laughter truly is the best medicine

Rhianna-isms!

2006-05-29T14:29:00.001-05:00

We were shopping in Zellers, and decided to let the kids wander about the toy area. They were having a blast, and all of a sudden Rhianna says, "Mummy! Look, it's CinderWhale!". It was a Little Mermaid doll... she knows it's a Disney Princess, so I guess CinderWhale seemed quite appropriate. Heh.

Then the following morning I was putting makeup on while Rhianna was sitting on the toilet doing her business. She was having some trouble going, so, trying to get her to eat a bigger variety of food, I said, "You need to eat more fruit, Rhianna." She seemed good with that, so she said, "Can you go get me some fruit now Mummy?" I laughed and explained that she didn't need to eat in right this second, just in general.

I left to go into my bedroom and I hear Rhianna call after me... "Mummy? When can we go to General?!"

HAHAHA! I love that child.

Big heart!

2006-05-17T23:24:00.000-05:00

Two nights ago I slept on the couch because my husband and daughter were both hacking like mad and I couldn't sleep.

Before Tiernan went to sleep he had asked if he could borrow my flowers he made me for Mother's Day so he would have only good dreams. Of course I said yes!

I awoke at 6:30am to a smiley Tiernan climbing onto the couch to lie down next to me, with the paper flowers in hand. He wanted to make sure I was having good dreams.

We cuddled together on the couch until 7am.

He is the best. I love him and his big heart! Hard to believe my baby boy will be 5 years old on Monday! Time has flown by so fast. It feels like it was only yesterday that I was sitting on the couch with an adorable little baby boy wrapped in a red blanket. I was rocking him, kissing him, and singing to him until he fell asleep. The only way he would fall alseep. How could that have been almost 5 years ago?

Being a mother is the most amazing feeling in the world!

My Mother's Day!

2006-05-17T22:42:00.000-05:00

Our little family has a Mother's Day tradition which involves me sleeping in and being woken up by the kids, their cards and crafty gifts, and breakfast in bed! The kids make up the menu, and I eat whatever they decide to make. This Mother's Day was no exception!

Now that the boys are in school they make the most amazing gifts for me. They bring them home from school, telling me to close my eyes while they go find a top-secret hiding place!

Avery made me a cute little cat card in which he wrote that he loved me and wished me a Happy Mother's Day all in French. He also made me these little paper flowers that are actually coupons.. one for doing the dishes, one for vacuuming, and one for taking out the trash. And he made sure to inform me that Madame (his teacher) said he didn't have to do them for more than one day each. HAHA! I love that boy!

Tiernan made me paper flowers, too, but of a different sort. These ones were in a vase, and around them was the sweetest poem, ever, He told me to keep them beside my bed, and they will give me sweet dreams. Awwww.

Rhianna made me a necklace with her Daddy, and a cute little card. She was very proud when I put that necklace on. :-)

My breakfast in bed had quite the ecclectic menu!

Smiley faced pancakes, Asian pear slices, watermelon, York Peppermint Patties....

chips and dip (hahaha!) and....

a Mimosa! Made with sparkling apple juice! :-)

It was delicious, and a wonderful way to spend my Saturday morning! Oh, and let's not forget the Dr Scholls foot spa and the real flowers that the kids gave me! Ohhhh heavenly! I am so spoiled!

Sunday was the actual 'Mother's Day', and on that day I woke up to the most beautiful card from my husband, and a message telling me to hollar, and I would get another special breakfast in bed.. and sure enough.... I hollared and Kyle brought me...

Ben and Jerry's chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream! It was very sweet!

The rest of the day was spent out in Pinawa with my own Mum! My Dad took us all for brunch, and we had a very nice day.

Full circle! :-D

I love that boy!

2006-04-24T23:35:00.000-05:00

The boys are often given free passes and coupons for different events from their school. Apparently Tiernan's class was given free passes to the Shrine Circus last week. Only my son refused his because "Circuses do not always treat their animals properly, and because animals are only used for entertainment in a circus."

I do believe his teacher argued with him, but I am insanely proud of him for standing up for himself.

Big hearts.

2006-02-24T10:40:00.000-06:00

Tiernan - "Mummy? I love you every day and every night and everything in between!"

Me - "Tiernan, you have such a big little heart!"

Tiernan - "My heart is big? How do you know?"

Me - "Because you are a very loving wee boy!"

Tiernan - "You mean cause I hug and kiss lots?"

Me - "Exactly! The more you hug and kiss, the bigger your heart grows."

Tiernan - "Ooooohhh... so then you must have the biggest heart of all!"

AWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!

Happy 2006 Everyone!

2006-01-09T14:04:00.000-06:00

Resolutions. We have all made them at one time or another. Whether it's to eat healthier, to be a calmer person, to start saving money, or to learn Japanese... you know you've at least said one of them. Some people are successful at it (go you!) and some suck (and the majority of the time I fall into this category!), but at least we all see something about ourselves that we can try to improve. The world is a better place when we realise our own faults instead of always pointing fingers at everyone else.

This year I've got a long list of resolutions. I actually haven't written them out yet, and quite frankly I'm not worried that January first has come and passed already. I just know what I want to accomplish this year. Some of them are as follows:

1) To make sure I'm getting all the nutrients that I need now that I've gone veg.
2) To live a healthier lifestyle - mind, body and soul.
3) To read as many books as I possibly can. Don't know if I can manage 52 in a year (one per week!), but I will try my hardest.
4) To maintain a routine when it comes to the kids and the house.
5) To finally organize our horribly filled to the brim basement!
6) To make a list of things I want to do in my lifetime.
7) To get this house ready so we can move within a couple of years.
8) To try many new recipes, and experiment with my own.
9) To have more patience with others.

And most importantly....

10) To try my hardest to spend as much one-on-one time with each of my kids! This past couple of months has been very difficult, and I find that the kids are the ones who feel the brunt of it. They don't understand what it means when I say, "I can't play the Madagascar game, I'm still working on some stuff needed to settle Grandma's affairs." They don't understand that the reason Mummy and Daddy are stressed out is because we just have a whole lot going on.. not because they've been naughty or we aren't proud of them. Their worlds have changed a lot, too, in the past couple of years.. we need to be there for them now more than ever.

And so, this year I will succeed with my resolutions! I will make sure of it. I plan to keep all of them, but if for some reason I can only keep one, it will be number 10! My kids always come first!

I hope that 2006 brings a lot of good times, and great memories for each and every one of you. May you have no problems sticking to your own resolutions!

This picture was taken this morning when Rhianna and I went tobogganing... some of that mother-daughter time I'm trying to have more of. We had a lot of fun, and I got some great pictures of the Princess. To see the rest check out my flickr site. They are in the January folder on the left hand side. There are also a whole lot of pictures from December (including Christmas) if you haven't seen them already, too. ENJOY!

Long December.

2005-12-29T21:59:00.000-06:00

Normally December is my favourite time of year. The excitement, the family & friends, the good cheer, the laughter, the love, the food, the gift exchanging. All of it! I'm one of those people who annoys some by being 100% Christmas all the time. I send out Christmas cards to absolutely everyone. I spend oodles of time baking delicious treats for my neighbours. My tree goes up long before the month of December even starts. I have parties and get togethers and sing carols for weeks on end.

This month was a bit different. December started out well meaning.. Avery's 6th birthday on the 2nd, followed by his party with friends to see 'The Chronicles of Narnia' in the theatre on the 10th. There was promise of family and friends being around. Our brother-in-law and his family were coming in and planned on spending Christmas Eve at our place. How exciting! The cousins together for Christmas! Wow.

But on the 10th, right after we returned home from seeing 'Narnia', two police officers showed up at our door. Luckily the kids were all asleep because they came bearing terrible news... my mother-in-law had passed away in a fire that day.

The days that have passed since then have been very difficult. So much is going on and it doesn't seem to be ending any time soon. Kyle is executor of his mother's will and partly because of the fire, there are a whole lot of details and paper work to be organized. It's been a stressful time for all of us, and I am very proud of my husband for the way he's been dealing with it all on top of his own grief. He's an amazing man, and a strong one, too. He handles everything in a very respectable manner, and does everything he can to ensure things are done properly. These past couple of years have not been easy on him, but he manages to come out okay. I admire that about him.

The past few weeks have been very long and I think both Kyle and I are really looking forward to the year 2006. Let's hope the stress levels go down, and that we do not lose any more loved ones.

There have been some good things about this month, however. First and foremost... our family and friends have completely showered us with love and support. We are so fortunate to have these people (YOU!) in our lives. We honestly could not have gotten through this month without each and every one of you (and you know who you are!).

Our Christmas was a nice one, even if it was slightly shadowed by the month's events. We tried to put the loss aside for the kids' sake, and had a nice few days right around Christmas. This has been hard on Avery, Tiernan and Rhianna and it was very important that we try to "forget" about everything for a short while.

Let's hope that 2006 is a wonderful one for each and every one of us. Deal? Deal!

2005-11-28T23:35:00.000-06:00

It's moments like these that make me feel like the luckiest woman in the world.

Out of the mouth of babes!

2005-11-28T23:18:00.000-06:00

Last week my parents came over for a visit, and with them they brought Robin's eggs. My kids love those little doughnut holes, especially Miss Thang. All three kids always pick chocolate as their first choice (don't all kids?), and as we all know, it's the messies!. Rhianna was cuddling up on her Pa's lap, just as it shows in this picture...

She was talking about everything from the "Teletubby" ornament on our tree (it's actually a Snowbaby!), to what she wants for Christmas, and about the sweatshirt my Dad was wearing. We got that shirt for him last Christmas. It has a picture of the our three monkeys on it, and he wears it fairly often. The kids love pointing themselves out and seeing how much they've changed.

So there's Rhianna, my Dad, his white shirt and her chocolate doughnut. Do you see where I'm going with this?

Yup. That's right. She got chocolate on her Pa's shirt. She was a little panicked until she remembered something....

That's when she said to my Dad, "S'okay, Pa. We get you a new one!"

Dad couldn't even stiffel his laughter!

Oh dear. Way to go Miss Rhi! Now Pa knows what we got him for Christmas this year! Hahaha.

She's lucky she's such a cutie!

(Besides... she wasn't the first to spill the beans! When Tiernan gave my parents his school picture he announced that it was going to go on my Dad's shirt. Ahhhhh! I tried to play it off as nothing, but once two kids spill the beans it's a little harder to hide the fact. At least my Dad doesn't know what the picture looks like!)

Winter begins... with force.

2005-11-15T15:11:00.000-06:00

It's that time of year again! It has started to fall. White. Fluffy. Beautiful. Those of us who live in the Canadian prairies know what I'm talking about. Snow!

I love it when the snow first starts to fall. I try my hardest not to think about the fact that it will be here to stay for months upon months leaving us all feeling very cabin fever-ish. If I allowed myself to think about it too much I just may become depressed and scared and ho-hum. Instead, I embrace the snow! I take pictures of my children laughing and playing in it. I make snowballs & snowforts, and take long walks knee deep in the white stuff. I bundle up my children and know I should actually bundle myself up as well (and rarely do!). I make hot chocolate and light scented candles. I snuggle up under big blankets and watch movies with my kids and my husband.. I put on Christmas carols and sing while I decorate my house to fit the holiday season. My tree is up, but has yet to be decorated! Don't worry, though... it will likely be all decked out in balls and holly (and don't forget the candy canes!) by Thursday, at the latest!

I enjoy the snow. It's not the end of the world, and it's much better than say, a tsunami or a hurricane! I count my blessings there.

Today was a Snow Day. No buses were running so today it was myself, Avery, Tiernan, Rhianna and Aidan, the kiddo I watch during the day. We played outside three times and it was such fun! I think I enjoyed it as much as they did. Or... as much as most of them did.

Rhianna has been asking for a month now to put on her snowsuit so she can play in the snow. Today she had her chance! She was terribly excited when she woke up and I took her to the window to show her all the snow. She pleaded for an entire hour before I had a chance to take her out. And what did she do once she got outside?

Yup. She cried. She hated it! She wanted to go inside, and fast. Oh, my girl, how funny she is.

If you see me in February, that is likely the same face I'll be making... by then I will want the snow GONE! ;-)

(Someone please remind me about this entry then, okay?)

Daughter of mine.

2005-11-07T10:18:00.000-06:00

Rhianna and I declared this morning as Mother-Daughter Spa Day!

We started with a long shower and followed it up with a bath, complete with a fortune cookie shaped bath fizzie (it included an actual fortune!).

The toughest thing about success is that you've got to keep on being a success.

It was relaxing, comforting, and a lot of fun! We listened to music, we played games, we splashed, we talked while I rubbed her back. It was so beautiful to have that special time together while no one else was home.

After we dried off we did all the girly things like applying lotion, polishing our toenails, putting on some lipgloss, and a splash of perfume. Rhianna dressed up in the dress of her choice, and I then continued to take a good hundred pictures of my pretty little belle.

I love having a daughter!

(if you are interested in seeing a handful of the pictures I took this morning they are on my flickr site under November 2005.)

Brothers and sisters.

2005-11-06T21:50:00.000-06:00

Kyle was busy doing some work that he brought home from the office, so I had the pleasure of putting the three monkeys to bed on my own tonight. I picked out the books for storytime, and within that handful of books was a story called 'A Sister's Wish' by Kate Jacobs (check out the link Canadians! Only $2.99 right now for the hardcover!). The story is about a girl who has "a half brother and a whole brother and a stepbrother and oh, brother!" It tells about how this girl is tired of all the rough playing and hand-me-down boy clothes. Everything would be better if she "just had a sister!" Every few pages she repeats her wish. And after everytime that this little girl said, "This would be perfect now if I just had a sister.", my little girl would sigh and say, "yeah".

But at the end of the story the little girl realises that...

"Sometimes a brother can be like a friend When he's worried or sad or she's moving again. She wishes that she had a sister, it's true... but when a brother is funny... or brave... or nice... sometimes... just being a sister will do."

And Rhianna continued on with her "yeah". :-)

Avery then told her that he would always be there to protect her, and if she's ever scared she can just call his name. Tiernan agreed. Then it was hugs and kisses all around while my eyes welled up with tears. I love witnessing the bond they share.

After I tucked them all in and said my goodnights, I heard Rhianna creep out of her room saying, "no, no!" I then heard Avery say, "Are you scared Rhianna? Do you need us to sleep with you?". She answered him, "Yes!", and in they crawled to their little sister's bed, ready to protect her from the night monsters. They are such good big brothers.

And no, they didn't actually fall asleep in there. They played for a good hour before they all went to seperate rooms to drift off to dreamland. Normally I wouldn't let them play for an hour, but tonight it was all okay! In fact, I welcomed it!

No, really, it is love!

2005-11-06T21:45:00.000-06:00

Okay, so I'm not so sure that Solange would agree that Rhianna mauling her is affectionate or caring, but it really, truly is love. A very intense love, indeed!

Doodlebops.

2005-11-04T11:47:00.000-06:00

Who are the Doodlebops? Let's see what I can tell you about them. My kids have never watched them on TV, and the main reason for that it that they creep me out a little. I admit I never really gave them the time of day, so it's wrong of me to judge by appearances, but there was just something about their brightly coloured hair and their crazy antics that just freaked me out. I thought to myself that there was no reason for my kids to watch that show. I went through years and years of watching the Teletubbies, I was not about to fry my brain with any more silly characters.

And then my friend Amanda announced to me that the lovely Doodlebops were coming to town. And the concert was going to be free. Hmmmm.

Okay. Do I go? Just for the heck of it? It would get the kids out of the house! They might actually enjoy it! There will be other kids there! It's getting colder out now, so we can't hang out at the playgrounds anymore. Decisions, decisions.

What to do?

So I caved. I threw caution to the wind and brought two of my kids (Tiernan is with my parents) to the concert at the mall. There were kids and parents galore crowding the centre court. I knew kids watched these Doodlebops, but I didn't realise they had such a following. Or maybe most of them were people like me, who chose to go just to get the kids out of the house. Who knows. Either way, I was shocked to see the amount of people there. Oodles of them. Some parents were of the nice variety... the ones who were trying to make room for the other children who couldn't see. And then there was the annoying type who would push their strollers into the crowd thereby shoving the little kids over just so they could see! If I could have a dollar for each rude parent...

We found ourselves a spot up on the second floor by the escalators. It wasn't the greatest view, but at least the nice father beside us helped Avery to the front, and offered to have Rhianna sit on his shoulders (I declined, but it was nice of him). We were able to get a great view of the back of the Doodlebops heads, and that kept my kids happy.

After the little concert we headed over to the pretzel shop to get ourselves a delicious mid morning snack... parmesan cheese soft pretzel for Avery (the boy loves cheese in any shape or form!) and garlic for Rhianna and I to share. Mmmm. Just as we were leaving with our snacks we noticed the Doodlebops heading right for us! Wow! The Doodlebops! CELEBRITIES! Coming to see us! Amazing! How lucky are we!? We all felt pretty special. Heh.

Avery had a picture taken with Rooney. Rhianna refused to have a picture taken with any of them! I guess they freak her out when they're up close, too!

I think we are officially fans. It was a good time, and they really aren't all that scary afterall.

Look for more pictures of the concert on my flickr site, linked on the side panel over on the right.

She did it!

2005-11-01T15:00:00.000-06:00

It's official! My beautiful little daughter is potty trained! Potty learned! Goes on the potty! Sits on the thrown! Whatever you want to call it, feel free. The point is....

NO MORE DIAPERS!

Did you hear me? Are you jumping up and down for joy with me? Are you singing a happy song? You should be! Sing! Dance! Jump!

The Calicogirl Household is FREE of diapers. Wow. That is such an exhilerating thing to say! I've been changing three different diapered bottoms (not all at once, mind you!) for the past almost six years! That is a long time, people. Do you know how many diapers that is? Approximately 32105 diapers!!!

Thirty-two thousand, one hundred and five! And that number is likely on the small side. Holy crow! That's wayyyy more than the amount of days I've been on this Earth!

Can you see why I'm celebrating? Is the picture looking clearer now? Mmhmm. I thought so.

At first I was a little sad that Rhianna was out of her diapers because it meant my kids were growing up. And then I remembered all the stinkiness I have had to deal with and I thought to myself, "Am I crazy? Am I going to miss the poopy diapers? I think not!"

Rejoice!

I'm so proud of my monkey girl, and she's proud of herself. She's an independent little soul, so this is a big thing for her. It's a struggle to even put a pull up on her at night because, as she puts it, "I DON'T NEED A PULLUP ANYMORE!"

If only I could convice her to nicely put one on just incase she pees while asleep. Hmmmm.

Something tells me it's going to happen! Oh well, I am still one happy mama!

The first of November!

2005-11-01T14:40:00.000-06:00

Can you believe it? November! November? November! It never ceases to amaze me how quickly time passes now that I'm an adult (or something like one! haha). My parents have always maintained that the older you get the faster time goes by, but it was always hard to wrap my brain around that one. I didn't want to believe it.

It feels like only yesterday was Tiernan's first day of nursery school. Heck, only a week ago Avery was starting nursery! How could it possibly be November now? Alas, no matter how hard I wish to slow time down, I cannot. Autumn is practically over, and Winter is well on it's merry way.

Halloween 2005 was both chaotic and an insane amount of fun! Our festivities started with the party we threw for our children and their friends on Saturday evening. Almost 20 children showed up, and my house was both loud and crazy, but it was also cozy and fun and magical. Seeing our kids' eyes sparkle with delight... there is no better feeling in the world! Almost all of the kids who attended our Halloween bash were very well behaved. I was impressed. Many of the parents (who just so happen to be our friends) stayed and were great helps when we needed them. We are very blessed with the friends who surround us. The party lasted for a few hours, and by the end of the sugar eating and game playing, we only had enough energy left to clean up the house before relaxing for the rest of the night. It was a great night, and I feel very satisfied that I was able to throw my kids a party that they will hopefully remember for a very long time.

On Sunday my parents came to get Rhianna and bring her out to their place. It's always such a special time for our kids to be able to spend a day or a night or a weekend with their Nana and Pa. After they left we decided to take the boys out to Fort Whyte for some more Halloween festivities! We all dressed up in our costumes, and in turn got in for free! Nothing better than acting goofy in order to get something for nothing! ;-) Kyle and I bought three pumpkins... one for each child, and then we headed over to do the carving on the tables they had set out. Avery decided on a scary pumpkin (surprised? I didn't think so!), Tiernan chose a happy (green!!) pumpkin (don't tell me that one surprised you!) and Kyle chose to carve a kitty for our Rhianna (which, again, is not shocking considering our daughter LOVES all things feline related!). It was such a nice time being together, enjoying the smell of fresh pumpkin (mmmmmm!), and creating ART! Haha. Kyle has much better carving skills than I do, but I guess I did okay for my first jack-o-lantern! After the masterpieces were finished we walked around the Centre for a while, enjoying the very nice weather we've been having these days. It's unusual, but very welcomed!

Monday morning I went into school with the boys' so I could volunteer in both of their classes for the morning, before Rhianna came home. I sort of went back and forth every forty-five minutes or so, seeing what I could do to help out. It feels really good to be in the boys' classes getting to know the other students, the other parent volunteers, and the teachers! I feel very lucky that I can stay home and have these opportunities. I wouldn't want to miss them for the world! I know that Tiernan and Avery both loved having me there, and so do the other kids! Over the years I've gotten to know Avery's friends (as well as a lot of the parents, actually!) fairly well, and they know me by name now. I am looking forward to knowing Tiernan's friends the same way. I hope that one day I will be able to do the same for Rhianna and her friends.

Another great thing about volunteering at the school in a medieval lady costume - the little girls in N-gr 2 would see me and say things like, "Wow! You are sooooo pretty! I love your dress!" Awwwwwww!

We topped off our Halloween fun with a night of trick-or-treating. Actually, it was my year to stay home to hand out the candies which is something I also enjoy immesely, and Kyle's turn to go around the block with our kids. Avery, Tiernan and Rhianna did amazingly well, and came home with way more than enough candy than they need. Our neighbours are always so good to us, and most of made out little bags full of goodies just for our kids. I'm fairly certain I couldn't find better neighbours anywhere else!

Our friend Sal came over to go out trick-or-treating with the monkeys, and the kids were terribly excited to see "Uncle" Sal! Not only did he go trick-or-treating with them, he also brought them candy, AND played 'Boo am I?' (sort of like a Halloween version of charades, but the messages were in balloons that they had to pop). Lots of laughter was had by all, and it was a very pleasent way to finish the month of October. You all wish you'd been able to see my angel impersonation!!

(Can we just ignore the fact that Rhianna screamed bloody murder when I tried to get her into bed? Okay, thanks! Haha)

Hope everyone else had a fabulous Halloween!

Poor little Solange!

2005-10-28T12:02:00.001-05:00

Our cats put up with insane amounts of torture by the three rugrats. But you know what? At least they're comfy! ;-) We really do love them!

Paparazzi!

2005-10-27T11:49:00.000-05:00

This morning Rhianna and I went for a walk around the neighbourhood. On the way out the door I grabbed my camera... something I always do. Only this time I was stopped. My daughter asked for her own camera. I tried telling her she doesn't have one, and then she pointed to the fridge. What?? OH! The camera magnet. She wanted the camera magnet.

So off we headed... me with my camera, and she with hers. What a funny duo we are! We got some laughs from quite a few passer-bys.

Life after Mummy.

2005-10-25T22:39:00.000-05:00

While chatting with my Mum on the phone my 4 year old son, Tiernan, interrupted me with a very interesting announcement.

Tiernan: Mummy, when I leave this house...

Me: Tiernan do not interrupt me when I'm on the .... wait a minute. When you leave this house? What do you mean?

Tiernan: When I grow up I will move into another house in Canada.

Me: Most likely. I hope you don't leave Canada.

Tiernan: Mmmhmmm.

Me: So who will you be living with when you move out?

Tiernan: My kids (said in a very ... 'well DUH mum' voice).

Me: Ohhhh. Okay. Of course. How many are you going to have?
Tiernan: Ummmm. Uhhhh. Ummmm. Eight. Yes, eight kids.

Me: Eight kids? Wow! Hahahaha. That's a lot of kids!

Tiernan: Yup.

Me: Okay. And will you have a wife?

Tiernan: Yes!

Me: And who will you be marrying?

Tiernan: YOU, Mummy.

Me: Hahahahaha. Awwwww. That's very sweet, but you won't be able to marry me, I'm already Daddy's wife.

Tiernan: But I want to marry you!

Is he not the sweetest? And the coolest? He wants to marry me! Say it with me... awwwwwww!

Out of the mouths of babes.

Christmas is cancelled!

2005-10-25T22:30:00.000-05:00

Forget Christmas!

We don't need it!

Sure, we'll still have the dinner and the love and the good cheer and the baked goodies. But the presents? Who needs presents?

A while back I boxed up a lot of the kids toys because at that point in time we thought we might be moving to Ottawa. Well, it looks like we're staying here for now (who knows what the future may hold), so I decided it was time to bring up the half dozen boxes of toys that were gathering dust in our basement.

The kids were in toy heaven! All these new (or, sort of new) toys! There were a lot of "look at this Mum!"s and "oh, cool, I missed this toy sooooo much!"s. It was like Christmas morning with all the toys laying about! We got it all organized, and I must say that the kids are actually quite content with the things they already have. They likely wouldn't be (too) upset if they didn't get anything in December.

But we all know Mrs.Claus won't let Santa give the toys back to the eleves.

They've been good kids afterall! ;-)

Mirror.

2005-10-25T17:02:00.000-05:00

This morning Rhianna watched very intently as I put my make-up on. She then told me that I was pretty.

This afternoon she found my make-up and decided to put on some eyeliner. When I caught her I told her she was pretty. What else could I say? She wants to be just like her mama! Awwwww. I'm very flattered!

(you can't tell by the picture, but she has it all over her eyelids!)

Kid-isms #1

2005-10-24T16:51:00.000-05:00

Sometimes having children is the best entertainment available.

Tiernan, Rhianna and I headed over to Chapters today to check out some vegetarian cookbooks. We were all standing in the very open "Cooking" department when Tiernan lets one rip... and loud. I quickly looked around to see if anyone was watching or rather, listening, while Tiernan said "Whoops! Hahaha, excuse me!". Looked like the coast was clear... until..

Rhianna, in a very loud and clear voice said, "I heard Tiernan's bum!!"

That's right. Rhianna decided to tell everyone within earshot that she heard Tiernan's bum. Not once. Not twice. Not even three times. Four times! Oh, my dear girl, how I love thee! So much for letting Tiernan's gas go unnoticed.

Then this afternoon Tiernan and Rhianna were at each others' throats for a while, and at one point I turned to Tiernan and half-jokingly said, "You guys are driving me bonkers!", to which Tiernan replied, "And Mummy, you are driving me BUGS!"

Silly boy. Always such a little ham. You really can't stay upset with him. He's just too cute for his own good!

Good morning!

2005-10-23T09:08:00.000-05:00

There is no better feeling in this world than waking up to all three kids crawling into bed with us. All with little smiles and lots of hugs and kisses! Kyle and I were still tired so we turned the TV onto 'Go, Diego, Go!' and let the kids cuddle with us while they enjoyed their show. We didn't get out of bed until the first child said she was hungry.

It's such a nice way to start the day... now I hope that the rest of the day is just as much fun!

Opinions.

2005-10-19T09:14:00.000-05:00

The family bed.

This is one of those touchy parenting topics. It's like breasfeeding, discipline and birthing. When you broach any of these subjects with another parent please know that you are about to enter a possible war zone. There could be some serious confrontation, and possible hurt feelings. Friendships could go sour! Let's hope none of these things happens, but just be veryyyyy careful!

I have strong opinions on all of these topics, but I try to keep those opinions to myself. I do not judge others for their choices. They are more than welcome to do what they choose to with their children and I expect the same in return. If I believe in something I do not want anyone to tell me I am wrong. I am not wrong. I am making the right decision for me and for my family.

For instance, some people believe children should sleep in their own beds from the get-go. Some believe they should sleep with a parent at all possible times. At night the children go to bed with the parents in their bed. I think I am one of those odd people whose belief is somewhere in the middle of those two.

When I first had my Avery I believed that he needed to sleep in his own bassinett, and then, as he got bigger, in his own bed in his room. And that's what we did. He went to bed in his crib at night without any problems. Avery was only 17 months old when his baby brother Tiernan was born. With Tiernan I chose to have him sleep with us in bed because it was the only way any of us could get any sleep. If I put him in the bassinett beside the bed he would wake up every half hour crying. If he slept in my arms in our bed he would sleep a few hours at a time. The decision was easy, really! Tiernan stayed in our bed until he started crawling and moving much more. He was about 9 months old when we moved him over to the crib, and the transition was very smooth. I missed having my little baby with me, but the space he once occupied was now taken up by Avery!

What started out as a night here or there soon became a nightly routine. Avery would sleep with us in our bed, and truth be told, I kind of enjoyed the cuddles we could have at night. He would reach over and play with my hair, and it was the only way he could comfort himself in the middle of the night. As time went on my husband and I started wondering if Avery would ever move into his own bed. One night, when he was about three and a half years old, he made the move on his own. Just like that, he was gone.

Right around that time we had another baby. I would try to bring Rhianna to bed with us, but she was one of those kids who just didn't sleep well in our bed. She was the opposite of Tiernan. She would sleep a lot better in the bassinett and later on in the crib. I wished she was more like Tiernan because she had a horrible case of reflux and nighttimes were more like nightmares! Holding my baby for 20-30 minutes in an upright position after every feeding when your baby wakes up every two-three hours is not an easy task. That was the longest 6-9 months of my life! I was a zombie. Having her in bed with me would've made it a little easy, but she's an independent little monkey would likes to have her space!

Rhianna is two years old now, and we still have kids coming and going from our bed. Tiernan comes into our bed in the middle of the night at least once every couple of nights. Rhianna is the same way. She now loves to come curl up and cuddle with us. I don't believe she'll ever want to spend the entire night with us, but I could be completely wrong! I may be eating my words in a few months.

As for Avery... he's almost 6 years old now. He's a "big boy" now. He doesn't need Kyle or I the way his siblings do (at least he pretends he doesn't!). He spends almost every night in his own bed, but every once in a while in the middle of the night I will hear him whisper, "Mummy, can I sleep with you guys, I had a nightmare." In he climbs between myself, Kyle, the dog and our three cats (sometimes Tiernan or Rhianna will already be there, too!), and we all have a good night's sleep.

I enjoy those nights because I know they won't last much longer. These kids are growing up faster than I ever imagined they could.

Ho-Ho-Ho!

2005-10-18T22:03:00.000-05:00

I realise this is only the middle of October, but I've been thinking a lot of Christmas shopping. Maybe it's because I can feel the cooler weather creeping in on this lovely city. Maybe it's because my kids have been asking for things that I keep telling them will be "put on the letter to Santa". Maybe it's because the stores are bringing out their Christmas decorations and having massive toy sales. Maybe it's because I love Christmas and all it entails... the cheer, the family, the good food, the presents, the snow, the singing, the magic. Or maybe it's just because I am practically finished shopping for my own rugrats, as well as a few other little rugrats!

While Avery was at school this morning I made sure that Rhianna and Tiernan were busily eating their lunch and I headed down to the basement to 'check on some laundry'. I did check the laundry, but I also went to the place where I hide any and all gifts with a paper and pen to make a list of all the things I've bought so far.

Turns out, I've been doing pretty well! I would say a couple more presents each, and a couple more stocking stuffers and my kids are all bought for. I can't believe it! It isn't even Halloween yet! I rock! Go me! Go ahead... kiss the ground I walk on. I know you worship me.

I also came to the realisation of something that I've always known. My kids are spoiled.

I wouldn't say they are spoiled rotten because despite the fact that they really do have a lot of toys, they are such fabulous kids. Sure, they have their moments, but show me a child who doesn't! My kids are well mannered, caring, kind, considerate, and they rarely, if ever, expect to recieve a present. When they know one is coming they may get a little overeager, but I do not have one of those kids. You know the ones. The child asks for something while they're looking through the toy store. The parent says no. The child demands it. The parent stands firm. The child throws an absolutely frightening temper tantrum to beat all temper tantrums while the parent either a)stands there embarassed, looking around and hoping no one hears their screaming child, b)drags the child out of the store while he/she kicks and sobs and yells or c)caves in completely just to shut their son/daughter up. My kids are not like that. I wouldn't stand for it. Not a chance! They may ask, but when I say no, they stop right there. They tell me they will ask for it for their birthday or for Christmas. Or if they earn enough stars. They are really wonderful kids... I'm not just biased!

Throughout the year my kids do not get a whole lot of gifts from us. An occasional small toy. Maybe some stickers. A chocolate bar here and there. But no big toys. We reserve those solely for birthdays and Christmas. And I will freely admit that on these special occasions I tend to go overboard. I buy... errr... Santa makes a lot of things. Nothing too expensive, but a lot of items. His elves work VERY VERY hard for him when it comes to our kids. And Mrs Claus is so gifted at finding a good bargain! ;-)

I guess I have the same attitude as my folks because growing up Christmas was always full of gifts for me as well. I would get the occasional My Little Pony, book, or sheet of stickers on our trips to the mall (and there was the time my Dad surprised me with a Pogo Ball! Oh, how I loved that Pogo Ball! It was BRIGHT yellow and orange! Just my style!), but for the most part I did not get the insane amount of gifts my friends did throughout the year. At Christmas and my birthdays, though... I certainly got more than my fair share then. I, too, was spoiled. I guess I can look at it as carrying out a tradition!

It's true that you tend to follow in your parents footsteps!

You mean girls are dramatic??

2005-10-17T11:48:00.000-05:00

This morning my daughter and I went to the park. Oh what fun! The sun is shining, the birds are singing, and the air is crisp. Autumn is a fabulous time to play at the park. I hurried through my Mini-Wheats this morning because Rhianna was asking "are you ready, Mummy?" every 30 seconds. I made a mental note that I should never, under any circumstances, mention the fact that we're heading out to the playground until after I've had myself some breakfast. I barely tasted those squares of yummy goodness!

We started on the slides when we finally got there. The park we were at has three slides, so there was plenty of sliding to be had. There's the Little Itty Bitty slide, which Rhirhi very bravely goes down herself. Then there's the Twirly Yellow slide which she insists I go down with her. I guess the actual twists frighten her a bit. Strange, though, seeing as this is the child who could climb Mount Everest without pause. Alas, this is the slide we enjoy together, and I must admit I take great pleasure in the fact that she needs her Mummy's comfort in order to be able to face the big, bad Twirly Yellow slide. Together we squeal and laugh and have a blast! I love it. Then there's the last slide... the Don't Let The Straightness Fool You slide. At first glance, it looks completely tame. Very straight forward. You climb up, you slide down, you get off, right? Only. Not. Instead you climb up, you slide down at speeds faster than the speed of light (!!) and then you do not get off, you shoot off! It shoots you right off like a canon. ZOOM! I'm not kidding. I convinced my baby girl, after much cajoling, to give this slide another chance. One more chance before winter truly hits and we need to wait an entire season before being able to slide down it again! Reluctantly, she climbed up on my lap, and we took off down the Don't Let The Straighteness Fool You slide. And by 'took off' I mean it in the way a spaceship heads off into space. Wow. We landed 5 feet away from the bottom of the slide, and I think both of our bums will be happy not seeing that slide until the Spring!

It was a nice morning at the park. Swings, bridges, throwing leaves, chasing each other around. Pure bliss.

Until we tried to leave. Let me rephrase that. Until I tried to get Rhianna to leave! She is most definitely a girl. My boys never gave me a run for my money the way the Princess does. When it's time to go I give the boys their warning (usually it's five more slides each), they take it, happily, and then we go. She turns on the waterworks and the dramatics! Big, juicy, fat tears! The world will END if we leave. She will run AWAY from me. She will NEVER come back! I am the WORST Mummy! EVER. Okay, so she doesn't actually say these things, but something tells me she's thinking them!

Life is fun. I can't say I've been bored for one minute since I had my babies!

No, Mummy!

2005-10-16T23:41:00.000-05:00

My two year old daughter is quite a little "mummy" already. She loves to mop the floor, cuddle her brothers while saying "what's-a-matter?" when they're crying about somethingorother, and tell people what to do, or, depending on the scenario, what not to do.

I have this terrible habit of playing with my cordless phone. I mindlessly fiddle with it, often sticking the antenna in between my teeth and twirling it around (very classy, I know!). The other day while taking a break from playing 'I'm gonna get you!', I sat myself down on the couch to get my fix of 'Days of Our Lives'. My daughter was happily sliding down my legs when all of a sudden I hear her little voice say, "Mummy! You talk onna phone, not eat da phone!"

Um. Hahaha. Yes, Miss Smarty Pants, you are right. Sometimes you do know better than I do.