Federer almost killed us last night. Keeping us up until 3am. Heart-wrenching stuff. Didn't want to believe that the Fed era was going to be brought to a close by some relative no name. His record of 18 straight semi-finals is one of the most extraordinary in sports. So, we're a little sleepy today.
Molly's new joke:
Me: Molly, where's your belly-button?
Molly: Lifts her pant legs to reveal her knees. Pats both knees. Looks up at me with serious face. Pause, pause. Then says, "Noooooooo" and commences giggling.
Jacob thinks this is so funny that he wants to do it too, except that when you ask him where his belly button is, he can't resist lifting his shirt to show you. So, he reveals his belly button and then does the knee routine.
Jacob's new joke:
The kids are enjoying some of the tennis in the afternoons. They love looking for the ball (whenever it disappears, Molly goes into her "where da ba ba ba go?" routine, and both break into thunderous applause whenever anyone is shown clapping.
So, when we turn on the tennis, Jacob looks up and says "hockey" (one of his favourite words). I say, "no Jacob, it's tennis". He nods solemnly and says, "yeah, ... hockey" and spins around and gives me a goofball grin.
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Weekend visitor roundup
All is temporarily quiet around here after a long weekend of guests (my parents for 4 days and Dan/Alison for a couple). Here are a bunch of photos, courtesy of my mom):
- Molly & Jacob helping with the dishes
- Someone's not overjoyed with being stuffed into her winter gear
- Jacob helping with the shoveling. He won't leave home without his trusty shovel
- chowing down
- They both spent much of the weekend on grandpa's lap, demanding "more, more" books
- Molly enjoying a good book
- Trying on their big cousins' clothes
- A sense of the joyful chaos of our full house
- Running out of room to shovel the snow - and it's still only January
- Jacob helping out under the watchful eye of Grandpa
- Molly's favourite hiding spot
- Not sure how much longer I'll be able to do this
- The artists in their studio
- These years will surely be remembered as Jacob's Green Period
- Grammy's idea of fun - the shaving cream game
- Jacob squealing with delight
- Molly & Jacob helping with the dishes
- Someone's not overjoyed with being stuffed into her winter gear
- Jacob helping with the shoveling. He won't leave home without his trusty shovel
- chowing down
- They both spent much of the weekend on grandpa's lap, demanding "more, more" books
- Molly enjoying a good book
- Trying on their big cousins' clothes
- A sense of the joyful chaos of our full house
- Running out of room to shovel the snow - and it's still only January
- Jacob helping out under the watchful eye of Grandpa
- Molly's favourite hiding spot
- Not sure how much longer I'll be able to do this
- The artists in their studio
- These years will surely be remembered as Jacob's Green Period
- Grammy's idea of fun - the shaving cream game
- Jacob squealing with delight
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
ColdNuffFerYa
At least 12 people have said that to me so far today. And at -32C this morning, I'd say yes.
This video is mostly for Jo and Greg. We received an e-mailed photo of their little Benjamin yesterday and Molly was quite taken. Jacob kept calling him Benny and Molly called him Ba-Ba-Ba. And every time I minimized the photo she said, "Where did Ba-Ba-Ba go?" (or her version of that phrase anyway). Here it is.
This video is mostly for Jo and Greg. We received an e-mailed photo of their little Benjamin yesterday and Molly was quite taken. Jacob kept calling him Benny and Molly called him Ba-Ba-Ba. And every time I minimized the photo she said, "Where did Ba-Ba-Ba go?" (or her version of that phrase anyway). Here it is.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
What Could Possibly Go Wrong?
The first time Kate tried this with Jacob, I did try to express a safety concern, which she dismissed with a "he can't reach the on button". So I've given up. His passion for running (or at least for running shoes) is apparently turning us into those pushy sports parents!
And the photos I promised yesterday...
- Kate reading a bedtime story to the toothbrushing twins
- Molly coming in from the snow
- Jacob with his trusty shovel
- Baking with their momma
And the photos I promised yesterday...
- Kate reading a bedtime story to the toothbrushing twins
- Molly coming in from the snow
- Jacob with his trusty shovel
- Baking with their momma
Monday, January 12, 2009
Time Off
Starting today, we have a babysitter for two hours every Monday morning (and some Friday mornings too). I had big plans and a long list of ways to enjoy two hours of "freedom" and in the end I ... grocery shopped, showered and shaved. And that's it. I'll have to get better at this.
Blogger is having trouble with photo uploads right now, so I'll edit this post later with some photos.
Blogger is having trouble with photo uploads right now, so I'll edit this post later with some photos.
Friday, January 9, 2009
A Few More of Our Favourite Things
1. Treadmills. Jacob has a fascination with our running machine. Whenever he can find one of Kate or my running shoes, he picks it up, brings it over to you and says "run, run". If you ignore him, he carries the shoe to the treadmill, puts it down and shouts, "run, run" with increasing urgency.
2. Shovels. Jacob would spend all day, every day outside shoveling the walk and the driveway if he had a choice. He has a dollar store shovel which is his most cherished possession. If we don't let him go outside to shovel, he insists on bringing it inside, and carrying it around the house. He usually asks for "Maya" to be given the other shovel. She accepts the gift, smiles at him, then puts it down and returns to whatever she was doing.
3. Throwing food. A recent development. Not appreciated. But both of them do have wicked arms so it's hard not to be a little impressed.
4. Counting. Well, only kind of counting. But they love it when we say, "one, two, three, go" and then they sprint across the room. The next time, Molly will say, "two, two, two, go" and she's off.
5. Walking. We keep bringing the sled on outings to the shops or the library (a couple of blocks away), but both kids insist on walking instead, even through the snowdrifts. Definitely to be encouraged.
6. Stopping skiing. We took the kids cross-country skiing in backpacks yesterday afternoon and it turned out to be a bit too chilly for a passive activity (definitely not passive for me, skiing along with a 25 lb kid on my back), so there were howls of protest on the return leg.
7. Birthdays. Singing happy birthday, blowing out candles, eating cake. These are all top-of-the-list good times if you're a twin.
8. Singing. As soon as a song is over, a chorus of "again, again, again" is raised. By the way, for you music appreciation buffs, January is Bach month in our household. So we listen to a selection of Bach every night during the bedtime routine. December was Pavarotti month. Yes, I'm probably learning more than the twins, but perhaps that was my wife's plan - to teach the neanderthal a thing or two.
9. Not going to the doctor's office. We went to see Doctor Wendy yesterday for their 18-month check-up and shots. Lots of tears. Lots of outrage. Quick recoveries. Both kids continue to be average height, just below-average weight and above-average brain size (or "head circumference" as it is more tactfully named).
Here are a couple of videos of our everyday adventures at home.
- Playing with the helium balloon from Myles' birthday party
- Running round and around
2. Shovels. Jacob would spend all day, every day outside shoveling the walk and the driveway if he had a choice. He has a dollar store shovel which is his most cherished possession. If we don't let him go outside to shovel, he insists on bringing it inside, and carrying it around the house. He usually asks for "Maya" to be given the other shovel. She accepts the gift, smiles at him, then puts it down and returns to whatever she was doing.
3. Throwing food. A recent development. Not appreciated. But both of them do have wicked arms so it's hard not to be a little impressed.
4. Counting. Well, only kind of counting. But they love it when we say, "one, two, three, go" and then they sprint across the room. The next time, Molly will say, "two, two, two, go" and she's off.
5. Walking. We keep bringing the sled on outings to the shops or the library (a couple of blocks away), but both kids insist on walking instead, even through the snowdrifts. Definitely to be encouraged.
6. Stopping skiing. We took the kids cross-country skiing in backpacks yesterday afternoon and it turned out to be a bit too chilly for a passive activity (definitely not passive for me, skiing along with a 25 lb kid on my back), so there were howls of protest on the return leg.
7. Birthdays. Singing happy birthday, blowing out candles, eating cake. These are all top-of-the-list good times if you're a twin.
8. Singing. As soon as a song is over, a chorus of "again, again, again" is raised. By the way, for you music appreciation buffs, January is Bach month in our household. So we listen to a selection of Bach every night during the bedtime routine. December was Pavarotti month. Yes, I'm probably learning more than the twins, but perhaps that was my wife's plan - to teach the neanderthal a thing or two.
9. Not going to the doctor's office. We went to see Doctor Wendy yesterday for their 18-month check-up and shots. Lots of tears. Lots of outrage. Quick recoveries. Both kids continue to be average height, just below-average weight and above-average brain size (or "head circumference" as it is more tactfully named).
Here are a couple of videos of our everyday adventures at home.
- Playing with the helium balloon from Myles' birthday party
- Running round and around
Monday, January 5, 2009
Happy New Year
First, a few resolutions for the new year:
1) For the first time in many years I don't have to lose any weight (below 190lbs for a few months now), so my fitness goal for the year is to run 10km in 45 minutes.
2) Make sure that both my mother and mother-in-law know how much we appreciate them. I fear we've been woefully derelict at this for the past 18 months.
3) Blog more often
4) Love my kids more and more every day (thought I'd throw in a resolution that is actually achievable).
We got back from Thunder Bay on Friday, after a fun 10-day visit. It was an active trip, as we took advantage of grandmotherly babysitting to do lots of skiing (on our new x-country skis), tennis, hockey, running, and even a family game of bowling. And on the cold days and nights, we all played lots of Wii. The kids were sad to leave all the love and attention, and Jacob was devastated that he has been separated from Papa's pick-up truck (those aren't my genes). Here are some photos and a couple of videos:
- Molly on X-Mas morning with Jacob's dog. Their dogs (both named Bear) have now traveled to England and Thunder Bay. We're quite the entourage getting onto a plane.
- Investigating their stockings
- Checking out the presents
- Tearing into a present
- off with the wrapping paper
- Hugging their new dolls
- Doing the dishes
- Bundled up against the cold
- Soulful Molly on the harmonica
- And the never-ending birthday song, for the 18-month old twins
1) For the first time in many years I don't have to lose any weight (below 190lbs for a few months now), so my fitness goal for the year is to run 10km in 45 minutes.
2) Make sure that both my mother and mother-in-law know how much we appreciate them. I fear we've been woefully derelict at this for the past 18 months.
3) Blog more often
4) Love my kids more and more every day (thought I'd throw in a resolution that is actually achievable).
We got back from Thunder Bay on Friday, after a fun 10-day visit. It was an active trip, as we took advantage of grandmotherly babysitting to do lots of skiing (on our new x-country skis), tennis, hockey, running, and even a family game of bowling. And on the cold days and nights, we all played lots of Wii. The kids were sad to leave all the love and attention, and Jacob was devastated that he has been separated from Papa's pick-up truck (those aren't my genes). Here are some photos and a couple of videos:
- Molly on X-Mas morning with Jacob's dog. Their dogs (both named Bear) have now traveled to England and Thunder Bay. We're quite the entourage getting onto a plane.
- Investigating their stockings
- Checking out the presents
- Tearing into a present
- off with the wrapping paper
- Hugging their new dolls
- Doing the dishes
- Bundled up against the cold
- Soulful Molly on the harmonica
- And the never-ending birthday song, for the 18-month old twins
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