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.

My Kids' Tooth Fairy Sucks

A Few Things I Have Learned About Myself (As I Get Older)

It's funny to think about all the times in my 20's and early-30's I'd heard women say things about how they couldn't do certain things anymore, which things upset their stomach, "I can't lay on the floor or I'll never get up" etc.

I found it odd and couldn't relate, because nothing seemed to bother my stomach, give me black circles under my eyes, throw my back out... nothing was 'off limits' (other than staying up all night drinking... but even then it was a matter of staying in bed a few extra hours, a couple of Advil and a round of McD's to cure what ailed me). I always wondered if someday I would get to that point where my stomach couldn't handle things, I couldn't lift certain things for fear of throwing out my back, couldn't stay up all hours and just sleep it off the next day.

The answer is: YES. Getting (a little) older does do certain things to you. Now, I know if I ate a little better and exercised more (*cough* some *cough*) these things wouldn't as as much of an issue. Thing is, it sortof sneaks up on you, and you DON'T need to exercise or eat particularly well in your 20's and early 30's in order to feel okay. You just don't -- youth seems to take care of things for you. And even though I heard it 100 times or more, I really just didn't see this coming.

Anyway, I've learned a few things about myself lately. I know there will probably be plenty more to discover about myself as the years march on and things change, within and around me... but I thought it worth mentioning these new-found discoveries, for posterity if nothing else. How many more weird and wonderful things await me??

Baby Girl is 11 months old!

Seriously? Eleven months?? Ack! No!

Alas, it is so. The baby is growing before our very eyes... Opa says she is smart, "No, like really smart." Here's a short list of some of the amazing things she is doing lately... It's literally something new every day... I can barely keep up.

- signing 'milk', 'more', 'eat', 'all done', 'water' (with one finger), 'owie' (sortof), 'book' (sortof), shakes her head no and waves hi and bye.

- says dada, mama, more, hi, no, wow/woah, 'ah-ah' (my sound for stop/don't do that), na (Nonna), pa (Opa), ba (ball), and be-a (bear). She also makes a 'tte tte' sound and sortof tickles her own belly when she's being tickled or wants to be.

- growls like a bear - most animals in her world growl, apparently! - and sometimes says 'at at' when you ask what a duck says and 'fff' for a dog.

- crawling everywhere! Can't do steps yet so she's still contained to the Family Room (for now!)

- she will stand up holding onto furniture if you put her that way, and has started pulling up onto her knees 

- plays peekaboo (with her hand on the side of her head, haha)

- says 'brrr' when driving a toy truck/car

- still loves to dance, starts to boogie anytime music comes on, and has added a few moves to her repertoire (like shaking her hands in the air)

- starting to open and close doors (cabinets and big doors that aren't latched). Tricky when she crawls into a room, closes the door and then gets 'stuck' behind the door which has happened a few times!

- can roll a ball and chase after it.

- happiest if she can hold more than one toy in her hand at a time.

- started dropping food from her tray and will smile and say 'ah-ah' and shake her head no. Stinker.

- loves to read books before bed. She will be almost asleep nursing but if I say "Book?" she will pop right up and reach for the books on her shelf.

- fake coughs for attention and will 'laugh' when others laugh

- can point to her toes when asked and tries to put on her socks and shoes.

- sprouted her four bottom teeth all on the same day about a month ago (that was fun...), and is working in a few top teeth now.

She is such a joy. Happy 11-month birthday not-so-little one.

One word: toes!

Rites of Passage - first cafeteria lunch

It's funny the things that kind-of get to you as a parent, and make you realize your kids really are growing up (despite you telling them repeatedly not to). 

For the first time in his short school career, we sent The Boy off this morning without a lunch packed in his backpack. For the first time ever, he'll be getting his own hot lunch in the cafeteria.

No big deal, really. He's been eating lunch at school forever. But, he's never gone to the cafeteria - and for some strange reason (lack of sleep, most likely) I'm kind-of having a hard time with this. Is he really old enough to wander down to the cafeteria on his own? Will he know where to go, how to load his tray with food? Will he feel anxious trying to find somewhere to sit? I've even had some somewhat neurotic thoughts about his ability to cut his waffles. (Ha! Okay that's definitely lack of sleep talking.)

All kidding aside, it seems like there are these little rites of passage that keep creeping up on us - first sleepover at a friend's house, first school crush, first time using Windex. (Haha... One of my personal favourites.) And just like that, I have a kid who just yesterday - or 2 years ago, who can keep track? - was wearing pull-ups and carrying around a blankie and drinking from sippy cups, and is now standing in the hot lunch line at school ready to take on the world.

Such a small, insignificant thing... But oh, such a big thing. 

Should I start packing his bags for college now??

All About the Baby Girl - 9 months

So, it's been nearly nine months since this baby girl came into our lives. Nine months... As much time OUT as IN. Unbelievable. Even more unbelievable? The fact that I haven't made a single post about her yet! Kicking off the Third Child Complex right from the start.

In any event I felt I needed to make a few notes about her, so when she asks later I'll have something to refer to (you KNOW my brain will be complete and utter mush by the time she's able to talk and ask questions about her infancy...).

Baby Girl:

- she loves to babble (dadada, bababa, nana, buh etc)... Still refuses to say Mama though. Stinker.

- she can clap - real claps that make sound!

- she's able to sit up and play for a good long while. She's starting to voice her opinion when we (I) walk away from her, but unless she's tired or hungry she basically shrugs and gets back to playing.

- she loves to dig in baskets or containers of toys and take them all out

- she loves anything that makes noise (rattley toys are the best!)

- she loves music, and dancing. She's even started to "sing", which sounds just like babbling except she dances while she does it. Too cute.

- she WAS sleeping 10-11 hours/night for a few weeks, until about a month ago... Now she typically wakes up 1-2 times a night for smiles, kisses and general merriment. She did sleep an amazing 12 hours last night (hallelujah!) but I'm not banking on that being a trend - though this tired mama would LOVE that.

- she recognizes the signs for 'more', 'all done', 'milk', and 'sleep', and does a sortof clap sign for 'more'.

- she likes to bang toys together, and will pass a toy from hand to hand and turn it over to study it.

- she's able to get onto all fours (in her crib), albeit sloppily, and will lean while sitting into a sortof yoga pigeon pose. I can tell she's starting to think about crawling, but we're not there yet (thank goodness...We're not ready for a little mover yet!). She does manage to move while sitting though, usually ending up a few feet from where I put her down.

- she's slowly sprouting a little blonde hair, though mommy keeps cutting her fuzzy Mohawk as we keep getting comments when we're out ("Oh I love his funny hair!"...)

- she shared her Cheerios with me for the first time last week. And I happily ate them, despite the fact that they'd already been in her mouth. :) You can never refuse food from a baby!

- she looooves to give kisses (open-mouth slobbers), and will now rest her head on you if you ask for a hug. Awww.

- her favourite game is peek-a-boo, she'll put a blanket on her own head and then kick and squeal until she pulls it off triumphantly. I was there all along, haha!

- we've already had her first visit to the IWK ER. :( She somehow dislocated her elbow a few weeks ago... Thankfully she didn't mind too much and we had an awesome triage nurse (shout out to the nurses! Holla!!) who clicked it back into place without any hullabaloo.

- she can high-five! The Boy wants to teach her to fist-pump now...

- she loves her animals, and gives big smiles to the bear, lion, and elephant on the walls in her room.

- she's taken to eating solid food like an expert from day 1 - there isn't much she won't eat! She's not a fan of baby cereal anymore, but gobbles up cheese, oranges, Cheerios, puffed wheat, salmon, rice, peas... Well everything really! Despite having...

- NO teeth yet... Not a single one. Thought I saw something happening in there last week but it seems they retreated? Gummy smiles abound!

All around she's a very easy going, happy, adorable, BIG, sometimes loud, always charming baby girl. Love me some Lolo.

When your kid gets hurt (even a little)

Well, we can check another item off The Girl's bucket list: get stitches.

The Girl decided about three weeks ago that at the ripe old age of 2.75, she no longer needed the bed rail on the side of her bed. For some reason, mommy reason lost and toddler reason won... partly because I do want to encourage her independance whenever I can... And not be too paranoid or worried about them getting hurt. You know - more forward thinking and relaxed than I was with my firstborn?

In any event she's been sleeping with a spare mattress on the floor next to her bed and a pillow tucked between her bedside table and the bed. Can't be too safe! She's fallen out a few times, hit the mattress, we put her back in bed and that's that. No biggie. So when we heard that familiar *whomp* and ensuing crying, we didn't panic or sprint upstairs. In fact The Hubs went and I even said (when the monitor got quiet for a second), "Ahh maybe she's fine."

Then I hear from her room, "Uhhh... can you bring in a towel??" A... what? Towel? Thinking she'd leaked through her diaper or something I casually get an old towel and wander into her room.

The Hubs shows me his hand. Covered in blood.

It took me a second to register it. I thought he cut himself. The Girl wasn't crying at all, so I was confused. Then he showed me the side of her head - hair all matted down with blood, pillow case stained. Wha...? The Hubs sees my face and reminds me, "Heads bleed a lot, remember." Right. Heads bleed.

We had to get her cleaned up to see where it was coming from. Slight panic as I fear it's coming from her ear and as she's wanting to go back to sleep I think for half a second, she's seriously hurt (rational thought is not my strong suit late at night). Get her in the bath to rinse her hair and it's a small gash, about 1", but deep. Might need stitches. But wow... all that blood from this little gash. Heads DO bleed a lot.

This is one of those moments where you have the internal parental battle with yourself. Do we get her dressed and drive all the way downtown to children's emergency where there will be kids who are *actually* really hurt or sick, and possibly wait a few hours, if she might not even need to go? But what if she does need a stitch? What if it gets infected? But it's not bleeding anymore. But man, it is gaping. What to do? (Meanwhile I'm thinking... there needs to be an app for this. Go/No Go)

We decide we'd be total loser parents if we didn't take her in, so get her dressed and in the car and away they go, The Hubs and The Girl, who by now is cheery and asking "Are we going to the doctor? Are you coming to the doctor too?". Oh but have to find the health card first, and figure out where to take her because we're not really sure. These aren't the details you tend to read up on before you need them. (Note to parents... it's a good idea to at least know where your children's emergency room is, you know, before you NEED that information.) We're lucky that she was relatively okay, I can't imagine trying to figure out these details if a child was seriously hurt!

In the end the docs did say it was good we brought her in (score one point for parents) and were able to give her a glue stitch. Total bonus (it's quicker, doesn't require shaving, and a lot less traumatic for the kids!). And now we know where the ER is and how to get there. Just in case. And in case anyone's wondering, The Girl was totally fine... happy as a clam, giggled at the docs, and bouncing around the house (literally... bouncing) at 6:30 am the next morning, despite being up until 1 am. This girl...

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!

They're Just Trying to Make the Moms Cry

I swear, half the stuff set up for parents and kids are designed solely to make moms cry. And I'm not a crier! I didn't even cry at the movie Beaches, even though everyone else in the room was a blubbering mess.

Yesterday was a big day around here. The Boy had his Primary Orientation, which is the day they have all the 'newbies' come to Big School to get familiar with it before school starts in September. They also assess the kids to see where everyone will fit and assign teachers and classrooms accordingly. For parents of kids who are just starting for the first time, it's a chance to meet the teachers, and start to get a feel for this whole "school" thing.

Now, we aren't total newbies... The Boy went to preschool when he was three, and now attends a daycare with a preschool program, with a focus on learning and schedules and taking turns and working in groups -- all the things kids need before they start school.

And yet, taking my little boy into that big building with all the classrooms and big kids and a cafeteria and library... Aren't those things for big kids? Like, teenagers? Exciting, for sure. But big... a big deal, this whole school thing. And I really can't believe, as most parents have echoed, that the time is here already. How have 5 years gone by so quickly? It's really not possible... is it?

I've been told once kids start school, time speeds up even more. Everything goes in fast-forward and before long, your little boy with his brand-new backpack and pencil case and his name in his shoes is getting his driver's license and graduating from High School. I think that's what's getting me about him starting school -- it's not that going to Primary is so heartwrenching, it's the reminder that you can't stop time, and your kids just keep growing up. Exciting... but...

And then, the principal read us parents a poem, which I guarantee was just to get us all to cry. I was FINE up to that point. It was just orientation! Not like he's really starting school... yet... I held it together watching him walk to the front of the room and go off with 20 other kids to check out the classrooms, without us, like a big boy. But when the principal said to get our tissues ready, and began to read this poem about handing our kids over to the capable teachers and not being able to watch everything they do and achieve... well I admit I welled up.

We still have a few months before The Big Day (which we're told we're not supposed to make a huge hairy deal of so as not to scare the kids... HA!!), and then I will be a total mess. Until then, I'm enjoying every minute of my "preschooler" kid.

Okay, not every minute. I love him... but come on. :)

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. 

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!