Just One More Stop Kids

I will start by saying again that I have great kids.

I don't ever want anyone to think otherwise.

The bottom line is though, I have 2 kids under 3.

This week I have picked up a couple extra shifts to help out my pharmacy.

So today, being my only day working way harder than I do at work off, is an errand day.

I dragged the kids to 4 {very uninteresting} stores before lunch.

Aside: I just had to look up the past tense of drag because that sounded so wrong.  I almost changed it to drug which gives the beginning of that sentence a whole other meaning.

Anyways, it was actually a very smooth trip.

 And I got home feeling so thankful for certain retailers.

I used to be one of those people who would roll their eyes at these types of signs.

 "Why do they get a special spot?" I would think to myself.

"I mean, is it really that hard to get two kids out of a car and into a store?"

Yes, yes it is.

Words eaten.

Younger self's kick in the pants delivered.

{My younger, childless self gets many of these.}

Some days these spots are a major contributing factor to a successful shopping trip.

So thank you {in this case Save-On} to those stores who have this.

The most effective of these factors I speak of though?

The free chocolate chip cookie {at Superstore} for good behaviour.

PS.  I know it's not the healthiest thing to bribe your children with treats.

If you have kids and don't ever do this then you are a parenting ninja, kudos.

If you don't have kids, someone very wise once told me: "I did all of my best parenting before having children too."

Easter Weekend in Pictures

Happy Easter, hope it was great.

A gift from our lake neighbours.

Determined to start running outside.

The cutest little church at our lake, seemed appropriate for Easter.

Cedric's first shiner.

Shield's 15 Seconds

Of bunny hopping that is.

The unthinkable happened today.

Not in a million years did I think the shop would partake in bunny hopping never mind on morning television.

But, here they are with the wonderful Bridget Ryan, hopping their little hearts out.

Just click the photo below and enjoy.

The Sweetest of Weekends

We had the best weekend.

It started out with a visit to the Muttart.

Their feature pyramid is filled with spring flowers.

The sun was shining that day and it was just what we all needed after last week's ugly winter flare up.

As if that wasn't enough we lunched at Culina Muttart.

The Culina family of restaurants never disappoints.

On Saturday something unbelievably exciting happened.

Fiona had her first sleepover!

I'll be honest, I didn't think we were going to venture into this territory for a while.

We are so lucky though, to have a few amazing friends who's kids feel like my own.

These two have grown up together so Charlie just fit right in to our routine.

We started the evening with make-your-own pizzas.

We had a couple birthdays to celebrate so we were out a little late and there was much sugar consumption.

Even that couldn't throw these two off.

After teeth were brushed and stories were read, they were out.

{I knew that double bed was a good idea.}

 Great weekend right?

But wait, I'm not done.

The weekend was capped off with a date {accompanied by Mama Kerry} to the Raffi concert on Sunday.

With ice cream afterwards to boot.

Living it up, toddler style.

Stuff Like This {Is Awesome}

Many of you have probably seen this already.
{I am very aware that I've fallen behind the times in many aspects of life.}
This clip was brought to my attention by some wonderful ladies I met at Wine Club last weekend.
{Yes, you heard right, Wine Club.  Now you're jealous aren't you?}
Not only is it hilarious, it's genius.
Happy Friday.

McBet

You know how it is when you work late nights.

You'd do almost anything to break up that 14 hour day.

Well, the shop is BUSY right now.

Everyone has really been stepping up lately and working a ton.

Jeff is working so much we barely get a chance to share the day's events.

But when we finally did get a chance last week this is what I get to hear about.

{Maybe it's a blessing in disguise that I'm not always kept up to date on the shenanigans at the shop.}

On one of said late nights Jason bet Jeff that he {Jay} could eat 20 cheeseburgers.

20.

I mean we're not talking quarter pounders, but still.

I'm assuming when they took this pic Jay had already started on 1 as you'll only count 19 {which is the first thing I did}.

I'm relieved sorry to report that Jason lost this bet.

"What did Jeff win?" you might ask, I did.

Not only did Jay have to pick up the tab for the meal that, I assume, made him see something resembling the above photo.

He's also on the hook to wash Jeff's car in his skivvies.

A free meal, clean car and humiliating his partner, I'm pretty sure that's as good as it gets for Jeff.

Fiona's Room

I shared Cedric's room on the blog a while back.

I had a lot of fun decorating with the motor theme.

It came easy and felt right in our home and of course our lives as auto body shop owners. 

Fiona's was a little harder.

I kept feeling as though I should make it more girly.

Would I be depriving my little princess by not making the room various shades of bubble gum pink?

Of course not, I would tell myself.

 You'll be doing her a favour, maybe she won't even like pink.

{I laugh at my wishful thinking, her entire world would have a rose tinge now were it up to her.}

Anyways, I came across these pics from Cedric's newborn shoot.

Our {genius} photographer Elaine snuck these shots in at the beginning of the session.

This is when the room was in transition from nursery to toddler so there are some things not finished but it's still the same idea.

The quilt {hanging} was a wedding gift from my lifelong friend Diana.

I love how warm it makes the room feel.

The crib was my Dad's, Aunt's, mine, my sisters', you get the idea.

Just don't make things like they used to eh?

The rocking chair was my Gram's and was shipped here when they were moving out of their house.

I recovered the cushions with some spare fabric and added some ribbon to fasten them to the chair.

 The floor is original and was on it's last leg so couldn't have taken another sanding.

I'm glad because a good wash, prime and paint turned out great.

{I don't know that Jeff would have let me paint the floor otherwise.}

This way I also felt like the furniture wasn't too much wood and didn't have the itch to paint it.

 The toys were left this way by Fiona as was the crib.

I like how these photos are not at all staged but still look so cute.

 This little rocking chair was a gift from my Gram and Grandad {sourced by my Mom}.

 We found the antique chalk board and blue stool at the Old Strathcona Antique Mall.

The Ikea lamp behind the Ikea bookshelf is the perfect amount of light for bedtime stories.

The linen Ikea curtains are just enough to soften the morning light.

A last minute touch was a framed poster of Fiona's first {out of the womb} Dave Matthews Band concert.

The room came together in the end and feels calming and nostalgic.

Though I must admit it's now usually much messier and with many more touches of pink.