My baby turns two...

So even though L doesn't turn 2 until the end of the month, we decided to celebrate his birthday early. I think this will now become our tradition as it was really nice not having his birthday right on top of Christmas.

For L's first birthday we were all exhausted from Christmas. We didn't have a party and just ended up running to Sobeys before dinner and getting a cake to celebrate. And really...it was all in the effort to ensure we had at least a few photo's in the family album so that L couldn't come back years from now and question our parenting!

So this year we went all out. Following in the tradition of B's Super Mario cake for his 5th birthday, we went with the theme Planes, Trains and Automobiles for L. He absolutely loved his cake and it was delicious! This has become another birthday tradition of ours...instead of a present we get the boys an amazing themed cake. Cake made by Sugar Shack Cakes, http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Sugar-Shack-Cakes/133135033380618

We invited L's closest buds and enjoyed an afternoon filled with high pitched squeals, loud toys and the headaches that were sure to follow. What was so special about L's birthday this year was that a number of our closest friends finally followed our lead and began populating the world...as a result we were able to share this special day with good friends and all their little ones.

 

I find it hard to believe that my baby is going to be 2. This message is for you little man...

You are Mommy's pride and joy. You bring so much laughter into our home and you make us all smile. At just 2 yrs old you have such an amazing sense of humor (I think you get it from your big brother). If you can in any way slow down this process of "growing up" I would greatly appreciate it. You are my little boy and I love you just the way you are. I know one day you will be turning 22 instead of 2 but remember...you will always be my baby.

 
Smile little boy...the whole world is out there waiting for you!

Two Boys & Their Blankies...

B was about one when I made him his first blankie.

It was really a spur of the moment decision...I was walking around Ikea one afternoon and came across a blanket that reminded me of the type of blankets my Gramma always had at her house. I am sure if I went there now she would have one just like it in her linen closest. As soon as I saw the blanket I knew what I was going to do.

When I got home that afternoon I took the queen size blanket I had purchased and cut it into four pieces. I then took one of the pieces and attached a simple green border and B's blankie was born! I took the other three pieces and stored them in the top of my closet for safe keeping.

Then came operation blankie attachment...I started by always making sure B had his new blankie whenever he went to sleep. Then if he was ever hurt, sick or just fussy I always picked him up and snuggled him with the blankie. Well it didn't take long before B fell in love with his new blankie!

Over the next year B always had his blankie with him. But of course there were rules...the blankie was allowed anywhere in the house, at his dayhome and in the truck. However, it never went into a store, to a friends house or outdoors to play!

4 yrs later and Byron still loves his blankie. We are offically on blankie number three as B has discovered he likes rubbing the blankie between his fingers until a small hole forms. Of course it doesn't stop there, the small hole becomes large enough to fit his hand through and then large enough to fit his head through and then he starts again rubbing a different spot and creating a new hole.

B's FIRST BLANKIE

When L was born I took the last piece of that queen size blanket and attached a simple blue boarder...L now loves his blankie too!

If you are any good at math you have already figured out that I now have a problem. B already has two holes in blankie number three and I am sure it won't be too long before something happens to L's...and I now have no pieces of the once queen size blanket left!

Even though you're full of badness, I still love you...

Don't be fooled by their cuteness!

Over the last few years our family slogan has become, “Even though you’re full of badness, I still love you!”

It actually started with our dogs as they are always getting into trouble…climbing onto the dinning room table searching for food and jumping up on the couch for attention. I can’t remember the exact day or what our dog Hunter was up to but B looked at me and said, “Mom, even though he’s full of badness we still love him!” It was just the funniest thing hearing those words come out of B. To him it didn’t matter what Hunter was doing or how bad it was, he loved him anyway. When I look back now it doesn’t surprise me that a then 3 year old knew exactly what it meant to love unconditionally.

Now this slogan gets applied across the board…to Justin when he forgets to take out the garbage, to B when you can’t see one inch of carpet on his playroom floor and to L when he thinks no one is looking and gets himself into trouble. In a house full of males…two little boys, one grown man and two dogs…this slogan now sums up what my life is like being the only female in the family.

For those of you who are raising boys, you know exactly what I mean. It is something built into their DNA and there is no changing them, “Snakes & snails & puppy dog tails, that’s what little boys are made of.” Here are just some examples of when I have looked at my boys (big and small) and have said, “Even though you’re full of badness, I still love you!”

When I catch the dogs drinking out of the toilet…because remembering to close the toilet cover is too much in addition to remembering to lower the seat.

When I am informed of a new hole in the wall…which always come with a very detailed explanation of how “cool” the incident was that caused it.

When I walk into the bathroom to find toilet paper stuck to the walls, toothpaste all over the mirror and a full bottle of bubble bath emptied into the tub…because all little boys know the ultimate environment for science experiments is the bathroom.

When even after dividing up all the chores I still end up doing them all…there always seems to be some sort of secret agent ninja matter requiring immediate attention.

When L deliberately takes all the footwear out of the front closet (after I just put them all away)…of course with every pair he throws he looks over his shoulder making sure no one is watching.

When I get up at 3:00 am to find B down stairs playing Wii...“But Mom…Mario and I couldn’t sleep!”

Really, what else can I say besides..."Even though you're full of badness, I still love you!"

When I grow up I want to be...

FIRST DAY OF KINDERGARTEN

We received an email with the following…

B’s teacher’s name.
B’s classroom number.
B’s bus stop and bus number.

Off we went shopping and purchased the following…
Back to school clothes.
Backpack and umbrella.
Indoor shoes…to which you might remember B stated, “Mom, with these new Skechers the ladies at school are going to love me!”



We were officially ready for B’s first day of Kindergarten, I had everything under control! But wait, what did I forget…the tissues.

 So the actual first day of school was easy, no tears there. My hubby and I got to bring B into the school, meet his teacher and visit his classroom. Then B gave us each a hug and kiss and we were on your way. We went for a short walk around the block and then picked B up just a short 45 minutes later. I thought, “That was easy, B is so outgoing and independent that I knew this wouldn’t be an issue…he loved it and I loved it too!”

But wait…bring on the second day of school and B’s first official ride on the bus! I knew this was coming, as two full time working parents it was always planned that B would ride the bus to school. What I wasn’t prepared for was the exact correlation between B stepping onto the bus and then my sudden need to stop everything in its tracks and hold that little boy in my arms so tightly as to prevent him from ever growing up.

 As I stood there on the sidewalk (ensuring to capture every moment on film) my eyes began to burn and then the tears began to fall. How is it possible for my little boy to be big enough to be going to school? And yes for those of you who may be wondering…once B was safely on the bus I quickly hopped in my vehicle and drove to school so I could be there to ensure he got off the bus safely and made it into the school.

There is no looking back now…B has entered the world of school! So here are my dreams for you B as you start what will be the journey of a lifetime…I hope everyday of school brings you new adventures, friends and knowledge. Listen to your teacher and be respectful of your classmates. Always eat the healthy snack Mommy packed for you; please don’t trade it for something more delicious.

But most importantly, remember to always have fun…it is the best way to learn. Oh’ and make sure you ask your teacher what books you should read and what homework would be best to fulfill your career goals…in B’s words, “When I grow up I want to be an explosives expert like my Grandpa, but that will just be my cover job…because I am really going to be a secret agent ninja!”

 

Blueberry Hill...

 Four years ago my husband and I made the decision to create a dream...one just for him and I...we began planning for our retirement.

At the time we were about a year into our journey as first time parents, and now when I look back I think creating this dream allowed us to step away from our roles as parents and focus once again on just the two of us and what we wanted...it was an escape!

So back in 2007 we purchased 3 acres of land in Mount Pleasant, Nova Scotia. This year we extended our little piece of paradise to 11 acres by purchasing the neighboring property, which is covered in blueberries...and Blueberry Hill was born.

But of course...everything happens for a reason and everything changes with time. When we started this adventure we were a family of 4 (mom, dad, son and dog) with no plans on that changing...famous last words. Now 4 years later we are a family of 6 (mom, dad, two boys and two dogs) and life is crazy!

So you might ask how all of this has changed our dream, let me provide you with a visual.

Retirement dream circa 2007...

• Small 2 bedroom, 1.5 bath country cottage
• Eat in kitchen
• Garage
• Small vegetable garden
• Front deck with porch swing
• Approximately 1 acre of lawn/perennial gardens

Retirement dream circa 2011...

• 1300 sq ft, 3 bedroom, 2.5 bath traditional cape cod
• Eat in kitchen with the addition of a full dining room capable of seating a minimum of 6
• Large mud room
• 2 car garage with mother-in-law suite consisting of 2 bedrooms, full bath, eat in kitchen and living space
• Full vegetable garden, with the addition of a few large blueberry patches and approximately 20 apple tress
• Gardening shed
• Tree house
• Complete wrap around deck (still includes porch swing)
• Approximately 3 acres of lawn/perennial gardens
• Walking paths around the remaining 8 acres
 

 All of this has changed so that we can create a dream not just for my husband and I to enjoy, but create a family gathering place where for years to come our kids, our grandkids and our great grandkids will spend countless summer hours creating memories, sharing stories and breathing life into Blueberry Hill.

Capture the moment...

For my boys summer vacation in Nova Scotia means one thing; endless hours at the beach! This year with L walking and B swimming like a fish we enjoyed the beach like never before.

B was the king of the waves...that boy has no fear! No matter the weather, the temperature of the water or the size of the waves, B was in the water up to his neck. And L, well he started off slowly and was a bit indifferent about the water at first...but that didn't last for long. Before we knew it, we were chasing L around the beach and watching him enjoy the water!

After vacation and hours upon hours of video I tried out the video trailer feature on my new MacBook Pro and I am now officially addicted to making these short little family films.

B's Video:

 L's Video:

Out of the mouths of babes...



Out of the mouths of babes...

So over the last year or so I finally started writing down all the weird and wonderful things that B has said. I hope you enjoy these as much as I do...

August 2011
While getting ready for the bath B says, "Mom, I think you should get the Genie Bra. It's much more comfortable then the one you have and it doesn't show any lines under your cloths!" I think B has been watching too many informercials when he gets up at 5:30 am each and every morning.

August 2011
B's response to his new school sneakers, "Mom with these new Skechers the ladies at school are going to love me!"

March 2011
I say to B while he is in the tub, "B soap up from head to toe to get all the germs off." B's response, "Mom, I don't have any Germans on me!"

April 2011
As I'm picking up B and L from their dayhome B points to one of the little girls and says, "Mom, that's the new baby girl I was telling you about." I reply, "Don't you remember her, we used to have play dates with her mommy?" B replies, "Well whoever she is L looks at her like she's his new wife!"

February 2011
I picked up B from his dayhome and he was quite sad, so I asked what was wrong. His response, "Mom, Thea said I'm not big enough to have man pecs!"

January 2011
"Mom, when I get a new girlfriend I am going to get a construction guy to build us a new house!"

January 2011
So I picked up B after work and as we where driving home I asked, "What did you do today?" B's response, "I made a heart for you and colored it in red, but I ran out of red so I finished it in yellow. After that I had a nap and when I woke up I put glitter on the heart." So I ask, "Where is the heart, is it in your backpack?" To which B responds, "Mom, it's an invisible heart, you can't see it!"

December 2010
We all went to visit daddy in the hospital and B says, "Don't you worry Dad, I am being the Daddy while you are here and everything at home is okay!"

September 2010
B came home from the dayhome today so excited and says, "Mom, I got homework at preschool...that is just like a teenage, this is so cool!"

August 2010
B's bedtime story to me, "Mom, if there was a giraffe and elephant outside fighting and they came in our house and wanted to eat L (baby brother), don't worry I would turn into Batman and save him!"

July 2010
B's response to his towel options after bath, "Mom, I'm not a big fan of pink but I'll take a pink fluffy towel over a blue prickly towel any day!"

May 2010
B and I headed to the grocery store to get stuff to make cupcakes and then to the movie store to pick out a flick, followed by a trip to Starbucks at which point he says, "Mom this was such a special day, can you believe how good my life is!

How 5 pounds less can affect your better judgement...

So my second weigh-in was on Saturday and I was down 1 pound, for a total of 5 pounds in my first two weeks (feel free to clap here)...I was feeling great! 

So while I was enjoying Saturday mornings ‘high’ I started packing up for a birthday party out at the lake…and what did I do…I decided to pack my two piece bathing suit.

Okay, not a big deal right…I was feeling great, down 5 pounds, and there was no way my kids were going to let me stay out of the water, so why not? Where my mistake lies is in deciding to wear the bikini before considering who else may be invited to this birthday party! So we get to the lake and within minutes my five year old is asking to go swimming. I happily change into my bathing suit and we hit the water. Given we were the first ones there as time passed and more guests arrived I thought for sure more mom’s and dad’s would come join us down in the water.

Here comes my first surprise…none of the other parents brought their bathing suits. They just happily watched there children from the shoreline. So now I am the only adult in a bathing suit and remember I chose to wear my two piece!

Here comes my second surprise…as I am playing in the water with my son I notice some people I recognize out of the corner of my eye. At first I think…no, that can’t be so and so from work…but wait it is…and here I am, yep still in my two piece!

The moral to this story: No matter what, always play with your kids. Never just watch from the sidelines, they grow up too fast for that. And if you are lucky enough that your kids still want to play with you…it doesn’t matter what you wear, they love you anyway!