An Actual Date!!!

I have so much to post about today! Where to start? Well, let's start with last night: date night! My hubby took me on a surprise outing. We went on a rock 'n' roll dinner and sail on Canada's tallest sail ship, the ...okay, the name escapes me at the moment. But it was large. About 400 of us were on board. We set sail at 7:00 pm, and had a great buffet dinner, and there was a really good band. About 10:00 the desserts rolled out and they were awesome! The tallest chocolate fudge cake, caramel cheesecake, raspberry chiffon cake and on, and on. Yum! At the end of the evening we watched a spectacular fireworks display, and as we left the ship, the gave us chocolate-dipped strawberries. It was such a fun night, and especially so because there was no occasion for it. Just my hubby wanting to take me out. Sigh. I love him. (You're shmoopy. No, YOU'RE shmoopy!) Anyway, good times.

Now today. Today was Phoenix's first all-friend birthday party. There were 10 kids all together, and miracle of miracles, all that were invited, showed up! There were 8 boys and two girls. They were all really, really good. That being said, 2 1/2 hours is WAY too long for any kids party. For a parent, that is. It's funny, you know. You spend two weeks planning all of these games and activites, anticipating that each one will take 1/2 hour to complete, and you'll never get to all of them, only to discover that kids go through these activities at a scary pace, and they're all done and you still have an hour and a half to kill, without wanting to run screaming from the backyard.Note to self: must stock up on post-party alcohol for parents.

The kiddies had a great time. First up was a cartoonist, who drew pictures of all the kids, some doing their favourite activities (swimming, dancing etc) and others riding dinosaurs (did I mention we had a dinosaur theme?) Then we did a craft activity where they made pterodactyls. Then we did a dino-egg stomp (where the kids jumped on balloons to pop them). We played pass the dino-egg (like hot potato) and had a mini-dig, where the kids dug in sand trays to find dinosaur bones and fossils that Mark and I had contructed from clay. It was at this point that I thought, oh no, I'm out of games! So Mark invented one (pictures to follow) called "Extinction" where he had all of the kids lie on the ground and be extinct dinosaurs, and they couldn't move until he came to "dig" them out. That ate up at least 5 more minutes. Okay, let's open presents! Phoenix got some really great stuff, like a whack of new Transformers, some books, a mask and snorkel set, a Power Ranger, two games (including Twister!), some Superman stuff and lots more that I can't recall at present because I am too beat.

Oh, and as usual, I spent the whole day coating the kids in sunscreen and naturally forgot about myself, so I am currently surrounded by a cool, yet frightening red skin-glow.

Then we did the cake, which gave them some more sugar energy, in case they were running low. I tried to calm them with colouring, but it didn't last long. The last 45 minutes, we just let them run helter-skelter around the backyard until their folks came to collect them.

I just want to note that one of Phoenix's buddies, Riley, was so darned cute! He was so sweet, I just wanted to adopt him! What a doll!

10 minutes after the last child left, party #2 began, the family BBQ, with two grandparents, 3 uncles, two aunts and 4 cousins. That ended at 8:00, when I parcelled the kiddies off to bed. Whew! If I have some energy later, I will post some pictures. If not, then tomorrow. Mark did a great yard-entry decoration, Jurrasic Park style (changed to Jurrasic Yard) and included a great sign, shrubbery and the Jurrasic Park Jeep, and I'll post pictures of those too.

Thanks to all for everything and everyone who attend either party. Now I am going to collapse on the couch for a while and watch the end of Mr. Holland's Opus.

Night!

PS. I apologise for any typos. I am very tired, and can't think.
PPS. I don't want to curse myself, but I think it's safe to say that Keegan is officially 100% potty-trained! It took a lot of bribery (in the form of Thomas the train toys) but we got 'er done! Yay Keegs!

Why I Gave Up My Garden This Year

Yes, Monsieur Lapin has invaded my backyard space, and as he has daily snacks from my FENCED-IN garden, what's the point?

Phoenix and Keegan love this little guy and have named him Flash. He's really cute, so I do not begrudge him my sprouting veggies, and besides, it appeals to my lazy nature and fuels the desire to NOT weed the garden. Enjoy, Flash!

Happy Birthday Bunny!!!

Bunny! (Phoenix to all the rest...) You are 6 today! My God, I remember when you were born. Seems like yesterday you were just my first cutie baby boy, weighing in at 7 pounds, 3 ounces. Now you are tall and lanky and a whopping 42 pounds. Time flies.

You had a very tough start to your life. 24 hours after your birth, you suffered a frontal lobe haemorrage, and were rushed off to the NICU hospital. When we arrived, you were hooked up to 4 different machines, and had a breathing tube. We weren't allowed to hold you, and I wasn't allowed to nurse you. We had to make do with touching your tiny hand through the porthole of the incubator unit. Your father and I cried enough tears to last a life-time. During your stay, we were first told that you would make it three days maximum. You saw 21 different doctors. You had hearing tests, vision tests, EEGs and EKGs. You had 3 CT scans and 3 MRIs. And two weeks later, they sent you home. :)

You have proved all the doctors wrong by being very smart, and hitting all of your milestones in advance. They gave you 3 days. You've given us 6 of the happiest years of our lives. Your genetic sarcasm is developing nicely, and you have the vocabulary of a 28 year old. (Actually, Mommy, I think the problem is a bit more complicated than it appears. Have you checked the logistics?) (He said that yesterday, I kid you not!)

HAPPY, HAPPY BIRTHDAY, to my gorgeous, funny, adorable, miracle child. I wish you love, happiness and success as you start your journey into your seventh year.

XOXOXO

Mommy

PS. Some people who share your birthday:

Actors: Errol Flynn, Martin Landau, Danny Aiello, Nicole Kidman
Musical Artists: Chet Atkins, Brian Wilson, Anne Murray, Cyndi Lauper, Lionel Richie
All-Around Handyman: Bob Vila

If My Kids Were Cartoons...

I Did NOT Sign Up For This!!!

I sooooooooooooooo DID NOT sign up for this. Here is a little excerpt from my personal hell:

I am awoken by my eldest son with these words this morning: "Mommy, I am sorry to have to tell you this, but Keegan went poo in his pants, and pulled them off and now there's poo everywhere and Daddy said to tell you that he is already 10 minutes late for work, so you have to deal with it."

Yeah. Nice. Crap on the stairs (two floors), on the floor, and pretty much all over Keegan's lower extremities. Eff. Nice way to start my day. It MUST be Monday. It can only get better from here, I hope.

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On to nicer matters, my friend Leanne sent me some exciting news this morning so I am going to brag on her behalf. Her five-part series "Mind Over Myth", which dealt with mental illness, took the Dave Rogers award at the Radio Television News Directors Association's National Awards ceremony in St. John's, Newfoundland on Saturday night. She had won the regional award prior to that. Now she and the Canadian Mental Health Association are in discussions to have the series put up on their national website! Good job Leanne! On behalf of all the Rye High grads, we're real proud!

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Over the last few days, I have been up to my orbital sockets in Phoenix's birthday party preparations. We are going with a dinosaur theme, and I have been doing a lot of behind the scenes work. I finished the loot bags (shoot the mom or dad who invented this terrible necessity!) each of which include dino fact sheets, colouring pages, plastic mini dinos, 3 colour pictures of dinos, 12 b & w pics of dinos with facts and foam dino craft cut-outs. Also, I have hired a cartoonist, who will do caricatures of the kiddies to take home with them in their loot bags. I have also planned a few games, including pass the dino egg, dino egg (balloon) stomp, and an archaeological "dig", where they get to excavate dino "bones" that I made out of clay, from sand filled trays. I also spent a few hours putting together essentials for their craft time, at the end of which they will have created a pterodactyl mobile made of paper and CD's. Trust me, it's neat.

All of that to celebrate turning six. Kripes. Oh, Ty's crying. Gotta jet. Later!

That "Bites"!

I know that Phoenix is sweet, but he must be tasty too, because a child in his class bit him on the back yesterday. It wasn't bad, no marks or broken skin, but still! Barbarians! I love the way they handle these things though...he (the biter) was put on a lengthy time-out, then was forbidden from taking part in the "Power Hour" which is basically an hour of die-hard fun and games, had to write Phoenix an apology note (Dear Phoenix, I am sorry for biting you. From, Tyler) and then had to do an hour of "community service" which entailed going around the school and picking up garbage. He reportedly sulked the entire time, and was pretty pissed off, so I don't think he'll be doing any further biting. For this year, anyway.

Phoenix is still enjoying playing soccer, although (and I know it's probably mean of me to say this, considering I am his mother), he has absolutely no talent for it. He generally seems to be more interested in just running up and down the field and waving at his fans (parents, brothers, uncles, grandparents). Oh well, he's having fun, and getting exercise, and that's the important part. Their last game was tied 2-2, and when he came home, he said to Mark, "It was a tie game, and that's great, because that means we both won!" Too cute, I tell you.

Keegan is still trucking on with his speech therapy. We have been going once a week for the last few weeks. He is making lots of progress with words such as "in", "on", "under", "beside", "in front" and "behind" and consistantly uses his "is" and "-ing" ( the bird IS flyING). Our major roadblock is still the word NOT. He just doesn't get it, and it frustrates the hell out of me. You can almost see the gears sticking in his head, trying to process the word. I just keep waiting for that lightbulb moment.

Ty is running all over hell's half-acre, as my mom would say. He is a happy, smiley, laughing child pretty much all day. He absolutely LOVES his brothers, and they do everything they can think of to make him laugh. It's so sweet. He has come up with some new words to accompany the constant "Da Da" and "NO!". He now says (after several brain-washing hours with my Dad) "Grandpa" and his newest word is "crazy", which he says whenever he sees Phoenix. Pretty appropriate, I think!

Phoenix and I have been working in earnest to bring up his reading and numeracy skill levels. Flash cards abound! It's going to be a working summer, that's for sure.

So, I suppose soon I will have to get around to buying the end-of-year teacher gifts, and there's a lot of them this year. One for Phoenix's teacher, one for his reading coach, one for each of Keegan's two teachers, and one for Keegan's bus driver, his adored "Miss Rose". Must put on my thinking cap.

Well, I think I am going to grab a cup of tea, and then get working on Phoenix's b-day party invites. Have a swell day everyone!

And a very happy birthday to my friend Alison!!!!

I'm Like The Wicked Witch Of The West!!!!

Aww.....it's like Oz around here..."I'm melting! I'm melting!" Kripes! Is it ever hot here today! About 33C, that's about 90-ish F, for you Americans. Closer to 100F with the humidex. Great day for the TTC to go on strike, stranding 700,000 commuters in the GTA. Then again, I'm at home. No commute, just kids and laundry. Today, and most every day, I have the better deal. But, man! It's hot.

I am reluctant to turn on the air conditioning this early in the season, however, the temperature indoors is rapidly rising, and this weather is wreaking havoc on the allergy sufferers in our house, especially poor Keggers. Maybe time to bring out the kiddie pool instead?

We had a great weekend! The FSRT duck race was a success, as was the Festival, and we brought in an estimated 5000 people...awesome! The kids had a great time, and they were as good as gold.

Now, back to the grind. School, laundry etc. I think I hear an ice-packed glass of iced-tea calling me, so have a good week, and try not to melt!

Could It Be? A Cake-Free Week?

It seems like all I have been doing all month is baking cakes. A Barbie cake for the school raffle, a Saturn cake for Keegs, a Pocoyo cake for Ty...now I have a blessed week off. Until next week, that is, when I am making another one. My next cake venture is for my friend Teresa, who, with 6 of her friends, are raising money for the Run for the Cure for Breast Cancer. They have each pledged to raise $2000, a total of $14,000 for their team. Good luck guys! In the spirit of their fundraising event, I am going to be making a cake modelled on my very own double D's. Anything for charity!

Looks like we may finally get some warm weather in the coming week. It has been wicked cold these last few days. I was pulling out the hats and mitts for the boys over the weekend. By Saturday we are supposed to have sun and 26C, which will be awesome for the FSRT Rubber Duck Race that day.

Keegan resumes language therapy on Thursday, where we will meet with his therapist, and develop a summer program for him. I'm anxious to get started. He has come a long way already, and many people have commented that his sentence length and clarity has improved since we began with his exercises. This morning, he actually uttered a 10-word sentence (yes, now I am constantly in the habit of counting his words...). He said, "May I please go downstairs and play with my trains?" Absolutely, doll! And so polite too, which is always nice to hear.

Mark took Phoenix and Keegs to a turkey farm yesterday. They were quite excited when they came home. Keegan got to hold a baby turkey and some eggs, and Phoenix petted a baby chick. They came back with a turkey feather, and 4 farm fresh, straight-from-the-chicken's-butt eggs. Keegan wanted to know when they would "'atch". Mark said, as soon as I put them in the frying pan! He didn't appreciate that answer.

Ty is a ramblin' man these days, making continuous circuits of the main floor of the house: hallway, kitchen, dining room, living room and back to hallway. Over and over and over. At least he's worn out for his naps!

Well, I suppose I should get over to Keegs and get some lessons in before lunch. Later taters.

OY! My Aching Back!

7:00 am. Woken by children. Stumble to bathroom. Crawl back into bed with hubby. Hoping for some rare morning action. Foreplay interrupted after 2.2 seconds by first and second child crawling into bed with us. Abandon hope. Make bottle for Ty. Feed Ty. Throw in a load of laundry. Give boys breakfast. Do dishes. Get kids dressed. Get Keegs off to school. Pack Ty and Bun into the car. Go scouting for patio furniture en route to grocery store. Go grocery shopping. Go to bank. Come home. Uppack food. Bake a cake. Make lunch. Put Keegs and Ty down for nap. Make icing. Help Mark unload new patio furniture. Laundry. Ice cake. Feed Ty. Go to hairdressers. Get Ty's haircut. Come home. Put kiddies into jammies and into bed. Feed Ty. Put Ty to bed. Make food for party tomorrow. Walk to store because I forgot three ingredients. Come home. Make more food. Laundry. Dishes. Put on jammies. Too tired for action, but determined.
11:33 pm.

The Big 0-1!!!

Happy Birthday Ty! You are one year old today! Boy, did that year go fast...with several false labours, you finally arrived with minimal fuss, and great joy. How happy we were to finally meet you! And your brothers were so excited to have a new boy in the house.

People generally have a hard time deciding who you look like, and it's no wonder! Everyday, you seem to change. When you were a newborn, you looked just like Keegan, and at 8 months, just like Phoenix, and now you are a combination of the two that is ultimately TY. Your hair is the colour and texture of cornsilk, yet when you were younger, we held out hopes for red. Your beautiful eyes are like your great-aunt Susan's, blue one minute and grey the next. Your smile is daily reminder to me of your Uncle Tommy, but your laugh is truly your own.

You are a sweet, good natured little guy. You blessed my tired soul by sleeping through the night at 7 weeks! I thought that babies that did that were urban legends until you arrived! You always have a 6-toothy grin for everyone you see (especially the girls!) and still love a bedtime snuggle.

Yesterday you woke up from your nap, and decided that you could walk, and went from one side of the room to the other without your familiar furniture hand-holds. Of course, you promptly fell on your butt, but I'm sure you were just startled by my enthusiastic cheering! Chasing after you will shake those extra pounds off of me, I'm sure!

Happy, happy birthday, my little Tyger. I wish you love and happiness and a whole new vocabulary (which now only consists of Mama, Dada and the constant "NO!") as you venture into your second year.

XOXO

Mommy

Lost And Found

My friend Teresa called me last night to see how my Mother's Day was. Very sweet of her, I thought. It wasn't until I got off of the phone that I realized that the reason she was checking on me was because my mom wasn't here for me to spend the day with. And then I had another realization: that this was the first Mother's Day in four years, that I didn't cry.

Not because I miss her less. Not because accepting her loss has become any easier. Not because the pain in my heart has eased in the slightest. I think it is because for the first time, I can see her clearly, in every part of my day. When she comes to me in dreams, she looks healthy, and not sick, as she has for the past 4 years in my sleep. I see her in Phoenix's troubled brow when he struggles with a problem, in Keegan's dark, navy-blue eyes, in Ty's delight at the smallest surprise. I see her when I look at my own hands. When I hear the love for her in her sisters' voices, and in the mannerisms they share with her. I see her when I look in the mirror.

So, although I lost my mother to cancer, I have found her again. She is all around, every day. And I think that that's a reason to smile, instead.

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day...
My dishes went unwashed today.
I didn’t make my bed.
I took his hand and followed where his eager footsteps led.
Oh yes, we went adventuring
My little child and I.
Exploring all the great outdoors,
Beneath the sun and sky.
We watched the robin feed her young.
We climbed a sunlit hill.
Saw cloud-sheep scamper through the sky,
We plucked a daffodil.
That my house was so neglected,
That I didn’t brush the stairs,
In twenty years no one on earth
Will know or even care.
But that I helped my little child
To noble adulthood grow,
In twenty years the whole wide world
May look and see and know.
- Anonymous

Wishing all the MOMS out there a wonderful Mother's Day to enjoy with their little darlings...

The Big 0-4!

Happy Birthday Keegan! You are 4 today! Wow, I remember when you were a tiny little baby at 5 lbs, 15 oz. My friend Leanne said, upon observing a diaper change, "That's not a butt! It's a hole with legs!" Yes, you were teeny. Then by six months, you were so chubby you looked like a sausage in a casing! Once you started to walk, the fat rolled off, but you are still a cute, solid kid, with pure muscle power and equiped with amazing lung power to shatter the strongest of windows in the middle of an awe-inspiring tantrum...

You are a loving affectionate child, with a passion for trains and outer space. You have had a rough year with lots of different doctors and therapists to see, and you have a tough road ahead, but I know that you are smart and strong, and will pull through!

You amazed your Grandpa the other day by reciting the names of all of the planets in order, and then pointing them out correctly in pictures. You can also name and visually identify all of the instruments in the brass, woodwind, string and percussion sections of the orchestra, and even identify individual instruments by sound.

You have a smile that can light up a room, and a hug that can steal a breath. And your laugh! It is infectious and adorable. I wish you love and luck and happiness in your journey into your fifth year.

XOXOXO

Mommy

Introducing...................

Introducing...my three fish. In the bottom left of the picture is Hans, named after Hans Lipperhey, the inventor of the telescope. Thanks for that awesome name suggestion, Tommy! Directly above Hans, is HereBoy, which I always thought would be a great name for a dog, but since I will never have one due to allergies, I pass the name to my fish. And last but not least, Fishy-Swa.

Thank you to all who participated in the name game.

I can't believe that it is May already. EEK! Only two more months left of school! Then what will I do!!!???!!! But May has a lot of great things in store. My Keggers is turning 4, baby Ty will become toddler Ty in two weeks...Mother's Day...a birthday party to attend...birthday parties to throw for my boyz, FSRT duck race...the list goes on. Hope your May is merry.

Shann out.

PS. I was watching American Idol tonight. They started by having the remaining contestants sing a song from their respective birth years. Paris' birth year was 1990. 1990! I was in grade 12! Made me feel old, dude. Very old. Kinda like using the word "dude". Maybe I should take a page from Randy's book and say "dawg" instead.

What's That Buzzing Sound?

Just came back from watching hubby's band play in a show. Consumed first alcohol in 12 months. Got quite a happening buzz going on...yeah baby! Managed to not "break the seal" until I home, so now I've gone pee 3 times in 10 minutes. Kripes. I'm gonna be in the bathroom all night. Can't type. Too drunk. Bye.

Oh Keegan, My Keegan!

Keegan and I have been working very hard this past week. We have been playing games giving to us by his language therapist to help him to learn to follow simple one step, two step and three step directions, and complex one and two step directions. He has no problem with the one step directions (Please pick up the toy) and is pretty good with the two step (pick up the toy and put it in the box). Three step directions (pick up the toy, put it in the box, and bring me your cup) leaves him bewildered. At present, he can only hold two directions in his mind at a time. Or if I ask him to do two things, he will do them out of order, which we are also trying to correct (show me the blue block and THEN show me the red block-he'll show me the red one first).

I have also been working on the concept of NOT. I'll have three red blocks and one blue one, and I will ask him to show me the one that is NOT red. Invariably he'll point to a red one, because he is still not grasping the concept of NOT. However, we made some headway today, and he was able to point out the "NOT" object 3/10, which is great compared to his 0/10 of last week. So, slow progress, but any progress is awesome, so I am happy and he is so excited when I give him praise for following directions correctly.

He seems to have grasped the concept of in and on. We are now working on beside and behind and in front. It is working well, because we play these games when Phoenix is at school, and Ty is sleeping so it is just "Mom and Keegs time".

He was exhibiting a bit of jealousy this morning when I was playing with Ty. I was encouraging Ty to take a few steps to me, and when he did, of course I was all "Great job Tyger! Good walking!" and Keegan would say "My turn!" and walk over to me and expect similar praise. It was cute, I did it, but was also careful to explain that he is older than Ty, and is already great at walking and running, and it is our job to teach Ty how to do it correctly. So after that, he was trying to get Ty to walk to him too. What a doll.

Well, I am "starvin Marvin!" as Phoenix would say, so I'm going to grab a late breakfast while Keegan is playing with his puppets. And keep those names coming! I have had some non-blog suggestions and I have decided on two names already, but I still need a third, so think FISH and come up with a great moniker for my third telescope goldfish.

I Need Some Names...

Okay blog readers, I need some names...no! I'm not pregnant! Just the owner of three new fish that need cool names...

They are telescope goldfish, which basically means that they are white with black and orange splotches and huge, bulgy black eyes that look like they've gone 12 rounds with a bad-ass boxer-fish. So, step up to the plate, creative ones, and give me some ideas...winning names will be posted with photos of the fish!

Felt like we spent the whole day shopping today! This morning, while Keegs was at school, Mark, Bun, Ty and I headed off to Costco, did a bit of wallet-damage there, and then headed over to Pet-Smart, where we picked up a fresh load of goldfish for our pond (or should I say raccoon food, since it is a popular late-night dining spot for them...), and my three new fishies. Then we headed home to pick up Keegs, had some lunch and then went on a field trip to Toys R Us, where I did a bit more damage. Managed to pick up some items that the kids didn't notice for the boys' upcoming birthdays, so that was cool. Also, slid over to Babies R Us, and got a new "manly-looking" diaper bag, and some jammies for Tiggs.

Upside, we spent a nice family day. Downside, missed naps for Ty and Keegs, so we had a few crankos in the house around dinner time. Upside, Ty got the giggles during dessert and had us all falling over in our chairs with hysteria as we all joined in. Pretty damned cute, let me tell you.

Now that Easter is over, it is my turn to host some sort of family event, so it's batter up for Keegs 4th birthday and Ty's first. As their b-days are only 6 days apart, we'll be celebrating them together, as we will until Keegs is old enough to bitch about wanting his own day;) .

Well, Mark's in the studio practicing for his upcoming show with his band, the kiddies are sleeping, and the fish are all fed, so, I am going to settle down on the couch with a cup of tea, and watch several episodes of season 3 of Degrassi: The Next Generation.

PS. Congrats to Dianna and Jon, who welcomed their first baby into the world last week, William Henry (Will). He's a doll! Good job, guys!

A Long Road Ahead

I took Keegan this morning for his speech and language assessment. Although he does pronounce individual words quite well, it is when he speaks in sentences that he becomes difficult to understand. This is due to his delay in receptive language, or how he understands language. For example, he does not understand some simple concepts such as in, on, under, in front, behind etc., so he fills in with "jargon" (da da da) to complete his sentences. So instead of saying, "The toy is under the chair", he may say "the toy da da da the chair".

In terms of how extensive his delay is, it has been classified as severe. A child his age usually falls in the 40-60 percentile. Keegan is in the 1st percentile. Yeah, I know. We have a tough row to hoe, as they say. He also has difficulty with negatives, such as "not". So if I tell him, "We're NOT going to Grandpa's house today," he'll go get his coat and shoes on. He just "hears" the part about going to his Grandpa's. Makes sense now that when I say, "Poo does NOT go in your underwear", that we still have toileting issues.

So what next? Well, Mark and I have to go to 2 two-hour parenting workshops to help us learn strategies to help Keegan at home. Once we have completed the workshops, we will have a follow-up appointment with the language therapist.

Once he begins to understand the concepts of in, on, under, over, behind, in front and so on, he will start to use them in his sentences, and thus will become much more coherent in his language. So if you are speaking with Keegan, and have a hard time understanding him, please be patient, and know that he is working hard to gain these important skills.

Speaking of the devil, I am being summoned, so I'll chat later. And if there are any readers out there with similiar circumstances, I would love to hear from you!

Happy Easter!!!

Happy Easter everyone! XOXO

Shann, Mark, Keegs, Tyger and Bun

PS. Happy Birthday to my cousin Sam!

Wowzers!

First of all, a big "WOWZERS!" and congrats to my cyber-pal Jenny, who just announced her pregnancy!!! The wowzer bit is that, in addition to a kindergardener, she also has a baby of less than a year...yeah, I know. Bit of a surprise, I think. But, my mom had Tommy and Paul 18 months apart, and still had the guts to have two more kids, so power to ya, Jenns!

I am having an extremely bad hand day. I am typing with my left hand only, because bending the fingers on my right hand would cause a tidal wave of blood to sweep the keyboard "Y" through "?". Ouchie. It was bad when I woke up, but made considerably worse by doing two loads of dishes, and washing and folding 6 loads of laundry and bathing three kids. Man, I swear, I keep band-aid brand in business these days. I should take out stock...

To top off my stellar day, I had a dental appointment and was told that I have not one, but two cavities, plus a chipped tooth that "really should be repaired...". Yeah. So, between my check-up and Phoenix's, that bill was $220, and that's not including my fillings and repair work scheduled for Thursday. Kripes. Crappy time to not have dental insurance, let me tell ya!

Mark went on a whirlwind of house chores this weekend. The first thing we tackled was rearranging the boys' room. We had bunk beds set up, with Phoenix on the bottom, and Keegan was in a toddler bed. We were going to move Phoenix to the top bunk, but then thought that the bigger worry was Keegs + a ladder, so we opted to lift and separate. So now they have side by side Bert and Ernie style furniture. Of course, after this was done, their old dressers (which we had planned to replace since they don't match anything anyway) didn't fit back into the room. So, Mark went out and bought a beautiful pine 8-drawer dresser. Which he had to assemble. So after all that was done, they boys were very happy with their new bedroom situation, and Keegs now sleeps in his OWN bed, instead of crawling into Phoenix's or ours.

Then he decided to tackle the overflow of Rubbermaid containers full of clothes in the closets. He went out and bought 4 closet organizers with drawers, so now everything is neat and organized in the bedrooms.

Apparently, that wasn't enough work for him. He then decided to take on the backyard, and trimmed back the trees and shrubbery, mowed and edged the lawns, turned over and composted the gardens, and cleaned the gutters. Finished? Hell, no! Then he gets it into his head to move the fish pond from one part of the yard to the other. Mud city! But, when all was said and done, it all looked great, and he felt he could relax in chores (outdoors at least) for the next few weekends. And with all of that dirt and mud to play in, the boys were as happy as pigs in the proverbial.

Oh yeah, then he made dinner. I love my husband! He makes a great wife...

On the Tyger front, he is the proud owner of a new tooth (bottom right) to bring his running tooth total up to 5. And he took 3 three unassisted steps to me today!!! Damn, he's just too cute! I love that kid!

Keegan is still loving school, and his teachers report back to me daily about how well he shares, and how polite he is! (Excuse me? Where is my son, and what have you done to him?) Nice to know that my manners and sharing drills are taking effect somewhere, if not at home. Actually, I shouldn't say that. His manners are quite exemplary for his age. It's the sharing at home that he sucks at...

Well, I guess I should wrap things up before carpal tunnel syndrome sets in. TTFN!

It's Not My Name!

My Dad came over the other day to pick something up, and had his co-worker with him. He introduced her as Margaret. She said, "Michelle!" I laughed at Dad, and said, "Hey, I'm the Margaret, remember?" Michelle said, "I thought your name was Shannon?" I said, "Yes, it is..."

Flashback to the summer of 1991, when I was working in the same office building as my Dad. I had stopped into his office to say hi before my shift, and a woman tapped me on the shoulder. She said, "I say hello to you every day, and you never acknowledge me!" I was quite embarrassed and apologised. She said, "I always say, Hi Margaret! But you keep on walking." I just smiled at her and said, "Well, no wonder! My name isn't Margaret!" She said that she always heard my Dad call me Margaret. "Well, he's the only one who does. Anyone else calls me that, I just figure he's talking to someone else!"

If you haven't figured it out yet, my middle name is Margaret. Dad has always called my that, and has, throughout my life, caused confusion to all of my friends...I guess some things never change!
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I bought a new vacuum a few weeks ago. This thing is awesome. It's one of those cyclone bagless jobs, that shows you all of the disgusting stuff that lives in your carpet. I read somewhere recently that the average vacuum picks up 40 pounds of dust per year! Eww! No wonder we have such allergies! But no more. This sucker is being put to the test around here...after all, I've stated before that I am a crappy housekeeper, and tend to dust only when the kids start practicing writing their letters in the tabletops. Today I went on a dusting frenzy and actually ran out of Swiffer sheets, so the top floor will have to wait until I buy more. Note to self: take a Benedryl soon...
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Keegs finally got picked up for speech therapy and goes for his initial assessment on April 18th. Yay! Jeez, only been on the waiting list for seven months for that one! Poor kid seems to always be going to one doctor's appointment or the other. It's at the point now where we get dressed to go in the car, and he says, "We're going to the doctor, Mommy?" Sadly, more often than not, I've been saying, "Yes, sweetie!"
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Tim Horton's update: so far in this Roll Up The Rim To Win season, I have won 6 coffees and 4 doughnuts. It's no car, tv, bbq or cash, but it is also more than I have won any other year!
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I ran away from home last night and went to the mall. You would be proud! For once, I actually bought myself something! A skirt, 4 tops, a pair of capri pants and two pairs of pantyhose. Oh, and a black, knee-length belted trench coat. (I'm still suffering from shopper guilt though...so I did buy a shirt for Mark and 3 pairs of pyjamas for Ty. Plus a cartload of Easter crap for all of the cousins. This Easter is at my sister-in-law's house, and she's expecting 30 people. What's worse than that, is that next year it's here!!!!
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Well, I guess I'd better go and clean something while Keegs is still at school and Ty is still sleeping...c ya.

PS A very Happy Birthday to my nephew LUCAS!!!!

One Week and Life To Go

Yay! Keegan survived his first week of pre-school unscathed (as did I). Actually, he had a great time all week. He loves painting, and to be able to do that 3 times a week is heaven for him. His teachers send me notes each day, detailing what activities he did, what he ate for snack, and, in today's note, if he said anything cute...his teacher was counting the wheels on a car to him, and when she was done, Keegan said "Good counting!" Sweetness, I tell you.

I read "The Kite Runner" this week (very good!!!), The Tenth Circle by Jodi Picoult (okay, but nowhere near as good as some of her other work), and I am halfway through "Until I Find You" by John Irving (great so far...definitely putting me more solidly in my tattoo frame of mind). And Jason, if you are reading this, where's my design, brotha?

I asked our friend Jay to design a tattoo for me, as I have been wanting to get a second one for some time now, but wasn't motivated by any design in particular. Then I thought that I would like to get one having something to do with my kiddoes. So, I have asked Jay to design one for me (he's a graphic designer and is AWESOME) revolving around my boys' names and our family crest, or around the meanings of the boys' names. I know he'll come up with something great for me. Now I just have to decide where to put it...hmmm...(suggestions are welcome...)

My brother Tommy said he would come with me when I get one (so nice to have moral support-not to mention someone's hand to crush for the pain portion of the event) since he says that he wants another one too (although he may have been just kidding...whatever, he can still come with me :-) ).

Lots going on this weekend, including a few birthday parties for the kids to attend, and speaking of which, Happy 6th Hannah!!!

Oh, and some Ty excitement to report...he took 3 steps today! I was so excited...so was he, until he realized he had let go of the table, after which, with a look of sheer panic and fruitless air-groping, he fell directly on his tushie. Now the fun begins...

And is it a bad sign for the future that Ty's first official word is "NO" ? All day long, "No, no, no, no". (With Phoenix in the background hissing in Ty's ear, "YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS").

Going now to park myself on the couch with my Mr Irving novel, a cup of tea, and a fistful of chocolate fudge...Nighty-night!!!

PS. Damn! I use a lot of brackets, don't I?
PPS. Remember that Lenten promise to stop yelling? Um, yeah...lasted about 3 days. Harder than one would think, especially with 3 kids...try it yourself...you'll see what I mean!
PPPS. Damn! I use a lot of elipses and exclamation marks too, eh? Time to branch out in my (apparently limited) knowledge of punctuation funtions (....!!!!!!!!)

Guess Who Started School Today?

Yes, my little Keggers started pre-school today! We had a bit of a snafu this morning when the bus that was supposed to pick him up at 8:45 did not arrive until 9:30!!!! I called the school about 9:15 to inquire, and apparently, the school forgot to inform the driver that she had a new pick-up. Typical paperwork crap, you know. Anyway, poor Keegan had been waiting outside of the house since about 8:35, and kept saying, "Mommy, I just want to go to school!"
Once the bus arrived, Keegan was more than willing to hop aboard and go off to school. He gave me a kiss, and said, "I love you Mommy! Bye!" and that was it. I was relieved. I have been going through weeks of anxiety dreading this moment, fearing a tearful meltdown. But he was awesome, and he had a great time. The teachers sent me a note saying that he participated in show & tell, showing off his "James" train engine, finger and brush painted, and did puzzles and played ball with another kid. When they dropped him off at lunch time, he came inside and said, "I had fun, Mommy! I want a cheese sandwich!" So, I made him one, and now he's sleeping it off. All in all, a great morning...

At 1000 A Decade? Trust Me On This One...

I was doing some quick math and estimated that in the past 10 years I have read anywhere from 1000-1500 books. I average 1-3 books a week (yes, I can speed-read, thanks for the lesson, Uncle Jimmy!) It's a costly but enjoyable habit. And yes, snarky ones, I have heard of a library. But our library here takes at least 2 years to get in new books, and even longer to get off the wait list, so, I buy.

To skip to my main point in all this, since I have read so many books, what I am about to say is not to be taken lightly. I just read a book that I have to say is the best book I have read in at least a decade.

It is called "The Time Traveler's Wife", byAudrey Niffenegger. Do not let the title fool you; it has nothing to do with science fiction Star Trek crap (sorry to offend all Trekkies out there...). It is a moving, beautiful, heart-wrenching love story that is absolutely magical and a joy to read.

I urge all of you to put down whatever epic you are currently reading, and go out and get this book. Trust me on this one...

And thanks to my brother Tommy who recommended it to me...he has yet to steer me wrong when it comes to books.

And once you read it, let me know what you think! I am always eager to talk books with fellow readers!

Me and My Kettle

Did I ever tell you how much I hate my kettle? When I was working in an office, it had definite appeal. It was tiny, it fit in the credenza above my desk, and I could plug it in a make a quick cup of tea when my manager wasn't looking. But for home use? WAY too tiny. I can only boil enough water to make two bottles of formula, or one and a cup of tea. Enough is enough, I thought to myself as I made my way down the aisles of Walmart last night. (Believe it or not, this was my first trip to Walmart...deprived child that I am! But I digress...)

Anyway, I bought myself a hot water dispenser. It has hot water 24 hours a day, and holds 3 litres. Silly, yes. A bit extravagant as far as holdhold crap goes, definitely. But sure is handy! So if you are in the neighbourhood, and want to stop in for a cup of tea, hot chocolate or instant coffee (or Mr. Noodle soup for that matter), I'm your woman!

Keegs had a great day yesterday; no accidents and woke up dry as well. YAY!

While at Walmart, I came across a great find...well, not really. I mean my cousin told me I could find them there. And I did. So, to get to the eventual point...you know those ROBEEZ slippers for babies and toddlers (best invention on the market)? Well, they retail for about $30-odd bucks Canadian. Walmart has a HIT Entertainment brand of these that look and feel the exact same, for only $9.97. They come in Thomas the Tank Engine, or his pal Percy (blue, red), and they also have SpongeBob ones, Dora ones, and super-cute baby Scooby ones. Great deal, I tell you. I bought some for Ty in two differents sizes. Thanks for the tip, Lori!

So, that's about the extent of my shopping story, as I'm sure the details of the rest of my cart will bore you (bathmat, junk food etc)., so, hey, have a nice day, will ya?

Official Testing Results

Hello all! Got Keegan's official testing results, so I can report on their findings with a bit more accuracy. They found Keegan's scores to be below average in visual reception, receptive language and expressive language. His scores were average in fine and gross motor skills.

In the sensory profile, which looks at how a child interacts with the environment, he had specific areas of concern, those being his tactile sensitivity, under responsive/seek sensation, auditory filtering and visual/auditory sensitivity.

In the ADD and Social Skills tests, his scores were average.

As a result of the screening, they have recommended the following: that he attend a pre-school to have the opportunity to respond to the expectations and routines in that setting, and that he has peers to model speech and language and other skills for him. (Done!)
2. That he access the services of a resource consultant, who will work with him at preschool so that he makes the greatest gains possible. (Done, but not available until June...)
3. That he access the support of a speech therapist (on wait list!&*$%!!!!)
4. Because of sensory concerns, that he be referred to an occupational therapist that will work with him at the preschool (again, on a wait list)
5. That Keegan gets his hearing tested to rule out any hearing loss that may be contributing to his speech and language delays (called for audiology referral today...)

Whew! Poor little guy has to climb a lot of mountains, eh? Lucky for him he's got a mommy to help him over the rough spots. Hang in there Keegs! Mommy's gotcha!

It's Over!

Yes, March break is finally over. Hurray! Goodbye longest week of my life!

Well, operation underwear is still in effect with some minor glitches, those being bowel movements, but hey, life is a journey of several loads of laundry. We'll get there!

Happy belated birthday to two of my favourite girls, Tayiah and Brooke who celebrated their b-days yesterday, turning 8 and 3 respectively. Sniff! They grow up so fast!!!

The boys had a great time yesterday at Brooke's party and believe it or not, it is 7:42 and Keegan is still sleeping it off! Yahoo!

Had a great time with my brother and his family on Saturday when they came over for dinner. We hadn't seen them since Christmas so the boys were very happy to see their cousins again. Especially since they brought Batman and Spiderman hand-me-downs. New pjs are new pjs in their book, so thanks!

Tomorrow Phoenix starts back at school, and this Friday we are going to visit Keegan's new pre-school. Hopefully he will be able to start in the next week or two.

Ty stood by himself with no support for a full 34 seconds yesterday (yeah, I counted!). Mark and I were pretty excited. Walking (and thus more trouble) soon!

Well, I guess I'd better get some breakfast going for the kids who are conscious. Later taters.

Success! Success!

Yes, my friends, it has been a good day all around, for three reasons:

Operation Underwear is a success with Keegs having his first full day accident-free! Yay!!!!

I finally got Keegan placed in a pre-school with home pick-up and drop-off!

I won a free coffee at Tim Horton's!

Okay, yes, I know, the last one isn't that important, but it rounded off my good day rather nicely, I thought. Oh, and hey, Happy St. Patrick's Day!!!

That being said, I now must say that I think there is some bizarre time-stretching science-fiction thing going on that makes March break seem like it is 6 weeks long instead of just one. Phoenix has been so hyper that I wonder if he's been smoking crack behind my back or something. Jeez! Major cabin fever.

I thought I would make a break in the week by taking the kids to the local mall. There was a group there from LEGO and I thought they would enjoy that. It was actually pretty neat. They had a life-size LEGO-version of Darth Vader (if you correctly guess the number of LEGO pieces, you win a prize-Keegan guessed 721,463. Phoenix guessed 20. Something tells me Keegan is closer...apparently it took some guy in California 750 hours to assemble it.) There were also LEGO versions of Dora the Explorer and Boots, and Bob the Builder. There were two tents with tables in them with troughs of LEGO pieces for the kids to build stuff with. Since we skipped nap-time to go there, Keegs had had more than enough after about 45 minutes.

We took the bus home, and when we got off at our stop, Keegs had a melt-down of astronomical proportions. (Apparently he REALLY likes to ride the bus. Who knew?) "Goodbye, my bus! Goodbye!" he sobbed, and threw himself to the ground in sorrow. I literally had to drag him into the house, where he continued his bus-ride mourning. I quietly suggested that he go to bed. And lo and behold, he did! And slept for 2 1/2 hours. I had to wake him for dinner!

Moral of the story: don't skip naps. Or always have a bribery gift to whip out when you exit the bus to ward off conflict:)

Today I had my girlfriends over with their daughters, and we had a nice girls lunch. Tomorrow my brother Tommy and his family are coming out for dinner, which is great, since we haven't seen them since Christmas. And Sunday we are going to a birthday party for the daughter of once of our friends. So at least the latter half of March break has been busy enough.
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I would also like to take this moment to just say, "I MISS MY MOM!" Whew. It's been a rough week or two, and there were many times I wished that I could just cry on her shoulder. I can't believe that she's been gone for almost 4 years. It still hurts like it was yesterday. She was my best friend in the whole world and the best mom ever, and if I can be only 1/100th as good at being a mom, then I will have done quite well. I love you Mommy! I miss you! I miss you...

Operation Underwear In Full Effect!

I am SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO tired of toilet training, honestly. Ty, well, I know I have a few years yet before I have to take him on, but Keegan? Kripes, enough is enough. Today I begin operation underwear. No more pull-ups. Underwear can be washed and they don't cost me $20 a week. So, it is poo or die, as they say. (Isn't that how it goes?) Anyway, wish me luck in the potty wars. I think that there may be a few casualties...mostly me and some fabric.

Game ON!

The Results Are In...

Well, the results are in from Ty's allergy testing. He had a skin test this morning for peanuts and tree nuts. He did have a reaction to the peanut one, although not severe. I do not have to carry an epi-pen for him at this time, but should always have Benedryl to hand. I have to bring him back in two years for re-testing.

And I just have to add that he was so GOOD! Not a whimper; just flirted with the receptionist and other female patients...typical male.

Are You Out There?

Hello blog readers! I know you are out there somewhere in cyber-space! If you are reading, why not drop me a line in the comments section? Thanks to Lea, Auntie Susan and Jenny who occasionally say hey...

Today Mark and I are off on a date! We are going to see David Copperfield. I'm quite excited. I've seen him on tv a lot, but never in a live show. Should be pretty cool. Oma is coming over to watch the kidlets, and now that Ty is weaned, I can leave the house and feel pretty guilt-free.

I have been working hard this past week trying to find Keegan a pre-school. It is rough-going, let me tell you. Not only do I have to find a school that has a spot for integration, but I also need a school that does home pick-up and drop off, because I am a loser and still do not have my driver's license. (Please no comments about this...I get nagging about it on a daily basis, and really, point taken!) I am waiting to hear back from my number one pick. The school in question has been around since I was a kid, and they do have integration spots and pick-up. Hopefully, if they don't have a space, the waiting list will not be too long. My other option is for integrated daycare, but if he is going to be missing his JK year, I'd rather he be getting some schooling. For his age, he really is a bright kid. He knows all of his colours and numbers, he knows all of his letters, upper and lower case, and amazingly, knows all of their phonetic sounds as well. For that, he is ahead of the pack, and it will serve him well going into SK.

I have been working with him at home on making his letters, and so far he has mastered upper case T, I, X, O and Q. Now I just need him to get the letters of his name, and we're rockin'!

Tomorrow I am taking Ty for his allergy testing, and will update when I get home. TTFN, and hey, say hi, will ya?

Looks Like Keegs Will Be Integrated

Well, I got the results yesterday from Keegan's integration services testing. Turns out that he qualifies in three areas: cognitive ability, language (receptive and expressive) and sensory (how he interacts with his environment). Also he is eligible for use of an occupational therapist regarding problem solving.

Basically what this breaks down to is this: we have to place him in a pre-school setting. Once there, he will receive services in the areas he needs. These services are only available to children before they enter the school system, so, depending on how he develops, we will have the option of keeping him in pre-school for a year, and then to SK the following year. If we put him in JK in September, he will lose the services.

So now my job is to find a pre-school nearby with intergrated services and get him placed. Now that he qualifies, we will get a subsidy on the cost of the pre-school, from 70-80%, which helps a lot!

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And to update on Tyger, he is going for allergy testing on Monday.

Peanut Butter Update/The Graduates!

Just an FYI that Ty is going to go to a pediatric allergist to have skin testing done. Will update with results...

Also, congrats to my boys Phoenix and Keegan who passed their first level of swimming lessons with flying colours. Phoenix has actually skipped a level, and will be going on to level 3.

Phoenix got his interim report card yesterday, and did extremely well. He has come a long way so far this year and has worked really, really hard and we are all very proud of his accomplishments.

Keegs went for his assessment/testing yesterday. I'm supposed to hear the result scores today, so I will update when I hear. That's it for now!

Choosy Moms Choose...911?

This is a picture of Tyger after I wiped his face with a cloth that had extremely trace amounts of peanut butter on it. Scary, man. They say that you should wait until your child reaches the age of two before introducing peanut butter to your child's diet. With Phoenix and Keegan, I waited until they were 3, just to be sure, since I have a million food allergies (oddly, not including peanut butter) and I didn't know how much of that would be heriditary. So poor Tiggs, didn't even eat any, but had his face wiped with a cloth that had been wrung out in soapy water at least 5 times after having peanut butter on it, and ended up with a scarlet rash, swelling and blistering. It gives me nightmares to think of what would have happened if he somehow ingested some. Kripes! But do not worry; I gave him some Benedryl and all signs were gone within an hour. Scared the crap out of me though. All moms beware!!!! It might be worth it to test on the back of your child's shoulder or something before letting them eat peanut butter. Ty reacted wherever the cloth touched him. Be careful!

Teething Is A Bee-otch!

Poor Tyger! Seems he is getting three teeth at once, all on the top. Needless to say, this makes eating and even drinking a painful experience for him. Plus he has taken to waking the last few nights at about 2 am (when the Tylenol wears off) to tell me his considerable woes. On top of that, he has picked up a cold, and now sounds like a 90 year-old man with emphysema (sp?) every time I give him his bottle as he tries to drink and breathe through his clogged nose at the same time.

Keegan has been great the last couple of days. Listening (mostly...) for a change, and the tantrums have come down a few notches. He actually has started telling me when he has to go to the bathroom (I knew he'd come along eventually!), so that is a potty-step in the right direction.

On Tuesday I am taking him for behavioural testing ( this is where they test for stuff like learning disabilities or attention deficit problems) and I am quite nervous about it. It's scary to know that your child may have a problem. I just want to do anything and everything I can to help him out. I hope he has a good day that day, temper-wise. Although, if he does freak out, I guess we'd be in the right place, eh?

On a different tangent, it's roll-up-the-rim-to-win time at Tim Horton's. Nothing yet, but I remain hopeful for the cash or tv. Hell, let's face it, I'm generally happy to win a free coffee or muffin. But a big prize would be sweet! Especially since I'm there every night without fail. They think my arrival at Timmy's is more reliable than the mail. On the odd chance that I don't make it, they're all like "Oh Shannon (yes, we're on first name basis. It comes with being a regular) are you okay? Were you sick?" Nice to be missed, if only by the people who take my hard earned coins for hot beverages.

Well, I guess that I'd better scarf down a sandwich or something before the school run. Later!

Can You Whisper Amen, My Sistah?

Well, after thinking long and hard about what to give up for Lent, this is what I finally came up with. Firstly, I'm not a good enough Catholic to EVER give up chocolate, so I thought I would come up with something do-able, but not easy.

I also wanted to pick something that would benefit the kids as well, so, I have decided to give up yelling. Doesn't sound hard, but believe me, with three noisy boys in the house, yes, I yell quite a bit, and to be honest, I don't think it's doing any favours to my blood pressure readings.

I do have a Lenten disclaimer however. Meaning that there is only one circumstance where I can break this promise...and that is if a child is in danger (touching a hot stove, running into traffic etc.). Because I think that yelling in one of those instances would be instinctive, and necessary as well.

So, wish me luck, as I begin my saga of talking softly (and carrying a big stick.)

Just Imagine The Freedom

No, I am not the winner of 6/49 lottery. I am speaking of the freedom from lactation. Imagine: wearing a bra that does not have access flaps and 4 foot wide straps. Being able to leave the house for longer than a 3 hour window. No unexpected let-down reaction when a crying baby is within earshot. Ah..............yes. Ty is finally, completely, weaned.

Now, that being said, it is sort of sad too. Knowing that this is our last baby, so therefore the last nursing experience. I know of lots of mothers that decided to bottle feed for various reasons, or breast-fed for the minimum 3 months and hated every second of it. But I liked nursing. It was relaxing. I was lucky enough to never have any latching problems or other related complications. And besides, nursing left my hands free to hold a book. Now I never seem to get the chance to read. Hmm. In the tub, perhaps?

Speaking of reading, I made a great score off of E-bay recently. Now, I know what you are thinking. Shann!!!! Remember your E-Bay addiction when you were searching for Thomas the Tank Engine toys? Yes, I do. Fondly, for me. Not so much for the payer of the credit card (read:husband). But I'm better this time. I have set monetary limits and never exceed them. Recently I have bought a bunch of Transformers crap for Bun's birthday, but I treated myself the other day when I found an out-of-print book that my friend Kris and I have been searching for for years. (Not that it matters, but the book is High Hunt, by David Eddings). Anyway, my eventual point is this: I got it for a mere 95 cents! Can't beat that deal; even with the exchange and shipping, it was cheaper than buying a book new at the store. So I'm pretty happy. And so is Kris, because she gets it next. And yes, I'm 50 pages in, and it's really good!

Tomorrow is Pancake Day at school. The kids get to eat pancakes in the gym, griddled up by volunteer moms. To add to the fun, they get to wear their jammies to school. I'm a great fan of pyjama day. Saves having to dress the kids in the morning; just have to slip on socks and we're ready to go.

Now the burning question: what to give up for Lent?

No Prize, But A Winner In My Book!

Well, Phoenix didn't win a prize at the dance-a-thon, but he's a big winner in my book. His learning coach called today, singing his praises, and saying that he's coming along great, and that he is a sweet, considerate and creative child. (Not to mention, a snappy dresser!)Yes, today, I think I'll keep him.

Disco Rules!

The top picture is of Keegs gazing in adoration at my friend Darra (aka Keegan's crush). I just thought it was too cute. The next photo is of Phoenix and some classmates doing the Chicken Dance. Next is Phoenix getting down with his best buddies, and the last photo is of Phoenix with his teacher, Miss Williams, who, as I mentioned in a previous post, I have known since she was 5. (She is the younger sister of a girl I used to hang out with as a child). Small world, eh?

Well, as you can see, Keegs and Bun had a great time at the Dance-a-thon. I took loads of pictures and video of the kids dancing. The DJ this year was great at getting the kids to actively participate in certain dances (chicken dance, hokey pokey etc) instead of just running around aimlessly screaming, which I hear was the case last year. Too cute. We weren't around for the prize announcement, so I guess we'll find out tomorrow if Bun won anything. Will update. It's way past my bedtime, so I'm gonna jet. Later taters!

Slacker!

Yep, that's me...Ms. Blog-Slacker...I used to be quite good at updating...maybe I haven't had much to bitch about lately. Yeah, right!

Let's see...boys are doing AWESOME at their swimming lessons. Last week was quite funny. Keegan was trying to blow bubbles and got a mouthful of water and was coughing. The swim coach says to him, "I hope you didn't swallow any fish! Get 'em out of there!" Keegan responded by looking her in the face, and spitting in her eye with a force to rival any chewing-tobacco hound. Mark and I almost died laughing.

We made our first family trip to Value Village on Saturday to try to pick up a 70's outfit for Phoenix for his dance-a-thon (which is tomorrow, I promise to post photos ASAP, honest!). We made quite a little score, actually. Picked up a great little DVD player for only $10, and a nice suede fringed cowboy jacket for the boys to play dress-up with. And of course, a funky maroon shirt for Phoenix to wear. To get into the spirit of the event, I will be dressing up in 70's attire as well, right down to the Farrah Fawcett flippy hairdo. Oh yeah, baby, I rock. (Or disco, as the event requires!)

Started watching a backlog of DVDs I've been hoarding for a rainy day. The series is called Popular. I think if I watched it when I was 16, I would have LOVED it. Now, I think, cheesy, oh yeah. Entertaining, you bet! I love those teen shows. I'm a sucker for them. And speaking of TV, Survivor is shaping up to be a pretty good season so far, don'tcha think?

Finally got my hair done last week, so I can blissfully wear my hair in a centre part for a maximum of three weeks before the white rears its ugly head again! Perfect for my Farrah do.

Oh, Mark got us tickets to go and see David Copperfield. The venue is a bit small to make wonders of the world disappear, but it should be quite fun. We've got fantastic seats! And now that I've finally weaned Ty (hurray!), I can have a guilt-free outing without the fear of let-down staining. Gross, I know, but a common occurance for nursing moms.

Thank you to all who supported Bun in sponsoring him for his dance-a-thon. With your help, he managed to raise $122 for the school. Not bad for a 5 year old. I've told him he has to dance for every dollar. I am bringing both digital and video cameras to the event, so hopefully I'll get some great footage and pix.

Well, time to go and rescue Mark from Ty, who has been sleeping on his chest for the last hour and a half, and is no doubt grossly sweaty. Ew....will post tomorrow with dance photos. TTFN.

PS. Took Ty for his 9 month check-up and he is now 19 pounds. Busy little bug; climbs stairs, pulls up on everything nailed down and is cruising around the furniture. Slow down brother! You move too fast!

Happy Kissy Kissy Day!

Or as my son would say, having been brainwashed by Treehouse TV, "Happy Friendship and Caring Day!"

Phoenix was the big hit in this class this morning because I sent in heart-shaped chocolate chip cookies for him to share with his classmates. He was very excited about today. He wore red and white, and spent all weekend "autographing" his Transformer valentines, and today he gets to deliver them to his classmates' "mailboxes" that they made last week.

Keegan says hi, and says he wants to press the "puttons" on the keyboard. This message is from him:

tttttttrttttttttttttttttttt kkkkeeeeeeeeggggggaaaaaaaa nnnnnnnnnwwwwwwwwww

Got his name somewhere in there! Pawned off the calculator to him so I could finish up here. Well, it's swimming class tonight, so that's my evening of romance accounted for. I'll just tell people that I spent the evening somewhere hot and steamy and let them use their imagination :-)

Gotta run, have fun with your schmooops today.

XXXXXXXXXXXOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXOOOOOOOOOOOOO

It's Actually Getting Easier!!!

I never thought he'd come around, but Ty has finally accepted the bottle and will now take 6 oz of formula at once (as opposed to 1/1000000th of an ounce when we first started this campaign). So we are now at 2 formula feeds and 3 breast feeds a day. This week, I'll cut out one more. Sigh...

My little punkin is growing up so fast! Crawling, standing, climbing stairs (!!!!!!) and not even 9 months old yet! I think (curses!) that he will walk early...Phoenix walked just after his first birthday and Keegs was about 15 months (took extra time to lug around his baby fat). Oh the joys! The joys! I hope Ty is as proficient at potty-training as he is at climbing stairs!

Still no relief for my hands...thanks to those who e-mailed me suggestions of Aveeno and Glaxal Base. Nuthin'. But worth a shot, I suppose. Still taking suggestions, so if you have any, please comment.

I want to get on record that I am NOT COMPLAINING, before I make the following notation. (This is to ensure that I do not curse myself). I just wanted to comment on the bizarre weather around here. I have lived in Ontario for most of my life (with the exception of 3 1/2 years in Nova Scotia), and I have never experienced a winter like this. I think I've used the shovel once. Snowblower, same deal. The most I've had to do is sweep my front porch of snow-dust. Again, no complaints here. But weird, when usually we've had at least 5 or 6 huge dumpings by mid-February. Phoenix says that we got ripped-off with winter this year, and from a kid-perspective, I'd have to agree. But to Mother Nature from me, thanks girlfriend! I know you see me lugging three kids on the school run, and have kept it clear for me. You go, girl!

On a totally separate note, to my bud Lea, who recently encountered some pain during her first downhill skiing adventure, don't give up! I waited until my third knee-dislocating fall before I finally gave up skiing (on doctor's orders). So, go go go go go!!!!! Other than the occasional pain, it's a lot of fun!

Anyway, I suppose it's time to go and seek out plans for dinner, and maybe put away the 300 loads of laundry that are piled 5 feet high in my baskets... ttfn.

Leaps AND Bounds

Ty is super kid the last few days. On Friday (Feb 3), he started to crawl for the first time, and today he is pulling himself up on anything stationary (tried climbing up Keegan's legs, but Keegs was having nothing to do with that! "I'm not a tree, baby!" he said, as he ran away...). Oh yeah, he's also started to wave goodbye at people. It is soooooooooooo cute!

Tonight is the FSRT play night, so we're packing up the kiddies in the late afternoon and letting them go hyper on someone else's turf. Hope there's a good turnout and we make some money for the charity.

It is COLD here today (compared to the balmy Jan/Feb weather we've been spoiled by lately). No snow here yet, but I hear we're in for it. Kids are hoping for lots of snow, but if it was up to me, I'd just throw the switch and welcome spring. But seeing as I am neither Cold Miser nor Heat Miser (nor Mother Nature, for that matter), I guess I'm out of luck.

I have an absolutely brutal case of cracked finger syndrome; a mix of eczema and split and bleeding skin. I can't seem to find any relief for it, even with prescription stuff. If anyone has a miracle remedy, please pass it on. I am DESPERATE!!!!!! I can't even put my hair in a ponytail without covering my hands in band-aids first. Please help!!!

Now that you have that nice imagery floating in your brain, I'll sign off for now. Got to check on the chicklets.

Mother Truths

1. My mother taught me TO APPRECIATE A JOB WELL DONE."If you're going to kill each other, do it outside. I just finished cleaning."
2. My mother taught me RELIGION."You better pray that will come out of the carpet."
3. My mother taught me about TIME TRAVEL."If you don't straighten up, I'm going to knock you into the middle of next week!"
4. My mother taught me LOGIC." Because I said so, that's why."
5. My mother taught me MORE LOGIC."If you fall out of that swing and break your neck, you're not going to the store with me."
6. My mother taught me FORESIGHT."Make sure you wear clean underwear, in case you're in an accident."
7. My mother taught me IRONY"Keep crying, and I'll give you something to cry about."
8. My mother taught me about the science of OSMOSIS."Shut your mouth and eat your supper."
9. My mother taught me about CONTORTIONISM."Will you look at that dirt on the back of your neck!"
10. My mother taught me about STAMINA."You'll sit there until all that spinach is gone."
11. My mother taught me about WEATHER."This room of yours looks as if a tornado went through it."
12. My mother taught me about HYPOCRISY."If I told you once, I've told you a million times. Don't exaggerate!"
13. My mother taught me the CIRCLE OF LIFE."I brought you into this world, and I can take you out."
14. My mother taught me about BEHAVIOR MODIFICATION."Stop acting like your father!"
15. My mother taught me about ENVY."There are millions of less fortunate children in this world who don't have wonderful parents like you do."
16. My mother taught me about ANTICIPATION."Just wait until we get home."
17. My mother taught me about RECEIVING."You are going to get it when you get home!"
18. My mother taught me MEDICAL SCIENCE."If you don't stop crossing your eyes, they are going to freeze that way."
19. My mother taught me ESP."Put your sweater on; don't you think I know when you are cold?"
20. My mother taught me HUMOR."When that lawn mower cuts off your toes, don't come running to me."
21. My mother taught me HOW TO BECOME AN ADULT."If you don't eat your vegetables, you'll never grow up."
22. My mother taught me GENETICS."You're just like your father."
23. My mother taught me about my ROOTS."Shut that door behind you. Do you think you were born in a barn?"
24. My mother taught me WISDOM."When you get to be my age, you'll understand."
25. And my favorite: My mother taught me about JUSTICE."One day you'll have kids, and I hope they turn out just like you!"

****************************************
My dad forwarded this above list to me, and I just had to share it. Not only did my mom say 99% of these things, but I've said them to my own kids, especially #13!

Don't Leave Home Without It!

I am not talking about my Amex card...

Rule # 1 of parenthood, and one you should never, NEVER forget!!!! Do not leave home without a diaper bag, not matter how short the anticipated trip. I learned this yet again when I took Keegan to the urologist on Tuesday.

The last time we went there, we were in and out in 10 minutes, so, considering that he had just made a trip to the potty, and had a fresh pull-up on, I figured we were safe. Um...no. Our appointment was for 4:30. We did not get in until 5:30!!!! And, Murphy's Law being in constant effect, 10 minutes after we arrived, Keegan gives me a look of distress and says, "Uh-oh Mommy! My bum!" So we ran like hell down the hall to the bathroom. (It gets a bit gross here, my apologies...) So I plunk him on the toilet where he has a massive diarrhea attack. It is then that I realize that we didn't quite make it in time, and his pull-up is quite beyond re-use. And, of course, having not bothered to bring a diaper bag, I am now screwed. So the poor kid had to spend the remaining 45 minutes of his office visit with a wodge of toilet paper padding his butt and crotch, with his mother saying every two seconds, "Do you have to go potty? Tell me if you have to go, tell Mommy!" We survived without further incident, but jeez. And due to the over-run of the appointment, Keegan had to miss his swimming lesson.

I sent Mark's dad down to call Mark and tell him to go without us. About 5:50 pm, I get a call at home from Mark at the pool, telling me that they will be late, because Phoenix swallowed a litre of pool water and barfed it back up into the pool, so they had to drain it, but they said he could stay for the 6:00 pm lesson in the big pool. So I guess it was fun times for both parents that night!

Had a nice visit yesterday with my Dad and my Auntie Joanne. Well, abbreviated visit, actually, since Keegan's pre-school consultant arrived shortly after they did and ate up most of their visiting time. But the kids had fun with them. My poor aunt probably has a complex now, because everytime she would look at Ty, he would burst into the lip-quiver tears. I told her that is baby language for "you should visit more often!"

I mentioned the other day that I would tell you about this program that Phoenix has been accepted into at school. It is called "The Learning Coach Initiative" and is offered until June to SK and grade one students. Basically, it is an intervention programme that supplements a student's reading, writing and counting experiences. It motivates and engages early readers. In this programme, the students participate in fun, individualized language and math activities to complement the classroom programme. This includes chants, rhymes and songs, story retellings, letter names and sounds, reading strategies and counting activities. The role of the learning coach is to supplement the student's reading, writing and counting experiences by working one-on-one directly with students, in and out of the student's own classroom, and they closely monitor the progress of the selected student.

So Phoenix had his first session with his coach on Tuesday. He said it was fun, and that they did a rhyming match game, where she would say a word, and he would have to say one that had the same ending sound, like "cat" and "hat" or "big" and "pig". So he is to have these sessions every day that he is in school, for about 20-30 minutes at a time. He has another assessment in March, so hopefully this programme will have made some improvement by then. I have to say though, that he is making great progress at home. He is constantly spelling out words, and sounding letters out in words he does not know.

Until you have to break down a language for a child, you don't realize how difficult it is. How do you explain to a 5 year old that the word one is pronounced as wun, and not as on-ee? Um, well dear, the English language is full of contradictions like that, so deal with it...Jeez. Poor little kids. It's a wonder that any of us can spell or read at all!

Tomorrow is a PD day, so Bun will be home. (My mother used to say that PD Day stood for Parental Disturbance Day, or in the case of PA Days, Parental Aggravation Day). Hoping to go out for a play date, but it's calling for rain, so we may not go.

My kettle is calling me to enjoy a cup a tea, so, tah tah, darlings!

Good Old Mr. Raditch

I have been happily reliving my childhood TV watching days...yes, I have rediscovered Degrassi Junior High. Is there any better show than that? I don't think so. I mean, when a Canadian show can have parts of episodes banned in the States, you know it's good.

Ah yes, I've missed you, Spike, and the trauma of your teen-pregnancy and your boyfriend who ditched you, did acid, and jumped off of a bridge and now has a lower IQ than your baby daughter. I've missed Lucy with her neglectful parents that drove her to shoplift, and poor Wheels whose parents were killed in a car crash and sent him off to try to live with his birth father who was only 16 years his senior...Caitlin with her bizarre peroxide streak in her hair, and her crusade for every cause going...Stephanie dressing like a hooker and winning the school election (all the way with Stephanie Kaye!)...Joey Jeramiah--love the hats! And the first shot of male butt nudity I had seen on TV...oh, I could go on and on. What an awesome show. Yay Degrassi!

The reason I wrote about it today, actually, is because I saw an episode where the English teacher, Mr. Raditch, was talking about an assignment in critical thinking...which led to flashbacks of a course of the same name that I took in university. The teacher's name was Billy Glassman, and had an unlimited number of shaker-knit sweaters, with matching knitted ties. He wasn't a bad teacher, actually, but all I seem to remember of his class (brutal wardrobe aside) was the fact that I was constantly both distracted and creeped out by the unnatural length of his fingers. It was bizarre. They were at least half again the length of a normal man's hands. (Shudder....) I remember leaning forward to whisper a comment about them in the ear of my friend Vince. He was taking a sip of Minute Maid orange soda at the time, and he burst out laughing and it shot through his nose. It was too funny. We both were asked to leave because we could not regain any semblance of calm after that.

And now that I think about, Vince was very careful to A: not drink in class anymore, and B: to sit far away from me...sorry buddy!

Today is my father-in-law's 70th birthday...HAPPY BIRTHDAY PAPA! We had a dinner party for him here yesterday. He had a nice time I think. He especially enjoyed the cake I made for him, which was a world map with red dots showing all of the places he has travelled to. And there were a lot of them! Jeez, no moss grows on that guy. Happy trails, Papa.

Typical Monday around here. Laundry day, which meant the kids stayed in their pjs all day because all of their pants were in the wash. Dishes. Continued attempts at weaning (which is going NOWHERE! Tips are welcome!). Chatted on the phone with no less that 7 telemarketers, two of which actually spoke English. Spoke to Phoenix's teacher about a new program he's been accepted into (will go into detail tomorrow). More laundry. Yadda yadda yadda. Hope the week picks up. I am seriously dragging today...maybe I need a pedicure to perk me up or something...Hey Auntie Joanne, what are you doing tomorrow?

Call of the child, nope make that children....gotta jet. Adios, amigos!

No Wonder I'm Exhausted!

Things I did this morning before 8:00 am:

Woke up. Went to the bathroom. Brushed hair and teeth. Got dressed. Got Keegan dressed. Dressed and nursed Ty. Made Phoenix's lunch. Packed his school bag. Got out coats etc. for the school run. Gathered glass baby food jars for school art project. Did the dishes. Took out the garbage. Put cover back on barbeque. Threw in a load of laundry. Woke up Phoenix. Made sure he got dressed. Combed kids' hair. Fed kids breakfast and plunked them in front of Lunar Jim. Boiled water for today's attempt at formula. Checked e-mail (includes deleting all e-mails devoted to mortgage approvals and penis enlargement). Whew. No wonder I am wiped out by 9:00 am every day!

Oh, To Be Five!

10 things I admire about children:

1. They still have the same energy level at 8:00 pm that they did at 6:00 am
2. Someone smiling at them makes their whole day, and provides fodder for a 20 minute story
3. They can complain of a stomach-ache, go throw up, and then go on with their day
4. A hug and kiss solves the worst of their problems
5. Sesame Street is considered must-see-tv
6. The ability to quote someone word for word on something they said 2 years ago
7. Belief in Santa, the Easter Bunny and the Tooth Fairy
8. Constant self-pride
9. How saying hi to another kid makes them an instant best friend
10. Most of all, how they can avoid punishment with a sweet smile, and an "I love you SO MUCH, Mommy!"

Ah, my boys. I love them so, even when they drive me bonkers. Even on the worst of days, one or all three can do something to make me feel happy. A kiss or hug in passing, an "I love you" out of the blue, or a simple giggle. I may bitch a lot here, but believe me, I count my blessings every day.

SNIFF!

PS A very Happy Birthday to my Auntie Cathy!!!

The Little Tooth Beaver

ACK! I'm Wounded! Time For Operation Wean

Okay, I have to say the the worst ordeal any nursing mother can go through is weaning. With my first son, it was hell. Ended up cutting him off cold turkey, as he would just starve himself until the next breastfeeding. Keegs was no problem, really. Ty, well, I probably would have kept nursing him for a few months, but he has this little weapon in his mouth. It's called the razor-tooth. Nothing I do can deter him from biting, and that little tooth is freaking sharp!!! As a result, I have a series of cuts, you know where. OUCH!

So, today started project wean. He cried for 1/2 hour non-stop, drank half an ounce and fell asleep. Sigh. This may be harder than I thought. I am not doing a cold-turkey wean. I plan to nurse for his morning feeding and evening one, and bottle feed throughout the day. Wish me luck!

Onto other matters...Friday night was HBO party night at my aunt's house to celebrate her and my cousin's birthdays. The idea was to dress up as your favourite Sex in the City or Sopranos character. My one cousin went with Miranda, while the rest of us favoured the Sopranos. I went as Tony's sister Janice, complete with the Rolling Stones tattoo on my left boob. Verreee classy, yeah baby.

Food was Italian, of course, and awesome. Good job, Cath. We even had loot bags! (Thanks Dana!)Cosmo glasses filled with red and clear beads, with recipes for Cosmopolitans, bags of linguine pasta, with recipes out of the Sopranos cookbook, and even toy guns that shout "FIRE! FIRE!" complete with bullet blasting sound. My kids swiped these from my obviously-poor hiding place and are now tearing up the joint. Great, now I'm raising little gangsters!

Last week was pretty crappy. I had the flu, and it wiped me out for a few days, thus the lack of posting. Better this week though. Kids have their swimming lessons tomorrow. Hey, and today is the federal election! I'll be glad to see the campaign signs off of everyone's lawns, if nothing else. Our neighbourhood seems to be a 50/50 split between Liberal and PC. I think it may be a close result in our city.

When the boy gets home from work, I intend to hustle over to the school and cast my ballot. Vote, people, VOTE!

Well, my children inform me that it is time for Elmo's World (oh, yeah...um..yippee?) so I'd better dash. TTFN.

Update: 4:35 pm...Ty has a new tooth! Upper left. What a smile...upper and lower left...

What A RIP OFF!!!

Kripes! What is this world coming to? My poor cousin goes out for a nice dinner with her family and comes home to a break-in. They took all of her and her daughter's jewellery, her camera and, of all things, her husband's hockey jerseys. What the hell?

I am lucky enough to say that we have never been victim to a home invasion, however, several of my relatives have, and the residual fear it instills in them breaks my heart. I mean, how can you feel safe in your home, knowing someone has been in there, going through your stuff?

A couple of months ago, this happened to one of my aunts. And a year or two before, to my husband's grandfather. And actually, our van was stolen several years ago as well, on Boxing Day. I guess as long as people have stuff, there are people out there just waiting to rip it off.

Bastards! I'm just glad that no one was hurt and no real damage done.

One the home front, we are very slowly creeping toward health. I emphasize the slowly. I think that things are on an upswing though, because Ty smiled today for the first time in five days. I assume that means he is feeling a little better. Poor guy has barely slept in a week, which means that I haven't either...quick tempers flaring all over our house the last few days.

God Bless my hubby, who went on a whirlwind cleaning frenzy today, and vacuumed and decluttered the place within an inch of its life. Good job, babe. I, and my exhausted soul, thank you from the bottom of my (cough, wheeze) heart.

I Knew I Should Have Pursued Medicine

Well, give me my MD degree and get it over with. After a trip to the clinic, Bun and Keegs are on puffers as am I, and poor little Tyger is on antibiotics and a puffer as he not only has an ear infection, but a chest infection as well. I hope he sleeps tonight! (Knock on wood!)

I have come to the conclusion that one has to be very careful when sending e-mails these days with respect to tone. Well, I do, anyway. Sarcasm or good-natured humour can very easily be miscontrued as anger and overall bitchiness, as evidenced by a little "cyber-war" I had with a buddy of mine today. (Mark laughed when I said this; he asked if it involved cyber weapons of mass destruction...).

I think that I am going to have to do some serious self-editing when writing to certain people. I certainly don't want to hurt anyone's feelings...so to all my e-mail recipients, I apologize for any unintentional verbal wounds. And if I come across that way, let me know!

In my defense, I haven't slept in over 72 hours, and that makes me snippy with myself, let alone others. Oh crap, there goes Ty...so much for a night of rest.

Will They Let Us In Now?

It is day 6 of sick-as-a-dog around here. I KNOW my kids have bronchitis. I KNOW that I have bronchial pneumonia. I don't need a freaking medical degree. But apparently the rule around here is that you must go to the clinic a minimum of 3 times before they officially declare your kids sick enough to medicate. In the meantime, I have not slept in three days, because Ty is coughing his lungs out and to top it off, being sick makes the other two boys so miserable that they fight with each other all day long until I want to run screaming from the house.

And hubby wonders why I'm so bloody pissy at the end of every day? Kripes! It's just one of those days where you wish the MOM-fairy would arrive and say, "Sweetie, go to bed for the next 24 hours. I'll take all the kids for you and even magically nurse your baby so you can recharge your batteries."

Well, fantasies take all shapes and sizes, and that's mine. Hmm. Sad.

By the way, if you look under my name in the dictionary, it says to also see-dream on, you wish, and ain't gonna happen...

Hey! We're Being Good Parents!

Happy Wednesday everyone! No, I'm not this cheery. More like feeling slightly drugged to due severe lack of sleep. Tyger cried from 12:15 am to 4:10am this morning. I think I cried a bit in there too. He is sick with a horrible croupy cough, and has generously spread the virus to his mother. Keegan has it too. We are a miserable bunch around here today, with the exception of Phoenix, who shook off the cold in two days.

Went for the meeting at Phoenix's school with the resource team there. They basically told us that he has made a great improvement since his last assessment, and that everything we are doing for him at home is awesome. So nice to have someone validate your efforts. So, I ordered him some educational toys to help things along and he will be reassessed in March.

Phoenix & Keegan had their first swimming lesson last night (pictures to follow). They were so cute! Keegs was great; so enthusiastic! I thought he would freak out at the prospect of having to go into the water without Mark or I, but he was all for it. I'm glad that this is shaping up to be a favourable experience for them.

I'd like to take a moment to welcome Leanne back to the world of blogging; looking forward to your efforts.

Gotta run; want to actually drink my tea while it still retains an iota of warmth.

Later.

PS. A very HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my nephew Hunter!!!! XOXOXO

My List

In response to a cyber-request from my fellow blogger, Jenny, here is my list:

4 jobs I have had:

1.video store clerk
2. medical claims adjudicator
3. life insurance claims maint.
4. MOM

4 movies I could watch over and over:

1. The Princess Bride
2. The Shawshank Redemption
3. Legends of the Fall
4. Terms of Endearment

4 places I have lived:

1. Northern Ontario
2. Nova Scotia
3. Southern Ontario
4. still there

4 tv shows I like to watch (even if they are off air):

1. Sex and the City
2. Degrassi
3. Survivor
4. Miami Ink

4 places I have been on vacation:

1. New Zealand/Australia
2. Cozumel
3. Alberta
4. Nova Scotia

4 websites I visit daily:

1. JuJuBee Jenny
2. Weathernetwork.ca
3. streamrescue.com
4. zip.ca

4 favourite foods:

1. anything chocolate
2. fettucine alfredo
3. sour cream and onion rings
4. pork ribs

4 places I'd rather be:

1. sleeping
2. Cozumel
3. Australia's sunshine coast
4. hanging with my Mom

4 albums I could not live without:

1. ABBA Gold
2. Billy Joel's Greatest Hits II
3. Moxy Fruvous
4. my amazingly extensive 80's music collection

And to add to the list:

4 favourite books:

1. Gone With the Wind
2. To Ride the Wind
3. A Tree Grows In Brooklyn
4. Clan of the Cave Bear

4 favourite book characters:

1. Julian Marquet
2. Ayla
3. Scarlett O'Hara
4. Jamie Fraser

Feel free to post your own favourites!

Sad Bun aka The Guilt Picture

Big Words Out Of Little Mouths

It always amazed me when I would hear small children use large words in their ceaseless chatter. I would think, My God, does this child have vocabulary drills 3 times daily with flashcards? That was, until I had a "big talker" of my own. Thus here is the list of the 50-cent words Phoenix has used this week (bear in mind that he is only 5 1/2):

disintegrated: "The laser blast totally disintegrated the fuel tank!"
appropriate: (when speaking of Flintstone vitamins) "Did you choose the one that was appropriate for your child?"
exasperated: "Keegan! You make me so exasperated!" Me-what does that word mean, dear? Him-sad, angry, upset and frustrated all at the same time...
ridiculous: "That's ridiculous, Mommy! And by the way, that means really, really silly."
fortuitous: "Well, that was fortuitous for him, wasn't it, Mommy?"

Umm...holy crap? And what is really sad, is not that he knows these words and uses them correctly, but that I think I spelled half of them wrong...

So where is he getting these words from? Some, from me. Some, from books. The rest, educational tv.

If you are a stay-at-home mom, then you are probably in the same position as I, in that your daytime television viewing is limited to either TVO, Kids CBC, PBS or Treehouse (or your country's equivalent, Nick Jr. etc.). This week on Kids CBC, a new show premiered called, seriously, "Pinky Dinky Doo". Every day on this show, they showcase a big word, define it, and use it in several different sentences. Words such as exasperated. And fortuitous. Wow. Well, I guess he'll score well on the language portion of his grade level testing. Or SAT's for that matter (assuming we win the lottery and he can go Ivy League).

Other cute things that happened in the last few days:

Phoenix asked to play a video game at a time when I was very busy with other tasks. I said, sorry, not now. He stormed off in a sulk, and came back about 10 minutes later and thrust a crayon rendition of himself into my hands. (I should really scan this picture and post it, because it is too cute). It is a picture of a boy with a huge sad frown on his face, labelled with his name. It's now hanging on the fridge with an assortment of magnets.

Phoenix went for a play date today. Keegan burst into tears when he left. I asked him what was wrong he sobbed, "Oh my Phoenix. Oh, my grief!"

Phoenix passed gas (ie farted) quite loudly. It startled Ty so much that he burst into tears. Phoenix and I burst into laughter. Yeah, we're a crude, cruel bunch.

Oh, why don't they stay this small and cute? Answer: parents could not survive for more than a few years at this tolerance level without jumping in front of a bus.

And on that cheery note, I bid you goodnight. Sleep tight. Don't let the bedbugs bite!

13 Hours vs. 13 Minutes

13 HOURS: how long Ty cried for yesterday.
13 MINUTES: how long Ty slept yesterday.

Ah, the joy of teething. You've got to feel sorry for the little ones when they go through the hell of cutting new teeth. Little razors pushing their way through swollen gums. OUCH! Although, having recently been on the receiving end of his one VERY SHARP tooth while nursing, I have to say that the pain is not entirely one-sided. Wowsers! Hmm...time to wean, perhaps?

Phoenix is off on a 5 hour play date today. God bless that kid's mother, is all I have to say. Not only does her son have Phoenix over to play, but her other two kids have friends over as well. I guess she figured that it is better to get all of the play dates over in one shot, so she can collapse from nervous exhaustion until school starts on Monday. Petty, but, better her than me!

Made some steps toward cleaning the closet today. Took out all of my maternity clothes (gee, it's only been almost 8 months, so I guess it's about time), and ditched all of my early 90's workwear. Some charity is in for a heck of a lot of clothes. Now I know where all the hangers have been for the past year. Jeez. Now I just have the two closet shelves to attack, and I'll be done. Sort of. I still need to find some large rubbermaid containers to pack up all the mat. clothes for whoever needs them next in my circle of friends.

My next major project is the toy room. Disgustingly, we have 4 HUGE containers overflowing with toys. I plan to donate at least half of them. The trouble is, every toy I get rid of is suddenly one of the boys' favourite toy EVER and can't be ditched. So, I am waiting until Phoenix goes back to school, or I will enlist Mark to help me one night after the kids are asleep.

Sneaky, sneaky,sneaky...

Sadistic? Or Typical?

Okay, maybe I'm a mean mommy, but sometimes, when my kids cry, I get the urge to laugh.

Oooooh. Okay, felt that dead silence. Don't get me wrong. I am not unsympathetic to their various woes, be it due to non-sharing of toys, stubbed toes, or teething pain. But...they just look so darned cute! Makes me want to run for the camera before administering hugs and band-aids.
But I don't...so stop dialing the social welfare numbers. I am a hug-and-kiss-first, tiny-smile-to-myself-later kind of mom.

That being said, onto other matters of no general concern.

Now that the new year is upon us, I have gotten off of my sizable butt (which I was about to blame on three pregnancies, but anyone who actually knows me, would say that this baby has always had back), and taken down the Christmas decorations. Yes, to the dismay of the children, I dismantled the tree, packed up the trimmings and stowed away the sugar-plum fairy visions until next December.

In a fit of apres-holiday need for space, I also did a overhaul of the dressers in the boys' rooms and mine and now, not only do I have three garbage bags of clothes for charity pick-up, I also have beautiful, if only temporarily, clean and tidy clothes drawers. I say temporarily, because I am a realist. I know that after the next laundry day, all my work will have gone to hell (I mean heck) as I stuff things away between calls of the child. Next stop, the closets. Sigh. Always a painful job, but it has to be done. Sometimes you have to bite the bullet and realize that the next person to be wearing a size 6 will be your son, and not yourself.

And speaking of clothing sizes, I went on a Boxing Week Sale shopping spree (to replace all of the stuff I purged from the armoire) and picked up 7 pairs of pants (4 jeans, 2 casual, and one yoga), two polar fleece zips, 3 t-shirts, 3 tank tops, 3 long-sleeved shirts and a new pair of gloves. Sigh. Still no shoes. Part of my New Year's resolution---buy new shoes! Anyway, I digress. The point I am laboriously trying to make is this: have you ever seen an item of clothing in a store, think it looks so good, and then realize that this is because you are looking at the size 0? When you move up into human sizes, these items look like something you could put a sleeping bag in and go on vacation! Who are these size 0 people? And why are you still breathing? Does your diet consist of more than water and water-alternatives (ie, ice)? Because if you women are actually out there and are eating real food, I want your diet plan. Seriously.

I had lots more to share today, but this entry is getting long, and my back is getting sore, and frankly, it's past my bedtime. Night all, and I'll talk atcha later!