Today you are EIGHT

Well kiddo, eight short years ago your arrival made me a mommy, and for that I will be eternally grateful. You've brought me more joy, laughter, aggravation, fun, intrigue and love than I ever could have imagined.

You are goofy, funny, caring, inquisitive. The love you show for your family makes my heart burst. The questions you ask make my head explode (sometimes!) -- both because of how smart they are, and how dumb they make me feel. You keep me on my toes, that's for sure.

I can see you starting to compare yourself to your peers. Remember that there will always be someone faster than you, and there will always be someone slower. None of that matters -- what matters is that you are kind, and that you try your very best every day. Don't ever stop being you. You are a great kid -- never forget that.

You are growing up. You've mastered the art of snapping, and you've almost learned how to whistle. You can whiz down the street on your scooter like a pro (even past the second driveway where you're supposed to stop). You've surpassed my video gaming abilities but you show patience when I don't get it. You can call your friends on the phone now, and when you are with them, you have deep conversations about things that I don't know much about, like Pokemon and Skylanders and Stampy Longnose.

I saw you roll your eyes a little yesterday. That's okay -- it's part of growing up. I see you maturing before my very eyes, especially when you take care of your little sisters. I miss my baby boy, but I love watching you grow and seeing who you are becoming.

When I look at you, I see me. I see your anxiety, your fears, your creativity, your joy, and your head-in-the-cloudsness. It's all good -- they're all a part of what makes you YOU, and you are really pretty awesome. You'll find a way to make it all work for you; hopefully I can help along the way.

Happy 8th Birthday to my big boy. I love you to the moon and back.

Happy Third Birthday!

Happy 3rd Birthday to my favouritest three-year-old girl in the world!

Thought I'd share ten things about The Girl as she turns the big 0-3:

1. She loves Bubble Guppies and Dora the Explorer
2. Her favourite colour is green (despite me trying to make it purple)
3. Her favourite outfit is anything with Dora on it, or her flowery dress (see pics below)
4. She is kind and generous (when she's in the mood) -- she'll offer you bites of her food, or she'll offer to get you some of your own. "You want some?"
5. She has the BEST and most infectious giggle
6. Her favourite indoor activity is putting together puzzles
7. She needs "Other Bunny" in order to sleep (one of three bunny blankets, the other two are "Bunny" and "Bun-Bun", but Other Bunny is her #1. Ironic, yes?)
8. Her hair is curly and her eyes are blue... we don't know where either of these traits came from!
9. She has a thing for mommy's shoes, especially the ones in mommy's closet with the 4" heels that mommy will probably never wear, and the strappy gold ones that were bought for Halloween one year.
10. She really, really loves her big brother, laughs at all his antics, and wants to do everything he does. (Except potty train, apparently, but who's counting.)

Finally, some pictures from her party. She had SO much fun with her three best friends, Sara, Olivia and Meghan. It was a simple little party at home, and it was perfect for this spunky little 3-year-old.

Love you, baby girl.
xo, Mommy

From Preschooler to Big Kid: Happy 5th Birthday to The Boy

My not-so-little boy turned five today.

FIVE.

Five years ago I was wondering what the HELL I was doing... who's great idea this whole 'baby' thing was and how the HELL I was going to get that baby OUT of there! (Still boggles the mind if you ask me.)

Five years later, I'm still wondering what the hell I'm doing. Funny how that never changes. Sure I can (and have) change a diaper with my eyes closed, wipe someone else's bum without blinking an eye, and I now know the best way to handle minor boo-boos that seem pretty major at the time (in a word: freezies).

But since every new day with The Boy is a stage we've never experienced, he gets to teach us how to parent in the moment, as we go. Isn't he lucky!

We don't yet know how to handle 'big school', or girlfriends, or broken bones (KNOCKING ON WOOD). We haven't put him on a bus by himself or helped him put together a project on Nefertiti or the Human Body. We have yet to send him careening down the street on a two-wheeler without training wheels, or deal with him running away or telling us he hates us (again, knocking on wood, though I know these things are probably coming). We haven't had to explain where babies come from or why pets have to die, or teach him to cross the bunny ears and loop-swoop-and-pull.

We'll learn all those things and more, I know. But we're not there yet... for now it's all band-aids on scrapes and time-outs and LEGO and three books at bedtime and the excitement of a playdate with your best friend.

Happy 5th Birthday little buddy. Love you.

1 year

1 week

2 years

3 years

4 years

Five!

Happy Birthday Miss Marvelous!

Yes, it's been a whole year since little Emily came into this world. I sang "Happy Birthday" to her this morning when I got her up, and then realized it was exactly the same time of day that she was born.

Wow.

Here are a few pics from roughly a year ago... time just goes too fast. She has somehow - without my consent - gone from this little squidgy newborn to a laughing, crawling, talking little being unto herself.

Happy Birthday to my best girl.

 

Happy Birthday big boy!!

Our wee Matthew is three years old. THREE! Wow.

Happy Birthday to my little man. 

Pics from Matthew's Bday

Just wanted to share a few pictures from Matthew's birthday. We had a great week!

Annual ice-cream trip:


Party fun - the bounce house, and pinata:


Cake!

Matthew is TWO!!

Hard to believe that our little boy is two years old already! Where has the time gone??

Happy 2nd Birthday Matthew!!

Here's a quick list of the things our 'big kid' is doing these days:

• He can run and kick a ball, can throw, and is learning to catch
• He can count to 17 (ish) - skipping 6 and 7 most of the time. He is also starting to count to ten in French.
• He knows his full name, as well as his mom and dad's names
• As of this morning, he can successfully walk down the stairs on his own, holding the railing
• He can get into the car and up into his car seat on his own
• He can drink through a straw, and is learning to drink from a cup (when we give it a try!)
• He's starting to put puzzles together (one ones that fit together, versus the 'block' style that have cutout shapes)
• His favourite saying these says (besides "No!") is, "Matthew do it!!" or, "I do it - by myself!"
• He can brush his teeth pretty well... the front ones, anyway. We think he's just starting to get his second set of molars now.
• He loves slides and goes up the stairs and down the slide at the park on his own. Whee!
• He starting to play WITH other kids, likes to trade toys, and watches what other kids (and adults!) are doing and tries to imitate them.
• He can sing a few songs now (Frere Jacques, ABCs, Mary Had a Little Lamb, Rolly Polly) and loves to burst into song whenever the mood strikes him.
• His favourite books right now are Where's Olivia (a lift & flap book), Sleepy Baby, and The Very Hungry Caterpillar -- although he loves all his books.
• By far his favourite toys are cars and trucks and anything else with wheels!

We are just loving watching Matthew grow and develop and turn into a real little boy - although it is bittersweet since we're saying goodbye to our little baby and hello to this new little person!

For his birthday we're going out for ice cream (after presents at home!), and then having a small party on the weekend with his cousins and little buddies from daycare. We can't wait!