Tagging along

I've been tagged by Amanda of Penny 'n' Pounds to blog about 6 unspectacular quirks that I have. I googled "quirks" first, and since it means "odd habits" I thought I could give it a try.

Here are the rules:

• Link the person who tagged you
• Mention the rules on your blog
• Tell about 6 unspectacular quirks of yours
• Tag 6 fellow bloggers by linking them
• Leave a comment on each of the tagged bloggers blogs letting them know they have been tagged.

1. If the clock in the kitchen doesn't work I get real cranky. Even though I have a watch on my wrist and there's a digital clock on the microwave, I ALWAYS look at that clock. Since we have been using rechargeable batteries I get cranky more often (I know they're better for the environment, but they don't last long!)
   
2. Before I go to bed I check if my children are still breathing. Since they are 8 and 5 I presume this habit has turned into a quirk.
   
3. I sometimes check the ending of a book before reading all the chapters.
   
4. No matter how much I eat for dinner, I can always eat a little chocolate directly afterwards. Not that I always do so, I just can.
   
5. I make lists for everything.
   
6. I like spaghetti with meatballs. If the meat is just "scattered" through the spaghetti (sorry, don't know the right word for this) I don't like it.

I'm not going the follow all the rules: I'm not tagging anyone else. But, if you would like to "tag along" and tell me six unspectacular quirks about yourself, then please leave me a comment so I can check out your post.

Winter may come

She's ready for it!

The kids and I went shopping for winter coats this afternoon and the moment my daughter laid eyes on this coat she fell in love with it. I did make her put on another one, just to see what it looked like, but I let her have this one anyway. It's just so her.

She also chose a new hat and scarf and although they were quite expensive (I felt a little guilty about spending all that money on one afternoon), she just looks so good in them!

Robin has a new coat too, but I wasn't able to take his picture since he had soccer training.

Robin Red Breast

There are butterflies in my stomach right now thanks to this post over on One more Moore.

Morgan is hosting the NieNie Benefit Sale (see my post below) and she featured my Robin Red Breast tag! I'm pretty excited over here!!! Thanks Morgan!

UPDATE: half an hour after opening the Nie Nie Benefit sale, 155 items had been sold (including my bookmarks and Robin Red Breast tags!). I love Etsy and the blogging community!!! Morgan will be listing more items tomorrow at 10.00 am PST.

Don't forget

Go here (www.NieNieBenefitSale.etsy.com) on Tuesday 23 and Wednesday 24 September if you want to help the Nielson Family! If you have not yet heard about this family, check this post.

I've donated some butterfly bookmarks and a few Robin Red Breast tags myself.

Remember: this benefit will be held for 2 days only!

Craving attention

I finally managed to upload the video from my daughter's first ballet lesson (silly me, I tried to upload it as a picture the first time!). Caitlin is the one in front with her hair in a bun and it seems like somebody else was looking for some attention...

Ballerina Girl

I had a little surprise waiting for my daughter when she got home from school:

The teacher had told us that the kids could bring a towel to sit on while doing their floor exercises, so I made her a personalised towel. Mummy was showered with kisses and cuddles, so I take it she liked it.

My son, chatting up the teacher... (not really, he was actually inquiring about the radio)

Coming over to give me a kiss and to tell me:

"Mummy, I LOVE ballet!"

(I had a little photoshop fun with this one)

She loved it so we'll sign her up for the trimester. I tried to upload a little video, but Blogger doesn't recognise the format, so these pictures will have to do.

Le temps c'est de l'amour*

Time is love.

Sounds so much better than time is money.

Sometimes I forget to live in the now.

I hurry from one task to another and I try to fit so much into a single day that I forget to take a moment and play with my children. I'm there for my son's homework and I read stories to my daughter but the moment they turn to play, I turn to a chore or turn on my computer. A guilty feeling creeps up on me and sticks to me like a shadow. Sometimes I wish I could lose my guilty shadow like Peter Pan lost his.

There is a cure for this however, and it can be spelled out using four letter words: PLAY. LIVE in the now, soak up the moment and store it away in your heart for they will not stay little forever. LOVE your TIME with your children, for time is indeed love.

You may even get a thimble from your kids.

*: part of the lyrics of the song "Lucie" by Obispo

Chorus:

C'est pas marqué dans les livres

que le plus important à vivre

est de vivre au jour le jour

Le temps c'est de l'amour

Pretty in Pink

We signed Caitlin up for ballet classes this year. There's a free try out on Friday and if she likes it, she can go for the rest of the trimester.

Parents are allowed to stay only for the first lesson. I took Friday off, so I'll be able to watch my little girl. I'm sure she will like it once she's there, but I hope she will still want to go when we're not allowed to watch anymore. She actually followed a dance class last year at another school (she was too young to do ballet and it was more playing and learning about rhythm) and she liked it when she was there, but we had to make her put on her shoes and she kept saying that she didn't want to go while she was in the car. Yes, my little girl can be a little stubborn. The weird thing was: there were other girls that were really excited going to the dance class, but once they got there they didn't participate. My girl was the opposite!

I think it might make a difference that this time the dance classes are actually at her own school (the ballet teacher rents the gym after hours), so she's already familiar with the surroundings.

I couldn't resist and already bought her an outfit. The outfit was a succes. I hope the ballet lessons will be too. If not, she can always wear it to... uhm, I don't know, look at a comic book perhaps?

I'm actually a little jealous: I would have loved to dance when I was young and.... I like pink!

More

Upon request, a little bit more of me.

Taking pictures of yourself is a lot easier using the webcam!



P.S.: My son was having a little "fun" in the background.

Up close & personal

I said you would see more of me.... :)

Off they go

The first day of September traditionally also means the first day of school here in Belgium. So off they went this morning with their new lunch boxes and backpacks. I added a sweet little personalised touch, did you notice? My son has one of the Beary Special keychains with his initial on it and a very BIG school bag.

I hope they both have a great year. The first day seems to have been fun.

Robin's books now all have Spiderman covers and the lunchboxes have been washed, all ready to be used again. Another year that will fly by has just begun.

When I was a kid I used to secretely check my school bag and the new items my mom had bought for us. I remember she kept them stored on top of her wardrobe closet, so we wouldn't touch any of it until the first day of September. I remember a drawstring bag with navy blue/white stripes for when we went swimming. My sister had the same in red (I actually liked hers better). I could look at it for hours.

I can look at my kids for hours too...

Modeling my hat. I should probably let her have it. I've only worn it once and she looks so much better in it than I do.

OK, that's it for the first day of school. I'm off to bed now... after I've had a peek at my sleeping kids.