tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72912707495537530192024-03-13T19:58:39.214-06:00tyslausktyslauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05018358055677323779noreply@blogger.comBlogger28125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7291270749553753019.post-71845713666808252492011-09-15T20:18:00.002-06:002011-09-15T20:18:46.572-06:00You know you're a parent when...So yesterday I went out to get some groceries, and upon entering Sobeys smelled the most delicious cinnamon buns ever. So I made an impulse buy and bought them. I brought them home and informed Coen that I had gotten him a treat. WHen he saw them he got so excited! " Mom we need party hats for the cake!" It was all I could do to not laugh. So Aaron and I proceeded to ask him who's birthday it was. "Is it mom's birthday?" "NO!" Is it Daddy's birthday?" "Nope" "Is it Coen's birthday?" Pause..... "Nope." Who's birthday is it Coen?" "Teddy's!!!" So tonight we made the most pathetic party hat's I've ever made with left over scrapbook paper, and sang happy birthday to teddy bear. Who is Four, I was just told, and Coen is Five. Man this kid never ceases to amaze me. He is talking up a storm! Today we were making a zoo to go with his new train tracks and he told me it was a petting zoo with the farm animals and a scary zoo with the lion. Man I just love little boys!!! Anyways, that is my mom moment for the night! Goodnight all!!ktyslauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05018358055677323779noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7291270749553753019.post-5625832769018082322011-07-30T20:57:00.002-06:002011-07-30T21:20:10.522-06:00the meema trip!Well it's been a month so I thought I would give everyone an update. July has been a fairly carefree month. It has however been full of being a single parent. Aaron spent a few days in Florida going to see the last Shuttle Launch ever, which was probably the most sporadic thing he has done since we got married. So it was about time for him to have some "Dad" time. He got home, and we had a small birthday party for me on the 13th. My parents and him got me a cricut which I am absolutely in love with. Man oh man. <div><br /></div><div>Next came the Lake. This is probably the most recent memory I have so it will be a lot longer and in depth so just bare with me. My mom and I had planned to go to the States with Coen for a girls week away, but when we figured everything out we just decided that instead of making a 12 hour drive we would make a 2 1/2 hour drive to my grandparents cabin. It was the most fun I have had in a very long time. It was just a completely different fun. A completely carefree week of nothingness. We left on Monday and Coen travelled like a dream kid. We were kind of nervous about the border, but we sailed through with no issues. WHEW! THen the vacation began. We followed my cousins Saydi and Kyli down with my aunt April and her family with us. We got there, had some burgers and just vegged. Amazing! </div><div>Tuesday was shopping day. The weather was pretty yucky so we just packed everyone up and went to town. Coen wasn't exactly a ray of sunshine because he had to be put in a rickity shopping cart because he couldn't quite understand why he couldn't run up and down the big hallways. what a goof. So then we went to walmart and my poor little boy's day got even worse. We were walking through the baby stuff to get some pullups (easier to just buy than to pack) and he kept saying he needed to go to the bathroom. I just assumed he was saying it because he had seen the potty covers. Nope I was wrong. My poor little guy had peed all down his legs into his socks and his pants. I felt terrible. So I scooped him up, and had to carry him to console him whch meant i was covered in pee. But we got him wiped down with a new pullup and we let him just chill in a pullup which i think he thought was cool. His main concern was that he HAD to hang onto his Mater and McQueen bubbles that his meema had bought him. They were actual cars full of bubblebath. Very cool. Well when we were putting him in the car I totally smacked his head on the doorframe. What a terrible topper to a no good very bad day. Then he was running to the door from the car and ran into the BBQ. terrible. But then Kyli came to the rescue and pulled out all the stops by playing cars with him. This was not your normal cars game. THey had ramps with jumps and sound effects and rocketships and man oh man we were all laughing to hard because Coen had found the love of his life. They played so hard he was in a sweat! My kid has the coolest cousins ever! All the "Big Kids" were so much fun with him! Saydi, Cale, Harli, Rance, and Jake all came to my rescue so many time and entertained him! </div><div>Wednesday we went out on the boat. Coen was pretty skeptical, but we eventually got in into the tube which was definately the highlight of my trip. After we got back, I truly believe Coen was having fun even if he was falling asleep. haha. Then he went and had a nap with meema while I got a few hours to go out on the lake. We went tubing and wow oh wow. I have not laughed so hard in my whole life. Like honestly right from my gut laughed. </div><div>Then Coen woke up and we all went out to a little island that they had made with a slide on it and raft. Well, I was trying to get off of the raft they had and totally slipped. Coen went flying, and I fell down and hit my head on the paddle boat. For those of you that weren't there, let me assure you it was quite the sight. Coen was way over there screaming with this two cars in his hands, screaming "Help me Help me!" I was laughing to hard I couldn't get myself out of the lake, and everyone around us were doubled over from laughing so no one could help coen. Man oh man were were a sight to behold. </div><div>Thursday was our "Suntanning" day. and every single one of us were burnt to a crisp. </div><div>and Friday was home day! </div><div>It was the very most fun I have had in a while. I absolutely loved it and I'll admit was a little sad when Coen told me this morning that after he bath he was going to the lake. So a big thank you to everyone who made this a great trip for us. We had the time of our life and thanks to all the "Big Kids" and Meemas that helped out. It was a true Vacation!!</div><div>Now to to it all again at the end of August!!! Winnipeg here we come!!</div><div><br /></div>ktyslauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05018358055677323779noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7291270749553753019.post-28806590362078385722011-06-29T11:55:00.003-06:002011-06-29T12:20:19.306-06:00Glorious Boys!!It's been a while, yes I know. For all of those who love their updates about Coen, let me tell you it is a miracle that I am still breathing. For those at the mom and tots last week you will completely understand what I mean by this. For those who missed the show I can assure you we will not be returning for a rerun. The whole "same time, same station" does NOT apply to the situation that I am about to walk you through. <div><br /></div><div>It all began on an amazingly sunny day. The kids refused to be cooped up and I was completely in agreement. So we packed up the carseats, sunscreen, misquito repellent, water, teddy grahams and diapers. That is a typical packing list for most parents. Most parents would probably even say that though they pile all that into a reuseable grocery bag they may only use three things. I mean with a two year old and a one year old what in heavens name could go wrong right! </div><div><br /></div><div>So we arrive to the playground and we are having the time of our lives! I dare say I even got to sit down and visit with some of the other moms. I could see Coen's blonde little head darting out of equipment and I can see my niece playing contently in front of me on the baby slide. Well, time goes on and I am playing with my niece, and I realize I haven't seen Coen for a couple of minutes. So I yell "Coen let me see your eyes!" (side note: Moms have you ever realized that when you yell for your kids and you hear your own voice it sounds like nails on a chalkboard? Mine does. I swear it.) I wait....and wait....no little eyes. So I scoop up Amelia and we go hunting. I'm not nervous. I'm sure many of you are dialing Child Services as you read due to the bone chilling fact that I didn't break out in a full out run. But everything was gated in. I promise! So calm those heart rates. I finally see him. My blonde little monster jumping as hard as he can in a puddle of mud. His shoes are COVERED!! his once white socks are very much brown. So I take them off and we walk back to the park. I am laughing so hard I can't even talk. Part of me is so proud of him for getting muddy and being such a boy, the other part is thinking how the heck to I get these shoes clean!</div><div><br /></div><div>So now he is running around bare foot and having the time of his life. I took wipes and washed his legs down and his shoes are drying in the sun. I am just getting settled down, when I hear a SPLOOSH! Coen is crying and saying "BIG MESS MAMA!!" In literally two seconds he had ran down a hill, slipped, and slid right into the biggest mud puddle I have seen. He has grass in his ears, nose, mouth, and his shirt is soaked. So remember that list I wrote out, what mom in their right mind would think I need to pack an extra pair of shoes, clothes and an IGA bag?? Well one mom thought to bring a bag, so I stripped him down and we kept playing in just his shorts. I think a few boys were jealous. But am 100% sure that no mom was!! </div><div><br /></div><div>*for those of you that are wondering...oxyclean is amazing!! Shoes look brand new! A little tight, but brand new! The same can also be said about the clothes!!</div><div><br /></div>ktyslauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05018358055677323779noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7291270749553753019.post-43434069455534391712011-06-07T08:01:00.002-06:002011-06-07T08:25:11.927-06:00I Have a Two Year Old!!I realize that I have had a two year old for quite some time now... 5 months to be exact....but for some reason we have had the wonderful privilege of having a two year old with out too many fits, no real accidents, and really it just felt like he was another number older. This week however, the terrible twos hit us right in the face. You know those Home Videos where the pie ends up in the unsuspecting man's face? Yeah that was the twos for us. <div><br /></div><div>It all began with the infamous Buzz Bike. Aaron got it for him for Christmas, and he rides it around and around the house. Well he decided to explore the very small rectangle of area that was by our stairs....went to back out... and well the rest is history. It was quite a tumble, and Aaron and I were both sure it was a trip to the ER, but when we got him, all he had was a bump on his head and was mad that his bike was downstairs. I honestly started wondering if my child was actually a tank. I am sure any other kid that would have tumbled like that would not have had the same fortunate outcome. </div><div><br /></div><div>Next came the trip to the ER because of an overworried parent. Before bed, I'm sure I've mentioned this, Coen runs laps. We don't know why or how it became part of the routine. If you have any ideas please enlighten me! But anyways, the laps began and we were catching up on some down time, when Coen tripped. It was EXACTLY like in the movies. Aaron and I both swear if we would have moved a second sooner we could have caught him. In reality we probably didn't have a hope. But it was like he fell in slow motion. He caught the corner of the wall and after an eternity of checking every square inch of him we both came to the conclusion all was well. I held him for his night time cuddles, and then I felt it. Right against my cheek was the Biggest bump I swear I've ever seen. Because of my past history with running into things or as any Allegiance members can testify, hitting myself in the head...( another story for another day) I knew that the last time I had a bump like that, I was getting woke up every so often because I think I had a concussion. So I freaked out and Aaron freaked out. We whisked our boy up and into the car and took off to the ER. Well after we crossed WhoopUp bridge, our clumsy little boy began making jokes and laughing in the mirror and all sorts of things. We both looked at each other and thought " Is it worth it?" But I just needed a certified person ( not that my husband's opinion wasn't comforting and that he isn't smart because he is wonderful and he does know what he's talking about but I was freaking out. okay!) to tell me that all was well. The triage nurse was awesome, looked at it, told us what to look for, and we were on our way with no worries or a wait time ( Like i said the nurse was awesome!) </div><div><br /></div><div>Now is the best one of all. My wonderful two year old locked himself in his room! We put him in his bedroom to sleep and shut the door. Well an hour later after we SWORE he was asleep we hear his "Cop Knock" as we call it. ( I swear I have no clue how such little hands can bang on a door that hard!) We went downstairs to get him only to find that he had locked the door. For many this isn't a big deal. But living in a place where there used to be two guys that were roommates made the task a little different. You see, they had put key locks on the door. No little hole that I had mastered to embarrass or hurry my brother up. Nope. Just a key. Did we have the key... Nope. Did the landlord have the key... .nope. So after trying bobby pins, credit cards ( all of which are total myths) we had no success. Everyone we called told us there was a button just behind the lock that would answer our prayers. Well we couldn't find that button to save our lives. This whole time Coen is laughing and trying to play peekaboo with us. Yeah. I know. So Aaron finally took a his hammer and "SMASHED IT WITH A HAMMER!" (oh I love emperors new groove) The door knob came off easily and we saw that this infamous button everyone told us was actually a turning piece of metal. No miracle button. We opened the door and our two year old monster greeted us with open arms. Man oh man I hate the two stage. </div><div><br /></div><div>Finally is the vocabulary. Nothing is safe. I have been known for telling my son too bad. Too bad Coen this and Too bad Coen that. Well I was getting after him for not listening and after his Corner failed miserably ( He just kept talking to himself) I put him on the last resort. The Kitchen Chair. He sat for a second and slid off. I responded with something along the lines of "Coen get that little butt back up there or so help me..." ( I know parent of the year right?) to which he responded " Nope mama. Too Bad." and slid off again. Now in his defence, I am still not sure if he actually was trying to be a brat from hadesville. I think he was telling me he had been too bad. (I am very optomistic that my son is not related to the devil) But regardless. I could not help but giggle and the discipline went out the window. Curses. </div><div><br /></div><div>And that is our two year old adventures thus far! Stay tooned. </div>ktyslauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05018358055677323779noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7291270749553753019.post-39326189933850215822011-05-01T10:37:00.000-06:002011-05-01T11:11:04.517-06:00On to Edmontonia!Friday morning we woke up and had Easter Breakfast. My mom had had her heart set on Easter dinner that night,but we had made plans with Edmonton Family to go see them. So breakfast it was! It ws EXACTLY what the doctor ordered! Nothing like a good warm breakfast in your belly to start a trip off right. We packed up our things and trekked to edmonton. <div>When I say trek I mean it was probably the easiest trip ever! Aaron and I had things down to a science. Coen hadn't slept very well that night, so he crashed from Cardston to Airdrie. We stopped for a bite to eat when he woke up, and set up a picnic of sorts. Our passenger seat folded down to a table, and I sat in the back with Coen to keep him company. All I can say is I LOVE our IPAD! We had also packed snacks and goodies galore so Coen was a real trouper! </div><div>We got to Edmonton afternoonish, and visited with Aunty Sharon and Uncle Don, Uncle Randy, MOrgan and Devin until around 10ish. I was a real wet sock because I had taken a gravol about an hour away from edmonton (dumb I know) and was waging an honest to goodness war to keep my eyes open. Then it was off to Morgan's to catch some zzz's. </div><div>Saturday was chill at Morgan's day. Uncle Randy, Devin, and Aaron took Coen on his trike ( we brought it from home) to a park nearby. I think everyone was surprised at how fast that little guy can go! And then came Crave. I am pretty sure I have mentioned this little piece of paradise to you before. It is amazing. We drove over thanks to devin and uncle don, and bought a dozen. Man oh man those are the best cupcakes known to man! Then we had nachos and played some more cards! It was the best day EVER!!!</div><div>Sunday was easter morning! The easter bunny had made a little hunt for Coen at morgan's house and had also delivered a huge Red Car (McQueen) chocolate and a soccer ball. It was so cute watching Coen with this little blue pail going from corner to corner in the house to find chocolate. Every time he found a mini egg, he would promptly pop it in his mouth and leave the festive kisses and foiled easter eggs. So funny! Then came another easter hunt and Aunty's house! I think by then he understood the whole concept, because he did really well with it. We then had easter dinner, which Coen ate tons of meatballs, potatoes and corn and peas! Again a great eating habit for COen! By now Coen had gotten used to everyone around him, and had become a real entertainer. THis included yelling at Morgan and Devin for playing with his toys, making a tunnel with the couches for his choo choos. and playing pe-a-bow with uncle randy. It was so great to see how comfortable he was with everyone. He would walk into the kitchen, tug on Aunty and say "Please Aunty Please" To which AUnty would reply "What Coen." "Egg, pinka egg please!" SHe would open the fridge and give him a mini egg. It was so fun to see everyone understand what he was saying! </div><div>Monday we went shopping. This is again a tradition for us, and it is the time where we stock up on Coen's summer clothes. It was great! And coen was a trooper again. It was so tough for him to not be able to run in the big stores, but he did pretty well. Then came the disney store. As soon as he saw the windows to the place "OH MAMA! HOT DOG PLUTO! MINNIE GOOGY!" man oh man did that kid light up. We looked high and low for a plush chip and dale which uncle randy finally found for us! Man. That was the whole reason we wanted to look! So uncle randy saved the day! </div><div>Tuesday we said our goodbyes and headed home. For some reason every time we leave edmonton I cry. I don't know what it is, but I just hate saying bye to the family up there. Eery time we come home we discuss moving to Calgary and how beneficial it would be for us. Who knows, maybe one year it might actually happen! </div>ktyslauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05018358055677323779noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7291270749553753019.post-26157087602092545112011-04-27T12:12:00.001-06:002011-05-01T10:37:10.932-06:00Easter vacationOh easter weekend how I love you! For some reason this is the one holiday that actually feels like an honest vacation! I am proud to say that this year was no exception! <div>We had decided the year that Coen was born that we would go up to edmonton every year for easter so that he would still get to keep in touch with Aaron's mom's family. We had gone up last year and had so much fun! So after that, we decided to make it a tradition! This year, we got to make it even better with a side trip to Cardston! My brother had to come back up to canada before he could enter the US with a new visa, so we took the opportunity to come down and see him for a minute or two and meet his new Gf. They were coming home from the Y on Thursday after his last final, so we went in thursday afternoon to spend time with just us and meema. We got there early that expected (Turns out my husband is a packing master!) and ended up waiting for everyone to get off of work. We played ping pong, built lego with coen, and just chilled. When my mom (meema) got home, we went out to see my grandpa's baby pigs. Let me tell you, those things are so ugly that they are cute! haha. It was a lot of fun! Aaron kept making pig sounds and cow sounds and Coen replied with " No no no daddy!" Clearly my kid has no idea that dad making farm noises is the least of his worries when it comes to embarrassment! I am positive we will lull ourselves into a false illusion that we are the coolest parents on the block and only enhance our son's desire to be adopted. </div><div>Once we got home from the pigs, we made steak and potatoes, which I am proud to say my son absolutely devoured! We had recently been going through a phase where Coen had no desire to eat food in general. So this was a HUGE step forward. </div><div>THen we dyed easter eggs. This has been a long tradition in our family and we normally would have rolled them down the hill afterwards. However mother nature is out to get my this year, and made sure there was JUST enough snow to make that impossible. </div><div>When 10:30 came around, my son was still running around and playing the piano. Luckily for us he crashed shortly thereafter. I have always heard people say " I would love a bottle of that stuff" when referring to kids energy, but you know, imagine how people would look at you. You would be bouncing around like a lunatic because your attention span has become that of a bug! At least that is how Coen is. Man oh man can that kid run! After we had put Coen to sleep with his normal routine of scriptures and prayers, (for somereason the scripture part is essential, love it!) we decided to bust out the cards. We played Phase 10 until Jord got home, said hello and went downstairs to crash. However, my wonderful husband didn't inflate our air mattress. By this time my dad had already gone to bed, and I am pretty sure my mom and I told Aaron to inflate the mattress about 10 times. Did he listen... nope. So at 1:30 in the morning we had our HUGE air mattress being risen from the dead. LEt me tell you, the motor on this thing is anything but pleasant. It sounds like a small little engine working it's tail off! For those of you who have seen Jorden's little motorized scooter, it sounds like that! But eventually we all got to sleep and awaited the morning.</div>ktyslauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05018358055677323779noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7291270749553753019.post-36556330114412698152011-04-05T10:01:00.000-06:002011-04-05T10:14:59.237-06:00Friends are little angels that save my sons life!So a friend of mine just posted about the wonderful trials of having a strong willed and energetic kid. My mind was so full of different thoughts that I felt the need to write it all out. <div>I won't lie to you, some days (like she mentioned) there are days where I am pretty sure I could set Coen on the neighbors doorstep and walk away. But with that, I'm pretty sure I would get maybe a block away and start worrying about whether or not they would know to put him to sleep with teddy, and that he likes to read the Book of Mormon at night, or that if you give him corn with his meat, there is no way he will eat the meat. At which point, I would turn around and go pick him up and bawl about how selfish I was. Pretty sure that is how it would go down. </div><div>Today was definately one of those days. I was cleaning the bathrooms, and had to go put my niece down for her nap. I had put Coen in the tub, thinking he was pretty contained and I mean what could go wrong? I had just laid her down and I heard a SPLOOSH! I took a breath that would probably fill a 6 foot tall marathon runner's lungs, and proceeded to lay my niece down. When I returned to the bathroom at most a minute later, I found out that the word bathroom no longer fit what my eyes were seeing. It was a lake. Coen had taken my big mopping bucket and dumped it all over. He was standing in the middle of the room saying " Wash wash mama wash wash!" and rubbing his knees and tummy. At that point I had to run from the room because a laugh was going to escape which would render all my other actions useless. After I got a hold of myself, I went in and rationalized. " Coen, thank you so much for washing. But this water is very very dirty from the dirt on Coen's feet! So let's clean up the dirty water and run some bubbles for Coen instead." Looking back on it, I am pretty sure at that point I needed my own portable cheering squad. I was so proud of myself! But then he HAD to bring his microphone that is full of dirty mopping water upstairs and that was where I drew the line. I know it was petty. But for some reason, that was my one bit of control. I explained he had to leave it in his room, and then the melt down happened. His screaming then woke up my niece, and let me tell ya, I was not a happy camper. So I set him down firmly on the bed, and let him cry. Afterwards we talked it out and now we are friends again. You know, looking back on the whole thing, was a microphone really worth it... probably not. Which brings me to my friends next point... I'm still learning and I'm still trying. I have miles to go before I can say I am a perfect parent, and by then, I'll probably have another one that tests me in a million other ways. But you just keep truckin' along. Right? So in short, Thank you so much my friend for posting on your blog. It touched my heart and made me so happy to know that someone in this city knew EXACTLY how I was feeling! </div>ktyslauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05018358055677323779noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7291270749553753019.post-48681017353826158912011-03-29T12:05:00.000-06:002011-03-29T12:19:02.507-06:00Our great biking adventure!I know that I just wrote in here, but I just HAD to share this experience and to tell it on facebook status just would not suffice. So... today is Tuesday which means I am watching my niece. I was so tired for some reason, and could not keep my eyes open, so I packed up the kiddies and went for a walk. It seemed harmless enough and the sun was shining. So I got my niece all packed up, and got Coen all bundled and grabbed his trike. We had decided that we would try using his plastic buzz lightyear one, since we had already taken his high tech john deere one for a spin a while ago. So he took one look back and sped off...only to try to drift (like he does in the house on the floor) and found concrete to not be so forgiving. He fell over and told me " Mama, no more bike. No No Bike." So we held hands and went for a walk. We got to the end of the little park by our house when I told Coen it was time to turn around. "No mama, this way, this way." "No Coen, we need to go home everyone is getting cold." "NO mama! Coen turn! Coen go this way! Okay bye bye mama" and he proceeded to walk to towards the swimming pool. not cool. So I scooped him up over my shoulder and carried him a couple of steps while steering one handed. I put him down once we were far enough from the road to be able to reason with him without being nervous if he took off, and we talked it out. It ended up with my two year old screaming while I took some steps away, but eventually I can say I won. We got home, and he saw his bike on the corner. Needless to say, I caved with the fact that he actually did follow me home, and we went for another round. THis time with coen putting along on his bike. He did so well! No major wipeouts. It was so much fun. Then we got to the famous turn around point. The same argument ensued, and soon I had not only my two year old (Who might I add is in 4T clothing) over my shoulder and pushing my niece in my piece of crap stroller, but now I had a trike over top the canopy. Man it must have been a sight. I'm sure all the neighbors were clamouring to the windows to get a glimpse of the psycho lady who not only didn't learn her lesson the first time, but brought a trike the second time! But this time Coen didn't give in so easy. So I ended up carrying on my three ring act through the park. We finally got the sidewalk on our block, and Coen decided he wanted to ride his bike. Awesome. I'm so glad that after packing you two-three blocks, you decided to putt your way to the finish line. But putt he did, and I'll be honest I praised him the whole way home. Ridiculous I know. Why I would praise him after the fiasco I had just left behind me is beyond me. But seriously, he was so dang cute moving that bike with all his might. So he came home thinking he had done an absolutely fantastic job, and that his job had earned him the privilege of making cookies with mommy, which he took the flour cup and dumped on the floor. Man the life of being a mom!ktyslauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05018358055677323779noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7291270749553753019.post-37843332196278499452011-03-20T14:16:00.000-06:002011-03-20T14:31:58.121-06:00I swear my house could be a hospital wing!This is one week in my life I am sure I will not forget for a long long time. It all began on Monday night. I was starting to feel a little run down, and I figured it might have had something to do with watching Coen and my niece. So I thought nothing more and went to sleep. The next morning I felt like I had been hit by a train, a bus and a plane. My legs hurt so badly I couldn't curl them in my favorite sleep position, I couldn't stand to have them elevated in the tiniest bit, my head felt like it was going to explode, and my stomach felt like it was fighting it's own world war 3. On top of that my husband had just worked a night and I was watching my niece. It was something else let me tell you! But we prevailed with what I felt was an excellent outcome. My niece was just awesome and Coen was in a sharing mood. So that was one small victory. Then Aaron woke up, so I got to trade off for my turn in the napping world.<br />Next came wednesday. I was still feeling like junk, but I also now had managed to get my little monster sick. But we toughed through it, and I still managed to get all my piano lessons taught without having any major meltdowns.<br />Thursday, Aaron gave me a sick day. You see, between all of these sick days I had not had more than 3 hours of sleep because Coen was still having night terrors. Which meant I had to be up every hour calm him down, and wait another hour and half before he actually fell asleep again. Only to do it 2 hours later. So Aaron brought be some tylenol home and I took 3 and crashed from 9:30 until 4. Then webraved the outdoors and went to the home and garden show with some Jason and Julia.<br />Friday I was so sure I was going to be healthy and strong. I mean I had never in my life been sick for this long. I was WRONG! I couldn't keep any liquid down, and Coen had a fever from Hades. It was just terrible. So once again, Aaron stepped up and was amazing. And between emptying buckets for me, and keeping Coen settled down, and cleaning the house, he was just amazing.<br />Saturday oh Saturday. I was finally on the mend, Coen seemed to be too, only by Saturday night around 11pm, we heard the all too familiar seal barking sound from Coen's bedroom. We called the health line and sure enough, after listening to him over the phone they could tell me that it was croup. Well fantastic. Which brings me to today! We skipped Church, stayed home and watched our Living Scripture DVD's ( A must for sick days) cuddled and played with the Ipad. Because it's croup and we have done croup 3 or 4 times since Coen first caught it, I have the routine down. TOnight will be terrible, monday will be awful, Tuesday won't be soo bad, Tuesday night I'll sleep, and Wednesday all will be well in the Tyslau house! RIght???ktyslauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05018358055677323779noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7291270749553753019.post-16434622352332889062011-03-08T10:30:00.000-07:002011-03-08T10:50:37.863-07:00March Madness!You know, every now and then I feel terrible about waiting so long to update everyone, until I realize that I write on my blog more than I write in Coen's journal...oops.<br /><br />Speaking of the little guy, he has grown up so much. I didn't even realize I had such a great kid until the last couple of weeks. With my SIL going back to work, we offered to watch her daughter for the rest of the school year. It has been such an eye opener. I was so worried about how Coen would handle her and handle having to share my time with her. He really has done great. We have figured out a balance which still gives him mom time, as well as gives my niece time with me too. It is so wonderful that they both adjust to a new schedule so well. Coen has definatly become my little helper. He goes and gets me a sippy cup I need, or a blanket. He can throw away his garbage. He is just a riot! Every day he has something new that is just hilarious! For example, Lion king in our house is called Baby Roar, only because SImba is a baby and a lion. And Cat in the Hat theme song must be sung like a monster. Why.... no clue.<br /><br />He has however figured out how to communicate even more. He will tell us when he doesn't want something or wants to have a turn and all sorts of stuff. It is just so dang hard to leave him to go teach piano lessons and here " No mommy no!" Breaks my heart, but thankfully it is only for an hour and Aaron is here.<br /><br />You know, I am so lucky to have such a great spouse. I am so happy that we are both on the same page as far as daycare, our values, our discipline. Just everything seems to line up with us. Which makes me so happy and makes my life so much easier. Don't get me wrong, not everything is a quick agreement, but we get there. :) People always mention to Aaron and I how we could be so much farther along if we would both go back to work and you know what, I don't doubt it. But when push comes to shove, I get to see my kids growup once. that's it. And the first year goes by so quickly. I just see how hard it is for people to leave their kids, (especially because my mom ran a day care) and it just breaks my heart! I did go back to work a while ago, and when I did my little boy had seperation anxiety so badly that he started to become ill. Yeah not an option. I mean he has grown up, goodness that was a year ago! But so what I go work at a mall job, with my entire paycheck going to daycare, and hear about what my kid did from a complete stranger. I mean don't get me wrong, I do think there are circumstances that this is a neceissity, but I do think that everyone has different needs. My need and I do mean absolute sole purpose in life was to be a mom. I can't really name you many of my talents, but I can tell you that I am a good mom. But I guess only time can tell if I did it right Right??<br /><br />On the topic of work, I am growing a little home business. I am currently teaching piano! I have now upgraded to ELEVEN kids! I am over the moon! I am having the time of my life typing out spreadsheets, calendars, notes to home, creating games, buying reciept books. Oh man. I just love it! All the kids are so great and it is so neat to see something new make sense and how excited they get when they get to learn a song that they already know. It is just amazing.<br /><br />Anyways, this turned out more of a soapbox preaching episode than an update. But thanks for listening!ktyslauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05018358055677323779noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7291270749553753019.post-36535117466991726482011-02-09T10:45:00.000-07:002011-02-09T11:45:55.231-07:00Crazy Crazy times!This week I realized I have been terrible at updating my life in general. I have a journal for Coen that I write in every month, yeah haven't done that for January yet. It has just been a crazy month, the stupid thing is that I can't really remember anything monumental that happened!<br /><br />One thing I am undertaking is gymnastics. Let me tell ya, that alone has shown me how much my little boy can grow up in a 3 week period. Our first two weeks, it was terrible. Absolutely 100% terrible. The trampoline wasn't too terrible, it is a little crazy though, because the coach is dead set on keeping to the "turns" idea. Yeah, on two year old kids, they just know they want to get on. So Coen would throw fit after fit. Next came the foam pit where I was able to demonstrate an amazing example of "tough love". With my two year old screaming at the top of his lungs, I hucked him into the pit. It was a pretty far drop, and when he landed it was like a little light went on and said "Hey, that was kinda fun!" Just when happiness was on the horizon, we went to the balance beam. Coen was petrified. Just when we were starting to take steps, the coach walks up to us and says "you know, maybe he should be in a younger class, he doesn't seem quite ready for this yet." Let me tell ya, you know those cartoons with the smoke out the ears and the top of he head blows off, yeah that was me. But, I contained myself and simply said " No. He is two. This is his class. We are going to stay." (to me that is being extremely upfront and mean. Pathetic I know.) After the class, we got in the car and I just bawled. I began to have all the doubts that I hope every mom has. Is my kid slower? Am I doing my job to teach him? I am the one in charge of teaching him to grow, am I a terrible parent? The self torture went on and on. I wish I could tell you the next week was better, but it wasnt. I was then at the point where I was going to pull the plug on the whole operation, when the third week came. Let me tell you, Heavenly Father answers prayers. My little boy did EVERYTHING he was told. From stretching to the trampoline. He even did the balance beam 5 times!!! I am happy to tell you we have not had a problem since! He listens so well! Our mad games of chase coen around the room while trying to look in control are done! Many will say that he just grew up, and that may be the case, but on the way to that gym I prayed my brains out! I believe I cashed in a HUGE favor.<br /><br />TO add to my amazment, nursery is now dubbed a success! We had no tears last week!! I just hope he is treating the kids nicely. I learned yesterday that my precious little boy can be a bit of a bully. But you know what, I think I would rather have him being the picking boy. At least I can teach him to stop and how to be nice! I couldn't tell other kids on the playground to grow up! haha.<br /><br />And to tie it all off, he has the BIGGEST vocabulary! It takes some special ears to understand sometimes, but they are there. I am just so freaking proud! I was so worried for the first couple weeks about his speech especially when people around me were mentioning speech therapy. I know it's dumb, but being a stay at home mom, when people question his development, I take it to mean they are questioning my ability as a mom. I take it way too personally! But the way he is shaping up, I feel like I am doing a pretty good mom. THere was a line in modern family a while back where Phil said "Your parents fake your way through it, you fake your way through it, and hopefully you don't raise a serial killer." Yup that pretty much sums up parenting in my mind!ktyslauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05018358055677323779noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7291270749553753019.post-43238196061634267722011-01-13T09:42:00.000-07:002011-01-13T09:48:43.888-07:00January birthdays!The big joke in our family is that all of my life's celebrations begin and are over in a two week period. Christmas, Anniversary, Aaron's birthday, and Coen's birthday.<br /><br />Aaron's birthday was pretty low key. He ended up having to work that day, so we didn't get to do too much. Andy and Michelle always do a dinner for him, which I know he really appreciates. And I do a cake for him. It's lots of fun, but just small.<br /><br />Next came Coen's birthday! His theme this year was Dr. Seuss. We did a party invitation made up of a Dr. Seuss Poem, and then the envelopes were made from the pages of a Cat in the Hat book. Wow did I get grief from that one. :) His cake was the Cat's Hat, which I was very proud of. And then we had cupcakes that looked like Thing 1 and Thing 2. It was all in all a great night. Jason and Julia were able to make it too, which was so much fun. Aunt Michelle and Uncle Andy brought Miss Amelia, and spoiled Coen. (they always do that, but it is all stuff that he uses on a regular basis, so it is a good spoil) We also had blue speghetti for supper.<br /><br />Grandma Campbell stopped by too and dropped off Coen's present. We were supposed to go into Cardston to have another small party there on Sunday but the roads were terrible. So we opted to stay home and have a movie night. We are headed in there this Sunday instead.<br /><br />Well that was my January so far. Not really eventful, but lots of fun to see my baby turn 2!!ktyslauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05018358055677323779noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7291270749553753019.post-15741917338198709972011-01-13T09:18:00.000-07:002011-01-13T09:49:09.822-07:00Our Christmas!I have come to the conclusion that anything below -20 should not be allowed right after the holidays. I also believe that January is the very worst month ever! I get all this wonderful joy with Aaron's birthday and Coen's birthday, and then the rest of the month is a gloomy freezing wasteland. It is dark way too early, and get's light way too late, and is absolutely freezing. I realize that February is probably not too much better, but at least there is solace in knowing that March is around the corner!<br /><br />Regardless, our December was eventful and wonderful! Christmas was particularily everything I could ask for! Our Christmas's are alternated with each family, so this year was Christmas Eve at Grandma Campbells, and Christmas Day at Grandpa Tyslau's. Christmas Eve was exactly what I could ask for! We went in around 2:00 and got to spend time with the Wilde's. My Uncle Roger and his family came up from Utah and got to meet Coen for the first time. It was so funny, because really they hadn't seen Aaron or I since we had just gotten engaged. Crazy! Coen quickly became the little entertainer of the room when he sang and did the movements to Book of Mormon Stories and Popcorn Popping. Everyone got a pretty big kick out of that. Gr. Grandma Wilde also gave him some new hotwheels cars which did not leave his hands until after bedtime. He also said Grandma for the first time! We were so proud! So now grandma C, is Meema. haha.<br /><br />After the Wilde's Christmas, we headed out to Hillspring to see Gr. Grandma Campbell. Their house is so beautiful! They have Christmas lights galore and it is just so wonderful! The tradition my grandpa has begun is just so gorgeous. It is definatly a highlight for my Christmas to go out and see the lights. We got grandma pretty much to ourselves this year, and Uncle Dean and Aunt Donna stopped in with all their kids too! Coen loved all the kids, especially the boys. They ran lots, and had one minor collision, but all in all, everyone survived. We also got to hear how Grandma met Grandpa. So Cool!!! I could listen to her stories all day. We had the traditional cold cuts and crackers with pop and really I couldn't ask for more! It was just a wonderful Christmas Eve.<br /><br />We came home (home being Grandma's house) and after coen fell asleep my dad showed me all of their summer excursions. He got this new flipcam which i'm pretty sure is glued in his hands. All that video will be so wonderful to have in a year from now! And Aaron and my mom attempted to conquer Angry Birds. This was also our first Christmas with our family all together, because Jorden had gotten home from his mission that summer. It was so much fun to have him around. Rance and Jord played pingpong on my paren'ts new ping pong table. Honestly my parents house is so great. It is just warm and wonderful and home.<br /><br />That morning, Coen's christmas began. He finally understood opening gifts and had reaction galore! THere were lots of "OH WOW"'s and "Vroom Vroom!" and "Oh My!" it was just amazing. After that, we packed up and drove into Lethbridge.<br /><br />We had a wonderful Christmas at our house opening gifts from within our own family, and after that, threw together stuffing and a apple crisp and meatballs for Grandpa Tyslaus. Coen was spoiled pretty much rotten by his dad, which is nothing new, and I was given tons of books and a CD that I had lost a couple of months ago!<br /><br />Once we got to the Tyslaus, Coen was a bit sleepy after all the excitement and I was exhausted from sleeping on a deflating air mattress the night before, so the two of us Crashed. I know, not the most festive. THen we played pool. Coen sits on the table and pushes the ball after saying the colours. He is getting SO good at it! Amelia, Michelle and Andy arrived shortly after, and we got to play with their daughter Amelia who was 10 months old. She is such a pretty little girl and so much fun! She is also in love with her uncle Aaron. Everything he does brings a smile to her face. It is just hilarious. After opening gifts, we had our dinner and then sat around talking. Which is really so wonderful! I love just relaxing and visiting after a big dinner. Then we packed up the car and headed home! Coen got a special bathtime, given that it was Christmas and all, with the Grinch (his favorite show) and Smarties and Bubble bath. I'm pretty sure he thought he had died and gone to heaven. haha.<br /><br />Well that was our holidays!! Pretty darn exciting! haha.ktyslauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05018358055677323779noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7291270749553753019.post-54821060613665218232010-12-28T23:26:00.000-07:002010-12-28T23:40:24.131-07:00Time flies by when you are having fun!I am writing today, pretty much in awe at how lucky I am and how fast my life has changed! Three years ago, I was sitting in my room unable to sleep because I was so excited and nervous for the day ahead. The day I finally got to marry my best friend. I know it is cheesy, but there is a country song called "Broken Road" that I just love. Basically it is about how all the trials and heartbreak in our lives are what lead us to the one person that we fall in love with! Without all those broken hearts and stupid choices, as well as the fun adventures of <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">adolescence</span>, I would not have found the great guy I have today. Aaron and I have been through some crazy times in our marriage, but we have always seemed to come out no worse for wear. You know the phrase, one day we will look back on this and laugh? Well I don't know if we laugh or not but we are definately so grateful for what we have now.<br /><br />Along those same lines, I did not think on the day that I was waiting to become a wife, I would be spending the next year EXTREMELY pregnant and waiting to meet my baby boy! What a blessing our Coen has been in our lives. I look at the things that "might have been" and am so glad that I wasn't able to pursue many of the things I wanted to. Oddly enough, Coen seemed to have a better idea of what was "right" than we did. It wasn't easy at times, and heaven knows money was not always there, but you know, we made it through probably the craziest year of my life, and two years later, we have the cutest, most fun boy in the world. Yes I am biased! So I guess you can say I cashed in my University degree and became a mom. And you know what, I don't think I would have it any other way right now. The time will come where maybe school will be an option again, but honestly, there is NO better job for me than being a mom. I love being able to be home with Coen, and wonderfully enough, my job of teaching piano from my home, makes that all the more realistic. I love it.<br /><br />I am not one to preach or to get super religious or anything, but I really do believe as I look back on things, that my Heavenly Father has definatly seen my needs even before I have. Aaron and I were put on certain tracks in our lives to find each other, and to go through everything we have and raise the boy we have. I'm just so glad I was able to follow the "blue print" so that I could find the treasures I have today!ktyslauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05018358055677323779noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7291270749553753019.post-6509440515490819782010-12-21T10:13:00.000-07:002010-12-21T10:32:24.169-07:00I love Christmas! I love the hustle and the bustle and even the stress!! It seems like this year there has been a lot more stress than normal, but I think things are finally settling down. I was able to have my Christmas Recital last night, and the kids were phenominal! I was so proud of them. The night was great... (even if it was about 15 minutes shorter than I had planned) I had three students play, and they each did simply amazing. When I decided to have the recital, I was so excited to show off my kids. Then I got to thinking that the last time I was able to play the piano as a solo was probably about 6-7 years ago! So I decided that now was the time I was going to buckle down and learn a new song. I don't think I have worked that hard for anything in a LONG time. But it was so rewarding to be able to play a song again. There is something great about seeing the fruits of your labours. My kids, really I can't say this enough, were so wonderful! Cole was dressed up so snazzy, and played his songs wonderfully! He was so set on playing them perfect, and assured me that he was NOT nervous! Elora did wonderful! She was dressed in her beautiful Christmas dress, and played her two songs great! Her curtsy was the hit of the show! Quentin did awesome too! We were able to play Yankee Doodle as a Duet, and he was great! I think he definatly showed the kids that there was more than just the first book in piano. I'm so proud!! Teaching is just something that you can't replace. To know that two of those kids had never really sat at the piano before, and now to see them play songs like Scarborough Fair, and Sailing! Man oh man, nothing that beat that.<br /><br />My other job is being a mom, and let me tell ya, nothing can beat that either! Coen is now able to say and point to Purple, Blue, Red, Pink, Orange, Brown, and White! He still counts to 3, but can do so forwards and backwards! He knows almost any animal you can give him, Cow, Lion, Turtle, Snake, Pig, Cow, Cat, etc. It is so much fun to listen to him!<br /><br />Well that is about it for our update! We love you all and wish you a Merry Christmas!ktyslauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05018358055677323779noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7291270749553753019.post-43130827965888006112010-12-21T10:05:00.000-07:002010-12-21T10:12:36.828-07:00Thank youWhat a wonderful amazing time of year! We are so blessed to have the freedom to be able to celebrate the holidays however we feel is appropriate. I have become a CNN watcher, and as I look at the chaos around us, I can't help but feel so grateful for my freedoms that I definately have taken for granted. A lot of countries are not able to put up Christmas trees whether it is because of poverty or government. Many don't have a warm place to sleep Christmas Eve, or a wonderful meal to share with family. Children aren't given the wonder and magic of Santa Claus and his amazing sleigh of toys. I am just so happy that I am able to have all of this! I am so grateful to family who braved the impossible to come to Canada so that I could enjoy these things. Without them I would not have the family I do now. My grandma Campbell, my Myschuk grandparents, and the Tyslau's. Thank you so much. Your choice to come to Canada has blessed us and generations to come.ktyslauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05018358055677323779noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7291270749553753019.post-57945438400778474702010-12-09T20:54:00.000-07:002010-12-10T23:30:09.105-07:00Wonderful Nights!I don't think I have had a day like today in quite some time. Aaron was simply amazing, because after working a night shift last night, came home and stayed with Coen until I woke up, in the mean time cleaning our entire house and starting the laundry! Superman!<br /><br />Then we went out to Jason's place and picked up some firewood for our fireplace. We got to bundle Coen up in his snow pants, boots, toque and the whole kit 'n' caboodle! He was so cute! He loved running and falling on his bum in the snow. It just made me so happy to see him truly enjoy the snow! When it was time to go home he was so devastated. It broke my heart, but after I left the car door open, he climbed into the front passenger seat, sat on his bum, and said "Go Go!" made me giggle. We scooped him up and put him in his chair, which he wasn't too keen on.<br /><br />We spent the day playing cards and lining up Coen's cars to make a "choo choo". Next Aaron made a wonderful supper, and we sat down to watch some favorite Christmas movies. We started with Charlie Brown Christmas which I had never seen before and absolutely fell in love with, and then we watched a new Christmas show called "Prep and Landing." If any of you haven't seen it I highly recommend it! It was soo cute! Coen sat through the whole thing, and was so sad when the elves had to say buh bye.<br /><br />Then we put our monster to bed, and got to watch the hockey game. Wow. Don't think I could top tonight. Great family, great memories, great traditions.ktyslauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05018358055677323779noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7291270749553753019.post-62103114535245712222010-12-04T12:35:00.001-07:002010-12-04T12:44:00.522-07:00Victory is mine!I realize that I have already posted a video under this but words really can not describe the joy I feel. I have successfully (hopefully) introduced drums into my home and , for this week at least, they seem to be a hit. (haha no pun intended.) It all began with getting Coen out of the tub. He wiggles and runs around every time we have to dress him. So I asked him one day if he wanted to listen to the drums. I turned on a Josh Groban song that is my new favorite, and he sat still as long as the drums were playing!<br /><br />Two weeks later, I asked him if he wanted to hear the drums again, only I decided this time to show him the real drums that I knew and loved. I turned to DCI 2004. haha. He sat infront of the tv pointing the the bass drums in the front over and over saying boom boom boom! Loved it! So then (thanks to DCI's little knick knacks) I put the show on the "drum cam" and oh my! He ran around and lots of "OH WOW"'s later, We brought out the pots and the wooden spoons. I wish I was exaggerating when I say this, but he sat through the ENTIRE Blue Devils and Cavaliers performances playing his little pot. I am going to be honest and say I cried a little. Not so much because he was watching DCI, but mostly just because for the moment, I have a little guy that loves something that I loved so much. I may not get a lot of say in his looks, but I sure can try to pass down my passions. So now everyone can say how identical he is to Aaron all you want... I got myself a little drummer boy for Christmas!ktyslauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05018358055677323779noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7291270749553753019.post-27894751088946895062010-11-28T16:53:00.000-07:002010-11-28T17:00:35.529-07:00Cah... Hah!!!!Oh Dr. Suess!!! How I love you!!! So probably about a month ago now, my mom called me and was so excited to see that PBS had a cartoon of "The Cat in the Hat" and that it was actually animated like the book. Naturally I was so excited to show this to Coen. I turned it on, and immediatly Coen was GLUED to the tv. It was hilarious. Now he goes around the house asking "Mah Cah Hah, Mama." (More Cat Hat Mama) He dances when they tell him to, and answers the questions they ask. It is so funny!! He also takes the hat from his Mr. Potato Head, puts it on his head and says " Cah Hah!" I think he is convinced that as long as he is wearing a hat, he is the cat. It would just be nice if he was that enthusiastic with his toque!<br /><br />Coen's other big accomplishment this week has been saying I love you. It is really tough to understand, but it's there. Everytime he drives away on his dump truck he says "Bye Bye Mama," Blows me a kiss, and says "I L OOO!" I leave the L by itself because this is be biggest L I have ever heard. It is like he is flipping his tongue as hard as he can. It is so fun! Made my heart melt the first time I heard it!<br /><br />So like I always say, I am pretty sure I am biased but I LOVE boys so much!! There is something so special with a mom and son! Just love it!!ktyslauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05018358055677323779noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7291270749553753019.post-58079620389514209402010-11-24T22:53:00.000-07:002010-11-24T23:08:12.633-07:00Christmas is around the corner!!I can't really explain why, but this year I was bitten very early by the Christmas bug. I was so excited to get the tree up, and get the house decorated. I wanted to dive into baking ginger snaps, sugar cookies, brownies, cinnamon buns, spice cakes, apple crisp. Oh man. You name it! So our tree was up the middle of November thanks to a great husband who allowed me to win this battle. I still stand strong on my opinion that Rememberance day is a very special holiday. I refuse to decorate until after then, but let me tell ya, it was not easy this year. <div><br /></div><div>Coen was so much fun when we put everything up! He immediatly started to say HO HO HO every time he saw santa. We wrote a letter to santa, and he couldn't really believe that a couple of weeks later, when dad pulled out the mail, he got to open his very own letter! We also have a train that goes around our Christmas tree... it is kind of hard to invision unless you have one. But Coen absolutely loves it! Every night before bed we have to say "Nigh Nigh Too Too!" And every morning the train is greeted with a "Oh WOW TOO TOO!" </div><div><br /></div><div>I just can not get over how much he is growing up! I mean here is this little boy who two years ago made me sit in the ER in Cardston with my wonderful mom beside me, and had me convinced I was having a baby the night before Christmas! Then the next year, we couldn't believe how much he was walking! And now, he is talking with all his might! it may be mumbled and the endings aren't quite there yet (eg. Chee= Cheerios, Upple= either temple or apple, and Unn= orange.) But hey he so close I can almost taste it! </div><div><br /></div><div>Aaron is doing amazing. Last night I was talking to him on the phone when a resident came up to talk to him. He set his cell down and I got to overhear what he was saying to said resident. It was just amazing how well he communicates with them. They never feel dumb or stupid. He just goes right along with whatever they tell him is happening. Whether it be rats in the hallways, police at the door or last night it was snakes! Dementia is such a terrible disease. It breaks my heart. But I am so happy to hear that those people have wonderful workers who instead of pointing it out and saying that they are crazy, just go along with it. In short, I was very very proud of my husband that night. It takes someone special to do that kind of work day in and night out! </div><div><br /></div><div>Well that's about it for me!! Love you all and stay safe this holiday season! </div><div><br /></div><div>Kaci</div>ktyslauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05018358055677323779noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7291270749553753019.post-35802754023368062332010-11-03T09:20:00.000-06:002010-11-03T09:53:47.645-06:00Oh fall... i missed you! Don't get me wrong... I loved and love summer. But there is something so awesome about fall. Crunchy leaves, jacket weather, yellow school busses. Love it all! <div>This fall, it seems my little baby has blossomed into a real boy! Cars are the center of his world. He feels the need to inform me every time we pass one. "VROOM VROOM MAMA!" He is also so high energy! He is climbing up anything he can get his feet into, opening any drawer that prompts his attention, and diving off the coffee table into the couch. I LOVE BOYS! </div><div><br /></div><div>We also have started putting him in his own bed. I can honestly say it was harder on me than it was on him. Or so I thought. The first couple of nights I was so exhausted, that we just crashed. I woke up that morning so proud of my little boy for sleeping through the night in his room. That night I didn't sleep too well, I think it hit me that my boy was all grown up, and I learned the real truth. He never did sleep through the night. He woke up every 2 hours in a screaming fit. I had just slept through it all. I felt so bad. So now, he starts in his bed, until 12, then if he wakes up after that, he comes to our room, if not, then he wakes up in his room! </div><div><br /></div><div>His favorite visit was having Auntie Sharon and Baba and Gigou down. Baba and Gigou are Aaron's grandparents. He loved them so much. He still picks up the phone and says "Hey0 Baba!" so much fun.</div><div><br /></div><div>Halloween was a blast. Coen dressed up as Leo from little Einstiens and we took him to Cardston. He had so much fun. i think it just amazed him that he all he had to do was walk up to a door and they gave him a treat! We went to Grandpa and Grandma Wilde's house, then around Grandma C's neighborhood. </div><div><br /></div><div>That is our fall so far! Hopefully i get better at updating this. Love you all!</div>ktyslauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05018358055677323779noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7291270749553753019.post-7193887194956750722010-11-03T08:59:00.000-06:002010-11-03T09:20:20.866-06:00I realize it has been forever since I have posted. It is just so easy to get caught up in doing every thing else ya know? The last 4 months have been full of a lot of fun and memorable moments. <div><br /></div><div>In July, my brother came home from his mission. It was so neat because he had actually never seen Coen before. We got to go up to the airport in Calgary to see him. Coen had to bring his teddy just for safe keeping. Then we went to my Grandma Wilde's house. We got to roast hot dogs and it was Coen's first attempt at riding a quad. He hated it. Which really surprised me. But If he's scared he's scared right?</div><div><br /></div><div>In August we got to see the parade in Cardston. It was hilarious. My poor little boy got hit in the head twice by flying candy. I think he was traumatized. We also found out that he is terrified of horses. Not just the crying scared but the crawling up mom or dad and trying to get as far away as possible scared. </div><div><br /></div><div>September was awesome. We took Coen to the zoo where he entertained not just us but everyone around him. We took Auntie Sharon and Uncle Don and Devin with us, and really just loved watching Coen. We went to the Canadian part first where he was kind of indifferent. The coolest part for him were the moose and the bears. Then came africa. WOW. he loved the lions. Lots of ROARS! Then came the hippos. All you could see were their butts, and coen let out a big "OH WOW MAMA!" We were giggling so hard. Next we went to the dinosaurs. Coen did so well... until about half way through when he decided that he was scared of the dinosaurs. He clung onto Aaron or I the rest of the way through the park. And let me tell you... packing a 35 lbs kid through the dinosaurs is not easy. Every dinosaur that moved or talked sent him into a clawing up mom screaming panic. By the time we were done walking through Coen let out a big ALL GONE.... NO NO NO!" </div><div> That was pretty much our summer! It was so much fun and I am so sad to see it go. Coen has learned soo much! He is talking so well and climbs on everything and anything. He is in love with the piano and LOVES music. (It's my kid.. come on.) He is so good with other kids and loves his cousin amelia so much. We are having an awesome time with him!!</div>ktyslauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05018358055677323779noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7291270749553753019.post-355963788146038602010-06-07T22:31:00.000-06:002010-06-07T22:35:32.084-06:0017 monthsSo today my little man turned 17 months old! I can not believe how fast the time has gone! He knows so much and is learning so quickly. We went swimming a this weekend and Coen got very attached to the slide and in no time he could crawl out of the pool, walk over tothe slide, climb the stairs, and wait for me to catch him! His other new thing is knowing how to put his Mickey DVD's into the Bluray player. It is so funny.<br /><br />He is also learning more about his body! He knows his hair, eyes, ears, teeth, toes and GUTS! Haha. Thanks for the idea Carla! It is so funny. And if you ask him " Coen, how do you eat a cookie?" He bites and chomps his teeth!<br /><br />We also got to meet a cow last week! We went to the farmers market to see what the big deal was, and actually it was a lot of fun! There was a Cow Auction (I think that's what it was) and Coen was just in awe with how big they were! It was so cute!ktyslauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05018358055677323779noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7291270749553753019.post-81567517637589847102010-05-27T20:20:00.001-06:002010-05-27T20:32:21.531-06:00Here we are a year and some later. Coen is just such a little stinker. He is so curious about everything. He especially loves anything electronic. I guess he ges that from the Tyslau side. He also loves the piano, from the Campbell side! He pulls a little step up tothe piano and just bangs on it all day. The best was when he was tryign to take a nap and I guess i turned it up a little loud because he came up to me and said "Shhh!" it made me laugh so hard.<br /><br />He knows so much now. His vocabulary includes " Mama, Da (Dad), Goal!, Coen, Okay, Wow, Uh oh, and Disney." He is just starting to wrap his head around Lion and Girl. He loves saying Hi to everyone and waves and literally anyone that walks past him. It is so funny but so heartbreaking because people will rarely wave back, and he really looks almost hurt by it. It's kind of hard to see. I mean would it kill you to wave at a toddler?<br /><br />He also has discovered cars. Actually just today! He pushs them across our fireplace ledge and just loves it. We got him some new cars because yesterday was his sick day. We were told he had a minor case of croup. It sounds so horrible, especially at night. I tell ya, that is the hardest part about being a mom, is seeing you baby sick. breaks my heart. but luckily we haven't had to go into the ER at all. so Everything is fine.<br /><br />His newest thing is problem solving. Today he was pushing his John Deere around the house and it wouldn't fit through the opening between our couches. First he pushed as hard as he could. THen he backed it up and tried reversing the truck, and when that didn't work it just pushed it around the house and tried from the other side. It was truly amazing to see his little mind working so hard to figure out a puzzle<br />.ktyslauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05018358055677323779noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7291270749553753019.post-25011909809696350062010-05-27T11:58:00.000-06:002010-05-27T12:05:36.686-06:00My little boy is here!Finally after our bazillionth time going to the maternity ward I came home and decided I was not going to sit around. I got up and started making my first ever batch of buns. I had to stop every now and then when the pain got bad, but I persevered. At six when Aaron had some home from work, I had a feeling to call my mom. I called and explained the feeling. It wasn't a pain at all, not it was just kind of a different feeling. She told me to go in, and so we went. My husband was so sick of driving that drive, I'm sure he wanted to just throw me in a taxi. Finally we got to the hospital and went to the maternity ward. AFter a couple of minutes on the monitor for a stress test, ( Coen never did like those. He would disappear until the nurse came in. When the nurse came back he would kick it so hard you could see the paddle bounce. But only if it was agirl nurse) we were told that I was going to be admitted. I started to bawl. I could not believe I was finally going to see my baby! Aaron went to call the fam, and by the time he came back, they were preping me to go tothe suite. He went back and called my mom and told her to come quick. Next came the hot shower. oh my word I loved that thing. You couldn't have got me to come out of there, except to have a baby. ( darn) I was waiting for the epideral and man those pains hurt. my mom had come in my then and just kept telling me to go to my happy place. I remember turning to her and saying" I"m running out of happy places mom!" THen came the epideral and everything was great! My baby was born 7 hours later and 1:05 am of January 7th 2009. They asked me what his namewas and i didn't hesitate to call him Coen.ktyslauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05018358055677323779noreply@blogger.com0