Happy Halloween! I had to not blog for a few days until my hot temper had cooled it's jets. I came out of the gate waaayyyyyyyyy too fast as supermom and things got a little nutty. As you may or may not know my husband cancelled his Vegas trip to help with the kidlets and store and well, my chaotic life. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you !!! Being a good wife and always feeling guilty (why??????????) decided to make it up to him by being wife of the year so Thursday he headed out with his Business partners to Moxies for drinks.......Friday he headed to the neighbourhood mens poker night..........and well, Saturday night he headed to Ozzy Osboune with his business partner Brent.

Oh, to take back that "allowing" him out on Saturday night! Well, Brent I have blogged about before has had one hell of a crazy year - he has lost a child and fought off cancer so he deserves to whoop it up - my husband of course must help him along....I get this, but boys you are not 17 anymore....c'mon you can not keep up to the youth of today......

What happened? Well, I awoke from a deep sleep 2:30 am to a cell phone pocket prank.....finally boozy the clown arrived home around 4 am, and in the morning discovered he lost his wedding ring.......I officially blew a gasket. A GIGANTIC HISSY FIT! Now, don't get me wrong it may seem fishy - it isn't - my husband is the best but your wedding ring - seriously....I know it was cheap but I am sentimental and I am so sad. We have been dating since we were 15 and the symbol of that ring means the entire world to me - our vows I still remember how I felt - bllllaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. Enough said , he feels sick, he has hunted everywhere and the ring is gone - we will move on but I am still using it in my favour now to get what I want ( I know sick but whatever works:)) Oh yeah, and one shot at Brent - not sick as in the sick you were all over your basement.

Seriously, boys - highschool has long since passed.

Now what - had lunch with the Gingersnaps and 3/4 of their kids - so much fun - they have a totally hilarious family dynamic - so much fun and energy. Thanks Girls.

We hit up the street in full force trick or treating today - Harris was a lion, Evy a puppy dog although she didn't even venture outside....I would post pics but our camera is in the repair shop - a reality of letting your 3 year old work the digital. What else - a welcome winter Fish Fry at the in-laws tommorrow and my momma will be there to celebrate her b-day! Hurrah.

Other than that watch for the changing blog link coming soon!

Oh ya, and no baby yet for Miss Crys.........

Over and out - K

Ok, so in the last 10 days we officially decided to close the store, had a huge sale, packed up, moved out, dove back into family life. Brandi packed up and left the country for a long time in the works family vacation. Wow, when we set our minds to something - consider it done! Just be on the look out Winnipeg we are already thinking what's next? Are we insane? Oh, most definatley. The husbands well, they are of course our number one fans but last week, full time parenting put them both into a frenzy and well, if we cool our entreprenuerial jets for a few months minimum I am sure they will be happy.

I knwo my husband is happy to have is domestic wife back - I hopped into my housewife role with full force this morning....maybe a little too fast (he sleeped in, I cleaned, fed and played with the kids, reorganized, cleaned, and de-cluttered the house - can't sit still with all this time - ok it has been 1 day!!!) If I keep us this pace he will require serious re-training for my next venture...hmmmmm, something to seriously consider.

What is going on? Well, we are still sorting through the paperwork, wrapping up bookkeeping, paying bills, etc to finish up witht he store. The behind the scenes stuff...the stuff that when we had the store took up so much family time.....

Other than that life is good, my babies ar so great and I am so happy to be enjoying them 100%. Evy is wild and into EVERYTHING....9 month old crawling/standing machines are a mad force to be wreckoned with and the house self destructs every hour. Harris is great - learning about the bodya t pre-school at 3???? Today he touched my neck and asked if I knew what it was...I said of course...neck....no mom, it's your esphogas (Ok, i am 30+ with a degree and i can't even spell it) What is up with that??????? He also uses it in every sentence....if he were awake right now he would ask me " Does your wine taste good in your eshpo.....? Still can't spell it...

Anyhow, Kirb is out reliving huis youth at Ozzy and I am goign to curl up with a good book or movie....

Good night mommas - and stay tuned we weren't joking about the martini night!

Back to my Crazy life...

Okay, enough with the self help. It's onward and upward. I am backing to blogging about my crazy life. Why, please tell me why, is it that moms are responsible for keeping everything together??? Remind me again, why we do almost everything around the house. That's working working for a living with 2 kids is just too crazy. Please don't write me and tell me that your husband does it all because that might send me over the edge.

So last night I worked until 8:00, home by 8:30. Now, let me say that Brent has a cold, therefor the world has stopped. I hope he isn't reading this. Anyway, Gage pooped all over his bath towel and Brent's shirt. Brent, being extra helpful, took the soiled items to the basement for HIS WIFE TO WASH. Yes, he left pooped on, rolled up - laundry in the basement for me to wash - imagine the smell!! Not to mention that I am organizing the childcare, did I say working full time???? and getting ready for Saturday.

Now, yes I could handle all of this and I do but here's where I lose it. He is actually upset with me - why? I have no freakin idea but I truly think in his mind he feels entitled to be upset because he has to take care of the boys for 3 hours while I work at closing down the store!!!!! Amber - yes I am ready for a drink.

It's 10:20 a.m. and I have to shower, change the wash, make some coffee - why because yes I get up in the night to feed our babe! Yes, that's right I am crabby!!! Now when is the Martini Club's first meeting. Move over Water Buffaloes here we come!

So today I am writing about supporting small business. It's too late for us, but Adriana from Tiber River wrote us the most inspirational email - thank you Adriana. It is a constant struggle and especially as women, it is even harder to be entrepreneurs. So my blog to day - of course it's all about the store closing these days - is to ask you moms out there to sit down and think about your favorite stores and SUPPORT them a little more. We had a great chat with one of our customers today who said they wished they would have supported us more. They said that there is something to be said for being able to go and see and touch and smell products. There is something to be said for quality and for local economy and for supporting products that are made in here in Winnipeg and here in our great country - CANADA!! The sad thing is that if you are reading this blog you probably do so already. But if you don't support a little more local.



Now on to the women side of this blog... I told Kath that I now get why women try to find easy work from home jobs - do they even exist??? But I do get it. It's hard these days being a woman and raising a family and having a business or a successful career for that matter. BUT mamas go on and forge ahead in the workplace. Isn't that what we are trying to do for our babies. Aren't we trying to raise our little girls knowing that they can be ANYTHING they want? Yes we are.


One Flaw In Women
Women have strengths that amaze men.
They bear hardships and they carry burdens,
but they hold happiness, love and joy.
They smile when they want to scream.
They sing when they want to cry.
They cry when they are happy
and laugh when they are nervous.
They fight for what they believe in.
They stand up to injustice.
They don't take "no" for an answer
when they believe there is a better solution.
They go without so their family can have.
They go to the doctor with a frightened friend.
They love unconditionally.
They cry when their children excel
and cheer when their friends get awards.
They are happy when they hear about
a birth or a wedding.
Their hearts break when a friend dies.
They grieve at the loss of a family member,
yet they are strong when they
think there is no strength left.
They know that a hug and a kiss
can heal a broken heart.
Women come in all shapes, sizes and colors.
They'll drive, fly, walk, run or e-mail you
to show how much they care about you.
The heart of a woman is what makes the world keep turning.
They bring joy, hope and love.
They have the compassion and ideas.
They give moral support to their
family and friends.
Women have vital things to say
and everything to give.

HOWEVER, IF THERE IS ONE FLAW IN WOMEN,
IT IS THAT THEY FORGET THEIR WORTH.

Good night Martini mamas!

Well now the healing can begin. I had Sushi for dinner from Yujiro - amazing and a bottle of wine. My kids are tucked in and my amazing husband has his feet up. I just got out of a HOT shower. What can I say - it was an unbelievable day. Check out some cool shots taken by the unbelievable Kal http://www.lovelife.typepad.com/. It started with a line up of about 150 people, some shoving, a fire truck and a line up that lasted for 2 hours - even in the rain - but we made it. Our little Crys is home and didn't deliver her baby - what a success. Somewhere in the middle we were inspired and our hearts started to feel good again. So many of you have emailed us and we are so thankful for your kind words. Many people came to the store today, friends and family, to bring us treats, cheer, coffees, wine even - thank you Margo. We cannot find the words to express our gratitude for all of the love that we were shown at Anticipation.

I could go on and on - in fact I feel like I am receiving an Academy award, and I don't want to miss anyone. But I want to say so many THANK YOUS! For all of you out there who supported us right up to the end - THANKS. To our worker bees - THANKS. To our star employee Crys - THANKS. To our families, THANKS. To our friends, THANKS. To our husbands and kids who without you we could never have taken such risks - THANKS and to my incredible business partner - THANKS.

We will continue to blog and share our trials and tribulations as moms. Although we said today that Stroller Walk isn't going to cut it anymore, I think we are going to have to start the Mom's Martini Club. Stay tuned.

Good night mamas.

With Great Risk Comes Great Reward

Dear Friends, Colleagues, Fellow Mamas,

It is with great sadness that we write this letter. We have decided that we will be closing Anticipation. We want to explain to you why and we want to thank you with the most sincerity for you support over the past 2 years.

When we opened the store, we truly gave birth to our second babies. We poured our hearts and souls into this business. In doing so, we met some amazing women, many of you have inspired us, listened to us, helped us by giving us good advice be it on family or business and most especially you have supported us. If there was any way that we could keep going we would. With young families and increased competition we just cannot make it happen. It is really sad but the reality is that our market is saturated with competition, the rising dollar has allowed many people to shop south of the border or online and all of these things make it really hard for small businesses to survive. That being said, we have decided to close the doors and pour our hearts and souls into our families.

We feel that Anticipation was a place where powerful women (and men) gathered. We have made tremendous friends and connections that will last us a lifetime. So, please hear us when we say THANKS! It has been a blast. We would do it all over again in a heartbeat and will encourage our babes to follow their callings in life.

Please understand that we will be CLOSED Friday October 19th to prepare the store for our HUGE staying home with our babies sale. Starting Saturday October 20th at 10:00 a.m. EVERYTHING IN THE STORE will be 50% off. This includes premium denim, diaper bags, nursery bedding, floor models and so much more! Come and shop one last time. It is your chance to buy some great items while you can at cost. Stock up for the rest of your pregnancy & for the holidays now. Sale hours for the next week are Monday to Friday 12 – 8:00 p.m.. Saturday 10: - 5:00.

Please understand that our exit is fast so as not to prolong the inevitable. We can honestly say that we have given it our all and we are truly thankful to all of you who have been part of this journey.

Kath & Brandi

PS – Please pass this on to anyone you know.

Moms gone Wild

hangover
n.

Unpleasant physical effects following the heavy use of alcohol.The most common reported characteristics of a hangover are feelings of extreme thirst, lethargy, nausea, sensitivity to sunlight and noise, and headache.

I can only type as of this morning! Brad Paisley did not disappoint. We danced our asses off - I wish! The whole show rocked and we met some super nice people and ate, drank, drunk and were merry! My poor mama took care of our boys until 2:30 in the morning. Yikes. Anyway, it was a night of very little sleep and lots of hammering in my head but all worth it.

Blaine, Lis, Maddy & Jen and Brad came over with yummy grub from Kings Palace - one of Brad's finds. We had slurpees and Chinese food last night and well I have a skip in my step again this morning. Go Diego Go is on in the background, I have a cup of Tim's in my hand and breakfast is cooking itself. Wait, that must be Brent.

Sunday night - hummmm, I think I will crawl in to bed and watch Brothers & Sisters with a tub of ice cream. Hello - is that show great so far this season or what???

Happy family day - I love lazy Sundays.

B

Brent is a complex man who always seems to surprise me! I have to share this side of my incredible husband. Last night at dinner time, the doorbell rang. I opened the door and there he stood with a painting in his hand. Sometimes, just when I am not expecting it, he is so incredibly thoughtful and even romantic. I lept with excitement. Last summer, so 2006 Brent, Hudson and I went to The Half Moon for lunch - one of my all time favorite places. We walked down to the water by docks and played in the park. Anyway, on our way home, we stopped at The Kennedy Tea House. At the time, there was a local artist painting outside. Inside were some of her pieces of work. Needless to say, I fell in love with one and today it hangs in our family room! What a man!

Two funny stories to share from my day with the boys...This morning as I was getting ready, Hud came into the bathroom and said, "Mom, I have earrings just like you." I smiled look at his ears and continued getting ready. Snickering he turned away. At that moment I realized, yes he did - only his were stuffed in his ears! Fear not, I got them out!

Later on, after naps, the three of us were watching The Jungle Book - I know I am predictable, it's Mougley, Diego or Dora. Anyway, I had just fed Gage. Hud came up, teeth clenched. Gage, I love you!!! he screams out. He then hugged him so tight Gage projectile vomited all of his lunch! Hudson, not understanding the connection between his squeezing and Gage's barfing said: "Gage, you need to be a good boy! Barfing is not nice!"

I should run. I need to make dinner and head out to Pilates! Kath and I are working on our abs for Brad Paisley Friday night! Wranglers and cowboy boots here I come! Just teasing!

I am a Chicken (well, more like a chicken with my head cut-off) but who wants to see that picture this morning......I am with you Brandi - things are just whirling around in my head.....run home, make dinner, go to swimming, pack bag, unload wet clothes, pay bills, blah, blah....

I am back thinking 2 kids is chaos - Evy is in full force crawling and standing up so now I have to watch EVERYTHING and multi tasking is gone out the window. Even in my sleep I have to watch the kids - Harris is crazy sleep walking (yup it is hereditary and I did it too BUT it is worse in boys and it is definately worse)....Last night I found him in the bathroom trying to pee in his sleeping - can we say disaster....my cleaning lady came yesterday and while I understand that the house will not stay clean for 2 weeks before her next visit I do hope for a good week:) I got him and brough him into bed bigger mistake - he peed in my bed - nothing in my house is safe from kids....bed was my sanctuary at the end of the day but now it smells like pee.....

Does anyone have tips????Help, Help, Help.....so goes the madness - October is flying by - I am at buying shows, Kirby is off to Vegas for EO University (ha) and well, we are just juggling to get through to Novemeber which is shaping up to be just as ridiculous....aghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

KAth

PS. Bon Jovi si coming - can you say Whaooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Yep, A Thousand Splendid Suns - amazing is all I can say. Happy Thanksgiving. I am getting plumper by the minute but having a great time doing it. Yesterday my sister Jen and and my future brother-in-law had us for dinner. It was amazing. Bred is Ukrainian and is teaching my sis how to cook all the yummy food. We pigged out, it was delicious. I made a Bavarian Apple Torte which was also delicious - a recipe form the Breast cancer Research Cookbook. I think Brent had to roll me home, wine and turkey and all the trimmings!

Then today I shopped Toys R US dry! I have to say that I hate shopping there 0 it is always a gong show and I always have to wait in line and I can never find someone to help me - but I keep going back because they have the toy market sewn up. I went to buy a gift for my little Ty - Mollie's son's birthday - and ended up doing whack of Christmas shopping for my little Hudson. They had PlayDoh, Tonka and Home Depot toys on sale so I bought a bunch of things for him. I hope he doesn't read my blog - just joking.

Here's the funny thing....I went by myself which should be great and stress free right??? Wrong, I almost peed my pants from the anxiety attack I was having knowing Brent was at home with the two babes by himself??? If you were at the mall today and saw a crazy woman running from store to store freaking out - don't panic, I wasn't on fire, I was just trying to get a few things. Moms out there, say it with me - AM I CRAZY!! I had to throw in a little Diego - anyway I mean come on, we do it all the time, right??? Well I still have anxiety and come home to pour myself a drink immediately! Kath and I are at a Trade Show next weekend - I hope no one lights the house on fire while I'm gone!

Anyway, I am off to watch the Jungle Book. Tomorrow we are at the outlaws, my MIL makes the greatest pumpkin pie ever!!

Happy Turkey Weekend!

What a great weekend it has been so far! We have had a relaxing but fun-filled weekend thus far...Harris was pooped from the week at pre-school and both kids were sleeping by 7 pm....I know that this sometimes takes away from time with Dad but I selfishly enjoy some of those nights. It is a rare opportunity to have time to keep things done AND enjoy time with my husband. We ordered in dinner, talked about life and the week and then even watched a movie (Blades od Glory - Kirby thought it was hilarious and I thought it was stupid but apparently I have no sense of humour.....ha) I must admit that we had a great family vacation to Toronto - it is just that Kirby and I did not have one minute to speak to each other inbetween organizing, loading up, unpacking, and entertaining the kids...therefore last night was great!

Today we had two great festivities!

1. Reece's third Birthday at Cinema City...It was fun! Harris and Reece are very close and he was one of 6 kids at the party...the only MALE:) It was a princess theme but he had a very pimped out crown and felt very cool amidst the gals. We ate in th party room and then sat thru the enitre Shrek 3 which was perfect because Kirb and I wanted to see it too. I was so proud of him - he picked out her entire present....Fairy slippers, a make-up kit, a cinderella balloon (he insisted on this for weeks) and an Ariel doll. He even helped wrap it up.

2. The Fall migration dinner at Fort Whyte...probably my favorite place in the city....Evy went to the Macleans for dinner and Harris, Kirby, Grandma, Grandpa and I went to the dinner. When we sat down for an amazing meal there were only a few geese on the lake and by sunset they were coming in hundreds....the lake was filled with thousands by the time we left. This dinner and a "show" runs for the entire month of October every night with 3 dinner times and sold out in 6 days. here is my plug for FW - it is AMAZING! A family membership is only $60/year and the stuff they have for families is awesome. There is tons of regular activites likeing hiking, biking, canoeing, toboggan runs but the extra's are unreal and are often no extra charge for members. The next big thing we will be going to is the Halloween Howl...check out their website at www.fortwhyte.org for info

My family is there every week and we buy annual pass for both sets of grandparents so they can join us too with the kids. The cafe has great breakfast and foods too......

What now - well after a busy day like that Harris is sleeping and since I have not heard a peep I am assuming that Kirby is asleep with him. I am going to get a little bookkeeping done and curl up with a good book. I have just got the new one Brandi just read and like her I too have forgotten the name.

So, I am home, working on the website, with help from our Tech guy! Hud is eating snacks and tearing the house apart. The Bare Necessities are blaring in the background which should be a hint - get back to basics woman!! And Gage is squawking with all of his new sounds! I think we'd give Mowgli a run for his money.

Gage is giving up nursing I think. In the past couple of days I have had to supplement more than usual and now he seems to want the hearty stuff! Last night we were in Triage at St. B - my new niece to be gave us a quite a stir as her heart rate dropped. She bounced back quickly though and all is well.

I told Crys - be weary - this is the beginning of a life where you wear your heart on your sleeve. In a split second, you can drum up a well full of tears, all because you babe wouldn't hug you! I have never felt that kind of instant emotion. It is so pure that I wonder what I will be like when the boys marry! Wahhhh - just kidding I'm alright. Truly, I am soooo excited to meet this new little girly. One bright spot in our evening was that the 3 sisters had a real bonding session. We are a remarkable team in that when anyone of us needs the others - we're there.

Thankfully I have amazing in laws to didn't bat an eyelash - they just said go and be with your sis, we'll wait until Brent comes home.

Now on to pumpkin pie and whip creammmm. Let the festivities begin!

B

PS - Old pic - I was pregnant with Hudson.

A major tragedy occurred last night in our house and I was out with Kath - working our abs on the Bosu ball. Brent had finished reading stories and was about to say good night when Hudson said, "Daddy I need my blankie." Of course, I was unavailable. Dad, who I give tons of credit to,went downstairs to check the laundry. I can only wash the blankie when he's out. Anyway, the balnkie was in the washing machine - WET. Dad, thinking on his feet, quickly threw it into the dryer and went upstairs to control what was close to being pandemonium! Luckily it dried quickly and crisis was averted but I could feel the tension in the air when he told me.

Mamas can you imagine how hostile this situation could have become! Over tasking, that's my Thursday word of the day. So, I am working from home these days, with 2 babes underfoot and I feel like I cannot do any ONE task right never mind manage all of what I have on my plate. I sent my friend Heidi from Gingersnaps an email asking her how she works from home? She said, pathetically until the wee hours of the night. Now, here's my problem, I am still nursing and really do need sleep. Man, why couldn't I be more like Einstein - didn't he need about 4 hours????

I feel like I need to schedule every minute of my days and even at that I am rarely stimulating my kids. Maybe our moms were onto something when kids just played - be it in the cupboard or the pantry. I sometimes feel so powerful that I have the opportunity and ability to be an entrepreneur and work from home. And sometimes, I think, "Have I lost my freakin marbles??? Anyway, I know I am way off track but I sometimes sit here and envy the simple life.

Another gorgeous day. I am having lunch with my uncle, Hud is at daycare and my MIL has Gage. I hope the egg timer doesn't go off before my lunch is done! Dingggggg - next task - groceries!!! Dingggg!!! Next task - mind my marbles....

I love you Winnipeg! There was a time that I would have not said this that I would have given anything to be among the concrete jungle of the big city. I did pine for Cowtown for a full year after moving home and it was still somewhat smaller than Toronto.

Where to start? We did survive and we did have a great time but I love you Winnipeg (Did I say that already???)

We had a great trip and the kids were awesome! We hit up a few of our fave places - The Ontario Science Centre, High Park, swimming at the Delta Chelsea kids floor;), we ate out, we shopped and we visited. The hard part was just getting out of downtown with 2 kids - we stayed with my BIL and SIL who have rented a condo for 2 years downtown while she finishes her Post-Doc at U of T....so you can imagine us in a smaller sized condo, 9th floor admist all of the skyscrapers...it is hard to pop outside to burn off the energies of a 3 year old boy in greenspace.

What else.....pilates tonight - ahhhhhh, where are you abs? I need you - we just booked a hot holiday to the Mayan - did I mention sans kids just us and another couple - oh ya...no 4 suitcases, 2 car seats, playpen....rental van, stroller...I can not wait:) Yes, I may be spoiled but I am a good wife and mom:)

Anyhow, the store is great - crystal sold us out of furniture this weekend so I think I should go away more often...haha.

Anyhow, back 2 work! Did I mention I love you Winnipeg??????
Oh ya, would love to include pics but we packed a camera with a dead battery (hey, you can't rememebr everything?) and am waiting for my family to email me some.......

Man, what an amazing fall day. We have sure have had some great weather which made for an awesome weekend. Brent and I went to the corn maze in St. Adolphe, (cornmaze.com) on Friday night with Chad, Mol & the babes. Gage stayed home with Grandma because of his affliction to car rides which by the way I am still hoping he outgrows. It was an Amazing night - get it a MAZE ing night! Yeah, yeah, the kids loved it. We roasted hot dogs and marshmallows, pet the goats, played in the maze. Fun, fun, fun. Saturday Mol & I celebrated her birthday with breakfast at Cora's and facials. We don't do presents, we just go to the spa and treat ourselves to something relaxing. The Bombers won, Sunday dinner with the outlaws - it was a perfect weekend.

Kath is away in TO - I'm sure having a blast and the store is back in full swing. It is so busy. The furniture is a huge hit. Everyone loves the Monte Glider, I mean come on - how can you not??? And, we have a new employee starting today - Sara! Welcome to the funny farm. Just kidding! You are in very good hands with Crys! Kath and I have our first trade show this month so we are excited about buying for spring which I know sounds nuts unless you're in retail.

As for the babes, they are doing awesome - Gage is struggling with sleep. Heck, so am I for that matter. Hud is maximizing his hours outdoors. He absolutely loves every sport and could play outside until you dragged him in! It will be neat to see if Gage is the same way - a sports nut just like Brent.

Anyway, I am off to do laundry, water plants, make beds etc. etc. etc.

B

(Grey)