeching halt, spun 90 degrees and hurled a plastic hammer AND wooden screwdriver at the poor cat who was crouched down stupidly thinking making herself as small as possible would lead to safety.

I swooped in and plucked the hammer and  screwdriver off the floor as the cat scurried to higher ground. The "No! Peas!! Peeeeeeas!" paired with his sign for "please" started and became more frantic as I started quietly tossing tools from his tool bench into a shopping bag.  By the time I silently left the room with the bag the Rockstar was sobbing with huge crocodile tears flowing down his cheeks.  I may have started feeling truly sorry for him if he had not managed to instantly stop wailing after I handed him a kleenex and suggested that if he cleaned himself up and stopped crying we would go for a walk outside.

Oh the roller coaster emotions of an almost 22 month old.  It's a hard knock life.

Chucking tools at the cat was a new 'game', I'm hoping it was a one time event and losing all of his prized pieces  was enough of an incentive to not do it again anytime soon.  Thankfully this photo is more typical of the relationship between cat and tiny human.  He does not always need to bribe her with food but it certainly does help.  As much as the princess cat gets under my skin at times I do love her.  The fact that she has accepted the Rockstar as easily as she has still amazes me; she tolerates so much more from him than she would from anyone else including her most loved human: Mike. Sorry about the tool tossing kitty cat;  you sure are a great big sister!!

Gimme a Hug!

Anyone who knows me well knows how much I love children's books... I have a new favourite. 

This is the sweetest story about a cat named Jules who wants to hug the whole world and he travels across the globe hugging everything from a butterfly to a baobab tree.  The Rockstar often asks for this story to be read to him before bed while he's curled up in my lap drinking his "baba", he asks for it by wrapping his sweet little arms around himself and squeezing.  The illustrations are lovely and the words make my heart sing: The world is so big. And yet so small. It's time that we embrace it all."

Big hugs to Patrick McDonnell for putting this story on paper and a hug to my neighbour Anne for mentioning it to me before Valentine's day.  It was a perfect gift for our wee man and for me!

Easy Peasy Heart Stamps

Crazy easy heart stamping with a squashed toilet paper roll!  A brilliantly simple craft for a toddler that has super cute results. No I did not take his paint away after he dipped, I think I must have pushed it aside when I went to snap the photo. I should have had him make cards for Valentine's day using this technique...maybe next  year.

I think I have Pinterest to thank for this one.  That site eats up many minutes of my life but when I actually make use of one of the 8 billions Pins I've spotted it seems almost worth it.