Happy Valentine's Day!!!!

Highlights of our day:

• Excitment by all to wear RED!!!!


• Little C made all his valentines cards by HAND - last year it was an accomplishment to write all the names on them and this year he cut, pasted, wrote and coloured all of them!!!! So proud...


• Bean hand picked out cards for both of her classes - each person received a card that matched their personality (Trevor likes Cars, Taylor likes princesses, etc)


• Pink Milk for breakfast & dinner!!!!!

SIX!!!!

Six! I can't believe it. Six years ago you, Little C changed my life - all for the better! Did you know that 6 is the very number that I wore on all my sports jerseys - probably since I was 6 years old. It was my lucky number..... I hope this year also brings you great things.

Over the past year you have grown by leaps and bounds. You have started kindergarten and love going to school full days. On the first day of school this year you asked me if I could sign the letter to allow you to stay for the afternoon - you love school that much!!!! I love it too - seeing your passion to learn is so inspiring!!!!

You have also excelled in your swimming! This summer we spent a lot of time swimming - at the aquatic center, at Grandma's house, at the lake. You love it and your biggest accomplishment was the zip line which you did independently at the aquatic center. You are already looking forward to the body slide next year when you are tall enough to ride alone.

Your friends are many! Every day you eat lunch with Sanaa, Maya and Felix. You also tell many stories of the silliness that you and Grayson come up with at school. It amazes me how quickly you make and welcome new friends.

Your sisters adore you (for the most part)! Baby Doll O likes to follow you around and mimic you. Because of this, you can often get her to do things for you - like helping you clean up your room, or bringing your clothes to your room. You and Bean are also good friends and play extremely well for each other. It makes me smile every time you "stand up" for her and support her!

One of the things that cracks me up about you is your consistency with food. Right now you will eat waffles every morning for breakfast, and PB&J sandwiches for lunch with a cheese stick! There is usually no reason for me to ask what you want to have as the answer is always the same!

Some of your favourites
Sports - tennis, soccer, baseball, basketball,
Outside activities - swimming, riding your bike
Inside activities - computer (Disney, PBS, nick jr) and Wii (Mario & Sonic Winter Olympics)
Food - broccoli, pizza, waffles
Colour - Pink (yes you are influenced by your sisters and I)

For your birthday, you asked me to join you for lunch and I was happy to oblige. We walked hand in hand to the lunch room, and your smile was beaming! I was so proud of you as you let me sit beside me joining your circle of friends. You helped me get my food and then you got me my water and even cleaned up my tray! It was great to share part of your day and made me think of how much you have grown up!

I love you tons little C. Happy Birthday!

Class of 2024

Little C and his class - they had a field trip to the scultpure garden

 

I think I am going to miss his pre-K class. So many wonderful things! Learning about the wolf, playing 20-questions, I wonder circles, lots of field trips, etc.

That said - Little C is VERY excited about Kindergarten. He talks about it ALOT and is excited that he gets to stay for the whole day and even take the bus.

Oh no, my baby is growing up.....

Run of the Mills

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Run of the Mills

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Determined.....

 

That's my girl!!!!!

Soccer

 

Happy Mother's Day

One of my gifts for mother's day! Love it....

 

I do find it kinda humerous that I am everything except funny.... Also, I guess I play a lot of games. But at least I am good at it!

Easter....

Better late than never......

We had a great day. C and Bean had a great time painting eggs and were very excited that the Easter Bunny would hide them. C told me that the bunny would hide them inside the house - main floor and basement only - and outside. Directions taken.
For a change, this year I choose not to pack all the eggs with candy. I only bought 2 small bags of jelly beans and put a few in the eggs. I also put coins in a lot of the eggs, which the kids happily placed in their piggy banks


Baskets this year, also did not have any candy - a few toys and even toothbrushes!!!! They loved it - especially Baby Doll who brushed her teeth for about an hour that day.

C also had the chance to head to church with mama which he enjoyed thoroughly!


Happy Easter everyone!!!!!

Missing in action

Lots going on; lots of posts needed; unfortunately not a lot of time (or at least that is my excuse.

I do promise the following
- Bean's b-day photos
- Bean's b-day note
- Easter pictures
- mother's day pictures

All in due time......

I Rock....

These are the days we all hope for as a mom....

On Sunday, I made dinner (I know, surprising since Deric does all the cooking in our house. But he was out of town). I made grilled chicken breasts, brocolli and served it with orange slices. Nothing fancy and nothing the kids usually rock about but it was something that I wanted.

When I called the kids over to get there plates and head to the dinner table. Little C picks up his plate, looks at the food and says "Looks Yummy mommy. I love this"!!!! I rock at dinner....

I also have to point out, that typically he looks at the plate and says "this is not what I wanted" or "I don't like this". Not sure if the orange slices changed his opinion or not, but they might see the dinner plate more often!

My newest rave!!!!

When our house went mainly gluten free in October, I kept thinking that I would need to re-learn baking. I know how much experimentation goes into each recipe. The first attempt I made at pancakes was a DISASTER!!!! It was not pretty.... Lucky for me, I am also linked into Betty Crocker and found happiness in Gluten Free Bisquick Pancakes.
But what about my pleasure of baking. We love pumpkin bread in this house, I bake the kids cakes for their birthday, I make dessert when we have guests over....
I found this cookbook at the library and baked Pumpkin muffins yesterday. I was a little hesitant on being vegan (eggs add a known ingredient in baking...), but these turned out FABULOUS!!!!

I will definitly be baking more from this book. Thank you!

Happy New Year!!!!

 

SKATING!!!!!

The other week I picked up some skates for Little C and borrowed some skates for Bean. Both kids were excited to try skating! I might remind you that we tried skating last year. On a warm weekend, we headed over to a local park that rented skates and let them go. Within 10 minutes Little C claimed his feet hurt and wanted to play in his boats. Bean on the other hand wanted to keep going, yet required holding and being pushed around. I was later scolded by renting skates saying that I needed to invest in proper skates to be comfortable..... So this year, I was lucky to SCORE at the skate swap at litte C's school and he has a great pair of hardly used skates. This weekend was the MUST DO skate weekend! Yet, with temps just above 0F I wasn't sure how well it would go..... Here is the video


Within 10 minutes, both kids were skating and loving it!!!! They enjoyed it so much that we returned on Sunday for more. Little C had a few bruises to show off....

On Sunday we brought the hockey stick and puck for extra fun. The kids rotated between crawling on the ice and playing hockey. It was a great escape out of the house and I am looking forward to more skating (with the predicted warmer temps).

18 months!!!

Baby Doll

It is amazing that you are already 18 months old. And what a cutie pie you are - we are so blessed to have you fully functioning and full of life once again.

In September right at the 15 month mark, you started to throw up at a random basis. You would throw up one day and then not again for a week. Yet, you kept throwing up, and I just thought that you overate. The second trigger was that you were not very happy. As the month continued, you chose only to be carried and cuddled by mom or dad. The third trigger was that you started to lose weight. Your arms were getting skinny and you lost the cubbiness in your face. We knew something was not right!

Finally, we took you into the doctors office for testing and evaluation. By this time you were eating lots, and then throwing up! Plus this was on a daily basis..... The doctors were quick to diagnosis that you are celiac - so no more gluten for you!

This has been an easy change for us as a family given the dramatic affect this has had on you. WIthin 3 days of no gluten you were laughing more than we had seen in a few months and so happy! Your personality continued to grow and we were continually giggling with you! It is amazing the difference!!!!



You are now 18 months - a walking and talking girl. You love your brother and sister and try to give them hugs and kisses. They usually refuse, but you keep trying! Mom and Dad love it though... You also continually try to be a big girl, just like the older siblings. You try to play Wii, play computer, run after the big kids, and everything else they do! It is fun to watch you mimic them and learn from them (we just wish you would avoid picking up their bad habits....).

Love you baby doll!

Happy Belated Halloween

We had an amazing Halloween!!!!

We hosted the 2nd Annual Neighbourhood Halloween Party having lots of fun painting pumpkins, decorating cookies, playing Halloween games and hanging out with friends. Then of course, we Trick or Treated our hearts out. We all went out leaving a bowl of treats on our porch and hit the neighbourhood. Little C would have gone all night long!!!! What a blast. I am loving the holidays more and more as the kids fully understand what they are!

Here is a Baby Doll approving of the leaves at our party!



Little C once again was Thomas the Train. I think he believes that you replicate holidays - I was Thomas last year, so why wouldn't I do that again this year. Pretty good logic if you ask me.... Bean was a bumble bee. A few weeks prior we were at the used clothing store and I spotted a costume that had a tutu - it was a bumble bee. I showed it to Bean and she was instantly in love. She continues to wear it weekly (although it is showing signs of wear now...). Baby Doll was the Pumpkin in the group. Daddy said her costume matched her hair...

More pics to follow of our party!

FIVE

Little C

Five years ago my water broke and I raced to the hospital
Five years ago you entered my world
Five years ago you made me a mom
Five years ago you taught me what LOVE really means

You are a VERY energetic little boy that lives life to the fullest. Your teachers love you for your enthusiasm and I love you for the joy you bring to every situation. You are not afraid to try something new, and rather look for new and exciting things to do each day. Each day is an adventure with you.

This fall you started Pre-K at the big school. You love it. When I picked you up on your first day you ran over to me, jumped into my arms, gave me a big hug and said "I need to play more here mommy". You have learned so much in the few weeks you have been there. For your open house the other day, you (with some help) wrote on your letter that you wanted to show me the (1) Big Blocks - we built a house big enough for your sister and a few friends to climb in (2) Music - xylophone and the keyboard are your favourite and (2) lego. It was great to see you so comfortable in this new environment!

As always, you love all things sport related. In June, you mastered riding your bike without your training wheels. Everywhere we went, you took your bike - to school, to the store, to friends, to the park. I don't think you have walked anywhere this summer! You also played soccer in the Y program. You loved it and played fiercely!

Golf is another favourite and you probably played more than your dad this summer. You spent a week at Grandma and Grandpa's this spring while I worked in Toronto and played every day. Your gift to your daddy for Father's Day was to play golf (and get new golf balls, too).

This year was also a year of friendship. You have your first friends - Abby and Andrew. Everyday you would talk about your friends and often had play dates with them. You and Andrew are still the best of buds as you both play hard and love all toys that move!

Princess Bean is still your friend of choice. You do everything together and for the most part play very well together making up games (with rules) and running around. You both will make up stories about where you are going (usually the office) and how you are going to get there and how you will get home. You are also willing to share your friends with Bean - you include her in everything!

You have less interaction with Baby Doll. You sing to her when she is upset, and talk to her about what she is "supposed" to be doing, yet get very upset with her when she tries to get your glasses or doesn't listen to you.... You and Baby Doll have VERY similar personalities so it will be interesting to see how you grow together.

As always, I cherish everyday with you! I am so lucky to be your mom and look forward to all the fun we will have in the years to come!

Happy 5th Birthday Little C!!!!

Love Mommy.

School

September is in full swing in our house and that means SCHOOL!!!!!
Princess Bean was VERY happy to be able to go to "real" school (not the toodler room that she was in last year....). She loves to get ready for school, put on her backpack, and ride on the bus.

Daily, she comes home singing new songs and telling me about the books they read in class. I love to hear the stories of the day and her interpretation of what they did in class. Apparently, snack time and what they ate is VERY important....

Here is a picture of Bean at snack time today. Fun Snacks for sure

 

When I get big....

Little C LOVES trains - always has!

This past weekend, we decided to try the trolley rides - what fun. What I didn't know was that they give you a little history on the trolley and show you how they work. Well, this was just the thing for Little C. Midway through the ride, he had to get a seat closer to the conductor and started to ask questions. He was in dream land.....

Princess Bean and Baby Doll loved it too - yet for very different reasons. Princess Bean loved to visit with Grandma K and Baby Doll visited everyone on the train!

On the way home, here was the conversation...
Grandma K - Was the trolley ride special? Did you like learning about it?
Little C - yeah, it was great.
Little C (after thinking a little) - when I look like mommy and daddy, I want to be a driver person too.
Grandma K - you want to drive everyone around?
Little C - yes, that's a great idea for me.

Splash Pad!

The Splash pad has been a recent find for us - and we LOVE IT!!!!! Every weekend the kids ask to go, and since they have such a good time and there is lots of shade for us parents, we go. ALOT!