Sunday, March 30, 2008

Liam is almost 8!

How is that possible? people always said to me "enjoy them while they are young, because it doesn't last long" and I just thought to myself, " these diapers have lasted too long already, I can't wait till they are in school etc etc" now I realize what those people meant. My baby, my last son, is turning 8 this week. 8 years ago, I was ripe as a melon and ready to burst. In fact, in 2000, this day (March 30) was a thursday, and I was sitting at my kitchen table doing a puzzle, having contractions. I thought for *sure* this was it, but no, after a few hours, they went away. I was due on the 28th, but Liam had other plans.

During my entire pregnancy, I told G that this baby was going to be born on his birthday. G insisted that no, his birthday was HIS, and he wasn't sharing it (not serious, of course!) So, my due date came and went, and the days crept closer to G's birthday. On the morning of April 3rd, I had an ultrasound. The ultrasound showed that our boy was in fact, still a boy, estimated to be about 6 lbs, give a pound either way. However, it also showed that there was no amniotic fluid left, so we needed to get this lil guy out!

I walked out of the ultrasound room around 1:30 pm, and started having contractions. Liam was born naturally at 8 something that evening (I know, bad Mom, I should know what time he was born. It is written down in his meticulously kept baby book lol) weighing 10lbs, 8.5oz. yes, you read that right, ten pounds, eight point five ounces. So, G got a lovely present that year, and now shares his birthday with his son.

who is turning EIGHT years old this week. (and has chocolate on his face in this picture)

Thursday, March 27, 2008

My Rachel

Ok, she isn't MINE exactly, she's my neice. But I was waiting 9 months for her and was there when she was born, and I absolutely love her to pieces, so she's mine just the same ;) She was born Dec 27, 2006 at 8:08pm weighing 8lbs, 8oz. She was gorgeous at birth, and is still a little beauty! She's quiet and precise, and completely melts my heart! whenever she sees me, she's shy at first, but soon warms up and gives me hugs and "bopos"(kisses) .

here she is

Wednesday, March 26, 2008

One of "those" days

One of the kids got up on the wrong side of the bed today. He was crabby and mean to everyone, and then did things that needed reprimanding. The reprimanding only made him angrier, and then he started punching one of his brothers and whipping things around. He's been banned to his room, but he keeps coming out to take his aggresion out on his brothers, which is really upsetting me! I am glad that G will be home from work soon so I will have some backup. Usually, we don't have days like this anymore. This particular son has been diagnosed with ADHD and ODD (Oppositional defiance disorder) which caused us and him much grief for a few years, but he has really pulled it together the last year and has been a lovely child most of the time. Then along comes a revert day like today, and it reminds me how much he has changed! I am so thankful for the changes in him and in myself as a mother. It sure makes it easier to deal with one of "those" days!
Random pic: I couldn't wait for spring!


Tuesday, March 25, 2008

My Wedding



My sister scanned some of my wedding pics today. I'll post a few on here, since it was such a trip to look at them! I hardly even recognize the couple in them, so young and thin hahaha We had a great wedding, with all of our family and friends. It was a good start to a great marriage!


Monday, March 24, 2008

random thoughts

Laundry is never ending. I will love it when I can use the clothesline again.


This is a long winter. Some warm weather would be highly appreciated, until it is +35 and I am melting and want winter back.


some people have too much time and money. G went to wal-mart at 9am to pick up some white chocolate bunnies for baking, and ALL the easter stuff was gone.


gymboree grasshopper T shirts for boys at 4.99 is a great bargain!


mud is worse than snow, for washing.


boys are attracted to mud.


a boy covered in mud will usually always forget to take their boots off before getting themselves a drink.


boys grow up too fast and I will (someday) miss having to wash mud off the kitchen floor.


a 13 year old girl seems way older and bigger than an 11 year old boy. But it's only two years.

Random shot: lake Huron from the Blue Water bridge


Tuesday, March 18, 2008

Budding Chef

Kyle loves to cook. He asks almost every day if he can make supper, which I am happy for him to do, but not every day! He helped with supper last night. We made champ, which I'd never had before (It was really yummy) sausages and cabbage. We also baked some soda bread. Kyle's job was peeling the potatoes, which he was very careful at and got every bit of peel off. He also cut his thumb, poor lil man! That's part of being a chef, though. you will get cut every now and then. He actually took a cooking class, and says he wants to take more. He reads cookbooks for fun, and the other day when we went to the bookstore, the book he picked was a company's coming cookbook.

I am glad he loves it, because so many people go through life and never find something they really enjoy doing!


Random pic: waiting for spring

Sunday, March 16, 2008

Sunday

It is Sunday. and what a gorgeous day it is! a bit windy and chilly, but the SUN was out all day, something I have greatly missed this long snowy winter. Silly me, I had said to G last summer "I wish our boys could experience a REAL winter, you know, one with snow? where they can go sledding?" well, we got it. and way more than I wanted or expected! There is some driveway showing through the snow now, though, so I know that spring is coming.


I bought some "healthy" cereal while grocery shopping. I mean, I usually try to buy the healthier cereals for the boys anyway, (no capn crunch or count chocula here) but this stuff claimed to be extra healthy, you know, probiotics, fibre, all that jazz with "fruits and yogurt".I just tried it, an all I have to say is


BLEEECCCHHHHHHH




As I am typing this, I can hear Liam playing with his toys. He is using a french accent and mixing french words in while he plays. It's pretty neat to hear what his brothers are teaching him! He is playing with lego men and their conversation is going something like this:




"I am a storm hawk!"


"Non! C'est impossible!"


"But Oui, I really am!"




and so on and so forth. ( I love hearing the imagination in his playing)




Random pic: Kyle and the Easter bunny








Saturday, March 15, 2008

Yes, poor wee guy indeed

Remember how Liam was sick? well, so was Kyle. and so was I. alllll week. It was absolutely brutal! I can't remember being that sick in a very very long time. Chills and fever and the whole 9 yards! We were recouperated enough today to go out for a bit, but Kyle and I were pretty pooped out by the end of it.

We felt bad that the poor kids didn't get to do anything on their march break, so we went to Goderich for a stroll on Lake Huron where there was a ship cabin to explore and of course, that made a great fort for an impromptu snowball fight.
We stopped at a used bookstore, and they had a greyhound there. He wasn't the nicest looking dog, being really skinny, as greyhounds are, but he was the nicest dog ever! I hadn't ever seen a live greyhound before, so it was really neat to see one. The owner told us a bit about the greyhounds and the greyhound rescue. I have done some looking at greyhounds in my looking for a suitable dog for our family, but not ever having actually seen one, I was reluctant. I think a greyhound is on my list now LOL
Then it was off for some ever so cool bowling. Ryan had a bit of a meltdown when he found it was only 5 pin, not 10, so he didn't give it an honest effort until G told him that he needed to get 30 or we wouldn't get chinese food after hahaha. He was joking, of course, but it did make Ryan try harder. Kyle got a spare, which really boosted his confidence. Liam was just silly as ever, chasing the laser designs that played on the floor. The boys all thought that bowling with the blacklights on was pretty neat.
After bowling, we hit a chinese buffet, and then we just cruised Zellers for a bit and came home. I am still not feeling 100%, and am rather ragged around the edges, but I am so glad that the boys had at least one fun day on their March break!


Random pic: Boys at the waterfront

Sunday, March 9, 2008

Poor wee guy

Liam is ill, with some unknown virus. It sure has packed a whallop on the poor guy! He's been glassy eyed, rosy cheeked and groggy most of the day. He seems a bit peppier now, though, so hopefully it was just a quick bug.

He is so excited about his cousin Samuel coming over to play and stay for a bit! He is also pretty excited to be ringbearer on Saturday for his Uncle Mike and Arlene.

here he is, feeling a bit better

Wednesday, March 5, 2008

Been awile



I have been really slacking on this! I guess I've just been busy with the normal things that take up your time. We had a whomp of snow last night, so school was cancelled today. The driveway that I so carefully had shovelled on Saturday and Monday was chock full of snow again, so we just had it plowed, since the snow was over knee deep.


here it is getting plowed:



it isn't a great picture, because it was taken through a screen door. I am glad we have some cold weather again because I want to go skating on the rideau canal in Ottawa this weekend. We've had this planned for a few weeks now, but it depends if they open the canal up to skating again or not! If we can't do that, maybe we'll do the Monster truck rally in London, or something else that will be fun for the family.


random photo:


The tractor stuck in the ditch after plowing: