Don't cry over spilled cheerios...

Don't worry... I'm not :D In fact I love that I have cheerios scattered around my living room, it means that my little boy has been there! Those who know me well, know that I am not a tidy person. I wish that I was but I'm just not. And if the cheerios around my house are any indication of what Rupert will be like in the future... he will be just like his momma! But as much as I don't care that there's cheerios all over my house, I'm equally as curious as to how he gets them from one end to the other so quickly, and how is he such a big boy when clearly most of his food is not actually making it into his mouth! Oh well it shall remain a mystery for today!

To make up for a lack of pictures of the child my next post will feature a movie spectacular starring Rupert and his buddy Thomas! We bought Rupert this remote control Thomas last night, we tried it out but Rupert was a little scared of it so we are letting him play with it for a while before we turn it on again. So hopefully next time we turn it on he will be absolutely thrilled that his buddy has come to his house to play! I think Colin and I had more fun watching it last night than he did! It wheeshes and puffs and plays the Thomas theme song as it goes! AMAZING!!!!

Park by the Sea...

Colin and I have been scoping out parks and looking for baby swings to put Rupert in! We found the perfect one down by the beach and have been waiting for a nice day to take him down. Yesterday was the day! We bundled up as it was still a little chilly and headed out. It is the cutest little park and it is right by the ocean! I'm in love! You can also watch the ferries going by which I know Rupert will love one day.

I don't know what this little "hut" is as it wasn't open when we were there, but I hope it sells french fries in the summer!

Not so sure about the swing at first!

But then he got into it and loved it!

Sorry for the massive picture overload, I couldn't choose!

Fun little chipmunk bouncy toy, but it didn't hold a candle to the swings!

This pic is for Todd and Brianne :D (yes those are BC ferries in the background!)

We are very excited to come back to this park again when it's a little warmer!

The perfect day!

Do I seriously get to live here????? That is the question I kept asking myself all day yesterday! After church yesterday we decided to head out to Rathtrevor Beach in Parksville. It's a beach I know well, as I spent every summer with my grandparents in Nanoose Bay and we frequently made the short trek to the beach where the water never gets deep!

Poor Rupert, we woke him up after the short drive, but he was soon in the spirit of the day!

This was a common pose for Rupert, not so much daddy. Rupert was waving and chatting at everyone who walked by, especially the dogs! Sorry buddy, we're not dog people.

First of many sticks to be found by the boy.

As an Island girl I am in love with the beach. My mom and I have spent a lot of time walking the shores of many a beach on the Island. And Rathtrevor in particular is where I acquired much of my "beach smarts". My grandpa used to take me to the BC parks programs in the summer, where I met Jerry the Moose... an iconic piece of BC history! I am so excited for Rupert to learn about the beach... first lesson was on how to tell a girl crab from a boy crab! Girl crabs have beehives on their bellies and boys have light houses. Rupert was a fan, he tried to pick it up and of course put it in his mouth, but mommy rescued the poor crab and put it back in it's home under the rock.

I am also excited to teach him where those perfect little holes come from in the clam shells, (moon snails by the way :D )

First experience with sand, BIG FAN! He started pointing to things in the sand, digging his fingers in and crawling all around in it. None in his mouth though, I was shocked!

My dirty little boy!

First time on the slide, super happy!

He waved at all the passers by.

He did not want to get off the slide, even dad's shoulders could not distract him! He was reaching for the slide :D

It was a wonderful day spent with my favorite boys at my favorite spot!

ps. both the change and the credit card meters were broken in the parking lot! Free parking really does make a perfect day!

More from the pantry!

Today's pantry finds... my mom's homemade salsa, some black beans and rice!

Add an extra tomato for freshness, chicken, cheese (of course!) and a dollop of sour cream and you've got a delicious tex mex rice dish :D Very tastey!

Inspiration from the pantry...

Does anybody else's pantry look like this? A mish mosh of things shoved into the depths of a closet and then quickly close the doors so that no one knows that you may have cans that expired two years ago and pasta that has long since lost it's ability to become soft even in the boilingest of water! Well in a effort to use up some of my goods before they make it to that point and also to save a little dough, I've decided to base my meals on whatever I can find in my pantry!

Today's finds: dried mashed potatoes, can of mushroom soup and some corn niblets!

Add some seasonal local produce, (slim pickings in the winter!)

Some chicken and some cheese because what meal is complete without cheese I ask you???? And the result? A "pantry's take" on shepherd's pie. And it was pretty delicious I might add!

What's in your pantry?

A little of this and a little of that...

No real theme to today's blog... unless randomness is a theme...

Rupert has been all about the play time lately and is into absolutely everything, it's amazing how these little people just think they can go anywhere and touch anything. The world is their oyster! We were at ladies and babies the other day and Rupert was just pulling himself up on all the ladies laps and backs and helping himself to other kid's cheerios and snacks! Geeze Louise, where was this kid's mother? Sitting drinking coffee that's where she was! Anyways here's some photos of what he's been getting into these days!

Pulling himself up onto the wall beside the stairs is a favorite hang out spot! I think he looks so much like his daddy in this photo!

Our nightly routine of eating cheerios and yogurt while watching Thomas the Tank Engine. It's very serious business!

Another favorite activity is getting into the recycling and pulling everything out onto the floor and into his mouth... his own form of recycling I suppose!

I love these pj pants! I bought them before he was born at a consignment store. I bought these ones and a green pair that look like turtle shells. Such cuteness!

We also had family visits this month! I love living on the Island close to them!

Cuddles with Grandma!

Reading with Grammie on the stairs.

Watching Thomas with Aunty Em (the train not the boyfriend).

Aunty Em = hot; Rupert = chunky monkey!

That's this and that's that!