Each night we have to lay it on the far side of her bed, parallel to her growing body. It must be on top of the covers. It must be reachable and in sight at all times.

When we sneak in before we bed down for the night, it is almost always wrapped around her neck and chin like a boa. Even in slumber if we try to move it, she wakens, or holds on tighter, or burrows in.

Lucy calls it her Cold Blankie. Cold because it has holes in it, and the yarn itself feels chilled to her. Rubbing Cold Blankie on ouchies makes them feel better. Snuggling with Cold Blankie keeps the monsters away. Quiet time on the couch always includes Cold Blankie.

Our family friend, (Auntie) Kathryn, gave it to me at Lucy’s baby shower. We’ve no idea why Lucy attached on to this blanket over all the others. But it’s her favourite. Asleep or awake.

Do your kids have favourite blankets, stuffed animals or other objects they can’t live without?

I hope the girls don’t grow up resenting me for putting them in matching outfits, because it’s a little sad how excited I get doing so. I didn’t think I’d be like “that,” except here are four examples since Alice was born seven months ago. And it doesn’t include this weekend when they wore matching blue gingham dresses, white shirts and shoes and pink hair clips to a birthday party and wedding, and I said to Eric, “This, right here, is worth the combined 20 hours I spent pushing these two into the world.”

(In my defence, Lucy LOVES dressing the same as Alice.
So I do it for her, really. Really.)

Christmas, 2008: Purchased these because I was determined to get a matchy-matchy Christmas tree shot, in what I hope is a yearly tradition until Lucy and Alice’s joint eye rolling leaves their pupils lodged in their heads, and their groans take the fun out of it. Maybe when they’re 20-ish?

Easter, 2009: Pajamas a gift from the lovely Colleen (Alice clearly enjoying being strangled by her sister)

Mother’s Day 2009: Presents from my sister

Dinner, two weeks ago: My boss from my last job brought the girls back these dresses from Maui. Note the two doing identical leg lifts and hand expressions

So far, I have not dressed myself to match them. If it gets to that, someone please slap me.

UPDATE:
(Oh, no, Laura, you’re right. Help! Help!)

I am drowning in coupons for Huggies diapers and wipes after somehow getting on their mailing list.

Anyone use this brand? Want the coupons?

We’ve been diehard Costco diaper users since Lucy was born, and find them near identical to Huggies. Still hating Pampers with their smell (more chemicals? really?), and Wal-Mart’s have offered nothing but leaks on Alice (and we have to laugh that the character on them is Garfield and Odie. Now who is THAT marketing towards? Certainly not the kids IN the diapers!).

Currently we’re in love with Teddy’s Choice, the store brand from Zehrs/SuperCentre/Loblaw’s. They are super cheap, and work super well.

But nothing, I repeat NOTHING is better than Costco unscented wipes. Nothing is a thicker or absorbant or better priced (and trust me, we’ve tried every brand. Twice.).

Anyways. Want coupons?

Now that Alice is eating solids, she needed her own seat.

I know a handful of you with 3-year-olds, toddlers that sit normally in chairs and have far outgrown special seats. And Lucy can sit in a regular chair, and does so when we’re out if she has to.

But my girl will still pick a high chair or booster seat when we’re out, and most definitely wanted a new chair once Alice took up residence at the table. And we don’t complain — those seats have buckles! That keep children in one place! Lucy can do up her buckles, but not un-do them. This is no accident.

I’ve written about our love of the First Years reclining seat before (click here). I’m actually using it reclined two stages with Alice, who is still not sitting on her own. We’ve got a dish towel underneath her bum to help keep her upright. Even after 2.5 years of daily use, it’s in great shape.

Despite having more room in our new house, we never considered getting anything but another booster seat. High chairs take up so much damn space and are really expensive. We love booster seats the best.

For Lucy’s new one, we ended up with another First Years product — the swing tray. Mostly because it was the cheapest and most compact. We wanted a high back, not just a seat.

Lucy loves it.

She also likes wearing no pants or, um, undergarments when it’s hot in the afternoon and Mummy makes her pose for photos with her sister
(thank goodness for crotch straps).

Spencer in this photo: A new food source! Hurrah! Also: the chaos of my kitchen/living room at the end of the day.

In order to fit everything we needed for the show, we had to take Lucy’s car seat out of the Altima. While it was sitting inside our entrance way waiting for Eric to put it back, I noticed the emergency sticker on the side was horribly out of date.

I’d forgotten all about this ingenious piece of contact information. I got it from the Kiwanis Clubs of Durham a few years ago: It’s a bright yellow sticker that goes on the back or side of your child’s car seat, and includes child’s name, address, parents, emergency contact, doctor and phone numbers for all.

Unfortunately it’s to be used in the chaos of a car accident or other tragedy, but it’s invaluable and offers some peace of mind should you or whomever is driving be unable to communicate.

I updated Lucy’s, and added one to Alice’s car seat, too — I just wrote out the same information on a piece of bright paper and taped it on (layering the tape across to prevent it falling off when wet, or the ink running).

Thought I’d share the great tip. Have any of you done this, or have other ideas?

Speaking of car seat safety, Cindy sent in this horrifying story of a 2.5-year-old boy dragged behind a truck after his improperly-installed car seat popped out (the boy opened the truck door and fell out in his seat). The article certainly highlights how imperative it is to have car seats in properly, and to lock doors when driving (I did not know to do this, but will from now on).

There’s a wealth of car seat safety info in our resource guide — including when and where car seat safety checks are held in Durham Region — under health and safety.