When they are sweet, they are really really sweet.

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This is something that I thought my kids would all love. Especially around age 2. This one is by Melissa and Doug. I saw it in the store the other day and thought maybe I could go to the hardware store and make myself one of these for Shea. Not sure quite how, but I might try to come up with something.

For the budding artist...

One gift Riley got last year was a Bug Drawing book. It is really a great book for step-by-step instructions on how to draw. Liam tried doing the lady bug last night, and did quite well at just 5 years old.
Check it out...

(Trying to give you ideas, people...Christmas is coming!!)

See you on the Moon!

This is a really good kids CD that doesn't sound like those annoying kids CD's that you get to hear over and over again.
Check it out...

1. Alan Sparhawk - Be Nice to People With Lice
2. Great Lake Swimmers - See You On The Moon!
3. Sufjan Stevens - The Friendly Beasts
4. Montag - Kiddo 1
5. Apostle of Hustle feat. The Husky's - 24 Robbers
6. Junior Boys - Max
7. Broken Social Scene - Puff The Magic Dragon
8. FemBots - Under The Bed
9. Montag - Kiddo 3
10. Glissandro 70 - Voices are Your Best Friend
11. Mark Kozelek - Leo and Luna
12. Detective Kalita - Baby Brother
13. Montag - Kiddo 2
14. Hot Chip - I Can't Wake Up
15. Kid Koala feat. Lederhosen Lucil - Fruit Belt
16. Montag - Bonne Nuit Etienne
17. Rosie Thomas - Faith's Silver Elephant

Borrrrrrrrinnnnnnngg

I know. This blog is really lacking content in a big way. It has just been a pretty miserable and long week I guess. I have been fighting a pesky head cold that just won't leave and that keeps me up at night coughing and leaving me wasted during the day. The days are dull and gray, and yet the boys are busy busy busy.
Greg is leaving for work again tomorrow for a couple of days which will make for even longer days, so I have been trying to rest up and nip this cold in the BUTT!

I haven't even taken a picture since Halloween and will be getting on that soon, I promise. Shea and Riley just got their hair cut today and are looking especially more like eachother and handsome. Liam is still covered in tattoos since his day as a pirate.

Are you getting excited about Christmas?! I am! Today we were at the mall shopping for my niece and happened to notice that the Fisher Price Nativity scene is right at Zellers. I could not find it in Canada last year at all! Also, the Lego Christmas advent Calendar was there too, which you can usually only get online! They are sort of "extra" items that are a bit of a splurge, so I'll see if we can swing it. I still haven't really decided what we are going to get the boys for Christmas. I was making a mental note the other day of things that I bought them last year, and which of them they still make use of. One thing I will definitely change this year is not spending money on stocking items. I am going to go to the thrift store over the next couple of weeks and stock up on all those discarded McD's toys and Hot Wheels...wash them off and stuff them in the stockings. They will be thrilled with that and a few chocolates. I know, I sound super cheap, but it's more a matter of not wanting to be wasteful. My boys are not suffering in the toy department, and they are all dressed much better than G or I will ever be! They will get one small gift from a cousin this year, and the rest of their gifts will be from us, so we have to save money somewhere! I'm trying to come up with something super creative to make for friends and family this year, any suggestions would be welcome!
Things we have done in the past...made chocolates, made cards (packs of 10 with envelopes), made rubs (to put on meat), made caramel popcorn, made ornaments....umm?? I need some new ideas. Anyone?!

Monster Mash

So this is what we wore for the treat trail downtown today. Just the three of us went, and had a great time.

And these are more details of the boys costumes, of what they wore to school. Riley got his picture taken and put in the school paper, and was also stopped twice downtown today to get his picture taken by the local newspaper.




Liam was done being a pirate after school, and spent the rest of halloween as a giraffe.
After dinner tonight, the whole 5 of us went up and down our street. Shea was a puppy, and when he ran, his little tail wagged behind him (I'll post those pics soon). He caught on right away and was downright adorable. "MOM! I got lots!"

101 things to do...

This is the book that Riley brought home from the library this week!

Oh my goodness...it's hilarious! I read off a few of the ideas to my sister last night (happy birthday Anna!)

1. Teach your grandparents something new..ie. cell phones, the internet, DvD players, modern music...etc.
2. Save your allowance for a month and spend it all at once.
3. Fart or burp in public places.
4. Learn to say useful phrases in other languages.
5. Sing in front of an audience.
6. Learn to do a party trick.
7. Stay up all night.
8. Touch these creatures...mouse, frog, fish, snake, spider etc.
9. Meet someone famous.
10. Make a difference, be a vegetarian for a week.

The funniest part is that after explaining each idea, there is a form on the following page where they ask you questions about how it went. For example, where it asks you to fart or burp in public places, it shows a little picture of a movie theatre and then you check whether you burped or farted there, and then it coaches you..."Learn to make it look like somebody else did it. A good way is to look in their direction and raise your eyebrows at them."

Anyway, some are kinda rude like that one, but others are a good idea, like the Bucket List!
A good party gift!!

Project sneak peek!

This week I've been knee deep in creativity! It has been lots of fun...here's a little hint into what I'm up to...



Today I was allowed to watch Liam doing gymnastics. They typically keep the door shut to the parents to avoid distraction, so until today, I didn't know what on earth he was up to in there! It was SO fun! Ah, to be a kid again.
(sorry, the pictures are nasty as I was way far back with crappy lighting!)




I also was the parent helper in Liam's kindergarten class today. I haven't been in there before to watch the teacher in action, so it was a learning experience for sure! This teacher means business! In the short time they have there, we went to the gym for stations, watched four kids do their reading and show and tell (with a mic on!), went to the library, went outside to play, had snacks, sang songs, wrote a journal entry complete with words and pictures and played at a math station! Incredible. Though the teacher was quite serious and not overly cheerful to say the least, she is teaching them SO much! They are getting such a good start and have made such a leap from PLAYschool to real school! My favorite part was where they did roll call. Instead of the usual, "Is Liam here?", they had the special helper (a fellow student) read off the list and say "Good afternoon, Liam" to which they were to each reply, "Good afternoon, Ryley". It was darling. Like a formal tea party.

Man, the weeks fly by. It is the end of October, for crying out loud!
Thankfully Shea is doing fine with just a remaining runny nose. He is a talking, busy little gaffer in serious need of some video time for sure...have to get on that!

Sick, bruised, and partied out.

We still haven't determined yet what really is wrong with our little Shea. He presented flu-like symptoms for the first two days, and then seemed fine during the day and only getting sick at night. Now he went two full days and nights just fine and got sick late last night again!? I don't know what is wrong with the poor guy. I must say that I'm quite reluctant to go to the doctor and get blood work and urine samples done. We've been there, done that and it was AWFUL! I've talked to the public health nurse by phone, I've read up on all the H1N1 symptoms and have ruled that out. So I think it's just a thing of him getting gagged during the night in combination with an over-sensitive stomach (as he just had the flu). I'm sticking by that idea until further symptoms take over!
Gross.
Needless to say, we aren't getting much sleep and the worry that the rest of us will come down with something is enough to keep me up!
Greg's parents took the big boys last night for a sleepover. Poor Liam had a biking accident while with them and has a big black eye/face and his arm/elbow is one big scrape and bruise! I said it will fit in perfectly with his pirate costume he'll be wearing at the end of the week...poor guy. I'm glad I wasn't there to witness his fall, as his poor grandparents have to replay that one in their heads and feel just awful.
We hosted another party here on Friday for my sister in law's birthday. It was a pro D day for the kids, so I had to stick to a rigid schedule in order to get the cakes baked, the present bought, the food and house ready, without losing my sanity over the kids. Not an easy juggling act, but always worth it in the end.

Flu season

So cold and flu season is upon us, and Shea has been hit. He has had a runny nose for a week, runs for 4 days and now has been upchucking since Monday night (about every 3 hours). Poor little guy. I am hoping the rest of us stay healthy and avoid the bug as it is hard enough to keep up with the laundry on no sleep as it is! Wish us luck, and here's hoping the rest of you don't catch it!

girl time

Here's the little munchkin who spent most of the week with us. She is such a good little baby with free smiles for everyone!
It was so fun to have her and Michelle here, and though the boys were fighting for my attention and keeping me from being "the hostess with the mostess"...she got a pretty realistic vision of how it is with three boys around! (Busy. Loud. Competitive.) Greg gave us a few hours to ourselves yesterday so we could shop around town and eat in peace.
Thanks for coming and hanging out with us!! I'm looking forward to many more reunions.