First Day of Preschool!

Back to School

A fun pose for Grandma (Aidan's words)

All ready to go!!

My Last Week

I can't believe it has been a week since I blogged last.  Ooopss!!  Sometimes real life gets in the way.  Not that I don't love sharing with y'all, but sometimes other things pop up.  I have been trying to pay better attention to the girls' interactions, as they have some issues interacting.  (Maggie is still learning how to interact with Emma without pushing, hitting, etc., while Emma tries to defend herself with the same techniques!)  It has been tough for Janet and myself.  We are working it out and the naught stool really seems to work well.

Needless to say, by the time the day is over I am exhausted.  Tired.  Worn out.

I have also been pondering a change.  A change for the coming year.  Something different.  I am wondering about doing something more related to teaching...or something like that.  Part-time.  Emma starts Preschool next year (two days a week).  Not that I can work while she is there, but the urge to do something is there, which is amazing.

Also, Disneyland is fast approaching.  It is going to be so much fun.  I can hardly wait.  I am so in need of a break.  Mentally, emotionally...I feel like my brain is about to explode most days.  Perhaps it really is time for a bit of a change...

Anyway, that has been my life this past week or so.  My ponderings, wonderings and the daily grind.

Oh...and did I mention that they are building a garage in our backyard??

The Uniqueness of Children

As I was sitting here catching up on blog posts from the weekend, I just keep hearing Emma behind me.  She has been playing for almost a half hour now with the M&M stuffy Jenny bought her in Las Vegas.  (The green one!)  Anyway, hubby and I have been noticing some subtle differences between our children.  Things that we enjoy, which is so cool.

Emma, for instance, can remember minute details about what she did with friends, the names of her friends and things that people said.  She can play with her stuffies for hours, making up stories, pretending they are talking to each other and also having imaginary friends (Tinty, Dopey and Sissy to be exact). 

Aidan, on the other hand, LOVES to play with adults.  Loves to play computer games and video games.  He also loves to read.  He cannot rememeber people's names, although he is getting much better at this.  But he is hardly ever able to tell me what he did at school.  It is not because he can't remember, but because he doesn't care to talk about it or tell me.  To him it is in the past.  Let's not dwell on it.  Let's move on.

Anyway, it is just such a reminder of how uniquely God has made us all, including our children.  I mean, they came from the same two people and yet they are very different.  I think that is so great and special.  You and I are unique and special, too.  And God made us for specific purposes, which makes me feel so good inside: to know that I have a purpose to fulfill for God.  (Even if it seems all I do is wipe things all day (i.e. noses, bums, tables, floors, dishes, etc.)  God has something special for me, which is a lot more than just the cleaning.  I get to stay at home and raise two kids (and help raise a third).  This is a huge task, but one that comes with huge rewards.

I am so proud to be a Mom today and always.  I am proud of the job that I do.  And I feel so blessed to have 2 unique children to share life with.  What a blessing.

Tuesday Tunes 54: Happy Birthday, Emma!!

Yes, today Emma, my baby, turns 3.  We no longer have any babies in this house.  Only kids.  Crazy, but good.  We have entered a new stage of our family life.  It is nice.  She keeps saying that she is growing bigger and bigger.  I guess she is right.  Happy Birthday, Miss Ems!!  Love you, baby girl.

I am still fighting off a cold.  feels like my nose and throat are dry all the time.  Yuck.  Anyway, I will conquer it.  Perhaps not until after this weekend (and Emma's birthday party) are over.

Lately, hubby and I have been listening to a lot of 80s music.  You know, reliving our childhood.  Our latest 80s fix is Don Henly (aka drummer for The Eagles). Anyway, his stuff is so timeless.  I love it.  Anyway, here is one of my favorites.  It always takes me back to elementary school and listening to the radio in the car.  Some songs just do that.  Hope this takes you all back, too!!

Why I have not written

My friend Melissa (of Memories after Midnight) has had an emergency this week.  Her husband was rushed to the hospital on Monday night after having a seizure at work.  They have determined that it is either Encephalitis or Meningitis.  He will need to stay in the hospital for a week or so.  Needless to say, my spare time has been taken up with praying.

On this coming Saturday we are having a Dedication service for Emma.  We were waiting until we were comfortable in our new church.  Aidan had his done when he was a month old or so.  And it was done in the actual church service.  Since Center Street Church is so big, they have to do it as a separate service.  Anyway, we have been finalizing details for this.  It should be fun.

Last night we went to the interview for a new school for Aidan.  He needs some more challenges in his schooling.  We have applied to the Science School and the Arts-based learning school.  Anyway, we went and met with the principal of the Arts one last night.  It is a small school (200 students) and seems like a nice little place to be.  They have lots of technology (smart boards in every room) and computers (apple notebooks).  All of the grade 5s and 6s get their own laptop.  I know.  Crazy.  She said she has a spot for him for next year.  So, I think this will be the one we choose.  There is usually a waiting list for the Science school.  I will keep you posted.

Today and tomorrow is Teacher's Convention, so Aidan has no school.  Tomorrow I have no Maggie, since her Daddy is off.  I need to do some running around for the Dedication, anyway.  And then Monday is Family Day.  A nice long break for us all.

And the most exciting new??  My mom, my sister, my mom's best friend and I are all going to Disneyland in May!!  I can't wait.  I have not been since I was in Grade 9.  We went for Christmas then.  This time we are going in a low time.  Lines should be shorter and weather will (hopefully) be nicer.  Last year we went to San Diego.  This time we have added a friend and are going to see THE giant mouse.  I told the kids we were going to LA, but not specifically about Disneyland.

Anyway, these girl trips are going to be an annual thing.  I think it is necessary for my sanity...especially as a stay-at-home mom.

Our Olympic Warm-up!

Since the Olympics are starting this week, I thought I would post some pictures from our time watching the Torch go by.  This kids loved every minute of it, except the temperature.  I was totally reminded of 1988 and getting up so early to watch the torch in freezing cold weather.  And I had to wear my Brownie uniform!!  Anyway, it was pretty neat and definitely got us into the spirit of the Olympics.

Aidan and I have set up a wall for all of the medals.  We are going to keep track.  We are both pretty stoked about it.  I will probably put a widget for this on my blog, too!!

Hope your Monday is going great.  I actually baked today!! I know.  Call the press!!

Emma, Aidan and Maggie waving flags and having no idea what was happening.  So cute!!

My sister waving away, trying to keep warm!! (That's Aidan's school in the background!)

Showing off my Olympic gloves!!  Trying to keep warm, too!!

Finally, the torch!!

Out of the Mouths of Babes

Aidan's exclamation during Family Night last night: "Mommy, I do believe in God!" God be praised!!

All She Wants for Christmas

What's on the Christmas list?

Emma wants a Hippopotamus for Christmas. (perhaps too much of that song!! Tried posting a bit of a video of her singing it, but I think the file is too big.)

Aidan wants Mommy to have another baby! (Impossible, but I laughed so hard!!)

On a side note: Aidan had a really hard time telling me what he wanted. He kept telling me things he wanted other people to have!! He has such a good heart!!

Halloween 2009

Things Heard at Camp...

In her bunk bed

Doing the puppet show again. Grandpa and Aidan were weekend long buddies!


Campfire

Emma playing in the tent. She thought it was neat!


Emma at the campfire on Saturday night. She almost fell asleep.
-------------------------------------------------------------

Things Heard at Camp

...whispered by Emma: "goodnight mommy, goodnight jenny, goodnight grandpa, goodnight granny, goodnight aidan..."

..."There's a gofer in the cabin. HELP!"

..."Look at the deer, Aidan and Emma. Do you see them?"

...Emma: "Let's find Grandpa's flowers (aka some wild flowers growing)"

...Aidan: "Grandpa, let's do a puppet show with my cows!"

..."Now we remember how Harry Potter ends..."

..."Stand back from the fire!"

...Aidan: "I am going to sleep in the tent with Granny, but no snoring. Okay,

Granny?"

...Aidan: "I want to go back into the building now!" (At 1 in the morning!)

...Aidan: "I like watching the toilet paper go down the hole!" (Okay, he may not have said that exactly, but it is what he did everytime he went to the bathroom!)

...Emma: "I need to go to the bathroom, too! Now, wash my hands?" (She didn't need to go, but wanted to go whenever one of the girls went. I guess she's started the 'bathroom group thing' early!)

...Emma in her sleep: "I want to go, too. I want to go, too!" and really loud giggling!

And the thing that we will all remember about camp...

...Emma whispering: "Granny asleep? Yes. Grandpa asleep? Yes. Aidan asleep? Yes. Jenny asleep? Yes. Mommy asleep? Yes. Emma asleep? No."

2009 - The Beginning...

A Quick Update

Aidan with Patches(the Preschool bear) at the park yesterday


On the slide

Trying to get the kids to look at the camera at the same time...Not quite!

Emma and Patches.

I just wanted to fill you in with an update on the kids.

Emma has been sleeping quite well in her big girl bed. She is doing so well with it!! I knew she was ready. I just wasn't sure if we were!!

She is not doing so well at swimming, though. She cried for the first 15 minutes after getting in the water. She did not like the water too much. After that, though, she did do some floats, even one for the teacher who she is totally afraid of!!

Aidan, on the other hand, is doing AWESOME!! He is so excited to do his lessons and even put his head under the water on Saturday (which he has never done). We are very proud.

That's all. My parents are in Toronto for my Dad's 6th month check-up. Hopefully everything goes alright.

Have a wonderful Monday...if that's possible!

Manic Monday: Summer Job, Bad dates...

Snowing again. When will it be Spring? I hope soon. I am tired of this weather.

Emma did not sleep well last night and then she had a huge temper tantrum in the middle of the mall. (Lying on the floor, kicking, screaming, crying...You get the picture!) It is lovely having a two year old again... NOT!!

Here's a little something fun in my rought day!!

What's the best summer job you ever had?
One summer I worked for the company that Jonathan works for, when we lived in Edmonton. I was in charge of putting their new catalogue together. I learned a ton of things about computers, programs and publishing. It was great, albeit slightly bad for my eyes!!

Tell me about the worst date you ever went on.
That would be the date I went on with my first boyfriend to Calaway Park. He decided to tell me that they were moving away to Edmonton while we were on the top of the Ferris Wheel. (How romantic!!) That was very sad because it was my first boyfriend.

Or there was the time that I went to a Rod Stewart concert with my horrible boyfriend in grade 12. We sat on the floor and Rod proceeded to kick and throw out soccer balls during the concert. One of them my boyfriend caught and said, "I'm going to give this to my mom..." Yeah...He was a keeper... NOT!!

Do you think the age for a driver's license should be raised (currently 16 here in the U.S.)?
I think it should be raised, even in Canada. I doubt it ever would be. We do have graduated licensing here in Alberta now, but it still would be better if teens couldn't drive...

Happy Birtyday, Aidan!

Taken when Emma was just born. Aidan was 2 1/2!

Taken a couple of weeks ago. I love that Aidan smile!!

My baby boy is 5 today. What an amazing thing. I can't believe how time has flown by, especially since Emma has entered the scene. Jonathan reminded me that he is a quarter of the way to 20! *Jaw falls open* That is not too far away.

Anyway, we are not doing too much today for his birthday. We are going to take him to Chuck E. Cheese on Sunday for his birthday celebration. He has never been so we thought his 5th birthday was a grand time to do it. We'll see how he likes it.

Have a wonderful day, ladies. I have hours and hours of laundry and unpacking ahead of me!! Very exciting....

Kidlet Update and Songs

Well, I am not going to be posting here much before our trip. I thought I would just check in and tell you how it is going.

So far, I have packed a little bit, not too much yet. It doesn't take me long to pack. I will wash a few things and then pack them and we'll be ready to go on Monday morning.

We have to be at the airport at 4:00am so we can check-in for our flight out at 7:00. We are flying stand-by, which is why we need to get there so early. Hopefully it will all go alright and we will be in Vegas by the afternoon.

KIDLET UPDATE:
A few cute notes here about the kids:

• Emma has started to run up to you and throw her arms around you. Then she says, big hug! It is too cute!!


• Aidan and Emma have been playing together for an hour or so at a time. They call Aidan's room the "Kid Club", which means "No Grown-ups Allowed!" It is too cute, but Mommy has no idea what to do with herself!


• Today, Aidan and Emma were walking around the house holding hands. It was priceless.
  

Anyway, I thought I would let you know some interesting tidbits.

I have been listening and adding songs to my iPod for the trip. I thought I would share a few songs with you here. The first one is on Jenny's blog. I love this song and this version is great.


I really love the website: http://www.tunefind.com/. It has a listing of all of the popular shows and movies on it. Each is broken down by seasons and then episodes, featuring the songs that are on each episode. With that in mind, I have been finding a few newer songs that I love. Here's one from "P.S. I Love You". I love Ryan Star from when he was on Rockstar Supernova. Anyway, I love this song, too!!


Since we're on Reality TV acts, here's the new David Cook that I LOVE!!

Okay, one more. This is Beyonce, who I don't normally listen to, but this one is good. I really like the video as well. (Sorry about the sound, it is the best that I could find with the video!!)

I hope you enjoyed. I have been listening to these songs a lot lately.

Tuesday Tunes 29 & Emma's Birthday!

Here are some pictures from the lovely party on Sunday afternoon.

I am sorry I haven't blogged before this, but I have been reading the "Twilight" series. It is very addicting. It is good. You should read it if you haven't yet. I am currently on the 2nd book.

It has been cold here and nothing Spring-like at all. It is finally starting to warm up today. Thank goodness.

Aidan and Emma have really started to play together lately. They were playing in Aidan's room for almost 2 hours yesterday afternoon. It was a nice break for me. I guess they are growing up.

I hope that you are all having a good day. Here are those pictures and below I will post a Tuesday Tune!!

Emma with her haul of presents!!

Birthday girl!!

Presenting Princess Emma!!

Presenting Princess Aidan????

Since the "Twilight" series talks a lot about literature and (in particular) "Romeo and Juliet", I thought this fit. Enjoy!!

Happy Birthday, Emma!!

It is Emma's 2nd Birthday tomorrow, but we are having the party today! I can't believe it has been that long....Time flies, I suppose!!

Here's a blog thingy for today. It is horrible outside today!!

You Are Brave and Cheeky

When You Are Comfortable: You are a strong person. You're driven and assertive. Success is yours, as much as you want it. People find you to be clever and spirited. You're a bit saucy too... delightfully so! When You Are At Your Best: You are ambitious, and hard-working. Adversity allows you to shine. You resourceful and able to make due. People see you as honest to the point of bluntness. But they always know that you'll be fair. You have the good intentions. When You Are in a Social Setting: You are very perceptive. You can see things from all sides. You don't allow your life or mind to be cluttered. People see you as spiritual and charismatic. You have interesting and unexpected insights. You advice is highly valued.

What Do Your Initials Say About You?

Tuesday Tunes 27: Train a Child

Okay....I'm done! I finished this morning! It is a really good book. Francine does this to me everytime. You start and your like, "Oh this book is okay." Then about 20 pages in your like..."Okay, I cannot put this book down!!" Thanks, Francine! I guess she just has a gift (I would say a Calling).

Emma is still sick with the flu that I gave her. She threw up this morning. Luckily she gave me a lot of warning so we could make it to the bathroom and the sink. She didn't eat very much this morning, and by lunch time, I was not letting her eat anything except crackers and water. She basically clung to me all morning. Soooo cute. How can you resist when they are sick and clingy??

I have to tell you what Aidan did on Friday. I totally forgot until last night. He was getting dressed for Preschool in the morning, which is the most frustrating part of my day. It takes him forever. Friday was no different. He was taking his time getting his pjs off and his clothes on. He was sitting on his bed when I checked on him. He had his pants off and was just about to put on his jeans. That's when he looked up at me and said, "Mommy, is it alright if I pray to God for a second?"

.............

Exactly my reaction. Mouth open. Jaw on floor. And right before that I was going to come down the hall and give him a little 'friendly' warning. I said "sure". How could I argue with my son trying to build a relationship with his Heavenly Father? Who could stand in the way of that? He told me what he prayed, but it was something meaningless (to me), obviously important enough for him to share with God.

Pastor Henry and the staff at church have really been driving home the point of spending time at home talking about God, praying together, etc. This is their primary place for learning about God. This has been a prayer of mine for the longest time. We only get these few precious years to instill our example of what a relationship with the God looks like. These few years (18-20) are so important. It was encouraging for me to see him do this on his own, and a reminder that I have to keep doing what I am doing! Its Life or Death...literally!

Anyway, sorry for the tangent. I guess it really just reminded me about the awesome responsibility I have in raising my kids. I love them so much, but God loves them waaaaayyy more than I ever could!

Here's a song about kids learning from what they see...Enjoy!!