My big boy helper

Ever since James learned about a year ago how to turn on Nana and Papa's dishwasher he has loved to help wherever and whenever he could! It all started with this video below that was taken back in September while my parents were in Europe on vacation. He had been helping for a few months by this point but was having so much fun with it that I'm glad we took a video of it.

Then from there it moved on to helping with the laundry. This means he stands beside the dryer while I pass him clothes from the washer to put in there. Then he has to push the button or he is not a happy camper! Then he stands on the ledge beside the washer and behind the basket and throws the clothes into the machine. This is a task that I actually really enjoy sharing with him and hope that he will always love to help me with it (yeah right, I know the chances are slim to none!)

Back in early February James and I were home for the day together on the weekend while Jim was out on a course and I decided to make some yummy cranberry orange bread that we had gotten as a gift and James seemed interested in helping, so we pulled a chair up and went at it!

Then a few weeks later it was spaghetti sauce!

Then it was muffins...but this time Daddy was home so he took the photos!

Next came MILKSHAKE making with Daddy! He isn't a huge fruit eater so at least this way we know he's getting some...and he loves making them! This has become at least a weekly fun activity!

Last week when doing our after dinner chores he was helping me with the dishwasher again and needed to put some recycling away, so I opened the right drawer in the pantry, put the stuff on the floor, and let him go for it!

Other chores he likes helping with are unloading the dishwasher, sweeping the floor and putting the groceries away! Not to mention his absolute love of grocery shopping. Almost every single day he will ask us if we are going grocery shopping and whether he gets to sit in the buggy. When we do go there he is such a joy to be with and says hello to everyone in the store, except for the poor old guy when he was with my mom that he told to "stop it!" hahahaha...getting such a personality that's for sure!

It's not just chores that he loves to help me with, he also loves to help me get ready for work. This includes sitting on the bathroom counter, opening my jewelry box, grabbing me my watch and picking out the necklace and earrings I will wear each day, and helping me brush my teeth and my hair (and telling me I'm pretty).

In the winter months when I would put my boots on he would sit on the floor with me and zip up my boots and then stand up and "pull" me up and then say "strong". He just loves to be helpful. And now that it's summer and I mainly wear flip flops he just loves to help me out by bringing them to me and "helping" me put my foot into them. Watch the short video below to see what I mean!

He really is such a good little boy and such a joy to be around most days. He is always willing to help out when asked and I firmly believe that by teaching your kids to do things they grow up feeling more empowered and independent. I will always encourage him to help others and will hope that he always gets joy in doing so.

One last video of how he helps us put the dishwasher on here at home!

I have a confession to make...

...I am a reality TV junkie!

It all started 12 years ago when I was in Kananaskis for the summer. My friends and I in the residences fell in love with a new little show called Survivor and ever since then I've been hooked! Over the years I have watched many many many reality shows, from the major network shows to the more obscure MTV ones and find myself loving the cheesiness and trashiness of them! When I watch TV I like to escape from the sadness of the real world, so by watching fun and mindless shows I feel that the escape happens.

It's funny how reality TV has changed the networks over the years. There are way more reality shows than scripted shows it seems nowadays. Not everyone loves them like I do but there are certainly millions of people watching them or they wouldn't dominate the airwaves like they do. If you want to hear the flipside to my love of reality TV, just ask my Dad! He hates it all and if asked about it will tell you that it has ruined TV completely. This coming from the man that could literally watch hours upon hours of sports at anytime! Everyone's tastes are so different and I think that's why reality TV is still so popular this to day.

Here's a list of some of the shows that I've watched over the years:

My favorites are: Big Brother (has always been and will always be my favorite!), Bachelor/Bachelorette (still love these one and never miss an episode!), So You Think You Can Dance, Survivor, MTV's Challenge Shows and The Real World, 16 and Pregnant, Teen Mom, The Amazing Race (this is our family betting show that we watch with my sister and her family), Deadliest Catch, House Hunters (regular and international), Love in the Wild, Jersey Shore (I begrudgingly watch this one with Jim, I only really like Snooki), Little Couple, America's Best Dance Crew.

Other ones I've watched in the past but don't anymore either because I'm not into it or its been cancelled: America's Next Top Model, American Idol, Paradise Hotel, Temptation Island, The Apprentice, Average Joe, Hell's Kitchen, Masterchef, For Love or Money, Jon & Kate plus 8, The Surreal Life, The Simple Life, The Swan, Love Cruise, Little People Big World, The Contender, Starting Over, Sarah Palin's Alaska, Growing up Gotti, Extreme Makeover: Home and Weight Loss Editions.

Which reality TV shows are your favorites? Put them in the comments below!

It's the little things that matter....

Sometimes the little things in life are way more important and more special than the big things. Some very small things that made this day bearable include:

* Having bosses and coworkers that covered for me this afternoon because my throat was sore and I was feeling awful and just wanted to come home and rest.
* Getting a phone message from my Mom from her cell phone offering to pick James up for me because she knew I was home sick (unfortunately I missed the call as I had JUST left to get him)
* Picking James up from the sitters to hear that he had a fantastic day with ZERO TUPS (timeouts in James speak)
* Coming home and enjoying a cup of tea while James played quietly by himself.
* Deciding to make my son Kraft Dinner which he loves and knowing he would eat it.
* Having him "help" me make it and being so excited to help that he ran into the dining room, grabbed a chair and pushed it through the hallway to the kitchen so he could stand on it near the countertop.
* Watching him polish off a huge bowl of it and then make me even prouder when he drank the remainder of the cheesy milk from the bottom of the bowl. My Mom has taught him well!
* Singing songs together in the bathtub.
* Giggling with him while he got his PJ's on.
* Blow drying his hair and watching him grab the hairbrush to brush his hair and then tell me that he was "handsome" when he looked at himself in the mirror. Then he grabbed the waterbowl and tried to spray me in the face with it. Daddy has taught him so well!
* Having James ask me to read him a book that I have loved since he was a baby and previously he never wanted me to read it, but tonight he requested it! I used to read it to him all the time when he was a baby but as he got older it was too much of a story for him. It's called the Snail and the Whale and I just love it!
* Reading our favorite book "I Love You So" and then snuggling up while I sang him some lullabies and he went to bed happy.

What a great day this turned out to bed, even if I am feeling crappy!

Wow, busy life hits again

I really did have the best of intentions of blogging daily when I started this thing just over a month ago, but then I realized that life just happens most of the time and often I rarely have time to sit down for more than a few minutes all morning/evening, and by the time James is in bed and the dishes are done, floors are swept and laundry is on, I'm exhausted and usually settle onto the couch to watch TV with Jim.
So, what we've been up to lately...
Last week was ridiculously busy with 3 nights of baseball for Jim (1 cancelled because of rain), our strata AGM which was an entire evening for me, a meeting for the Blues Festival and then the entire weekend spent volunteering at the above mentioned festival. James spent the weekend with Nana and Papa and was shall we say....less than angelic?! He is struggling with sleeping, teething, wicked temper tantrums and the beginnings of a cold. Lets just say it's been a rough week all around. I still see glimpses of the little boy that is loving, funny and happy, but definitely a side to him that is frustrated, angry and miserable!
This is the life of a two year old for sure, and one that I'm sure is going to continue to change daily. He still is without a doubt the most amazing little thing I've ever seen and even on the rough days and through the long nights, I love him more than I even know how to express.

My happy son enjoying his first bowl of chocolate pudding - 5:45pm - May 21

My very unhappy temper tantrum throwing son - 

12 hours later at 5:58 am - May 22