It’s been about over two months since I posted last. Why the hiatus? Two people working full time. We basically spent most of our time doing this: Making lunches.

Daycare is serious stuff. It’s not your momma’s daycare that we have to make lunch for. No processed foods, all the food groups have to be in the box, enough for two snacks and lunch. No juice boxes. I’m glad the daycares have to be strict. It makes sense. But now that I have time to blog, which means I am home and not working as much, I am reminded that my kids just get last night’s leftovers. They’ll be asking to go back to daycare soon enough.

But yes, I am back home. Having to prepare five lunches every night basically lost out on the cost benefit analysis of me working full time.

So I am returning home to this:

Which isn’t so bad.

My first week mostly back at home with the kids – except for two days a week – was actually a fairly big week. Ysabeau has a new word for “big”. The other day she was sitting on the toilet and said ” Mom, you gotta come see this. I did a gracious poo”. She has used it a few more times in that context and I have come to figure out that “gracious” means “big. I am not correcting her because I kinda like it.

This has been a “gracious” winter for sickness. Our kids got sick, really sick, and then gave it to our neighbours kids just in time for the week they spent with us. Cute kids, impeccable timing. It’s ok though as I am pretty sure my kids have peed on their couches before, and they looked after the oldest when he had pink eye. It all works out.

They stayed with us the last week of January which we all know contains the dreaded “Black Monday”- the most depressing day of the year.  Visa statements come in, darkness seems to rule the world. I baked a cake on that Monday and forced everyone to have a really gracious day. It turned out pretty good even though I still had to pay the visa bill.

Here are a few leftover pictures from Christmas time and Xavier’s birthday. Star Wars was definitely the toy/brand/game/dress-up theme of choice this year. Here is our neighbour dressed up as a Jedi.

Xavier  is already 14 months (more on him later). He certainly isn’t as happy right now as he was in his first year. It could be that Xavier, as the offspring of two people with significant choppers, is pushing through baby teeth that are equivalent to the adult teeth of some people I know. Its okay though, his teething choices make for some comedic relief.

More pictures coming soon!